Biographical Sketch of James Whitsett, Franklin County, Missouri

>From "History of Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Crawford and 
Gasconade Counties", Biographical Appendix, Goodspeed Publishing 
Company, 1888.

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James Whitsett, a native of Guilford County, N. C. is the eldest of a
family of fifteen children, and was born June 10, 1818.  His parents 
John and Alpha (Witty) Whitsett, also natives of Guilford County, N. C.
moved to St. Louis County, Mo., in 1836, where they lived and died; the
former in 1836 aged sixty-two years, and the latter, in 1886, at the 
age of eighty-six.  John Whitsett was the son of James and Mary (Moore)
Whitsett, of English and Irish descent, respectively.  William Whitsett,
father of James, was born near the northern boundary of England, and 
was the father of nine children, two girls and seven boys; six of his
sons fought in the Revolutionary War.  Mrs. Alpha Whitsett was a daugh-
ter of Elijah and Trainey (Cummings) Witty, also natives of Guilford
County, N. C.  Elijah Witty was a soldier in the War of 1812, and was 
the son of Ezekiel and Nancy Witty, natives of England.  Mrs. Whitsett
was the youngeset of seven children; her oldest brother, Ezekiel Witty,
died in Wilson County, Tenn., in July, 1885, aged ninety-four years; 
his wife died the same day, aged ninety-three years.  Mrs. Whitsett's
oldest sister married Elijah Winchester, of Kentucky, and died in Aug-
ust, 1883, at the age of ninety-eight years.  When eighteen years old 
James Whitsett immigrated to St. Louis County, Mo., with his parents,
where he remained until 1841, when he moved to a farm near Pacific.  In
1845 he located in Gray's Summit, and, five years later, went to Jeff-
erson County and engaged in merchandising, at a place called "Yerkes
Mill," for one year.  He subsequently purchased and moved to a farm six
miles south of Catawissa in 1850, and opened a farm, also conducting a
general store, in 1854, on his farm.  He farmed there until 1864, hav-
ing in 1863 purchased a stock of goods of Patrick Ryan, at Catawissa, 
and engaged in merchandising, at which he continued until 1875 or 1876.
He then followed farming until 1880, when he again engaged in merchan-
dising as well as farming.  Besides his stock of goods, he owns 600
acres of land around Catawissa, and 320 acres in St. Louis County.  On
February 14, 1840, he married Miss Margaret McCullough, a daughter of
Judge Henry McCullough, of St. Louis County, who died September 1, 1840.
August 28, 1841 Mr. Whitsett married Miss Mary Keatley, daughter of
William Keatley, of Franklin County.  Six children have blessed this
union, viz.: John C., James M., Samuel B., Altha P. (now Mrs. James
Richey), Mary (now Mrs. E. C. Robertson, deceased), Jane B. (now Mrs.
Murry Spencer.)  Mr. and Mrs. Whitsett are members of the Baptist Chur-
ch.  Mr. Whitsett is a Democrat politically and a strong temperance 
advocate.  He has served his county at different times as justice of 
the peace twenty-seven years.  He is a Master Mason and a member of the
"Franklin County Protective Association," of which he was the first
president.

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