Biography of Egbert B. Mott, pages 364/365/366.  History of 
DeKalb County, Indiana; B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc., 
Indianapolis, 1914.



The Mott family of which the subject of this sketch is a 
descendant is of English descent in both paternal and 
maternal lines, representatives of which came to America in 
early colonial days. The family was an ancient and 
honorable one in England. The emigrant ancestor was Capt. 
James Mott, youngest son of John Mott, Esq., of Shalford, 
in the county of Essex, who came to America in 1665-6, 
locating in Mamaronek, Westchester county, New York. He was 
for several years a captain in the army of the Province, 
and in later life one of the magistrates of Westchester 
county, appointed by successive royal governors. He also 
engaged in agricultural pursuits, as did all his 
descendants down to Egbert B. Mott. During the 
Revolutionary war another James Mott, the fourth in the 
name, participated in Saratoga campaign, resulting in 
surrender of Burgoyne, and was given a commission June 25, 
1778, as ensign in colonel Hopkins’ regiment of Dutchess 
county, New York. He married Mary, daughter of James 
Denton, of Newburg, New York, a Revolutionary soldier, who 
was captain of a company of the Fourth Ulster County 
Regiment. His first commission was a second lieutenant, 
October 11, 1775. He was fifth in descent from Rev. Richard 
Denton, a Puritan divine of Halifax, Yorkshire, England, 
who came to America to 1630 in the ship “Arabella,” with 
Governor Winthrop and a company who founded Boston.  When 
Egbert B. Mott was about twelve years old his father died, 
leaving a family of five sons and three daughters in the 
care of the mother. After a few years’ residence in 
Saratoga county, New York, the family removed to Lehman, 
Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, about the year 1824. Mr. Mott 
was married December 30, 1830, in Abingdon, Luzerne county, 
Pennsylvania, to Mary, the daughter of John Winterbotham, 
of Moseley, Lancashire, English, where she was born on 
February 4, 1806. Her mother’s maiden name was Anne 
Wrigley. In 1836 Mr. Mott removed with his wife and two 
children from Pennsylvania to Frederickstown, Knox county, 
Ohio, where Mr. Mott’s family then resided. After living 
several years in Knox and Richland counties, Ohio, Mr. Mott 
removed, in May, 1843, to Kalida, Putnam county, where he 
made the acquaintance of Judge Morris, a young lawyer, 
between whom and himself there formed a friendship as 
strong and enduring as life. Subsequently Mr. Mott and Mr. 
Morris came to Indiana in search of a better location for 
the practice of their profession, and Mr. Mott located in 
Auburn on October 16, 1843, being the first lawyer who 
settled in this locality.  In 1856 he was elected judge of 
the court of common pleas for the district comprising of 
the counties of DeKalb and Steuben. In politics the Judge 
was first a Federalist, then a Whig and finally a 
Republican. He had a remarkable memory, excellent judgment 
and the utmost firmness of principle. Throughout his whole 
life he was a faithful Christian, exemplifying his faith by 
a life of practical righteousness. He died on September 30, 
1865, after an acute illness of three weeks. Two sons died 
before him, Reginald Heber, and infant, and Sheridan 
Edward, who was wounded at Chickamauga on September 20, 
1863, and died in the hospital in Nashville, May 15, 1864. 
Mrs. Mary W. Mott died on October 4, 1893, at the age of 
eighty-seven years and eight months. During her earlier 
years Mrs. Mott had many advantages from a literary and 
social point of view, for her father was in partnership 
with Col. David Humphreys and Judge John Humphreys in the 
manufacturing business,  they having engaged in the 
manufacture of fine woolen goods, broadcloth, etc., at 
Seymour, Connecticut, then called Humphreysville, this 
being the first successful attempt to manufacture that 
class of goods in the United States. Colonel Humphreys had 
been one of Washington’s aides-de-camp in the Revolutionary 
war and subsequently United States minister to Portugal and 
Spain, from which latter country he brought the first 
Merino sheep to America. At an early age Mrs. Mott was 
placed in school at Derby, near Humphreysville, where her 
associations and training were of the very best. Owing to 
the condition of her health, she made a protracted visit 
with an uncle, Abram Wrigley, of Luzerne county, 
Pennsylvania, where she rapidly improved, and not long 
afterwards began teaching school, and at Providence, a few 
miles from her uncle’s residence, she first became 
acquainted with her future husband, to whom she was married 
on December 30, 1838.

Submitted by:

Arlene Goodwin

Auburn, Indiana

Agoodwin@ctlnet.com