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 929, Vermont Township
Charles G. Stafford, farmer, sec. 12; P. O., Vermont; was born
in Appinoy, R. I., in 1815, which place was also the native place of
his father, Thomas R., a sailor; of his 9 children 7 are living;
Charles married Mary P. Burress, daughter of John R. Burress, in
Providence; worked principally at carpentering; in 1856 he settled in
this township; owns 193 acres of land; is a farmer, and has succeeded
well; of his 9 children these 4 are living: Willard, Sarah, Salina and
Corrilla, - all married except the last. Mrs. S. died Aug. 1, 1878.
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 460 & 463; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Charles G. Stafford has a very fine location on section 32,
Vermont Township, where he has successfully prosecuted his calling for
more than thirty years, and is entitled to recognition as a pioneer on
account of what he has accomplished. He is of New England birth
and antecedents, and was born in Apponaug, R. I., June 10, 1817, to
Thomas R. and Sarah (Taylor) Stafford who were natives and residents of
that place till their death when quite old. The Stafford family
came originally from England. The father was a sailor and devoted
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He and his wife reared
the following children: Thomas R., who died in Vermont Township,
leaving two sons and one daughter; Europa, who married Marshall G.
Freeman, a farmer of Vermont; William of Rhode Island, a painter by
trade, who is married and has one son and a daughter; John R., of
Natick, R. I., who is married but has no children; Charles G.: Sarah,,
wife of Willard Perce; Henry, a carpenter of Charleston, S.C., who
married and had two daughters and who is now living with his second
wife.
Our subject was educated in the schools of his native
town. When a lad of eight years he entered a cotton factory, and
when twelve years of age, began spinning at $3 a week, subsequently
spending four or five years in the dressing room at $1a day. We
next hear of him in the city of Providence, in his native State, and
there he began to acquire the trade of a carpenter, which he followed
till he was thirty-two years old. After that he engaged in the
lumber business with his father in-law till he came to Illinois in the
spring of 1856. After his arrival in the Prairie State, he took
up his residence in Vermont Township, purchasing at that time sixty
acres, to which he later added sixty more acres on section 32, and
subsequently bought one hundred and thirty acres where he now resides
on the same section. At one time he owned two hundred and fifty
acres of land, but he has disposed of one hundred and twenty acres at a
good price, and retains but one hundred and thirty acres, which is
finely cultivated. Upon his estate he has placed many valuable
improvements, having a beautiful lake and park and a very pleasant
home. A view of his residence, with its convenient appurtenances,
appears on another page.
In the month of May 1839, now more than half a century ago, our
subject and Miss Mary P. Burrows, of Providence, R. I., united their
lives and fortunes. Her death in 1878, at the age of fifty-nine
years, was a serious blow to her family as she had ever been a true and
faithful wife, and a kind mother. She was held in high esteem by
her neighbors and friends and was a consistent member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church. She was a daughter of John R. and Mary Phillips
Burrows, the father a carpenter and a lumber dealer in Rhode Island,
his native State. He had a family of thirteen children, of whom
three sons and three daughters grew to maturity.
Our subject and his estimable wife had born to them seven
children of whom two died in infancy. The others are:
Sallie, who married John Mercer, and has four sons and three daughters;
Salina, who married Jones Adams, and died leaving one daughter – Etha;
Willard, a resident of Tamora, Seward County, Neb.; Rilla; and Charles,
who was drowned at the age of seven years while in Rhode Island.
Our subject has so conducted himself in his career as a farmer,
citizen, husband, father and neighbor, as to win the respect and regard
of all who know him. In politics he is a stanch advocate of the
Democratic party.
