My Genealogy Hound

ALVIN J. TENNANT, the oldest living representative of the old New England Tennant family in Chautauqua county and a well respected citizen of the village of Ripley, is the eldest son of Moses A. and Belinda (Tennant) Tennant, and was born in the town of Springfield, Otsego county, New York, September 13, 1821. His paternal great-grandfather Tennant came from England to New England from which his son Moses Tennant (grandfather), removed to Otsego county where he was an important and influential man in political and religious affairs. He married Sarah Selden Jewett, by whom he had five children. Their only son, Moses A. Tennant (father), came to Ripley where he was a leading citizen and prominent public man during his life. His wife was born in 1802 and is still living. They had ten children: Alvin J., Delos G., Moses S. (dead), O. Eliza, Julia E., Wealthy A., Rev. Albert M., Ellen D. (dead), Fannie O. and John A. Mrs. Belinda Tennant is a daughter of John Tennant, Jr., who was a son of John and Mary (Crandall) Tennant, of New England descent. (For a full account of the Tennant families see sketches of Delos G. and John A. Tennant).

Alvin J. Tennant came with his father in 1833 to the town of Ripley where he was reared to manhood on the farm and where he attended the common schools of that day. He assisted his father in clearing up his farm which was two miles south of Ripley and then engaged in farming near Quincy where he remained until 1860 when he removed to the village of Ripley. He there bought a farm which he tilled until 1890 when he retired from active business life. He now resides in a comfortable home where he enjoys the fruits of a long life of honest labor. He is a democrat in politics and is a member of the Baptist church and the Equitable Aid Union.

September 26, 1847, Mr. Tennant married Emorett Wattles who was born January 23, 1827. They are the parents of one child, Jewett G. Mrs. Tennant is a daughter of Gurdon H. and Lucretia (Phelps) Wattles. Gurdon Wattles was born in the town of Sidney, Delaware county, in 1796. He and his brother William came in 1818 from Otsego county to the town of Ripley and two years later removed to and cleared up a farm three miles south of the village of Ripley where William resided until 1846 when he went to Springfield, Ohio, in which city he resided until his death. Gurdon Wattles remained upon the farm until 1859 and then removed to the village of Ripley where he died November 15, 1880. He was a democrat in politics and held the office of supervisor of his town for two terms. Mr. Wattles was one of the founders of the First Baptist church of Ripley in which he was an active worker during many years and of which he was church clerk for a quarter of a century. He married Lucretia Phelps and reared a family of two sons and two daughters: Glover P. (deceased), Erbin C., Emorett and Sarah L. (deceased).

Jewett G. Tennant, only son and child of Alvin J. and Emorett (Wattles) Tennant was born November 4, 1852. He received a good English education and tilled the farm for a few years. He was then employed for some length of time as a telegraph operator and station agent at Ripley and afterwards became a traveling agent for the “Nickel Plate” railroad company, in whose service he still remains. He is a good business man, resides at Fostoria, Ohio, and travels over a large area of territory. He married Carrie Brown, and they have four children, one son and three daughters: Emma, Leah, Mabel C. and Alvin J.