My Genealogy Hound

Judge William C. Bevens (deceased). From an early period in the county’s history Judge Bevens gave to Independence the very best energies of his life, as one of its most worthy and respected citizens; and to the community and all among whom he lived the example of a life well and usefully spent, and the influence of a character without stain. His birth occurred in Charleston, S. C., on the 21st of December, 1806, where he studied law and afterward practiced his profession in Greenville, in the northern part of his native State. He removed to the Lone Star State in 1840, settling at Austin, and there practiced his profession until 1846. He then moved to Batesville, Ark., where he joined a number of his relatives who had moved there from North Carolina. Here he was elected to the legislature of Arkansas, and served with great acceptability in the sessions of 1852-53. So great was his popularity and prominence, that he was elected judge of the circuit court of the Third judicial circuit in 1856, and was much esteemed for his sterling integrity, sober, sound judgment, broad intelligence and liberal, progressive ideas. His decisions were not made without careful and painstaking study of the evidence adduced, and all felt that his judgment could be relied upon. During the late war he took his family south, where he remained a quiet citizen until the cessation of hostilities. He died at Little Rock, in September, 1865, while on his way home to Batesville. Judge Bevens had three beautiful daughters, the belles of the country in their youth. One of them married ex-Gov. William R. Miller, another became the wife of Maj. William E. Gibbs, and a third is the wife of Hon. James W. Butler, the present judge of the Third judicial circuit of Arkansas.