- ADAM THORBURN, a retired farmer and scientist of Janesville,
Rock County, is one of the
- wealthy and prominent residents of that city, who, having
spent their earlier years in hard work, are now enjoying their
declining days, removed from the wear and tear of active business
life.
- Adam THORBURN was born in Bovina, Delaware Co., N.Y., Dec.
11, 1837, a son of George
- and Margaret (GLENDENNING) THORBURN, natives of Scotland.
The paternal grandfather of our subject, also named Adam, was
a native of Scotland, born in 1765, and came to America in 1818
with his wife, Jennette PATTERSON, of Scotland, and four sons
and four daughters, settling in Delaware County, N.Y., where
he died, aged about seventy-two. While a resident of Scotland
Mr. THORBURN was a mail carrier, carrying both mail and government
bank notes, but after coming to this country he became a farmer.
The maternal grandfather, James GLENDENNING, also a native of
Scotland, came to America in 1827, locating in Delaware County,
N.Y. Later in 1850, he migrated to Wisconsin, settling in Center,
Rock County, where he followed farming for a year, when he died,
aged about seventy. James GLENDENNING married Janett HYSLEPH,
and six daughters and one son were born to this union. Mr. GLENDENNING's
father married a sister of Patrick HENRY.
- George THORBURN, the father of our subject, who was a farmer
by occupation, came to
- America in 1818, settling in Delaware County, N.Y., and in
1854 migrating to Janesville, Rock County, where he bought a
farm of 280 acres. Here he resided until his death, which occurred
in 1882, when he was aged seventy-seven, his wife having passed
away in the spring of 1851, aged thirty-seven. Both of these
worthy people were Presbyterians in religious faith. While in
New York State George THORBURN was a member of the State militia.
Thirteen children were born of their marriage, four sons and
nine daughters, two of the latter now living: Jeanette, the widow
of James BROWN, of Janesville; and Belle, wife of Alexander ATCHINSON,
of Spring Brook, Oregon.
- Adam THORBURN lived in Delaware County, N.Y., until he was
ten years old, when his father
- removed to Red Hook, Dutchess County, N.Y., where they remained
until 1854, when the family removed to Wisconsin. All of his
education was obtained in the district schools, he working during
the summer upon his father's farm, and remaining thereon until
he was twenty-three, though he also worked for others. At that
time he and his brother James purchased the homestead; later
Adam bought out his brother, and cultivated the farm himself
until 1897, when he removed to his present pleasant home at No.
207 Pearl street, Janesville, and rented the farm. This property
now contains 240 acres, although at one time it consisted of
280, but Mr. THORBURN sold forty acres of timber, reducing it
to its present proportions. In addition he possesses considerable
property in Janesville, including his residence.
- On September 21, 1881, Adam THORBURN married Mrs. Hannah
ELLIS, widow of Arthur
- ELLIS, and daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (RAGG) GRUNDY,
and there were two children born to them, Mary E. and Hannah
K. On March 24, 1897, Mrs. THORBURN died, aged fifty years, and
her untimely demise was deeply lamented.
- Politically Mr. THORBURN is a Republican, and is very highly
esteemed by all who know him.
- Having always taken an interest in science, of late years,
Mr. THORBURN has devoted himself to taxidermy, and has a number
of very fine specimens of his skill at his home.
-
- Taken from "Commemorative Biographical Record of
the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin"
(c) 1901, pp. 78-79.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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