USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > Lives of the eminent dead and biographical notices of prominent living citizens of Montgomery County, Pa. > Part 68
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In hunting for ancient papers in their family archives, Mrs. Eastburn came across a "Muster and Pay Roll of Captain Benjamin Eastburn," a paper belonging to the war of Inde- pendence. This officer could not have been the original Ben- jamin, but must have been a son, nephew or grandson. This document shows, if nothing else, that the family were among
745
JESSE R. EASTBURN.
the patriots in that great struggle, as we know further by his- torical records that "Benjamin Eastburn had £119 awarded him by the State of Pennsylvania, for damages inflicted by the British when they passed down the river to Philadelphia in 1777."
This Benjamin was doubtless the father or grandfather of Samuel Eastburn, who resided all his life at the homestead where our subject lived, and where the former died, 1855, and whose widow Mary survived him some four years. Samuel and Mary Eastburn were, as most of the name in this locality, in sympathy with the Baptist denomination, but he was not a member. They were greatly respected and esteemed by their neighbors. They had twelve children ; three sons, Lemuel, Jesse R. and Samuel, and five daughters, four of their children dying in infancy. The daughters were intermarried as follows: Louisa, with Benjamin Rambo; Hannah, with David Rambo; Mary Ann, Thomas Holloway; Eliza, John Richards, and Jane with B. D. Abraham. Of the sons, Samuel traveled South and died there of cholera, 1855. Samuel Eastburn's large estate and plantation of 300 acres was administered to by his two sons, Lemuel and Jesse R. Lemuel had farm buildings erected on the upper section of the land, where he now resides. He is intermarried with Elizabeth Johnson, and has eight surviving children and two deceased.
Jesse R. Eastburn, our subject, born November 22, 1831, was in early life well educated in common schools of the lo- cality, but later under Rev. Samuel Aaron, at Treemount Seminary. After finishing his education he farmed on his father's place for a time, but being well trained and capable took charge of a public school at Evansburg, and served in like capacity there and elsewhere for a considerable time.
He first married Anna M. Dewees, and they had one child, Robert, who died in infancy. After remaining widowed a period he was united, February 15, 1866, to Miss Annie E., daughter of Jesse and Elizabeth Mancill, who bore him two children, Mary R. and Charles. Mary died October 8, 1885, in the bloom of youth, in her nineteenth year. Charles, a young man nearly grown, lives with his mother at the ancient homestead, and at this writing attends school.
746
JESSE R. EASTBURN.
In 1874 Jesse R. Eastburn was induced to purchase of Wil- liam Davis, his established lumber and coal yard at Bridge- port, and later took in a partner, which arrangement continued several years, resulting, however, at last disastrously, as the said partner (mainly responsible for the failure of the business) drew out, leaving Mr. Eastburn to shoulder the wreck alone. To add to Mr. Eastburn's misfortune, his close attention to an exhausting business had brought on a pulmonary disease that carried him away, after a month or two of confinement, March 31, 1884.
Jesse R. Eastburn was a man of rare intelligence, taste and judgment, universally esteemed for his genial, manly qualities of head and heart. In person he was tall, well formed, and of very agreeable deportment. He died at the early age of fifty- two years. He left his widow and children the encumbered farm and a large library of choice books.
In addition to occupying a large mansion owned by the family for over a century, Mrs. Eastburn and son have also in possession another "heir-loom" in an ancient coat of arms, evidently brought over with the family, showing that it was reputable where it emigrated from, or belonged to what is · called the "gentry " class. Not being much versed in heraldry we can hardly describe it, but may attempt it thus: Over and beneath the apex of a triangle, its bars resting on their two legs, are engraved three or four rampant griffins, surmounted by a cornucopia, the whole embowered in shrubbery and flow- ers, and underneath this motto:
BY THE NAME OF EASTBURN.
747
ELIZABETH THOMSON.
ELIZABETH THOMSON.
THE THOMSON FAMILY.
The above named lady, better known to the people of Nor- ristown during many years as "Aunt Betsy Thomson," was the mother of eleven children and the widow of Benjamin Thomson, who died April 6, 1829, aged fifty-three years. Her husband thus died comparatively a young man, and when his wife was but forty-three, and yet she survived him as his widow looking after her children, grandchildren, nephews, and nieces, for nearly half a century ; hence she acquired her fond title "aunt" worthily, apart from the affectionate regard felt for her in the Presbyterian church of which she was so long a worthy and consistent member, she attending divine service there- afoot-until nearly reaching her centennial year.
Benjamin Thomson, her husband, was doubtless a son or nephew of the celebrated Colonel Archibald Thomson, of the Revolutionary army, whose house the British burned as they passed down to Philadelphia in 1777, as was their custom to- wards all belligerents. It is the more probable that he was an only son of Col. Thomson, as the latter is known to have died I779 at the age of thirty-nine years ; and as Benjamin and Eliza- beth's first son was named "Archibald," seems conclusive that he was so related.
It is impossible at this late period to know much of the pri- vate life of Benjamin Thomson beyond the fact that he lived and died at or near Norristown.
"Aunt Betsy" Thomson's maiden name was Stroud; and it is a mooted question also with those who have been looking up the genealogy of that very reputable name whether it is Welsh or from Nottingham, England. She was born in White- marsh or Plymouth township, near Barren Hill, November 14, 1776, and died at Norristown, December 28, 1878, aged one hundred and two years, one month and fourteen days. Her father's name was James, and her grandfather's William, the latter being the first keeper of the new jail erected at Norris- town. "Aunt Betsy" has left, recorded by others, many remi- niscences of early days of the town of "Norris," as it was
748
ELIZABETH THOMSON.
named by its founder. She came to live at the young county town when ten years old, and ate her first dinner on arriving, at the then new stone prison building, which stood on the corner of Swede and Airy streets; and by a curious providence or coincidence, partook of the last dinner prepared and eaten within the old prison about 1850, nearly seventy years after, and just before the demolition of the building to make room for the new court house. The author "interviewed". her some years ago, and she said she remembered seeing prisoners, secured with ball and chain, hoeing garden for the jailor on his corner lot diagonally across the street; and she had also seen prisoners suffering at the "whipping post" erected near by. These punishments were under the British code then un- repealed. She remembered also the execution of John Brown for burglary, which took place April, 1788, and said "lawyer Thomas Craig, a very influential man then, was very indignant that the new county seat should be 'disgraced' by the hanging of a man for such a crime, and compelled the officers to erect the gallows 'out jail lane' on the highway, and not on the public grounds." "Aunt Betsy" further said it fell to her lot to "make the black cap in which Brown was hanged." She used to relate further that when General Washington was President (probably as he traveled westward on horseback to look after the whisky tax troubles in western Pennsylvania), she saw him at Black Horse tavern below Norristown, where she handed him a drink of water and shook hands with him.
As this is designed to be not only a family but geneological sketch we will trace a little further the affiliated branches of the Stroud family. Our earliest named progenitor., James Stroud, had, beside our subject, two sons, Thomas and James. The former was a carpenter by trade, lived long, and died at advanced age in Norristown, though he had been years pre- viously a resident of Lower Merion. He married Sarah West and had nine children, six daughters and three sons, named Mary, wife of Edwin Sower, who died 1886; Edward, who lives, in advanced life, in Philadelphia; Margaret, wife of Horatio J. Armstrong; and Isabella, also of Philadelphia; William intermarried with Jane Jamison; Henrietta, wife of George Wright; Elizabeth; and Sarah, widow of Joseph H.
749
ELIZABETH THOMSON.
Bodey, all of Norristown, as also a son who died at the age of seventeen years. Nearly all of the foregoing offspring of Tho- mas and Sarah Stroud had families of children, omitted for lack of space. The elder James Stroud had also a son Wil- liam, who lived near Norristown, and another James, who en- listed in the war of 1812, but never returned again.
We come now to record the "children of Benjamin and 'Aunt' Betsy Thomson " as follows: Maria, Archibald D., Hannah, James, Sarah (died in infancy), William, Sarah D., Benjamin (also died an infant), Rebecca, Elizabeth, and Ann, four sons and seven daughters, and all but two grew to ma- turity, married and had offspring, as described below.
The eldest, Maria, married Samuel Everly, had three chil- dren, but she died December 25, 1827. Her first daughter, Mary, married Jacob M. Clair, and had seven children; her second daughter, Catharine, died 1837, aged thirteen years, and her third, Elizabeth, 1828, aged two years. The record of Mary Everly Clair's offspring is continued as follows : Sarah Elizabeth ; Kate died October 7, 1850, aged three years, Susan, the third child, married William Sands-issue, Walter and Mary; Harry M. married Sarah Gaunter-issue, one child, Laura; William B. married Elizabeth Miller; she bore one child, Lottie ; the sixth child, Frederick M., married Clara Hiltner-issue, Jacob M. and Irene.
We turn now to Aunt Betsy's second child and first son, Archibald D. Thomson. He married Elizabeth Bryan, who bore him eleven children, she dying August 11, 1857. Their descendants are here enumerated: Louisa married Henry Butler and had the following offspring: Henry, intermarried with Louisa Butz, one child, Jennie ; Elizabeth married Henry Townsend, also one child, Laura, who married John Engle; Helen L. married to James Moore, who died January, 1878, leaving one child, Lena V .; Laura J. married to Henry Mc- Dowell; William, Clara A., Mary E., Charles E., Walter T. (died November, 1885), and John J.
Archibald Thomson's second child, Elizabeth, died in in- fancy ; his third, William K., married Anna Maria Randall, but died August 29, 1858, without issue. James B. married Sarah Newcomer; their eldest child, Laura, died December
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ELIZABETH THOMSON.
22, 1866, aged eleven years, five months and fourteen days, and Anna L., July 28, 1860, aged five months. The two other daughters, Ida and Emma, live with their parents in Norris- town.
Archibald Thomson's fifth child, Benjamin, married Caroline Hastin. She died April 15, 1861, and he in the United States' service during the war, April, 1862. Charles, Archibald's sixth child, married Amanda Bender, and they had three chil- dren. First, Clara, who married George Lysinger, having issue, Irene and Edna; the second child, Louisa, married Charles E. Isett, and have two children, Andora E. and Mary Louisa; Emaline, the third, married Milton Schell. Archibald Thom- son's seventh child, Rebecca, died in infancy. George, the eighth, married Sarah Tippen, who died April, 1862, without issue, and he married Rebecca F. Kirkpatrick. She also died March 8, 1870, leaving two children, Lillie and Bertha. George Thomson married a third wife, Annie Smith. Archibald Thomson's ninth child, Archibald, died at the age of eight years, and the tenth in early infancy. The eleventh child, Walter, married Annie Makins, and have four children, as fol- lows: Harriet, intermarried with - Wells; Bertha, Walter and Charles.
Some time after the death of his first wife, Archibald Thomson married Sophia Cook, but he died without other issue December 28, 1870. He was a man of sterling business qualifications, and at a very early date, for six or seven years, was warden of the old county prison, and later was cryer of the court for a long time, holding the place nearly to the time of his death.
Benjamin and Elizabeth Thomson's third child was Hannah, intermarried with William McBride, and they had three chil- dren, John, Benjamin and James. John McBride married Mary McKeenan, who died without issue February 4, 1853. Afterwards he married Deborah Shillick. She also died April 1, 1886, childless. Hannah McBride's second child, Benjamin, died in infancy. Her third, James, married Catharine Ritten- house. He died May 9, 1858, leaving three children, as follows : Alonzo R., who married Mary M. Fisher, and they had two children, Emily May and James Howard. Clara married Dr. J. J. Stricker, and had one child, James Oscar. Howard T., the
751
ELIZABETH THOMSON.
third child, married Amanda J. Lightkep, and they have had two children, Laura May and Howard Ross. Hannah McBride, the mother and grandmother of the foregoing children, died May 6, 1833.
Benjamin and Elizabeth Thomson's fourth child, and second son, James, married Susan Keel, and they had seven children, as follows: Mark, Archibald D., Samuel C., Charles Henry, James K., Emma Margaret, and one who died in infancy un- named. The parents of these children died about four weeks apart, during the erysipelas fever epidemic at Schuylkill Falls, in the spring of 1848. The record of James and Susan Keel Thomson's children is continued: Mark, the eldest living of the family (to whom the author is indebted for the facts of this complete memorial of perhaps the oldest matron that ever died in the county), acquired a good education in the public schools ; afterwards learned printing with Robert Iredell and worked at the case for a time, but being expert with the pen and as an accountant, was for a subsequent period Deputy Recorder of Deeds, as also Deputy Collector of United States revenue, which occupied several years, after which he secured the place of book-keeper in the First National Bank of Philadelphia, where at this writing he is now employed. In 1870 he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Louisa, daughter of David and Mary A. Supplee Zimmerman, and there have been born to them two sons and one daughter, named as follows: Car- roll W., who died July 23, 1873, aged six months ; Marian, a daughter, and Harold Irwin, who died October 22, 1886, aged eight years.
Achibald D., James and Susan Thomson's third son, died at Washington Heights, Illinois, December 20, 1880. Samuel C. died September 6, 1843. The next son, Charles Henry, is unmarried. The last son, James K., married Annie Ramsey, and have one child, Mary R. James and Susan Thomson's seventh child, Emma Margaret, died November 3, 1845.
The sixth of Benjamin and Elizabeth Thomson's family, William, married Anna Maria Porter, and they had ten chil- dren, as follows: James P., Benjamin, Elizabeth, Mary, Wil- liam, Rebecca, Anna Maria, and three who died in infancy. Recapitulation : James P .; Benjamin married Annie Moyer,
752
ELIZABETH THOMSON.
and they had five children, to wit : Joseph, Sadie, Willie, Katie, and Benjamin. Elizabeth was intermarried with James Sidney Baird, and they had James B., who died October 12, 1861, aged three years, and James S., who died March 3, 1875, aged eleven years. They had also one daughter, Flora M. Wil- liam and Anna Maria Thomson's fourth child, Mary, married Samuel L. Foreman, and had one child, Theodore B., who died February 14, 1864. Their fifth child, William, married Sarah Updegrove; he died in the United States' army, July 22, 1864, leaving one son, William. The sixth child of the branch we are recording, Rebecca, died April 23, 1846, as did Anna Maria, February 7, 1850. The above William, whose family has just been described, died December 11, 1852.
The next child of our subject is Sarah D., who married William Earl, the latter of whom died January 24, 1843. They had four children, as follows: Alexander D., William L., Elizabeth T., and Theodore B. William and Sarah D. Earl's first son, Alexander, married Annie M. Hansell, but has no offspring. William L., the second son, married Sarah Mur- ray ; he died July 20, 1878, leaving to the mother's care the following children: Alexander D., Thomas M., Ida, Harry R. and Annie. William and Sarah D. Earl's third child, Eliza- beth T., died at the age of two years, and Theodore B., the younger, at the age of two months.
The ninth child of Benjamin and Elizabeth Thomson was Rebecca, who married Isaac Rice; she died May 24, 1847, leaving four children, Anna Maria, married to Henry E. Rees; Hannah, deceased; George, and Benjamin.
The tenth child of "Aunt" Betsy is Elizabeth, the widow of Jacob Murray, deceased. They had eleven children, to wit: Sarah A., Marie E., Rebecca W., Mary M., Benjamin, William T., John M., Abraham Markley, and three who died in infancy. This large family of children, their intermarriages and descendants, are recorded as follows: Sarah A., the eldest, married Thomas Altemus, and has two children, George M., unmarried, and Emma J., the wife of W. I. Zimmerman, who have one daughter, Helen. Maria E. is intermarried with William H. Koplin (elsewhere recorded in this book), and they have two daughters, Annie R. and Emma B. Elizabeth Mur-
753
ELIZABETH THOMSON.
ray's third child, Rebecca W., died February 2, 1866, aged twenty-two years, leaving one daughter, Lizzie T., married to S. D. Benson, and who have one son, Harry. Mary M., an- other daughter, married Richard Bates, and have seven chil- dren, Tillie, Alice, Howard, Richard, Annie, Wilmer and John. Mr. and Mrs. Murray's fifth child, Benjamin, died, aged ten months, December 3, 1842, and William T., the sixth, on May 3, 1852, in his sixth year. Their seventh child, John M., mar- ried Ella Hastin, and they had one child, William. The mo- ther dying, John M. afterwards married Clara Farrell, and they had two children, Edward and Bessie. The eighth, Abraham Markley, married Emma DeHaven, and they have had five children, Maggie, David, Markley, Mamie and Raymond. The first three of these died in infancy, the two others survive.
Jacob Murray, the head of the foregoing large family just recorded, was a prominent man of business at Norristown in his day, serving in public capacity for many years as constable, sheriff's deputy and the like. He was very capable and relia- ble in all matters connected with the administration of the laws.
Ann, the youngest child of Benjamin and Elizabeth Thom- son, married Levi Rennard, and they had three children, Camilla, Daniel and Mary Ann. The first of the above is married to Theodore T. Munshower, son of David Munshower, long a resident of Norristown. They have eight children, named as follows: Raymond H., George K. (married to Ella D. Ward), John R., Willie K., Maddie, David, Ella and Wal- lace B.
Daniel, the second child of Levi and Ann Rennard, is in- termarried with Carrie Copeland, and they have had four chil- dren, Charles C., Mamie, deceased at age of ten years, John, also deceased at four years, and Lizzie. Mary Ann, the youngest child of Levi and Ann Rennard, is married to John Miller, and they have had five children, Andrew, Annie W., and Louisa, and two, Levi and Ella, who died in infancy.
Levi Rennard died May, 1848, and his widow afterwards married William Whitman, who also died May, 1874.
754
SUPPLEE.
SUPPLEE.
The ancestors of John Supplee (in former years a resident of Norristown) were driven to this country on the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, in 1685, by the French King Louis XIV. They were Huguenots or Protestants, and preferred to leave their native country rather than renounce their religion. They settled in Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. One of them, Andrew Supplee, held an important office of honor and trust under Wm. Penn. The father of John Supplee took up land in Norriton township near Norristown. He showed his interest in education by erecting a school house on his place near the present Norris City cemetery. At his death, his son John, engaged in the manufacturing of woolen goods, but the unsettled condition of the national revenues caused reverses, and induced him to remove to Norristown, where he occupied a portion of his time in teaching school. He also filled the position of postmaster there for several years with efficiency and honor.
Three of Mr. Supplee's sons now occupy prominent posi- tions in Philadelphia, but they were all born in Norristown and spent their early youth there, receiving much of their educa- tion in Treemount Seminary, founded by the late Rev. Samuel Aaron, and chiefly under the personal instruction of that edu- cator and noble man.
The eldest of these sons is Enoch H., the next William W. and the youngest J. Wesley. The first entered the ministry . of the Protestant Episcopal Church in 1866, though most of his time has been occupied, since 1855, as principal of an in- stitute for young ladies. Many prominent ladies in Philadel- phia and elsewhere are graduates of his school. He has also had charge of important churches in the mean time.
Wm. W. Supplee is of the firm of Lloyd & Supplee Hard- ware Co. This firm is composed of Wm. W. Supplee and Wm. J. Lloyd, and is recognized as the largest in the trade, selling more goods than any other in the business. The number of clerks and travelling salesmen reach nearly one hundred; and their sales will amount to millions annually.
755
SUPPLEE.
They are also engaged in the manufacture of lawn mowers, and export them largely to England, Germany, France, Russia, Australia, and South America.
J. Wesley Supplee is the senior member of the firm of J. W. Supplee & Co., commission merchants, their specialty being flour. He has by his industry, energy and enterprise, succeeded in placing his firm in the very highest position in the trade. Entering the flour store of J. Kinzer & Co. some years ago a clerk, without means, without knowledge of business, or any extensive acquaintance in the city adopted as his home, and yet with a resolution and steadfast purpose that he would do as large a business as any in the trade, he became head of the firm of J. W. Supplee & Co. in 1860, and has not only lived to carry his resolutions into effect but has the pleasure and satisfaction of knowing that there is but one firm in the United States that sells more flour than his. Being a member of the Commercial Exchange, an influential trade organization of the Quaker city, he has been repeatedly called to various offices in that institution. He has served repeatedly as a di- rector, was unanimously elected vice president, and has now, 1887, just retired from the presidency, to which he was also unanimously elected, a position he occupied with great effi- ciency and honor. It was during his administration, and largely through his instrumentality, that the Merchants' Warehouse Company was formed, which erected one of the · largest warehouses for the receiving and storage of flour in the country. He is also vice president of the company. Mr. Supplee is not only esteemed and respected in the circles of his own trade, but in others as well, and has been repeatedly called to serve in various financial institutions of the city. He served as director of the Third National Bank for a series of years; he aided in forming the Produce National Bank, serving as director, but declined the presidency on account of his extensive business, which occupied his time, and is now serving (1887) as director of the Commercial Exchange Na- tional Bank. Mr. Supplee is still actively engaged in busi- ness, though he has what many would consider a handsome competency, preferring the excitement and interest of busy life to the repose of retirement.
756
A. H. BAKER.
He is a member of the Spring Garden M. E. church, having served on its board of trustees. This is one of the most prom- inent churches of that denomination in the city ; and its con- tributions for benevolent purposes are probably not exceeded by any Methodist church in the country. Mr. Supplee is a large giver to various church purposes, not only in his own, but other denominations. He is likewise a liberal supporter of the Methodist Home for aged couples, and for the organi- zation known as the Methodist Hospital.
Mr. Supplee is a prominent member of the Masonic Fra- ternity, being past master of Industry lodge, and an officer of the Grand lodge. He is also a large contributor to the Masonic Home and is a life member of that benevolent insti- tution.
Thus Mr. J. W. Supplee seems to prefer seeing how his charities are administered by benevolent agencies during his life than to leave his means for post-mortem distribution.
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