Biographies

  MericE. Cady  MERICE. CADY resides at Camden, and is numbered among the respected pioneersof Schuyler county. He was born in Tolland county, Connecticut, January22, 1828, being a son of Isaac F. and Sarah (Chapman) Cady, natives ofConnecticut. Isaac F. Cady in early life learned the trade of a carpenter,and, being a natural mechanic, also worked at the blacksmith trade. Hecould make anything in iron or other work in his line. Hefirst married Clarissa Hunt, who died, leaving seven children, five girlsand two boys. He then married Sarah Chapman, and after two children hadbeen born, he with his family came … Read more

  Hon.Robert Brown  HON.ROBERT BROWN was born at Rushville, Schuyler county, Illinois, October19, 1835, a son of John and Jane (Beckett) Brown; the father was a nativeof Fayette county, Kentucky, and emigrated to this State about 1831, settlingat Rushville; he was a carpenter by occupation, and followed this callinguntil his death at the age of fifty-eight years; the mother was born inBourbon county, Kentucky, and died in this county at the age of sixty-sixyears; they had born to them a family of ten children, five of whom areliving. Robert Brown remained at home until he was thirty-one years ofage, when … Read more

 ThomasKnight  THOMAS KNIGHT was born inCornwall county, near Land’s End, England, August 14, 1836. His father,Thomas Knight, was also born in Cornwall, of Cornish parents, and followedthe trade of cooper until he came to this country in 1846. He first settledin Meredosia and then came into Cass county, where the family has sincemade their home. The father had brought a little money with him and wasable to buy forty acres of land. He became a farmer, which business wasentirely new to him. He was very industrious and had good judgment andall the family became well off. The father died there, … Read more

John J. Browning Biographical Review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois, Biographical Review Publishing Co., Chicago, 1892, Page 398     JOHN J. BROWNING was born in Woodstock township, Schuyler county, Illinois, July 4, 1857, a son of James H. and Sarah E. (Hall) Browning. The paternal grandparents, Abner and Nancy Browning, were natives of Virginia, but passed their last days in Hancock county, Illinois, dying at the ages of eighty-two and seventy-eight years. James H. was born in Virginia, May 8, 1818, and was but four years of age when his parents moved to Kentucky; there he was … Read more

Biography of Liberty G. Persinger

Biography of Robert Anderson

Biography of Thomas M. Redfield

  JosephBriar  JOSEPHBRIAR, one of the old settlers of Hickory precinct, Cass county, Illinois,was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, February 3, 1823, son of James Briar,a native of Ireland. His grandparents were born in Ireland, of Scotch ancestry,and spent their entire lives in their native land. James Briar was rearedand married in Ireland and came to America about 1815. He first lived inNew York city and afterward in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Pittsburg. Hewas a contractor on Government works, and while in New York city was engagedin building lighthouses in New York harbor. Subsequently be was one ofthe contractors on the building … Read more

 JohnL. Bennett  JOHNL. BENNETT, born in McDonough county, Illinois, December 13, 1832, is theson of Isaac Bennett, born in North Carolina, May 22, 1808. He marriedin White county, Tennessee, Mary Lynch, April 8, 1834. She was the daughterof Charles and Mary Lynch. The latter was born August 7, 1814. Her parents,who were farmers, reared eight children, the father dying in Tennessee,at the age of forty-five, her mother in Hancock county, Illinois, agedeighty-four years. Grandfather Bennett died in Kentucky in 1831, and hiswife in Hancock county at the age of eighty years. She came to Illinoisin 1834, her son, Isaac, coming … Read more