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The Biographical Record of Livingston and
Woodford Counties, Illinois (S.J.Clarke Pub. Co., 1900)
Thomas Cribben
Among the representative farmers and influential citizens of
Palestine township, Woodford county, Illinois, is the subject of
this review, who owns a valuable and highly productive farm of four
hundred and forty-seven acres on sections 15, 22 and 27. He was born
in the village of Ballybane, parish of Annaugh, County Mayo,
Ireland, on the 7th day of January, 1847, and is of pure Irish
ancestry. His father, James Cribben, was born in the parish of Baken,
County Mayo, and was reared to agricultural pursuits in his native
county. There he was married, in March, 1845, to Miss Bridget Tarpy,
who was born and reared not far from the home of her husband. Her
parents, William and Honora (Raftery) Tarpy, were closely allied to
some of the best families of Counties Mayo and Galway, her mother
being a native of the city of Galway. Her paternal grandfather,
Thomas Tarpy, had some of the best Irish blood flowing in his veins,
and it has been transmitted to a number of American families of the
same name who have figured quite prominently both in church and
state. He married Margaret Murphy, whose ancestors were prominent
and highly respected citizens of County Mayo for more than two
centuries and were closely allied to the O'Connors of County
Roscommon, of which the last monarch of Ireland was a kinsman. The
celebrated Charles O'Connor, of New York City, who died a few years
ago, also belonged to this family. Mrs. Cribben's father died when
she was only eight years of age, leaving eight children to the care
of the widowed mother, who reared them carefully and conscientiously
to honest and worthy lives.
After their marriage James Cribben and wife began housekeeping on a
farm in County Mayo, where their only child, our subject, was born.
In 1849 they set sail for America, embarking at Liverpool, but
before they reached their destination the father died, after an
illness of ten days duration, and his remains were buried at sea.
The mother and son pursued their sad and melancholy journey, finally
reaching New York city after six weeks spent upon the water, and at
once proceeded to Savannah, Georgia, where some relatives of the
father had settled. Suffering under a sense of loss and bereavement,
Mrs. Cribben returned not long afterward to her native land where
she remained for a period of two years, then leaving her son with
his grandmother, she once more crossed the Atlantic, settling this
time in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Five years later she
married John Connell, a native of Black Rock, County Cork, Ireland,
who had emigrated to the United States when a young man. Soon after
their marriage, they came to Illinois, and after spending a short
time in La Salle county they located upon the present farm of our
subject in Palestine township, Woodford county, in 1863. Their
efforts in building up a home were crowned with success, and they
became quite prosperous. Mr. Connell died at his homestead in
Palestine township, April 17, 1879, at about the age of sixty0five
years. He was an honest, hardworking, temperate man, and highly
respected by his neighbors. In politics he was a Democrat, and in
religious belief a Roman Catholic. Mrs. Bridget Connell, who resides
on the home place with our subject, is an old lady of more than
average intelligence and a devout member of the Roman Catholic
church, in which she was reared from childhood. For the past fifteen
years or more she has been an invalid, and is greatly loved by all
for her Christian character and kindness of heart.
Thomas Cribben, our subject, was given a good education while with
his grandmother in Ireland, under the instruction of a gentleman who
had been his mother's teacher during her girlhood, and who lived to
be over one hundred years of age. In 1859 he again came to the
United States, and proceeded at once to the home of his mother and
stepfather in Rutland, La Salle county, Illinois. He came with the
family to Palestine township, Woodford county, in 1863, and aided in
the accumulation of a fine property. He has devoted his life in a
great measure to the care and comfort of his mother, to whom he is
greatly attached, and in consequence has remained single.
Mr. Cribben is a faithful adherent of the doctrines of the Roman
Catholic church, in which he was reared, and in politics has been a
lifelong Democrat. He has held all the local offices and has
represented Palestine township in the county board of supervisors
continuously since 1884. He was a member of the finance and building
committee in the erection of the court house in Eureka in 18972, the
county seat having been changed from Metamora to Eureka, and he
devoted a great deal of his time to the details of building of that
fine structure, which is now entirely paid for. During his service
as a member of the board of supervisors, he served as chairman of
that body two years, at the expiration of which time his fellow
members presented him with an elegant gold-headed cane as a token of
their appreciation. This is the only incident of that kind that has
taken place during the existence of that official body. He served as
chairman of the Democratic central committee about fifteen years.
For the past twenty years Mr Cribben has practically lived a retired
life, his several farms being operated by tenants. He resides on the
old homestead on section 22, where he has surrounded himself and
mother with all the comforts of life.
Transcribed and donated by Amy Robbins-Tjaden
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