Stephen Hussey

  General Notes:

JOHN M. HUSSEY, publisher, New Vicuna. The Hussey family came into England in 1066, during the Norman conquest with William the Conqueror, with whom they claimed blood alliance For several centuries, they were closely identified with the government of England, several having been members of Parliament. Sir William Hussey was Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench, and was summoned to Parliament under Henry VIII. His son John was made Chief Butler of England. In 1316, Sir Hugh Hussey went to Ireland, and from him descended the family of Husseys in that country. Capt. Christopher Hussey came from England to America in 1630, in company with Stephen Bachelder and others and settled in Nantucket, and afterward married Martha, daughter of Stephen Bachelder, from whom descended the family of Husseys in the United States; and Christopher, Stephen and Martha have been family names ever since. Some of their descendants went into Pennsylvania. Christopher Hussey removed from Bucks County, Penn., to North Carolina with his two sons, Stephen and Christopher. Stephen married in North Carolina, and had four sons-Christopher, Stephen, Joshua and William ; the latter remained in his native State, while the father, with his three elder sons, came to what was then Highland County, Ohio. About 1807, Stephen Hussey settled on the site where New Vienna now stands, and his son Joshua adjoining him on the south. Joshua had four sons, two of whom were born in North Carolina, vie., Thomas, born in 1800, and Stephen, born October 22, 1804 (the father of our subject), and William and Nathan, born after they came to Ohio. Thomas Hussey subsequently came in possession of the farm formerly owned by his grandfather, and laid out the town of New Vienna in the spring of 1827. He and his father built a flouring mill in the year 1825 in what was afterward the east ern part of the village. In the spring of 1828, Stephen Hussey, father of our subject, and William Reece opened the first store, and the former sold the first dress pattern ever sold in the village to Miss Nancy Harris, of Snow Hill. In the fall of 1829, he was married to Rachel Thornburg, and then removed to his farm just east of the village, where he devoted himself to agricultural pursuits during the active portion of his life. About the year 1868, he sold his farm and removed to town, where he has since lived retired, and invested his money in stock of the New Vienna Bank, in which he has held the place of a Director since. He is an earnest and consistent member of the Society of Friends, in which church he has been an Elder for more than twenty-five years. They had five children, three of whom died in early life, leaving one daughter--Martha Ann, born January 15, 1834, and one son, John M., born February 6, 1838. In the spring of 1865, Martha Ann was married to Daniel Hill, who, in connection with John M. Hussey, opened a dry goods store in New Vienna in 1866, and continued the same until 1870, when they disposed of their stock of goods, and then started a publishing house, where the periodicals of orthodox Friends are published. After continuing this business for two years, it was turned over to Mr. Hussey, who continues the publication of the three church papers, vie., Christian Worker, Olive Leaf and Bible Lesson Leaf, and a local paper known as the New Vienna Record. In addition to the above, he prints the Messenger of Peace and a large amount of tract work for the Peace Associstion of Friends, of which Daniel Hill is Secretary. In the spring o£ 1879, J. M. Hussey formed a partnership with Dr. A. H. Lindley for carrying on a general drug business in New Vienna, which, at the end of two years, had been sufficiently prosperous to justify them in establishing two branch houses, one at Centerville, in Clinton County, and one at Leesburg, Highland County. He has also been for several years past identified with the banking interest of the place. On December 2'2, 1864, Mr. Hussey married Anna R. Fall, who was born in Wabash County, Ind., October 2, 1843, a daughter of John and Anna Fall, he a native of Preble County, Ohio, and she of Virginia ; they became among the early settlers of that county, where they still continue to reside. They had six children; five now survive-S. Martin, Daniel, Anna R., Jacob and John. Mr. Hussey and wife have two children-Homer F., born June 8, 1869, and Mary Inda, born June 17, 1876. Mr. Hussey is an active, earnest worker, and in the business interests of New Vienna and in the growth and prosperity of the town has been one of her leading citizens. His printing establishment is one of the largest and most completely furnished of anything of the kind outside of the large cities.

Stephen married Rachel Brown Thornbrough, daughter of John Thornbrough and Elizabeth Beals, on 22 Oct 1829 in Lees Creek, Highland, Ohio. (Rachel Brown Thornbrough was born on 27 Jun 1809 in Highland, Ohio, USA and died on 12 May 1896 in Richmond, Wayne, Indiana, USA.)