Biographical and genealogical history of the state of Delaware, Vol. I, Part 50

Author: Runk, J.M. & Co
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: Chambersburg, Pa.
Number of Pages: 1482


USA > Delaware > Biographical and genealogical history of the state of Delaware, Vol. I > Part 50


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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1. Colonel William D., b. 1779, came to Delaware and first m. his cousin Comfort B. Waples of Nathaniel, who bore him two daughters: (1) Ann Custis, who m. Derrick Barnard, and had a son, W. D. W. Barnard, who m. in St. Louis and had six children; and (2) Cassa Wise who m. Col. G. II. Wright, and bore him two children, Custis Wise Wright, who m. Emma Paynter and left no issue; and Sallie, who m. John Paynter. No issue reported. Secondly, Col. Waples m. Sophia Dickinson, and their children were, (1) Maria Louisa, m. George Greyer, and had Virginia, who m. Jos. S. Benedict and had six children. (2) Sophia, m. Benj. Burton and had no issue. (3) Henry Clay, m. Mary Tennant, and their children were, Wm. D., John T., Sophia, Sallie who m. Wm. A. Tur- ner and had children : Wm. W., Ella and Frank. Thirdly, Col. Waples m. Rachel, daughter of Col. Wm. Hill Wells by whom there was no issue. Col. Waples was a mem- ber of the legislature for many years.


2. Thomas Custis Waples, b. 1782, came to Delaware and in. Comfort, daughter of Bur- ton Waples (2) and had Adeline and Cassa C. who died unmarried.


3. Cassa, of Samuel, m. Rev. Stephen Wal- ford, of Md., and had three sons and a daugh- ter. 4. John Wise; 5. Robinson ; 6. Nathan- iel, all three dying in infancy. 7. Nathaniel,


b. 1795, m. Lydia Riley of Phila. and had a daughter who m. George L. Harrison, and left children: Charles Custis and others. Nath- aniel m. secondly, Maria Momford of N. C., and thirdly, Susan B. Green, having no issue by either. Ile died, 1852, at Newbern, N. C.


8. Robinson Custis, b. 1799, came from Va. to Del. and married Polly, nee Dickinson, widow of Michael Derickson. They had a son, Thomas Custis, who married and left children in New Orleans.


Samuel Waples' second wife was Sabra Scarborough, widow, nee Townsend, and by her he had 9. Sarah Temperance who died unmarried; 10. Edward Bassett, b. 1825, m. Sarah Finney. Their children: (1) Samuel T., who has children. (2) Edward Bassett, Jr., who is married. (3) John S., has issue. (4) Sally F., died in childhood. (5) O. Jen- nings Wise. (6) Charles S. F. No issue re- ported of last two.


11. Mary Derickson, b. 1827, married Wm. Robertson. Their children: (1) Dr. Edgar W. of Va., (2) Henry II. of Md., (3 and +) daughters who died young. (5) John, of Balt., Md. No report of their issue. Most of Sam- uel's second set of children are probably in Accomac Co., Va., where he lived; he died there, 1834, aged 79.


12. Martha Washington, twin of Mary, died unmarried in 1867.


V. Betty, daughter of Paul (1st of this line) and Temperance Waples, married Vaughan, and had 1. Mary; 2. Nathaniel.


VI. Catharine, daughter of Paul and Tem- perance Waples, married - White, and had a son, Eli;


VII. Patience, daughter of Paul and Temperance Waples, married William Fisher (1768). No report of children. Paul (1) kept a store at Warwick. He was drowned off the capes of Delaware, in 1764. His widow d. 1775.


LINE OF THOMAS WAPLES, SON OF WILLIAM, 1.


Ile married Comfort Stockley, daughter of Woodman Stockley and sister of Mary who married Judge John Wiltbank, in 1732, son of Cornelius Wiltbank and Comfort Waples who must have been a daughter or granddaughter of Peter, 1. Judge W. W. Wiltbank, of Philadelphia, is descended from her. The children of Thomas (1) were,


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I. Stockley, who married Mary -. Their children were 1. Woodman, b. 1769; 2. Josias, b. 1771; 3. Ruth, b. 1772, who married John B. Frame, 1793. No report of issue of any of the three. Stockley d. at Warwick, 1775, of the great pestilential epidemic that raged there that year;


II. Thomas (2) m. Mary


b. 1777. His second wife was Eliza- beth, daughter of Peter Waples, 2, of Reho- both, and their children are reported above in his LINE.


The third wife of Thomas, 2d, was widow Mary Burton, nee Lamb. Their children were, 1. Gideon, b. 1800; 2. Mary, b. 1803.


1. Gideon m. Priscilla Houston, who left no issue. His second wife was widow Sally Cot- tingham, nee Burton of Myers, of whom were born, (1) Sally, who married James Pon- der, subsequently Governor of Del., and had James W. and others (?). (2) Gideon, 2d, who m. Sally Hunter and had a daughter, Clara, who married Carey. Ilis second wife was Miss Ham who bore him a child now dead.


2. Mary, married - Blue. No issue re- ported.


III. Sarah, daughter of Thomas, 1, and Comfort (Stockley) Waples, married John Brady, 1773. Their children were, 1. Thomas Waples Brady, b. 1777; 2, Sarah, b. 1779.


IV. Comfort, daughter of Thomas and Comfort (Stockley) Waples, married Andrew MeIlvaine(?) in 1777. Wrixham was proba- bly their son, whose daughter m. James G. Waples. (See Line of Peter, 2,) and whose sons were Alfred and Lewis; Betsey, daugh- ter of Thomas and Comfort (Stockley) Waples, m. Alexander MeIlvaine(?) in 1778. The writer thinks that Andrew Mel., b. 1779, and Thomas Waples MeI., were their children. The latter left several sons.


VI. Molly, daughter of Thomas and Com- fort (Stockley) Waples, m. Wm. Jackson in 1765. She seems to have been of Thomas 1st, as she cannot be placed in any of the other three lines; probably his eldest child.


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LINE OF BURTON.


Burton, 3d son of William, m. Com- fort - Ilis children: 1. Wolsey, 2. Peter, 3. Cornelius, who m. widow Betty White, and had Wallace, father of Cor- nelius, Jr., Mary [ Dorman], Sarah [ Rich- ards ], Comfort [ White ], Elizabeth [ White],


and Hetty. 4. William, d. in youth. 5. Bur- ton, 2d, m. Betty [West?] and their children were (1) Wolsey, m. Nancy Kollock, and their children were Burton Wallace, Wolsey W., James W., David II., Elizabeth, Ann, Louisa, of whom the 1st, 3rd and 4th left issuc. (2) Comfort B., who m. Thos. C. Waples, (3) Cor- nelia, (+) Nancy. 6. Agnes. 7. Comfort, m. King and had a son, who became a Catholic priest. 8. Ann, m. Hall, and had (1) Robert, b. 1799, who had a daughter Jenny who m. Rev. Win. Moore, Ala., (2) Nancy. 9. Mrs. West had sons: Burton, Wrixham and Lewis (!).


DESCENDANTS OF PAUL WAPLES, SECOND SON OF PETER, 1.


Paul of Peter 1st had a son William, who seems to have had seven children as follows: William 2, Peter, Mary, Sarah, Catharine, Ann and Paul, 2 of this branch. The order is not certain. I. William 2nd was the father of 1. Eli, whose children were Burton C., William, and Nathaniel (?), 2. Isaac; 3. Will- iam 3; 4. Elizabeth, m. Vesey; 5. Patience, in. Vesey; 6. Catharine, m. Salmons; II. Pe- ter, father of Elihu, John and Priscilla; III. Mary, m. Lockwood. IV. Sarah, m. Morrison. V. Catharine, m. Hance. VI. Ann, m. Wag- lon; VII. Paul, 2, father of Paul, 3, (Capt. Paul), John S., Peter, Betsey, Bathsheba, Catharine and Sally.


1. Capt. Paul's children: (1) John B. m. Catharine Robinson, and they had Edgar, (whose sons are Edgar, Carl and Henry Worth), and John B. 2nd, (who has a son Ralph). (2) Rachel, m. Dr. E. C. Dingle, and had Emma, who m. John P. Luper and left three sons and two daughters. (3) Jane, in. HI. Lingo and had Levi and Edward II. (4). Paul 4th, no issue. (5) Edward B. His chil- dren: (a) John G. m. May Richards and has a daughter, IIelen; (b) Paul; (c) Addie, m. Wandelohr; (d) Fanny, m. A. F. Platter; (e) Mary. (6) Hetty m. Wolsey Burton, and their children: Myers, Willard, John B., Clara and Anna. (7) Asher. His children: (a) Charles Isaac; (b) Edward B .; (c) Han- nah, m. Beazle; (d) Eva; (e) Carrie,m. Beazle; (f) Lizzie, m. Coleman, and (g) Frank. (8) Bathsheba, m. Wolsey Burton (his 2nd wife) and had Lizzie who m. Johnson and had My- ers. (9) Isabel. (10) Isaac.


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2nd. (not certain.) 3. Peter. 4. The four daughters of Paul, 2, not reported as to their families.


The writer was unable to get reports of this general branch of the family except of the de- seendants of Capt. Paul Waples. In religion, the descendants of William Waples, on the north side of Indian River, were mostly Pres- byterians, while those of Paul, on the south side, were Episcopalians. In politics, during the early years of the Republic, those on the north side were Democrats; but later, all were Whigs, as a general rule. Now most of the Waples family in Delaware are Democrats, while those in other states are divided; and there is now much diversity in their religious preferences.


Most of the men mentioned in this genea- logy were farmers. There were some fifteen merchants, four lawyers and as many doctors.


HOWARD PYLE, Wilmington, Del., son of William and Margaret C. (Painter) Pyle, was born in Wilmington, Del., March 5, 1853.


Mr. Pyle's paternal grandfather, Isaac Pyle, farmer, was born in Delaware county, Pa. IIe married Eliza Lamborn, also of Del- aware county, Pa., where both died. ITis ma- ternal grandfather, William Painter, farmer, was a native of Delaware county, Pa., and was married to Phebe Churchman, of Chester county. William Painter died at his home in Delaware county, Pa .; his widow died in Wil- mington, Del.


William Pyle, son of Isaac and Eliza (Lam- born) Pyle, and father of Howard Pyle, was born in Delaware county, Pa. He was en- gaged in the manufacture of leather in Wil- mington, Del. Mr. Pyle, in connection with Edwin A. Wilson, Cyrus Pyle, and James Webb, organized a firm at Wilmington, Del., in 1844. The business was started on a small scale on Orange street, the firm being C. & W. Pyle & Company. About 1850, the firm be- came Pyle, Wilson & Pyle, and in 1861 it became C. & J. Pyle. The firm is now the C.& J. Pyle Company. William Pyle severed his connection with this firm in 1870, and the busi- ness was continued by Cyrus and Joseph Pyle. The property embraces a whole square on Sixth and Monroe streets where the offices are situated. The company also owns a factory on the opposite side of the Christiana. In 1878, the company began making shipments to Eng-


land, and now sends across the Atlantic five hundred sides of patent leather per week, which is about one-half of the total output. The factories have an engine of one hundred and twenty-five horse-power, and employ eighty men. The establishment is never idle, and the operatives are so well treated that strikes are unknown. William Pyle was mar- ried to Margaret C., daughter of William and Phebe (Churchman) Painter. Their children are: I. Howard; II. Phebe, deceased; III. Clifford; IV. Walter; V. Katharine. Will- iam Pyle died in Boston, Mass., October 4, 1892; his wife died in Wilmington, Del., Oc- tober 16, 1885.


Howard Pyle was educated at T. Clarkson Taylor's Academy, Wilmington, Del., and studied art in Philadelphia, Pa., under Van der Wilen, a graduate of the Art School of Antwerp, where, at the age of twenty-two, he carried off the first prize. The first of Mr. Pyle's literary productions which gave evi- denee of remarkable talent, was the Magic Pill, a short story in verse which appeared in Scribner's Monthly. He has contributed frequently to both Scribner's and Harper's magazines, always delighting the reader by his poetic descriptions and by the quickness and delicacy of his fancy. Among the most en- joyable of his magazine articles are: the Thousand Isles; Life in an Old Time Quaker Town; and Stephen Wycherly. It is his fairy tales, however, which have made him one of the most popular writers in the country. His first book of this character, Robin Hood, at- tracted general attention by its quaint, pithy style. All the scenes of the charming story, Within the Capes, are laid in his native state. Pepper and Salt, the most entertaining fairy book of its season, appeared in 1884. The Wonder Clock, published in 1887, became at once deservedly popular. It contains twenty- four marvelous tales, so bright and witty as to fascinate its readers. All these books are pro- fusely illustrated by Mr. Pyle himself, whose pencil shows the same quaintness and delicacy of fancy which are so charming in his writ- ings. The literature of Delaware has no stronger representative than Howard Pyle. Mr. Pyle is a Republican. He is also an active business man, and is vice-president of the C. & J. Pyle Company, leather manufacturers, Wilmington, Del.


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STATE OF DELAWARE


Howard Pyle was married to Anne, daughter of J. Morton and Ann (Sellers) Poole. Their children are: I. Sellers; II. Phebe; III. The- odore; IV. Howard; V. Eleanor; VI. God- frey; VII. Wilford.


Mrs. Pyle's parents, J. Morton and Ann (Sellers) Poole, had five children: I. Sellers; II. Thomas; III. Alfred D .; IV. J. Martin, Jr .; V. Anna (Mrs. Howard Pyle). J. Mor- ton Poole died in 1880.


CLIFFORD PYLE, Wilmington, Del., second son of William and Margaret C. (Pain- ter) Pyle, was born in Brandywine hundred, New Castle county, Del., May 4, 1857.


Clifford Pyle was educated in New Castle county, and since early manhood has been en- gaged in the manufacture of leather. Mr. Pyle is an efficient business man and is now president of the C. & J. Pyle Company, leather manufacturers, Wilmington, Del.


Clifford Pyle was married, in Wilmington, Del., March 23, 1881, to Mary G., daughter . of Andrew J. and Margaret C. (Wilson) Wat- son. Their children are: I. Margaret P .; II. Bertha W.


Mrs. Pyle's paternal grandparents, John and Hannah M. (Planter) Watson, died in Mississippi. Her maternal grandparents, Peter and Mary (Churchman) Wilson, died on their farm in Chester county, Pa.


Mrs. Pyle's father, Andrew J. Watson, of Jackson, Miss., was married to Margaret C. Wilson, of Chester co., Pa. Their children are: I. Mary G. (Mrs. Clifford Pyle); II. Sarah G. (Mrs. Theodore A. Leisen); III. William C.


WALTER PYLE, Wilmington, Del., son of William and Margaret C. (Painter) Pyle, was born in Wilmington, New Castle county, Del., August 1, 1859.


Walter Pyle was educated in the Friends' school, at Wilmington, Del., and after his course there entered the establishment of the C. & J. Pyle Company, of which he is now secretary and treasurer. Mr. Pyle is an ener- getie business man. He is a Republican, and is highly esteemed in the county.


Walter Pyle was married, in Wilmington, Del., October 12, 1885, to Anna M., daughter of Samuel and Sarah A. (Young) Jackson. They have one child, Gerald Jackson. Mr. Pyle is a member of the Society of Friends.


Mrs. Pyle's paternal grandfather, Samuel Jackson, farmer, of Chester county, Pa., was


married to Sarah Taylor, also of Chester county, Pa. Her maternal grandfather, George Young, a cloth manufacturer of Wil- limantie, Conn., was married to Anna Jones. Both are now deceased. Mrs. Pyle's father, Samuel Jackson, a native of Chester county, l'a., was married to Sarah A. Young, who was born in Willimantic, Conn. Their children are: I. Mary P. (Mrs. George W. McKee); 1I. Anna M. (Mrs. Walter Pyle), born in Phil- adelphia, Pa., May 2, 1862. Mr. Jackson died in Philadelphia, Pa.


KATHERINE PYLE, Wilmington, Del., youngest child of William and Margaret C. (Painter) Pyle, was born in Wilmington, Del., November 23, 1863.


Katharine Pyle is not only a clever artist, but possesses considerable poetic talent. She has collaborated with her distinguished brother, Howard Pyle, lending the grace of fanciful and humorous verse to his attractive juveniles.


JOSEPH R. D. SEEDS, Wilmington, Del., son of William Carpenter and Elizabeth Ann (Steers) Seeds, was born in Brooklyn, N. Y., October 22, 1830.


In the old Swedish records are found the names of John and Brita Seeds, and their children: I. Joseph, born December 22, 1722; II. John, born October 11, 1725; III. Samuel, born July 1, 1733; of John, son of Samuel and Mary (Brimberg) Seeds, born January 7, 1754; and Joseph, son of Samuel and Maria Seeds, born March 17, 1756.


Edward Seeds, the first of the name of whom there is any authentic family record, was married, January 1, 1741, to Abigail Buf- fington. Their only son, Adam Seeds, was born in 1744, in Chester county, Pa. Adam Seeds, great-grandfather of Joseph R. D. Seeds, was married, August 2, 1770, to Alice, daughter of William and Elizabeth ( Harlan) White. Mrs. Adam Seeds was born in Ches- ter county, Pa., in 1738, and was a lineal de- scendant of George and Elizabeth (Harlan) White, who emigrated to America about 1686. Adam Seeds died October 1, 1823; his wife died September 7, 1823.


William Seeds, son of Adam and Alice (White) Seeds, was the grandfather of Joseph R. D. Seeds. Ile was a resident of Baltimore, Md., at the breaking out of the war of 1812, and he enlisted in the American army, but af-


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BIOGRAPHIICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA


ter that time nothing was heard of him; it is supposed that he was killed in battle. Wil- liam Seeds was married to Hannah, daughter of Samuel and Rachel (Dingee) Carpenter. Their children are: I. Joseph Carpenter; II. Adam Carpenter, born August 28, 1802, died August 14, 1803; IIT. Phebe An (Mrs. . Aquila Thomas), born October 29, 1803, died August 21, 1883; IV. William Carpenter; V. Henry Carpenter. After weary months of waiting for her husband's return, Mrs. Seeds, with her four little children, returned to her father's home, where she brought up her children to lead useful lives. She died December 10, 1846.


Joseph Carpenter Seeds, eldest son of Wil- liamand Hannah (Carpenter) Seeds, was born at Chichester, Delaware county, Pa., July 4, 1801. Ilis boyhood was spent in the home of his grandfather, Samuel Carpenter. He was employed on the farm and in the tannery un- til 1817, when he was apprenticed to Abel Saunders, carpenter, at Wilmington, Del. He remained with Mr. Saunders five years after he had attained his majority, and during this time was employed on piece-work. His work- manship was so satisfactory that he gradually established a reputation as an architect and builder. To meet the demands of his increas- ing business, Mr. Seeds built the Star Planing mill, at Front and Justison Sts., Wilmington, which he managed until 1853, when it was sold to Craig & Tatnall. The erection of the light-house at the mouth of the Christiana river was a triumph of Mr. Seeds' skill and in- genuity, as the turbulent waters of the Chris- tiana seemed bent on preventing the laying of a secure foundation. The first passenger sta- tion for the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore R. R., in Wilmington is the work of Mr. Seeds, as is also St. Andrew's Protestant Episcopal church, which he built in 1829. In his sermon preached in 1879, at the semi-cen- tennial celebration of this church, Bishop Lee, late Bishop of Delaware, says: "The building was commenced in May, 1829, and the work was carried forward with such energy that the church was completed and ready for consecra- tion on the 1st of October, of the same year." In 1839, Mr. Seeds put up the spire and made other improvements which were finished by Christmas of that year; one month afterwards, the whole structure was destroyed by fire. By October 15, 1840, Mr. Seeds had complet-


ed the erection of a larger church, and this . proving inadequate to the requirements of the congregation, he was engaged to enlarge the building one-third. Thus was Mr. Seeds' ability thrice acknowledged by this influential congregation. Alr. Seeds' educational advan- tages were very limited. He spent only eighteen months in the schoolroom, and one- half of this time was passed at a night-school, taught by Samuel Ford, in Wilmington, Del., which he attended after he had begun to learn carpentry. Mr. Seeds always attributed his good health and his longevity to his regular, abstemious habits. Before the war of the Re- bellion he was a Democrat, but during the war he identified himself with the Republican party. On May 6, 1824, Joseph C. Seeds was married to Mary Jane, daughter of William and Lydia Milligan, of Philadelphia, Pa. Their children are: I. William Henry, cashier of the Delaware County Bank of Manchester, Jowa, married first to Sarah Paxon, of Phila- delphia, who died in 1877, leaving three chil- dren, and afterwards, in 1850, to Mrs. E. A. Babcock, of Manchester, Iowa; II. Anna E. (Mrs. Joseph Jeans), of Chester, Pa .; III. Jo- seph M., died April 24, 1851. Mrs. Seeds died January 1, 1842. Mr. Seeds was mar- ried, March 19, 1843, to Mariana, daughter of James and Mary Wilson, of Wilmington, Del. Of their three children two survive: I, Emily T., married Robert H. Young, su- perintendent of printing in the office of the Wilmington Every Evening; II. Mary W. (Mrs. John B. Bare), of Baltimore, Md. Mr. Seeds was a member of the old Swedes' church, in which he was confirmed by Bishop White, of Pennsylvania, in June, 1820. As his home was situated near St. Andrews', Mr. Seeds afterwards connected himself with that congregation, of which he has been a member almost from its organization. For more than forty years he never missed a service. Joseph C. Seeds died at his home in Wilmington, Del., December 21, 1891.


William Carpenter Seeds, fourth child and third son of William and Hannah (Carpenter) Seeds, and father of Joseph R. D. Seeds, was born February 22, 1806, at New Castle, Del., and was apprenticed to Abel Saunders. On September 13, 1827, he was married to Eliza- beth Ann, daughter of William and Margaret (Searles) Steers, who was born October 17, 1806, at Sparta, near Sing Sing, N. Y. Their


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STATE OF DELAWARE


children are: I. Phebe Ann, born March 8, 1829, married, October 14, 1846, to William A. MeIntyre, died February 21, 1861, had six children, i. William, drowned in the Ohio River, ii. Jane, resides in Missouri, iii. Kate, married Dr. Moat, of Philadelphia, Pa., iv. Alonzo, removed to the west, v. Abraham, da- ceased, vi. Joseph, deceased; II. Joseph Rich- ard Doty; III. Marietta, born April 3, 1833, married, September 20, 1853, to Henry, son of Thomas Evans, has four children, i. Mary Ida (Mrs. Frank P. Lackey), ii. Kate Eliza- beth (Mrs. George O. Hildreth), iii. Ella Jane, died in infancy, iv. Harry Cookman; IV. Han- nah Elizabeth (Mrs. Edwin W. Jackson), born November 3, 1836, died May 17, 1895, leav- ing two children, i. Frank S., ii. Mary Eva; V. Henry Carpenter, youngest son, born June 19, 1808, married Maria -, died Febru- ary 7, 1851 leaving three children, i. James, ii. Annie, iii. Mary. Mr. William C. Seeds died March 26, 1887; his widow died Sep- tember 28, 1894.


Mr. J. R. D. Seeds' maternal ancestors were natives of England. His grandfather, Wil- liam Steers, was born in England, July +, 1766, and was married to Margaret, daughter of Lot and Thankful Searles, who was born November 5, 1779. Lot Searles was born May 26, 1745, and was twice married. William Steers died May 26, 1846; his widow died in February, 1859.


Joseph Richard Doty Seeds, only son of William Carpenter and Elizabeth Ann (Steers) Seeds, was educated in the old school- house at the corner of Sixth and French streets, then the only public school in Wil- mington, Del. After finishing his course there, he learned carpentry and stair-building with his father, William C. Seeds. Having served his apprenticeship, Mr. Seeds went to Philadelphia, Pa., but at the end of one year, removed to Morrow county, Ohio, where for thirteen years he carried on a successful busi- ness as a builder and contractor. On May 2, 1864, Mr. Seeds enlisted in the One Hundred and Thirty-sixth Regiment, Ohio Volunteers, and served until 1865, when he was mustered out at Columbus, Ohio. Soon after leaving the army, Mr. Seeds sold his business interests in Ohio, and returning to Wihnington, Del., opened an office as a bilder and contractor. Although he is a native of Brooklyn, N. Y., he is as thoroughly identified with the people


and the business interests of Wilmington, as though he were to the manor born. Hle was only six years old when his parents removed to that city, where, with the exception of the thirteen years spent in Ohio, he has passed his whole life. For twenty-five consecutive years he has been a builder and contractor in Wilmington. His energy and enterprise have brought him financial success, and his skill and architectural ability are attested by hun- dreds of comfortable and convenient homes. Mr. Seeds has also erected many of the public edifices of the city, among them several large public school buildings, including the hand- some new building occupied by the Wilming- ton high school, at Eighth and Adams street. In 1897, Mr. Seeds retired from active busi- ness life. He is, however, interested in all that affects the welfare of Wilmington. He is a Republican, and is highly esteemed by his fel- low-citizens.


On May 4, 1851, Joseph R. D. Seeds was married, in Philadelphia, Pa., to Elizabeth Victorine Jackson. Their children are: I. Mary Mardula, born August 13, 1852, died August 25, 1852 ; II. Maria Elizabeth, born July 14, 1853, married Novem- ber 20, 1873, to George A. Pyle, who died June 27, 1881, resides in Wilmington, Del .; III. William Franklin, born September 26, 1854, married, December 14, 1875, to Viola Williamson, resides in Wilmington, Del .; IV. Henry Byron, born in Monroe county, Ohio, September 21, 1856, married, October 20, 1892, to Annie P. Thompson; V. Clara Etta, born June 14, 1858, married, Jan- uary 5, 1877, to Egbert F. Nutter; VI. Jo- seph Elmer Ellsworth, born January 28, 1861, married, April 2, 1883, to Mary E. Reynolds; VII. Irwin Worth, born September 2, 1564, married, September 1, 1887, to Annie E. Nut- ter; VIII. Edwin Lincoln, born May 1, 1866; IX. Bertram Grant, born November 30, 1867, married, August 18, 1887, to Annie Rey- nolds; X. Washington Colfax, born January 23, 1870, married September 8, 1892, to Alice Thompson; XI. Nellie, born July 21, 1875, married, September 25, 1894, to John Walter Hendrixson. Mrs. Seeds died at her home in Wilmington, Del., May 17, 1895. On Jan- uary 14, 1897, Mr. Seeds was married at Nor- ristown, Pa., to Amelia De Bree, daughter of Nathan P. and Catherine A. (Weaver) Brow- er, of Bucks county, Pa. Mr. Seeds attends




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