John Bryan Cartwright was born in Little Steeping, Lincolnshire, England, November 22, 1816, being the son of William and Susan Cartwright of that palace. His father, who was a farmer, dying before he was two years old, he was taken to live at the house of his uncle, Frederick Norton, at Tumby, in the same county, and afterwards learned his uncle's trade, which was that of maltster and brewer.

On the 22d of March, 1842, he was married at Blyton, England, by Rev. Robert Cheseborough, to Miss Mary Jane Tyson, of Wainfleet, Lincolnshire, from which marriage there have been born five children, namely: Frederick W., born June 6. 1848, and now living in the township of Troy. Melissa A., born October 3j 1840, now living in Troy, the wife of John Truesdell. Myron M., born May 4, 1849, and died November 2, 1860. Mary Evangeline, born July 2, 1854, and died October 29, 1860; and an infant boy, died February 18, 1858.

In the next year after his marriage he emigrated with his wife to America, arriving (by sailing ship) at New York May 2, 1843, and proceeding at once to Utica, Macomb county, where Mrs. Cartwright had a brother, who was a foundryman. They arrived there on the 26th of May, and at that time Mr. Cartwright's entire stock of money amounted to just seven cents. He had no alternative but to commence as a laborer, which he did, in the township of Shelby, working for Ira H. Butterfield and Payne K. Leech. He continued as a laborer for two years, at the end of which time he purchased an eighty-acre tract in section 28 of the town of Sterling, of P. K. Leech, his employer, at two hundred dollars. At the end of a year he had one hundred and nine dollars and six cents, which he paid on the purchase, having four years in which to pay the remainder ; but about this time his wife became ill, and he, feeling a little discouraged, offered to sell back Iaj Leech all his right in the land for the consideration of a two year old heifer and a barrel of flour, which was refused ; he then offered it to Seth Williams for a quarter of beef and five bushels of buckwheat, with the same result. Finally, he sold it to George Falls for five dozen brooms. Six months afterwards he received the brooms, took them to Detroit, and sold them for three dollars, of which he paid two dollars and ninety-seven cents for arrears of taxes ; and this was the end of his first attempt at becoming a land owner in America.

He then worked on shares the farm of William Lester in the township of Sterling, and at the end of two years purchased and moved upon sixty acres of land in the same township, upon which he worked for four years, chopping and clearing thirty acres in that time. He then sold the tract to Washington Stanley and moved to Troy, where he purchased eighty acres of Albert Sprague, and twenty acres adjoining of Nelson Phy, and forty acres each from Tracy Babcock and Joshua Fay, making in all a farm of one hundred and eighty acres.

In 1862 he re-visited England, leaving Detroit on the 1st of May, and arriving there again on his return on the 14th of August, more pleased than ever with his home in America.

On the 27th of April, 1864, he removed to Birmingham village, resolved to live easy, as he said, and which his pecuniary circumstances enabled him to do. He purchased one and a half acres from Ammos Davis, to which he added other purchases, which bring the total of his land in Birmingham up to twelve and three-quarter acres.

His handsome residence, of which a view is given on another page of this work, was built by him in 1866, excepting the wing, which was erected before he purchased, and to which the main structure was built. This estimable couple are now in their declining years, enjoying a pleasant and comfortable manner of life, to which their earlv labors and struggles have richly entitled them.