Portrait and biographical record of Christian County, Illinois : containing biographical sketches of prominent and   representative citizens, together with biographies of all the Governors of the state, and of the Presidents of the United States.  Chicago, Ill. : Lake City Pub. Co., 1893.  Transcribed and annotated by Judy Rosella Edwards, 2007.

FRANKLIN PIERCE DRENNAN, attorney at-law of Taylorville, is a highly respected, widely known and influential citizen, and a worthy representative of one of the prominent pioneer families of the county. Mention is made of his parents, John L. and Henrietta (Wimburley) Drennan, on another page of this work. They were also born in Kentucky. The father died September 5, 1882, at the age of fifty-five years. His widow is still living, at the age of sixty-four, and her mother, Emily Sanders, yet resides in Taylorville, at the ripe old age of eighty-six. John L. Drennan is a farmer by occupation, and on his arrival in this county, in 1856, located upon a farm of two hundred and forty acres in Mosquito Township, where he made his home until called to his final rest. In politics, he was a supporter of the Democratic party, and for a number of years served as Supervisor of his township. The family numbered fourteen children, and all are yet living with the exception of Oscar W., who died in January, 1893, at the age of twenty years. Franklin Pierce Drennan was born near Princeton, Caldwell County, Ky., March 15, 1853, and is the second child of his parents. With the family he came to Illinois, and amid the wild scenes of frontier life was reared to manhood. The public schools of the neighborhood afforded him his educational privileges, and he remained at home until twenty-one years of age, when he started out in life for himself. At first he earned his livelihood as a teacher in the public schools near his home. Subsequently he secured the position of Deputy County Clerk under William H. Kirkwood, in whose office he remained for eighteen months, from July 1, 1876, until December 1, 1877. At that time he was made Deputy Circuit Clerk, and served for three years under Josiah A. Hill, and for the same length of time under N. D. Ricks. In the mean time Mr. Drennan had been reading law, and was admitted to the Bar in January, 1882, having passed the examination before the November term of the Appellate Court the preceding year. However, he continued in the County Clerk's office until 1883. He had secured a set of abstract books, and in 1883 combined the practice of his chosen profession with abstract work. For a year he was in partnership with Judge Ferry, but since that time has been alone. In December, 1892, the Christian County Abstract Rating and Guarantee Company was incorporated, and Mr. Drennan became its President. This combines three sets of abstracts, the only ones in the county besides that owned by N. D. Ricks. The capital stock of the company is $20,000, and our subject is the leading stockholder. James E. Mills is Secretary and business manager of the company. In his law practice, Mr. Drennan has met with excellent success, receiving a liberal share of the public patronage. He has given special attention to realestate cases and land titles, his experience in abstract work, and as Deputy County and Circuit Clerk, having been of special advantage to him in this direction. On the 29th of May, 1881, our subject was united in marriage with Miss Lizzie May, daughter of W. S. Moore, now of Morrisonville, Ill. She was born in Taylorville, in 1863, and is a cultured and refined lady, who holds an enviable position in the circles of society in which she moves. Two children grace their union, Lela Moore and Frances Patti, aged eight and five years, respectively. Mr. Drennan is a Democrat in politics, and has taken an active part in campaign work. He was appointed by the Circuit Judge as Master in Chancery, and for two years held that office. He has been quite extensively interested in real estate and laid out the F. P. Drennan Addition to Taylorville. In connection with John B. Colegrove he laid out two additions to Assumption. He has also a ten-acre addition to Pana, and in addition to this he has another ten-acre tract near Pana. His farm of eighty acres is situated seven and a half miles south of Taylorville, and he has twenty-seven acre tract southeast of the city. For three years he has been engaged in breeding and training fine trotters. Socially, he is a Knight-Templar Mason, belonging to Elwood Commandery of Springfield. Mr. Drennan is ambitious, persevering and, above all, enterprising, and owing to these sterling qualities, he has not only won the high rank to which he has attained among his professional brethren, but has also gained his splendid success in other lines of business. He takes an active part in all that goes to promote the welfare of the county, and deserves to be classed among her honored early settlers.

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