Biographical Sketches of John Lentz GARRETT; Delaware County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Cyndie Enfinger . Copyright 2004. All Rights Reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ********************************************************* Source: "Cyclopedia of Delaware County, Pennsylvania”, by Samuel T. Wiley, 1894, page 211. JOHN LENTZ GARRETT, a rising lawyer of the city of Chester, is a son of J. Lewis and Caroline (Dutton) Garrett, and was born November 1, 1863, at Village Green, Aston township, Delaware county, Pennsylvania. The Garretts trace their transatlantic origin to England, whence the family was early transplanted to America and settled in the colony of William Penn. John Garrett, paternal grandfather of John Lentz Garrett, was a native of Chester county, born 1789, and died at Village Green, this county, in 1872, after an active and useful life covering over three quarters of a century, being eighty-three years of age at the time of his decease. While yet a young man he learned the trade of millwright, at which he worked for many years throughout Chester and Delaware counties, and had the reputation of being unusually skillful in the business. He and his brother Lewis served in the American army during the war of 1812. In 1835 he became landlord of the Seven Stars tavern at Village Green, which is said to have been the headquarters of Lord Cornwallis while the British army lay encamped near this village in the fall of 1777. Mr. Garrett remained connected with this hotel until his death in 1872. During the ten-hour agitation in 1847, he took an active part in favor of the proposed reform, which was then even more unpopular with the employing class than the eight-hour agitation is now. He permitted the workingmen to hold their meetings at his house without charge, and thus incurred the enmity of a number of his neighbors and patrons. The cause which then required martyrs is to-day regarded a much a matter of course as the rising and setting of the sun. And thus the world moves forward. John Garrett married Hannah Smedley, and had a family of five children, all of whom are now deceased except J. Lewis Garrett (father), and Hannah Ann, wife of James Harvey, of the city of Chester. The former was born in the county July 31, 1823, and was reared principally at Village Green, where he attended the public schools and obtained a good practical education. After leaving school he was associated with his father in the management of the hotel for a number of years, and finally succeeded to its ownership and sole control. It is now known as the Village Green hotel, and although nearly seventy-one years of age, Mr. Garrett still continues in its management. Politically he is a democrat of the Jacksonian school, and was elected in 1857 to the office of county auditor. Again in 1884 he was elected to the same position, serving one term with great acceptability. In 1861 he married Caroline Dutton, a daughter of Robert R. Dutton, ex-sheriff of Delaware county, and by that union had a family of four children, two sons and two daughters: Howard Lee, John Lentz, Carrie Lewis and Lena Bell, deceased. Mrs. Caroline Garrett was born in Upper Chichester township, this county, in 1836, and is consequently now in the fifty-eighth year of her age. Her father, Robert T. Dutton (maternal grandfather), was also a native of this county, of English parentage, and in 1846, was elected and served as sheriff of this county. After the expiration of his term of office he embarked in the lumber business in this city, which he followed with gratifying success until his death, in 1873, at the age of sixty-four years. He married Anna Bartram, a direct descendant of John Bartram, the distinguished botanist. John Lentz Garrett grew to manhood at Village Green, receiving his education in the public schools and at the Chester High school, from which latter he was graduated in the class of 1883. He then began reading law in the office of O. B. Dickinson, esq., in this city, and later entered the law department of the University of Pennsylvania, from which he was graduated with the degree of B. L. in 1887. In June of the same year he was admitted to practice at the Delaware county bar, and has ever since been associated with O. B. Dickinson, esq., his former preceptor, in general practice in the courts of this county. These gentlemen have large clientage and do an extensive law business. Politically John Lentz Garrett is an active and enthusiastic democrat. He has been a working member of the Democratic executive committee of this county ever since attaining his majority. For several years he served as secretary of this committee, and is now serving his second term as its chairman. Mr. Garrett is unmarried.