JOHN W. GIVENS was born near the Tradewater, in Hopkins County, Ky., February 4, 1830, and is the only surviving one of nine children born to Jack and Patsey (Given) Givens, the former a native of Virginia, and the latter of Lincoln County, Ky., and of Irish and English origin, respectively. Jack Givens, about 1810, removed to Kentucky, and bought wild land near Providence, in what is now Webster County, but was then a part of Henderson County, where he improved a farm, upon which he remained ten years. He then sold out and bought wild land on the Tradewater, in what is now Hopkins County, Ky., which he improved and where he resided about ten years. He traded the place for another near Providence, upon, which he resided until his death, in 1836, aged forty-four years. He was married in 1816. He was a veteran in the war of 1812, and served under Gen. Hopkins. His father, Thomas Givens, was a graduate of the University of Dublin, Ireland, who in early life immigrated to the colony of Virginia, and served with distinction in the Continental army, during the Revolutionary war. Mrs. Patsey Givens, subject's mother, died August 29, 1884, aged eighty-eight years. She was a devout Christian, a member of the Primitive and afterward of the United Baptist Church. Our subject remained with his mother on the home farm, until 1850, when he started for California, accomplishing the entire distance on foot, driving an ox team across the plains. Four months were consumed in making the journey. In California he was engaged in farming and mining for three years. In 1853, he returned to Kentucky, and bought a farm near Providence, where he has since been extensively engaged in farming. He now owns improved lands in Webster and Hopkins Counties amounting to 1,000 acres. Since 1854 he has also been extensively engaged in the tobacco business, and has one of the largest stemmeries in the county. He and his cousin, Thomas K., each own one-third interest in the following property: two stock ranches and other lands in Texas, amounting to some 7,500 acres. On one of these ranches they have several hundred head of horses, cattle and mules. They have also four coal mines, and several hundred acres of valuable coal lands near Providence. In 1875 they spent several months in Europe together. Mr. Givens was married, December 22, 1853, to Miss Judith N. R. Wier, a native of Henderson County, Ky., only child of Gen. William R. and Amelia (Green) Wier, early settlers of Hopkins County, both natives of Virginia. To this union were born two children, one now living—Amelia R., now Mrs. T. O. Sugg; Mrs. Judith Givens died May 5, 1864; she was a member of the Christian Church. Mr. Given's second marriage was April 27, 1866, to Miss Maggie R. Ross, native of Union County, Ky., a daughter of Charles B. and Charlotte (Ashby) Ross, early settlers of western Kentucky, the former a native of Maryland, but reared in Philadelphia, the latter a native of Winchester, Va. Mr. Ross graduated at Philadelphia, and was a lawyer by profession. Mr. and Mrs. Givens have three sons: Ross, James M. and Stuart. In early life Mr. Givens joined the Christian Church; he and wife are now, however, members of the United Baptist Church; he is also a member of the Masonic fraternity, R. A. degree, and is a Democrat.
Source: J. H. Battle, W. H. Perrin, & G. C. Kniffin. Kentucky. A History of the State. Louisville, KY, Chicago, IL: Battey, 1885. Pages 1033-1034.