Biographical and genealogical history of the state of Delaware, Vol. II, Part 56

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 56

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and admitted to the bar in Dover, Del. He Del. He died at his home near Seaford, Del., immediately opened an office in Dover, but January 22, 1897. his father's failing health obliged him to re- Woodburn Martin, his eldest son, spent three years at Burlington Military Academy, Burlington, N. J., and three years at the high school of Prof. William R. Abbot at Belle- vne, Va. After studying for one year at the University of Virginia, and graduating in the school of Constitutional and In- ternational Law, he was admitted to the Delaware bar, and since October 3, 1892, has been practicing at Georgetown, Del. In 1896, Mr. Martin was elected a member of the Con- stitutional convention; his name being on four tickets, his majority was very large. The faithful service rendered by Mr. Martin fully justified the confidence reposed in him. He served on two of the most important commit- tees, the Judiciary and the Legislative, and was the originator of Section ten, Article see- ond of the amended Constitution, providing that: "No bill can pass either House except it receive a majority of votes of all the mem- bers elected, and except the vote be deter- mined by veas and nays and names of mem- bers voting be entered on the records." In 1898, Mr. Martin was appointed by the gov- ernor of the state as a member of the school commission of Sussex county, to serve for three years, the full extent of the legal term for that office. Mr. Martin is a Democrat, and is actively interested in all the affairs of Sussex county. He is a member of the Prot- estant Episcopal church. turn to Seaford, where he remained until his father's death, in June, 1867. Upon him- self and his brother, Luther Martin, as execu- tors, devolved the care of their mother and of the estate, "Woodburn," the family residence. The interests of the estate demanding his constant attention, Mr. Martin relinquished the active duties of his profession, and gave himself entirely to agriculture. Ahnost the whole property of 400 aeres is devoted to the cultivation of peaches and small fruits. Democrat by birth and education, Mr. Mar- tin was for many years one of the leaders of that party in Delaware. He was a member of the National Democratic Convention in Chicago, Ill., in 1864; in Baltimore, Md., in 1872: in St. Louis, Mo., in 1876, and in Cin- cinnati, Ohio, in 1880. In 1873, Mr. Mar- tin, Chief Justice Comegys and the Hon. William G. Whitely were appointed by the legislature of Delaware to meet Courtland Parker, Abraham Browning and Albert Slape, conmis-ioners from New Jersey, to set- tle the boundary line between those states; the joint committee was, however, discharged before the settlement was made. In 1877, Mr. Martin wasappointed by the legislature of the state as commissioner for Sus-ex county to encourage the introduction and cultivation of the sugar beet. In 1887 Edward L. Martin was nominated by the Democratic party, and elected to the Forty-ninth Congress, in which he served on the Committee on Accounts, the ANDREW J. LYNCH, ESQ., George- town, Sussex county, Del., son of Joshua A. and Elizabeth (Dutton) Lynch, was born near Georgetown, Sussex county, Del., September 30, 1866. Committee on the District of Columbia, and a special committee on the Centennial Cele- bration of the Surrender of Yorktown. His record as a congressman was so honorable that in 1880 he was re-elected to the same office, his Joshua A. Lynch, farmer, lumberman, and merchant, father of Andrew J. Lynch, was born at Ellendale, Sussex county, Del., Oc- tober 26, 1826. He is a Democrat, and is in- terested in all the affairs of his native com- ty, where he is highly esteemed. Joshua 1. Lynch was married to Elizabeth Dutton, who was born in 1835. Their children are: I. Charlotte E. (Mrs. George M. Stanton), of Baltimore, Md .: IT. Mark G .; HTI. Randall M., married Mollie P. Robbins; IV. Gove S., married Elizabeth Sharp; V. Elizabeth 1. (Mrs. John II. Truitt); VI. Howard E., mar- competitor being the Hon. John Houston, a judge of the Superior court of Delaware. Ed- ward L. Martin was married, March 17, 1869, to Clara, daughter of William W. Dulaney, of Sussex county, Del. Their children are: I. Woodburn; II. William Dulaney; III. Rosalie; IV. Mabel Bayard; V. Edward Liv- ingston, Jr. Mr. Martin was a member of the Protestant Episcopal church. He was frequently a delegate to the diocesan conven- tion, and for more than twenty years was one of the vestry of St. Luke's Parish, Seaford,

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ried Lena Oliver; VII. Andrew J. Mr. Joshua A. Lynch and his wife were member's of the M. E. church. Mrs. Lynch died at her home in Sussex county, Del., May 30, 1869.

Andrew J. Lynch grew up on his father's farm, and attended the public schools of Sus- SOX county. At sixteen he began teaching in the public schools of the district, and was for one year principal of the public schools of Newark, Del. Having prepared for college at Dover Academy and at the Wesleyan Uni- versity, Mr. Lynch completed his studies at Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pa., graduating with honor from the law department in the class of 1893. Since his graduation, Mr. Lynch has been practicing in Georgetown, Del. Besides attending to his legal business he is editor and half owner of the Sussex Journal, the oldest newspaper in the county, published at Georgetown, Del. Mr. Lynch is a Democrat, actively interested in local poli- ties. He belongs to the Jr. O. U. A. M., the Chi Psi, a college fraternity; and the Delta Chi, a legal fraternity.

ROBERT C. WHITE, ESQ., George- town, Sussex county, Del., son of Benjamin and Harriet E. (Hopkins) White, was born near Milton, Broadkiln hundred, Sussex coun- ty, Del., July 16, 1852.

Mr. White's great-grandfather, Paul White, was born, lived and died in Lewes and Re- hoboth hundred, Sussex county, Del. His only son, Robert White, spent his whole life on the homestead in Sussex county. He was married first to Mary Waite, and after her death, to Anne Richards. He died at the homestead in Sussex county, aged seventy- seven.

Benjamin White, son of Robert and Mary (Waite) White, was born near Milton, Del. He was married in Broadkiln hundred, Sussex county, Del., in 1839, to Harriet Waples. Their children are: T. Wallace W., deceased; II. Mary E. (Mrs. Thomas Shaw). of Phila- delphia, Pa .; HIT. Margaret 1. (Mrs. John 1. Holland), deceased. Mr. White's second wife, Elizabeth Waples, a sister of his first wife, died six months after her marriage. In 1847 Mr. Benjamin White was married to Harriet Hopkins. Their children are: I. Harriet Jane (Mrs. John B. Dorman); IT.

Adeline, died in 1893; III. Robert C. Mrs. Ilarriet (Hopkins) White died in 1893.

Robert C. White received his education in the public schools of his native county. He grew up on the homestead, working with his father until he was seventeen. In 1869 he obtained a situation as clerk in a store at Draw Bridge, Del. Here he remained until he attained his majority, when he removed to Harbeson, Del., and began business for him- self. At the end of three years, Mr. White abandoned mercantile pursuits, and began to read law in the office of ex-Chancellor Sauls- bury, at Dover, Del. He was admitted to the bar, April 18, 1880, and immediately began the practice of his profession. From 1893 to 1895, Mr. White was counsel of the Levy Court of Sussex county, and on November 22, 1895, was appointed attorney general. This office he still holds, discharging his duties con- scientiously and efficiently. Alnost from the date of his admission, Mr. White has taken a prominent position at the Sussex county bar, and is now regarded as one of the leaders in his profession. Mr. White is an active mem- ber of the Democratic party.

Robert C. White was married in Broad- kiln hundred, near Milton, February 16, 1882, to Laura, daughter of John T. and Susan (Morris) Conwell, whose father is a successful farmer of Sussex county. Their children are: I. Mary C., born July 7, 1883; II. Bessie C., born June 30, 1886. Mr. White is a devout member of the Presbyterian church at Georgetown, in which he is an elder.

WILLIAM S. DAVIS, Georgetown, Sus- sex county, Del., son of Robert M. and Mar- garet E. (Ward) Davis, was born at Laurel, Del., July 26, 1864.

Mr. Davis' father, Robert M. Davis, shoe- maker, was born at Millsborough, Del. He was married to Margaret E., daughter of Jos- oph and Ann Ward, of Laurel. They had seven children, three of whom died in in- fancy. Those living are: T. Robert II., of Frankford, Del., married Alice Long: II. Charles B., of Bishop, Md., married first to Annie Tunnell, who died leaving two chil- dren, i. Charles R., Jr., ii. Jennie, he after- ward married Lulu Vickers, and their chil- dren are, i. William, died in childhood, ii.

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Margaret; III. Annie E. (Mrs. George Bra- sure), of Frankford, Del., has one child, Wil- liam D .; IV. William S. Robert Davis and his wife reside at Frankford, Del.

William S. Davis was educated in the pub- lic schools of Frankford and of Philadelphia. Hle was an apt scholar, intelligent and indus- trious, and at the age of nineteen was made as- sistant agent for the D. M. & V. R. R., at Frankford, Del. He was prompt and reliable in the discharge of his duty as assistant, and in 1887 received the appointment of ticket agent and telegraph operator for the P., W. & B. R. R. at Georgetown, Del. Mr. Davis is in- terested in local affairs, and has identified him- self with the Republican party. He is a mem- ber of Franklin Lodge No. 12, A. F. and A. M .; of Union Lodge No. 3, I. O. O. F., of Dela- ware; and of the Georgetown Social Club.

William S. Davis was married in George- town, November 11, 1888, to Lydia, daughter of John B. and Mary West, of Georgetown. Their children are: I. Helen W .; II. Mar- guerite; III. Pearl; IV. Mary. Mr. Davis and his wife are members of the M. E. church.

DAVID W. COLPITTS, Mount Pleasant, Del., son of John S. and Wealthy A. (King) Colpitts, was born in Elgin, Albert county, New Brunswick, Canada, June 5, 1851.

The family is of Celtic origin. Its first member who settled in America was Captain Colpitts, great-great-grandfather of David W. Colpitts, who left Durham, England, after the cession of Canada to Great Britain in 1763, under a commission from the British govern- ment to make a survey of the Bay of Fundy. When this work was completed, he returned to England to bring over his family, but on account of the trouble then brewing between England and her American colonies, he was detained at Newcastle-on-Tyne, and did not succeed in again reaching the British Prov- inces until eight years later, or after peace had been restored. He landed at Halifax, N. S., in April, 1783, and proceeded thence to the Bend of Peticodiac, which is now the city of Moncton, N. B. It was a point four miles west of this place that he had chosen for a home on his former visit, but he found that during his absence the place had been taken possession of by German settlers. ITe then went farther up stream and settled on the

Coverdale River, where he secured an exten- sive tract of government land. His family consisted of his wife, Margaret ( Waite) Col- pitts and nine children, viz: John, Robert, Elizabeth, Thomas and William, who were born in Durham, Ralph and George, born in Newcastle-on-Tyne; and Margaret and Jane, born at Coverdale, N. B. John Colpitts mar- ried a Foster, and their descendants still hve on the old homestead. Robert Colpitts mar- ried a Steeves, and settled in Belle Isle, Kings county, N. B. Elizabeth Colpitts married a Smith, William married a Trites, Ralph mar- ried a Jones, and George married a Foster. Margaret Colpitts married a Day, and Jane a Horseman.

Thomas Colpitts, the third son, was the great-grandfather of David W. Colpitts. He was granted crown land near Goshen, in the parish of Elgin, Albert county, N. B., and like his brothers, made farming his life ocen- pation. He married Eunice Reynolds, whose father was an officer in the rebel army (Revo- lutionary war). His property was confiscated to the crown, and he was forced to leave the province. He afterwards settled at Lubec, Me. Thomas Colpitts' family were: Lydia, Robert, Elizabeth, John, Sarah, Nathaniel, William, Margaret, Benjamin and Thomas. Numerous descendants of these several fami- lies still own and occupy land that was origin- ally granted to their forefathers by George III. It is here, within this close commune, that until a few years ago could be found the most primitive customs, the family spinning wheel and loom being still in use, and the method of manufacturing flour, etc., not hav- ing changed within a century.

Robert Colpitts, the eldest son of Thomas, and grandfather of David W. Colpitts, was born August 18, 1801. He spent his life on his farm, which was near his father's, in the parish of Elgin. He died and was buried there at the age of ninety-seven. Robert Col- pitts married Mary Beck, daughter of Leon- ard Beck, a descendant of an ancient Saxon family, whose mother, Mary Sherman, was a Puritan. Robert Colpitts had a family of fourteen children, viz: John S., Titus, Wil- liam A., Abigail, Phobe, Harris, Thomas, Leonard, Ennice, Mary, Robert, Caleb, Mar- tin and Reynolds.

John Sherman Colpitts, father of David

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W. Colpitts, was born in Elgin, Albert county, N. B., in 1828. He was educated at the parish school. He remained at home un- til he reached manhood, and then began his first business venture, in operating large saw mills in Westmoreland county, N. B. An un- usually destructive spring flood swept away his mills, lumber, ete., and he lost everything. Ile then began the study of law, and was ad- mitted to the bar of Albert county, N. B. He was afterwards appointed government sur- veyor, and held various public offices, under what was then the Liberal administration of C'anada. He was a Past Master of the F. and .A. M., and for six years held the office of Grand Secretary of British Templars. He was exceedingly popular and much esteemed for his excellent business ideas and sound judgment of men and things. He married Wealthy A., daughter of James King, of Kings county, N. B. They had children: 1. David W., II. Kate L., deceased, wife of George Durward, of Waltham, Mass .; III. Minnie A., deceased, wife of William I. Mor- ton, of Waltham, Mass .; IV. William S., train dispatcher, of Clayton, Del.

David W. Colpitts was educated at Hop- per's Academy, Coverdale, N. B., from which he graduated in 1869. In April of the same year he was appointed by the American Tele- graph Co., as their manager at Dorchester, N. B., where he took a course of civil engineering at St. Joseph's College. He left Dorchester tc assume a position in the General Office of the E. and N. A. R'y, at St. John, N. B., where he remained until the consolidation of the N. S. and N. B. Railway systems. He was then transferred to Moncton, N. B., and became purchasing agent in the ticket and stationery department of the Intercolonial Railway. He left this position by reason of a change in ad- ministration of government. Mr. Colpitts then joined a corps of civil engineers, and was for four years engaged on various railway and telegraph lines in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. He then came to Baltimore, Md., February 4, 1879, here, in company with D. B. MeQuarrie, he built the first line for the Central Union Tele- graph Co., from Baltimore to the Susque- hanna river. On July 6th of the same year, he came to Delaware, and entered the service of the Delaware Railroad, under General

Agent Isaac N. Mills, first as assistant agent at Woodside, Del., during peach season; he was then transferred to Wilmington, and given a position in the dispatcher's office of the Delaware Railroad, and afterwards pro- moted to chief clerk in Superintendent Mills' office at Wilmington, where he remained until the removal of the head-quarters to Clayton, Del. On February 14, 1883, he was ap- pointed freight and passenger agent at Mt. Pleasant, Del., which position of trust and re- sponsibility he has held with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of the railroad authori- ties for the past seventeen years. He is a Past Master of the A. O. U. W., of Middletown, Del., is Financier of the I. O. H., and a mem- ber of the P. R. R. Relief. His political views are liberal. He is an omnivorous reader, and has gathered a large fund of useful knowl- edge. Few men are happier in the number of warm friends they possess than he, or richer in the respect earned by a busy, circumspect life.

David W. Colpitts was married, August 29, 1881, to Margaret R., daughter of James V. Jefferies, of Wilmington, Del. Their chil- dren are: I. James V .; II. Herbert S., died when five years old; III. Arnold B .; IV. Da- vid W .; V. Dorothy K. Mr. Colpitts and family are members of the P. E. church.

The Jefferies family is of English descent; they settled in Chester county, Pa., nearly two hundred years ago. Seven brothers sailed from England in a ship to which was given the family name, Jefferies, between the years of 1699 and 1701. They took up large tracts of land along the Brandywine Creek, at what is known as Jefferies Ford, and divided it into seven farms. They belonged to the Society of Friends, and made farming their life occu- pation. Emmor Jefferies, great-grandfather of Mrs. Colpitts, was born near Jefferies Ford, January 18, 1752. He was an extensive farmer and stock raiser. He died at his home, and was buried at the Birmingham Friends' Meeting-house. He married Rachel, daugh- ter of Samuel and Rebecca Grubb, and nine children were born to them: Rebecca; Chony; Ann; James C .; Phehe; Sidney; Mary; Eliza- beth, and Samuel. All are long since dead. Mr. Jefferies was a member of the Society of Friends. It is said that he was the Jefferies who descried the approach of the British

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BIOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

forces under Ilowe, in the early morning of September 11, 1777, and who mounted his fleetest horse and rode in advance of the Tory lines, appraising Gen. Washington of the fact, and thus probably averting a greater loss to the Americans at the battle of the Brandy- wine.

James Grubb Jefferies, grandfather of Mrs. Colpitts, was born on the old homestead in Chester county, Pa., March 19, 1787, and died May 27, 1832. He was buried in the old Swedes' Cemetery at Wilmington, Del. He received the education usual to boys of good families of that day. He was a farmer and in addition, dealt extensively in cattle, frequent- ly traveling on horse-back to the western part of the state to purchase cattle and helping to drive them to the eastern markets, where he disposed of them. Ile sold the homestead and bought the old Van Dever farm of 106 acres in Brandywine hundred, New Castle county. Politically, he was a Whig. James Grubb Jefferies married Parthena, daughter of Thomas Van Dever, of Brandywine hundred. They had four children: I. James V., died in 1894; II. Thomas G., died in 1894; III. Edmund, of Council Bluffs, Iowa; IV. Hannah, deceased, wife of John C. Mur- ray, of North East, Md. The widow of James ( :. Jefferies was married to William Chandler, of Wilmington, Del. They had one child, Phebe, wife of Thomas Y. DeNormandie, of Wilmington, Del. Mr. Chandler died in 1850, and his wife in 1885. Both were buried in the Wilmington and Brandywine Ceme- tery. Mrs. Chandler's father, Thomas Van Dever, was one of the early Dutch settlers along the Brandywine in Delaware. He was a farmer, and owned large tracts of land.

James V. Jefferies, the father of Mrs. Col- pitts, was born on the old Van Dever farm in Brandywine hundred, New Castle county, Del., December 1, 1825. His education was obtained at Wilmington and in Chester conn- ty boarding schools. After becoming of age, he farmed the homestead, which is now part of the Ninth Ward of Wilmington, until 1866. He then formed a partnership with William T. Shaw for the manufacture and sale of agricultural implements. On Thanks- giving Day, 1849, he was married in Philadel- phia, Pa., by Mayor Jones, to Phebe, daugh- ter of Joseph Mendenhall, a well-known citi-

zen of Wilmington. Their children are: I. Ana (Mrz. Frederick Sprinkman), of Mil- waukce, Wis .; 11. Joseph M., a merchant of Wilmington; III. Margaret R .; IN. James E. of Detroit, Mich .; V. Mary, died in youth; VI. Charles B., a ranch owner of Montana: VII. William L., a broker of Philadelphia, Pa .; VIII. Leighton C., of California. Mrs. Jefferies died October 3, 1895, and since her death Mr. Jefferies has made his home with his daughter, Mrs. Colpitts, at Mt. Pleasant, Del. He is a genial, companionable gentle- man, and a Republican. The family attend the P. E. church, of which Mr. Jefferies has Leen warden and vestryman.

THE BOXWILL FAMILY dates back to the time before William the Conqueror, of Normandy, went to England, 1066.

Among the names of the gentry of France, who accompanied him on that expedition of invasion, was a Bondeville, whose name is to be found on the Roll of Battle Abbey. From him it is known, by genealogical history in England, the Bonviles of England had their origin and the name underwent some changes of spelling. But it was confined to Bonvilt; Bonvil; Bonvyl; Bonvile; Bonville; Bonvill; Bonevyl. After coming to America, about 1750, the name has always been spelled Bon- will; and there are yet remaining some of this family in England who spell the name Bon- vill. At present, there are very few of the family in England and not many in France. The town of Bonnevill, near the boundary line with Switzerland, was founded by one of this family. But it was from Yoetal in Nor- mandy, that they went with Duke William. the Conqueror. That the family is of French origin admits of little doubt. But, from 1066 until about 1750, when its first representative came to America, they had become by inter- marriage with the Saxon race, and by their long residence in England, quite lost to their French kinsmen.

It is known from the Records that the fam- ily in both France and England stood among the very highest of the nobility. The noble houses of Courtenay, Bonville, Harrington and Grey, in England, from 1400 to the death of Lord Bonville, in 1460, were the most con- spicuous figures of the reahn. Cecily Bon- ville, great-granddaughter of Lorl Bonville,

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and daughter of William Bonville, late Lord Harrington, was known to have vast territor- ial wealth and splendid lineage; born of Har- rington, Bouville and Neville blood. Her mother was Katharine Neville, who remarried to the fascinating William, Lord Hastings, K. G. This Cecily Bonville was pledged as an heiress, worthy of such an elevated posi- tion, to the Queen's eldest son, Edward IV. Lord Bonville's powerful domestic influence on the side of York, surrounding him in his latter days, got him into difficulties that as- sailed the closing days of this energetic oll warrior. During the reign of Henry VI he was loyal to the House of Lancaster; but the marriage of Lord Bonville's grandson to the daughter of Richard Neville, Earl of Salis- bury, which also made him the brother-in-law of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, forged a link between Bonville and the House of York.

This Earl of Warwick, the "proud setter-up and puller-down of Kings," had a marvellous influence and was a powerful magnate. All was lost at the battle of Barnet Field. The defeat of the Yorkists resulted in the execu- tion of Lord Bonville, although the King had guaranteed his safety. But his widow's for- tune was secured to her by a grant of King Edward IV for his services to the House of York. It was his fortune which later de- scended to Cicely, Lord Bonville's great- granddaughter, afterwards the wife of Thomas Grey, Marquis of Dorset and K. G. Lord Bonville was also restored in blood by an act of Parliament and his estates not con- fiscated.

But the most serious matter in connection with Lord Bonville's family is now in place. Of the marriage of Cicely Bonville, his great- great-granddaughter, Lady Jane Grey, was the issue, who was married to Guilford Dud- lev; it will be remembered that the scheming of the Duke of Northumberland led Edward the VI. to deprive his two sisters, Mary and Elizabeth, of the throne on the ground of illegitimacy, and had the young King lived until the scheme was completed, Lady Jane Grey would have been entitled to the throne Ly succession, the Marchioness of Dorset ho- ing the next heir. History tell us that this magnificent woman, Lady Jane Grey, was placed on the throne and wa- a Queen for

seven days, but was compelled to abdicate, Mary Tudor having succeeded to the throne. She was beheaded, with her husband and the party engaged. There is little doubt, how- over, considering the exalted character of Lady Jane Grey, that both she and her hu- band would have been saved, but for the uu- timely action of the Duke of Suffolk, who was pardoned, but afterwards engaged in Wyatt's insurrection, to prevent the marriage of Mary with King Philip. This led to the execution of the deferred sentence against Lady Jane Grey and her husband.

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Biographical and genealogical history of the state of Delaware, Vol. II, Part 56

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