My Genealogy Hound

Hon. James Titterington, an extensive fruit grower and stock raiser, and a retired physician of Richland, was born in 1825, in Cumberland County, Ky., and when about three years of age removed with his parents to Christian County, Ky., where he was reared, and remained until 1850. He then went to Missouri, spent one year in Miller County, and subsequently located in Laclede County. In March, 1875, he settled in Richland, which has since been his home. He received a good common-school education, and began the study of medicine with Dr. James F. Drane, in Christian County, Ky. He took one course at the Transylvania Medical College, Lexington, Ky., and began his practice with his preceptor. He met with remarkable success in the practice of his chosen profession, which he continued about thirty-seven years, and, with one exception, he is the oldest practitioner in this section of Missouri, his practice extending through Pulaski, Miller, Laclede and the surrounding counties. He was financially successful, and at the outbreak of the late war owned 1,200 acres of land and a large quantity of stock. He has given each of his children good farms, and still owns about 300 acres. Soon after the war he bought a flour and saw-mill in Laclede County, which, in 1877, he removed to Richland, and successfully operated for six years. For the past ten years Mr. Titterington has been extensively engaged in fruit growing, and has on his place 1,300 apple trees and about 150 peach trees. In 1854 he served as assessor of Laclede County, and in 1873-74 represented that county in the Legislature. He was appointed postmaster of Hazel Green in 1860, which office he held fourteen years, and after serving as postmaster of Richland one year he resigned. He is a member of Richland Lodge of the A. F. & A. M., and of the Farmers & Mechanics Mutual Aid Association. In 1852 Mr. Titterington married, in Laclede County, Mary B., daughter of Judge William H. and Lucy Smith, formerly of Tennessee, who removed to Laclede County about 1845, where the father died in 1878. The mother is still living, at the age of eighty-five years. Mrs. Titterington was born in Missouri, and is the mother of six children, three of whom are living, viz.: Lucy M., wife of Dr. W. L. Ragan; Sallie, widow of William M. Dodson, and Dr. James L., a graduate of Missouri Medical College, and a practicing physician of Laclede County. The parents of our subject were Adam and Sallie (Smith) Titterington, the former of whom was born in England about 1784, and came to this country when quite young. He followed school teaching all his life, and was well known as such in Kentucky. He also devoted some attention to farming before his death, which occurred in 1857. He was twice married, and his first wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Smith, was born about 1794, and was a daughter of Moses Smith, an Englishman, who served in the Revolution, and died in Cumberland County, Ky. Of the six sons and four daughters born to Mr. and Mrs. Titterington, five of the sons became prominent physicians, and Dr. Richard M. served as surgeon in Gen. Morgan’s brigade during the late war. Mrs. Sarah Titterington died in Christian County, Ky., in 1837.