|
BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
History of Defiance County, Ohio
containing a History of the County; Its Townships,
Towns, Etc.;
Military Record; Portraits of Early Settlers and
Prominent Men; Farm Views; Personal
Reminiscences, Etc.
Published at Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co.
1883
|
|
Defiance Twp. -
LEWIS NEILL,
a lineal descendant on the mother's side of Gavin
Hamilton, of Scotland, the patron of Burns, the
Scottish poet, and on the father's side, of Hugh
O'Neill, the Earl of Tyrone (the unyielding Irish patriot
who battled so long against the armies of the British crown), is
a son of Lewis and Corbina E. Neil (both deceased), of
Jefferson County, now West Virginia. His forefathers came
to colonial America whilst Lord Fairfax held and
lived upon his "grant" of the "Northern Neck of Virginia," and
Lewis Neill, the great-grandfather of the subject
of this sketch, at one time owned 12,000 acres of that Fairfax,
land. Lewis Neill has two surviving brothers; George W.
Neill (unmarried), and Samuel B. Neill (married), and
two surviving sisters - Mary S. Neill (unmarried), and
Virginia Johnston (married). Lewis
Neill, our subject, married Ellen M. Greer, only
daughter of Judge James S. Greer and Louisa
Greer, both of Defiance, Ohio, the former a native of
Maryland, and the latter of Vermont. Mrs. Neill,
his (now deceased) wife, was born in the village of Defiance May
2, 1844, and Mr. Neill was born in Jefferson
County (now West Virginia) Mar. 16, 1821. They had one
child only - Lewis Greer Neill (living),
who was born March 18, 1866. Mr. Neill was
Justice of the Peace and County Recorder for six years. He
settled in Defiance County in the year 1803.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 239 |
|
|
Defiance Twp. -
TOWNSEND NEWTON, the second son and third
child of William and Laura (Moore) Newton, was born Aug.
9, 1826, at Willsboro Falls, Essex County, N. Y. His
parents were born, the former Jan. 1, 1880, in Scotland, the
latter May 15, 1800, in Essex County, N. Y. They were
married and settled down for a time at Willsboro, where they
remained until 1847, when they removed to Clinton County, N. Y.,
where Mr. Newton died Aug. 20, 1849. Mrs.
Newton came to Defiance County in 1861 and died at the
residence of her son William, in Defiance Township, in
January, 1872. Their children were William (dead),
Mary, Townsend, Alma, George,
Margaret (dead), Isabella (dead). Townsend
Newton, the subject of this sketch, was married to
Caroline E., daughter of Elisha and Eliza (Koe) Brown,
Sept. 20, 1849, at Port Ann, Washington County, N. Y., and
moved to Clinton County, and from there to Hopkinton, St.
Lawrence County, N. Y., and from there to Defiance County, Ohio,
in the fall of 1862. In the spring of 1863, he purchased
the old pioneer farm, known as the Nathan Shirley
farm, situated on the Auglaize River on Section 17, Defiance
Township, to which he has added 80 acres, making a homestead of
240 acres. Six children have blessed this union —Ella,
born Oct. 9, 1850, died May 13, 1873; Mary, born Jan. 2,
1852; William, born May 28, 1854; Charles, born
August 20, 1856; Helen, born Apr. 12, 1860; Hattie,
born June 25, 1868. Mrs. Newton died Mar.
26, 1872. Mr. Newton then married Mrs.
Dickey, Apr. 2, 1873, with whom he is now living. Mr.
Newton, owing to ill health of his father, started out at the
age of eleven years to work on a farm at 12.50 per month.
At the age of seventeen, went to learn the bloom trade (making
iron rods from the ore). After completing his trade,
penniless, he started out in the world, borrowing 50 cents and
traveling all day, put up at night. The landlord asked if
he wanted supper, to which young Newton replied he would
like supper, lodging and breakfast, and tendered him the 50
cents. The landlord told him to keep it and pay him when
he got a job, which he afterward did, and by economy and good
management he is "well fixed," having a good farm of 240 acres
in a body, besides several small farms in this and the adjoining
counties
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 232 |
|
|
Hicksville Twp. -
GEORGE NORICK came to Hicksville, Apr. 3,
1852, and cleared up a 100 acre farm which is now in a good
state of cultivation, and Mr. Norick is both a good
farmer and a good citizen. His sons are Jacob, George
and Stephen H. The former enlisted, Feb. 25,
1863, in Company E., Twenty-first regiment, and perished by
sickness in the South, like so many other defenders of our
country.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at Chicago:
Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 305 |
|
|
Farmer Twp. -
JOHN NORWAY, the youngest of a family of
seven children of John and Elizabeth (Randles) Norway,
was born on a farm in the township in the township of Lisbon,
St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., Dec. 31, 1836. His facilities for
obtaining an education were the common schools of that time,
with the addition of about two years in the academy at
Ogdensburg, N. Y., under the tutorship of Prof. Roswell G.
Pettibone. With the exception of about three months in
his thirteenth year, when he sojourned in Canada with his sister
Jane Eliza, then the wife of Hugh Mills he never
left the old farm home until the spring of 1857, when, with his
sisters Eleanor and Elizabeth, he left for the then Far
West, and joined the other members of the family, George,
Charles and William Henry at Chippewa Falls, Wis., in
the latter part of April of that year. He engaged with a
United States surveying party, under a Mr. Fellows as
contractor, in making subdivisions in about fourteen townships
on the upper Chippewa River during the summer months of 1858.
He came to Farmer Center, Ohio, on the 28th day of
December, 1858, and has resided continuously in the township
ever since. He was married to Miss Julia O. Foot
Mar. 5, 1864, and their family consists of Flora, born
May 3, 1865; Laura, born Oct. 9, 1867; Clark Leroy,
born July 26, 1874, died Feb. 8, 1875; Clyde Russell born
July 13, 1877, and John Ralph, born Dec. 16, 1879.
Mr. Norway was appointed Postmaster at Farmer Post Office
by Montgomery Blair Postmaster General, and commissioned
May 10, 1861, and was succeeded by N. E. Coryin 1863,
while Mr. Norway was temporarily located at Williams
Center. He again assumed the duties of Postmaster, as
Deputy, upon the decease of Newell O. Foot Oct. 8, 1865,
and was appointed Postmaster again by William Dennison,
Postmaster General, and commissioned May 2, 1866, and holds that
position to this date (1882). Mr. Norway was
commissioned a Notary Public by Jacob D. Cox, Governor of
Ohio, Feb. 19, 1867, and by renewals of commission every three
years has held that office ever since, his familiarity with the
system of Government surveys, obtained while on Government
survey, rendering him well adopted to the position of
Conveyancer, in which capacity he is considered among the best.
He has held many minor offices of trust, to which he has been
repeatedly elected by the citizens of his township at various
times, and has been largely identified with the educational
interests. He has been in the mercantile business since
the fall of 1859.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at Chicago:
Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 272 |
|
...
|
