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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.



BRITTON, BENJAMIN, was born June 2, 1797, in Virginia. When he was a youth his parents moved to Franklin county, Ohio. He was there married, in April, 1816, to Elizabeth Brunk. She was a sister to George Brunk, and was born Oct. 13, 1800, in Franklin county, Ohio. They had four children in Ohio, and moved to Indiana in 1824, and from there to Sangamon county, Ill., arriving in Oct., 1825, in what is now Cotton Hill township, where they had seven children. Of all their eleven children--

JOSEPH, born in Ohio, died in Sangamon county unmarried, at about fifty years of age.

REBECCA, born in Franklin county, Ohio, married in Sangamon county, to Nathaniel Duncan. Mr. D. died, and his widow married Joel Vandever, and resides in Pana. See his name.

James I. Dozier relates an anecdote illustrative of life among the early settlers. He remembers that Benjamin Britton hired Nathaniel Duncan to haul a load of corn to Springfield, which would be a day's work for the team. The price agreed upon was $1.37 1/2. Twenty bushels was all he could haul. Mr. Britton went along to do his own selling. Arriving there, with all his efforts, five cents per bushel was the highest price he could obtain. He sold the load, paid over the whole proceeds, $1.00, but how they settled the other thirty-seven and a half cents, he does not remember. That was in 1836.

ELEANOR died, aged fourteen years.

MARGARET, born in Franklin county, Ohio, married in Sangamon county to Oscar F. Matthew. See his name.

HANNAH, born in Sangamon county, married Sterling Clack, moved to Nevada, Vernon county, Mo., where he died, leaving a widow and five children.

DAVID B., born and died in Sangamon county, aged 21 years.

ANDREW J., born in Sangamon county, married Sarah McDaniel, have four children, and reside near Princeton, Colusa county, Cal.

MARIA J. died at twelve years of age.

CAROLINE E., born June 6, 1834, in Sangamon county, married Geo. W. Spicer. See his name. He died, and she married Nathan Plummer, and resides in Cotton Hill township.

LORENZO D., born in Sangamon county, married Melissa Barfield. They had five children, and Mr. Britton died, Dec., 1872, leaving his widow and children near Clarkesdale, Christian county, Illinois.

LOUISA, born in Sangamon county, married Philip Clark, and died in Missouri.

Mrs. Elizabeth Britton died August 18, 1854, and Benjamin Britton died Jan. 21, 1868, both in Sangamon county.



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