222. 



HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 



schools of his community, and followed 

 farming. He was a man of considerable 

 fame as a farmer and man of affairs in 

 northern Bucks county, and in 'his im- 

 mediate neighborhood was looked upon 

 as a leading agriculturist. His employes 

 always received recognition and their 

 just dues for faithful services, and his 

 home was always a resort for neigh- 

 borly intercourse. He was a member 

 of the Whig party, and took an active 

 interest in its affairs. He married Esther 

 Strawn, davighter of Abel and Elizabeth 

 Strawn, of Haycock township, and had 

 issue: H. Watson, Mary Ann, wife of 

 Aaron Walp, of Quakertown ; Oliver James 

 married Maria Stover, and they reside in 

 Haycock township; Anna Maria, wife 

 of Louis N. Shelly, of Quakertown. 



H. Watson Johnson attended the sub- 

 scription schools of Richland township 

 until the free school system was intro- 

 duced, and later the public schools, com- 

 pleting his studies at the age of eigh- 

 teen years, and in the meantime assisted 

 on the home farm. For one year after 

 leaving school he clerked in the general 

 store of Mr. H. Buchacer, at Richland- 

 town, but, his parents being insistent 

 upon his returning home, he complied 

 with their request and thereafter re- 

 mained at home. After his marriage he 

 assumed charge of his father's farm, 

 working the same on shares, and con- 

 tinuing thus until the death of his father, 

 February 28, 1879, and at the settlement 

 of the estate he became the owner, pur- 

 chasing the interest of the other heirs. 

 Since attaining his majority Mr. John- 

 son has taken an active part in the affairs 

 of his community. In politics he is a 

 Republican, and has served his party in 

 local, county and state conventions as 

 delegate, and, has also served for fifteen 

 years as director of the local school 

 toard. In the campaign of 1874 Mr. 

 Johnson, at the solicitation of his party, 

 stood as candidate for the state legis- 

 lature, and, although the county was at 

 that time strongly Democratic, he, with 

 no special effort on his part, came within 

 twenty-two votes of being elected, which 

 was an unmistakable proof of his pop- 

 ularity. Of recent years Mr. Johnson 

 has not taken so active a part in politi- 

 cal affairs as of yore, devoting his time 

 and attention to the care of his estate, 

 he being of the fourth generation to re- 

 side there. 



Mr. Johnson married, November 15, 

 1855, Margaret Kratz. daughter of Jacob 

 and Eliza (Fretz) Kratz, of Plumstead 

 township. Five children were the issue 

 of this union: i. Erwin Thomas, now a 

 practicing physician and surgeon at 

 Leidytown, Hilltown township; he mar- 

 ried Martha, daughter of Leidy Sheip. 

 2. Charles Jacob died in 1878. 3. Oliver 

 Kratz died in 1893. 4. Harvey Ellwood. 

 who attended the township schools, and 

 is now at home, assisting his father with 



the duties of the farm. 5. Jennie, who 

 married November 7, 1894, Wilson Erd- 

 man, M. D., son of Owen and Mary Ann 

 Erdman, of Richland township; Dr. and 

 Mrs. Erdman reside in Richlandtown. 

 Mr. Johnson and his family attend the 

 Union Reformed church at Richland- 

 town. 



LEVI SWARTLEY, of Chalfont, Bucks 

 county, is the only surviving child 

 of John and Mary (Moyer) Swartley, 

 and was born in New Britain township, 

 April 5, 1832. Philip Schwardley, the 

 grandfather of the subject of this sketch, 

 was born in Eppingen, in Necker, grand 

 duchy of Baden, Germany, October 28, 

 1764 and is supposed to have come to 

 this country with his elder brothers 

 John and Jacob in the ship "Minerva," 

 arriving at Philadelphia on September 

 30, 1772. As, however, the list of pas- 

 sengers does not include the names of 

 the two younger brothers, it is possible 

 they may have followed their brother 

 to Pennsylvania some years later. 



Philip was probably a resident for 

 some years of Franconia township, 

 Montgomery county, where he married 

 Sarah Rosenberger, born Januarj' 24, 

 1765, daughter of Rev. Henry and Bar- 

 bara (Oberholtzer) Rosenberger, and a 

 sister to Magdalena, the wife of his 

 brother John Schwardley. About 1790 

 Philip Schwardley settled in New Brit- 

 ain township, Bucks county, where he 

 became a large landowner. He died Sep- 

 tember 23. 1840, and his wife Sarah died 

 April 6, 1849. They were the parents of 

 nine children, viz.: Elizabeth, married 

 Jacob Krout; Henry; John; Jacob; 

 Mary, married Jacob Hafner; Philip; 

 Abraham; Samuel; and Sarah, who mar- 

 ried John Price. 



John Swartlej^ second son of Philip 

 and Sarah (Rosenberger) Swartley, was 

 born in New Britain township June 8, 

 1792, and was reared on his father's 

 farm. In 1814 he married Mary Moyer, 

 born in Springfield township, Bucks 

 county, October 9, 1795, and died in New 

 Britain, on April 10, 1872, daughter of 

 Jacob and Magdalene ("Moyer") Moyer, 

 of Springfield, and settled in Plumstead 

 township, where they resided for one 

 j'ear. April 3, 1816, his parents conveyed 

 to him a farm of ninety-one acres in 

 New Britain, where he lived from that 

 date until his death, March 14. 1856. 

 John and Mary (Moyer") Swartley were 

 the parents of eight children, viz.: I. 

 Jacob M.. born April 15, 1816, died De- 

 cember 20, 1885, married Anna Rulh 

 and left a number of children. 2. Sarah, 

 born September 28, 1818, died Januarv 7, 

 T901, married Abraham Kratz. 3. W'ill- 

 iam, born June 2%. 1821, died April 17, 

 187s, was blind for thirty-eight years. 

 4. Magdalena, born September 28. 1824, 

 died April 7, 1893, married in 1844 



