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Below is a family biography included in The History of Maury County, Tennessee published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1887. 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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CAPT. JOHN W. BECKETT was born in Marshall County, September 2, 1836, and is the son of Samuel and Rebecca (Swan) Beckett. The father of our subject was born March, 1809, in North Carolina. He came to Tennessee and settled near Lewisburg, and engaged in farming, in which he was very successful. He was elected justice of the peace, which office he held for several years. He was also postmaster for some time. He was a member of the I. O. O. F. and a Democrat in politics. He belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church South. Our subject received a good practical education in the country schools, and at the age of twenty-one began business for himself. In 1871 he wedded Mrs. Jane W. Bryant, whose former name was Gresham. Mrs. Bryant had by her first husband four children: Sebastian C., born in 1855 and died in 1862; Ralph G., born 1857; Sallie A., born in 1860 and died in 1865, and Arch S., born in 1862. In 1861 Mr. Beckett enlisted in Company C, Ninth Tennessee Regiment, and was elected orderly sergeant at the organization, and at the reorganization was elected first lieutenant and afterward promoted to captain.
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This family biography is one of the numerous biographies included in The History of Maury County, Tennessee published in 1887 by Goodspeed. The History of Maury County was included within The History of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford & Marshall Counties of Tennessee. For the complete description, click here: History of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Beford and Marshall Counties of Tennessee
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