WILLIAM M. GUY

(From the History of Callaway County Missouri, 1884, page 564-565.)
Transcribed by Kris Breid, 12 September 2006

WILLIAM M. GUY, an energetic and well respected farmer of Bourbon township, is a lineal descendant of Thomas Guy, of England, who was born in 1644, and was one of the greatest philanthropists and benefactors of the seventeenth century. He was immensely wealthy and built and endowed Guy Hospital at a cost of over $1,200,000. He was also the founder of alms houses and a library at Tamworth (England), and a great benefactor of Christ's Hospital. He died in 1724.

His great-grandson, Matthew Guy, was the father of William M. Guy, the subject of the present sketch and was born in Prince William county, Virginia, in 1794, to which state his father had immigrated from England when a young man, prior to the Revolutionary War. Matthew Guy was a soldier of the Union in the War of 1812 and is said to have captured five British soldiers on a certain occasion, having first wounded four of them which placed them de hors combat, or rendered them incapable of further resistance.

After the war he was married in 1818 to Miss Jeannette Rison, of his native State, and of the family of eight children, five sons and three daughters, four are living: Betsey, now the wife of Woodward Pigg, of Callaway county; William M., Mary, now Mrs. Daniel McCalip, of this county and Alfred, a resident of Kentucky. In an early day the parents removed to Kentucky where they lived until their deaths.

William M. was born in Clark county of the Blue Grass State on the 6th of August, 1829. He was reared on a farm in that county and on the 22d of January, 1852, was married to Miss Cinderalla Take, of the well known family of that name of Kentucky. In 1857 Mr. Guy came to Missouri with his family and settled in Jackson county, but the following year removed to Callaway county, where he has since resided. Here he first lived in Liberty township for about sixteen years, after which he removed to Bourbon township and bought a farm of 164 acres where he now resides. Mr. Guy has been a reasonably successful farmer and has his place comfortably and substantially improved. Mr. and Mrs. Guy have been blessed with fifteen children, eight sons and seven daughters. Ten of their family are still living: John D., David T., Elizabeth, now Mrs. William McCown, Jeannette, Matthew, Sallie A., Cyrus M., William A., Lucy and Charles E. Mrs. Guy and five of her children are members of the Christian church, Richland, Fulton township. Mr. G. is a member of the A.F. and A.M..

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

Township Transcriptions | Biography Transcriptions | Crimes and Criminals | Old Settlers | Official Records | Wars