Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens
Lawrence County Pennsylvania 1897
[p. 270] deputy sheriff of Lawrence Co., Pa., residing in New Castle, was born in Centerville, Butler Co., this State, Nov. 8, 1839, and is a son of John and Sarah (Gilmore) Douds.
Our subject's grandfather was born in the northern part of Ireland, and emigrated to America, settling first in Maryland, and then in Pennsylvania. John Douds, his son, was born in Franklin Co., Pa., and learned the blacksmith's trade by serving an apprenticeship, and later devoted his whole life to edge-tool making, becoming an expert in that line of work. In 1844 he came to New Castle, and went into business for himself, putting in a trip-hammer, and doing very nice and finished work. He was a very hard-working man, and broke down his exceptionaly strong and vigorous constitution, and died at the age of sixty-seven; his wife lived to be eighty-two years old. It is worthy of mention here that his father was a charcoal-burner by trade, and our subject's father accordingly burned the charcoal which he used exclusively for heating the metal he worked. He was a Democrat and then a Republican in politics. His children who grew up were: Elinor; David; Hugh; Wiliam F.; George; and Perry.
William F. Douds served an apprenticeship in the Lawrence Foundry as a moulder, and worked there thirty-three years, and was engaged in that work when he was elected sheriff of Lawrence County in 1882, and filled that office with eminent satisfaction; since 1886 he served as deputy sheriff, a position he now holds.
He married Margaret Davis, daughter of Archibald Davis. She died in 1865 at the age of thirty-four, leaving two children. Agnes H. married Thomas P. Kennedy, and has a family of two children—John and Elinor. John W. died at the age of seventeen. In the late war Mr. Douds enlisted in 1863, in Co. A, 55th Reg. Pa. Vol. Inf., for three months service. He owns real estate in the town.
Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens Lawrence County Pennsylvania
Biographical Publishing Company, Buffalo, N.Y., 1897
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Updated: 17 May 2001