ware. He was elected County Commissioner in 1833, County' Treasurer in 1836, and Register of Wills in 1845. He was also Justice of the Peace for many years. He died September 30th, 1858, in Pottsgrove township, aged 70 years.

We continue the record of the family in the fourth generation. Benjamin B. and Sarah Yost had four children, Isaac F., Sarah, Benjamin F., and Elizabeth. Isaac F., late Associate Judge, one of the above, resides at New Hanover, usually called "Swamp." When a young man he taught school, for which he was qualified by a good common school education, but has been a farmer for many years. Previous to being elected Associate Judge in 1871, he had served terms of three years each as County Auditor and County Commissioner. To the latter he was elected in 1854. He sat on the bench during the murder trials of Curley and Pistorius, and closed his term in 1876. The other son of Benjamin B. Yost, Benjamin F., lives in Pottstown.

Of Hon. Isaac F. Yost and family we give a fuller account as follows: He was born at the homestead in Pottsgrove township, March 2d, 1815, and was married November 1st, 1838, to Rozina Miller. They have had thirteen children, as follows: Daniel M. Yost, the well known merchant of Norristown, who is intermarried with Hannah C. Feather. Their children are Marie R., Daniel, Harry, and Ella. Benjamin, the second son of Judge Yost, is married to Kate Bleim, and lives at Pottstown; Amelia is intermarried with Tobias Shelly; Salomi is the wife of William S. Bleim, of Limerick Station; Isaac M., married to Sallie Johnson, of Norristown, and recently removed to Hayes City, Kansas; John R., also resides at Hayes City; Philip M. was with Daniel M., in Norristown; Mary A., Rebecca and Emma Elizabeth reside in New Hanover; Louisa, Rosina and Josiah are deceased.

Daniel M. Yost, of Norristown, has a brief but honorable military record also, which should be added. He enlisted as a private in Colonel Hartranft's Fourth Regiment, served the full term, and rose to the position of Orderly Sergeant; re-enlisted in the Eleventh Regiment of Pennsylvania militia in 1862, went out as Captain, and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colo

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nel. He also served nine months with the same rank in the One Hundred and Seventy-ninth Regiment. This shows that for three generations the Yost family have had a hand in at least three wars of the country.

It is proper to add that nearly all of the younger branches of the family, as was stated of the elder, are members of the Reformed church.

JOSEPH LEEDOM, A. M., M. D.

Dr. Joseph Leedom, son of Richard and Sarah Leedom, of Southampton, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, was born August, 1769, and died January, 1845, aged 76 years. His mother was a Twining. His ancestry on the paternal side were from Wales, and came over in the ship Welcome, in 1682, with William Penn, whose frequent visits to their cabin in Penn's Woods and the trials they endured in those pioneer days were ever interesting themes of recital to their descendants. They belonged to the society of Friends, the faith to which the subject of this biography adhered through life. Dr. Leedom's father, being a man of wealth, gave his son every educational advantage. He graduated at Brown University when about 21 years of age. Afterwards he entered upon the study of law with Mr. Ingersoll, of Philadelphia, but the profession not being to his taste he abandoned it for that of medicine. At first he studied with Dr. Fenton, of Bucks county, and afterward with Dr. Benjamin Rush, of Philadelphia.

He graduated in medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and commenced practice in Sussex county, New Jersey, where he remained several years. Finding, however, that riding over a mountainous country impaired his health, he resolved to return to Pennsylvania. While a resident of New Jersey he married Eleanor Van Couwenhoven, or Conover, as it is sometimes written, who was a lineal descendant of Wolfert Gerretson Van Couwenhoven, from Amersfoort, Utrecht, Holland,

who came to America in 1630, and settled in Upper Freehold, New Jersey.

In 1803 Dr. Leedom took up his residence on a farm belonging to his father, at Plymouth Meeting, where he lived and practiced his profession for forty-two years. He had six children: Dr. Edwin C., intermarried with Susan Lukens; Emma, who died in childhood; Twining, who died in infancy; Julia L., intermarried with Daniel H. Mulvany, Esq., whose life is elsewhere given in this volume; Joseph, who also died in infancy; and Sarah Ann, who died February 4th, 1846, intermarried with Thomas P. Knox, Esq. Dr. Leedom had a very extensive practice in Montgomery county, was fond of his profession, and devoted his life to it. He stood very high as a physician, and his skill and success in the treatment of the fevers so prevalent during his life-time were often spoken of in the country long after he had passed away.

The only living grandchildren of Dr. Joseph Leedom are the following: Howard, Dr. Oscar, Joseph, Daniel H. M., and Franklin, sons of Dr. Edwin C. Leedom; Emma L. Spear, only surviving child of Daniel H. and Julia L. Mulvany; Ellen, daughter of Thomas P. and Sarah Ann Knox.

REV. BALTHASER HOFFMAN.*

The world was all before them where to choose

Their place of rest, and Providence their guide.-Paradise Lost.

For here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come.-Hebrews XIII, 14.

Casper Schwenkfeld von Ossing, a Silesian Knight and Counsellor to the Duke of Liegnitz, was a German scholar and theologian of the time of Martin Luther. Differing on some minor points with the great reformer, he was much persecuted in his life-time, and his followers after him, He died at Ulm, in

*This memoir is translated from a record left by his son, Christian Hoffman, which was written in German in 1777, two years after his father's death, the same being transcribed and written out in that language, by Rev. Reuben Kriebel, of Towamencin, and translated by Abraham Cassel, of Harleysville, Montgomery county. This biography is an imperfect version or synopsis of it.

1552, aged 72 years. Subsequent to 1730 many Schwenkfelders, flying from persecution, emigrated and settled in Montgomery, Bucks and Berks counties, where their descendants remain, a very worthy and pious people, to the present day. Among those so coming to Pennsylvania, Balthaser Hoffman, who settled in Lower Salford township, was one of the most eminent.. He was born in Harpersdorf, Principality of Liegnitz, in Silesia, Austria. By his own testimony he was born of "wicked, poor and simple parents," and was first reared to the trade of a weaver, occasionally working as a day laborer in the summer. He early embraced the religious principles of Casper Schwenkfeld, and became pious. He was tall in stature, lean in person, and after his fiftieth year wore an entire whitehead." From his earliest youth he seems to have been very industrious and desirous of acquiring truth. By assiduous labor he soon gained a knowledge of Latin, Greek and Hebrew, and by help of good books set himself to study the Sacred Scriptures, for which his knowledge of the languages gave him great facilities. He was very diligent in acquainting himself with christian teachings around him, and especially of those promulgated by Casper Schwenkfeld, but "had also a very watchful eye to keep clear of side teachings."

In 1719 the Reformation had made great progress in Silesia,. and the Catholic church in 1721 sent a mission to convert the people back to the old faith, at first laboring with them mildly, but soon after committing great acts of violence. The persecuted people in 1721 therefore resolved to send an embassy to "Hofe," to the Emperor, to implore toleration. Of this body Balthaser was one. During this effort, which lasted five years,. Hoffman delivered no less than seventeen memorials to the royal ruler. At last, however, in 1726, the mission turned the heart of the sovereign still more against the reformed people,. so that Balthaser dared not show himself by day, but had to return by night, taking with him to Ober Laufuitz his wife and two daughters. Even there he was not safe, but fled again with his gray-haired father from Vienna by way of Prague to Laufuitz, and obtained the protection of Count Zinzendorf.. Here he resided eight years, during which time a son was born.

to him. As tolerance was not even here assured he, with many others, concluded to emigrate to Pennsylvania, where William Penn had promised religious freedom to all. This resolution was formed in 1734, and on November 22d of the same year, with his wife and family, "under the guidance of the good Lord they arrived at Philadelphia, and offered praise to God for his graciousness to them." He was especially grateful that no evil had befallen them on the way, and further that kind friends in Holland had sent himself over free and without cost to him. He did not remain in the city, but removed to the country, "where, too, the grace of God provided for him and his." During all this time he continued a diligent Bible reader and christian teacher to those around him. Here he freely worshiped God according to the dictates of conscience.

The open service of God was entrusted to George Weiss, as well as the marriage and funeral services and the catechising of children. George Weiss was quite discouraged at times, yet in 1740 these duties were put upon him.* He several times withdrew, especially in 1749, when he became afflicted on his breast and debilitated in his power of speech and of singing. Still, demands were made upon him, particularly for outdoor services, as catechising the children; but by the help of God he labored till the weight of years made it impossible. Nor did he ever tire in his many duties. His Sabbath forenoons, afternoons or evenings, were employed in writing, reading and singing. He left many letters and writings on Holy Scripture and christian teachings, prompted by the questions of others as well as of his own conception, thus at once rendering service to his brethren in time to come. He also left hymns. Of these writings we have a catalogue. "To him idleness and the want of truth were of great moment, seeing how God's gift of freedom was misapplied."

The closing years of Balthaser Hoffman's life were spent in a small room, spinning; yet daily would he read, write, sing and pray. And as he had long been blessed with bodily health,

The translation here is somewhat ambiguous. Strictly and literally the sense is that the services described were performed by George Weiss; but from a consideration of the whole context the author inclines to think that all the succeeding narrative relates to Balthaser Hoffman.