FRANK PERCY
FRANK PERCY, one of the representative farmers and public-spirited
citizens of Doylestown township, Bucks county,
Pennsylvania
, was born in Buckingham township, same county,
September 24, 1855
.
The first of the family to settle in this country was Thomas Percy, great-grandfather of Frank Percy, who emigrated from
Ireland
about the year 1780, settling in Bucks county,
Pennsylvania
, where he followed the occupation of weaving. In 1796 he was united in
marriage to Miss Tacy Demgan,
and their children were as follows: Sarah, died unmarried; Gilbert,
mentioned hereinafter; Jane, who became the wife of Isaac Feaster; Garret; Nancy, who became the wife of Samuel Watson;
William; Eliza, died unmarried. Gilbert Percy,
grandfather of Frank Percy, was
born in Wrightstown, Bucks county,
October 16, 1799
. His entire active career was devoted to farming, which proved a most
profitable occupation. By his marriage to Catherine Vansant
he became the father of three children: Thomas, mentioned hereinafter;
Mary, born
September 28, 1834
; and William, born
January 14, 1837
.
Thomas Percy, father of
Frank Percy, was born in
Northampton
township, Bucks county,
November 30, 1824
. He followed the same occupation as his forefathers, that of farming,
conducting his operations for about half a century in Buckingham township,
achieving a large degree of financial gain by his reliable methods of
business. He was a stanch adherent of the principles of Democracy, but
never sought or held office, preferring to attend strictly to his farm and
its management. He married Miss Mary Morris,
daughter of Daniel and Cynthia (White)
Morris, and the issue of this
union was eight children: Frank, mentioned at length hereinafter;
Catherine, born June 28, 1857, wife of Reuben Kratz;
Gilbert, born March 18, 1859, a resident of Philadelphia; Lydia, born
February 5, 1862, died March 15, 1886; Alice, born January 13, 1866, died
September 4, 1866; William, born June 27, 1867, died April 24, 1872;
Watson, born November 23, 1869; Evaline, born July 3, 1872, wife of Harry Good.
Frank Percy attended the
common schools of Bucks county, thereby acquiring a practical English
education. He remained at home assisting his father with the duties of the
farm until he was twenty-three years of age, after which he commenced
arming on his own account on his grandfather's farm, where he remained six
years. He then moved to
Newtown
, locating on the Buckman farm,
and after a residence there of three years removed to
Northampton
township, locating on his father-in-law's farm. At the expiration of three
years he sold this property and moved to Roxborough,
Philadelphia
, remaining two years, during which time he was employed as foreman by the
Horse Car Company. He then returned to Doylestown township, and for five
years thereafter conducted farming operations on the Esther Fell farm. In 1898 he located on the old Clemmens farm, where he now resides, and since then his entire
attention has been devoted to its cultivation and improvement. In 1900 he
was elected school director of the township, and his incumbency being
noted for faithfulness and efficiency, he was re-elected to the same
office in 1903. His political affiliations are with the Democratic party.
Mr. Percy married Miss Sallie Hageman,
daughter of John and Ellen Hageman,
and four children were born to them, one of whom died in infancy. Those
surviving are: Atlee L., born
November 24, 1880
, a professor of commercial law, teaching at
Reading
,
Pennsylvania
; Lewis H., born
June 8, 1883
; and M. May, born
January 18, 1886
. The family are respected in the community, and enjoy the acquaintance of
a large circle of friends.
Text taken from page
of
Davis, William W. H., A. M. History of Bucks County,
Pennsylvania [New York-Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1905] Volume
III
Transcribed 2003 as part of the Bucks Co., Pa., Early
Family Project, www.rootsweb.com/~pabucks/bucksindex.html
Published December 2003 on the Bucks County, Pa., USGenWeb
pages at www.rootsweb.com/~pabucks/ |
