7i6 



HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY 



old homestead of D. Longstreth. He has 

 ' since given his attention to general agri- 

 cultural pursuits, having a well improved 

 place, which in its attractive appearance 

 indicates his careful supervision. He has 

 also attended the Philadelphia market for 

 more than twenty years, never missing a 

 market day, and his business affairs have 

 been so wisely directed as to bring to him 

 a very desirable annual income. He owns 

 one of the beautiful homes of this part 

 of the county, having remodeled and made 

 additions to the old mansion, until it is 

 now a commodious, three-story stone resi- 

 dence, which he has equipped with modern 

 improvements, including hot and cold water, 

 furnace and in fact all the conveniences 

 known in the modern city home. It occu- 

 pies a beautiful building site, and there are . 

 fine forest and fruit trees and large groves. 

 The large button-ball trees are among the 

 attractive features of the place, and the 

 main drive leading from the house to the 

 road is bordered on either side by spread- 

 ing maples. Mr. Wood exercises his right 

 of franchise in support of the men and 

 measures of the Republican party. He has 

 served as school director, but does not de- 

 sire official preferment as a reward for 

 party fealty. He belongs to the Horsham 

 Friends' Meeting, and his life has been so 

 honorable and straighforward that he com- 

 mands the respect and confidence of all 

 who know him. 



Mr. Wood wedded Miss Mary R. Kirk, 

 who was born on the homestead farm where 

 they now reside, December 12, 1859. Her 

 parents were Isaac Rush and Mary Y. 

 (Montanye) Kirk, the former a native of 

 Montgomery county and the latter of War- 

 minster township, Bucks county. The 

 grandfather, Isaac Kirk, was a prominent 

 and well known farmer of his locality, and 

 belonged to the Friends' meeting. His 

 children were: Caroline; Mrs. Mary Twin- 

 ing; Mrs. Louisa T. Snyder; Hannah; 

 Sarah, wife of W. Paxson ; Susanna, wife 

 of C. Camby ; and Isaac Rush. The last 

 named was reared upon a farm in Mont- 

 gomery county, and followed agricultural 

 pursuits throughout his entire business 

 career. After his marriage he settled upon 

 the farm now occupied by Mr. Wood, and 

 there engaged in the tilling of the soil and 

 in attending market until his death, which 

 occurred in i860, when he was but thirty- 

 six years of age. He voted with the Re- 

 publican party, and affiliated with the 

 Friends' Meeting. His -widow yet survives 

 and finds a good home with her daughter, 

 Mrs. Wood, and also lives a part of the 

 time with Comly Walker. She is a daugh- 

 ter of Samuel E. and Clarissa (Yerkes) 

 Montanye. the former a son of Thomas 

 B. Montanye, who was born in the state 

 of New York and became a leading minister 

 of the Primitive Baptist church, devoting 

 many years to Christian work, and also 

 following the occupation of farming. His 

 children were: Maria, Benjamin. Henry W., 

 Cornelia, Samuel E., Sarah, Eliza, Re- 



becca, Thomas, Amy and Jane. The chil- 

 dren of Samuel and Clarissa Montanye 

 were: Edwin Y. ; Amy, wife of W. A. Car- 

 rell; Mrs. Mary Y. Kirk; Thomas B. ; 

 Harmon Y., former recorder of wills in 

 Bucks county ; and Margaret, who died 

 in childhood. The parents were 'members 

 •of the Baptist church. To Mr. and Mrs. 

 Isaac Rush Kirk were born three children : 

 Clara M., who married C. Walker ; Sarah 

 R., who died in childhood ; and Mary R., 

 who became Mrs. Wood. Mr. and Mrs. 

 Wood have four children : Gertrude K., 

 Sara W., Clara M., and Anna B. The 

 parents are members of the Friends' Meet- 

 ing, and occupy a prominent position so- 

 cially, the circle of their friends being 

 almost co-extensive with the circle of their 

 acquaintance. 



SAMUEL B. THATCHER. Among the 

 names of the notable and distinguished men 

 of Pennsylvania, the men of ability and en- 

 terprise who have labored assiduously to 

 advance the interests of the community, 

 may justly be named Samuel B. Thatcher, 

 the man after whom the town of Thatcher, 

 Pennsylvania, was n3.med. He was born 

 ]\Iay 22, 1822, on a famn then owned by his 

 grandfather, Ludwig Afflerbach, in Durham 

 township,, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, the 

 son of Charles and Magdalena (Afflerbach) 

 Thatcher. Charles Thatcher was a son of 

 Bartholomew Thatcher, a native of Eng- 

 land, who emigrated to this country before 

 the Revolutionary war, settling in Quaker- 

 town, New Jersey, and is thought to have 

 followed the occupation of a farmer. His 

 son Charles settled in Durham, Bucks coun- 

 ty, Pennsylvania, later removing to Haycock 

 township, where he was united in marriage 

 to Magdalena Afflerbach. Six children were 

 born of this union, Samuel B. (mentioned 

 at length hereinafter) becoming the most 

 prominent. 



Samuel B. Thatcher's parents occupied 

 and cultivated the farm until the death of 

 his grandfather, Ludwig Afflerbach. In the 

 spring of 1833 the property was sold and the 

 family removed to a farm in Bedminstei 

 township, which the father, Charles, rented. 

 After one year's residence in this place they 

 removed to Rockhill township, near what 

 is now Perkasie, remaining there two years. 

 Here Samuel B. obtained what educational 

 training the subscription schools of the 

 neighborhood afforded, continuing in school 

 until 1834, when, at the age of twelve years, 

 he vi'ent to Doylestown, there entering into 

 his first regular employment in the bark 

 shed of a tannery, where he remained some 

 time. In the meantime (March 28, 1837) 

 his parents removed to a farm in Haycock 

 township, and there he joined them, assisting 

 his father with the farm work. He subse- 

 quently succeeded his father in the conduct 

 of the farm, in which he engaged until 

 i860. 



Politically, ]\Ir. Thatcher was a Whig, 

 and took an active interest in the affairs of 



