History of Bucks
County, Pa Volume 3 by William H. Davis
|
|
GEORGE KNORR WILDMAN GEORGE KNORR WILDMAN. Prominent among the representative citizens of Bensalem township, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, who follow the quiet but useful calling of agriculture, is George K. Wildman, a native of that township, born on the homestead farm, February 22, 1858. The founder of the Wildman family in America was Martin Wildman, who came from Yorkshire, England, in 1683, accompanied by his wife, Ann Wildman, and settled in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, where he followed farming as a means of livelihood. They were honest and God-fearing people, members of the Society of Friends, and at their decease left to their children the legacy of an untarnished name and reputation. The line of descent is traced through their son, John Wildman, who was the father of a son, John Wildman, who married Marjorie Knight, and among their children was a son, John Wildman, who was born in Bensalem township, Bucks county, March 28, 1771, married Mary Knight, and died May 21, 1842. Among their children was a son, Joshua Wildman, who became the father of George Knorr Wildman. Joshua Wildman (father) was born in Bensalem township, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, August 3, 1819. He was reared on the homestead farm, and in the common schools of the day obtained a good English education. He devoted his attention to farming, and the income thus derived provided his family with the necessaries of life. On August 28, 1844, Mr. Wildman married Hannah Johnson, who was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, August 28, 1823, daughter of William and Catherine (Knorr) Johnson, and granddaughter of John and Rachel (Liozne) Johnson. Four children were the issue of this marriage: Catherine, deceased; Caroline, deceased; Lavina, wife of Edward Comly, of Byberry, Philadelphia county, Pennsylvania; and George Knorr, whose name heads this sketch. Edward and Lavina Comly are the parents of four children, as follows: Joshua K. Comly, who died in infancy; Edward Comly, who died at the age of eleven years; Hannah Wildman Comly, and Deborah Ann Comly, who died at the age of ten years. Joshua Wildman, father of George K. Wildman, died February 26, 1867. George K. Wildman pursued his studies at the Friends’ school in Byberry and at the Friends’ Central School at the corner of Fifteenth and Race streets, Philadelphia. Having been reared on a farm he naturally chose that occupation for his life work, and in following the same has acquired a large degree of financial success as a result of his practical and progressive methods and painstaking labor. Upon the death of his father he succeeded to the fine old homestead in Bensalem township, upon which he now resides. His political affiliations are with the Republican party. Mr. Wildman was united in marriage, June 9, 1881, with Rachel Ridge Comly, who was born in Philadelphia county, near Bustleton, was educated at Swarthmore College, and is a daughter of John and Emeline (Ridge) Comly, and granddaughter of Robert and Esther (Shallcross) Comly, who were the parents of ten children. Robert Comly was a successful business man, and his only brother, Samuel Comly, was one of the earliest to engage in the tea trade with China, owning his own ships, and became very wealthy. He, like his brother Robert, was the head of a large family. Esther (Shallcross) Comly was a daughter of Leonard Shallcross, who was a son of Leonard Shallcross. Both father and son were prominent in the business circles of Philadelphia in their day. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wildman: Edith, born May 23, 1882, died in infancy. Allen Comly, born June 8, 1883. Clara Wilson, born January 22, 1886. Emma Comly, born October 18, 1888. John, born September 14, 1891, died in infancy. The children are bright and intelligent, and the family are highly esteemed in the community in which they live. The family are members of the Society of Friends. Text taken from page 315 Davis, William W. H., A. M. History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania [New York-Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1905] Volume III Transcribed January 2002 as part of the Bucks Co., Pa., Early Family Project, www.rootsweb.com/~pabucks/bucksindex.html Published January 2002 on the Bucks County, Pa., USGenWeb pages at www.rootsweb.com/~pabucks/ |
| ||||||||||||||||||
Page was last edited:
11/15/2008