William Lucas Biography, Lapeer County, Michigan

This Biography extracted from “Portrait and Biographical Record of 
Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties, Michigan…”, published be Chapman 
Bros., Chicago (1892), p. 1025-1026

A portrait of William Lucas preceeds p. 1025 and a copy can be found 
in the “Pictures” section of the Archives.

http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/lapeer/pics/lucas.jpg


This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives.

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WILLIAM LUCAS. Among the British-American citizens of North Branch 
Township, Lapeer County, who for many years have been thoroughly 
Americanized and who, during the Civil War, cast in their lot with 
other pat-riots and fought for the honor of the old flag, we are 
pleased to give the name of William Lucas. He was born in Oxfordshire, 
England, about seventy-five miles west of London, April 5, 1821. His 
parents, John and Mary (Manning) Lucas, were both natives of 
Northampton and his father, the son of a rich man, who had lost his 
estate, was a day laborer and unable to give his son a good education. 
This parent died when our subject was but fourteen years old and the 
boy after that worked out for a living.

   When Mr. Lucas had reached the age of twenty-six he was married to 
Eliza Fessey, of Hardick, and they became the parents of four children, 
Elizabeth I., Robert F., Harriet M. and Janey. These children have all 
established families of their own and their mother was called from 
earth December 9, 1882. It was in 1853 when our subject brought his 
family to America, locating in Detroit through the winter. He first 
worked for John S. Bagg as gardener. He then entered the employ of John 
Hull on his stock farm on the river Rouge and there had the oversight 
of the hired men. He was a trained gardener in England on the estate of 
Lord Bute.

   Somewhat later Mr. Lucas removed to Oakland County, where he farmed 
for two years and coming to Lapeer County in August, 1856, he bought 
the place where he now resides. It was then all an unbroken forest and 
he has made every improvement which is to be seen upon it to-day, 
besides doing much useful work upon the road.

   He of whom we write enlisted December 11, 1861 in Company F, Tenth 
Michigan Infantry. He was under Sherman in what was then known as the 
Army of the West and took part in the various marches of that body, 
through Kentucky, Tennessee, North and South Carolina and Georgia and 
although he served until July 19, 1865 the was not in any general 
engagements and did not see much fighting. At the expiration of the war 
he returned to Michigan with his health much impaired so he has been 
unable to do active work since that time. In his political views he is 
in earnest sympathy with the Republican party and he says that the 
party which sustained the administration during the war is good enough 
for him now.



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