LYMAN, JOHN
, was born Apr. 2, 1780, at Lebanon, New Hampshire. The Lyman family in America trace their origin to Richard Lyman, of High Ongar, near London, England, who emigrated to America in 1631, and settled at Northampton, Mass. He had three sons, one of whom, Richard, removed to Lebanon, N. H. He had five sons, Ebenezer, Thomas, David, John and Richard. John was married in 1731 to Hannah Burchard. They had one child, Mary, and Mrs. Lyman died. He married in 1747 to Mary Strong. They had one daughter and six sons. Four of their sons, John, Abel, Elijah and Josiah, moved to Brookfield, Vermont. Abel had six sons, five of whom--John, Azel, Alvan, Ezra and Cornelius--emigrated to Sangamon county, Illinois. It was the latter John whose name heads this sketch. He was married Nov. 13, 1804, at Lebanon, New Hampshire, to Martha Storrs, a native of that town. They made their home at Randolph, Vermont, until they had two living children. He was, meantime, privately studying medicine, and took his family to his father's house at Brookfield, while he attended medical lectures at Dartmouth college. Having completed his studies about 1808, he commenced practice at New Haven township, Vt. During the war of 1812, he was part of the time surgeon in the United States army, and was stationed at Swanton, Vt. In 1817, he removed to Williston, Vt., and in 1824 to Potsdam, N. Y. In 1832 he and his brother, Azel, traveled over the Western country; and in the fall of 1833, in company with fifty-two persons, including his four brothers, he removed to Sangamon county, and settled on Prairie creek, in what is now Gardner township, nine miles northwest of Springfield. They were eight weeks on the road, and observed the fourth commandment by resting every Sabbath and assembling for divine worship, which was conducted by Rev. Billious Pond, who fell in with the company at Oswego, N. Y. Dr. John Lyman and wife had eight children, three of whom died young. Of the other five--HENRY P., born Aug. 10, 1805, at Randolph, Orange county, Vt., married Aug. 7, 1833, at Madrid, St. Lawrence county, N. Y., to Mercy Sanders, who was born Dec. 4, 1805, at Bethel, Windsor county, Vt. They started soon after marriage to Sangamon county, arriving in the fall of 1833. They had four children in Sangamon county, namely: CALISTA M., born July 14, 1834, married March 5, 1864, to R. C. Curtis, and resides in Waverly, Illinois. JOHN STORRS, born July 31, 1841, enlisted Aug. 9, 1862, for three years, in Co. G, 101st Ill. Inf.; served to the end of the rebellion, and was honorably discharged June 22, 1865, at Springfield. He was married Sept. 13, 1870, to Mary Carrie Happer, who was born July 26, 1849, in Sangamon county. They have two children, EDWARD H. and NELLIE C., and reside one and three-quarters miles northwest of Farmingdale--1876. SARAH A., born Jan. 16, 1844, married Aug. 15, 1865, to Rev. James D. Kerr. They have three children, HARRY P., JAMES M. and RALPH C., and reside at Nebraska City, Neb. He is pastor of the First Presbyterian church there--1876. GEORGE H., born Oct. 4, 1850, married Jan. 16, 1873, to Emelie Stewart, and resides at Carmi, Ill.--July, 1876. Henry P. Lyman and his wife reside at Farmingdale, Sangamon county, Illinois--1876.
HANNAH, born Sept. 16, 1807, at Randolph, Vt., married Stephen Child. See his name.
BENJAMIN RUSH, born March 10, 1815, at New Haven, Vt., married in Sangamon county Dec., 1837, to Eliza Estabrook. They had three children, and Mr. Lyman died Feb. 16, 1847, in Sangamon county. His widow married Seth Child, and moved to Manhattan, Kansas, taking two of her children. Her son, LEWIS J. LYMAN, went there later, and is now--1876--a practicing physician at St. George, Pottawattomie county, Kansas.
MARTHA, born March, 1817, married Lewis Judd, and died Dec., 1835, in Madison county, Illinois.
LAURA, born Jan. 14, 1819, married Augustin Curtis, and died Aug., 1847, at Waverly, Ill., leaving one daughter, LAURA, who married Wm. Brown, and died Jan., 1870. Mr. Brown lives in Waverly, Illinois.
Mrs. Martha Lyman died March 8, 1862, and Dr. John Lyman died Aug. 4, 1865, after one hour's illness. Both died near Farmingdale, Sangamon county.