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 758-759; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, wife of Robert Rowlandson, of Putman
Township, is the subject of the present sketch. Her maiden name
was Mary Murphy and she was a daughter of Elisha and Jeannette (Fields)
Murphy, natives of Pennsylvania. Her parents were married in
Pennsylvania and made that State their home until the year 1819, at
which time they removed to Ohio, settling in Richland County, and
afterward came to Illinois in 1833, locating in Cass Township.
The father died in 1834, and the mother in 1854. To them had been
born twelve children, of whom only three are living at the present
writing, viz: Mrs. Rowlandson, Abraham and Jesse, and they had
many interesting experiences in clearing up the land and cultivating
the soil upon the old homestead.
Our subject was sixteen years old at the time her parents came
to this place, and she had received a good education in Ohio, previous
to the removal from that State. On January 16, 1834, she married
David S. Baughman, son of Henry Baughman, who was one of the early
settlers in Cass Township. After their marriage they settled on
section 31, in Putman Township, where the land was in an uncultivated
state, and they endured many hardships and deprivations while preparing
a home; indeed, they lived in a rail pen for one entire summer while
they were building a log-cabin, and had only $40 with which to furnish
a house. Mr. Baughman was delicate, and consequently was unable
to manage their business affairs, and this responsibility fell to his
wife. She, however, was equal to the emergency, being a woman of
great strength of character and unusual judgment. She worked
faithfully, both in the house and out on the estate, and seems to
possess a marvelous amount of strength and force of character.
Her occupations were numerous and varied; she did weaving with a
hand-loom, they raised flax, pulled it, spun it, and wove it into
cloth. Such activity and enterprise could not fail to reach a
good result and prosperity gradually came to them, although it seemed
slow during the days of ceaseless toil.
Mrs. Rowlandson distinctly recalls the appearance of that county
at that date. It was new and had only a small population, there
being one house between their home and Lewistown. The Indians had
only been driven away the year before, and the surroundings were very
wild about the little log-cabin in which the family lived.
Mr. Baughmam died March 23, 1852, having reached his fortieth
year. They were the parents of six children, viz: Emeline,
wife of John McMaug, who lives in Oregon and has eleven children;
Jesse, Thomas, and David M., deceased; Hannah is the wife of Perry
Murphy, and lives in Nebraska; Margaret, widow of Julius
Cromwell. David M. enlisted in Company A, Eighty-ninth Illinois
Regiment as a private soldier in the year 1861, and was killed June 27,
1864, after serving faithfully through nearly three years, and
suffering greatly from sickness. His death occurred at Pickets
Mill, Ga.
The subject of our sketch married her present husband, Robert
Rowlandson, in May, 1860. He is a son of George and Sarah
(Blackburn) Rowlandson, both of whom were English by birth and
education. Mr. Rowlandson was born in England in 1821 an
emigrated to America in 1851, locating at first in Buffalo, N. Y.
He afterwards moved to Chicago, and in 1855 settled in this county,
where he has resided up to the present date. Since their marriage
they have resided on the farm Mrs. Rowlandson owns, and where she has
lived for over fifty years. This estate embraces seventy acres
and is now in a splendid state of cultivation. Mrs. and Mrs.
Rowlandson enjoy good health. They are members of the Baptist
Church, and have retired from business.
