Crawford Co., AR - Biographies - Benjamin F. Massey

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SOURCE: History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford,
Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago: The Goodspeed 
Publishing Co., 1889.
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Benjamin F. Massey was born in Greenville County, S. C., November 29, 
1832, and is a son of Clement and Annie (Jones) Massey. The father was 
born in Raleigh County, N. C., was a farmer by occupation, and a 
stone-mason by trade, and when young went to South Carolina, where he 
married Annie Jones. Mrs. Massey was born in South Carolina, and when 
a girl visited Kentucky, but returning was principally reared in her 
native State. To her and Mr. Massey were born ten children. Those 
living are Louisa, wife of William Howard, [p.1172] of Benton County, 
Ark.; Starling T., of Illinois; Lavinia, widow of Abner Kent, of 
Illinois; Parthenia, widow of Thomas Gray, of Illinois; Benjamin F. 
and Enoch J., of Texas. Those deceased are Austin, John E., Irene 
White and Minerva Anderson. In 1837 Mr. Massey went to Georgia, and in 
1851 immigrated by wagon to Montgomery County, Ill., and five years 
later went to Parker County, Tex. In 1866 he located permanently in 
Crawford County, where he died April 19, 1874, aged seventy-two years, 
seven months and twenty-eight days. Mrs. Massey died here December 11, 
1876, aged seventy-seven years, six months and four days. Nathan 
Massey, the grandfather, was born in Maryland, immigrated to North 
Carolina, and afterward to Georgia. He was a Revolutionary soldier. He 
and his wife both died in Georgia. Enoch Jones and his wife, the 
maternal grandparents of our subject, were born in Maryland, and died 
in Kentucky and Illinois, respectively. Benjamin F. Massey was reared 
in Georgia from the age of five to nineteen, receiving but a common-
school education. He is a carpenter by trade, and in 1851 accompanied 
his parents to Montgomery County, Ill. In 1854 he went to California 
by wagon, where he engaged in mining sixteen years, besides 
carpentering, milling, etc. In 1870 he settled near Cedarville with 
his father, and since that time has farmed. He moved upon his present 
place in 1871, and has 138 acres, sixty of which he has finely 
cultivated. December 21, 1876, he married Lavinia Vincent, daughter of 
Isaiah and Margaret Vincent, natives of Virginia and Bedford County, 
Tenn., respectively. Mrs. Massey was born in this county, and is the 
mother of four children: Charles L., born December 12, 1877; George 
F., born June 8, 1879; James B., born November 29, 1881, and Thomas 
A., born June 9, 1883. Mr. Massey and family are members of the 
Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Mr. Massey is a Democrat, and a member 
of the Masonic fraternity. 

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