History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 234

Author: Bean, Theodore Weber, 1833-1891, [from old catalog] ed; Buck, William J. (William Joseph), 1825-1901
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1534

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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).

The ancestry of Charles Paxson and of his wife, Agnes Tyson, is traced back respectively to two brothers,-William and James Paxson, who came from Bucks County, England, to America, in the ship "Samuel," in 1682, and settled at Middletown (now Langhorne), in Bucks County, Pa. The first-mentioned William Paxson married Mary Packingham, and they

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

became the parents of William Paxson, the second, who was married, in 1711, to Mary Watson. Their son, William Paxson, the third, was married, in 1740, to Anna Marriott, daughter of Thomas Marriott and his wife, Martha Kirkbride, who was a daughter of Joseph and Phebe (Blackshaw) Kirkbride and agrand- daughter of Randle Blackshaw. William and Anna (Marriott) Paxson were the parents of Joshua Pax- son, who, with his wife, Mary (Willett) Paxson, were the parents of Charles Paxson, the subject of this memoir and the great-great-grandson of the William Paxson who came to America in 1682. On the ma- ternal side his ancestry is traced still further back, to

The lineage of Agnes Tyson, wife of Charles Pax- son, is traced back to James, the brother of the first William Paxson, who, as before mentioned, came to America and settled in Bucks County in 1682. Wil- liam Paxson, son of James and Jane Paxson, was born October 25, 1675, and died in May, 1719. He was married, December 20, 1695, to Abigail, daughter of George Pownell. Their son, Thomas Paxson, was married, in 1731, to Jane Canby, daughter of Thomas and Mary (Oliver) Canby and granddaughter of Benjamin Canby and of Evan Oliver. Thomas Pax- son died in October, 1782. His son, Jacob Paxson, was married, November 13, 1777, to Mary Shaw,

William & Potts

Thomas Cornell, whose daughter, Sarah Cornell, mar- ried Thomas Willett; and their son, Col. Thomas Willett (baptized in 1645), married Helena, daughter of Elbert Stoothoff. Their son, John Willett, mar- ried Mary, daughter of John Rodman. They were the parents of Jonathan Willett, whose wife, Deborah Lawrence, was a daughter of Obadiah Lawrence, the granddaughter of Major William Lawrence and his wife, Deborah Smith, and the great-granddaughter of William Lawrence, and of Richard Smith. Jonathan and Deborah (Lawrence) Willett were the parents of Mary Willett, wife of Joshua Paxson and mother of Charles Paxson.

daughter of Jonathan and Sarah Shaw. A daughter of Jacob and Mary (Shaw) Paxson was Sarah Pax- son, who became the wife of John Tyson and mother of Agnes Tyson, wife of Charles Paxson.

WILLIAM C. POTTS.

William C. Potts, of Upper Dublin township, and one of its most widely-known and prominent men, as he is also one of its most prosperous farmers, is of Welsh extraction, directly descended from the first emigrants of that family name,-David and Alice Potts, - who came from Wales to Pennsylvania, and settled at Germantown nearly, if not quite, two hun-

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UPPER DUBLIN TOWNSHIP.

dred years ago. Among their descendants of two or three generations later was John Potts, who, in 1760, was married to Hannah Davis. Their farm was one of about one hundred and fifty acres, in which was included about fifty acres of the homestead property, now owned and occupied by their great-grandson, William C. Potts, in Upper Dublin. The house in which he now lives was built by John Potts for his son Thomas at the time of bis marriage. It was occupied by Thomas Potts, the elder, during his life, and after him by his son, Thomas Potts, the father of William C. John Potts, the great-grandfather, died in 1808. His son Thomas was born July 7, 1761, and died March 2, 1812. His son, Thomas Potts, the second, was born February 23, 1802, and died Feb- ruary 4, 1870. His wife was Caroline Cooper, daughter of William Cooper, of Horsham township. She died in 1851.

William C. Potts, sou of Thomas and Caroline (Cooper) Potts, was born November 10, 1827, in the house where he now lives, and which had been the home of his father and grandfather hefore him. The only other child of Thomas and Caroline C. Potts was Thomas Elwood Potts, who is now living on a good farm near his brother's, in Upper Dublin. The youth of William C. Potts was passed in the manner usual to farmers' boys of bis time,-working on the farm in the summer season, and in winter attending the common schools, which furnished his only means of education. In 1855 he commenced farming for himself on the farm of his father, who at that time retired from the active pursuits of agriculture, but continued to live at the homestead with his son until his death, in 1870. The farm of Thomas l'otts, which was seventy-seven acres in area, became the property of his son, William C., who has been very successful, not only as a farmer, but in other business enterprises. By subse- quent purchase he has increased the farm to one hundred and five acres, well stocked and under ex- cellent cultivation, and he is also the possessor of ample means independent of his real estate. He was an original stockholder in the First National Bank of Ambler, and has been a member of its board of directors from its organization to the present time. He has been a Republican in politics from the time of the formation of that party, but has never held nor in any way songht for public office of any kind.

On the 4th of January, 1855, William C. Potts was married to Phebe K., daughter of Jacob Walton, of Horsham township, and they have been the parents of the following-named children : Thomas Elwood (now living with them), Dubre K. (deceased), Carrie (died in her tenth year), Lydia W. (youngest ehild and living at home). Mr. and Mrs. Potts are mem- bers of the Upper Dublin Friends' Meeting, and the ancestors of both, for many generations back, were of the people called Quakers.

DAVID J. AMBLER.

David J. Ambler, of the village of Ambler, in Up- per Dublin township. is descended from an ancestor named Joseph Ambler, of Montgomery township, who (as is shown by the Philadelphia County records) purchased a certain tract of ninety acres of land in that township of William Morgan, May 1, 1723. Among the children of this Joseph Ambler and Ann, his wife, were Edward and John Ambler. The ninety-acre tract in Montgomery township, above mentioned, was sold by Joseph Ambler, in 1768, to his son Edward, who, in 1770, devised it by will to his brother John, who was great-grandfather of the pres- ent David J. Ambler. In 1794, John Ambler sold the same tract for two hundred pounds to his son Edward, who was by trade a weaver. The present residence of Mrs. Mary Ambler, in Montgomery township, is the place where Edward Ambler lived, and where he died on the 1st of January, 1838. His wife, Ann Ambler, died October 15, 1827. Their son Andrew, the father of David J. Ambler, was married, May 14, 1829, to Mary Johnson, daughter of Benjamin and Abigail Johnson, of Richland, Bucks Co. The Johnson family was of German descent.

Andrew Ambler settled in Lower Dublin township, on eighty acres of land, which he purchased in 1832 of Mary Davies, and on which he built and occupied a house which is still standing in Ambler village, and owned by Charles O. Yocum. He was a fuller by trade, and soon after his settlement he built a fulling- mill on his land, on the site of a small mill of the same kind which had stood there more than seventy years, having been sold, in 1759, by the executor of Daniel Morris, to Arthur Broades, father of the Mary Davies, from whom Andrew Ambler had made the pur- chase. The Ambler fulling-mill remained in use many years, and was finally destroyed by fire December 31, 1869.

Andrew Ambler died March 7, 1850, at the age of fifty-six years. His widow, Mary J. Ambler, died August 18, 1868, aged sixty-three years. It was for her that the station (and from it the village) of Am- bler received its name. During her widowhood (in 1856) a very serions railroad accident occurred near Fort Washington by the collision of a school excur- sion train going north with a local passenger train going south. On receiving the intelligence Mrs. Am- bler, without a moment's delay, gathered lint, band- ages and other necessary materials, and went on foot two miles to the scene of the disaster, where she re- mained through the day till all the wounded were cared for, rendering such conspicuous service to the suffering victims as elicited the warmest gratitude and high commendation from the officers of the railroad company, who, after her death, honored her memory by changing the name of the station from Wissahickon to Ambler.

David J., son of Andrew and Mary (Jobnson) Am- bler, was born March 22, 1837, at his father's place, in

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

what is now Ambler village. His education was ob- tained at the common schools, supplemented by two winter terms at the Freeland Seminary, then in charge of Henry A. Hunsicker. After leaving school he was employed for two years as a clerk in a store at Fitz- watertown, Montgomery Co. In 1859 he went to Quakertown, Bucks Co., where he established a coal and lumber business, in which he continued for ten years. In 1869 he removed to Upper Dublin town- ship, where he purchased the homestead property on which he was born, and upon which a part of the vil- lage of Ambler was laid out and sold in lots in 1870-

rector from the time of its opening. He is now, and has been for four years, one of the directors of the Ambler Independent School District.

Mr Ambler was married, March 6, 1862, to Caroliue F., daughter of Aaron Penrose, of Quakertown, Bucks Co. They have one daughter, Ella, who is the wife of Daniel M. Leedom, son of Dr. Edwin C. Leedom, of Plymouth, Montgomery Co. Three brothers of Mr. Ambler-viz .: Isaac E., Joseph M. E. and Evan J .- are also residents of Ambler village. Another brother, Louis J., resides in Philadelphia. The fam- ily of Ambler in Montgomery and Bucks Counties for

Dania & Ambler

71. In 1874 he returned to Quakertown, and again engaged in the coal and lumber business, which he still retains, though now living in Ambler, to which place he returned in 1878, and built the stone man- sion which has from that time been his residence.

In the years 1866-68, inclusive, Mr. Ambler was a member of the Borough Council of Quakertown. In 1868 he was elected a director of the Doylestown Na- tional Bank, and resigned after two years' service. In 1884 he, with Benjamin P. Wertsner, William M. Singerly and others, organized the First Na- tional Bank of Ambler, of which he has been a di-

many generations, extending back at least one hun- dred and sixty years, have been members of the So- ciety of Friends.

JOIIN L. JONES.

John L. Jones, one of the substantial land-owners and farmers of Upper Dublin township, of which he has been a resident for more than sixty years, was born on the farm of his father, in Montgomery town- ship, of the same county, on the 25th of June, 1811. He was a son of Henry Jones and his wife, Jane Lewis, daughter of Amos Lewis, who owned and occu-

UPPER DUBLIN TOWNSHIP.

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pied a fine farm at Three Tuns, Upper Dublin town- ship. The children of Henry and Jane (Lewis) .Jones were Lewis and Clement, both deceased; John L., born as above stated, and now residing at Jarrettown ; and Henry, now living at Ambler, in Upper Dublin. The father of these children, Henry Jones, died in 1815, when his son John L. was between four and five years of age. He received his only education at the common schools, which he attended in winter, work- ing on the farm in the summer season. In 1821 he moved, with his mother and the family, from the Jones

removed from the Lewis farin to a smaller property which he had purchased at Jarrettown, and which is still his place of residence. After his removal from the old homestead farm of his grandfather, Lewis, he still continued to own it abont twelve years longer, and finally sold it in 1884.

John L. Jones was married, February 12, 1840, to Margaret Garrigues, daughter of Benjamin and Anna Garrigues, who were the parents of three danghters and one son, all of whom are now living, viz .: Mar- garet (Mrs. John L. Jones), Lee Garrignes (now of

John & Bonesp

place, in Montgomery township, to the Lewis farm, near Three Tuns, which was then owned and oeenpied by his grandfather, Amos Lewis, who died a few months later in the same year. Mrs. Jones then oeeupied the farm of her father for nineteen years, until 1840, when she died and the property of herself and her deceased husband (the homestead and two other farms) was divided among their sons, Lewis, the eldest, taking the old Jones place of one hundred and seventy aeres, in Montgomery township, and John L. becoming the owner of the Lewis homestead farm, of one hundred and eight acres, in Upper Dublin. On that place, as boy and man, he lived and worked as a farmer for more than a half-century, leading an honest and in- dustrious life, and gaining a property more than ample for all his needs and requirements. In 1872 he

Norristown), Sarah (wife of George Wood, of More- land township) and Ellen (wife of John Meredith, of Norristown).

The children of John L. and Margaret Jones have been Evan, born February 2, 1841, and died Novem- ber 5, 1864; Jane, born January 13, 1843, and now the wife of Dr. Franklin T. Haines, of Rancocas, N. J .; Anna G., born February 13, 1845, and died April 1, 1866; Mary Ellen, born April 20, 1847, and died January 30, 1869 ; Caroline, born July 12, 1849, and died in infancy ; Clement, born November 21, 1850, died in infancy ; Henry, born November 28, 1852, died in infancy ; Caroline H., horn Jnly 9, 1854, and died September 19, 1881 ; Louisa G., born August 6, 1857, died at Enterprise, Fla., March 12, 1882.

Mr. Jones has always been a steadfast adherent of

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

the Republican party from the beginning of its exist- ence to the present time, but he has never been an office-seeker nor a politician, in the strict meaning of the term. He and his wife are descendants of Quaker ancestors, and both are members of the Friends' Meet- ing of Upper Dublin.

BENJAMIN KENDERDINE.

Benjamin Kenderdine, one of the wealthy farmers

the Horsham farm immediately after the death of its previous owner, Richard Kenderdine. From that early time to the present the Kenderdine family have been of the Society of Friends and members of the Horsham Friends' Meeting.

Benjamin Kenderdine, of Upper Dublin, was the youngest of Thomas Kenderdine's family of eight children, who were the following named : Armitage, who died in Illinois ; Margaret, unmarried, and now living in Horsham township; Mary, married David Todd, and both she and her husband deceased ; Han-

Beny- Kenderdine .

and most respected citizens of Upper Dublin, was born in Horsham township, Montgomery Co., on the 16th of August, 1818, he being a son of Thomas Kenderdine, a grandson of Benjamin Kenderdine, and a great-grandson of Thomas Kenderdine (all of Hors- ham township), and a descendant of a more remote ancestor of the family name, who came from Wales and made his first settlement in Abington. The first of the Kenderdine family who settled in Horsham was Richard, a half-brother of the elder Thomas Ken- derdine, which last-named purchased and settled on

nah, widow of Robert Tomlinson ; Sarah, unmarried, living in Horsham; Elizabeth, married Chalkley Kimball, of Hilltown, Bucks Co., where she died; Rachel, unmarried, living in Horsham ; and Benjamin Kenderdine, of Upper Dublin, to whom this sketch especially refers. In January, 1844, he married Sa- rah Ann Sneden, of New York. Their children are Cornelia, wife of D. Jarrett Kirk, of Upper Dublin, and Thomas, who is nnmarried, living at the Kender- dine homestead, in the same township, near the Hors- ham line.

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UPPER HANOVER TOWNSHIP.

CHAPTER LXXVI.

UPPER HANOVER TOWNSHIP.

IN the extreme northwesteru part of the county is situated the township of Upper Hanover, bonnded on the north by Lehigh, northwest by Berks, and east by Bucks Counties, south by New Hanover and Frederick, sontheast by Marlborough and west by Douglas. Its greatest length is five and a half miles, greatest width four and a half miles, with an area of twenty-three square miles, or fourteen thousand seven hundred and sixty acres, having been reduced nearly two hundred aeres by the erection of East Greenville into a borough, in 1875.

The surface is rolling and in some parts quite hilly. The soil is chiefly red shale. The Hosensack Ilills, the highest elevation, commence near the Donglas line and extend across the whole northwestern part of the township at the distance of a mile from the Berks County line. They are covered with large bowllers of granite, which are being split up, and furnish the best of material for building purposes. From the top of these hills splendid views of the valley on each side, with the hills beyond, are had, the view to the south being especially fine. Below, the valley expands and becomes a broad basin surrounded with hills, extend- ing a distance of over six miles, nearly through the centre of which the Perkiomen Creek flows in a southern direction upwards of seven miles, and propels in this distance five grist-mills and four saw-mills. Hosensack, West Branch and Macoby Creeks are tributaries of this stream, the last-mentioned flowing through the eastern part of the township. They also furnish some water-power.

The Goshenhoppen and Green Lane turnpike ex- tends to Treichlersville, Berks Co., and was com- pleted in 1851. It passes on the ridge between the Perkiomen and Macoby Creeks, its elevation being such that persons driving along the road have a full view of the valley and surrounding hills. For about four miles this road is nearly level, and presents one of the most beautiful and attractive drives, with its succession of villages, farms, churches and fine scenery, that can be desired. The Gerysville and Sumney- town turnpike, finished in 1865, crosses the eastern angle of the township for two and a half miles, and another public road passes along the ridge between the Perkiomen and West Branch, known as the " Devil's Hole road." The Perkiomen Railroad has a course of upwards of five miles, with stations at Welker's, Hanover, Pennsburg, Palm and Hosensack. It was opened to Pennsburg in 1874, and in September of the following year to Emaus and the Lehigh Valley. Though so recently constructed, this improvement has already done much to develop this part of the county, formerly so remote from railroads. The post-offices are Pennsburg. Red Hill, Palm and Hillegass. The largest villages are Pennsburg, Palm, Kleinville and Hillegassville.

The population of Upper Hanover in 1800 was 738; in 1830, 1300; in 1850, 1741; in 1870, 2197; in 1880, 2408. The taxables in 1741 numbered 97; in 1828, 258; in 1858, 504; in 1875, 646; in 1884, 628. This township, which was a part of Hanover township, was formed before 1741, and for its early settlers the reader is referred to the article on New Hanover. Johann Frederick Hillegass, the ancestor of the nu- merons family of this name in this locality, arrived in the ship " William and Sarah " from Rotterdam in September, 1727. He had seven sons and three daughters; two of the former, Leopold and Adam, came over a few years later. Before 1734 we find that he took up a tract of one hundred and fifty acres of land here, on which he made the first improve- ment. Isaac and John Klein came from Germany in 1736, and the Kleins of this locality are probably their descendants. Tobias Hartranft in 1742 took np a patent of one hundred and thirty acres of land from the proprietaries.

The First Grist-Mill on the Upper Perkiomen .- The following data of an ancient and interesting character, furnished by Philip Super, Esq., would seem to fix with reasonable certainty the claim of Upper Hanover to the oldest grist-mill on the Upper Perkiomen. Considering the importance attached to improvements of this character in the days of first settlements, the expensiveness of machinery, the im- portation from Europe of mill-stones, and their trans- portation on wagons from Philadelphia, over roads that were little more than cartways or bridle-paths, it becomes a matter of historical interest to fix as near as possible the early location of those establishments which supplied flour to the first bread-winners of the valley.

"To-day, date ye 6th February, 1738 to '39, an agreement has been made between Geo. Groner and Frederick Hillegass, in Upper Hanover township ; above-named George Groner has sold his quill and the land to it from the white-oak tree down to where the stakes are set to Robert Thomas' line, and along with it the crow-bar, two hatchets, and one broad axe, and the half-bushel, and the toll and two hogsheads, and all things nail fast ; and George Groner promises that Frederick Ilillegass shall have the right from Jacob Wissler's line down to the mill-privilege, with the mill race, one perch on this side and one perch on the other side, but the above-mentioned Hillegass must do him no damage; the above-mentioned Hillegass shall keep said George Groner clear of ex- penses that might be made on the certain land that he has sold to him aod said Groner shall still have the privilege to grind in the mill till the first day of April, 1739, and the above-named Frederick Hfillegass promises said George Groner to give for the mill and above-mentioned land 150 pound and one wagen, 80 pound on the 16th of November, and 25 peund on the 16th of November, 1740, and again 25 pound on the 16th of November, 1741, and further Frederick lillegass promises to pay 20 pound oo the 16th of November, in the year 1742, and the purchaser and seller promise to fulfill the above sale, as witness,

" JOHANNES IIULS. " PHILIP LABAR, " FREDERICK IIILLEGASS. " GRORGE GRONER.

"[Seal. ]"

" Articles of agreement made, indented, agreed and fully concluded on the twenty-third day of February, in the year of our Lord one thou- sand seven hundred and thirty-eight and nine, between George Grener of U'pper Hanover township aod county of Philadelphia, yeoman, of the one part, and George Sheok, of the same place, husbandman, of the other part, witnesseth that the said George Grener for the consideration

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

of fifty-five pounds, current lawful money of Pennsylvania, the said George Groner hath bargained and sold, and doth bargain and sell, unto the said George Sbenk all the improvements and work done upon a piece or tract of land that was bought of Lodowig Christian Sproegel some years ago, in the township above mentioned, situated on Macove creek, an improvement which Ilenry Roder hath improved and pos- sessed some years ago, containing in one hundred and fifty acres of land, which has been surveyed to the said Groner and said Roder, doth except for a reserve of the said plantation for his heirs, exes., admis., or assigns one perch or pole of land upon one side of the mill-race, and one perch or pole upon the other side forever, for to mend the race, but the said Groner, his heirs, execs., admins., and assigns shall not moe any grass upon the said reserved land, and the said George Shenk, his heirs execs., and adms., and assigns shall not make any fence without license within a perch or pole distance of the said race, and it is also agreed that the said Geo. Shenk, his heirs, execs. adms., or assigns shall keep the said George Groner, bis heirs, execs., admis., or assigns harmless of any costs or charges or interests which could or should be demanded any time hereafter of the said tract or piece of land. As for the time performance, the both parties have interchangeably set their hands and seal in the 12th year of his Majesty's Reign, George the second, by the Grace of God, King of Great Brittain, &c., in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and thirty-eight and nine. N. B. -The said George Gruner hath accepted the half crop of winter corn which is now sowed in the ground, which shall be divided next harvest upon the field.

"Sealed and delivered in the presence of us,

" LUDWIG BITTING. " PETER WALSTEIN. " GEORGE GRONER. " GEORGE SHENK. " [Seal.]"

These documents conclusively prove that there was a mill on the Makove Creek, in Upper Hanover township, before the 6th day of February, 1739.

Pennsburg is situated on the Green Lane and Go- shenhoppen turnpike, and the station of the Perkio- men Railroad here is twenty-three miles from the Reading Junction, and forty-eight from Philadelphia. The greater part of the ground on which Pennsburg now stands was formerly owned by several brothers by the name of Heilig, and as each of these had built a house along the public road, which has since be- come the turnpike road, the place began to assume the appearance of a village, and people, in speaking of it, began to name it, some calling it by one name, and some by another, the greatest number speaking of it as Heiligville. After much talking, a meeting was held at the store of Jacob Hillegass, Sr., on an evening in the beginning of the year 1843, for the purpose of deciding the question in dispute, at which three different names were proposed, viz .: Heilig- ville, Pennsburg and Buchananville, this last after James Buchanan, who was then a Senator of the United States, and afterwards President. At this meeting it was agreed that the village should com- mence at the line of Frederick Hillegass' (later Thomas B. Hillegass') land at the south, and extend up the road to the upper line of land then owned by the heirs of James Ashmead, deceased, on the north, a distance of a mile and a half. There was no difli- culty in fixing the boundaries, as each one was agreed that the village was destined to become an important place, and that it was therefore desirable to have plenty of ground to spread upon, and thus prevent the necessity of annexing more territory for a long

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History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 234

Author: Bean, Theodore Weber, 1833-1891, [from old catalog] ed; Buck, William J. (William Joseph), 1825-1901 Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1534

Author: Bean, Theodore Weber, 1833-1891, [from old catalog] ed; Buck, William J. (William Joseph), 1825-1901
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1534