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William Hanvy, farmer and stock raiser of Big River Township, Jefferson
County, Mo., was born there in 1827, and is the son of James and Margaret 

(Herrington) Hanvy.  The former was born in South Carolina, about
1790, and at the age of twenty-nine or thirty came to Jefferson County,
where he was married about 1824.  He then entered a tract of land in 
Big River Township, ten miles northwest of Hillsboro, where he improved
a good farm, and where he made his future home.  He died in 1873.  He
was a life long farmer, one of the early settlers of Jones Creek, and
served five years in the Seminole and other Indian Wars.  The mother 
was born in Central Township, in 1804, and is still living. Her parents
were Isaac and Sallie Herrington, who were among the very earliest of
settlers to Jefferson County, which place they both came when young.
William grew to manhood with little or no educational advantages.  He
was married in 1863 to Miss Nancy Davis, daughter of Joshua and Eliza
Davis, a native of Jefferson County, as were her parents.  The following 

ten children were born to Mr. Hanvy's marriage: Eliza; Margaret, wife of 

John Lefter; Viola, Vianna, Amanda, James, William, Lawson,Bertha and 

Martha.  Mr. Hanvy has spent his entire life on the farm on which his 

father settled over sixty years ago, and now owns over 500 acres of land.  

He is a Democrat in politics, and one of the foremost farmers of the county.