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EARLY SETTLERS OF SANGAMON COUNTY - 1876
By John Carroll Power

These biographies were submitted by a researcher and evidently abstracted from the 1876 History of Sangamon County, IL. Errors could occur, so one should always verify the correctness by obtaining copies of vitals and performing all necessary research to document what is contained herein.




BOYD, JOHN, was born Feb. 13, 1777, in Pennsylvania, and went to Botetourt county, Va., when a young man. Susannah Hiner was born Dec. 22, 1780, in Botetourt county, Va., and they were there married June 26, 1802. Two children were born in Virginia, and they moved to Franklin county, O., about 1806, where six children were born. The family then moved to Sangamon county, Ill., arriving in the fall of 1819 in what is now Ball township, where one child was born. Mr. Boyd was a millwright, and his services were in great demand. In the fall of 1830 he was at work on a mill on the Sangamon river north of Rochester, known afterwards as Baker and Darling's mill. Wishing to visit his family, and having some business at Springfield, he went there first, and then started home. A heavy sleet was falling at the time, which proved to be the precursor of the deep snow. The walking was laborious, and the next day his body was found by his neighbor, Christopher Newcomer. It was six miles southeast of Springfield, on what is now the farm of William Southwick. He was found just as the snow began to fall, and if he had lain another day would not have been seen until spring. Of his children--

HANNAH, born in Botetourt county, Va., was married in Sangamon county, Ill., to John Dillon. They both died near the town of Dillon, in Tazewell county, leaving six children residing there. JESSE went to Arkansas, married and died there. SUSANNAH was married Aug. 24, 1848, to Joseph Meredith, and died Dec. 24, 1868, in Christian county. MARY married Timothy Larramore, and resides near Tremont, Tazewell county, Ill. WILLIAM died in Sangamon county. JANE resides with her sister Mary. DANIEL served four years in an Illinois regiment, and died in Tazewell county. JOHN married, and resides in Iroquois county, Ill. ISAAC died in the Union army.

MARY, born Jan. 1, 1806, in Botetourt county, Va., was married to George Brunk. See his name.

JACOB, born Oct. 30, 1807, near Columbus, O., married in Sangamon county, Ill., Sept 1, 1833, to Rebecca Royal. They had nine children in Sangamon county. JOHN T., born in 1835, married Sarah E. Clayton. They had two children, GEORGE E. and EMERY A., and Mr. B. died April 5, 1874, in Taylorville. WILLIAM H., born May 1, 1837, was married March 31, 1859, to Mary A. Vigal. They have one daughter, FRANCES D., and reside in Cotton Hill township, between Brush and Horse creeks. GEORGE B., born Dec. 25, 1839, enlisted Aug., 1862, in Co. E, 114 Ill. Inf., for three years; served full time, and was honorably discharged at Springfield. He married Harriet Williams. They have three children, CLARENCE E., SUSAN R. and PHOEBE C., and reside in Cotton Hill township. MARY married Alonzo Sparks. They have two children, MAUD and RAY, and reside near Girard, Kan. SUSAN married Harvey Alexander. They have four children, CHARLES M., JACOB W., LULIE M., and HATTIE E., and reside near Girard, Kan. JAMES O. served in Co. I, 7th Ill. Inf., from Feb., 1865, to the close of the rebellion. He married Marietta Reed. They had two children, REBECCA J. and JESSE M., and reside in Cotton Hill township. SARAH J. married Elijah D. Lawley. See his name. They have two children, LOUIS E. and FREDERICK G. DAVIS O. married Sarah A. Campbell. They have two children, OLIVE and CLARA A., and reside in Cotton Hill township. VINCENT C. died Aug. 22, 1871, in his eighteenth year. Jacob Boyd and his wife reside in Cotton Hill township.

THOMAS, born Oct. 25, 1809, was married, and resided in St. Louis at the close of the rebellion. He died about 1869.

JOHN, born Aug. 5, 1811, in Ohio, married in Iowa to Elizabeth Dyer. They reside near Ozark, Jackson county, Iowa. He was a soldier from Sangamon county in the Black Hawk war, and served in an Iowa regiment during the rebellion.

BENJAMIN died in his ninth year.

JOSEPH, born April 1, 1816, in Ohio, brought up in Sangamon county, was married in Iowa to Anna Ray. He enlisted in an Iowa regiment, and died at Louisville, Ky., leaving a widow and three children near Ozark, Iowa.

CATHARINE, born Oct. 26, 1818, in Ohio, died in Sangamon county, aged seventeen years.

SAMUEL, born Aug. 25, 1823, in Sangamon county, died in his seventeenth year.

Mrs. Susannah Boyd died Aug. 9, 1848, in Sangamon county.




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