HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY 



357 



Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, to Miss 

 Clarissa Trumbower, a daughter of Elias 

 and Rachel (Jones) Trumbower. Their 

 children are: Olivia, wife of Charles Pier- 

 son, Jr.,. and they are the parents of one 

 child, Elizabeth Pierson ; Laura, Irene, and 

 Alfred H., Jr. 



CHARLES MURRAY, following farm- 

 ing in Warrington township, was born at 

 Doylestown, April 6, 1862. His paternal 

 grandfather, a tanner by trade, followed 

 that pursuit throughout his entire life. He 

 was of Irish lineage, but of Protestant 

 faith, and he became one of the pioneer 

 settlers of Bucks county, where he was well 

 known as a man of industrious habits and 

 straightforward dealing. 



Mahlon Murray (2j, his only child, was 

 born and reared in Bucks county, spendmg 

 the greater part of his life in Bucking- 

 ham and in Doylestown. He worked m 

 his father's tannery and also engaged in 

 farm labor. After arriving at years of 

 niaturity he was married and carried on 

 agricultural pursuits in Buckingham town- 

 ship until the civil war was maugurated. 

 His patriotic spirit was aroused ana 

 prompted his enlistment in the Union 

 army, and he became a soldier in the south, 

 where it is supposed he was killed in bat- 

 tle or died from wounds. No news was af- 

 terward received from him and he un- 

 doubtedly lies in an unmarked grave in 

 southern soil. He had married Martha 

 Beal, also a native of Bucks county, and 

 after the death of her husband she care- 

 fully reared her children, doing the best 

 she could for them with her limited means. 

 She afterward married Elias Slusher, a 

 liative of Germany, and a tailor by trade, 

 ■which pursuit he followed through the 

 _years of his active business career. He died 

 in Bucks county, leaving three children : 

 Lizzie, Ann, and William, but the last 

 named died in childhood. The mother of 

 Charles Murray was married a third time, 

 becoming the wife of Abram Barndt, a 

 tanner by trade, who also owned a farm at 

 Quakertown and carried on agricultural 

 pursuits in connection with the preparation 

 of leather. There was one daughter by 

 this marriage, Sarah Barndt. Mrs. Mar- 

 tha Barndt is yet living at the age of 

 sixty-four years. She is a daughter 01 

 John Beal, who was a farmer and laborer 

 of Buckingham township. His children 

 ■were : Martha, mother of Charles Murray ; 

 Eleazer and Charles, who served in the 

 •civil war and are yet living; Mary, and 

 Josephine. By her first marriage Mrs. 

 Martha Barndt had two children, Charles 

 Murray, and Maria, the wife of J. Ker- 

 nechel, a moulder, living in Quakertown, 

 Pennsylvania. 



Charles Murray is an excellent type of 

 the self-made man, for all that he has en- 

 joyed and gained in life has come to him 

 "through his well-directed efiforts and un- 

 :faltering perseverance. He began to earn 



his living when only eight years of ao^e 

 in the employ of James M. Lacy, a promi- 

 nent farmer, with whom he remained for 

 six years, receiving in compensation for 

 his services his board, clothing and limited 

 educational privileges. He was afterward 

 employed as a farm hand in Buckingham 

 township, where he remained for a year, 

 and subsequently entered the employ of 

 H. Acre in Warrington township. He 

 has since resided in Warrington township, 

 . employed in various capacities with the ex- 

 ception of a period of two years. He con- 

 tinued to work as a farm hand until the 

 time of his marriage in 1883. Subse- 

 quently he and his wife entered the serv- 

 ices of Abraham Clymer, with whom they 

 remained for three years, and then rented 

 the Lacy farm, which he conducted for 

 three years. He afterward cultivated the 

 George Garner farm for a year, and for 

 seven years rented and operated the Scott 

 farm, on the expiration of which period 

 he purchased the old Grier homestead 

 upon which he now resides. This com- , 

 prises one hundred and twenty-three acres 

 of well improved land and has been in his 

 possession since 1898. The house is a 

 commodious stone structure, and there are 

 large barns and many substantial out- 

 buildings. Thre is a spring of constantly 

 flowing water, which is piped to the house 

 and barns, and there are many modern 

 conveniences on the place which is pleas- 

 antly located four miles from Doylestown 

 on the pike and trolley line. Mr. Murray 

 has made splendid improvements on his 

 place, including the building of an addition 

 to the barn and the erection of a large 

 silo tank. The work of repair is continu- 

 ally being carried forward and the farm 

 has been placed under a high state of cul- 

 tivation, so that the property is now at- 

 tractive in appearance and valuable. He 

 carries on general agricultural pursuits 

 and in connection with the tilling of the 

 soil keeps a herd of cows. Labor is the 

 keynote of his success, and his untiring 

 effort guided by strong and honorable pur- 

 pose has been the foundation upon which 

 he has builded his prosperity. Questions 

 affecting the general welfare awaken the 

 attention of Mr. Murray, who gives politi- 

 cal support to the Republican party and has 

 filled some township offices. He has served 

 altogether as supervisor for seven years, 

 his first incumbency covering two years, 

 while later service has covered seven years. 

 At length he retired from the office, re- 

 fusing another nomination. Every public 

 duty devolving upon him has been 

 promptly and efficiently discharged, and he 

 is known as a valued citizen of his com- 

 munity. He belongs to the Royal Arcanum, 

 and he and his wife are devoted members 

 of the Baptist church. 



Mr. Murray has found a most faithful 

 companion and assistant in his wife, who 

 bore the maiden name of Miss Elizabeth 

 Kraft, and who was born in Bucks county, 

 Pennsylvania, in 1861. Her parents were 



