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WILLIAM KING. This is a familiar name throughout Coldwater Township and vicinity, he who bears it being one of the prominent and well-to-do residents. A native of Kent County, England, he was born May 15, 1829, and is the son of George and Martha King, natives of Kent, and who there sepnt their last days.

The paternal grandfather of our subject, George King, Sr., also a native of County Kent, was a farmer by occupation, and spent his life upon his native soil. William, our subject, was the sixth of ten children, four sons and six daughters, all of whom lived to obtain mature years. The sons all came to America. John settled in Rochester, N.Y., later went to Missouri and the Indian Territory, and died in the latter place about 1876. George and Thomas are well-to-do residents of Syracuse, N.Y., where they have pleasant homes. The daughters are living mostly in Kent, England.

Mr. King, our subject, took upon himself the care of life at a very early age, going out to work when he was but six or seven years old, receiving but a penny a day. When fourteen to sixteen years old he earned about L5 or a little less than $25 per year. He resided in his native county until twenty years of age, then resolving to seek his fortunes on another continent, embarked on a sailing-vessel at London, and seven weeks later landed in New York City. Thence he proceeded to Syracuse, where he arrived with about twenty shillings in his pocket. He at once found employment, however, and the following spring engaged to work on a farm adjacent to the city for $12 per month.

The Empire State continued the home of our subject until 1854, then making his way to Southern Michigan he located in the little village of Coldwater, and enetered the employ fo Gen. Clinton B. Fisk, with whom he remained in town for a period of six years. Then, going onto the farm of the latter, he became manager of that, and was thus occupied until 1868. That year, with the capital which he had saved, he purchased the land which he now occupies. This is pleasantly located on a portion of section 2, and is supplied with good farm buildings. The land is in a high state of cultivation and is the source of a handsome income.

Mrs. Kind, who was formerly Miss Kate O'Meara, became the wife of our subject on the 20th of August, 1858, the wedding being celebrated at the Fisk homestead. She was born near the city of Quebec, Canada, March 6, 1836, and is the daughter of Patrick and Mary (Bergen) O'Meara, the former a native of Kings County, Ireland. Of this union there are six children living: Mattie, Harvey, Mary, William, Charles and Fanny.

The father of Mrs. King, when a youth of sixteen years left Ireland, and going over into England was employed as the body servant of a gentleman until he was twenty-five years old. He then embarked as a sailor and followed the sea a number of years. He finally settled in Canada and purchased 300 acres of land twelve miles southwest of London, where he was one of the early pioneers. He brought a goodly amount of this to a state of cultivation and lived there until 1841. He then changed his residence to London, purchasing thirty-five acres, which is now included in the city limits, but which he sold in 1845, and coming to Detroit resided there until 1849. Subsequently he lived in Coldwater for a time, but in 1854, bound to take in the whole of the continent, moved to California, overland, and engaged in mining the greater part of the time for four years. Then returning to Coldwater, he visited among his relatives and children a year or so, but starting on his return to California, via the Isthmus, died on the voyage and received an ocean burial.

The mother of our subject was before her marriage Miss Mary Bergen, a native of Queens County, Ireland, and the daughter of John and Mary Bergen. She was left an orphan when four years of age, and when a girl of eleven came to America with a cousin, and was married when fourteen years of age. She is still living, making her home in Coldwater, and is now seventy-three years old. Our subject and his wife, with five of their children, are members in good standing of the Episcopal Church, while their daughter Mattie finds religious consolation in the doctrines of the Close Communion Baptists.