USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > Lives of the eminent dead and biographical notices of prominent living citizens of Montgomery County, Pa. > Part 59
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When Mr. Hunsicker left, the young church looked around for another preacher. Revs. Abraham Hunsicker and Abra- ham Grater preached German. Rev. Israel Beidler lived at a great distance and served other churches, while Rev. H. A. Hunsicker, as principal of Freeland Seminary, found himself unable to give much of his time to the growing demands of the infant congregation.
Under these circumstances it was felt that another preacher was needed to fill the appointments and to carry on the work of the church, and the unanimous choice fell upon Joseph H. Hendricks.
From this time forward the history of his life and that of the church have been one. In June, 1861, he was ordained and commissioned to preach the gospel. About this time the church life was seeking to take on more definite form, and a regular church organization was effected. Heretofore no one was considered pastor, but on the first Sunday of April, 1862, Mr. Hendrick's was formally inducted in the office of pastor of the new church thus formed. A charter was obtained and
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REV. JOSEPH H. HENDRICKS.
a church council of elders and deacons constituted. Since that time the church has prospered in every way.
A Sunday school was organized in the church building in the summer of 1855, called "The Freeland Union Sunday School." With this association, Mr. Hendricks has been con- nected from the first day. For twenty-eight consecutive years he was superintendent, until April 1, 1886, when, owing to his exacting preaching duties, serving two churches, he was re- lieved at his own request, being succeeded by his son-in-law, F. G. Hobson, Esq. He still takes an active personal interest in its welfare, and has a supervisory care over it. This Sun- day school has unquestionably stood in the fore front of Sunday school progress in the community. It was the first by a number of years to keep the school open during the whole year, and has admirably succeeded in having classes formed of persons in middle and married life. The school now numbers 250 members.
This church in the days of slavery agitation was very pro- nounced against that evil, resulting in its being often styled as the "abolitionist church." Many of its leading members have been active in the temperance reform and kindred movements of the day.
Mr. Hendricks is still the pastor of the church, having at- tained a continuous pastorate of twenty-five years, and enjoys the distinction of having served the same congregation longer than any other present pastor in Montgomery county, with the exception of Rev. Mr. Rodenbough, of Lower Providence, and possibly Rev. Dr. Weiser and Rev. A. L. Dechant. Mr. Hendricks is much endeared to his congregation, and is in much demand outside of his own church, in officiating at funerals. He is a fluent preacher, speaking entirely ex tem- pore, in a rapid, earnest and convincing manner, impressing every one with his absolute conviction of the truth of what he is saying.
During this pastorate the church has grown strong, numeri- cally and financially. The church building has been enlarged, renovated and beautified. The grounds and cemetery at- tached, have been three times enlarged by the purchase of ad- ditional grounds. The church has no debt, but holds con-
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REV. JOSEPH H. HENDRICKS.
siderable funds in trust for various church purposes, be- queathed to it by different persons. This money is sacredly guarded and the church council sees that every cent is ex- pended in the manner directed by the testators. When Mr. Hendricks became the pastor, the church had made no pro- vision for his support; now his salary compares favorably with neighboring churches; stated collections are also raised for missionary and other charitable and benevolent objects.
In the direction of "church extension", Mr. Hendricks and his charge have made notable progress; a regular church or- ganization has been effected at Skippackville, five miles dis- tant, where there is now a prosperous church and Sunday school also, under his immediate pastoral supervision.
Within the last year the Freeland congregation, through the earnest advice of Mr. Hendricks, has purchased the Ironbridge Union Chapel, of Ironbridge, whose principal and original pro- jectors are active members of the Freeland church, living in that community. This mission chapel is a handsome brick structure built on an eligible location in that enterprising town.
Freeland church, in the opinion of the writer, has been raised up by Providence for a beneficent purpose, and has ful- filled its holy and honorable mission. Her work and faith have favorably modified church life in the community, in the way of bringing different branches of the church in closer fellowship and into more harmonious effort in the blessed cause of a common christianity. She is very liberal in non- essentials, but at the same time strictly orthodox in every re- spect.
At the commencement of Ursinus College, June 22, 1881, the Board of Directors of the college, upon the recommenda- tion of the faculty, conferred upon Mr. Hendricks "the hon- orary degree of Master of Arts for his personal worth and merit as a scholar."
On October 21, 1858, Mr. Hendricks was married to Kate, the youngest daughter of Rev. Abraham Hunsicker, the founder of Freeland Seminary, Pennsylvania Female College, and the principal projector of Trinity Christian Church. There has been born to this union five children, four of whom are living, the first-born dying in her infancy. Of the living
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OWEN BROOKE EVANS.
children, the eldest, Ella M., is the wife of F. G. Hobson, at- torney-at-law; they have two children, Frank H. and Anna Mabel. The second, Bertha, was one of the first two lady graduates of Ursinus College, class of '84, and had the dis- tinguished honor of having the highest merits in recitations in her class ; she is now engaged in teaching. The third, Abra- ham H., is a member of the present ('87) junior class of Ursinus College. After graduation he expects to study theology and enter the ministry. The fourth and youngest child is Sallie, who is attending public school.
The author will be pardoned for adding a word of testimony concerning our subject's close evangelical preaching. When it is considered that his call to the ministry was within a "Free Church," and he, as also his brethren, untrammeled by theo- logical formulas, with every human temptation to launch out upon some of the restless waters of "liberalism," so called, the marvel is that Mr. H. has continued to preach the same humbling doctrines of grace that Paul taught, and which were born again at the Reformation.
OWEN BROOKE EVANS.
This family of Evans, which, according to tradition, is de- scended from Elystan Geodrydd, through his second son Id- nerth, was originally settled in Carmarthenshire.
John Evans, a lineal descendant, having performed valuable military service during the reign of Queen Elizabeth in aiding to suppress the Irish rebellion, obtained from the Crown a grant of land, and emigrated from Carmarthenshire, in Wales, to Limerick, Ireland, where he was living in and before 1628. He married Ellen De Verdon, and dying January 1, 1632, left issue two sons and three daughters. The elder son, George, represented Limerick in Parliament for many years, and died in 1707, at a very advanced age, having passed a most event- ful life. The younger, John, a colonel in the army, married, and had issue three sons, the second of whom, William, and
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OWEN BROOKE EVANS.
his wife Ann, came to America with the Welsh emigration that sailed in the year 1698.
They located temporarily at Gwynedd, while prospecting for land, and subsequently purchased two tracts aggregating seven hundred acres, in Manatawny, afterwards Limerick township, on which they settled permanently. Here Wil- liam's death soon after occurred, and his wife, surviving him but a few years, died in 1720. Her will, recorded in Philadel- phia June 18, of that year, devises the property to her five children, viz .: William, Owen, George, Elizabeth and David. Of these, Owen, born 1699, was for many years justice of the peace, and at one time a member of the Colonial Assembly. He married on August 14, 1721, in Christ church, Philadelphia, Mary, the daughter of William and Mary Davis, and had by her, among other children, a daughter Mary, born in 1724, afterwards wedded to James Brooke .*
George, another son, born July 16, 1702, also a justice of the peace, married, November 9, 1736, Elizabeth, the daughter of John and Mary Kendall. A child of this union, James, born August 6, 1748, was on January 16, 1771, married at St. Paul's Episcopal church, Philadelphia, to Mary Brooke, the daughter of the above named Mary Evans (his first cousin) and James Brooke.
Among the issue of this last marriage was a son, James Evans, Jr., born March 9, 1773, who was at one time justice of the peace, and for several terms a member of the state legisla- ture, and who on December 24, 1796, married Charlotte Brooke.t They were the parents of eight children, of whom one son, Josiah W., became associate judge of the court at Norristown; another, James B., studied and afterwards prac- ticed law; a third, Thomas, lived in Limerick and followed
* James was the great-grandson of John and Frances Brooke, who, with their two sons, emigrated from Hagg, in the township of Honly, the county of York, England, to America, intending to locate 750 acres of land bought from William Penn by warrant made in England and dated March 17, 1698. The parents died in quarantine at Gloucester, N. J., soon after reaching port, and are interred in the Friends' burying ground at Haddonfield. Their sons; James and Mathew, took up the land purchased by their father, to which they fell heir by his will, recorded in Trenton, N. J., March 1, 1699.
+ She was also a descendant of John and Frances Brooke, being their great- great-granddaughter.
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OWEN BROOKE EVANS.
farming; while the fourth, Owen Brooke, is the subject of this sketch. He was born in Limerick township, Montgomery county, November 5, 1808, on the homestead adjacent to prop- erty that has belonged to the family continuously for over one hundred and seventy years.
After having received the customary education that was then accorded to youth of his station in life, and between times assisted his father in duties pertaining to managing the farm, he on March 12, 1836, left home and engaged as superintend- ent at the lime works of James Hooven, located below Norris- town, and continued in that position about one year, when he was selected to conduct an agency which Mr. Hooven had es- tablished in Philadelphia for the sale of their product.
A short time after and while still acting in this capacity, a proposition to become a partner was tendered by his employer, and being accepted, the firm became thereafter J. Hooven & Co.
Some few years later, Hooven sold his interest to Hugh Crawford, and the industry was resumed under the style of Crawford & Evans until the former's death, which occurred soon after.
Mr. Evans then entered into a partnership with his brother, Josiah W., and they conducted business for several years, after which the latter withdrew. Owen continued alone until 1861, and then finally retired.
Since that time he has been a director of the Spring Gar- den Insurance Co., holding that position continuously for about fifteen years, until voluntarily withdrawing from active business life ; also of the Spruce and Pine Streets City Passen- ger Railway. He was likewise an incorporator of the Northern Savings Fund, Trust and Safe Deposit Co., and has held va- rious other positions of trust from time to time.
After leaving Norristown, in 1837, Philadelphia became his home.
On January 14, 1841, he married Amy, the daughter of Henry Berrell and Susan Evans, and there were born unto them four children, of whom James, Clara and Mary died in infancy, and the youngest, Frank Brooke, yet living and mar- ried, is, with his family, consisting of a wife and four children, residing near Germantown.
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JOHN M'CANN.
Mr. Owen B. Evans is the only surviving member of his generation. Since 1881 he has not engaged in any financial projects, and at present, with his wife, is leading a retired life.
JOHN McCANN.
John McCann, of Norriton township, at this writing in his eighty-second year, is remarkably preserved in mental faculties, having doubtless as clear and distinct a remembrance of early men and things in his locality as any one of his age in the county. His immediate progenitor, John McCann, came from Scotland or Ireland to America, a little after the close of the Revolutionary war, and later married Ann, daughter of Archi- bald McAfee, a Scotchman, who in after life went westward with the celebrated Daniel Boone to Kentucky. This McAfee was probably a soldier or teamster belonging to the Conti- nental Army, for it is a tradition of the family that his daughter Ann, our subject's mother, was born at Valley Forge while the army lay there in 1777-8. John McCann, the emigrant, set- tled in Upper Merion township, where he and his wife Ann, nee McAfee, had ten children born to them named as follows: William, James, John Elizabeth, Samuel, Thomas, Davis, Philip, Catharine, and one who died in infancy. William, the eldest, was a tailor by trade, and pursued his business several years in Mexico when a young man. Returning he married Mrs. Hep- sey Wells, one of the Norris family, which gave name to Norris- town, and they had born to them one daughter named Mary; but his wife dying soon after, Mr. McCann, with his daughter, removed to Norristown, where he purchased property and con- tinued to reside till the time of his death in 1881. Being wealthy and his daughter somewhat advanced in life, after providing well for her, he made a donation in his will of ten thousand dollars to the School Board of Norristown to found "The Wil- liam McCann Free Library," and to a number of other charities in Philadelphia smaller bequests.
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JOHN M'CANN.
Several other children of John McCann the elder left fami- lies in Montgomery county or elsewhere, which occupy re- spectable positions in society, but are omitted here.
We come now to the proper subject of this memorial, John McCann, the third child of John the emigrant, who was born July 29, 1806, in Upper Merion township. When arrived at the age of seventeen years he was apprenticed to Samuel Cow- den, of Broad Axe, to learn the trade of a smith, which busi- ness he industriously followed, conducting it on his own ac- count at Black Horse, near Norristown, for sixteen years, when, having accumulated some means, he next purchased one of the Meredith farms of seventy-two acres, in Plymouth township, to which he removed and commenced farming. On May 5, 1830, he was married to Catharine, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Ramey, of the same township, and there were born to them eleven children named as follows: Elizabeth, Ann, Catharine, Charles C., Letitia, John Jacob, Herbert, and four who died in early infancy. Of the former, Elizabeth, the first born, died in the bloom of young womanhood, unmarried, at the age of twenty-five, in 1856. Ann, the second child, is in- termarried with Israel Michener, and they have had four child- ren : Ella, William, John and Sarah. Catharine, the third, died in her ninth year. Charles C. is married to Phobe, daughter of Charles Shoemaker, of Whitpain, and they have three child- ren : Mary, William and Sallie. Letitia remains at home to care for her aged father, who now resides at Penn Square. John Jacob married Lavina, daughter of Abraham Dolby, of Chester county, and died 1882, leaving two children, Horace and John J., who are with their widowed mother in Downing- town. Herbert, the youngest child, is intermarried with Clara, daughter of Henry Hipple, and they reside in West Philadel- phia, but are also in business at Atlantic City, N. J .; they have one son, Wellington.
Catharine, the universally esteemed wife of John McCann, died of cancer, August 10, 1865, aged sixty-five years, and was interred at Plymouth Meeting burying ground. Though widowed and deprived of the counsel of his helpmate, Mr. McCann, by assistance of his daughter, continued to manage his farm until 1883, when, feeling the weight of years, he left
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JONATHAN C. PHILLIPS.
the old homestead and purchased the Conrad-Thomas store, corner property at Penn Square, which he has remodeled as an exclusive dwelling with considerable taste, and where at this writing he resides enjoying a green old age, respected by all. In sympathy with his deceased wife, John McCann's re- ligious predilections are towards the Society of Friends, and politically he has been a life long Democrat, casting nearly his first ballot for Andrew Jackson for President in 1828.
JONATHAN C. PHILLIPS.
Amongst the early settlers of eastern Pennsylvania, none were more eminent for industry, probity and every christian virtue, than the Welsh.
When Penn opened his colony to settlement, Friends and Baptists from that principality thronged to the New World, with all their rugged love of civil and religious liberty. Welsh emigrants were nearly all of one or the other of those sects, and generally agriculturists.
The earliest known progenitor of the family under consid- eration was Griffith Phillips, who came from Wales some time about 1731, for in 1741 and the following year he purchased two parcels of land containing respectively fifty and a hun- dred and three acres. The exact time of his death is not known, but his grave is in the cemetery adjoining Great Val- ley Baptist church. Catharine, his wife, died August 27, 1747, aged 64 years; they had two children, Samuel and Mary.
Jonathan, the eighth child of this Samuel Phillips, born Feb- ruary 21, 1757, died October 24, 1829; married Martha, daugh- ter of Elijah and Elizabeth Jones Davis, and they had two children, Eliza and Samuel D. Some time after the birth of her two children, Eliza and Samuel D., Martha, wife of Jona- than Phillips, died November 12, 1794, in her 27th year, and later he married a second wife, the widow of George Smith, whose given name was Mary; the fruit of this marriage was one child, Anna V., born December 15, 1803, who at mature
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JONATHAN C. PHILLIPS.
age married John R. Hunter, and they had two children, Mary and Eliza Emily.
Eliza, the eldest child of Jonathan Phillips, born April 25, 1789, when grown, married Daniel Abraham, and they had eleven children, as follows: Martha D., Mary, Jane, Sarah C., David, Jonathan P., Phineas P., Elizabeth D., Samuel P., Dan- iel C. and Anna Theodosia. This numerous family are re- corded briefly as follows: Mary married Printop; Jane, David Siter; Sarah C., Nathan Stetson; Jonathan P., Sarah Thomas; Samuel P., Elizabeth Evans; Anna Theodosia, James Brown. We come back now to record the direct line of our subject.
Samuel D. Phillips, who was born December 11, 1790, mar- ried Theodosia Cleaver, whose birthday was November 7, 1791, the day of their marriage being November 16, 1815. They had three children, fourth generation, to wit: Jonathan C., William C. H. and Charles D. Jonathan C. was born Novem- ber 10, 1816, William C. H. October 2, 1818, and Charles D. May 24, 1824. The second of these three children died March 21, 1827, in his sixth year. The father of this family, Samuel D. Phillips, who lived all his life at the old homestead, which has descended in the family for over a century and a half (situ- ate on the southern edge of Great Valley, two miles west of Bridgeport), was a man of sterling uprightness of character. When young, he joined the Baptist church at Great Valley, and later was one of the leading founders and members of the Norristown Baptist church, and for a long time previous to his death, which occurred November 20, 1863, was a Deacon in the same.
Many years before his demise he purchased a farm up the valley for his youngest son, Charles D., which the latter worked for some time. The elder son, Jonathan C., our sub- ject, remained on the homestead with his father until the lat- ter's death, when it fell to him by inheritance. In the mean- time, however, November 11, 1844, Jonathan C. and Sarah, daughter of Joseph and Ann Abraham (occupying an adjoin- ing farm), were married, and the following children were born to them, fifth generation: Anna Theodosia, called for both grandmothers, was born November 6, 1845, and died 1861 at
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JONATHAN C. PHILLIPS.
the interesting age of 15 years, 11 months and 18 days. Jo- seph A., born August 6, 1848, was married October 10, 1868, to Emily Rynick; their children are, sixth generation. Harry, Willie, George, Charles, Joseph and Mary. Martha E., born August 7, 1851, was intermarried with Frank Mancill, June 10, 1874, and she, after giving birth to one daughter, Martha, died January 20, 1879. Samuel D., Jr., was born March 28, 1853, and died in infancy. William E. was born May 9, 1855.
All the children of Jonathan and Sarah Phillips who reached maturity were well educated. William E., the last named, was married October 20, 1886, to Miss Hannah, daughter of Joseph E. and Rachel Anna Rapp, Norristown. William E. Phillips graduated with honor at Lewisburg University, 1877, in his twenty-second year; since then, until his father's death, as before stated, he superintended the farm, at which time, by will, he fell heir to the property, his father having made a will, leaving him also executor of the same. Mr. Phillips took also a partial course of study in medicine, being only diverted from that profession by the death of his father. Since the father's death the plantation has been greatly improved, Mr. P. labor- ing to have it in the highest state of cultivation. It is known as the "William Penn Stock Farm," where choicest animals can be had, from fowls to the finest breeds of horses. Since 1885 he has also been engaged in the hardware business in Norristown, he succeeding to the trade formerly conducted by his uncle, Charles D. Phillips; but he intends to mainly de- vote his life to farming or stock raising, in which business he will be greatly aided by his wife, she having tastes inclined to such pursuits. He has retired from the former business.
Charles D., the youngest son of Samuel D. and Theodosia Phillips, married Ellen, daughter of Joshua Molony, of King- of-Prussia, and there have been born to them four children, Eva A., Ellen Theodosia, Anna M. and Charles D. The last died in infancy.
After following farming some years in the Great Valley, Charles D. Phillips removed to Norristown, purchasing a fine mansion on Airy street, and lived retired for a time; later, he purchased an established stove, tin and hardware business,
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JONATHAN C. PHILLIPS.
which he conducted until 1885, when his nephew William E. Phillips by purchase came into possession of it.
Of Jonathan C. Phillips it may be further added he was in- terred at Montgomery Cemetery. For several years before his death he was in feeble health, from a lingering consump- tion, which was hastened to a fatal termination by an attack of pneumonia, which carried him off, as before stated, Novem- ber 28, 1884. In person Jonathan C. Phillips was five feet eleven inches in stature, spare in flesh, brown hair and fair complexion ; he was very industrious, upright and discreet, a good neighbor and useful citizen.
Mrs. Sarah Phillips and son have in their mansion a consid- erable number of rare old books, among others Bishop Hacket's Sermons, a prelate of the reign of Charles II, and printed at that era. They have also an early published copy of Scott's Commentary, in three large volumes, besides a fine one of the Royal Charter to William Penn for his colony. They have many other works precious in the eyes of antiquarians.
Their buildings, which are capacious and ample, though de- scended from a generation past, are kept in the best state of repair, nearly all having metallic roofs, recently painted and in good condition.
The eminent respectability and worth of both the imme- diate ancestors of Jonathan C. and Sarah Abraham Phillips, . warrant a further notice of both. The Phillips and Abraham families still occupy adjoining farms along the Schuylkill and in the valley, which were originally purchased by them of the Penn proprietaries, and have remained in their possession nearly a century and a half. Most of both families have been eminent Baptists, originally members of Great Valley Church, but latterly of the congregation in Norristown; Samuel D., Jonathan C.'s father, and the former's cousin Phineas, were also office-bearers there for many years. Samuel D. and Theo- dosia Phillips are interred at Great Valley cemetery, and Joseph Abraham and wife at Treemount, Norristown.
The personnel of Sarah Abraham Phillips' own family may be briefly noted here as follows: Joseph Abraham married Ann Davis, and they had the following children: Hannah, born 1820, married James Shannon, died without issue 1878:
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