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 68
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105
On September 26, 1861, Mr. Stauffer was united in marriage to Etta D. Marshall, a daughter of Julius P. Marshall, a grand- niece of the noted scientist, Humphry Mar- shall, and a descendant of the English Qua- ker preacher, Abraham Marshall, who came to America from England abont 1685. To Mr. and Mrs. Stauffer were born two chil- dren, one son and a daughter. The son, Frank M., is now an employee in the Pull- man Palace Car works at Jersey City, New Jersey, where he resides, He married Anna L. Cobourn, by whom he has two children, Raymond and Lila. The daughter, Etta M., is living with her parents in their beautiful home at Berwyn.
The Stanffers are of originul Swiss stock, the paternal great-grandfather of the sub- jeet of this sketch having been born among the blue mountains of that ancient republic, which he left at an early age to find a home in the new world. His son, Christian Stanf- fer (grandfather), was born in this State about 1786, and resided during most of his life in Lancaster county, where he died at an advanced age. Jucob Stauffer (father ) was a native of Lancaster county : born Novem-
574
BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
ber 30, 1808, and died at Lancaster city, March 22, 1880. He was a man of consider- able scientific attainments, widely known on this continent and to some extent in Europe, on account of his erudition and discoveries in entomology, botany and ichthyology. His investigations in these various fields of sci- entific research brought him into communi- cation with some of the most learned men of his time, and his name is permanently linked with ichthyology by having a species of fish named for him, the Staufferania. He was a man of such versatile ability as to be able to write, set up, illustrate and print his own works on scientific subjects. There was also a military side to his nature, and he served as major, lientenant-colonel and colo- nel in the State militia of Lancaster county. When a lad he received an appointment as cadet to the military academy at West Point, but his father refused to let him ac- cept it. In 1830 he married Sarah Birch, a daughter of Francis and Mary' Birch, of Eastwood, near Nottingham, England. To this union was born a family of three chil- dren, all sons, the eldest of whom is Frank H., the subject of this sketch. The second son, Alfred F. Stauffer, resides in New York city, where he is engaged in the printing business. David M. Stauffer, the youngest of these three brothers, is now one of the editors and proprietors of the Engineering News, a prominent trade paper of New York city, where he resides. He received a fine classical education and then studied me- chanical and civil engineering, graduating from Franklin and Marshall college. He afterward served in the United States navy under Commodore Porter, having command of an ironclad vessel for some time during the civil war. He is a member of the Royal Society of Engineers, and is a man of high
standing in his profession. The mother of these sons, Mrs. Sarah Stauffer, was born in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, England, and was a dircet descendant of the Earl of More- land. She died May 27, 1843, and was greatly esteemed for her many rare qualities of heart and mind.
H ENRY L. EVANS, a prominent farmer residing near Valley Forge, is a son of Henry T. and Elizabeth M. (Thatcher) Ev- ans, and was born near Howellville, Tredy- ffrin township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, February 14, 1855. He is a cousin of New- ton Evans, whose sketch appears on page 526 of this volume (which see for additional history of the family), and a lineal descend- ant of Lewis Evans, who came from Cær- narvonshire, Wales, and settled in what is now West Vincent township, this county, at an early day. A son of the latter was Daniel Evans (grandfather), who married Esther Benner, by whom he had a family of nine children, the youngest of whom was Henry T. Evans (father), who was born in Upper Uwchlan township in 1793, and, after attaining manhood, married Elizabeth M. Thatcher. He became a member of the firm of Evans Brothers, of Philadelphia, and for a number of years was engaged in importing hardware and cutlery in that city. After retiring from that firm he embarked in the general mercantile business at Spread Eagle, now Strafford, this county, and after con- tinuing that for some time, engaged in the manufacture of lime at. Howellville, where he died February 7, 1870, aged seventy- seven years. He was very successful in busi- ness and accumulated considerable property. Politically he was a democrat, and for many years was prominent and influential in local politics. He was elected to the legislature
.
Jesse Cope Green.
575
OF CHESTER COUNTY.
and represented Chester county in that body about 1848, and at one time or another filled nearly all the local offices of his township, discharging his public and private duties in an upright and honorable manner, which gave him high standing in the community. By his marriage to Elizabeth M. Thatcher he had a family of eight children, three sons and five daughters: Mary E. Rush, Sallie M. Porter, Esther B. Evans, Charles T., Henry L. (subject of this sketch), Jennie McFarlan, Elizabeth M. and Robert Emmet Monaghan Evans. Mrs. Elizabeth M. Evans died December 26, 1891, aged sixty-nine years.
Henry L. Evans was reared principally in Tredyffrin township, this county, and re- ceived a superior English education in the public schools. Following his own inclina- tions he engaged in farming soon after his school days were ended, and he has devoted his life mainly to agricultural pursuits. He now owns a fine farm containing one hun- dred and sixty-three acres of choice land, all but thirty acres being well improved, and supplied with excellent farm buildings. Politically Mr. Evans is a stanch democrat, though he takes no active part in public af- fairs, contenting himself with discharging all the duties of good citizenship.
On March 27, 1890, Mr. Evans was united in marriage to Mary Shaw, a daughter of Joseph and Sarah Shaw, of Valley Forge. To Mr. and Mrs. Evans has been born one child, a son named Chauncey B.
J ESSE COPE GREEN was born De- cember 13, 1817, in Birmingham town- ship, Delaware county, Pennsylvania, abont six miles from Wilmington, Delaware, and resided there until he removed to West 34
Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1841. His early education was received at the schools of his neighborhood. Ile subsequently attended the boarding schools of Joshua Hoopes, in West Chester, and Samuel Smith, in Wil- mington, Delaware. The vigorous discip- line of farm life, in boyhood, was no draw- back to mental cultivation. The leisure moment was not abandoned to leisure. The noon sun and the tallow dip lit the pages of such literature as was within reach. Knowledge was hard-earned, but it was striven for because the young lad knew that knowledge is power, and is worth its price.
For more than two hundred years the paternal and maternal ancestors of our sub- jeet have been members of the Society of Friends; some of them suffered persecution for conscience' sake. This is a record of character. Could this youthful descendant rest on that? The only way in which we can prove a family name to be an honor to ns is by proving ourselves worthy of its honors.
Immediately on leaving school the young man set ont to earn a livelihood, and to in- terest himself actively in the cause of edu- cation. Ile was one of the first to teach school under the "Common School Law " of Penn- sylvania, and taught in Concord, Delaware county, 1836-41. He afterward taught for about a year in the Friends' school in West Chester.
Under the professional tutelage of a proni- inent dentist in West Chester, in 1842-3, he turned his attention to the study of den- tistry. He began to practise in April, 1843, and in August established himself profes- sionally in West Chester, where he has re- mained continuously in practice ever since. He received the degree, subsequently, of D. D. S., from the Pennsylvania college of
576
BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
dental surgery, of Philadelphia. In the prosecution of his life profession Dr. Green has been markedly successful, and this sue- cess has arisen mainly from four causes. First, a rare aptness in mechanics ; second, a studious habit, keeping him abreast of the times ; third, an unflagging energy ; fourth, an aim to succeed in life without parleying with evil or making compromises with the spirit of nufairness, deceit or untruth in any guise.
The first of these qualities has shown it- self not merely in his success in mechanical and otherdepartments of dentistry, but in his attainments in many forms of applied me- chanics, whether in wood or metal work. His microscopes received the praise of the world-renowned Zentmayer, and his slide mounts have been pronounced by experts singularly beautiful in their finish. Much of his meterological apparatus is the product of his mechanical laboratory, and includes the first electrical registering anemonemeter of its kind that was ever made, as well as a very fine mercurial barometer.
On the second point it may be said that Dr. Green was elected a member of the Pennsylvania association of dental surgeons in 1855: he took an active part in effect- ing the organization of the State dental society, in 1868, of which he was treasurer in 1880 and president in 1883; he held a membership in the American dental asso- ciation. He was active in the formation of the first National convention of dentists, which began its existence in Philadelphia in 1855.
In 1876, upon the passage of a law re- quiring the organization of a Pennsylvania State dental examining board, he was elected to serve upon that board, and was made its secretary. He has continued to serve the
profession and the public in this responsible and somewhat arduous position without emoluments, from the first meeting of this board up to the present time.
His third mentioned characteristic is suf- ficiently demonstrated in the life work pie- tured all through this sketch.
Upon the fourth of the foregoing points, the moral standard, it is a delicate matter to dilate with reference to a living subject. But as an example to young men it may be pardonable to point with one hand to Dr. Green's attainments in his profession, as well as in his studies and acquirements aside, and with the other hand to his reputation for a high sense of honor in all his dealings. It is not out of place to illustrate this point by recalling his rigorous adherence to his principle never to deceive an innocent pa- tient, and particularly a little child.
Notwithstanding his first devotion to busi- ness -his determination to drive it, rather than to let it drive him-Dr. Green long ago found and still finds time to serve the community in many forms of gratuitons activity.
He was a member of the West Chester school board for many years, and some time its treasurer and president. In 1857 he originated a movement to establish district school libraries for which the State law made no provision. To this end he devoted, for three years, a part of his personal commis -. sions as district treasurer for the purchase of books for the public welfare.
He has been a volunteer observer for the Smithsonian Institution and the weather burean at Washington since 1855, and also for the Pennsylvania State weather service since its organization. He was deeply and actively interested in the anti-slavery move- ment from 1841. He is president of the
577
OF CHESTER COUNTY.
Trust and Relief society of West Chester, holds the responsible position of overseer in Friends meeting, and treasurer of the latter since 1864. His connection with the Oakland Cemetery Company, of which he has been a manager for many years, dates from its organization, in 1852. He was one of the organizers of the West Chester Mi- croscopical society, and has served both as its treasurer and president. For forty-four years he has been an active member and treasurer of the First West Chester Fire Company.
Dr. Green's interests have been broad and catholic, as well as special and particular. He has a fine miscellaneous library, including a number of "large paper" and "de-luxe" editions ; and an extensive collection of anto- graph letters, containing a number of rari- ties. Probably the finest collection of Con- tinental, Colonial, Confederate and other rare paper money in Chester county is in his possession, as a result of long and intelligent gathering. Not the least interesting anti- quarian feature of his library is the fine col- lection of almanacs, some of them dating back to the beginning of the sixteenth cen- tury. For more than a score of years Dr. Green has been making a collection of walk- ing sticks, which now number over one hun- dred and thirty picecs. Some of these are made from historie timber, some are rare woods from distant parts of the earth, some are made of various woods exquisitely fitted and finely finished. Altogether the collec- tion is valuable from whatever point of view it may be considered.
Dr. Green is the only son of William Green, who was born in Birmingham, Del- aware county, Pennsylvania, December 18, 1791, removed to West Chester, Pennsyl- vania, in 1845, and lived there until his
death, April 19, 1881. William married, March 5, 1817, Phebe Hatton, who was born in Birmingham, Delaware county, Pennsyl- vania, June 25, 1797, and at this writing is still living in full possession of her faculties. active in mind and body. Dr. Green's pa- ternal great-great-great-great-grandfather was Thomas Green, a native of England. who emigrated in 1686, settled at Concord. Delaware county, Pennsylvania, and died there about 1713. Ilis maternal ancestry also is English, the first emigrant coming to this country about 1682 and settling in Providence, Delaware county, Pennsylvania. The genealogy in several branches has been published with some fulness of detail in Munsell's American Ancestry, Vol. VI.
Dr. Green was married September 30. 1845, to Alice W., daughter of Edward and Tabitha Shields, of West Chester, Pennsyl- vania. They have had four children, Clara. Mary, Edith, and William Hatton. Edith died in her fourth year, February 8, 1859. Mary died in her thirty-fourth year, Octo- ber 1, 1886. The other two are still living. Clara, the eldest, was married October 28, 1875, to Patterson Du Bois, of Philadelphia. They have had four children, the youngest of whom, Constance, alone survives.
P. D. B.
HON ON. THOMAS S. BELL, a distin- guished citizen of Chester county, who served as a judge of the supreme court of Pennsylvania, was a son of William and Jane (Sloan) Bell, and was born in Philadelphia, October 22, 1800. In May, 1821, he re- moved to West Chester, where he spent the larger part of his life. He soon became eminent in his profession of the law, and served successively as district attorney, n member of the State senate, and at different
578
BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
times as president judge of his own and an adjoining judicial district. On November 18, 1846, he was appointed an associate jus- tice of the supreme court of Pennsylvania, and served with ability and efficiency until December 1, 1851, when the tenure of office was changed by the constitution. Judge Bell died in Philadelphia, June 6, 1861.
His third son, Lt .- Col. Thomas S. Bell, was born May 12, 1838, and, after being admit- ted to the bar, gave brilliant indications of genius and success. His career of future promise never came, as he was one of the first in 1861 to respond to the call of his country for help, and two years later fell fighting on the bloody field of Antietam.
R EV. FREDERICK WILLIAM
RANDALL, the popular pastor of the Baptist church of Downingtown, and an able and efficient minister, is a son of William and Emma (Bourne) Randall, and was born at Cornwall, in Cornwall county, England, November 9, 1857. His paternal grandfather Randall was a native of Eng- land, and married and reared a family of four children : John, William, Isaac and Thomas. William, the second son, and father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Worcestershire, England, in 1828. He was a very fine botanist and linguist, and spoke the German, French and Spanish languages with remarkable fluency. In early life he followed market gardening and afterward became superintendent of a large estate. He died in 1864, when in the thirty-sixth year of his age. He married Emma Bourne, who was born in 1833. They were the parents of five children, two sons and three daughters: Emma E., wife of Richard Gaskill, a painter of Ches-
ter county ; Rev. Frederick William ; Mary, who died in childhood; Sarah, wife of Horace Rogers, of Limerick Square, Mont- gomery county ; Albert E., of Royer's Ford, Montgomery county, who married Minnie Robinson, and is a moulder by trade, and Sarah J., who died in infancy. Mrs. Ran- dall is the only survivor of sixteen chil- dren born to Rev. Jacob Bourne, a native of England and a minister of the Baptist church. Of his children were Rev. William Frederick, an able minister; Clement ; Hat- tie and Elizabeth, the latter married Rev. Jabez Ferris, pastor of Roxborongh Baptist church ; and George, who fell at the battle of Bull Run. Mrs. Randall received a good education, and in early life was preceptress of a large educational institution in England for young ladies. She has been active and prominent as a leader in educational and religious movements in the various locali- ties in which she has resided. She has contributed many poems to varions papers.
Frederick William Randall was brought by his mother to Connecticut, and after- ward came to Pennsylvania when he was only eleven years of age. He received a good literary education, and then com- menced his preparation for the Baptist ministry nnder Rev. George C. Hand, of Hatboro, and others, of Montgomery county. After completing his studies he entered Crozer Theological seminary, of Upland, Chester county, from which well known institution he was graduated with high standing in the class of 1889. He was licensed to preach in 1883, by the Royer's Ford Baptist church, and ordained to the ministry on January 2, 1889, at the Heph- zibah Baptist church. His first pastorate was Hephzibah Baptist church, of Mc- Williamstown, this county, which he left
519
OF CHESTER COUNTY.
May 1, 1892, after three and one-half years of faithful and well appreciated service, to become pastor of the Baptist church of Downingtown, where his labors have been blessed with abundant success. The Bap- tist church at Downingtown was organized in 1883, and increased in membership and prosperity under the charge of Revs. Me- Curdy, Bruster and Randall. Mr. Bruster was instrumental in securing the erection of the present neat and handsome church edifice, which cost over eight thousand dollars.
On the 4th day of April. 1878, Rev. Rau- dall was united in marriage with Emina Davis, daughter of James D. Davis, of " Fox Chase," Philadelphia. To their union have been born four children : Julia, now de- ceased ; Sadie L., Hattie, and Ethel L., who died in infancy.
In political sentiment Rev. Randall is a prohibitionist, and believes that the supremacy of the Prohibition party would be for the best interests and greatest pros- perity of the country. Rev. Frederick William Randall is a close student, a care- ful and accurate thinker, and an earnest and eloquent speaker. He is a man of thought, of pleasing address and courteous bearing, and is a fine umsician, having taken a four years' course in vocal music in Philadel- phia, under Professor William Thomas. Hle possesses a good voice, and attended Shoemaker National school of eloention and oratory for two and one-half years before entering upon the ministry. He has ob- tained popularity upon merit, and his well thought out, logically arranged and eloquent sermons, while winning attention by his fine delivery, yet make a deep impression by the earnest truths and sound doctrines which they contain.
The old Brandywine Baptist church, long closed, has been opened for a Sunday school in the afternoon, followed by a sermon by Rev. Mr. Randall, and in four weeks the enrolled membership of the school has grown to one hundred and thirty-five, with a large congregation coming in at the close of the Sunday school to attend the preach- ing service. This interest is now conducted by Mr. Randall and his co-workers as a mission of the Downingtown Baptist church.
FRANCIS DONLEAVY LONG,
A. M., now proprietor of the " Hotel Heilbronn," of Downingtown, and who was for over a quarter of a century one of the foremost and most successful educators of eastern Pennsylvania, is a son of Samnel S. and Elizabeth (Worman) Long, and was born in Durham township, Bucks county. Pennsylvania, in the year 1834. He re- ceived his diploma from Lafayette college, and read theology under Rev. Dr. John McDowell, of Philadelphia, but never took orders, and devoted most of his life to teach- ing. lle established a classical and mercan- tile academy in Philadelphia, of which he was proprietor and principal for nearly teu years. At the end of that time he became principal of the West Branch High school. of Jersey Shore, this State, which position he held for several years. Professor Long. in 1870, came to Downingtown. where he established Chester Valley academy, a elas- sical day and boarding school, which he conducted most successfully for fifteen years. He then disposed of the school, but within two years he found it necessary to return and resume possession of the building and property. Not caring again to assume edu- cational work, he fitted up the " Hotel Heil-
580
BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
bronn" for a party who died soon after opening the house, and Mr. Long was com- pelled to take charge of the hotel, which has been conducted most successfully under his management ever since. Ile has also de- voted a part of his time to the real estate business, in which he has developed not only his own financial interests, but even more, the best welfare of his borough. Mr. Long is a zealous member of the Downingtown Presbyterian church, was superintendent of the Sunday school for a number of years, and an active worker. While in Philadel- phia he was ordained an elder. In political opinion he has always been a republican, and while no aspirant for office yet served as a member of the Downingtown borough council for six years and as borough treas- urer for several terms. Mr. Long has well performed and faithfully discharged every duty of intelligent citizenship.
His paternal great-grandparents, Thomas and Rachel Long, were residents of Ireland. Thomas Long was born in 1740 in that country, while his wife, whose maiden name was Rachel Morgan, was born in England in 1748. Their son, Judge Williani Long, was born in 1775, and in early life came to Bucks county, this State, where he soon be- came prominent in eivil and political affairs. He was an active and influential man and served for several years as associate judge of his county. He was originally a whig, but afterward became a democrat in polities, and died when well up in years at his home at Durham, Bucks county. He married Jane Smith, November 13, 1798, and had twelve children, eight sons and four daugh- ters : Samuel Smith, Thomas, James Mor- gan, William McKeen, Justus Kooker, Madison, Robert Dean, Charles, Rachel, Martha, Jane and Mary.
Samuel Smith Long, father of Professor Long, was born July 30, 1801, and died April 10, 1878. He was a demoerat in poli- ties, and married Elizabeth Worman, Octo- ber 14, 1825. They had five children : Rev. Edwin Me. Long, D. D., Sidney Worman (deceased), Francis Donleavy, and Rev. Abramı Worman and Rev. William Stokes. The two latter were twins.
The Long family is of Irish and English descent, and is known as one of the reliable and substantial families of eastern Pennsyl- vania. For several generations none of its members have ever been known to use pro- fane language, intoxicating liquor, or to in- dulge in tobacco in any form. Moral, up- right, active and straightforward, its hon- orable record is one that is worthy of imita- tion.
D R. JOHN COCHRAN, who was ap- pointed director general of the hospi- tals of the Thirteen Colonies in 1781, was born in Chester county, September 1, 1730. The Cochran family was of Scotch descent. Dr. John Cochran received a grammar school education, read medieine with a Dr. Thomp- son, and served as a surgeon's mate during the French and Indian war. In 1777 Wash- ington recommended him to congress, and he was appointed as physician and surgeon- general of the army of the middle depart- ment. Dr. Cochran discharged the duties of that position so well that in 1781 con- gress made him director-general of the hos- pitals of the Thirteen Colonies. Dr. Cochran was on terms of intimacy with Washington. Wayne, Lafayette, Paul Jones, and others. He was a member of the Society of Cincin- nati, served as commissioner of loans for the State of New York, and died April 6, 1807.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.