Bucks County PA Archives Biographies.....Croman, A. J.
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joe Patterson, Patricia Bastik & Susan Walters Dec 2009

Source: History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania; edited by 
J.H. Battle; A. Warner & Co.; 1887
Richland Township A-M


   A.  J. CROMAN brick mason and bookbinder, resides in 
Quakertown.  Contemporaneous with the early settlers of 
Bucks county was the Croman family.  Michael was the first 
of whom anything is known.  He was born January 6, 1734, and 
died January 11, 1808.  His wife, Eva Croman, was born May 
8, 1742, and died May 9, 1814.  He was one of the most 
active members of the Richlandtown Lutheran Evangelical 
church, and in his barn services were held before the church 
was built.  They reared a family of eight children, Michael, 
Samuel, Conrad, George, Catharine, Elizabeth, Benjamin and 
Susan.  September 10, 1737, the ship ÒSnow Molly,Ó from 
Amsterdam, later Dover, landed ninety-five Palatine 
emigrants at Philadelphia, among whom was Johann Christoph 
Grohman, supposed to have been the father of the first 
Michael above.  He settled in Rockhill township.  Michael, 
grandfather of our subject, was born September 9, 1764, and 
married Sabilla Horn, who was born March 22, 1767.  She was 
a daughter of Sebastian Horn, who was born June 18, 1726, 
and died June 30, 1812.  Michael, Sr., was drafted in the 
revolution, but Michael, Jr., served in his place.  After 
the war he located in Richland township, and engaged in 
farming.  He reared a family, consisting of six sons:  John, 
Conrad, Jesse, Joseph, Michael and Samuel; and seven 
daughters:  Eva, Elizabeth, Gloria, Mary, Susan, Sabilla and 
Afia.  He died in 1852, aged 87 years, 8 months, 16 days.  
Conrad, the father of A. J., was born April 16, 1804, and 
married Lavina, daughter of Jacob Bright, of Scotch descent, 
the son of Peter and Susanna (Rau) Bright.  The wife of 
Jacob Bright, and maternal grandmother of A. J. Croman, was 
Susanna (Adams) Bright, daughter of John Adams, of Saucon.  
He died April 8, 1858, his wife surviving him.  Of seven 
children born to them four lived to maturity: Andrew J., 
Conrad, William and Hannah.  Conrad lives in this township, 
William in Montgomery county, and Hannah, wife of James 
Kugler, in Philadelphia. Andrew Jackson Croman was born July 
30, 1833, in this township, and remained at home until he 
was 18 years of age, when he commenced serving an 
apprenticeship as bricklayer.  After five years' service he 
went to Allentown, where he worked two years, then returned 
to this place, and engaged in business for himself.  
December 3, 1859, he married Eliza M., daughter of Samuel 
and Hannah (Horn) Hinkle, of Springfield township, this 
county.  He located permanently in Quakertown in the spring 
of 1866.  He carries on his trade, and has built many of the 
principal buildings of the place.  He also carries on 
bookbinding to some extent.  He has had eight children, of 
whom seven are living:  Annie, Charles, Mary, Samuel, Clara, 
Amanda and Frank.  He is a member of the Lutheran church, 
and a democrat.