USA > Pennsylvania > Bucks County > History of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time, Vol. I > Part 44
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Of the children of Henry Wynkoop, Christina, born April 20, 1763, married Doctor Reading Beatty, of Newtown, and died at Abington May 18, 1841 ; Ann, born in 1765, married James Raguet, 1790, and died in 1815; Margaretta, born in 1768, married Herman J. Lombert, 1789, and died of yellow fever. Philadelphia, 1793: Nicholas, born in 1770, married Fanny, eldest daughter of Francis Murray, Newtown, 1793. Their grandson, Francis M. Wynkoop, born near Newtown, distinguished himself in the Mexican war as colonel of the First regiment Pennsylvania volunteers. His uncle, George C. Wynkoop, son of Nicholas, was a brigadier-general in the three months' service, Civil war, and afterward commanded the Seventh Pennsylvania cavalry. Emily, sister of Colonel Francis M. Wynkoop, married William Brindle, lieutenant-colonel in the Mexican war. The descendants of Cornelius C. Wynkoop are numerous and many of them occupy honorable positions in life.
The Dungans were carly settlers in Northampton, where they were mimer- ous and influential a century ago. They are descended from the Reverend Thomas Dungan. Baptist minister from Rhode Island, who settled in Bristol township. 16844, where he founded the first Baptist church in the province. Just at what time they came into Northampton is not known, but probably not until after 1700. The oldest will on record is that of Thomas Dungan, Northampton, admitted to probate July 4. 1759. no doubt the son or grandson of the Reverend Thomas. Ile left children, Thomas, Joseph, Elizabeth, Mary and Sarah. Josephi married Mary Ohl. and their daughter Sarah, Benjamin Corson, grand- father of the late Doctor Hiram Corson, Plymouth. To his widow, Joseph Dungan left, among other things, "his negro wench and her child." He left two sons, Joslma, the father 'of the late Joshua Dungan, Northampton, and Thomas Dungan, a lieutenant in the Revolutionary army. The descendants of the old Rhode Island Baptist are numerous, living in various parts of this and adjoining counties and states. It is said the lineage of the Dungans can be traced back to the Earl of Dunganon. .
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HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
Northampton had quite a sprinkling of Hollanders among her early set- tlers. The Cornells, yet numerous in the township, came from Long Island. Among the earliest to settle at Flatbush were Cornelius, Giljam and Peter Cor- nell, sons of Peter. Giljam came to Northampton with the stream of Dutch settlers that set this way the first quarter of the seventeenth century, and with others took up land in a fertile section they called "New Holland," which name it retains. He was followed soon after by some of the children of Cornelius Cornell, who settled in the same neighborhood. From these ancestors have descended all of that numerous family in this county.+ We have examined a package of letters that passed between the Cornells of Long Island and their relatives in this county while the British held that island during the Revolution, but they contained not a line of interest. They left the British lines under a flag of truce, and were examined before being transmitted.
The Vanhornes, of the same lineage, probably came into the township with the Long Island current and settled in the same section. The family name comes from the little town and Seigneuri of Horn, in Brabant, Netherlands, and was known as early as the eleventh century. The family was one of the most illustrious in Europe, and by intermarriage became widely connected with the highest nobility. Those who immigrated to this country were probably retainers of the princes Von Horn, and, as was very much the custom at that day, took the family name. The first of the family to settle in Northampton was Abra- ham, great-grandfather of Isaac Vanhorne, who came previous to 1722. In that year he purchased two hundred and ninety acres of Bernard Christian, his father, now owned in whole or part by a Mr. Evans, on the road from Newtown to the Buck. He died in 1773, leaving a family of five sons and three daugh- ters, béqueathing to his son Isaac one hundred and seventy-five acres of his real estate. Some of the descendants are still living in this county, but many are in other counties and states.
The Kreesens were in the township as early as 1722 and probably several years before. In 1871 one of the old dwellings of this family was torn down. on the farm of Aaron Cornell. near the road from Addisville to the Bristol road. and on the date stone was the inscription : "Derrick Kreesen, May 12, 1731." Behind a cupboard was a secret hiding-place, that would have held several per- sons, common in dwellings of that period. The Spencers are an old family in Northampton. The paternal ancestor. William Spencer, came from Virginia early in the last century and settled in the township, becoming the owner of several hundred acres, part of which is still in the family. We have not the time of his arrival, but it was probably shortly after 1730, as his first child was born in 1734. His wife was a Lewis, but whether he married before or after he settled in the township is not known. We know neither the date of his birth, death. nor the names of his children, except a son. Thomas, who married Mary Hollowell. of.Sandy Run, Montgomery county. Their youngest son, Amos, married Ann Brown, daughter of Thomas Brown, who, with his wife, came to this country from Ireland about 1770. He was a fine classical scholar and an excellent pen- man. The descendants of William Spencer are still quite numerous in this county.
4 George A. Cornell, who died at Edison, near Doylestown, August, 1806, at the age of 67, was a son of William and grandson of Gilliam Cornell, an early settler in Northamp- ton. His mother was a daughter of Benjamin Stevens, of Southampton, whose ancestors were among the early settlers in that township.
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HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
Jolin Addis," an immigrant, a tanner by trade, was born September 2, 1687, and died 1745. He came to Northampton from Philadelphia about 1719 and bought two tracts of land in the township, one hundred acres of Nathaniel West and two hundred and hity acres of Joseph Wantier, 1724. The children of John Addis were Nehemiah, Joseph (born 1726), John, Richard, Mary, Bridgett, wife of William Peachy, and Jane, wife of Linn. In 1746, the heir sold one hundred acres of the two-hundred-and-fifty-acre tract for £200 to their brother Richard, who died, 1749 (his wife Mary, August 9, 1747), leaving children: John. Richard, Charity, Mary and one other. John Addis, son of Richard, born November 1, 1725, bought one hundred and fourteen acres of Isaac Bolton, 1763, once part of his father's cstate, and eighty acres additional, 1770, part of the same, with house and tanyard. They were still in Northamp- ton, 1791. John Addis (2d) married Elizabeth Strickland, and had children, Ann, Enoch, John, to whom he gave his plantation, and daughters Elizabeth Duffield and Mary Duffield. John Addis (3d), son of the above, who died in ISIS, had wife Mary and sons Miles and Joseph, and daughters Phebe Dungan, Elizabeth Levenster, Martha Seager, Nancy Seager and Rebecca. His two sons, Miles and Joseph, got his plantation. Joseph was the father of Henry Addis, of Ivyland. Enoch, born 1758, died August 5, 1830, was buried at Southampton, and Elizabeth, his wife, born 1754, died 1839. John, brother of Enoch, born 1756, died r818, and Mary, wife of John, born 1762, died 1850, was buried at Southampton. Nehemiah Addis, son of the immigrant, born 1740, died 1824, and Grace, his wife, born 1738, died 1822.
The children of John and Elizabeth Addis were Mary, born April, 1750. Martha, born March 3, 1752. Elizabeth, born May 4, 1754, John, April 8, 1756, Enoch, August 5, 1758, Amy, February 22, 1763, and Amos, November 28, 1767. The children of another John Addis, doubtless the 4th, whose wife was Elizabeth Strickland, had children. Amy, Phebe, Elizabeth, Mary, Richard, Sarah, John, Miles, Martha, Nancy, Rebecca and Joseph, all born between 1782 and 1805. The family was Scotch-Irish or Welsh-in this county, generally Welsh.
For nearly forty years after its settlement, what is now Northampton town- ship was known and called "the adjacents of Southampton."" When organized it was formed out of territory not embraced in the surrounding townships and was the last in this section of the county excepting Warwick, which joined it on the northwest. December II. 1722. a number of the inhabitants "settled be- tween Southampton, Warminster and Neshaminy," petitioned the court to lay out this district of country into a township under the name of "Northampton." The petitioners state there are "forty settlements," probably meaning that number of families, settled in the district. The petition was accompanied by a draft ni the township with its present boundaries. We have not been able to find any record of the action the court took upon the subject, but no doubt the prayer of the petitioners was granted, and the township allowed and organ- ized. It was probably named after Northampton, England. the county seat of the county of the same name, sixty miles northwest of London. The names
5. Although the Add's family is a large one, and, in the past one of the most promi- nert in middle lower Back, we have found it difficult to trace for want of data. What we have given here relates to a single branch only, and for that we are indebted to Filward Mathews, one of one mest tangent students of history.
" On an old draft in the Surveyor General's office, of a survey of part of North- ampton, it is styled : "A return of lands adjacent to Southampton."
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HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
of those who petitioned for the organization of Northampton township were: Clement Dungan, James Carrell, Thomas Dungan, Ralph Dunn, Jeremiah Bartholomew, Francis Kroesen, Cephas Childs, John Routlege, Christian Van- horne, John Ilayhurst, Cuthbert Hayhurst, Robert Heaton, William Stockdale, William Shepherd, James Shaw, John Shaw, James Heaton, Benjamin Jones, William Clukenberry, Jeremiah Dungan, and Johannes Van Boskirk. Among these names there is hardly one of the first settlers, who appear to have been supplanted by others.
Prior to 1722 there were but few roads in the township, and none leading toward Bristol, the county seat, or elsewhere in that direction or toward Phila- delphia. The inhabitants traveled through the woods by bridle paths, and often had great difficulty in getting from one point to another. But as soon as the township was organized, they interested themselves in having roads opened. In September of this year they petitioned the court for two roads, one of them "to lead into the road from Southampton to Philadelphia." This was either an extension of the Middle road from about Springville, to which point it had already been opened, or a new road to meet what is now the Feasterville turnpike, then known as the King's road, which passed through Attlebor- ough to the falls. The following year a road was petitioned for from Taylors- ville to Newtown, and thence across Northampton to Addisville, to meet the Middle road. The road from the top of the hill below the Chain bridge in the Middle road, across Northampton to the Bristol road, and thence on the line between Warminster and Southampton, to the county line, was laid out, 1761. Local lateral roads were opened through the township as they were required.
Of the earliest settlers, William Dunn died, 1727, and Stephen Whitten, 1728. Of the second and third generations. Arthur Bennett died, 1818, aged ninety-two years, Garret Dungan, 1820, aged eighty, and Henry Wynkoop, 1816. in his eightieth year. There deceased in Northampton, 1869, Mrs. Rachel Harding in her ninety-seventh year, said to have been the great-grandchild of the first white person born at Philadelphia. Five generations of descendants were present at her funeral. In 1728 Stephen Sanders-at what time he came into the township is not known-was fined twenty shillings by the court for re- fusing to work on the roads. Among the early mills in Northampton was Fletcher's, built before 1731. how long is not known and is supposed to have been on Neshaminy. The Shaws. English Friends, originally settled in South- ampton township, but had removed to Northampton prior to the close of the seventeenth century. On July 7, 1697. William Buckman, Newtown, conveyed three hundred acres to John Shaw, whose name, with that of his son James, is signed to the petition for the organization of the township, December 11, 1722. John and Susannah Shaw, Northampton, were members of Middletown Monthly Meeting. They had a family of ten children born to them in twenty years: James, born January 9, 1094, died December 3. 1761 ; Eliza, born July 2, 1697; Susanna, born February 2, 1099: John, born October 29. 1700. died about 1776: Joseph, born December 9. 1702, died about 1760: George. Septem- ber 17, 1701: Sarah, born April 4, 1706; An, born February 25, 1700: Mary, born November 26. 1710, and John (2), born February 22, 1712. The Shaws next appear in Plumstead, but it is not known when they removed there. James, the oldest son of John Shaw, married Mary Brown, of that township. ITIS. He probably did not leave Northampton until after 1722. the year the township was organized, as he was one of the petitioners ..
One of the oldest house's standing in the township is the hip-roof dwelling on the Pineville and Richboro turnpike, below the Chain Bridge, bat at
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HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
what time it was built is not known." It was owned by John Thompson, grand- father of William Thompson, late of Doylestown, one hundred years ago, and its appearance indicates it had considerable age on its shoulders at that early day. He bought the frame of the old Presbyterian church, Newtown, 1769, and erected it for a hayhouse on this farin. The old Thompson mill on the Neshaminy, be- longing to this property, was built about 1760. Dur- ing the troublous days of the Revo- lution the house was entered by burglars, who car- ried off silver spoons and money. Hearing them com- ing up the steps, Mr. Thompson jumped out of bed and got behind the OLD HIP ROOF HOUSE, NORTHAMPTON TOWNSHIP. door. As the burg- lars entered the
room he struck one of them over the arm with an iron rod, which caused him to drop his pistol. and the other fired but did no harm, when both fled with their plunder. The Thompson house belonged to Benjamin Fenton.
One of the most prominent residents of Northampton township, in his generation, was the late General Joseph Morrison, who carried on milling and farming on a branch of Neshaminy, near Rocksville. The Morrisons were Irish, David Morrison coming from Ireland and settling on the Brandywine, near Chad's Ford. 1750. He had two children, Betsy and John. John Morrison. born 1768, and died 1851, was an eyewitness of the battle of Brandywine. He married Hannah Yerkes. They settled in Chester county and became the parents of fifteen children, of which one was the late General Joseph Morrison, born October 18. 1794. and died July 30. 1880. The last survivor of this large family of children was the late Jonathan Morrison, born May 4, 1815, and died in Moreland township. Montgomery county. March 15, 1900. He was justice of the peace for ten years, and one term commissioner of highways, Philadelphia. Joseph Morrison married Eleanor Addis, daughter of Colonel Amos Addis, 1823, and had nine children, Amos, Jolin, Johnson. Ruth, Charles, Eliza, Mary, Annie and Andrew. Soon after their marriage they removed to the mill prop- crty spoken of above. Joseph Morrison was conspicuous in military and politi- cal life, holding commissions in the volunteer militia from captain to brigadier- general, and filling several political offices : county commissioner, 1836, county treasurer, 1851. recorder of deeds, 1863. and twice elected associate judge. retiring to private life in 1873. on the abolition of the office. He was the last survivor of his social, military and political circle.
Northampton has four villages, Jacksonville. Addisville, Richboro and
7 The picture of this old house, among the illustrations, was drawn for the author many years ago by the late Thomas P. Otter, artist, of Doylestown. Few, if any, dwell- ings in middle Bucks are older.
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HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
Rocksville. We might enumerate Churchville as a fifth, on the Bristol road where crossed by the Richboro and Feasterville turnpike and lies partly in Northampton and partly in Southampton. Jacksonville, almost a town without houses, with but three or four dwellings besides the ever present smithy, is in the west end of the township. It was ushered into the world with the eupho- nious name of "Tinkertown," which it bore for many years, and until it became necessary to give the great name of the hero of New Orleans to a new town. How it got its original cognomen is not known, but it is to be hoped it was not from any connection with that early tinker, whose son Tommy, on one occasion, made way with a pig under very suspicious circumstances. It was many years the residence of John Hart, farmer and storekeeper, who transacted a large business and wiekled a whle influence. Addisville and Richboro are prop- erly one village, lying half a mile along the turnpike, with twenty-five dwellings, two churches, Dutch Reformed and Methodist, a school-house, store, mechanics: and two public inns. The former of these hamlets was named after Amos Addis, its chiefest citizen, and was so called in 1817. In early days Richboro was called Bennet's and Leedomville, but it was hard for the public to give up. the name "Black Bear," which it was called for miles around, and yield to the. modern name it bears. The first tavern here was a little log building said to . have stood in a lot at the junction of the two roads. The White Bear and Black Bear were famous trysting places for the lovers of fun of the past generations The two old taverns were popular headquarters for county politicians, and many a slate was made up and smashed within their walls. The author's first rec- ollection of mimic war is connected with the blood-stained fields of Northampton, lying around the two "Bears," where our dough- ty volunteers met, fall and spring. to do their consti- tutional amount of drilling. But these days have long gone by, and most of the "war- riors bold" have been called to the great drillground. The postoffice for these united vil- lages is Rich- boro.' Rocksville. on Neshaminy, in the southeast part BLACK BEAR TAVERN. of the township. was so named because of the rocky banks of the creek and hills, has a flour- mill, one store, a few dwellings, and a postoffice, called Holland.
& It was at the Black Bear tavern, Richboro, the dimmer was given the Hon. Samuel D. Ingham on his return home from Washington upon retiring from Jackson's cabinet, 1831. Henry Chapman, Esqr., delivered the address of welcome to which Mr. Ingham made an elaborate reply.
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HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
The Dutch Reformed church at Richboro is the child of the North and Southampton church. The mother church increasing largely in numbers, it was agreed, 1857, to erect a new church edifice at Addisville and call an associate pastor. The new building was dedicated April, 1859, and, January, 1860, the Rev. W. Knowlton was called to the charge, and left in the spring of 1864. I'rior to the resignation of Mr. Knowlton a movement was made for the separa- tion of the two churches, which resulted in an application to the Classis. It was granted May 19, 1864. The Reformed church, Addisville, began its separate career with suitable services, the Revs. T. DeWitt Talmage and William Fulton officiating. At the time of organization, seventy-nine persons presented themselves for membership, former members of North and South- ampton. In January of that year a friendly division of the church took place, the mother one retaining its corporate name, the new one assuming that of "The Reformed Dutch Church at Addisville," receiving one-half the parsonage and property at Churchville, valued at $5.350. The first consistory of the new church, chosen April 7, 1864, consisted of the following persons: Henry S. Kræsen, Sr., Gilliam Corneli, Jonathan .Lefferts and Theodore MI. Vanarts- dalen, elders, and Alfred Carver, Isaac Bennett, John Kreesen and Thomas 11. Hart, deacons. The first settled pastor was the Rev. G. De Witt Bodine, from the Classis of Geneva, New York, who was ordained and installed September 20, 1864. He resigned in July, 1868, and was succeeded by the Reverend Jacob Ammerman that fall. The latter remained until April, 1871, when he was called to another field of labor. His successor, the Rev. J. Collier, was installed the following November, whose pastorate extended thirteen years. He was succeeded by the Rev. E. Birdsell. This congregation is in a prosperous condi- tion, and, within a few years, have erected a handsome stone chapel for Sunday- school, prayer meetings, etc. The mother and daughter are among the wealthi- est and most flourishing churches in the county.
The Bennetts" were the carliest Holland immigrants in Northampton. Abraham, son of William, arriving from Long Island, 1687. He purchased a large traet near Addisville. In 1731 his cousin William, son of his uncle John Bennett, settled in Northampton, buying Abraham's land, the latter moving away. His wife's name was Charity. Subsequently Abraham's brother Jacob, whose son was an officer in the Continental army, bought the tract recently owned by Jesse Twining. Isaac, consin of William, with his sons George and Isaac, settled on the tract owned by Lewis Rorer, where he and his second wife were killed by lightning. Of the children of Isaac, George settled near New Hope, Isaac on the Krewson tract, near Richboro, and John, son of the second wife, occupied the homestead. Among his children were the late Lott Bennett, Warminster. William and Charity, from whom most of the name descended, had ten children. Richard settled in Solebury ; he and his brother. Aaron were powerful men physically. One day while Aaron was visiting Richard, the latter threw him in wrestling and he was killed by the fall. Lena married Thomas Craven, whose farm on the Bucks-Montgomery county line was part of the battlefield of the "Crooked Billett" fought May 1, 1778. Jane Bennett. daugh- ter of William and Charity. horn September 16, 1733, married James Vansant. September 9, 1756, and had fifteen children, of which General Harman Vansint.
9 The Kings county, New York, Bennetts, are said to be of English origin. Their progenitor, William Adriaene Bennett, was a croper and in New York prior to 1636 That year. with Jaques Bentyn, he bought of the Indians 030 acres at Gowanus, near the present Greenwood cemetery, Brooklyn, New York. He died prior to 164
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HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.
Warminster, was one; Edith married Dirck Hoagland, from whom have de- scended the large family of that name; William lived on the Henry Gill prop- erty, but subsequently removed to Long Island; Isaac owned the tract where Henry Addis lived and died; Matthias owned the Worthington farm: John, the youngest child, married Huldah Dunham, 1793, and had eight children, of which William Bennett, the eldest son, born August 21, 1794, lived and died in Northampton. He married Sarah Wynkoop, November 15, 1827, and was the father of seven children; Mary, Elizabeth, Miles, Isaac, John, Ellen and Asher. Miles and John spent many years in the far West, the former in Nevada.212
July 4, 1794, William Bennett,10 "late of Northampton township, Bucks county, blacksmith, but now of Long Island." executed an instrument under seal setting free his negro woman, Sarah, about twenty-seven years of age, acknowledged before Samuel Benezet, and witnessed by him and Isaac Ilicks.
The Miles family of Pennsylvania is descended from three brothers, Rich- ard. Griffith and Samuel Miles, immigrants from Wales, 1682-83, who settled in Chester county. Griffith Miles, from whom the Bucks county branch trace their descent, was born in 1670 and was twelve years old when he arrived. He married Bridget Edwards, at Radnor Friends' Meeting, 20th, 8th mo., 1692. Their certificate was signed by thirty witnesses, including his brothers, Richard and Samuel, and among others, are the names of Pugh, P'rice, Evans, Edwards and Griffith. They joined the Kenthians shortly after marriage, and became members of the Pennepack Baptist church, 1697. Mrs. Miles was baptized July 3. and her husband July o. From this time forth Griffith Miles was a leading Baptist in the colony. They had six children, Hester, born July 28. 1603: Martha, born August 12, 1695: Margaret, February 9. 1608: Griffith, October 3. 1700: Samuel, July, 1703, and John Miles, February 26, 1700. Griffith Miles, the elder, died in January, 1719, at the age of forty-nine, but the date of his wife's death is not given. Griffith Miles, the eldest son and fourth child of Griffith the elder, was married to Sarah about 1721 and had three chil- dren. Martha, Ann and Joseph Miles, born September 17, 1722. He was mar- ried in February. 1750, in the Gloria Dei Church. Philadelphia, and had chil- dren. Lucy, born December 27. 1750. and died in infancy: Lydia, born October 7. 1752, died August 28. 1841 : Griffith, October 4. 1754, died December 8. 1835: Margaret, born Angust 30. 1756. died April 3. 1826: Joseph. born De- Cember 5. 1758, died January 18. 1826: John, born February 6, 1761 : Thomas, born January 2. 1762, died 1861: Dorcas, born December 30, 1764. died an infant : Samnel. born October 30, 1766. died September 6, 1849: Jacob, horn December 10. 1768, died August 23, 1822: William, born June 11. 1,71, died May 20. 1855: Ann, born August 4. died 23d, 1865. Ann. youngest child and daughter of Joseph and Ann Miles, was twice married, the first time to William
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