My Genealogy Hound

DR. WILLOUGHBY H. REED is a member of one of the oldest and most distinguished families in this section of Pennsylvania. He is a native of Norristown, where he was born January 20, 1856. He is the son of Michael Hartman and Mary A. (Rockafellow) Reed.

Michael H. Reed (father) was born in New Britain township, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, October 24, 1809. In early life he attended a Mennonite day school, and later, when his parents removed to Hilltown township, he attended school until he was sixteen years of age, when he was indentured with Henry Shellenberger, of Line Lexington, to learn the trade of hatter. His apprenticeship completed, he worked for Shellenberger for a time, and then accepted a position in Schaffer’s hat factory at Germantown. In 1832 he opened a hat and fur store, and manufactured hats at Skippackville, being appointed post- master by President Andrew Jackson while engaged in business there. After two years he sold to George Ruth, and removed to Philadelphia, opening a hat and fur store on Fourth street below Vine, in that city. Disposing of his business after several years, he and Jesse Shellenberger opened a similar establishment on Second street below Noble. His health failing, he retired from business, and removed to Bucks county, in 1847. On February 15, 1852, he married Mary A. Rockafellow. In 1855 he removed with his family to Norristown, remaining there two years, and then locating at Jeffersonville, where he remained the rest of his life. He died January 17, 1898. His wife died on November 5, of the same year. The couple had three children, Franklin P., who is engaged in the hardware business at National City in southern California, and is married; Willoughby H., subject of this sketch; and Mary E., who resides with her brother, Dr. W. H. Reed, at the homestead at Jeffersonville.

Andrew Reed (grandfather) was the son of Colonel Jacob and Magdalene (Leidy) Reed. Being the youngest child he remained at home and cultivated the farm in New Britain township, Bucks county. On April 21, 1807, he married Mary Hartman. The couple had five children, Jacob, Michael (father), Julian, Abigail and Sarah. Jacob married Sarah Leidy, Michael married Mary Ann Rockafellow, Julian married Jacob Bender, Abigail married Allen Hackman and Sarah married Henry Heckman. After the death of his father Andrew Reed removed to his farm in Hilltown township, Bucks county, adjoining New Britain, cultivating it until his children were grown up. About 1846 he sold the farm and purchased a home near the Hilltown church, where his wife died, June 3, 1861, aged seventy-four years. His daughter Abigail had previously died, June 1, 1856, in the forty-sixth year of her age. Andrew Reed’s remaining days were spent with his daughter Sarah, he being totally blind the last eight years of his life. He died on June 10, 1869, aged seventeen days more than eighty-eight years. A man of the highest integrity, kind disposition, and was much respected by all who knew him. He and his wife were attached to the Church of the Evangelical Association, at Hilltown. In its adjoining graveyard their remains lie interred.

Colonel Jacob Reed (great-grandfather) was the son of John Philip, or Philip, and Veronica (Bergey) Reed. He was the oldest of eight children. He was born in Salford township, afterwards Malborough township, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, June 28, 1730. Liberally educated in the schools of that day, he was reared on a farm. About 1755 he married Magdalene Leidy, their children being: Philip, Jacob, John, Andrew (grandfather), Margaret, Magdalene, Catherine, Elizabeth and Eve. John was killed by lightning in his twenty-third year; the others lived to old age, and married as follows: Philip married Elizabeth Solliday, Jacob married Anna Maria Mowery, Andrew married Mary Hartman, Margaret married Jacob Redline, Elizabeth married Jacob Conver, Catherine married William Lindsay, Magdalene married Jesse Wilson and Eve married Wendle Fisher. Jacob Reed located early in life in Hatfield township, and purchased a farm near where is now Hatfield station, on the North Pennsylvania Railroad, which was confirmed to him by a deed from Thomas Penn and Richard Penn, February 23, 1770. In 1793 he sold his farm and purchased another in New Britain, on the County Line road. His wife died there, August 5, 1804, aged sixty- five years, six months and twelve days. He then resided with his son Andrew until his death, which occurred November 2, 1820, at the age of ninety years, four months, less four days, his remains being interred in the Leidy burying ground, in Franconia township, where his wife and other members of the family lie. Jacob Reed was a man of much prominence and influence in his day, in church and state, being a defender of his country during the Revolutionary war, and an elder in the Indian Creek Reformed church. He filled several important public positions. In 1777 he was elected lieutenant colonel of the first Battalion of Philadelphia county militia, recruited from the townships of Upper and Lower Salford, Towamencin, Hatfield, Perkiomen and Skippack. He rendered valuable service to General Washington during the campaign of 1777-8, his knowledge of the country being a matter of importance to the American commander which was highly appreciated by him. He participated in the battles of Trenton, Germantown and Brandywine. Tradition has preserved the recollection of several incidents of his life. On one occasion he was waylaid by Tories who were numerous and bold, who shot him in the leg, tarred and feathered him, tied him to a tree and commenced digging his grave as they proposed to kill and bury him. Before they accomplished their purpose, help appeared, and he was released from his uncomfortable and perilous position. His persecutors escaped from the country, but their property was subsequently confiscated. On another occasion he was shot at by a Hessian soldier from behind a fence, the bullet grazing his head.

Philip Reed (great-great-grandfather) was the immigrant. He came to this country from Mannheim, in the Palatinate, on the Rhine, in Germany, landing at Philadelphia from the ship Friendship, from Rotterdam, October 17, 1727. He located in what is now Malborough township, but was then attached to Salford, bought a farm, and engaged in agriculture. Prior to 1734 he paid quitrent for over a hundred acres; in that year he was assessed for fifty acres; still later he became an extensive owner of land near what is now Hoppenville. He was one of the original members of the Goshenhoppen Reformed church, in Upper Hanover. He married Veronica Bergey, who was born in the canton of Bern, in Switzerland, February 13, 1702 (old style), and died December 13, 1792. Her family fled from Switzerland on account of religious persecution, as he had done from Germany. Philip Reed was born January 26, 1698, and died September 3, 1783, in his eighty-sixth year. Both were buried in the New Goshenhoppen Reformed burial ground. Their children: Michael, married Anna Maria Mowery; Jacob, married Magdalene Leidy; Andrew, married Anna Maria Leidy; Catharine, married Abraham Arndt; Eve married, first Valentine Dickenshied, and, second, Joseph Kochen; Margretha, married Theobold Wink; Anna Maria, married Michael Welker; Elizabeth, married John Eberhard.

Dr. W. H. Reed was educated in the public schools of Norriton township, which he attended until his seventeenth year, when he took a position in the Jeffersonville grocery store. Later he entered the office of the True Witness, in Norristown, conducted by Moses Auge in the interests of temperance, following that occupation for a year and a half. He next became a clerk in the drug store of I. M. Buckwalter, at Phoenixville, remaining there four years. He entered the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy in 1877 and graduated from that institution in 1879. The following year he spent in a Philadelphia drug store, and in reading medicine, entering the Jefferson Medical College in 1880, and graduating therefrom in the spring of 1882. He practiced for a time at Cape May Point, also conducting a drug store, remaining there two seasons, and then practiced medicine for a time at Jeffersonville. In 1884 he removed to Norristown, purchasing the property at the west corner of Marshall and Astor streets, where he is still located. As a member of Company D, Tenth Regiment, he participated in the suppression of the Pittsburg railroad riots of 1877.

Dr. Reed married, November 5, 1884, Annie R., daughter of Samuel F. and Amanda (Crawford) Jarrett, a prosperous farmer of Norriton township, near Jeffersonville. Mr. Jarrett is a descendant of John Jarrett, who came from Scotland and settled in Horsham township, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, prior to 1714, and married Mary, daughter of Jan Lucken, who came from Holland and landed at Chester in 1683. Mary was born November 18, 1693. Of the children of John and Mary (Lucken) Jarrett, a son John married Alice Conrad, August 9, 1740. John Jarrett was born March 3, and his wife August 3, 1718. They had twelve children: John, Mary, Elizabeth, Hannah, Rachel, William, Alice, Jonathan, David, Jesse, Tacy and Joseph. Of these Jesse, born March 26, 1757, died August 30, 1828, married Elizabeth Palmer and had six children: Mary, David, Alice, Joseph, Tacy and John. Of these, David, the oldest son, born October 24, 1797, died October 20, 1890, married Rebecca Farra and had eight children, as follows: Jesse, Samuel Farra (father of Mrs. Reed), Charles P., Atkinson F., Elizabeth, John, Lucretia and Chalkley, of whom only Samuel F., Elizabeth and Chalkley, survive. Samuel F. Jarrett has been long prominent in Republican politics in Montgomery county, having been elected its first Republican treasurer in 1872, and served five years in all; he is a director of the People’s National Bank of Norristown, and interested in many other enterprises. His wife belongs to an old family of Scotch-Irish descent, but long domiciled in the county. Mrs. Jarrett’s grandfather, Major John Edwards, was during the Revolution an officer in the Philadelphia county militia, serving his country faithfully during that eventful period.

Mary Ann Rockafellow, mother of Dr. Reed, belonged to an old family of Holland ancestry. She was the eldest daughter of Jonas and Elizabeth (Probasco) Rockafellow, of New Britain. Jonas was the son of William and Rachel (Thatcher) Rockafellow. William was the son of John and Margaret (Kitchen) Rockafellow. John was the son of Peter and Mary (Bellis) Rockefelt, Peter’s father was also named Peter, the last named being the son of Johannes Peter Rockefelt, who, with his two sons, Peter and Johannes, emigrated to America, Peter settling near Flemington, New Jersey, and his brother in New York state, the latter being the ancestor of John D. Rockefeller, the Standard Oil magnate and millionaire.

Mary Hartman Reed (grandmother), wife of Andrew Reed, was the daughter of Henry and Sarah (Harner) Hartman, who removed from Montgomery county to Lykens Valley, Pennsylvania, and both died there, Sarah Harner (great- grandmother) was the daughter of Christian Harner, a soldier in the Revolutionary war.

Dr. W. H. Reed is a Republican in politics, but not an aspirant for office, although he held the position of school director for several years. He is a member and trustee of the Jeffersonville Presbyterian church. He is a life member of the Montgomery County Historical Society, and has been very active in its work, his tastes inclining him to research in local history and genealogy. He has written many valuable historical papers which have been read at the meetings of the society, and collected much material bearing on family history. In 1901, in conjunction with his brother, Franklin P. Reed, of National City, California, Dr. Reed erected as a tribute to the memory of their ancestor, Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Reed, a granite monument in the form of a sarcophagus over his grave, in Leidy’s cemetery, Franconia township, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania. The location is near the flourishing borough of Souderton. It bears the following inscription: “In memory of Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Reed, Hatfield township, Philadelphia county, Pennsylvania.” “A patriot and soldier of the Revolution, an officer of the Philadelphia county militia. Served his country actively during the whole war. Participated in the battles of Trenton, Brandywine, Germantown, etc.”

The monument was dedicated on October 8, 1901, the Montgomery County Historical Society holding its autumn meeting there for the purpose. A number of interesting historical papers were read, which have been collected in a volume and published under the direction of Dr. Reed. In this connection the following notice taken from Poulter’s Daily Advertiser of Philadelphia, of November 22, 1820, will be of interest:

“Died-In New Britain township, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, on the 2d instant, Colonel Jacob Reed, in the ninety-first year of his age. He served his country faithfully during the whole of the eventful period of the Revolution, and before the close of the war was honored with a colonel’s commission.”

Dr. Reed is an indefatigable worker in the line of historical investigation, and he is a public-spirited citizen as well. He takes an active interest in the affairs of the community, and is one of Norristown’s most highly respected business men. He is a member of the American Pharmaceutical Association, and a frequent and valued contributor to medical, pharmaceutical and genera1 literature. He is a member and has been president of the Pennsylvania Pharmaceutical Association; also member of the Alumni Association of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, of the Philadelphia Botanical Society, of the order of Knights of Friendship, and of the Pennsylvania-German Society. He is a member of Norristown Lodge No. 620, Free and Accepted Masons; of Norristown Chapter No. 190, Royal Arch Masons, and of Hutchinson Commandery No. 32, Knights Templar, all of Norristown. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the Revolution.