| AndrewJ. Hedgcock |
ANDREW J. HEDGCOCK, a prosperous farmerand esteemed citizen of Schuyler county, Illinois, was born in Davidsoncounty, North Carolina, November 25, 1831, and is a son of John and Temperance(Bodenhamer) Hedgcock. Three generations of the family were born in theold North State: the subject of this sketch, his father, John, and hisgrandfather, Elisha. The originator of the family in that State was Elisha’sfather, John, who removed to North Carolina from within sixteen miles ofBaltimore, Maryland. This was about six years before the Revolutionarywar. William, an older brother of John’s, was a soldier in that war; andit is more than probable that John also fought with the Colonies for independence.Elisha, son of John, spent his whole life in North Carolina. He had foursons, all dead but one. His son, John, a farmer, removed to Illinois in1834, with his wife and three children. The long trip was made overlandwith a one-horse wagon, and consumed about eight weeks. He at first settlednear Rushville, but afterward removed to Birmingham township, where hebought seventy-nine acres of wild land. On this he built a log cabin, 16x 18 feet, in which his family lived for sixteen or eighteen years. Hethen erected a nice frame house, where he resided until his death, at theage of seventy-five years. He was well and favorably known in his community,and was sincerely mourned by many friends. In politics, he was originallya Whig, but joined the Republican party on its organization. He was a devoutchurch member, and interested in all good works. His worthy wife died onthe same farm, aged fifty-five years.Andrew is one of the eight children, sevenof whom are yet living, nearly all in this county. He remained on the oldfarm until he was twenty-two years old working with his father at the coopertrade, and attending the subscription school. He married early in life,and rented a farm for two years, but at the end of that time he boughteighty acres that were but little improved, on which he built a log house.Here they lived for four years and then he replaced the old house by aneat frame one. He has 520 acres now, and it is divided into several asgood farms as are in the county, all having fine farm houses and buildingsupon them. Mr. Hedgcock has always been a strong Republican in politics,and voted for John C. Fremont. He and his wife are prominent members ofthe Congregational Church, he having joined in 1857.
He was married April 17, 1855, to Miss MarthaP. Hall, of Iredell county, North Carolina. She is the daughter of RobertS. and Annie (King) Hall. Her parents were married in 1819 and came toIllinois in the spring of 1835, for the purpose of freeing their slaves,of whom they had some eleven or twelve by inheritance, which they succeededin doing after several years of trouble and expense. They had ten children.Mr. Hall was a good man, and always acted up to his convictions of rightand wrong. He lived in Indiana for some time and then returned to Illinois,and died here at the age of seventy-two. The whole family were very prominentwherever they lived.
Mr. and Mrs. Hedgcock had eight children,seven of whom are still living: Robert S., born February 28, 1856, marriedLaura Balton, and they have three children; Mary J., born September 10,1857, married Albert S. Glass, and they have one child; John F., born November3, 1861, married Anna E. Wade, and they have four children. He is TownshipTreasurer, to which office he was elected in 1886. He is a farmer, andresides on his own farm. The fourth child, Bessie E., born June 14, 1864,married George Dorsett, and they have one child; Matilda A., born September25, 1866, and Anna E., born May 16, 1875, are both at home. Lillie E.,born November 8, 1870, married William E. Dorsett, September 10, 1891.
All but two of the children have been atPlymouth High school, of which three are graduates. Most of the familyare active in church work, and the occupation of them all is farming andstock raising. This is a family of whom the county may well be proud.
Biographical Reviewof Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois, Biographical ReviewPublishing Co., Chicago, 1892, pages 193 to 194.
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