Henry Croft Biography, Genesee County, Michigan

This Biography extracted from “Portrait and Biographical Record of 
Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties, Michigan…”, published be Chapman 
Bros., Chicago (1892), p. 1019


This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives.




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HENRY CROFT, one of the representative men of Argentine Township, 
Genesee County, is a native of Cambridgeshire, England, and was born 
February 26, 1836. His parents, William and Elizabeth (Anker) Croft, 
were born in England and came to the United States in 1853, locating 
near Ann Arbor, this State, where the father continued his vocation as 
a farmer. An honest, upright man and a zealous Christian of the 
Methodist Episcopal denomination, he was sincerely mourned when he died 
in 1880 at the age of sixty-five years. The mother of our subject is 
still living and is an active worker in the Methodist Episcopal Church.

   Among a family of seven children, three of whom are now living, our 
subject is the eldest. His opportunities for obtaining an education 
during his boyhood days were very limited, and he began life as a 
wageworker in his seventh year, earning two shillings and sixpence a 
week by tending sheep. At the age of fourteen he emigrated to America 
in company with an aunt, and coining to Ann Arbor, began to work as a 
farm hand. When his parents arrived three years later he assisted his 
father on a rented farm for a few years. In 1855 he removed with his 
parents to Argentine Township, Genesee County, where a farm was 
purchased. The land was wild and not a single improvement had been 
made. A log house was soon constructed, a spot of clearing made and the 
work of improvement commenced.

   In the fall of 1862 Mr. Croft enlisted as a member of Company H, 
Twenty-second Michigan Infantry, and served until the close of the war, 
performing most creditably his duty as a soldier. He did considerable 
service on detached duty, experienced fighting in many skirmishes and 
some battles, and during his three years' service, tasted many of the 
bitter fruits of war. Since his discharge he has suffered more or less 
from the effects of ill health, resulting largely from his army 
service. However, he has continued farming and now owns a well improved 
and rich farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section 10.

   Mr. Croft was married in 1867 to Miss Frances, the daughter of David 
and Sarah Sapp, who emigrated from England when Mrs. Croft was a child. 
They located in the township of Northfield, Washtenaw County, where 
they still live. Our subject and his wife became the parents of three 
children, but only one is now living-Frederick, who was born April, 21, 
1870. Politically Mr. Croft is independent, and in religious matters is 
identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church, as is also his wife. He 
has held local offices and is a member of the Union Veterans' Union.



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