Biographies
For
Muscatine County Iowa
1889



Source: Portrait and Biographical Album, Muscatine County, Iowa, 1889, page 230

WILLIAM C. BATTY, M. D., a prominent citizen of this county, residing on section 19, Sweetland Township, was born in Addison County, Vt., Dec.3, 1824, and there grew to manhood. Choosing medicine as his profession, he entered the Medical College at Worcester, Mass., being graduated from that institution in the class of ' 48. After completeing his studies he began practicing in Monkton, Addison County, remaining there for seven years, but in the spring of 1855, he left his native State and removed to Iowa, settling in the northern part of Winneshiek County, where he continued the practice of his profession for nineteen years. To him the county owes much of her present prosperity. In the early days of his residence there, there was no other physician in that part of the country, and he would often have to ride forty miles to see a patient, driving home over the unfenced prairies by night, guided only by the stars. He established the first post-office at Hesper, and mail route connecting that place with Burr Oak, and served as its Postmaster for fourteen years, at which time he resigned the position. Although he did not enter the ranks during the late war the Union cause had no more loyal advocate than Dr. Batty. He remained at home, and during the four long years of that terrible struggle he cared for the families of the soldiers, receiving no fee for his labors, not only leaving with the sick the medication to cure the disease, but a kind word or a little gift always went with it. No truer friends can anywhere be found than those to whom the Dr. administered when their husbands, fathers and sons were fighting on the Southern battle-fields.

Leaving Winneshiek County after a residence of nineteen years, Dr. Batty then went to Topeka, Kan., and there dealt in musical instruments for a short time, but as the business was not a paying one, he abandoned it, and removed with his family to Muscatine, Iowa, in 1873. Residing in the city until the fall of 1874, he then removed to his country residence in Sweetland Township, the farm formerly owned by Albert Tebbets, where he has since been engaged in farming and also in the practice of medicine.

On the 17th day of July, 1845, in Addison County, Vt., Dr. Batty was united in marriage with Miss Louisa B., daughter of James and Ruth Chase, and to them were born a family of seven children, though three are now deceased: William E.,the eldest, born Dec.14,1849, is engaged in teaching music in Muscatine; James H., born May28, 1852, who was a partner of his elder brother and one of the highly respected young men of the city, died July19, 1887; Amos E.,and Eddie C. died in Winneshiek County in childhood; Frank H., who is married and lives in Hodgeman County, Kan., is the owner of 400 acres of land, and engages extensively in stock-raising, and is pursuing the study of medicine; Willard A., born Oct. 14, 1868, residing at home, is a graduate of the Muscatine High School; and Grace L., who was born July 13, 1872, is in attendance at the same school. On the 15th of January Dr. Batty was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife. She was a lady loved by all who knew her; her hospitality and kindness won her many friends; in her home the weary ones found rest, and those in distress were comforted. The Dr. was again married, Feb.27, 1881, becoming the husband of Emma C. Pace, daughter of M. P. Pace one of the earliest settlers of Sweetland Township, whose sketch appears on another page of this work. Two children have been born of this union: Mary E.L., born Aug 18, 1884, and Alice H., Nov. 21, 1887.

In his political sentiments Dr. Batty has always been a stanch supporter of the Republican party, and is also strong in his support of the prohibitory law. He has always taken an active part in temperance work, and was a member of the organization known as the Washington Temperance Men. In 1856, when the Republicans nominated John C. Fremont as their candidate for President, he took an active part in the canvass in Winneshiek County, and has ever possessed a controlling influence in the community where he resides. Mrs. Batty is his co-worker in behalf of the temperance cause, is a member of the W.C.T.U., in which organization she is Local, County and district Superintendent of the Benedict Home work, and is one of the earnest Christian workers of this section.

Dr. William C. Batty traces his ancestry back for upward of two centuries. His paternal ancestors were from the northern part of England, and emigrated to this country in Colonial days, probably late in the seventeenth or early in the eighteenth century, as we find that the founder of the family in this country, Samson Batty, settled in Jamestown on Connecticut Island, and one of his sons was there married to Margaret Cass on the 15th of September, 1707. Nicholas Batty, the grandfather of our subject, was of the fifth generation; he was born on the 29th of October, 1758, and died on the 23d of February, 1847. He served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War. He afterward became a Quaker. On the 5th of February, 1784, he was united in marriage with Miss Thankful Baker,who was of English descent. They were the parents of seven children: Lydia, Joel, Ezra, Joanna, Benjamin, Joseph, and Amos, who was the father of William C. Amos was born on the 21st of February, 1800. He was a prominent member of the Society of Friends and a preacher of that denomination. He was united in marriage with Miss Ruth Carpenter, a daughter of Stephen and Hannah Carpenter. Their children were nine in number, five of whom are now living, three sons and two daughters; Lydia, is the wife of William F, Hoyt, of La Crosse, Wis.; William C. is next in order of birth; Lucy, is the wife of Henry C. Morrison, and resides at Red Bluff, Cal.; Zeno C. is a resident of Hesper, Iowa, and is a Quaker preacher, and James H., also a resident of Hesper. Four children died in Vermont. Amos Batty became a resident of Iowa in 1856, and settled in Hesper, Winneshiek County, where he resided until his death, which occurred Oct. 30, 1872, his wife having departed this life about four years previously.

The maternal ancestors of our subject, the Carpenter family, are able to trace their family genealogy back to Richard Carpenter, who lived about 1638 in Wales. His brother, William Carpenter, amassed a very large fortune in Wales. He was a ship chandler, and died intestate in 1700, at an advanced age, and his will bears the date of 1684. His estate was valued at 40,000,000 pounds sterling, which amount is in the Bank Of England awaiting claimants. The Carpenter family, of which Mrs. Batty, the mother of Dr. Batty, was a member, are among the claimants for this vast estate, and they have succeeded in tracing their heirship back to Richard, who is proved to be a brother of William Carpenter and supposed to be a son of Ezra, but they have not established the fact that he was the William who left the large estate.

This Carpenter family was established on this continent by three brothers, Ephraim, Josiah, and Timothy, who sailed from Bristol, England, for New, York, in the barque "Reindeer," in 1678, and settled on Long Island and bought an extensive tract of land from the natives, at or near what is now Jerusalem in Hempstead, Queens Co., N.Y.

Dr. Batty was in early life a Whig, but a short time previous to the disruption of that party he became identified with the Free-Soil party, and on the formation of the Republican party he became a member of that party, and has acted with it since. The Doctor while in Winneshiek County took the census on two different occasions, and once in the township where he resides. He has been a Justice of the Peace for six years. He is a member of the Society of Friends, and is an earnest worker in Sabbath-school work, being the Superintendent and a Bible Class teacher in the Friends' Church in Sweetland Township.


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