Biographical Sketch of Leroy Chase PASSMORE (1904); 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/ *********************************************************************** "Historical Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Chester and Delaware Counties, Pennsylvania", Vol. 1, edited by Gil- bert Cope and Henry Graham Ashmead, Lewis Publishing Company, New York, 1904, pp. 162-4. "LEROY C. PASSMORE, for almost a quarter of a century prominently and actively identified with the commercial interests of West Nottingham town- ship, Chester county, Pennsylvania, being a successful coal, lumber and grain merchant, traces his ancestry to John Passmore, a native of the parish of Husk, Berkshire, England, who accompanied by his wife, Mary (Buxcey) Passmore, daughter of Humphrey Buxcey, settled in Kennett, now Pennsbury, as early as 1714, afterwards removing to West Marlborough where his death occurred about the year 1746. The children of John and Mary Passmore, so far as known, were William, John, Eleanor, Augustine, George, Mary and Samuel Passmore. "George Passmore, son of John and Mary Passmore, was born February 23, 1719; married September 10, 1742, Margaret Strode, daughter of John and Magdalen Strode, of West Marlborough, and their children were: John, George, Margaret, Mary, Thomas, Elizabeth, Margery and Ann Passmore. "John Passmore, eldest son of George and Margaret Passmore, was born July 2, 1743; married, April 24, 1765, Phebe Pusey, daughter of Joshua and Mary Pusey, of London Grove, Chester county, and the following named children were the issue of this union - Mary, Margaret, Susanna, Ellis, Margery, Hannah, Mary, Lydia, Phebe, Sarah, George and Elizabeth Passmore. "Ellis Passmore, eldest son of John and Phebe Passmore, was born near Doe Run, Chester county, Pennsylvania, March 1, 1771. He was reared, educated and grew to manhood in this neighborhood. He married Ruth Moore, daughter of Andrew Moore, and the issue of this union was eight children - Phebe, Ruth, Ellis P., Andrew M., John W., George B., Benjamin J. and William Passmore. "John Wardell Passmore, third son of Ellis and Ruth Passmore, was a native of Cecil county, Maryland, the date of his birth having been October 30, 1802. His preliminary education was acquired at a private school and later he attended a boarding school conducted by Enoch Lewis, after which he served an apprenticeship at the trade of carpenter. He located in the township of West Nottingham, Chester county, Pennsylvania, and became one of its prominent and influential citizens. He followed his trade for a number of years, but subsequently turned his attention to teaching school. He was a strong advocate of the principles of the Whig party, and was chosen by that body to serve as county commissioner of Chester county, his tenure of the office being from 1836 to 1841. On October 13, 1822, Mr. Passmore married Deborah Brown, born January 12, 1801, a daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Brown. Their children were: Ellis Pusey, born August 23, 1823; Samuel Brown, born December 13, 1827; Elizabeth Ruth, born Nov- ember 11, 1830, and John A., born June 30, 1836, now deceased. John W. Passmore, father of these children, died at his residence in Chester county, June 26, 1848; he was survived many years by his widow, who passed away in May, 1895. "Ellis Pusey Passmore, eldest son of John W. and Deborah Passmore, was born in West Nottingham township, Chester county, August 23, 1823. His boyhood was spent in attendance at the district schools, where he obtained an education which prepared him for his active career. His first occupa- tion was working on a farm, and during the period he was thus employed he gained a thorough knowledge of agricultural pursuits. Later he accepted a position as agent for an agricultural supply company, in which capacity he served for twelve years, his territory being the entire state of Penn- sylvania. The following five years he was a resident of Butte City, Mon- tana, but, life in the eastern portion of the United States being prefera- ble to his tastes, he returned to Chester county, Pennsylvania, and again took up his residence in his native township of West Nottingham. He was an active member of the Society of Friends, and his political affiliations were with the Republican party. He married, December 23, 1847, Mary E. Lincoln, who was born June 8, 1824, a daughter of John and Frances Anna Lincoln of Cecil county, Maryland. Their children are: John W., born December 11, 1848, married Alice M. Martindale, and they reside in Butte City, Montana; Lincoln K., born September 2, 1850, married Ellen Faxon, and they reside in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Leroy C., born January 8, 1854; Emma F., born November 16, 1855, wife of John D. Haines and they reside in Butte City, Montana; Charles S., born July 8, 1858, married Susan Came of Old Orchard, Maine, and they reside in Butte City, Montana; Walter C., born December 1, 1860, married Lillian Haines; he is now de- ceased; Ellis Pusey, Jr., born October 26, 1863, died at the age of two years; Ellis Pusey, Jr. (2) born February 1, 1869, married Emily Pusey Shelmire and they reside in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The mother of these children died August 14, 1893. "Leroy C. Passmore, third son of Ellis Pusey and Mary E. Passmore, was born in Rising Sun, Cecil county, Maryland, January 8, 1854. He received an excellent English education at West Nottingham Academy, and the three years following his graduation he was engaged as a teacher in a school at Rising Sun, Maryland. After the expiration of this period of time he es- tablished a general store at the same place, which he successfully con- ducted for four years, but finally abandoned this enterprise, and for seven years devoted his time and attention exclusively to farming in Cecil county, Maryland. In 1890 he removed to West Nottingham township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, and, in partnership with E. A. Gillespie, established his present business of coal, lumber and grain, under the firm name of Passmore & Gillespie. "Mr. Passmore is a man of steadfast purpose and inflexible integrity, and all his business transactions are conducted on a strictly honorable basis. In politics he is a staunch adherent of the Republican party, and was chosen by his fellow citizens to serve as a director of the school board of West Nottingham township. "In 1880 Mr. Passmore married Rebecca E. Hunt, daughter of Marshall J. and Elmira (Haines) Hunt, the former named being a prominent machinist of Rising Sun, Maryland, and the inventor of the first corn drill. Four children were born of this union - Elmira H., unmarried; J. Walter, a student at Swarthmore College; Mary E., also a student, and Helen R., deceased. Mr. Passmore and his family are members of the Presbyterian church, and actively interested in the various departments of work con- nected with it."