My Genealogy Hound

JESSE CHILDS SHOEMAKER, one of the most substantial farmers of Whitpain township, was born September 6, 1854, at the old homestead of the Shoemaker family, near Blue Bell, in that township, being the son of Charles Kenderdine and Sarah (Childs) Shoemaker. He attended the Sandy Hill public school in Whitpain township, until his seventeenth year, and remained at home assisting his father for several years with the farming.

On January 1, 1880, Mr. Shoemaker married Catharine Annie, daughter of William Grow and Catharine (Vaughan) Smith, and made his home for the following fifteen years at the Shoemaker homestead as managing farmer and dairy-man. In the spring of 1893, Mr. Shoemaker bought the property known as the “Wood” farm, near Washington Square, in Whitpain, to which he soon after removed and where he has since resided. Mr. Shoemaker has always taken a lively interest in the affairs of his community in both a political and religious sense. In politics he is a Republican and has served as school director of his district and rendered valuable service to his party as a member of the vigilance committee. Mr. Shoemaker is a member of Boehm’s Reformed church, Blue Bell, which Mrs. Shoemaker and the children also attend. The children, eight in number, are as follows: Chauncey Harvey, born January 13, 1881; Catharine Vaughan, July 19, 1882; Gertrude Myrtle, January 5, 1884; Rachel Getty, March 23, 1886; William Grow, April 23, 1888; John Oscar, September 5, 1889; Charles Kenderdine, March 13, 1894; and Anna Ethel, March 10, 1897.

Charles K. Shoemaker (father) was the son of Thomas Supplee Shoemaker and was born June 4, 1819. He died January 11, 1892. He married Sarah Childs, who was born December 2, 1818, and died October 23, 1902. They had the following named children : Phoebe Gouldy, born March 1, 1841, married in 1866, Charles C. McCann; Matthias, who was born August 17, 1843, and died at Andersonville prison, in June, 1865, enlisted in response to the three-months call and later joined the Thirteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry; George, born February 2, 1845, married, in June, 1864, Harriett Henshall, and lives at Olney, Philadelphia; Emma Jane, born August 28, 1848, resides at Blue Bell; an infant daughter, born October 16, 1850, died unnamed; Albert B., born September 6, 1851, married Rachel De Haven, having three children living and resides at Jeffersonville, where he works as a carpenter and carries on business as a contractor; Jesse Childs is the next of the family; Sarah C., born February 2, 1857, married Henry C. Hoover, and lives at Blue Bell, having two children; Charles Thomas, born November 10, 1859, died December 8, 1876; Anna C., born March 29, 1864, resides with her sister, Emma Jane, at Blue Bell.

William G. Smith (father of Mrs. Jesse C. Shoemaker) was born July 23, 1823, he married Catharine Vaughan, of an old Lower Merion family, July 22, 1847. Mr. and Mrs. Smith had a large family of children, for data as to whom, see sketch of Thomas V. Smith. William G. Smith, who was a Democrat in politics, lived for many years at “Willow Lawn,” a mill and farm in Norriton, and later in Norristown. He served a term as county commissioner. Mr. Smith was an extensive contractor, being a mason by trade, and built many county bridges.

Mrs. Shoemaker was born in Lower Merion township and attended the Lafayette school until her twelfth year.

The Shoemaker family were pioneers in the settlement of Pennsylvania. Jacob Shoemaker (great-great-grandfather) had several children as follows: Matthias (great-grandfather) born in 1736, and died in 1816; Barbara, born in 1738; Jonathan, born in 1739; Isaac, born in 1741; Hanah, in 1743; Elizabeth, in 1745; Sarah, in 1748; and David, in 1753.

Matthias purchased, March 28, 1777, from John Yedder, forty-seven acres of land, which with thirty-three acres bought about twenty years later from Henry Conard, constituted the Shoemaker homestead where several generations of the name were born and reared. At Matthias Shoemaker’s death, the farm came into possession of his only son, Thomas.

The children of Thomas Shoemaker (grandfather) were: Enoch, born 1804; Job, 1805, died 1828; David, 1807; Alan, 1808; Matthias, 1810; Hannah, 1813, died 1817; Jesse, 1815, died 1854; Charles K., 1819, died 1892.