67yrs, 6mos. Born in Virginia. Died near Friendship, Ripley Co.,IN.
"History of Dearborn and Ohio Counties, Indiana: from their earliest settlement: containing a history of the counties, their cities, townships, towns, villages, schoolds, and churches, reminiscences, extracts, etc., local statitics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, biographies, preliminary chapters on history of the Northwest Territory, the state of Indiana, and the Indians." (Chicago: F.E. Weakley & Co., 1885)
REV. JUDGE JOHN WATTS, of Dearborn County, who lived a life of extensive usefulness both in church and state, was born in Culpepper County, Va., March 22, 1767. In December, 1788, he was united in marriage to Frances Libeau, both then members of the Baptist Church. She is an exemplary, pious woman. In 1789 they removed to Kentucky, then almost a wilderness, and the pioneers severely harassed by Indians. Judge Watts settled near Lexington, and was among the most active and enterprising in defending the infant settlements from the savage invaders. He was engaged in several skirmishes with the Indians, and was in Gen. Harmar's disastrous campaign. In 1796 he removed to Boone County, same State, and served for a number of years as associate judge of the circuit court of that county. Some time in 1800 he engaged in the ministry of the Gospel. In 1816 he became a resident of Dearborn County, Ind., and two years he was elected a member of the Legislature. The next year he was appointed presiding judge of the Indiana Circuit in which he resided. Subsequently he served the people of his county for six years in the State Senate, and then retired from public office of a civil nature. Shortly after settling in Dearborn County, Judge Watts collected a small church on Laughery Creek called the Bear Creek Church, which at first consisted of but seven members. He also preached for several churches that grew up in that vicinity; was one of the delegates that framed the Laughery Association in 1818, and was chosen its moderator, which, with the exception of a few years until he removed out of its bounds in 1834 remained. Though destitute of a classical education, Judge Watts possessed a strong, active and discriminating mind. His death occured September 5, 1834.
NOTE: Although John Watts' wife's maiden name is shown as "Libeau", if you refer to the biography posted for his son, Col. Johnson Watts, you will see it shows her as "Fannie (Sebree) Watts". A possible explanation for this misspelling is given by Bev Golden, a Find A Grave volunteer who posted the memorial page for John Sebree, Fannie's father: "I don't think the misspelling of Frances' maiden name is hard to understand, although I imagine the family was pretty irked when the book was published and they saw it. The biographies submitted by the families were probably mostly handwritten; I'm not sure that even most businesses had typewriters at the time. In the standard handwriting of the time capital 'L' was written exactly like capital 'S'. You just had to know from the context which it was, but Sebree was a very unusual name, so the person who copied it over for the book took his or her best guess. And what American name ends in 'bree'? So they guessed 'beau', which at least is a common French name ending. 'Le Beau' could even mean 'beautiful' or 'handsome'."
Children:
Polly Watts (abt 1789-?), Mildred Johnson Watts (1790-?), Elizabeth Watts (1792-?), Johnson Watts (1794-1871), Sarah Barnett Watts (1796-?), Newton Watts (1800-?), Frances Ann Watts (1803-?), Isaac Watts (1806-1862), Susannah Sebree Watts (1808-1892), Agnes F. Watts (1811-?), John Sebree Watts (1816-1876).
"History of Dearborn and Ohio Counties, Indiana: from their earliest settlement: containing a history of the counties, their cities, townships, towns, villages, schoolds, and churches, reminiscences, extracts, etc., local statitics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, biographies, preliminary chapters on history of the Northwest Territory, the state of Indiana, and the Indians." (Chicago: F.E. Weakley & Co., 1885)
REV. JUDGE JOHN WATTS, of Dearborn County, who lived a life of extensive usefulness both in church and state, was born in Culpepper County, Va., March 22, 1767. In December, 1788, he was united in marriage to Frances Libeau, both then members of the Baptist Church. She is an exemplary, pious woman. In 1789 they removed to Kentucky, then almost a wilderness, and the pioneers severely harassed by Indians. Judge Watts settled near Lexington, and was among the most active and enterprising in defending the infant settlements from the savage invaders. He was engaged in several skirmishes with the Indians, and was in Gen. Harmar's disastrous campaign. In 1796 he removed to Boone County, same State, and served for a number of years as associate judge of the circuit court of that county. Some time in 1800 he engaged in the ministry of the Gospel. In 1816 he became a resident of Dearborn County, Ind., and two years he was elected a member of the Legislature. The next year he was appointed presiding judge of the Indiana Circuit in which he resided. Subsequently he served the people of his county for six years in the State Senate, and then retired from public office of a civil nature. Shortly after settling in Dearborn County, Judge Watts collected a small church on Laughery Creek called the Bear Creek Church, which at first consisted of but seven members. He also preached for several churches that grew up in that vicinity; was one of the delegates that framed the Laughery Association in 1818, and was chosen its moderator, which, with the exception of a few years until he removed out of its bounds in 1834 remained. Though destitute of a classical education, Judge Watts possessed a strong, active and discriminating mind. His death occured September 5, 1834.
NOTE: Although John Watts' wife's maiden name is shown as "Libeau", if you refer to the biography posted for his son, Col. Johnson Watts, you will see it shows her as "Fannie (Sebree) Watts". A possible explanation for this misspelling is given by Bev Golden, a Find A Grave volunteer who posted the memorial page for John Sebree, Fannie's father: "I don't think the misspelling of Frances' maiden name is hard to understand, although I imagine the family was pretty irked when the book was published and they saw it. The biographies submitted by the families were probably mostly handwritten; I'm not sure that even most businesses had typewriters at the time. In the standard handwriting of the time capital 'L' was written exactly like capital 'S'. You just had to know from the context which it was, but Sebree was a very unusual name, so the person who copied it over for the book took his or her best guess. And what American name ends in 'bree'? So they guessed 'beau', which at least is a common French name ending. 'Le Beau' could even mean 'beautiful' or 'handsome'."
Children:
Polly Watts (abt 1789-?), Mildred Johnson Watts (1790-?), Elizabeth Watts (1792-?), Johnson Watts (1794-1871), Sarah Barnett Watts (1796-?), Newton Watts (1800-?), Frances Ann Watts (1803-?), Isaac Watts (1806-1862), Susannah Sebree Watts (1808-1892), Agnes F. Watts (1811-?), John Sebree Watts (1816-1876).
67yrs, 6mos. Born in Virginia. Died near Friendship, Ripley Co.,IN.
"History of Dearborn and Ohio Counties, Indiana: from their earliest settlement: containing a history of the counties, their cities, townships, towns, villages, schoolds, and churches, reminiscences, extracts, etc., local statitics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, biographies, preliminary chapters on history of the Northwest Territory, the state of Indiana, and the Indians." (Chicago: F.E. Weakley & Co., 1885)
REV. JUDGE JOHN WATTS, of Dearborn County, who lived a life of extensive usefulness both in church and state, was born in Culpepper County, Va., March 22, 1767. In December, 1788, he was united in marriage to Frances Libeau, both then members of the Baptist Church. She is an exemplary, pious woman. In 1789 they removed to Kentucky, then almost a wilderness, and the pioneers severely harassed by Indians. Judge Watts settled near Lexington, and was among the most active and enterprising in defending the infant settlements from the savage invaders. He was engaged in several skirmishes with the Indians, and was in Gen. Harmar's disastrous campaign. In 1796 he removed to Boone County, same State, and served for a number of years as associate judge of the circuit court of that county. Some time in 1800 he engaged in the ministry of the Gospel. In 1816 he became a resident of Dearborn County, Ind., and two years he was elected a member of the Legislature. The next year he was appointed presiding judge of the Indiana Circuit in which he resided. Subsequently he served the people of his county for six years in the State Senate, and then retired from public office of a civil nature. Shortly after settling in Dearborn County, Judge Watts collected a small church on Laughery Creek called the Bear Creek Church, which at first consisted of but seven members. He also preached for several churches that grew up in that vicinity; was one of the delegates that framed the Laughery Association in 1818, and was chosen its moderator, which, with the exception of a few years until he removed out of its bounds in 1834 remained. Though destitute of a classical education, Judge Watts possessed a strong, active and discriminating mind. His death occured September 5, 1834.
NOTE: Although John Watts' wife's maiden name is shown as "Libeau", if you refer to the biography posted for his son, Col. Johnson Watts, you will see it shows her as "Fannie (Sebree) Watts". A possible explanation for this misspelling is given by Bev Golden, a Find A Grave volunteer who posted the memorial page for John Sebree, Fannie's father: "I don't think the misspelling of Frances' maiden name is hard to understand, although I imagine the family was pretty irked when the book was published and they saw it. The biographies submitted by the families were probably mostly handwritten; I'm not sure that even most businesses had typewriters at the time. In the standard handwriting of the time capital 'L' was written exactly like capital 'S'. You just had to know from the context which it was, but Sebree was a very unusual name, so the person who copied it over for the book took his or her best guess. And what American name ends in 'bree'? So they guessed 'beau', which at least is a common French name ending. 'Le Beau' could even mean 'beautiful' or 'handsome'."
Children:
Polly Watts (abt 1789-?), Mildred Johnson Watts (1790-?), Elizabeth Watts (1792-?), Johnson Watts (1794-1871), Sarah Barnett Watts (1796-?), Newton Watts (1800-?), Frances Ann Watts (1803-?), Isaac Watts (1806-1862), Susannah Sebree Watts (1808-1892), Agnes F. Watts (1811-?), John Sebree Watts (1816-1876).
"History of Dearborn and Ohio Counties, Indiana: from their earliest settlement: containing a history of the counties, their cities, townships, towns, villages, schoolds, and churches, reminiscences, extracts, etc., local statitics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, biographies, preliminary chapters on history of the Northwest Territory, the state of Indiana, and the Indians." (Chicago: F.E. Weakley & Co., 1885)
REV. JUDGE JOHN WATTS, of Dearborn County, who lived a life of extensive usefulness both in church and state, was born in Culpepper County, Va., March 22, 1767. In December, 1788, he was united in marriage to Frances Libeau, both then members of the Baptist Church. She is an exemplary, pious woman. In 1789 they removed to Kentucky, then almost a wilderness, and the pioneers severely harassed by Indians. Judge Watts settled near Lexington, and was among the most active and enterprising in defending the infant settlements from the savage invaders. He was engaged in several skirmishes with the Indians, and was in Gen. Harmar's disastrous campaign. In 1796 he removed to Boone County, same State, and served for a number of years as associate judge of the circuit court of that county. Some time in 1800 he engaged in the ministry of the Gospel. In 1816 he became a resident of Dearborn County, Ind., and two years he was elected a member of the Legislature. The next year he was appointed presiding judge of the Indiana Circuit in which he resided. Subsequently he served the people of his county for six years in the State Senate, and then retired from public office of a civil nature. Shortly after settling in Dearborn County, Judge Watts collected a small church on Laughery Creek called the Bear Creek Church, which at first consisted of but seven members. He also preached for several churches that grew up in that vicinity; was one of the delegates that framed the Laughery Association in 1818, and was chosen its moderator, which, with the exception of a few years until he removed out of its bounds in 1834 remained. Though destitute of a classical education, Judge Watts possessed a strong, active and discriminating mind. His death occured September 5, 1834.
NOTE: Although John Watts' wife's maiden name is shown as "Libeau", if you refer to the biography posted for his son, Col. Johnson Watts, you will see it shows her as "Fannie (Sebree) Watts". A possible explanation for this misspelling is given by Bev Golden, a Find A Grave volunteer who posted the memorial page for John Sebree, Fannie's father: "I don't think the misspelling of Frances' maiden name is hard to understand, although I imagine the family was pretty irked when the book was published and they saw it. The biographies submitted by the families were probably mostly handwritten; I'm not sure that even most businesses had typewriters at the time. In the standard handwriting of the time capital 'L' was written exactly like capital 'S'. You just had to know from the context which it was, but Sebree was a very unusual name, so the person who copied it over for the book took his or her best guess. And what American name ends in 'bree'? So they guessed 'beau', which at least is a common French name ending. 'Le Beau' could even mean 'beautiful' or 'handsome'."
Children:
Polly Watts (abt 1789-?), Mildred Johnson Watts (1790-?), Elizabeth Watts (1792-?), Johnson Watts (1794-1871), Sarah Barnett Watts (1796-?), Newton Watts (1800-?), Frances Ann Watts (1803-?), Isaac Watts (1806-1862), Susannah Sebree Watts (1808-1892), Agnes F. Watts (1811-?), John Sebree Watts (1816-1876).
Inscription
John Watts
died
Sept 5, 1834
Aged 67 Years
And 5 Months
Family Members
Siblings
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