Parry, Enoch J. bio

History of Fulton County, Illinois; together with Sketches of its Cities, Villages and Townships, Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History; Portraits of Prominent Persons and Biographies of Representative Citizens. Chas. C. Chapman & Co., Peoria, Illinois, 1879, page 455, Astoria Township
E. J. Parry, farmer and stock-raiser, sec. 27; P. O., Astoria. Enoch Parry may be said to be one of the early settlers of this county. He was born in Tuscarawas Co., O., Dec. 19, 1832, and is the son of Caleb Parry, a native of Virginia, and who settled in Sangamon Co., Ill., in 1835, and in 1840 came to this township, where he passed the remainder of his days. He accumulated considerable property, and was comfortably enjoying his life when called away. His wife was Miss Rebecca Engle, who was born in Virginia, and is still living, upwards of 86 years of age. Enoch grew up here and received a liberal education, which fitted him for the duties of a teacher. Subsequently he taught school for a number of years. He was married to Julia Jennings, daughter of Lewis Jennings, by whom he has one child, Caleb. Mr. P. started in life with no capital, but willing hands and an energetic disposition, which has carried him successfully through life.
submitted by Carla Finley

Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County, Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county: together with portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States, and governors of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890; page 529-530; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Enoch J. Parry, son of an old pioneer of this county, has for many years aided in carrying on its agriculture. He has a good farm on section 27, Astoria Township, which is under admirable tillage, and is well provided with substantial buildings and all needful appliances for carrying on farming to the best advantage.
Mr. Parry was born in Ohio, December 19, 1832, is a son of Caleb and Rebecca (Engle) Parry. The Engles were of Irish extraction. The paternal grandfather of our subject was Llewellyn Parry who was born near Manchester, Va. He married Deborah Barrett and they reared the following seven children: Sidney, Margaret, Hannah, Caleb, John, Thomas and Stephen, all of whom married and had families excepting Margaret. They were of the Quaker faith. Llewellyn Parry was a grandson of another Llewellyn Parry, who, with two brothers, John and William, came from Wales about 1672, and settled in Virginia. The grandfather of our subject had two brothers, Stephen and Roland. He removed to Ohio in 1806, with his wife and three children, making the journey on horseback, and settled in Harrison County, where he and his wife both died, his death occurring the following year.
The father of our subject was born February 8, 1784, in Virginia. In early manhood he went to Ohio and entered one hundred and sixty acres of land, and afterward returned and took his parents to that State. He made the journey on foot to and from his old home several times building his residence in Ohio, crossing the mountains seventeen times, and on one trip averaged fifty miles a day. He was strong stalwart man of a powerful physique, and by hard labor accumulated a competence. He moved from Harrison County to Tuscarawas County, Ohio, and from there came to Illinois in the fall of 1835. He first located in Sangamon County, but in the spring of 1836 removed to this county, and wan an early settler of Astoria Township. He bought one hundred and twenty acres of land on section 27, and made his home thereon till 1850, when he took up his residence in the northern part of the township. He lived there six years and then he and Amos Quillan bought three hundred and sixteen acres of land on section 27. He sold his interest in that place before his death, and during the last eight years of his life lived with our subject, dying January 29, 1860. His wife was born December 20, 1793 and died November 20, 1886. She was a daughter of Levi and Nancy Engle, who went to Ohio from Virginia, and were early pioneers of the Buckeye State. Mr. Engle died in Ohio and his widow in Sangamon County, this State. Their children were Michael, Levi, William, Isaac, Peggie, Pollie, Ellen and Rebecca.
The following is recorded of the children of the parents of our subject. Thomas was born January 19, 1812; Llewellyn, April 15, 1813, Benjamin, December 26, 1814; Mary, December 8, 1816; John, September 19, 1818; Hannah, November 27, 1820; William, June 16, 1822; Nancy A., October 17, 1824; Rheuam, March 29, 1828; Rebecca, May 20, 1830; Enoch J., December 19, 1832. All grew to manhood and womanhood and reared families, except Thomas and Rebecca, and seven are still living. The mother of subject was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church seventy six years. She was a woman of strong constitution and was active up to within six months of her death at the advanced age of ninety-two years eleven months and fourteen days.
Enoch Parry was reared on a farm and received the basis of his education in the primitive log schoolhouse of pioneer times with its puncheon floors, greased paper windows and mud and stick chimneys. At the age of twenty-two he entered Hedding College, and for three months diligently pursued an excellent course of study in that institution of learning. He was thus well qualified to teach, and for thirteen winter seasons was engaged in that profession. At the age of nineteen he began his career as a farmer by renting land. When he was twenty-two years old he bought his first farm of seventy acres. In 1863 he sold that and bought one hundred and twenty acres of land in Schuyler County. He afterward disposed of that at a good price and in 1865, purchased one hundred and fifteen acres on section 27, Astoria Township, where he now resides. He has been a useful citizen in this township, and for six terms served as Assessor. He cast his first vote for Fremont and has not missed an opportunity since then to exercise his privilege of suffrage. He is a man of sincere religious views and since he was nineteen years old has been an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, to which his wife has also belonged the past twenty years, and she is an earnest worker within its fold.
January 14, 1858, was the date of the marriage of our subject with Julia A. Jennings, who was born in Coshocton County, Ohio, and is a daughter of Lewis and Susan Miller Jennings. Her parents were natives of Virginia, and from there went to Ohio, and thence to Wabash County, Ind.; the mother died in Miama County, Ind. The father came to Illinois in 1853, and settled in Astoria Township, where he carried on his occupation as a farmer. Mrs. Parry did not come to this State till 1856. Her marriage with our subject has been blessed by the birth of one child, Caleb J.