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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.



RHEA, JAMES, was born June 3, 1780, in Greenbrier county, Va., and when a young man, went to Barren county, Ky., where he was married, Nov. 20, 1801, to Rachel Joliff, who was born Oct. 16, 1783. They had ten children in Kentucky, and the family moved to Jefferson county, Ill., where one child was born, and moved to Sangamon county, arriving in 1827, in what is now Island Grove township. Of their eleven children--

ELIZABETH, born Sept. 25, 1802, in Kentucky, married there to George May. They came with her parents to Sangamon county, had several children, and moved to Mason county, where she died. Mr. May married again, and took their living children to Gentry county, Missouri.

JAMES, Jun., born August 27, 1804, in Kentucky, married in Jefferson county, Ill., to Susan Mattix, moved to the vicinity of Little Rock, Ark., and died there in 1840, leaving a widow and three children.

WILLIAM, born March 10, 1807, in Kentucky, married in Sangamon county, Dec. 11, 1828, to Susan Foutch, and had twelve children, three of whom died in infancy. William Rhea died Feb. 8, 1860, and his widow lives three miles southwest of Berlin, Illinois.

RICHARD, born Jan. 14, 1809, in Kentucky, married Eliza Rhea. They had three children, and Mr. Rhea died. His widow married William Ethridge, and moved to Iowa.

NANCY, born Dec. 24, 1811, in Kentucky, married Hugh Foutch. See his name. He died, and she married and moved to Iowa.

JEHOIDA, born Oct. 11, 1813, in Kentucky, was married in Sangamon county to John Foutch. See his name.

RACHEL, born Sept. 8, 1815, died, aged ten years.

JOHN, born July 14, 1817, in Barren county, Ky., married Nov. 14, 1839, in Sangamon county, to Julia A. Stark, who was born June 21, 1823, in Rutland, Vermont. They had seven children in Sangamon county. JAMES B., born Nov. 2, 1841, married America Montague, in Sangamon county, and lives near Hamburg, Fremont county, Iowa. STEPHEN E., born Nov. 4, 1843, married Lucy Wilcox, have one child, and live near Berlin, Ill. MARY A., born Jan. 6, 1846, married John F. Wilcox. See his name. THOMAS T., born June 10, 1848, married Sallie Williams. They have one child, JOHN W., and live near Berlin, Ill. JOHN H. died in infancy. MATHA E., born May 10, 1852, married R. Smith, and resides near Berlin. ABIGAIL R. died in infancy. John Rhea and his wife live two and one half miles northwest of Berlin, Sangamon county, Illinois.--1874.

MAHALA, born April 25, 1820, in Kentucky, was married in Sangamon county, Ill., to Joseph Pulsifer. They had twins, and Mrs. Pulsifer died. Mr. Pulsifer is believed to have been murdered while on a business trip to St. Louis, as he was never heard of. Their two sons, NEVO and NEVI, are married, and live in Gentry county, Missouri.

MARY A., born Oct. 27, 1822, in Kentucky, was married in Sangamon county, Ill., to E. R. Alsbury, had one child, LUCINDA, who married James Shuff. See his name. Mrs. Alsbury died April 28, 1851.

THOMAS F., born July 27, 1824, in Jefferson county, Ill., married in Sangamon county, Oct. 3, 1844, to Lucinda Wilcox. They have five children, ELIZA E. and REBECCA, the third and fourth, died young. ANNA L., KATE and LOU live with their parents in New Berlin, Illinois.

James Rhea died Feb. 12, 1843, and his widow died Oct. 28, 1851, both in Sangamon county. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, from Kentucky, under Gen. Harrison; was on Lake Erie, and saw the British vessels brought in after Perry's victory.



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