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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.




CROWDER, PHILIP, was born May, 1759, near Petersburg, Va. He was married there to Susan Parish. They had five children born there. He then moved, in company with about forty families, to Greene county, Ky. They all moved on pack horses, and camped near each other every night, with armed men standing guard around them, for protection against the Indians. Mrs. Susan Crowder died in 1794 in Kentucky, and he was there married to Rachel Saunders. She had one child, and died there. Philip Crowder then married Sally Chandler. They had nine children, and moved to Sangamon county, Ill., arriving in Nov., 1830, and settled three and a half miles southwest of Springfield. Of all his children--

REUBEN, born in Virginia, was married to Nancy Michael, and came to Sangamon county in 1825, preceding his father. They had fifteen children; three died young. ELIJAH died, aged twenty-one. MARTHA was married in Kentucky to James Robinson, moved to Sangamon county, thence to Macon county. Mr. R. died, and his family reside in Missouri. ELIZABETH married Peter Christian. They had two children, and Mr. C. died. His widow married Andrew Lockwood, and both died. MARY, born November, 1813, in Green county, Ky., was married in Sangamon county Feb. 11, 1836, to Benjamin F. Dillard. See his name. MATHEW married Susan Schoolen. They live in Macon county, Mo. THOMAS M., born July 25, 1818, was married July 22, 1840, to Mary J. Dalby. They had seven children; three died young. SARAH A., born Jan. 12, 1842, was married Dec. 22, 1864, to Ole Nelson. They had three children, Mary J., Emma E. and Maggie M., and live near Springfield. HENRY, born June 19, 1844, was married June 8, 1871, to Margaret E. Williams. She died Oct. 3, 1871. He is a practicing physician. AGNES E., born April 6, 1847, was married April 13, 1865, to F. C. Arnold. They have two children, Fannie and Alice, and live near San Jose, Mason county, Ill. MARY A, born Sept. 3, 1850, was married Feb. 10, 1868, to Thomas W. Miller. They have one child, Anna M. DOUGLAS, WILLIAM A. and JAMES F., live with their parents. Thomas M. Crowder and family reside four miles west of Springfield. GREENBERRY married Sarah Scott, and both died, leaving two children, in Missouri. SUSAN married John Grabeal, who died, and she married Philip Meekum. They reside in Saline county, Mo.

RIAL M., born April 11, 1821, in Greene county, Ky., brought up in Sangamon county, was married in Missouri to Angeline Scott. They have seven children. Their daughter, LENORA, married Moses H. Moore. See his name. The other six children, WILLIAM A., MARY J., ISAAC M., ALZIRA M., LAURA A. and DAISY L., reside with their parents near McKinney, Collin county, Texas. JAMES married Margaret Martin, and died January, 1876, near New Boston, Mo. REUBEN, Jun., went, in 1847, to Washington Territory, married there, and his wife died. He resides near Olympia. AMANDA married John Martin. They had four children, and she died in Saline county, Mo. CATHARINE married Samuel Casebolt, and live near Miami, Saline county, Mo. Reuben Crowder died Sept. 8, 1835, near Springfield, and his widow married again. She is now a widow, and resides with the family of her son James, near New Boston, Macon county, Mo.

MARTHA, born about 1785, near Petersburg, Va., was married in March, 1805, in Green county, Ky., to Lewis Walker, a native of Virginia. They had some children in Kentucky, and came to Illinois in 1832, and brought up a large family, some of whom are living in Clark and Coles counties. Their sixth child, JUDIAH, born Dec. 7, 1820, in Green county, Ky., came with her parents to Clark county, Ill., in 1832, and was married there Dec. 3, 1840, to James C. Robinson, who was born Aug. 19, 1823, in Edgar county, Ill. They have eight children, all born in Clark county, and the family moved to Springfield in 1869. Of their children, NATHANIEL P., born Jan. 25, 1842, was married in Marshall county, Ill., to Miss Benedict. SERENA, born Nov., 1843, married R. S. Briscoe. JAMES P., born May 23, 1845, married Dora Shaw, a daughter of Judge Shaw, of Olney, Ill. J. P. Robinson is a lawyer, and resides in Olney. AMANDA, born April 12, 1848, lives with her parents. RICHARD M., born August 6, 1851, is a practicing lawyer in Denver, Col. JENNIE and JUDIAH M. live with their parents in Springfield. Hon. James C. Robinson studied law, and was admitted to the bar, in Marshall, Clarke county, Ill., in 1852 or '3. He was elected to Congress from that district in 1858-'60 and '62. He was the Democratic candidate for Governor in 1864, but his party being in the minority, he was, not unexpectedly, defeated. He represented in Congress the district in which Springfield is situated, in 1870 and '72. He is now a member of the law firm of Robinson, Knapp & Shutt, of Springfield.

SUSAN, born in Virginia, was married in Kentucky to Isaac Le Follett. They brought up a family in Kentucky, and both died there.

MATHEW, born in Virginia, married Elizabeth Scott. They had five or six children, and she died. He married Jane Laughlin. They had one child, and he died. His family reside in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

ELIZABETH, born May 31, 1790, in Virginia, married William Bradley. See his name.

HENRY, the only child by Phillp Crowder's second marriage, was born in Green county, Ky., went to East Tennessee when a boy, and remained there.

MARY, born May 22, 1799, in Green county, Ky., and the eldest child by the third marriage, married Thomas Willian. See his name.

ABRAHAM, born in Kentucky, married and died without children.

JOHN C., born in Green county, Ky., was married there to Mary Laswell. They had two children there, and came to Sangamon county in 1826, preceding his father four years. Eight children were born in Sangamon county. Of their children, JAMES H., born Dec. 24, 1823, in Kentucky, was married in Sangamon county, April 10, 1849, to Mary A. Wright, who was born Nov. 7, 1831, in Adair county, Ky., and came to Sangamon county in 1839. They reside three and a half miles southwest of Springfield. SARAH J., born Dec. 12, 1825, in Kentucky, was married Jan., 1850, in Sangamon county, to E. J. Warren. They had seven children, and she died July 17, 1870. Two of her children, JOHN C. was drowned in 1874, THOMAS J. lives in Springfield. The other five reside with their father, near Mount Zion, Macon county, Ill. WILLIAM, born June 5, 1828, in Sangamon county, married Mary Wood. They had three children, and he died. NANCY, born Oct. 26, 1830, married John Harris, and died. MARY E., born April 24, 1833, died, aged seventeen years. THOMAS J., born May 28, 1835, was married June 24, 1856, to Elizabeth F. Wright, and she died Nov., 1872. He resides at Wautiska, Sanders county, Neb., and is a Methodist minister. FRANCES, born May 21, 1838, married Jesse Perkins. They have four children, and live in Williamsville. MARTHA A., born Sept. 25, 1840, married Theophilis Ludlam. They have five children, and live near Decatur. MATILDA, born April 28, 1843, died in her fourth year. CATHARINE A., born Oct. 27, 1845, married July 15, 1865, to Alexander H. Wright, and lives in Springfield. Mrs. Mary Crowder died, and J. C. Crowder married Ursula Albans. They had four children; one died in infancy. HENRY C., bvrn April 21, 1855, died April 23, 1876. JOHN J. resides at Jacksonville. JOSEPH W. resides with his brother, James H. Mrs. Ursula Crowder died, and J. C. Crowder married Mrs. Elizabeth Cox. They had one child, LUELLA, and J. C. Crowder died April 10, 1863. His widow resides at Berlin.

WILLIAM, born Feb. 11, 1804, in Kentucky, was married there to Mary Fawcett. They had two children, born in Kentucky, and came to Sangamon county in company with his brother-in-law, Elisha Sanders, in the fall of 1829, where eight children were born. Of their children, ROBERT E. and JOHN, born in Kentucky, both married in Sangamon county, and died. MATILDA, born Dec. 9, 1831, in Sangamon county, was married Oct. 10, 1855, to John J. Warren, who was born Nov. 3, 1831, in Shelby county, Ill. They have seven living children, MARY A., WILLIAM C., THOMAS J., GEORGE B. M'C., ANDREW J., ROBERT E. and ISAAC W. Two of the children are married, and reside east of Pawnee. Those that are living and single reside with their parents, near Pawnec. SARAH E. married Hiram White. JAMES M. died unmarried, aged twenty years. WILLIAM C. married Ruth Tilley, and resides in Palmer, Ill. AARON V. married Martha Ward, and lives in Christian county. ANGELINE and BENJAMIN F. died young. STAFFORD and JESSE W. reside with their parents, near Pana.

FANNIE married William White, in Kentucky, came to Sangamon county in 1830, and soon returned to Kentucky.

CHANDLER, born in 1808, in Kentucky, married Lucinda Sanders. They had four children: JOHN married Catharine Stroude. They have three children, and live in Cotton Hill township. Chandler Crowder was drowned in 1839, while attempting to cross Sugar creek to reach his sick family.

HORATIO, born in Kentucky, came to Sangamon county in 1829. He married Sallie Woozley. They had two children in Sangamon county. NATHAN W., born Nov. 4, 1833, was married Dec. 28, 1853, to Margaret Todd. They have four children, JOHN H., GEORGE A., HENRY M. and JAMES H., and reside in Pawnee. SARAH J., born Oct. 12, 1835, was married Jan. 28, 1853, to Seth Underwood, who was born June 16, 1829, near Sparta, White county, Tenn. They have seven children, JOHN H., SARAH F., AVERY C., THOMAS J., JEREMIAH, LEWIS ALFRED and WILLIE, and reside in Cotton Hill township, Sangamon county, Ill. Horatio Crowder died about 1835, and his widow married John M. Mathews. See his name. She died Dec. 28, 1850.

WASHINGTON, born July 9, 1813, in Green county, Ky., came with his father to Sangamon county in 1830. He was married Dec. 21, 1836, to Isabel Laughlin. They have seven children: JOHN F., (Dick), born Dec. 25, 1837, married April 12, 1860, to Jane E. Laswell. They had one child, ELMER E., who died in infancy, and Mrs. C. died May 7, 1863. Mr. C. was married Sept. 22, 1864, to Mary F. McMurry. They had three children, LUELLA B., GEORGIE M. and ESTELLA. Mrs. Mary F. Crowder died June 16, 1873, in Springfield. J. F. Crowder was married June 10, 1874, to Nannie Womack, have one child, CLINTON CARROLL, and live in Pawnec. MARY A. died in her eighth year. WILLIAM A., born April 16, 1843, married Nov. 30 1865, to Isabel W. Lanterman. They had tour living children, HORACE A., CHARLES L., FRED and ETHEL, and live in Springfield. LUCELIA J. died July 19, 1862, in her eighteenth year. SADIE E. and CHARLES W. live with their parents. GEORGE L. died May 11, 1870, in his eleventh year. Washington Crowder and wife reside in Springfield, Ill. See his account of the sudden change.

ALBERT G., born Oct. 16, 1816, in Green county, Ky., came to Sangamon county with his parents in 1830. He was married Dec. 29, 1840, to Sarah A. Bartlett. They had two children born in Sangamon county. MARY J. married W. W. Lapham. They have two children, W. ALBERT and MINNIE F., and live at Decatur. FANNIE married John Jamison. He was born Sept. 24, 1834, in Glasgow, Scotland. They have three children, MARY F., SARAH and MARIA L. D. Mr. Jamison resides in Auburn. Albert G. Crowder died in 1847, and his widow died in 1848, both in Sangamon county.

Philip Crowder died February, 1844, and his widow died in September following, both in Sangamon county. Philip Crowder was a soldier in the revolution.

An elder brother, who had a family, was drafted, and Philip volunteered in his place. It was not long before the close of the war--when he was about sixteen years of age. His son Washington remembers hearing him repeatedly state that he was at the siege of Yorktown, and witnessed the surrender of Cornwallis; that he saw the British commander hand his sword to Washington, and that they wept and embraced each other. Seeing Cornwallis so much affected, Washington said: "Never mind it; this is the fate of war."




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