Historical and biographical encyclopaedia of Delaware. V 2, Part 36

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Publication date: 1972
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 776

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HAKESPEARE, EDWARD ORAM, M. D., Ophthalmic Surgeon of Phila- delphia, and eldest son of William M. and Catharine (Haman) Shakespeare, was born in New Castle county, May 19, 1846. In 1854 his parents removed to Dover, where he attended the classical acad- emy of Prof. William A. Reynolds till the age of eighteen, when he entered the Sophomore class, of Dickinson college, graduating A. B. in 1867. He had the previous year com- menced the study of medicine under the tutor- ship of Dr. Dougherty of Carlisle, and on returning to Dover entered the office of Dr. Gove Saulsbury, with whom he studied dur- ing his vacations. Matriculating at the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania in the autumn of 1867, he graduated M. D. in the class of 1869, and returning to Dover, at once engaged in the practice of his profession, in which, from the first, he met with marked success. He was in partnership with Dr. Isaac Jump, from 1872 to 1874. During the session of the Legislature, in 1873, Dr. Shakespeare was elected Secretary of the Senate, and proved a very popular and efficient officer. In February 1874, he removed to Philadelphia, where, soon after, he became connected with the University of Pennsylvania as lecturer in the post-graduate course, on Ac- commodation and Refraction, and Operative Ophthalmic Surgery, the duties of which position he still continues to discharge with the zeal of a true lover of his art. His increas- ing interest in Ophthalmic Surgery soon de- manding all his time, he decided to withdraw from the general practice of medicine, and devote himself entirely to this branch of medi- cal science, in which he rapidly rose to promi- nence. In 1877 he received the appointment of Pathologist and Ophthalmic Surgeon to the Blockley Hospital, which position he continues to occupy. He was one of a Committee of three pathologists to examine microscopically, and report, officially, upon the minute condi- tion of the brain of Guiteau, the assassin of President Garfield, and at the request of the other members drafted the report. His private practice in his specialty is large ; patients coming to him from nearly all parts of the

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country. His writings also have attracted | D. D., of New York city, and entered the much attention, and have been received with especial favor. Many of his articles on sub- jects connected with his specialty have been widely circulated, and in 1877 he was the recipient of the Warren Triennial Prize of $400, open to the world ;- his subject, "The Nature of Inflammation in Arteries," being a microscopic study of the pathology of inflammation of the arteries. In. 1878 he was invited to deliver a lecture before the Smith- sonian Institution on a kindred subject in the " Toner Course," which lecture was published by that Institution in their volume for that year. In 1880 Dr. Shakespeare and J. Henry C. Simes, of Philadelphia, translated from the French, edited and revised, "Cornil and Ran- viers Pathological Histology," which has already been adopted as a text book in many of the medical colleges of the country. It is regarded as the best work on the subject in the English language. Dr. Shakespeare pre- pared for it many original chapters and brought it down to the date of publication. Still later he has prepared for Prof. Harrison Allen's work on Human Anatomy, a paper on "The Microscopic Structure of the Human Frame," which forms the opening chapter. His last scientific labor has been the preparation and de- livery of a course of Mütter Lectures before the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. his sub- ject being "Contributions to the Histology of Inflammation." In literary labors in connec- tion with his chosen life work, he is constantly engaged, and is a hard student and prodigious worker. He is a member of the Masonic Order. In 1880 Dr. Shakespeare was appointed aid-de-camp on the staff of Major General Hartranft, with the rank of Major, and in 1882 represented the National Guard of Penn- · sylvania as a member of the American team in the first military international rifle match, between Great Britain and America.

UNTINGTON, REV. CYRUS, Pastor of the Presbyterian church of Dover, was born in Greene county, N.Y., April 10, 1820 ; the eldest son of Rev. An drew and Mary (Chipman) Hunting-

ton. His father, born in Lebanon, Conn., in 1791, graduated at Yale in the same class with Hon. John M. Clayton, in 1815. He studied divinity with the 'celebrated John M. Mason,

ministry of the Presbyterian church in 1818. For nearly half a century he was pastor of churches in various places, and died in Ohio, in 1872, at the age of eighty-one.' The Hunt- ingtons descended from Simon Huntington, a native of Norwich, England, who died on his voyage to this country in 1633. His widow, Margaret, with their three sons, Christopher, Simon and Samuel, were among the original settlers of Norwich, Conn., and it is from the second son, Simon, in the seventh generation, that Mr. Huntington is descended. The family has been prominent in the history of the State, one of them being a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and another, Governor of Connecticut. Mr. Huntington's mother, was the daughter of Samuel Chipman, of Shore- ham, Vt. He was prepared for college, prin- cipally, by his father, the family then residing in Hudson city, N. Y. He was a clerk, one year, in the office of the New York Observer, after which, in 1840, he entered the Sopho- more class in Yale College, graduating in 1843, and spent two years in teaching. In 1845, he entered the middle class of Princeton Theological Seminary, completing the course two years later. He supplied the pulpit of the Havre de Grace, Md., Presbyterian church for a year, as a licentiate, and Nov. 14, 1848, was ordained and installed. He continued pastor of that church till 1852, when he became pastor of the Presbyterian church at Ellicott's Mills, remaining till Aug. 30, 1862, when he resigned his charge, having been appointed chaplain of the First Maryland Regiment of Union Volun- teers. This position, however, he resigned Oct. 21, on account of very serious illness. May 11, 1863, he was installed pastor of the Presbyterian church of Dover, where he still remains. Mr. Huntington is a thorough scholar, an original and profound thinker, and in speak- ing, holds the close attention of his hearers. As a pastor he is popular and greatly beloved. His health was not good when he came to Dover, and needing out-door exercise, he de- cided to turn the necessity to good account, and accordingly purchased a farm of seventy- two acres, near that place, on which he has successfully cultivated peaches, pears and the small fruits. He was married, Nov. 13, 1851, to Mrs. Henrietta Mary, widow of Dr. John J. Boyd, of Havre de Grace, and daughter of

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Captain Nathaniel and Margaret (Rodgers) Chew. Mrs. Chew was a sister of Commodore John Rodgers, of the United States Navy. Mrs. Huntington died, Dec. 4, 1879, and is in- terred in the family burial place in Lower West Nottingham church yard, Cecil county, Md. By reason of her family connections she had a wide acquaintance with the leading men in church and State, and by her native talents and superiority she was fitted to grace any circle,-but her chief adornment was her lovely christian character, and as a pastor's wife, she was unsurpassed.

LEMING, CHARLES TURNER, Sur- veyor and Conveyancer, Milford, was born in Mispillion hundred, Nov. 16, 1805, the seventh son of Beniah Flem- ing, a farmer, and his wife, Elizabeth, daughter of John Turner, a farmer of the same neighborhood. The family descended from William Fleming, born in Scotland, June 5, 1717, and who came to Delaware about 1740. He obtained a patent for 400 acres of land in Mispillion hundred, which was called " Wil- liam's Choice," and part of it is still in the family possession He erected in 1741, a large brick dwelling which is still in good repair. He died in 1784. His wife, Jane Frame, born July 27, 1726, died March 7, 1768. Their chil- dren were, Andrew, Nathan, William, Boaz, Beniah, born Jan. 10, 1762, and Benoni, By a second wife he had another son, Thomas. All the children of William Fleming emigrated to the West after his death, with the exception of Beniah, who remained at the old home- stead, where he died at the age of eighty- three, Oct. 12, 1845. He was a soldier in the revolution in the Delaware line. His wife, Betsey, was born, Dec. 1I, 1765. They had fourteen children, Charles Turner being the eleventh. The homestead is now owned by Charles H. Fleming, son of Nathan, and grandson of Beniah. Charles T. Fleming re- ceived a good English education and taught school one year before coming to Milford, in 1827. He there attended evening schools and studied Latin and mathematics, the last being his special delight. In 1835, he became a sur- veyor and conveyancer, and has now been thus employed for over forty-five years. For twenty-one years he has been a Notary Public and also Commissioner of Deeds for the State

of New York, transacting an immense amount of business, and has probably written more deeds than any other man in Kent county. He has acted as agent for the Mill Creek, now Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Company, since its organization. In 1846, he was ap- pointed Receiver of the celebrated Potter estate, then in litigation, of which, in 1848, under a decision of the Court of Chancery, he was made and still remains the trustee. Mr. Fleming was, in 1837, elected by the Whig party to the legislature, in which he served honorably for two years. He has been a Re- publican since the organization of that party, and a strong Union man. He was brought up a Presbyterian, but there being no church of that denomination in Milford, he and his wife united with the M. E church, in his early man- hood. He was first married, Jan. 4, 1838, to Mrs. Elizabeth W., widow of Rynear Williams, and daughter of Peter T. Causey, also sister of Governor Peter F. Causey. She died May 16, 1847. He afterwards married Miss Mary S., daughter of William Richards of North- west Fork hundred, and had three children ; Mary Elizabeth, who died in 1861, aged five years ; Foster Causey, died in 1864, aged one year and four months, and an infant, who also died. Mr. Fleming is still active, and attends to all the duties of his position with accuracy and ease. He has not yet been obliged to use glasses. He is social, and a great lover of music, spending many leisure hours in playing the violin or the organ.

AILEY, COL. EDMUND, Farmer of Canterbury, was born in the house where he now lives, Aug. 17, 1840. His father, John Bailey, also a farmer, was born, June 10, 1797. He married in 1824 Eliza A., daughter of William and Ann An- derson. They had four sons and five daugh- ters, Edmund being the youngest child. John Bailey was an industrious and enterprising citizen, a man of high character, and for forty years was a leader, trustee, and steward in the M. E. Church. He died greatly lamented, Nov. 7, 1870, and his wife, April 20, 1874, in her 74th year. The father of John was Ed- mund Bailey, born in Kent, about 1760. He married Ruth Cox and had five children. The Baileys were of English origin, and among the early settlers of Delaware. The Ander-

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sons were from Wales. Edmund Bailey at- tended the best schools of his neighborhood till the age of fifteen, when he spent two years in Dover in the classical school of Prof. Reynolds. His father desired him to take a full course in Dickinson College, but he could not be induced to be so long absent from his home, to which he was greatly attached. After a trip to Illinois and Missouri, he took charge of the home farm, his parents removing to Felton in 1862, and he was married the same year. This farm he carried on for eight years, when he removed to Canterbury and engaged in mercantile pursuits. At the same time, in partnership with his brother-in-law, Capt. Thomas Draper, he commenced the manufac- ture of phosphates at Draper's Landing. After three years Mr. Bailey-retired and gave his attention to mercantile business till 1875. He then sold out his stock and spent three years in settling up his affairs. In the fall of 1878 he returned to his farm, which is called "Chest- nut Hill," and contains 230 acres, under a high state of cultivation, and devoted about equally to fruit and grain. He has 3,500 peach trees, 400 apple, a few pear trees, and two acres in small fruits. South of his residence he owns another farm of 40 acres. In Canterbury he has a storehouse, a dwelling, and three tenant houses. A man of intelligence, enterprise and character, he is prominent as an agriculturist, and takes a deep interest in the material pros- . perity of the State. Since its organization, in 1878, he has been one of the directors, and general superintendent; of the State Agricul- tural Society. Through his management, largely, the State fairs have been made a suc- cess, paying 20 per cent. dividend on the capital stock. From his youth Mr. Bailey has been identified with the Democratic party. He was elected in 1868 a member of the Levy Court, and served acceptably for four years. In 1879 he was commissioned an aid-de-camp on the staff of Gov. Hall with the rank of Colonel. For several years he was an active member of the order of Odd Fellows. In 1860 he joined the M. E Church, and has been trustee since 1868. He was first married, March 4, 1862, to Miss Mary M., daughter of James G., and Sarah Waples. She died the following October. January 17, 1865 he was married to Miss Susan A., daughter of Samuel A., and Susan (Brown) Short, of Kent county, by whom he had four

children ; Mary Waples, Edith, Edmund Emerson and John. Mrs. Bailey died, Dec. 25, 1872. He was again married, Jan. 23, 1876, to Miss Laura B., daughter of John B., and Susan (Buckmaster) Anderson. By this mar- riage he has one child, Anna Louise.

INCENT, FRANCIS, Historian, Editor and Philanthropist, was born, March 17, 1822, and was brought up in Dover till the age of seventeen. There were, at that time, but few books in Dover, and but two gentlemen there, Henry M. Ridgely and John M. Clayton, had really good libraries. To the one owned by Mr. Ridgely young Vincent enjoyed free access, and to this privilege he owed the best part of his education, and the higher ideas which have influenced him through life, and through him have proved of such great benefit to others. Dec. 27, 1839, he came to Wil- mington and learned the printing business in the office of the Delaware Gazette. Immedi- ately after his arrival he connected himself with the Franklin Lyceum, to which most of the literary young men of the place belonged, and to which reference is made in the sketch of. Mr. J. H. Adams. He afterward also joined the Wilmington Literary and Debating Society, of which he was president for many years. He delivered before it several lectures and addresses before he came of age. Aug. 22, 1845, he commenced, in company with William T. Jeandell, the publication of a news- paper entitled The Blue Hen's Chicken, which, from its originality, piquancy and life, at once came into favor, and enjoyed an immense popularity. In three months it had the largest circulation of any paper in Wilmington. It was the first to strike out from the staid, old- ashioned way of journalizing, which, in the country, consisted mainly of making extracts from the metropolitan newspapers; and being devoted to matters nearer home, was much more interesting to the mass of readers. It was at once held up as a model, and as such a thousand copies were sent all over the country. All the country newspapers of the present day are conducted on the plan origin- ated by The Blue Hen's Chicken. In the second year Mr. Vincent became the sole pro- prietor of this paper, and at once commenced, through its columns, the advocacy of a series

Francis Vincento

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of state and national reforms, many of which | the establishment of life-saving stations all he originated, and a large number of which he along the sea line of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. In the fall of the same year he was elected City Treasurer, and was re-elected three times; the last time he ran ahead of his ticket 700 votes. The life of Mr. Vincent is its own eulogy. Not the half has been told, but it is sufficient to entitle him to the love and gratitude of every resident of the State and in many cases the blessing of his labors extend far beyond its limits. succeeded, by his ability and persistency, in having adopted, in some instances aided by others. Among them was the freeing of the Wilmington bridge, the reduction of the hours of labor to ten a day, the exemption of necessary household goods from seizure for debt, and the abolishing of lotteries, whip- ping of white women, imprisonment of non- resident debtors, and of public executions. Also, largely through the influence of his articles on the subject, the railroad from Wil- mington to Reading was built, the Delaware railroad was run through the State to Wil- mington, the branch was built from Milford to Lewes, the General Incorporation act was passed, the road to Delaware river is now in process of construction, and nearly every other measure he proposed is still agitated and receives the support of a large body of citizens. He was a strong opponent to slavery and an earnest friend to the colored people; in denouncing and making known their wrongs he made his influence strongly felt, and was twice brought into personal conflict. In 1850, Judge Eggleston, of Maryland, de- clared from the bench that any one taking his paper from the Post Office was liable to im- prisonment. He was in advance of his day, and urged all the common-sense reforms-too great a number to be here recapitulated-that at the present time seem as necessary as light and air. He sold his paper in 1854, receiving for it fifty per cent. more than any paper in the State before. He assisted in the organiza- tion of the Republican party in the State and has been prominent in its counsels ever since. He predicted the exact results of the war-the freeing and enfranchising of the colored peo ple. In 1861 he purchased The Commonwealth, a newspaper, and changed its name to The Blue Hen's Chicken. One of its first uses was to urge the fortification of the Delaware-and the Breakwater, which being also taken up by other papers, was accomplished. He sold the paper two years later. In Sep., 1864, he was elected Alderman of the city, and was re-

elected five successive times. In 1870 he published his first volume of the History of - Delaware. In 1873 he called public attention to the great loss of life by shipwreck on our coast, the result of his persistent efforts being

ILSON, JOHN THOMAS, Farmer, on "The Levels," near Middletown, was born, April 17, 1841, on the farm "Mayfield," which is still, and has always been, his home. A sketch of his father, William Wilson, has been given. The maiden name of his mother was Rachel Naudain. He attended the schools of his lo- cality till he was fifteen when he was sent to the Academy at New London, Pa. under the direction of Professor Edward D. Porter, after- wards of Delaware College, and now of Min- nesota University. He pursued at that insti- tution a classical and mathematical course, remaining two years. Leaving school in 1859, he returned to his home, where soon,in atten- tion to the large business of his father's estate, he gave evidence of the ability which has since distinguished him. In less than a year the charge of this large property passed into his hands On the death of his father, in 1879, he was appointed administrator of the estate, both in Delaware and in Maryland. He has taken out letters in both States. The estate is described in the sketch of his father, William Wilson, consisting of about thirty-five hundred acres of finely improved and valuable land. The "Brick Store" farm descended to Wm. N. and John T. Wilson, through their mother, having been in the possession of her family since the original patents were given them by William Penn. The estate has forty thousand peach trees in bearing. Mr. Wilson tills all these trees with the exception of a part covering forty acres. He has an orchard-master for each orchard, a culling seperintendent and a shipper. The largest crop of peaches gathered from his trees was in 1875, when about 80,000 baskets were grown, but not all of them were shipped. Mr. Wilson is quite a sportsman, and heartily enjoys a day in the fields and

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forests. His out door habits from childhood, w.re favorable to health and vigor, and a fine physical development. He is large and athletic, and of a jovial and happy tempera- ment. He is a natural musician, and plays well on several instruments. Formerly he was the leader of the Diamond State Band of Middletown. He is a gentleman of culture, large business capacity and experience, and highly popular with all classes.

IEFENDORF, JOHN WILLIAM - Wholesale and Retail Clothier and Merchant Tailor, Wilmington, was born, April 26, 1847, in the town of Cherry Valley, now Roseboom, Otsego county, N. Y .; the second son of William and Mary Ann (Echerson) Diefendorf. His father, now sixty-two years of age, is a prosperous farmer, and has been, for many years, a lead- ing member in the M. E. church. He is a son of Rev William Diefendorf, of the Black River Conference, now merged in the Troy Confer- ence ; but in his early life belonged to the Dutch Reformed Church. He had two brothers -Jonas and Benjamin-and six nephews who were Methodist ministers. The two brothers, in their later years, became ministers in the Lutheran church. Rev. William Diefendorf married Catherine Failing, and the old home- "stead was near Sharon Springs, N. Y. He died. Sept. 19, 1838, at the age of fifty-three, and his wife, in 1876, at the age of eighty- seven. Five of their children are still living : William, Josiah, Ephraim, Sallie, wife of Rev. George Parsons; and Lucy, wife of Edwin Blackwell, of Le Grange, Lorain county, Ohio. The father of Rev. William Diefendorf was also a William Diefendorf, and he had fourteen children, six sons and eight daughters. His five brothers and six sisters had also very large families, nine being the smallest number in any of them, and one of the sisters, a Mrs. Zimmerman, having sixteen children The

father of the last named William Diefendorf was Hans-Yacob, or John Jacob Diefendorf, who came to this country from Germany. John W. Diefendorf worked on the farm and attended the common schools during the win- ter season until his fifteenth year, after which he was a clerk for four years and a half. He then spent some months in Ohio, and return- ing to New York, was,for two years,head sales-

| man in dry goods and clothing stores at Fort Plains, becoming a partner in the last one in 1870. The following year the firm removed to Canajoharie, and in 1874, Mr. Diefendorf sold his interest to his partner, for whom he was, for the next three years, bookkeeper and buyer ; was also buyer for other houses. In 1876 he w nt to Philadelphia, and spent three months with John Wanamaker, to learn some of the minor details of the business, after which be became manager of the Boston Clothing House, in Wilmington, and held the position, with great success, till July, 1879, when he re- signed it and opened the well-known Wilming- ton Clothing House, at the corner of Market and Fourth streets. There he has met with unpre- cedented success. His sales have been large, beyond his most sanguine expectations, and his house is popular with the best and most desirable classes of customers. Mr. Diefendorf is a careful and reliable business man, and highly regarded by all who know him. In politics he is a Republican. Having united with the M. E. church at the age of twenty- one, he is now a member of Grace Church, where he is class-leader, a steward and assist- ant superintendent of the Sabbath school. He is a member of the Eureka Lodge, No. 23, F. A. M. He was married, in Sept. 1870, to Mrs. Emma, widow of Harvey Ward, and daughter of Solomon and Harriet L. Kellar, of Fort Plains, N. Y. They have two children : Dorr F. and Homer J. Diefendorf.

OUSTON, DAVID HENRY, M. D., Ex-Surgeon-in-chief of the First Divi- sion, Second Corps, of the Army of the Potomac, was born in Concord, Sussex county, June 23, 1819. His parents were John and Elizabeth (Wiltbank) Houston. Some account of the family is given in the sketch of his brother, Judge John W. Hous- ton, He received a good English education at Washington Academy, Princess Anne Co., Md., and at the celebrated Quaker school of Samuel Smith in Wilmington, where he re- mained till he was twenty. In 1839 he com- menced the study of medicine with his brother-in-law, Dr. Samuel K. Wilson of Lewes, in the same house where Dr. Houston now resides. This house known as "Gover- nor's Hall," was built by Col. David Hall of Revolutionary fame. Dr. Wilson dying in

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Historical and biographical encyclopaedia of Delaware. V 2, Part 36

Author: Publication date: 1972 Publisher: Number of Pages: 776

Author:
Publication date: 1972
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 776