My Genealogy Hound

GEORGE WADDINGTON, farmer, deceased; born in Yorkshire, England, upon the 9th of June, 1818; he was brought up on a farm until 14 years of age, when he was apprenticed to the trade of cloth-dressing, and, until 1841, followed the business of dressing the finest English broadcloth, of some of which his own wedding suit was made; the coat is now held as an heirloom by the family; in the fall of 1841, he emigrated to America and landed at New Orleans; he then came up the Mississippi to Grand Tower and settled in Williamson Co., Ill., where he was united in marriage with Elizabeth Kershaw; she was born in Holdam, Lancashire, England, in 1826; she was a daughter of Joseph Kershaw, who now lives in Le Roy, and whose biography appears among the sketches of Empire Township in another part of this work. In the fall of 1857, they removed to Downs Township, McLean Co., and, in the spring of 1859, located upon Section 27 where they lived until their decease; Mrs. Waddington died March 10, 1870; in the spring of 1874, Mr. Waddington returned to England, visiting Liverpool, Huddersfield, his native city, Sheffield and spent one week in London, returning home in August, of the same year; his death occurred June 19, 1876, They were both members of the Christian Church and lived and died consistent Christians. They now lie buried in the Gelmore graveyard, and over their grave stands a marble monument erected sacred to their memory by their loving children; they were the parents of five sons and six daughters, of whom all are now living — Sarah A., (now Mrs. John Lott, living in Sumner Co., Kan.), Hannah (now Mrs. William Kinsey, whose sketch appears in this work), Mary J. (now Mrs. Harrison C. Lott, living in Blue Mound Township, McLean Co.), Joseph K. (now living upon the home farm), Martha E. (also living at home) George W. (telegraph operator upon the Illinois Central Railroad), William A. (living at home), Esther E. (now Mrs. A. Montgomery, living in Downs Township), Ida A., John F. and Walter S. Mr. Waddington commenced in Illinois with an ax and one lonesome penny; he worked and cleared eighty acres, which he afterward entered, and enduring all the hardships and privations of frontier life and battled against poverty, and, at the time of his decease, had accumulated a good farm of 160 acres and raised a family of eleven children.