HARVEY B. HAWTHORN
Page 27

The Hawthorne family is an old Scotch house. The name originated during the war between the Scots and Danes, which was continued over a hundred years. The Scots, when vanquished on the plains and valleys, fought their invaders from the hawthorn brush and groves within the mountain fastness, and from these circumstances the name of the shrub passed to that of a family. John Hawthorn, of the fifth generation back in the ancestral line, was a native Scotchman. His son John was raised and married in the native land of his sires, but after his marriage settled in the County of Down, in the North of Ireland. He afterwards emigrated to the American colonies and settled in Abbeville District, South Carolina, where he died about the beginning of the revolutionary war. He raised eight children, six sons and two daughters. Robert, Joseph, John, James and Benjamin are the names of the sons that are now remembered. Adam is the name of the other son as now remembered. Five of these sons were Continental soldiers in the struggles of the colonies for Independence. John, Mr. Hawthorn's grandfather, remained in charge of the family and as a kind of home guard, and was in the war only on special expeditions. He married, while in South Carolina, a Miss Margaret Greene, by whom he raised four sons and three daughters: John, Robert, James, Benjamin, Elizabeth, the wife of John Finely; Mrs. Nancy Forbes, and Mrs. Mary Galloway, the wife of John Galloway. John married Miss Catherine Graves, the daughter of James Graves, a Scotchman. In 1803 he moved to Green county, Kentucky, where he lived till he moved to Cass county, Illinois, in 1835. Here he died about 1850. His wife survived him some thirteen years. Their remains repose in the Middle Creek graveyard in the county where they both died. They raised the following children: James P., Mrs. Margaret Woldridge, wife of Daniel Woldridge; Robert G., Mrs. Mary P. Taylor, wife of Henry Taylor; John L., Harvey B., and Mrs. Nancy B. Hury. Of these, there are only now living, John L., of Barton county, Missouri; Mary and Nancy of Cass county, Illinois and Harvey, of Mason county. These children, with the exception of James, who was born in South Carolina, were all born in Kentucky. Harvey, the subject of this biography, moved into Mason county in 1847, where he has lived ever since, engaged in farming and the stock trade. He has made a good success in agriculture. In Crane Creek Township he owns a farm of 540 acres, finely improved and well stocked, and on which stands a fine two-story frame dwelling house, a good barn, and an orchard containing a variety of choice fruit. Stock water is abundant. For a view of these premises, see the lithographic department of this work. In addition to this property, he owns a farm of 350 acres in south-west Missouri. This is one of the best farms in Barton county. The soil is rich, well drained, abundantly supplied with stock water, and contains a fine mineral spring of sulphur water. He has been twice married. By his first wife, formerly Miss Elizabeth A. Davenport, he had four children: Henry, Mrs. Laura Turner, wife of William O. Turner, Margaret, wife of Mr. Frederick Middleton, and John L. These are all married and reside in Mason county, except John, who is yet single and is with his father. The mother of these died January 1, 1858. October 4, 1860, he married his present wife, Mrs. Jane J., daughter of Berry and Susanna Turner. This union has been productive of four children: Robert B., Jackson L., Miss Harriet P., and Charles Emmet. The mother of these had three children by her first husband, viz: Mrs. Mary E. Melton, wife of Reason Melton, John C. and Osney. Politically, Mr. Hawthorn was brought up a Democrat. His ancestors have been Democratic from the beginning of our government-which they assisted to establish. Two of his uncles, Robert and James, as also his father, were not only Revolutionary soldiers, but were also in the war of 1812 under General Jackson. They were strong supporters of the hero of New Orleans. Robert was also in the Black Hawk war of 1831-2. Hence, Mr. Hawthorne legitimately came in to the possession of Democratic ideas. At present he stands identified with the Grange movement, and is a strong believer in the capability of the people for self-government.

1874 Atlas Index

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