History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and biographical sketches, Part 154

Author: Futhey, John Smith, 1820-1888; Cope, Gilbert, 1840-1928
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1162

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Nathan married Rachel Williamson, born 12th mo., 1727, died 2, 2, 1794. Nathan died 7, 9, 1790, and both were buried at Goshen. Their children were Hannah, b. 3, 30, 1750, m. Thomas Dring; Mary, b. 10, 21, 1751, d. 2, 27, 1815, m. Isaac Hoopes ; Phebe, b. 11, 27, 1754, m. Sampson Barnett; Abigail, b. 12, 21, 1755, m. Abiah Hoopes; Jane, b. 10, 27, 1757, m. Ellis Davies; Cathar- ine, b. 11, 8, 1759, d. 11, 22, 1841, m. David Regester; Rachel, b. 12, 30, 1761, m. Richard Abbott ; Lydia, b. 10, 18, 1763, m. Joseph Eldridge ; Abner, b. 3, 17, 1765, d. 10, 27, 1837, m. Phebe Griffith and Amy Garrett; Su- sanna, b. 12, 21, 1766 ; Elizabeth, b. 9, 22, 1772, m. Mor- decai Yarnall.

574

HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

EVAN GRIFFITH, son of Howell Griffith, of Pembroke- shire, in Wales, embarked with his wife for America in 1704, but they were captured by the Spaniards and suf- fered harsh treatment. Being ransomed by the British government, they were sent to Charleston, S. C., whence they came to Pennsylvania, and settled in what is now Montgomery County, afterwards in Hilltown, Bucks Co. By a second wife Evan had a son, Nathaniel, who married Elizabeth Davis. Nathaniel was buried June 17, 1790, and his widow died Jan. 30, 1802, aged eighty-six. Ben- jamin Griffith, son of Nathaniel, married Martha Lewis, and removed to the northern part of Chester County shortly before his mother's death, as it is thought she lived with him, and was buried at Brandywine Manor Church. Benjamin died in Honeybrook, May 15, 1804, aged fifty- one, and his widow April 21, 1834, aged about seventy- eight. Their children were Elizabeth, b. 1779, died when about eighteen ; Abel, b. 1781 ; Abner, b. 1784; Nathan, b. 1786; Amos, b. 1789, and still living; Benjamin, b. 1792, d. unmarried, a physician.

Dr. Benjamin Griffith was twelve years of age when his father died, and for the next two years lived with his brother Abner. In May, 1806, he was placed under the care of John F. Grier to learn the Latin and Greek languages, at which he spent a little over two years. In September, 1808, he entered upon the study of medicine under Dr. William B. Duffield, of Strasburg, where he continued until October, 1810. He next went to Philadelphia, and attended lectures by Drs. Rush, Physick, James, and Chapman, and on April 1, 1811, moved to John Moore's, in West Nant- meal, and commenced to practice medicine. In the winter of 1816-17 he returned to Philadelphia, and attended lcc- tures by Drs. Chapman, Physick, Coxe, Wistar, and .James, after which he resumed his practice at his former location.

Beside a careful attention to the duties of his profession, he was much interested in all public measures, and his pen was often engaged in the advocacy of improvement and reform. This led to his being elected to the State Legisla- ture in 1830, '31, and '32, where he appears to have dis- charged himself of the trust to the satisfaction of his con- stituents.

DR. JOSEPH GRIFFITH was the second son of Jonathan and Sarah Griffith, respectable members of the Society of Friends. He was born in Richland township, Bucks Co., Pa., Aug. 29, 1790.

While in his minority he had no other educational ad- vantages than the limited ones afforded by the common schools of the vicinity. He at first engaged in agriculture, but soon after turned his attention to study, and under the care of a competent teacher in his vicinity qualified him- self for the profession of teaching, which vocation he pur- sued until the spring of 1815, when he commenced the study of medicine in Charlestown village, Chester Co., under the direction of the late Dr. Samuel Nixon. He was a zealous and successful student, and after attending two courses of lectures in the University of Pennsylvania he commenced the practice of medicine near Lionville, Uwchlan township, Chester Co.

Two years after, he resigned his practice to his cousin, Dr. Ellis Lewis, whose pupil he became. He remained with

Dr. Lewis a year, after which he attended a third course of lectures in the University of Pennsylvania, and received the degree of Doctor of Medicine in the spring of 1821. His inaugural thesis was upon dysentery, a disease which prevailed extensively in his neighborhood, and in the man- agement of which he was eminently successful. After ob- taining his degree he located at Kimberton, Chester Co., where he soon gained an extensive practice, in which he incessantly labored until the time of his decease, a period of twenty-eight years.

In December, 1832, he was married to Miss Dorothy Whiteside, an English lady, who, with six children,-four sons and two daughters,-still (1850) survive him.

In practice Dr. Griffith's preference was for surgery and obstetrics, in which departments he was particularly suc- cessful. In his intercourse with the sick he was kind and sympathizing, and in an eminent degree secured the confi- dence and respect of the whole community in which he moved. Towards the poor he was never exacting, ou the contrary, his liberality often rendered him a prey to the dis- honest and unprincipled. In his intercourse with his pro- fessional brethren he was courteous and honorable, strictly observing all the requirements of professional etiquette. Among all classes he was held in the highest esteem, and deep sorrow pervaded the community in which he lived upon the announcement of his sudden death, which occurred on the 10th of August, 1849, of epidemic cholera .- ( Medi- cal Reporter, vol. iii. p. 121).

The name of Griffith is Welsh, and there are many fami- lies bearing it who are in no way related, so far as known.

GRONOW, LEWIS, was one of the early and stanch collaborators of those Chester County patriots who assisted to put the ball in motion which resulted in the independ- ence of these United States. He was one of the county committee which assumed the local government in Decem- ber, 1774, under the auspices of the Continental Congress ; and on March 20, 1775, that committee met at the house of Richard Cheyney, in East Caln, and on motion,

" Ordered, That Mr. Hookley, Mr. Johnston, Mr. Gronow, Mr. Lloyd, Mr. Frazer, Mr. Moore, and Mr. Taylor be a committee to essay a draught of a petition to present to the General Assembly of this province, with regard to the manumission of slaves, especially relating to the freedom of infants hereafter born of black women, within this colony."

In 1777, Mr. Gronow was elected a member of the Gen- eral Assembly for Chester County. He was also a sub-lieu- tenant of the county,-one of the officers having charge of the military organization of the same. On June 17, 1777, an order was drawn in favor of Lewis Gronow, Esq., sub- lieutenant of Chester County, for $4000, for the purpose of procuring substitutes, blankets, etc. And again, March 30, 1780, Col. Robert Smith was appointed lieutenant, and Col. Thomas Cheyney, Lewis Gronow, Andrew Boyd, Thomas Levis, and Robert Wilson were appointed sub- lieutenants of the county of Chester.

Lewis Gronow, it is believed, died soon after this, and his personal history, like that of many other good patriots of those days, seems to be nearly lost ; but his memory re- mains in our archives as that of a faithful servant in his country's cause.

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BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL.

GREEN, THOMAS, with Margaret, his wife, and sons Thomas and John, arrived in this country from England in 1686, and settled in Concord. A daughter, Mary, wife of Richard Moore, dame in company with them. Thomas bought 400 acres of land in 1691, which he divided be- tween his two sons. John died unmarried in or before 1695. From the will of Margaret Green, who died in 1708, it would appear that she had also a son, Robert Green. Thomas Green, Jr., died about 1712, leaving a widow, Sarah, and sons Thomas and Robert. Thomas married Mary -, and lived in East Caln for some time. He seems to have been interested in the subject of iron- works on Brandywine. Robert was born in Concord or Birmingham about the year 1694, and married, 9, 18, 1724, Rachel Vernon, of Bethel, daughter of John and Sarah (Pyle) Vernon. He died in Birmingham, 3, 20, 1779, in his eighty-fifth year, and his wife 2, 17, 1751. Their son, Robert Green, married Hannah Clayton, of West Bradford, 6, 10, 1756, and died in Birmingham, Delaware Co., about 1790, leaving children,-Jesse, Amos, Silas, Robert, Lot, Abigail (married to Nathaniel Hollingsworth), Rachel, and Rebecca.

Jesse Green, born 4, 23, 1757, died 3, 12, 1844, mar- ried, first, 1, 14, 1789, Edith Thatcher, daughter of Wil- liam and Sarah, of Thornbury, and, second, 3, 12, 1795, Mary, daughter of Samuel and Deborah Cope, of East Brad- ford. By the first wife he had one son, William, and by the second John, Edith (married to Thomas Darlington), and Samuel C. Green. Jesse died at the residence of son William, in East Bradford. William Green, born 12, 18, 1791, died 4, 19, 1881, in West Chester. He married Phebe Hatton, who survives him, together with his chil- dren,-Edith, Jesse C., and Ann Eliza. Jesse C. Green is a well-known dentist of West Chester, and aside from his profession is a devoted student of physical science, and president of the Microscopical Society.

GRIER, REV. NATHAN, was the son of John and Agnes (Caldwell) Grier, who came to this country from the north of Ireland. He was born in Bucks Co., Pa., in September, 1760 ; pursued his preparatory studies under the direction of his brother, Rev. James Grier; graduated at the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania in 1783; was licensed by the Presbytery of Philadelphia, and became pastor of the church of "Forks of Brandywine," Chester County, as the successor of Rev. John Carmichael, in 1787. He pos- sessed natural and acquired endowments which fitted him for great usefulness. He had a very commanding voice, and an earnestness and solemnity of manner which secured attention. He spoke as one who felt the weight of minis- terial responsibility. He was a man of great firmness of purpose. What he regarded as duty must be done. In all his relations he always endeavored to know what was right, and to maintain it with vigor and independence. He was possessed of a social disposition, and in familiar inter- course with his friends he received and imparted much enjoyment. His reputation as an eloquent preacher and a learned divine brought under his care an unusual number of students for the ministry. There were at that time no theological seminaries, and young men were trained for the ministry under the direction of the older and more cele-

brated divines. He had under his care at different times twenty students in theology, seventeen of whom entered the ministry of the Presbyterian Church, one the Episcopal ministry, and two never applied for licensure. Among these students were David McConoughy, D.D., who became president of Washington College, Pennsylvania; Levi Bull, D.D., who became an eminent minister in the Episcopal Church ; Robert White, Samuel Parke, and the preceptor's sons, Robert S. Grier and John N. C. Grier. His wife was Susanna, daughter of Robert and Margaret Smith, by whom he had three daughters and two sons. Two of his daughters became the wives of Rev. Robert White and Rev. Samuel Parke, who had pursued their theological studies under his care. His oldest son, Robert S. Grier, was pastor of churches in Carlisle Presbytery, and the young- est, John N. C. Grier, D.D., succeeded his father as pastor of Forks of Brandywine in 1814. Rev. Nathan Grier died March 30, 1814, in the vigor of life, and in the midst of usefulness. He was pastor of the Brandywine Church twenty-seven years.

ROBERT SMITH GRIER, the son of Rev. Nathan and Susanna (Smith) Grier, was born at Brandywine Manor, Chester Co., May 11, 1790. His father was pastor of the Presbyterian Church of the Forks of Brandywine. He was prepared for college at the Brandywine Academy, and graduated at Dickinson College, Sept. 27, 1809. He studied theology under the instruction of his father, and was licensed to preach by New Castle Presbytery, Septem- ber, 1812. He was installed pastor of churches near Em- mettsburg, Md., in April, 1814, and remained in the one charge until his death, Dec. 28, 1865. In his preaching he was clear, energetic, and instructive, and his ministrations were characterized by punctuality, fidelity, and ability. As an illustration of his intrepid fidelity, it may be mentioned that years before the system of slavery appeared to the eye of the nation as it now appears, and although he resided in a State where the system was legalized, he openly opposed it as a crime against God and man, and vindicated all proper measures to deliver the slave from bondage. He lived to see the system eradicated.

GRUBB, JOHN, with his wife Frances, was a resident of Upland as early as 1679, but does not appear to have been settled there as early as 1677. In 1679, jointly with Richard Buffington, he purchased 300 acres of land on the south west side of Chester Creek above Chester, and may have resided there some time. "His occupation was that of tanner. His children were Emanuel, John, Joseph, Henry, Samuel, Nathaniel, Peter, Charity, and Phebe, all of whom were living at the time of his death in 1708. His daughter Charity was married to Richard Beeson prior to his death. He does not appear to have been a Quaker, and probably was an Episcopalian. His age was about sixty years.

Samuel Grubb settled in East Bradford on the farm now of William Gibbons. Nathaniel married Ann Moore and settled in Willistown. He was a member of Assembly, trustec of the loan office, etc. Peter Grubb went to what is now Lebanon County, where he was a prominent iren- master. Phebe married Richard Buffington, Jr., and Simon Hadly.

576

HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

John R Gordon

GORDON, JOHN, an emigrant from Scotland, settled at the time of the Revolutionary war near Downingtown, in this county, and married Jane Downing, of an old-established family at that point. Their son Joseph married Rebecca Rogers, to whom were born eight children, of whom the second child,

JOHN ROGERS GORDON, was born 6th mo. 25, 1817, in Uwchlan township, as was his father before him. He passed his boyhood on the farm, attending the common schools, and one winter at Jonathan Gause's academy at Unionville. He was married, 3d mo. 3, 1847, to Leah A. Essick, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Essick, by whom he had three children, of whom one (William) is liv- ing. His wife died in 1852, and he was the second time married, 4tl mo. 7, 1859, to Deborah H., daughter of Isaac and Mary (Hawley) Smedley. In the spring of 1847 he moved to his present farm of 147 acres. He has repeatedly acted as supervisor. He belongs to the Society of Friends of Uwchlan Meeting, at Lionville. On his paternal side he is of Scotch extraction, and on the mater- nal of Welsh.

Since his first marriage he has built three dwelling- houses, in addition to several barns and many other valuable and lasting improvemcuts to his real estate. His home- stead is splendidly located in a fine section of the county and in a good neighborhood.

GUSS, CHARLES, born in Baden, Germany, in 1732, came to Trappe, Montgomery Co., about 1750, and in 1764 was living in Pikeland township, Chester Co., where he was a school-teacher. He married Mary Shunk, July 12, 1761. She was born May 4, 1741, and died April 30,

1821. Charles died Sept. 1, 1795, and both are buried at Rhodes' Church, in East Vincent.

Their children were Mary Magdalene, b. March 29, 1762; Charles, b. Jan. 3, 1765; Rachel, b. March 29, 1767, m. Conrad Holman ; Catharine and Elizabeth, twins, b. Jan. 30, 1770; Samuel, b. Feb. 15, 1773, d. April 20, 1818, m. Barbara Knerr ; Salome, b. Sept. 10, 1777, m. Conrad Holman. Samuel and Barbara Guss removed to Perry, and thence to Juniata County, and died at Mifflin. They had ten children, of whom their son Samuel, b. July 4, 1796, lived at West Chester, married Sevenia Ruhl, and was the father of Col. Henry R., Samuel, Levi, and Francis M. Guss.

HADLY, SIMON, with Ruth, his wife, came from Ireland about the year 1712 and settled in the edge of New Castle County, near New Garden, where a house built by him in 1717 is still standing and occupied as a residence.

His children were Joseph, b. 8, 25, 1698; Deborah, b. 2, 25, 1701; Joshua, b. 3, 6, 1703; Simon, b. 12, 23, 1704-5, d. 11, 4, 1730-1; Hannah, b. 11, 16, 1709-10; Ruth, b. 12, 6, 1711-2; Katharine, b. 2, 25, 1715; Ann, b. 12, 7, 1717-8. The mother died 12, 18, 1750-1, and was buried at New Garden, after which Simon married Phebe, widow of Richard Buffington, of Bradford. The name is now written Hadley, and the descendants are very numerous in this county and elsewhere.

HAINES, JOHN, was a settler at Lumberton, N. J., as early as 1683, and is said to have lived at first in a cave. Tradition also states that he sent for his father and brothers to come over to this country, and that the father died at sea. There is a deed on record from Edward Byllinge to Richard

577

BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL.

Haines of " Anoe on ye hill, in ye County of Oxon," for 100 acres of land in New Jersey. This " Anoe" is sup- posed to refer to Aynho, in a point of Northampton, which extends into Oxfordshire. Richard Haines was doubtless the father of John, Richard, William, Thomas, and Joseph, who all lived for a time in Burlington County.

John Haines, husbandman, and Esther Borton, both of Northampton River, were married, 10, 10, 1684, in Bur- lington County. She was doubtless the daughter of John and Ann Borton, of Ayno, in the county of Northampton, b. 5, 25, 1667.

John and Esther had children,-John, Elizabeth, Jona- than, Mary, Esther, Isaac, Caleb, Josiah, Rebecca, Phebe, Aon, and perhaps others. The father purchased 965 acres of land in Goslien, Chester Co., in 1702, including that part of West Chester south of Gay Street. He also pur- chased in 1710, 254 acres to the northeast of West Chester. In 1715 he conveyed to his son John 365 acres of the first tract, and by his will, in 1728, devised of the remainder 150 acres, bounded northward by the north line of the Agricultural Society's ground, and eastward by the borough line, to his son Isaac ; to his son John, 50 acres next his other land, and to his daughters, Rebecca, Phebe, Esther, and Mary, each 100 acres. All of these children, except Esther and Mary, came to Goshen. Rebecca married Joseph Matlack, Phebe married John Burros ( Burroughs?), Esther, Thomas Evans, and Mary, Thomas Lippincott.

John Haines, Jr., with Elizabeth, his wife, came from New Jersey in 1711. His wife died about 1726, and in 1728 he married Jane Smith. He returned to New Jer- sey before his death.

Isaac Haines came over as early as 1714, and in that year married Catharine, daughter of Ellis David, of Go- shen. His father conveyed to him in 1717 the 254 acres on the northeast side of West Chester, and there he built a house and made his residence. This land was divided by will between his sons Ellis and Josiah, the latter receiving the homestead part, which in 1787 he sold to William Rogers, from Vincent. The children of Isaac and Catha- rine were Esther, b. 6, 13, 1715; Hannah, b. 1, 4, 1717, m. to John Eachus ; Isaac, b. 8, 10, 1718; Mary, b. 6, 2, 1720, m. William Wall and - Martin ; Jane, b. 12, 18, 1721, m. Joseph Yarnall ; Ellis, m. 8, 10, 1751, to Mar- garet Jones ; Lydia, m. 2, 1, 1748, to Ellis Williams; Jo- siah, m. Ann Husband; Phebe, m. to Daniel Durborow ; Sarah.

Isaac Haines, Jr., was married, 8, 5, 1744, to Mary, daughter of Lawrence and Ellen Cox, of Willistown, and settled on his father's land, on the south side of West Ches- ter. His children were Elisha ; Eleanor, m. to Jacob But- ler and Thomas Frame; Isaac, m. about 1772 to Lydia Davis ; Caleb, b. 6, 17, 1754; Jesse, b. 9, 14, 1756, d. 9, 8, 1856, m. 10, 6, 1785, Rachel Otley, daughter of James and Ann ; John, m. to Jane Sharpless ; Jacob, m. 11, 6, 1783, to Martha Sharpless, 4, 6, 1797, to Mary Hoopes, and 5, 14, 1801, to Lydia Thomson.

The children of Isaac and Lydia Haines were David, Ezra, Mary, Isaac, Lydia, George, and William. The chil- dren of Jesse and Rachel Haines were Mary, Jacob, b. 7, 6, 1788; Reuben, Jesse P., William Ellis, b. 5, 1, 1794, d.

4, 6, 1880, and Thomas. Of these, Jacob married Rachel Ellis, and was the father of Dr. William E. Haines and others.

Ezra Haines, during the latter part of his life, was a mer- chant in West Chester. He was born 12, 2, 1774, and died 5, 28, 1861. His wife was Ann, daughter of Reuben and Lydia (Townsend) John, and their children were John T., Lydia, Eber D., Maria, Reuben, Isaac, and Jane. His brother David was a carpenter and builder in West Ches- ter, and was the father of Benjamin F. Haines, long time keeper of the county prison. George Haincs, another brother, was the father of Garrett (now deceased), Gran- ville B., a merchant in Philadelphia, and of George Haines, of West Chester.

TOWNSEND HAINES* was born at West Chester, Ches- tor Co., Pa., on the 7th day of January, 1792. Caleb, the father of Townsend, was born June 17, 1754. He was living with his father, and had about attained his majority when the war between the colonies and the mother-country began. The Friends of the period, being averse to war, were accused by their ardent and patriotic countrymen of being disaffected to the American cause. Caleb Haines was frequently involved in disputes in consequence of ac- cusations against his friends and family, and came to be re- garded as a partisan of the royal cause. Deeming himself unsafe at home in the heated political condition of the country, he in the fall of 1777, in company with two com- panions of about the same age, fled to Philadelphia, and took refuge with the British army, then occupying that city. There, after a short delay, he enlisted in the troop of Col. Tarleton, and served in that troop to the end of the Revolutionary war. This troop suffered large losses in the campaigns of 1779, '80, and '81, in the Carolinas and Vir- ginia. Caleb Haines stated to me on one occasion that there were three times as many men belonging to this troop killed as it at any time contained. On the termination of the Revolutionary struggle, Caleb Haines became a refugee from his country, and lived in Nova Scotia till an act of amnesty was passed by Congress. He then returned to West Chester, where he married early in 1791. His wife was Ann Ryant, daughter of Charles and Hannah Ryant. She was a woman of poetic temperament, fond of reading, and addicted, when young, to versification. Townsend was her eldest son, and was born in a log house on the West Chester and Wilmington road, about one hundred and fifty yards south of the present residence of Enos Smedley, in the borough of West Chester. The house was standing within forty years, and is still recollected by many of our citizens.

In 1796, Caleb Haines removed from West Chester to a farm in West Goshen, which he leased of the heirs of Fran- cis Hoopes. In 1806 he became a lessee of Mary Ellicott, of 400 acres of the Avondale farm in New Garden, and resided there till April, 1809. He then purchased a farm of 179 acres in East Nottingham, and resided there till his death, Nov. 12, 1846, in the ninety-third year of his age. He was a man of excellent sense, quiet manners, and amiable disposition.

* Memoir prepared by Hon. Joseph J. Lewis.

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HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

The boyhood of Townsend Haines differed in no respect from that of other farmers' sons in a similar condition of fortune. Nine months of each year were spent in assisting in the labors of the farm. During the three winter months of each he usually attended some common country school, in which he learned reading, writing, arithmetic, and ac- quired some general notions of geography. In October, 1809, he entered the boarding-school of Enoch Lewis at New Garden, and remained with him as a pupil about nine months. During this period he became pretty well acquainted with English grammar, improved his knowledge of arithmetic, and studied algebra, geometry, practical sur- veying, mensuration, and trigonometry. In that school he was made for the first time to comprehend the processes by which scientific truth was evolved, and was inducted into

gave particular attention to the branches of study of which she took cognizance.

Townsend Haines left Enoch Lewis' school with the reputation of a youth of bright parts, capable of rapid ac- quisition but indisposed to effort, and rarely doing himself full justice. He immediately engaged to teach a country school, and continued in that occupation for several years, with occasional intervals, however, during which he assisted his father on his farm. While teaching he read exten- sively, and among other subjects, mental philosophy obtained a considerable share of his attention. He also learned to speak in public by attending the meetings of debating soci- eties, in which, after a few discouraging attempts, he became conspicuous as a debater. He was not well satisfied with his avocation as a teacher, and began to look forward to

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History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and biographical sketches, Part 154

Author: Futhey, John Smith, 1820-1888; Cope, Gilbert, 1840-1928 Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts Number of Pages: 1162

Author: Futhey, John Smith, 1820-1888; Cope, Gilbert, 1840-1928
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1162