Notes:

William Thorpe Proctor is the son of Mary Bailey & Ibbitson Proctor.

. Michigan Marriage Registration #440, 1869 Nov 11, at St. Joseph, Michigan,
Wm. Thorpe Proctor, Residence: Benton, Mich., Age 23 /b. 1846 in Yorkshire, England, Labourer;
married REBECCA LAWRENCE, Residence Bainbridge, Michigan, Age 16 /1853, born in Toronto, Canada; by Rev. John B Fairbank;
Wit: Joseph Silvers, and Susan Proctor, both of Benton, Michigan.

. Michigan Marriage Registration #2798, 1884 Jun 1 at Benton Harbor, Berrien Co., Michigan,
William Thorp Proctor, Age 40 /1844 England;
married Marion Eliza Versaw, Residence Benton Township, b. Michigan,
Note1: Marion Eliza Louise Versay, born 1851, Berrien Co., Michigan;
Wit: Jamie P Versaw* & Allen J King, both Benton Twp.
Note2: * James P Versaw married Aug 1871 to Emma Proctor. The parents of Emma Proctor were Mary & Ibbiton Proctor, early & highly respected pioneers of Sodus Twp.

. The Proctor family comprised 6 people, MR Mrs I B Proctor & their 4 children, Wm., Jane, Susan & Emma. Wm. was a member of the 7th Michigan Calvary in the Cival War. Emma married James Versaw, her brother's comrade in arms.
Ref: History of Benton Harbor, James Pender.

. 1898 Aug 5 Jennie Versaw of New Buffalo has filed a bill of complaint against Sovern Versaw & she has also begun suit for a divorce from him on the grand of extreme cruelty.
Ref: Weekly Palladium Newspaper, Benton Harbor.

. Michigan Marriage Registration #255, 1894 Sept 14, Sodus, Berrien Co., Michigan,
William Thorpe Proctor, Age 50 year, born 1844, MICHIGAN, Residence Bangor, Mich., Farmer, TWO previous marriages,
son of Mary Bailey & Ibletson Proctor; married
Elizabeth Stopher (Stouffer) Thomas, Age 53, born 1841 in Ohio, Residence Sodus, Mich., ONE previous marriage, daughter of Rebecca Harmon & Daniel Stopher,
Wit: Wm. E. Versaw & Jennie M Benkman, both Sodus.

. Kent Michigan Marriages, on 1912 May 6, Grand Rapids, Kent Co.
REBECCA LAWRENCE CORRAO, age 57, born 1855 in BENTON HARBOR, MI.,
resided Oklahoma, Occupation Cook,
daughter of Richard Lawrence & Mary Simonds (Simons); Married THREE previous times,
married Wm. Proctor, age 67, 1845 in England, resided Gd. Rapids, Farmer,
son of Mary Bailey & Ilbertson Proctor*;
married THREE previous times.
Wit: Wm. Geldersma and Dennis Colleton, both of Gd. Rapids.

. 1907-1933 - United States Veterans Administration, 1912 May 23, Michigan 7th B Calvary; applied for a Civil War Pension, 14 Mar 1890 - 28 Jun 1894.
Commented Nov. 12 1912 at $35.; at $50 1920 May 1 Army Invalid & 1926 Jan 4 at the rate of $72. Died 1928 Sep 12.

. 1915 Aug 7, Tues. Court Notes: An answer has been filed in Circuit court by the defendant in the case of William C Proctor against Rebecca Proctor.
. 1915 Aug 24, Sat. Discontinue Divorce Case: Last July William Proctor began a divorce action in circuit court against Rebecca Proctor. Tuesday afternoon a stipulation was filed with the county clerk discontinuing the case. The parties have made up their differences & have decided to continue their matrimonial relations.
Ref: Grand Rapids Press.
Note: Rebecca Lawrence Proctor remarried Dec 1916 to Martin Hooker.

. 1922, Oct 20 - Under the City Hall Clock news: The commission voted to permit the following transfers of licenses: restaurant, William Proctor to Fred Ness.
Ref: Grand Rapids Press.

. Biography of Wm. Proctor, SENIOR:
. William Proctor [Senior] came to Lowell, from England, purchasing a farm of 320 acres & becoming one of the prominent men of that neighborhood. Among the pioneers in that part of Lowell twp. which lies south of Grand River, from 1850 to 1854 were ...Wm Proctor. William Proctor was born in Ingleton, Co. of York, England, Nov 20 1808 & died Dec 22 1895. In 1853 he came with his family to Michigan & purchased 320 A of land in Section 27 of Lowell Twp. His subsequent life was devoted to the improvement of his farm & he attended to the affairs himself until he was more than 80 years of age.
Robt. W Graham was a native son of England, born 20 Jul., 1828. He passed his youthful years amid the delightful scenes of his native isle & being early deprived of his parents, both dying while he was still an infant, was reared by a friend of the family, one William Proctor, who gave his young protege a good common-school education & afterward apprentice him to learn the Mason's trade. At the age of 21 young Graham bade farewell to England. He landed in NYC in 1850. - 1854 he selected Lowell as his future home.
Ref: Grand Rapids & Kent Co., Michigan, Ernest F Fisher.

. Biography of William Proctor (Senior) Plus, photo. Wm. Proctor, from Ingleton, York England Nov 20, 1818. In 1853 he came with his family to Michigan, 320 on Section 27, Lowell Twp. He married May 7, 1831, Catharine Graham of Bentham, York, England. She died Nov. 1887. Five children 3 sons, 2 daughters, Namely: William, Jr.; Sarah now Mrs. Wm. Graham), Henry.
Ref: History of the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Albert Baxter, 1893. - - -

Birth:
Age 23 at marriage.

Died:
Disability Rheu. & disease of heart.

Buried:
Oklahoma

William married REBECCA Mary LAWRENCE, .2 in 11 Nov 1869 St. Joseph & again, 6 May 1912 in Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan. REBECCA (daughter of Richard S LAWRENCE, Jr., .8th, SUE and Mary Lizy ELIZABETH SIMONS) was born on 6 Jun 1853 in Toronto, York Co., Ontario; died on 18 Aug 1923 in Detroit, Wayne Co., Michigan; was buried on 20 Aug 1923 in Evergreen Cemetery. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Lillian May LIBBIE PROCTOR was born on 17 Oct 1870 in Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan; died on 15 Dec 1968 in Tulsa, Oklahoma; was buried in Okmulgee Cemetery.
2. William T. WILLIE PROCTOR, .3 was born on 3 Jan 1873 in Whitehall, Muskegon Co., Michigan; died on 6 Dec 1940 in Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan; was buried in Restlawn Memorial Park.
3. Maude Elmira PROCTOR was born in Nov 1876 in Geneva Twp., Van Buren Co., Michigan; died in 1966 in Aurelius, Ingham Co., Michigan; was buried in Greenwood Cemetery.
4. Fred PROCTOR was born in 1878 in Geneva Twp., Van Buren Co., Michigan.

Notes:

. 1860 Aug 21 - Census Millburg, Benton Twp., Berrier Co., Michigan
Ibbittison Proctor, age 46, Born England,
Mary, born 1846, Wife; William 19, b. 1841, Farmer, B. England, Jane Ann Procter, Age 13, b1847, Susana age 9, b 1851, Emma Proctor, age 7 1853, Born England, Thomas Bailey, age 73, b1787 England, Manufacturer.

. Village of Benton Harbor
On the hill above the settlement there was a frame house of the old-fashioned kind, with a south front veranda, & a large open fire place in the main room. This was the Proctor homestead. They were an English family & were among the first settlers in that region.
The family comprised 6 people, Mr. and Mrs. I. B. Proctor and their
4 children, William, Jane, Susan and Emma.
William was a member of the Seventh Michigan Cavalry in the civil war.
Emma married James Versaw, her brother's comrade in arms.
Ref: History of Benton Harbor & Tales of Village Days, by James Pender, 1915.

Verify identity (uncle/ brother?)
Biograpy1:
. WILLIAM PROCTOR was born in the parish of Ingleton, county of York, England, November 20, 1808. He received a fair education in the common branches at private schools. In his native country he was a farmer & was fairly successful in his occupation. In 1853 he came with his family to Michigan. Here he bought a farm of 320 acres on Section 27 in Lowell township. It was then in the wildwood state, some of it heavily timbered, with no good roads & with everything pertaining to improvement yet to be worked out by patient labor. That place is still his farm & home, in a good state of cultivation; well stocked, & supplied with most kinds of fruit. He has thereon a substantial brick house, & all needed farm buildings & appliances for use & comfort. Himself & family have been industrious & economical, and he has the enjoyment of being in easy circumstances as regards property in the evening of life; & is in the midst of a pleasant community well, supplied with schools & church privileges, & other advantages of this progressive period of modern civilization.
Mr. Proctor married May 7, 1831, Catharine Graham, in the Parish of Bentham, county of York, England. She died at their home in Lowell, November 4, 1887, & a neat monument erected by him marks her resting place in the neighboring cemetery.
They had 5 children, 3 sons & 2 daughters, of whom 3 are yet living at and near 'the old homestead, namely- William Jr., Sarah (now Mrs. William, Graham), & Henry. Mr. & Mrs. Proctor belonged to the Episcopalian Church - there is at present no church edifice of that denomination near him. Politically he is a stanch Republican & a firm believer in tariff protection. In thought, speech & action he is independent, has had no official ambitions, & enjoys as an upright citizen the esteem of his community.
Ref: History of the City of Grand Rapids, Michigan. 1891.

Biography2:
. WILLIAM PROCTOR, deceased, late of Lowell township, was born in Ingleton, county of York, England, on November 20th, 1808, & died Sunday morning, December 22, 1895. In 1853 he came with his family to Michigan, where he purchased* 320 acres in section No. 27, Lowell township, having at that time a capital of some $2,000.

He was united in marriage on May 7, 183 1, to Miss Catherine Graham, in Bentham, Yorkshire, England. She died November 4, 1887, leaving the following family: William, Jr.; Sarah, the wife of William Graham; Henry, John & Hannah, who married James Easterby. He was reared in the Episcopal church, & was, in politics, a republican, adhering firmly to the doctrines of the party, but was independent in thought, speech & action, & was highly esteemed. Mrs. Proctor is the aunt of William Graham, whose wife is Sarah, the daughter above mentioned, & who lives on the farm adjoining the Proctor home. Her daughter, now Mrs. Dygert, has her home in the Proctor residence.

Mr. Proctor's life was devoted to the improvement of his farm, and he attended to his business himself until past 80 years of age. His 2 sons, William and John, until the latter's death, did much in working the farm. When about 20, John's leg was caught in the tumbling rod of a horse power & torn from his body, so he was obliged to use crutches. After this misfortune he learned the carpenter's trade, & in addition to the farm work he was engaged in building barns, etc. After John's death, William carried on the farm work until the father departed. 80 acres were given to his son Henry, who assisted in building, & who, now deceased at 48 years of age, had lived on the homestead & deeded 120 acres to his son William, Jr., who remained at home & managed the place. By a deed made but a few weeks before he died he passed the homestead to his granddaughter, who had lived with him as housekeeper for 8 years; in other words, ever since Mrs. Proctor died.
She married Lincoln Dygert, & they now reside in the old home. The present large and handsome brick house was built by him in 1 87 1. In early life he was an industrious, energetic man & for years carried on a large business. He was educated, well informed as to history & public men, & though a stanch republican, he never aspired to any office, but preferred to give his attention to his business pursuits. Reared in the Episcopal faith, he nevertheless attended & contributed liberally to other churches, there being no Episcopal church at Lowell.
Ref: The City of Grand Rapids and Kent County, Mich.: up to date, A W Bowen, 1900. - - -