ENNIS-William W. - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

William W. ENNIS, insurance agent, Attica, son of William and Mary (CRISSY) ENNIS, was born September 2, 1810. The ENNISES were Irish. Two brothers, William and John, emigrated to America before the revolution and settled in New York city. When the war broke out John remained a royalist, but William joined the patriots and went into the military service. He was taken prisoner by Lord HOWE and confined in the old Jersey prison-ship three months. He lost his property, most of which his brother got. His son William, father of the subject of this sketch, was a soldier through the war of 1812, and served in the 7th reg. N.Y. Art., doing garrison duty at Castle Garden. In 1818 he moved to Indiana and settled in Randolph county, where he cleared land and made a home. He moved to Winchester, the county seat, and lived there several years, working at his trade of shoemaking. About 1833 he moved to Dayton, Ohio, where he passed the remainder of his life, and died in 1841. Mr. ENNIS was reared a farmer. In 1830 he celebrated his marriage, at Winchester, with Sarah, daughter of David WRIGHT, and niece of Judge John WRIGHT, afterward of Illinois. She died in 1832, leaving one child, which also died shortly afterward. In 1835 he came to Fountain county and settled near Pleasant Hill, Montgomery county. He farmed there a little while, and then moved to Pleasant Hill and engaged in merchandising two years. In 1847 he removed to Attica, where he has since made his home. During six years of his residence in this place he was selling dry goods, and the next seven years boots and shoes. For many years now he has been in the insurance business. He filled the office of township trustee twelve or fourteen years in succession. When he lived in Richland township he was justice of the peace one term of four years. He was married a second time, in 1837, to Miss Rebecca, daughter of Samuel MEEK, an old settler of Fountain county. They have had one son and four daughters: Almira, John W., Emma, Laura and Julia. Almira is the wife of James H. FINFROCK, of Attica, and John W. is an artist, and lives at Delphi. Mr. ENNIS is a republican. He and his wife and two daughters are Presbyterians, and one daughter is a Methodist.