James Simpson Farrow (1848 - 1891)

Born 13 Jun 1848 in Boone County, IN

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Jane Smith — married 20 Oct 1872 in Boone County, IN

Descendants

Died 24 Apr 1891 at age 42 in Jamestown, Boone Co., IN

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Mike Wood [send private message]

Biography

James Simpson6 Farrow (Thomas5, Thomas4, Joseph3, William2, Abraham1) 1848–1891

James Simpson Farrow was born June 13, 1848 and died April 24, 1891 at the age of just 42.(1) One suspects that Simpson may be his grandmother’s family name, but no direct evidence has been uncovered. He would have been about 13 years old when his father died and a few years later when his older brothers left for army, he became the oldest bread winner at home.

The 1870 census listed him as a farm laborer still living at home with his mother in Jefferson Township in Boone County. He married Mary Jane Smith, daughter of Vincent E. and Frances Jane (Williamson) Smith, on October 20, 1872. . She was born 18 Jun 1851 and died 11 Apr 1889 in Advance. The name of his spouse as recorded in both the record of their marriage and in the Lebanon Patriot obituary of James is Mary Jane Case. Mary Jane would have been 21 when she married James, but there was a brief earlier marriage. In the 1870 Census for Jackson Township, Putnam County, IN she appears in the dwelling listed next to that of her parents. The listing is for Brinton Case, farmer age 25 and wife Mary J. age 19, and in the column "If married within the year enter month" appears "Aug." for both; i.e. MARY JANE married BRINTON CASE in Aug. 1869. Evidently her first husband died shortly after they were married.

The “Peoples Guide”, published in 1874 placed James six miles north of Jamestown, which would put him about a mile north of Advance. The town had just been founded about two years before.

In the 1880 Census for Jamestown, Jackson Township, Boone County, IN, James S. Farrow appears, age 32, head of household. His birth place is shown as Kentucky, which is not correct, occupation "Constable"; with wife Mary J. age 29, daughter Grace A. age 6, son Earnest age 4, son Franklin age 10 months. The census taker called on June 14. His younger brother John Alexander Farrow is listed the second dwelling below living with his mother-in-law Amanda Dale and his infant daughter, his first wife having just died. RPF's older brother Wayne Shields Farrow spent his early childhood in Boone County and he remembered some of the stories about James Farrow and Jamestown, the town he policed, as told to him by our grandfather John Alexander Farrow.

“Grandpa John had stories to tell about Jim when I was a small boy. It seems Jim was the town Marshal of Jamestown. When I was small I remember Jamestown as a pretty rough place. I remember walking down the street with my Grandfather and having to reach up to hold on to his hand. A man came flying out of a saloon and would have hit me but Grandpa let go of me and jumped in front of me. He caught the man in mid air and threw him into the street. What I am about to tell you about Jim may or may not be true but they were told to me when I was a boy about Jim. It seems he was very handy with a gun and not hesitant to use it. On one occasion Jim got word that a horse thief was holed up in New Ross. It seems every one was afraid of him. Jim went to New Ross, located him in a house there where he was supposed to be sleeping. He went to the door of his room and banged on it with his gun. He told him drop his gun on the floor and come out with his hands up or he would come in shooting. The man answered I will if its you Jim and came out to be arrested. Grandpa John told me one more tail about Jim that I remember. A man came into Jamestown telling all who could hear him that he was going to kill the Marshal. Jim stepped out to see what was going on and the man went for his gun but Jim beat him and killed him.”(2)

James and Mary Jane are buried in Old Union Cemetery, Jamestown, Boone County, IN.

Children of James Farrow and Mary Smith are i. GRACE ALMA7 FARROW, born 16 Oct 1873 in Jamestown, Boone, IN; died 26 Jan 1912 in Lebanon, Boone, IN. ii. EARNEST E. FARROW, born 29 Jul 1875 in Boone, IN; died 01 Feb 1955 in Indianapolis, Marion, IN. iii. AMBER FARROW, born 20 Aug 1878 in Jamestown, Boone, IN; died 22 Dec 1973 in Masonic Home, Franklin, Johnson co, IN. iv. FRANKLIN A. FARROW, born about 1879, died in childhood. v. CARRIE ELLA FARROW, born about 1880 in Boone, IN. She married Clarence E. Smith 20 March 1902. vi. BLANCH FARROW, born 08 May 1883 in Boone, IN. She married Harry Bues 28 June 1904 in Lafayette, IN. He was born 27 Sept.1877 and died 4 Feb. 1959 in Rankin, Vermillion County, IL. Blanch died 19 Feb 1983 in Franklin, Johnson, IN, Masonic Home and is buried in Rankin, IL. . vii. LaVON FARROW, born 18 Sep 1885 in Boone, IN; died 08 Nov 1946 in Oakland, MI.

Sources

1 Obit., Lebanon Patriot May 7, 1891. I am indebted to Mrs. Marilynn Dickerson for sharing the data she copied at the Sullivan Museum-Library, Zionsville, IN.

2 Letter from Wayne Farrow dated July 2, 1995. Local papers have not been checked for a mention of the shooting incident.

EDITING IN PROGRESS, R.P.FARROW 20140505

See also:

• Add sources here.

RPF SOURCE NOTES

NDX: 032(GLF ltr), 088(FCSmith ltr), 112(Zimltr), 113(MSmith ltr), 359(Christ bio JAF), 360(index), 363(Cen1850), 373, 462(card obit), 465,(chart), 466(famgrp), 483(Wn.F.ltr), 523B, 534(Lebanon Pat.), .

BIRTH: From 1850 census NOTE088, NOTE363. NOTE360 says b.1848, NOTE462 gives date. MEMO: James' age listing in 1850 NOTE088 & 113)census is not correct.

MARRIAGE: 20 Oct 1872, NOTE466, Boone, IN, Bk.C-5p116. NOTE523B indexes marriage date as 20 Oct 1872, and has wife's name as Mary J. Case, but descendants say Mary J. Smith.

DAUGHTERS: Reference to "5 girls", NOTE027 (ltr from G.L.Farrow).

CHILDREN: NOTE462 says 9 children 6 of whom, 5 dau & 1 son, survived at his death; 5 of 6 children named in NOTE112. NOTE534, from Lebanon Patriot of 7 May 1891 has him married to Mary Jane Case on 20 Oct 1873.

WIFE: Mary Jane Smith NOTE113; m. Mary Jane (Case in obit.N462) 20 Oct 1873, N466 refs marriage Book C-5, p116.

NOTE462: Transcribed Farrow & Smith Obituaries. Description. Transcriptions of obituaries and other data copied from microfilm and cards by Mrs. Dickerson on May 29, 1992 in the Sullivan Museum-Library, Zionsville, IN. James Simpson Farrow-6 Obit., Lebanon Patriot May 7, 1891. "James Simpson Farrow was born June 13, 1848, died April 24, 1891, aged 42 years, ten months and 11 days. He was married to Mary Jane Case (Smith-146), Oct 20, 1873. There were born to them 9 children as the fruit of their union. Three have gone to the better land, while 6 remain on this side of the river, 5 daughters and one son. His wife died April 11, 1889, leaving him alone to care for his motherless children, which he understood how to do being left an orphan himself early in life, making his own way in the world from childhood." Member Christian or New Light Church. Funeral April 26, in the ME Church at Jamestown conducted by writer of this obit. Burial Union Cemetery, Jackson Township, Boone County. *********

SON: "Left one boy Capt. Earnest Farrow, USA Ret at this writing (1946) living in Indianapolis, Ind. Capt Earest in Spanish American War, Philipino Insurection. Retired several years ago." NOTE032, NOTE359.

Wayne S. Farrow recalls being told by grandpa John (Alexander Farrow) that James S. was a "marshal" in Jamestown, a big man with a reputation as a good pistol shot. Oral history in NOTE483.

1874: NOTE373: Mentioned in Clive, People's Guide.. p232 "6 m n Jamestown .. Settled in Boone co in 1850". Parents moved there then. (MEMO: Not correct. Borne in Boone co.)" Reb(ublican), United Brethern."

1880 Census: 14 June, Jamestown, Jackson Twn. James S. Farrow appears, age 32, hd of household, bp KY, occupation "Constable"; with wife Mary J. age 29, dau Grace A. age 6, son Earnest age 4, son Franklin age 10m, born in Aug'79. John (Alexander) Farrow(q.v.) is listed the second dwelling below living with his mother-in-law Amanda Dale and his infant dau., (his first wife having just died).

RPF MEMO: Two grandchildren of James S. were Franklin and J. Meredith Smith with whom I corresponded 1962-4, as Meredith in his first letter said that his mother and my father were first cousins. Their mother was one of the "5 girls" as confirmed by later info. (See F. Smith ltrs and material from Dickerson in several Notes above.