Illinois:  History of Cass County, Illinois, ed. William Henry
Perrin. O. L. Baskin & Co. Historical Publishers, Chicago, 1882. 
Cass County.

THE BLACK FAMILY.  William Black.  The grandfather of our subject
was William Black, a militia captain, during the approach of the
Revolutionary War.  He was one of the first officers of the
country who refused allegiance to the British crown.  He died
about the time the war commenced.  His wife's maiden name was
Beard.  Thomas G. Black, one of his sons was born in January,
1772, in Mecklenburg County, N.C.  He married Miss Polly,
daughter of William and Elizabeth (Shepherd) Callahan, Feb. 26,
1795.  She was born April 7, 1773.  Her father was of Irish, and
her mother of German, descent.  Thomas G. departed this life Nov.
20, 1823, and his wife, Polly, died March 20, 1853.  William, who
still lives in Virginia, in Cass County, is one of the offspring
of this union, and was born in Georgia, Jan. 3, 1796.  He married
in Tennessee, Dec. 4, 1823, Miss Mary S., daughter of Dixon and
Susan Vaughn.  She was born Nov. 1, 1803, and as a result of this
union, they have born to them ten children.  Six of their oldest
were born in Tennessee, and the remaining four in Morgan, now
Scott, County, Ill.  Thomas G., the eldest of these, was born
June 15, 1828.  He served as a colonel of the Third Missouri
Cavalry, in the late war, about three years, and is now
practicing medicine at Clayton, Adams County, this State.

     Amanda C., was born May 25, 1826.  She died July 23, 1837.

     Joseph F., was born Feb. 23, 1828. Was six years of age when
the family moved to Illinois, and consequently received his
rudimental schooling in Scott County.  His father came to Cass
County in 1846, and Joseph commenced business for himself as a
farmer, and followed it for several years.  Being of a mechanical
turn of mind, he became engrossed in the invention of a self-
raking reaper.  With years of experimenting, and the expenditure
of some money, he developed a successfully working machine, upon
which he secured a patent in 1856, and the binding attachment he
sold to the Wood Reaper Manufacturing Company, and the same is
now in use on their machines.  Mr. Black is an architect of
several years' successful experience.  Has erected on contract
many of the best buildings of Virginia, Jacksonville, and also
built the at Springfield, Ill., in 1880-81.  Since 1876, he has
been a resident of Virginia.  He has been twice married; first to
Miss Mary F. Wilmott, daughter of Charles R. Wilmott, a resident
of Morgan County.  She died Jan. 26, 1879, leaving five children,
Charles W., Mary B., now Mrs. Armsted Mains, a farmer of Cass
County, Eva L., or Mrs. Wm. G. Payne, of Virginia.  Robert W.
Wood and Joseph F., jr., reside at home.  May 2, 1882, Mr. Black
married again, Mrs. Mary J. Skiles, of Virginia, widow of
Ignatius Skiles (deceased).  Mr. Black is a member of the
Christian Church, and of the I.O.O.F., and K. of H.

     William L., was born June 8, 1829.  He commenced life as a
farmer in Cass County, and continued in that business until the
fall of 1878, and in 1879 entered mercantile business with his
brother, John, under firm name of Black Brothers, in Virginia. 
March 24th, 1857, he married Miss Adromcha, daughter of Alexander
and Martha (Clark) Naylor, natives of Kentucky.  She died Jan. 
31, 1879, leaving three daughters:  Alice, Carrie and Fannie. 
Mrs. Black was a member of the Christian Church, as is also Mr.
Black.  He is a life-long Republican, and a member of the
I.O.O.F., Virginia Lodge.

     Richard V., was born October 27, 1831; moved to Nebraska
about 1860, and located near Nebraska City, where he is engaged
in farming.  He served three years in the One Hundred and
Fourteenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry.  He entered as Sergeant,
and was soon advanced to a Captain.

     John Jefferson, was born Oct. 24, 1833, and died August 22,
1839.

     Green V., was born on the 3d day August, 1836.  He is a
resident of Jacksonville, and a successful dentist.  He served a
short time as a volunteer soldier in the late war, but was
discharged on account of disability.

     James B., is the seventh son of his father, and was born
Oct. 9, 1839, in Scott County; he attended the common schools of
Cass County, and later, the Cumberland Presbyterian Academy, in
Virginia.  At the age of 19, he commenced teaching school in Cass
County, and in the fall of 1861, he enlisted in Company C, Third
Ill. Vol. Cavalry, in which he served about two years.  While in
service, he was engaged in several battles, among which was Pea
Ridge; was with Sherman at Vicksburg.  He entered as private and
was promoted to First Lieutenant of his company.  He was
compelled to resign his commission in 1863, on account of ill
health; returned home, and resumed teaching.  He served as an
instructor in the State Institution for the Blind, at
Jacksonville, in 1864, '65 and '66, and afterward became
principal in the public schools of Jacksonville.  After farming
four years, he was in 1873 elected clerk of Cass County, which
office has continuously held.  Since July, 1878, he has also been
the cashier of the Centennial National Bank, of Virginia.  July
1, 1867, he married Miss Eliza J. Ewing, daughter of William
Ewing (deceased), of Jacksonville.  They have one daughter, May.

     Mary J., was born Dec. 13, 1840.  She was married in 1857,
to George A. Beard, a prominent farmer of Cass County.  She died
Feb. 26, 1874.  Mr. and Mrs. Black are members of the Christian
Church, and he of the A.O.U.W. and K. of H.  John, the youngest
of the family, was born Dec. 21, 1844, in Scott.  He entered the
mercantile business in Virginia in 1876.  He married Maggie
Blair, March 15, 1866, and they have five daughters:  Emma L.,
Cora E., Ida F., Jessie G., and Maggie E.  Mr. and Mrs. Black are
both members of the Christian Church.  He is a Republican, and a
member of the K. of H. of Virginia.

     Charles W., was born in Princeton Precinct, Sept.  19, 1850;
is the oldest son of Joseph F. Black, of whom an extended mention
is made in the foregoing sketch of the Black family.  He received
his education at the Washington School House, near Philadelphia,
this county, except a six months commercial course in the
Business College in Jacksonville, this State.  Nov. 24, 1870, he
married Miss Elsie E. Buckley, daughter of Mark and Cornelia Job
Buckley, in Philadelphia Precinct.  Mark Buckley is a native of
England, and his wife was born at Sylvan Grove, this county, Dec.
30, 1823, and is daughter of Archibald and Jane (Brierly)Job, of
whom see Historical Sketch elsewhere in this volume.  Mr. Black
engaged in farming for three years, and in 1873 was appointed
Deputy Clerk of Cass County, and has since that time filled the
position with such efficiency, that he has received the
nomination on the Republican ticket to succeed his uncle, James
B. Black, Clerk elect.  Mr. and Mrs. Black have three children: 
Mabel, Ora, Roy, Lestie, and Mary Lora.  Since 1867 they have
been members of the Christian Church of Virginia, and Mr. Black
is a member of the I.O.O.F. and A.O.U.W.


Black Beard Shepherd Callahan Vaughn Wilmott Mains Payne Skiles
Naylor Clark Ewing Blair Buckley Job Brierly
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Mecklenburg-NC Scott-IL Morgan-IL Adams-IL England KY