History of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time, Vol. III, Part 62

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 62

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James Van Artsdalen, son of Nicholas and Jane, was the grandfather of the subject of this .sketch. He was born on the old homestead and inherited a portion of it at his father's death, and died there August 29, 1834. His wife was Elizabeth Staats, daughter of Daniel and Mary (Praul) Staats, and a grand- daughter of Peter Praul. They were the parents of eight children, as follows:

Silas, who married Effie Cox and had children, Silas and Elizabeth. Nicho- las, who married Louisa Knight and had children, Joseph, Cursey and James. Cornelius, who married and had chil- dren. Daniel, Truxton, and Mrs. Silas Twining. Daniel, who married Maria Clayton and had children, George, Jona- than, Elizabeth, and Lucinda. Jesse, who married and had a family. James, father of subject of this sketch. George, who married and had children, Walter, Emanuel and Lydia. Phebe, who mar- ried Allen Dyer, and had children. Peleg and James.

James Van Artsdalen, Junior, was born on the old homestead in 1803, and re- ceived his education at local schools. He learned the trade of a wheelwright and followed it at Feasterville, until succeeded by his son in the seventies. He purchased a house and lot in Feasterville of Aaron Feaster in 1834. and died there in 1891. He married. about 1828, Rachel Hough, who was born in 1805 and died in 1888. They were the parents of six children, as follows:

Charles, born November 3, 1830, married Mary Elizabeth Cornell, and had one daughter who married James Cornell, and has a son, Charles Cornell. Martha, born 1832, married Christopher Clayton and has three children. Spencer, died young. Mary Elizabeth died at age

of seventeen years. Eliza Ellen. mar- ried Michael Irwin and had two chil- dren, both deceased. Henry H., born November 1, 1842.

Henry H. Van Artsdalen was reared at the Feastersville home purchased by his father in 1834, and acquired a common school education at the local schools. He learned the trade of blacksmithing and has carried on the business for upwards of forty years. In politics he is an ardent Demo- crat, and has always taken an active interest in the councils of his party. He served one term as auditor of the county, and has filled local offices at different periods. He was his party's candidate for director of the poor in 1902, but was defeated. He married Annie, daughter of Benjamin and Mary (Clayton) Worthington, and they have been the parents of three children: Min- nie, born March 26, 1867, died October, 1900, married Israel Stack and had one child. Anna: Henry. who died young, and Benjamin, born November 14, 1880.

WILLIAM JOHN COOLEY, Esq., of the Philadelphia 'bar, though not a native of Bucks county was reared from childhood within its borders and still retains his residence at New Hope, where his grandfather was a prominent manufacturer many years ago. Mr. Cooley was born at Trenton, New Jer- sey, July 9, 1877, and is a son of John P. and Catharine Young (Umbleby) Cooley. On the paternal side he is de- scended from an old New Jersey fam- ily, and on the maternal side his grand- father. William Umbleby, came from England at the age of eight years and located in Chester county, Pennsylvania. He was a manufacturer of cordage, and later removed to New Hope, Bucks county. where he owned and operated the flax or cordage mills for many years. He was a man of a high sense of honor and of a deep religious nature, and was for many years a local preacher of the Methodist Episcopal church. He had one son, John, and two daughters, Mary, the wife of William H. Closson, and Mrs. Cooley. On the death of Mrs. Cooley, in Trenton, New Jersey, the subject of this sketch was reared by his uncle, William H. Closson, of New Hope.

William J. Cooley was educated at the New Hope high school, Pennington (New Jersey) Seminary, and at the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania. He graduated from the law department of the latter

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HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

institution in the class of 1898, and was admitted to the bar of Philadelphia county in the same year. He has since practiced his profession in that city, with offices at the Hale Building, 1328 Chestnut street. He is a member of the Law Association of Philadelphia, and of the Law Academy. He is a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal church, and a local preacher of that faith.

ALBERT C. LARUE, one of the young enterprising farmers of Bucking- ham, was born in Southampton town- ship, in which vicinity his paternal an- cestors have been residents for two cen- turies, on November 10, 1874; he is a son of Jolin B. and Eva (Cadwallader) Larue. His father, John B. Larue, was born on the same farm as his son in the year 1850, being a son of Marmaduke Larue of Southampton. He was farmer for several years in Southamp- ton, and then removed to Buckingham, purchasing a farm near Pineville, where he still resides with his son-in-law. He is a member of the Methodist Episco- pal church, and in politics is a Re- publican. The family of La Rue is of French descent, the American progeni- tors being Huguenots who came to America about the middle of the seven- teenth century, and became residents of Bucks county early in the next century. John B. and Eva (Cadwallader) Larue are the parents of four children: viz .: Albert C., the subject of this sketch; Harry C., Alice, wife of Fred Worth- ington, and Edgar J., all of whom are residents of Buckingham. -

Albert C. Larue was reared on the farm in Southampton. From his twelfth year he lived in the family of his uncle, Samuel K. Tomlinson, of Southampton. On February 10, 1897, he married Sarah Rhoads, daughter of Nathan and Re- becca Rhoads, and removed to his pres- ent farm in Buckingham, previously pur- chased by his uncle. He and his fam- ily are members of the Methodist Epis- copal church. To Mr. and Mrs. Larue have been born three children: Horace Raymond, Earl Stanley and Edith May.

ROBERT L. CYLMER, the success- ful merchant of Doylestown, Bucks county, was born in Bethlehem, Penn- sylvania, June 20, 1872, and is a son of Jolın H. and Maria (Kiser) Clymer. The Clymer family is of German origin, but has figured in the history of Pennsyl- vania for nearly two centuries, Richard Clymer having come to Philadelphia in 1795, and engaged in ship building until his death in 1734. From his sons, Chris- tian and William, have descended a nu- merous progeny that have been more or

less prominent in the affairs of Penn- sylvania, many of them holding high official position. George Clymer, signer of the Declaration of Independence, was a son of Christian, and was born in Phil- adelphia in 1838, and died in Morrisville, Bucks county. in 1813, leaving two sons: Henry and George. Another branch of the family now numerous in Bucks and Montgomery counties are descendants from Valentine Clemmer, a bishop of the Mennonite church, who came to this country from Germany or Switzerland in 1717, and settled in what is now Montgomery county, most of his de- scendants becoming known later by the name of Clymer. Tradition connects the subject of this sketch with the former family, but there is absence of authentic records to prove the con- . nection.

Christian Clymer, the great-grand- father of Robert L. Clymer, was an ex- tensive landowner in Milford township, and died there in 1802, leaving seven sons, Jacob, Christian, Isaac, Gerhard, John, David and Samuel, and three daughters, Esther, wife

of Adam Scheetz, Ann, wife of Henry Souder, and Mary, wife of Henry Beidler.

John Clymer, the grandfather of Rob- ert L. Clymer, born March 31, 1793, lo- cated in Nockamixon township soon

after arriving at manhood, married Mar- garet Pearson, daughter of Lawrence Pearson, of that township, and pur- chased a small farm, part of his father- in-law's homestead. He followed the vocation of a weaver for some years, and was also a merchant at what is now Ferndale prior to 1826. He later pur- chased considerable other land in that vicinity, and his later days seem to have been devoted to agricultural pursuits. He died in Nockamixon, March II, 1868. His wife, Margaret Pearson, was born in Nockamixon, near Ferndale, Novem- ber 22, 1794, and died September 30, 1863. They were the parents of the fol- lowing children: Sarah Lavina, wife of Ephraim Yost: Caroline, wife of Fred- erick Horn; Sybilla, wife of William Loudenberger; Catharine, wife of Frank- lin J. Shick; Esther, wife of Jacob Sum- stone: Elwood; Margaret, who died un- married; and John H., the father of the subject of this sketch.

Lawrence Pearson, great-great-grand- father of Margaret (Pearson) Clymer, was a native of Yorkshire, England, and came to Pennsylvania with his father, Edward Pearson, in 1683, and settled in Falls township, Bucks county, from whence he removed to Buckingham in 1701, and later to Plumstead, where he lied in 1756, and his wife Ann in 1760. They were members of the Society of Friends and their children were reared in that faith. They were the parents of two sons: Enoch, who died in 1748, un- married, and Joseph, and daughters:

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HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

Hannah Fenton, Elizabeth Allen,

Martha Shrigley, Priscilla Mckinstry,

and Mary Jewell. Lawrence Pearson, son of Joseph and grandson of Lawrence and Ann, was born about the year 1720, and in 1744 purchased of Barthol- omew Longstreth 250 acres of land in Nockamixon, including the site of Nockamixon German Lutheran and Re- form church, a portion of which he con- veyed to the trustees of the church in 1797 to enlarge their graveyard. Lawrence Pearson died in 1803, leaving a widow, Elizabeth, and eight children, viz .: Christian, Henry, Philip, Lawrence, Peter, Mary, wife of John Kohl; Cath- arine, wife of Jacob Saassaman; and Susanna, wife of John Easterling. Kohl and Sassaman were trustees of Nocka- mixon church. Lawrence Pearson, son of the above named Lawrence, was the father of Margaret Clymer. He married Margaret -, of German ancestry, and became a member of the Nocka- mixon church, where his children were baptised. Lawrence, the eldest, born August 27, 1782; William, June 27, 1784; Abraham, November 28, 1790; Margaret, November 22, 1794: John, about 1800: and Elizabeth, January 4, 1807. The lat- ter married Jesse Algart. Lawrence, the father, died in 1810. Though of English ancestry on the paternal side, the chil- dren of Lawrence Pearson (3) imbibed the language and customs of their ma- ternal ancestors, and both spoke and wrote in the German language.

Jolın H. Clymer, youngest son of John and Margaret (Pearson) Clymer, was born in Nockamixon, November 3, 1836. On arriving at manhood hie lo- cated for a time in Durham township, but on the death of his father in 1868 purchased of the other heirs a portion of his father's real estate in Nockam!xon and lived thereon for some years, re- moving later to Tinicum township. where he died August 5, 1881. He mar- ried Maria Kiser, daughter of Jacob and Ann (Selner) Kiser, of Nockamixon, granddaughter of Frederick and Ger- trude (Hoffman) Kiser, and great-grand- daughter of Frederick and Anna Bar- bara (Stein) Kiser, who emigrated from Bretzinger, in the grand duchy of Baden, and settled in Durham township. Bucks county, prior to 1770. Maria (Kiser) Clymer is living with her son in Doyles- town. The children of John H. and Maria (Kiser) Clymer are: Robert L., the subject of this sketch, and Idella, wife of Edward Steely, of Tinicum.

Robert L. Clymer was reared in Nock- amixon and Tinicum townships, and ac- quired his education at the public schools. At the age of fifteen years he began his mercantile career as a clerk in the general merchandise store at Kintnersville, where he was employed for eight years. In 1897 he came to Doylestown and purchased the stock

and fixtures of the general merchandise store at the corner of Clinton and Ash- land streets, of Kohn K. Benner, where he has since successfully conducted the business. He has taken an active inter- est in the affairs of the town and is a well known and popular business man. Mr. Clymer is a member of the Re- formed church, and is affiliated with Aqueton Lodge No. 193, I. O. O. F., of Doylestown, the Junior O. U. A. M., Ferndale Council No. 685, and the F. and A. M., of Doylestown. He married October 18, 1894, Stella Rufe, daughter of Josiah and Mary Jane Rufe, of Nock- amixon, where her ancestors had been prominent landowners and business men for several generations.

F. M. MARPLE. The Marple family has been connected with Bucks county through various generations. N. David Marple, grandfather of F. M. Marple, was born in Bucks county and became an influential and leading farmer of his community. His early political support was given the Democracy, but at the time of the civil war he joined the ranks of the Republican party, and upon that ticket was called to offices of honor and trust. He held office as a Democrat long before the war. He served as county commissioner and prothonotary of Bucks county, and acted as clerk for General John Davis when the latter was serving as collector of customs for the United States. N. David Marple was a man of superior education and was closely identified with the educational interests of his county at an early day, having been a competent school teacher. He served as a colonel in his regiment in the war of 1812, and was thus promi- nent in business, political and military circles, a man whose life was above re- proach, and who in consequence com- manded the entire respect and con- fidence of those with whom he was as- sociated. His last days were spent in Kansas, to which state he removed in his later years .. He belonged to the Baptist church, and all of his relations with his fellowmen exemplified his Christian faith. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Eliza Hart, was born in Bucks county and was descended from an old colonial family of Pennsylvania. Their children were: Eliza A., Mary P., Clara, Virginia, Ellen, Alfred, Joseph, Silas, Nathan, Warren, and Eugene.

Alfred Marple, born in Bucks county, was reared upon his father's farm, ac- quired a liberal education and became a' capable teacher in the public schools. At the time of his marriage he located upon a farm, but later turned his atten- tion to merchandising at Langhorne. He also served as postmaster there for a number of years, and at one time was

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HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

principal of the Soldier's Orphan's schools of Quakertown. He served for three years in the war of the rebellion, becoming a member of the One Hun- dred and Fourth Pennsylvania Infantry, Colonel W. H. Davis commanding. He performed his full duty as a valorous soldier and on the expiration of his term of service was honorably discharged. Po- litically he was a Democrat until the time of the war, when he espoused the cause of the Republican party that stood so loyally by the Union in the darkest hour of our country's history. Follow- ing the war he engaged in farming, and in his later life lived retired, making his home in Langhorne, where he died in 1896, when seventy-four years of age. In early manhood he married Anna A. Van Sant, a native of Bucks county, who died in 1871, and later he wedded Sarah Aaron. His first wife was a daughter of Garrett Van Sant, of Bucks county, who was a blacksmith by trade, for many years closely identified with the industrial life of his community. His political views accorded with the prin- ciples of Democracy, and he filled the office of county commissioner. His re- ligious faith was that of the Presbyter- ian church. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Van Sant are: George, William, Maria, Elizabeth, Anna, and Jane. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Mar- ple are : Frank H .; William W .. a prom- inent farmer; Mary, deceased; Florence; and Ida, wife of Dr. Heritage, a physi- cian of Langhorne.

Frank H. Marple, son of Alfred Mar- ple, was born in Langhorne township, Bucks county, December 31, 1849, and was reared to farm life, while in the pub- lic schools he acquired his education. He remained under the parental roof until he had attained his majority, and in 1876 he was married and settled on the old Hart homestead, where he remained for four years. He then returned to the township of his nativity and rented his father's old homestead, there carrying on agricultural pursuits until 1902, when he purchased the old Hart homestead on which he had resided immediately after his marriage. Hereon he has since made his home, his farm lying partly in Warminster and partly in Southampton townships. He carried on general farming and marketed his own produce, and for two years also operated a creamery, but is now devoting his en- tire time and attention to the produc- tion of vegetables and cereals and to the sale of his products in the Philadelphia markets. His business affairs are ca- pably managed and his enterprise and unremitting diligence form strong and basic elements for a successful career.

Mr. Marple was married to Miss Laura Tomlinson, a native of Bucks county, and a daughter of William Tom- linson, also of Bucks county. He was

a carpenter by trade, and was killed while serving his country in the civil war, being for three years a member of the Union army. In his political views he was a Republican. His wife long survived him, passing away in 1882. Their children were: Charles, Eliza- beth. and Laura, the last named the wife of Mr. Marple. To Mr. and Mrs. Marple were born three children: Will- iam, who is clerking; Grace, at home; and Alfred, who is a stenographer in California. After the death of his first wife, Mr. Marple married Mrs. Susan Johnson, a cultured lady, whose par- ents were William B. and Mary A. (Al- ford) Kitchen, of Philadelphia. Her father, a tailor by trade, followed that business throughout his entire life, and died at Center Hill in 1869. In his polit- ical views he was a Republican, and he held some local political positions. He belonged to the Baptist church, of which his wife, who now makes her home with her children, is also a mem- ber. In the Johnson family were six children: Victor, Florence, Orville, Claude, May and Burleigh. In his polit- ical views Mr. Marple is a Republican, but the honors and emoluments of of- fice have had no attraction for him, and although he is never remiss in the du- ties of citizenship, he prefers to devote his time and energies to his business af- fairs, which are now bringing him a de- sirable financial return.

A. J. MILLER, following farming near Neshaminy, was born in Philadel- phia, February 18, 1845, and in the ma- ternal line comes of German ancestry.

His father, A. J. Miller, was born in · Allentown, Pennsylvania, and after ac- quiring a good education went to Phila- delphia as a young man, there engaging in mercantile pursuits. He made for himself an excellent place in business circles in that city, becoming a member of the firm of Miller, Weber & Hand, conducting an extensive and profitable business as dealers in dry goods at the corner of Fourth and Market streets. Mr. Miller remained a member of the house until 1847. when his death oc- curred at the age of forty years. While business affairs claimed much of his time, he yet found opportunity to de- vote to movements effecting the general interests of society. He was a leading member of the Presbyterian church, and served as an elder and as superin- tendent of its Sunday-school. He con- tributed generously to the work of the church .and did all in his power to ad- vance the cause of Christianity. He was also generous to those who needed assistance, sympathetic with those in sorrow, and at all times kind and con- siderate. Having prospered in his busi-

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HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

ness he was able to leave his family in comfortable circumstances. In 1831, in Philadelphia, he married Miss Cather- ine Helffenstein, a cultured and intelli- gent lady, a granddaughter of John C. Helffenstein, of honored Germany an- cestry, belonging to a distinguished fam- ily of that country, connected with the nobility and possessing a coat-of-arms. Her parents were Rev. Samuel and Ann (Stitle) Helffenstein, both of German descent. Her father, who was born April 17, 1775, was regularly ordained as a minister of the German Reformed church in 1796, at which time he took charge of the old Bean church in Blue- bell, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania. In 1799 he became pastor of the congre- gation of that denomination at Fourth and Race streets, in Philadelphia, where

he remained for thirty-two years, preaching in both the German and Eng- lish languages. Later in life he retired to his farm near North Wales. where he spent his remaining days. He still continued preaching, taking charge of a church in Northampton county, to which he rode twenty miles in order to deliver the gospel message. He preached his last sermon at North Wales when ninety years of age. He was a fine musician, and his musical talent added greatly to his services. He passed away on his home farm at the age of ninety-three years, after a long, useful and honorable career. He had likewise prospered in his material af- fairs, and became possessed of a large estate. In his family were twelve chil- dren, eleven sons and a daughter. all of whom are now deceased. Three of the sons became ministers of the gospel, and all were professional men or mer- chants. Seven sons and a daughter sur- vived him, the latter being Mrs. Cath- erine Miller. A. J. Miller, Sr. died in 1847 and his wife, long surviving him, passed away in 1884. She remained at the old home in Philadelphia through- out that period, and both were buried in one of the cemeteries of that city. They had five children: Samuel H., a merchant, now deceased; Lavina G .; Mary M., the wife of Joseph Linton; Annie M., the widow of E. D. Wakeling, who was an attorney of Philadelphia; and A. J., of this review.

A. J. Miller, whose name introduces this record, spent his boyhood days in the manner of most city lads, his time being largely given to his school work as a student in the grammar and high schools of Philadelphia. He thus ob- tained a good education. He was but a young lad when his father died, but the mother kept her children together, care- fully rearing them. When he had at- tained the proper age he was employed as a clerk in his brother's store, and later engaged in he real esate business in Philadelphia, which he continued to

follow for many years. At length he turned his attention to general merchan- dising at Bethayres, and subsequently expanded the field of his labors by es- tablishing a coal and lumber business in connection with his real estate opera- tions, continuing therein until 1890. He then bought the farm upon which he now resides; it is one of the old historic places of the county, and the house is a commodious three story stone resi- dence, which was occupied at the time of the revolutionary war and is yet in a good state of preservation. Many ad- ditions have since been made and mod- ern improvements added, but one of the old doors yet swings with its latch string that always hung out in the old- en times. In 1774 the Rev. N. Erwin resided here, and ministered to the spiritual wants of the people of the lo- cality for many years as pastor of the Neshaminy Presbyterian church. In 1800, however, he built the residence that Joseph Dobbins now occupies and there he remained until his death, his remains being then interred in the Ne- shaminy cemetery. Since taking up his abode upon the farm Mr. Miller has de- voted his entire attention to its further cultivation and improvement, and he annually harvests good crops and mar- kets the products of the gardens.

A. J. Miller was married to Miss El- len V. Sickel, who was born in Quaker- town, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, June 13, 1844. She was a devoted wife and helpmate to him, and was the only daughter of General H. G. Sickel, of national fame. Her mother, who bore the maiden name of Eliza Van Sant, was a daughter of William Van Sant, a representative of one of the oldest fami- lies of Bucks county. Mr. and Mrs. Sickel had but two children: Jane, who became the wife of Joseph Hart; and Eliza, the mother of Mrs. Miller. Gen- eral Sickel was reared in the vicinity of Mechanicsville. and being left an or- phan when quite young was entirely a self-made man. He learned the wheel- wright's and blacksmith's trades, which he followed for many years. He was married at Davisville and later settled at Quakertown, where he followed his pursuits, conducting an extensive busi- ness. About 1846 he removed to Phila- delphia, where he became connected with mercantile interests as a dealer in lamp and gas fixtures, continuing in that line until 1857. He afterward held various public positions by appoint- ments of the governor, and Was promi- nent and influential in community and state affairs. At the time of the out- break of the civil war he raised a com- pany for service in defense of the Union, was made its captain and was promoted from time to time, being brevetted ma- jor general at the close of the war. He served throughout the entire period of

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History of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time, Vol. III, Part 62

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