William Sharpe Biography

    In an attempt to fill in some blanks in the family tree, I Googled the wife of William Sharpe, Betsy's older brother. Jessie Gertrude Oxley wed William Sharpe, Jr. in 1875 in Morris County. Unusual names like Oxley often tempt me to Google them.(In a side note, there apparently is now a Jessie Oxley who's an avid runner and one studying film in London.) But as I sifted through the results, I found the Jessie Oxley I needed.

Jessie & Billy Sharpe, 1927, Topeka

 Within a more than 1200 page Google scanned book, Portrait and Biographical Album of Washington, Clay and Riley Counties, was a section detailing the life of William and Jessie Oxley Sharpe. The book was published by the Chapman Brothers of Chicago and copyrighted in 1885. Although when I downloaded the excerpt it says 1890 as the copyright.

WILLIAM SHARPE, President of the Farmers and Merchants' Bank at Clay Centre, is likewise owner of the bank building and a fine residence, the latter being situated at the intersection of Sixth and Dexter streets. Mr. Sharpe is of English birth and parentage, having first opened his eyes to the light at New Bolingbroke, Lincolnshire, England, Sept. 30, 1851. As a boy he was ambitious and bright beyond his years, and at the age of fourteen went alone to the great city of London and commenced working at whatever he could find to do to earn an honest living. He was first an errand boy then a grocer's clerk, and finally resolved upon coming to America with his parents, who, upon reaching the United States, made their way directly to Kansas, settling in Junction City in March, 1870.

             This is almost all new information for me. The Sharpes lived near Mareham le Fen, an area a good 130 miles north of London. One of the notes in my copy of the Sharpe Bible is that William at the age of 18 was baptized at a large Baptist Church in London, close to the Thames and Parliament. That fact has always been an oddity to me because first it was in London, second it wasn't a Methodist Church and third Methodist Church believes you only need one Baptism. My thought was that the family might have been in London to book their passage to America. But the fact that I like the most is the date of travel to America as March 1870. The various Sharpes when responding to the census taker's questions about when they emigrated, give a range of dates from 1869 to 1871. No one is consistent. The question regarding year of immigration doesn't appear until the 1890 census, many of which were destroyed in a fire. I haven't found any US Census forms for the Sharpes from that census. By the 1900 census, more than 30 years had passed.

Later, the parents of our subject removed to Morris County, Kan., and William commenced working for B. Rockwell, of Junction City, with whom he remained two years and secured an education by attending a night-school. Subsequently he became the employee of Hall and Porter, druggists, with whom he remained three years. In the meantime he was married Dec. 4, 1875, to Miss Jessie Gertrude Oxley, the wedding taking place near Council Grove, Morris County.

In 1876 Mr. Sharpe with his young wife came to Clay Centre and set up in the drug business for himself, being one of the first to establish a regular store of this kind in the place, and located in a 30-foot store on Lincoln Ave. Six years later he purchased some real estate on Fifth street, where he did business from 1883 until 1885. He then put up a fine brick building on that street opposite the public square, but later sold out his drug-store and took part in the active management of the bank on the 1st of January, 1886, although he had been its president since May, 1882, and interested in the concern since 1879.

During the summer of 1886 Mr. Sharpe and his family sought the Pacific Slope, spending the summer in California, and since that time they have traveled over most of the United States.

Mr. Sharpe established himself in Clay Centre, with a capital of $175, but his credit was good and his character irreproachable, and he also possessed the good-will of Dr. C. W. Lindner, who was of great assistance to him in building up a lucrative trade. He preserved his old-time habits of temperance and spent his evenings as far as possible at his home with his family, escaping thus the many temptations which are thrown around young men. He is a man very fond of his home and his family, which consists now of only his estimable wife, their only child, Eula Maude, having died March 1, 1880, when three years old. 

Mrs. Jessie G. (Oxley) Sharpe was born in Bethel, Fairmount Co., Ohio, Nov. 6, 1857, and is the daughter of Robert H. and Rebecca (Ford) Oxley, with whom she lived in Ohio until 1871, and then the family removed to Morris County. Robert Oxley was born in Fairmount County, Ohio, where he was reared a farmer's boy, and when reaching man's estate was married to Miss Ford, a native of the same county. The latter died March 4, 1889, at the age of fifty-two years. Mr. Oxley is still living and makes his home in Missouri. 

William Sharpe, the father of our subject, was likewise a native of Lincolnshire. England, and married Miss Rebecca Mutton.(sic) They reared a family of twelve children, of whom William was the eldest born, and all of whom came to the United States. William Sharpe is still living, having attained to the age of seventy-one years. His wife died in 1881, aged fifty-two years. 
Portrait and Biographical Album

     This may be more than you wanted to know about Betsy's older brother, but I had a hard time cutting it.