Free Church

Thomas Parsons (deceased), was born near Harrisburg, Pa. in April, 1823. In early life he emigrated with his parents to Crawford County, Ohio, and settled near Leesville, where he was married Sept. 16, 1845, to Xancy M. Mc Claskey, who died Aug. 7, 1876. In October, 1845, he emigrated to Lagrange, Ind., where he resided about two years. He then removed to York Township Steuben County, which was his home the remainder of his life. He died at Angola, July 9, 1880, aged fifty-seven years and three months. During the latter part of his life he sufiered much from a nervous affiiction which many times caused mental aberration, and WHS the cause of much anxiety to his friends and neighbors.

Passage source: History of Steuben County, Indiana, Together with... Biographies of Representative Citizens, published 1885.

John Ferrier was born in Hancock County, Ohio, Aug. 5, 1830. His parents, David and Susannah Ferrier, were natives of Ohio. In 1837 they moved from Hancock to Williams County, and from there in 1864 to Steuben County, Ind., and settled in Richland Township, where the father died June 27, of the same year, aged fifty -four years. The mother died April 23, 1882, aged eighty-one years. Their family consisted of eight children, six born in Hancock County and two in Williams County, Ohio - William, of Angola,; George, a member of a Massachusetts cavalry regiment in the war of the Rebellion, was killed Feb. 22, 1864, by one of Mosby's cavalry; Mrs. Mary Reed, of Richland Township; John, our subject; Andrew, of De Kalb County; David and Jacob, of Kansas; and Mrs. Martha Wisner, deceased. Our subject's grandfather, Andrew Ferrier, was a native of Ireland and came to this country when young. He married his wife, Catherine Ferrier, in her native State, Pennsylvania, and in 1844 they settled in this township, Cuming here from Williams County, Ohio. He built the tirst mill on Fish Creek in York Township. John Ferrier remained at home till 1852 when he went overland to California, reaching his destination July 12. He remained there engaged in mining and farming five years and Feb. 28, 1857, returned to Steuben County. May 3 of the same year he was married to Mary Richardson, who was born in Columbiana County, Ohio, Feb. 11 1839, daughter of Isaac and Rachel Richardson, who moved to Williams County in 1853, and in 1856 came to this township, where they still live. To Mr. and Mrs. Ferrier have been born fourteen children, twelve of whom are living - Edwin E., Mrs. Francis Bell Lechliedner, Mrs. Rachel Robinett, Stephen, Herbert and Hattie (twins), James, Susan, Elizabeth, Sylvia, George and John. The eldest, Norman H., and one other died in infancy. In politics Mr. Ferrier is a Republican. He and his wife and seven of their children are members of the United Brethren church. He owns a tine farm of 170 acres on sections 32 and 33, his residence beinoon section 32.

Passage source: History of Steuben County, Indiana, Together with... Biographies of Representative Citizens, published 1885.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on York Township - 15,226 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.