USA > Pennsylvania > Chester County > Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsylvania : comprising a historical sketch of the county, by Samuel T. Wiley, together with more than five hundred biographical sketches of the prominent men and leading citizens of the county > Part 29
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
age. To Mr. and Mrs. Thomas were born eleven children: Mary Jane, wife of Thomas Kennedy, and now dead; Euphe- inia A., wife of John Edwards; John W. (dead); Margaret, widow of Anthony Don- nan; Joseph L., who was a Union soldier in the late war, and died in Missouri, April 24, 1886; Francis A., now register of wills of Chester county (see his sketch); R. Newton; L. Fletcher, who served in three Pennsylvania regiments during the last war, and then was engaged in Philadelphia in the hide and tallow business until his death, on April 26, 1890; Charles W., a member of the furniture firm of Clark, Thomas & Co., of Philadelphia; Tacey M., who married Lewis Lenderman ; and James M., now engaged in the wholesale butcher business in Wilmington, Delaware.
R. Newton Thomas spent his boyhood days in New London township, received his education at New London, this county, and at eighteen years of age quit working on the farm to learn the trade of currier and tanner with his father, in Lower Ox- ford, Chester county. After learning his trade he did journey work for his father until 1862, when he enlisted in one of the independent companies of emergency men, which was raised to help repel Lee's in- vasion of Pennsylvania. Again, in 1863, when Lee threatened Pennsylvania a second time, he enlisted and served three months in Co. A, 29th regiment of Emergency men. Returning from his second service in the army, he resumed journey work with his father, which he followed until 1865. He then did journey work for John Way, at Chatham, Chester county, Pennsylvania, and with M. B. Chambers, Marshallton, Chester county, Pennsylvania, until 1869, when he became deputy sheriff of Chester
county under Sheriff D. W. C. Lewis, and at the end of his term accepted a position in the United States mint at Philadelphia, which he held for nine months. In 1872 Mr. Thomas became a member of the firm `of R. N. Thomas & Co., and engaged in the coal business, to which, in 1878, he added the handling of grain, flour and feed. The firm have their office on Chestnut street, and have built up a very fine trade in their different lines of business.
On October 10, 1872, Mr. Thomas was united in marriage with Margaretta Dieks, a daughter of James Dicks, of West Goshen township, and to their union have been born four children: Lavina II., Ada I., Anita M., and Clara M.
R. Newton Thomas is a republican in politics. IIe is a member of Goshen Castle, No. 78, Knights of the Golden Eagle ; Ban- ner Lodge, No. 359, Independent Order of Odd Fellows (with which he united in 1864), and Gen. George A. MeCall Post, No. 31, Grand Army of the Republic, of which he is a past commander. At an early age Mr. Thomas developed those business habits which became the foundation of his present success in life.
C HARLES E. WOODWARD, M. D.,
an active, skilled and popular phy- sician of West Chester, is a son of William P. and Rachel (England) Woodward. He was born at Marshallton, in West Bradford township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, Jannary 8, 1846. His paternal grandfather. Eli Woodward, was born and reared in Chester county, where he followed farming during all the years of his active life. He owned a good farm near Marshallton, in West Bradford township, where he died.
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OF CHESTER COUNTY.
Ilis son, William P. Woodward ( father ), was born in 1817 on the homestead, where he passed his boyhood days. Ile died in the summer of 1863, on his farm near Marshallton, Chester county, Pennsylvania, in the forty-sixth year of his age. He was actively engaged in farming and mer- chandising at the time of his death. He was one of the carly abolitionists of Eastern Pennsylvania, who so determinedly and persistently opposed human servitude, and lived to see slavery pass from the institu- tions of the American Republic. During the latter years of his life he was identified with the republican party and served for some time as a member of the school-board of his township. He was a consistent member of the Society of Friends, and married Rachel England, a daughter of Thomas England, a native of England, who came with his father and settled near Eli Woodward ( paternal grandfather), in West Bradford township. To Mr. and Mrs. Woodward were born five children, two sons and three daughters: Dr. Charles E., Lydia D., wife of Paschal Worth, a farmer of Chester county; Mary E., who married John M. Sager, and is dead; Lindley and Anna, who died in infancy.
Charles E. Woodward was reared in his native county, received his education at Westtown Boarding school, and then at- tended the college of pharmacy of Philadel- phia, from which he graduated in 1867. In a short time after this he commenced the study of medicine, and 1872 entered the med- ical department of the university of Penn- sylvania, from which he was graduated in the class of 1874. Immediately after gradua- tion he came to West Chester, where he lins been engaged ever since in the active and successful practice of his profession.
On June 7, 1876, Dr. Woodward was united in marriage with Ellen L. James, a daughter of Wellington C. James, now a retired business man of West Chester. Dr. and Mrs. Woodward have two children. a son and a daughter : Florence and Wel- lington.
Dr. Woodward is a republican in politics. He is a member of West Chester Lodge, No. 322, Free and Accepted Masons, and West Chester Lodge, No. 42, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Dr. Woodward has ever taken a deep interest in the profession of his choice and has never failed to improve any offering opportunity within his reach in the field of medical progress and advancement. He is a member of the West Chester, Chester county, and Penn- sylvania State medical societies. and of the pension examining board of Chester county, and a member of the college of Physicians of Philadelphia, attending physician to Chester county prison, and lately elected to the medical staff of the West Chester hospital. To his profession he has given nearly a quarter of a century of close application and hard labor, and while allow- ing nothing to command much of his time from his professional labors, yet he has taken such interest always in the welfare and progress of his borough, that he is highly esteemed as a citizen as well as deservedly popular as a physician.
JACOB L. FUNK, one of the solid and substantial citizens of East Coventry township, this county, and a leading mem- ber of the Mennonite church, is the eldest son of John and Susan ( Latshaw ) Funk. and was born April 4. 1824, in Washington township. Berks county, Pennsylvania. His
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
paternal great-grandfather was Henry Funk, who removed to Buckingham county, Vir- ginia, about 1786, and resided there until his death. He married Barbara Showalter, a native of Germany, who died in 1824. They had eleven children : Jacob, Christian, John, Henry, Daniel, Joseph, Susan, Eliza- beth. Hester, Samuel, and Catherine. Their eldest son, Rev. Jacob Funk (grandfather), was born May 30, 1761, in Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, but removed in early life to East Vincent township, this county, where he passed the remainder of his life, and died July 22, 1817, aged fifty-six years. IIe was a member and minister of the Mennon- ite church, and died immediately after re- turning home from preaching a friend's funeral. He was twice married, first wed- ding Mary Shelley, who died April 27, 1809, leaving a family of nine children : Elizabeth, who married Abram Haldeman, a minister of the Mennonite church, who preached in Chester and Juniata counties ; Snsan, married John Longacee, a farmer of Montgomery county; Fannie, married Benjamin Haldeman, who was a farmer residing at Vincent. this county; Mary. married John Wise, a farmer . of Butler county ; Barbara, married John Showalter, and lives near Phoenixville, this county; Katie, married Frank Shelley, a prosperons farmer of Berks county; Jacob, married Anna Heistand, and resided in East Vincent township, this county, where he was engaged in farming; John, father of the subject of this sketch : and Rev. Henry. who united in marriage with a Miss High, and resided in Berks county. All the family were strict members of the Mennonite church. After the death of Mrs. Funk, Rev. Jacob Funk wedded the second time, but had no children by his second marriage.
John Funk (father) was born July 12, 1800, in that part of Vincent which is now East Vincent township, this county, where he resided until a short time before his marriage, when he removed to Washington township, Berks county. In 1825 he re- turned to Chester county, locating in East Coventry township, and later went to North Coventry, where he died October 26, 1877, aged seventy-seven years. He was a farmer all his life, a republican in political faith, and in religion a strict member of the Mennonite church, in the various interests of which he was always active and ever ready to do his part in any good work. On March 2. 1823, he married Susan Latshaw, who was born March 11, 1800, and died August 2, 1885. They had two children : Jacob L., the subject of this sketch, and Hannah. who was born January 23, 1831, and on December 22, 1853, married George W. Landis, who was born June 13, 1832, and is now feed and stock agent for the Philadelphia & Reading railroad. Mr. and Mrs. Landis had two children: John D .. born June 29, 1859; and Sue, born Decem- ber 8, 1861. The former married Florence May Swindles, of Philadelphia, on October 14. 1886, by whom he has one child - Harold Landis, born July 18, 1887-and he is now chief clerk in the passenger agents' department of the Philadelphia & Reading railroad. and resides in Philadelphia.
Jacob L. Funk was reared partly in East and partly in North Coventry townships, re- ceiving his education in the common schools. He has been a farmer, fruit grower, and stockman all his life. and owns a large lumber yard and four houses. In political sentiment he is a stanch republican, and in religious belief follows the traditions of his ancestors, and is a prominent member of
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OF CHESTER COUNTY.
the Mennonite church, of which he is treasurer.
On May 6, 1847, Mr. Funk married Eliz- abeth Gable, a daughter of Henry and Eliz- abeth Gable, who was born October 29, 1827. and died June 1, 1881, aged fifty-four years. By this marriage he had a family of five children : (1) Lavina, born July 20, 1848, and died May 19, 1857; (2) John, a farmer of East Coventry township, who was born June 9, 1851, and on September 14, 1876, married Kate Delwiter, by whom he has two children - Emma L., born June 17, 1877, and Etna E., born May 6, 1879; (3) Hannah L., born July 29, 1858, married John Haldeman September 28, 1882, and has three children - Ollie R., born JJuly 28, 1884; Florence M., born November 1, 1886; and Martha L., born October 19, 1887; (+) Hattie, born September 12, 1863, married W. H. Saylor September 11, 1884, and has four children ; and (5) Sne, born October 17, 1865, and on July 19, 1892, married John E. Latshaw, of Spring City, who was born August 1, 1865, and is a carpenter employed in the foundry of Buckwalter & Slanffer.
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H AROLD B. PUGH, one of the sue- sessful young business men of Chester county, and the senior member of the well known Jordan Bank creamery firm of HI. B. & E. A. Pugh of Oxford, is a son of William and Mary E. ( Brown ) Pagh, and was born in East Nottingham township. Chester county, Pennsylvania. May 28. 1864. His paternal great-grandfather, JJesse Pugh, was of Welsh descent, and of the third generation from the emigrant uneestor John Pugh. His son, Abner Pugh ( grand- father ), was born in East Nottingham town-
ship, where he purchased the farm now owned by his grandsons. He was an early abolitionist and a member of the Hieksite branch of the Society of Friends. He fol- lowed farming and married Charlotte Mich- ner, and reared a family of six children, one son and five daughters : Rebecca Reynolds, now dead ; Rachel, who married Dr. Jacob Way; Elizabeth, the second wife of Joseph T. Reynolds; Esther, now dead; William and Annie, now also deceased. The son, William Pugh (father), was born Septen- ber 18, 1836, in East Nottingham township, where he resided during the greater part of his life. He was a farmer and dairyman by occupation, a pronounced republican in polities and a member of the Hieksite branch of the Society of Friends. He owned and operated the well known Jordan Bank dairy (which was established in 1866), and died June 3, 1892, aged fifty-six years. He was very successful in dairying and other agricultural pursuits, and married Mary E. Brown, a native of Laneaster county, who was born August 31, 1842. and received her education in the public schools and Millersville State Normal school. She died January 28, 1883, at forty years of age. To their union were born three children : Harold B. and Edwin A., managers of the home farmn and men- bers of the creamery firm of H. B. & E. A. Pugh; and Charles E., who is assistant teller in West Grove National bank of Chester county. Mrs. Mary E. Pugh ( mother ) was a daughter of Elisha Brown, who was a prosperous farmer and resided near Fulton house. Lancaster county. Ho was a republican and a member of the Society of Friends, and married Rachel W. Bradway, by whom he had six children : Slater F., Thomas B., of the firm of Pyk &
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
Brown, of West Chester, this county, who is president of the Southern Kansas Mort- gage Company, of Wellington, Kansas, and of the Dingee & Conrad Company, of West Grove, this county ; Charles II., who was a successful business man in Philadelphia, but is now dead; Mrs. Mary E. Pugh ; Walter W., cashier of the West Grove National bank ; and Worthington, who is now dead.
Harold B. Pugh was reared on the farm and received his education in the public schools and a Friend's select school in Oxford, Pennsylvania. In the spring of 1884 he engaged in the creamery business with his father, which he continued until 1888, when he formed a partnership with his brother, Edwin A., under the firm name of H. B. & E. A. Pugh, and they have con- dneted a most successful creamery business ever since. They have the home dairy where they keep sixty cows, and own and operate the well known and celebrated Jordan Bank creamery, whose product is so popular in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington. During the year 1891 they paid out over twenty-five thousand dollars for milk, and sent one hundred and twenty- five thousand pounds of butter to market. They are also extensively engaged in farm- ing and raising thoroughbred and registered Jersey dairy stock.
On October 23, 1890, Mr. Pugh was united in marriage with Clara L. Kirk, daughter of Isaac S. and Fannie L. Kirk, of Fremont, this State.
Harold B. Pugh is a republican in politics, and a member of the Oxford meet- ing of the Society of Friends, as is also his wife. He is one of the trustworthy and reliable.citizens of East Nottingham, and has been remarkably successful in his various business enterprises. He is at present vice-
president of the National Creamery, Butter- makers and Factory Cheesemakers asso- ciation for the State of Pennsylvania.
JACOB W. MOYER, a prominent farmer of East Vincent township and a leading member of the German Reformed church, is the second child and eldest son of William and Deborah ( Wagoner ) Moyer. and was born in East Pikeland township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, November 12, 1831. He grew to manhood on his father's farmi, received his training in the public schools, and resided in his native township until 1877, when he removed to East Vincent township, where he now lives. Here he owns a fine farm, contain- ing sixty-nine acres, and has it well im- proved, supplied with good buildings, and in a high state of cultivation. In his polit- ical faith Mr. Moyer is a stanch democrat, and in religion a strict member of the Ger- man Reformed church, of which he has been a deacon for many years, first in East Pikeland, and later in East Vincent town- ship.
On December 23, 1856, Mr. Moyer was married to Mary E. Vanderslice, a daugh- ter of Joseph Vanderslice, of East Vincent township. To them was born a family of three children, one son and two daughters : Deborah, married Davis Brownback, a car- penter, residing at Phoenixville, this county, and has one child-Chester; Sallie, who wedded James Kimes, a prominent under- taker at Spring City ; and Irvin, who was united in marriage with Anna Rapp, and now lives with his father on the farm in East Vincent township, and has one child, a daughter named Myrtle.
The paternal grandfather of the subject
OF CHESTER COUNTY.
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of this sketch, Jacob Moyer, was a resident of East Pikeland township, this county, and died there about 1849, at the advanced age of seventy years. He was a farmer by oc- cupation, and passed his long and active life in the cultivation of the soil and raising good stock. Politically he was a democrat of the old school, and served as supervisor of his township for many years. He was a Lutheran in religion and took an active part in supporting the interests of his church. He served in the war of 1812, and was a member of the National guards. Ilis wife was Mariah Shade, by whom he had two children : William, and a daugh- ter named Elizabeth, who married a man named Yager, and is now deceased. Wil- liam Moyer ( father), was born in East Pike- land township in 1803, and lived there all his life. He was a farmer and shoemaker, and became quite prosperous. He died in 1874, aged about seventy-two years. Fol- lowing the political traditions of his family, he was an active democrat, and served his township as assessor and supervisor. In religion he was a strict member of the Evangelical Lutheran church, and married Deborah Wagoner, a daughter of Jacob Wagoner, of East Pikeland township, this county. To them was born a family of children, six of whom lived to reach matur- ity and became useful and respected citi- zens of this county: Mariah, married George Walker (now deceased ), has one child, and lives in East Pikeland township; Jacob, the subject of this sketch ; William, a farmer of East Pikeland township, who married Louisa Yager, and has three chil- dren ; Benjamin, a carpenter, who married Andora Whitby, has two children, and re- sides at Phoenixville; Isaac, who married Hannah Starr, has four children, and is now
a member of the police force at Roxborough, Philadelphia county; and Elwood. who wedded Manda Harpel, and is engaged in farming on the old homstead in East Pikeland township, this county.
Joseph Vanderslice, the father of Mrs. Mover, was born in East Pikeland town- ship, this county, in the year 1806. Hle was a tailor by trade, but engaged in farm- ing during his later years, and lived in this county all his life. In politics he was a democrat, and resided in East Vincent township at the time of his death. He was killed by a train on the Philadelphia & Reading railroad, in December, 1882, when in the seventy-sixth year of his age. His wife was Sarah Custer, and they reared a family of ten children, seven sons and three daughters, four of whom still survive: Nicholas, William, Hamilton, and Mary E., the wife of the subject of this sketch.
JOHN BUCKWALTER, one of the enterprising and useful citizens ro- siding in the vicinity of Kenilworth, is the eldest son and second child of William and Catherine ( Lotshaw ) Buekwalter, and was born in East Coventry township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, January 27. 1856. The Buckwalter family in America was founded by Francis Buckwalter, a Protestant refugee from Germany who settled on the Manavon tract, at what is now Phoenixville, in 1720. There he purchased six hundred and fifty acres of land from David Lloyd. the patentee, for one hundred and ninety- five pounds. His children were Joseph. Jacob, Johannes, Mary and Yost, and from them are descended the numerous Buck- walter family of this section. They have intermarried with some of the oldest and
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
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best families in Chester county, and among them have been a number who have dis- tinguished themselves in various lines of activity, including stock raising, finance, merchandising and official station. David Buckwalter, paternal great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born in Chester county, and passed his entire life within her borders, actively engaged in agriculture. He married a Miss Ziegler, by whom he had a family of seven children : John, Daniel, David, Samuel, Joseph, Jacob and Barbara. Samuel Buckwalter (grandfather), was born on the old Buckwalter farm near Phoenixville, this county, about 1782, and died in East Vincent township in 1877. aged nearly ninety-five years. He was a wheelright by trade, and in politics a whig and republican. For a number of years he served as school director in his township, and was a member of the Mennonite church. He married Mary Johnson, and had a family of fourteen children : Samuel, Annie, David, Joseph, Jacob, William ( father), Mary, Barbara, Samuel ( 2), Nathan, Seth and Sarah ( twins ), Benjamin and Lovina.
William Buckwalter ( father) was born in Upper Providence township, Mont- gomery county, this State, January 2, 1818, where he grew to manhood and received a common school education. He theu learned the trade of carpenter, but has worked very little at that business, preferring agricultural pursuits. While yet a young man he removed to Chester county and has con- tinued his residence here ever since, for the last ten years residing with his son in North Coventry township. In politics he is a pronounced republican with whig anteced- ents, and in religion a strict adherent of the Mennonite church. On St. Valentine's day, 1850, he was united in wedlock with
Catherine Lotshaw, a daughter of Jacob Lotshaw, of East Pikeland township. To this marriage was born a family of four children, three sons and one daughter: Annie, now the wife of Seneca Mowry, a prosperous farmer of East Vincent town- ship, by whom she has four children - Samuel Howard, William Ashley, Milton and Newton; John ( subject ); Theodore, who died in infancy, and Hiram, who wedded Elma Grubb, resides in East Vin- cent township, and has five children - Ada, William, Bessie, Russell and Annie. The mother, Mrs. Catherine Buckwalter, died in 1882, aged nearly fifty-seven years.
John Buckwalter was reared principally in this county, and received his education in the public schools of East Coventry town- ship. After attaining manhood he began life on his own account as a farmer and has followed that vocation all his life, meeting with good success and accumu- lating some property. In his political affilia- tions he is a republican, and in 1892 was elected to the office of school director. Religiously he is a Dunkard, or German Baptist, and has long been an active and useful member of that denomination. On December 13, 1879, Mr. Buckwalter was married to Ella Prizer, a daughter of Harmon Prizer, of East Coventry township, and the fruit of their union has been two children : Clifton, born September 28, 1880 ; and Wilmer, born November 22, 1885.
M ARK TOWNSEND, an industrious citizen and a successful fruit grower of Oxford, is a son of Henry and Anna (Davis) Townsend, and was born in Wilt- shire, England, February 11, 1830. His paternal grandfather, John Townsend, was
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OF CHESTER COUNTY.
born and reared in the town of Melkshanı, Wiltshire, England, where he followed haul- ing. He married and had six sons and one daughter: John, Henry, James, Thomas, Richard, George, and Ann. Thomas, George and James were soldiers in the British army for several years, and James fought at the battle of Waterloo. These sons received a good education, and the second one, Henry ( father), was a builder by trade. He married Ann Davis, a daugh- ter of James Davis, of Tedbury, Gloucester county, England, and reared a family of ten children : James, now deceased, was a tailor and linen draper; Jane, wife of William Edwards, a gardener of Ambledon, Hamp- shire county, England; Eliza, wife of Boaz Shepard, of Trowbridge, Wiltshire county, England; Henry, (deceased); George, a builder, who married a Miss Brooks, and now resides in Melksham, Wiltshire county, England; Thomas who died young; Henry (2) now dead; Hannah and Job, who also died young.
Mark Townsend was reared in his native country, received a good practical education in the elementary and the private schools of Wiltshire, and then learned the trade of builder. He worked as a builder and con- tractor in his native country for several years, and in 1873 came to the United States and settled at Ridgeway, North Carolina, where he was engaged in farming and fruit growing until 1889. In that year he came to his present farm near Oxford, Chester county, Pennsylvania, where he has been successfully engaged in fruit growing up to this time.
On January 30, 1854, Mr. Townsend married Mary A. Davis, a daughter of Job Davis, of England. To their union have been born seven children, four sons and
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