History of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time, Vol. III, Part 142

Author: Davis, W. W. H. (William Watts Hart), 1820-1910; Ely, Warren S. (Warren Smedley), b. 1855; Jordan, John W. (John Woolf), 1840-1921
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1040

USA > Pennsylvania > Bucks County > History of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time, Vol. III > Part 142

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).

William Mawson, son of John B. and Eleanor (Battye) Mawson, was born in 1868, in Yorkshire, England, and was two years old when brought by his parents to the United States. He possesses a full share of the rare business qualifications which seem characteristic of the entire fam- ily, and is an active and progressive citi- zen. Mr. Mawson married, in September, 1897, Josephine, daughter of Edward Ellis, of Newtown. Mr. and Mrs. Mawson are without children. Mr. Mawson and wife are members of the Newtown Episcopal church. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias.

EDWARD M. SLACK, of Upper Make- field township, was born at Taylorsville, Upper Makefield township, January 25, 1845, and is a son of Cornelius and Sarah (Hull) Slack. Abraham Slack. the grand- father of the subject of this sketch, was a son of Abraham Slack, one of the pioneer brothers in Makefield referred to in another sketch. and married (first) Elizabeth Tor- bert, daughter of James and Hannah (Bur- ley) Torbert, of Lower Makefield, by whom he had five children : Esther ; James ; Joseph; Ann. who married Thomas Cun- ningham; and Cornelius. His wife Eliza- beth dying, he married (second) about 1810, Ann Mathews, of Dolington, and in 1811 he sold his farm of 140 acres in Upper Makefield and removed to Ann Arundel county, Maryland.

Cornelius Slack, son of Abraham and Elizabeth (Torbert) Slack, was born in. Makefield in 1793. and was reared on the old Pfaff farm. He married (first) Elinor Brown, by whom he had eight children. all of whom are now deceased except Mercy

655

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

Ann, residing in Newtown. Early in life Cornelius Slack purchased a farm in Upper Makefield to which he removed, and after several changes of location in that town- ship purchased the farm known as the John Eastburn farm, where he resided for forty-two years, dying there in June, 1868. He married (second) Sarah Hull, daughter of Joseph and Cynthia Hull, of Upper Makefield, by whom he had eight children, viz .: John H., of New Hope; Cornelius, deceased; Mary A., deceased; Samuel, re- siding in Solebury; Edward M., the sub- ject of this sketch; Eliza, wife of Samuel C. Case, of Newtown; Elmira, single, re- siding in Newtown; and Charles, deceased.

Edward M. Slack was reared on the Upper Makefield farm and acquired his education at the public schools. At the age of twenty-two years he went to Taylors- ville, where he was employed in a lumber yard for three years, and then returned to the home farm. In 1873 he married Addie Hellinger, of Edgewood, Lower Makefield, and took charge of the farm, which he con- ducted for seventeen years. In the winter of 1889 he purchased the old Beaumont farm, where he has since resided. His wife died in 1878, leaving one child, Elliot H., now station agent at Langhorne. Mr. Slack married (second) Sarah E. Hall, daughter of Ellicot Hall, of Upper Make- field.

Mr. Slack was reared to the life of a farmer, and takes pride in keeping his two hundred acres up to the standard of one of the best farms in the county. He is a lover of fine horses, and breeds and owns some very fine and valuable animals. In politics he is a Democrat, and has always taken an active interest in the success of his party. He was the party nominee for register of wills in 1904, but was defeated. He has served three years as a member of the school board of his native township, being the only Democrat ever elected to that position. Mrs. Slack is a member of the Presbyterian church.

FREDERICK RUMPF, whose well directed activity has made him one of the foremost factors in manufacturing circles of eastern Pennsylvania, stands as a notable example of the adaptability and enterprise of the German-American citizen, who leav- ing his native land, seeks the opportunities of the new world with its livelier competi- tion and advancement more quickly secured, and through consecutive business progress advances from humble financial conditions to affluence. His business interests, too, have been of a character that has promoted general prosperity as well as individual success through the stimulus which he has given manufacturing enterprises.

Mr. Rumpf, now living in Attleboro borough (Eden Post Office), Pennsylvania, was born in Hornberg, Germany. March 30. 1844, his parents being Joseph Frederick

and Barbara (Zimmer) Rumpf, while his grandparents were John and Katharine Rumpf. Joseph F. Rumpf came to Amer- ica in 1866 accompanied by his son Fred- erick, and settled in Philadelphia. He was a textile manufacturer in his native coun- try, where his son Frederick learned that business, serving a three years' apprentice- ship in his father's establishment. He had attended the public schools of Hornberg, had graduated from the high school there, and after spending one year as a special student in a textile school he entered the wool and worsted manufactory owned by his father, there remaining until 1866, when they came to Philadelphia. Soon afterward Frederick Rumpf entered a carpet mill, where he was engaged at weaving for a time, but in July, 1868, he began business on his own account in a small establish- ment supplied with two hand looms. He continued the business with constantly in- creasing success, adding more looms from time to time as the trade demanded. Each advance step which he made in his busi- ness gave him a broader outlook in manu- facturing circles and increased his oppor- tunity of winning prosperity and making a creditable place for himself in connection with the great productive industries of the city. In 1882 he built a mill in Philadel- phia, equipped with power looms, and thus carried on the weaving. Here, too, he also did the dyeing, bleaching and finishing of his own goods, his trade constantly grow- ing in scope and importance. An idea of the rapidity with which he progressed in his business may be gained from the fact that in 1882 the number of his power looms was twelve, and in 1892

his mill was equipped with one hundred and eighty-six broad looms of the latest and most ap- proved patterns. In 1890 Mr. Rumpf ex- tended the field of his activity by entering into partnership with his brother Gustavus and four other gentlemen in forming a com- pany under the name of the Bown-Eberle Company, Limited, for the manufacture of full fashioned hosiery. While the weaving business has continued to yield satisfactory profits, the new undertaking, the manu- facture of hosiery, has very largely exceeded it, and has become by far the largest and most profitable of all. The hosiery mill was enlarged to meet the requirements of the increasing business, and in 1903 an addi- tion to the old mill was made so that the building covers sixty-eight thousand square feet. It is four stories in height, and is now fully utilized in the manufacture of hosiery which is favorably known through- out the United States. The quality of the product and the reliability of the house created for its product an excellent market, and the output is now very extensive, so that a gratifying dividend is annually paid upon the stock, while the enterprise has be- come one of the leading productive indus- tries of the city.

In 1895 Mr. Rumpf retired from the active management of the business which

656

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

he had aided in founding and in placing upon a most substantial basis, and in 1897 removed to Eden, Middletown township, Bucks county, where he purchased a large tract of land and built upon it his present handsome residence, surrounded with ample grounds. It is, in fact, one of the most beautiful and attractive homes of the lo- cality, and the improvements which he made upon his own property have led to further building operations in the locality, and the consequent rise in realty values, thus prov- ing of direct financial benefit to the com- munity.

Indolence and idleness being utterly foreign to him, Mr. Rumpf, with his active energetic nature, could not content himself with the absence of all active busi- ness interests, and in 1898 he again entered the field of commerce and manufacture. He built in Eden a cotton mill forty foot front by four hundred and five feet in depth, there being also a dye house, fifty by sev- enty feet, together with the necessary boiler and engine house. Here are manufactured upholstery goods, fancy colored quilts, etc. This mill, with its equipments (which are in keeping with the most modern ideas and improvements in that line) was transferred in 1901 by Mr. Rumpf to his two sons, Frederick and William, who had been duly trained to this business by their father, and the factory is now operated under the firm style of Frederick Rumpf's Sons. They are doing a very successful business and their enterprise has been of marked commercial benefit to the town.

Mr. Rumpf has been married twice .. His first wife was Clara Wagner, of Trenton, New Jersey, a daughter of Xavier and Paulina (Mock) Wagner, of Trenton, New Jersey. They had two sons: Frederick, Jr., born November 9, 1871; and William, born June 18, 1875. They attended the public schools of Philadelphia, and were also graduated from the Pierce Business Col- lege. In addition to this, Frederick attended for a year and a half the celebrated textile school ~in Crefeld-on-the-Rhine, a school instituted by the German government. He was married June 28, 1894, to Agnes Pegge, of Philadelphia, a daughter of Henry C. and Mary Pegge. They have three. children : Clara Agnes, born December 17, 1895 ; Hilda Elenora, born February 26, 1901 ; and Alyse Irene, born March 30, 1903. William Rumpf was married August 24, 1897, to Miss Cath- arine Elizabeth Keller, of Philadelphia, a daughter of John and Elizabeth (King) Keller. They also have three children : William Frederick, born July 31, 1898; Francis John, born November 28, 1900; and Katharine Lorraine, born August 31, 1904.

Frederick Rumpf lost his first wife March 6, 1879. He married (second) June 7, 1880, Elizabeth Horner, of Philadelphia, a daughter of Henry and Elizabeth ( Bas- sett) Horner. She has been a valued as- sistant to her husband and a loving mother to his children. By this marriage there is one son, Gustavus Adolphus, born August

10, 1885. He first attended the public schools of Philadelphia, and on the re- moval of the family to Attleboro he re- sumed his school duties there, and is now an advanced pupil in Pierce's Business College of Philadelphia. He is a member of the Episcopal church of Attleboro, being con- firmed by Bishop Whitaker of Philadel- phia.

Mr. Rumpf and his sons Frederick and William are Republicans in politics, and are religiously of the Protestant faith. Mr. Rumpf was a member of the first borough council of Attleboro, and has been a mem- ber continuously since, his public-spirited citizenship finding tangible proof in his ef- forts to promote the public good, progress and upbuilding. He is a man of great energy, of keen discrimination in business affairs, and of marked capability in the line of his life-labor. On the other hand, he is equally progressive in citizenship, well informed concerning state and national policies, honest and intelligent in his labors for the general good, and altogether a credit to the citizenship of his adopted country.

JAMES PATTERSON SMITH. Among the respected citizens of Bucks county, James Patterson Smith, of New Hope, holds an honored place. He is the son of James Smith, an native of Baltimore, who as a boy was taken by his parents to Philadel- phia, where he learned the tailor's trade. In 1812 he abandoned his trade and enlisted in the patriot army, being one of those who helped to construct the entrenchments around Philadelphia. Soon afterward he came to Bucks county and settled in New Hope, where for several years he worked at his trade for Thomas Thompson. Later he opened a shop for himself, which he con- ducted during the remainder of his life. He was elected to all the borough offices except that of mayor, and was a member of the Presbyterian church. He married Hannah F. Strang, and they were the parents of two children: Lydia, who became the wife of James B. Stockton, of New Brunswick, New Jersey ; and James Patterson, mentioned at length hereinafter. Mr. Smith died at an advanced age. He was distantly connected with the Jones and Matthias families of Bucks county.

James Patterson Smith, son of James and Hannah F. (Strang) Smith, was born May 28, 1829, in New Hope, and received his education in the public schools of his native town. His first employment was in the capacity of assistant collector for the Canal Company. He remained with the company two years, and then accepted a position as clerk in the shops of the Pennsylvania Rail- road Company in Lambertville. This posi- tion he retained a little more than thirty- six years, and since his retirement has been extensively engaged in the real estate busi- ness. He is vice-president of the Amwell National Bank of Lambertville. For many

James Patterson, Smith

657

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

years he held the position of postmaster of New Hope, and for several years served as town clerk of the same place. For a number of years he was a member of the town coun- cil, and also of the school board. For thirty-four years he has been treasurer of Unity Lodge, No. 300, I. O. O. F., of New Hope, and is past master of Amwell Lodge, No. 12, F. and A. M., of Lambertville. He is a Democrat in politics, and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of New Hope, in which he holds the office of presi- dent of the board of trustees. Mr. Smith married, in 1855, Hannah C., daughter of Reuben Chamberlain, of Egg Harbor, New Jersey, and they have three children : Clara, who married Walter Balderston, of Trenton, New Jersey; Sallie V., who is the wife of Dr. Theodore Balderston, a dentist of Lambertville, New Jersey; and J. Stock- man, who lives in Trenton and is a travel- ing salesman. Mr. Smith and his children were recently called to mourn the loss of the wife and mother, who passed away August 29, 1903.

WILLIAM HENRY ROCKAFEL- LOW. The Rockafellow family, of Ger- man origin, was established in New Jer- sey in colonial days, and most of its rep- resentatives in the different generations liave been farmers. William Rockafel- low, paternal grandfather of W. H. Rock- afellow, married Rachel Thatcher and liad a family of ten children: Aaron, William, Tunis, Samuel, Rachel, Eliza- beth, Jonas, John, Sarah and Margaret. Of these Jonas, John, Sarah, Margaret and William are now deceased.

William Rockafellow, son of William Rockafellow, Sr., was born in Hunter- don county, New Jersey, April 9, 1816, and spent the first thirteen years of his life upon the old homestead farm in New Jersey and then accompanied his parents on their removal to Buckingham town- ship, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, where he continued to make his home un- til his death, devoting his energies to ag- ricultural pursuits. Through long years he resided upon one farm and developed a valuable property there. In 1841 he wedded Mary A. Worthington, and they became the parents of seven children: Benjamin, who married Sallie Doan; Anna, wife of Charles L. Smith; Sarah, the wife of Henry Wilkinson; William H .; Fannie, the wife of Albert Wilkin- son: and Mary and Rachel, both de- ceased. The father died July 27. 1890, and his wife passed away some years previously.

William Henry Rockafellow, son of William and Mary A. (Worthington) Rockafellow, was reared on the old fam- ily homestead, and his early education vas acquired in the common schools and supplemented by study in Doylestown eminary. In early manhood he was

married to Miss Anna B. Molloy, their wedding being celebrated in 1880. She was born in the oldest house now stand- ing in Bucks county, it being the prop- erty at the present time of her brother, John B. Molloy, its location being in Buckingham township, between Wycombe and Pineville. Her parents were Nich- olas and Frances (Stradling) Molloy, who resided near Pineville. Mr. and Mrs. Rockfellow have one child, Ed- mund Russell, who is bookkeeper for the firm of E. K. Lamont & Son, hay and corn brokers in the Bourse of Philadel- phia, Pennsylvania.

Soon after his marriage Mr. Rocka- fellow assumed the management of the home farm, which he rented up to the time of his father's death. and then pur- chased the property which he has con- tinued to make his home. In connection with its further development, cultiva- tion and improvement lie is now a direc -- tor of the Danboro Livestock Company, and a director and secretary of the For- est Grove Creamery Company. His bus- iness affairs are capably conducted, and his keen discernment and sound judg- ment, combined with unfaltering dili- gence, have brought to him a gratifying measure of success. He is a member of the Buckingham school board, but other- wise has not sought or accepted public office. His political allegiance is given to the Republican party, and he is a val- ued member of

the Masonic and

Odd Fellows fraternities, belonging to Doylestown Lodge, No. 245, F. and A. M .; Doylestown Chapter, No. 270, R. A. M .; and Warrington Lodge, No. 447, I. O. O. F.

WILLIAM CLARK MAYNE, of Phil- adelphia, was born August 1, 1860, son of David Coombs and Pauline Clark Mayne, and a grandson of William and Sarah (Coombs) Mayne. The grandfather was a sea captain, sailing from London. The family name is derived from Roger De La Magne, who was a baron and came over to England with William the Conqueror from Normandy. Richard R. D. Mayne, of the same family, is a rear admiral in the British Navy.

David C. Mayne and his wife Pauline were the parents of two children: William Clark Mayne, to be further mentioned ; and a sister Anna, born January 19, 1873, married William R. Thornson, of Phila- delphia, and they have two children, John and Eva.

William C. Mayne was educated in the public schools of Philadelphia, and was a member of the University of Pennsylvania in the class of 1881 in law. He was ad- mitted to the bar in Philadelphia in 1881. when but twenty-one years of age, to the supreme court of Pennsylvania, January 14. 1887, and to the supreme court of the United States, November 10, 1892, and also

42-3

658

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

to practice in the chancery and federal courts of the state of New Jersey, ineind- ing chancery at Trenton. Through his man- agement the title of the Bechtold estate, involving the title of each piece of real estate in the town of Riverside, New Jer- sey, now a flourishing manufacturing cen- ter, was cleared up. This litigation ex- tended over a period of fifteen years, and was finally decided in the court of errors and appeals of New Jersey, except that of the title of the Philadelphia Watch Case plant, which was decided in the United States circuit court at Trenton, New Jer- sey. Mr. Mayne is a member of the Ma- sonic Fraternity, and associated with Bris- tol Lodge, No. 25, A. F. and A. M .; the Royal Arcanum of Bristol: Nonpariel .Council, No. 1037, and the Algonquin Club of Bristol, a social organization. He is a charter member of the Lawyers' Club of Philadelphia, and a member of the Law Association of Bucks county; is also a charter member of the Franklin Chess Club of Philadelphia, and belongs to Lodge No. 144, Ancient Order of United Workmen of Pennsylvania. In his political views he is a Republican, and was a leader of the Quay forces in the assembly contests in Bucks county.

February 21, 1884, Mr. Mayne married Harriet Ella Greer, of Philadelphia, daugh- ter of Gideon N. and Katherine (De- Pagnier) Greer. A family tradition says the paternal ancestors of Mrs. Mayne have been traced to the McGregors, and on the maternal side to Sir Peter Parker. By this marriage the following children have been born: I. Follen Corson, born February 28, 1885; 2. William Clark, Jr., who died in infancy. Follen C. attended the Penn Charter School at Philadelphia, also the Friends' School.

ADAM MARTIN. One of the typical business men of the county is Adam Mar- tin, of Chalfont. The father of Mr. Martin was George Martin, who was born Septem- ber 14, 1800, in Wurtemberg, Germany, and while still a young man emigrated to the United States. He made his home in Reading, and was one of those loyal citi- zens of foreign birth who took up arms in defense of the integrity of the Union.

Adam Martin, son of George Martin, was born March 25, 1853, and received his education in the public schools. He learned the carpenter's trade with David High, of Hilltown, and followed it in- dustriously for twelve years. In 1880 he purchased the old Jesse Garner farm, in Warrington township, and for eight years devoted himself to agricultural pursuits. He then bought the Aaron Weisel farm, in the same township, where he lives at the present time. He added still further to his property by purchasing the adjoining estate, known as the Christian Haldeman farm. These

two farms, comprising in all one hun- dred and sixty-eight acres, are culti- vated by Mr. Martin as one, and are maintained in a flourishing and highly profitable condition. Mr. Martin is a popular citizen, and in New Britain town- ship served for three years as constable, and the same length of time as charity commissioner. In Warrington township he filled for fourteen years the office of supervisor, and is now serving as audi- tor. In politics he is an advocate and supporter of the doctrines of the Repub- lican party. He is a member of the Hill- town Lutheran church. Mr. Martin married Addie Sherm, and they are the parents of the following children: Reu- ben A., who was born March 1, 1880; Flora, born February 13, 1882; Alice. born February 8, 1884; Bertha, born April 13, 1886: Walter, born December 22, 1889; Jennie, born November 30, 1892; and Edgar Harrison, born January 18, 1894, and is now deceased.

OLIVER P. ROSE, D. V. S. Dr. Oliver P. Rose, now following farm- ing in Buckingham township, was born in Solebury township. November 30, 1842. His paternal grandparents were Thomas and Letitia Rose, the former a farmer of Solebury township, where he spent his entire life. He gave his politi- cal support to the Whig party until its dissolution, when he joined the ranks of the new Republican party. John Rose, son of Thomas and Letitia Rose, was born in Solebury township, was reared to the occupations of farming and black- smithing. and made those pursuits his life work. Like his father, he was a Whig at first, and afterward a Repub- lican, and filled several township posi- tions. He was recognized as a man of influence in his community, and his ef- forts were always exerted in behalf of progressive measures resulting in the upbuilding of town and county. He wedded Mary Smith, a daughter of Rob- ert Smith. of Buckingham township, one of the well known and prominent farm- ers of his day. John and Mary (Smith) Rose had a family of six children, of whom five are living: Elizabeth, the widow of John Wilkinson, of Philadel- phia: Oliver P .; Rosanna, the wife of Frederick C. Hartman, of Philadelphia; Thomas, who resides in Ambler, Mont- gomery county, Pennsylvania; and Mary Ella, the wife of Ezra C. Hurley, of Mil- ford. New Jersey.

Dr. Oliver P. Rose spent his boyhood days quietly upon the home farm, and at the usual age began his education in the public schools of Solebury township. He afterward continued his studies in New Hope, completing a course in the New Hope Academy. When a young man he

659

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

studied veterinary surgery under Dr. Joshua C. Smith, of New Hope, and en- tered upon the practice of his protes- sion. After a short time spent in Yard- leyville and in Newtown, he returned to New Hope, where he became the succes- sor in practice of his uncle, Joshua C. Smith. After more than four years de- voted to the practice of veterinary sur- gery, Dr. Rose turned his attention to farming in Solebury township, where he remained for twelve years, and then came to Buckingham township. For eight years he cultivated the farm which was owned by T. Howard Atkinson, and sold that property to accept his position as foreman of the farms belonging to Judge E. M. Paxson, of Bucks county, number- ing eight in all. He has occupied this responsible position for fifteen years, and is thus controlling extensive agricultural interests demanding splendid business and executive ability and keen discern- ment. He has thorough and practical knowledge of farming methods, and is regarded as one of the leading factors in agricultural circles in Buckingham town- ship. His political support is given to the Republican party. On the 26th of October, 1865, Dr. Rose married Miss Annie M. Walton, a daughter of William E. and Lucinda (Ely) Walton, of Sole- bury township.

CHARLES J. LAUDERBACH. In- dustry, perseverance and enterprise have been the potent and essential factors in the business carer of Charles J. Lauder- bach, a prominent resident of Bensalem township, Bucks county, Pennsylvania. He was born in the city of Philadelphia, May 24, 1850, a son of Harris Y. and Frances Ash (Pearson) Lauderbach, a grandson of Harris and Mary Jarman (Young) Lauderbach, and a descendant of Peter Lauderbach, who came from Germany in 1724 and settled near Swedes- boro, New Jersey. He brought the brick from Europe with which to build his house, which was used during the revolutionary war as a fort, first by the Americans and then by the British. The old house is still standing, being in a fair state of preservation. The family re- moved to Philadelphia about the year 1800. Harris Lauderbach (grandfather) served an apprenticeship at the trade of carpenter and builder, and throughout his active career this line of worked proved a lucrative means of livelihood. By his marriage to Mary Jarman Young three sons and two daughters were born, namely: Harris Y., Charles Y., James W., Sarah, and Mary. Mr. Lauderbach and his wife were honest, God-fearing people, respected in the community, and they lived to an advanced age.

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.

History of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time, Vol. III, Part 142

Author: Davis, W. W. H. (William Watts Hart), 1820-1910; Ely, Warren S. (Warren Smedley), b. 1855; Jordan, John W. (John Woolf), 1840-1921 Publication date: 1905 Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1040

Author: Davis, W. W. H. (William Watts Hart), 1820-1910; Ely, Warren S. (Warren Smedley), b. 1855; Jordan, John W. (John Woolf), 1840-1921
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1040