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Descendants of Edward Dorsey I


25. ELIAS LAWRENCE7 DORSEY (ELIAS6, EDWARD5, VACHEL4, JOHN3, EDWARD2, EDWARD1) was born November 16, 1828 in Jefferson County, Kentucky, and died August 12, 1866 in Jefferson County, Kentucky. He married EMILY THOMAS CHILES November 30, 1851 in Shelby County, Kentucky. She was born Abt. 1831 in Kentucky, and died November 2, 1892 in Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas.

More About E
LIAS LAWRENCE DORSEY:
Burial: November 22, 1879, Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky - Relocated

More About E
MILY THOMAS CHILES:
Burial: Unknown, Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky
     
Children of E
LIAS DORSEY and EMILY CHILES are:
  i.   MATILDA8 DORSEY, b. 1854, Kemtucky; d. Unknown.
  ii.   ANNA DORSEY, b. 1857, Kemtucky; d. Unknown.
  iii.   CHARLES HAMILTON DORSEY, b. November 25, 1859, Jefferson, Kentucky, USA; d. November 19, 1927, Galveston, Texas, USA.
  iv.   LAURA DORSEY, b. Private.


26. PLUTARCH HINES7 DORSEY (ELIAS6, EDWARD5, VACHEL4, JOHN3, EDWARD2, EDWARD1) was born November 8, 1833 in Jefferson County, Kentucky, and died December 6, 1915 in Macoupin County, Illinois. He married HANNAH OLIVIA JOSEPHINE WILLIAMS March 26, 1856 in Macoupin County, Illinois, daughter of JOHN WILLIAMS and MARIA WELLS. She was born September 25, 1834 in Washington, D.C., and died July 26, 1902 in Gillespie, Macoupin County, Illinois.

Notes for P
LUTARCH HINES DORSEY:

P. H. Dorsey Dead

We are called upon this week to chronicle the death of one of the oldest citizens of the county, in the person of P. H. Dorsey, who passed away at his farm home near this city, Monday evening, December 6th at 10:30 after an illness of scarcely four weeks. Mr. Dorsey was one of the widest known men in the county, having spent the greater part of his life here. Coming to Macoupin County in 1853 he settled on the farm where he died. This farm consists of 420 acres and is situated just south of this city. It is a part of the large body of land that was entered by his father. With the exception of fifteen years, when he resided in Bunker Hill in order to educate his children, he has always resided on this farm.

Mr. Dorsey was a Kentuckian by birth, having been born in Jefferson County, Kentucky, November 8, 1833 and is the son of Elias and Martha (Booker) Dorsey. His father was a native of Maryland and came with his parents to Kentucky during childhood. At an early age Mr. Dorsey's father purchased 1300 acres of land in Madison and Macoupin counties, Illinois. His death took place in 1872 in Bunker Hill, in the 77th year of his age.

While "Uncle Plute", as he was familiarly known among his friends and acquaintances, followed general farming, he was never able to get away from the raising of horses and mules, and to the time of his death was deeply interested in the raising of mules, and was one of the best posted stock men in this county. He was formerly the raiser of fast horses and had owned a number during his life. He never missed attending the Macoupin County Fair and was always one of the most interested spectators. Mr. Dorsey was a very active man up to within four weeks of his death. He was in Gillespie nearly every day and took great interest in keeping up with the news of the day. He was a man who was very outspoken yet he had a kindly heart and was always jovial and had a good humor.

In March 1854, Mr. Dorsey was married to Olivia Williams, who was born September 25, 1834 in Washington, D. C. and died on the farm south of this city July 26, 1902. Eight children were born to this marriage as follows: Mrs. Eugenia Robinson of St. Louis; P. H. Dorsey, Jr.; Harriet Hornsby of Bunker Hill; Maria L., who resided with her father; Oscar L. of this city; Ada who died at the age of two years; Cora, who died at the age of eight years; and Mayo who is residing in Bunker Hill.

His children were all present at the home south of this city when Uncle Plute closed his eyes in his last sleep, and during his short illness he was ministered to by loving and willing hands.

Mr. Dorsey has led an active and useful life and when the age arrived at which most men retire from business, he was still in the harness doing his part in the management of his big farm, assisted by his sons, Oscar and P. H. Dorsey, Jr.

His was a life well spent, a life filled with activity and when his time came, he passed to the great beyond, surrounded by his children.

Mr. Dorsey was a strong democrat in politics, ardently supporting its old time principles. He has served as supervisor of his township, was a Director in the Gillespie National bank at the time of his death and one of the honored citizens. He leaves, besides his family, a host of staunch friends who knew and loved him for his real worth, that of a gentleman of the old school, who believed that in labor we find our most pleasure.

The funeral services will be conducted from the residence, near the city Thursday, December 9th at 11 a.m. and the interment will take place in the Bunker Hill cemetery.

In the death of Mr. Dorsey our county has lost one of its oldest men, this community an honored citizen, and his family a kind and loving father. Peace be to his ashes.

Gillespie (Illinois) News, December 8, 1915 - S. P. Preston Editor

___________________________________________________________________--

Plutarch H. Dorsey

The name of Dorsey needs no introduction to the citizens of Macoupin County, Illinois, as for years it has been representative of one of the most numerous, progressive, wealthy and prominent families of this portion of the State, and Plutarch H. Dorsey is its oldest member. He was born on November 8, 1833 in Jefferson County, Kentucky, and is a son of Elias and Martha (Booker) Dorsey.

Elias Dorsey was born June 7, 1796 near Frederick, Maryland, and in childhood accompanied his parents to Kentucky. During the War of 1812 he served as a private soldier and received a pension for his services. He devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits and, although in straitened circumstances during his early manhood, by the exercise of a natural business capacity acquired a large tract of fine blue grass land within eight miles of the city of Louisville. There he engaged in the favorite occupation of the Kentucky farmer -- the raising of' fine horses for market. His farm consisted of 600 acres of land and prior to the Civil War he owned some 30 slaves. These he subsequently freed. For many years he lived the life of a typical planter. "Eden Farm" being the center of general hospitality and social gaiety, many of the most distinguished members of the polite, business and political world being lavishly entertained there. At an early date Elias Dorsey, with the business instinct which made all his operations successful, purchased 13,000 acres of land lying in Madison and Macoupin counties, Illinois. His death took place in 1872 at Bunker Hill, Macoupin County, Illinois, in the 77th year of his age. He was a consistent supporter of Democratic principles all of his life. He was a man of generous nature, was devoted to his large family and assisted each one of his 13 children by the gift of a farm of 1,000 acres.

In 1815 Elias Dorsey married Martha Booker, who was a daughter of Col. Richard Booker, and a member of a very prominent family of Shelby County, Kentucky. They were the parents of the following 13 children: John W., Richard E., Leavin L., Benjamin L., Basil H., William Montjoy, Mrs. Cordelia Hornsby, Mrs. Ann C. Winchester, Elias L., Mary Matilda and Orlena O. (all deceased) Plutarch H., and Mrs. Martha Shields of Kansas.

Plutarch H. Dorsey's mother died when he was four years old and he remained in Kentucky to enjoy the excellent educational opportunities offered him there. He finished his education with a three years course at Shurtleff College, at Alton, Illinois. He came to Macoupin County in 1853 and settled on his present farm of 420 acres situated in sections 25 and 26 Gillespie township, land which was included in the large tract which his father had entered. He has lived on this farm continuously since 1853, with the exception of 15 years -- from 1871 to 1886 -- when he resided in Bunker Hill in order to give his children the best of educational advantages.

While Mr. Dorsey has raised large crops of wheat and corn, his attention has been more closely given to the raising of fine cattle and stock, particularly to the breading of high grade horses, these being mainly of "Gold Dust" stock; of which he has annually bred 50 head and at the same time from 50 to 100 head of mules. He is also an extensive breeder and shipper of cattle, sheep and hogs, but has given the closest attention to horses. He has bred a number of fine animals which have sold for $5,000, and he has received as much as $1,000 for a yearling thoroughbred. In addition to his farming and grazing lands, Mr. Dorsey has a fine orchard of 120 acres, on the most productive in this section.

In 1891 Mr. Dorsey sold his coal right to the firm of H. S. Dorsey & Company; a rich vein of coal probably underlying a large portion of this farm. The discovery of coal on the Dorsey lands, in 1856, was something of an accident, but after 12 years of prospecting, hard work and expenditure of much money the great deposits of the black diamonds are being brought to the surface, bringing untold wealth to the family and giving activity to the section and employment to hundreds of laborers. A new town in the heart of the coal regions is now being built up which is expected to hold a population of 6,000 people within two years. To this town the name of Benld has been given, which is a contraction of Benjamin L. Dorsey, named in honor of the nephew of our subject, as was the town of Dorsey named in honor of the family upon its establishment 40 years ago.

Benjamin L. Dorsey, the pioneer prospector for coal on his lands, was born August 31, 1857, in Macoupin County, Illinois, and is a son of Benjamin L. Dorsey and a nephew of Plutarch H. Dorsey. The family has sold 40,000 acres of coal land to the Northwestern Railroad, through the Superior Coal Company of Chicago, and a connecting line, the Macoupin County Railroad, is being pushed to completion. This road will erect a fine brick depot at the new town, while capitalists from the neighboring cities are making contracts for the erection of blocks of stores, the establishment of a bank and the putting into operation all the organizations which American enterprise and progressiveness so quickly accomplish. Where once waved fields of yellow grain, now are seen the derricks and machinery of successful coal mines and another great industry has been added to the business life of Macoupin County. The Dorsey family has greatly profited by this discovery and all its members are men of large capital. They are also men of high character and well represent the best citizenship of this section of the State.

In March, 1854, Plutarch H. Dorsey married Olivia Williams, who was born September 25, 1834 in Washington, D.C. and died on the farm in Macoupin County, July 26, 1902. She was the daughter of John and Maria L. (Wells) Williams, both of whom were born in Washington. Eight children were born to this marriage, as follows: Mrs. Eugenia Robinson of St. Louis, Mo., who has two children -- Edward and Mary; Plutarch H., Jr., who resides with his wife on the farm of our subject in a residence of his own; Mrs. Harriet Hornsby, of Bunker Hill, who has two children -- Lawrence and Marie; Maria L. who resides at home; Oscar L., who with his wife resides on the old homestead; Ada, who died at the age of two years; Cora, who died at the age of eight years; and Wells Mayo, who with his wife resides on a farm in Cahokia township, Macoupin County. Mr. Dorsey's children are among the most highly esteemed residents of their various communities.

Like his father, Mr. Dorsey has been identified with the Democratic party all his life, ardently supporting its old-time principles. He is serving as the present supervisor of his township and is regarded as one of the best officials the township ever had. In him the honorable old family of Dorsey has an honorable representative and Gillespie township a citizen who has materially aided in all movements designed to promote the general welfare.

(This was a biographical record of leading citizens of Macoupin County, Illinois printed in 1904)


More About P
LUTARCH HINES DORSEY:
Burial: December 9, 1915, Bunker Hill Cemetery, Macoupin County, Illinois

More About H
ANNAH OLIVIA JOSEPHINE WILLIAMS:
Burial: Unknown, Bunker Hill Cemetery, Macoupin County, Illinois
     
Children of P
LUTARCH DORSEY and HANNAH WILLIAMS are:
32. i.   EUGENIA WELLS8 DORSEY, b. September 15, 1858, Gillespie, Macoupin County, Illinois; d. April 13, 1933, Clayton, St. Louis County, Missouri.
33. ii.   PLUTARCH HENRY DORSEY, b. June 3, 1861, Gillespie, Macoupin County, Illinois; d. December 30, 1946, Gillepsie, Macoupin County, Illinois.
34. iii.   HARRIET BLAIR DORSEY, b. November 5, 1863, Gillespie, Macoupin County, Illinois; d. December 17, 1937, Bunker Hill, Macoupin County, Illinois.
  iv.   MARIA LOUISA DORSEY, b. February 3, 1866, Gillespie, Macoupin County, Illinois; d. March 19, 1952, Carlinville, Macoupin Couny, Illinois.
  v.   CORA CORDILIA DORSEY, b. January 10, 1867, Gillepsie, Macoupin County, Illinois; d. February 9, 1878, Gillepsie, Macoupin County, Illinois.
  vi.   OSCAR LYLE DORSEY, b. April 24, 1871, Gillespie, Macoupin County, Illinois; d. June 19, 1951, Carlinville, Macoupin Couny, Illinois; m. (1) SADIE VIOLA (OLA) FLOYD; b. 1872, Gillepsie, Macoupin County, Illinois; d. August 24, 1941, Charleston, West Virginia; m. (2) OELLA WILSON CAUDREY; d. Unknown.
  vii.   ADA OLIVIA DORSEY, b. October 7, 1873, Bunker Hill, Macoupin County, Illinois; d. July 1874, Bunker Hill, Macoupin County, Illinois.
  More About ADA OLIVIA DORSEY:
Burial: Unknown, Bunker Hill Cemetery, Macoupin County, Illinois

35. viii.   WELLS MAYO DORSEY, b. January 10, 1878, Bunker Hill, Macoupin County, Illinois; d. January 13, 1947, Gillespie, Macoupin County, Illinois.


27. MARTHA R.7 DORSEY (ELIAS6, EDWARD5, VACHEL4, JOHN3, EDWARD2, EDWARD1) was born October 31, 1835 in Jefferson County, Kentucky, and died Aft. 1910 in Kansas. She married JAMES RECTOR SHIELDS 1859. He was born 1834 in Missouri, and died Aft. 1880.
     
Children of M
ARTHA DORSEY and JAMES SHIELDS are:
  i.   JULIA8 SHIELDS, b. 1860, Missouri; d. Unknown.
  ii.   ELIAS DORSEY SHIELDS, b. 1862, Missouri; d. Unknown.


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