Biographical Sketch of John H. Darlington (1850-); Chester County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by John Morris . *********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** From "Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsylvania, comprising a historical sketch of the county", by Samuel T. Wiley and edited by Winfield Scott Garner, Gresham Publishing Company, Philadelphia, PA, 1893, pp. 654-656. John H. Darlington, a representative farmer of this county, who was educated at Professor Weyer's military school and Professor Worrall's academy, in West Chester, is the eldest of the two sons of Job and Lydia (Huey) Darlington, and was born February 11, 1850, on the farm where he now lives, in East Bradford township, near West Chester, this county. The old, numerous and distinguished Darlington family of Chester county was founded in the early years of the eighteenth century by Abraham Darlington, an English Quaker, who came over with his brother John from Darnhall, Cheshire, and settled in Aston township, Chester (now Delaware) county, Pennsylvania. John removed to Maryland and all trace of him has been lost. Abraham married Elizabeth Hillborn (see sketch of Frank P. Darlington in this volume), and from their union comes the large family connection, estimated at nearly two thousand in all, now scattered throughout Chester and adjoining counties. Several of the name have occupied important positions in this county, and others have distinguished themselves in various lines of industry and effort, including the law, journalism, literature, legislation and military achievements. The children of Abraham and Elizabeth Darlington were: Mary, Deborah, Elizabeth, Abraham, Thomas, John (great-grandfather), Hannah, Rachel, Job and Rebecca. John Darlington, great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born at the old homestead (now owned by Clement Biddle), on Brandywine creek, this county, and on March 17, 1751, married Esther Dicks, daughter of Peter and Sarah Dicks, of Providence, and settled on a farm of one hundred acres in East Bradford township, this county, where in 1761 he built the house now occupied by his great-grandson, John H. Darlington, whose name heads this sketch. Here he lived, engaged in agricultural pursuits, until his death, February 3, 1813. His children were: Sarah, born March 1, 1752; Job, born December 20, 1753; Joseph, born December 12, 1755; Elizabeth, born August 15, 1757; Esther, born July 7, 1759; Deborah, born May 1, 1761; Leah and Rachel, twins, born August 29, 1763; John, born March 17, 1766; and Zillah, born September 5, 1769. Job Darlington (grandfather) was born on this old homestead, and purchasing the farm from the heirs, passed all his days here, engaged in farming and stock raising. He married Rebecca Hoopes, and reared a family of five children, among whom was Job Darlington (father) who was born here October 8, 1808. After attaining manhood he succeeded his father in the management of the old homestead, and in turn spent his life here, in the cultivation of the ancestral acres, dying July 30, 1882, in the seventy-fourth year of his age. He owned one hundred and fifty acres of land, and the farm on which John H. resides is a part of the old homestead tract. Politically Job Darlington was a whig and republican, and in religion a strict member of the Society of Friends. In 1849 he married Lydia Huey, a daughter of John Huey, and by this union had a family of two children, both sons: John H., subject of this sketch, and A. Martin, now residing near Knoxville, Tennessee. John Huey (maternal grandfather) was a native of Chester county, but removed to the State of Delaware, where he died in 1848. He was a teacher in his younger days, and a farmer in later life, and by his marriage with Phebey Martin, had a family of six children, of whom Mrs. Darlington was the eldest. John H. Darlington was reared on the old homestead previously mentioned, and received his primary instruction in the common schools. He afterward attended Professor Weyer's military school at West Chester, and still later took a course of training in the academy conducted by Prof. Hunter Worrall in the same borough. Following the example of his ancestors, and his own inclinations, he has devoted his life principally to agricultural pursuits, and with the exception of a couple of years spent in West Goshen township, has always resided on the old farm where he was born, in East Bradford township, which property passed into his possession in 1882. He has been very successful in his farm operations and is in very comfortable circumstances. Being a man of sound judgment and careful business habits, he has been called on to serve as executor of a number of estates, and has always given entire satisfaction in his performance of these duties. In politics he is an ardent republican, but while loyally supporting his party at all times, has never entertained any political ambition for himself nor allowed the use of his name for any office. On November 3, 1880, Mr. Darlington was united in marriage with Sarah H. Marshall, a daughter of William P. Marshall, of West Chester.