ANDREW J. HEDGCOCK, a prosperous farmer and esteemed citizen of Schuyler county, Illinois, was born in Davidson county, North Carolina, November 25, 1831, and is a son of John and Temperance (Bodenhamer) Hedgcock. Three generations of the family were born in the old North State; the subject of this sketch, his father, John, and his grandfather, Elisha. The originator of the family in that State was Elisha's father, John, who removed to North Carolina from within sixteen miles of Baltimore, Maryland. This was about six years before the Revolutionary war. William, an older brother of John's, was a soldier in that war; and it 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 four sons, all dead but one. His son, John, a farmer, removed to Illinois in 1834, with his wife and three children. The long trip was made overland with a one-horse wagon, and consumed about eight weeks. He at first settled near Rushville, but afterward removed to Birmingham township, where he bought seventy-nine acres of wild land. On this he built a log cabin, 16 x 18 feet, in which his family lived for sixteen or eighteen years. He then erected a nice frame house, where he resided until his death, at the age of seventy-five years. He was well and favorably known in his community, and was sincerely mourned by many friends. In politics, he was originally a Whig, but joined the Republican party on its organization. He was a devout church member, and interested in all good works. His worthy wife died on the same farm, aged fifty-five years.

Andrew is one of the eight children, seven of whom are yet living, nearly all in this county. He remained on the old farm until he was twenty-two years old working with his father at the cooper trade, 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 bought eighty 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 a neat frame one. He has 520 acres now, and it is divided into several as good farms as are in the county, all having fine farm houses and buildings upon them. Mr. Hedgcock has always been a strong Republican in politics, and voted for John C. Fremont. He and his wife are prominent members of the Congregational Church, he having joined in 1857.

He was married April 17, 1855, to Miss Martha P. Hall, of Iredell county, North Carolina. She is the daughter of Robert S. and Annie (King) Hall. Her parents were married in 1819 and came to Illinois in the spring of 1835, for the purpose of freeing their slaves, of whom they had some eleven or twelve by inheritance, which they succeeded in 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 right and 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 prominent wherever they lived.

Mr. and Mrs. Hedgcock had eight children, seven of whom are still living: Robert S., born February 28, 1856, married Laura Balton, and they have three children; Mary J., born September 10, 1857, married Albert S. Glass, and they have one child; John F., born November 3, 1861, married Anna E. Wade, and they have four children. He is Township Treasurer, to which office he was elected in 1886. He is a farmer, and resides on his own farm. The fourth child, Bessie E., born June 14, 1864, married George Dorsett, and they have one child; Matilda A., born September 25, 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 at Plymouth High school, of which three are graduates. Most of the family are active in church work, and the occupation of them all is farming and stock raising. This is a family of whom the county may well be proud.