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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.



WATSON, ARTHUR, was born in 1770, in Berkley county, Virginia, and when a young man went to Mason county, Kentucky. Temperance Robinson was born August, 1774, in Baltimore county, about twenty miles from the city of Baltimore, Maryland, and in 1794 her parents moved to Mason county, Kentucky. Arthur Watson and Temperance Robinson were married about 1796 in Mason county, and had ten children there, the eldest and youngest of whom died in Kentucky. In 1812 Mr. Watson went from Mason county as a soldier in the war with England. The family moved to Sangamon county, Illinois, arriving April 10, 1825, at Springfield. Mr. Watson soon after entered the land now occupied by the water works, watch factory, rolling mill, north coal shaft, and Oak Ridge cemetery. Of their children--

HIRAM A., born May 14, 1799, in Mason county, Kentucky, died there in 1823.

SANFORD, born Jan. 28, 1801, in Mason county, Kentucky, married in Sangamon county, June 3, 1833, to Betsy Ann Stevenson. They had one child, and the mother and child died September, 1835. He was married in 1842 in Morgan county to Maria Elder, and in 1849 moved to Oregon. Mr. Watson died July 6, 1870, leaving a widow and four children, near Bethel, Polk county, Oregon.

MEDALINE, born May 18, 1803, in Mason county, Kentucky, married in Sangamon county Octobor, 1825, to William Alvey. See his name.

ANN R., born August 19, 1805, in Mason county, Kentucky, married in Sangamon county October, 1825, to James C. McNabb. See his name.

JAMES, born Feb. 29, 1808, in Kentucky, married in Sangaman county, February, 1833, to Mary Ridgeway. They had five children, and the family moved in 1847 overland to Oregon. Mr. Watson died in 1861, and his widow died in 1873. Four of their children reside near Kings Valley postoffice, Benton county, Oregon.

LUCRETIA, died July 13, 1810, in Mason county, Kentucky, married in Sangamon county, Jan. 20, 1846, to James W. Simpson. They had two children. LAFAYETTE married Jennie Combs, and resides at Tallula, Illinois. CLIFTON L. resides with his mother. James W. Simpson died in August, 1862, and his widow resides near Tallula, Menard county, Illinois.

WILLIAM H., born Dec. 15, 1812, in Kentucky, married in Sangamon county, in 1838, to Agnes Lloyd. He died Sept. 26, 1842, near Middletown, Logan county, Illinois.

AMANDA P., born April 10, 1816, in Mason county, Kentucky, married Wm. S. Pickrell. See his name.

JOHN N., born Oct. 22, 1818, in Kentucky, died in Sangamon county June 16, 1835.

Arthur Watson died Sept. 29, 1827, and Mrs. Temperance Watson died Sept. 11, 1837, both near Springfield, Sangamon county, Illinois.



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