he went to Bethlehem and joined the community there. From 1745 to 1750 he was entrusted with most of the secular affairs of the settlement, and frequently accompanied the celebrated Zinzendorf in his missionary journeys abroad. In the latter year, however, finding the "brethren" disposed to introduce the wearing of a white surplice at the administration of the sacrament, and thinking it a backward step toward Rome, separated himself from them and came back to his farm in Frederick. Two years after, however, he accompanied Bishop Spangenberg and two others to the wilds of North Carolina, with a view of purchasing a tract of land upon which to found a new Moravian settlement. Late in the summer of that year he died, and was buried on his farm in Frederick. Ten of the brethren from Bethlehem carried his remains to the tomb, and Bishop Spangenberg preached a funeral sermon on the occa sion. We do not certainly know, but it is highly probable that Frederick Antes, who figures in Revolutionary annals, was a son of Rev. Henry Antes. The former was one of the delegates to the Revolutionary convention or congress which met at Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia, in 1775, and also of the one that met the year following. His name appears associated with Colonel John Bull, also of our county, during the war, as a purchaser of army supplies. GEN. HENRY SCHEETZ. "I have had many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have been able to place in God's, I still possess."-Martin Luther. One of the most prominent and influential citizens of Montgomery county fifty years ago was Brigadier General Henry Scheetz, of Whitemarsh township. Without doubt the family is of German origin and Protestant, probably of the emigration which came to Philadelphia about 1686 under Francis Daniel Pastorius, and settled "ye Garmantown." This is made the more probable by the fact, stated in Colonial or State archives, that "Johan Jacob Scheetz owned 428 acres of land in Germantown, being part of a tract of 5350 acres bought for the German Land Company by Pastorius." Henry Scheetz was the son of Henry and Catharine Scheetz, of Whitemarsh, and no doubt was born near where, as a farmer, he lived all his life, and probably on the land above described as being in Germantown. His father was a capable and influential man, as shown by the fact that he was appointed one of the five Associate Judges of Montgomery county as early as 1784. His grandfather, also named Henry, who came from Germany, was the owner of a mill on Sandy run, in Whitemarsh or Springfield township. General Henry Scheetz was born in 1761, and in his youth received a common school education. He married Elizabeth Hocker, who lived near Camp Hill, she being eight years younger than he. They had nine children, to-wit: Henry, Catharine, George, Margaret, Ann, John, Jacob, James, and Eliza. The intermarriages and offspring of these, so far as can be ascertained, are as follows: Henry married Sarah Campbell; children, George, Elizabeth, Margaret, Sarah, and James. Also intermarried with Margaret Zimmerman; issue by second wife, two children, Amanda and William. General Henry and Elizabeth Scheetz's second child, Catharine, was the second wife of Daniel Hitner, Sr., of Marble Hall, and their children were Daniel Otto, Henry Scheetz, Margaret, and Catharine. Their next child was Margaret, married to Jonathan Wentz; children, Henry, Elizabeth, Catharine, and George. Their third child, George, was married to Margaret Trap; offspring, Eliza, Charles, Sarah, Catharine, Samuel, George, and Jacob. Ann was intermarried with Jacob Harmon, but left no child ren. John H., who studied and practiced law in Norristown many years, and was Clerk of Courts in 1830, was married to Margaret Plumstead, and had two children, Henry and Ellen. Jacob married Christiana Acuff, but they had no heirs. James was intermarried to Hannah Wentz; they had three children, Henry, Eliza, and Caroline. Eliza, the youngest daughter and the only one of General Scheetz's children still alive, married William Acuff, who, when an old man of 90, was accidentally killed near his dwelling, on September 11th, 1878, by a passing railroad train, while attempting, in a carriage, to cross the track. The children of William and Eliza Acuff are James S., Alfred S., and Margaret G. These children of the third generation are intermarried as follows: Alfred S. to Mary Marshall; issue, Eliza, John, Willie, and Margaret. Margaret G. is married to David Thomas, and their children are named William A., Harry, and James. General Henry Scheetz, after the death of his first wife, married the widow of Peter Dager, of the same township, who had died some years previous. Mr. S. and his family were bred in the tenets of the Reformed church, and most of them were members of the same. Their remains lie buried in the cemetery of the church of that name in Whitemarsh. Mrs. Elizabeth Scheetz, the first wife of General Scheetz, died in 1825, aged 56 years. He survived her twenty-three years, dying of pleurisy, in 1848, at the age of 87. It only remains to narrate his services as a public man. As appears by the files of the county papers during the early years of the century, the name of Henry Scheetz is very prominent, frequently occurring in connection with Democratic meetings, as also with the county militia. So early as 1805 he was elected to the lower house of Assembly, and once nominated for Senator, but failed of an election by a few votes. In 1811 he was Director of the Poor; and in connection with John B. Sterigere and others, though in his 77th year, was chosen in 1837 a member of the convention to revise the Constitution of the State. Previous to 1825, and for several years thereafter, he was at times chosen a director of the Bank of Montgomery County. Shortly after the breaking out of the war of 1812, Henry Scheetz marched to the camp established at Marcus Hook, on the Delaware, designed to defend DuPont's powder works, near Wilmington, from destruction by the British. We 'have not learned his rank there, though it is certain he held *some command, as for many years after he was designated as 'General Scheetz, having finally reached the rank of Brigadier. In person the General was tall and stoutly built, of dark complexion, but not black hair; dignified and manly in bearing, and wielding a marked influence in his party and on the general public till the time of his death. His influence in the Democratic party was such that in 1826, when a hitch occurred in making the nomination for Congress, he had sufficient address to get his young friend and protege, John B. Sterigere, Esq., on the ticket, and secure his election two or three years before he was admitted to the bar. HARMAN YERKES. While he, from all the stormy passions free Harman Yerkes,* merchant and farmer, of Whitemarsh, was born May 21st, 1774, in Mooreland township, Montgomery county. His father, John Yerkes, was a farmer, who finding his son Harman a delicate boy, hardly strong enough for his -own calling, placed him at an early age with Samuel Livezey, of Plymouth, as a store help, where he remained a number of years. Having saved of his earnings fifty pounds, he con⚫cluded, under the advice of his patron friend Livezey, to start a store for himself at Spring Mill. The manner of his going *The Yerkes family made their appearance in Bucks county, settling in Warminster, about a hundred and fifty years ago, when Harman Yerkes bought one hundred and eighty-one acres of the Noble tract, on the Street road. The name is of Germant origin, and has been variously spelled Jerghes, Gerjhes, Gerches, Yerkas, Jerghjes, Sherkes, and otherwise.-Davis' History of Bucks County. +From the various spellings, and consequent rough pronunciation, much more likely to be Dutch than German, especially as a large part of the settlers of that part of Bucks county are known to have been Hollanders. into business is given in his own words, as related to the writer many years ago: "Samuel said I had served him faithfully, and he would assist me. He went with me to town and introduced me to the merchants, and said to them, 'Harman is poor, but he is honest. If he wants a little credit, trust him; but don't trust him too much, for much trust ain't good for a young man.'" He soon, however, had little need of trust from anybody, for till his death he was known in Philadelphia as the "money-down" buyer. After continuing several years at Spring Mill he removed to the store and farm so long known by the name of "Yerkes' Corner," now Harmanville, at the intersection of the Ridge turnpike road and the Spring Mill road, where he died, universally respected, on March 15th, 1845, at the ripe old age of 71 years. Harman Yerkes was eminently a merchant of the olden time, disposing of everything at exact and uniform prices, and at very small advances. He would as soon have thought of selling with a short yard-stick or false bushel as to retail goods on the modern sensational style-one article at less than cost, and another, not so well known, to the buyer, at threefold profits. If goods would not bring their price they remained on the shelves as mementoes or as caution not to buy more. This, perhaps, was not best, but it was his way. Consequently, when his stock was finally closed out, very many things, well kept, were sold to buyers as curiosities of a former age. He was scrupulously honest to the half penny. If a half cent was due a customer on an account or in change, he would, if no half cent were at hand, give a half row of pins, or the like, to make precise settlement. With equal exactitude and conscientiousness he expected it if due him. In his later years he became wealthy, and loaned considerable money on bonds and mortgages, and, as may be supposed, knew or cared nothing for "bonuses" in placing loans. Though living with Friends nearly all his life, and attending their meetings with tolerable regularity, he was never a member of the society. |