Genealogical and personal memorial of Mercer County, New Jersey, Part 65

Author: Lee, Francis Bazley, 1869-1914
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: New York : Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 698

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Of the three children of the first marriage of Joseph Wilkes: I. John, married and was the father of eight children : Joseph, Harriet, David, Mary, George, Annie, John and William. 2. Sarah, died at the age of eighteen years. 3 Joseph, Jr., married Mary Ann Long, and had seven children: Annie, John, Edward, Peter. Josephine, Lottie and Marie.

The children of his second marriage with Sarah Golding are five in number: I. Charlotte, mar- ried John E. Thropp, an account of whom is given in this volume. 2. Moses, married Mary

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Eva Hindley, and has six children: Harry, Mary, Aaron, Christopher, Elizabeth and John. 3. Mary, married Duncan Mackenzie. 4. Aaron Wilkes, who enlisted in the Union army at the first call for volunteers, and was commissioned corporal of Company B, captain guard, and was transferred to Colonel Murphy's regiment of home guards. Mr. Wilkes, not relishing the in- activity of this command, resigned, and in con- nection with Captain Wittingham helped to or- ganize a company of which Captain Ewing was placed in command, and Mr. Wilkes was made second lieutenant. The company entered the service for a term of three years, and Lieutenant Wilkes was eventually promoted to the position of adjutant of his regiment, the Sixth Regiment, New Jersey Volunteers. He was killed at the battle of Williamsburg, Virginia, May 5, 1862. Aaron Wilkes Post, No. 23, Grand Army of the Republic, of Trenton, is named in his honor. 5. Peter Wilkes, who also enlisted in the Union army at the age of seventeen years, in the same company, was wounded in the hip at the battle of Williamsburg, which left him a cripple for life. He returned to his home, but when the rebel army invaded Pennsylvania, notwithstand- ing his infirmity, he again took the field for a short time. Again returning to peaceful occupa- tions, he followed the trade of a machinist, and in 1865 joined his two brothers-in-law, John E. Thropp and Duncan Mackenzie, in establishing the firm of Thropp, Mackenzie & Wilkes. He died from injuries received at a railroad crossing on his way to his place of business, while yet in the prime of life. He married Susan F. Britton, and they were the parents of two children, Fred and Paul.

Duncan and Mary (Wilkes) Mackenzie are the parents of five children: Joseph Wilkes, Duncan Aaron, Sarah Charlotte, who was the wife of Duncan McFee, and died without issue at the age of twenty-eight years; Thomas Alex- ander, and Margaret, the wife of Rev. Herbert McDermott.

Joseph Wilkes Mackenzie, the eldest son of Duncan and Mary (Wilkes) Mackenzie, and a member of the present firm of Duncan Mackenzie Sons' Company, machinists and iron founders, was born in the city of Trenton and educated in the public schools. He went to work with his father in the machine shop at an early age, and remained with him for many years. He later started in business for himself, which he followed

for a short time, and then returned to the old establishment, and becoming a member of the firm, has been since superintendent and general manager of the plant. In politics Mr. Mackenzie is a Republican, and takes an active interest in the affairs of the city and county. He served as a member of the county board of freeholders in 1892-93. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and he and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Mr. Mackenzie married Emily J. Massey, daughter of William C. and Jeanette (Smith) Massey, of Philadelphia, and they are the parents of three children: Mary Jeanette, Duncan and Joseph Wilkes, Jr. Mr. Massey, the father of Mrs. Mackenzie, is a member of the Phoenix Iron Company, and is the father of six children : Harriet, wife of John Q. Ginodo; Jeanette, un- married : William C .; Amanda Stewart, single ; and Emily J., wife of J. W. Mackenzie, she being the youngest of the family.

Duncan Aaron Mackenzie, second son of Dun- can and Mary (Wilkes) Mackenzie, was born in the city of Trenton, and educated at the public schools of that city. On leaving school he was sent by his father to the Isaac Davis Pottery to learn the business, and spent four years there, completely mastering the trade of a potter. He then went to the New Jersey Steel and Iron Company and took up the trade of a machinist, devoting three years to a careful training in that trade. In 1884 he entered the machine shops of his father as superintendent of the machine shop and foundry. In 1902 the father organized a new firm by taking his sons into the business, under the firm name of Duncan Mackenzie Sons' Company, machinists and iron founders. The firm consisting of Duncan, Sr., whose interest is still held by his widow. Mary Mackenzie; Joseph Wilkes, Duncan A. and Thomas A. Mackenzie, Duncan McPhee, and their sister, Margaret McDermott. The company also oper- ates a pottery for the manufacture of porcelain supplies for electric companies. Mr. Mackenzie is a Republican in politics, but has taken no active part in city politics. He has served four years as member of the city water board. He and his family are members of the Methodist church.

Mr. Mackenzie married Mary Fenton, daugh- ter of John and Elizabeth (Bates) Fenton, and they are the parents of three children: John Duncan, Jessie Elizabeth and Kenneth.

John and Elizabeth (Bates) Fenton are the

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parents of five children : John, Jr., married Eliz- abeth Butler, and their children are: Paul and Arnold. Elizabeth, wife of Charles H. Metzger, who has one child Adele. Harry, married Neppie · Wyckoff, has two children, Harold Duncan and Arthur Bates. Annie, single. Mary, the wife of Duncan A. Mackenzie.

Thomas Alexander Mackenzie, third son of Duncan and Mary ( Wilkes) Mackenzie, and a member of the firm of Duncan Mackenzie Sons' Company, was educated in the public schools, and entered his father's foundry to learn the busi- ness at an early age, and continued with him, having charge of the foundry branch of the in- (lustry, and became a member of the firm in 1902. Since the death of his father, his mother has resided with him. He and his family are mem- bers of the Methodist church, and in politics hie is a stanch Republican.

Mr. Mackenzie married Florence Bailey, daughter of Herbert Bailey, and they are the parents of two children : Herbert W. and Thomas A.

ABRAM SWAN. Among the men whose life and activities have been spent for the past three score years in and near the city of Trenton, New Jersey, none have made a cleaner, more enviable record than architect and builder Abram Swan.

Mr. Swan is the youngest child of Thomas Swan, and his wife, Mary (Garigan) Swan. Thomas Swan was of German parentage, and lived most of his days in the North of Ireland, where he married Mary Garigan, whose ancestors were from Spain. He was reared a Lutheran. while his wife came from a Catholic family, and they were indeed bitter against the English throne and passed through much faithful religious persecution. Joseph and Mary (Garigan) Swan were the parents of the following named chil- dren, all born in Ireland. I. Bartholomew, de- ceased. 2. Thomas, who has been for nearly fifty years connected with the great ship-building firm of Nafey & Levie, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 3. Catherine, deceased. 4. Mary, married John M. Laughlin. They had one child born to them in this country, and then resided in Ireland three years, where two more children were born to them. They then returned to America and now reside at "Trenton Terrace," Lynn, Massa- chusetts. Mrs. McLaughlin had the honor of naming that part of the city "Trenton Terrace," for her childhood home in New Jersey. 5. Jane,

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deceased. 6. James, who left Trenton, New Jersey, in 1856; he settled in the south and mar- ried Maggie De Celle; her husband being in the south when the rebellion broke out, he naturally affiliated with the Confederate army. He now resides in Brookhouse, Mississippi, and is con- nected with the Gulf Stream Railway in Texas. 7. John, deceased. S. Patrick. deceased. 9. Abram, the subject of this memoir.

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Swan and family emi- grated from Ireland in 1847, settling at Trenton, New Jersey, and their home was on upper West State street, near the Capitol building, on lots now occupied by the John Scudder residence. Thomas Swan was a florist and botanist, both in Ireland and this country. He was born just prior to 1800, and died at the age of seventy- six years. His wife was born in 1800, and died in 1880.

Abram Swan, youngest son of Thomas and Mary (Garigan) Swan, was born in Kelts, county of Meath, Ireland, and accompanied his parents, when but two years of age, to Trenton. New Jersey. The date of his birth was May 28, 1845. Hence he has lived, practically, all his life in Trenton. He attended the old free school in a building still standing, situated near the public library, on Academy street, but a stone's throw from where Mr. Swan and family now reside. But the greater part of his schooling has been in the school of "experience," which, with the coming and going of added years, has made him a well versed man.

When he was about eighteen years of age he began as an apprentice to learn the trade of carpenter and builder, also architecture, under the firm of William R. & F. Titus. After less than three years, so apt was he by nature to the profession he had wisely selected for his life work, he had charge of men more than twenty vears his senior in age, and was but just above his majority. As a framer and planner of work he soon took front rank among the master build- ers, and became known as a superior workman, and was made his employer's traveling foreman. Later he was to have full charge of the construc- tion of the State Asylum at Morristown, but by political favor it went into other hands. He then built the School of Science at Princeton. New Jersey, and was subsequently employed by the state quarter-master general in various work. including the selection of the National Guard encampment quarters, which through his and

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General Prien's good judgment, was located at Sea Girt, in about 1885. He next had charge of the camp at Yorktown and helped construct the Deaf and Dumb Institution for New Jersey. In all he has served under nearly a score of governors. Under Governor Mcclellan lie was placed in charge of the Old Soldier's Children's Home, which, after five years, was turned into the Deaf and Dumb Institution, under Governor Ludlow.

Mr. Swan has been engaged in state work for many years. Prior to the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, in 1876, he was employed to collect specimens of every tree grown in New Jersey, and this collection was under his charge at that great exposition. These finely preserved woods are a part of the museum at the present Capitol build- ing, and display much artistic skill. He also was sent by the state to have charge of exhibits at the New Orleans Cotton Belt Exposition, in 1883, and planned the New Jersey building for the World's Fair at Chicago in 1893, and at St. Louis in 1905.

About 1888 he formed a co-partnership with WV. L. Anderson, under the firm name of Swan & Company, doing engineering, architecture and sanitary plumbing. This relation was unsatis- factory, and after two years was dissolved, since which date Mr. Swan has operated on his own account, making mill buildings a specialty. Among the immense structures which he has successfully constructed and planned may be named the Trenton Oil Cloth Mill, "Globe." "Trenton," and "Joseph Stokes," Rubber Mills, besides the large brass and machine shops, with many lesser structures. In fact, Mr. Swan has been a master-builder ever since he re-built the State Capitol, when he was just past his majority, less than twenty-two years of age. To him it is no little satisfaction to pass by the many build- ings of his planning and erection, on grounds, where in his early boyhood days he used to play with companions, little heeding the future.

Up to 1890 Mr. Swan was a supporter of the Democratic party, but believing that party had departed from the faith once reputed to it, he has never voted that ticket since. In 1888 he was elected a Councilman. He is a member of the Order of Elks and National Union. Alson be- longs to the Exempt Fire Association and the Hand Fire Company, of which he has been a member since 1864.

Mr. Swan married, January, 1870, Catherine

Hoffman, daughter of George and Margaret (Reller) Hoffman. Mr. and Mrs. Swan are the parents of seven children, six of whom still survive: 1. William Thomas, born 1870, mar- ried Catherine Shannon. 2. Bessie L., born 1872, died aged eight years. 3. Abram George, born 1874, married Elizabeth Gilbert. 4. Robert C., born January 6, 1877. 5. Margaret, born 1879, married Charles Cole, now residing at Yardville. 6. Clara May, born 1883. 7. Catherine Anna, born 1885. One son who is now associated with his father in business.

Notwithstanding a large proportion of Mr. Swan's life has been spent in the employ of the state and performing contract work for the public, he speaks with a truly just pride, in these days of crooked dealing and "graft," that no one can charge that in all of his public work that he got a dollar otherwise than honestly, a record he is proud of leaving to his interesting family of children.

PAUL LANGE CORT, M. D., a well known physician of Trenton, New Jersey, is a descendant in the fifth generation of a family, the members of which have always shown their readiness to lay down lives and property in defense of the rights of the country of their adoption. The name Cort. spelled originally Curth or Kurth, it is claimed by some indicates a French or Hugue- not origin. If this is the case, the family must have been denizens of France about two hun- dred years before their settlement in Westphalia, a province of Prussia, Germany. Antoine Court was a renowned Huguenot preacher, who, amid incredible dangers and hardships, organized the Church of the Desert in 1715, and kept the Re- formed religion alive in France for more than a generation.

(I) John Yost Curth, or Kurth, of Nassau Siegen, in Westphalia, Prussia, was born in 1738. and was the founder of the Cort family in Amer- ica. He emigrated to this country in 1758 and settled near Hagerstown, Maryland. At this place he was married and then, with some mem- bers of his wife's family, migrated to western Pennsylvania, before the war of the revolution. He was a farmer. He was noted for his bravery, having charge of Fort Marchand during the Indian troubles. He was a member of the Re- formed church, belonging to the congregation at Brush Creek, and was a consistent, simple-hearted Christian. He married Margaret Kemerer, who

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had a sister married to Dr. Marchand. These two sisters with their husbands, and three broth- ers, crossed the mountains to settle in Westmore- land county, at a very early date, and their de- scendants are to be found in various parts of the country, notably in Iowa. Three brothers and three sisters of the Kemerer family settled in the

Big Cove, east of the Allegheny mountains, probably Morrison's Cove, in Blair county, Penn- sylvania. Dr. David Marchand, the brother-in- law of John Yost Curth, was of Huguenot de- scent, and at one time was a physician in the French army. A number of his descendants be -- came prominent as physicians, lawyers, states- men and soldiers.

(II) Daniel Cort, third son of John Yost ( I) and Margaret (Kemerer) Cort, was born in a fort near Port Royal on the Youghiogheny river, March 5, 1780. The greater part of his life was spent on the old homestead, about two miles south of Adamsburg, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. He married Elizabeth Turney, whose ancestors came from Holland, and they were undoubtedly descended from the Huguenots. Many of them have been prominent in public life as citizens of western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Judge Joseph Buffington, of the Third United States District Court, is a member of the family. The children of Daniel and Elizabeth (Turney) Cort were : I. Joseph, see forward. 2. Simon, was a mer- chant and farmer for many years at Denver, Colorado. Dr. Sheldon Jackson pronounced him the "father of the Presbyterian church in the Rocky Mountains." He married Sophie Hardin, and one of his daughters-Mary L .- was a noted missionary worker under the Presbyterian board in Siam, Asia, for seventeen years. One daugh- ter married Rev. Alanson R. Day, and another Rev. Henry B. Gage. 3. Jacob, was a member of the Pennsylvania legislature from Washington county. He married Jane Mary Carson, and two of his sons-William and Arthur-were Presby- terian missionaries in Utah and elsewhere. 4. Daniel, became the founder of the town of Zwingli and the Reformed church in Iowa. He was also a member of the Iowa legislature. He married Sarah Bachman. 5. Albert, resided at Zwingli, Iowa, married Maria Eisaman, and raised a large family. One of his sons-Will- iam-is a lawyer in California. 6. Rev. Lucian, was prominent in educational matters and in the Reformed church. He was the founder of ac-

ademies at Rimesburg, Limestoneville, Quaker- town, Martinsburg and Greensburg, Pennsyl- vania, and preached for many years wherever his services were in demand. Nevin A. Cort, son of Lucian, is a prominent lawyer practicing at Greensburg, and J. Calvin is a prominent phy- sician at Clairton, Pennsylvania. 7. John, died in his twenty-fourth year, as the result of an ac- cident. 8. Margaret, married Jacob Baughman. 9. Hannah, married (first) George Byerly; (second) Samnel Zimmerman. 10. Elizabeth, married John Marshall. II. Lavinia married James Marsh. 12. Catherine, married Lewis Kline. 13. Lucetta, married George Plummer. 14. Amanda, married James F. McQuade. All of these children, with the exception of Lucetta and John, raised large families, and their de- scendants are located from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean.

(III) Joseph Cort, eldest son of Daniel (2) and Elizabeth (Turney) Cort, was born Novem- ber 5. 1805. He was occupied throughout his life as a merchant and a farmer, and for some years in the early forties was proprietor of the "Pennsylvania Argus," a Democratic paper pub- lished in Greensburg. Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. He married (first ) Mary Skelly, daughter of William and Elizabeth (Byerly ) Skelly. William Skelly was a member of Cap- tain Joseph Markle's company of Mounted Troops in the war of 1812. He was of Scotch- Irish descent, and came to America from the north of Ireland at the age of eight years. Mrs. Skelly was a daughter of Jacob Byerly, who en- listed at the age of seventeen years in the Thir- teenth Virginia Regiment, Colonel John Gibson commanding, and served three years at Fort Pitt and other places during the Revolution. His father, Andrew, baked for Braddock's army at Fort Cumberland in 1755, and for the British garrison at Fort Bedford, Pennsylvania, where Jacob was born in 1760. The family narrowly escaped massacre during the Pontiac war in 1763. They found refuge in Fort Ligonier until Colonel Henry Bouquet came to their relief with a part of his Royal American ( German-Swiss) regiment and several hundred Scotch Highlanders. An- drew Byerly was with Boquet in the battle of Bush Run, August 5-6, 1763, which was fought adjacent to his tract of land granted by the mili- tary and proprietary government of Pennsylva- nia in 1759, in order that he might establish a re- lay station for express riders between Forts Pitt

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and Ligonier. Andrew Byerly, son of Jacob, was a major in the war of 1812, and Benjamin was a second lieutenant, and later a member of the legislature. The children of Joseph and Mary ( Skelly) Cort were: William S., Daniel, Rev. Cyrus, see forward, Abner, Benton, and a daugh- ter. Joseph Cort married (second) Fanny Rhodes, and had seven sons and one daughter. (IV) Rev. Cyrus Cort, third son of Joseph (3) and Mary (Skelly) Cort, was born in Greens- burg, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, March 15, 1834. He was educated at the Franklin and Marshall College, from which he was graduated and delivered the Marshall oration in the class of 1860, the highest honors being awarded him. The degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred upon him by the above named institution in 1892. He was a man of remarkable energy and force of character. and gifted in many directions. He was a minister of the gospel in the Reformed church, licensed by the Westmoreland classis in 1862, ordained in May, 1863. as missionary to Altoona, Pennsylvania. He organized the First Reformed Church there, and built the first church edifice-a two-story structure of Gothic architec- ture. He raised a company of Emergency Men at Irwin, Pennsylvania, in September, 1862, be- fore he obtained his license, and took them to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, at the time of the bat- tle of Antietam, in response to the call of Gover- nor Curtin for fifty thousand men. He taught in the seminary in Henry City, Illinois, for two and a half years, and was then engaged in mis- sionary work along the frontier of Iowa for ten years ; was editor of the "Reformed Missionary" seven years; chairman of the Franklin county, Pennsylvania, Centennial Committee, in 1882, which erected a granite monument over the re- mains of Enoch Brown and his scholars who were massacred by the Indians, July 26, 1764. He was chaplain of the Delaware state senate in 1895- 96; wrote memorials of Colonel Henry Boquet, Enoch Brown and Peter Minuit; and prepared a "Digest of Acts, Decisions, etc., of the General Synod of the Reformed Church of the United States."

(V) Paul Lange Cort, M. D., son of Rev. Cyrus Cort, was born in the Henry seminary building, Henry City, Illinois, November 20, 1870.

HOWARD IVINS, M. D., an active practi- tioner in Trenton, and a strong representative

of the Hahnemann school of medicine, is a native of the city named, born July 5, 1870, son of William C. and Elizabeth (De Cou) Ivins.

William C. Ivins was a son of Mahlon K. and Lydia (De Cou) Ivins, whose children were : William C., Wardell, Lambert, Charles E., George WV., Robert B., and one died in infancy. Will- iam C. Ivins was born near Yardville, in Mercer county. New Jersey, February 5, 1818, and died in Trenton, April 12, 1898. He was liberally educated, a graduate of the famous Friends' School in Westtown, Chester county, Pennsyl- vania. For thirty years he was a successful school teacher, teaching in a school on a farm of which he was owner, and which he also cultivated. He married Elizabeth De Cou, born in Burling- ton county, New Jersey, 1829, died August 15, 1884, a daughter of Peter and Mary (De Cou) De Cou, whose children were : Elizabeth, Charles, Miriam, Peter Ellis, Susan, Barkley. The original De Cous in America were of those French Huguenots who after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, in order to escape religious persecution, voluntarily expatriated themselves and took refuge in Holland and England, sub- sequently emigrating to America. Isaac De Cou, the founder of the American branch of the family. more than two hundred years ago sailed from England in the ship "Shields," and settled at Burlington, New Jersey. The records of Friends' Meeting show that 12, 8mo., 1692, Francis Daven- port and Rebecca, widow of Isaac De Cou, were married at Burlington. Isaac De Cou was a man of ability and importance, at one time surveyor- general of New Jersey. His son Jacob married Elizabeth Newbold, December 21, 1699, and they had eight children. Isaac, their third child and eldest son, born March 22, 1705, was twice mar- ried, and by his second marriage had a son Isaac, who was the grandfather of Elizabeth, wife of William C. Ivins, and mother of Dr. Howard Ivins. To William C. and Elizabeth Ivins were born ten children : Hannah H., Alexander, Joseph, Sarah, William, Mary, Peter Ellis, Susan, Caroline, Howard; of this family all are de- ceased but Hannah H., Susan and Howard.

Howard Ivins, youngest child in the family last named, received his literary education under the instruction of his father, in the school be- fore mentioned, and later took a course in the Stewart & Hammond Business College, graduat- ing therefrom in 1889, at the age of nineteen years. For four and a half years thereafter he

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rendered useful service in the relief department of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, voluntarily retiring from that employment in 1895 to enter the Hahnemann Medical College of Philadelphia. It was an auspicious time for his entrance upon his studies, for the institution had just broadened its field to the fullest, inaugurating a four years instructional course, and with a greatly strength- ened faculty. He was graduated Doctor of Medicine in 1899, and then took a year post- graduate course in the Polyclynic. At its comple- tion, in 1901, he engaged in practice in the city of Trenton, where he has built up a large patron- age among an intelligent and thoroughly repre- sentative class of people. He is an active mem- ber of several strong professional bodies-the New Jersey State Homoeopathic Medical Society, the West Jersey Homoeopathic Medical Society, and the Hahnemann Clinical Club of Trenton. He adheres to the religious faith of his ancestors, that of the Friends. In politics he is a Repub- lican.

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Genealogical and personal memorial of Mercer County, New Jersey, Part 65

Author: Lee, Francis Bazley, 1869-1914 Publication date: 1907 Publisher: New York : Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 698

Author: Lee, Francis Bazley, 1869-1914
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: New York : Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 698