BENJAMIN PEDEN MAYES

From the 1887 History of Vernon County, Missouri, p. 668-670:

Benjamin Peden Mayes

(Dealer in Books, Stationery, Wall Paper and Fancy Goods, Nevada).

   Any sketch of the business interests of Nevada would be incomplete which failed to make mention of one of the principal houses in the place, that of Mr. Mayes, and in this connection it may not be out of place to give a brief outline of the history of the life of this man.  Sherod Mayes was of English ancestry and was born about the close of the sixteenth century, but it is not known whether in England or America.  His wife was Irish.  He had a son also named Sherod, who was the great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch.  He was born in Henry county, Virginia, about 1737 -- was married to Miss Nancy Smith, and later on in life, settled on Holston river in Grainger county, Tenn., where he raised a large family of children, and where he died in 1825, at the age of 90 years.  His wife  lived to be 108 years old.  He left five sons and five daughters, whose names were Thomas, William (Benjamin's grandfather), Patsy, Betsey, Goodin, Dudley, Nancy, Jennie, John and Siller.  These boys all died in Tennessee.  In his religious preferences Sherod, was a Methodist.  His oldest son, Thomas, raised a large family of children, and three of these boys were alive in 1884, namely Wiley, at Knoxville, Ray county, Mo., and Johnson and Starling, at Tazewell, Claiborne county, Tenn.  William, second son of Sherod, and grandfather of Benjamin, was born in Virginia, October 31st, 1776, was married to Mrs. Susanah Bridges (whose maiden name was also Mayes), about the year 1800, and not far from 1814 moved from Grainger county, Tenn., to Sumner county, of the same State, where he died November 18th, 1886, aged 85 years.  He was a member of the Baptist Church and in politics was a Democrat.  Susanah, his wife, belonged to a family of Mayes who came originally from Wales.  She was born in Virginia, September 20th, 1777, moved with her father's family to Nova Scotia near 1782, and back to Virginia about 1690 [correct date would appear to be 1790].  She was also a Baptist and would argue that doctrine with the best of them.  William and Susanah raised four children, three sons and one daughter, whose names were Pleasant, Mahala, Joel C. (father of Benjamin), and William Smith.  Pleasant and William Smith raised large families in Sumner county, Tenn., where the former died some years ago, and where the latter still lives at this time.  P. V. Mayes, oldest son of William S., is a prominent merchant at Franklin, Simpson county, Ky.  Joel C. Mayes, Benjamin's father, was born in Sumner county, Tenn., September 28th, 1815, was married to Miss Martha Ann Peden, of Simpson county, Ky., October 6th, 1834, and died in Brownville, Nebraska, December 10th, 1874, his last remains now resting in Brownville cemetery.  John Peden, Benjamin's great-grandfather on his mother's side, was born in Ireland, June 17th, 1734, was married to Miss Mary Smith, June 26th, 1756, and died in Virginia, March 4th, 1815.  It will be observed that the maiden names of two of Benjamin's great-grandmothers was Smith, and he claims to have some Smith blood in his veins.  Benjamin Peden, Benjamin's grandfather on his mother's side, was born in Virginia, April 21st, 1771, was married to Miss Mary Reed, in the same State, February 15th, 1798, and died in Simpson county, Ky., August 8th, 1856.  He was a Democrat, and he and his wife were members of the Baptist Church.  Benjamin P. Mayes, the subject of this sketch, and son of Joel C. Mayes, was born in Sumner county, Tenn., August 17th, 1837.  His father was a farmer by occupation, and when a young man married Miss Martha A. Peden, of Kentucky.  She was born in Simpson county, Ky., February 14th, 1818.  They united with the Baptist Church in February, 1841.  Of this union there were born 14 children, whose names were Mary, Benjamin P., William, John, Eliza, Henry Clinton, Kate, Pleasant, Diantha, Vilet, Martha, Cornelius, Joel C. and Laura.  Mary, John and Laura are dead.  All the others except Eliza and Kate are scattered over Southwestern Missouri.  Benjamin, being the oldest son and second child, was brought up in the Blue Grass State, passing his time principally upon a farm when not occupied in attending school until removing to Jackson county, Mo., in 1860 where his home continued to be until 1878.  Then he went to Clinton, Henry county, but shortly after came to Nevada (in1879), and embarked in his present business starting at first on a small scale but gradually increasing as the growth of the city demanded better facilities in his line, until at the present time the house of B. P Mayes is one of the most prosperous in the place.  The growth of this business is due entirely to Mr. Mayes personal efforts.  Possessed of those qualities which go so far to make a successful business man, he has gained not a little by his attentive and obliging disposition towards his customers, whose every want has been carefully looked after.  In 1868 Miss Lucinda Conner, of Staunton, Fayette county, O., became his wife.  They have one child, Nora.  Mr. and Mrs. Mayes, are members of the Christian Church, and he is a Democrat, is President of the Nevada Public School Board and belongs to the A. O. U. W.

[Transcribed by Marty Patton]

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