Transcribed by Larry Fearneyhough

Page 92

Well known among the oldest settlers and most prominent citizens, now a resident of Morgan county, is Austin Moody, a native of Sommersetshire, England, where he was born October 29, 1824. He is the son of Austin and Jane Moody and belonged to a family of sixteen children. He was educated in the schools of the parish in which he was born, and that received by him was fairly thorough in the common English branches. At the age of seventeen he entered an apprenticeship to learn the butcher's trade and worked three years at that, paying $100 as a premium for the privilege of learning. In 1845 he came to America, taking passage from Liverpool upon a sailing vessel and after a voyage of five weeks landed in New York City and from there came almost directly to Naples, Illinois, making the entire trip by water. The route traveled by him was as follows: Hudson river to Albany, N.Y.; Erie canal Albany to Buffalo, N.Y.; Great lakes from Buffalo to Cleveland, Ohio. Ohio canal Cleveland to Cincinnati, and the Ohio, Mississippi and Illinois rivers from Cincinnati to Naples.

Arriving at Naples Mr. Moody at once took up farm work and for the next three years applied himself closely to it. In 1850 he purchased a farm in section 14, township 15, range 12, now known as Merritt township, Scott county. For this land he paid $8 per acre. There was about 100 acres of it, but he kept adding to the farm from time to time until it comprised about 490 acres. On December 12, 1850, he was married to Miss Mary Lazenby, a very popular young lady residing near Jacksonville. Mrs. Moody was the daughter of John and Sarah Lazenby and was born October 13, 1828, in Yorkshire, England. She came with her parents to this country and settled in Morgan county in 1829. After his marriage Mr. Moody continued to live on his farm in Scott county until 1875, when he moved to Chapin where he has since lived a retired life. Mr. and Mrs. Moody are highly respected members of society, and in every circle, both social and religious, they are more than welcome.

To them were born six children: Sarah, wife of B. J. DeLapp, (died in 1898 at LaHarpe, Hancock county,); Mary, now Mrs. Chas. Rawson of Sangamon county; Emma, wife of Walter Birch, a station agent now in the employ of the B., C.-R. & N.R.R. in Minnesota; John W. of Scott county, and James B., who is also of Scott county. The sixth child was Henry, who died August 24, 1852, aged ten months. His political affiliations have been with the democrates and to that party he has always belonged.

Although Mr. Moody is now a resident of Morgan county, the best efforts of his life were spent in Scott county, and it may be said that this county can justly claim him. Certain it is that the story of his life is closely interwoven with the history of the early development of the county. His interests were here; his neighbors and friends were here, and here it was that he laid the foundation and built up his splendid estate. He came to this country a poor man, with practically nothing at his command; he applied himself and the heroic efforts, intelligently directed and perseveringly continued, have been pole stars by which he has guided his domestic bark safely along the perilous voyage, and now, as he halts in the evening of life, none can be found to deny Austin Moody and his estimable wife the full enjoyment of the rest they have so faithfully earned.