714 



HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 



directed effort proved of far-reaching oenc- 

 tit. liis spirit of justice was recognized as 

 one of his strong characteristics, and there- 

 fore he was often called upon to act as 

 arbitrator in settling disputes and adjusting 

 dititiculties between neighbors, thu^ saving 

 the expense of litigation and more than that, 

 often thus saving friendships, which, had 

 they been broken, might often have brough: 

 on life-long bitterness of feeling. He haa 

 been reared in the Presbyterian church and 

 was ever a most honorable and upright 

 man. He married Rachel Harper, who was 

 born in this state, and was a lady of intel- 

 ligence and culture, belonging to one of the 

 prominent families of Pennsylvania, con- 

 nected with the Friends' meeting. Andrew 

 and Rachel French became the parents of 

 eight children : Samuel, who engaged in 

 school teaching and later in merchandising; 

 William (3), Martha, wife of Stephen 

 Whiteman; Elizabeth and Jane, who died 

 unmarried; Charles, Ann, and Sarali, who 

 married B. Medary. 



William French (3), son of Andrew 

 French (2^, was born in Montgomery coun- 

 ty and was reared under the parental roof. 

 He learned the wheelwright's trade with his 

 father and worked as a journeyman until 

 after his marriage, when he purchased 

 Bull's mill in Chester county, Pennsylvania, 

 and engaged in the manufacture of lumber 

 and the grinding of grist. He located 

 there m 1828 and conducted the mills suc- 

 cessfully until 1834, when he and his brother 

 purchased a lumber business at Torresdale, 

 which they afterward sold out. In 1835 

 William French came to Bucks county and 

 bought one hundred and sixty acres of land, 

 on which his grandson, J. Andrew French, 

 now resides. There were meager improve- 

 ments upon the place, but he soon began 

 the development and cultivation of the farm 

 and his labors wrought a speedy transfor- 

 mation in its appearance. The old stone 

 house and barn which were on the farm 

 when it came into his possession are still 

 in use, but he also built a large modern 

 residence and added other equipments in 

 keeping with the most modern methods of 

 farming at that time. He placed this under 

 a good state of cultivation, and derived 

 from his labors a good income. His po- 

 litical views were in accord with Democratic 

 principles. William French married Char- 

 lotte Medary, a native of Bucks county, and 

 a daughter of Jacob Medary, a tailor by 

 trade and later a farmer. He died at Miles- 

 town. He had but two children, the 

 younger being Bennett, who followed farm- 

 ing in early life and subsequently became a 

 merchant. The elder child Charlotte became 

 the wife of William French. Mr. French 

 died in 1858, at the age of sixty-seven years, 

 and his wife, long surviving him, died in 

 1892, in the ninety-second year of her age. 

 She was a member of the Baptist church. 

 Their children were : Bennett M. (4) ; 

 Edmund, who owns a portion of the original 

 French homestead, and now, retired, lives 

 with J. Andrew French ; Andrew, who died 



at the age of twenty-one years ; and Albert, 

 now of Hatboro, Pennsylvania. 



Bennett M. French was born in Chester 

 county, Pennsylvania, and with his parents 

 came to Bucks county, where he passed the 

 days of his childhood and youth in the usual 

 manner of farmer lads, gaining practical 

 experience of the farm work so that when 

 he entered upon his active business career 

 he was well equipped with a thorough un- 

 derstanding of the best methods of farming. 

 He and his brother Edmund purchased the 

 old homestead and divided the property. 

 Public honors or office had no attraction for 

 him, but he supported the Republican party 

 by his ballot. He married Miss Elizabeth 

 Hawkins, who was born in Abingdon town- 

 ship, Montgomery county, a daughter of 

 John and Elizabeth Hawkins, her father a 

 prominent farmer, widely known and highly 

 respected. The children of the Hawkins 

 family are : Mary A., wife of James Baird ; 

 Josephine, who died at the age of eighteen 

 years ; Mrs. Elizabeth French ; Amanda, 

 wife of R. Robb; William H., a farmer.; 

 Leslie N. and Albert F., who carry on 

 farming ; Rebecca, wife of A. Tomlinson ; 

 and Lydia A. The children of Bennett and 

 Elizabeth (Hawkins) French are J. An- 

 drew and Amanda. The father died August 

 24, 1886, at the age of fifty-nine years, and 

 the mother June 13, 1900. Both were de- 

 voted members of the Baptist church. 



J. Andrew French was born on the old 

 family homestead where he yet resides, and 

 having acquired his education directed his 

 energies to the improvement of the place. 

 He now carries on general farming and 

 keeps the place in excellent condition, so 

 that it presents a most attractive appearance 

 which indicates the careful supervision of 

 a progressive owner. 



B. PALMER TOMLINSON, who is 



successfully engaged in agricultural pur- 

 suits in Buckmansville, Bucks county, was 

 born on the old homestead near Browns- 

 burg, in Upper Makefield township, the 

 farm originally owned by his grandfather, 

 Benjamin Tomlinson, August 31, 1869, one 

 of seven children born to Robert K. and 

 Mary E. (Hibbs) Tomlinson. 



Robert K. Tomlinson (father) was born 

 March 24, 1831, a son of Benjamin P. and 

 Hannah (Knowles) Tomlinson, in Upper 

 Makefield township, where he was reared, 

 and his education was acquired in the West- 

 town school. In early life he was a school 

 teacher, but later engaged in farming. He 

 was a reader and student, and was one of 

 the well informed men of the township, 

 especially on all public questions and the 

 financial status of the country. During 

 his early manhood he took active part in 

 debating societies, thus increasing his store 

 of knowledge, and he was a prominent 

 factor in the forwarding of the cause of 

 lyceum work in the towns for many miles 

 surrounding his home. He was a candidate 

 for congress on the Greenback ticket, but 



