History of Neville, (Clermont County) Ohio United States of America

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Julius Augustus Penn, Attorney-at-Law, was born in Neville, Clermont county, Ohio, May 13th, 1818. He was the oldest child in a family of eleven children, whose parents were Elijah T. Penn and Philenia (Walriven) Penn. His father, a native of Frederick county, Maryland, followed through life agricultural pursuits, and in 1811 settled in Washington Township, Clermont county, Ohio, where he has since resided. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, and made three trips to New Orleans in a flatboat, returning thence on foot. His mother, a native of Mason county, Kentucky, removed in 1798 to Ohio with her father, Samuel Walriven, when she was but one year old, finding a home in Franklin township, Clermont county. Her grandfather, James Sargent, a member of the first Constitutional Convention of Ohio, and for several years a member of the Legislature, also, in 1798, settled in the same township. On both sides of the house his ancestors were among the pioneer settlers of this section of the State, and his forefathers, on the maternal side, were active participants in the Revolutionary struggle. His early education was liberal, and was received at the common schools and high school of his native county. Until he had attained his majority, he assisted his father in laboring on the farm. In 1839 he left the paternal acres, and began life on his own resources, as a school teacher in Felicity in Clermont county, where he was engaged in educational labors during the ensuing two years. While occupied as a teacher, he applied himself also to the study of law, and in 1842 was admitted to the bar, whereupon he entered on the practice of his profession in Batavia, Clermont county. After his admission, in order to secure the means to embrace more comfortably professional life, he drove an ox-team for one month. Since then he has resided permanently in Batavia, constantly occupied in guarding the interests of an extensive practice. At the outset, he was associated for about two years in partnership with Martin Marshall, a distinguished attorney, who belonged to the family which produced Chief-Justice Marshall. In 1866-67 he acted for one year as Revenue Collector for the Sixth Ohio District. With this exception he has never sought or held public office. At the outbreak of the war with Mexico, he entered the army as a volunteer, and started with his regiment for the field of operations. But owing to disability resulting from a broken leg, the consequence of a fall from his horse, he was incapacitated for duty, and having advanced only to Cincinnati, returned thence to his home. In 1861 he accompanied to the field the 22d Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry, as Captain of Company E, the first company furnished by Clermont county to assist in suppressing the rebellion. He was shortly after promoted to the rank of Major, and remained in service with his regiment in Virginia for about five months, participating during that time in a number of skirmishes and minor engagements. Politically he is attached to the Republican party, and cast his first vote for General Harrison. He is widely known as a zealous advocate of the temperance cause, is in favor of prohibition, and both in public and in private orations has earnestly denounced the evils attendant on intemperance, and originated measures designed to eradicate the baneful influence of strong drink. Also, in 1873, he canvassed Clermont county as a temperance advocate. Religiously he is a Methodist. He was married December 2d, 1846, to Elisa C. Minor, a native of Clermont county, from whom he was divorced in 1855. He was again married, May 2d, 1860, to Mary I. Brock, a native of Crawford county, Indiana.

From: The Biographical Encyclopedia of Ohio of the Nineteenth Century. Columbus, OH, USA: Galaxy Publishing Co., 1876.

History of Neville, (Clermont County) Ohio

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