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(Source: History of Madison County, Ohio
Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co., 1883 - 1159 pgs.)
Unless Otherwise Noted
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BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX LISTED BY COUNTY> |
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JOSEPH REA was born in
Pennsylvania in 1754; he married Elizabeth Conn, who was
born January 27, 1762; they were married January 16. 1783. They
emigrated to Virginia; thence, in 1810, to Ross County, Ohio: and thence
to Madison County, about 1818, and settled on Oak Run, where they died
about 1829. They had a family of nine children; all grew to maturity,
but are now deceased. Of their children, Mathew was born in
Rockbridge County, Va., in 1793; he became a resident of London in 1818,
and married Ann Amos, who was born in Maryland November 15, 1802; they
were married in London by Patrick McLene, Esq., and, in
1835, settled in Oak Run Township, where he became a very successful
farmer and stock-raiser, and accumulated a good property. She died in
1857, and he in 1873. They had seven children; three now survive; Robert
and Jerry, two of the surviving children, are large land-owners in Oak
Run Township, and are among the most respected citizens of the county. |
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MATTHEW
REA (deceased) was born in Rockbridge County, Va., June 22, 1793.
His father, Joseph Rea, was of Irish and Quaker
extraction, and was born near Philadelphia. In 1810, young Matthew
emigrated with his parents to Ross County. Joseph Rea's
family consisted of nine children: Robert, who was a stock-dealer
at Coshocton, and died in middle life: Matthew, Joseph,
John and Jesse, all farmers and stock-raisers of Madison
County; Sarah, who married John Lindsley and
removed with him to Marion County; Elizabeth, who was the wife of
Richard Wilson, a blacksmith of this county, and who late in
life went to Indiana; Nancy, wife of William Jackson,
a farmer of Madison County, and Mary, who married William B.
Slyh, and settled in Wyandot County. When hostilities began in 1812,
young Matthew was a member of . a militia company which was
called into service. He served six months, commencing in August, 1812,
on the Ohio frontier, under Gen. Harrison. While marching
to the front he passed through the site of London, which locality he
then saw for the first time. A few years later, he began the business of
stock-raising, which became his life pursuit. For a few years in early
life he was engaged in buying pork and shipping it by flat-boat from the
mouth of Deer Creek to New Orleans. This proved remunerative at first,
but a decline in the market value afterward resulted in losses to him,
and destroyed his previous profits. His father came from Ross County to
Madison in 1818. settling about a mile south of London.
Matthew preceded him several years in the
occupancy of Madison County soil, having been engaged in herding cattle
on the prairie land south of London. He was married, in 1823, to Ann
Amos, whose father had emigrated to Madison County from Maryland.
Soon after this important event in his history, he settled on the site
of London, and there remained until 1835. He then removed to his large
farm in Oak Run Township and lived there till his decease, which
occurred September 23, 1873, in his eighty-first year. He had been an
active man in business affairs and remained in charge of his extensive
business until within a short time of his death. He was fond of the
saddle, and when engaged in superintending the management of his stock
always rode horseback. His wife preceded him to the grave about sixteen
years. Of their seven children, but four grew to maturity—Jeremiah,
of Oak Run Township; Joseph, who died in November, 1873,
Robert, of London; and Margaret, wife of F. M.
Chenoweth, of Fairfield Township. |
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ABNER A.
RIDDLE, farmer, P. O. West Jefferson, is a son of Abner
and Sarah Riddle, of Pleasant Township. They were the
parents of nine children, of whom the subject of this memoir is the
eighth; he was born in Pleasant Township October 16, 1833, and was
reared to farm life, which he still practices. He received a
common-school education in the winter terms. He was left fatherless at
an early age, and was reared by a widowed mother. On November 6. 1869^
he married Elizabeth Gilliland, who was born August 4,
1849, in Madison County, Ohio. They have had born to them two children,
viz., Ella J. and L. Gertrude. "When Mr. Riddle
started in life he commenced as a farm hand, at $6 per month, at which
he worked for nine years at increased wages. By toil and personal
energy, he has accumulated a handsome property of 292 acres of land,
under good cultivation and improvement. He is one of the well-to-do
farmers, willing to assist in all valuable improvements of the country
and takes a special interest in the schools of his township, being now a
member of the School Board of his district |
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HENRY C. RIDDLE, dealer
in stoves, tin and hardware, Plain City, was born in Union County, Ohio,
August 26, 1846, and, in 1866, settled in Plain City, where he embarked
in the enterprise that now engages his attention, and in which he has
met with good success. He was married September 13, 1872, to
Alice, daughter of H. D. and Samantha (McUmber) Lombard, by
whom he has two children - Howard Sterling, born July 9, 1873,
and Willard Henry, born October 2, 1876. Mr. Riddle
is a member of the Plain City School Baord, one of the Baord of Village
Council and a member of Urania Lodge, No. 311, F. & A. M., at Plain
City. He is a stanch and reliable Republican in politics, and
takes an active interest in all the work of his party. His
parents, James and Mary (McCullough) Riddle, are residents of our
subject's native county.
Source: History of Madison County, Ohio - Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co.,
1883 ~ Page 981 |
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B. F.
ROBERTS, farmer, P. O. West Jefferson, is a son of Charles and
Harriet Roberts, who are mentioned in Union Township of this volume
Of their family, our subject, the fourth, was born near London, Madison
Co., Ohio, in April, 1840. His residence in his native county is
unbroken. save one year spent in Franklin County. In the fall of 1864,
he enlisted in Company E, One Hundred and Eighty-second Regiment Ohio
Volunteer Infantry, serving to the close of the war, and participating
in the battle of Nashville, Tenn. After his return home, he engaged in
saw-milling and farming, which he has followed to the present. He owns
175 acres of land, which classes him among the well-to-do farmers of the
township. He does not indorse the theory of some authors, that " a man
unmarried is only a half a man," but has seen fit to thus far live a
life of singleness. |
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JOHN E. ROBERTS,
farmer, P. O. West Jefferson, is a grandson of Thomas and
Susan (Prisel) Roberts, the former a native of Virginia,
of Irish parentage, and the latter a native of Virginia, of German
descent. They were married in the East, and about 1798, they came to
Ohio with one child—John. They settled near Martinsburg, now
Darbyville, Pickaway County, where they squatted for a short time only,
when they pressed on to Franklin County, where he bought a large tract
of land, and, in 1812, laid out Georgesville. He finally bought about
1,500 acres in Madison County, where he subsequently settled, probably
about 1843. They had a family of eleven children, viz., John, Margaret,
James, Bazel, Elizabeth, Nancy, Sabastian,
Elbias, George, Mary R. and Edwin E. Nancy
and the two youngest are yet living. Thomas Roberts was,
when reaching Darbyville, Ohio, destitute of everything save $3 in cash,
but he was a wonderful worker, of industrious and economical habits,
which soon placed him among the well-to-do citizens. He was a large
cattle dealer and drover, taking many trips with stock over the
mountains to Eastern markets. In this branch of business, he was
eminently successful. In the prime of life, he had a good constitution,
but for thirty years previous to his death, he suffered from
consumption. In an early day, he operated a still-house at Georgesville,
and bought corn for 10 cents per bushel. He and wife both died in
Jefferson Township, in the year 1864, aged, respectively, eighty-nine
and eighty-five years. Of their children, Sebastian, the seventh,
was born in Franklin County, Ohio, September 8,1814. He was raised in
his native county, where, in 1839, he married Tacy A. Holt, who
was born and raised near Philadelphia, Penn. Two of their sons are now
living, viz., John E. and T. B. Sebastian and wife came to
Madison County in 1842; subsequently, he became a large land-owner and
solid farmer. He was a man of medium size, possessed rather delicate
health, and died May 18, 1869. leaving two sons and a widow, the latter
still bearing the name of her departed husband. John E., the
youngest of the sons, was born in 1843 in Jefferson Township, where he
has always resided, and devoted his summers to farming and his winters
attending the district schools, save two years spent in the retail dry
goods trade in Jefferson. He now owns a fine farm of 368 acres, one mile
west of Jefferson, pleasantly located and under a high state of
cultivation. He was married, in 1865, to Clara L. Stutson, a
native of Zanesville, Ohio. One son is the fruit of this marriage. |
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T. B. ROBERTS, farmer, P.
O. West Jefferson. The above gentleman is a son of Sebastian Roberts
and brother of John E. Roberts, whose sketch appears in this
volume. He was born in Franklin County, Ohio, January 15, 1840, but
since two years of age has been resident of Jefferson Township, Madison
County. He was raised to farm life and acquired such an education as his
facilities warranted. His entire life has been devoted to tilling the
soil, and now owns 271 acres of good land, which he cultivates and
pastures with his cattle; to the latter he devotes considerable time,
and also pays considerable attention to the raising and handling of
hogs. He has a beautiful home, which is the old homestead of his
grandfather. He remained at home until November, 1862, when he responded
to the President's call for troops by enlisting in Company K.
Ninety-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under Capt Daugherty,
and served until almost the close of the war, participating in some of
the severest battles. Soon after his return, he married Lucinda H.
Zinn, a native of Franklin County, Ohio, where she was born February
20, 1841. |
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THOMAS J. ROBERTS,
farmer, P. O. West Jefferson, is a grandson of Thomas and son of
Edwin E. Roberts. The latter was born in Franklin County, Ohio,
where he was raised. He, as well as the other children of Thomas
Roberts, received some land from home, which placed him in fair
circumstances to begin life. In early life, he received a common-school
education, but his entire life has been devoted to farming and dealing
in stock, driving the latter over the mountains before the means of
transportation were so rapid as now. He has managed by fair means
through life to possess a neat competency, which he has liberally
divided with his seven children. He resides in a beautiful home on the
London & Jefferson pike, and is now nearing the allotted time of man. He
has always taken an active part in the affairs of the county, and has
always voted the Democratic ticket. His first wife was Mary,
daughter of John Thomas, an early toll-gate-keeper on the
National pike, east of Jefferson. She was born in North Wales in 1821,
but from two years of age was a resident of America; she died in 1847,
leaving one child, our subject, Thomas J. His second wife was
Maria Thomas, a sister to his first wife. She is still
living, having raised a family of several children, the most of whom are
represented in this volume. Thomas J. was born in 1846, in
Jefferson Township, where he has always resided, and followed farming
and stock-raising. His farm contains 171 acres under good cultivation.
He was married to Matilda, sister of Dr. J. T. Colliver,
of Jefferson, by whom he has had three children, all now living. |
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W. E. ROBERTS, farmer, P.
O. West Jefferson, grandson of Thomas Roberts and son of Edwin
E. Roberts, was born in Jefferson Township, was reared on a farm and
has thus far followed rural pursuits. His farm consists of sixty
acres, which he cultivates well. He was married, in December,
1877, to Alice Johnson, a descendant of the pioneer Michael
Johnson, elsewhere mentioned, and a daughter of Luther Johnson.
By this union two children have been born. |
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E. C. ROBINSON, dentist,
Plain City, son of Samuel and Nancy (Curry) Robinson, was born
October 27, 1850. He was reared on the farm, where he remained
until seventeen years of age, when he learned the trade of a plasterer
and brick-mason and prepared himself for a thorough mechanic.
After working at his trade and traveling for six years, he studied and
has since practiced it in Plain City, where he has met with well-merited
McCloud, and by her has one child, a daughter - Tessa. |
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W. K. ROBY, farmer, P. O.
Plain City, was born in the State of New York March 25, 1835, and was a
son of William and Martha (Fuller) Roby, natives of New York, of
English descent. His father died two months before he was born,
and he lived principally with strangers until his marriage. When
old enough, he began farming by the month, after which he rented land
for a year, and, in 1855, when in his twentieth year, he purchase of
twenty-six acres, which he has since increased to 150 acres. He
was married, in 1857, to Nancy Finch, a native of Madison County,
and a daughter of John Finch. This union was blessed with
three children, viz., Adda, wife of A. Cory, Jr.; Ellsworth
and Lawrence. Mr. Roby is a Republican in politics. |
HENRY M. ROUSE, carpenter, Plain City, was born in Steuben County, N.
Y., July 27, 1828. His father, Thomas Rouse, was born in
Vermont in 1793, and died in Ohio in 1873; he married Sarah A. Platt,
a native of Connecticut and a connection of ex-Senator Platt, of New
York. They came to Ohio in 1838, where he plied his trade of
carpenter and joiner until his death. Our subject's grandfathers
were both in the Revolutionary war. His maternal grandmother
became a widow, and married a Mr. Wheaton, a soldier in the war
of 1812; she lived to the remarkable old age of one hundred and two
years, dying in Bloomington, Ill., in 1864. Our subject was
elected in this county, and for one winter he taught a school in Union
Township. In 1839, he moved to London, and worked at his trade,
carpentering, until 1859. In 1851, he married Mary E. Dunn,
a daughter of Isaac and Mary (Roush) Dunn. By this union,
six children were born, viz: Blanche, wife of Clark
Gray; Link D.; Sarah, deceased wife of Charles Kent,
deceased; Carl H., Thomas D. and Allen. In 1861,
Mr. Roush enlisted in Company B, Thirty-second Regiment Ohio
Volunteer Infantry, Col. Tom Ford, and was discharged in 1862,
after participating in general battles. In 1866, he came to Plain
City, where he has since worked at his trade, with the exception of one
year spent in business in Chicago. He is a Democrat; was Clerk of
the Board of City Council, of London, eight years, and Mayor in 1858,
and has been Mayor five years in Plain City, and Justice of the Peace
six years. He is also a member of the School Board and Secretary
of the agricultural society.
Source: History of Madison County, Ohio - Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co.,
1883 ~ Page 982 |
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