History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and biographical sketches, Part 164

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

USA > Pennsylvania > Chester County > History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and biographical sketches > Part 164

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).

In March, 1814, an act of Assembly was passed authoriz- ing the establishment of the Bank of Chester County, and Jesse John was one of the nine commissioners appointed by the act to receive subscriptions to the capital stoek of said bank. He was chosen one of the directors at three successive elections. Having served out his clerkship of the courts for nine years, he removed with his family to the West, and settled in Muskingum Co., Ohio, in 1819. In that prosperous region he passed the remainder of his days, and departed this life May 21, 1861, aged ninety-one years.

Jesse John was for many years a devoted member of the Baptist Church ; at all times a zealous Republican and an earnest patriot.

615

BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL.

JOB, ANDREW, was an early settler in and near Chester, but was not among the earliest. He was married to Eliza- beth Vernon in 1692. Both as a member of the Society of Friends and as a citizen be maintained a good standing. In 1697 he served the office of sheriff, and in 1702 he represented Chester County in the Provincial Assembly, and about 1704 removed to the new settlement of Notting- ham, where he died 4, 5, 1722. His children were Ben- jamin, b. 8, 13, 1693, d. 9, 1, 1693; Jacob, b. 5, 26, 1694; Thomas, b. 9, 22, 1695, m. Elizabeth Maxwell, a niece of Daniel Defoe, 8, 28, 1725 ; Mary, b. 1, 23, 1696-7, m. John White, 8, 31, 1717; Enoch, b. 7, 9, 1698, died young; Enoch, b. 11, 6, 1700-1, d. 1731, m. Abigail Gat- chell; Abraham, b. 6, 22, 1702, m. Sarah Gatchell, 9, 24, 1726 ; Caleb, b. 5, 26, 1704; Joshua, b. 1, 2, 1706-7, m. Margaret MeCoy, I, II, 1730-1; Hannah, b. 8, 24, 1708; Patience, b. 7, 2, 1710, m. Robert McCoy.

JOHNSON, ROBERT, and wife, Margaret ( Berthwaite), came from Ireland, and settled in New Garden, where he died in 1732, leaving children,-Benjamin, James, Joshua, Robert, Abigail, and Ann. Abigail became the wife sue- cessively of Thomas Wickersham, Isaae Baily, and Morde- cai Cloud. A son, Caleb Johnson, died in 1728, and a daughter, Sarah, in 1718.

Joshna Johnson, born 7, 29, 1696, at Coleboy, in the county of Wieklow, married Sarah, daughter of Gayen and Margaret Miller, born 9, 1, 1704, in Kennet, and they had children,-James, Lydia, Margaret, William, Sarah, Joshua, Hannah, Robert, Dinah, Rebecca, and David.

Robert Johnson, Jr., married Katharine, daughter of Simon and Ruth Hadly, and had children,-Hannah, Simon, Caleb, Lydia, Stephen, Jonathan, and Isaac.

Benjamin Johnson married, 9, 5, 1729, Mary, daughter of Ephraim and Rachel Jackson, of Edgmont.

JOHNSTON, FRANCIS, son of Alexander Johnston, of New London, was among the earliest and most earnest of the Whigs of Chester County who led the opposition to the measures of Britain, which resulted in the war of inde- pendence. When the master-spirits of that day assembled to organize resistance to tyranny, we almost invariably find An- thony Wayne presiding at the meetings in Chester County, and Francis Johnston acting as secretary. In the beginning of January, 1776, the Committee of Safety recommended the following field-officers for the Fourth Pennsylvania Battalion, then to be raised : For colonel, Anthony Wayne, of Chester County ; for lieutenant-colouel, Francis Johns- ton, of Chester County ; for major, Nicholas Hausecker, of Lancaster County. They were accordingly appointed by the Continental Congress. Of the eight captains in that battalion, six were from Chester County, viz .: Persifor Frazer, Thomas Robinson, Caleb North, Frederick Vernon, James Moore, and James Taylor.

At the close of the campaign of 1776, Lieut .- Col. Johns- ton returned to Chester County, on account, it is believed, of ill health. The following letter from Francis Johnston to Gen. Mifflin may serve to indicate the harsh feelings which prevailed in those trying times :

" CROSS-ROADS, Dec. 21, 1776.

"DEAR GENERAL,-I hope the subject of this letter will serve as a sufficient apology for the liberty I take in writing to you. I think it

my duty to inform you of the strange and perverse change io politics which hath taken place through a great part of this county, Eveo some quondam associstors, as well as conscientiously scrupulons men, totally refuse to accept Congress money as payment for old debts; and there are some so maliciously averse to our support of liberty that they refuse to part with any commodity whatsover, even the neces- saries of life, unless they get hard money, or the old paper currency of this province. Most of the tavern-keepers (who are Friends) on the Lancaster road have pulled down their sigos, and refuse the sol- diery provisions or drink; they will assign you no reason for such conduct. The reason, however, is too evident : they are afraid to re- ceive Congress money. The other day a man offered the sum of £300 Congress for £150 Pennsylvania currency. While people are suffered thus to depreciate that money by which we carry on the present war, and are passed by, unnoticed and with impunity, I cannot hesitate a moment in pronouncing the contest near an end, sud, what I dread, an inglorious one, too.

" What officer or soldier will enter into the service in future if the common and imioediate necessaries of life are denied them, because they have it not in their powor to lay down sny other than Congress money ? Inelosed, I beg leave to send you a Resolve, which, in my weak judgment (if adoptel by ('ougress), would remedy every incon- venience. If you should like it, yon no doubt will exert your influ- eoce with that august body to have it passed as soon as possible. I am, dear sir, sincerely yours, etc., F. JOHNSTON.

"' Resolved, That all persons, to whom debts are now, or shall henceforth become due, who shall refuse to accept Continental money, from his or their debtors in discharge of such debts (it being first properly tendered them in the presence of two witnesses), shall be, and they are hereby forever debarred from the recovery of such debts, and are hereby ordered to deliver up any boud, bill, or note, upon which such debt may have become due, unto the said debtor or debt- ors, under the pains and penalties of fine and imprisonment, etc.'"

The proposition of Col. Johnston seems to have been promptly adopted.

" In Congress, Dec. 27, 1776:

" Resolved, That the Council of Safety of Pennsylvania be requested to take the most vigorous and speedy measures for punishing all such as shall refuse Continents) currency, and that the General be directed to give all necessary aid to the Council of Safety for carrying their measures on this subject into effectusl execution. By order of Con- gress. JOHN HANCOCK, President."

In March, 1777, the Fifth Pennsylvania Regiment was organized, with the following field-officers, viz .: Colonel, Francis Johnston ; Lieutenant-Colonel, Persifor Frazer, of Chester County ; Major, Thomas Robinson.

Col. F. Johnston to Mrs. (Persifor) Frazer :

" CROSS-ROADS [NEW LONDON], Oct. 1, 1777.

"DEAR MADAM,-I should have written to you sooner, but uufor- tunately fell sick immediately after the action at Chadsford.

" I am heartily sorry for your loss [the capture of Col. Frazer]. I trust, however, that it will be of short duration, ss I have great reason to believe a general exchange of prisoners will soon take place. The enemy will find your husband a man of honor and a gentleman; so that you have nothing to fear. He will be treated well.

" If you have not already sent some hard cash and clothing to the colonel, you will please let me know, that I may use my endeavors to procure some hard money, which, with his baggage, shall. be sent with a flag of truce the carliest opportunity. I should be glad to know whether my papers, and some little clothing, which I had in the colonel's chest, be secure, and where they are.

"I am, dear madam, yours, etc., " FR. JOHNSTON.

"N. B .- When you write, send your letter to camp."

Col. Johnston became a citizen of Philadelphia after the Revolution, and was elected to the office of sheriff in 1810. His death is stated to have occurred Feb. 22, 1815.

JONES, REV. DAVID .- The Rev. David Jones, A.M., was a son of Morgan and Eleanor Evans Jones, and a grandson of David and Esther Morgan Jones, and was born

616

HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

in New Castle Co., Del., May 12, 1736. His grandparents were natives of Wales, and his grandmother was a daughter of the famous Morgan ap Rhydderch, a devout man, and a preacher among the Baptists.

His early life was devoted to agricultural pursuits, but desiring to enter the ministry, he turned his attention to the study of divinity, and after the usual preparatory

David jones.

studies he was licensed in 1761, and in the course of a few years became an eminent preacher among the Baptists. The hours which could be spared, in early life, from his pastoral charge and ecclesiastical researches were employed in obtaining a knowledge of the ancient languages, which he conceived to be of importance in the line of his pro- fession. By intense application he acquired a respectable acquaintance with the Latin and Greek languages, the study of which opened to him not only the fields of the literature, but also those of the politics and manners of those distinguished nations of antiquity. From these sources he gathered a rich harvest of information, which the strength of his memory enabled him at all times to draw on, and apply to the purposes of enriching the minds of some and gratifying the taste of others.

He was a missionary among the Indians of the Ohio Valley in 1772 and 1773.

In 1775 he removed to Chester County, and took charge of the Great Valley Baptist Church, in Tredyffrin town- ship.

In 1776 he was appointed a chaplain in the army. He served in that capacity under Gens. Gates and St. Clair, and was with Gen. Wayne from 1777 to 1783.

It has been often said that the hand of Providence could be evidently traced throughout the Revolutionary struggle of these United States. It might also be justly added that the same hand was not less conspicuous in the raising up of men suited both to originate and conduct it. Among those illustrious men the Rev. David Jones well deserves to be ranked. Long and tedious were the dissensions which pre- ceded the commencement of actual hostilities between the mother-country and her colonies. In these the Rev. Mr.

Jones bore a conspicuous part, both by his voice and pen ; to each of which his age and talents gave peculiar efficacy. When every remonstrance to the British throne and Par- liament had failed, and no alternative remained other than the surrender of our rights or the glorious defense of them, the Rev. David Jones, without hesitancy, resolved to follow the eagles of his country with the banner of the Cross ; and this he faithfully did, from the frozen lakes of Canada to the burning sands of Florida. His usefulness in the Rev- olutionary war was by no means limited to the functions of chaplain to a brigade, but also displayed itself in other im- portant departments of the army. He had early in life (after he had entered holy orders) acquired, under eminent instructors, a very respectable knowledge of medicine and surgery, which enabled him to render essential services at different junctures of the war, when a variety of casualties had reduced the requisite number of the medical staff.

He also afforded eminent services in -reconnoitring the enemy, in which employment he frequently hazarded his life for the benefit of his country ; and to his honor be it added that nearly all of those valuable services were volun- tarily and gratuitously bestowed in behalf of the great cause which he had espoused with so much zeal.

He was in the battle of Brandywine, and narrowly es- caped death at the Paoli massacre. He was also in the battle of Germantown, and was with the army at Valley Forge in the memorable winter of 1777-78, near to which was his home. It is said that his spirited and patriotic addresses tended to greatly inspire the soldiers.

At the close of the Revolutionary war Mr. Jones re- assumed the pastoral charge of the Baptist congregation in the Great Valley, Chester County. To this and agri- cultural pursuits his time was chiefly devoted until the year 1793. Early in that year he was appointed chaplain to the army of the United States, then under the command of Maj .- Gen. Anthony Wayne. A strang detachment of this army was destined to subdue the hordes of savage In- dians, then generally in hostility against the United States. This was an arduous and hazardous enterprise, as the greater portion of the western and south western country was a wilderness, almost exclusively in possession of tlie savages, who had been recently elated and rendered more barbarous in consequence of two signal victories obtained over the forces of Harmar and St. Clair. During this Indian war the veteran chaplain rendered most valuable services, in the performance of which, as in the Revolution- ary struggle, his life was frequently in jeopardy. His knowledge of the Indian character, and of the geography of their wilderness country, which he had acquired while a missionary among them, enabled him to aid materially in promoting judicious movements of the army, in garrisoning the country, and in practicing the address necessary to be observed in bringing about a final adjustment of the dis- putes between those hostile tribes and the United States. Upon the settlement of our difficulty with the Indians, and the evacuation of Fort Detroit and its dependencies by the British, the Rev. David Jones retired from the public ser- vice, and returned to his farm in Chester County. In the peaceful occupation of husbandry, and preaching the gospel, his time was amply employed until the war of 1812. Soon

617

BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL.

after the commencement of the " second war of independ- ence," Mr. Jones was appointed a chaplain in the Northern Department of the army, in which capacity he remained, sincerely reverenced and esteemed, until the conclusion of the conflict. A gallant officer of the American army on the Canadian frontier related the following characteristic anecdote : When the venerable chaplain arrived at the lines he held religions service, and such was the patriotic fervor of the prayer with which it was concluded that the troops spontaneously responded with three hearty cheers ! After the termination of this third war in which the Rev. David Jones had served, he resumed his agricultural em- ployments, and having no particular pastoral charge, he preached the gospel in sections of the country wherever he supposed it was most needed.

Sept. 20, 1817, he delivered an address at the dedication of the first monument erected at the Paoli massacre grounds, and this proved to be the last occasion that he officiated in public.

He always wore the cue, the cockade hat, the breeches, the shoe- and knee-buckles ; in short, the dress of a gentle- man of "ye olden time."

The pious old patriot departed this life Feb. 5, 1820, in the eighty-fourth year of his age. His remains rest in the cemetery of the Baptist church, Chester Valley, where a marble tablet records a brief memorial of his faithful and most exemplary career.

REV. HORATIO GATES JONES, D.D. -. Rev. David Jones had four children who survived him, the youngest of whom, named Horatio Gates Jones, in honor of Gen. Horatio Gates, under whom the chaplain served for a time, was born in Easttown, Chester Co., Feh. 11, 1777. He became a Baptist minister, and was pastor of a church in Salem, N. J., until 1805, when he removed to Roxborough, Philadelphia. In 1809 he established the Lower Merion Baptist Church, and served it as pastor until his death, Dec. 12, 1853. He was a man of distinguished presence, an eloquent speaker, and a ready writer. He filled positions of prominence in the church and in the community in which he lived, where he was highly esteemed. The de- gree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred upon him by the university at Lewisburg, Pa.

He left four sons,-Hon. J. Richter Jones, for many years a judge of the courts of Philadelphia, and afterwards colonel of the 58th Pennsylvania Volunteers, at the head of which he fell at Newbern, N. C., in 1863; Cel. Charles Thompson Jones, Nathan Levering Jones, and Hon. Horatio Gates Jones, the latter of whom is a member of the Philadelphia bar, and has since 1874 been a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate, in which he has made himself somewhat famous as an advocate of religious liberty.

REES JONES, with his wife, Hannah, and children, Richard, Lowry, and Evan, from Merionethshire, arrived in Pennsylvania 7, 17, 1684, and settled in Merien, where the father died 11, 26, 1697. In his will the name is given as Rees John William. Besides the children born in Wales, there were five others,-John, Edward, Jane, Sarah, and Margaret.

Richard married Jane Evans and, after her death, Re-

becca (Vernon) Garrett, and settled in Goshen, where he died 7, 16, 1771. He was a surveyor and conveyancer, clerk and recorder for Goshen Monthly Meeting many years, and a very useful citizen. By his first wife he had a son, Rees, who mn. 1, 23, 1731-2, Amy Cock, daughter of Henry and Mary Cock, of Long Island. Their son, Benjamin Jones, married Rebecca Eavenson, and settled in Westtown, near the present railroad station. Their chil- dren were Lydia, m. Richard Eavenson ; Elizabeth, m. Je- seph Fox ; Amy; Phebe, m. Thomas Massey; Hannah, m. Isaac Hoopes; Benjamin, m. Ann James; John, un- married; Sidney, b. 11, 13, 1792, m. Abraham Hoopes and Benjamin Sharpless ; Amy, m. Isaac T. Larkin; Re- becca, m. Joseph Larkin ; Rees, b. 1800, m. Elizabeth Strode.

GRIFFITH JOHN, whose children bore the name of Jones, came from Wales about 1712, and settled in Tredyf- frin, on a farm about one mile west of New Centreville, on the State road, which has for many years been owned by Samuel Stearn and family. He died in 1753, and was buried at the Great Valley Baptist church, where also seven succeeding generations now lie. In the history of the church the family is frequently mentioned. A brother, Henry John, also came to this country, but is net known to have left children.

The children of Griffith were Samuel, William, Thomas, Margaret (married, June 8, 1739, Evan James), and John, whe inherited the homestead. Samuel Jones lived en his father's farm during the Revolutionary war, and a British or Hessian general is said to have had his headquarters in his house, and took all his horses but one, which they could not catch. While the British were there Nathaniel Jones (his son) went to the mill and remained absent several days. Every day the British would say to the parents, " Well, we caught him to-day ; we caught the rebel to-day."

Samuel had three sons,-Enoch, William, and Nathaniel, -and perhaps daughters. William left a daughter, who married a Mr. Henderson. Nathaniel, it is thought, mar- ried his brother William's widow, and had a large family, whose descendants are numerous in the West.

Enoch Jenes married Sarah Davis, of Easttown, and re- mained on a part of his father's farm. He was a good man, but stern, and would not allow his boys te whistle, even ahout the farm, nor to wear suspenders, then coming into fashion. Of his children, Spicer, with a large family, went West. Nathaniel m. Mary Lawrence, and resided on a small farm near the Great Valley Baptist church, in which neighborhood some of his children live. Thomas Jones m. Eliza Todd, and was a farmer in the Valley, near Warren tavern; had the Cedar Hollow lime-kilns, a lum- ber-yard at Lumberville, on the Schuylkill, and another at West Chester, hauling from the former to the latter by horses. He was one of the associate judges of Chester County, a justice of the peace for nineteen years; was brigade inspector of Pennsylvania militia, and captain of the Chester and Delaware County Union Troop, which escorted Lafayette on his visit here in 1825. Samuel married Hannah Johnson, of Londongrove, was a farmer, and left a son and daughter, who live with their mother near Wayne Station. John married Mary Ann McLean and (second)

618

HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Elizabeth Pennypacker. He was a fierce Abolitionist, a hater of tobacco, alcohol, and secret societies, and went to Oberlin, Ohio, to educate his children because all races were admitted there. He died near Phoenixville. Enoch, Jr., bought a farm near Chester Springs, upon which a valuable deposit of iron ore was found. He left descendants. Betsy married Joseph Bartholomew. Martha married Capt. Sam- uel Davis, ucar Phoenixville, and her daughter is the wife of Dr. Nathan A. Pennypacker, of Schuylkill township.

The children of Thomas and Eliza Jones, who left fami- lies, were D. Todd Jones, who lately died at Doe Run, Mrs. John Mustin, of Philadelphia, Sarah, who married John M. Philips, of Atglen, and Mrs. Isaac Acker, of Rosenvick.

Horatio Jones, eldest son of John, last mentioned, was appointed by President Lincoln a territorial judge of Ne- vada, since which he served a full term upon the bench in St. Louis, and, declining re-election, is now practicing law in that city. G. M. P.

1855. In that year the proprietor retiring, he, in connec- tion with Nathan Wagoner, a fellow-clerk, purchased and carried on the store under the name of Kaler & Wagoner. This association continued until 1873, when it was dissolved by the death of his partner, but the firm yet continued in the same name, Mrs. Mary Ellen Wagoner succeeding her husband. The business under the management of this firm grew rapidly, until it became one of the most pros- perous in the county, and so continued. He married in September, 1860, Anne Olivia Nyce, by whom he had four children, one of whom, Anne, the youngest, is living. After the decease of his first wife he married, July 16, 1874, Anne S., daughter of Samuel and Susan White, for many years a popular and successful teacher in Phoenix- ville, and a lady of rare and marked culture. In 1856 lie was elected member of the school board, was twice re-elected, and served until 1862. During his term of service all the schools were graded and new houses built, in which he was

Sen.Bkaler

KALER, LEVI B .- Matthias Kaler, a native of Ger- many, settled in Berks County, and his son John married Elizabeth Olmstead, descended from Heinrich Olmstead, one of the first settlers near Skippack Valley, in Montgomery County, and on her mother's side from the old Boyer family. Levi B. Kaler, their son, was born Jan. 26, 1828, in Berks County. He was educated in the public or sub- scription schools, and was for some time a pupil of Rev. Henry Miller, a noted educator of his day. His winters were spent at school, and the summers working on the farm. In 1847, at the age of nineteen, he went to Phoenixville and engaged as salesman with William Nyce in the dry- goods and grocery business, with whom he remained until

largely instrumental. He was elected to the borough coun- cil in 1872, re-clected in 1873, and was influential in the building and completion of the new water-works; was elected chief burgess in 1874, and served one year. He was one of the originators and first directors of the Pho- nixville National Bank, and has continued as a director almost uninterruptedly to the present time. Also one of the incorporators of the Morris Cemetery in 1865, he has been its secretary from the date of its charter. He is clerk and treasurer of the Central Union Association of Baptist Churches, having as the latter succeeded Uriah V. Pennypacker fifteen years ago, and has acted as the former for ten years. For fifteen years he has been superintendent

619

BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL.

of the Baptist Sunday-school, and for a long time a deacon in that church. The firm of Kalcr & Wagoner were the first to introduce into Phoenixville gas for lighting pur- poses. He took a prominent part in the construction of the " Masonic Hall," and was president of its board of managers. In the Blue Lodge he has served in all the positions, and in the Masonic order taken all the degrees up to Knight Templar. He is a director in the Pickering Valley Railroad, is connected with the Penn Mutual In- surance Company of Chester County, and president of the Phoenix Creamery Association. He is emphatically a self- made man. He began life with no capital save a resolute will and good character, and by his industry has attained to success in business and the enjoyment of a handsome com- petence. Originally a Whig, he identified himself with the Republican party from its very organization, and has repeatedly served as a delegate in county and State conven- tions. He has often and favorably been spoken of for pub- lic positions, and especially in 1880 for member of the Legislature.

KELTON, JAMES, born 1695, in Scotland, came from the north of Ireland to this country prior to 1735, and re- sided for a time in New London, afterwards purchasing 500 acres of land in Londongrove, near the present West Grove. Here he built a house, which is still standing. His first . wife, Margaretta, born 1699, in Scotland, died at West Grove, aged sixty-five, leaving no children. At the age of seventy-five years he married Mary Hackett, aged eightcen, of New Garden, near Avondale. He died in 1781, and his widow married a Mr. Fryer and went to Tennessee. By his will he directed that his son James should be taught Latin and Greek if he desired it.

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 Chester County, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and biographical sketches, Part 164

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