History of Bucks
County, Pa Volume 3 by William H. Davis
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EASTBURN REEDER EASTBURN REEDER, one of the most prominent farmers and dairymen in Bucks county, was born June 30, 1928, upon the farm on which he now resides, and which had been the property of his ancestors for five generations from 1763. Charles REEDER, great-great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, born in England, 6 mo. 24, 1713, came to America in 1734 and settled first near Philadelphia, removing later to Upper Makefield township, Bucks county, where he purchased 200 acres of land in 1765; he died there in 1800. He married in 1737, Eleanor MERRICK, daughter of John and Eleanor (SMITH) MERRICK, of Lower Dublin township, Philadelphia county. John MERRICK was a Friend, a native of Herefordshire, England, who came to Pennsylvania and settled in Lower Dublin township. In first month, 1702, he declared intentions of marriage, at Abington Friends' Meeting, with Eleanor SMITH, and was married the following month. He died in 1732. His eldest son John subsequently removed to Wrightstown, having married Hannah HULME, and was the ancestor of the MERRICKS of lower Bucks. Charles and Eleanor (MERRICK) REEDER were the parents of eleven children, viz.: Joseph, born 9 mo. 3, 1738, removed to New Jersey, (his son John is supposed to be the ancestor of the REEDERS of Easton, Pennsylvania); Charles, born 6 mo. 15, 1743; Benjamin, born 3 mo. 29, 1746, settled in Northumberland county, Pennsylvania; Jesse, born 8 mo. 25, 1748, was drowned in the Delaware river when a young man; David, born 5 mo. 3, 1750, married, in 1776, Elizabeth MONTGOMERY; Abraham, born 7 mo. 8, 1752, married in 1780; Elizabeth LEE, of Wrightstown; Merrick, born 7 mo. 30, 1754, married in 1773, Elizabeth COLLINS; Hannah, born 8 mo. 15, 1756; Eleanor, born 2 mo. 3, 1758; John, born 11 mo. 29, 1761; and Mary, born 9 mo. 15, 1764. Merrick REEDER, seventh son of Charles and Eleanor, was reared on the Makefield farm, and on arriving at manhood married Elizabeth COLLINS, and followed the vocation of a farmer.He was a tenant on the "Canaan Farm" in Upper Makefield for several years.In 1810 he and several of his children removed to Muncy, Lycoming county, Pennsylvania. He had thirteen children, viz.:Benajah, born 11 mo. 30, 1774, married Elizabeth POWNALL, of Solebury, and removed to Muncy, in 1810; Merrick, born 2 mo. 8, 1776 was the grandfather of the subject of this sketch; Jonathan, born 6 mo. 10, 1777, married Sarah PALMER, and removed to Muncy; David, born 8 mo. 23, 1778, married Rachel POWNALL, and removed to Muncy; Hannah, born 4 mo. 11, 1780, married Samuel WINDER, and removed to Muncy; Mary born 10 mo. 29, 1781, married John ROBINSON; Rebecca, born 5 mo. 20, 1783, died unmarried; Elizabeth, born 4 mo. 3, 1785, married Thomas OSBORN and removed to Muncy; Charles, born 4 mo. 18, 1787, married Elizabeth CLARK and removed to Baltimore, Maryland, where he has descendants:Andrew, born 6 mo. 12, 1789, married Anna KEMBLE, and removed to Muncy; John, born 5 mo. 18, 1791, married Rebecca ELLIS, and removed to Muncy; Eleanor, born 11 mo. 4, 1793, married John ROSS, and removed to Muncy, Lycoming county, with her parents; Jesse, born 8 mo. 19, 1796, married first Elizabeth FELL, and (second) Mary FELL, her sister; settled in Buckingham and is the grandfather of E. Wesley KEELER, Esq., of Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Merrick REEDER, Jr., second son of Merrick and Elizabeth, born in Makefield, 2 mo. 8, 1776, was the grandfather of the subject of this sketch. He was reared on a farm in Upper Makefield, and received a good education. He came to Solebury as a school teacher in 1800, and in 1802 married Elizabeth, daughter of Joseph and Rebecca (KITCHIN) EASTBURN. He was a man of good business ability, and was for many years a justice of the peace in Solebury and new Hope borough. Soon after his marriage he settled on a portion of the Eastburn farm, (purchased by Joseph EASTBURN, Sr., in 1763), and at the death of his father-in-law, Joseph EASTBURN, Jr., in 1813, it was adjudged to him in right of his wife, and is now the property and home of Simpson B. MICHENER, of New Hope. Merrick REEDER was a surveyor and scrivener, and an active and useful man in the community. His wife, Elizabeth EASTBURN, died 9 mo. 7, 1833, and he married (second) in 1836, Sarah SIMPSON. He died in 1 mo., 1851, aged seventy-five years. (For EASTBURN ancestry of subject of this sketch, see EASTBURN Family). Merrick and Elizabeth (EASTBURN) REEDER were the parents of three children: Joseph E., born 3 mo. 28, 1803; David K., born 10 mo. 29, 1804, married Elizabeth M. REEDER, a daughter of Charles M. REEDER; and William P., born 4 mo. 26, 1815, married Mary REEDER, also a daughter of Charles M. REEEDER. David K. REEDER heired his father's portion of the old plantation in Solebury and lived and died in that township in 1887.William P. removed to Philadelphia, and died in 1885. Joseph E. REEDER, son of Merrick and Elizabeth, born in Solebury township, 3 mo. 28, 1803, was a farmer, and resided during his whole life on the parental acres. He married 4 mo. 11, 1827, Letitia, daughter of Stephen and Hannah (BLACKFAN) BETTS, of Solebury, who bore him two children: Eastburn, the subject of this sketch; and Elizabeth, born 1 mo. 20, 1831, died November 7, 1860, married Robert EASTBURN in 1857. Joseph E. REEDER died 7 mo. 28, 1892, aged eighty=nine years, and Letitia, his wife, died 12 mo. 2, 1892, aged ninety-one years. Eastburn REEDER, born on the old homestead of his ancestors, June 30k, 1828, has spent his whole life thereon. He received a good education, and on arriving at manhood turned his whole attention to the farm. He married, 12 mo.15, 1853, Ellen, daughter of John E. and Martha (QUINBY) KENDERDINE, and the following spring took charge of the home farm, which he conducted personally until 1898 a period of forty-four years, since which time he has retired from its active management. In 1872 he became interested in the breeding of Jersey cattle, and his handsome herds were the pride of the county for many years. He has always taken an active interest in the elevation of the calling of a farmer and the improvement of methods of tilling and utilizing the soil. He was one of the original thirty-three members of the Solebury Farmers' Club organized in 1871, and its first secretary, and is still one of its most active members. He was the representative of Bucks county in the State Board of Agriculture from 1877 to 1893, sixteen years; was appointed by Governor Robert E. PATTISON, May, 1893, State Dairy and Food Commissioner, the first commissioner under the law creating the office, and served until July, 1895. He was active in the prosecution of the manufactures of oleomargarine and other imitations of pure food, and placed the office on a high plane of usefulness to the farmer. He is also the author of numerous papers on farming and dairying, and has done much to influence legislation for the protection and betterment of the farmer. He was a member of the Solebury school board for nine years, from1865 to 1874, and its secretary for six years. In politics he is a Republican of the independent type. In religion is an active and earnest member of Solebury Meeting of Friends, as were his ancestors. Since his retirement from the active management of his farms he has devoted considerable time to literary pursuits, and has published a book entitled "Early Settlers of Solebury," and also a "History of the Eastburn Family." Eastburn and Ellen K. REEDER are the parents of four children: Watson K., born October 3, 1854, the present station agent for the P. & R. R. R. at New Hope, who married 1879, Mary C. BEANS, of Johnsville, Bucks county, Pennsylvania; Elizabeth, born 6 mo. 1, 1857, married in 1880, Newton E. WOOD, of Moreland, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania; Letitia, wife of Dr. George W. LAWRENCE, of East Berlin, Connecticut, married in 1892; and Martha, wife of Charles JANNEY, of Solebury, married in 1903. Text taken from page 22 - 24 of: Davis, William W. H., A.M., History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania (New York-Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1905) Volume III Transcribed July 2000 by Robert C. Sommerfeldt of Wisconsin as part of the Bucks Co., Pa., Early Family Project, www.rootsweb.com/~pabucks/bucksindex.html Published July 2000 on the Bucks County, Pa., USGenWeb pages at http://www.rootsweb.com/~pabucks/ |
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Page was last edited:
11/15/2008