 | Chase County Sketches |
NAME
THE LANDSBURY FAMILY (JOHN AND MARY K.
By CLARA BRANDLEY HILDEBRAND
John Landsbury was born in 1795. At the age of seventeen he enlisted and served through the War of 1812. He and his wife, Mary K. Landsbury came to Chase County from Madison County, Indiana, in
1860.
They were accompanied by several sons, the youngest, Dennis, being ten years old, and two of the older ones were already married.
John Landsbury homesteaded the E1/2 of the SW 1/4 and the W1/2 of the SPA of Sec. 17, Twp. 22, R. 8. Here he lived and farmed until his death November 28, 1873. When his estate was probated, Chas. W. Rogler, Thos. Bryant and Thos. Banks were appointed Commissioners to divide his land between his widow, Mary K. Landsbury, and his sons, John Calvin, Augustus M., Benjamin, Jeremiah and Dennis M. Augustus Landsbury being already deceased, his share was given in equal portions to his widow, Mary A. Newkirk, and his daughter, Mary E. Wagoner. John Landsbury was interred in the cemetery at Matfield Green.
Mary K. Landsbury lived on in the home with her son Dennis until her death February 11, 1885, aged 79 years, two months and twenty days. She was a kindly soul and for years before her passing was known to all the neighborhood as "Granny" Landsbury. Her body lies beside that of her husband.
Angustus M. Landsbury and his wife, Mary A., settled on the NW %4 of Sec. 8, Twp. 22, R. 8. Augustus died in 1866 and his widow got a patent to their land May 2, 1870. Augustus left one daughter, Mary E., who was married to William Wagoner in October, 1867. The widow, Mary A., became the wife of Rev. C. S. Newkirk. The Matfield Green Cemetery is located on the west line of Mrs. Newkirk's land.
Calvin Landsbury was a soldier in the Mexican War. He did not return to Kansas except on a visit many years later. He located in a western state and did not even lay claim to his share of his father's estate. This thirteen acre strip was sold for taxes, bought in by Henry Brandley and eventually sold by one of his heirs in 1914 to Thomas J. Banks, who by that time had become the owner of the Mary K. Laudsbury eighty.
Dennis M. Landsbury. At the age of eighteen Dennis was married to Mary F. E. Avery, but the matrimonial knot was soon severed. About fourteen years elapsed before Dennis again ventured to assume the responsibility of husband and provider. He married Miss Julia Goley in 1883. Four children blessed this union: William, Mary (Mrs. Bud Bullock), John and one Bettie Jane who died in infancy. Julia Landsbury died in 1892, after which Dennis moved from place to place, usually making his home with his daughter Mary, until his death in March, 1928. He was seventy-eight years of age and had lived in Chase County for sixty- eight of those years.
Jeremiah Landsbury was born in 1833. He married Jane Banks, sister of Thomas J. Banks. In the settlement of the John Landsbury estate Jeremiah received a twenty acre strip off the south end of his father's' 160. He built his home on this tract and farmed it and parts of his father's farm for years. Jerry and Jane had two children, a son Fremont and a daughter Abigail, the latter born on the farm in 1872. Fremont Landsbury married Mary, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jas. Jackson, and lived about as much in Chautauqua County as in Chase. Abigail married Arthur Holloway and moved away from this part of the state after a few years.
Jane Landsbury preceded her husband in death a short time, and Jerry was ruthlessly murdered as he was walking to Matfield Green, shortly after dusk on the evening of August 1, 1891. This is one murder mystery that has never been solved but from all the evidence, it seems that he was shot by a couple of horse-thieves, whom he had probably recognized. The shooting occurred a short distance from the Matfield Cemetery. After the death of their parents, Fremont and Abigail sold their land to Levi Jones.
Benjamin Landsbury married Mrs. Elizabeth Wagoner, Nee Buskirk, in October, 1868. On February 26, 1877, Ben bought the W1/2 of the SW1/4 of Sec. 17, Twp. 22, R. 8, from J. H. Herriott, the original patentee. In March, 1881, he got his final receipt from the Government to the W1/2 of the NW 1/4 of Sec. 20, Twp. 22, R. 8. On the north line of this latter piece of land he built his log cabin and established his home.
Ben Landsbury was a sheep raiser as well as small farmer. When we children, who lived up the creek, went to school, we frequently passed through Ben's flock, grazing on the hillside. We kept a wary lookout for the old ram, but how we loved the little lambs!
Mr. and Mrs. Landsbury were known to all the neighbors as Ben and Betsey. When Mrs. Betsey Wagner married Ben, she was the mother of three sons, Henry, William and Bert (Adelbert, I believe), In November, 1868, Henry Wagoner married Nancy M. Lannum, He had taken a claim on Thurman Creek. In October, 1867, William Wagoner married Mary E., daughter of Augustus Landsbury. Their life together was short as not many months after their marriage, William suffered an accident from a runaway team which caused his death. Bert Wagoner grew to manhood in the home of his step-father Ben.
About 1883 Mr. and Mrs. Landsbury moved to near Florence, Marion County, and after two years to near Hugoton in western Kansas. There Mr. Landsbury died and his wife returned to Matfield Green, where she resided until her death in 1907 at the age of 78 years. (See histories of Henry Van Buskirk, Nelson Wagoner and Henry Wagoner in Vol. I.)
by Lorna Marvin
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