History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I, Part 43

Author: Roberts, Charles Rhoads; Stoudt, John Baer, 1878- joint comp; Krick, Thomas H., 1868- joint comp; Dietrich, William Joseph, 1875- joint comp; Lehigh County Historical Society
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Allentown, Pa. : Lehigh Valley Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1158

USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I > Part 43

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Fred. B. Gernerd, Harry G. Stiles, Nov., 1889 James L. Schaadt, Nov., 1892 John L. Schwartz, Nov., 1895 Nov., 1907 Lawrence H. Rupp,

Nov., 1893

Wilson P. Reidy, Oct., 1870

Solomon F. Rupp, Oct., 1871

J. Winslow Wood, Oct., 1872 Franklin Harwick, Oct., 1873

Franklin D. Acker,

Alvin F. Diefenderfer, Nov., 1874

Nov., 1874 Frank J. Peter, Nov., 1874 George N. Kramer, Nov., 1878 Jacob S. Renninger,

Nov., 1878 Astor S. Saeger, Nov., 1878 Morris Schmidt, Nov., 1881 Henry C. Kelchner, Nov., 1881 Alexander J. Zellner,

Nov., 1881 Henry C. Kelchner, Nov., 1908 Robert J. Andreas,

Nov., 1884 Clinton O. Fogel, Nov., 1884 Charles S. Shimer,

Nov., 1884

Morris Schmidt, Nov., 1887

Edwin H. Heilman, Nov., 1887

Elected.

E. Henry Knerr, Nov., 1887 Edwin H. Heilman,

Nov., 1890

Frank Brinker, Nov., 1890

Jacob Lichty, .... Oct., 1866

Daniel Miller, . . Oct., 1867 W. J. Hoxworth,. . Oct., 1868

Franklin J. Newhard,

Oct., 1869

Frank Roth, .. Nov., 1893 Frank J. Faust, Nov., 1896 Wm. H. Knauss, Nov., 1896 Thomas P. Roth, Nov., 1896 Alexander Fatzinger,

Nov., 1899 Wm. H. Knauss, Nov., 1899 Richard H. Heil, Nov., 1899 Richard R. Romig, Nov. 1902 Jeremiah G. Roth, Nov., 1902 Harvey J. Wenner,

Harvey J. Wenner, Nov., 1902

Nov., 1905 Peter J. F. Wenner, Nov., 1905 Eugene M. Kemmerer, Nov., 1905 Richard H. Heil, Nov., 1908 Peter J. F. Wenner,

Nov., 1908 Robert J. Andreas, Nov., 1911

Leonard Nagle, District of Salisbury, March 28, 1798. John Van Buskirk, District of Macungie and Weissenberg, Feb. 20, 1799.

Conrad Wetzel. District of Upper Milford, May 14, 1799. Henry Haas, District of Heidelberg and Lowhill, Feb. 24, 1801.

Anthony Stahler, District of Upper Milford, and Upper Saucon, April 2, 1802.

In 1804 the county was redistricted and num- bered. The districts embracing territory in this county were numbered Nos. 4, 7, 8, 10, and II. John Weiss, District No. 11, Lynn and Weissenberg, Oct. 24, 1807.

Daniel Saeger, District No. 11, Lynn and Weissenberg, Oct. William Fenstermacher, District No. 10, Heidelberg and Low- 24, 1807. hill, March 29, 1808.

John Shuler, District No. 8, Macungie and Upper Milford, Anthony Stahler, District No. 8, Macungie and Upper Mil- ford, March 29, 1808. March 29, 1808. Jeremiah Trexler, District No. 8, Macungie and Upper Milford, March 29, 1808.

Adam Daniel, District No. 4, Nazareth, Bethlehem, and Han- over, March 3, 1809. George Brader, District No. 4, Nazareth, Bethlehem, and Hanover, March 15, 1809.

Jacob Sweisshaubt, District No. 4, Nazareth, Bethlehem, and Hanover, July 15, 1809.

Dec. 11, 1810. Jacob Kline, District No. 8, Macungie and Upper Milford, George Yund, District No. 7, Whitehall and Salisbury, Feb. Matthias Gross, District No. 4, Nazareth, Bethlehem, and Hanover, Oct. 30, 1811.

The justices of the peace of the county of Le- high from its erection, in 1812 to 1815, were elected under the districts as laid off by the court of Northampton county. In the latter year new districts were formed and are given below in their order from that time until 1840. From that time the names of the justices of the peace will be found in the several townships.

District No. 7 was composed of the town- ships of Northampton, Salisbury, and White- hall. Leonard Nagle, Peter Gross, and

Nov., 1886

A. P. Troxell, .. Nov., 1887

W. S. Guth, ... Nov., 1888

S. R. Engelman, . . Nov., 1889 Owen Schaadt, . Nov., 1890

William Diebert,. . Nov., 1891 R. M. Roeder, .. Nov., 1891 S. R. Engelman, . Nov., 1892 R. M. Roeder, .. Nov., 1893

Thomas F. Good,. Nov., 1894 Elias Bittner, ... Nov., 1895 Silas G. Croll, .. Nov., 1896 William Deibert,. . Nov., 1897 Elias Bittner, .. Nov., 1898 Silas G. Croll, .. Nov., 1899 Erasmus F. Kern,

Henry Guth, Nov., 1900

Nov., 1901 F. E. Ritter, Nov., 1902

Erasmus F. Kern, Nov., 1903 R. J. Lichtenwalner,

E. E. Ritter, ... Nov., 1905 E. S. Rabenold,. . Nov., 1909 Sylvester D. Wotring, 6, 18II.

Nov., 1908 David M. Landis,. Nov., 1908 E. S. Rabenold, . Nov., 1908 Frank C. Guth, . Nov., 19II David M. Landis, . Nov., 1911 Jeremiah Scherer, . Nov., 1913

Harvey Hankee, Nov., 1911

David Wieser, .. Nov., 1879

Jesse Marks, ... Nov., 1880 John Blank Oct., 1844

Oct., 1847

Owen Schaadt, . Nov., 1884 W. S. Guth, . . Nov., 1885 John W. Schwartz,

223

ORGANIZATION OF LEHIGH COUNTY IN 1812.

Nicholas Saeger were commissioned March 20, 1812; Charles Deshler, March 27th, the same year; Jacob Diehl, on the 11th of Janu- ary, 1813; and Anthony Musick, Feb. 15, 1813. Christian F. Beitel was commissioned justice Sept. 2, 1812, "for the district that in- cludes Hanover." Conrad German was com- missioned justice for the townships of Heidelberg and Lowhill, which were formerly described as District No. 10 in Northampton county; John Fogel as justice for District No. 8, which em- braced the townships of Macungie and Upper Milford, March 12, 1812; and Lorentz Stahler for the same district Feb. 15, 1813; Peter Haas, Jr., as justice for District No. 11, embracing the townships of Lynn and Weissenberg, Jan. 28, 1814; and Henry Haas for the district "recently described" as District No. 10, containing the townships of Macungie and Lowhill.

DISTRICT NO. I, composed of the townships of Hanover, Northampton, and Salisbury.

Commissioned. Commissioned.

Jacob Colver, Sept. 2, 1821 Charles S. Bush, Oct. 28, 1828

Jacob Albright, April 1, 1822

George Keck, Dec. 12, 1823

Jacob Newhard, Feb. 1, 1831

John Ealer, Dec. 12, 1823 Jacob Stein, Nov. 13, 1832

George Marx, Dec. 21, 1824 Jacob Hart, .. Jan. 24, 1835

John Knauss, Jan. 19, 1825 John Y. Krause, April 19, 1826

DISTRICT No. 2, composed of the townships of Upper Saucon and Upper Milford.

Commissioned.

Philip Pierson. May 12, 1834

.. July 3, 1821 Peter Cooper, Aug. 13, 1821

Thomas Romig, July 29, 1831

Daniel Fritz, Dec. 9, 1831

DISTRICT No. 3, composed of the townships of Macungie and Weissenberg.

Commissioned. Commissioned.

George Miller, Oct. 28, 1820

Henry Helfrich, Dec. 5, 1823

Jacob Romig, Dec. 5, 1823 Lewis Larash, Nov. 25, 1837

Samuel Marx, Dec. 26, 1823

George Christman,

Jan. 12, 1827

Geo. Samuel Eisenhard,

Jan. 12, 1827 David Schall, March 2, 1839

DISTRICT NO. 4, composed of the townships of Lynn, Heid- elberg, and Lowhill.

Commissioned.

Henry Long, May 16, 1818

Andrew Shifferstein, .. . Nov. 3, 1820

Peter Haas, Aug. 13, 1821

John Weida, April 25, 1822

John Sieger, Dec. 12, 1823

. Dec. 1, 1835 George Rex, June 16, 1836

DISTRICT NO. 5, composed of the townships of North White- hall and South Whitehall.

Commissioned.

John Sieger, Feb. 5, 1816

George Scheirer,

Thomas Glick, Sept. 24, 1829 Henry Burkhalter, . July 9, 1830

Nov. 27, 1820 Anthony Musick, Dec. 13, 1820

Jonas Hecker, Dec. 12, 1823 Abraham Troxell, July 15, 1826 Daniel Saeger, Aug. 28, 1826 John Nagle, . . April 26, 1827

George Frederick, May 21, 1834 Solomon Goebel, .. June 6, 1836 Joseph Kohler, March 7, 1838 George S. Xander, Feb. 25, 1839

COUNTY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS.

Charles W. Cooper, elected June 5, 1854; resigned Sep- tember, 1855.

Tilghman Good, appointed October, 1855. Hiram H. Schwartz, elected May 4, 1857.

Tilghman Good, elected May 7, 1860; resigned May 22, 1862. Jacob Ross, appointed July 26, 1862.

E. J. Young, elected May 24, 1863, re-elected May 1, 1866; re-elected May 4, 1869.

J. O. Knauss, elected May 7, 1872.

Alvin Rupp, elected May 2, 1893; re-elected May 5, 1896; May 2, 1899; May 6, 1902; May 2, 1905; May 5, 1908; May 2, 1911; May 5, 1914.

Andrew K. Wittman

March 8. 1837

Jonas Seiberling, . June 16, 1836

John Isaac Breinig, Oct. 20, 1838

Willoughby Fogel, . Jan. 29, 1839

Jacob Zimmerman,

W. Fenstermacher, ... Jan. 6, 1832

Peter Schneider, May 21, 1834

George Rhoads, Dec. 9, 1835

Daniel Cooper, Dec. 12, 1815 William H. Long, Charles W. Wieand, April 1, 1836

CHAPTER XI.

THE BENCH AND BAR.

COLONIAL JUSTICES.

The first justice of the peace in the Lehigh Valley was Nathaniel Irish, who was commis- sioned a justice of Bucks county, on April 4, 1741, by Governor Thomas. He settled at the mouth of the Saucon creek as early as 1737, where, in 1743, he owned upwards of 600 acres and a grist mill, whose ruins were still standing a few years ago in the rear of Mr. John Knecht's house in Shimersville, Northampton county. In February, 1743, Irish had an important case to decide, when Conrad Ruetschi, a Swiss, who had squatted on the Simpson tract, (now the site of South Bethlehem) urged his rights of pre-emp- tion, when the Moravians of Bethlehem entered into negotiations with the owner, John Simpson, of Tower Hill, London, through his attorney, for the purchase of the tract of 274 acres. The case was decided against Reutschi, and June 3, 1746, the tract was conveyed to Jasper Payne, for the use of the Moravian Brethren for two hundred pounds, Pennsylvania currency, a sum equivalent to $533.33.

Thomas Craig was commissioned a justice of the peace on December 17, 1745, and on Sept. 25, 1747, Daniel Brodhead was commissioned, and June 30, 1749, Craig and Brodhead were again appointed justices.

Upon the erection of Northampton county in 1752, Thomas Craig, Daniel Brodhead, Timothy Horsfield, Hugh Wilson, James Martin, John Van Etten, Aaron Dupui, William Craig and William Parsons were commissioned on June 9, 1752, as justices in the new county.

The first court was held June 16, 1752, and in the sessions docket is thus recorded :

"At a court of record of our Lord the King, held at Easton, for the county of Northampton, the 16th day of June, in the 26th year of our sovereign Lord George the Second, by the grace of God, King of Great Britain, France and Ire- land, &c., Anno Domini 1752, before Thomas Craig, Timothy Horsfield, Hugh Wilson, James Martin and William Craig, justices of the Lord the King, the peace in the said county to keep, as also divers trespasses and felonies, and other offences in the said county committed, to hear and determine assigned."

The second court was held October 3, 1752; at this session the first grand jury was empanelled,

consisting of James Ralston, William Cassel- berry, Robert Gregg, James Horner, John At- kinson, John Walker, Allen township ;| Robert Lyle, Alexander Miller, Michael Moore, Mount Bethel; Charles Brodhead, Garret Brink, Isaac Van Campen, Benjamin Shoemaker, Smithfield township; David Owen, John Cooken, Upper Saucon township; Lewis Merkle, Macungie township; Nathaniel Vernon, Easton.

Of these, Owen, Cooken and Merkle resided in that section of the county which is now Le- high county.

The first election in the county was held Oc- tober 2, 1752, at Easton, when James Burnsides was elected Member of the Assembly, William Craig, sheriff, and Robert Gregg, Peter Trexler and Benjamin Shoemaker, commissioners.

Of the Colonial Justices of Northampton county, mention will only be made here of those residing in the territory now Lehigh coun- ty. William Plumsted, Esq., commissioned on November 27, 1757, was a resident of Philadel- phia, but had a country seat along the Cedar Creek, which later was sold to Daniel Dorney.

Peter Trexler, of Macungie, was commission- ed a justice in 1753, and his name appears as such in Orphans' Court proceedings Jan. 21, 1754. Nov. 27, 1757, he was re-commissioned. He was elected one of the first county commis- sioners on Oct. 2, 1752, and in the French and Indian War, commanded a company called into service by Benjamin Franklin to garrison the forts on the frontier. In 1755 he was one of six trus- tees of the school erected in Easton by a society whose purpose was to promote the instruction of poor Germans in Pennsylvania.

Lewis Klotz, of Macungie, was a justice in 1752, and was again commissioned on Nov. 27, 1757, Nov. 19, 1764, March 15, 1766, and in 1773 and 1774. He lived a short distance west of Emaus and was a prominent figure in colonial times.

John Everett, of Lynn township, appears to have been a justice in 1753, although his name does not appear in an official list.

George Rex, of Heidelberg township, was com- missioned a justice on November 27, 1757. He was the largest individual land owner in Heidel- berg township, owning 415 acres in 1764. He died in 1773.

224

225

BENCH AND BAR.

On November 19, 1764, James Allen, John Jennings and Henry Geiger were commissioned justices. Allen was the son of Chief Justice Allen, and was admitted to practice in the Su- preme Court, September 26, 1765. He resided at Allentown a portion of the time, but had a residence in Philadelphia, where he died Septem- ber 19, 1778.

John Jennings was the son of Solomon Jen- nings, who participated in the Indian Walk of 1737 and owned the well known Geisinger farm. He was sheriff of the county prior to becoming justice, and again held that office from 1767 to 1769.

Henry Geiger was a resident of Heidelberg township, where he was quite prominent. He was an ensign in the service of the Province in 1755 and in 1757 was commissioned lieutenant of a company stationed at a frontier fort. He was for a time stationed at Fort Allen with a de- tachment of soldiers and at other forts in the vicinity. His record as an officer was very good, and in the Revolutionary War his ability was recognized by a commission as colonel.

Henry Kooken, of Upper Saucon, was com- missioned a justice on March 15, 1766, and again in 1773 and 1774. In 1768 he was taxed for fifty acres in this township and later built a grist mill and saw mill on the site of Dillinger's Mill. He is said to have been of Holland descent.

John Wetzel and Jacob Morey, the last of the king's justices, were commissioned on March 9, 1774. Wetzel lived in Macungie, and later be- came active in the revolution. Morey was a resi- dent of Upper Saucon and lived where is now Lanark. He was of English descent.

Of these colonial justices, one half of the num- ber were of German blood. That these men were of such character and ability as to be appointed to the office of justice, marks them as leaders in their several communities. There seems to have been no law regulating the number of justices in a county, but every section had its justice, who, at the time when court was held, journeyed to Easton, where no less a number than three were empowered to hold the several courts. The courts of Northampton county were held in the different taverns at Easton, until the completion of the court house in 1766. Referring to the courts of that period, a certain writer says:

"Their sessions were extremely ceremonious and imposing. At the present day, no official, however exalted would think of assuming such awful dignity as was then habitual with the justices of Northampton county. On their pass- age to the place of holding court-preceded and followed by constables with badges and staves of office-these provincial justices, in their severe

gravity and cocked hats, were fearful and won- derful personages to behold. But when they mounted the bench, and the court officers com- manded silence, then was the hour of their triumph; for the loyal courtiers of King George, as he sat upon his own throne at Windsor Castle, scarcely regarded their sovereign with more awe and adoration, than the townspeople, and the litigants gave to those worshipful wearers of the county ermine, as they sat in solemn session, in the tavern court-room at Easton."

The last court held under the king was in June 1776, when the Docket was changed from King George III to the Commonwealth of Pennsyl- vania.

The first Constitutional Convention of Penn- sylvania met in Philadelphia, July 15, 1776, and continued in session until Sept. 28, 1776. This body was the highest authority in the state at this time, and on August 1, 1776, passed an ordinance for the relief of the prisoners in the several gaols in the state, in which was the statement, "At this time the courts of justice within this state are surceased, and all process and proceedings, by which suits can be legally commenced, proceeded in, or determined, are by the authority of the people justly and totally suppressed," and de- clared that all persons imprisoned for debt or any criminal offence whatsoever (except for capital offences, or practice against the present virtuous measures of the American states, or prisoners of war) be released and discharged, and named per- sons in each county to hear and discharge the prisoners in said county. In Northampton coun- ty, Robert Traill, Abraham Berlin, and Henry Barnet were so named.

On September 3, 1776, the convention, of which Benjamin Franklin was president, appoint- ed the members of the Council of Safety, which body was chosen by the convention on July 23, 1776, and to which was delegated supreme au- thority after the convention adjourned, justices of the peace for the state. The member of the Council of Safety from Northampton county was Peter Rhoads, Esq., who was thus appointed a justice for the state. On the same day, the con- vention appointed Robert Traill, Jacob Morey, Christopher Wagner, Henry Kooken, John Weitzel, Peter Trexler, Senior, Nicholas Dupui, Evan Morgan, Robert Forgeman and Henry Barnet, justices of the peace for the county of Northampton. Of these justices, Peter Rhoads was a resident of Allentown, Jacob Morey and Henry Kooken of Upper Saucon and Peter Trex- ler of Macungie.

Other justices in that portion of old North- ampton which is now Lehigh county, were Fred- erick Limbach, of Upper Milford; David Desh-

226

HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

ler, of Salisbury township; Mathias Probst, of Lynn, and Jacob Horner, of Heidelberg and Lowhill.

Robert Levers, Robert Traill and Peter Trex- ler were appointed to qualify the justices, and Traill, Trexler, and Morey were again named as justices at the same time as the above named and all were commissioned on June 3, 1777.

On May 28, 1779, Peter Kohler was comis- sioned justice for Whitehall township.

On January 26, 1786, George Breinig was commissioned justice for Macungie and Weissen- berg townships and on November 8, 1788, Lud- wig Stahler for Upper Milford township.

JUDGES.

The constitution of 1790 abolished the system of justices and "a judge learned in the law" was appointed as president judge with associates. Under this constitution they held office during good behavior, practically a life tenure. The con- stitution also provided for the appointment by the governor, of not fewer than three, nor more than four judges in each county. A president judge was also to be appointed to be a resident of the circuit, which included not more than six nor less than three counties. The salary of the president judge at that time was £500 a year, Pennsylvania currency.

HON. PETER RHOADS, first President Judge of Northampton county, was born in Whitehall township, in April, 1737. He received an ex- cellent education for that early period among the Quakers, and became a merchant. At the open- ing of the revolution he became active in the cause of the colonies, and was elected a member of the first Constitutional Convention of Pennsylvania, held at the state house in Philadelphia from July 15 to Sept. 28, 1776. He was later elected to represent Northampton county in the Council of Safety, the governing power of the state until March 17, 11777. He was a member of the Assembly from 1777 to 1781, and on Oct. 7, 1784, was appointed and commissioned by the Supreme Executive Council, President Judge of the Court of Common Pleas and of General Quarter Sessions for Northampton county. His commission, signed by James Ewing, vice presi- dent of Pennsylvania, with the seal of the state attached and recorded in Book D., Vol. I, page 239, by John Arndt, recorder, is in the possession of the writer, his great-great grandson.

On Oct. 22, 1787, Judge Rhoads was chairman of the meeting held at Bethlehem, approving of the Federal Constitution. He was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1789-90, and under that constitution commissioned an associ- ate judge, Aug. 17, 1791. This position he held

until 1812, when he was appointed senior associ- ate judge in Lehigh county, then erected princi- pally through his efforts, which position he held until his death, making a total service of 30 years on the bench.

Judge Rhoads was president of the Lehigh Navigation Company, and the first burgess of Allentown in 1811, and re-elected in 1812. He was an active Federalist, and wielded a great in- fluence in the town and county. He died at his residence on North Seventh street, Allentown, on Sunday evening, Dec. 18, 1814, aged 77 years and 8 months.

HON. JACOB RUSH, second President Judge of Northampton county, was appointed in 1791 president judge of the Third Judicial District, composed of the counties of Northampton, Berks, Northumberland, and Luzerne, as erected by the act of April 13, 1791, in accordance with the constitution of 1790. He was born in Byberry township, Philadelphia county in 1746, and was a descendant of John Rush, a captain in Crom- well's army, who immigrated to America in 1863. The death of his father in 1753 left him an orphan at the age of seven years, but a moderate inheritance enabled him to obtain a liberal edu- cation. In 1765 he graduated at Princeton. He was in active service in several campaigns of the Revolutionary War. In September, 1777, he was admitted to the bar at Philadelphia, where he rose rapidly in his profession and early reached the favorable notice of leading men of the day through the influence of his brother, the famous physician, Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He was a mem- ber of the Provincial Convention held at Phila- delphia in January, 1775, and represented Phila- delphia county in the Assembly in 1779-80. On the 26th of February, 1784, he was commissioned a justice of the Supreme court of Pennsylvania; he also served as a member of the high court of errors and appeals prior to the adoption of the constitution of 1790. In 1791 he was appointed president of the court of the third judicial dis- trict. To this position he brought a judicial ex- perience probably unequaled by that of any of his successors upon their accession to the bench. He continued to perform the duties of his extensive district, (which, in 1801, embraced Lycoming and Wayne counties in addition to those men- tioned) until Jan. 1, 1806, when he was com- missioned president judge of the court of com- mon pleas for Philadelphia county. In this po- sition he remained until his death.

David Paul Brown, a practicing attorney of Philadelphia county forty years and author of "The Forum," gives his estimate of Judge Rush in the following language:

227

BENCH AND BAR.

"He was a man of great ability, and great firm- ness and decision of character. He was also an eloquent man. Perhaps there are few specimens of judicial eloquence more impressive than those which he delivered during his occupation of the bench. An accurate idea of his style may readily be formed from an extract from his charge to the grand jury in 1808, and his sentence pronounced upon Richard Smith for the murder of Corson in 1816. We refer as much to the high moral tone of his productions as to their literary and intellectual power. Some of his early literary essays were ascribed to Franklin, and for their terseness and clearness were worthy of him."

Judge Rush's charges to the jury generally and his legal decisions were marked by soundness of principle and closeness of reason. Having been a judge of the supreme court and of the high court of error and appeals, he never appeared to be satisfied with his position in the common pleas; yet, his uprightness of conduct and un- questioned abilities always secured to him the respect and confidence, if not the attachment, of his associates, the members of the bar, and the entire community. He was one of the gentle- men of the old school, plain in his attire, unob- trusive in his deportment, but, while observant of his duties toward others, never forgetful of the respect to which he himself was justly entitled.

As an author his works include: "Resolves in Committee Chamber, Dec. 6, 1774," (Phila. 1774); "Charges on Moral and Religious Sub- jects" (1803); "Character of Christ," (1806) ; and "Christian Baptism," (1819). In Reed and Dickinson's controversy regarding the character of Benedict Arnold, he espoused the cause of the latter. A novel, "Kelroy," was written by his daughter, Rebecca, (Phila. 1812).

While president judge of the third district, he resided in Reading. He died at Philadelphia, January 5, 1820.

HON. JOHN SPAYD, third President Judge of Northampton county, was born in Dauphin coun- ty in January, 1764. He acquired a classical edu- cation, read law, and was admitted to the bar Feb- ruary 14, 1788, and began practicing at Reading, where he attained great prominence. He served as presiding judge in Northampton county with ability from 1806 to 1809. During the years of 1795 and 1810 he was a member of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania and devoted the re- mainder of his life to the practice of law at Reading. He went to the city of Philadelphia for surgical relief from a disease with which he had long suffered, underwent an operation, but the result was beyond the control of human skill and he died there at two A. M., October 13, 1822, in the 58th year of his age. His remains

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History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I, Part 43

Author: Roberts, Charles Rhoads; Stoudt, John Baer, 1878- joint comp; Krick, Thomas H., 1868- joint comp; Dietrich, William Joseph, 1875- joint comp; Lehigh County Historical Society Publication date: 1914 Publisher: Allentown, Pa. : Lehigh Valley Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1158

Author: Roberts, Charles Rhoads; Stoudt, John Baer, 1878- joint comp; Krick, Thomas H., 1868- joint comp; Dietrich, William Joseph, 1875- joint comp; Lehigh County Historical Society
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Allentown, Pa. : Lehigh Valley Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1158