Submitted by Meredith Thompson (Scotlass94@aol.com) Biographies of Clay Township from "Atlas of Hendricks Co Indiana" (1878: J.H. Beers & Co., Chicago) BOYD, OLIVER P., P.O. Amo; Carriage and Wagon Manufacturer; son of W. T. Boyd and Elizabeth Boswell (who settled in Franklin Tp., in 1837); was born Aug. 31, 1842. Married June 8, 1869, at Stilesville, to Catherine Gentry; they have one son--Claude. BROWN, SAMUEL PRESTON, P.O. Coatesville; Farmer, Sec.32; son of Williamson and Jane Brown; was born in Putnam Co., Ind., Jan. 15, 1842; settled in this county in 1873. Married March 20, 1873, to Sarah Jane Paddock; they have one child--Frank. CARTER, A.H., P.O. Amo; Farmer, Sec. 26; son of Ira and Elizabeth Carter; was born July 22, 1842. Married Sept. 15, 1867, to Mary A. Woods. CLARK, JOSEPH A., P.O. Hadley; County Surveyor of Hendricks Co.; Res. Sec.23; son of William and Louisa Clark; was born in North Carolina Dec. 26, 1837. Parents settled here in 1860. Married in 1869 to Eunice Hadley; four children--Solon H., Nathan William, North, May Louisa. COATESVILLE LODGE, A.F. & A.M., was organized under dispensation Aug. 15, 1872, with C. L. Stanley as first W.M.; Thos. Knight, S.W., and C.W. Elrod, J.W., and organized under charter May 27, A.D. 1873, A.L. 5873, with the same officers; at the present time in a flourishing condition. Membership at this time, 45. The present offers are C.L. Stanley, W.M.; Orsbon Rudd, S.W.; A.J. Crews, J.W.; D.R. Black, S.D.; E.R. Ellis, J.D.; D.W. Campbell, Secretary; C.W. Elrod, Treasurer, and Zimeri Warren, Tiler. The Lodge has a nice brick hall of its own. ELROD, JESSE F., P.O. Coatesville; Farmer, Sec. 6; son of Joseph and Catherine; was born in Stokes Co., N.C., Aug 8, 1824; settled here in 1839. Married March 28, 1832, to Lydia Pearsel; four children--Samuel H., Charles W., Willie F. and May A. ELROD, CHARLES W., P.O. Coatesville; settled on Sec. 6 in 1876. Born in Putnam Co., Ind., and son of Jesse F. and Lydia Elrod, who settled in this county in 1839. Married Oct. 20, 1876, to M.E. Pearson; have one child, an infant, not named. GREENLEE, WILLIAM, P.O. Coatesville; Farmer, Sec. 28; son of Abner and Mary B.; was born in this county Sept. 9, 1839. Parents settled in this county in 1829. Married Dec. 22, 1870, to Melinda Jane Person; two children--Emerson and Ernest. GRIMES, ELIAS, P.O. Coatesville; Farmer, Sec.32; son of John and Mary Grimes; was born in Stokes Co., N.C., in 1818; settled in Franklin Tp., Sec. 10, in 1833. Married Aug. 15, 1843, to Sarah Phillips; nine children--Anna M., John W., William H., Mary J., Susannah C., Samuel B., Elias N., Sarah E. and Lucinda A. HADLEY, THOMAS T., P.O. Pecksburg; Farmer, Sec. 30; son of Simon and Elizabeth T. Hadley; was born in Chatham Co., N.C., April 12, 1810. Was married Sept. 25, 1833, in Morgan Co., Ind., to Lucinda M. Jones; eleven children--Mrs. Sarah Osborn (died 1860, leaving two children), Nancy J., Enos, Simon, Melissa, Evan, William J., Manley L, J.N., Elizabeth A. and John T. Mr. Hadley came to this county in September, 1829, and entered 335 acres of land, built a hewed log house, which is yet standing, living in this twenty years, then building his present home (views of both these will be found in Atlas). Himself and all the family are members of the Society of Friends. HADLEY, ZENO, P.O. Pecksburg; Farmer and Stock Dealer; Sec. 30; settled here April 3, 1835; born in Chatham Co., N.C., Feb. 15, 1812; son of Joshua and Rebecca Hadley. Married March 19, 1835, at Mill Creek Meeting House, this county, to Rebecca Stanley; seven children--Matilda L., Ann (died Nov. 14, 1856), Melton, Jane, Mary R., Joshua, Phebe (died Aug 10, 1852). All members of the Society of Friends. HARVEY, NATHAN, P.O. Amo; Farmer, Sec. 35; settled here in 1844; son of Caleb and Mary Harvey; born in Orange Co., N.C., 7 22, 1802. Parents settled in Wayne Co. in 1808. Married 9 26, 1826, in Clinton Co., Ohio, to Ruth Jones, who died 9 20, 1875; five children--Mary, Sarah, Minerva, Lydia and John. When Caleb Harvey settled in Dearborn (now Wayne Co.), the county was in a wild state; moved into the woods with nine children, five of them grown up. Nathan's mother died when he was 13 years of age, and he is now the only surviving member of his father's family, 75 years old. KERSEY, JAMES, P.O. Amo; Farmer, Sec. 27; settled in this county in 1831; born in Guilford Co., N.C., in 1801; son of Amos and Elizabeth Kersey. Married 1826 to Elizabeth Hodson; nine children--Jesse, Abigail, James, Rachel, Mary, Isaac, Jonathan, Amos, Ezra. MASON, GEORGE, P.O. Amo; Farmer, Sec. 35; born in this county March 15, 1843; son of James and Nancy Mason. Married Oct. 7, 1861, to Amanda Painter, who died July 3, 1868; again Oct. 24, 1870, to Martha Appleby; six children--Alvina, Martin, Sarah B., Ellsworth, Albert, Frederick. MASON, WILLIAM, P.O. Coatesville; Wagon and Carriage Maker; son of James and Nancy Mason; was born in this county March 1, 1833. Was married July 6, 1856, to Sarah A. Pudd; four children--B. M., Martha, Elizabeth and Sylvester. MASTEN, DAVID, P.O. Coatesville; Farmer, Sec. 5; settled here in 1833; son of Mathias and Sarah; was born in Stokes Co., N.C., March 31, 1817. Married June 15, 1863, to E.A. Appleby; six children--Charles, John, Darius, Marquis D., Antrum and Lottie Lea. MASTEN, MATHIAS, P.O. Coatesville; Farmer, Sec. 31; son of John and Sarah Masten, who settled in this county in 1834; was born in Franklin Township, May 2, 1834. Married Aug. 22, 1853, to Eliza J. Hitts; five children--Melvin C., Oliver, Mary E., Otto and Oscar. MILLER, ABNER, P.O. Coatesville; Farmer and School Techer, Sec. 6; settled here in 1854; son of Archibald and Jane Miller was born in Monroe Co., Va., Feb. 19, 1828. Married Oct. 9, 1843, to Nancy Bryant; they have one child--Almah J. NEWMAN, JOHN, P.O. Coatesville; Farmer, Sec. 6; settled in Franklin Township, Sec. 19, in the year 1839; son of James and Rosina Newman; was born in Guilford Co., N.C., Nov. 27, 1807. Married to Mary Blair in 1839; again, to Lina Mendenhall, 2 25, 1863; again, 4 22, 1875, to Hannah Osborn; eight children in all--Abigail, Rosina, Jonathan, Elizabeth, Mehitable, Rachel, Hannah and Asenath. OSBORN, CHARLES (deceased), (see history C. H. Osborn), son of Jesse and Elizabeth, was born in North Carolina, 9 22, 1811, d. 7 22, 1871. Was married 3 31, 1833, to Asenath Hyatt, at Deep River; six children--Elizabeth, Hannah H., Alpheus, Cuthbert H., Martha and Sibyl. OSBORN, CUTHBERT H., P.O. Coatesville; Farmer, Sec. 33; son of Charles and Asenath Osborn; was born in North Carolina, 10 27, 1844; settled here with his parents in 1850. Married in 1874, to Anna M. Grimes; two children--E. Gertrude and Elmina Florence. PHILLIPS, JONATHAN F., P.O. Coatesville; Farmer, Sec. 5; son of Samuel and Rachel Phillips, who settled in this county in 1834; born April 16, 1840. Married March 23, 1868, to Makina Couch; four children--Alma C., Lora A., Aldus W. and an infant not named. PHILLIPS, SAMUEL, P.O. Amo; Farmer, Sec. 4; born in Stokes Co., N.C., July 6, 1808; son of Samuel and Sally Phillips, who settled in Wayne Co. in 1832. Married May 28, 1839, to Rachel Newman; nine children--Jonathan F., Susannah E., Albert L., d. Oct. 3, 1845; Lewis A., Samuel E., d. Aug. 11, 1851; Sally M., John N., Oliver P. and Emily E. RATLIFF, ISAAC, was born in Montgomery Co., Ohio, May 19, 1822, and came to Indiana with his father at the age of 6, and settled in Monroe Township, Morgan Co.; his father at that time had only $100 in the world, with this he entered eighty acres of land; for the next thirty years of his life, Mr. Ratliff was principally engaged in grubbing and clearing land, his educational advantages being exceedingly limited and his whole schooling being confined to six months of time, five of which was when he was only 6 years of age. In the year 1842, he married Letha Vase, of Hendricks Co., and commenced housekeeping in Morgan Co., where he remained until 1865, when he removed to Clay Township, Hendricks Co., settling on Sec. 34, his present home; during his residence in Morgan Co., he became the father of five children--Elizabeth, Lydia, Mary E., Joanna and Letha M. Mr. Ratliff has been for many years a consistent member of the Society of Friends. Commencing life in 1842, without a cent, he has by patient industry and sobriety, accumulated a large property. At present, is the owner of 254 acres of the finest land in Hendricks County. ROGERS, MOSES C., P.O. Amo; Farmer, Sec. 26; son of Henry and Mary Rogers, was born in Liberty Township, June 18, 1848; parents settled here in 1839. Married Oct 29, 1871, to Sallie T. Clay; three children--Clara, Maud and Henry Clay. STANELY, ABEL, P.O. Hadley; Farmer, Sec. 23; son of Nathan and Sarah Stanley; was born in this county Nov. 20, 1834. Married Sept. 25, 1857, to Catherine Edwards; seven children--Anuel N., David B., Elmer W., Sylvester M., Ludora E., Oscar M. and Mary R. STANLEY, CYRUS L., P.O. Coatesville; Farmer, and also Attorney at Law; residence on Sec. 5; son of Samuel and Anna Stanley; was born in Wayne Co., Ind., April 65, 1831; settled here same year. Was married to Lucy Elrod in June, 1850; again in January, 1857, to Sarah J. Duckworth; four children--Mary E., Eva E., Ena Ethel and Oscar O. Mr. Stanley was elected Justice of the Peace in 1856, and re-elected in 1860; also County Commissioner on Republican ticket, in 1872; was raised a Whig; cast his first vote for Gen. Scott in 1852; has been a Republican ever since the party was organized; been in the township longer than any man now living in it. Is a member of M.E. Church. STUART, ZENO, P.O. Hadley; Farmer, Sec. 26; son of Simon and Eunice Stuart; was born in Liberty Township, this county, in 1837. Married to Julia A. Hadley Sept. 17, 1860; seven children--Johnson H., Luretta E., Myrtilla A., Cora A., Osie E., Ollie E. and Melvin O. WEST, D.M., P.O. Pecksburg; Farmer, Sec. 1; son of Abraham and Sina West; born in this county Oct. 17, 1834. Married Aug. 15, 1858, to Endamile Asher; six children-- Willie M., Abraham L., Milton A., Charles M., Edgar and Joseph, died Sept 30, 1871, aged 1 yr. 8 mo., and 2 ds. WILLIAMSON, ABRAHAM, P.O. Amo; Farmer, Sec. 28; settled here in 1851; bornin New Jersey, 8 24, 1827; parents' names, Cornelius and Mahala. Married to Mary Kersey; children--Rachel, Eva, Lillian, James and Claude. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Meredith Thompson (© 2000 Meredith Thompson)