234 



HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 



chased a farm of one hundred and seven 

 acres in Springlield township, formerly 

 the property of Joseph Green, which he 

 cultivated to a high state of perfection, 

 and whereon he resided. By his mar- 

 riage to , which occurred 



May 28, 1752, the following named chil- 

 dren were born; John, Jacob, William, 

 Abraham, Henry, Isaac, Mary, and Bar- 

 bara. William Moyer, son of the Rev. 

 Peter Moj^er, was born in Springfield 

 township, Bucks county. Pennsylvania, 

 June 7, 1764. His occupation was that 

 of farmer, and in connection therewith 

 he preached the gospel. He married 

 Mary Overholt, who was born Decem- 

 ber 27, 1767. and w^ho bore him six chil- 

 dren, as follows: Magdaline, Nancy, 

 Hannah, Kate, Mary, and Abraham D. 

 The deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Moyer oc- 

 curred February 12, 1848, and Septem- 

 ber I, 1850. respectively. 



Abraham D. Moyer, son of William 

 and Mary (Overholt) Moyer, was born 

 on the old Peter Moyer farm in Pleas- 

 ant Valley, June 6, 1798. He followed in 

 the footsteps of his forefathers, devot- 

 ing his time and attention to the tilling 

 of the soil. He was the possessor of 

 a fine voice, and was the leader of the 

 choir in the Monnonite church. In 1832 

 he married Mary Geisinger, a native of 

 Upper Milford, Lehigh county, born 

 September 18, 181 1, daughter of Philip 

 and Fanny (Hestand) Geisinger. Four 

 children were born to them: William 

 G. ; Fanny, who became the wife of Na- 

 thaniel Bechtel; Mary; and Abraham. 

 Abraham D. Moyer (father) died Sep- 

 tember IS, 1871; his wife survived him 

 many years, passing away December 9, 

 1900. 



William G. Moyer, eldest son of Abra- 

 ham D. and Mary (Geisinger) Moyer, 

 was born in Springfield township, Bucks 

 county, February 14, 1834. His first oc- 

 cupation was that of teacher, which vo- 

 cation he followed for ten years (1855 

 to 1865) and fronj. the latter year until 

 1872 he was engaged in farming in 

 Springfield township, after which he re- 

 moved to New Britain township, and 

 purchased a farm in the borough of 

 Chalfont. He was the recipient of sev- 

 eral public offices which were in the 

 gift of his fellow-citizens, and during 

 his incumbency of the same rendered 

 valuable service. He was towmship au- 

 ditor for six years, secretary of the 

 school board for a similar period, jury 

 commissioner for Bucks county, and 

 first president of the council of Chal- 

 font. For a number of years he served 

 as correspondent and reporter for the 

 government agricultural department. 

 He is an active and consistent member 

 of the Monnonite church, in which faith 

 he was reared, and his political alleg- 

 iance is given to the Republican party. 

 In i860 he married Mary Swortley, born 

 in New Britain township, 1835, daughter 



of John Swortley. Their children were 

 as follows: Emma, born December 17, 

 1861, died January 9, 1881; Levi S., born 

 May 22, 1864, mentioned hereinafter; 

 Abraham S., born November 7, i866^ 

 married Susie M. Fretz, and they are the 

 parents of one child, Alvin, born Oc- 

 tober 18, 1900; William, born November 

 29, 1868, a merchant of Chalfont; Men- 

 no S., born November 18, 1870, a mem- 

 ber of the firm of Moyer I3ros., mer- 

 chants of Lansdale; he married Annie 

 Souder, and their children are: Evelyn 

 and Elizabeth; Harvey, born March 16, 

 1877, married Mary Johnson. The 

 mother of these children died January 

 2, 1888. Mr. Moyer married for his sec- 

 ond wife Mrs. Hannah (Sleifer) Weis, 

 who was born near Quakertown, Bucks 

 county, daughter of Philip Sleifer. 



Levi S. Moyer, eldest son of William 

 G. and Mary (Swortley) Moyer, was 

 born in Springfield township, Bucks 

 county, Pennsylvania, May 22, 1864. He 

 obtained a practical education in the 

 public schools of New Britain town- 

 ship, and since the completion of his 

 studies has devoted his time and atten- 

 tion exclusively to agricultural pur- 

 suits. He is an active and public-spir- 

 ited citizen, keenly alive to everything 

 that pertains to the welfare of the com- 

 munity in which he resides, a faithful 

 member of the Mennonite church, and 

 a stanch Republican. January 6, 1887, 

 Mr. Moyer was married to Anna B. Det- 

 wnler, daughter of Enos and Sarah 

 (Sherm) Detwiler, whose faniily con- 

 sisted of five other children, namely: 

 John F.. William H., Irvin S., Alfred 

 S., and Lizzie S. Detwiler. Eight chil- 

 dren were the issue of the marriage of 

 Mr. and Mrs. Moyer; William D., born 

 December 25, 1887; Sarah Amelia, born 

 July 27. 1889; Theresa, born October 23, 

 1891; Mary, born April 17. 1894; Irene, 

 born February 2, 1897; Enos, born July 

 5. 1898; Eva, born February 9, 1900; 

 and Norah, born June 25, 1901. 



WILLIAM BAUM, d^eceased, one of 

 the. best known and respected citizens 

 of Bedminster township, was born in 

 Springfield towmship, Bucks county,. 

 Pennsylvania, March 30. 1841, and was 

 a descendant of early German settlers 

 in that township. Heinrich or Henry 

 Baum. the great-grandfather of the sub- 

 ject of this sketch, was one of a family 

 of five brothers and two sisters, born in 

 Wurtemberg, Germany, of which four of 

 the brothers and one sister emigrated 

 to America and settled in Bucks county, 

 viz.: Carl or Charles. Heinrich, Mich- 

 ael, Susanna, and Philip Baum. Carl 

 and Heinrich came together in the ship 

 "Hero.' arriving in Philadelphia. Octo- 

 ber 27. 1764. and settled in Springfield 

 township. Carl, the eldest of the fam- 



