Robert Jarman, a prominent and substantial farmer of Shaw's
Point township, Macoupin County, owning a magnificent farm of 400 acres,
situated in sections 23, 24 and 27, has long been one of the leading men of
his section of the county. Mr. Jarman was born May 2, 1833, in Devonshire,
England, and is a son of Phillip and Elizabeth (Sloman) Jarman.
Phillip Jarman was born in England and spent his whole life in that country.
He learned the mason's trade and was employed almost all his life on one of
the big Devonshire estates. He was almost 90 years of age at the time of his
demise and had been for years a consistent member of the Church of England.
He was the father of eight children, namely: William, of Alton, Illinois;
Phillip, of Devonshire, England; Mary, who died in England in youth;
Margaret (1) and Margaret (2), both of whom died young; Robert, of this
sketch; John, who died at Pana, Illinois; and Isaac, who died at
Carlinville.
Robert Jarman was reared in what is probably the most
beautiful part of England, but it did not offer sufficient business
opportunities for such a young man as was our subject at the age of 20
years, and he decided to cross the ocean in search of better conditions.
Taking passage in the saiHng ship "Rose of Plymouth," bound from Plymouth to
Quebec, he finally reached his destination after a voyage of seven weeks and
two days, being detained on the shores of Newfoundland for 21 days by dense
fogs. Before finally settling in Macoupin County, Mr. Jarman visited a
number of places and engaged in various employments. From Quebec he went to
Montreal, then to Ogdensburg, New York, thence in turn to Buffalo, Detroit
and Chicago. When he landed at the last named town, at that time rather
uninviting, he possessed $15. He soon secured farm work at Waukegan,
Illinois, and then pressed on as far into the agricultural regions as Alton.
There he was engaged in a butcher shop for two years and then engaged again
in farming, passing lo years in Jersey County. In 1860 Mr. Jarman came first
to Macoupin County and bought a farm in Honey Point township, but four years
later purchased 120 acres in Shaw's Point township, to which he has added
until it now aggregates 400 acres. This is unquestionably one of the finest
farms in the county and all its valuable improvements have been placed here
by Mr. Jarman. It is known as the Hill Stock Farm and its products are known
over a wide extent. Mr. Jarman has been much interested in the breeding of
fine horses and at one time kept three thorough-bred stallions. Recently he
has made an addition to his stables of a fine stallion for which he paid
$500, although it is but 11 months old. His present stable includes 13 head
of horses and two mules. He keeps from 80 to 100 head of Shorthorn cattle,
100 head of Berkshire hogs and many Oxford-Down and Cotswold sheep. He feeds
all his own stock and cultivates 100 acres of corn, 40 acres of wheat and 25
of oats. Mr. Jarman farms in a scientific manner and thoroughly understands
agriculture in all its branches. With intelligent, successful agriculturists
like Mr. Jarman, farming is much more than the holding of the plow,
planting, and reaping, and his wonderful success may in part be attributed
to the close study he has given to soil, drainage, climate and the kindred
subjects, included in prosperous agricultural operations.
In the
fall of 1864, Mr. Jarman enlisted for service in the Civil War, in Company
K, 144th Reg., Illinois Vol. Inf., under Captain Usted, and until ill and
sent to the hospital at St. Louis, he did guard duty at Alton and St. Louis,
being mustered out May 24, 1865.
On March 4, 1861, Mr. Jarman was
married to Selinda McDow, who was born April 28, 1835, in Jersey County,
Illinois, and is a daughter of Thomas and Mary (Lindsey) McDow, natives of
North Carolina and Kentucky, respectively. Nine children were born to this
union, of whom the following have been reared: Maggie M., who married
William Rose, of Shaw's Point township, and has two children, Mary E. and
Robert R.; Elmer E., a resident of California, who married Emma Ebert and
has three children, Eddie, Fred and Flossie; Carrie Eliza, who died at the
age of 20 years in 1888; Laura, who married William Heifer, of Jacksonville,
Illinois; Charles O., who married Sophia Heifer, and has four children —
Blanche, Fern, Robert E. and Dale; and Myrtle, who married Hurley Herselman
and resides in Montgomery County, Illinois. Mrs. Jarman is a consistent
member of the Christian Church of Shaw's Point and is a lady very generally
esteemed.
Mr. Jarman is a member of the Shaw's Point H. T. D. S. and
the Farmers' Mutual Benefit Association. He belongs to the local G. A. R.
Post and attended the late National Encampment held at San Francisco,
California. During his absence from home Mr. Jarman took occasion to travel
extensively through the West, and visited many points of interest. He is one
of the most progressive and valued citizens of Macoupin County, and sustains
the reputation of being at all times ready to aid, financially or otherwise,
the' benevolent or public spirited enterprises of his community.
Extracted 2018 May 05 by Norma Hass from Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Macoupin County, Illinois, published in 1904, pages 100-102.
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