In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1899) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1821
From The History of McLean County, Illinois; portraits of early settlers and prominent men (1879), The Biographical record of McLean County, Illinois (1899)
JAMES BISHOP, farmer, P. O. H ey worth; was born in Champaign Co., Ohio, Nov. 12, 1821, and lived there nineteen years; he then went to Calloway Co., Mo., near Portland, where he lived a year; he then came to Illinois, and settled in McLean Co., working by the month for Mr. M. L. Bishop; in 1847, he came to his present place, and h;s lived there since. He is not an office-seeker, and has held no office, except connected with the schools and roads. He owns 508 acres in this county, located a])out three miles southeast of Randolph Station, on the Big Kickapoo Creek; it is well adapted to stock-raising, in which he is largely interested. March 26, 1846, he married Miss Mary Tiiompson, a native of Ohio; they have had ten children, seven of whom are living — Chloe, George, Jane E., Arthur A., James, Charles and Ida May. His parents, Aquilla and Susannah Winn Bishop, were natives of Virginia and Kentucky; they were married in Oiiio, and died in Champaign Co., Ohio, in 1839 and 1823 respectively.
As printed in The History of McLean County, Illinois; portraits of early settlers and prominent men (1879). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
JAMES BISHOP, a prominent agriculturist, who resides on section 13, Randolph township, owns and operates a valuable farm of four hundred acres, whose neat and thrifty appearance well indicates his careful supervision. Substantial improvements are surrounded by well-tilled fields, and all the accessories and conveniences of a model farm are there found. He has made his home in this county since the ist of June, 1840, and throughout the greater part of his active business life has given considerable attention to raising fine stock. Mr. Bishop was born in Champaign county, Ohio, November 12, 1821, and is a representative of a family of English origin which was founded in Virginia at an early day in the history of this country. His great-grandfather was John Bishop, a resident of that state, and there the grandfather, James Bishop, was born, but in early life went to Kentucky and later to Clark county, Ohio. Aquilla Bishop, father of our subject, was born in Virginia, but was reared in Kentucky, and when a young man went to Ohio, becoming one of the substantial farmers, stock-raisers and drovers of Champaign county. He married Miss Susanna Wing, a native of Kentucky.
During his boyhood and youth James Bishop attended the country schools of his native county to some extent, but his time was mostly devoted to farm work. In 1840, when a young man of nineteen years, he came to McLean county, Illinois, with his uncle, Martin Bishop, and here worked by the month for one man for six years, receiving one hundred dollars per year. Out of this he managed to save four hundred dollars, which he invested in a tract of one hundred and forty-seven acres of land, of which a few acres had been broken and a shanty erected there. To the further improvement and development of this farm he has since devoted his energies, though he has since extended its boundaries from time to time until he had five hundred and twenty acres of most excellent farming land, but has given away one hundred and twenty acres. Upon the place he has erected a good set of buildings and made many other improvements. For years he has engaged in feeding and dealing in cattle, usually shipping two or three car-loads annually, besides two car-loads of hogs. In 1896 he bought some pure-blooded shorthorn cattle of the imported Caroline stock, and now has a fine herd of thirty-two, with Financier, of Cruikshank stock, a beautiful male, three years old and weighing twenty-two hundred pounds, at its head. This herd includes many fine cows and heifers, besides other males, which he has for sale.
In Randolph township Mr. Bishop was married March 26, 1846, to Miss Mary Thompson, a daughter of George Thompson and a sister of William Thompson, whose sketch may be found on another page of this work. She was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, but was reared and educated in this county. Our subject and his wife have the following children: George, a planter of Mississippi; Jane, wife of James Welsh, who is also represented elsewhere in this volume; Arthur, a farmer of Randolph township; James A., a resident of Bloomington; Charles, a farmer of Randolph township; and Mary Ida, wife of Ray Baramore, of Downs. They lost four children either in infancy or early childhood, and Chloe, wife of Absalom Funk, is also deceased.
On attaining his majority, Mr. Bishop became identified with the Whig party, and since voting for Fremont in 1856 has been a stanch supporter of the Republican party. His record is that of a man who, by his own unaided efforts, has worked his way upward to a position of affluence. His life has been one of industry and perseverance, and the systematic and honorable business methods he has followed have won him the support and confidence.of many. This honored citizen and his estimable wife, who are sincere members of the Methodist church, are held in high respect and esteem by all who know them.
As printed in The Biographical record of McLean County, Illinois (1899). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Named in this biography: George Thompson (b. 1854) John Bishop (b. 1799)
The printed record stops around 1879. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.