My Genealogy Hound

J. S. Spilman, a prominent and respected farmer of Sand Hill Township, was born November 7, 1841, in the locality where he has since resided. He was reared upon the farm, received a good common-school education, and was thrown upon his own resources when of age, a poor man, but by his energy and splendid practical business ability he has become quite comfortably fixed. He owns a well improved farm of 320 acres on which he lives, and owns other tracts of land in the county, his property in all amounting to 570 acres. He was married, January 15, 1863, to Miss Jane R. Grant, daughter of John and Mary (Scott) Grant, natives of Nova Scotia and Scotland, respectively. To Mr. and Mrs. Spilman two children have been born: John E. (deceased) and Dora A. Mr. Spilman is a Democrat, and was the second of three children (two living) of Michael E. and Nancy A. (Price) Spilman, natives of Trimble County, Ky. Mr. Spilman moved to what is now Scotland County, Mo., in 1836. He was a soldier in the Mexican War, and was a son of Thomas Spilman, a minister of the gospel in the Methodist Episcopal Church. He was one of the early settlers of Trimble County, and sheriff of the same county for several years. Mrs. Nancy A. Spilman was a daughter of Joseph Price, a native of Virginia, near Richmond. He was a very early settler in Kentucky, and moved to Scotland County, Mo., about 1833 or 1835, bringing the first mill that was run by horse power in Scotland County, Mo. He was of English descent, as was also Thomas Spilman.