John Dews (1806 - 1888)

Born 15 Sep 1806 in Helaugh, Yorkshire, England

Husband of Sylvia (Morris) Dews — married 16 Dec 1837 in Madison, Illinois, United States

Descendants

Died 18 Dec 1888 at age 82 in Illinois

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Biography

John Dews migrated from England to United States.

John was born in the village of Helaugh, Yorkshire, England on September 15, 1806. His father was Thomas Dews who's family had been living in Yorkshire England for many generations. The Dews family was originally from France. While in Yorkshire, Thomas Dews married Mary LNU.

From the "Genealogy Trails" biography on William Henry Dews: "In 1829 John Dews crossed the Atlantic to America, but returned to his native country for a short visit soon afterward. Upon again coming to this country in 1831 he located first at Cincinnati, Ohio, where he remained three years. In 1834, he moved to Western Mound Township, Macoupin County, Illinois and entered eighty acres on section 28 of government land. John did not locate here until the following year. He was a farmer by occupation and continued to engage in that line of activity throughout his active career. That he was successful in his undertaking is indicated by the fact that at the time of his death he was the owner of fifteen hundred acres of land and was numbered among the extensive land owners and successful business men of this locality. He had three brothers who also sought a home in this country, namely: William, a farmer, who passed away in Cincinnati, Ohio; Robert, who also engaged in agricultural pursuits in Macoupin county and died about 1853, during the cholera epidemic; and George, a Methodist minister, who passed away in Greene county, Illinois."[1]

In 1836, John came to Alton Illinois but would settle permanently as a farmer in Western Mound Township, Macoupin County, Illinois. In 1837, he married Miss Sylvia Morris of the same county.

Note: 4 toddlers with the Dews surname are buried in Dews Family Cemetery, Hagaman, Macoupin County Ill , born 1838 to 1855. Only these four graves are identified in this cemetery in Find A Grave. The names Morris and Sexty that are given to the three boys are family names of Sylvia (Morris) Dews. The Dews toddlers are: Mary Ann (1838-1840), John Sexty (1842-1843), Thomas Morris (1848-1849), and Felix Morris Dews (1855-1857). Because of the family names given the three boys, I've attached these children to John and Sylvia (Morris) Dews. Someone has also identified them as children of John and Sylvia in Find A Grave. One caveat, the 1900 US census says Sylvia (Morris) Dews had 10 children and if these 4 toddlers were in fact her children, she would have had 14 children.

John Dews is buried with his wife and son at Gelder Cemetery in Macoupin County Illinois.[2]

Partially Sourced Biography Posted

lisajewsbury from Stockport, Cheshire, England shared this on 18 Dec 2013

John Dews - When a man, actuated by pure motives, accomplishes something from which good is derived, he merits the approval of the hearts that love him. A person whom it is proper to praise cannot be flattered, and one who can be flattered ought not to be praised. We feel assured that, by a quiet and blameless life, he is deserving of mention in the pages of our work. He was born in the beautiful little village of Helaugh, Yorkshire, England, September 15, 1806, son of Thomas and Mary Dews. The Dews family has lived in Yorkshire for many generations, supposed to be of French ancestry. Thomas Dews was a farmer, and educated the subject of our sketch to farm life. At the age of twenty-two, Mr. Dews upon hearing the chances afforded a young man of energy in this new country, emigrated to America, and landed at New York in the spring of 1829. After traveling in the East for a few months, and not meeting with that success he expected, he became homesick, and as he had money enough to pay his passage across the mighty deep, he returned to his native land. In 1831, he again returned to this country with a determination to remain and succeed in life, if hard work and frugality would accomplish that end. When he landed at New York the second time he immediatly went to Cincinnati. Upon his arrival at that place he found himself in debt thirty dollars to a comrade. He soon found employment in a rock quarry, at eighty-seven and a half cents per day, where he worked for a short time. He then went into a brewery, where he engaged himself for three months, at ten dollars per month. At the expiration of this time he worked at a foundry about three years, working hard and saving his money with the intention of coming further west and locating. In 1834 he made a trip into this state, and after looking round for a suitable location, his choice finally centered upon Macoupin County, and in that same year, he entered eighty acres of land from the government, but not having sufficient means to improve it, he returned to Cincinnati, where he followed driving stage, and draying for nearly two years. In 1836, he came to Alton, where he was employed in a warehouse for about eighteen months; in the meantime he employed some parties to break and fence part of his eighty acres of land in this county. In 1837 he settled permanently in Western Mound Township and began improving his farm. The same year he was married to Miss Sylvia Morris, of Macoupin County. They have raised a family of six children, five girls and one son; viz; Louisa, Mary F., Elizabeth Ann, Hannah, Abiah Sophia, and William H. The girls are all married and settled in the vicinity of Chesterfield, with the exception of Mary F., who is living in Kansas. William H., is still under paternal roof. Mr. Dews in his boyhood received little educational advantages, but in after life, from sheer necessity, he improved his education sufficiently to transact most any ordinary business. We find in Mr. Dews, a man who started in life without aid, and what he has accumlated of this world's goods has been by hard work, frugality and good management. Mr. Dews has excelled as an agriculturalist, because he has always conducted his farming operations scientifically. From an eighty-acre start in life, and this eighty gained by menial labor, we find him the possessor of over fourteen hundred acres of land. It is a proof of what energy and frugality will do for a young man in this country, that goes into the battle of life with a firm determination to succeed. In politics he was formerly an old line whig, but upon the formation of the republican party, he identified himself with that party and continued to vote on that side, but in minor elections he generally votes for those he considers the best men. He was raised under the tenets of the Episcopal Church, though never affiliating with any religious act. After he gained his majority, he always liberally supported religious and educational enterprises, believing that churches and schools form the basis of moral and intellectual development.

• West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1512-1812
• West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1813-1935
• 1841 England Census

Sources

• Find A Grave: Memorial #91361723

• England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013. Provide records saying John Duce was born Sep 15, 1806, then baptized Oct 2, 1806, in Healaugh by Tadcaster, York, England. Father: Thomas Duce; Mother: Mary Currey. FHL Film Number: 918343

• "Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK9L-QLNZ : 17 November 2020), John Dews and Silvia Morris, 16 Dec 1837; citing Madison, Illinois, United States, county offices, Illinois; FHL microfilm 1,306,457.
• 1850 US Census Macoupin County, Illinois (attached)
• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M85H-6RF : 4 April 2020), John Dews, Macoupin county, part of, Macoupin, Illinois, United States; citing family 4, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MX4Z-732 : 18 March 2020), John Duers, 1860. Township 10 Range 9, Macoupin, Illinois, United States
• "Illinois State Census, 1865," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XCKM-YQK : 16 August 2019), John Dews, Township 9, Range 9, Macoupin, Illinois, Census, p. 14, Illinois State Archives, Springfield; FHL microfilm.
• 1870 US Census in Township 10 Range 9, Macoupin County, Illinois (attached) FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6H4-3QY
• 1880 US Census in Western Mound, Macoupin County, Illinois (attached) FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXVL-MBX
• Rootsweb file ID #3009 submitted by Nancy Walters provides more specific birth location and father's name
• Biography of William Henry Dews posted on "Genealogy Trails" includes data on John and Sylvia's parents and grandparents. [History of Macoupin County Illinois; Biographical and Pictorial; Hon. Charles A Walker, Supervising Editor; Volume II, Illustrated, Chicago, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1911 page 13 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89066193350&view=1up&seq=31&skin=2021&q1=Dews
• Biography of John Dews posted on "Genealogy Trails" [3]
• John Dews first moves to Illinois: "History of Western Mound Township, Macoupin County, Il" Hon. Charles A. Walker, Supervising Editor; The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company Chicago 1911. Note: Link Broken for history.rays-place/illlinois/maco-w-mound