History of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time, Vol. III, Part 71

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 71

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).

325

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

Democrat in politics, and a member of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Lewis married December 9, 1868, Victoria R., daughter of Philip Harper Matthews, a lumber mer- chant of Lambertville, and they have one son, Frank B., who is in business with his father, and married Jennie H., daughter of William Price, of New Hope. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis are the parents of one child, Florence Josephine.

CHARLES T. DAGER, proprietor of a hotel at Warminster, also identified with farming interests in the township of that name, was born at Baron Hill, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, April 3, 1834. His grandfather, Frederick Dager, was a miller by trade and followed that pursuit through- out his entire life. He voted with the Democracy, but never aspired to office. During the revolutionary war he saved the life of an American officer who was being pursued by the British by hiding him in a chimney in the house at Marble Hall, Montgomery county. Frederick Dager died and was buried at Baron Hill. He and his wife were members of the Lutheran church at that place. Their children were: Philip, John, Henry, Charles, Martha, and Mrs. Frye.

Major John Dager, son of Frederick Dager, was born in Montgomery county, at Spring Mill, and in his youth assisted his father in the milling business, thus learn- ing the trade in his younger days. After his marriage he settled upon the home farm, purchasing the property at Baron Hill, comprising twelve acres. There he conducted a hotel and upon his land raised much of the products needed for consump- tion by the guests of the house. He con- ducted the hotel altogether for forty-eight years, and was one of the best known citi- zens of that locality. He was largely in- strumental in securing the postoffice at Baron Hill, and acted as postmaster when the office paid no salary. At the time of the building of the pike he strongly en- dorsed that movement, and in fact was an advocate of all progressive measures. In politics a Democrat, he was recognized as one of the leading supporters of the party in his locality and he filled a number of local offices, including that of school director and justice of the peace, occupying the latter position for many years. He was an enterprising and public-spirited citizen, a popular business man, and was widely known and highly respected. He was usually called Major Dager, having served his country as a major in the war of 1812. He was a devoted member of the Lutheran church. in which his wife was also identi- fied. She bore the maiden name of Ann Freas, and was a daughter of Simon Freas. who belonged to one of the old families of Montgomery county. He engaged exten- sively in dealing in marble and was an en- terprising farmer, recognized as one of the

leading business men of his neighborhood. He held membership in the Lutheran church, and gave his political allegiance to the Democracy. His children were: Philip, who became editor of the Germantown Telegraph; Nicholas, a partner in the ownership of the paper; Charles, an ex- tensive farmer, also a dealer in marble; Mrs. Ann Dager; Barbara, who became the wife of a teacher in the high school of ; and Henry, a merchant of Germantown. To Major and Mrs. Dager were born the following children : Margaret, wife of H. S. Hitner; Susanna, the wife of S. Struper; Mrs. Harriet Zim- merman; Mrs. Eliza Stifer; Mrs. Mary Lismyer; Mrs. Martha Richardson; Sarah and Anna, deceased ; William, a farmer, and for many years overseer of the Lutheran church; Moulton R., a merchant ; Charles Nicholas, who also follows mer- chandising : and Albert, a dealer in coal. The sons have become prominent and in- fluential in business cireles, and the daugh- ters all married leading citizens of their respective communities.

Charles T. Dager was born in the Baron Hill hotel, became familiar with the busi- ness of conducting a hotel in his youth, and throughout the greater part of his life has continued in that line of activity. For fourteen years he has been proprietor of the hotel at Warminster and is popular in this connection, having made an excellent record as a landlord. He remained under the parental roof until 1861, when he enlisted for three months service under General Hartranft. On the expiration of that period he received an honorable discharge, but in the following month he again enlisted, be- coming one of the body guard of General Anderson's troop. He was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland and after reaching Ringgold, Georgia, was trans- ferred to General Buell's body guard, serv- ing in that capacity for more than three years or until the close of the war. He was then again honorably discharged and returned to his home with a most creditable military record, having displayed marked valor and loyalty in times of great danger. Mr. Dager was married at Chattanooga, Tennessee, during the period of the war, and after the cessation of hostilities he re- turned home bringing his bride to the north. He then located at the old home- stead at Baron Hill and acted as bar- keeper for his father. Later he followed the trade of brick mason, which he had learned in his youth. He conducted the business of contractor for a number of years, and at the same time assisted his father in the hotel business. Later he went to Marble Hall, where he took charge of a mining, marble and iron enterprise, con- tinuing there for fifteen years, after which he again located at the Baron Hill Hotel, continuing in charge until April, 1890. He then bought the hotel and farm at War- minster, where he has since remained. He is a practical and successful hotel man,

326

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

also active and energetic in his farming operations, and as the years have passed he has acquired considerable valuable farm property in Georgia and Tennessee and owns a number of farm mortgages. He has good, business discernment, has made creditable and judicious investment, and in guiding his business affairs has shown capa- bility and sound sense. During the period of the civil war Mr. Dager married Miss Margaret Springer, who was born at Look- out Mountain, and was a daughter of Joel and Sarah (Lewis) Springer, the former a native of Pennsylvania. He went to the south, however, where he obtained a large plantation and became an extensive slave owner. Prior to the war of the rebellion he was one of the leading planters of his section of the country, and he remained and died upon the old homestead in Georgia. He was an earnest, Christian man. He was connected with the Whitesides family, who owned Lookout Mountain and were promi- nent people of his portion of the State. To Mr. and Mrs. Dager have been born five children: Henry, a farmer : Maggie, the wife of George Miller, who is engaged in the butchering business; Charles, who is engaged in the raising of vegetables which he sells in the Philadelphia market: Al- bert and Anna, both at home. Mrs. Dager is a member of the Baptist church. Mr. Dager votes with the Democracy and exer- cises considerable influence in the party councils. He served as a school director at Baron Hill for three years, was justice of the peace for three years and has also been supervisor of his township. He has never been a politician, however, in the sense of office seeking, his official positions being bestowed upon him by his fellow townsmen, who recognized his worth and ability. He is a member of the Lutheran church at Baron Hill, and has led an up- right, honorable life. He has reared three sons who have never used intoxicants. His entire career has been characterized by fidelity to duty and straightforward deal- ing with his followmen, and during his long residence in this part of Pennsylvania has become widely and favorably known.

THE ROBERTS FAMILY. Robert Roberts, the progenitor of that branch of the Roberts family resident in Southamp- ton, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, whose birth is supposed to have occurred in Mont- gomery county, near Willow Grove, about the year 1797. died in 1876. His wife, whose maiden name was Hannah Tyson, bore him the following children: Tacy. Mary, who became the wife of Ed. C. Wal- ton and two children were born to them : John and Seth. Jonathan, who married (first) Martha Walton, of Montgomery county, who bore him two children : Edwin and Hannah: married (second) Mary N. Lawrence, who was born in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania, June 20, 1832, daughter of

George and Mary ( Boss) Lawrence, and granddaughter of William and Mary ( Weaver ) Lawrence. George Lawrence was born April 25, 1798, and his wife Mary was born April 25, 1798, which was a most unusual incident. Jonathan and Mary N. Lawrence were the parents of one child, Jonathan Lawrence, born April 27, 1871, died April 26, 1879. Edwin, born April 9, 1851, in Montgomery county ; in 1863 he accompanied his parents to Davisville,

Southampton township, Bucks county, where his education was continued in the common schools. He began his career.as a farmer, which vocation he followed for several years, or until his marriage with Annie E. Search. He then moved to the city of Philadelphia, where he engaged in. the produce commission business, but after a residence of eleven years there returned to Bucks county, locating at Southampton, where his death occurred in the spring of 1898. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Roberts, namely: Harry, born March 14, 1877, died December 23, 1885; and Harold S., born January 22, 1889.

Annie E. (Search) Roberts, widow of Edwin Roberts, traces her ancestry to one of three brothers-Charles, William and. Lot Search-who came to this country dur- ing the eighteenth century and settled re- spectively in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York. Christopher Search, probably a son of Charles Search, a descendant of one of the three brothers aforementioned, was married twice. His first wife bore him six children, as follows: Samuel, who married Catherine Puff ; William, Sarah, John, Charles, and James. His second wife, whose maiden name was Ann Miles, bore him eight children, namely : Miles, who died in infancy: George, who married Martha Owens and their family consisted of two children : Elizabeth and Celina ; Jacob, men- tioned hercinafter; Margaret, who became- the wife of Elias Lefferts and they reared a family of eleven children : Ellen, Anna, George, Rachel, Neismuth, Samuel, Sarah,. Lizetta, Jacob, Laura and Mary: Christo- pher, who married Margaret Fetter and they reared a family of seven children : Cornelia,. George, Newion, Casper, Margaret, Kattie, and Weedie; Anthony, who married Eliza . -, and he with two of his sons served in the Civil war, the latter being killed ; Ann, who became the wife of Casper Fetter and mother of five children : George, Christopher, Anna, Anthony, and one who died in infancy: Griffith, who married Louisa Fetter and their family consisted of the following named children : Amy. Ida, Cora, Louisa, Mary and Alice.

Jacob M. Search, son of Christopher and' Ann ( Miles) Search, was born at South- ampton, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, De- cember 7, 1810, on the old homestead farm now occupied by John Finney. His active- career was devoted to farming pursuits. Although always intensely interested in politics he never held any public office other than that of school director. He purchased

327

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

the old homestead farm of one hundred acres from his father, and a large portion of the present village of Southampton was built on this land. He married Nancy Cor- son, daughter of Richard and Elizabeth (Bennett) Corson, and their children were : Elwood, born September 22, 1838; Theo- dore, born March 20, 1841, married Anna White and by her had one daughter, Ida May, who married George Howard Cliff and has one child, Anna S .; Harry, born September 18, 1846, married Mary M. Lef- ferts and two children were born to them: Susannah, wife of Maurice Hartman, and they have one child, Vernon ; and Theodore, unmarried ; Erasmus, born March 7, 1851, married Mary Ella Warren, and three chil- dren were born to them: Pauline, who be- came the wife of William Benny, and they have one child, Doris; Pauline Benny died in March, 1905; Leroy, and Ethel; Anna E., born March 13, 1858, aforementioned as having become the wife of Edwin Roberts.

JOHN DAVIS SELLS, of Hatboro, Pennsylvania, was born at Dublin, Ohio, May 4, 1857, and is a son of Dr. Holmes and Amy (Davis) Sells. His paternal ancestors were political refugees from the provinces along the Rhine and came to this country in the early part of the eighteenth century, settling in Virginia about 1750. His great-great-grandfather was Jolin Sells, and in about 1780 his son, John Sells, Jr., moved out to the Scioto valley, in what was then called Virginia, and settled at a point about twelve miles from where the city of Columbus now stands, in the state of Ohio, county of Franklin. At this place his grandfather Charles, his father Holmes Sells and himself were born.

Dr. Holmes Sells was born at Dublin, Ohio, March 29, 1826, and finished his med- ical studies in Philadelphia at Jefferson College. He married, June 12, 1850, Amy Hart Davis, born June 24, 1827, daughter of John and Amy (Hart) Davis, and sister of General W. W. H. Davis, and began the practice of his profession at Dublin, Ohio, from which point he removed with his fam- ily to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1859, where he was proprietor of a large drug store and practiced medicine for many years. They were residents of Atlanta during its bom- bardment by General Sherman in the fall of 1864 and lived for six weeks in their cellar. Several shells struck the house and the kitchen was entirely demolished. the cooking stove being the only article of furniture uninjured. In the beginning of the siege a shell burst on the bed from which Mrs. Sells had recently risen, and the concussion threw her through a partially opened door into the yard. Dr. Sells was almost financially ruined by the destruction of his property during the war, and though entirely loyal to the Union he received no remuneration therefor. The family re- mained in Atlanta until the death of Dr.

Sells in 1888. Mrs. Sells now resides with her sister at the old Davis homestead at Davisville. Dr. Holmes and Amy H. (Davis) Sells were the parents of two chil- dren: Charles Watts, born May 15, 1851, died September 9, 1862; and John Davis, the subject of this sketch. Charles Watts Sells had an extraordinary talent for music, and though dying at the early age of eleven years was quite a noted performer on the piano.

John Davis Sells was reared in Atlanta, Georgia. He entered Lehigh University, class of 1876, and finished his education at the University of Georgia, graduating in the class of 1876. He came north to live in 1877, and while residin~ at Davisville took up the study of law in the office of Hon. Harman Yerkes, at Doylestown, and was admitted to the Bucks county bar in June, 1882. In the fall of the same year he removed to Pottsville, Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, and being admitted to the bar of that county practiced law there for ten years. In 1893 he went to Washing- ton to fill a governmental position under President Cleveland, which he retained for two years. In 1895 he removed to Phila- delphia and engaged in the iron and steel business, becoming associated with the Royersford Foundry and Machine Company, Inc., manufacturers of power transmission machinery, in which he has an interest, and is manager of the "power department" with offices at 43 North Seventh street. Mr. Sells resides with his family at Hat- boro, Montgomery county Pennsylvania. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Society Sons of Revolution, and the Historical So- ciety of Pennsylvania, the Trans-Atlantic Society, and is affiliated with the Masonic fraternity. He married, June 6, 1889, Ella Lane Schofield, daughter of Samuel Lane Schofield, of Scotch Irish ancestry, one of the pioneer civil engineers in locating the original surveys of several of the early railroads of Pennsylvania. His early an- cestors settled in Philadelphia about 1745. On the maternal side Mrs. Sells is a great- great-granddaughter of Michael Kauffman, one of the original settlers of Lancaster county. Mr. and Mrs. Sells have one daughter, Elizabeth Davis Sells, a graduate of Hatboro high school, who now attends St. Mary's Hall, Burlington, New Jersey.

GEORGE MCKINSTRY, one of the younger generation of farmers of Bucking- ham township, is a native of Plumstead township, though his paternal ancestors for three generations had been residents of Buckingham. He is a son of Oliver and Louisa (Miller) Mckinstry, of Plumstead. both deceased, the former of Scotch-Irish and the latter of German descent.

Nathan Mckinstry. the great-great- grandfather of the subject of this sketch was born in the year 1712 and came to this country in the "Scotch-Irish Invasion,"

328

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

as Secretary Logan termed the great in- flux of Ulster Scots about 1735. Whether accompanied by his parents is not known. Certain it is that he was accompanied by a sister Elenor, who married Hugh Young in 1737. and possibly by a younger brother Samuel who settled in Plumstead in 1761. Hugh Young purchased a tract of 195 acres in Wrightstown township, and in June, 1744, conveyed ninety-seven and one- half acres thereof to his brother-in-law, Nathan Mckinstry. Here Nathan Mc- Kinstry and his wife Mary lived until 1753, when he sold his Wrightstown farm and purchased a tract of 202 acres in Bucking- ham (now Doylestown) township, one mile southeast of Doylestown, where he spent his remaining days, dying April 15, 1790, at the age of seventy-eight years. His wife Mary survived him several years. They were members of Neshaminy Pres- byterian church, of which he was a trustee, and both are buried there. Their children were: Jane, born 1745, died July 15. 1797, married James Kerr ; John, died 1791 ; Sam- uel, born 1748, died January 24, 1796; Henry, born 1750, died November 28, 1804; William; and Robert, born 1756, died July 25, 1834, married Mary Wier, sister to the grandmother of General U. S. Grant.

Samuel Mckinstry, second son of Nathan and Mary, born in Wrightstown in 1748, died January 24, 1796, on the old home- stead in Buckingham, which had been ad- judged to him in 1791. His wife Mary survived him twenty-two years, dying April 4, 1818, at the age of sixty-four years. Samuel Mckinstry had lived for a time prior to his father's death in Hilltown town- ship, but his later days were spent on the homestead, where his father had built him a house. The children of Samuel and Mary Mckinstry were: Nathan; James, Jane and Jesse, among whom the Buck- ingham plantation was divided in 1813. Nathan took the present farm of Frank Heaton, where he died in 1852: James the farm now owned by Amos Worthington. and Jane and Jesse thirty-four acres of the present Doan farm. James conveyed his farm to Jane in 1819, and she at her death in 1822 devised it to her brothers Nathan and Jesse.

Jesse Mckinstry, youngest son of Sam- 11el and Mary, born 1790, was the grand- father of the subject of this sketch. He was married prior to 1814 to Rachel Pierce and resided on the old homestead in Doyles- town township until April 1, 1837, having purchased the interest of his brother Nathan in the lower farm in 1827. In 1837 he sold the farm and after residing for one year in New Britain purchased a farm on the Durham road in Upper Buckingham which he sold a year later and removed to Pulmstead, where he died November 7. 1851. He was a member of Doylestown Presbyterian church, to which he left a legacy of forty dollars. His wife Rachel died July 22. 1869, at the age of sixty- eight years. Their children were: Harri-

son, born March 5, 1814, died May 20, 1876; Sophia; Jane; Nathan; Mary; Oliver; Alfred; Ezra; and John W., the latter dying in 1851, aged seventeen years.

Oliver Mckinstry, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Doylestown township, in 1822, and died in Plumstead township, August 2, 1902. His wife Louisa Miller was born in New Britain township, in 1827, and died in 1895. Oliver MIc- Kinstry on his marriage settled on a farm purchased for him by his father in 1846, and conveyed to him in 1850, and spent his whole life thereon, the farm being now oc- cupied by his son Harry. Oliver and Louisa Mckinstry were the parents of five chil- dren, four of whom survive, Harry, resid- ing on the homestead; Nannie, wife of Frank L. Gordon, of Seattle, Washington ; Ida, of Plumstead; and George.

George Mckinstry was born and reared on the Plumstead farm and acquired his education at the public schools of that township and the Doylestown high school. He married in 1883 Mary R. Paist, daugh- ter of James Monroe and Elizabeth (Con- rad) Paist, of Buckingham, and for three years conducted the Cowdrick farm near Carversville. In 1886 he moved to a farm in Buckingham, purchased for him by his father, which he conducted for sixteen years. In 1901 he purchased his present home, a farm of sixty acres in Landisville, and removed there in the spring of 1904. To Mr. and Mrs. McKinstry have been born five children: Ethel, Bernice P., Clara F., Grace I., and Frances G., all of whom reside at home.

AMOS S. BERINGER, one of the prominent and active business men of the little borough of Silverdale, was born in Hilltown near the location of the present borough on October 22, 1868, and is a son of Amos and Sophia (Sheip) Beringer, both of German origin and descendants of early settlers in that locality.

Nicholas Beringer, the pioneer paternal ancestor of Amos S., came to Pennsylvania from Germany in the ship "Neptune." John Mason master, arriving in Philadelphia, September 24. 1754. He probably followed the trend of German emigration into Bucks by way of the present county of Montgom- ery. The first authentic record we have of him is in the list of non-associators of Hilltown township in 1775. On June 29, 1777, he purchased 140 acres of land in Hilltown of John Penn, the deed for which is still in the possession of the subject of this sketch as well as a large portion of the land therein represented. Nicholas Beringer died on the Hilltown plantation about October 1. 1783, and his wife Eliza- beth died in March, 1808. They were the parents of three sons. John, Henry, and George, and three daughters. Elizabeth. wife of George Cramer, a cabinet maker of Hilltown; Catharine, wife of Amos

329

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

Miner, of Marlboro, Montgomery county ; and Mary, wife of John Benner of Hill- town.

John Beringer, the eldest son of Nicholas and Elizabeth, purchased the homestead farm of his brothers and sisters and lived thereon during the active years of his life. In 1820 he and his wife Elizabeth con- veyed it to their sons Henry and George. John, the father, lived to an advanced age, dying in December, 1842, his wife having died some years earlier. Their children were: John, Henry, and George; Henry died before his father, leaving a family.

George Beringer, son of John and Eliza- beth, was born on the old homestead in Hilltown and lived there all his life. He purchased ninety-nine acres of it of his father in 1820, and in 1858 conveyed it to his son Amos Beringer, reserving for him- self and wife the "new dwelling and garden" for their use during the remainder of their lives. He died in December, 1864. He married Catharine Nunamaker, daugh- ter of Adam Nunamaker, of Rockhill, and granddaughter of Henry Nunamaker, who had purchased a tract of land in Rockhill and Hilltown in 1782 which descended to his son Adam in 1807. Adam died in 1742, leaving several children, among whom was Catharine, wife of George Beringer. George and Catharine (Nunamaker) Berin- ger were the parents of two children, Amos and Mary.

Amos N. Beringer, only son of George and Catharine, was born on the old home- stead May 29, 1824, and lived there all his life, dying December 4. 1885. He pur- chased the homestead of his parents. April 21, 1858, and later acquired two lots in the village. now borough, of Silverdale, now occupied by the subject of this sketch. He was for many years a member of the school board of Hilltown and active in local affairs. He was twice married, first to Barbara Anglemoyer by whom he had two children, Ephraim and Mary, neither of whom survived him. He married (second) Sophia Sheip, of an old New Britain fam- ily, who survived him. Amos and Sophia (Sheip) Beringer were the parents of two children, Amos S. and Ellen. The family were members of the Lutheran church.

Amos S. Beringer, born on the old home- stead which had been the home of his an- cestors nearly a century, was educated in the public schools. His father dying when he was sixteen years of age, he at once assumed the superintendence of the farm which he has continued ever since and has never lived anywhere else. In 1893 he be- gan pork butchering in connection with the conduct of his farm, which he has since continued with success, enlarging his busi- ness from year to year and marketing the product in Philadelphia. He has always taken an active interest in local affairs and has served in the town council of Silverdale since its organization, this being his third term. He is a member of the South Per- kasie Lutheran church. Mr. Beringer mar-

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 71

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