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Below is a family biography included in The History of Dyer County, Tennessee published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1887.  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. H. York resides in the Second District of Dyer County, and is engaged in farming. He was born in Edgecombe County, N. C., September 16, 1816, and was one of two children born to John and Mary (Walker) York. W. E. York, his younger brother, is a farmer living near Athens, Ala. His father was born in Nash County, N. C., about 1773, and he was married five times, four times in his native State: first, to Mary Bullock; second, to Mary Walker our subject’s mother; third, to Katie McDade, and fourth, to Mary Gray. He moved to Tennessee in 1824, and located in Giles County; he was a carpenter by trade, and he raised a large family of children; his last marriage was to a Mrs. Lentz. His mother was born in Edgecombe County, N. C., in 1798, and died in 1878. Our subject was raised and educated in Giles County. In 1838 he married Sarah A., daughter of B. T. and Susannah Fielder. Mrs. York was born in Caswell County, N. C., in 1818. They had three children: Mary, widow of T. H. Lanier; Elizabeth, widow of E. T Smith, and Dr. John B., a physician, of Friendship. In 1840 Mr. York moved to Dyer County; in 1868 he moved to his present home, which consists of 456 acres of finely improved land, four miles southeast of Dyersburg. He was tax collector of Dyer County for a number of years, and was elected and re-elected to the office of magistrate until he resigned. He gave his children every educational advantage he could, and he is known as one of the progressive, public-spirited men of the county. In politics conservative, he was opposed to secession during the late war. His first presidential vote was cast for Hugh L. White. He is a man of kind heart, industrious and upright.

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This family biography is one of 128 biographies included in The History of Dyer County, Tennessee published in 1887 by Goodspeed.  The History of Dyer County was included within The History of Gibson, Obion, Dyer, Weakley & Lake Counties of Tennessee. For the complete description, click here: History of Gibson, Obion, Dyer, Weakley, and Lake Counties of Tennessee

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