Northumberland County PA Archives Biographies.....Hawley, Frances E. ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com August 6, 2005, 5:05 am Author: Biographical Publishing Co. MISS FRANCES E. HAWLEY is one of the most estimable women of Watsontown, Delaware township, Northumberland County, Pa., and is a descendant of families of great prominence. She is the only surviving child of John Milton and Jane L. (Alder) Hawley. John Milton Hawley, who is living in practical retirement on his farm near the village of Watsontown, was born in Muncy, Lycoming County, Pa., June 26, 1825, and is a son of Enos and Mary (Sweeney) Hawley, and a grandson of Robert Hawley. Robert Hawley, who was born on the Brandywine River in Chester County, Pa., was of English ancestry. Being a strict adherent to the Quaker doctrines he did not participate in the Revolutionary War, but tradition tells us that Robert Hawley was warned to flee from his home and, shortly after, the battle of Brandywine was fought upon his premises. He learned the tanner's trade. In 1800 he settled in Lycoming, Pa., with a colony of Quakers at Pennsdale, near Muncy, where he conducted a tannery. He subsequently operated a tannery in Hughesville, but at the time of his death resided at Muncy. He and his wife, Patience, both lived to an advanced age and lie buried in the Friend's Burying-ground at Pennsdale. They reared the following children: Robert; Gideon; Enos; Ann (Haynes); Hannah (Whitaker); and Mary (Yearsley). Enos Hawley, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Chester County, Pa., and when young moved with his parents to Lycoming County, where he learned the trade of a tanner. He first located in Muncy but later went to Hughesville where he succeeded to his father's business and continued it until his retirement, when he removed to Muncy. He was appointed postmaster and served in that capacity for seventeen years. He was a good general business man and lived a long and useful life, dying at the age of eighty years; his wife died at the age of seventy-eight years. He married Mary Sweeney, a daughter of John Sweeney, a soldier of the Revolutionary War who lived to reach the age of ninety-nine years, and their union was blessed by the birth of four children: John Milton, the father of our subject; Robert, who married Sarah J. Cook; Lucretia, the wife of Russell Bodine; and Alfred, who married Rachel Willetts. John Milton Hawley attended the common schools and received a good intellectual training, after which he took up the occupation which his father had followed for many years with good results, that of a tanner. In 1863 he was appointed clerk to the superintendent of the Catawissa Railroad and removed to Catawissa where he faithfully discharged the duties of that position until 1874. In that year he located at Watsontown and purchased part of the Pardee estate near the village, and there followed market gardening until 1893, since which time he has lived in retirement. He is a man of strong character and splendid habits, and is highly respected by all. He was joined in matrimonial bonds with Jane L. Alder, September 2, 1848, on the old Alder homestead known as "Rose Hill," at Muncy. Mrs. Hawley is a daughter of Joshua and Elizabeth (Lewis) Alder, and comes from a distinguished family. Joshua W. Alder was born in New Castle, Northumberland County, England, in October, 1788, and was a son of Caleb and Dorothy (Walker) Alder. The family is of French origin and was established in England by French refugees. Caleb Alder was born in New Castle, Northumberland County, England, it is thought, and with his wife and only child came to the United States, locating in New York City, in 1802. He was a man of wealth and lived the life of an English gentleman, doing no active work but investing his capital in real estate, owning at one time what is to-day known as Hoboken, N. J. There he died and there his son, Joshua W. Alder, grew to manhood, attending the public schools for some years. He later went to England to complete his education, and while in that country met and married Jane Lewis, a daughter of Lyson Lewis, returning to this country soon after. He settled in New York City and there studied chemistry and surveying, acquiring an extensive knowledge of both branches which was invaluable to him in his subsequent work. George Lewis, the uncle of Joshua W. Alders wife, who was a large merchant and a very wealthy man of New York City, acquired several thousand acres of land in Sullivan County, Pa., and desiring to know its worth, engaged Mr. Alder, then a young and energetic man, to investigate his purchase. This he accordingly did and while prospecting discovered a beautiful lake on a mountain top which he immediately named Lewis Lake, but it has since been renamed Eagle's Mere and is at the present day one of the most popular summer resorts in the state of Pennsylvania. There Joshua discovered a fine quality of white sand, and by means of his deep knowledge of chemistry, he readily saw that glass could be made from it. This afforded a valuable field of industry, as there was very little glass manufactured in the United States. He gathered a sample of the sand, returned to New York City, and there analyzed it, proving to his satisfaction that it was of the desired quality. George Lewis immediately made preparations to open this valuable industry and engaged Mr. Alder and Israel Lewis, his brother-in-law from England, to go to the lake and erect suitable buildings for the manufacture of glass. As there were no railroads, they, with a large force of men, made their w