History of Bucks
County, Pa Volume 3 by William H. Davis
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THOMAS R. LEISTERpage 538 to 539 Thomas R. LEISTER, of Perkasie, was born in Hilltown township, May 23, 1834, and is a son of Jonas and Catharine (RUTH) LEISTER. Philip and Nicholas LEISTER emigrated from Germany in the ship "Brotherhood," arriving in Philadelphia, November 3, 1750. The latter settled in Franconia township, Montgomery county, where he purchased land in 1760. Philip LEISTER settled in Rockhill township, on the north branch of the Perkiomen creek, where he purchased 150 acres of land January 2, 1759. He subsequently purchased considerable other land adjoining. The only son of Philip LEISTER of whom we have any definite record was Philip Jacob LEISTER, who married September 26, 1772, Elizabeth CELL. On April 18, 1782, his parents, Phillip and Catharine LEISTER conveyed to him 175 acres of land in Rockhill, with the proviso that he was to support his father and mother, building for them a house on a part of the plantation, and pay fourteen hundred pounds in annual installments. In 1787 they conveyed to Philip Jacob another tract of 148 acres. Philip Jacob later dropped the first name and was known as Jacob Leister. He was a mason by trade and reared several sons to the same trade. John LEISTER, son of Jacob and Elizabeth was born and reared in Rockhill, and followed the trade of a mason in that neighborhood until about 1812, when on the death of his wife Mary, he married Elizabeth, widow of John GETMAN, of Milford township, and purchased the farm formerly belonging to GETMAN in Milford. This farm he conveyed to his son Michael in 1820, but continued to reside in Milford until his death. He had sons - Philip, Jacob, George, Michael and Jonas; the two former settled in Montgomery county, where they have left numerous descendants. Johnas (sic) LEISTER, youngest son of John and Mary LEISTER, was born in Rockhill township, Bucks county, February 11, 1805. Like his father and grandfather and several of his uncles he was a mason by trade, and followed that occupation in Hilltown and Rockhill during the active years of his life. He married February 8, 1829, Catharine HARR, widow of John HARR, whose maiden name was RUTH, and lived for some years in Hilltown township, returning in 1845, to Rockhill, near Schlietersville, where he died May 26, 1897. Jonas and Catharine LEISTER were the parents of five children, viz.: Elias, born November 16, 1831, married Lavinia TREICHLER, and has five children; Thomas R., born May 23, 1834; Henry, born August 19, 1841, married Susan SNOVEL, and had two children; Mary Ann, died young; Catharine, born July 3, 1837, married Josiah HOOVER; died February 12, 1874. Thomas R. LEISTER was reared in Hilltown and Rockhill, and was educated at the Ridge Road School. Early in life he learned the cigar making and cigar packing business, which he followed for many years, but for the last thirty years has been employed as a cigar packer. In 1889 he purchased a residence in Perkasie borough, and three years later greatly improved it and now lives a retired life. In religion he belongs to the sect known as the River Brethren, and in politics is a Republican. He has been three times married; in 1861 to Susanna, daughter of Elias ALTHOUSE, who died in 1862; second, on June 17, 1870, to Elizabeth, daughter of Joseph FREED; and third, on May 22, 1886, to Salome K. BERGY, daughter of Abraham BERGY. He has no children. He and his wife reside in their pleasant home in Perkasie borough, enjoying the fruits of a life of industry and frugality. Text taken from page 538 to 539 of: Davis, William W. H., A.M., History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania [New York-Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1905] Volume III Transcribed July 2006 by Joan Lollis as part of the Bucks Co., Pa., Early Family Project, www.rootsweb.com/~pabucks/bucksindex.html Published July 2006 on the Bucks County, Pa., USGenWeb pages at www.rootsweb.com/~pabucks/ |
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Page was last edited:
11/15/2008