HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 



569 



<iied when her youngest child was a babe. 

 He died about 1850. 



Charles Rice, the father of the subject of 

 this sketch, was born in Plumstead town- 

 ship, February 5, 1800. Left an orphan at 

 * tender age, he was adopted at the age of 

 five years by a Chester county family, and 

 spent his boyhood on a farm in that county, 

 receiving a common school education. At 

 the age of sixteen years he returned to 

 Plumstead and apprenticed himself to the 

 carpenter trade with a Mr. Meyers. He 

 followed the trade of a carpenter for about 

 twenty years in Plumstead, Buckingham 

 and Solebury. In 1828 he purchased a 

 property near Church's school house in 

 Buckingham, and the remainder of his life 

 was spent in that neighborhood, the last 

 forty years of his life being devoted princi- 

 pally to agricultural pursuits. He died in 

 1884, in his eighty-fifth year. Charles Rice 

 was twice married, his first wife being Ann 

 Wismer, who died about 1859. Her chil- 

 dren were : Susan, who married William 

 Mitchell ; Margery, who married Levi 

 Mundy; Elizabeth, who married John 

 Magee ; Jacob, now living in Kansas ; and 

 James, who married Kate Flack. 



Charles Rice married (second) Elizabeth 

 Watson, daughter of Joseph and Rebecca 

 Watson, of Buckingham, granddaughter of 

 John and Euphemia (Ingham) Watson, 

 great-granddaughter of Joseph and Mary 

 (Hampton) Watson, great-great-grand- 

 daughter of Dr. Joseph Watson, grcat-great- 

 great-granddaughter of Dr. John and Ann 

 (Beale) Watson, and great-great-great- 

 great-granddaughter of Thomas Watson, 

 who married Elinor Pearson, in Cumber- 

 land, England. 4 mo. 14, 1696, and removed 

 to America and settled in Buckingham in 

 1704. He was a justice of the courts of 

 Bucks county, and a member of assembly. 

 This family was one of the most prominent 

 and influential in Bucks county, and has 

 had many distinguished representatives. The 

 late Judge Richard Watson was a son of 

 the first named John Watson by a second 

 marriage with Martha Duncan in 1817. 



The children of Charles and Elizabeth 

 (Watson) Rice were; Watson, a coal 

 dealer in Philadelphia; and Oliver J., the 

 subject of this sketch. Charles Rice was 

 one of the founders of the Christian church 

 at Carversville, of which he was a deacon 

 and one of its most active members for 

 many years. In politics he was a Republi- 

 can, but never sought or held office. 



The subject of this sketch was born and 

 reared on a little farm near Mechanics' 

 Valley, - and received his education in the 

 public schools. After his father's death he 

 managed the farm and made a home for his 

 mother, who still resides with him. In 

 1893 he purchased the mill property, where 

 he still resides. In politics he is a Republi- 

 can, and has always taken an active interest 

 in the success of his party. He is serving 

 his fifth year as assessor of Buckingham 

 township. He is a member of the Doyles- 

 town Lodge, No. 245, F. and A. M. ; Doyles- 



town Chapter, No. 270, R. A. M. ; of 

 Aquetong Lodge, No. 193, I. O. O. F. ; 

 Doylestown Encampment, No. 35, I. O. O. 

 F. ; and of Doylestown Council, No. 11 17, 

 Royal Arcanum, being one of the most 

 active and earnest members of all these 

 organizations. • 



Mr. Rice married, October 4, 1905, Abbie 

 Kelly, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Evan F. 

 Jamison. 



ELISHA CABE PRAUL, of Hulmes- 

 ville borough, Bucks county, Pennsyl- 

 vania, is a descendant of English ances- 

 tors who were among the early settlers 

 of the county in which he was born. 

 They were farmers by occupation, own- 

 ing large tracts of land. They were also 

 men of influence, and prominent in local 

 affairs. John Praul, paternal grand- 

 father of Elisha C. Praul, was born 

 July 14, 1728. His high character and 

 ability are evidenced by the confidence 

 reposed in him by His Excellency Ben- 

 jamin Franklin, who appointed him a 

 justice of the court of conimon pleas for 

 Bucks county, the certificate of his ap- 

 pintment bearing the signature of the 

 high officer before named, and the seal 

 of the commonwealth, and reciting the 

 "giving and granting unto him the said 

 John Praul full power and authority to 

 execute and perform all the several acts 

 and things which any justice of the said 

 court, by the constitution and laws of 

 this commonwealth, lawfully can, may 

 or ought to do, both in and out of the 

 said court," etc. John Praul married 

 Catharine Vansant, born March 28, I73i- 

 They w^ere the parents of John, born Au- 

 gust 10, 1768, who married Mary Van- 

 sant, born November 3, 1774- Of this 

 marriage was born a son John, January 

 I, 1803. who married Ruth White Cabe, 

 born July 3, 1813. 



Elisha Cabe Praul, son of the last 

 named John and Ruth White (Cabe) 

 Praul, was born in Middletown town- 

 ship, August 30, 1848. His boyhood days 

 were passed on the home farm, which 

 he aided in cultivating from the time he 

 became of suitable age. He began his 

 education in the common schools of 

 Middletown township, and pursued ad- 

 vanced branches of study in the Beverly 

 Institue and Mount Holly (New Jersey) 

 Institute. On arriving at man's estate 

 he continued in the occupation to which 

 he had been brought up, that of farm- 

 ing, continuing his labors industriously 

 and with much success until 1890, when 

 he retired from labor to enjoy we'.l 

 earned ease. He did not, however, re- 

 lapse into inactivity, but continued to 

 bear a full share in the duties and re- 

 sponsibilities of a public-spirited citizen. 

 For fourteen years he rendered useful 

 and disinterested service as a member 

 of the borough council. In 1903 he was 

 elected treasurer of the borough and 



