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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.




BROWN, WILLIAM, was born April 19, 1779, in Frederick county, Virginia. The family have a record reaching back through his father, James Brown, born April 19, 1742, O. S., in Spotsylvania county, Va., to his father, James Brown, born April 29, 1708, O. S., in Middlesex county, Va., whose parents emigrated from England. James Brown, the father of the subject of this sketch, emigrated from Virginia to Bourbon county, Ky., in 1784. William Brown was married in 1805, in Fayette county, Ky., to Harriet B. Warfield, who was born March 3, 1788. They had ten children; one died in infancy; all born at the family residence except the eldest, who was born at the Warfield homestead, near Bryan's Station, Fayette county, Ky. William Brown was a successful lawyer, and for several years before leaving Kentucky, his home was a country seat, overlooking the town of Cynthiana, and the valley of the Licking. He led a company of volunteers from Kentucky, in the war of 1812, in which he won the title of Colonel. He represented Harrison county in the Legislature of Kentucky, and later represented his district in Congress. He, in company with his son-in-law, James D. Smith, explored the central region of Illinois, and in 1832 made large purchases of land in and around Island Grove, in Sangamon county. He brought his family the year following, and after providing for the erection of a country residence, made his home in Jacksonville, Morgan county, where, after a brief illness, he died, Oct. 6, 1833. Of their nine children who accompanied them to Illinois, four never resided in Sangamon county, viz: ELISHA W., ELIZA C. and SARAH H. reside at Boonville, Cooper county, Mo. WILLIAM made Jaeksonville his home, brough up a family of children, and died there, after a life full of usefulness and honor, in 1871. Of the other five children--

JAMES N., born Oct. 1, 1806, at Bryan's Station, Fayette county, Ky., was married near Cynthiana, Ky., to Polly A. Smith. They had three children in Kentucky, all of whom died in infancy. They moved to Sangamon county, Ill., where six children were born, one of whom died in infancy. JAMES N., Jun., born July 13, 1836, died Feb. 8, 1851. WILLIAM, born June 11, 1839, was married, Oct. 18, 1865, in Covington, Kv., to Sally R. Smith, who was born Feb. 1, 1847, in Harrison county, Ky. They had three children, all of whom died in infancy. Mrs. Sally R. Brown died May 6, 1870, at Island Grove. Mr. B. resides at the family homestead. CHARLES S., born Oct. 11, 1841, was married Jan. 15, 1874, in Middletown, Butler county, Ohio, to Sarah E. Bonnell, who was born there, May 30, 1843. They reside at the family homestead. BENJ. WARFIELD, born Oct. 10, 1844, resides at the homestead, three miles west of Berlin, Sangamon county. MARY H., born March 19, 1848, and was married Jan. 4, 1872, at Island Grove, to Samuel N. Hitt, who was born Sept. 20, 1834, in Bourbon county, Ky. He enlisted Sept. 21, 1861, at Camp Butler, in the 10th Ill. Cav., and was elected 1st. Lieut., was promoted through all the grades to Col., and was honorably discharged, Dec., 1866. Mr. and Mrs. Col. Hitt had two children; one died in infancy. MARY B. resides with her parents, half a mile east of New Berlin, Sangamon county. Capt. James N. Brown, Sen., represented Sangamon county in the Legislature of Illinois for the years 1840, '42, '46 and '52. During the session of the last named year he drafted a bill and secured its passage, which led to the organization of the Illinois State Agricultural Society. He was elected its first President, Jan. 5, 1853, and re-elected in 1854. He held, to the day of his death, offices of public trust, but whilst giving much of his time to the State, his love for agriculture was not abated, nor his active duties in her pursuits neglected, and to his sagacity and persistant life-time efforts is Illinois largely indebted for her prominence as a producer of short horn cattle. For more than a third of a century he was a member of the M. E. church, and his active christian life closed Nov. 16, 1868. His widow, Mrs. Polly A. Brown, died May 18, 1873, both where they settled in 1833. Their remains are interred in Wood Wreath Cemetery.

RUTH ANN, born April 29, 1812, married James D. Smith. See his name.

MARY, born March 3, 1814, was married in 1831, in Kentucky, to Barton S. Wilson. They moved from Jacksonville, Ill., to Island Grove, in 1835, and thence, in 1837, to Boonville, Mo., where Mrs. Wilson died, in 1858, but three children survive her, viz: Mrs. REBECCA Brand, JOSEPH and JOHN, all of whom, with their father, reside in Neosho, Newton county, Missouri.

REBECCA, born Jan. 4, 1819, was married in Jacksonville, Ill., to Charles W. Price. See his name.

LLOYD W., born Feb. 22, 1824, in Kentucky, graduated in arts at McKendree College, in 1842, and in medicine, from the University of Maryland. In 1847 he married Rebecca P. Warfield, of Lexington, Ky. He practiced medicine in that city one year, and came to Illinois Dec., 1848, and settled near the town of Berlin, in 1849, practiced medicine there until 1857, when he abandoned his profession for other pursuits, and moved to Boonville, Mo. He returned to Illinois in 1858, and after a brief stay in Jacksonville, settled on his farm at Lost Grove, on the line between Sangamon and Morgan counties. Of Dr. L. W. Brown's ten children, five died in infancy. The others are: HARRIET B., born May 1, 1852, died July 11, 1867, at her grand-father's, (Dr. Warfield) in Lexington, Ky. She is buried in Wood Wreath Cemetery, Ill. WILLIAM B., EDWARD F., REBECCA C. and LLOYD W., Jun.

Dr. L. W. Brown is a banker, and, with his family, resides in Jacksonville, Ill.




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