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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chautauqua County, New York published by John M. Gresham & Co. in 1891.  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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JOSEPH H. ANDREWS, a well-to-do and comfortably-situated farmer of the town of Hanover, and a Union soldier in the late civil war, is a son of Sylvester and Rachel (Harris) Andrews, and was born in the town of Portland, Chautauqua county, New York, October 27, 1827. His paternal grandfather, Benjamin Andrews, was a native of Massachusetts, and in 1813 came to the town of Portland, but subsequently removed to Erie county, where he followed farming until his death. He was a member of the Baptist church, served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war, married and reared a family of three sons and two daughters. One of these sons was Sylvester Andrews (father), and was born in Massachusetts near the Connecticut State line about 1790. In April, 1828, he came to the town of Hanover, near the village of Silver Creek, where he purchased a farm of one hundred and six acres of land, which he tilled until his death, in 1865. He was successively a whig, republican and democrat in politics, and had been a member of the Free-Will Baptist church for many years previous to his death. He married Rachel Harris, who was a daughter of Harry Harris, of Massachusetts, who removed to Erie county, where he died. Mrs. Andrews, who died in 1883, aged fifty-nine years, was the mother of nine children, six sons and three daughters.

Joseph H. Andrews attended the early common schools of the town of Hanover, and has always followed farming and stock-raising on the old homestead farm.

Mr. Andrews married Jane, daughter of Thomas and Rachel De Laney. To their union have been born two children, a son and a daughter: Louella, wife of Walter Lanphere, assistant postmaster of the progressive and manufacturing village of Silver Creek; and John, who is now dead.

Joseph H. Andrews is a democrat, politically, but is no aspirant for offices. He is a charter member of Lodge No. 10, Ancient Order of United Workmen, at Silver Creek, organized in 1875. He enlisted in June, 1863, and served as a corporal in Co. F, 68th Regiment, N. Y. Infantry Volunteers. They were ordered into Pennsylvania to aid in driving General Lee from northern territory, and arrived within five miles of Gettysburg, where they were held as a part of a reserve force while that great battle was fought. He gives the necessary attention to his farm to keep it well improved and in a good state of cultivation. This farm, which lies one-half mile from the manufacturing centre of Silver Creek, is well adapted to farming and grazing, and has been very productive under the careful and judicious management of Mr. Andrews.

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This family biography is one of 658 biographies included in Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chautauqua County, New York published in 1891. 

View additional Chautauqua County, New York family biographies here: Chautauqua County, New York Biographies

View a map of 1897 Chautauqua County, New York here: Chautauqua County, New York Map

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