- WILLIAM GUNN. England has contributed much valuable material
to the upbuilding of our
- Commonwealth, men of brawn and muscle, men of brains and
character, in whom old Anglo-Saxon liberty and daring have developed
a noble humanity. Mr. GUNN, whose rural home is found in Section
10, Rock township, Rock County, has embodied in his own career
the best ideals of his ancestry, and given to them a significance
peculiarly American.
- Mr. GUNN was born in Lincolnshire, England, March 28, 1834,
a son of John and Rebecca
- (TAWLKES) GUNN, both natives of England, who had four sons
and four daughters, five now living; William; Alice, wife of
a Mr. BOWEN, of London, England; Anna, wife of Edwin BOWEN, of
Stowe, Lincolnshire, England; Jesse E., of Sydney, Australia;
and Henry, a traveler. John GUNN was a man of ready resources,
and followed various occupations in life, prospering in whatever
he undertook. He was a veterinary surgeon, carpenter, brewer,
and hotel-keeper. He died in Lincolnshire, England, about 1882,
at the age of seventy-five. His wife died in 1877, when sixty-four
years old. He was a prominent member of the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows, and was advanced in its councils. His father,
William GUNN, who was a farmer, also lived to an advanced age.
He had four sons and one daughter. Henry TAWLKES, father of
Rebecca TAWLKES, was a native of England, and died in his native
land, where he was a farmer and a stock raiser. He had a numerous
family.
- William GUNN, the subject of this article, lived in England
until he was sixteen years old, and was
- educated at a school known as Cooley's Charity, a fine practical
establishment, founded by a Mr. COOLEY. There were three grades,
and the languages, engineering, etc., were taught. Mr. COOOLEY
supported the school from his own funds, and also furnished the
books for the students, who were limited to those of the middle
class and poor families. Each member of each poor family was
given a full suit of clothing every Christmas, and each poor
family received a ton of coal, all provided by Mr. COOLEY. At
church each Sunday a loaf of bread was given to the head of each
poor family. Our subject was reared on a farm and in 1850, with
a company of his neighbors, crossed the ocean and located in
Warren County, Penn., engaging in the lumber business. He lived
there until 1865, in which year he came West and settled in Rock
township, Rock Co., Wis., buying the farm which has since been
his home. It then consisted of 156 acres, but it has been considerably
enlarged and well improved, and now comprises 190 acres, with
a commodious stone house, a large barn, and other needed farm
buildings. It is about two and a half miles from Janesville,
and is regarded as one of the most complete agricultural establishments
in the county.
- On June 25, 1857, Mr. GUNN married Hannah McGEE, daughter
of Joseph and Rachel
- (THOMPSON) McGEE, and they had two children: John A. and
Thomas M. B. John A. married Margaret FINLEY, and is a farmer
in Rock township; they have seven children, Hannah, Willie, Mary,
James, Kittie, Adelbert, and Biddle. Thomas M. B. married Alice
E. RATHERAM and lives on the home place. Mrs. Hannah GUNN died
very suddenly from heart disease, April 27, 1900, in Decherd,
Franklin Co., Tenn., whither she had gone hoping to restore her
failing health. She was a woman of beautiful character. Her
parents were natives of Pennsylvania, the father being a farmer
and lumberman. He was justice of the peace for many years, becoming
widely known as "Squire Joe McGEE," and had a great
record for pronouncing marriage ceremonies. His father was a
soldier of the war of 1812, and was in the battle of Lundy's
Lane. When he died he was almost one hundred years of age.
- Mr. GUNN is a Republican, was supervisor of the town sixteen
years, chairman of the town
- board twelve years, chairman of the county Insane Asylum
six years, and has been treasurer of the school district twenty-two
years.
- Mr. GUNN was a soldier in the Union army during the war
of the Rebellion, and served with
- honor and fidelity, enlisting Aug. 18, 1862, in Company F,
145th P.V.I., and remaining in the service two years and eleven
months. He was badly wounded in the left hip at the battle of
Fredericksburg, and there he also lost part of the fourth finger
of his left hand. That was the only battle of any importance
in which he participated. After that engagement he was clerk
in the York Hospital, at York, Penn., where he remained until
discharged, July 18, 1865, on account of wounds received in battle.
While in this hospital he was transferred to Company 108, 2d
Battalion, Veteran Reserve Corps, First Lieut. William L. Mitchell,
commanding. Mr. GUNN was adjutant of W. H. Sargent Post, No.
20, G.A.R., but resigned in the spring of 1900, by reason of
his removal from the city of Janesville.
-
- Taken from "Commemorative Biographical Record of
the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin"
(c) 1901, pp. 100-101.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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