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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.




MEGREDY, ENOCH, born in 1794, in Cecil county, Maryland, was married there, Aug. 20, 1816, to Mary S. Jones, who was born in Cecil county, April 7, 1798. Mr. Megredy was engaged in merchandizing, and they had four children there. About 1823 they moved into the adjoining county, in Pennsylvania, where Mr. Megredy continued in the mercantile business. Four children were born in Pennsylvania, and about 1831 they returned to Maryland, where they had three children. Mr. M. moved his family to Springfield, Ill., arriving June 16, 1837, and in December following moved to what is now Ball township, six miles south of Springfield, where two children were born. Of all their children; the eldest--

ELIZABETH died Dec. 14, 1821, in Maryland, aged four years.

JAMES J., born Feb. 1, 1819, in Cecil county, Md., was married in Sangamon county, Ill., Dec. 30, 1841, to Ann R. Hall. They had ten children, three died under four years, and JOHN B. in his fourth year. Of the other six--CHARLES L. married Virginia Weber, and lives at Belleville, Kansas. ANNA, WILLIAM P., SAMUEL E., MILLARD F. and FANNIE, live with their parents, three and three-fourths miles northwest of Pawnee. James J. Megredy represented Sangamon county in the State Legislature, for the session of 1857 and '8.

MARY A., born Nov. 3, 1820, in Cecil county, Maryland, was married Nov. 25, 1847, in Sangamon county, Ill., to Dr. George M. Harrison. See his name.

DANIEL, born Aug. 30, 1822, in Maryland, was married in Sangamon county, Feb. 22, 1849, to Sarah N. Harrison, who died, and he married Catharine Kennedy. Daniel Megredy died in Ball township, leaving three children, WILLIAM ARTHUR, MARY and SARAH.

ELIZABETH, born Sept. 11, 1824, in Lancaster county, Penn., is unmarried, and lives at the family homestead, in Sangamon county.

ENOCH, born June 16, 1826, at Conestoga, Lancaster county, Penn., raised in Sangamon county, married, Oct. 16, 1850, to Lucinda P. Harrison, who was born Sept. 10, 1828, in that part of Sangamon which is now Menard county. They had four children--MARY A., the second child, died in her fifth year. ENOCH E., ADA and LESLIE E. live with their parents, in Menard county, three and one-half miles northwest of Salisbury.

JOHN, born July 11, 1828, in Conestoga Center, Pennsylvania, married Priscilla L. Miller. They had four children, and Mr. Megredy died, near Springfield. His widow and children live in Kansas City, Missouri.

SARAH died, aged twenty years.

ABIGAIL, born July 18, 1832, in Cecil county, Maryland, was married in Sangamon county, April 14, 1858, to Morgan B. Pettus. They have three children, and live in Lincoln, Illinois.

WILLIAM R., born Dec. 31, 1833, in Wakefield, Cecil county, Maryland, was married in Iroquois county, Ill., Oct. 8, 1872, to Joanna Harlan, who was born Oct. 21, 1850, in Morgan county, Ill. They have one child, WILLIAM, and live in Chatham, Sangamon county, Illinois.

ADALINE B., born Nov. 21, 1835, in Cecil county, Maryland, was married Nov. 21, 1855, in Sangamon county, Illinois to Robert S. Graham. See his name.

ARCHIBALD JOB, born January 30, 1838, in Sangamon county, lives at the homestead.

MARGARET R., born April 20, 1840, in Sangamon county, is unmarried, and lives at the homestead.

Enoch Megredy, Sen., died December 28, 1851, and his widow died Aug. 11, 1866, both on the farm where they settled in 1837, six miles south of Springfield.

Archibald Job, a cousin of Mr. Megredy, had a contract for furnishing stone to build the State House, in Springfield, which was commenced the year Mr. Megredy came to the county. The stone was obtained in Ball township, near Crow's mill, and Mr. Megredy was employed to superintend the quarries. He was experienced in the business before he came west. Mr. Megredy was a local Methodist preacher, and a consistant temperance man. He lectured on temperance on all suitable occasions.




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