Biographical Sketch of Isaac MASSEY, M.D. (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, Pennsyl- vania, comprising a historical sketch of the county," by Samuel T. Wiley and edited by Winfield Scott Garner, Gresham Publishing Company, Philadel- phia, PA, 1893, pp. 341-2. "ISAAC MASSEY, M. D., of West Chester, whose talent and labors have wrought out, marked success for him in the field of his chosen profession, is a son of John and Jemima (Garrett) Massey, was born in West Goshen township, near West Chester, Chester county, Pennsylvania, February 15, 1838. The paternal ancestors of Dr. Massey were of English stock, and his grandfather, Israel Massey, was a life long resident of Valley Forge, where he owned the land upon which Washington's head-quarters were situated while the Continental army lay through the midnight of the revolution at that celebrated place. "He married Rachel Vodges, who was born November 6, 1767, and of whose ances- tors genealogist Cope, of Chester county, has compiled the following: 'In pursuance of an act of Parliament, made in the thirteenth year of the reign of King George II (of Great Britain), entitled "an act for naturalizing such foreign Protestants and others therein mentioned, as are settled or shall settle in any of His Majesty's colonies in America," Richard Vodges took and subscribed the qualifications in 1743. He married and had two children: Jacob and Barbara. Jacob married Elizabeth Hampton, who was, perhaps, a daughter of Benjamin Hampton, of Edgemont and Willistown townships. By this marriage he had a family of twelve children, of which Rachel (Vodges) Massey was one. Jacob Vodges purchased a farm in Willistown township, for two hundred pounds in gold and silver money, and in the deed is styled, a blacksmith.' "Israel and Rachel (Vodges) Massey reared a family of children, and their son, John Massey (father), who was born in 1798, at Valley Forge, is now a resident of West Chester. He was a farmer in early life, and afterwards was engaged in merchandising. He is a member of the Friends' church, and is a republican in politics, and married Jemima Garrett, who died in 1883, aged 83 years and whose ancestors settled in Willistown township over two hundred years ago. They had a family of three children, two sons and one daughter: Rebecca, wife of William H. Garrett, of Swarthmore, Delaware county; William, who died in 1869, and Dr. Isaac. Mr. Massey celebrated his ninety-fourth birthday in November, 1892, and is well preserved physic- ally, for his great age. "Isaac Massey received his education in Ercildoun and Norristown academies. Leaving school he became (1859) professor of higher mathematics and English in the William F. Wyers academy, of West Chester, which position he held for five terms. In the meantime he determined upon medicine as a profession, read in Philadelphia, and entered Jefferson Medical college, from which well known institution he was graduated int he class of 1864. After graduation he became acting assistant surgeon of the United States army, and served as such until the close of the war. Returning from the army, he opened an office at West Chester, where he has remained ever since in the active and successful practice of his profession. "In 1866 Dr. Massey married Mary Hinman, a daughter of D. B. Hinman, a prominent wholesale merchant of Philadelphia. She died in 1874, and on January 8, 1879, he wedded Sarah Connor, daughter of John Connor, a native of Boston, who died at West Chester, 1853 (sic), aged thirty-six years. By his second marriage Dr. Massey has one child, a daughter, named Frances Price, who was born January 22, 1883. "Dr. Massey is a republican in politics. He is a member of the Chester County Medical society, the college of Physicians and Surgeons of Philadel- phia, the Pennsylvania State Medical association. He is also a member of the board of health, and has been physician to the Westtown Boarding school for the last decade. Dr. Massey has served for several years at West Chester, as surgeon of the Pennsylvania and the Wilmington and Baltimore railroads. He has never refused to accept and discharge other duties than those of this profession when it was the will of his fellow citizens to ask such service at his hands, and thus he served for eighteen years as a member of the city school board, where he had much to do in building up the excel- lent system of schools for which West Chester is favorably known today. He has always taken a justifiable pride in the interesting history and substan- tial progress of his county and State, and has been a useful member for some years of the Pennsylvania Historical society. "Dr. Isaac Massey is of that able and energetic class of progressive physi- cians who love their profession and quickly and efficiently apply in prac- tice what they have learned by close application and thorough study. Re- spected and esteemed as a citizen, and popular as a physician, his skill and success has placed him among the foremost physicians of southeastern Pennsylvania."