My Genealogy Hound

CHARLES SIMPSON, although a native of Solebury township, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, has been for a number of years a resident of Norristown. He was born Sixth-month 17, 1872, at the homestead purchased by his grandfather, John Simpson, about 1832. It is located about one and a half miles from New Hope, and was occupied by Joseph B. Simpson (father) until Twelfth-month, 1903, when it was purchased by Joseph Rounsaville. He attended the public schools of the vicinity, and the New Hope high school for three years. On leaving school, he came to Norristown to learn the woolen manufacturing business with J. Morton Brown & Co. He remained with the firm six years in that capacity, and was then promoted into the office of the Woodstock Mills, and soon became assistant manager of the establishment, which position he still holds. He is a Republican in politics, and like all his family a member of the Society of Friends, taking an active interest in everything relating to its interests.

The Simpson family have long been domiciled in Pennsylvania, their ancestor, John Simpson, having come to America from Ireland about the year 1730. He was at that time in his eighteenth year, and settled in Abington, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania. He afterward married Hannah de la Plaine, who was of French birth. The couple were married in 1736. Hannah was born Third-month 14, 1714, and he in 1712. John Simpson died in 1746, in the thirty-fourth year of his age. His widow, who afterward married Robert Thomson, died Sixth-month 16, 1803,in the ninetieth year of her age. Their children: Mary, born Eleventh-month 7, 1737, married James McMasters. John (great-great-grandfather), born Tenth-month 23, 1739, married Ruth Whitson. Hannah, born Third-month 22, 1741, married David Canthorn. James, born Third-month 19, 1743, married Martha Shoemaker. Sarah, born Third-month 31, 1746, died young.

By the second marriage, Hannah, widow of John Simpson, had one child, Elizabeth, born Eleventh-month 29, 1748, married William Neely. Robert Thomson died Eleventh-month 8, 1804, aged eighty-two years.

John Simpson (great-great-grandfather) and Ruth (Whitson) Simpson had five children, as follows: David (great-grandfather), born Fourth-month 4, 1765, married Agnes Wiggins. Hannah, born Fourth-month 20, 1767, married Samuel Shinn. John, born Eighth-month 5, 1769, married Elizabeth Blackfan. Ruth, born Twelfth-month 21, 1772, married Amos Hillhorn. James, born Sixth-month 17, 1775, married (first wife) Susannah Satterthwaite, and (second wife) Ann Balderson. Mary, born Seventh-month 14, 1780, died young.

John Simpson (great-great-grandfather) died Eighth-month 30, 1811, aged seventy-one years, ten months. Ruth Simpson, wife of John Simpson, died Third-month 21, 1805. John Simpson married (second wife) Anna Ingham, they being married in 1807. John Simpson was a minister of the Society of Friends, and travelled extensively in the states of the northeast, and also in some of the southern states.

David Simpson (great-grandfather) married Agnes Wiggins, daughter of Benjamin and Sarah (Warner) Wiggins, who was born Fourth-month 16, 1767. They were married Fifth-month 14, 1794, and had six children: Ruth, born Fourth- month 3, 1795, married William Betts. Sarah, born Tenth-month 13, 1797, married Merrick Reeder. John (grandfather), born Fourth-month 19, 1799, married Letitia Buckman. Rachel born Seventh-month 20, 1802, died unmarried. Hannah, born Second-month 8, 1804, died unmarried. Agnes, born Eighth-month 6, 1808, died unmarried. Ruth died Third-monh 16, 1857. Sarah died Fourth-month 7, 1856. Rachel died Second-month 23, 1828, aged twenty- five years. Hannah died Twelfth-month 30, 1868, aged sixty-four years. Agnes died Eighth-month 6, 1868, aged sixty years. David Simpson (great- grandfather) died Sixth-month 5, 1831, aged sixty-six years, two months. His wife, Agnes Simpson, died Third-month 23, 1831, aged sixty- three years, eleven months.

John Simpson (grandfather) married, Eleventh-month 15, 1827, Letitia Buckman, daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Linton) Buckman, who was born Third-month 22, 1804. Their children: Joseph E. Simpson (father), born Twelfth-month 4, 1828, married Macre Ann Flowers (first wife) and Sarah Pickering Eyre (second wife). Benjamin Wiggins, born Second-month 23, 1830, married Rebecca Satterthwaite. David, born Seventh-month 25, 1833, married Tacie Satterthwaite. Elizabeth, born Eleventh-month 20,1837, married Amos Satterthwaite. Agnes, born First-month 5, 1842, married David Palmer. John Simpson (grandfather) died First-month 31, 1878, aged nearly seventy-nine. His wife, Letitia Simpson, died First-month 15, 1882, aged nearly seventy-eight.

Joseph B. Simpson (father) married, Eleventh-month 14, 1861, Macre Ann Flowers, daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Pickering) Flowers, and they had no children. She died Sixth-month 13, 1865, aged thirty-two years. Joseph E. Simpson (father) married (second wife), Tenth-month 29, 1869, Sarah P. Eyre, daughter of Preston and Macre (Pickering) Eyre. They had three children: Edward, born First-month 8, 1870. Charles, born Sixth-month 17, 1872. (Subject of this sketch). Martha, born Third-month 16, 1875.

Charles Simpson married, Tenth-month 24, 1901, Annie Brooke Hughes, of King of Prussia, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, daughter of William and S. Emma (Marshall) Hughes. To them a son, Charles Edward, was born, Sixth- month 25, 1904.

Annie E. (Hughes) Simpson, wife of Charles Simpson, belongs to an old family of Upper Merion township. She is of Welsh descent, her ancestors all being members of the Society of Friends for several generations. They are descended from William Hughes (great-great-grandfather) who had four children: Phoebe, Hannah, married Hance Supplee; Elizabeth, married William Carver; and Abner (great-grandfather) married Katherine Lehman. Abner Supplee had four children, as follows: Sara, married John Owen; Phebe, married Thomas Brown; Mary, married Peter Gamble; William (grandfather).

William Hughes, born 6th mo. 10, 1816, died 4th mo. 6, 1899, married, 12th mo. 1841, Hannah Maris. Their children: Annie Elizabeth, born 5th mo. 4, 1843, married Cadwallader H. Brooke, 2d mo. 17, 1865, and had three children, Hannah Hughes, born 12th mo. 11, 1865, died 10th mo. 22, 1898, Elizabeth Adams, born 4th mo. 12, 1872, Athalia W., born 12th mo. 24, 1876, died 4th mo. 17, 1877; Sarah Maris, born 11th mo. 23, 1845, died 8th mo. 19, 1893, unmarried; William, Jr. (father); Rebecca Maris, born 1st mo. 13, 1855, married, 12th mo. 29, 1881, Francis E. Corson, and had one child, Helen Rebecca, born 10th mo. 12, 1882, died 4th mo. 5, 1901, the parents also being both deceased, she dying 1st mo. 16, 1892, aged thirty-seven years, and he 8th mo. 19, 1894; Frank, born 1st mo. 30, 1857, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work.

William Hughes (father of Mrs. Charles Simpson) was born 4th mo. 2, 1848, on the family homestead at King-of-Prussia, and was educated in the schools of the vicinity, becoming a farmer, which occupation he still follows. He married, 12th mo. 3, 1877, S. Emma Marshall, of Chester county, Pennsylvania. They have only one child, Annie Brooke, who married Charles Simpson. They reside in Norristown, and have one child.

The home now occupied by Frank Hughes was a portion of the land purchased by Abner Hughes, who lived there from early manhood until his death. The property then went by inheritance to his son William, who in turn bequeathed it to his son, Frank Hughes. The land owned by Abner Hughes was partly located in Chester county. He bequeathed to each child a share of his estate. Thomas Brown now owns that of his mother, Phoebe, and also his aunt Mary’s share, she having left no children. Sarah’s share has been recently sold by the Owen heirs to Dr. Downing, who now occupies it. The old saw mill, which has been enlarged and improved, stands where it did in Abner Hughes’s time, a hundred years ago.

Christian Maris was the first of the family in this country, they being of German origin. He emigrated to America, and located on a tract of land near the present site of Phoenixville. One of his sons, David, married and had several children, one of whom was Hannah Maris, born 7th mo. 30, 1819, wife of William Hughes. She died 10th mo. 27, 1902, at her home near King-of-Prussia.