HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 



421 



called upon to s.ettle disputed questions con- 

 cerning boundary lines. His entire life was 

 passed in Rhode Island. He married Plain 

 Wickenden, a daughter of the Rev. Will- 

 iam Wickenden, who was the second pastor 

 of First Baptist church in America. 



(V) John Wilkinson, son of Samuel and 

 Plain Wilkinson, was born at Providence, 

 Rhode Island, January 25, 1677, removed 

 irom Rhode Island to New Jersey, and in 

 1713 came to Bucks county. It is not known 

 just when he came to Bucks county, but 

 we find him here through a deed dated }ilay 

 27, 1713, for the property now in possession 

 of Charles T. Wilkinson. John Wilkinson 

 was the progenitor of the family in this 

 state. He wrote his will February, 1751, 



and it was proved April 23, 1751. He turned 

 his attention to agricultural pursuits, and 

 many of his descendants have followed the 

 same calling. He married and was the fa- 

 ther of seven children, among them the fol- 

 lowing, all born in Wrightstown township: 

 Mary, married Joseph Chapman; Kesiah, 

 mairied Thomas Ross; Plain, married Peter 

 Ball; Susannah, married Andrew Daws; 

 Ruth, married Joseph Chapman; and John, 

 mentioned hereinafter. 



(VI) Colonel John Wilkinson, son of 

 John Wilkinson, was born in Wrightstown 

 township. He wedded Mary Lacy, daugh- 

 ter of John Lacy, and a sister of General 

 Lacy, of Revolutionary fame. Colonel John 

 "Wilkinson also won his title by defending 

 the interests of the colonists in the war for 

 independence. He served twelve years in 

 the legislature from Bucks county, and was 

 also a member of the first constitutional 

 convention held in Philadelphia, July 15, 

 1776. His second wife was Hannah Hughes. 

 They were the parents of Elisha Wilkin- 

 son, at one time high sheriff of Bucks coun- 

 ty and later innkeeper at Centerville. In 

 1782 a portion of the land upon which 

 Charles T. Wilkinson now resides was 

 deeded to Elisha Wilkinson, and afterward 

 to Abram Wilkinson, grandfather of Charles 



T. Wilkinson, in 1805. This land came into 

 possession of the Wilkinson family about 

 the close of the seventeenth century. Col- 

 onel John Wilkinson died May 21, 1782, 

 aged seventy-one years, and his remains 

 were interred in the Friends' burying ground 

 at Wrightstown. His will is dated Febru- 

 ary II, 1782. 



(VII) Abraham Wilkinson was the 

 grandfather of Charles T. Wilkinson. He 

 was born in Bucks county, and as stated a 

 part of the old family homestead came into 

 his possession in 1805. He resided thereon 

 throughout his entire life, devoting his 

 energies unremittingly to agricultural pur- 

 suits. His religious faith was that of the 

 Priends meeting. He married Mary Twin- 

 ing, also a native of Bucks county, and 

 their children were: Jane, John, Abraham, 

 Samuel T.. a farmer ; and Eleaser. 



(VIII) Eleaser Wilkinson, son of Abra- 

 ~ham Wilkinson, was born April 12, 1812, 

 reared on the old family homestead, and 

 after arriving at man's estate purchased the 



interest of the other heirs in the property 

 and thereon reared his own family. He 

 carried on general agricultural pursuits, 

 and his life was at all times honorable and 

 upright, being in consistent harmony with 

 his professions as a member of the Friends 

 meeting. He wedded ^Nl'ary A. Twining, a 

 daughter of Jacob Twining, a representative 

 of an old and prominent family of Bucks 

 county. Her grandfather was Stephen 

 Twining, who married a daughter of Col- 

 onel Wilkinson. Jacob Twining was a 

 farmer and he, too, belonged to the Friends 

 meeting. His children w^ere : Crosedall, 

 Stephen, Charles T., Isaac, and Aaron, all 

 of whom were farmers; Mary A., who be- 

 came Mrs. Wilkinson ; and Deborah, the 

 wife of Charles R. Scarborough. Eleaser 

 Wilkinson died March 20, 1855, while his 

 wife, long surviving him, -departed this lite 

 in 1876. They were the parents of six chil- 

 dren : Charles T. ; Jane ; Barclay, who died 

 at the age of three j'ears ; Caroline; Mary, 

 the \\\i& of Charles Warner; and Comly, 

 who died at the age of twenty years. 



Charles T. Wilkinson was born at the 

 old ancestral home of the Wilkinson family, 

 November 6, 1843, was reared in the usual 

 manner of farmer lads and pursued his edu- 

 cation in the common schools. He contin- 

 ued to assist his mother in the operation of 

 the old homestead up to the time of his 

 marriage. He afterward bought the inter- 

 est of the other heirs in the home property 

 and is yet living there, carrying on general 

 farming. He also has a large herd of Jersey 

 cows, is engaged in the manufacture of 

 butter, and attends the Philadelphia mar- 

 ket, having for forty years sold his prod- 

 ucts there. His business affairs have been 

 capably conducted along enterprising lines, 

 and he has gained a very desirable measure 

 of success. In addition to the home prop- 

 erty he has purchased an adjoining tract 

 of land. He now occupies the commodious 

 stone mansion which his father erected in 

 1840. This he has remodeled, adding many 

 modern equipments including steam and 

 hot and cold water, together with other con- 

 veniences. The house occupies a fine build- 

 ing site, commanding a splendid view of the 

 surrounding country. There are forest and 

 fruit trees upon the place, and in addition 

 to his home there is a large barn and com- 

 modious outbuildings for the shelter of 

 grain and stock. He uses the latest irn- 

 proved machinery in the operation of his 

 farm and also has steam power for forcing 

 the water to the house and for the thresh- 

 ing, churning, feed grinding and other work 

 where power is needed. He has kept fully 

 abreast with the progressive spirit of the 

 times along agricultural lines, and is a pros- 

 perous farmer and market man. Mr. Wilk- 

 inson gives his political endorsement to the 

 Republican party. He has filled various 

 township positions, acting as school director 

 for twenty-five years, and since 1890 he has 

 been secretary of the board. He was also 

 elected justice of the peace in 1895 and is 

 yet filling the position, his decisions being 



