History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 96

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Peck & Richards
Number of Pages: 1418

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forty-six years. He died at Reading, January 25, 1810, and left three children-Anu, horn at Reading 1782, and died unmarried at Morgan- town 1852; William, an attorney (see sketch) and Edward Tilghman, born at Reading 1790, edu- cated at Princeton College and pursued farming in Caernarvou township, having married Maria Catharine Hiester, daughter of William Hiester, and died on his farm in 1831, leaving to survive him five sons, Daniel R., William H., Edward M. Hiester and George E., aud a daughter, Mary Hiester.

MARKS JOHN BIDDLE, a son of James Biddle, was born at Philadelphia, May 24, 1765, and there he obtained a good education. He came to Read- ing and was admitted to the bar in December, 1788, when he began the practice of the law in Berks County. He devoted his whole time to his profession and soon established a large and lucra- tive business, which he maintained until 1840, when he retired from practice. Shortly afterward he became afflicted with blindness and continued blind for seven years till his death. During this trying period he was cheerful. He enjoyed the literary productions of his day by having the same read to him. He was distinguished for strong in- tellect and clear judgment. His legal learning was accurate and profound, and his efforts at the Bar were remarkable for a thorough knowledge and comprehensive grasp of his subject. He re- presented the county in the State Senate from 1817 to 1820. About this time he was the local repre- sentative of the Penns in the collection of ground rents. Upon the election of Governor Joseph Hiester he received the appointment of prothono- tary of the county and held the office from 1821 to 1824. He died August 11, 1849, over eighty- four years of age. James D. Biddle was his only son.

LEVI PAWLING was the third son of Henry Pawling, one of the first associate judges of Mont- gomery County. He was born in Providence township, that county ; read law and was admitted to practice at Norristown in November, 1795; be- came a member of the Berks County bar August 18, 1796; lived for a short time at Reading, and on October 14, 1804, was married to Elizabeth, daughter of Governor Joseph Hiester. He soon afterwards attained great prominence at the Mont-

gomery Bar, lived in magnificent style for those early days, and filled a great many positions of trust and responsibility. Being a Federalist in politics and a resident of a Democratic county, he was not elected to any legislative office except to a seat in Congress, serving as a representative one term, from 1817 to 1819. For a number of years he was President of the Bank of Montgomery County. About the time of his retirement from business he was financially embarrassed and he lost the extensive property he had owned. His wife died in 1826. He survived her until 1845,. and died at the age of seventy-three years. His wealthy father-in-law left each of Mr. and Mrs. Pawling's children a patrimony of ten thousand dollars. James M. Pawling, their second son, was a prominent member of the Montgomery County Bar and was admitted a member of the Berks County Bar November 7, 1833, but lived at Nor- ristown.

JOHN S. HIESTER was born at Reading July 28, 1774, and was the only son of Governor Joseph Hiester. He was educated at Princeton College, from which he graduated with honor to himself, in 1794 at the age of twenty ; studied law in Phila- delphia under the direction of Jared Ingersoll, Esq., and was admitted to the bar in 1798. He was mar- ried to Miss Fries, of Philadelphia. After a wedded life of six months she died. Afterwards he was married to Maria C. Muhlenberg, a first cousin of Henry A. Muhlenberg, by whom he had four children. For nine years he had all the offices in connection with the county conrts of Berks County. He was well qualified to fill these positions. He was cashier of Farmers' Bank, also president of Borough Council for several years. He died March 7, 1849, in the seventy-fifth year of his age.

General Gregg, of Reading, is married to a granddaughter of John S. Hiester.

FREDERICK JOHN HALLER was admitted to the bar November 4, 1801 ; practiced for a short time at Kutztown, then moved to Huntingdon ; from thence to Hollidaysburg, and, later in life, located at Allentown, where he died.

SAMUEL D. FRANKS was the son of Colonel Isaac Franks, of Philadelphia, who was one of the staff-officers of General Washington in the Revo- lution during the Pennsylvania campaign, and a cousin of the great wit and beauty, Miss Rebecca

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Franks, who became the wife of Sir Henry John- son, Bart. He was born at Philadelphia in the year 1784, and there educated for the bar. He came to Reading early in life and was admitted to the Berks County bar on August 10, 1805. Soon afterward he was married to Sarah May, the daughter of James May and a sister of Mrs. George De B. Keim. During the War of 1812-15 he was major in a Berks County regiment of volunteers, and was at Baltimore in 1814 when that city was threatened by the British forces.

" Upon his return from military service he became clerk of the House of Representatives. He was an efficient officer and an excellent reader, useful to the members and quite popular. Upon the election of Governor Findlay he re- ceived the appointment of president judge of Dau- phin County July 29, 1818, and he occupied this position till January 12, 1830, when he resigned his commission. He was a man of much talent and a most amusing companion, having considerable talent for mimicry. He abounded in anecdotes. He was a large man, with a large head and fine face ; he had a large Grecian nose, florid counten- ance and red hair. He said he was the best red (read) judge in Pennsylvania ; but the law, as a science, had few charms for him." 1

In the year 1818, previous to his appointment as a president judge he officiated in Berks County as prothonotary and clerk of the Quarter Sessions. He took an earnest interest in the militia affairs of the State, in which he became very popular. He was elected major-general of the Sixth Division Pennsylvania Militia, which was composed of the troops in Berks, Dauphin, Lebanon and Schuyl- kill Counties, and occupied that prominent position till the time of his death, when his brother-in-law, General George De B. Keim, of Reading, was elect- ed to succeed him. He died at Orwigsburg, Schuyl- kill County, aged only forty-six years. His remains were brought to Reading and buried in the grave- yard adjoining Christ's Episcopal Church.

JAMES B. HUBLEY was born in the year 1789, in Montgomery Co., Pa., and was a son of Joseph Hubley and brother of Edwin B. Hubley. He was admitted a member of the bar of Berks

County April 3, 1809. He practiced for a time in Reading, moved to Orwigsburg, then the county seat of Schuylkill County, and died Aug- ust 26, 1828, at the age of thirty-eight years. He was an heir to the Burd estate. He was a man of brilliant promise, possessed a benevolent and kindly disposition, had amiable manners and was favorably known for his honesty and integrity.

WILLIAM CLYMER, a son of Daniel C. Clymer, Esq., was born at Reading on March 28, 1788. He was educated at Yale College, from which he was graduated in 1807. Upon returning home he studied law in the office of his father, a practicing attorney at Reading, and was admitted to the bar in 1809. He practiced his profession in Berks County and died in 1845. He was married to Susan Rightmyer, of Reading, and with her had eight children, three of whom survived him,- Henry, Mary Ann and William.

FRANKLIN S. MUHLENBERG, son of General Peter Muhlenberg, was born in Philadelphia April 22, 1795; obtained a liberal education, studied law and was admitted a member of the Berks County bar . May 8, 1816, and became private secretary of Governor Joseph Hiester from 1820 to 1823. Soon after the latter date he removed to Ohio, became a member of the Legislature of that State, and later, was a representative from Ohio in the Twentieth Congress. He died in Pick- away County, Ohio, in 1832.

NATHANIEL POTTS HOBART was a native of Philadelphia, born October 3, 1790, read law in the office of John C. Smith, and was admitted to the bar of his native city ; removed to Pottstown, where he was appointed justice of the peace by Governor Simon Snyder; joined Captain Daniel De B. Keim's company of Washington Blues in August, 1814 ; marched with it to Camp Dupont, and there joined the First Regiment of Pennsyl- vania Volunteers October 7, 1814, and served as fourth sergeant of the company until December 5th of the same year, when they returned to Read- ing ; admitted an attorney of the Berks County bar January 3, 1818 ; was clerk in the prothono- tary's office, under John Adams, for several years ; was assistant clerk in the House of Representa- tives at Harrisburg, under chief clerk Francis R. Shunk. In 1827 Governor Shulze appointed him clerk of the Orphans' Court and Court of Quarter

1 From Egle's " History of Dauphin County."

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Sessions of Berks County, which position he held until 1830, when he removed to Pottstown. In 1836 he was appointed auditor-general of Pennsyl- vania by Governor Ritner, and held the office for three years; resided at Pottstown from 1830 until his death, July 3, 1860. He was married April 18, 1813, to Joanna Holland. Their children were John Potts (now an attorney in Pottsville), Sarah P., Eliza R., Anna Sophia, Robert H., Nathaniel B., William R. and Ellen G. Hobart.

JAMES D. BIDDLE was the only son of Marks John Biddle, Esq. After obtaining a good Eng- lish education he studied law under the direction of his father and was admitted to the bar at Read- ing April 9, 1815. For many years he was a notary public, and became a very popular lawyer, but died when yet young.

CHARLES DAVIS, son of Moses Davis, was born in Easton December 25, 1795, and upon attaining manhood, read law in the office of Hon. Samuel Sitgreaves of the Northampton bar, and was ad- mitted to practice January 16, 1817, when he removed to Allentown. This was shortly after the erection of Lehigh County. He soon became one of the leaders of the bar of that county and con- tinued uninterruptedly to practice his profession at Allentown until 1839 when he came to Reading where he followed his profession until 1867. By this time increasing years and declining health impelled him to relinquish his practice as his physical constitution would no longer withstand its demands. He accordingly determined to remove to the home of his childhood and youth, and died in Easton on January 19, 1873. During his last residence in his native town, he lived a semi-retired life, but was in the full enjoyment of his faculties and was frequently consulted by other members of the Northampton bar. In speaking of Mr. Davis, Judge Maxwell said, " It is worthy of remark that no attorney had been more diligent in the practice of his profession, nor more faithful and devoted to the interests of his clients to whose causes or business he devoted all the powers of his vigorous mind. He was not only an able and successful lawyer but a valuable and useful citizen. He had always been a consistent Christian, and by his walk and conversation, honored his profes- sion."

CHARLES WITMAN, son of Hon. William 52

Witman, associate judge of Berks County from 1823 to 1828, was born at Reading in the year 1790, and was. admitted to the bar of Berks County August 9, 1818. He lived and practiced law at Reading for a number of years and then removed to Orwigsburg, Schuylkill County, where he practiced his profession till his death February 13,1856.

EDWARD B. HUBLEY was born at Reading iu 1792. He was the son of Joseph Hubley, a practi- cing attorney of the Berks County bar. He studied law with his father and was admitted to the bar April 5, 1820. After practicing at Read- ing for a while he moved to Orwigsburg, then the county-seat of Schuylkill County, and there con- tinued his profession for a number of years. He rep- resented that district in Congress for two terms from 1835 to 1839. He held the appointment of canal commissioner of this State for several years under Governor David R. Porter, and acted as a com- missioner of Indian affairs under President Polk. In all these positions he discharged his duties with ability and fidelity. About 1848 he returned to Reading and continued to reside here for eight years; then he removed to Philadelphia, and died there shortly afterward, on February 23, 1856, aged sixty-four years. He was married to Catha- rine, eldest daughter of Judge Spayd.

JAMES L. DUNN, the only son of James Dunn, was born in Kent County, Md., July 25, 1785. He was educated in the schools of Baltimore, then went to Philadelphia to live in the family of his uncle, John Lorrain. He there studied the art of book-keeping, and, for a time, was engaged in the mercantile business. In 1815 he came to Reading and read law under the direction of Sam- uel Baird, Esq., and was admitted to the bar of Berks County, November 10, 1821. Mr. Dunn was an excellent lawyer, a fine scholar, a genial companion, courteous and affable in his manners and prepossessing in appearance. During the last twelve years of his life he was a confirmed invalid and was compelled to retire from an extensive practice at the bar. He was a prominent and influential member of the Episcopal Church, and one of the original board of directors of the Charles Evans Cemetery. He was mar- ried to Sara Rees, of Philadelphia, who died before him. Their children were Charles C. Dunn,

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

George R. Dunn, of Philadelphia, Mrs. De B. Keim, of Reading ; Mrs. Nelson B. Bowman, of Brownsville, Pa., all of whom are living, and Mrs. Edward McLonegan, deceased, of Reading.

WILLIAM C. LEAVENWORTH, who was ad- mitted to the bar at Reading, August 18, 1822, was a native of New England. During a resi- dence of about twenty years in Reading he won considerable distinction in the legal profession and was a man of fine intellectual attainments. He accompanied the tide of emigration to California during the "gold-fever " and died in that State. Henry Dreer, the prominent nurseryman of Philadelphia, is married to his daughter.

LLOYD WHARTON, who obtained a good educa- tion, then pursued the study of law, was admitted elsewhere, and, on March 24, 1824, became a member of the Berks County bar. He continued in practice at Reading until about the year 1840, when he moved to Philadelphia county and lived on the Delaware, near Bristol. While in Reading in the year 1835, he was instrumental in se- curing the charter of the Berks County Bank, and for a time, he was the principal stockholder in it. He disposed of his interest to Elijah Deckert and William Darling in 1839. Soon after his removal from Reading his name was changed to Lloyd Wharton Beckley, and he thus became heir to a large part of the Beckley estate. He was a man of rare intelligence and well versed in general literature.

THOMAS MORRIS was born near Doylestown, Pa., and was a son of Thomas Morris. After tending an excellent academy in his native town, he entered the office of the Hon. John Chap- man, a distinguished lawyer of the Bucks County bar, and having completed the required course of legal studies, was admitted to the bar. For a time thereafter he lived at Pottsville and became a member of the Berks County bar by admission November 1, 1824. He was an active Democrat and ardent supporter of Henry A. Muhlenberg for governor of Pennsylvania. That department of practice relating to land titles was a specialty with him. He died June 17, 1872.

DAVID EVANS, who was admitted to the bar at Reading, January 5, 1825, was born at Morgan- town, this county, and was of Welsh descent. After engaging in the duties of his profession at

Reading for a number of years, he removed to the State of Ohio, where he died. William Fullerton Duncan, who was admitted to the bar at the same time, also moved to the west after a few years' practice here.

HENRY W. SMITH, for many years a distin- guished member of the Berks County bar, was a son of Judge Frederick Smith, of the supreme court of Pennsylvania, and was born January 4, 1804. He studied law under the instruction of his father, and was admitted to the bar January 5, 1825. He was active in politics ; was a dele- gate to the State Democratic convention of 1832, 1835, 1841, 1844 and 1846, and was a delegate to the National Democratic Convention in 1835. He was a candidate for Congress on a combined ticket of Whigs and Democrats, in 1836, against Henry A. Muhlenberg, Democrat, who was elected. He served as a member of the State Legislature, in 1843 and 1844. In 1846 he was a candidate for Congress against Judge William Strong. He was the candidate for president-judge of the county, in 1851, against J. Pringle Jones, and in 1861, was the candidate for the same office on the " Union " ticket against W. J. Woodward. Mr. Smith had an extensive practice and was one of the ablest lawyers Berks County has produced. The last important official position he filled was that of a member of the convention that framed the State Constitution of 1873. At one time, he and his brother George owned one-half of the stock of the Reading Water Company. He died August 27, 1878, leaving a widow and an only son, F. Leaf Smith, now a member of the Reading bar.

EDWARD P. PEARSON, for many years one of the leading attorneys of the Reading bar, was a native of New Jersey, and after completing his legal studies moved to Lebanon, Pa., and from thence to Reading, where he became associated in practice with Henry W. Smith, Esq., and succeed- ed to a large and lucrative business. He was married to Fredericka, a daughter of Judge Fred- erick Smith. Edward P. Pearson, one of his sons, is now a lieutenant-colonel in the Regular Army. Frederick Pearson, another son, was a commodore in the American Navy and won distinction in as- sisting the English Navy to quell an insurrection in Japan. For gallant services on this occasion the Queen of England offered him a knighthood,

Clich Schert

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but being in the American service he was obliged to decline the proffered honor. He retired from the Navy soon after his marriage with Miss Ayers, of Boston, daughter of the originator of " Ayers' Pectoral."

CHARLES J. JACK, a native of Philadelphia, came to Reading in 1825, and in August of that year was admitted a member of the Berks County bar. Being a devoted Democrat he established and published a newspaper in Reading for a num- ber of years, known as the Jackson Democrat. He was a man of brilliancy and power and attained considerable influence in the politics of the State. He ceased the publication of his paper about 1834 and soon afterward removed to Philadelphia, where he died.

JOSEPH H. SPAYD, son of John Spayd, presi- dent judge of the courts of Berks County, and grandson of Governor Hiester, was born in 1803 and died in Reading, June 5, 1865, aged sixty-two years. He obtained a liberal education; was a graduate of Yale College ; studied law and was ad- mitted a member of the Reading bar in 1826. Two years after his admission he was appointed by attorney-general Ellmaker, prosecuting attorney of the courts of Berks County. Being possessed of considerable means he relinquished the practice of his profession early in life and devoted his time to liberal reading, having a strong partiality for gen- eral literature. He accumulated an excellent library and was especially interested in the study of natural science, his favorite branches being geology and natural history

ELIJAH DECHERT was born in Cumru township, Berks County, October 15, 1799, and was the son of John and Deborah Dechert. His father, a farmer, was a lieutenant in the army of the Revolution, and was the descend- ant of ancestors who came with the German pilgrimage, to escape religious persecution in Europe. The earnestness of the religious faith of the family is shown by the fact that all of his own and of the preceding generations re- ceived Biblical names at their baptism.

His elder brother, Daniel, died at his home at Sinking Springs, in this county, September 17th, 1884, aged ninety-one years. He had lived upon his farm in that vicinity for many years, and was highly respected. Many of his

numerous descendauts are active members of the community. Another brother, Samuel, re- moved to Springfield, Ohio, where he was a leading manufacturer. He died there in 1884, leaving to survive him a widow and numerous children and grandchildren.

Elijah Dechert was chief clerk in the pro- thonotary's office at Reading, under General John Adams and Marks John Biddle, Esq., and was admitted to the bar on January 4, 1827. For many years he had a large prac- tice, and by his integrity, industry and ability, held a high position at a bar which ranked among the strongest in the State.

Early in life he became a member and also elder of the First Presbyterian Church of Reading, of which he was one of the founders, and he was, for many years, the superintendent of its Sunday-school. He was earnestly inter- ested in the temperance and other moral re- forms of the day, ever acting in accordance with his convictions of right and shrinking from the performance of no dnty. Accord- ingly, he was known and respected in the community as an independent and honorable citizen, who, avoiding politics and political ambition, was satisfied to perform the duties of private life.

He was an early friend of the public-school system, and it was said, in a leading newspaper, at the time of his death : "Berks County and Reading owe him a debt of gratitude for his valuable and persevering labors in behalf of the youth of the city and county."

He died in the City of Philadelphia, whither he had removed, June 14, 1854. On Septem- ber 15, 1824, he was married to Mary W., daughter of Hon. Robert Porter, then the president judge of this district, having filled the office, for more than twenty years, with the deserved reputation of an honest man, a fine scholar and a sound lawyer. Judge Porter had been a lieutenant in the Revolutionary Army, and was the son of General Andrew Porter, of the Pennsylvania Line of that army, and' who was afterwards surveyor-general of Pennsylvania.

Mrs. Dechert survived her husband, and died January 15, 1872, leaving a family of

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

seven children. Of these, one son, William W. (now deceased), became the vice-president of the Camden and Amboy Railroad Company ; another, Howard P., is a Presbyterian minis- ter, and the other two, Henry M. and Robert P., are now prominent members of the Phila- delphia bar. Robert P. Dechert was lieuten- ant-colonel of the Twenty-ninth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers during the War of the Rebellion, and is now the controller of the city of Philadelphia.

One daughter, Sarah B., married Edmond S. Young, a leading lawyer of Dayton, Ohio; another, Agnes G., married Rev. Alfred Tay- lor, of Brooklyn, N. Y., and the youngest (now deceased) married Rev. Charles E. Griffith, late of Allentown, Pa. William W. married Esther, daughter of Colonel Y. D. Dashiel, U.S.A., and left three children, who are now living,-Yellott D., of the New York bar, Mary P. and William W. Henry M. Dechert married Esther S., daughter of Thomas S. Taylor, of Philadelphia. They have four children,-Henry T., of the Philadelphia bar, Bertha M., Ellen G. and Edward Porter. Mrs. Young has two sons,-George R. and William H., of the Obio bar, and a daughter, Mary. Howard P. married Caroline Sand- ford, of New York ; they have one daughter, Caroline. Mrs. Taylor has a son,-Thomas P., of Bridgeport, Conn., and two daughters,- Mrs. Fanny Rowell and Isabella. Mrs. Grif- fith left two children,-Mary D. and Charles E.

In taking up the liistories of families in this county, we notice the remarkable, widespread emigration going out from Berks County. As is the case with this and many other families, her sons and daughters have gone out to the East and the West. In Philadelphia, the cen- tral parts of Pennsylvania, and in Ohio, In- diana, Iowa and other of the Western States, Berks County names are almost as familiar as here at home. Many persons ignorantly sup- pose that New England emigration has deter- mined the fortunes of our land; but the traveler and the scholar know that the German and Scotch-Irish ancestry of Pennsylvania brought to us those elements of industry and intelli- gence, and that sturdiness of purpose, which,

combined with New England enterprise and intelligence, make up the strength of American character.

JACOB HOFFMAN, brother of the late Dr. Charles Edward Hoffman, of Reading, and Dr. William Hoffman, residing at 244 South Fifth Street, was born in 1805, on a farm in Northampton County, Pa. He acquired a preliminary education in Easton, where he read law under the direction of the late Hon. James Porter, of the Northampton bar, and was admitted two years later. He began practicing at Easton. In 1829 he married Mary Gehr, daughter of Jacob Gehr, of Oley township, Berks County, and in 1831 removed to Reading, having been admitted as an attorney to practice before the courts of this county November 10, 1829. Mr. Hoffman early gained an enviable reputation as an influential lawyer in important land cases, especially where disputes arose in refer- ence to titles. In his litigations relating to certain coal lands lying in the county of Schuylkill, his services were of great value, in consequence of which much of his practice was before the courts of that county. He died in Reading November 21, 1870. During the Civil War he was an ear- nest supporter of the administration of Abraham Lincoln.

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History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 96

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846 Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Peck & Richards Number of Pages: 1418

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Peck & Richards
Number of Pages: 1418