Perry Township (part 2 of 2)

John Underhill, one of the prominent pioneers of Wayne County, was born in North Carolina, Aug. 15, 1775. His father, John Underhill, came to America from England about 1770, at the age of sixteen, and was a blacksmith by trade. John Underhill, Jr., in early life developed those traits of character and those superior natural endowments which enabled him to rise above the difficulties which surrouoded him in his boyhood and young manhood days, and to become one of the most noted men of his neighborhood, especially in the field of education. He very early developed a passion for learning, and soon mastered all the branches, then taught in the very imperfect district school of that day, and reached a position where the average teacher could not aid him further. He attended a boarding-school for a few weeks, after which he undertook the task of educating himself. He became well versed in history and in the polite literature of his day and time. But it was in the field of mathematics that he excelled, and made himself felt. He explored almost every domain of this important branch of science, commencing on the lowest round in the ladder, resting not until he made himself very familiar with, and proficient in, the same. At an early age he turned his attention to teaching and surveying in his native State. At the age of twenty-five he went to Tennessee, where he continued to teach. His teaching was mainly in a private school, and such was his skill as a teacher that he soon built up a large school. Even men who occupied positions in the higher schools of learning came to him for assistance in some of the higher branches of mathematics. He was married to Jane Jones, who was born in North Carolina, and who moved to Tennessee at the age of seven. Mr. Underbill was strongly opposed to slavery, and not wishing to rear his family in a slave State, he came to Wayne County, locating at Economy, where he entered immediately upon the practice of his profession as a teacher, and had soon built up a flourishing private school, which came to be the most famous in its day and time. About 1815 he and a few others were the authors of the constitution of the first Manumission Society ever organized in the United States, He reared a family of twelve children to maturity, and died Sept. 1, 1834, and his wife's death occurred Sept. 14, 1869. Their youngest child, Jesse B. Underbill, was born Oct. 9, 1829, on the farm where he now resides and where he was reared. His education was obtained in the schools of his township. He resided with his widowed mother till he grew to manhood and assisted and cared for her till her death. He has followed farming through life, and is making a specialty of blooded stock. He was married Sept. 6, 1869, to Sue Bowers, a native of Pennsylvania, who came with her parents to Wajne County in 1863. They are the parents of five children - John M., Edward F., Alfred C, A-nnie J. and Emmie Armina.

John Lewis Weyl was born in Perry Township, Wayne Co., Ind., April 7, 1847, a son of John J. and Jemima (Peirce) Weyl, his father a native of Germany, born Aue^. 18, 1800, and his mother a native of Ohio. His father came to America in 1818, and was married Jan. 23, 1829. He was by trade a tanner, but also carried on a farm. He died Dec. 14, 1876, aged nearly seventy-seven years. His wife died July 11, 1881. They were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. To them were born eleven children, six of whom are living. Our subject remained with his parents till manhood. June 5, 1866, he married Polly A., daughter of Caleb and Luzetta (Dean) Mendenhall. To them have been born four children - Glena, Caleb Olsen, Fred Deloss, and Augustus. Mr. Weyl has a good farm of eighty acres, and also deals in live stock. He and his wife are members of the United Brethren church.

Dconiel B. Williams was born Aug. 19, 1849, in Green Township, Wayne Co., Ind., eldest son of Jesse and Mary Ann (Mendenhall) Williams, the former a native of Pennsylvania, and the latter of Wayne County, Ind. Daniel was educated at the schools of Economy, and was reared in Wayne County, with the exception of two years spent in Randolph County. At the age of twenty he began learning the carpenter's trade with George Scantland, of Perry Township, with whom he worked two years. He was married Sept. 9, 1873, to Marilla, daughter of Thomas Cranor, of Green Township. Two children have been born to them - Charlie E., born Oct. 5, 1875, and Louie Pearl, born April 22, 1878. After his marriage Mr. Williams removed to the farm where he now resides, engaged in farming and stock-raising, having 114 acres of land in a high state of cultivation. He belongs to the Society of Friends, and his wife is a member of the United Brethren church.

John M. Williams was born in Blount County, Tenn., Oct. 24, 1812, a son of Richard and Rachel (Mills) Williams, and grandson of William Williams, a prominent minister of the Society of Friends in Wayne County. His father was born in North Carolina, Dec. 31, 1786, of Welsh descent. His mother was of English descent, born April 25, 1786. They were married in 1805, and in 1813 came to Wayne County, Ind. In 1836 they removed to Michigan, but a year later returned to Indiana and located in Porter County, where Mr. Williams died July 7, 1849, and Mrs. Williams Dec. 31, 1849. They had a family of ten children, seven of whom are living. Our subject attended the early subscription schools, but being ambitious, improved his education by studying during his leisure hours at home. In 1841 he went to Muncie, Ind., and began the study of law with Walter March, and was admitted to the bar in 1842. He practiced law and engaged in the mercantile business till 1849, when he went to California, but a year later returned to Indiana. He has held many offices of trust in the township, and has served as magistrate thirty-five years. March 17, 1852, Mr. Williams married Sophia, daughter of John and Rachel Cate. They have had four children - Clarkson, Mary, George W. and William, the two eldest deceased.

Joseph Williams was born in Jefferson County, Tenn., Jan. 9, 1805, the youngest of three sons of Joseph and Sophia (Thornburgh) Williams, natives of Korth Carolina, his father dying a short time prior to our subject's birth. In 1819 his mother and her three sons came to Wayne County, Ind,, and in 1820 she entered 240 acres of land, which she divided with her sons. She subsequently married Obadiah Bennett, and moved to Centreville, where she resided till after Mr. Bennett's death. She then returned to Economy, and lived with her son Joseph till her death, June 3, 1862, aged eighty-one years. Our subject was married April 14, 1825, to Martha Kobert, a native of Pennsylvania. They had one son - Thomas B., who was born May 22, 1827, and died Dec. 26, 1882. May 25, 1848, he was married to Abby Bouroughs, and to them were born five children, four of whom are living. - Josephine, Jennie, Joseph and JS'annie. His wife died Aug. 5, 1870, and Dec. 24, 1872, he married Ellen Goodrich, of Randolph County. To them was born one son - Charles G.

Source changes here: from Memoirs of Wayne County and the City of Richmond Indiana, by Hon. Henry Clay Fox, published 1912; 217 words in this source stream.

Perry Township

Perry Township

Perry township was also one of the original six townships into which the county was divided after the adoption of the State Constitution. Most of the early settlers came from Tennessee and North Carolina and were Friends. It is bounded on the north by Randolph county, on the east by Green township, on the south by Clay and Jefferson townships and on the west by Dalton and Jefferson townships. The land is well situated for agricultural purposes. It was first settled about 1814, and among the early families were those of James Warren, Richard Williams, John Bailey, William Blount, and Thomas Lamb.

A saw mill was built in the township as early as 1819 and a tannery was established about 1825. Charles Osborn removed from Tennessee to Ohio in 1816, and in 1819 settled in this township. He laid out the town of Economy in 1825. It is located almost in the center of Perry township, as now formed.

Savage

SALTER continued James Ks, Dre, 341, 342 3AM the Eloquent, io2, 163, a slave SAMPSON George C., Rev.,; 522, colored SANDERS George, 143 Jacob, 490 SANDS George, 273 SAVAGE Jennie, Mrs., 141 SAYLOR

Shaw

SHAW Anna, Rev., 461 James, 126 John, 64 SHEAROW Caleb, 490, 500 (See also item on page 2 of typewritten sheets in V.F., under Richmond-Biography