36 



HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 



rious localities where he resided, and 

 his honorable and reliable transactions 

 won for him an enviable reputation 

 which he has always fully sustained. He 

 is a firm advocate of the principles of 

 Republicanism, and his support has al- 

 ways been given to the candidates and 



^ measures of that party. 



On March 12, 1857, Mr. Vadegrift mar- 

 ried Julia Ann Luck, born in Philadel- 

 phia but reared in Bucks county, a 

 daughter of Joseph and Margaret (Les- 

 lie) Luck. Joseph Luck was a native of 

 England, from whence he emigrated to 



y\ the United States, entered the service 

 of the United States government, and 

 for many years had, charge of the United 

 States arsenal at Frankford, Pennsyl- 

 vania. Four children were born to Mr. 

 and Mrs. Vandegrift: George, born Jan- 

 uary 28, 1858, engaged in agricultural 

 pursuits in Bensalem township, married 

 Julia Miller, of Philadelphia, and they 

 are the parents of one child, Frederick 

 Vandegrift; Joseph, who died at the age 

 of four years; Mary Ann, born P'ebru- 

 ary 19. 1863; Charles W., born December 

 16. 1865. The mother of these children, 

 who was a most excellent' woman in 

 every respect, faithful and conscientious 

 in the performance of her duties as wife 

 and mother, died June 9, 1902. 



LEWIS HERBERT VANDEGRIFT, 

 of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, was born at 

 that place, October i, 1845, the son of 

 Alfred and Catherine (Gibbs) Vande- 

 grift. He was educated in the public 

 schools of Bensalem, after which he en- 

 gaged in farming, as an employe of his 

 brother, John, with whom he remained 

 until 1870, when he removed to the old 

 homestead farm in Bensalem, which he 

 purchased in 1892. After thirty years 

 of farm life, he sold his farm and re- 

 moved to Philadelphia, when he entered 

 the employ of the Western Union Tele- 

 graph Company, with whom he is still 

 engaged. Mr. Vandegrift has been twice 

 married — first, January 7, 1874, to Mar- 

 garet, daughter of James and Margaret 

 (Ballantyne) Harvinson. By this union 

 four children were born: i. Alfred Eu- 

 gene, born November 22, 1874, married, 

 February 20, 1901, to Susannah Keifer, 

 of Brooklyn, New York, daughter of 

 John Colder and wife, Susannah (Jen- 

 ninker) Keiffer. and they have one child, 

 Margaret Susannah, born November 10, 

 1902; 2. Clara May, born January 29, 

 1877. married March 7, 1905, Eugene 

 Gaskill, of Philadelphia; 3. Maud, born 

 May 13, 1882; married, first Elwood E. 

 Porter, by whom the issue was Milton 

 Harvinson, born December i. 1899; sec- 

 ond, to Frank Peabody Hedges, of 

 Trenton, New Jersey, May i. 1904; 4. 

 Bertha Irene, born May 20. 1883. Mrs. 



Vandegrift died February 13, 1888, andl 

 for his second wife Mr. Vandegrift mar- 

 ri-ed, January 14, 1892, Margaret Brown^ 

 of Eddington, who was born May 4^ 

 1854, daughter of Henry Jackson and 

 Sarah (Staats) Brown, and the grand- 

 daughter of Alexander and Elizabeth 

 (Darrah) Brown; also the granddaugh- 

 ter of Jacob and Maribel (Shaw) Staats. 

 By his second marriage Mr. Vandegrift 

 has one child — Lucy Eccleston, born Oc- 

 tober 13, 1893. Each of the above chil- 

 dren, except Lucy, were educated in Ben- 

 salem. Alfred was graduated from 

 Pierce's Business College of Philadel- 

 phia, and Lucy is attending Lincoln^ 

 Grammar School in Philadelphia. 



Mr. Vandegrift is a member of the 

 Masonic fraternity, and affiliates with- 

 Newton Lodge, No. 427, A. F. and A. 

 M. Both Mr. and Mrs. Vandegrift are 

 members of the clmirch of Christ (Epis- 

 copal) of Eddington, where they are ef- 

 ficient, earnest workers. Mr. Vandegrift 

 has served on the school board very 

 ably for three years, and has been its 

 secretary. He has ever been much in- 

 terested in educational matters, and is 

 counted among the loyal citizens of his 

 place. 



GEORGE V. VANDEGRIFT. The 

 death of George V. Vandegrift, April 

 24, 1853, removed from Bensalem town- 

 ship, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, where 

 he resided all his life, one of its promi- 

 nent, influential and public-spirited citi- 

 zens. His birth occurred in 1804, a son' 

 of Joseph and Sarah (Byson) Vande- 

 grift, and grandson of John Vandegrift. 

 Joseph Vandegrift (father) was also a 

 native of Bensalem township, Bucks 

 county, the year of his birth being 1776. 

 In early life he served an apprentice- 

 ship at the trade of weaver, and this 

 he followed successfully throughout his 

 active career. He was a member of the 

 Episcopal church, the service of which 

 he attended regularly. By his marriage 

 to Sarah Bankson the following named' 

 children were 'born: Lydia, Rebecca, 

 Mary, Amy, George V., Frances, Sarah 

 Ann, Joseph, Julia Ann, and Jane. Mr. 

 Vandegrift died in 1839, survived by his 

 wife, who passed away in 1857. 



George V. Vandegrift attended the 

 common schools adjacent to his home, 

 after which he learned the same trade 

 as his father, that of weaver, but after 

 following this for a nimiber of years 

 turned his attention to farming, which 

 proved both a pleasant and profitable 

 occupation. Upon attaining his majority 

 he cast his vote with the Whig party, 

 to whom he gave his allegiance up to 

 the formation of the Republican party, 

 and from that time up to his decease he 

 advocated the principles of that great 

 organization. 



