Biographical Sketch of John BUCKWALTER (1893); Chester County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by John Morris . Copyright. All Rights Reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ********************************************************* Source: "Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County, Penn- sylvania, comprising a historical sketch of the county," by Samuel T. Wiley and edited by Winfield Scott Garner, Gresham Publishing Company, Philadelphia, PA, 1893, pp. 243-4. "JOHN BUCKWALTER, one of the enterprising and useful citizens residing in the vicinity of Kenilworth, is the eldest son and second child of William and Catherine (Lotshaw) Buckwalter, and was born in East Cov- entry township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, January 27, 1856. The Buckwalter family in America was founded by Francis Buckwalter, a Protestant refugee from Germany who settled on the Manavon tract, at what is now Phoenixville, in 1720. There he purchased six hundred and fifty acres of land from David Lloyd, the patentee, for one hundred and ninety-five pounds. His children were Joseph, Jacob, Johannes, Mary and Yost, and from them are descended the numerous Buckwalter family of this section. They have intermarried with some of the oldest and best families in Chester county, and among them have been a number who have distinguished themselves in various lines of activity, including stock raising, finances, merchandising and official station. "David Buckwalter, paternal great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born in Chester county, and passed his entire life within her borders, actively engaged in agriculture. He married a Miss Ziegler, by whom he had a family of seven children: John, Daniel, David, Samuel, Joseph, Jacob and Barbara. "Samuel Buckwalter (grandfather), was born on the old Buckwalter farm near Phoenixville, this county, about 1782, and died in East Vincent township in 1877, aged nearly ninety-five years. He was a wheelright by trade, and in politics a whig and republican. For a number of years he served as school director in his township, and was a member of the Mennonite church. He married Mary Johnson, and had a family of fourteen children: Samuel, Annie, David, Joseph, Jacob, William (father), Mary, Barbara, Samuel (2), Nathan, Seth and Sarah (twins), Benjamin and Lovina. "William Buckwalter (father) was born in Upper Providence township, Montgomery county, this State, January 2, 1818, where he grew to manhood and received a common school education. He then learned the trade of carpenter, but has worked very little at that business, pre- ferring agricultural pursuits. While yet a young man he removed to Chester county and has continued his residence here ever since, for the last ten years residing with his son in North Coventry township. In politics he is a pronounced republican with whig antecedents, and in religion a strict adherent of the Mennonite church. On St. Val- entine's day, 1850, he was united in wedlock with Catherine Lotshaw, a daughter of Jacob Lotshaw, of East Pikeland township. To this marriage was born a family of four children, three sons and one daughter: Annie, now the wife of Seneca Mowry, a prosperous farmer of East Vincent township, by whom she has four children - Samuel Howard, William Ashley, Milton and Newton; John (subject); Theodore, who died in infancy, and Hiram, who wedded Elma Grubb, resides in East Vincent township, and has five children - Ada, William, Bessie, Russell and Annie. The mother, Mrs. Catherine Buckwalter, died in 1882, aged nearly fifty-seven years. "John Buckwalter was reared principally in this county, and received his education in the public schools of East Coventry township. After attaining manhood he began life on his own account as a farmer and has followed that vocation all his life, meeting with good success and accumulating some property. In his political affiliations he is a republican, and in 1892 was elected to the office of school director. Religiously he is a Dunkard, of German Baptist, and has long been an active and useful member of that denomination. On December 13, 1879, Mr. Buckwalter was married to Ella Prizer, a daughter of Harmon Prizer, of East Coventry township, and the fruit of their union has been two children: Clifton, born September 28, 1880; and Wilmer, born November 22, 1885."