Biographical Sketch of Oliver WELLS (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. 269-70. "OLIVER WELLS is the youngest son and sixth child of James and Margaret (Umstead) Wells, and was born September 28, 1827, in that part of Coventry which is now North Coventry township, Chester county, Pennsylvania. The family is descended from English Quaker stock, and was planted in America by John Wells, paternal great-grandfather of Oliver, who was born near Bath, England, but in early life bid a long farewell to his native shores and sought to make himself a 'local habitation and a name' in the new world. He was naturally attracted to Pennsylvania and settled in the eastern part of the State, where he lived and died, and where his descend- ants have become numerous. One of his sons, Joseph Wells (grandfather), was born in Robinson township, Berks county, this State. He was a farmer by occupation and became prosperous and influential in his community. In religion he was a strict member of the Society of Orthodox Friends, and maintained a high reputation for honesty, integrity and general upright- ness of character. He married Margaret Wells, and reared a family of ten children, all of whom attained maturity and lived honorable and useful lives. Only one of the family now survives, David Wells, who resides in North Coventry township, near Price's meeting house. He was a carpenter for many years, but devoted the latter part of his life to agricultural pursuits, and is now almost ninety years of age. "James Wells (father) was born on the old homestead in Robinson township, Berks county, Pennsylvania, in March, 1790. There he grew to manhood and received a careful religious training and such education as was furnished by the schools of that day. He was a young man of great energy and won- derful industry, and an ability far above the average. After leaving school he learned the trade of carpenter, and followed that occupation most of his life. In 1825 he removed from Berks to Chester county, and settled in North Coventry township, where he continued to live until his death, June 14, 1853. By birthright, he was a member of the Society of Friends, but in 1845 he joined the German Baptist Brethren church, of which he remained a faithful adherent the remainder of his life. He was married twice - first to Margaret Umstead, a daughter of Samuel Umstead, a prosperous farmer of Union township, Berks county. By this union he had a family of nine children, four sons and five daughters: Samuel, deceased; Umstead, also dead; Christiana, married George Keim, a farmer of North Coventry township; Herman, now deceased, who was for many years paymaster on the Philadelphia & Reading railroad; Hannah, married John A. Penny- packer, of Phoenixville; Oliver, whose name introduces this sketch; Elmira, died May 26, 1892, at the age of sixty-one years; Margaret, now the wife of Joseph Cox, of Philadelphia; and Elizabeth, who wedded John Cox, of the same city. The mother of these children, Mrs. Margaret Wells, died March 27, 1847, and Mr. Wells afterward, February, 1850, married Sarah Rinewalt, now also deceased. "Oliver Wells was reared principally in North Coventry township, this county, and received a good practical education in the common schools of his neighborhood. After attaining his majority he engaged in business for himself as a lumber merchant, and having the native energy and ability which constitutes the best working capital of life, he has met with good success, and is now in comfortable circumstances. If he is remarkable for any one thing, it is probably the modesty with which he regards his own achievements and his reticence in speaking, or rather in never speaking, of them. "On December 26, 1854, Mr. Wells was united in marriage with Katherine Mintzer, a daughter of Henry Mintzer, of Pottstown, Montgomery county, this State. To them was born a family of eight children: Josephine, married James K. Huey, an employee of Pottstown Iron Company, residing in North Coventry township; Sophie, the wife of Rev. William Rader, a Congre- gationalist minister, now located at Biddeford, Maine; Harry M., James Edgar, Herman and Olivia, all four of whom died of diphtheria within one week, in March, 1872; Horace O., who has just graduated (1892) from Phillips academy, at Andover, Massachusetts, and will at once enter Williams college at Williamstown, that State, where he proposes to take a full course; and Cheyney T., residing at home with his parents and attending school. Mrs. Wells is an earnest capable woman, and is now in the fifty-eight year of her age, having been born in North Coventry town- ship, Chester county, in February, 1835."