Biographical and genealogical history of the state of Delaware, Vol. II, Part 35

Author: Runk, J.M. & Co
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: Chambersburg, Pa.
Number of Pages: 1500

USA > Delaware > Biographical and genealogical history of the state of Delaware, Vol. II > Part 35

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WILLIANI PAYNTER ORR, Jr., M. D., Lewes, Del., son of William Paynter and Emily (Hunter) Orr, was born in Lewes, March 14, 1857.

William Paynter Orr, Sr., was a native of Lewes, born February 29, 1824, the son of Robert Orr. He was for many years a suc- cessful merchant and a leader in his com- munity, was a member of the I. O. O. F., and in politics a Republican. William P. Orr was married in 1850 to Emily, daughter of Robert Hunter, of Lewes and Rehoboth hun- dred. They had children: I. Ruth, died in infancy; II. Margaret, resides with her brother, Dr. W. P. Orr; III. William Payn- ter; IV. Robert HI., graduate of the United Naval Academy, at Annapolis, Md., now in the Navy Department at Washington; V. Emily, died in infancy; VI. Elizabeth wife of Dr. W. D. ITall, of Philadelphia. Mrs. Wil- liam P. Orr died February 1, 1893; Mr. Orr died June 23, 1894.

William Paynter Orr, Jr., received his rudimentary education in the public schools of Lewes. Afterward he spent a year in the Pennsylvania Military College at Chester, and then took a four years' course in the United States Military Academy at West Point. On the conclusion of his studies there, he entered the University of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia and was graduated from the medical department of that institution in the spring of 1884. He immediately began the practice of his profession in Rehoboth, but in the fall of the same year removed to Lewes where he rapidly acquired prominence as a physician and surgeon. From 1884 to 1894 he was resident physician at the Delaware Breakwater U. S. Quarantine Station. Dr. Orr was a member of the convention called to revise the Constitution of Delaware. Ile is a member of the Lewes Board of Trade, of the F. and A. M., and of the I. O. O. F. Dr.

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Orr is an active Republican, and always gives married Mary Stockley. They had two chil- his heartiest support to the nominces of his party.

FRANK COMLY WILTBANK, P. O. Lewes, Del., son of Dr. Alfred Stockley and Hannah R. (Wolfe) Wiltbank, was born in Lewes, Del., July 8, 1858.

His ancestors came from Holland soon after the middle of the seventeenth century. They were persons of distinction in their native land, and the family has always been eminent in professional, business and social circles in this country. It was not long after 1650 that Hermanus Fredirick Wiltbank, his wife Johnaken, two sons and several servants, crossed the Atlantic in a slow-moving sailing vessel and landed in New York. The re- nowned Dutch governor, Peter Stuyvesant, had successfully resisted the eneroachments of his neighbors and Indians and had added some of their territory to the Dutch posses- sions, but was on the eve of that most painful surrender of his domain to the British, to which he was compelled by his burgomasters and lesser citizens. The Anglieizing of the future metropolis was not far off. Mr. Wilt- bank, however, did not wait to see it. A year after his arrival in New York he went to Delaware and purchased a large traet of land near Lewes. Some time later, July 2, 1672. he received a deed for his broad acres from Gov. Francis Lovelace and this deed was the first issued in southern Delaware. A portion of the land then purchased is still in possession of the Wiltbank family. Hermanus Wilt- bank held many important publie offices, among them those of justice of the peace, sheriff and surveyor general, from 1669 to 1683. Ile is buried in the old family grave- yard on the Wiltbank Farm (Tower Hill), just outside of Lewes.

Cornelius Wiltbank, eldest sou of Her- manus Frederic Wiltbank, left numerous de- scendants. Of the youngest son of the first Wiltbank settler, it is known that he married a daughter of Samuel Gray, Provincial Coun- cillor to Governor Markham, and that their son Cornelius Wiltbank al-o held high offices in the state; he left a son John, who was born in 1731. John Wiltbank occupied a com- manding position in Delaware. He was a justice of the Supreme Court, and an active participant in the Revolutionary war. Ile

dren: 1. James, a minister in the P. E. church; II. Cornelius. Judge Wilthank died July 10, 1792, aged 60 years; his widow died March 15, 1795, aged 58 years.

Cornelius Wiltbank, son of Judge John Wiltbank, was born in 1756. He married And Burton, who was born in 1762. Their children were: 1. Robert, a physician of Lewes and a member of the state legislature, died January 22, 1815; II. John; III. Ann; IV. Comfort; V. Mary; VI. a daughter died in infancy.

John Wiltbank, second son of Cornelius and Ann (Burton) Wiltbank, was born in Lewes Jannary 23, 1795. He became one of the prominent merchants of the town. On August 7, 1817, he married Eliza, daughter of Sammel and Elizabeth Paynter, who was born December 8, 1798. Mr. and Mrs. Wilt- bank had children: 1. Infant son, born Sep- tember 5, 1818, died ten days later; II. Sam- nel P., born April 19, 1820, married, Angust 1, 1842, to Rachel R. Jones, had two children, i. Comly J., born May 12, 1844, graduated from the Homeopathie College of Philadel- phia, about 1866, practiced his profession in Philadelphia, where he died, December 23, 1886, ii. Mary Elizabeth, born August 1, 1855, married, July 23, 1879, to William G. Clark, has had two children, one died in in- fancy, the other is Marian W. Samuel P. Wiltbank and his wife reside in Philadelphia; he has attained the venerable age of seventy- nine years, and they have lived together as man and wife for fifty-six years. He has been for years engaged in the shipping business; III. John C., born July 15, 1823, died Sep- tember 9, 1829; IV. Alfred Stockley, born September 12, 1829, died August 7, 1860. Mr. Wiltbank died February 13, 1830; his widow November 14, 1857.

Alfred Stockley Wilthank received his pri- mary education in the public schools of Lewes and then went to Philadelphia to study medi- cine with Dr. John Wiltbank. He was grad- uated from Jefferson Medical College in 1850 and practiced in Lewes, with great success. Ile was a member of the F. & A. M., and a stanch Demorrat, always taking a lively inter- est in political affairs. On January 28, 1852, Dr. Alfred Stockley Wiltbank married Han- rah R., daughter of Recce and Lydia M. Wolf, of Lewes, who was born May 15, 1629.

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Dr. and Mrs. Wiltbank had sons: I. Samuel P., born December 23, 1852, died July 9, 1858; II. John P., born June 24, 1854, died October 18, 1854; III. Alfred S., born No- vember 22, 1855, died March 14, 1859; IV. Frank Comly. Dr. Wiltbank died August 7, 1860, in Philadelphia, while visiting his brother, Samuel P. Wiltbank. His widow resides with her son, Frank C.

Frank Comly Wiltbank attended the pub- lie schools of Lewes, and after receiving care- ful training entered a grocery store in Phila- delphia, where he remained ten years as a clerk. Then he returned to Lewes and has since been engaged in farming on the Paynter tract of land. He was appointed a justice of the peace June 16, 1891, and on June 15, 1898, was re-appointed justice of the peace, and notary public; is also a conveyancer. Mr. Wiltbank is a member of the A. O. U. W. and the I. O. II. He is a Democrat.

On April 28, 1880, Frank Comly Wiltbank married Helena, daughter of Henry H. and Sarah (Diekhart) Everly, of Philadelphia, who was born September 26, 1862. Their children are: I. Henry Everly, born March 30, 1881; II. Hannah Wolfe, born June 24, 1885, died January 24, 1887; III. Sarah Everly, born December 4, 1889; IV. Lydia M. W., born August 7, 1897. Mr. and Mrs. Wiltbank are members of the P. E. church and their children are the eighth generation of the family baptized in the church at Lewes.

The Hon. Samuel Paynter, maternal great- grandfather of Frank Comly Wiltbank, was a scion of an old and honorable English fam- ily which was allied by marriage with that of the Proprietor, William Penn. Many of its representatives are now living in England. Samuel Paynter was born at Lewes, Sussex county, Del., August 5, 1760. His parents, who were intelligent and in good circum- stances, gave to their son every advantage that could be obtained. With regard to its educa- tional interests, Lewes was highly favored, for being part of the lower counties, the Proprie- tor, William Penn, had himself granted a large tract of meadow land to be used as the site of a public school. This school, estab- lished some time prior to the Revolutionary war, was a great blessing to Lewes and to the surrounding country. From among its stu- dents have risen many men whose lives have

brought honor to their Alma Mater. Five of their number, among them Samuel Paynter, have been chosen to occupy the gubernatorial chair. Samuel Paynter began business as a merchant; he had only a small capital to in- vest, but good character, ability, industry, and perseverance enabled him to become one of the most wealthy men of Sussex county. This wealth was freely distributed among the needy; his many deeds of charity, performed quietly and unostentatiously, won for him the love and esteem of the whole community. In his thirtieth year, Mr. Paynter was elected a member of the general assembly of Delaware, and served with honor in both branches for twenty years, after which he filled the office of state treasurer for six years. During the war of 1812, Mr. Paynter was ranked as a briga- dier general, and commanded the artillery stationed at Lewes, Del. At the close of the war, Mr. Paynter was appointed a judge of the Court of Common Pleas, and filled this prominent position until he was elected chief magistrate of his native state. Thus he ad- vanced from honor to honor, having received every office in the gift of the people. All his actions were characterized by ability and faith- fulness, and without seeking public favor he won the fullest measure of confidence and es- teem.

In his twentieth year, Samuel Paynter was married to Elizabeth Rowland. They had three sons and three daughters. After many years of unclouded happiness and prosperity, misfortunes fell thick upon his happy home. Within a few short months death deprived him of his wife, of two daughters, and of his youngest son. Mr. Paynter died in his seven- ty-eighth year, full of honors and rejoicing in the faith. He was a member of the Episcopal church, and was remarkable for his ardent at- tachment to the church of his fathers. For her he was an untiring and efficient worker, and at her altar a constant and devout com- municant. For years he represented his par- ish in the diocesan convention, and served as a trustee of the general Theological Seminary. Mr. Paynter died very suddenly. He was ap- parently in robust health, and was in the act of performing his daily duties when he was attacked by heart failure. He is buried in Lewes, Del., in St. Peter's churchyard, where generations of his family repose. Three of his ancestors and two of his descendants who

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bore his name, lie near him, and a few yards from his resting place repose three of his school fellows who were Chief Magistrates of Delaware.

CHARLES HENRY MAULL, Lewes, Del., son of George Heckman and Hannah (Clifton) Maull, was born in Lewes, April 16, 1842.

John Maull, the pioneer immigrant of the family, was born in England November 28, 1714. Ilis first and only home here was in Lewes, Del. In the mother country, the fam- ily name was Moll, but its orthography was changed to make it conform to the pronuncia- tion. John Maull was but a boy when he ar- rived in America, and after attending school for a few years he was apprenticed to a pilot, which vocation he followed throughout his life. The majority of his numerous descend- ants are found in Delaware especially in the town of Lewes. On October 12, 1736, John Maull married Mary Field. They had children: I. Nehemiah, born October 15, 1737, date of death un- known, married Mary Moulder, May 19, 1763, and had children, i. John, ii. Robert, iii. Elizabeth; II. Elizabeth, born November 27, 1739, died in childhood from fright caused by Indians; III. John, 2, born October 19, 1742, died in 1831; IV. James, born April 9, 1744, died -; V. Henry, born April 9, 1747, died August 9, 1748; VI. Mary, born May 4, 1749, date of death unknown; VII. William, born May 6, 1753, date of death un- known. Mr. Maull died in Lewes, July 27, 1796; his widow September 20, of the same year.

John Maull, 2, third child of John and Mary (Field) Maull, after his school education was ended, became a ship carpenter and con- tinued in that trade throughout his life, which was spent in Lewes. In 1768, John Maull, was married to Mary, daughter of Peter and Esther (Parnell) Marsh, who was born De- cember 17, 1752. Their children were: I. Peter M., born April 4, 1769, died April 11, 1771; II. James, born March 10, 1771, died -; III. Peter, born March 29, 1773, died -; IV. John, 3, born February 22, 1775, died October 9, 1843; V. Nehemiah, born April 6, 1777, died ; VI. Samuel, born April 10, 1779, died -; VII. Joseph, born September 6, 1781; died ---; VIII. Henry

Fisher, born September 25, 1783, died Jan- uary 11, 1852; IX. William, born March 6, 1786, died -; X. Hester, born October 25, 1788; died . Mr. Maull died in 1831; his wife, October 16, 1790.

Henry Fisher Maull, eighth son of John Maull, 2, was a Bay pilot and one of the best of a family famed for its careful and capable navigators of Delaware waters. He married, in 1805, Mary Bedford Webb, who was born December 25, 1787. They had children: I. Henrietta, born November 10, 1806; II. Charles, born November 22, 1808; III. Henry F., 2, born November 30, 1811; IV. Edward, born September 22, 1813; V. George Hickman, born December 23, 1815; VI. John, born December 10, 1817; VII. Hannah W., born September 11, 1819; VIII. Mary A., born October 17, 1821; IX. Sarah R., born August 27, 1823; X. Deborah M., born October 10, 1825; XI. Louisa R., born Octo- ber 10, 1827; XII. William W., born Febru- ary 5, 1829; XIII. Bertha E., born June 20, 1832. Mr. Maull died January 11, 1852; his widow in April, 1858.

George Hickman Maull, fifth child of Henry F. Maull, was born in Lewes. In early life be became a Delaware pilot and did not make his last trip until a short time before his death. He took an active part in politics as a Republican. He was a member of the I. O. O. F. On January 12, 1841, George Hickman Maull married Hannah W., daughter of Asa ('lifton, of Lewes. Their children are: I. Charles Henry, born April 16, 1842; II. Mary E., of Philadelphia, born June 22, 1844; III. Hetty T., of Lewes, born June 5, 1847; IV. Fannie W. (Mrs. Charles Dorn), of Philadelphia, born June 26, 1850; V. James C., born April 17, 1852, deceased; VI. Louisa (Mrs. J. P. Virden), of Lewes, born February 27, 1854; VII. William, born April 11, 1856. Mr. Maull died September 17, 1889; his wife, who was born April 2, 1821, died October 20, 1876.

Charles Henry Maull, eldest son of George ITickman Maull, was educated in the public and private schools of Lewes. When he was seventeen years old he obtained a clerkship in an insurance office in Washington, D. C. He filled this position for two years, and then se- cured employment in a dry goods house of the same city. After he had remained there three years, a desk was given him in the internal

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revenue department, and later in the post- office department. After two years of depart- ment work he went to California, and for five years was employed in the post office in San Francisco. In 1874 Mr. Maull returned to Lewes, and engaged in the clothing and shoe business. In 1876 he was made manager of the Philadelphia Maritime Exchange at Lewes and served for five years. He was then ap- pointed post master at Lewes, and upon his retirement, four years later, opened a grocery store which he conducted until the fall of 1888, when he was elected to the legislature. After Mr. Maull had served a term in that body, he was appointed a special agent of the United States government land office, and traveled through the west in that capacity for four years. Then he returned again to Lewes and in January, 1893, established his present business, that of dealer in house furnishing goods. Mr. Maull has been a member of the school board of Lewes for nine years, and was for nine years borough treasurer. He is a member of the F. and A. M., a stanch Repub- liean and a progressive, liberal-minded citizen, whose public services have always been the most satisfactory, and whose private business has been successfully conducted.

On March 23, 1868, Charles Henry Maull married Fannie E., daughter of Rev. W. Al- len, of Philadelphia. They had one child, Charles Allen, born December 9, 1870. Mrs. Fannie E. Maull died in January, 1871. On September 13, 1886, Mr. Maull married Sa- rah A., daughter of Samuel R. and Martha R. West. They have one child, George Clif- ton, born December 27, 1888. Mrs. Maull is a member of the P. E. church.

William Maull, youngest son of George Hickman Maul, was born and educated in Lewes. At the age of fifteen he began an ap- prenticeship to the business of a Delaware Bay pilot, and has continued upon the water over since. In 1897, Mr. Maull, who has been much employed as a pilot, and very successful, erect- ed for himself a very handsome and comforta- ble home in Lewes, where, surrounded by an interesting and intelligent family, he spends nearly all his time when on shore. In October 25, 1895, Charles HI. Maull became trust of- ficer of the Sussex Trust and Safe Deposit Co. of Lewes, Del. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. In politics he is to be found with the Republicans.

On October 10, 1881, William Maull mar- ried Mary Q., daughter of Thomas HI. and Catharine (Marshall) Carpenter, who was born August 26, 1861. Their children are: I. George T., born July 23, 1882; HT. Louis (., born July 27, 1884; III. Catharine C., born October 7, 1886; IV. Francis P., born May 11, 1859; died April 4, 1893. Mrs. Maull is a member of the P. E. church.

JOHN BEST ROBINSON, D. D. S. Lewes, Del., son of John and Anna M. (Best) Robinson, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., March 3, 1862. His mother's parents are Valentine and Eleanor (Woodside) Best, of Danville, Pa., formerly of New Castle, Del.

John B. Robinson attended the public schools of Philadelphia and was graduated from the Boys' Central High School. Having determined upon a professional career, he en- tered the dental department of the University of Pennsylvania and obtained his degree of D. D. S. there in the spring of 1889. IIe began the practice of his profession at No. 1716 Chestnut street, Philadelphia, and re- mained there until May, 1892, when he came to Lewes. Here by his skill and his courtesy he has built up a large and lucrative practice; he has branch offices in Georgetown and Mil- ton, which he visits each week. Dr. Robinson is a member of Oklahoma Tribe, No. 26, I. O. R. M. of Lowes, and of the Jr. O. U. A. M., Lewes Council, No. 14. He is a Democrat and is always to be found working actively in behalf of his party.

Dr. John Best Robinson was married, No- vember 12, 1890, to Elizabeth J., daughter of Elihu J. and Mary A. Morris, of Lewes. The doctor is a member of the Presbyterian church, and Mrs. Robinson of the M. E. church.

ELMER OUTTEN, Lowes, Del., son of Nicholas A. and Annie (M.) Outten, was born in Philadelphia, April 30, 1865.

Ile early went to Seaford, Del., to which place his parents removed; he there attended the public schools. Afterward he entered the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, in Phila- delphia, and was graduated from that institu- tion in March, 1887. Until November of the same year he was employed in a drug store in the "Quaker City." On November 12, 1897,

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he established himself in the drug business in Lewes. In 1893 he erected his present block, a two story building one hundred and thirty-five feet deep and of handsome archi- teetural design. The entire first floor is occu- pied by Mr. Outten's business; he has one of the most complete department stores in Dela- ware. Drugs, stationery, hardware, wall pa- per, paint, horse goods, house-furnishings, seeds, etc., make up a portion of his large stock. Thesecond floor isoccupied by the Outten Ly- ceum, the only theatre in Lewes, and by Okla- homa Tribe, No. - , I. O. R. M. Mr. Outten also owns and operates a job-printing plant in connection with his store, but uses it princi- pally for his own advertising. Mr. Outten is a member of Atlantic Lodge, No. 15, I. O. O. F., a director of the Lewes National Bank, and a stanch Democrat. He is a member of the M. E. church.

ELIHU JEFFERSON MORRIS, Lewes, Del., son of William Burton and Maria (Mar- vel) Morris, was born in Indian River hun- dred, Sussex county, Del., May 14, 1826.

His grandfather, Jacob Morris, is the first of the family of whom there is any record ex- tant. He was born in Dagsborough hundred, Sussex county some time after the year, 1700. He married and had two children: I. William Burton; II. Purden. William Burton Morris was born in Dagsborough hundred, Sussex county, April 1, 1794. He received as good an education as his neighborhood afforded in those days. Until he was nearly fifty years old, he was a farmer, but devoted a part of histimeto learning carpentry, a trade which he acquired practically unaided. In 1840 Mr. Morris left the farm and procured employment in Lewes at his trade, in which he proved skilful, and met with much success. He had been a soldier in the War of 1812. He was a Democrat, and a member of the Sons of Temperance. On Oc- toher 18, 1821, William Burton Morris mar- ried Maria, daughter of Captain Philip Mar- vel, of Dagsborough hundred, who was born May 15, 1801. They had children: I. Mary E. (Mrs. Greensbury Lynch), widow, of Georgetown hundred, born September 15, 1822; IT. Elihu J., born June 6, 1824, died June 11, 1825; III. Elihu J., born May 14, 1826; IV. Jacob, born March 21, 1828, died December 13, 1855; V. Sarah B. (Mrs. James Lewis), of Lewes, born April 29, 1831; VI.

Elizabeth P. (Mrs. John Marshall), deceased, of Lewes, born August 6, 1833. Mrs. Maria Morris died September 8, 1837. Mr. Morris was married again in 1838 to Mrs. Comfort Lewis, who also died, and in 1850 he married Mrs. Margaret Coleman. Mr. Morris died in Lewes, November 8, 1858. He was a de- yout member of the Presbyterian church.

Elihu Jefferson Morris was educated in the public schools. When he was sixteen years old he was apprenticed to a blacksmith, first in Philadelphia, where he spent a year, and afterward in Georgetown. Hle next went to Lewes, where he engaged in the wrecking busi- ness, continuing, at the same time, to work at his trade. In 1877 he relinquished black- smithing, and devoted himself to saving ships and cargoes and to the management of a store he had established in 1869. In 1879 Mr. Morris increased his mercantile business by adding groceries and dry goods to the list of commodities he had for sale. Energetic and untiring, he built a large cannery in 1887 and has conducted it with the aid of his sons un- der the firm name of E. J. Morris & Sons. He has also been engaged in trucking on an ex- tensive scale, and has owned and operated a large farm devoted to this purpose since 1872. Mr. Morris has been a successful business man, but has found time to give valuable service to his community as a public officer. In 1890 he was elected a member of the legislature, has represented his ward in the town council for several terms, has been a member and presi- dent of the school board, and is now prominent in the board of trade. Mr. Morris is connected with the F. and A. M. and the I. O. O. F. HIe is an active and influential Democrat.

On August 25, 1853, Elihu Jefferson Mor- ris married Mary A., daughter of David and Catherine Rowland, of Lewes, who was born August 18, 1833. Their children are: I. William Burton, 2, born January 21, 1855, an employee of Adams Express Company, in Philadelphia; II. Jacob, born June 30, 1856, paper-hanger, of Lewes; HIT. Catharine R. (Mrs. M. Q. Short), of Lewes, born July 1, 1858; IV. Lillie (Mrs. Earnest Mandex), of Wilmington, born April 22, 1860; V. Charles S., born November 8, 1861, Delaware Bay pilot: VI. Edgar (., born February 27, 1864, locomotive engineer on the D. M. & V. R. R. ; VII. Elizabeth (Mrs. John B. Robinson), of Lewes, born July 5, 1566; VIII. J. Ponder,

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born November 21, 1870, died Angust 18, 1896. Mr. and Mrs. Morris are members of the M. E. church.

Charles Schellinger Morris, son of Elihu J. Morris, was born in Lewes. He was sent to a private school to obtain an education, and when fifteen years old went aboard a ship to learn piloting, and has been for some years oneof the most capable pilotson Delaware Bay. Ile is a member of the F. and A. M., A. O. U. W. and I. O. H. He casts his ballot with the Democratic party. On December 22, 1857, Charles S. Morris married Laura M., daugh- ter of James C. Jones, of Philadelphia. They have one child, Mildred Levering, born No- vember 20, 1891. They are members of the M. E. church.

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Biographical and genealogical history of the state of Delaware, Vol. II, Part 35

Author: Runk, J.M. & Co Publication date: 1899 Publisher: Chambersburg, Pa. Number of Pages: 1500

Author: Runk, J.M. & Co
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: Chambersburg, Pa.
Number of Pages: 1500