Transcribed by Larry Fearneyhough

Page 125

About seven miles northeast of Winchester, on a farm, James S. Willoughby, son of John and Eliza (Thompson) Willoughby, was born. On his father's side of the house he is of English extraction, that gentleman being born at Snainton, Yorkshire, England, April 10, 1835, and came to the United States, and to Illinois, when he was quite young. His mother is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Thompson and was born in Morgan (now Scott) county, Illinois, in October 1837. After coming to Illinois, Mr. Willoughby settled near Jacksonville and in June, 1857, was married to Eliza Thompson. They were the parents of nine children and the subject of this sketch, James S. Willoughby, was born August 20, 1861. He grew up much the same as the other lads in that neighborhood, had his troubles the same as they had theirs, and dug his education, by hard licks, out at the country school. After he grew to be a man and set out for himself he took to farming and did quite a bit along that line. He also did some work at the carpenter's trade, in fact, he has done everything he could get to do that would turn him an honest penny. His father died a few years ago and since that time he has assisted in caring for his widowed mother. He is a single man and has always kept his abiding place with his mother at the old homestead. He is an active democrat and has served as constable in Point Pleasant precinct. He is in all respects worthy, and deserving of the good name he bears.