William C. Bocock

William Combs Bocock, born in Fulton county, Ill., May 4, 1851, is the son of Robert Mc. and Elizabeth (Culton) Bocock, and grandson of Elijah and Barbara (McKinney) Bocock, natives of Virginia and Pennsylvania, respectively, and on the maternal side of John J. and Abigail (Mitchell) Culton, of Virginia and Indiana, respectively, of Irish ancestry. Robert Bocock came to this township in '51. Here William C. was educated and here resided on the homestead until January, '79, when he married Miss Maria A. Holmes, daughter of Edwin and Salina (Savill) Holmes, natives of England, and granddaughter of Eli and Maria (Baily) Holmes, also natives of England. For two years after his marriage he was engaged in farming on land rented from his father; but in '81 he purchased eighty acres on section 15, on which he took up his residence, and has since made his home. Mr. Bocock has added to his agricultural duty that of stock-growing and dealing in stock of all kinds in which his father was extensively engaged up to his death. In political life he is thoroughly Republican, in church matters, Christian, but not denominational. Though a young man he has filled several township offices creditably, and is now director of the Castleton graded school district.