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Below is a family biography included in The History of Wright County, Missouri published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1889. These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary. Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more. There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.
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J. C. Spence, a prominent merchant of Mansfield, Mo., was born in Roane County, E. Tenn., in 1830, and was the sixth child born to the marriage of Robert and Margaret (Alexander) Spence, who were early immigrants to Tennessee, where they were married and reared their family of eight children. In 1853 they immigrated to Wright County, Mo., where they were engaged in farming and spent the remainder of their days. The father’s ancestors, paternal and maternal, who were of Scotch and Irish descent, immigrated to America prior to the Revolutionary War, and served in that conflict, the latter being in the battle of King’s Mountain, where he had his “bee gum” hat pierced by seven bullets. The hat was kept in the family as a relic for many years. J. C. Spence, whose name heads this sketch, was the first of his father’s children to leave the paternal roof to seek his fortune. While they were still residents of Tennessee he came to Missouri (in 1852), having been previously married to Miss Sarah E. Osborn, a native of Tennessee. She only lived two years after her marriage, their only child dying the same week that his mother did. Soon after this sad event Mr. Spence went to California, and remained on the Pacific slope for eleven years, and finally, after mining without success for several years, turned his attention to stock dealing, in which business he was quite successful. In 1868 he returned to Wright County, and engaged in merchandising, farming and stock trading, but after a time gave up the two latter employments, and since 1882 has been a resident of Mansfield, and has given his attention to merchandising. The first year of his residence in the town he built a barn and was occupied in the livery business, but soon sold out, and has since given his attention to his store. On invoicing his stock of goods January 1, 1889, it amounted to about $10,000. He has good town property, and is considered one of the wealthy citizens of the county. He is a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and is a Democrat in his political views.
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This family biography is one of 90 biographies included in The History of Wright County, Missouri published in 1889. For the complete description, click here: Wright County, Missouri History, Genealogy, and Maps
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