Francis Reader and Eleanor Bentley Smith
Husband Francis Reader 1 2 3
Born: 23 Sep 1798 - Warwickshire, England 2 Christened: Died: 20 Apr 1884 - Belle Vernon, Fayette Co, PA 4 Buried: - Howe Cemetery, near Coal Center, Washington Co, PA
Father: William Reader (1752-1808) 5 6 7 Mother: Mary White ( - ) 5 7
Marriage: 10 Jan 1842 8 9
Other Spouse: Catherine James (1804-1836) 4 8 - 25 Dec 1832 4 8
Other Spouse: Mrs. William Duvall Jackman ( -1854) 10 - 8 Jan 1849 10
Wife Eleanor Bentley Smith 3 5
AKA: Ellen Smith 1 11 Born: 14 Oct 1817 3 Christened: Died: 8 Feb 1847 - Greenfield (later Coal Center), Washington Co, PA 8 9 Buried:
Father: James Agnew Smith (1787-1860) 2 12 Mother: Martha Wallace (1788-1855) 2 12
Children
1 M Francis Smith Reader 5 13
AKA: Frank Smith Reader 1 9 11 Born: 17 Nov 1842 - Greenfield (later Coal Center), Washington Co, PA 1 9 Christened: Died: Buried:Spouse: Merran F. Darling (1846- ) 1 14 15 16 Marr: 24 Dec 1867 - New Brighton, Pulaski Twp, Beaver Co, PA 1 14 15 16
2 F Martha White Reader 8 9
Born: 22 Oct 1844 - Greenfield (later Coal Center), Washington Co, PA 8 9 Christened: Died: Bef 1914 Buried:Spouse: William F. Morgan (1843-Bef 1914) 9 10 Marr: 25 Dec 1867 9 10
3 F Eleanor M. Reader 8 9
Born: 5 Oct 1846 - Greenfield (later Coal Center), Washington Co, PA 8 9 Christened: Died: Buried:Spouse: Rev. Oliver Gans Hertzog (1844- ) 10 17 18 Marr: 28 Oct 1869 10 18
General Notes: Husband - Francis Reader
He was a native of Warwickshire, England - his parents removing from there to Washington County, Pennsylvania, in 1802.
After his second marriage, they settled in Greenfield, (later Coal Center), Washington County.
He was reared on his father's farm, and, in addition to the work of farming, he learned the trade of carpenter and millwright. Being of a studious turn of mind, and especially fond of mathematics, he applied himself to study and learned civil engineering. All his studying was done after the day's work, mastering the few books he could get possession of. After settling in Greenfield he followed his trade as carpenter for about twenty years. June 11, 1844, he was elected justice of the peace, an office he held for thirty-two years. When not employed at his trade he gave his time to surveying and the duties of justice, which included conveyancing in its different forms. He surveyed nearly all the coal mines in the neighborhood, many of the farms, and laid out the town of Newell, across the river from Greenfield, and his work was regarded as so correct that what he did was accepted as final and binding. On October 28, 1862, he was elected deputy surveyor general, later county surveyor, of Washington County, though it was politically opposed to him, and served three years.
He was a member of the Presbyterian Church and a prominent Mason.
During the Civil war both of his sons and two of his sons-in-law served in the Union army
He was reared on the farm in Nottingham township, and learned the trade of carpenter and millwright. Being of a studious turn of mind, and especially fond of mathematics. in which he was very proficient, he learned civil engineering. He often told of his facilities for study, when after the day's work was over, he lay before the fireplace with pine knots burning for a light, and studied the few books he had, until he thoroughly mastered them.
April 14, 1839. he was commissioned Justice of the Peace of Union township, formed from Nottingham, the first Justice in the township, whch he resigned to go to Greenfield, later Coal Centre, in the same county. Here he followed his trade of carpenter for more than twenty years.
In his new home at Greenfield, he held the office of Justice of the Peace for seven terms, being elected June 11, 1844, April 10, 1849, April 11, 1854, April 10, 1860, April 9, 1867, April 2,1872, and January 19, 1874, in all about thirty-two years. He heard but comparatively few law suits in that time, his custom being when litigants came before him, to endeavor to have them settle their disputes without going to law. This made him popular as a peace maker, but it was a failure as a fee gatherer. On October 28, 1862, he was elected Deputy Surveyor General, later County Surveyor, of Washington County, in which office he served for three years.
For many years of the latter part of his active life, he followed the business of civil engineer, particularly in coal lands and coal banks, his work being regarded as so correct, that what he did was held as final and binding. Nearly all the old coal lines and mines about Coal Centre were laid out by him. He also prepared deeds and other work in that line, in connection with his office work.
In his closing years he lived with his daughter, Martha W. Morgan, at Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania.
He was a member of the Presbyterian church, and a prominent Mason. During the Civil War he was a War Democrat.
General Notes: Wife - Eleanor Bentley Smith
from Washington Co, PA
She died of typhoid fever; she was a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
After her death, the children lived with their grandparents, James A. Smith and wife, and the father, with his sisters, Harriet and Martha Reader, lived on adjoining farms in Union township until his marriage with Mrs. William Duvall Jackman, when the family was reunited.
1 —, History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia and Chicago: A. Warner & Co., Publishers, 1888), Pg 805.
2 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1914), Pg 2.
3 F. S. Reader, Some Pioneers of Washington County, Pa. - A Family History (New Brighton, PA: F. S. Reader & Son, 1902), Pg 96.
4 F. S. Reader, Some Pioneers of Washington County, Pa. - A Family History (New Brighton, PA: F. S. Reader & Son, 1902), Pg 122.
5 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1914), Pg 1.
6 John H. Wallace, Genealogy of the Wallace Family (New York: Self-published, 1902), Pg 5.
7 F. S. Reader, Some Pioneers of Washington County, Pa. - A Family History (New Brighton, PA: F. S. Reader & Son, 1902), Pg 102.
8 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1914), Pg 4.
9 F. S. Reader, Some Pioneers of Washington County, Pa. - A Family History (New Brighton, PA: F. S. Reader & Son, 1902), Pg 127.
10 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1914), Pg 5.
11 —, Book of Biographies, Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Beaver County, Pennsylvania (Buffalo, NY: Biographical Publishing Company, 1899), Pg 338.
12 F. S. Reader, Some Pioneers of Washington County, Pa. - A Family History (New Brighton, PA: F. S. Reader & Son, 1902), Pg 73, 93.
13 F. S. Reader, Some Pioneers of Washington County, Pa. - A Family History (New Brighton, PA: F. S. Reader & Son, 1902), Pg 134.
14 —, Book of Biographies, Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Beaver County, Pennsylvania (Buffalo, NY: Biographical Publishing Company, 1899), Pg 339.
15 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1914), Pg 7.
16 F. S. Reader, Some Pioneers of Washington County, Pa. - A Family History (New Brighton, PA: F. S. Reader & Son, 1902), Pg 136.
17 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 244.
18
F. S. Reader, Some Pioneers of Washington County, Pa. - A Family History (New Brighton, PA: F. S. Reader & Son, 1902), Pg 130.
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