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 OHN FOREMAN, of Seven Hickory Township, and a native of the District of Columbia, early in life emigrated West to seek his fortune and build up a permanent home. His
birth took place March 17, 1823, and he remained
in his native township until eleven or twelve years
old, when his parents removed to Lexington, Ky.
His father, Joseph Foreman, a native of England,
was born in July, 1797, and crossed the Atlantic
in 1819. He was first married in his native land,
the lady dying and leaving no children. About
two years after coming to America he married the
mother of our subject, Miss Chloe Payne. Of this
union there were born nine children, of whom our
subject was the eldest; Catherine was born in 1825
and died in infancy; Julia was born in September,
1826, and is still living at Lexington, Ky., unmarried; Jane B., born in July, 1828, became the wife
of Hugh L. Webb, a printer by trade, and is
living in Richmond, Ind., having become the
mother of three children; Catherine (2d) was born
in 1830, and became the wife of Henry V. Barringer, and the mother of two children; her son Earnest A. is United States Pension Agent at New Orleans, and was married in 1886; Johanna was born
in September, 1832, and married James Srugham,
a printer, who died in Lexington, Ky.; they had
two children, both now deceased; Mary, born in
January, 1835, married Milton G. Thompson, of
Lexington. Ky., who is a banker and a dealer in
hardware, and has amassed a fortune; they have
five children; James died in infancy in the fall of
1836; Thomas, born in September, 1838, is the
partner of his brother-in-law, M. G. Thompson, at
Lexington; he married Miss Saxton, who died not
long afterward, and he then married Miss Marsh,
of Dayton, Ohio, who died in 1885; by the first marriage there were three children, and two by the second, and only two survive. The maternal grandfather of our subject, Jacob Payne, was a native of Fairfax County, Va., and married a Miss Glover, by whom he became the father of seventeen children, of whom they reared twelve. He was the son of Henson Payne, also of the Old Dominion. His grandfather Foreman, together with two uncles, were soldiers under the great Napoleon, and participated in the battle of Waterloo. Joseph Foreman, while a resident of the District of Columbia, engaged extensively as a farmer and gardener, being especially fond of horticulture. After removing to Kentucky he followed the same business. John Foreman, our subject, was married, Oct. 10, 1842, to Miss Harriet E. Richardson, a native of Franklin County, Ohio, where she grew to womanhood, remaining a member of her father’s household. The latter then decided to take up his residence in Kentucky, and after her marriage with John Foreman they remained in the Blue Grass regions until the fall of 1853. They then decided to seek the Prairie State, and coming to this county located at Charleston, while Mr. F. proceeded with the cultivation of a tract of land which his father-in-law had entered in Seven Hickory Township. This included 200 acres, and he proceeded industriously with its cultivation and improvement, turning his attention largely, as before, to the raising of fine fruits. He fenced the land, put up good buildings and established a comfortable homestead. He became the father of seven children, of whom the record is as follows: William T., born Dee. 30, 1843, married Miss Jane McNutt, who died in August, 1881; of this marriage there were eight children, five of whom are living: John R. was born in November, 1845, and married Miss Minerva Nichols, of Coles County; they have three children. Joseph married Miss Cynthia Buckley, of this county, and is engaged in farming in Hutton Township; I. P. born Jan. 16, 1852, married Laura O’Hair; David B., born in Charleston, March 11, 1853, married Miss Sella Shriver, and they have two children; Thomas, born in February, 1862, died at his father’s house in September, 1880; Edward P., born May 8, 1X60, is unmarried and living at home. , Mrs. Harriet Foreman departed this life at the homestead in February, 1881. She was a lady greatly respected for her sterling worth of character, and a member in good standing of the Baptist Church of Charleston. The subject of our sketch was the first Justice of the Peace elected in Seven Hickory Township, and in 1 865 represented the township in the County Board of Supervisors. He has served as Road Commissioner and School Trustee, and was elected a Director at the time of the organization of District No. 2. He has always been interested in those measures calculated for the advancement of the people, and has fulfilled his duties in life in an honest and highly creditable manner. His property includes 100 acres of good land on section 16, Seven Hickory Township, and twenty acres of timber. |
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