John L. Row Bio
John L. Row
Source: Kentucky Genealogy and Biography Vol. II
Subtitle: Sketches From Allen, Monroe, Metcalfe, Barren, and Warren Counties
Reprinted From: KENTUCKY: A HISTORY OF THE STATE
By
BATTLE - PERRIN - KNIFFIN
[3rd. ed.] 1886
Edited by Thomas W Westerfield
Contributed by Judy Ryden
© 2009
page 204
JOHN L. ROW, Son of Ovel and Hannah (Perry) Row, was born in Robertson County, Tenn., May 17 1824. His parents were natives of King and Queen County, Va., and had a family of one son and three daughters. Ovel Row was a millwright, immigrated to Kentucky and settled near Harrodsburgh about 1814. He is said to have built the first cottom factory in Kentucky, near Danville; he built another factory in Logan County; later moved to Robertson County, Tenn.; and finally returned to Logan County, Ky., where he spent his last days at farming; he was also a slave owner, and died in 1842, aged sixty-nine years; he was a son of Richard Row, a native of England, and an extensive farmer and slave holder. Mrs. Hannah (Perry) Row was born in Ireland, and was brought to the United States when a child of three years by her father, Joseph Perry, who married a Miss McGoffin. John L. Row was reared on a farm, and at the age of seventeen, left home and learned the carpenter and millwright trades; he has since followed the latter trade and bridge building. In 1845 he located in the south part of Warren County, and built the first horse-mill; later he built a steam-mill on the Barren River, near Bowling Green, and in 1854 built what is now known as Sweeney & Potter’s mill, on Drake’s Creek. In 1874 he purchased and located on twenty acres of land three miles south of Bowling Green, where he erected a large grist-mill, which he yet operates, and has the reputation of being very active, persevering and successful in all his undertakings. He first married, in October, 1845, Eliza, daughter of Thomas and Martha (Skiles) Harris, of Simpson County. By this union two children were born, Henry D. and Thomas P. Mrs. Row died in 1849, a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Mr. Row next married Hester Taylor, of Warren County, a daughter of John and Anna (Burgher) Taylor. She bore her husband two children, Wilton B. and Eugenia A., and died in April, 1863. His third wife was Alice Chandler, of Boyle County, a daughter of Dick and America (Row) Chandler. By this union three children were born: John R., Minnie B. and Clarence. Mrs. Alice Row died in 1872, a member of the Roman Catholic Church. Mr. Row next married Bell C. Skiles, of Warren County, a daughter of Hamilton and Lucy (Underwood) Skiles, and to this union one child was born--Lucy. Mr Row is a member of the Masonic fraternity, politically a Democrat and cast his first presidential vote for Cass in 1848.
I have some notes to add to this posting about John L. Row regarding his marriages:
He first married, in October, 1845, Eliza, daughter of Thomas and Martha (Skiles) Harris, of Simpson County. By this union two children were born, Henry D. and Thomas P. Mrs. Row died in 1849, a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Mr. Row next married Hester Taylor, of Warren County, a daughter of John and Anna (Burgher) Taylor. She bore her husband two children, Wilton B. and Eugenia A., and died in April, 1863. His third wife was Alice Chandler, of Boyle County, a daughter of Dick and America (Row) Chandler. By this union three children were born: John R., Minnie B. and Clarence. Mrs. Alice Row died in 1872, a member of the Roman Catholic Church. Mr. Row next married Bell C. Skiles, of Warren County, a daughter of Hamilton and Lucy (Underwood) Skiles, and to this union one child was born--Lucy.
He was apparently not entirely truthful in this account of his life.
Eliza Ann apparently left John L. Rowe AND their children. She [Eliza Rowe] married Sydney S. Campbell on 28 Nov 1853. The marriage took place in Russell Co., KY. This info is on record, but not the fact that she was married before. There are several bits of evidence that this is the same Eliza Harris who married John L. Row.
1.) The Eliza, wife of S. Campbell, was born in 1824 although on the 1860 Fed. Census of Russell Co, she is listed as 3 years younger.
2.) Eliza and John lived in Robertson Co., TN for a while and at the same time Sydney Campbell lived nearby.
3.) I've found another 'dead' wife of John L. Row in marriage records AFTER John claims she died.
Hester Taylor is listed as first married to John L. Row and 2nd married to William Smith in Warren Co., KY.
Since John L. Row is brother to my gg grandmother, Martha C. Row, I did not relish finding this information. I do believe it is correct and should be added as a footnote to the bio of John L. Row.
Judy jryden@charter.net
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