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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.



STEPHENSON, JAMES, was born July 3, 1482 in South Carolina. His parents moved about 1800 to Caldwell county, Ky. Margaret Clinton was born in North Carolina, and when she was about thirteen years old her parents moved to Caldwell county, Ky. James Stephenson and Margaret Clinton were there married, and had six children in that county, and the family moved to Wayne county, Ill., where two children were born, and moved to Sangamon county, arriving in 1825, on Sugar creek, southeast of Springfield, where three children were born. Of their children--

PENINAH, born in Kentucky and died in Illinois in 1845.

WILLIAM C., born in Kentucky, raised in Sangamon county, and was a graduate of the Medical College of Ohio. He married Mrs. Diana Ruble, whose maiden name was Bowen. Dr. William C. Stephenson died at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, leaving a widow, but no children.

HANNAH A., born in Kentucky, raised in Sangamon county, married Jacob Zwingle. They have two children, MARTIN LUTHER and WILLIAM MELANCTHON, and live near Athens, Menard county, Ill.

JAMES W., born in Kentucky, raised in Sangamon county, married Mary Allen, and have seven children. James W. Stephenson was a soldier in an Illinois regiment, and now lives at Mexico, Audrain county, Missouri.

FINNIS E., born in Kentucky, raised in Sangamon county, and maried Maria Houghton. They had two children. FRANK died in infancy, and CHARLES lives with his father. Mrs. S. died November, 1857. F. E. Stephenson was sergeant of Co. K., 33d Ill. Inf. He lives at Chandlerville, Ill.

ALEXANDER, died at seventeen years of age.

BENJAMIN F., born Oct. 3, 1823, in Wayne county, Ill., and raised in Sangamon county. He graduated Feb. 7, 1850, at Rush Medical College, Chicago, and was married in Sangamon county March 30, 1855, to Barbara Moore. She was born in 1828, in Woodford county, Ky. They had three living children, BENJAMIN M., MARY H. and CARRIE A. Dr. B. F. Stephenson was surgeon of the 14th Ill. Inf. He died August 30, 1871, and his widow and child reside in Menard county, three miles north of Salisbury, Ill.

ELVIRA A., born Dec. 7, 1824, in Wayne county, Ill., raised in Sangamon county, married May 29, 1854, to Aaron R. Houghton, who was born Dec. 9, 1855, in Menard county, Ill., and served one year as a soldier in the Mexican war. They have three children, JAMES F., CHARLES W. and MARY A., and live six miles south of Petersburg, Menard county, Ill.

MARY E., died March 2, 1848, at nineteen years of age.

HARRIET, born Oct. 5, 1830, in Sangamon county, married Nov. 14, 1860, to William N. Spears, who was born Nov. 12, 1826, in Menard county. They had four children. WILLIAM F., died at five years old. EMMA M., RUTH S. and VIRGINIA live with their mother. William N. Spears died in Menard county, Ill., March 28, 1868, and his widow and children reside at Lincoln, Logan county, Illinois.

James Stephenson died Dec. 29, 1867, and his widow died October, 1868, both in Menard county, Ill.



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