JAMES
BESTWICK, [Sr.] farmer, post-office
Hazzard, was born in
Staffordshire, England, January 1, 1807, and in 1838 immigrated to America
and located on a farm in what is now Worth Township, where he has since
resided. His parents were James and Hester
Bestwick, who came to America in 1834, and located on an adjoining
farm. Hester Bestwick died in 1855, and James
died in 1882, at the age of ninety-nine years. Our subject, Jane,
Mrs. G. W. Bright of Franklin, and Esther,
Mrs. Hiram Clawson, of Michigan, are the only
ones of their children that are living. In 1839 our subject married Miss
Mary, daughter of Francis
Huey, of Jackson Township. She died July 1, 1887, leaving four
children: Ann, Mrs. Alex McKee, of Wolf Creek
Township; Samuel C., of Jackson Township, who
is an oil operator in Washington County, married Miss
M. C. Taylor, daughter of Benjamin Taylor,
of Jackson Township, and she, having died in 1868, leaving one child, Minnie
A., he again married Mary Jane Crowley,
daughter of Timothy Crowley, of Jackson
Township, and has by her five children: Laura,
Walter, Mary, Samuel, infant; James H.,
coal operator, Worth Township, married Eliza,
daughter of Capt. James Zahniser; she died
September 4, 1887, leaving eight children: Ella,
Harry, Myrtle, Valentine, Clyde, James, Mary, Bessie; George,
living on part of homestead, married Eliza Lewis,
a native of Wales, who died May 4, 1888, leaving five children: Mary
Jane, Warren, Charles, Lambert and an infant. Our subject owns the
farm on which the Ormsby Coal Mine is situated, and is a member of the
Democratic party.
History of
Mercer County, 1888, page
1072.
