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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.




CALHOUN.--The origin of the family in America was with Andrew Calhoun, who was born March 27, 1764, in Rye, Ireland. The family record speaks of his birth place as "Heland." That may have been a provincial name, or the original Gaellic name for Ireland. Andrew Calhoun was a near relative of the father of John C. Calhoun, of South Carolina. He came to America about 1792, and made his home in Boston, Mass. March 15, 1795, he was married at Chelmsford, Mass., to Martha Chamberlin, who was born at the latter place, Feb. 20, 1770. She was a descendent of the Puritans. They had eight children, all born in Boston. Their sixth child, JOHN, is the one of whom we wish to speak particularly, but will first briefly mention his brothers and sisters, that the reader may understand the character of the family.

WILLIAM B., was a lawyer, and stood high in the profession. He lived in Springfield, Mass.; was speaker of the house of representatives eight years, and President of the Senate a number of years. He represented the Springfield district in Congress eight years. CHARLES was, for twenty consecutive years, Secretary of the Senate of Massachusetts. ANDREW H., left his native State and became connected with journalism in the State of New York. He served seven years on the Board of Canal Commissioners, and one term as Clerk of the State Senate. HENRY was a merchant in Montgomery county, New York. Later in life he was, for many years, Deputy Collector of United States Customs in the city of New York. SIMEON HOWARD, born August 15, 1804, was educated at Harvard College, became a Christian minister, and joined a mission at Mount Lebanon, Syria. He was entrusted with translating the Bible into the native language, and subsequently established a native college near Beirut, of which he is now--1875--the President. JAMES, younger than John, was for thirty years an active business man in Cincinnati, O. There were two sisters, SUSAN, older, and MARTHA, younger. The father, Andrew Calhoun, after spending the prime of his life as an extensive merchant in Boston, retired to a farm in Montgomery county, N. Y., where he lost his wife, returned to Boston, married again, and died April 14, 1842.




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