BIOGRAPHIES

HISTORY OF CLERMONT & BROWN COUNTIES, OHIO
By Byron Williams
1913
 

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

< CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO 1913 BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX >
< CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO LIST OF BIOGRAPHICAL INDEXES >
 

	HON. ROBERT EVANS CAMPBELL.  In the prosperity of every community may be traced the controlling influence of a limited number of its citizens, who, by reason of peculiar business qualifications and high personal characteristics, become unmistakably identified with its public and private life.  The city of Georgetown has had such citizens, and perhaps few are better known than the Hon. Robert Evans Campbell, an able attorney and a high type of American citizen.  He is a son of William and Fanny (Evans) Campbell, both of early prominent families of Brown county, Ohio.  His birth occurred on Eagle creek, near Mt. Olive Church, his natal day being Mar. 23, 1854.      Robert Campbell, great-grandfather of the subject of this mention, was a native of Scotland, his birth taking place at Argyleshire.  He came to America previous to the American Revolution, but returned to his native country before the beginning of the war.  Shortly after his return he married Miss Belle and they at once settled in /county Tyrone, Ireland, near the town of O'Magh.  The family were by trade and in this occupation they were prospered.      Matthew Campbell, grandfather of r. Robert E. Campbell, was born on the old Campbell estate in County Tyrone, Ireland, in 1773.  He wedded miss Martha McCutchen in county Tyrone, Ireland, about 1798.  They came to America about 1800, landing at Wilmington, New Castle county, Delaware.  He settled opposite Philadelphia, in New Jersey, and remained there until 1803, when he brought his family of wife and two children to Ohio, where he settled near Bentonville, Adams county.  He became a soldier in the War in 1812, serving in the Northwest under General Harrison, as orderly sergeant in Capt. William Kerr's company.  After the close of the war, Mr. Campbell purchased land on Eagle creek, Brown county, Ohio, northeast of where Mt. Olive Church is now located.  Here he carried on general farming for many years, and was very successful.  His death occurred on the old Campbell homestead, Dec. 25, 1859, and is buried in what is known as Rickey cemetery.      William Campbell was born near Bentonville, Adams county, Ohio, Feb. 6, 1815, and after a useful and prosperous life passed away near Carlisle, Brown county, Ohio, Sept. 11, 1896, his burial was in the Ash Ridge cemetery, in Jackson township.  He chose general farming for his life occupation, and was one of the bet men and citizens of Brown county.  He was a devout member of the Christian church, and enjoyed the respect and esteem of the entire community in which he lived.      Mrs. Fannie (Evans) Campbell was born near Carlisle, Brown county, Ohio, on the old Evans homestead, Jan. 10, 1820, and died Jan. 20, 1888.  She is laid to rest by the side of her life's companion in Ash Ridge cemetery.  She also was a devoted member of the Christian church.      Mr. Robert E. Campbell enjoyed the educational privileges of the schools of Brown county, and later the North Liberty Academy.  Having finished the academy course, he became a student of the Democratic University.  For two years following the completion of his school day, he engaged in teaching in Brown county.  He then read law and was admitted to the bar in 1879, and since that time he has devoted his attention to the practice of his chosen profession.      On Sept. 5, 1879, Mr. R. E. Campbell was united in marriage to Miss Mary Lizzie Gilbert, the ceremony taking place at the Gilbert residence five miles north of Aberdeen, Ohio.  Her birth took place Feb. 20, 1862, her parents being Dyas and Harriet (Pence) Gilbert.      Dyas Gilbert was born in Huntington township, Brown county, Ohio, Oct. 9, 1830, and died Nov. 12, 1903.  He followed the occupation of general farming and was very well educated.  His great-grandfather, William Gilbert, came to Ohio from Virginia in 1807 and purchased two hundred and two acres of land near Aberdeen, Ohio, at two dollar per acre.  His wife was born in December, 18777, and died in 1822.  They reared a family of twelve children, all of whom are now deceased.  He died Oct. 28, 1836.      Alexander Brooks Gilbert, son of William Gilbert and wife, was born near Aberdeen, Ohio, on the farm of his parents, Oct. 28, 1910, and died in February, 1889.  He was a farmer and expert saw mill operator and he had two sons, John and Dyas, both of whom are deceased.  His wife, Katherine Housh, was born in Pennsylvania, in 1802, and came to Ohio at a very early date, her death occurring in February, 1892.      Harriet (Pence) Gilbert was born Feb. 21, 1832, and resides near Decatur, Ohio, with a daughter, Mrs. Holton.  She resides near Decatur, Ohio, with a daughter, Mrs. Holton.  She is a daughter of Aaron and Elizabeth (Moore) Pence, natives of Adams county, Ohio, who came from Virginia in the early days.  Michall Pence great-grandfather of Mrs. Harriet (Pence) Gilbert, was one of the first settlers of Adams county, Ohio, coming there in 1795.      To the union of Dyas and Harriet (Pence) Gilbert were born nine children.      Albertine, wife of Samuel Dragoo residents of Elpaso, Tex.      Sarah Katherine, married William Hook and they live in Brown county, Ohio.      Hillis R. resides in Dayton, Ohio.      Mrs. Campbell wife of our subject.      Homer Grant, of New Mexico.      Minnie J., who became the wife of James S. Wilson resides near Decatur, Ohio.      Effie Belle, wife of William B. Holton, resides near Decatur, Brown county, Ohio.      In the family circle of Mr. and Mrs. R. E. Campbell four children have come to bless and brighten.  Their names follow in order of birth:      William Dyas, born Feb. 25, 1881, married Georgia Walker, of Paris, Tex., and lives at Amorilla, Tex., where he is a railway engineer.  They have one child, Mary Francis born Nov. 10, 1906, in Texas.      Ruth, born Feb. 6, 1884, a graduate of the Georgetown High School, married Charles P. Noggle, of Dayton, Ohio, and they have one daughter, Katherine born Mar. 4, 1910.      Lucy, born Feb. 6, 1887, also a graduate of the Georgetown High School, is the wife of Elbert F. Schweickart, of Fremont, Ohio, where Mr. Schweickart is engaged in teaching in the high school.  They have one daughter, Ruth Louise, born Dec. 25, 1911.      Kate Copple, born July 28 1890, is a graduate of the high school of Georgetown, and attended the Miami University.  For the past four eyars she has been a valued teacher at the old Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans' Home at Xenia, Ohio.  She is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution from ancestry on her father's side.      Mr. Robert Evans Campbell served five years as captain of Company H, Third infantry, Ohio National Guards, beginning in August of 1888.  He later became major of the First battalion, third infantry, Ohio National Guards, commanding the battalion in the war with Spain.  He is a member of Cincinnatus Camp No. 74.  United Spanish Was Veterans, which has headquarters at Memorial Hall, Elm and Grant streets, Cincinnati.      In politics, Hon. R. E. Campbell is a staunch democrat, and was twice elected probate judge of Brown county on that ticket, serving two terms of three years each, his first term beginning Feb.  9, 1900, and the second term beginning in 1903.      Honorable and Mrs. Campbell are members of the Methodist church, to which they contribute liberally.      Fraternally, Mr. Campbell is a member of the Methodist fraternity, Knights of Pythias, while Mrs. Campbell is president of the Research Club.  Both of these worthy people are active in literary and social life of Georgetown, Ohio.      Robert Evans Campbell is a great reader and lover of good books, possessing one of the finest libraries in Georgetown. He is also a historian of no small ability, and is now preparing a history of his family ancestors, for the benefit of his descendants.  He is highly respected by all who know him, and warmly esteemed by a host of friends who recognize his sterling virtues.      Maj. Robert Evans Campbell is descended on  his mother's side from George Wilson, who served as an officer in the French and Indian war, under the Governor of Virginia, from 1755 to 1764.  He came from Scotland, in 1750, and settled near Staunton, VA.  In 1769 he moved to Fayette county, Pennsylvania, and settled on George's creek.  He was commissioned by the Continental Congress, July 20, 1776, lieutenant-colonel of the Eighth regiment, Pennsylvania Line.  The regiment was ordered to march to Brunswick, N. J., or to General Washington, wherever he might be in the field.  He died from exposures of the march the last of February, 1777.  He was said to have been one of the finest military men of his time.  On his mother's side Major Campbell is descended also from Edward Evans, a Revolutionary soldier, who belonged to the Virginia Rifles. Source:  History of Clermont & Brown Counties, Ohio - Volume II By Byron Williams - 1913 ~ Page 178
	CHARLES O. COLLINS, an old soldier and formerly a justice of the peace, of Mt. Orab, Brown County, is familiarly known as "Squire" Collins.  He is a retiring, modest man, quiet in his tastes, and very fond of his many friends.  He is well read and has achieved quite a reputation as a writer of local past and present events.  He has a high standing and is a leading member of the Grand Army of the Republic, of Mount Orab, Ohio.  He was born at New Petersburg, Highland county, Ohio.  He was born at New Petersburg, Highland county, Ohio, Feb. 26, 1837, son of John Collins and a grandson of James Collins.  The latter was born not far from the Natural Bridge, in Rockbridge county, Virginia, and was a soldier in the war of 1812.  He came to Highland county, Ohio, in 1817, and died in 1852.      John Collins, also a native of Virginia, was born in 1807, and married Susan Hughey, daughter of Rev. Charles Hughey, a pioneer minister of the Methodist Episcopal church.  She was a sister of Rev. William Hughey, one of the founde3rs of the Methodist Protestant church and aunt of Rev. Fletcher Hughey, D. D., of the Methodist Episcopal church in Chillicothe, Ohio.  She died in 1845, leaving nine children, of whom Charles Overman was the only son.  John Collins died at Leesburg, Ohio, in 1873.      Charles Overman Collins attended school in Highland county and at the age of sixteen years began learning the trade3 of harness maker, at which he worked during the greater part of forty years, at Leesburg, Sinking Springs, Buford and Lexington, Ohio.  He was a first-class workman and took great pride in the excellent product he was able to make.  While working at his trade and studying law, in 1861, Mr. Collins enlisted for three years in Company D, Sixth Ohio volunteer cavalry, and served two years and one month, and afterwards enlisted for one hundred days, or four months' service, in Company g, One Hundred and Seventy-second infantry.  HE spent the winter of 1861 -62 in camp at Hillsboro, Ohio, and at Camp Dennison, and on March 15, 1862, the command of four companies was sent to St. Louis and quartered at Benton Barracks until April 1st, when they were sent to Wyoming Territory to guard overland mail and Pacific telegraph lines.  They went to Forth Leavenworth, Kan., by boat, and on April 26, 1862, started on their long march of six hundred and fifty miles to Fort Laramie.  Later they went on to the Sweetwater country, but Mr. Collins was left behind in the hospital at Laramie, as he was suffering from lung fever, contracted on the trip.  As soon as he was able he began working in a harness shop in Laramie, remaining there until the spring of 1863, when he was sent with sixteen men to Camp Dennison, Ohio.  He was made hospital steward there and continued in this capacity until his discharge, Nov. 27, 1863.  He worked for a time in Sinking Springs, following his trade, and on May 1, 1864, enlisted in Company G, One Hundred and Seventy-second Ohio volunteer infantry, as a one hundred-day man.  They were sent into West Virginia, and were mustered out at Gallipolis, Ohio.  He again enlisted, in the One Hundred and Seventy-fifty Ohio, but was rejected upon the physical examination, and engaged in work at his trade.  On account of poor health, however, wishing to take up some occupation that would keep him in the open air a great deal, he spent part of his time in the nursery business, and for several years sold stock in that line, growing to be an expert as a nurseryman.  He also kept bees and was very successful in that business.  In 1875, he located in Buford, Highland county.      On September 15, 1857, Mr. Collins was united in marriage with Miss Margaret Stambaugh, born near Hillsboro, Highland county, September 15, 184, daughter of William and Sarah (Yorger) Stambaugh, both natives of Ohio and both deceased.  Mr. Stambaugh died comparatively young, and Mrs. Stambaugh died aged about sixty-five years.  They had five children, three of whom survive: Elizabeth, wife of James Kinzer, of Ross county; Mrs. Collins; John, of Clark county, Ohio.  Mr. and Mrs. Collins had two children, one of whom is living, Sarah Adda, wife of Charles Swan, of Logan county.  In 1871, while living at Sinking Springs, Mr. and Mrs. Collins adopted Edward Barrett, a child of Irish parentage, whose mother died when he was two months old, and reared him as their son.  In 1903 he left their roof and married Miss Alice Kestle, and they live at Dallas Center, Iowa.  They have two children, Jack and Frances, and Mr. Barrett, is a rural mail carrier.      Mr. Charles O. Collins is a Republican in politics and for four terms served as assessor of Clay township, Highland county, also served as enumerator of census of Clay and part of Paint townships, Highland county, and as a member of the board of education.  In 1887 he was elected justice of the peace and re-elected in 1890.  After coming to Mt. Orab, in the spring of 1893, he took an active interest in local affairs, and, in 1895, was elected a member of the village council.  In 1898 he was elected justice of the peace.  He was acting mayor of the village from May 1, 1898, to Nov. 1, 1898.  He was appointed mayor in March, 1901, and elected to office in April, 1902.  On May 4, he was appointed justice of the peace, to fill a vacancy, until the election of 1904, and then was elected for three years.  He is very active in the local post of the Grand Army of the Republic, and for several years was adjutant of Mount Orab post, also served three years as commander.  His wife belongs to the Methodist Church.  The family reside in the eastern part of the village and Mr. Collins was an office at his residence.  He has served as justice of the peace since his election, Nov. 8, 1904, and has made an efficient and conscientious official.  He is self-made, financially, and by means of study, observation and travel has become a man of culture and intelligence.  He is popular with all and is an interesting conversationalist.      Mr. Collins is very fond of reading and has a nice library, with many books on history, biography, travel and adventure, archaeology, astronomy, poetry and law, all of which he has studied and considered.  He has traveled more or less and has written various interesting articles for local papers along the line of his travels and experiences.  Several years ago he was local correspondent of the Cincinnati Chronicle and is now engaged on a series of sketches for the Georgetown Gazette, entitled, "Old Time Politics," in which he discusses political events which led up to the Civil war, from the year 1844.  In  this series he is including the following subjects: No. 1, The Polk and Dallas Campaign (1844).  No. 2, The Annexation of Texas and the Mexican War.  No. 3, The Wilmot Proviso and the Presidential Election of 1848.  No. 4, Admission of California and the Compromise of 1850.  No. 5, Election of Franklin Pierce and the Dissolution of the Whig Party.  No. 6, The Repeal of the Missouri Compromise.  No. 7, The Revolt Against Douglas in Illinois.  No. 8, The Campaign of 1856.  No. 9, The Elections in Kansas and the Lee Compton Constitution.  No. 10, John Brown in Kansas.  No. 11, The Lincoln and Douglas Debates.  No. 12, The Charleston Convention.  No. 13, The Election of Abraham Lincoln.  This forms an attractive series and is being followed with great interest, more particularly by those who remember something of the events discussed and by students of history.      Mrs. Collins has been greatly afflicted, having suffered a stroke of paralysis, in 1909, but is now improving.  She has many warm friends in the community and both she and her husband are highly respected. Source:  History of Clermont & Brown Counties, Ohio - Volume II By Byron Williams - 1913 ~ Page 544.
	JOHN COSLETT.  For many years the late Mr. John Coslett, whose death occurred Apr. 13, 1910, was prominently identified with the agricultural interests of Brown county, Ohio.  He was native of Brown county, his birth having occurred May 2, 1839, in Union township, where, in 1831, his parents, John and Sarah (Potts) Coslett, settled.      John Coslett. Sr., was native of Pennsylvania and was by occupation miller.  From 1855, he owned and operated mill known as ‘the “Franklin Mill,” which, after his demise, was operated by his son, John, Jr.  His wife, Sarah (Potts) Coslett, was native of Brown county.      John Coslett, the subject of this review, was reared and re sided on the farm in Union township during his entire life, and was well educated.  After his father’s death, he conducted the mill until September, 1903, when it was destroyed by fire.  After this event, Mr. Coslett devoted his entire attention to the farm, which since his death, is operated by his widow and the family.      On Nov. 17, 1871, Mr. John Coslett was united in the bonds of matrimony to Miss Hannah Haas, who was born in Adams county and is daughter of Gottlief and Hannah (Plummer) Haas, who were of German nativity, and their marriage took place in the old country.  They came to America, locating first in Adams county, Ohio, where they remained for some years, and later settled in Brown county.  Mrs. Coslett was but ten years of age when she was deprived of her mother.  Her father died in the year 1895, at the age of seventy five years.  She has three brothers living; one in Brown county; one in Adams county, and one at Columbus.      In 1863, Mr. John Coslett entered Company I, Eleventh regiment, Ohio cavalry, in the defense of his country, at the time of the Civil war, and at the close of his services was given an honorable discharge at Fort Laramie.      In the family of Mr. and Mrs. John Coslett were eleven children, and with the exception of one in the West, all are residents of Brown county.      Mr. Coslett was a Democrat in politics, and was always active in the interests of his party.  He was at one time candadate for sheriff of Brown county, and also served on the board of education.  His fraternal connections were with the Knights Pythias, and the Grand Army of the Republic.  The religious belief of the members of Mr. Coslett’s family were of the Methodist faith. History of Clermont & Brown Counties, Ohio - Volume II By Byron Williams - 1913 - Page 382
	GREENLIEF NORTON COX.  Mr. Greenlief Norton Cox, deceased, was one of the most prominent and influential farmers of Brown County, Ohio, was also a carpenter by trade, and his death, on Oct. 17, 1912, removed one of the most prominent workers in the upbuilding of this county.  Mr. Cox resided on well cultivated farm on the Arnheim pike in Union township.  He was born in Jefferson township, on Eagle creek, Brown county, Ohio, Dec. 6, 1832, his parents being John and Freelove (Bennett) Cox.  The father died Mar. 9, 1859, and the mother Dec. 30, 1872.  They both were natives of Virginia, John having served in the war of 1812.  He was large landowner and dealer in horses, selling to Cincinnati markets, residing near Russellville, Brown county.      Mr. G. N. Cox was one of eleven children, all of whom but one sister are now deceased.  He spent his boyhood on the farm and obtained good practical education and grew up with the rude health an active, busy life on the farm produces.  At the outbreak of the Civil war Mr. Cox was one of the first to offer his services in behalf of his country, enlisting in 1861, in the Fourth Independent Ohio cavalry, serving from July 10, 1861, to February, 1862.      Returning from the war, Mr. Cox was united in marriage on Dec. 11, 1862, to Miss Sarah A. Henry, who was born in Pleasant township, Brown county, Sept. 27, 1843. daughter of James and Ruth Ann (Day) Henry, both natives of Brown county.      James Henry was born in Byrd township, Brown county, Apr. 22, 1820, and died Jan. 9, 1889.  He was resident of Jefferson township for the most of his life, but in his later years he resided in Union township.  He was very successful in his chosen calling. owning five farms, comprising some five hundred acres, and his success was due entirely to his own efforts and endeavor.  His father, James Henry. was son of James, who came from County Down, Ireland, and was among the first settlers of Brown county; he was among  the first members of the First Presbyterian congregation of Ripley.  All the members of the Henry family were Presbyterians and the men favored the principles of the Republican party.      Ruth Ann (Day) Henry, mother of Mrs. Cox, was born July 10, 1822, and is resident of Union township.  She is daughter of John and Rachel (Dye) Day.  The former died at the age of seventy-five years, his birth having occurred in Maryland, and the latter, who lived to the advanced age of ninety-three years, died in 1873.  She was daughter of John Dye, soldier of Revolutionary fame.      Mrs. Cox is one of eleven children, including one pair of twins, eight of whom are living: Mrs. Cox, the eldest; Rachel M. died at the age of fifty years; James C., farmer of Union township; Ethelinda, wife of Alonzo Geeslin, resides in Union township; John D. resides with his widowed mother in Union township; William Frank, of Union town ship; Joseph B., farmer of Brown county, residing in Union township; Edward died at the age of two months; Charles F., of Georgetown, Ohio, and Mrs. Lucy Ann Benner, of Day ton, Ohio.      Mrs. Cox is the mother of four children:      William C., of Union township, married Sarah Miller, a sister of Robert W. Miller.  They have one son.  Albert H.      Lola died Apr. 28, 1900, at the age of thirty-three years.      Charles H. operates the home farm.      One child, who was the second in order of birth, died in infancy.      Mr. Greenlief Norton Cox was a prominent member of the Grand Army of the Republic, Georgetown Post.  During the war he was a bugler in the army under Captain Foster.  He was prominent in the agricultural and social circles of Brown county and always took an active interest in all enterprises which tended to promote the public weal. History of Clermont & Brown Counties, Ohio - Volume II By Byron Williams - 1913 - Page 500
	B. R. CRISWELL.  Mr. B. R. Criswell, a member of the drug firm of Criswell & Bristow, at the corner of Second and Main streets, Ripley, Ohio, is one of the city's most prominent and substantial citizens.  He was born at Ripley, Aug. 14, 1866, and is a son of R. M. and Ellen (Donaldson) Criswell, the latter of whom is a resident of Ripley, and is eighty years of age.      Mr. R. M. Criswell was reared in Pennsylvania, his parents being of an old Bradford county family.  His grandfather was of English lineage, and his mother was of Irish parentage, and many of the family now reside in Central Ohio.  R. M. Criswell came to Brown county from Washington Court House, Ohio, and settled in Ripley in 1860, where he embarked in the carriage manufacturing business.  For many years his carriage factory was the only one at Ripley.  He was widely known and enjoyed an enviable reputation be cause of the excellent workmanship on his carriages and surreys.  His demise occurred in 1894, at. the age of sixty three years.  He was Democrat in politics, and both he and his wife were devout members of the Methodist church.      Ellen (Donaldson) Criswell was born at Zanesville, Ohio, and was practically reared there until her marriage.  She was member of an early and prominent family of Muskingum county.  She became the mother of four sons and one daughter, whose names follow:      James M., who owns a farm in Union township, near Ripley, and is successfully engaged in general farming.      C. D., has charge of a department in a large store in Decatur, Ill.      B. R., who is the subject of this mention.      One son is deceased      Mrs. W. P. Reynolds, wife of a printer of Columbus, Ohio.      Mr. B. R. Criswell was reared and educated at Ripley, graduating from the high school, after which event he entered the business world in the confectionery and restaurant business at his present stand.  Prior to starting out in life for himself, Mr. Criswell was associated with his father in the carriage manufacturing business.      The present partnership in the drug business was formed early in the year of 1812.  Mr. W. H. Bristow is graduate pharmacist, and has been resident of Ripley for the past year.  He was formerly from Covington, Ky.  He and his family are members of the Presbyterian church, and he is member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. and of the Masons.      In politics, Mr. Criswell is staunch Democrat and takes an active interest in all public affairs.      The fraternal relations of Mr. Criswell are with the Ripley Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, of which organization he has filled the office of high priest for the past three years, and with the Knights of Pythias, of which he is past chancellor commander.      In religious belief, he is a member of the Methodist church, to which denomination he gives liberally of his means.      For the past year, Mr. Criswell has given his entire attention to the drug business, and has met with a large measure of success.  Teh firm enjoys a fine patronage and Ripley is proud to number it among the business enterprises of the town.History of Clermont & Brown Counties, Ohio - Volume II By Byron Williams - 1913 - Page 488
	JAMES A. CUMBERLAND.  Among the successful citizens of Brown county, Ohio, whose prosperity is due largely to their own energy and perseverance, are James A. Cumberland and wife, who own and operate a well cultivated farm of four hundred and fifty acres in Pike township.  In connection with his business as general farmer Mr. Cumberland gives much attention to the raising of good grade stock, more especially to Shropshire and Delane sheep.  He was born in Highland county, Ohio, near Sicily, Jan. 5, 1851, and is a son of Thomas and Sarah (Starr) Cumberland.      Thomas Cumberland was born in Highland county, Ohio, Jan. 15, 1817, and died Nov. 23, 1863, after a useful and active life as a general farmer, in which business he met with well deserved success.  He was a staunch Republican in politics and was a devout member of the Presbyterian church.  He was a son of Thomas Cumberland, who was born in western Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, and came to Brown county before 1800, residing on Red Oak creek for a time, then removing to Highland county, where he lived until his death, in 1857, at the age of about eighty-three years.  He was a soldier in the war of 1812 and was a son of the first of the name in America, his father having been born in Ireland, settling first in Pennsylvania.      Sarah (Starr) Cumberland was born near Hillsboro, Highland county, Ohio, in 1821, and died in her native county, July 14, 1898.  She was an earnest member of the Presbyterian church and was a daughter of John and Rebecca (Walker) Starr, both natives of Greenbriar county, Virginia.  they came to Ohio in youth, in 1818, with their parents and grandparents, and their marriage occurred at Hillsboro, Highland county.  John Starr was a son of Aleck Starr, whose wife was a daughter of Alexander Hanson, who also lived in Highland county.  Sarah (Starr) Cumberland was one of eight children, one of whom, Mrs. Julia Garner, of Lynchburg, Ohio, is living.      A brother of Aleck Starr owned some six hundred acres of land situated on the site of the present city of Baltimore, Md.  He leased this land for ninety-nine years, about 1804.  After the expiration of the lease the courts advertised for heirs and thousands of "Stars" responded.      In the family of Mr. Thomas and Sarah (Starr) Cumberland were eleven children, whose names are as follows:      William, of Mobile, Ala., aged seventy-two years.      John, of Salina, Kan., is sixty-six years of age.      Joseph, of Lynchburg, Ohio, is sixty-four years of age.      James A., the subject of this mention, is sixty-two years old.      Granville B., of Columbiana county, Ohio, is sixty years old.      Samantha, aged sixty-eight, is the widow of Riley Hall, of Sardinia, Brown county, Ohio.      Sarah Belle, aged fifty-seven, is the wife of Robert Peddicord, of Sicily, Highland county, Ohio.      Mary, widow of Dr. M. W. Hayes, resides at Norwood, Ohio, and is fifty-one years of age.      Three children died in infancy.      James A. Cumberland was reared to farm life, and as the years passed, became proficient in the labor of the fields.  He remained at the parental home in Highland county until his marriage, which occurred in 1876, after which event he removed to Brown county.  The union of Mr. Cumberland and Miss Caroline Dunn was solemnized in Brown county, where she was born Feb. 20, 1856, her parents being James H. and Elizabeth (Day) Dunn, both early residents of Brown county and both now deceased.  Mr. Dunn was born in northeastern Ohio, in 1808, and died at the age of ninety-one years.  Mrs. Dunn died at the age of seventy-seven years and was a native of Clermont county, Ohio.      Mrs. Cumberland is the youngest of eleven children, all of whom lived to a marriageable age and all had families before the death of either parent.  The are as follows:      Ira died recently at the age of seventy-eight years;      Abbie (Calvin) resides at Mt. Orab at the age of eighty past;      Julia (Tracy) aged seventy-eight years, resides at Georgetown, Ohio;      Elizabeth (Courts), aged seventy-three years, died near Georgetown, Ohio, in 1912;      Perry T. died in 1911, about seventy years of age, near Mt. Orab, Ohio;      Orman, of Georgetown, is sixty-nine years old and is retired;      Ellen (Vance), aged sixty-seven, resides at Macon, Brown county, Ohio;      James, who is sixty-five years of age, resides at Washington Court House, Ohio;      John, who is sixty-two yeas of age, resides at Sardinia, Ohio;      Joseph, aged sixty years, resides at Georgetown, Ohio; and      Mrs. Cumberland, wife of our subject.      Mr. and Mrs. Cumberland have three children:      Vida Belle, wife of Charles Muir, of Indianapolis, where Mr. Muir is a wholesale milliner.  They are parents of two children, Dwight and Dorothy.      Fannie, wife of W. L. Plummer, a druggist of Sardinia, Ohio.  They have one child, Thomas.      Clark D. is a farmer and is associated in the operation of the home farm.  His wife was formerly Miss Alice Hauk, who died in 1912, leaving one daughter, Virginia Ruth, aged four years.      In this sketch are mentioned seven generations.      When Mr. Cumberland came to Brown county, in 1876, he had very little capital with which to begin farming, but his wife inherited two hunded and fifty-eight acres of land, to which they have added at different times until they now have a fine farm, which Mr. Cumberland has greatly improved.  He has devoted his entire time and attention to the business of an agriculturalist and is recognized as a first-class farmer and stock raiser.      Politically, Mr. Cumberland is an old-line Republican and has served on the school board, being interested in educational matters, having taught school in Highland, Adams and Brown counties in his younger days.      Socially, Mr. Cumberland is a member of the Masonic Lodge No. 434, of Mt. Orab, and is past master.  He is a member of the Knights of Pythias, also, at Mt. Orab.      Religiously, Mr. Cumberland embraces the faith of the Presbyterian church, while Mrs. Cumberland believes in the creed of the Methodist church. Source:  History of Clermont & Brown Counties, Ohio - Volume II By Byron Williams - 1913 ~ Page 517

NOTES: