History of Bucks
County, Pa Volume 3 by William H. Davis
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SPENCER BUCKMAN HIBBS, One of the largest real estate owners in Bucks county is Spencer Buckman HIBBS, of Hulmeville borough. He was born near Hulmeville, in Middletown
township, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, April 16, 1843, a son of James GUYON HIBBS, and Martha (COX) HIBBS,
his wife. William HIBBS,
great-great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was an early settle in Byberry. By his marriage with Elizabeth JOHNSON, daughter of John and Margaret JOHNSON, he had three children Jacob, Jonathan and
Phebe. Jacob married Elizabeth de GUYON, of French descent, in 1761. Jonathan married Sarah de GUYON, a sister of Elizabeth, and Phebe married
Joseph SMITH of Wrightstown, and later George KINSEY, of Buckingham. John JOHNSON
was a son of "Jan CLAUSON, par COOPER," a Hollander, who settled on the
Neshaminy, in Bristol township, in 1678, on a tract of land patented to him by Edmund ANDROSS, captain-general of New York, and
confirmed by patent from William PENN in 1684. He left six children, all of whom took the name of
JOHNSON. John
JOHNSON purchased of his brothers and sisters
520 acres, patented to his father on the Neshaminy, and at his death in 1721 devised it to
his seven children, his wife Margaret to have the use of it for life. She died in 1751, and two years later the land was
partitioned between Benjamin BRITTIN, who had
married Mary JOHNSON, a granddaughter of John
and Margaret, and Elizabeth KELLY, widow, the
mother of Jacob, Jonathan and Phebe Hibbs. Mrs.
Kelly conveyed the ninety-six acres, her share of her grandfather's estate, to her son
Jacob HIBBS.
Jacob HIBBS died in Bristol
township in 1773. leaving a widow and
children; Jemima, who married Michael RING;
Jacob; Keziah, who married William STACKHOUSE;
John G.; Steven and Samuel. John GUYON HIBBS,
grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was a mason by trade, and later a farmer, and
became a considerable land owner in Middletown and Bristol townships. He married Mary SEARLE, a descendant of Arthur SEARLE, an early settler in Bensalem township. The children of John G., and Mary (SEARLE) HIBBS,
were Walter M., Mahlon G., Charlotte, John G., James G., Mary, Samuel, Jacob, Joseph G.
and Daniel B. HIBBS. John G. HIBBS
died in 1832, and his widow several years later. James GUYON HIBBS, father
of the subject of this sketch, was a practical and successful business man, and of more
that ordinary intellectual ability. In early
life he learned the trade of a mason, and followed it for a few years. Having received a good education he abandoned his
trade and taught school at Milford (now Hulmeville) for seventeen years, and in other
schools in Middletown township for eight years. He
was elected prothonotary of Bucks county on the Democratic ticket in 1844, and served
three years with eminent ability. He was for
one year proprietor of the Hulmeville Hotel, and lived one year in Newportville. The last thirty years of life were spent on his
farm in Middletown township. He was a
successful business man and left his family in affluent circumstances. He married Martha, daughter of Jacob and Hannah COX, who died December 25, 1890. James G. Hibbs died December 17, 1882. James G. and Martha (COX) HIBBS
were the parents of two children, James GUYON,
born January 31, 1838, died August 17, 1902, unmarried, and Spencer B. Spencer B. HIBBS, the
subject of this sketch, spent his boyhood days on his father's farm. He was educated at the public schools, at
Millersville State Normal School, the Tennent School at Hartsville, and at Rev. Samuel AARON's Seminary at Mt. Holly, New Jersey. After finishing his education he was employed in a
grist mill for two years, and then filled the position of baggagemaster for the Camden
& Amboy Railroad for six years, and was also assisant [sic] superintendent at the
Kensington Railroad yard. In 1870 he came
back to the old farm and worked for the family, and later followed butchering for a few
years. Mr. HIBBS is a Presbyterian in religion, and in
politics is a Democrat. He has always taken
an active interest in the success of his party, but has never held other than local
offices. At the death of his brother he
became the owner of much additional property, and owns fourteen farms in Bucks county, one
in New Jersey, a fine grist mill, two hotels, and twenty-five dwelling houses. Mr. HIBBS was married on
July 24, 1869, to Catharine HAWK, of
Morrisville, by whom he had four children: Henry Chapman, born Mary 24, 1870; Olive
Martha, born June 13, 1876; James Carl, born December 6, 1881; and Arthur Chapman, born
November 26, 1884. These children have all
been well educated. Henry C. attended
Rider's Business College at Trenton, New Jersey; James C. and Arthur C. attended Pierce's
Business college of Philadelphia, and Arthur C. also attended the Drexel Institute,
Philadelphia. All three are now in the employ
of their father, Henry C. as bookkeeper, and James C. and Arthur C. as engineers. Henry C. married June 13, 1900, Viola, daughter of
Samuel A. and Maria (STACKHOUSE) RICHARDSON, a descendant of two of the oldest
families in Middletown. They are the parents
of one child, Olive Lenora, born November 20, 1901. Olive
Martha HIBBS was educated at the public schools
and the West Chester State Normal School, graduating in 1895, after which she taught
school in Hulmeville for eight years. She was
married September 23, 1903, to John H. GEIL of
Rutledge, Delaware county, Pennsylvania, a solicitor for the Land Title and Trust company
of Philadelphia. Text taken from page 576, 577of: David, William W. H., A.
M. History
of Bucks County, Pennsylvania [New York-Chicago: The
Lewis Publishing Company, 1905] Volume III Transcribed April 3, 2001 by
Donna J. Kling of Pennsylvania as part of the Bucks Co., Pa., Early Family Project,
www.rootsweb.com/~pabucks/bucksindex.html Published April 2001 on the Bucks County, Pa., USGenWeb pages at
www.rootsweb.com/~pabucks/ |
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Page was last edited:
11/15/2008