JOHN WEBER. THE WEBER FAMILY. Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? Are not his days also like the days of a hireling?-Job VII, 1. Among our self-made public men, John Weber stood conspicuous in an age when place and prominence were not purchased with money nor obtained by great family influences. He was the grandson of Christian and Applonia Weber, who in company with some four hundred Protestant Germans came over in the ship Good Will, and landed at Philadelphia on the 27th of September, 1727. The following year he took up fifty acres of land in Towamencin township, purchased of Jacob Hill, on which he built a house that is standing at the present time. They had among other children a son Christian, through whom we trace the posterity of the family. Christian and Applonia Weber, the emigrants, died, the former in 1778, aged eighty-two, and the latter five years before, in her seventieth. As nearly all the German emigrants of that period to Pennsylvania, they were without doubt pious members of the Reformed church, for many of the Webers are buried in the cemetery of Wentz's church, Worcester. Their son, Christian Weber, of the second generation, was born in 1743, and about 1765, after arriving at man's estate, he married Elizabeth Weidner, who lived till 1803, bearing him several children, one of whom, John, described below, became very distinguished. This Christian Weber moved to Millerstown, in Lehigh county, married a second wife, died in 1815, and was buried there. He was a man of marked ability and patriotism, and at a harvest home in 1778 recruited nearly a hundred men for the Continental forces, was elected their Captain, and with them served in the army. They were enrolled under Colonel Leech. We have no further record of their military service, but it must have been honorable, for after the war he was appointed by Governor Mifflin a Justice of the Peace. He was also County Commissioner, for Christian Weber's name appears with others on the Manatawny bridge at Pottstown, which was built abou 1800. He appears to have removed to Millerstown late in life, as his son John, the proper subject of this sketch, who was born October 8th, 1768, remained in our county, and by his fortieth year had become such a very influential politician that in 1807 he was taken up and elected to the lower house of Assembly, and thrice re-elected (a term of four years), serving through the last two sessions as Speaker. John Weber was originally raised to farming, but having purchased what in late years has been called Reiff's or Detwiler's mill, on the Wissahickon, he employed a first-class miller, and, it is said, acquired the art himself in three months. After remaining there a number of years, he removed to the more extensive one at the place now known as Collegeville, and while residing there was sent to the Legislature. When his first son was old enough to carry on that concern he purchased the mill below Evansburg, on the Skippack, and moved there himself, leaving George at the Perkiomen mill. Christian Weber, of the second generation, also had a son Jesse, who left issue. Jesse was probably much younger than his brother John. He was a military officer during the second war with England, serving for a time at Camp Dupont, near Wilmington, Delaware, and subsequently elected to the lower house of Assembly during the session of 1844-5. He died at the age of seventy-two. This Jesse Weber had a son Thomas, who is well known in our locality, having been a worthy school teacher for many years in Montgomery, Berks, and Schuylkill counties. Thomas Weber had only two children, Rev. J. Stroud and John Hermon, who were accidentally drowned together at Absecom, New Jersey, on the 27th of July, 1860. The Rev. J. Stroud Weber, previous to studying for the ministry, had married Mary A., only daughter of Matthias and Eliza Yost, of Evansburg, and they had two children, Matthias and Lizzie, who survive, the former being a professional teacher, as were his father and grandfather. J. Stroud Weber was at the time of his death keeping a select seminary at Evansburg, and was a very promising young man. John Weber, the proper subject of this memorial, married Elizabeth, daughter of Jacob and Catharine Reiff, and had five children, George, Christian, Mary, John, and Joseph. After becoming very noted as a business man and politician for several years, he took a fever, and died comparatively young, on the 24th of August, 1815, in his forty-seventh year, and in the same month and year as his father, who had moved to Lehigh county. His wife survived till 1825, and died in her fifty-sixth year. John Weber's oldest son, George, who was born in 1786, married Sarah Beaver, of Chester county, and after following his father's trade and occupying his mill at Perkiomen until about 1819, removed first to Philadelphia and afterwards to Allen township, Northampton county, where he established himself in like business, and also in storekeeping. While there he became Captain of a company of volunteers, and was afterwards elected Colonel of a regiment. We here insert a testimonial to the high character of Colonel George Weber, written by Mr. Snyder, of Northampton county, who still lives there at an advanced age: "George Weber came to Northampton county about 1819, and commenced business as a merchant miller in Saucon township. In 1823, or about three years thereafter, he purchased a mill and farm in Allen township, near Kridersville, which he occupied about eight years, when he bought a mill and store property in Kridersville, where he continued till 1848. He then sold out and moved to Como, in Whitesides county, Illinois. The business in which he was engaged in Northampton county during his residence there was that of merchant milling, storekeeping and farming combined. His complicated affairs were conducted during almost the whole time in the absence of canal and railroad facilities. It was therefore very inconvenient and laborious to transact such a multiplicity of work, and none but an energetic mind like his could have carried out the regularly systematic management with the strict honesty and integrity which he did. Notwithstanding the laborious management resting upon him, he did not neglect the higher duties of religion as a christian. The records of the church, school, and Sunday school bear evidence of the interest he manifested in all proceedings relative to church building, contributions, schools, and any matter promoting the sacred cause. It may not be amiss for the writer, who was an intimate friend and near neighbor, and who had financial and other business with him, to bear this testimony in his behalf in reiteration of what the community yet living would willingly verify." He died at his Western home in 1851, at the age of sixtyone years. The oldest child of George and Sarah Weber is Devault, who was born in 1813, and married Mary A., daughter of Dr. Hiester, of Chester county, in 1840. They have had one son, John H., who died in childhood. Devault Weber learned the family business of milling. He was well educated, first attending a primary school at Easton, and later entering Lafayette College.* On account of health, however, he did not graduate, but studied there, as specialties, hydraulics and civil engineering, subjects to which he has given much attention for many years. He has acquired such a proficiency in hydraulics that he is often employed as an expert in determining water-right disputes. From 1851 to 1854 he operated the flour mill of his uncle, John Weber, near Jeffersonville, and then converted the building into a cloth manufactory, continuing it as such three years longer. He and his wife are now (1879) living retired in Norristown. The next child, Elizabeth, was born in 1815, and married Enos L. Reiff; offspring, Joseph, Sarah, and Enos. Margaret, the third child, was born in 1816, and married Rev. Charles Becker; offspring, George and John. Sarah, the fourth, was born in 1817, and became the wife of John Addams, a prominent citizen of Cedarville, Illinois; offspring, Mary Catharine, Martha, John W., Laura Jane, and Sarah Alice. The next child was George, born in 1819, who became a Reformed minister, and married Miss Hoffenditz; offspring, Samuel, Mary, Joseph, George, and Grace. They live in Iowa. The youngest son, John Harrison, born in 1826, married Miss Houck, of Mercersburg, and is now a merchant of New York; offspring, George, John, and Edward. John Weber's second son received the family name, Christian, and married Charlotte, daughter of William and Catharine Casselberry, of Evansburg. He located as a farmer near Jeffersonville, and there were born to them eight children, as follows: Ann Eliza, first married to William Flintham, by whom she had two children, John W. and Anna E., and after *Devault Weber's father was one of the trustees of Lafayette College, and Mr. W. receives yearly the invitation to the annual reunion and dinner of the Philadelphia Alumni Association of Lafayette College. wards to Captain Stephen M. Whitney, the latter having four children, Charles, Ada L., Flora, and Edward E. The next child of Christian and Charlotte Weber is Catharine, intermarried with Thomas Atwood, the latter now deceased; they had three children, Albert, Ida B., and Mary B. The third child, Rebecca, was the wife of William Carr, who was overcome and died from the effects of the great snow blockade on the Norristown railroad which also caused the death of Rev. Dr. Stem and others; the Carr children were four, Ella, George, Anna B., and John W. Elmina, the next daughter, is the wife of David Schrack, of Norriton; they have two children, Kate and Elmina. We continue the record of Christian and Charlotte Weber's children. William C., the elder son, is intermarried with Hannah, daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth Walker. They live in Great Valley, and have ten living children, as follows: W. Harry, Lottie, John, Winfield, Elmina S., Mary F., Ella, Charles C., G. Norwood, and Emma. The younger son, John C., married Anna M., daughter of Isaac and Margaret Casselberry; they had four children, Mary Ellen, Charles Z., Isaac C., and Anna C. John C. Weber's first wife died, and he afterwards married Miss Sarah B. Heebner. Emma, the youngest daughter, is intermarried with Thomas P. Walker, and they have eight children, Charles C., Howard, Lottie, I. Newton, William, Emma May, T. Herbert, and Edith. Mary B. ends the list of the children of Christian Weber, and now resides with her aged mother in Norristown. Christian Weber died November 16th, 1865, aged seventy-one years. He was for many years a worthy member, as also an elder, first of the Presbyterian church in Lower Providence and afterwards of that at Jeffersonville. He was a man of deep humility and great simplicity of character. Having given the intermarriages and offspring of the two elder sons of John Weber, the proper subject of this memorial, we come to the third child, Mary, intermarried with William Bean, son of Jesse Bean, Esq., of Lower Providence. They had the following children: Jesse, the eldest, is married to Elizabeth, daughter of Captain John Matheys, of Norriton, and they have two surviving children, David and Howell. The |