JOHN HUGHES, retired farmer, is a native of Washington county, Penn., having been born in Amwell township, May 15, 1821. His grandfather, John Hughes, a native of Ireland, came to the United States when a young man, and participated in the Revolutionary war in the capacity of captain. He married Miss Sarah Wiley, who bore him seven children: Thomas, James, Barnabas, Samuel, John, Annie and Isabella. The parents of this family both died in Washington county, and are buried in the VanKirk graveyard in Amwell township. Barnabas Hughes, third son of Capt. John Hughes, was born in Amwell township, Washington Co., Penn., where he was reared to agricultural pursuits, attending during a few weeks in winter time the schools of the district. He married Annie VanKirk, of his native township, and they had seven children born to them, viz.: James, William, Thomas, John (our subject), Sarah (Mrs. Moninger), Mary (Mrs. J. C. Chambers) and Margaret (Mrs. Ross, formerly of Indiana), all now deceased except John. The parents died in Amwell township, the mother at the age of sixty-six years, and the father some years later at the age of eighty-six. They were members of the Christian Church, and in politics Mr. Hughes was for some time a Jacksonian Democrat, but of later years voted the Republican ticket. John Hughes, the subject of this sketch, spent his early life on the farm, attending during the winter months the elementary schools of his district, after which he entered Washington College, from which he graduated in 1843, taking a classical course. He then returned to the farm and renewed his life vocation. He taught school for some time. In 1855 he removed from Amwell township, having bought the Nichol farm in Franklin township, which in 1886 he disposed of, and then moved into the borough of Washington, where he now resides. In 1845, Mr. Hughes was united in marriage with Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel Nichol, of Franklin township, and they had three children born to them: Franklin and Samuel, both of whom died while young, and Mary, living with her parents. The family are members of the Christian Church, in which for forty years Mr. Hughes has been an elder. Politically he was first a Republican, but now votes the straight Prohibition ticket.

Text taken from page 1126 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed March 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project. Published March 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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