Biographical Sketch of John WILDS (1893); Chester County, PA

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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. 
443-4.

"JOHN WILDS, one of the older and most highly respected citizens of the county, 
residing near Strafford, is a man who has spent a long and active life in 
agricultural pursuits.  He is the second of the four sons of John and Hannah 
(Byerley) Wilds, and was born in Tredyffrin township, Chester county, 
Pennsylvania, February 16, 1821.  He was reared principally on the farm, and 
obtained a good practical education in the country schools of that day, after 
which he adopted the business of farming as his life occupation, and has adhered 
to it nearly all his days.  He owns an excel- lent little farm of twenty-one 
acres, finely improved and cultivated like a garden.  Politically he is a 
republican, and though no politician, is yet loyal and ardent in the support of 
his party.  For many years he has been a member of the Baptist church, in which 
faith he was reared.

"On March 22, 1855, Mr. Wilds was united in marriage to Rachel Famous, a 
daughter of Andrew Famous, of Montgomery county, Pennsylvania.  To their union 
was born a family of two children, one son and a daughter: Isaac R., now living 
with his parents, and managing the farm; and Mary, who married Joseph Dyson, a 
contractor and builder, residing at Wayne, Pennsylvania.

"The Wilds are of English descent, the paternal grandfather of the subject of 
this sketch having been born in Lancaster, England, from which he emi- grated to 
America while yet a young man, and settled in Tredyffrin town- ship, Chester 
county, Pennsylvania.  Here he passed the remainder of his days.  He was a 
weaver by trade, and a strict member of the Episcopal church, to which he had 
become attached while in England.  Some time after his arrival in this county he 
married Barbara Wesley, of Chester county, and to them were born four children, 
two of whom were sons.  The elder of these was James, and the younger John Wilds 
(father), who was born in Tredyffrin township in 1794, and died here in 
September, 1850, at the age of fifty-six years.  After attaining manhood he 
engaged in farming, and spent most of his life in that occupation, being 
successful and prosperous. He was a member of Radnor Baptist church, and in 
early life a democrat in politics, but joined the opposition party in his later 
days.  He served as a soldier in the war of 1812, being present at Marcus Hook.  
In 1819 he married Hannah Byerley, a daughter of John Byerley, and they reared a 
fam- ily of fourteen children, seven of whom were sons: James, Elijah, Mahlon, 
John, Maurice, Joseph, William, Edward, Elizabeth, Mary A., Alice, Sarah, and 
Hannah M.  They are all now deceased except John, Elijah, Mahlon and Maurice."