My Genealogy Hound

DAVID G. DEVORE, retired lawyer, P. O. Georgetown, was born in Union Township, Brown Co., Ohio, March 31, 1808. He is the seventh of ten children, born to David and Alice (Mann) Devore. His father, a native of Washington County, Penn., followed agricultural pursuits through life. He moved to Kentucky at an early date, and settled at Kenton’s Station. In 1800, he removed to Union Township, Brown Co., Ohio, where he resided until his demise. Many of his ancestors were active participants in the Revolutionary struggle, notably, Nicholas Devore, his paternal grandfather, who was one of the famous Morgan rifleman, and an actor during Crawford’s defeat. His mother was a native of New Jersey, and a daughter of Christopher Mann, a prominent pioneer of Kentucky, and Brown County, Ohio. Until his nineteenth year was attained, Mr. Devore worked on a farm at the old homestead, on Red Oak Creek, Union Township, Brown County. During those years, he received a liberal education in various select schools, and in 1827 entered the Ohio University at Athens. There he diligently pursued a course of classical studies; was graduated in 1831, with the first honors of his class. He then returned to Brown County and began the reading of law under the supervision of Archibald Leggett, a prominent attorney of Ripley, Ohio. After continuing his studies with this preceptor for about six months, he moved to Georgetown, where he resumed his reading under the guidance of Thomas L. Hamer, an able pioneer attorney of this county. In 1833, he passed the required examination and was admitted to the bar. Hon. Thomas Corwin was on that occasion one of the examiners. Entering at once on the active practice of his profession, in partnership with Thomas L. Hamer, at Georgetown, he, in conjunction with his associate, rapidly secured an extensive legal practice. In 1833, he was elected Prosecuting Attorney of Brown County, and in this position served faithfully for two years. Of late years, he has almost retired from general practice, and has interested himself in agricultural pursuits. He resides with his son, James M., on the farm northeast of Georgetown. Politically, Mr. Devore is a supporter of Greenback principles, but cast his first vote in favor of Gen. Andrew Jackson. Religiously, he is a member of the Christian Union organization. He has always been a firm friend to the temperance cause, and has never connected himself with any secret societies. While in the practice of his chosen profession, Mr. Devore was always acknowledged to be one of the ablest members of the bar of Brown County. Mr. Devore was united in marriage, May 24, 1837, to Rebecca Murray, a native of Morgan County, Ohio, and a daughter of Thomas Murray (then deceased), an early pioneer of that county. Eight children were born to this union, five living — Lucy (wife of William Snedaker), David (clerk in a Cincinnati dry goods house), James M. (on the home farm), Rebecca J. (a teacher in the Georgetown public schools), and Sarah Phillips (at Glendale, Ohio). Mrs. Devore departed this life August 12, 1866. She was a consistent member of the M. E. Church, and a faithful attendant on its services. Mr. Devore’s grandfather died at the advanced age of ninety-seven years, and a year previous to his death, raised, by his own individual labor, over four hundred bushels of corn; his father lived to be eighty-seven, and his mother eighty-four years old, and as our subject is yet in very good health, he bids fair to follow in the footsteps of his ancestors.