family, is engaged at this time in tracing its record and in adapting the different links of the chain to their place. In his summary he says: "Sebastian Royer (originally spelled Reyer) emigrated about 1718 with four sons, as it would appear, to the then province of Pennsylvania. The two elder settled on the Schuylkill at or near Royersford."

There is no doubt that the name was originally spelled Reyer, or Reyers, for upon the stone which marks the burial place of the grandfather of Joseph Royer we find engraved in German the following: "Here rest the bones of Carl Reyers, who died October 29th, 1780, aged 66 years, 9 months, and 25 days.” This person, we suppose, was one of the sons of the Sebastian Royer above named, and could have been but about four years old when he set foot on the shores of the new world.

The next in descent was John Royer, who married Anna Catharine Apfel (Apple), and our subject, Joseph Royer, was the only son and next to the youngest of nine children born to them. John Royer died October 17th, 1788, in his fortieth year, and when his son Joseph was less than five years of age. Mrs. Royer survived her husband forty years, dying June 5th, 1828, in her eighty-second year. Joseph's sisters married, and all left the county, most of them going to the far West, except Catharine, who intermarried with John Shupe, now long since deceased.

Thus, after raising a family of nine children, John Royer and wife died where they had so long lived, and almost where they had been born, on the property so long and familiarly known as "Mother Royer's."

Joseph Royer possessed a fine physical form, was six feet in stature, symmetrical in proportion, and of full person. His complexion was fair, nose of a bold Roman type, head large and of noble mould. Idleness was no part of his nature. Most of his leisure moments were devoted to reading, and his brain as a consequence became a store-house of general knowledge. He was emphatically a self-made man. Although possessed of a limited scholastic education, he could fluently and intelligently converse upon nearly all subjects. In intercourse with his fellow-men he was affable and pleasant. In conversational

powers he had few superiors. He was a member of the Trappe Lutheran Church, where his body is entombed. After having lived to the ripe age of nearly eighty years he passed quietly away, lamented by all who knew him.

Judge Royer being a man of broad intellect, earnest purpose, and fine social qualities, his character was in a remarkable degree stamped upon nearly all his sons. Francis, the eldest, born April, 1819, has already been mentioned. The author knew him well, as a most fluent, intelligent, public-spirited young man, a general favorite with young and old. He was the life of debating societies and social parties, and his death in 1845, at the early age of twenty-six, and unmarried, produced a profound sense of sorrow and regret in a wide region around his home. He was a most promising young man.

J. Warren, the second son, born in 1820, is now the well known, genial and successful Doctor of Medicine at Trappe. He graduated at Princeton College in the class of 1842, and in medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in 1845, and has ever since been practicing at his native village.

Lewis, the third son, born March, 1822, also graduated in medicine and practiced for a time, but has been more recently engaged in the iron manufactures of the interior. Being also an active and influential Republican, his party in 1878 placed him on the ticket for State Senator, and he was elected to represent Montgomery county in that body, making at present a very industrious and efficient member of the same.

The fourth son, J. Dewees, was born in 1824, who, catching the gold fever, went to California, and died there unmarried in 1848.

The fifth is C. John, who was born July, 1825.

The sixth, Horace, who was endowed with many social and intellectual gifts, and who took strongly to politics, was for some years very popular with the people, being, like his brother more recently, elected to represent our district in the State Senate in 1865, and serving very efficiently in that capacity for three years. As elsewhere stated, he succeeded his father in the store, and kept it a number of years. After his return from Harrisburg he took a situation in Beecher's store at Pottstown,

as an assistant, where he continued some time, and where he died in 1879, leaving three orphan children.

The seventh, Henry, born in 1837, graduated with honor at Yale College in the class of 1858, studied law, and now (1881) as a matter of preference, is actively engaged in mercantile business at Pottsville, Pennsylvania. He served two years as a Captain in the Ninety-sixth Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, which post he resigned and returned to civil employ

ment.

Joseph and Elizabeth Royer's youngest child and only daughter is Josephine. She is the wife of M. L. Kohler, attorney-atlaw, and resides in Philadelphia.

WILLIAM W. WENTZ.

And then the bearded sire we bore
With lingering steps away,

To mingle with the loved of yore,

To lie with kindred clay.-Whitehead.

The Wentz family, almost from the first settlement of our county, have been among its most reputable citizens, the progenitors evidently arriving with the Reformed and Lutheran emigration from the Palatinate, Germany, about 1730. They have been from an early day connected with the Reformed churches of Whitpain and Worcester, as the congregation near Centre Point has always borne the name of "Wentz's," probably from one of its chief patrons or founders of that name.

Our subject, William W. Wentz, was born at Centre Square, Whitpain township, August 24th, 1807, and after receiving a good education, was married in 1834, in his twenty-seventh year, to Hannah, daughter of Joseph and Mary Levengood. Mr. W. was trained in the occupation of a farmer, following that business after his marriage about six years, when he took charge of the Centre Square hotel, which had been a public house from the time of the Revolutionary war, and perhaps earlier. At the expiration of four years he purchased the public house of George Boyer, at Penn Square, to which he re

moved and remained seven years, when, building a fine dwelling near by, on part of the land, he sold and vacated the hotel, and engaged in farming again for two years.

His next enterprise was the founding of the large hotel and boarding-house at what has since been known as Washington Square, at the intersection of the new and old State roads from Norristown to Centre Square, and nearly equidistant from both places. Here, by building large and elegant buildings, Mr. Wentz sought to establish a sort of combined hostelry for travelers and convenience for city boarders. It was a large property, which had been known as the "Walker farm." At this place Mr. W. established, during a term of six years, a very successful business, when, in 1859, he concluded to sell the public house and part of the land to Joseph C. Beyer, and with his characteristic enterprise built himself a mansion across the road on fifty-five acres which he had reserved. He continued from that year engaged in farming until the time of his death, which resulted from paralysis, April 5th, 1880, in his seventythird year, after about five weeks confinement to his bed.

William W. Wentz was early in life confirmed a member of Boehm's Reformed Church, under the ministry of Rev. George Wack, and many years an office-bearer, continuing in its communion to the time of his death, as do also his widow and most of his surviving children to the present time. He was always held in high estimation by his neighbors and friends, as ready to sympathize with them in times of sickness and misfortune. Having a fair education and good judgment, he often filled public and social positions at the call of his fellow-citizens, such as school director, supervisor, juryman, and the like.

William W. and Hannah Wentz had eleven children born to them, namely: Alfred, Wells and Mary Ann (twins), Isabella, Jesse W., Augusta, David L., Winfield Scott, Isadore, William Henry, and Anna. Of these, five, Alfred, Mary Ann, Augusta, David L., and William Henry, are (1881) deceased.

Wells is intermarried with Rebecca Morris, of Delaware county, and Isabella with William H. Baker, merchant and postmaster at Belfry station; the latter has two sons, William J. and Walter Eldridge. Jesse W. is married to Mary Bella

Preston, of Philadelphia, and Winfield Scott to Emma A. Robblee; the latter reside (1881) at Lampasas, Texas, and have had one child, Eldridge M. The next daughter, Isadore, is the wife of John Dettera, of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, and has two children, Herbert W. and Rena Estella. Anna, the youngest child, has been a life-long invalid, a victim of consumption; she resides in care of the aged widow and mother at the Washington Square mansion.

William W. Wentz and wife gave their surviving children the best opportunities of education, the sons being sent to Hunsicker's seminary at Freeland, Isabella to the State Normal School at Millersville, and the rest to other good institutions of learning. The parents have had the satisfaction since of seeing nearly all of them well settled in life.

In person Mr. Wentz was of medium stature, light complexion, dark hair, with countenance wearing a kindly, genial expression.