USA > Indiana > Wayne County > Richmond > Memoirs of Wayne County and the city of Richmond, Indiana; from the earliest historical times down to the present, including a genealogical and biographical record of representative families in Wayne County, Volume II Pt II > Part 42
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cess which he has gained through his own efforts. lle also owns seventy-two acres in Washington township, which he operates in a general way, and he raises some Percheron horses. In 1910 he went to Belgium and France and imported ten head of Percherons and Belgians for himself, accompanied by Elmer Commons, of New Paris, Ohio. In politics Mr. Clevenger gives his allegiance to the Prohibition party, and he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In Washington township, Feb. 16, 1882, Mr. Clevenger was united in marriage to Miss Mary Marlatt, born in that township, Aug. 21, 1859, a daughter of Harrison and Anna (Swisher ) Marlatt, the former born in Washington township and the latter in Preble county, Ohio. The father was a land-owner in Washington township and continued to reside there until his death, which occurred in 1908, his wife having passed away March 28, 1884. They were the parents of seven children: Alice is the wife of John Doddridge, of New Castle, Henry county ; Mrs. Clevenger is the second in order of birth; Walter resides near New Castle; Emma, the fourth in order of birth, is the wife of Charles Ranck, of Indianapolis; Carrie, the fifth, is deceased ; Elmer resides near Mill- ville, in Henry county; and one died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Clevenger are the parents of seven children : Emma, born April 29, 1884, is the wife of Fred Bond, a farmer in Washington township, and they have a daughter, Pauline, born in September, 1910; Bes- sie, born May 28, 1887, is the wife of Philip Higham, and they have twin daughters-Mary and Martha-born Sept. 23, 1911; Ethel, born May 10, 1888, is the wife of Lowell Oldham, of New Castle; Anna, born March 12, 1892, is the wife of Floyd Cook, a farmer in Washington township; Eva, born Nov. 28, 1893, resides. at the parental home, as do also Charles, born Sept. 13, 1896, and Walter, born May 12, 1898. Mr. Clevenger was never away from his farm two weeks at any one time until he made his trip abroad in 1910.
Melvin Coggeshall, a well-to-do and prominent farmer of New Garden township, was born Dec. 18, 1843. His father was Job Coggeshall, a native of Guilford county, North Carolina, and his mother was Judah ( Marine) Coggeshall, born in the same county and State. The paternal grandfather was Tristam Coggeshall, a native of North Carolina and of English descent, and he removed to Wayne county when his son, Job, born in 1791, was about twenty- one years old. He located in New Garden township, on the farm now owned by his grandson, Melvin Coggeshall. Job Coggeshall first married Mrs. Harris, and of that union were born three chil- dren-Edward, Louis and Rebecca-the last named of whom mar- ried Jesse ('ates. After the death of his first wife he was married to Judah Marine, by whom he had eleven children-Mahala, Irene. Sarah A., Basil A., Martha J., Catharine, Lafayette, Melvin, Eva- line, Alvareze, who served in the Civil war and now resides in Ma- rion, Ind., and Adaline. Of these children the following are de- ceased-Mahala, Sarah Ann, who married Milton Cranor, and La- fayette. Melvin Coggeshall was reared to farm work at Williams- burg, in Green township, and attended the public schools. His early work in life being on a farm, that calling has engaged his at-
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tention to the present time. He owns a fine farm, upon which there is a beautiful brick residence, located one mile west of Foun- tain City, and upon his place are a number of fine horses and Jersey cattle. Politically he is a member of the Democratic party and a faithful follower of its banners. His inclinations in local affairs are liberal and in local elections the man and not the party is his creed. Having been born and reared in Wayne county, he has been a witness of the wonderful growth and great development of the country. While not affiliated with any particular church his views . on religion are orthodox, and he contributes to the cause of any worthy project. On Dec. 31, 1868, Mr. Coggeshall was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Jessup, daughter of Thomas and Ann (Hazley) Jessup, natives of North Carolina, the latter coming to Wayne county when about eighteen years old. Mrs. Coggeshall was born in Green township, Aug. 28, 1844, and was reared there. Mr. and Mrs. Coggeshall have three children, of whom the following data is appropriately entered in this connection : Olive is the wife of Alva Study, of Green township, and of this union there are two children-Gladys and Louisa. Osceola is a scientific trained nurse, practicing in Louisville, Ky., and had charge of the late ex-Con- gressman Overstreet during his last illness. Emma is a success- ful milliner and has charge of the millinery department of a large general store at Sidney, Ill.
James Colvin, who has been a pillar of strength in the upbuild- ing of the moral and intellectual welfare of this community, and whose life has been one of devotion to his adopted country, State and county, was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, of stanch Scotch ancestry, Dec. 31, 1843. His present home is in Fountain City, Wayne county, where he is living retired after a life of exceeding usefulness and activity. Ilis parents were James and Mary J. ( Hadden) Colvin, natives of Ireland, and as honored members of the agricultural class successful tillers of their native soil. In Ireland James Colvin, the son, was reared and received the best education afforded by the local schools. In his seventeenth year he decided to try his fortunes in the New World, having heard of the wonderful opportunities in America for a young man endowed, as he was, with the energy and perseverance so characteristic of the Scotch-Irish people, and he accordingly set sail for this land of promise, in 1860, coming direct to Wayne county and locating in Green township. For seven years he labored on leased land and then purchased a tract of his own. Thereafter he was engaged in agricultural pursuits and his farm was tilled with great care and was very productive. It might be well to state here that when he landed in this country, in 1860, the nation was stirred to its depths in the greatest political battle that had ever been fought in this country. He had been reared a Presbyterian and taught to abhor slavery, hence was not long in deciding upon his political affiliations. Upon reaching his majority he allied himself with the Republican party and at once applied for his naturalization papers and cast his vote for Lincoln, the officer in charge return- ing to him the fee required of applicants when he learned Mr. Col-
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vin's choice for President. He has since been faithful to the tenets of that party's platforms and every Republican candidate since has received his vote. After seven years' residence in this county he returned to Ireland on a visit and brought back with him his sister, Anna, who later married Richard Williams and resides in Green ·township. In 1874, Mr. Colvin was married to Miss Eliza Cobine, a native of Ireland and daughter of James and Belle (AArmstrong) Cobine, natives of Ireland and of Scotch descent. Mr. and Mrs. Colvin began housekeeping on a seventy-acre farm which he had purchased in Green township. After a number of years on that farm he sold it and purchased a ninety-acre farm near by. This last mentioned farm he still owns, and it is one of the best in the township, the house being provided with a good slate roof, and there are good barns and other buildings. Some years later hie purchased a farm of 110 acres of fine land in New Garden town- ship, on the Green township line, but afterward sold it. In 1902 he purchased his present cozy home in Fountain City, which place has been his residence since, and he there expects to end his days. Mr. and Mrs. Colvin have had no children, but they partly reared and educated Miss Jennie Cobine, a niece of Mrs. Colvin, and who is now the wife of Edward Dunham, a farmer in New Garden town- ship. Both Mr. and Mrs. Colvin were reared Presbyterians, but both united with the United Brethren church in Green township and of that organization were members over thirty years ; but since their residence in Fountain City Mrs. Colvin has joined the Wes- leyan church, which Mr. Colvin also attends.
Frank Davenport, farmer, and one of the prominent and in- fluential citizens of Wayne township, was born in Wayne town- ship, Wayne county, Indiana, Jan. 22, 1865. His parents-Warner and Rebecca (La Rue) Davenport-were both natives of Wayne county, where the father was born Feb. 5, 1826, and the mother was born where her son, Frank, now resides, Oct. 20, 1830, and they were descendants of old North Carolina families. The pa- ternal grandparents-Jesse and Rebecca (Foutz) Davenport -- came from North Carolina and entered land in Wayne county, where the grandfather followed farming until his death, in 1830. They were the parents of fourteen children, of whom Mary, Lin- nie, Martin, Jane, Jacob, Sallie, Jesse, Elizabeth, and Nellie are deceased; Nancy, the widow of Dr. Evans, of Richmond, died in March, 1911 ; and Parmela, William, Warner, and Rebecca are also deceased. Warner Davenport was educated in Wayne township and followed farming as an occupation until a few years before his death, which occurred Dec. 9, 1908, and his wife passed away Aug. 17, 1903. The father was a captain of home guards during the Civil war. He and his good wife were married May 1, 1845, when they were respectively nineteen and fourteen years old, and they then settled on a farm in Wayne county, but later came to the place where their son, Frank, now resides. The father went to Califor- nia in 1849, but returned in 1851. They became the parents of nine children : Sallie is deceased; Anna Amelia, born June 6, 1848, is the wife of George F. Paulson, of Wayne township; William H.,
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born Feb. 22, 1852, resides in Richmond; Jesse E. and Richard A., twins, born April 21, 1854, reside respectively in Webster and Wayne townships; Alonzo, born Dec. 1, 1859, is a resident of Bos- ton township; Frank is the seventh in order of birth; Emma, born Jan. 27, 1872, is deceased; and Alice, born June 30, 1873, is the wife of William Toney, of Charter Oak, Iowa. Frank Davenport was educated at the public schools of Wayne township and com- pleted a course in the Pichmond Business College. On Monday, March 12, 1888, he began working on his father's farm and con- tinued so employed just eighteen years to the day, until Monday, March 12, 1906, when he purchased the old homestead of 167 acres, where he has built the residence and other buildings, and follows general farming and stock growing. In politics Mr. Davenport is definitely affiliated with the Republican party. To an unusual de- gree he has the respect and good wishes of all, and his example and life have good influence on those with whom he associates. Mr. Davenport is a birthright member of the Friends' church, his wife is a member of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Richmond, as are also the children, and fraternally Mr. Davenport is a mem- ber of the Modern Woodmen. On Dec. 24, 1887, was celebrated his marriage to Miss Myrtle Nickle, born June 3, 1868, a daughter of the late Hugh G. and Anna Eliza ( White) Nickle, who long re- sided in Wayne township, four miles north of Richmond. To them have been born four children-Blanche Marie, born Dec. 6, 1888; Grace Anna, born July 31, 1892; Jessie Reba, born June 16, 1894; and Inez Myrtle, born Aug. 22, 1906. The father of Mrs. Daven- port was a native of Pennsylvania, born in Chester county, Aug. 25, 1819. He came to Wayne county in 1823, with his mother, who entered government land here, and he was educated in Wayne township. He was first married to Priscilla Frame, who died June 4, 1866, and in 1867 he was married to Anna E. White. In early life he began working on a farm and later purchased a place in Franklin township. He retired in 1869, and removed to a small place near Goshen, where his death occurred Sept. 27, 1896, and his widow survived until Jan. 31, 1903. They were the parents of three children, of whom Mrs. Davenport is the eldest ; Jessie is the wife of Benjamin Thomas, of Wayne county ; and George died at the age of two years. Mr. Nickle was one of the founders of the Middleboro Methodist Episcopal Church and devoted the latter years of his life largely to church work.
Calvin R. Davis .- There are many adopted sons of Wayne county who are prominently identified with the agricultural in- dustry within its border, and none can but feel that his "lines are cast in pleasant places" and that properly directed energies will bring goodly returns in said connection. One of the appreciative farmers of Harrison township, where he manages a fine landed es- tate, owned by A. P. Kepler, of Richmond, is Mr. Davis, who fol- lows general farming. He was born in Guilford county, North Carolina, and the date of his nativity was May 1, 1865. He is a son of Thomas E. and Rebecca H. (Crisco) Davis, both born in Guilford county, North Carolina, the former in 1829. Thomas E.
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Davis was reared and educated in his native county and his early farming operations in an independent way were conducted there. Later he came to Grant county, Indiana, where he resided until 1876, when he removed to Wayne county and located near Wil- liamsburg. He is now living in Mercer county, Ohio, at the ad- vanced age of eighty-two years, and his wife died in Wayne county about 1882. He is independent in his political views. Ile became the father of eight children: Martha A., wife of William White, of Ohio; Julius, of Green's Fork, Ind .; Mary and George, deceased ; Isaac, of Green township; Calvin R .; Thomas E., Jr., of Williams- burg, Ind., and Winslow, deceased. After duly availing himself of the advantages of the common schools of Green and Clay town- ships Calvin R. Davis initiated his independent career by working on a farm. After being thus employed ten years he rented a farm in Green township fifteen years, and then came to Harrison town- ship, where he is located, and has since continued most successful operations as a general farmer and stock grower. Mr. Davis is well known as one of the progressive business men and loyal and public-spirited citizens of his adopted county, where he is held in high esteem by all who know him. He is a member of the Re- publican party, though he has never been ambitious for the honors or emoluments of public office. On March 3, 1890, Mr. Davis was united in marriage to Miss Olive L. Farmer, born July 8, 1870, and reared in Perry township, a daughter of Henry and Hannah (Cain) Farmer, the former born in Tennessee and the latter in Wayne county. Henry Farmer came to Wayne county and located in Perry township, in 1855, where he became a representative farmer and influential citizen. Some years since he retired from active labor and since that time he and his wife have maintained their home in the village of Williamsburg. During the Civil war Mr. Farmer served as a soldier in the Sixty-ninth Indiana infan- try. This regiment was organized at Richmond and was mus- tered in Aug. 19, 1862. It left the State the next day for Rich- mond, Ky., and was engaged in the battle near that place on the 30th, where Kirby Smith's forces captured it almost to a man. The regiment was paroled and in November was exchanged, leaving Nov. 27 for Memphis. It was with Sheldon's brigade of Morgan's division on the Vicksburg expedition in December, and participated in the assault at Chickasaw Bluffs. It was engaged at Arkansas Post, and after the capture of that place proceeded to Young's point. It moved to Milliken's Bend in the latter part of February, and on March 30 was the advance regiment in the movement of Grant's army against Vicksburg. It dislodged a force at Round- away Bayou and aided in building bridges at Richmond, La., 2,000 feet being constructed in three days, thus completing a military road across the peninsula from the river above Vicksburg to the river forty miles below. It was engaged at Fort Gibson, at Cham- pion's Hill, and in the assault at Black River Bridge. It moved to the rear of Vicksburg, was engaged in the siege and in the as- sault of May 22, and was stationed at the Black River Bridge, holding Johnston's forces in check until Vicksburg's fall. The
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regiment was in Osterhaus' division, which opened all the engage- ments prior to the investment of Vicksburg. The Sixty-ninth was in constant skirmish in the advance on Jackson and was actively engaged during the six days' siege. It was sent to Port Hudson in August ; was in the Teche expedition with General Franklin; moved to Texas in November, landing at Matagorda Bay ; sailed for Indianola Feb. 13, 1864, and returned to Matagorda Island on March 13. It returned to Louisiana in April; joined Banks' re- treating army near Alexandria ; participated in the fight near that place, and in the retreat supported Lucas' cavalry in covering the rear of the army. It was in camp at Morganza until December and engaged in several minor expeditions. It moved for Dauphin Island, Mobile Bay, Dec. 7, and on the 14th joined the Pascagoula expedition. The regiment was consolidated into a battalion of four companies Jan. 23. 1865, with Lieutenant-Colonel Perry in command, and embarked a few days later for Barrancas, Fla., whence it moved to Pensacola on March 14, and on the 20th accom- panied Steele through Florida and Southern Alabama. It en- gaged in the assault at Fort Blakely and guarded prisoners to Ship Island. It then moved to Selma, Ala., where it remained until May 3. when it returned to Mobile and was mustered out July 5, 1865. Mr. and Mrs. Davis have nine children, those who are old enough being associated with their father in his farm- ing operations, and they are popular young people of the county in which they are representatives of the third generation of a ster- ling family. The names of the children follow: Nellie, born March 31, 1892; Paul, born Nov. 6, 1894; Archie, born Aug. 23, 1896; Ju- lian, born July 15, 1898; Claude, born Jan. 26, 1900; Denver, born Jan. 26, 1902; Fannie, born Feb. 5, 1903; Mary, born April 27, 1906; and Donald, born Sept. 23, 1911.
Doddridge Family .- The lineage from which the Doddridges of Wayne county are descended is an old and honorable one in England, and in deference to the members of the family here it is fitting that reference to its history be inserted in this publica- tion. The original American ancestors of the family came from England prior to the days of the American Revolution, and men bearing the name have been prominent in various lines of en- deavor in America. (See sketch of Mordecai D. Doddridge). One of its members, Philip Doddridge, was a member of Congress from Virginia, from 1829 to 1832, and of him Daniel Webster once said, "Philip Doddridge was the only man I really feared in debate." The progenitor of the Wayne county Doddridges came from Wash- ington county, Pennsylvania, as may be seen by reference to sketches on other pages of this volume. In the days of King Ed- ward the Confessor, there lived a man named Dodo. According to "Doomesday Book" he owned certain manors in the county of Devon. One of these was near Crediton, and here it is said he fixed his home. In that land of picturesque dells and declivities it was natural that Dodo should build his house upon a ridge, and hav- ing done so, it was natural that Dodridge should henceforth be the name, both of the place and of the people who dwelt there.
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Tradition tells us that this was the case, and that here the family "tho minished and brought low," had some land left after the Normans had taken all their other lands away, in the years 1035 to 1066. The modern Doddridges are supposed to be descendants from the ancient Dodo. The supposition tallies, both with their undisputed claim to Saxon origin and with the story of Prince, who, writing about them in 1702, says: "The Domain of Dode- ridge in the Hundred of Crediton, had, long since, Lords so called." The first person of the name about whom we have any historical certainty was one Richard Doddridge, who, in the time of Queen Elizabeth, left South Moulton, where he was a land- owner and where his children were born, to establish himself at Barnstable and afterward became an influential merchant and magistrate. A few notices of him still remain in that locality. Among these is an entry in an old journal belonging to the cor- poration, to the effect that in the Spring assizes of 1590 "Lord Anderson," the judge, lodged at his house; and there are entries in the church register, for instance the following, under the head of "Baptisms": "Grace, a neiger servant of Mr. Richard Dod- dridge, April 16, 1596." John, his first son, was born at South Moulton, in 1555. At the age of twenty he became a sojourner at Exeter College, Oxford. In 1604 he became Solicitor-General to King James I. In July, 1607, he received the honor of knight- hood. In 1612 he was made one of the justices of the Common Pleas, and after that of the King's Bench. Sir John was the au- thor of several works on professional subjects, which were quoted as oracles by the men of his day, by whom he was distinguished as that ancient "Father of the Law, the reverend and learned Sir John Doddridge." The common people generally called him "the sleeping judge," from his habit of keeping his eyes shut during a trial. This he did to shut out all distractions, as the rogues always found out in due time. Sir John was married three times, but had no children. He died Sept. 13, 1628, and was buried in great state in Exeter Cathedral. In the Lady Chapel of that Cathedral there are monuments to him and his lady under two separate arches in the great thick wall. His picture is in the National Portrait Gallery, at South Kensington, to which place it was removed by order of the government from the Bird Gallery in the British Museum, where it hung for many years, just over the Dodo. Pentecost was the second son of Richard, and to him the Judge left all of his estates. The son and representative of Pentecost, John Doddridge II, was born Nov. 11, 1610 (Barn- stable Parish Register). His only brother, Richard, died shortly after taking his Master's degree at Exeter College, and soon after this, Feb. 23, 1643, his father died, leaving him all that he had. Ile was a member of the Long Parliament and when the third parliament of the Protectorate was called was returned a mem- ber for Bristol, of which city he was at that time the Recorder. Among the old treasures belonging to the Bristol Municipalities may be seen two large flagons, silver-gilt, richly chased, bearing the inscription : "Ex domo Johanis Dodridge Recordations
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Civitates, Bristol, 1658." Among many bequests, he left to llar- vard College in New England the yearly sum of ten pounds for. ever. He was married three times, but had no children, and died at Chestnut, March 22, 1666. The third son of the patriarch Richard was the great-grandfather of Philip Doddridge the Di- vine and of the progenitor of the Indiana branch of the Dod- dridge family, whose name was Joseph Doddridge. In one of the Harlean manuscripts on Devonshire pedigrees, date 1630, there is the name "Philip Doddridge," under his shield of arms (Arms- Argent two Pales wany azure, between nine cross crosslets, Gules). His only son was the third John Doddridge. The latter is thus entered in the matriculation lists of the New Iron Hall, Oxford: "March 22, 1638, Jolin Doddridge, Middlesex, son of Philip Doddridge of Thistleworth, in county aforesaid, of good rank, aged 18." In 1649 he was presented by Sir Henry Reynell to the living of Shipperton. When, in August, 1662, the Act of U'niformity was passed, conscience compelled him to resign, and he was a great loser for conscience' sake. He died suddenly, in September, 1689, and at that time only two of his children were living. These were his sons-Daniel and Philip, the latter being the ancestor of the American branch of the family. He was a solicitor and held for many years the post of steward to the House of Russell, under William, fifth Earl and first Duke of Bedford. Some of his brown leaved books, in their old black leathern dresses, have been kept together until the present time. They in- clude editions of the Greek and Latin Classics and certain Eng- lish and French works, now rare and forgotten. If it be true that a man's mind is known by the company he keeps, we may infer from the relics of his library that he was a genial gentleman, well versed in "the humanities and posted up in the knowledge of his time." Daniel was evidently not the genius of the family. He received a mercantile education and made some property in Lon- don. He was an "oil man," Job Orton insists on saying, and this phrase is much the best, for, according to the deliverance of Judge Doddridge, "a gentleman, of whatever estate he be, tho he go to the plow, and tho he have nothing in his purse, yet he is a gentleman." He married the daughter of a Lutheran student named John Banman, who, in 1626, was forced to leave Germany, his native country, on account of the persecution of the Protestants, and to take refuge in England. Mr. and Mrs. Doddridge lived in England, in the city of London, and there their son Philip, the eminent dissenting preacher and author, was born June 26, 1702. He was their twentieth child, but only one of the others, a girl, named Elizabeth, had survived. In the common room of the fam- ily the fireplace was lined with Dutch tiles illustrating Scripture history. Before he could read, Philip's mother taught him delight- ful lessons out of this book, which he never forgot. Sometimes she would show him a certain strange looking book, bound in two volumes, in black stamped leather, plated with silver and with a quaint looking title page. It was a copy of Martin Luther's Bible, dated Strasburg, 1526. She would often tell him the story of this
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