Biographical Sketch of John Madison Canterbury, Lafayette County, MO >From "History of Lafayette County, Mo., carefully written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources" St. Louis, Mo. Historical Company, 1881. ********************************************************************** John Madison Canterbury, P. O. Higginsville; the oldest son of Franklin P. and Nancy Canterbury, was born in Lawrence County, Ky., November 17, 1833. His parents moved to Missouri in 1835, and settled in Audrain county, near Mexico, where the subject of this sketch lived until 1875. He was united in marriage April, 1852, to Miss Helen Smith, of Kentucky. By this union they have seven children: Nannie E. (married Joseph Pruette), born in 1853; Frank P., born in Audrain county, November 25, 1856; James W., born July 8, 1860; Clara, born February 25, 1863 (married to Joseph Hatcher, July 16, 1880); Helen, born July 16, 1866; Bird Price, born December 1, 1869; Enna, born July 8, 1873. Leaving Audrain county he removed his family to Clay county, near Kansas City, where he remained until 1878; then going to Higginsville, where he now resides. Mr. Can- terbury is a descendant of Archbishop Canterbury, of England, also closely allied to Benjamin Franklin. He is a thorough going, public spirited, influential gentleman, in the full enjoyment of vigorous health. Although not possessing a superabundance of this world's goods, his heart and hand always respond to the cry of distress. His present family consists of his own unmarried children, those of his brother Benjamin (who settled in Audrain county, Ky., in 1835), and himself, he having the misfortune to lose his wife November 19, 1880. In 1875 his grandmother died at the advanced age of 93 years. Up to this date there were 160 members of the Canterbury family, 31 of them deceased; the living all located within a half day's journey of each other. In this new world of trial and vicissitude, it is seldom that all the members of so large a family remain within visiting distance of each other; the necessary changes of life generally scattering them to the four quarters of the globe. They are certainly to be congratulated upon having been able to preserve intact the family circle for so long a time. ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Joe Miller Penny (Eisenbarger) Harrell ====================================================================