Tate, John

TATE, CORKWELL, DAWSON, HAND

Posted By: Volunteer Subscribers
Date: 4/15/2003 at 18:05:00

Source: "The 1901 Biographical Record of Clinton Co., Iowa, Illustrated" published: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1901.

JOHN TATE.

The subject of this sketch, who is familiarly known as Uncle John by his numerous friends throughout Clinton county, is now living in ease and retirement in Low Moor, enjoying a comfortable competence, which he acquired in former years. Like many of our best citizens of the county, he is a native of England, born in Habrough, Lincolnshire, on the 4th of August, 1816. His parents were Thomas and Elizabeth (Corkwell) Tate, the former also a native of Lincolnshire, the latter of Yorkshire. For nearly forty years the father was overseer of a large farm in that country and there he reared his family. About 1857 he joined his sons in America, and spent his last days on a farm in Eden township, this county, with his youngest son, Edward Tate. He died at the advanced age of ninety-three years. In his family were six children, four sons and two daughters, all of whom reached years of maturity and became heads of families, but only our subject, who was the second in order of birth, and Mrs. Maria Dawson, of Low Moor, are now living.

John Tate grew to manhood in his native county, and in early life learned the shoemaker’s trade, at which he served a six year’s apprenticeship. He then started a shop in Killingholme, which he carried on successfully for a number of years, having in his employ two or three men and apprentices, and doing a large business.

Mr. Tate was married in Lincolnshire, in 1840, to Miss Agnes Hand, also a native of that county, and before leaving there three sons were born to them, namely: Charles, now a farmer of Albert, British Columbia; Thomas, a resident of Low Moor; and William, bookkeeper for the Chicago & Northwestern Railway at State Center. They also have ten grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

In 1852 Mr. Tate emigrated to the United States, taking passage on a sailing vessel, which was ten weeks in crossing the Atlantic from Hull, England, to Quebec, Canada, during which time the ship encountered some severe storms and was driven back some distance. He arrived in Quebec in August, and from that city came west by the lakes to Chicago, and by stage through Rockford and Galena. At the last named place he took a steamer for Camanche, Iowa, where he landed on the 12th of August. He purchased eighty acres in Camanche township, on which he built a nice little cottage, and at once began to improve his place. Later he bought one hundred and sixty acres of unimproved land in Eden township, to which he subsequently added a tract of eighty acres and another of forty acres, making a good farm of two hundred and eighty acres in that township. He made many improvements upon this place, and continued to operate the same until 1876, when he turned its management over to his sons and removed to Low Moor, where he bought residence property and has since lived retired.

Since becoming an American citizen, Mr. Tate has always affiliated with the Republican party, and cast his first presidential ballot for Abraham Lincoln in 1860, but he has never sought office. He has, however, served as justice of the peace two years, township trustee seven years, and a member of the school board almost sixteen years. He and his estimable wife have been active members of the Methodist Episcopal church for thirty or forty years, and are loved and respected by all who have the pleasure of their acquaintance. For almost half a century they have been residents of this county, and have therefore witnessed almost its entire growth and development. As pioneers and honored citizens of the community they are certainly deserving of prominent mention it its history.