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 97
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Ilis paternal great-great-grandfather, Jor- dan James Davies, was of Scotch-Irish des- cent, and his parents moved while he was younginto Wales, where he died about 1777, aged ninety years. He was a gardener.and florist, and married Hannah Watkin, by whom he had two children : Martha and John J. Theson, John J. Davies, became a steward on the estate of a wealthy lady, and died in 1851, at eighty-four years of age. He mar- ried Winifred Evans, who was a daughter of Rev. George Evans, and died in 1852, aged seventy-eight years. They had four chil-
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dren : Thomas, a sea captain ; William, also a sea captain; Rev. John J. and Martha. The third son, Rev. John J. Davies (grand- father), was born in 1805, at Kilwendage, Wales, and was a noted Baptist minister, preaching in the vicinity of London for over a quarter of a century. He died October 3, 1858, when in the fifty-third year of his age. In 1826 he married Elizabeth Evans, who died ten years later, at thirty-oue years of age, and left six children : John M., dead ; George Evans, also deceased ; Robert HIall, Elizabeth M. and Rachel F., now dead. For his second wife he married Rachel, daughter of Joseph Fletcher, a noted ship builder, and by that marriage had seven children : Agnes, Susanna, Mary J., William K., John R., Alfred and Foster L., now dead. Robert Hall Davies (father), the third son by the first marriage, was born near London, October 6, 1830, and received his education in the Tottenham schools and at the Enfield school, which was held in a house built by Sir Walter Raleigh. At four- teen years of age he became an apprentice to learn engineering, under the son of James Watt, who invented the steam engine. Af- ter becoming an engineer he came, in 1854, to Philadelphia, and was variously engaged in his profession until 1868, when he be- came master mechanic and superintendent of the Phoenix Iron Company's shops, which position he resigned in 1890 on account of impaired health. He is a republican in poli- ties, and a member of the Methodist Epis- copal church. On Angust 26, 1857, he married Rebecca Baylis, who was a daugh- ter of Isaac and Rebecca Baylis of Totten- ham, England, and who died June 12, 1865, aged thirty-six years, leaving five children : William, an inspector for the Phoenix Iron Company ; John J., Agnes, Harry, decensed ;
and George, now dead. Some years after the death of his first wife Mr. Davies wed- ded Elizabeth, daughter of James and Mar- tha Evans, of Killgarran, Wales.
John J. Davies is a republican in politics and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and ranks in his community as an honorable man and intelligent citizen.
On September 1, 1882, Mr. Davies mar- ried Iola Kurtz, who was a daughter of Ma- jor I. W. and Myra Kurtz, of Phoenixville, and who died December 16, 1884. Four years later Mr. Davies wedded Rosa E., daughter of Edward and Hannah Brown- back, of Phoenixville, and has by his second marriage three children : Robert Ilall, Ora and John J., jr.
EI 'DWIN HARLEY, a justice of the peace and a successful business man of North Coventry township, is a son of Ilar- rison and Susannah ( Hollowbush) Harley, and was born in East Coventry township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, January 29, 1861. He was reared in his native town- ship, received his education in the common schools of North Coventry township, and learned the trade of puddler, at which he worked for ten years. He then purchased sixteen acres of land in North Coventry township, and has been engaged ever since in farming in connection with other business. His land is fertile and pro- ductive, and lies near Pottstown, Mout- gomery county, where he finds a ready mar- ket for most of his products.
He is an active democrat in polities, and in 1890 was elected as a justice of the peace for North Coventry township. In addition to his other business he represents the Home Fire Insurance Company of New York city,
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
the Phoenix Mutual Fire Insurance Com- pany, and the Iron City Fire Insurance Com- pany of Pittsburg. He has been very suc- cessful in the fire insurance business, which affords protection to property that could not possibly be secured by any other means. Mr. Harley is one of the young, progressive business men of the northern part of Ches- ter county, and by intelligent action and correct commercial methods has won a large measure of success and popularity.
On November 20, 1883, Mr. Harley was united in marriage with Emily Lavau, a daughter of Abraham and Amelia (Nagle) Lavan, of whose fifteen children only two are living : Emily and Mrs. Caroline Hist of Pottstown, this State. To Mr. and. Mrs. Harley have been born four children : Sue Edna, born June 16, 1885; Harry LeRoy, born January 25, 1887; Helen Raville, twin sister of Harry LeRoy, now dead ; and Sarah Ethel, born January 30, 1889.
The first Harley who settled in Pennsyl- vania was Rudolph Harley. He was of Ger- man descent, and on account of religious persecution in Germany came in 1728 to Indian creek, Montgomery county. He was one of the founders of the German Baptist church in that county. His grandson, Rudolph Harley, wasthe father of Benjamin Harley, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch. Benjamin Harley was born in 1805 and died in 1891. He served as a justice of the peace for over fifteen years, and married Susan Pennypacker, by whom he had five children : Enos T., Aquilla, Caroline, Frank- lin and Harrison. The youngest child, Har- rison (father), was born in Chester county, October 5, 1839. 1Ie has always been a resi- dent of North Coventry township, where he has followed farming and stock raising. Ife is a democrat in politics, and wedded Susan-
nah Hollowbush, daughter of Rev. Peter Hollowbush, a minister of the German Bap- tist church. Mr. and Mrs. Harley have four children : Prof. Lewis R., principal of the High school of North Wales, Montgomery county, and whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume; Edwin, Mary Cora and Fred F.
ISAAC HOLMAN, a prosperous farmer and builder of this county, in whose school affairs he has been active and useful for nearly a quarter of a century, is a son of Isaac, sr., and Mary (Fulmer) Holman, and was born in West Vincent township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, April 16, 1829. Isaac Holman, sr., was born in West Pikeland township, and followed farming near Chester Springs, where he died at an advanced age. He was a democrat in politics, and married Mary Fulmer, now deceased. To their union were born five sons and three daughters: Margaret Mock ; Anna Kirtner; a daughter that died ; Samuel, Frederick, Joseph, Isaac and Davis.
Isaae Holman was reared on the farm, re- ceived his education in the common schools, and was then engaged in the house building business where he lives and at Chester Springs for thirty-five years. At the end of that time, in 1870, he came to his present farm of one hundred and ten acres, which is well improved and productive land. In addition to farming he conducts a good dairy, and has been very successful alike in farming and dairying. He is a democrat of the Jeffersonian school, and believes in thorough economy in public expenditures of every kind, from township finances to National affairs. Mr. Holman has always taken an interest in popular education, and is now
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serving on his twentieth consecutive year as a school director of his township.
On February 17, 1851, Mr. Holman was united in marriage with Anna MeGowen, a daughter of Edward and Mary McGowen. To Mr. and Mrs. Holman were born eight children, two sons and six daughters, of whom were Harmon, who died in childhood ; Mary E., wife of John March, a farmer of West Pikeland township; Sallie E. and Laura.
JOHN L. JANEWAY, C. E., a descend-
ant of one of the old and prominent English families of New York city, and who during his professional career has had charge of some very important engineering opera- tions connected with the municipal and in- dustrial development of Pennsylvania, New York and South Carolina, is a son of Rev. John L. and Maria (Kane) Janeway, and was born at Flemington, New Jersey, April 18, 1853. The first Janeway to come to America was William Janeway, who left En- gland and settled on the site of Broadway street, New York city, and farmed on land now occupied by solid blocks of buildings. He brought over the charter for Trinity church, granted by James II. of England. Ile married, and one of his descendants was Rev. Jacob Jones Janeway (grandfather ), who was born in New York city in 1771, and died in Philadelphia in 1855,aged eighty- four years. Ile was a very intelligent man and an able minister of the Presbyterian church. He married Martha Grey, who died in 1852, aged sixty-five years. They reared a family of five children : Thomas, presi- dent of the Presbyterian board of publica- tion at Philadelphia ; William, now dead; Henry, president of the Janeway Paper Man- ufacturing Company, of New Brunswick:
Rev. John L., and Martha, wife of William Van Ness, who is engaged in the whole- sale grocery business in New York city. Rev. John L. Janeway (father) was born in New York city, April 21, 1814, and received his education in Rutgers college, New Jer- sey, from which he was graduated at the close of his course. He studied theology and entered the ministry of the Presbyterian church, where he was actively engaged un- til the commencement of the late war, when he left his pulpit to serve his country. Ile served as chaplain, first of the 3d and after- ward of the 35th New Jersey infantry, and became known throughout the army of the Potomac as the "Fighting Chaplain." The privations and exposure which he suffered during the war so impaired his health as to compel him to give up all regular minister- ial work after returning home. Ile is a dem- ocrat in politics, and married Maria Kane, of Philadelphia, who passed away at Wal- nut Ifill, this State, on September 21, 1880. They had six children : Jacob J., division engineer, at Pittsburg, of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company ; Price W., secretary and treasurer of a private corporation in Phila- delphia ; Elizabeth, wife of Dr. Herman Ber- gen, of Germantown, this State ; John L., Maria K. and Rachel W.
John L. Janeway received his education at the celebrated Phillips academy, Ando- ver, Massachusetts, and then entered a sci- entific school in New Jersey, from which he was graduated in 1871, with the degree of C. E. After graduation he was successively engaged in civil engineering for the Penn- sylvania Railroad Company, the Penn Gas & Coal Company, of Westmoreland county, with Prof. F. S. C. Lowe of Norristown, and for the United Gas Improvement Company of Philadelphia. From Philadelphia he
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
went to New York, as erection engineer for James S. Price & Co., whose employ he left to go to Columbia, South Carolina, where he built the gas works and the street car lines of that city. After the great Charles- ton earthquake of 1888, he came to Phœnix- ville, and bought the property of the Phœ- nix Gas Company. In. 1890 he became president of the Downingtown Gas Con- pany, and since then has been actively en- gaged in different business enterprises.
On February 14, 1882, Mr. Janeway wed- ded Elizabeth, daughter of Joseph Hilde- burn of Philadelphia. Their union has been blessed with three children: John L., jr .; Augustine S. and Sybil K. K.
In politics Mr. Janeway is a democrat. He is, a member of the Protestant Episco- pal church of Phoenixville. He has kept abreast of the times in his chosen profes- sion, and is highly respected as a gentleman and a citizen. .
J
AMES CAMPBELL MEWHINNEY,
M. D., a skilled and snecessful physi- cian, and an energetic and public-spirited citizen of Spring City, is a son of James and Amanda (Harvey) Mewhinney, and was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, August 2, 1859. Dr. Mewhinney is of Scotch-Irish lineage, and his paternal grandparents, Thomas and Letitia (Campbell) Mewhinney were natives respectively of Ireland and the highlands of Scotland. Thomas Mewhin- ney came, in 1833, from Ireland to Phila- · delphia, where he resided at the corner of Dauphin and Memphisstreets until his death in 1880. He was a man of prominence in the locality where he resided, and amassed a considerable fortune from his line of busi- ness as a contractor on excavation ' work. He married Letitia Campbell, a member of
one of the many branches of the historic Campbell family of Scotland, and who had three brothers who were nearly seven feet in height. They were the parents of five children ; one that died at five years of age ; another which was scalded to death at an early age; Susan, wife of William Mauck of Philadelphia; James and Jane, the latter of whom was twice married, and whose sec- ond husband was William Stratton. James Mewhinney (father) was born in Ireland, May 17, 1833, and was brought the same year to Philadelphia by his parents. He was reared and educated in the Quaker City, and in early life removed to Barren Hill, Montgomery county, where he has been en- gaged in the hotel business for the last twenty years. Ile also deals in cattle, buy- ing and shipping large droves to the east- ern markets. He was an old-line whig, but when that party went down he changed his allegiance to the democrats, and has ever since supported democratic principles and democratic nominees. He married Amanda Harvey, who was born in 1836, and is a daughter of John Harvey, who was a resi- dent of Philadelphia, where he amassed a considerable fortune in the wholesale dry goods and grocery business. To Mr. and Mrs. Mewhinney were born three children, two sons and one daughter: Dr. James C., Ed- win Forrest, who is engaged in the droving business with his father at Barren Hill, Montgomery county ; and Letitia, who died at twelve years of age.
James Campbell Mewhinney was reared partly in Philadelphia and partly at Barren Hill, and received his education in the pub- lie schools, Fremont seminary of Norris- town, and Gettysburg college. Leaving college he made choice of medicine as a life vocation, and entered the medical depart-
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OF CHESTER COUNTY.
ment of the university of Pennsylvania, from which he was graduated with third honors in the class of 1883. After graduation he opened an office in Lower Providence town- ship, Montgomery county, where he prac- ticed with good success for four years. At the end of that time he came to Spring City, where he now enjoys a large and lu- erative practice. He makes a specialty of surgery, in which he has been very sue- ·cessful. .
On October 8, 1883, Dr. Mewhinney was united in marriage with Mary May Cassel, daughter of Joseph Cassel of Montgomery county.
Dr. Mewhinney is a member of Spring City Lodge, No. 558, Free and Accepted Ma- sons; and of the Knights of the Golden Eagle, of Royer's Ford. He is also a mem- ber of the Junior Order of United American Mechanies;, and of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a democrat in poli- tics, and served as burgess of his borough in 1891, but refused a renomination in 1892. During his term as burgess he exerted him- self so successfully in the interests of his town that the borough limits were greatly extended, and several important business firms were induced to locate their establish- ments in the place. He has also contributed to the prosperity of the borough by his nu- merous transactions in real estate. . Aside from his large practice and many efforts for the development of Spring City, he takes considerable interest in horses, owning some very fine and valuable ones. In his prae- tiee Dr. Mewhinney keeps well up with the medical advancement of the day. He is a member of the Chester County Medical so- ciety, the Inter-medical society of Schuylkill valley, and the Pennsylvania State Medical society.
S AMUEL D. PARKE, a prominent and
progressive farmer of Parkesburg, and an influential and useful citizen of Chester county, is a son of David and Mary A. (Brandt) Parke, and was born July 14, 1850, at the old homestead where he now resides, near Parkesburg, Chester county, Pennsyl- vania. Ile is a lineal descendant, fifth in line, from that Arthur Parke who emigra- ted from the north of Ireland prior to 1724 and settled in this county. (See fuller his- tory of him in sketch of Samuel R. Parke in this volume.) Joseph Parke (great-grand- father) was a son of John, who was a son of Arthur, and was born December 21, 1737, dying July 2, 1823. He was twice married. His children by his first wife were John Gardner, Joseph and Keziah, and by his second marriage George W., James, Letitia, David, Samuel, William, Agnes and Harriet. Hon. John Gardner Parke (grandfather) was born November 21, 1761, and died October 25, 1833. He was a member of the general assembly in 1818, and was the founder of Parkesburg, owning the land on which it was built. He was an enterprising, energetic business man, and became very prosperous. He was a member of Octoraro Presbyterian church, married and reared a family of six sous : Joseph, Samuel, Robert, John, Francis and David. Of these, Samuel was a mem- ber of the bar of Lancaster county, and Robert was a member of the State assembly in 1843-45, and for six years associated judge of Chester county. Four of these sons died old bachelors, and were buried at the Octoraro Presbyterian church. Francis married and reared a family. He was a farmer by occupation. . David Parke (father) was born on the old homestead in 1807, and died March 15, 1888, in his eighty-first year. He was a republican in political sentiment,
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and always took an active part in local pol- ities. For many years he was a member of the Presbyterian church, a man perfect in all his deportment and well liked by all who knew him. He married Mary A. Brandt, a native of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and a member of the Presbyterian church, who now resides in the city of Brooklyn, New York. To them was born a family of seven children, four sons and three daugh- ters : John B., now a colonel in the regular army; Joseph G., a civil engineer, now in Mexico; Sallie F., married J. D. Wilson and resides in the city of Helena, Montana; Belle, widow of S. J. Torbett, of Washing- ton, District of Columbia; Emma, now the wife of J. Glenn Fisher, of Brooklyn, New York; Samuel D., the subject of this sketch ; and Robert A., a railroad passenger agent at Washington city.
Samuel D. Parke was reared on the farm which he now owns, and on which his father lived all his life. His education was ob- tained in the public schools, and after com- pleting his studies he engaged in farming, and has continued to devote his attention to the cultivation of the soil, believing with Washington that " agriculture is the noblest pursuit of man." His farm is large and valu- able, being located in the edge of Parkes- burg, and finely improved, with all necessary buildings and fixtures. Mr. Parke is a strict member of the Presbyterian church, and takes an active interest in all matters affect- ing its prosperity and usefulness. He is also a member of Keystone Lodge, No. 569, Free and Accepted Masons. Politically he is a stanch republican, and socially an in- telligent, companionable gentleman, whom it is a pleasure to nieet and know.
In 1874, Mr. Parke was united in mar- riage with Mary C. Miller, a daughter of
John P. Miller, a representative of one of the old families of the city of Reading, Pennsylvania. To Mr. and Mrs. Parke have been born a family of three children, all daughters : Kate Lillie, Mary E. and Elinor.
A. STANLEY BROWN, one of the prosperous farmers of West Caln township, has been known in his commun- ity for over fifty years as an honorable man and reliable citizen. He was born in West Caln township, Chester county, Pennsyl- vania, and is the son of James W. and Sarah (Stanley) Brown, both natives and life-long residents of Chester county. James W. Brown was born in West Calu township in 1782, which was a history-making year of the then struggling young Republic. He followed the occupation of his immediate ancestors, that of farming, in which he en- gaged until his death. He married Chris- tiana Lovett, and to them were born two children, both sons. The eldest, William K. Brown, married a Miss Doane, who is now dead; and the youngest is A. Stanley, the subject of this sketch.
A. Stanley Brown received his elementary education in the schools of his neighborhood, and assisted his father in the tilling and management of the home farm for some years. He then took the entire management of the farm. At his father's death he fell heir to the old homestead, which he has tilled with good success ever since.
A. Stanley Brown is a strict member of the Presbyterian church, in whose belief he was reared. Although a democrat polit- ically, and ever supporting his party on National issues, yet he exercises his privi- lege of American citizenship in local affairs by casting his vote for the best man for the
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OF CHESTER COUNTY.
place. Although rapidly nearing his four- seore years, Mr. Brown is well preserved physically, while his mental powers are un- impaired, and he is remarkably active and energetic for one of his advanced years.
B. FRANKIN MOWRY, a reliable man and one of the prosperous farmers of East Pikeland township, is the youngest son and only living child of Peter and Susanna (Pennypacker) Mowry, and was born De- cember 15, 1839, on the farm where he now resides, in East Pikeland township, Chester county, Pennsylvania. He was reared on the paternal acres, received his education in the common schools of his native township, and has always been engaged in farming and stock raising where he now resides. He owns ninety acres of the home farm, and his land is well improved and productive. Within the last few years he has established a dairy on his farm and has quite a demand for his milk and butter. Mr. Mowry, in ad- dition to his farm, owns a large double brick building at Phoenixville, and a valuable frame building at Spring City, where his wife also owns a large brick dwelling house. IIe is a democrat in politics and a member of the Mennonite church.
B. Franklin Mowry married Annie Funk, a daughter of Jacob and Anna Funk. To Mr. and Mrs. Mowry have been born five children, four sous and one daughter : Ella, who died when quite young; John H., of West Chester ; David, Peter, and one other.
The Mowry family is of German descent. Peter Mowry, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, came in early life from Ger- many, during the latter part of the eighteenthi century, and purchased a large tract of land, a part of which is now owned by his grand-
son, B. Franklin Mowry. He was a mem- ber of the Evangelical church and an anti- federalist in politics, and died at an advanced age in 1814. He married and had three children, two sons and one daughter : John, Peter and Magdalene. Peter Mowry (father) was born on the home farm, where he re- sided until 1871, when he removed to Spring City, where he died in 1884, at an advanced age. He was a Jacksonian democrat, but would never accept any political office. He married Susanna Pennypacker, a daughter of Jonas and Mary Pennypacker. Mr. and Mrs. Mowry were the parents of four chil- dren : B. Franklin, of whom this sketch is written; Mary and Sarah, who were twins and died in childhood, of scarlet fever ; and Jonas, who died at the same time as his sis- ters, of scarlet fever, which was then prev- alent in the township in epidemic form.
CA ALEB BALDWIN, who was a prom-
inent and influential citizen of East Caln township, well known throughout the county and greatly esteemed for his many sterling qualities, his benevolence and busi- ness capacity, was born November 1, 1825, in that township, where his widow still re- sides. He was of English descent, his di- reet paternal ancestors having emigrated to this country in 1638, and settled in the col- ony of New Haven. At that time a family of five-father and four sons-started for America, with the purpose of creating homes for themselves in this then new and strange country ; but only the sons-John, George, Richard and Joshua-reached it in safety ; the father, Sylvester Baldwin, having died during the voyage. One of their descend- ants, Jonathan Baldwin, was among the early pioneers of Chester county, owning a
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
fine farm of two hundred acres, which has been in the Baldwin family from the time of the grants made by. John Penn, being a part of the original tract of one thousand acres taken up in 1753; the deeds bearing that date and the signature of John Penn. Caleb Baldwin was a man of good common school education, and he early engaged in his life-long pursuit of farming. Later he was also occupied in the quarrying of lime on his father's farm. Although primarily his interests were agricultural, he held many public positions of trust and prominence in various fields, having been a director of the Downingtown National bank for many years, and president of the Northwood Cemetery association until his death, being the origi- nator of the idea of a burying ground at that place. During the Centennial exposi- tion of 1876, he acted in the capacity of su- perintendent of the dairy department, under the supervision of the Dairy association, which was one of the most extensive dis- plays of the exposition. He was a firni be- liever in the principles of the Republican party (having previously been a whig), and was a man of considerable political intių- ence. In 1879 he was elected director of the poor of Chester county, but only served onle year, being obliged to resign before the completion of his term, owing to a stroke of paralysis, which incapacitated him for the position. Mr. Baldwin was a strong aboli- tionist, and although a member of the Ortho- dox Society of Friends, was so stauch a pa- triot that he contributed liberally toward a substitute fee in support of the late war. For this he was disowned by this religious body, one of whose fundamental doctrines is that of peace. This was one of the most trying circumstances of his life, and one to which he never became fully reconciled. He
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