My Genealogy Hound

JOHN T. KERCHEVAL, a leading groceryman of Lewisburg, was born April 24, 1850, in Lewisburg, where he grew up and was educated. He is the son of Peter and Susan C. (Ewing) Kercheval, natives of Tennessee. They were married in this county and to them were born nine children. The father was a lawyer, being one of the ablest attorneys in his county. For many years he was clerk and master of the chancery court. He died in 1867 and the mother in 1883. The Kerchevals are of French descent. The name was formerly Cheval — a French word, meaning horse — and in some unknown way the Ker became prefixed. Dr. J. M. and Mayor Kercheval, of Nashville, are descendants of that name. Having prepared himself for Yale College, our subject had his plans frustrated by the death of his father. He then engaged in the dry goods business, as a salesman, where he remained for seven years. He then opened a grocery store in 1883, in which he has done a thriving business ever since. Having studied law under his father, he was admitted to the bar in 1871 and practiced three years. He was a promising young lawyer and had a good practice, but had not learned the art of economizing, consequently, at the end of three years, he found himself considerably in debt. He then began to retrieve his fallen fortunes and concluded to try merchandising. For ten years he has been engaged in that business at Lewisville, and has been quite successful.