PERSONAL MEMOIRS
Source:
BIOGRAPHICAL and HISTORICAL
MEMOIRS
Of
MUSKINGUM COUNTY, OHIO
Embracing an
Authentic and Comprehensive Account of the Chief Events in the
History of the County and a Record of the Lives of
Many of the Most Worthy Families and Individuals
ILLUSTRATED
Published
Chicago:
The Goodspeed Publishing Co.
1892
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JAMES A. LEASURE, farmer, Brush Creek,
Ohio. In former years the life of the farmer was considered a
laborious one, but in this progressive age, with such improvements
in machinery, he can do his work with half the dispatch or labor as
in the time of his father, and in fact work but little if any harder
than the average man who strives to make a living. Mr.
Leasure is one of the successful farmers who have kept
thoroughly apace with the times, and has reached the condition of
life mentioned above. His father, Henry Leasure
(deceased), was a native of the Keystone state, born in Bedford
county, and was the son of William Leasure, a native
of the same county and of German descent, probably. He was
married in his native state to Miss Sophia Shane
and in 1832 he and his wife and three children, Isaac,
Elizabeth (deceased) and Amos (deceased), started in the
latter part of November, in a covered wagon drawn by a team of
horses, and slowly journeyed toward Ohio. Winter had set in,
and they suffered much from cold and exposure, but being possessed
of the heroic spirit for which the early settlers were so famous,
they struggled on and finally reached Muskingum county. The
year following Mr. Leasure purchased 204 acres of
land, a small portion of which had been cleared and on which a log
cabin had been erected, and he and family at once began clearing and
improving. Here the father passed the closing scenes of his
life. Although he came here with limited means and was obliged
to work by the month the first year, he succeeded beyond his
expectations and accumulated considerable property. The
children born in this county were: Sarah Ann, widow of
John Addison; James A., and William H., who resides in
Lewis county, Mo., Mr. and Mrs. Leasure were acceptable
members of the M. E. church with which they had been connected many
years, and took a great interest in all good work. He took an
active part in the erection of the Methodist church that was erected
about 1840. Politically he was a democrat, supporting in all
elections the principles of democracy. He died May 6, 1890, in
the eighty-ninth year of his age. His wife had died May 28,
1868, when sixty-four years of age. She was born close to
Hagerstown in Maryland. James A. Leasure was born on
the old homestead in Muskingum county, Sept. 10, 1836, and his
youthful days were passed in assisting on the farm, and in attending
the common schools a few short weeks each year. In April, 1861, he
responded to the first three months’ call for troops, by enlisting
in the tenth Indiana Volunteer infantry, Company F, and was in the
command of Gen. Rosecranz. He participated with
his regiment in the battle of Rich Mountain and was discharged at
the expiration of his term of enlistment. He returned to his
home, and in the same year (1861) he was married to Miss
Rachel Buchanan, daughter of Jefferson and Jane
(Conway) Buchanan. One year later he settled in Newton
township where he now resides and rented land for three years.
He then bought 169 acres of the same land, then 123 acres, and now
has a fine place. He is a prosperous and enterprising citizen
of the county. Mr. and Mrs. Leasure’s marriage has been
blessed by the birth of five children: Rosetta M.
(deceased), Carrie A., Amos A., Jennie and
Birdie E. Carrie, who was a teacher, married
John Morrison, who also followed that profession. Mrs.
Leasure’s father, Jefferson Buchanan, who was
the son of Archibald Buchanan, was born in Ohio
county, W. Va. He married Miss Jane Conway and
afterward settled in Newton township, this county, where he followed
tanning, becoming celebrated in this business. To his marriage
were born two children, Mary and Rachel. Mr.
Buchanan died July 12, 1845, when but thirty-five years of age.
Mrs. Buchanan afterward married Adam Elson by
whom she had one child, Martha, who is the widow of James
Palmer. Mr. Elson died in 1856. She
was born in Ireland, May 10, 1816, and was but eight days old when
her parents (William and Margaret Conway),
started with her to America. Mr. and Mrs. Leasure are
members of the Presbyterian church in which they have held
membership for a number of years.
Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs
of Muskingum County, Ohio, publ. 1892 - Page 496 |
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MARGARET
(FLEMING) LEMERT, mother of
Mrs. Henry A. Montgomery, was
born Apr. 31, 1809, in Muskingum county, Licking township, and was
the daughter of Col. Nathan Fleming, an old pioneer of that
county who was born in Marion county, W. Va., in 1783, and married
there Miss Mary, daughter of John Wood, a farmer.
Col. and Mrs. Fleming were the parents of five children:
Margaret, James, Albert, John and Daniel. Soon
after marriage Col. Fleming came to Muskingum county, Ohio,
and settled at Irville in the fall of 1804. He cleared land,
resided here for a short time and then selling out located one-half
mile east of the town, where he resided for many years. He
engaged in mercantile pursuits with Beverly Lemert, under the
firm of Fleming & Lemert, but Mr. Lemert retired in a
few years and Col. Fleming continued the business. He
was colonel in the old militia, and was at one time trustee of his
township. He was a stirring business man and accumulated a
large property. At one time he was engaged in shipping produce
to New Orleans and went himself on the boats. He was one of
the very earliest settlers and was a highly respected citizen.
Dec. 20, 1827, Margaret Fleming married Beverly Lemert.
The Fleming family is one of the largest and most remarkable
in the United States. The name Fleming is traced back
as far as the eleventh century. It is said that "William
the Conqueror," king of Normandy, invaded England with a
powerful army composed principally of Flemings inhabitants of
Flanders, and that his wife was a Flemish princess. Tradition
also says that in Scotland there is a place called the "Fleming
Way" and that a strange family settled near the place and were
called by common consent," The Flemings," and they finally
adopted the name. The American branch is distinctly related to
the ancient Scotch-Irish family bearing that name, and William
Fleming was the founder of this branch. He was driven from
Scotland to the north of Ireland by religious persecution, and with
three brothers, emigrated to America early in the eighteenth
century, settling in Delaware. It is believed that these four
brothers emigrated from Ireland in 1680, 212 years ago, and took up
land under William Penn, in what is now called
Delaware. It appears from the records that the land on which
they settled was in what is now Mispillion Hundred, Kent county, and
embraced a tract of country three miles square. The four
families settled near together, probably for self protection, and
all were, as far as known, of Presbyterian faith. These
brothers founded the American branch of the family, cultivated large
estates, and grew wealthy. It was not until 1754 that the
first authentic record appears on the court books in the shape of
the will of Robert Fleming, who died that year. The
next record is that of a son of one of the original four brothers.
George Fleming's daughters and their descendants lived
and died in the old Fleming homestead, which is still
standing in Delaware and occupied by lineal descendants of the
original Flemings. Upon the estate is built the town of
Farmington, which is named after Farmington, W. Va., a village which
was founded by the Fleming family, who emigrated to
Deleware, as hereafter shown. The next will is that of
William Fleming, who died July 1, 1766. William
Fleming Jr., died June 7, 1784, and left a widow and
live sons to survive him, from some of whom have descended the
Flemings of West Virginia, and other western localities, and
whose name is legion. The names of four of these sons were:
Nathan, Boaz, Benaiah, and Benoni, and their mother’s
maiden name, Jane Frame. William Fleming Jr.,
was married the second time, his wife being Ann Hudson,
and to them was born one son, Thomas Fleming. Benaiah
Fleming remained on the old homestead, but the others
emigrated to West Virginia, and settled in the vicinity of
Fairmount. From the four sons who settled about Fairmount, W.
Va., have descended a host of people in that section of the state,
Col. Nathan Fleming, grandfather of Mrs. Montgomery,
being a descendant. The entire Fleming family of
the United States held, a reunion Aug. 19, 1891, at Fairmount, W.
Va. It brought together hundreds of representatives from all
parts of the Union. Delegates were present from twenty-five
states to the number of more than 1,000, the largest delegation
being from Indiana and arrived on a special train of five cars,
there being 300 people. The lawyer, the merchant, the teacher,
the journalist, the laborer, the man of affluence and the man of
moderate circumstances, were all represented. The family
numbered among them governors, mayors, legislators, and all
professions and occupations, and was one of the most remarkable
reunions ever recorded. One of the most interesting features
of the day was the display of the record of the Fleming
family, which represented an immense amount of work, by Mrs.
Annie (Sweeney) Fleming, wife of Mayor Fleming, of
Wheeling, W. Va. Thus the Montgomery family have
commingled their blood with some of the best families in our country
and their descendants may well be proud of the sterling ancestry
from which they sprang. To Mr. and Mrs. Henry A. Montgomery
have been born seven children: Edward E., Alice
E., Henry C., Ida M., John A., Thaddeus
L. and Nellie L. In 1858 Mr. Montgomery
moved to the Lemert homestead, where he has since
resided. He and wife are members of the Methodist church.
During the Civil war he
served as first lieutenant in Company H. One Hundred and
Fifty-ninth Ohio Volunteer infantry, served one hundred days and was
stationed at Baltimore. Socially he is a Mason, a member of
Frazeysburg lodge. He is a practical farmer, owns 600 acres of
land, and has a tasteful residence before which slopes one of the
finest lawns in the county. On this lawn are trees planted by
his own hand. Their daughter, Alice E., married
James E. Bradfield, Oct. 9, 1876, a farmer of Lyon county, Kas.,
and they have three children: Harvey, Lewis and Harriet.
Mr. Bradfield served three years in the Civil war, One
Hundred and Twenty-second Ohio Volunteer infantry, and was in
several battles, among them the Wilderness, where he barely escaped
with his life. Mr. Montgomery’s son, Edward
E., is a prominent physician and surgeon of Philadelphia and
married Helen Buckley. They have two children: Susan
and Mary, the latter dying in infancy. Henry C.
married Lillian Zollers, Nov. 9, 1880, and they
have one child, Henry Z. John married Addie
Lewis. He is a farmer of Macon, Ill., and the father of
one child, Edward L. Ida married Dr.
A. F. Chase, of Philadelphia, who is a successful physician.
Thaddeus is a resident of Newark, Ohio, and connected with
the Franklin Bank. Nellie L. is a young lady at home.
The Montgomery family has been uniformlly
uniformly successful, and
can justly attribute much of their success to the good Scotch-Irish
ancestry from which they sprang. Their ancestors were men of
excellent morals, strong constitutions and intelligent minds, and
such traits of character descend in families from generation to
generation and much that we are, we owe to our ancestors, and our
training in childhood.
Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs
of Muskingum County, Ohio, publ. 1892 - Page 531 |
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BENSON LOYD.
In endeavoring to trace the genealogy of Benson Loyd,
Dresden, Ohio, we find that his paternal grandfather, Joseph
Loyd, was a native of Pennsylvania and of Welsh descent; that
he served in the Revolutionary war, lived to the great age of
ninety-eight years, and died in Jefferson county, Ohio. The
latter’s son, and the father of our subject, Eli Loyd, was
born in Lancaster county, Penn., and served under Gen.
William Henry Harrison in the War of 1812.
He was married in his native state to Miss Elizabeth
Campbell, daughter of John Campbell, of Ohio
county, W. Va., and nine children were the fruits of this union:
Joseph, John C., Margaret, Sarah (died
young), William W., Benson, Eli, Anna
and Jesse, all of whom were born in Ohio county, W. Va.
In December, 1828, Mr. Loyd came to Muskingum county,
Ohio, settled in what is now Cass township, and there passed the
remainder of his days. He owned 160 acres of land and was a
substantial farmer, following that occupation until his death in
June, 1857, when eighty-one years of age. He was of a quiet,
retiring disposition and made no attempt to hold office. In
politics he was a democrat. His son, Benson Loyd,
was born in Ohio county, W. Va., on Jan. 19, 1818, and was but a
little over ten years of age when he came with his parents to the
Ohio wilderness. He grew up in the rough school of pioneer
days, and, although he had but limited educational advantages, he
made the best of his opportunities, and became well posted on all
subjects. In 1848 he married Miss Jemimah Cole,
daughter of Samuel and Rachel (Welsh) Cole, the father a
native of Pennsylvania and one of the first settlers of Muskingum
township. Mr. Cole was the father of nineteen
children, seventeen of whom lived to marry, and Mrs. Loyd was
the youngest of this large family. Mr. Cole was
a well-to-do farmer and was the owner of 400 acres of land. He
was one of the first members of the Presbyterian church in this
county, and died in full communion with the same when seventy-eight
years of age. After marriage Benson Loyd settled
with his wife in Cass township, and three years later moved to the
home place in that township where they resided until 1873, having
bought the place in 1857. In 1868 Mr. Loyd was
elected sheriff and served in that capacity for four years, filling
the position in such a capable and efficient manner that he was
reelected. He has also been township trustee for eleven years
and township commissioner for two years. In politics he is a
stanch democrat. Mr. Loyd has ever been
interested in educational matters and was school director for nine
years. Mrs. Loyd died Mar. 19, 1872. She
was a devout Presbyterian in her religious views, and Mr.
Loyd is of the same belief. He assisted with his means in
building the Presbyterian church in Dresden and has also been
liberally disposed toward other churches, assisting in building the
Presbyterian church in Muskingum township, the Baptist church in
Dresden, and the Old School Baptist church in Shannon. To
Mr. and Mrs. Loyd were born nine children: Hannah, Elmos J.,
Martha AL, James C., Wilson, Willis H., Alphis, Phoebe A., and
Lemert B. In August, 1873, Mr. Loyd settled
on his present farm, consisting of 160 acres pleasantly situated
near Dresden, and here he expects to pass the remainder of his days
in ease and comfort. He is a representative citizen, has the
confidence and respect of all, and has ever discharged the duties of
the different official positions he has held, in a creditable and
satisfactory manner. His daughter, Hannah, married
Charles Gurrin, a farmer of Perry county, Ohio.
Elmos J., is connected with the First National bank of St. Paul,
Minn. James C., married Miss Ada Lewis,
and is in the cattle business in Boise county, Idaho.
Willis H. married Miss Anna Franks, and is train
inspector at Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Wilson is a resident
and farmer of Illinois. The remainder of the family are at
home.
Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs
of Muskingum County, Ohio, publ. 1892 - Page 501 |
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