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Benjamin Judd is a retired farmer living in Wenona. His father, Thomas Judd, was a native of Wilkes county, North Carolina, born in 1800, a son of John Judd, of English descent, who died in North Carolina. The latter came to this country as a soldier in the British army during the Revolutionary war, and at its close decided to remain in this country, and settled in North Carolina, where he spent the remainder of his life.

Thomas Judd, the father of our subject, married Elizabeth Darnell, also a native of Wilkes county, North Carolina, born in 1803, and a daughter of Benjamin Darnell, who came to Marshall county in 1828, locating on Sandy creek, in what is now Evans township. He was the first white man to settle in that township,a and made is settlement i the edge of the timber. Before coming to Marshall county he had read medicine, and engaged in practice. He came to this county with his wife and ten children in a large paneled box wagon, with room enough in it for several to sleep. On reaching the county they camped at Crow creek at a place called Bennington's Grove. At that time his nearest and only white neighbor was Jesse Roberts, who had located in what is now Roberts township, some six miles distant. Indians were quite numerous and during the time of the Black Hawk war a fort was built on his farm, enclosing his log cabin. It was used as a refuge for families for miles around. Two of his sons served in Colonel John Strawn's regiment during that struggle. In 1839 he left his farm, went to Kendall county, Illinois, improved a new farm there and located his children around him. He died there in 1856. The children were Elizabeth, John, James, Enoch. Larkins, Benjamin, Abram, Mrs. Polly Adams, Mrs. Susan Hollenback and Lucy. The last named died at the age of fourteen years, and was the first death in Evans township and the first to be interred in the Cumberland cemetery located on the old Darnell farm. The others are also now deceased.



The parents of our subject were married in North Carolina, where the father engaged in farming until 1831, when they came to Marshall county and located in Evans township, adjoining the Darnell farm on the north. He built a log cabin in the edge of the timber on Sandy creek, and there remained until his death in January, 1848. The mother remained on the farm after the death of her husband and there reared her family. She died at the age of seventy-six years, and the remains of husband and wife lie side-by-side in Cumberland cemetery. They were the parents of ten children - Alfred, deceased; Mrs. Nancy Gants; John and Thomas, deceased; Benjamin, our subject; Mrs. Elizabeth French, deceased; Frances, deceased; Mrs. Matilda Brown, living in Wenona; William and Almira, deceased.

Before his death Thomas Judd greatly improved his farm, leaving it in good condition to his wife and children. He was a well educated man, an old school teacher, and served as county commissioner of schools at one time. He was also a justice of  the peace for many years. On coming to this county he was comparatively a poor man, and in the few years of his life here

acquired a competency.



The subject of this sketch is the only surviving son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Darnell) Judd. He was born March 14, 1829, in Wilkes county, North Carolina, and was but two years old when he came with this parents to Marshall county. He was terribly afraid of the Indians and many a time crawled under the bed when they came to the house. At one time the red men camped on Sandy creek,  about twenty-five rods from the cabin of his father, and there remained for some time and often visited the  house for provisions. Benjamin was reared on the old Judd farm in Evans township, and received a limited education in the subscription schools of pioneer days. At the age of nineteen years he began life for himself, working on the old home farm on the shares.



On the 20th of November, 1851, Mr. Judd was united in marriage with Miss Frances Talbot, a native of chester county, Pennsylvania, and a daughter of Nathan Talbot, who came from england to America in 1830, locating in Pennsylvania, from which state he moved to Marshall county, Illinois, in 1842, settling in Hopewell township, where he remained for a time and then returned to Hoepwell township, and later went to Long Point, Illinois, where he died. By his first marriage there were ten children - John, Mathias, Nathan, William, Peter, Margaret. Mrs. Judd Elizabeth, Jane and Mrs. Rachel Lyons. Two of his sons, John and James, served in the civil war.



After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Judd lived on the old Judd farm until 1865, then moved to section 16, Evans township, there lived until 1886, when they removed to Wenona, and have since lived retired. Our subject was quite a successful farmer, and it is said that he raised more acres of corn than any other man in Evans township. He planted and harvested forty-two corps of corn in succession.



Mr. and Mrs. Judd are the parents of seven children - Adeline, now the wife of Lutelus W. Kemp, lives in Evans township, and is the mother of five children; Nelson Perry married Elizabeth Wilson, by whom he has eight children, and the family now reside on the Judd farm; James Ashley married Della Haws, by whom he had four children,a nd they too reside on the old Judd farm; Thomas D., who is a furniture dealer and undertaker in Wenona, married Ida Wilson, by whom he has one child; Clara Jane resides at home; Mary Frances married Alonzo D. Brown, principal of the Wenona grammar schools, by whom she has two children; Julia Dell also resides at home.



Mrs. Judd is a member of the Presbyterian church, and takes an active interest in the work of that body. Mr. Judd is connected with he Masonic order, belonging to the blue lodge at Wenona and the chapter at Rutland, Illinois. H has passed through all the chairs of the former and has been a delegate to the Grand lodge. He has always taken a deep interest in Masonry. In politics he is a democrat of the old school and has served in many of the local offices of his township. To each of his children he has given a good education and has prepared them for useful lives. He is the oldest living resident of Evans township, and perhaps the oldest resident of the county.