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Below is a family biography included in The History of Franklin County, Tennessee published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1886. These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary. Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more. There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.
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JOHN SIMMONS, one of Winchester’s prominent attorneys, was born April 28, 1846, in Franklin County, Tenn. His father, George Simmons, was a farmer of the county, and died in November, 1867. His mother was nee Mary Fancy. The paternal grandfather of John Simmons was William Simmons, who came to this county in the very early settlement of this part of the State. The maternal grandparents were French and Scotch-Irish; the paternal grandparents were English and German. The subject of this sketch received but a common school education. He remained on the farm till two years after the war, and then worked about at different vocations for a few years. In 1869 he began reading law at home, and in 1871 he was admitted to the bar, and has since been engaged in the practice of law. He was married, December 18, 1878, to Miss Anna Pennington, the result of this union being one son, Pennington. Mr. Simmons is a firm Democrat, and always has been, his ancestors having been old-line Whigs. His grandfather, Fancy, made the first donation to the Vanderbilt University in the sum of $1,000.
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This family biography is one of 83 biographies included in The History of Franklin County, Tennessee published in 1886. The History of Franklin County was included within The History of Giles, Lincoln, Franklin & Moore Counties of Tennessee. For the complete description, click here: History of Giles, Lincoln, Franklin , Moore Counties of Tennessee
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