Descendants of John and Theodocia (nee John) NICHOLAS of Bletherston

http://archive.org/stream/historyofcusterc00gast/historyofcusterc00gast_djvu.txt

Extract from: HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

A NARRATIVE OF THE PAST, WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS UPON THE PIONEER PERIOD OF THE COUNTY'S HISTORY, ITS SOCIAL, COMMERCIAL. EDUCATIONAL, RELIGIOUS, AND CIVIC DEVELOPMENT FROM THE EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT TIME

BY W. L. GASTON AND A. R. HUMPHREY

LINCOLN, NEBRASKA WESTERN PUBLISHING AND ENGRAVING COMPANY

1919

BENJAMIN L. NICHOLAS, a practical and enterprising farmer and stock-raiser of the Mason City community of Custer county, owns and operates 880 acres of land, constituting one of the valuable and highly improved farms of the locality. Thesepossessions have been acquired through the medium of the efforts of Mr. Nicholas and the members of his family and as the result of his consecutive endeavor he has won a place among the substantial citizens of his adopted county- Mr. Nicholaswas born on Hollowav farm, near Narberth. Wales. March 10. 1856.

He is a son of Thomas and Martha (Lewis') Nicholas, and a grandson of Edward Nicholas and Evan Lewis, all of whom passed their entire lives in Wales. Thomas Nicholas was a successful farmer, a well known and highly esteemed citizen, a liberal inpolitics, and he and his wife were faithful members of the Calvanistic Methodist church. Of their eighteen children, six are living, and Benjamin L. was the only one to come to the United States. Benjamin L. Nicholas was given a liberaleducation in his youth, including attendance at the high school,- and was a bright scholar with a quick and retentive mind, samples of his penmanship at the age of thirteen years, as preserved in a beautiful book kept by himself, giving evidencethat he was greatly advanced at that time. He was reared on his father's farm, and on February 28, 1881, he wedded Miss Margaret Beynon, who was born at Merthyr Tydvil. South Wales, August 28, 1857, a daughter of Rev. John and Ann (Williams)Beynon, the father having been a minister of the Congregational church. Rev. John and Ann (Williams) Beynon became the parents of four children — Edward, who is deceased ; Mary, who died in infancy ; David John, who is a clergyman of theCongregational church and who is at the time of this writing a resident of Southampton, England; and Margaret, who is the wife of Benjamin L. Nicholas, the subject of this review. Almost immediately after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Nicholassailed for the United States, and within the year 1881 they arrived in Kansas, where they homesteaded a tract of eighty acres. This they subsequently relinquished, to come to Custer county, Nebraska, where, in 1884, they pre-empted aquarter-section of land. At the time of their arrival they had but two cows, and their first residence was a sod house, but Mr. Nicholas' ability, industry, and perseverance, with the assistance of his worthy wife, succeeded in overcoming allobtsacles, and he kept adding to his land until he now has 880 acres. The sod house was abandoned for a more commodious and comfortable dwelling, and the buildings are now all modern in character, while the other improvements are of the latesttype. Around the residence are numerous shade-trees, which greatly add to the attractiveness of this country estate, and which were planted by Mr. Nicholas himself. He carries on general farming in the main, and also raises all kinds of livestock, and he has been very successful in both departments of farm enterprise. As a citizen he has taken an active part in the life and government of the community, having been justice of the peace for a time and a member of the board of countycommissioners for six years, in addition to which he has rendered valuable service to the community as a member of the school board.

In this connection it may be said that he has always been a great friend of education, and that all of his children are high-school graduates, while some have taken normal-school courses. Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas are members of the Baptist church.He is affiliated with the Mason City blue lodge of the Masonic fraternity, and with the Modem Woodmen of America. Concerning the children of Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas the following brief record is consistently entered :

Martha Ann is the wife of E. G. Burrows, of Mason City.
2. Mary Theodosia is the wife of Nels Peterson, manager of the Burrows store at Mason City.
Margaret Britannia is the wife of Carl G. Bunnell, who is in the service of the Standard Oil Company, at Fargo, North Dakota.
Sarah Jane, a talented teacher of music, is now at the parental home.
Alice Ursula, who was formerly a popular teacher in the public schools of Mullin and Broken Bow, on the 1st of October, 1918, went to Fort Riley, Kansas, in the capacity of Red Cross nurse.
Gwendolyn Irene is the wife of W. J. Beachy, who was formerly superintendent of the public schools at Ansley, Custer county, and who for two years thereafter held the position of superintendent of the schools at Davenport, this state : hethen took a radio course, in preparation for service in connection with the nation's participation in the world war, and at the time when the great conflict came to a close he was attached to the Forty-sixth Corps, in California.
Elizabeth Marion is the wife of John C. Eloe, a prosperous fanner in Custer county.
John Thomas, who was graduated in the Alason City schools and who later passed one year as a student in the Grand Island Baptist College, was a member of the Students Army Training Corps at the Nebraska State Normal School in Kearney at thetime when the war closed.
William Lewis, who likewise was graduated in the Mason City high school, remains at the parental home.

BENJAMIN L. NICHOLAS.

Benjamin L. Nicholas is one of the original homesteaders of Custer county, Nebraska, still residing on his original farm. He passed through the experiences of those who were living in the county during the years of drouth and bard times, and byclose economy and native thrift, managed to make a good start as a farmer and ranchman, being now one of the most prosperous men of the region. He was born on an estate known as Holloway, near Narbeth, Pembrokeshire, Wales, March 10, 1856, being eleventh in the order of birth of the eighteen children of Thomas and Martha (Lewis) Nicholas, who had nine sons and nine daughters. His parents are deceased, but he has two brothers and four sisters living in Wales. Mr. Nicholas grew to manhoodon a farm in his native country, and there married, February 28, 1881, Miss Margaret Beynon, a native of Merthyr, Tydvl, in Glamorganshire where Mr. Nicholas served on the police force for six years. Her parents were John and Ann (Williams)Beynon, who died in their native country. In April of the same year, the young couple came to America, sailing from Liverpool for New York in the "Boothnia," landing after a voyage of nine days. They are the only members of the Nicholas orBeynon families to leave Wales for the United States. Mrs. Nicholas has two brothers living, one in England, the Rev. D. J. Beynon, of the Congregational church, and one in Wales, but her parents are deceased.

Mr. Nicholas and wife first settled in Pottawattamie county, Kansas, remaining on an eighty acre farm on Buckshot creek until April, 1884, when they came to Custer county with their two children, taking a pre-emption claim on the southeastquarter of section eight, township thirteen, range eighteen, where they have made their home since. They now own a well-improved and equipped grain and stock farm of eight hundred acres, having a comfortable home and pleasant surroundings. Mr.Nicholas has been very successful in raising cattle and hogs, as well as small grain. He is established in the confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens, and he and his wife have always taken an active interest in church and school. Theyassisted in the organization of the first church and Sunday school in their vicinity, and Mr. Nicholas has served some time on the school board, being at the present time treasurer of district number two hundred and forty-four. In 1891 to 1894he served as a memberof the county board of supervisors, and has served one term since then. He and his family are among the best known pioneers of the county, and are highly respected by all.

Nine children have been born to Mr. Nicholas and wife: Martha Anne, born in Kansas, is the wife of Edwin Burrows, an enterprising merchant of Mason City, and they have three children; Mary Theodosia, also born in Kansas, is the wife of NelsPeterson, of Mason City, and has two children; Margaret Brittania, born in Custer county, is the wife of Carlton Bunnell, living near Detroit. Minnesota, and has one child; Sarah Jane, a teacher of music, is taking the musical course at theGrand Island Baptist College; Alice Ursula, taught two years, and is now attending the State Normal at Kearney; Gwendolyn Irene, Elizabeth Marian, John T. and William L. were all born on the home farm. Four of the daughters have taught school,and most of them are graduates of the Mason City High School.

Source: ­http­://­www­.­usgennet­.­org­/­usa­/­ne­/­topic­/­resources­/­OLLibrary­/­Comp_NE­/­cmp0787­.­htm­

Map of Holloway: ­http­://­www­.­streetmap­.­co­.­uk­/­streetmap­.­dll­?­G2M­?­X­=­209500­&­Y­=­222500­&­A­=­Y­&­Z­=­4­) ­http­://­local­.­live­.­com­/­default­.­aspx­?­v­=­2­&­cp­=­51­.­869569­~-­4­.­785823­&­style­=­a­&­lvl­=­16­&­tilt­=-­90­&­dir­=­0­&­alt­=-­1000­

SS Bothnia: ­http­://­www­.­clydesite­.­co­.­uk­/­clydebuilt­/­viewship­.­asp­?­id­=­528­