THOMAS WILKINSON

WILKINSON, MURPHY

Posted By: Mona Sarratt Knight (email)
Date: 7/20/2009 at 18:35:46

Source: The History of Appanoose County, Iowa, Containing A History of the County, its Cities, Towns, etc., A Biographical Directory of Citizens, War Records of its Volunteers in the late Rebellion, General and Local Statistics, Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men, History of the Northwest, History of Iowa, Map of Appanoose County, Constitution of the United States, Miscellaneous Matters, etc.; illustrated; Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1878.

THOMAS WILKINSON, farmer and stock grower, Sec. 24; P.O. Cincinnati; born in North Hamptonshire, Eng., in 1813; at the age of 10 he went to live with his grandparents at Leicestershire, where he was raised a farmer, in the mean time receiving a common school education. At the age of 18 he entered a drug store; remained until 1836, when he went into business for himself near London; during the year 1839 he came to America; clerked in Cincinnati one year, engaged in business at Covington, Ky., in partnership with Mr. Thomas Bird for three or four years; moved to Dayton, Ohio, and entered the same business alone; continued until coming to this county in June 1852. Married Miss Anne Murphy; she was born in Belfast, Ireland, Jan. 13, 1819; her father, Michael Murphy, was a contractor and builder of that city; died in September 1838, at the age of 24. The other members of the family came to America, remained a week in Philadelphia visiting friends, and then went to Chambersburg, Penn., thence to Wheeling, W.Va., by stage, and by water to Cincinnati, where her brother, then residing in Butler Co., Ohio, met them. During the year 1846, she went to Lafayette, Ind., where another brother resided; remained with him two years; in 1848, returned to Butler Co., Ohio, thence to Dayton, Ohio, where she joined her mother and family, they having in the meantime, come to this country; during 1850, as her health seemed failing, returned to the old country for ten months; was eight weeks on the return voyage. Mr. Wilkinson continued his business at Dayton until 1856, when they came to Iowa, where he engaged in farming in this county, where he now owns 360 acres of land, valued at $20 per acre. Have two children - Hugh Exton, born in June 1853, and William, born in June 1854. Republican; she is a member of the Baptist Church; he a Presbyterian. Has held the office of Township Assessor, Trustee and school offices.