LINDLEY, SIMON
, was born Jan. 20, 1769, in Orange county, N. C. Anna Standley was born Feb. 3, 1766, in Kent county, Del. Her parents moved to Pendleton District, S. C. Simon Lindley and Anna Standley were there married, July 14, 1789. Their home was in Orange county, N. C., until four children were born, and they moved to Christian county, Ky., where they had three children. In the fall of 1807 they moved to Madison county, Ill., and the next spring to what is now Bond county. All was quiet there for about three years, but in the latter part of 1811 the Indians became hostile, and began to murder the settlers and steal property. Mr. Lindley was warned by a very old, whitehaired Indian, of the threatened danger. Then the settlers united in building a fort or stockade, about two and a half miles from where Greenville now stands. They lived in that fortification during the whole time the war with Great Britain was raging. They could not have held their ground and provided for their families, but the soldiers who were stationed there guarded the men while they worked in the fields. They lived that way four years, many of their members being murdered. The Indians continued to swarm about them in greater numbers, and they abandoned the fort, and all went back to the vicinity of Edwardsville, in September, 1814, and the next spring, 1815, a treaty was made, in consequence of which, hostilities ceased. Mr. Lindley remained near Edwardsville four or five years, and moved to what became Sangamon county, arriving April 14, 1820, in what is now Chatham township. The farm is now owned by the heirs of Benjamin F. Darnielle. Of his seven children--JOHN, born Jan. 23, 1791, in North Caroliaa, married twice, and died in Madison county, Illinois.
JOSEPH, born Jan. 7, 1793, in North Carolina, married in Bond county to Nancy Hicks, moved to Sangamon county, then to Tennessee, and from there to Freestone county, Texas.
MARY, born May 11, 1795, married George Bridges, raised a family, and died in St. Clair county.
SARAH, born Dec. 4, 1797, married Allen Bridges. They raised a family and live in Polk county, Mo.
SIMON, Jun., born August 16, 1799, in Christian county, Ky., came to Sangamon county with his parents, went to South America when a young man, married there, and has not been heard of for several years.
ELIZABETH, born Sept. 3, 1803, in Christian county, Ky., married July 30, 1826, in Sangamon county, to Samuel Harbour. See his name.
ANNA, born May 9, 1806, married April 13, 1826, to Thomas Greenwood. See his name.
Simon Lindley died August 30, 1827, and his widow died Jan. 23, 1849, both near where they settled in 1820.
Simon Lindley was a minister of the Regular, or Predestinarian Baptist church. In July, 1821, himself and wife, John Bridges and wife, united with others for the purpose of keeping up worship, and on the second Saturday in June, 1826, the Liberty Baptist church, on Lick creek, was organized by Elders William Crow, Thomas Ray and Micajah Rowland, and brethren Austin Sims and Peter Robeson. There were thirteen members:--
The church worships now in a school house in Curran township, and is under the pastoral care of Elder C. C. Purvines.
Mr. Lindley was a very eccentric man, and many anecdotes are related of him, both in connection with his preaching and in private life. Mr. Lindley was also a man of liberal education. He was educated at some college in Philadelphia, but whether he was a graduate or not, I cannot say. After the town of Springfield was laid out, there was a discrepancy between the surveyors of that and the former town of Calhoun, and Mr. Lindley was called on to re-survey it and harmonize the differences, which he did, to the satisfaction of all parties.