In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1902) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1838
From The History of Champaign County, Ohio (1881), A centennial biographical history of Champaign county, Ohio .. (1902)
HON. W. R. WARNOCK, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, is a native of Urbana, and belongs to one of the pioneer families of the city. He is the son of Rev. David and Sarah A. Warnock, and the grandson of Rev. Samuel Hitt, who, in the year 1809, settled on a farm which is now within the corporate limits of Urbana. Judge Warnock was born at Urbana, Aug. 29, 1838. By teaching and other employments, he secured an education at the Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, where he graduated in July, 1861. He then commenced the study of law with Judge Ichabod Corwin, and continued in his office a few months, when, feeling the claims of his country to be supreme, he recruited a company, and was commissioned as Captain in July, 1862, and assigned to the 95th 0. V. I. After one year's service he was made Major of the regiment, and, for gallant and meritorious services at the battle of Nashville, in December, 1864, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and assigned to duty as Chief of Staff for the Eastern District of the Mississippi, in which position he served until August, 1865, when he was mustered out of the service. During his army service he was slightly wounded in the right ear, and, at another time, while making a charge with his regiment on a rebel battery, he had a horse killed under him. During the three years and two months of his service, he was never absent from his regiment, except on one short leave of twenty days, and participated in every march, skirmish and battle in which his regiment was engaged. At the close of the war he returned to Urbana and resumed his law studies with Judge Corwin, and was admitted to the bar in May, 1866. He opened an office and began the practice of law in Urbana, forming a partnership with George M. Eichelberger, Esq. They soon built up a large and profitable practice, and continued as partners until Mr. Warnock was elected Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in 1879. He held the office of Prosecuting Attorney from 1868 to 1872, during which time there were an unusually large number of very important criminal cases, in all of which he successfully and acceptably represented the State. In the full of 1875, he was elected to represent this district in the Ohio Senate and served in that body during the years 1876 and 1877. While there, he was a member of the two most important committees — those on the Judiciary and Corporations— and took an active part in holding and shaping the legislation of those two years. When Gov. Hayes was about to leave Columbus to go to Washington to be inaugurated as President of the United States, the General Assembly of Ohio tendered the President elect a farewell reception, and to Mr. Warnock was unanimously accorded the high honor of making the farewell address on that occasion, on behalf of the Senate. He married, Aug. 20, 1868, Miss Kate Murray, of Clark Co. They have three children. Mr. and Mrs. Warnock are both members of the M. E. Church. Mr. Warnook was a delegate from the Cincinnati Conference to the General Conference of the M. E. Church held at Baltimore in 1876. Judge Warnock is a Republican, and previous to his being on the bench, was an active and influential politician. He is regarded as an able lawyer, well versed in the intricacies of the law, and, as a jury advocate, is one of the most successful members of the Urbana bar. Being a man of fine presence and an earnest, clear, fluent and logical speaker, he has great weight with a jury, carrying conviction to the minds of his hearers, and convincing them that his conclusions are correct and unassailable. lie is at all times courteous in debate, cogent and logical in argument, and always fearless and faithful in the trial of a case. Since donning the judicial ermine, he has demonstrated that he is a wise and impartial jurist, and his decisions have given general satisfaction, being always founded on the law, and the evidence in each case is carefully weighed, and his deductions logically arrived at, making his charge to the jury plain and easily understood. He is well liked by the bar of his circuit, and when off the bench is an affable gentleman whom to know is to admire, and he is respected wherever known.
As printed in The History of Champaign County, Ohio (1881). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
WILLIAM R. WARNOCK.
With the judicial and political history of Champaign county the name of the Honorable William R. Warnock is inseparately interwoven, and his reputation is not limited by the confines of this district. His 0 oirse is one which reflects credit upon the state by which he has been honored and his life record, constitutes an important element in the events which form the annals of this portion of Ohio. In a profession where advancement depends entirely upon individual merit, upon strongintellectuality and close application he occupies a place of eminence.
Mr. Warnock was born August 29, 1838, and is a son of the Rev. David and Sarah A. 1 Hitt) Warnock His father was born in Ireland February 14, 1810, and when eighteen years of age crossed the Atlantic to thf new world, continuing his education in Strongsville Academy, near Cleveland, Ohio. Determining to devote his life to the work of the ministry, he became a member of the Ohio conference of the Methodist church in [S32. For a number of years he served as pastor of various churches in this state, and about 1857 came to Urbana, making a permanent location here, lie had previously been pastor of the church here and now became presiding elder of his district. During the last years of his life he occupied superannuated relations to the church, yet was frequently found in the pulpit delivering the message of Christianity to those who sought to know its truths. His reputation and his influence were of no restricted order, and he was widely recognized as one of the leading divines of the Methodist ministry in the middle part of the nineteenth century. In 1837 he married Sarah A. 1 lilt, a woman whose beautiful Christian character proved a potent element for good in every community in which she lived. By her marriage she became the mother of nine children.
That William R. Warnock, one of this family, is a man of scholar!) attainments and broad general learning is due entirely to his own efforts, for through the means won by teaching and in other employment he provided for the education which he obtained after completing the common school course. In July, Sm. he was graduated in the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, and having determined to make the practice of law his life work he began preparation for the bar a student in the office of Judge Ichabod Corwin. After a few months, however, he put aside business and personal interests that lie niigln aid in the preservation of the Union and recruited a company of which he was commissioned captain in July. [862. It was assigned to the Ninety-fifth Ohio Infantry and after one year's service Mr. Warnock was made major in recognition of his gallant and meritorious conduct on the field of battle. At the battle of Nashville, in December, 1' he was promoted to the rank" of lieutenant colonel and assigned to duty as chief of staff for the eastern district of the Mississippi, working in that capacity until August, [865, when he was mustered out of the service. During the three years and two months in which he was connected with the army he was never away from his regiment except on of absence for twenty days, and he participated in all the marches, skirmishes and battles in which that command displayed its allegiance to the Union cause.
[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]
t868 the Judge was united in marriage to Miss Kate Murray, county. Ohio, and they have three children: Clifford: Ann fat! id Elizabeth. The Judge and his wife hold member-hip in the Methodist Episcopal church and he is identified with W. A. Brand Post, X. 107, G. A. R.. and of the Loyal Legi >n, in which he served for t\ = as junior commander, while at the present time he is commander, a fact which indicates his popularity among his comrades who wore the blue. Fraternally he is connected with Harmony Lodge, No. 35, F. & A. M., has attained the Templar degree of the York Kites and lias taken all of the degrees of the Scottish Rite except the thirty-third degree. He has always been a stanch advocate of Republican principles and aside from the offices in the line of his profession which he has filled he has been honored with other positions of public trust. In 1875 he was elected to represent his district in the state senate and when Governor Hayes was about to leave Columbus and go tn Washington, there to be inaugurated as president of the United States, the general assembly of Ohio tendered the presidentelect a farewell reception and to Mr. Warnock was unanimously given the high honor of making the farewell address on that occasion on behalf of the senate. In 1900 our subject was elected a member of congress. In the legislative halls of state and nation he hagiven earnest and care- ful consideration to every question which has come up for settlement and his course has been marked by loyal patriotism and statesmanship and he has ever placed the nation's welfare before personal considerations and the good of the people before self-aggrandizement. The judicial and political honors and success which he has gained have been well merited and are but the just recognition of superior ability.
As printed in A centennial biographical history of Champaign county, Ohio .. (1902). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Named in this biography: George M. Eichelberger (b. 1843) Roger H. Murphey (b. 1852) Samuel Hitt (b. 1817)
Their biographies name W. R. Warnock: George M. Bich Elberger Evan P. Middleton (b. 1854)
The printed record stops around 1881. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.