Biographical Sketch of Kersey SHOEMAKER (1893); 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/ *********************************************************************** 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, Phila- delphia, PA, 1893, pp. 554-5. "KERSEY SHOEMAKER, a successful farmer of West Whiteland township, and who has been engaged for many years in the coal and lime business, is a son of Thomas and Mary (Evans) Shoemaker, and was born in Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, December 16, 1815. His paternal grandfather, Peter Shoemaker, was a native and life-long resident of Montgomery county, where he followed his trade of stone mason in connection with farming. He was an old-line whig, and a member of the Society of Friends, and married and reared a family of ten children, among whom were John, Charles, Nathan, Peter, Hannah Moore, Rachel Meredith, and Thomas. Thomas Shoemaker, fourth son, and father of Kersey Shoemaker, was born in Whitemarsh township, Mont- gomery county, where he passed his life as a farmer, and where he died in 1856, aged seventy-two years. He was a whig, and a Friend, and married Mary Evans, who died January 3, 1876, when in the ninety-first year of her age. They were the parents of six children, two sons and four daughters: Kersey, Harrison, who died in 1862; Emma Paxson, now dead; Myra S. Moore, of Illinois; Mary and Sarah. "Kersey Shoemaker was reared on the farm, and received his education in the old subscription schools of Montgomery and Chester counties. Leaving school he turned his attention to farming, and some years later engaged in his present coal and lime business. He burns large quantities of lime, which he ships to various parts of this State and New Jersey. He purchased his present farm of ninety acres in this county, which is fertile and well improved, has good buildings and fences, and lies convenient to market, church and school. Mr. Shoemaker has always resided within three miles of where he now lives, and is one of the substantial citizens of his town- ship. He is a republican in political opinions, and a Friend in religious belief and church membership. "On February 18, 1858, Mr. Shoemaker was united in marriage with Ann Eliza Ayars, and to their union have been born three children: Mary, who died in childhood; Emma, wife of Dr. Patrick, of West Chester; and Margaret. Mrs. Shoemaker is a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and received her education in Thomas' boarding school at Downingtown. She was born in Chester county, February 9, 1825, and is a granddaughter of Hamilton Ayars, who was a native of Bridgeton, New Jersey, and a resident and busi- ness man for many years of Philadelphia, where he died in 1833, at an ad- vanced age. He was a democrat in politics, married and reared three chil- dren: Lemuel, Shepherd, and Mary McConaghy. Shepherd Ayars, father of Mrs. Shoemaker, was born at Bridgeton, New Jersey, June 19, 1789, and fol- lowed his trade of cabinet maker in Philadelphia and at Sadsburyville. He died at Downingtown in August, 1857. He was a democrat, an exhorter in the Methodist Episcopal church, and served as a soldier in the war of 1812. He married Mary Murray, and their children were: Preston, Hamilton, Addis, Mrs. Ann Eliza Shoemaker, Wesley, and Mrs. Sarah P. Mullen."