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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.



HUMHPREYS, OWEN, was born May 27, 1769, near Humphreysville, now Bryn Mawr, Montgomery county, Penn. His parents moved to Fleming county, Ky., when he was quite young. Mrs. Isabel Keith, whose maiden name was Lee, was born Sept. 7, 1771, but whether it was in Virginia or Kentucky is not known. Owen Humphreys and Mrs. Isabel Keith were married in Fleming county, Ky. They had seven children born in Fleming and Bath counties, and Mrs. Isabel Humphreys died April 12, 1823, in Bath county. Owen Humphreys, with some of his children, came to Sangamon county, Ill, arriving in the fall of 1828 or 1829, and settled three and a half miles southeast of Springfield, and west of Sugar creek. Of his seven children--

THOMAS L., born Jan. 24, 1799, in Fleming county, Ky., married in Bath county, to Sally Foster. They had four living children in Fleming county, and moved to Bath county, where one child was born, and then moved to Sangamon county, Ill., arriving in the spring of 1830, three and a half miles southeast of Springfield. Mr. Humphreys being sick that summer, they returned to Bath county, Ky., and came back to Sangamon county in 1844, settling at the same place he occupied in 1830. Some of his children died young, and he brought but three with him to Sangamon county the second time, viz: MARY, born June 6, 1824, near Flemingsburg, Ky.; married March, 1847, in Sangamon county, to George W. Williams, who was born Oct. 27, 1822, at Columbus, Ohio. He is a descendant of Roger Williams, of Rhode Island. Mr. and Mrs. Williams had five children, three of whom died in infancy. LLEWELLYN died in her ninth year. MARY T., born born Jan. 1, 1848, in Sangamon county, was married Dec. 28, 1865, to Charles E. Payne. They had four children, all of whom died under four years. Mr. and Mrs. Payne live five miles southwest of Edinburg. Mr. and Mrs. Williams reside five and a half miles southwest of Edinburg, Christian county, Ill. MINERVA, born June 12, 1828, in Fleming county, Ky.; died Oct., 1854, in Christian county, Ill. CHARLES, born Dec. 8, 1830, in Bath county, Ky.; came with his parents to Sangamon county; enlisted Aug. 5, 1861, in Co. C, 2d Ill. Light Artillery, for three years. After serving two and a half years, he was commissioned Lieutenant of Co. C, 8th U. S. Colored Artillery, and served eleven months. Charles Humphreys was married March 23, 1865, near Virden, Ill., to Julia Goodrich. They have three children, CHARLES, NELLIE and HATTIE. He is a merchant in Virden, and resides there. Mrs. Sally Humphreys died March 18, 1852, and Thomas Humphreys died Aug., 1855, both in Christian county, Illinois.

CHARLES F., born June 18, 1801, in Fleming county, Ky.; never married. He superintended an establishment for producing iron from the ore, in Greenup county, Ky., until his health failed, when he came to Sangamon county, and died at his father's house, Feb. 9, 1831.

ALEXANDER, B. V., born Nov. 27, 1803, in Fleming county, Ky., married Oct., 1827, in Bath county, to Nancy R. Whitecraft. They moved, in a few weeks, to Springfield, Ill., arriving Dec., 1827. They had one child born in Springfield, and in 1829 moved to Sugar creek timber, three and a half miles southeast of Springfield, where six children were born. Of their children--JOHN O., born July 18, 1828, in Springfield, is unmarried, and resides seven miles southwest of Edinburg. BENJAMIN F., born Sept. 10, 1830, in Sangamon county, married Oct. 11, 1866, in Christian county, to Mrs. Mary J. Martin, whose maiden name was Wood. She was born Jan. 13, 1842, in Montgomery county, Ky. They had one child, and B. F. Humphreys died Nov. 30, 1870. His widow and daughter, IDA, resides at Edinburg, Ill. CHARLES F., born Feb. 3, 1833, in Sangamon county, enlisted Aug. 5, 1861, in Co. C, 2d Ill. Light Art. He was promoted through all the grades to First Lieutenant. Served exactly four years, and was honorably discharged at Springfield, Ill., Aug. 5, 1865. He was married Jan. 19, 1875, to Jane A. Williams, and reside one-half mile southeast of Rochester, Sangamon county, Ill, DAVID C. died in his second year. THOMAS E., born Sept. 29, 1838, in Sangamon county, enlisted Aug. 15, 1862, in Co. E, 114th Ill. Inf., for three years. He was color bearer of his regiment, and was wounded Dec. 16, 1864, the second day of the battle of Nashville; recovered, served his full time, and was honorably discharged at the close of the rebellion. He died at the family homestead, in Christian county, Ill., Dec. 26, 1868. MARY M. J., born Feb. 29, 1840, in Sangamon county, Ill., was married March 3, 1875, to Dr. J. Henry Dickerson, who graduated Feb. 23, 1870, at the Philadelphia University of Medicine and Surgery. Dr. Dickerson and wife reside ten miles northwest of Taylorville, Christian county. See Dr. Dickerson's name in connection with the name of his grandfather, Robert Bell. JOSEPH A., born Jan. 2, 1843, is unmarried, and resides at the family homestead. Alexander B. V. Humphreys was engaged in blacksmithing while he lived in Springfield; but the business of his life was farming, in which he was eminently successful. In March, 1850, he moved with his family to Christian county, seven miles southwest of Edinburg, where Mrs. Nancy R. H. died Feb. 28, 1862, and A. B. V. Humphreys died Oct. 8, 1865.

MARY A., born Jan. 17, 1807, in Fleming county, Ky., married in Sangamon county to Philetus G. Pierce. They had five children in Sangamon county. ISABEL died young. The family moved in 1851, to the vicinity of Roseburg, Douglas county, Oregon, where Mr. Pierce died, in 1858 or '9, and Mrs. Pierce died Jan., 1872. Their four children, JOHN D., ELIZABETH, CAROLINE and OWEN reside in Oregon.

JOHN D., born Oct. 2, 1809, in Bath county, Ky., married Nov. 8, 1832, in Sangamon county, to Mary McKinnie. They had two children. MIRANDA, born August 1, 1833, died in her third year. DAVID, born Dec. 4, 1834, in Sangamon county, married June 9, 1857, to Mary A. Chapman, who was born March 2, 1835, in Devonshire, England. They have three children, JOHN J., MARY A. and MINNIE E., and reside at Farmingdale, Sangamon county, Illinois. He is station agent and postmaster there. John D. Humphreys died in July, 1835, three and a half miles southeast of Springfield, and his widow married John Branson. See his name.

ELIZABETH, born Feb. 11, 1812, in Bath county, Ky., married in Sangamon county to Willoughby Churchill. See his name. They had four children, and started, in 1850, to Oregon. Mrs. C. died at the Delles, a narrow gorge in Columbia river. The family reside near Harrisburg, Linn county, Oregon.

DAVID, born Feb. 4, 1819, in Kentucky, died in Sangamon county, Sept. 6, 1834.

Owen Humphreys died Jan., 1846, in Sangamon county, near Mechanicsburg.



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