Bios: WILLIAM F. DOUDS : Lawrence County, Pennsylvania

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  Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Lawrence Co transcribers.
  Coordinated by Ed McClelland

  Copyright 2004.  All rights reserved.
  http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
 
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  Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens
  Lawrence County Pennsylvania
  Biographical Publishing Company, Buffalo, N.Y., 1897
  
  An html version with search engine may be found at 
  
  http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/lawrence/1897/
  
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    WILLIAM F. DOUDS,
    
    [p. 270] deputy sheriff of Lawrence Co., Pa., residing in New Castle, was
  born in Centerville, Butler Co., this State, Nov. 8, 1839, and is a son of
  John and Sarah (Gilmore) Douds.
    
    Our subject's grandfather was born in the northern part of Ireland, and
  emigrated to America, settling first in Maryland, and then in Pennsylvania.
  John Douds, his son, was born in Franklin Co., Pa., and learned the
  blacksmith's trade by serving an apprenticeship, and later devoted his whole
  life to edge-tool making, becoming an expert in that line of work. In 1844 he
  came to New Castle, and went into business for himself, putting in a
  trip-hammer, and doing very nice and finished work. He was a very
  hard-working man, and broke down his exceptionaly strong and vigorous
  constitution, and died at the age of sixty-seven; his wife lived to be
  eighty-two years old. It is worthy of mention here that his father was a
  charcoal-burner by trade, and our subject's father accordingly burned the
  charcoal which he used exclusively for heating the metal he worked. He was a
  Democrat and then a Republican in politics. His children who grew up were:
  Elinor; David; Hugh; Wiliam F.; George; and Perry.
    
    William F. Douds served an apprenticeship in the Lawrence Foundry as a
  moulder, and worked there thirty-three years, and was engaged in that work
  when he was elected sheriff of Lawrence County in 1882, and filled that
  office with eminent satisfaction; since 1886 he served as deputy sheriff, a
  position he now holds.
    
    He married Margaret Davis, daughter of Archibald Davis. She died in 1865 at
  the age of thirty-four, leaving two children. Agnes H. married Thomas P.
  Kennedy, and has a family of two childrenÑJohn and Elinor. John W. died at
  the age of seventeen. In the late war Mr. Douds enlisted in 1863, in Co. A,
  55th Reg. Pa. Vol. Inf., for three months service. He owns real estate in the
  town.