Richard DENT was born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1800, and was the son of Joseph and Nancy (TONG) DENT, who were people of considerable wealth and social position. In 1804, Joseph came with his family to America and located in the town of Oxford, Chenango county, N. Y., where they remained until after the death of Mrs. DENT, who left a family of six children. Subsequently Mr. DENT married again and moved to Licking county, Ohio, where he died. His son Richard, grew to manhood in New York and in 1822 was married to Miss Jean McGIBBON, a native of Scotland who came to this country with her parents when she was three years of age.

Richard continued his residence in the Empire State for twenty years more, and in 1842, came by way of the lakes to Chicago. The family was there met by the oldest son, Joseph, who had preceded them to the west, and who piloted them to Prairieville (now Waukesha), where the family remained for about a year. They then came to the town of Menomonee, where they settled on some of the land ceded to the Rock River Canal company, a heavily timbered section, which required much strenuous labor before it was transformed into the fine farm which is still owned by James S., son of Richard DENT. Mr. DENT died May 11, 1850, and his wife December 24, 1878.

Of their seven children only two remain: Joseph, the oldest was accidentally killed in 1857; he left a wife and three children. The two sons served in the Thirty-first Wisconsin Infantry in the Civil war. William M. died Aug. 14, 1852. John T. a member of the Thirty-first Wisconsin infantry, died in the field hospital in Atlanta. James S. is a resident of Waukesha, and Helen (Mrs. O.P. MINOR) of Cherokee, Iowa. Olive (Mrs. David HALL) died in December, 1880. Andrew B., enlisted in the First Wisconsin infantry and was killed in the battle of Perryville, Oct. 8, 1862.

Memoirs of Waukesha County
published by Theoron W. Haight
Madison, Wisconsin 1907
pp. 295-96

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