History of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time, Vol. III, Part 42

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 42

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).

Solomon, second son of Joseph and Phoebe (Moon) Bunting, born August

9, 1786, lived for several years on the old homestead in Bristol township, was later a farmer at Andalusia, and finally removed to Philadelphia, where he died. He married, January 17, 1811, Ruth Mathias. Solomon and Ruth (Math- ias) Bunting were the parents of eight children: Eliza, born 1812, married Aaron MacDonald, a car builder, of Philadelphia, and died at St. Joseph, Missouri: - Lydia, born 1814, married (first) Samuel Osler, a merchant of Phil- adelphia, and (second) Jacob Rambo, a cooper of the same city; Catharine Moon, born in 1816, married Nicholas La Rue, see LaRue family in this vol- ume: Mary, born 1818, married Thomas I. Meyers, a saddler of Philadelphia, and died in that city; Spencer, born 1820, married Susan Noble, and was a car- penter in Philadelphia; Joseph, born in 1822, married Malvina Kessler; John, born 1824, died young; Solomon, born 1829, married Annie Steele, and was a saddler in Philadelphia for some years, removing later to the south, where he died. Solomon, the father is buried at the Hanover street cemetery, Phila- delphia.

Joseph Bunting, second son of Solo- mon and Ruth (Mathias) Bunting, born on the old homestead in Bristol town- ship, was a farmer and lived for a time on the old homestead, and later farmed near Bridgewater, Bensalem township, where he died in November, 1891. He married Malvina Kessler, and they were the parents of seven children: Edwin M., see forward; Elwood, a farmer in Bensalem township; Anna, wife of Jo- seph Preston, who died in Philadelphia twenty years ago; Ruthanna, wife of Ed- ward T. Jenks, a prominent resident of Bensalem: Eliza, wife of Johnson Min- ster, of Bensalem; Catharine, wife of Theodore Lippincott, of Bensalem; and . John S., a farmer in Bristol township, a sketch of whom appears in this volume.

The Buntings have been members of the Society of Friends, almost since George Fox began his ministry, but some of the family early drifted out of membership through marriage to non- members, though retaining their asso- ciations with the Society, whose meet- ing they attended. The branch of the family above noted lost their member- ship in the Society, through the patriot- ism of their ancestor, Joseph Bunting, Jr., son of John and Christiana, who vio- lated the rules and principles of the sect by joining the Associated Company of Falls township, in 1775, under Captain Thomas Harvey, for the defense of the rights of his country. His uncle, Daniel Bunting, was ensign of the company.

Edwin M. Bunting. eldest son of Jo- seph and Malvina (Kessler) Bunting, born August 25, 1847, was reared in Ben- salem township and educated in the pub- lic schools of that township. He fol-

186

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

lowed farming and trucking in Bensalem until the spring of 1804, when he was appointed steward of the Bucks County Home. a position he has since filled to the satisfaction of the people of Buicks county, being several times successively reappointed . by the different boards of directors of the poor. He has always affiliated with the Republican party po- litically, and had for many years been active in local politics prior to his ap- pointment as steward, representing his district on the county committee. He served as supervisor of Bensalem town- ship for three years, being elected by a handsome majority in a Democratic dis- trict. He married, March 16, 1872, Ellen Powell, daughter of David and Mary Ann (Moore) Powell, of Bensalem, and a representative of one of the oldest families in that locality, and they are the parents of two children: Wesley, born November 8, 1875, and Bertha, born No- vember 10, 1879. Wesley, the son, was educated at the public schools of Ben- salem and the Doylestown high school, of which he is a member of the alumni. He studied law in the office of the Hon. Robert M. Yardley, and was admitted to the Bucks county bar, April 23, 1902. On January 1, 1903, he formed a partner- ship with John C. Swartley, Esq., as- sistant United States attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, under the firm name of Swartley & Bunting, and the firm are enjoying a good prac- tice in the several courts of Bucks county. Bertha, the daughter, resides with her parents.

John S. Bunting, youngest child of Joseph and Melvina (Kessler) Bunting, was born in Hulmeville, Middletown township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. November 5. 1860. When five years of age he removed with his parents to By- berry, Pennsylvania; in 1874 removed to Penn's Manor; and in 1876 to Croy- don, Bensalem township, where he pur- chased a farm in 1880, which by intelli- gent labor has been brought to a high state of cultivation. Mr. Bunting has served as supervisor two years, and is now a member of the school board. He is a Republican in politics, and is re- garded as a citizen of influence and worth in the community in which he resides.

March 25, 1888. Mr. Bunting married Emeline Virginia Otto, of Bristol, Penn- sylvania, daughter of Lewis and Ann (Hall) Otto, and a descendant of a German ancestry. She was educated in the public schools of Byberry and Bris- tol. Their children are: Marion Louisa, born March 15. 1889: Albert John, born July 12, 1800: Frederick. born April 27. 1892: and Katharine F., born September 24, 1896, who died in infancy. The chil- dren were educated in the public schools of Bristol township, and reside with their parents on the home farm.

JOHN A. FELL, M. D., of Doyles- town, was born in Buckingham town- ship, Bucks county, October 21, 1850, a son of Jesse and Priscilla Sands Fell, and is a descendant in the sixth genera- tion from Joseph Fell, of Longlands, Cumberland, England, and Bridget Wil- son, his wife, who came to Bucks county in 1705 and settled in Buckingham two years later.

Benjamin Fell, born in Cumberland, England, 9 mo. I, 1703, married 6 mo. 27, 1728, Hannah Scarborough, daughter of John Scarborough, of Solebury, and. had by her six children, four of whom grew to maturity: John, born 4 mo. I, 1730; Asa, born 1732, married Elizabeth Mitchell; Phebe, who married Stephen Kirk; and Benjamin, who married Re- becca Casner. Benjamin settled on land in Buckingham conveyed to him by his father in 1726. where Charles Carwithen now lives, and later purchased consid- erable land adjoining. He was married three times, and has left a large number of descendants. His wife Hannah was born 8 mo. 31, 1704, and died 2 mo. 21. 1743. He died 9 mo. 12, 1758.

John Fell, eldest son of Benjamin and Hannah, born 4 mo. 1, 1730, was also a farmer. He purchased of his cousin, Isaac Fell, the farm upon which his great-grandson, Preston J. Fell still lives, soon after his marriage, and spent his whole life thereon. He married, Io mo. 30. 1753. Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Paxson) Hartley, of Sole- bury, and had thirteen children. eleven of whom lived to maturity, viz: Mahlon; William; Nathan; Seneca: Miriam, who married David Carr; Jonathan; Hannah; George: Rachel, who married John Pax- son; John and Jonas.

Jonas Fell, youngest son of John and Elizabeth, was born on the old home- stead 8 mo. 17, 1777, and died there I mo. 8. 1854. He married 3 mo. 28, 1802, Sarah. daughter of Joseph and Mary (Comfort) Church, and great-grand- daughter of Joseph Fell, Sr., and his second wife, Elizabeth Doyle, through the marriage of their daughter Sarah to Richard Church. the father of Joseph. Sarah Church Fell was born 8 mo. 20. 18-, and died 5 mo. 25, 1857. They had five children, viz .: Hannah, born 1803, married Charles Kirk; Jesse, born 3 mo. 1806; Lvdia. born 18II, married Jesse Dean: Jonas, born 1813. married Mary Louderborough: Sarah, born 1816, mar- ried Isaac Mathews.

Jesse Fell, born 3 mo. 8, 1806, was the father of the subject of this sketch. He married 2 mo .. 1828, Priscilla Sands. daughter of William and Jane Sands, of Buckingham, born in 1808. and died 12 1110. 7. 1881. Jesse Fell died in 1858. The children of Jesse and Priscilla Fell were ten in number. viz .: Lydia Ann. born 1820, married Samuel Frankenfield. and is still living in Buckingham; Sarah

187

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

Jane, born 9 mo. 27, 1830, married Jo- seph Mathias Flack, died 1902; Preston J., born 2 mo. 1, 1836, a sketch of whom will be found in this work; Rachel S., born Io mo. 31, 1837, married John M. Gray, a sketch of whom will also be found in this work; Isabella, born 1840, married John R. Rapp, died 1903; Henry C., born 1842, a soldier in the One Hun- dred and Ninety-fourth Pennsylvania Volunteers. died 5 mo. 31, 1862, from typhoid fever contracted in the army; Louisa, born 1846, married Amos Ran- dall. died 1890: Adaline, born 1848. died 1903; and John A., the subject of this sketch.

Dr. John A. Fell. the youngest of the ten children of Jesse and Priscilla Fell, received a rudimental education at Church's public school, after which he attended the Doylestown English and Classical Seminary. He spent two years teaching school in Buckingham, one and a half years of which he was principal of Hughesian Free School. The next two years were spent at Lafayette Col- lege. He then entered the University of Pennsylvania and graduated in the class of 1874. In the same year he accepted a position as resident physician at the Bedford Street Mission Hospital, where he remained until January 1. 1875. when he began the practice of his profession at Centreville. Buckingham. He practiced at Buckingham until April 1, 1888, when he removed to Doylestown and forming a partnership with John B. Livezey, opened a drug store. At the end of one year the partnership was dissolved, and Dr. Fell went to attend lectures at the Philadelphia Polyclinic and College for Medical Graduates, during the next four- teen months attending the whole thirty- four courses; he passed a successful ex- amination in all of them, and was elected on June 23. 1890, the first Fellow of the College. In the same year he opened an office on Oakland avenue, Doyles- town, where he now resides, and re- sumed the practice of medicine. Dr. Fell is considered one of the leading physicians of Bucks county, and has a large practice. He has devoted especial care to study of the defects and diseases of the eye, and has considerable local fame as an oculist. He is a member of the County, State and American Medical Associations.

He has been a member of the board of health from its organi- zation: was assistant surgeon of the Sixth Regiment National Guard. from 1884 to 1895. has been a member of the Doylestown school board since 1891. now serving his fifth term. He is a member of Doylestown Lodge. No. 215, F. and A. M .; of Aquetong Lodge. No. 193. I. O. O. F .: Doylestown Encamp- ment. No. 35: and Sciota Tribe, No. 21.1, I. O. R. M. He was married. May 18, 1887, to Clara. daughter of Henry D. and Anna (Wambold) Livezey, and is

the father of two daughters .- - Anna, born February 17. 1888; and Dorothea, born January 4, 1896.

PRESTON J. FELL, eldest son of Jesse and Priscilla Sands Fell, was born February 1, 1836, on the farm owned and occupied by his father, grandfather and great-grandfather, and still owns and occupies a part of it. The farm, as owned by his grandfather, Jonas Fell, included the farm of Mrs. Joseph Ellis, on the opposite side of the Buckingham and Doylestown turnpike, and he lived and died there. Jesse Fell, the father of the subject of this sketch, took up his residence on the farm now occupied by- the subject of this sketch upon his mar- riage, and his children were all born there, and Preston J. has resided there all his life. He was educated at Church's Public school and at the Hughesian Free School of Buckingham. the eldest son, the responsible care of the farm devolved upon him at an early age, his father having died when he was but twelve years of age. He conducted the farm until the young- est child was of age, and then pur- chased it, and has conducted it to- gether with the nursery business ever since. He married, November 3, 1870, Cassie H., daughter of Joseph and Eliza- beth Stover. The Stovers came to Bucks county from Switzerland about 1727. They were residents of Bedminster for several generations. Joseph Stover lived for a time on the old homestead of his father, Henry Stover, but later removed to Buckingham and purchased the farm and mill property still known as the Stover Mill.

Preston J. Fell is a Republican in pol- itics, and has always taken an active part in the affairs of his township and county. He was director of the poor for three years: has been a member of the township school board for many years, serving as secretary of the board for five years: and he is also a trustee of the Hughesian Free School, and pres- ident 4 both the Buckingham and Doylestown Turnpike Company and the Centreville and Pineville Turnpike Com- pany. and is supervisor and director of the former company. He is a prominent man in the community, and has held many positions of trust.

DR. FRANK SWARTZLANDER, physician and surgeon, of Doylestown, was born in Southampton township, Bucks county, February 9, 1842, being a son of Joseph and Abigail (Rankin) Swartzlander. the former of German and the latter of English descent, though both were descended through several generations of American birth. On the

188

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

paternal side the Swartzlanders are de- scended from Philip Schwartzlander, who came from Steinhardt, in Schwarz- wald. arriving in Philadelphia on No- vember 8, 1752, in the ship "Snow Louisa," Captain John Pitcairn, from Rotterdam. The voyage had been a long and perilous one, and many of the pas- sengers had died on the way. Among these was the wife of Philip Schwartz- lander. leaving on his hands two chil- dren, Gabriel, aged seven years, and Bar- bara, aged five. Soon after his arrival in Pennsylvania, Philip Schwartzlander found a home in New Britain township, Bucks county, where he married Mar- garet Angel, by whom he had two chil- dren, Conrad and Philip, descendants of whom still reside in that locality. Philip Schwartzlander. Sr., died in 1784, and is buried in the New Britain church- yard.

Gabriel Schwartzlander, born in Stein- hardt, March 31. 1747, spent his boy- hood days in New Britain township, where he learned the trade of a miller. At the age of twenty-seven years he married Salome, the widow of Abraham Freed, and daughter of Jacob and Anna (Leisse-Miller) Stout. an account of whose ancestry is given on another page X of this volume. Abraham Freed, the first husband of Salome Stout, had pur- chased of his father-in-law the Pine Run mill property, one mile north of Doyles- town, and also owned about two hun- dred acres of land adjoining the mill and extending over into Plumstead township. He died in 1773, leaving three infant daughters, and a year later the widow married Gabriel Schwartzlander. By proceedings in the orphans' court the mill and about fifty acres of land were sold for the payment of debts, and were purchased by Gabriel Schwartzlander. The remaining 150 acres of Freed de- scended to his two surviving daughters, one of whom married John Kratz, whose descendants still own and reside on a portion of the land on the Plumstead side of the line. John Kratz later found a second wife in a daughter of Gabriel and Salome Schwartzlander, and half- sister to his first wife. Jacob Stout owned considerable other land adjoining the mill on the west, which on his death in 1779 descended to his daughter Sa- lome. and was later transferred to her husband. Gabriel Schwartzlander. He operated the mill until his death July 17, 1814. The children of Gabriel and Salome Swartzlander were: John, Mag- dalen, Jacob. Margaret, Catharine, Abra- ham, Joseph, Philip, and David. Of these, Abraham and Philip died young. A number of the descendants of Joseph and the daughters still reside in the neighborhood of Pine Run. the death of Gabriel Swartzlander in 1814. his extensive real estate holdings were partitioned among his children by pro-

ceedings in the orphans' court, the mill property falling to Joseph, who owned and operated it until his death, the title remaining in the family for nearly a century.

Jacob . Swartzlander, the grandfather X of Dr. Swartzlander, was the second son of Gabriel and Salome, and was born at the old Swartzlander mill property in New Britain, now Doylestown township. He learned the trade and assisted in operating the mill until 1808, when he removed to Southampton township, where he purchased a mill property which he operated until his death in 1845. He was twice married; by his first wife, Elizabeth Cope, of Hilltown, he had four children: Abraham, Gabriel, Joseph and Salome. He married (sec- ond) Elizabeth Moode, of Southampton, by whom he had four daughters: Emily, Clara. Wilhelmina and Harriet. His widow survived him many years. Abra- ham, the eldest son, was also a miller and operated and owned a mill in Middle- town. He was killed in May, 1839, by the falling of a wall of a barn which work- men. under his direction, were tearing down. He left a widow Rebecca, and three daughters, Elizabeth, Jane and Sarah.

Joseph Swartzlander, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Southampton township, Bucks county. January 1, 1812, and ended an eventful and useful career at Yardley, Bucks county. in May, 1903. He obtained the rudiments of an education at the public schools of his native township, and later attended the academy of Rev. Samuel Aaron, at Burlington, New Jersey: He learned the milling trade with his father at the Rocksville mill. In 1834 he started on a memorable trip through what was then our western states. Traveling by stage coach, canal boat and on foot, he reached Zanesville, Ohio, where he was stricken with smallpox. A stranger in a strange land, and having a contagious disease, he was fortunate in securing the services of an aged negress who had known the family in Bucks county. She nursed him back to health in her hut in the woods, and received for compensa- tion his gold watch, which was returned to him several years later. On his re- covery he continued his journey. taking passage on a flatboat down the Ohio and Mississippi to New Orleans. After a brief stay in this cosmopolitan south- ern city he returned by steamer to St. Louis, from which point he and a com- panion tramped overland to Detroit, Michigan, a distance of five hundred and sixty-four miles. Crossing the swamps and lagoons where Chicago now stands, they stopped at Fort Dearborn, the nu- cleus of the now famous "Windy City," and proceeded on their way to Detroit. From Detroit the travellers went to Buffalo, thence down the Erie canal to

189

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

Rochester, New York, from there to Al- bany, and thence overland to Boston, Massachusetts, from which point Mr. Swartzlander returned to his home in Southampton, where he resumed the occupation of a miller. Prior to his father's death in 1845 he removed to Yardley, where he operated a grist and saw mill. At the time of the Irish famine he was one of the largest grain dealers and millers in Bucks county, operating at one and the same time the Rocksville, Bridgetown, and Yardley mills, handling, grinding and kiln-dry- ing immense quantities of corn and cornmeal which he shipped to New York and Philadelphia for exportation to Ire- land. Through the dishonesty or de- fault of a firm of commission merchants to whom he shipped his product he lost over $12,000, an immense sum in those days, and was ruined financially, but by industry and a close application to busi- ness succeeded in paying off his indebt- edness and acquiring a competence. In 1860 he practically abandoned the grain business and devoted himself almost ex- clusively to. the lumber business, buying native timber in the woods and sawing it into ship timber which he shipped to the shipyards at Williamsburg, New York, and Philadelphia. He was a very active business man, and continued to personally conduct his business in con- nection with his son Harry until within a few months of his death at the age of ninety-one years. Joseph Swartzlander married, in 1837. Abigail Rankin, a daughter of William Rankin, a well known merchant at Huntingdon Valley, Montgomery county. Their children were: Mary, wife of Daniel Beans, of Newtown; Dr. Frank. the subject of this + sketch; Albert, a lawyer at Omaha, Nebraska; Laura, Harry and Ella, re- „ siding at Yardley: and Fred, a physi- cian at Omaha, Nebraska.

Dr. Frank Swartzlander, the eldest son, was born in Northampton. February 9. 1842, and was therefore a mere child when the family removed to Yardley. where he attended the public schools and was later a student in Philadelphia. He began the study of medicine in 1860 with Dr. Joseph Smith, of Yardley, and was later under the preceptorship of Dr. Rufus Tryon, of Philadelphia, late sur- geon-general of the United States Navy. Dr. Swartzlander entered the medical department of the University of Penn- sylvania in 1861. Showing a remarkable aptitude for surgery, he was appointed in 1862, while still a student, anatomist at the Military Hospital. located at Twenty-fourth and South streets. Phil- adelphia, where he made all the post mortem examinations until his gradua- tion at the University in 1863. In March, 1863. he was appointed assistant surgeon of the Seventy-fourth Regiment Penn- sylvania Volunteers, and went with his

regiment to the front, passing through many trying scenes during the civil war. He was at the battles of Chancel- lorsville, Gettysburg, John's Island, S. C., and many other sanguinary engage- ments. At Gettysburg he was surgeon of the operating staff of the field hos- pital of the Third Division of the Eley- enth Army Corps. When the Seventy- fourth Regiment was mustered out he accepted a commission as assistant sur- geon of Voltinteers and was sent south to meet Sherman's army on its march from "Atlanta to the Sea." General Sherman had just arrived at Savannah when Dr. Swartzlander reached the army, and he was assigned the charge of the Military Hospital at the Marshall House, and later had charge successively of the hospitals at the Scriven House and Pavilion House, and remained in the hospital service until the close of the war. After attending special lectures at the University he located at Doyles- town in 1866, and began the practice of his profession. He soon built up a large practice, and enjoys an enviable reputation as a physician and surgeon.

Dr. Swartzlander was married in Oc- tober, 1872, to Susan, daughter of John S. Bryan. She died February 4. 1884. Their children are: Dr. Frank B. Swartz- lander, a practicing physician at Doyles- town; Dr. Joseph Swartzlander, a prac- ticing physician of Forest Grove, Buck- ingham township. Bucks county, Penn- sylvania; and Susan, who resides with her father. Dr. Swartzlander was for twenty consecutive years physician of the Bucks County Almshouse, and later filled the same position for three years. He is a member of the County and State Medical Societies, and of the Grand Army of the Republic, and the Loyal Legion of the United States. He is also a member of the Masonic fraternity.

DR. FRANK B. SWARTZLANDER, Doylestown (son of the preceding) was born December 19. 1873. He was edtt- cated at public and private schools in Doylestown, and spent three years in the Germantown Academy. He entered the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania, and graduated in the class of 1894. In the same year he ac- cepted the position of resident physician at the Children's Hospital. Philadelphia. which he filled until January, 1895, filled the same position in the Pottstown Hos- pital from January to August. 1895. and was then appointed a resident physician in the Episcopal Hospital at Philadel- phia, which position he filled until Att- gust. 1807. He then came to Doyles- town and began the practice of his pro- fession.

Dr. Swartzlander was married May 4, 1899, to Florence R. Evans, of Potts-

190

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

town, and has two daughters: Mary, and Ellen Bryan Swartzlander.

DR. JOSEPH RANKIN SWARTZ- LANDER, Forest Grove, Buckingham township, Bucks county, son of Dr. Frank and Susan (Bryan) Swartzlander, was born in Doylestown, August 23, 1875. He acquired his education at the public and private schools of Doyles- town, studied medicine under his father, and in 1893 entered Jefferson Medical College, graduating in class of 1897. He served as resident physician in the Jer- sey City Hospital for eighteen months, and in the summer of 1899 located at Forest Grove and began the practice of medicine. With inherited ability and careful training and experience, he started well equipped in his chosen pro- fession and has met with merited suc- cess. He is still single.

GEORGE C. WORSTALL, one of the most prominent business men of Newtown, is one of the representatives of a family that have been prominent in the business affairs of Newtown for four generations, and extending over a period of one hundred and thirty years. He was born in Upper Makefield, October 25, 1839. and is a son of Edward H. and Maria E. (Smith) Worstall.

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 42

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