In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1901) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1868, Lewis County
From Encyclopedia of the history of Missouri (1901), The history of the bench and bar of Missouri : With reminiscences of the prominent lawyers of the past, and a record of the law's leaders of the present (1898)
SAMUEL BROADDUS JEFFRIES,
SAMUEIv BROADDUS JEFFRIES, of Canton, Assistant Attorney-General of Missouri, is descended from noble English stock by both sides of his family, but all his ancestors have been residents of America long enough to have won Revolutionary records and to establish reputations by the standard of merit rather than birth. The Jeffries family settled in Virginia on coming to America, and in Fauquier County, of that State, Jeremiah Jeffries, the grandfather of our subject, was born. It seems that he removed to Culpepper County, for there his son, William M., the father of Samuel, was born. William M., when he reached the estate of manhood, came West, and here in Missouri met and married at Canton, in Eewis County, in 1865, Elizabeth Smallwood, who became the mother of Samuel B. Elizabeth was a daughter of Elijah Smallwood, and a native of Pennsylvania, where the family settled on coming from England in early days. Several members of both branches of Mr. Jeffries' ancestral tree won distinction in the American war of emancipation from British rule. The Jeffries from time immemorial have been Baptists, a number of the family having become conspicuous in the history of that sect in the Old Dominion. Mr. Jeffries, following the ancestral religious tendency, is a conscientious and active member of that church in Canton. Both his parents are alive, residing in that town.
Samitel Broaddus Jeffries was born on a farm near Canton, Missouri, February 3, 1869. The rudiments of his education were acquired in the public schools near his home, from which he passed to Ea Grange College, located in his home county, and which is one of the chief educational institutions of Northeast Missouri. He graduated in the class of 1889, and prior to this, having made up his mind to adopt the law, he at the opening of the next term, went to St. Eouis and entered the St. Eouis Eaw School. When proficient, he returned to Eewis County and was duly licensed to practice in 1890 by the Circuit Court sitting at Monticello. In the same year he located at La Grange, Lewis County, and began practice as a partner of Hon. Horace P. Tate. This association lasted two years, and then on its dissolittion, Mr. Jeffries formed a partnership with the venerable Judge John C. Anderson, of Canton, and removed to that place, where he has since resided.
In 1894 Mr. Jeffries was elected Prosecuting Attorney of Lewis County, on the Democratic ticket. He gave the people such efficient service that they willingly accorded him a second nomination and a re-election in November, 1896. He served only eleven days of his second term, however, and resigned January 11, 1897, to accept the position of Assistant Attorney General of Missouri, under Attorney General E. C. Crow. He still holds this position and is notable as one of the youngest men who ever occupied the place.
For the past ten years Mr. Jeffries has devoted himself to study in a way that clearly demonstrates his recognition of the fact that "knowledge is power." He is a close and careful student and is inspired by the ambition to become thoroughly learned in the ethics of his profession. He has a high conception of the honor and dignity that pertains thereto, and his constant effort is to merit the honors and rewards it has to bestow on the adept. He is a quick and ready public speaker and a bright and fluent conversationalist. In Lewis County, where he was born, reared and is best known as "Sam" Jeffries, as they all know him, he has the confidence of ever'body and everybody is proud of the rapid way in which he has risen.
It will have been noted, perhaps, that Mr. Jeffries has held offices almost from the time he was admitted to the bar, and such is his popularity in Northeast Missouri that he could doubtless obtain any honor to which he in future might aspire; but his friends know that he is already weary of public service, and has announced that when his present term is ended he will eschew politics wholly in as far as future acceptance of office goes. The demands of official position take him away from his law business, and as he desires above all else the rewards that come to the highly successful lawyer, he will return to his office practice as soon as he again becomes a private citizen.
In fraternal circles Mr. Jeffries is known as an active Odd Fellow, he having occupied all the official chairs in his local lodge. He is interested in every matter of material benefit to his native town and for the past four years has been a director and the attorney of the Citizen's Bank of Canton.
On the 8th day of December, 1897, he married Miss L,. Frances Ball, daughter of Willis T. Ball, a merchant at Canton, Missouri. She graduated with honors from the Christian University, Canton, Missouri, in 1895.
HE subject of this sketch comes from two of the oldest pioneer families of Central
1 Missouri — the Jesses and Boswells. The jDaternal branch of his house is of Scotch- Irish origin and is known to have been among the residents of Virginia while it was yet a Colony. The father of our subject. Royal Anderson Jesse, was born in Cumberland County, Virginia, April 6, 1831, and was the son of William Morgan Jesse and Polly Ann Parker, his wife. The family moved to Missouri in 1831, when Frank R. Jesse's father was a child of two years, and settlement was made in what is now Audrian County. On the material side, the great grandfather of Mr. Jesse came from Ireland, and his son settled in Audrian County in 1842. The latter's daughter, Mary Ellen Boswell, married Royal Anderson Tesse, and to this union was born the subject of this biography, in Audrain County, May 19, 1862. Mr. Jesse's father was a pioneer minister of the Baptist Church, as were also three of his uncles and his grandfather. They were also farmers, for in that day men recognized the nobility of a calling which gave them close relationship to nature, and were tillers of the soil, whatever other profession they might adopt.
Frank R. Jesse received his education in the common schools of Audrain County, and at the high school of Mexico. He next entered William Jewell College, at Liberty, Missouri, where he distinguished himself for his forensic ability by winning the Debaters' Medal. After graduation he entered the law class of Missouri University, where he received his degree as a member of the class of 1886. In June of that year he was admitted to the bar at Mexico by Judge Elijah Robinson, at once opened an office and has been practicing ill Mexico ever since.
As printed in The history of the bench and bar of Missouri : With reminiscences of the prominent lawyers of the past, and a record of the law's leaders of the present (1898). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
JefiMes, Samuel Broaddus, assistant attorney general of Missouri, was born February 3, 1868, in Lewis County, of this State. He is the son of William Meredith and Eliza (Smallwood) Jeffries, who are living at the present time (1900) in Lewis County, where thy estabhshed their home among the pioneers of that portion of the State in 1840. The elder Jeffries is a native of Virginia and is descended from a family whose earliest representatives settled in Fauquier County, of the Old Dominion, in Colonial days. The mother is a native of the State of Illinois, where she was left an orphan when but twelve years of age. Samuel B. Jeffries was reared on his father's farm in Lewis County and obtained his rudimentary education in the common schools which he attended during the winter months of each year. Later he entered the Baptist Male and Female College at La Grange, Missouri, from which he was graduated in the class of 1889 with the degree of bachelor of science. Soon after his graduation he entered the law department ol Washington University, at St. Louis, and in 1891 was admitted to the bar by Judge Ben E. Turner, of the Circuit Court of Lewis County. He began the practice of his profession at La Grange, Missouri, as an associate of Honorable H. P. Tate, who was a lawyer of ability, and who served two terms in the General Assembly of Missouri. Later Mr. Jeffries continued his practice in connection with Honorable John C. Anderson, an ex-circuit judge, now deceased. Almost as soon as admitted to the bar he was elected city attorney of La Grange, and filled that position for nearly three years, establishing a reputation in the meantime as a capable and resourceful lawyer, peculiarly adapted to the trial of cases and that branch of practice which brought him before courts and juries. In 1894 he was elected prosecuting attorney of Lewis County for a term of two years. He was re-elected to this office in 1896, but on the I ith of February, following, he resigned the prosecuting attorneyship to accept the position of assistant attorney general, tendered him by Honorable Edward C. Crow, Attorney General of Missouri. In this position he proved himself a careful guardian of the interests of the State and its citizens, and an able, fearless and conscientious lawyer. While he has been actively engaged in the practice of law since his admission to the bar, he has at times been interested in important business enterprises, among them the organization of the Citizens' Bank of Canton, which he helped to establish in 1893; the Empire Manufacturing Company, of Canton, extensive manufacturers of pearl buttons, and the Capital Telephone Company, of Jefferson City. He has been a member of the directory of the above named bank since its organization and its legl representative. In politics he is a staunch Democrat, and has been prominent in the councils of his party, usually attending local and State conventions as a delegate. A polished and forceful speaker, he has participated in numerous political campaigns, and in this connection has rendered valuable services to his party. His religious affiliations are with the Baptist Church. A member of the Order of Odd Fellows, he has passed all the chairs in the subordinate lodge with which he affiliates, and he also belongs to the orders of Freemasons and Modern Woodmen. December 8, 1897, Mr. Jeffries married Miss L. Frances Ball, daughter of Willis T. Ball, a prominent merchant of Canton, Missouri.
As printed in Encyclopedia of the history of Missouri (1901). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Named in this biography: John C. Anderson (b. 1828)
The printed record stops around 1901. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.