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Hiram  Corson,  M.  D. 


I 


The  Corson  Family 


A   History  of  the   Descendants 


of 


BENJAMIN    CORSON 

Son    of    Cornelius    Corssen 
of  Staten  Island,  New  York 

by 

Hiram   Corson,  M.  D. 

of 
Plymouth  Meeting,   Pa. 


Printed  for  Private  Distribution 


PHILADELPHIA 

Hknry  Lawrence  Everett,  Publisher 

227  South  Sixth  Street 


THE  NEW  YORK 

PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


4  ( 


■nM 


hVrOK  LtMOX  AM 

TU.DEN   FUUNOATIONI. 

IPOS 


Contents. 


PAGE. 
Preface .    .         5 

Chapter  I. 
Cornelius  Corson 0 


Chapter  II. 
The  Three  Benjamins 13 

Chapter  III. 
Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  Second 17 

Chapter  IV. 
Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  Third .    .      31 

Chapter  V. 
Joseph  Corson 67 

Chapter  VI. 
Alan  Wright  Corson  and  his  Descendants 74 

Chapter  VII. 
Mary  Corson  Adnmson  and  her  Descendants 82 

Chapter  VIII. 
Sarah  Corson  Read  and  her  Descendants 90 

Chapter  IX. 
Joseph  Dickinson  Corson  and  his  Descendants 97 

Chapter  X. 
Charles  Corson  and  his  Descendants 104 


PAGE. 

Chapter  XI. 
George  Corson  and  his  Descendants ^^^ 

Chapter  XII. 
Dr.  Hiram  Corson  and  his  Descendants 121 

Chapter  XIII. 
Dr.  William  Corson *39 

Chapter  XIV. 
Maternal  Ancestry '45 

Chapter  XV. 
The  War  Record ^55 

In  Memoriam. 
Dr.  Hiram  Corson ^"9 


List  of  Illustrations. 

Hiram  Corson,   M.  D Frontispiece. 

Richard  D.  Corson,  M.  D Facing  Page  22 

Robert  Rodgers  Corson 24 

Theodore  C.  Search     44 

Joseph  Corson's  Home  at  Mickorytown      66 

Plymouth  Meeting 72 

Alan  Wright  Corson 74 

Where  Alan  Wright  Corson  Lived 76 

Elias  Hicks  Corson     78 

Elias  Hicks  Corson's  Home 80 

Mary  Corson  Adamson 82 

.  Mary  Corson  Adamson's  Home 84 

Thomas  Adamson 86 

Friends'  Meeting  House,  Schuylkill,  Chester  County,  Pa.  ...  88 

Louis  W.  Read,  M.  D 94 

Prok.  Hiram  Corson,  LL.  D 98 

Charles  Corson 104 

The  Home  of  Charles  Corson 106 

George  N.  Highley,  M.  D loS 

John  J.  Corson no 

George  Corson 112 

Where  George  Corson  Lived.     (Now  the  home  of  Helen  C. 

Hovenden) II4 

Anti-Slavery  Hall.     (Lately  the  studio  of  Thomas  Hovenden)  116 

Ellwood  M.  C0R.SON,  M.  D 1 18 

Maple  Hill 122 

Dr.  Joseph  Kirby  Corson,  U.  S.  A 134 

William  Corson,  M.  D .  138 

The  Dickinson  Home,  Plymouth  Meeting,  Pa 150 

Ann  J.  FouLKE  Corson 152 

The  plates  for  these  illustrations,  with  a  single  exception,  have  been  prepared  e.xpressly 
for  this  work.  The  pictures  of  the  various  homes  and  other  buildings,  are  from  photographs 
made  especially  for  the  book,  by  Wm.  H.  Richardson,  Norristown,  Pa. 


Preface. 

Prior  to  i860  I  knew  almost  nothing  about  the  genealogy 
of  our  family  ;  in  June  of  that  year  an  incident  occurred  that 
turned  my  attention  strongly  to  the  work  of  looking  it  up.  I  had 
on  the  first  day  of  that  year's  meeting  of  the  Pennsylvania  State 
Medical  Society,  which  I  was  attending,  introduced  a  resolu- 
tion that  gave  much  offense,  and,  in  the  discussion  which 
ensued,  impassioned  speeches  were  made  by  my  opponents 
and  myself  As  soon  as  it  was  over,  Dr.  Henry  Drayton 
came  to  me  and  wanted  to  know  of  what  nationality  the 
Corsons  were.  I  told  him  that  I  really  did  not  know  ;  I  only 
knew  that  we  were  said  to  date  from  Staten  Island  about  two 
hundred  years  ago.  He  said  he  knew  we  were  Huguenots, 
but  before  he  could  explain  himself,  other  friends,  excited  by 
the  discussion,  pressed  forward  to  speak  to  me  and  so  inter- 
cepted further  conversation  on  that  subject.  I  regretted  not 
to  be  able  to  enquire  what  had  caused  him  to  think  we  were 
Huguenots,  and  when  I  reached  home  I  related  what  had 
occurred  to  my  brother  Alan,  who  was  sixteen  years  older 
than  myself.  He  at  once  stepped  to  his  library  and  took 
down  Weiss'  "  History  of  the  Huguenots,"  in  the  appendix 
of  which  he  found  that  two  ships  had  left  France,  bound  for 
Charleston,  South  Carolina,  on  which  were  a  number  of 
families  fleeing  from  French  persecution.  As  related  in  the 
first  chapter  of  this  work,  one  of  the  vessels  reached 
Charleston,  as  intended,  but  the  other  was  carried  by  stress  of 
weather,  or  other  causes,  to  Staten  Island.  Among  the  pas- 
sengers aboard  the  first  vessel,  the  one  that  went  to  Charleston, 
was  one  named  Drayton,  who  was  doubtless  the  ancestor  of 
my  friend,  Dr.  Drayton,  who  had  set  me  thinking  about  family 


history.  My  friend  had  evidently  been  famiHar  with  the 
names  of  those  who  were  on  board  the  vessel  which  landed  at 
Staten  Island,  and  concluded  at  once  that  I  was  a  descendant 
of  the  one  whose  name  appears  in  the  list  of  passengers  as 
Coursen.  These  are  the  names  of  others  on  that  vessel  : 
Larselue  (now  Larzelere),  Bedell,  Rutan,  Poillon,  La  Conte, 
Mercaran,  Butten,  Maney,  Cruse  (now  Cruzen  or  Kreusen) 
De  Pue,  Martineau,  Morgane,  Leguine,  Jouerney,  and  La  Tou- 
rette.  I  have  italicized  the  last  named  for  cause  :  Some  years 
ago  my  son.  Dr.  Joseph  K.  Corson,  Assistant  Surgeon  United 
States  Army,  while  stopping  at  Omaha,  was  introduced  to 
Chaplain  James  A.  M.  La  Tourette,  who,  on  hearing  the 
name  Corson,  at  once  said,  "You  are  a  Huguenot  and  my 
ancestor,  Jean  La  Tourette,  was  on  the  vessel  that  brought 
your  ancestor,  Cornelius  Coursen,  to  Staten  Island."  Chaplain 
James  A.  M.  La  Tourette  was,  in  1851,  "Pastor  of  my  Httle 
Church  of  the  Huguenots  (Staten  Island),  built  for  me  in  that 
year."  I  had  much  interesting  correspondence  with  this  good 
man,  who  regretted  the  paucity  of  narratives  left  by  the  Staten 
Island  Huguenots  or  Refugees  as  he  called  them.  He  attrib- 
uted this  to  the  ignorance  caused  by  the  Revolutionary  War 
and  antecedent  disturbances,  which  prevented  the  people 
from  taking  a  normal  interest  in  educational  matters.  Staten 
.  Island  being  often  the  seat  of  trouble,  its  people  were  espec- 
ially affected  in  this  way.  Mr.  La  Tourette  has  written  me 
interesting  accounts  of  the  Staten  Island  Refugees ;  of  their 
little  log  churches  which  were  made  to  serve  as  school 
houses  ;  of  how  they  went  in  groups  to  different  portions  of 
the  Island  (then  mainly  inhabited  by  the  Dutch),  and  to  other 
places — each  group  constituting  itself  into  a  separate  com- 
munity. 

In  the  forepart  of  the  Eighteenth  Century  one  of  these 
little  groups  came  to  Bucks  County  in  the  vicinity  of  Addis- 
ville,  and  there  established  homes.  They  built  their  little  log 
church  which  served  the  double  purpose  of  worship  and 
education.      In  that  group  were  my  great-great-grandparents 


and  their  son,  Benjamin,  the  second.  The  little  log  school 
was  still  standing  when  I  was  a  boy,  just  as  it  was  built  by  our 
Huguenot  fathers.  I  recollect  seeing  it  very  well  ;  John 
Corson,  son  of  Esquire  John,  taught  school  there  at  that 
time.  The  old  homestead  where  the  first  Benjamin  settled 
when  he  came  from  Staten  Island  was  on  the  "  Middle  Road  " 
half  a  mile  below  the  school  house,  and  a  few  miles  further  on 
was  another  log  school  or  church  built  by  another  group  ot 
Huguenot  settlers.  Time  and  the  spirit  of  improvement  have 
long  since  destroyed  the  old  home  and  the  little  log  church, 
but  the  graves  in  the  graveyard  with  their  marble  slabs  are 
there,  much  the  same  as  when  they  were  newly  made.  From 
the  seven  rows  of  graves — one  for  each  family — it  would  seem 
that  the  Addisville  group  of  Huguenots  was  composed  ot 
seven  families.  I  have  twice  visited  the  place  since  1888,  but 
the  little  "  Huguenot  Graveyard,"  as  it  was  then  called,  is  all 
that  is  left  to  tell  us  of  our  early  fathers. 

The  facts,  which  are  here  presented,  concerning  the  Corson 
family,  have  been  gathered  in  the  midst  of  a  busy  life  and 
with  considerable  difficulty.  They  are  submitted  with  a 
belief  in  their  substantial  accuracy,  though  knowing  full  well 
that  errors  are  almost  unavoidable  in  a  work  of  this  kind.  I 
may  hope,  at  least,  that  the  book  will  serve  to  stimulate 
interest  in  our  family  history,  and,  perhaps,  become  the  basis 
for  future  records  that  will  be  more  complete  and  freer  from 
error. 


The  various  papers  supplied  by  Dr.  Corson  for 
insertion  in  this  volume  could  not  have  the  advan- 
tage of  his  final  supervision  in  making  them  ready 
for  publication.  The  task  of  arranging  them  in  a 
suitable  manner,  and  of  editing  the  whole  work  so 
that  it  shoidd  be  presented  in  most  effective  form, 
devolved  upon  George  N.  Highley,  M.  D.,  of  Con- 
shohocken,  Penna.,  a  great-nephew  of  Dr.  Corson. 
The  children  of  Dr.  Corson  desire  to  express  here 
their  high  appreciation  of  the  faithfulness  and 
excellence  of  Dr.  Highley' s  services. 


Dee,    ji .  1.   .-t'^"''^ 


Cornelius  Corssen. 

Readers  of  Frerxh  history  know  something  of  the  perse- 
cutions inflicted  on  the  Protestants  after  the  revocation  of  the 
Edict  of  Nantes  by  Louis  XIV  on  October  i8,  1685.  Simondi 
computed  the  whole  number  who  emigrated  from  France  at 
that  time,  at  400,000,  and  supposed  that  an  equal  number 
perished  on  the  gallows,  in  prisons,  at  the  galleys,  and  in 
attempts  at  escape.  Voltaire  said  :  "  600,000  fled  carrying 
with  them  riches,  their  industry,  and  their  implacable  hatred  of 
King."  In  1685  two  vessels  with  Huguenots  left  France  for 
Charleston,  South  Carolina,  but  from  some  cause,  perhaps 
stress  of  weather,  one  of  them  made  a  landing  on  Staten 
Island.  In  Weiss'  History  of  French  Protestant  Refugees, 
Vol.  II,  page  315,  are  given  the  names  of  those  who  came  in 
that  vessel.  These  are  the  names  there  recorded  :  Resan, 
La  Tourette,  Cruse  (now  Cruzen  or  Kreuson),  Corssen,  Bedell, 
Larseleau  (now  Larzelere),  and  fourteen  others.  Weiss  refers 
to  the  escape  of  one  of  the  above  parties,  which  is  of  interest 
as  pointing  to  the  part  of  France  from  which  some  of  them, 
at  least,  came.  He  says  :  "  Henri  de  La  Tourette  fled  from 
La  Vendee,  after  the  revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes.  To 
avoid  suspicion  he  gave  a  large  entertainment,  and,  while  the 
guests  were  assembled  suddenly  left  with  his  wife  for  the  sea 
coast  where  they  boarded  a  vessel  bound  for  South  Carolina," 
On  that  vessel  was  Cornelius  Corssen,  the  first  ancestor  of  the 
Corsons  in  the  United  States. 

There  is  in  the  records  of  Staten  Island  an  account  of  a 
patent    conveying  to    Cornelius    Corsen,   Andrew  Jurianson, 

9 


lo  History  of  the  Corson  Family 

Derrick  Cornelison  and  John  Peterson,  i8o  acres  of  land; 
sixty  acres  of  which  was  conveyed  to  Cornelius  Corsen,  and 
forty  acres  to  each  of  the  others,  "they  yielding  and  paying 
therefore  yearly  and  eveiy  year,  for  his  royal  highnesses  use 
as  a  quit  rent,  two  bushels  of  good  winter  wheat  unto  such 
officer  or  officers  as  shall  be  empowered  to  receive  the  same 
at  New  York."  Another  patent  to  the  same  parties  conveyed 
320  acres  "westward  of  the  Mill  Creek"  ;  beside  this  tract 
"thirty-two  acres  of  salt  meadow  where  most  convenient" 
was  conveyed.  All  of  these  were  in  Staten  Island.  Very 
little  positive  knowledge  can  be  obtained  of  the  family  of 
Cornelius  Corsen,  but  we  know  from  his  will,  probated  in 
1693,  that  his  wife's  Christian  name  was  Maritie,  and  that  he 
had  children,  though  he  does  not  mention  their  names. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  Benjamin,  our  ancestor  who 
removed  to  Bucks  County  from  Staten  Island  in  about  the 
year  1726,  was  one  of  his  sons.  It  is  equally  probable  that 
Jacob,  who  lived  and  died  on  Staten  Island,  and  who  made  a 
will  on  October  8,  1742,  disposing  of  a  comfortable  estate, 
was  another.  There  is  also  good  reason  to  believe  that 
Christian,  Cornelius,  and  Daniel  were  likewise  his  sons  ;  for 
the  first  is  spoken  of  in  1738,  as  a  Lieutenant  and  Colonel, 
and  again  as  a  Judge,  while  Cornelius  is  mentioned  as  a 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  Daniel  as  a  "Clarke"  (County 
Clerk).  Among  the  records  we  find  also  that  "  on  December 
19,  1689,  Lieutenant-Governor  Leisler  commissioned  Cornelius 
Corsen,  of  Richmond,  Staten  Island,  as  a  Justice,  and  also  as 
Captain."     This  was  very  likely  Cornelius,  the  immigrant. 

As  stated,  Benjamin  settled  in  Bucks  County,  Pennsyl- 
vania, but  the  others  remained  in  the  vicinity  of  Staten 
Island,  and  their  descendants  are  to  be  found  in  that  place,  in 
New  York  State,  and  Northern  New  Jersey  at  the  present 
time.  We  are  concerned  only  in  this  narrative  with  the 
history  of  Benjamin,  our  ancestor,  and  his  descendants.  An 
account  of  them  will  be  given  in  the  following  chapters. 
This  one  may  be  fittingly  closed  with  the  last  Will  and  Testa- 
ment of  the  founder  of  our  family  in  America.      It  is  evident 


Cornelius  Corssen  ii 

from  the  Will  that  he  must  have  died  sometime  between 
December  9,  1692,  and  December  7,  1693,  for  on  the  first 
named  date  the  Will  was  signed,  and  on  the  last  named  it 
was  admitted  to  probate. 

LAST  WILL  AND  TESTAMENT  OF  CORNELIUS  CORSSEN. 

Registered  for  Maritie  Corssen  Widow  Relict  &  Executrix  to  Corne- 
lius Corssen  dec'd. 

In  the  name  of  God  Amen  !  I  Cornelius  Corssen  of  Staten  Island 
within  the  county  of  Richmond  in  the  province  of  New  Yorke  in 
America  yeoman  being  sick  in  body  but  of  sound  and  perfect  minde 
and  memory  praise  be  therefore  Given  to  Almighty  God  doe  make  and 
ordaine  this  my  Present  Last  Will  and  Testament  in  manner  and  form 
following  that  is  to  say  first  and  principally  I  commend  my  Soule  into 
the  hands  of  Almighty  God  hoping  through  the  menits  Death  and  Pas- 
sion of  Jesus  Christ  my  Savior  to  have  full  and  free  pardon  and  forgive- 
ness of  all  my  sins  and  to  inheritt  Everlasting  life  and  my  body  I 
commit  to  The  Earth  to  be  decently  buryed  at  the  discretion  of  my 
Executrix  hereafter  named  and  Touching  the  disposition  of  all  sucli 
Temporall  Estate  as  itt  hath  pleased  Almighty  God  to  bestow  upon  me 
I  give  and  dispose  thereof  as  followeth 

First  I  will  that  my  debts  and  funerall  charges  shall  be  paid  and 
Discharged 

Item  all  the  Rest  residue  of  my  Reall  and  personall  Estate  watso- 
ever  Lands  and  Tenements  goods  and  chattels  I  doe  give  and  bequeath 
unto  my  Loving  and  Deare  wife  Maritie  Corssen  for  and  dureing  her 
naturall  Live  and  after  her  decease  the  same  Lands,  Tenements  Goods 
and  chattels  shall  be  Equally  Divided  between  all  my  children  Each 
child  to  have  an  equall  portion  or  share  but  if  my  said  wife  Maritie 
Corssen  shall  happen  to  marry  then  my  will  and  meaning  is  that  the  one 
halfe  of  all  my  Estate  both  Goods  &  chattels  Lands  and  Tenements  at 
the  time  of  such  her  marriage  shall  be  equally  Divided  between  my 
children  sufficient  security  being  given  by  my  said  wife  That  the 
youngest  childrens  parte  and  portion  of  the  same  or  soe  many  of  my 
children  as  att  the  time  of  her  marriage  are  not  of  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  years  that  the  same  shall  be  payd  faithfully  to  each  of  them  when 
they  shall  attain  or  come  to  the  age  of  Twenty  one  yeares  as  aforesaid 
Dureing  which  age  of  twenty  one  yeares  my  will  &  meaning  is  that  such 
young  childes  portion  or  parte  shall  be  and  Remaine  in  the  hands  of  my 
said  wife  Maritie  Corssen  for  such  young  childe  or  childrens  Education 
She  giveing  security  for  due  payment  of  the  same  as  afosd.  and  if  any 
of  my  children  shall  happen  to  dye  before  they  come  or  attain  to  the  age 
of  twenty  one  yeares  that  then  such  childe  or  childrens  part  shall  be 
equally  divided  amongst  such  of  my  children  as  shall  happen  to  sur- 
vive and  I  doe  hereby  make  my  Loveing  &  deare  wife  Maritie  Corssen 
before  menconed  full  sole  Executrixe  of  this  my  last  Will  &  Testament 
hereby  revoking  &  making  void  all  former  Wills  &  Testament  by  me 
heretofore  made. 

In  Wittness  whereof  I  the  said  Cornelius  Corssen  to  this  my  last 
Will  &  Testament  have  sett  my  hand  &  seale  the  nineth  day  of  Decem- 
ber in  the  yeare  of  our  Lord  Christe  1692. 

Corn.   Corssen  [seale] 


12  History  of  the  Corson  Family 

Sealed  &  subscribed  by  the  said  Cornelis  Corssen  in  presence  of 
Cornelis  X  Nephews  Peter  X  Staes  Tho.  Carhartt 

Benjamin  Fletcher  Captn.  Generall  and  Governour  in  Cheife  of  the 
Province  of  NeV  York  Province  of  Pensilvania  Country  of  New  Castle 
and  the  Territoryes  and  tracts  of  Land  Depending  thereon   in  America 
and  Vice  Admiral  of  the  same  their  Maj'ts  Lieut  Commander  in  Cheife 
of  the  Militia  and  of  all  the  forces  by  sea  and  Land  within  their  Maj'eis 
CoUony  of  Connecticut   and   of  all    the    forts    and    places    of  Strength 
within  the  same  To  all  men  whom  these  presents   shall   come    Greeting 
Know  ye  that  at  New  Yorke  the  seventh  day  of  December  Instant  before 
me  and  my  delegates  the  last  will  and  testament  of  Cornelius  Corssen  of 
Staten  Island  Yeoman  Deceased  annexed  to  these  presents   was   proved 
and  allowed  of  having  while  he  lived  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  goods 
Rights  and  credits  in    divers   places    within    this   Province    by    means 
whereof  the  approbacon  and  allowance  of  the  said  last  will   and   testa- 
ment and  the  granting   of  the    administracon   of  all  and    singular  the 
goods,  rights  and  creditts  of  the  sd.  deceased    as    alsoe   the    hearing  of 
account  or  rekoning  of  the  sd  administracon    and    the  finall   discharge 
and  dismission  from  the  same    unto    mee    alone   wholly    and   not  unto 
another  Inferior  Judge  are  manifestly  known  to  belong  and  the   admin- 
istracon of  all  and  singular  the   goods,    rights   and  creditts   of  the  sd. 
dec'  d.  the  sd.  dec'  d.  and  his  will  any  manner   of  ways  concerning  was 
granted  unto    Maritie  Widdow    Relict    and    Executrix   in    the  said  will 
named  Cheifly  of  well  and  truly  administering  the  same  and  of  making 
a  full  and  perfect  Inventory  of  all   and   singular    the   goods   reight  and 
credits  of  the  said  deceased  exhibiting  the  same  unto   the    Registry  of 
the  prerogative  Court  at  or  before  the   seventh   day    of  June   now  next 
ensueing  and  rendering  a  full  and  true  account  of  the  sd.  administration 
being  sworn  upon  the  Holy  Evangelists  of  God.     In  testimony  whereof 
I  have  caused  the  Scale  of  the  prerogative  Court  to   be  hereunto  affixed 
at  New  York  the  Seventh  day  of  December  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one 
thousand  six  hundred  and  ninety-three  New  Yorke  the  Jth  of  December 
1693.    Then  Maritie  Corssen  had  the  oath  of  an  Executrix  administered 
unto  her  before  me  thereunto  authorized. 

David  Jameson  D.  Secy, 

STATE  OF  NEW  YORK,  1 

CITY  AND  COUNTY  OF  NEW  YORK,/'^- 

I,  James  F.  McLaughlin,  Clerk  of  the  Surrogate's  Court  of  said 
City  and  County,  do  hereby  certify  that  I  have  compared  the  foregoing 
copy  of  the  last  Will  and  Testament  of  Cornelius  Corssen,  deceased, 
with  the  original  record  thereof  now  remaining  in  this  office,  and  have 
found  the  same  to  be  a  correct  transcript  therefrom  and  of  the  whole  of 
such  original  record. 

/«  testimony  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  affixed  the 
Seal  of  the  Surrogate's  Court  of  the  City  and  County  of  New  York,  this 
15th  day  of  Feby,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  ninety-two. 

[seal]        James  F.  McLaughlin, 

Clerk  of  the  Sitrros^ate'  s  Court. 


II. 

The  Three  Benjamins. 

There  were  more  than  three,  but  not  of  my  own  direct 
ancestors.  My  grandfather,  my  great-grandfather,  and  my 
great-great-grandfather  were  all  named  Benjamin.  The  last 
mentioned,  Benjamin  the  first^,  son  of  Cornelius,  the  immigrant, 
came  to  Bucks  County,  Pennsylvania,  in  about  the  year  1726, 
bringing  with  him  his  son,  Benjamin  the  second'^  a  boy  about 
seven  years  old. 

Many  years  ago  my  brother — Alan  W.  Corson — in  look- 
ing up  the  history  of  the  Corson  family  in  Bucks  County, 
discovered  in  the  office  of  the  Recorder  of  Deeds  in  that 
county,  in  Deed  Book  No.  5,  page  231,  the  record  of  a  deed 
given  by  Jeremiah  Dungan  and  his  wife,  Maiy,  of  Northamp- 
ton Township,  to  Benjamin  Corson,  of  Staten  Island,  County 
of  Richmond,  for  250  acres  of  land  (described  by  metes  and 
bounds) ;  the  consideration  being  three  hundred  and  fifty 
pounds  {£3S^)-  The  deed  is  dated  May  19,  1726,  and  it  is 
likely  that  he  removed  from  Staten  Island  to  his  newly  pur- 
chased farm  in  Bucks  County  at  about  that  time,  bringing 
with  him  his  wife,  Nelly,  and  son,  Benjamin,  a  boy  about  seven 
years  of  age.  With  them  came  also  other  Huguenot  families 
that  likewise  settled  in  Northampton  Township. 

As  would  be  expected  of  people  who  fled  from  their  native 
land  because  of  religious  persecution,  their  first  thought  was 
for  a  place  to  worship  in  accordance  with  the  dictates  of  their 
own  conscience.  They  erected  a  small  log  building  to  serve 
as    church    and    school  house   on   the  "  Middle   Road,"  just 

13 


14  History  of  the  Corson  Family 

below  "White  Bear  Tavern."  In  my  young  days  (about  1 8 1  5) 
school  was  taught  in  this  building  by  Teacher  John  Corson, 
son  of  Esquire  John,  who  lived  on  the  old  homestead  farm  a 
mile  further  down  the  road.  (Esquire  John  Corson  was  a 
great-grandson  of  Cornelius  and  Maritie  Corson,  of  Staten 
Island). 

The  first  Benjamin's  wife  was  named  Nelly,  surname 
unknown.  They  lived  on  the  farm  which  they  purchased 
of  Jeremiah  and  Mary  Dungan  until  their  death,  the 
dates  of  which  are  unknown.  My  brother  Alan  visited  the 
place  several  times  between  1800  and  1823,  the  year  in  which 
Esquire  John  died,  and  remembered  well  the  old  barn, 
called  the  "  Low  Dutch  Barn,"  with  its  straw  thatched  roof, 
quite  high  at  the  peak,  but  not  over  ten  feet  at  the  eaves.  I 
have  myself  twice  visited  the  place  since  1889,  but  the  old 
buildings,  with  the  exception  of  the  springhouse,  were  gone,  or 
so  altered  that  I  could  not  see  them  as  they  were  originally 
built. 

Many  years  ago  I  was  informed  by  my  uncle  Richard 
Corson,  that  his  great-greatfather,  Benjamin  the  first^  the  sub- 
ject of  this  notice,  was  buried  in  the  middle  of  the  aisle  of  the 
Old  Baptist  Church  in  Southampton  Township,  near  the  Buck 
Tavern.  If  it  was  near  the  Buck  Tavern  it  must  have  been 
in  the  Huguenot  Church,  as  Uncle  Richard  added  :  "The  old 
church  was  torn  down  and  another  built  adjoining  the  '  Middle 
Road,'  as  being  more  central,  which  is  now  called  '  South- 
ampton Baptist  Meeting.'  "  Uncle  Richard  seemed  to  make 
no  distinction  between  the  Huguenots,  who,  before  his  man- 
hood, had  lost  much  of  their  distinguishing  characters  by 
intermarriage,  etc.,  and  the  Baptists,  who  had  usurped  the 
leading  place. 

Benjamin  the  second',  my  great-grandfather,  came  to 
Bucks  County,  as  before  stated,  with  his  father,  in  about  the 
year  1726,  when  he  was  about  seven  or  eight  years  of  age. 
In  reference  to  his  age,  the  following  incident  will  confirm 
what  I  have  stated:  In  August,  1876,  I  visited  New  York, 
and  on  my  return  trip  stopped  off  at  Trenton    to   call  on   mv 


'  .n!tft^ 


The  Three  Benjamins  15 

cousin,  Dr.  Thomas  Johnson  Corson,  son  of  Dr.  Richard 
D.  Corson,  of  New  Hope,  Bucks  Co.,  who  resided  there  at  that 
time.  He  showed  me  during  the  visit  a  small  Dutch  Bible, 
printed  in  1734,  on  the  fly-leaf  of  which  was  written  : 
"  Benj'n  Corson  His  Book  :  Born  in  ye  year  of  our  Lord  one 
thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighteen."  This  would  make 
him  about  eight  years  old  at  the  time  of  his  coming  to  Bucks 
County  with  his  father  in  1726.  So  far  as  is  positively  known 
Benjamin  the  first^  and  Nelly  had  but  one  child,  Benjamin  the 
second^,  but  I  think  it  quite  probable  that  Capt.  Henry  Corson 
of  the  Associated  Regulars  of  Bucks  County,  who  served  in 
1747-48,  was  also  the  son  of  Benjamin  the  first^  and  Nelly. 

Benjamin  the  second^  married  Maria  Sedam,  or  Suydam, 
on    the    first    month,    second,    1 741-2,    at    the    Presbyterian  '^i' 

Church,  at  Churchville,  Bucks  Co.,  Pa.,  so  it  is  likely  that  the  ^ 

wife's    family   were    Presbyterians.     They  had    the    following  ' 

children  : 

I.  Benjamin  the  third^    born   March  6,  1743,  married 
Sarah  Dungan.      '  '-  -  /  ^  '  ' 

n.   Cornelius* — married  Mary  Ann 

HI.   John* — "Esquire  John" — married  Charity  Vanzant. 
,IV.   Henry* — married  Margaret  Cornell. 
V.   Richard* — married   Hannah  Maulsby,  a  widow  nee 

Davis 
VI.   Mar\^ — married  Enoch  Marple.  \ 

Vn.  Jane* — (or  Jeanette) — married  John  Kreuson. 
Vni.  Abraham*. 

I,  Benjamin  the  third*,  my  grandfather,  was  born  March 
6,  1743,  and  in  1761  he  married  Sarah  Dungan,  daughter  of 
Joseph  and  Mary  [Ohl]  Dungan.  Appertaining  to  their  mar- 
riage the  following  story,  related  to  me  by  their  son  Richard*  (my 
great-uncle),  may  be  of  interest.  He  said  that  both  the  Corsons 
and  the  Dungans  were  considered  quite  wealthy,  as  wealth  was 
estimated  in  those  days  ;  that  the  Dungans  were  accustomed 
"  to  eat  from  silver  plates,"  and  in  many  ways  gave  evidence 
of  their  comfortable  circumstances.  It  was  agreed  between 
the  families — the  Corsons  and  the  Dungans — that  one  should 


1 6  History  of  the  Corson  Family 

give  as  much  as  the  other  towards  "  setting  out  "  the  young 
people  ;  but  a  dispute  arose  between  them  with  the  result  that 
neither  family  gave  anything,  at  least  nothing  like  a  farm, 
which  had  been  promised  to  grandmother,  Sarah  Dungan,  but 
after  the  dispute  was  given  to  her  sister,  Hannah,  who  married 
Benjamin  Marple.  My  grandparents  were,  therefore,  com- 
pelled to  rent  a  farm,  which  they  did  in  Dublin  Township,  then 
in  Philadelphia  County  (Keen's  farm).  Nearly  all  of  their 
children  were  born  there. 

Prior  to  the  year  1800  they  moved  to  Longshore's  farm, 
near  Dolington,  Bucks  County.  My  grandfather  also  bargained 
to  buy  a  farm  in  Northampton  Township,  but  it  was  so  heavily 
mortgaged  and  encumbered  that  he  could  not  get  a  good  title, 
though  he  tendered  the  money  which  he  agreed  to  pay.  He 
was  afterwards  subjected  to  a  law-suit  for  damages,  which  a 
jury  awarded  in  the  sum  of  ;!^300.  This  unjust  verdict  my 
grandfather  believed  was  the  result  of  Masonic  influence.  He 
afterwards  bought  a  farm  of  159  acres  in  Wrightstown,  where 
he  lived  until  his  death,  which  occurred  October  2,  181 1.  My 
grandmother  died  a  few  months  before,  on  July  2,  rSii. 
Grandfather  Benjamin  Corson  left  a  will  which  is  recorded  in 
Will  Book,  No.  8,  page  206. 


I 


III. 


Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  Second^ 

In  the  preceding  chapter  I  have  given  the  names  of  the 
children  of  Benjamin  the  second^  and  Maria  Sedam  Corson, 
and  also  an  account  of 

I.  Benjamin  the  third^  their  eldest  child,  whose 
descendants  will  be  described  in  subsequent  chapters  ;  the 
other  children  and  their  descendants  are  given  here. 

II.  Cornelius    Corson*     (second    son     and    child    of 

Benjamin  the  second^),  married  Mary  Ann .     He  died 

Oct.  19,  1823,  in  the  seventy-fourth  year  of  his  age.  His 
home  was  on  a  part  of  the  original  250  acres  purchased  by 
his  grandfather  Benjamin  the  firsts  It  was  on  the  "  Middle 
road,"  left  hand  side,  going  towards  Southampton  Baptist 
Church.  He  had  two  children — Benjamin^,  who  died  un- 
married, and  JoHN^  who  married  Mary  Lentz,  of  Barren  Hill, 
Whitemarsh  Township,  Montgomery  Co.,  Pa.  They  had  one 
child — Mary^,  born  about  the  time  of  her  father's  death,  who 
continued  to  live  with  her  mother  unmarried,  and  died  before 
her  mother  in  1887.  Her  mother  died  in  the  next  year,  so 
Cornelius's  descendants  are  all  gone. 

III.  John  Corson^  Esquire  John,  as  he  was  called, 
resided  on  the  old  homestead.  He  married  Charity  Vanzant. 
In  1823-4,  their  children  were  nearly  all  swept  away  by 
typhus  fever,  and  all  are  buried  in  the  little  Huguenot  grave- 
yard at  Addisville,  just  below  the  "White  Bear  Tavern." 
The  further  record  of  the  family  I  obtained  from  the  grave- 
stones in  that  grave-yard,   where   himself,  his  father  and  his 

17 


1 8  History  of  the  Corson  Family 

children  are  buried.  Their  son,  John  Corson^  was  for  many 
years  a  teacher  in  the  Httle  log  church  by  the  graveyard.  He 
was  not  married,  and  died  of  the  typhus  fever  spoken  of, 
January  6,  1823,  in  his  thirty-eighth  year.  The  inscriptions 
on  the  grave-stones  give  the  followmg  information  : 

Esquire  John^  (the  father),  died  February  5,  1823,  in  his 
sixty-third  year. 

Charity  Vanzant  Corson  (the  mother),  died  February 
8,  1823,  in  her  sixty-third  year. 

1.  Benjamin  Corson^  (their  eldest  son),  died  Septem- 
ber 4,  1824,  in  his  forty-fourth  year. 

2.  James  Corson^  (a  son),  died  November  22,  1827,  in 
his  forty-fourth  year. 

3.  John  Corson^  ("Teacher  John"),  died  January  6, 
1823,  in  his  thirty-eighth  year. 

4.  Mary  Finney^  (a  daughter),  died  March  7,  1823,  in 
her  thirty-fourth  year. 

5.  Jane  Vanartzdalen-'  (a  daughter),  died  June 
17,  1 8 16,  in  her  twenty-fifth  year. 

James  Corson^,  son  of  Esq.  John,  was  married  to  Nancy 
Addis  ;  they  had  children. 

In  the  summer  of  1890  my  niece,  Helen  Hovenden,  and 
I  went  to  the  grave-yard  where  the  family  are  buried  and  then 
to  the  old  Corson  home,  which  is  now  in  other  hands.  This 
first  Corson  home  in  Pennsylvania  is  about  half  a  mile  below 
the  "Black  Bear" — three-quarters  of  a  mile  below  the 
"White  Bear  Hotel" — as  you  go  down  the  "  middle  road  " 
towards  Philadelphia,  from  the  grave-yard.  After  crossing  a 
bridge,  just  below  Addisville  (now  Richboro — I  believe),  you 
come  to  a  gate  on  the  left  hand  side — the  entrance  to  the  old 
home — and  where  Esq.  John  died  in  1823.  To  our  regret 
the  old  house  had  been  nearly  all  torn  down  the  year  before 
our  visit,  and  a  new  one  built,  but  the  old  spring-house, 
where,  doubtless,  great-grandmother  Sedam  had  often 
skimmed  milk,  was  still  in  good  repair,  as  was  also  an  out- 
house. ^  ,  /• ,  '  v-j.  5. 
,'-r       s    Mrs.  So^r-oy^  Jq.i-<^    - 


Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  Second^  19 

IV.  Henry  Corson*  (fourth  son  of  Benjamin  the  second'), 
lived  in  Plymouth  township  in  1790.  Father  attended  his 
funeral  at  the  Falls  of  Schuylkill  in  about  the  year  1 800.  He 
died  of  obesity.  Tradition  had  it  that  he  weighed  400 
pounds.  His  wife  was  Margaret  Cornell,  and  their  children 
were:  i,  Benjamin^;  2,  Wilhelmas^;  3,  Richard-^;  4,  Cor- 
nelius^;   5,  Alice"^;  and  6,  Mary^ 

I.  Benjamin  Corson^  eldest  son  of  Henry,  married 
Mary  Febridge.     They  had  three  children  : 

(i)  Margaret  Corson^,  unmarried,  now  deceased, 

(2)  Susan  Corson",  married  Peter  Weaver,  no   children, 

(3)  Alan  Corson^,  married  Elizabeth  Francis,  daughter 
of  Thomas  and  Margaret  Francis,  of  Shannonville,  Mont- 
gomery County,  Pa.,  and  their  children  were  :  i,  Isabella^; 
2,  Thomas  Francis^;  3,  Margaret^  and  4,   Mary^ 

1.  Isabella  Corson''  and  her  sister  Mary  Corson''^  are 
living  at  the  Shannonville  home.  Margaret'^,  the  third  child, 
died  at  the  age  of  three  years. 

2.  Dr.  Thomas  Francis  Corson^  only  son  of  Alan  and 
Eliz.  Francis  Corson,  studied  medicine  with  my  brother. 
Dr.  William  Corson,  and,  after  graduating,  went  into  the  drug 
business.  Subsequently  he  became  a  real  estate  agent,  a  busi- 
ness which  he  still  successfully  carries  on  in  Philadelphia, 
where  he  resides.  He  has  been  twice  married.  His  first  wife 
was  Margaret  Johnson,  by  whom  he  had  one  child,  Janet 
Corson^  His  second  wife,  who  is  still  living,  was  Edith 
McPherson,  of  Washington,  D.  C.  ;  they  have  one  child, 
Alan  Corson^  born  in  1876. 

Benjamin  Corson's^  first  wife  died,  and  he  subsequently 
married  her  sister,  Christiana  Febridge,  by  whom  he  had  two 
children  :  (4)  Amos  E.^  and  (5)  Mary  F.*^ 

(4)  Amos  E.  Corson''  married  Mary  A.,  daughter  of 
Abram  Heydrick,  of  Chestnut  Hill,  Philadelphia.  They  had 
one  child,  Sarah  T.  Corson'',  who  married  James  Van  Court ; 
they  live  in  a  beautiful  home  near  Fort  Washington,  Mont- 
gomery County,  Pa.  ;  they  have  no  children. 


20  History  of  the  Corson  Family 

(5)  Mary  Febridge  Corson*'  (second  child  of  Benjamin^ 
by  his  second  wife)  married  Charles  Van  Court,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  five  children:  i,  Benjamin  Franklin^; 
2,  James'';  3,  Emma  C/;  4,  Howard";  and  5,  Horace  G.^ 

1.  Benjamin  Franklin  Van  Court'',  born  September  18, 
1838,  was  a  civil  engineer  and  conveyancer.  He  entered  the 
army  early  in  1862,  and  was  assigned  to  the  Commissary 
Department  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  He  was  with  the 
army  at  the  battles  of  Antietam,  Fredericksburg,  Gettysburg, 
and  others.  He  was  taken  sick  with  typhoid  fever  at  Rappa- 
hannock Station,  returned  home,  and  died  February  17,  1864. 

2.  James  Van  Court",  born  April  i,  1840,  studied  phar- 
macy and  was  engaged  in  the  drug  business  for  about  sixteen 
years,  retiring  in  1882.  He  married  in  1880,  his  cousin,  Sarah 
T.  Corson^  (daughter  of  Amos  E.  and  Mary  A.  Corson)  and 
they  are  now  living  near  Fort  Washington,  this  county.  They 
have  no  children. 

3.  Emma  C.  Van  Court^  was  born  December  27,  1844, 
and  died  in  March,  1875,  of  a  disease  of  the  heart.  She  was 
a  beautiful,  refined,  and  intelligent  girl. 

4.  Howard  Van  Co URT^  born  November  10,  1848,  was 
connected  with  the  Transportation  Department  of  the  Phila- 
delphia and  Reading  Railroad  Company  for  about  fourteen 
years,  and  then  associated  himself  with  his  brother,  Horace  G.^ 
and  engaged  in  the  publishing  business.  He  married,  Decem- 
ber 21,  1871,  Sarah  E.,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Hannah 
Rickert,  and  they  have  five  children  :  Frank  Howard  Van 
CouRT^,  bom  December  29,  1872  ;  William  James  Van 
CouRT^  born  July  i,  1878;  Norman  Van  Court^,  born 
July  29,  1880  ;  Helen  Van  Court*,  born  May  3,  1884  ;  and 
Emma  Van  Court^  born  November  10,  1886. 

5.  Horace  G.  Van  Court^  born  June  5,  1855,  was  with 
the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad  Company  for  about 
ten  years,  and  then  (1882)  entered  the  publishing  business 
with  his  brother  Howard  uuder  the  business  name  of  H.  Van 
Court  &   Co.     In    1884   he  married  Annie   E.,  daughter  of 


Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  Second^  21 

Jacob  Craft,   of   Norristown,    Pa.,    and  they  have  one   child, 
Lewis  Van  Court^  born  April  29,  1885. 

2.  WiLHELMAS  Corson^  (second  son  of  Henr>'  and  Mar- 
garet Cornell  Corson),  married  Mary  Jones  ;  they  had  two 
children — James^  and  Samuel"^ — who  in  1870  lived  near 
Churchville,  Bucks  County,  Pa. 

3.  Richard  Corson^  (third  son  of  Henr)^),  married  and 
moved  to  Ohio  ;  he  died  long  since. 

4.  Cornelius  Corson^  (fourth  son  of  Henry),  married 
and  had  five  children :  (i)  William*;  (2)  Henry^  and  three 
others. 

(i)  William  Corson*  (eldest  son  of  Cornelius),  was  the 
proprietor  of  the  principal  hotel  in  Doylestown,  Bucks  County, 
for  many  years  after  1850.  I  was  acquainted  with  him — a 
genial,  kind  hearted  man.  The  hotel  was  popular  on  account 
of  the  excellent  table  which  was  kept  and  the  kindness  of  the 
landlord. 

(2)  Henry  Corson*  (second  son  of  Cornelius),  married 
Eliza,  daughter  of  Dr.  Jesse  Beams,  of  Buckingham,  Bucks 
County.      He  died  many  years  ago. 

5.  Alice  Corson^  (fifth  child  of  Henry),  married 

Vanburen.      I  do  not  know  their  history. 

6.  Mary  Corson^  (sixth  child  of  Henr}^),  married  Isaac 
Bennett.  Their  son,  General  John  Bennett*,  lives  near 
Johnsville,  Bucks  County. 

V.  Richard  Corson*  (the  fifth  son  of  Benjamin  the  second^ 
and  Maria  Sedam  Corson),  married  Mrs.  Hannah  Maulsby,  a 
widow,  whose  maiden  name  was  Davis,  and  who  at  the  time 
of  her  second  marriage  had  a  son,  Samuel  Maulsby.  They 
lived  near  the  Neshaminy  Creek,  on  the  "Old  York  Road,"  a 
few  miles  above  Hatboro,  in  Bucks  County.  From  an  old 
Bible  in  the  possession  of  his  son  many  years  ago,  I  took  the 
following :  "  Hannah  Davis  Maulsby,  the  second  wife  of 
Richard  Corson  (and  mother  of  Samuel  Maulsby,  Dr.  Richard 
D.  Corson,  and  Hannah  Corson),  departed  this  life  in  conse- 
quence of  a  mortification  of  her  left  foot,  which  began  in  the 


22  History  of  the  Corson  Family 

shape  of  a  small  pimple  on  the  toe  next  to  the  great  one,  on 
Tuesday,  June  4,  1807,  at  9  o'clock  A.  m."  (She  was  born 
January  i,  1743.)  Richard  Corson,  her  husband,  died  of  a 
highly  inflammatory  fever  which  ran  into  typhus.  He  was  a 
man  of  a  remarkably  good  constitution,  but  during  his  last 
illness,  which  continued  for  twenty-four  days,  he  suffered 
excruciating  pain,  which  he  bore  with  Christian  fortitude.  He 
was  sensible  and  spoke  to  the  last  and  appeared  anxious  to 
depart.  Having  shaken  hands  and  bid  the  friends  good-bye, 
he  gave  them  these  consoling  words  :  "I  have  been  in  dark- 
ness all  my  life  but  have  now  come  to  a  glorious  light — all 
my  difficulties  are  overcome."  He  then  drew  his  son, 
Dr.  Richard  D.  Corson,  to  him  and  kissed  him,  after  which  he 
died  without  a  struggle,  on  Saturday  morning,  November  14, 
1812,  about  8  o'clock.  He  was  buried  at  Northampton,  in 
the  small  Huguenot  grave-yard,  by  the  side  of  his  first  wife, 
Rachel  Knowles.  His  children  were  :  i,  Richard  Davis 
Corson^  and  2,   Hannah  Corson,^  who  married  John  Bye. 

(i)  Dr.  Richard  D.  Corson,*  son  of  Richard^  and  Han- 
nah Corson,  was  born  Friday,  January  i,  1785.  He  married 
Helen  Stockton  Johnson,  of  Princeton,  New  Jersey,  and  began 
to  practice  medicine  in  Buckingham  Township,  near  by  the 
"Ingham  Spring."  But  prior  to  his  settlement  there  he  had 
been  on  a  voyage  to  India  and  had  practiced  a  year  in 
Calcutta.  On  his  return  he  landed  at  Charleston,  South  Caro- 
lina, ill  from  an  affection  of  the  liver,  and  was  kindly  cared 
for  by  Dr.  David  Ramsay — the  Historian — at  his  house,  dur- 
ing several  weeks.  I  mention  this  merely  to  show  some 
important  results  growing  out  of  this  accidental  acquaintance. 
Restored  to  health  he  returned  home,  afterwards  married  and 
removed  to  New  Hope.  A  few  years  later  he  invited  Dr. 
David  Ramsay  to  send  his  son  James,  then  just  from  College, 
to  him  that  he  might  have  him  as  a  student  of  medicine.  He 
was  sent  and  he  continued  during  his  two  years  of  study, 
prior  to  his  graduation,  free  from  all  expense.  Dr.  James 
Ramsay  afterward  became  Professor  of  Surgery  in  South 
Carolina   Medical   College.     Doctor  Corson   also  named    his 


■2,^-^ 


Richard  D.  Corson,  M.  D. 


TWt 
1909 


Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  Second^  23 

eldest  son  David  Ramsay  Corson/  that  he  might  have  before 
him  a  daily  remembrance  of  the  kindness  he  had  received 
from  Dr.  Ramsay. 

Dr.  Richard  D.  Corson^  had  a  great  many  private 
students,  some  of  them  from  a  great  distance,  and  others  from 
his  own  county.  James  Ramsey,  of  South  Carolina ;  Thomas 
Miner,  of  Wilkesbarre  ;  Theodore  Dunn,  of  Rhode  Island  ; 
Josiah  Simpson,  of  New  Jersey  ;  James  McNair,  and  William 
L,  Vanhorn,  of  Bucks  County,  Pa.  (the  latter  afterwards  a 
Surgeon  in  U.  S.  Navy) ;  Hiram  Corson,  of  Montgomery 
County,  Pa.  ;  George  Maulsby,  of  Plymouth  Meeting,  Mont- 
gomery County,  Pa.,  who  in    1838   became  Surgeon  in  U.  S. 

Navy,  and  died  in  Washington  in ,  some  years  after   his 

"retirement ;"  R.  Kunkel  and  Heniy  Ely — all  were  pupils  of 
his.  Thomas  J."  and  David  Ramsay  Corson,''  his  two  sons, 
also  studied  with  their  father. 

The  students  of  Dr.  Corson  had  reason  to  congratulate 
themselves  on  having  a  preceptor  so  careful  to  prepare  them 
well  for  graduation  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  and  to 
qualify  them  to  enter  on  the  practice  of  their  profession. 
His  practice  extended  over  a  wide  region  of  the  populous 
country  surrounding  New  Hope,  Pa.,  and  Lambertville,  N.  J., 
and  it  was  his  daily  habit  to  take  one  or  more  of  his  students 
with  him  to  see  him  treat  the  patients  ;  so  that  before  they  had 
even  graduated  they  were  well  prepared  to  prescribe  for  the 
diseases  which  prevailed  in  that  malarious  region. 

Dr.  Richard  D.  Corson^  was  more  than  six  feet  in 
height,  of  commanding  presence  and  courtly  manners  ;  he  was 
a  most  popular  physician  and  a  skillful  surgeon.  In  all  my 
hfe,  of  more  than  ninety  years,  I  have  never  seen  a  finer, 
nobler,  specimen  of  manhood. 

Dr.  Richard  D.^  and  Helen  Stockton  (Johnson)  Corson 
had  eight  children  as  follows  : 

(i)  Caroline  Corson'',  who  died  May  4,  1838,  of  typhoid 
fever,  in  the  twenty-third  year  of  her  age. 

(2)  David  Ramsay  Corson",  graduated  in  medicine,  died 
January  29,  1841,  in  his   twenty-fourth  year,  of  heart  disease. 


24  History  of  the  Corson  Family 

(3)  Harriet  Matthews  Corson^  married  Chas.   Foulke. 

(4)  Eliza  Paxson  Corson'',  unmarried,  lives  in  Trenton, 
N.J. 

(5)  Richard  Corson^  died  from  fever,  in  his  eighteenth 
year. 

(6)  Helen  N.  Corson''  died  from  consumption,  July  20, 
1849,  i^  her  twenty-fourth  year. 

(7)  Dr.  Thomas  Johnson  Corson^,  who  married  Mary  K. 
Steever. 

(8)  Robert  Rodgers  Corson*',  who  married  Rebecca 
Foulke. 

Three  of  these  children  of  Dr.  Richard  D.  Corson'* 
deserve  further  notice,  viz.,  Harriet  Matthews",  Dr.  Thos.  J.", 
and  Robert  R." 

(3)  Harriet  Matthew  S.  Corson"  married  Dr.  Charles 
Foulke,  who  succeeded  to  the  practice  of  his  father-in-law. 
Dr.  Richard  D.  Corson,  and  continued  to  enjoy  an  extensive 
practice  until  his  death  in  1871.  Their  children  are — 
I,  Richard  C.^;  2,  Edward',  and  3,  Thom.vs^ 

1.  Richard  Corson  Foulke^,  born  November  2,  1843, 
graduated  in  medicine  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
has  since  practiced  in  New  Hope,  Bucks  County.  He  mar- 
ried Louisa  Vansant  (1872),  and  they  have  had  three  chil- 
dren, two  of  whom — Chas.  Edward  Foulke^  and  Claribel 
Foulke^ — are  now  living. 

2.  Edward  Foulke^  (sixth  of  that  name),  was  born 
March  23,  1847,  and  married  Eliza  Vanhorn,  of  Yardleyville, 
Bucks  County.     They  have  one  son — Vanhorn  Foulke^ 

3.  Thomas  Johnson  Corson  Foulke^  was  born  in 
March,  185 1,  and  died  September  15,  1883. 

(7)  Thos.  Johnson  Corson"  (son  of  Richard  D.'  and 
Helen  Stockton  Johnson  Corson),  was  born  in  1828,  studied 
medicine  with  his  father,  and  graduated  at  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania.  For  two  or  three  years  he  practiced  in 
Schuylkill  County,  then  returned  to  Bucks  County,  where  he 
practiced  for  a  short  time,  finally  going  to  Trenton,  N.  J., 
where  he   practiced  until   his   death    in    1879.      He    married 


Robert  Rodgers  Corson 


THE 
^       m>EW  YORK 
(pUBUC  library' 

^hMT,  Lenox  »n^  Tll^^ 
1909 


Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  Second*.  25 

Mary  K.  Steever,  daughter  of  George  Steever,  of  Philadelphia, 
and  they  had  four  children  :  i,  George  Robert  Corson^, 
who  died  in  1859,  aged  two  and  one-half  years ;  2,  Caroline 
Steever  Corson^  who  died  in  1875,  aged  seventeen  years; 
3,  Ha'rriet  Foulke  Corson^,  who  died  in  1887,  aged  twenty- 
five  years;  and  4,  Thomas  Johnson  Corson,  Jr.,^  who  died 
in  1 87 1,  aged  eighteen  months. 

(8)  Robert  Rodgers  Corson^  (son  of  Dr.  Richard  D.-^and 
Helen  S.  J.  Corson),  was  born  May  3,  183 1.  He  married 
Rebecca  J.  Foulke,  of  Penllyn,  (a  sister  of  my  wife,  Ann  J. 
[Foulke]  Corson)  ;  they  are  now  living  in  Philadelphia. 

Robert  R.  Corson^  is  a  distinguished  political  reformer, 
and  has  been  an  important  factor  in  the  movements  for  pure 
politics  and  municipal  reforms  in  Philadelphia  during  the  past 
score  of  years.  As  an  Inspector  of  Moyamensing  Prison  he 
was  instrumental  in  having  a  woman  physician  placed  in 
charge  of  the  female  prisoners,  and  was  also  interested  in 
having  matrons  placed  in  station  houses  to  receive  and  care 
for  women  picked  up  at  night  by  the  police.  Before  this 
reform  was  established,  there  were  often  disgraceful  occur- 
rences at  the  station  houses,  where  only  men  were  in  charge. 

Robert  R.  Corson  is  a  humanitarian  of  high  character, 
who  is  ever  striving  to  uplift  and  improve  the  people  who  are 
within  the  reach  of  his  influence  ;  and  his  efforts  are  ably 
seconded  by  his  efficient  wife,  Rebecca  J.  Corson.  They 
have  no  children  ;  so  of  all  of  the  descendants  of  Dr.  Richard 
D.  Corson^,  only  three  children  and  two  grandchildren  are  now 
living  ;  with  the  death  of  Robert  R.,  this  branch  will  not 
have  a  single  one  of  the  Corson  name. 

2.  Hannah  CoRSON^  (daughter  of  Richard^  and  Hannah 
Maulsby  Corson),  was  born  May  6,  1788  ;  she  died  Sep- 
tember 5,  1833,  and  was  buried  in  Friends'  Burjang  Ground 
at  Buckingham.  She  married  John  Bye,  of  Buckingham,  and 
they  had  three  children  :  (i)  Richard  C;  (2)  Merc\'*,  and 
(3)  Susan  M.^ 


26  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

(i)  Richard  Corson  Bye''  married  and  went  to  Illinois 
in  about  1835.  He  died  leaving  a  widow  and  two  sons: 
William''  and  Lorenzo'';  all  of  them  are  now  dead. 

(2)  Mercy  Bye''  married  Isaiah  Ely,  of  Solebury,  who 
died  long  since.  They  had  one  daughter,  Helen  Ely^  who 
married  Wm.  H.  Flitcraft.  Wm.  H.  and  Helen  Flitcraft  are 
both  dead  ;  they  left  a  daughter,  Helen  Flitcraft^  who  is 
now  living  with  her  grandmother,  Mercy  Bye  Ely",  in  Phila- 
delphia. 

(3)  Susan  M.  Bye*'  married  James  Wilkinson,  of  Buck- 
ingham. They  had  six  children  :  i,  John^;  2,  Henry  'LJ; 
3,  Elias'';4,  Mary'';  5,  Edward^  and  6,  Emma  Bye^  Of  these 
2,  Henry  L.  Wilkinson'',  married  (i  87  i)  and  was  living  in  Phila- 
delphia in   1890.     He  has  one  child,  Laura  ¥..  Wilkinson^ 

3.  Elias  Paxson  Wilkinson'  lives  in  Philadelphia  ;  he  is 
married  and  has  four  children. 

4.  Mary  M.  Wilkinson^  married  E.  M.  Armstrong  in 
1866.  They  live  in  Doylestown  and  have  four  children  : 
(i)  Emma  W.^;  (2)  Annie  H.^;  (3)  William^,  and  (4)  George 
Armstrong^ 

5.  Edward  M.  Wilkinson^  died  in  1870,  unmarried. 

6.  Emma  Bye  Wilkinson'',  youngest  child,  lives  with  her 
mother  in  Doylestown  ;  she  is  unmarried. 

VI,  Mary  Corson*  (sixth  child  of  Benjamin  the  second^ 
and  Maria  [Sedam]  Corson),  married  Enoch  Marple.  Their 
children  were  :  i,  David^;  2,  Benjamin'';  3,  Elizabeth*;  4, 
Joseph^;  5,  Isaac*;  6,  Enoch*,  and  7,  Abraham*. 

I,  David  Marple*  (eldest  child  of  Mary  Corson  and 
Enoch  Marple),  married  Hannah,  daughter  of  John  Coulston, 
of  Plymouth  Township,  Montgomery  County,  Pa.,  and  they 
were   the     parents    of   two    children  :   i,    Samuel*,    and     2, 

ELIZABETH^ 

(i)  Samuel  Marple*  (eldest  child  of  David*),  married 
Mary  White  ;  both  are  now  deceased,  leaving  some  children, 
who  reside  in  Philadelphia. 


Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  Second^.  27 

(2)  Elizabeth  Marple*'  (youngest  child  of  David^),  mar- 
ried William  Wills,  of  Plymouth  Township,  and  they  had  six 
children  :  i,  Alan  WJ;  2.  Clarence'';  3,  William,  ]rJ;  4, 
Andrew'';  5,  Louis^  and  6,  AnnieJ 

1.  Alan  Wood  Wills^  (eldest  son  of  Wm.  and  EHzabeth 
Marple  Wills),  married  Hannah  Supplee  ;  their  children  are 
Frank  A.  Wills^  and  Katie  Wills^ 

2.  Clarence  W.  Wills^  (second  child  of  Wm.  and  Eliza- 
beth Marple  Wills),  married  Harriet  Hogan  (daughter  of  Judge 
Hogan)  of  Kentucky  ;  they  had  two  children  :  Cordie  Wills'^ 
and  Mazie  Wills^. 

3.  William  Wills,  Jr/,  (third  child  of  Wm.  and  Elizabeth 
Marple  Wills),  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  Hon.  Wm.  B. 
Roberts,  of  Upper  Merion,  Montgomery  County,  Pa.  ;  they 
had  seven  children:  i,  Susan^;  2,  Elizabeth^;  3,  Sarah^;  4, 
Annie*;  5,  George^;  6,  Jonathan^  and  7,  Louisl 

4.  Andrew  W.  Wills''  (fourth  child  of  Wm.  and  Eliz- 
beth  Marple  Wills),  married  Eleanora  Willauer,  of  Nashville, 
Tennessee.  Their  children  are:  i.  Van  Lear\-  2,  Wayne^ 
and  3,  Eleanora'\  all  of  whom  were  living  in  Nashville  in 
1 890,  when  their  father  sent  me  the  above  record.  Of  Andrew 
I  shall  say  more  hereafter,  for  he  deserves  the  most  honorable 
mention  from  myself  who  have  known  him  during  all  his  life. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  among  our  Montgomery  County  boys, 
though  scarcely  of  age,  to  respond  to  President  Lincoln's  call 
for  volunteers. 

5.  Louis  E.  Wills'"  (fifth  child  of  Wm.  and  Elizabeth 
Marple  Wills),  married  in  New  Jersey  and  resides  at  Atlantic 
City. 

6.  Annie  G.  Wills^  (sixth  child  of  Wm.  and  Elizabeth 
Marple  Wills),  married  William  E.  Cochrane,  of  Philadelphia, 
and  for  several  years  has  lived  in  Atlantic  City.  They  have 
two  children  :  William'^  and  Elizabeth  Cochrane^ 

In  justice  to  Col.  Andrew  W.  Wills'"  I  feel  that  it  is 
proper  to  insert  here  what  has  been  copied  extensively  by  the 
prominent  newspapers  of  the  country  : 


28  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

"Col.  Andrew  W.  Wills,  who  was  recentl\-  appointed 
Post-Master  at  Nashville,  enlisted  early  in  the  War  in  the  fif- 
teenth Pennsylvania  Cavalry  as  a  private.  He  was  commis- 
sioned in  December,  1863,  as  Captain  and  Assistant  Quarter- 
Master.  For  years  he  was  Depot  Quarter-Master  at  Nash- 
ville, and  his  vouchers  and  disbursements  covered  millions  of 
dollars.  When  the  War  ended,  at  the  instance  of  Gen'l  Geo. 
H.  Thomas,  he  took  charge  of  the  location  and  purchase  of 
National  Cemeteries  in  the  Southwest  and  constructed  those 
at  Corinth,  Miss.,  and  Pittsburgh  Landing,  Tenn.  He  served 
on  the  Staff  of  Gen'l  Thomas  and  Gen'l  John  ¥.  ]\Iiller,  and 
afterwards  became  Senator  from  California.  He  was  breveted 
Major  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  for  meritorious  services  and  for 
bravery  in  the  battles  of  Antietam  and  Nashville.  He  has  a 
certificate  of  non-indebtedness  from  the  Government,  although 
millions  of  dollars  passed  through  his  hands  from  August, 
1862  to  1 868.  He  has  lived  in  Nashville  over  twenty  years." 
I  may  add  here,  not  only  twenty  years,  but  e\cr  since  the 
war  closed. 

2.  Benjamin  Marple'^  (second  son  of  Mar}-  Corson  and 
Enoch  Marple),  married  Elizabeth  Tompkins  and  they  were 
the  parents  of  the  following  children: 

(i)  Ann  Marple",  who  died  unmarried. 

(2)  Mary  Marple",  married  Jos.  Wolfe  ;  left  one  son. 

(3)  Agnes  Marple",  married  Daniel  Mullen.  They  li\e 
in  Schuylkill  Haven  and  have  children. 

(4)  Enoch  Marple",  married  Jane  Tompkins. 

(5)  Jonathan  Marple",  unmarried. 

3.  Elizabeth  Marple'  (third  child  of  Mar>'  Corson  and 
Enoch  Marple),  married  Capt.  Daniel  Davis,  of  Plymouth. 
Their  children  were  :  (i)  William";  (2)  Maria";  (3)  Ann"; 
(4)  Elizabeth",  and  (5)  Marple  Davis". 

(i)  William  Davis"  married  and  moved  to  Harrisburg ; 
he  is  now  dead.      Left  children. 

(2)  Maria  Davis"  married  John  Vanartzdalen.  She  is 
also  dead.     There  were  children. 


Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  Second^.  29 

(3)  Ann  Davis^  married  Lawyer  Sebring,  of  Easton,  Pa, 
They  had  one  daughter,  Sarah  Sebring'',  who  married  Gen'l 
John  F.  Hartranft,  distinguished  for  eminent  services  during 
the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  and  afterwards  twice  elected 
Governor  of  Pennsylvania.  He  died  in  1889.  His  children 
were:  Linn*;  Marion^  and  AnnieI 

(4)  Elizabeth  Davls*^  married  Samuel  McNair,  of  Bucks 
County,  and  moved  west ;  they  had  several  children. 

(5)  Marple  Davis*^  lives  in  Norristown. 

4.  Joseph  Marple'^  (fourth  child  of  Enoch  and  Mary 
Corson  Marple),  married  Phoebe  Lukens.  He  died  in  1856, 
leaving  a  daughter,  Elizabeth  Marple'',  who  married  Joseph 
Yerkes,  of  Plymouth  Township,  Montgomery  County.  They 
had  two  sons,  Evan''  and  Hiram  Yerkes'',  who  served  all 
through  the  war,  were  in  many  hard  fought  battles,  and 
marched  with  Sherman  from  "Atlanta  to  the  Sea."  I  was 
their  guardian,  appointed  by  the  court.  They  are  both  mar- 
ried and  have  children.  They  have  lived  in  Philadelphia  for 
many  years,  as  did  also  their  mother  until  her  death. 

5.  Isaac  Marple^  (fifth  child  of  Enoch  and  Mary  Corson 
Marple),  was  twice  married,  the  second  time  to  widow  Van 
Court,  whose  son  Charles  (by  her  first  husband)  married  Mary 
Corson,  the  daughter  of  Benjamin  (son  of  Henry  and  grand- 
.son  of  Benjamin  second^  and  Maria  Sedam  Corson).  (James 
Van  Court,  son  of  Chas.  and  Mary  Corson  VanCourt,  married 
Sarah  Corson,  daughter  of  Amos  and  Mary  Heydrick  Corson.) 
Isaac  Marple  died  long  ago  in  Bucks  County. 

6.  PLnoch  Marple^  (sixth  child  of  Enoch  and  Mary 
Corson  Marple),  married  Sarah  Hailman. 

7.  Abraham  Marple^  (seventh  child  of  Enoch  and  Mary 
Marple),  married  his  first  cousin,  Elizabeth  Marple,  of  Chester 
County ;  they  had  one  son,  Elwood  Marple,  who  also  mar- 
ried his  first  cousin, Marple,  from  Chester  County,  and 

they  had  several  children. 

Abraham  Marple^  survived  his  first  wife  and  married 
her  sister,  Amy  Marple ;  both  died  years  ago. 


30  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

VII.  Jane*.  Jane  or  Jannetje,  as  spelled  in  baptismal 
record,  or  Jannette,  as  spelled  in  her  father's  will,  (seventh 
child  of  Benjamin  the  second^  and  Maria  Sedam  Corson) 
married  John  Kreusen,  descendant  of  one  of  the  Huguenot 
immigrants  who  came  over  with  her  great  grandfather,  Cor- 
nelius Corson.  In  1868  my  brother,  Alan  W.  Corson,  wrote: 
"I  visited  my  uncle  Joshua  Corson,  then  eighty-eight  years 
old,  who  told  me  that  when  a  young  man,  he  [Joshua]  went 
to  Muncy,  Lycoming  Count)',  to  see  his  brother  Benjamin, 
and  then  paid  a  visit  to  his  Aunt  Jeannette,  who  lived  in  the 
neighborhood.      I  have  not  learned  anything  more  about  her." 

VIII.  Abraham  Corson^  I  find  by  the  will  of  Benja- 
min the  second^  that  Abraham  is  the  last  named,  and,  pre- 
sumably, his  youngest  child.  I  recollect  my  father  telling  me 
that  Abraham  lived  in  Plymouth  a  short  time  after  father 
moved  there,  but  he  soon  moved  away  and  I  am  unable  to 
find  out  anything  further  about  him. 


IV. 

Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  Third*. 

The  children  of  Benjamin  the  third*  and  Sarah  Dungan 
Corson  were  : 

I.  Benjamin  (fourth)^  married  Hannah  Whitaker 
II.  Joseph^,  married  Hannah  Dickinson, 

III.  Thomas^  married  Sarah  Roberts. 

IV.  Mary^,  married  WilHam  Harvey. 

V.  Richard^  married  ist,  Ann  Marple  ;  2d,  Elizabeth 
Bennett. 

VI.   Elizabeth^  married  Issachar  Morris 
VII.   R.A.CHEL^  married  Paul  Blaker. 
VIII.  Sarah^  married  Matthias  Bennett. 
IX.  Jane^  married  William  Bennett.  ^W«,«mj> 
X.  Joshua^  married  Hannah  Lee. 
XI.  Amos^,  married  Martha  Martindale. 
I.  Benjamin  Corson  (fourth)^  the  eldest  child  of  Benja- 
min the   third"*  and  Sarah  Dungan  Corson,    married  Hannah 
Whitaker,    and    they    had    ten    children — four   sons    and  six 
daughters,    viz.  :     i,     Sarah^;     2,     Robert^;    3,    Rebecca*; 
4,    Rachel^;   5,    Joseph^;   6,    Hannah^-    7,  Benjamin  (fifth)"; 
8,  Jane*^;  9,  John^;  and  10,  Mercy". 

I.  Sarah  Corson^  (eldest  child  of  Benjamin  fourth^  and 
Hannah  Corson)  married  Jonathan  Sebring.  In  1812  they 
moved  to  the  "Block  House"  (now  called  Liberty)  in  Tioga 
Co.,  which  was  at  that  time  a  wilderness  inhabited  mostly  by 
wild  beasts — bears,  wolves  and  panthers — and  providentially, 
too,  by  numerous  deer,  which  gave  them  a  good  supply  of 
meat.  Felix  D.  Costerisan,  who  married  their  daughter 
Rachael,  thus  writes  me  :     "I  have  heard  father  Sebring  say 

31 


32  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

that  he  frequently  of  a  morning,  when  in  want  of  meat,  would 
walk  a  few  paces  from  his  door  with  his  rifle,  and  bring  down 
a  deer.  Like  all  frontiersmen  he  became  a  good  marksman 
and  at  hunting  quite  an  adept.  He  was,  too,  for  many  years, 
no  less  famous  as  a  publican  ;  many  a  weary  traveler  found  good 
cheer  and  rest  under  his  hospitable  roof"  To  his  excellent 
and  charming  wife,  who  was  respected  by  all  who  knew  her, 
as  a  good  woman  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  is  due  a  large 
share  of  the  credit  of  that  hospitable  home.  Though  she  has 
long  since  passed  to  the  other  shore,  her  children  still  hold 
her  in  precious  remembrance. 

Jonathan  and  Sarah  Corson  Sebring  were  the  parents  of 
thirteen  children  : 

(i)  Benjamin^;  (2)  Thomas'';  (3)  Hannah^-  (4)  William'; 
(5)  Rachael  M.^;  (6)  John";  (7)  Robert';  (8)  Jonathan"; 
(9)  Joseph";  (10)  Rebecca^;  (ii)  Sarah^;  (12)  George  L.";  and 
(13)  Harriet". 

(i)  Benjamin  Sebring^  died  crossing  the  plains,  on  his 
road  to  California  ;  he  left  a  wife  and  daughter. 

(2)  Thomas  Sebring^  was  in  1882  a  prosperous  farmer 
living  in  California  ;  he  had  four  children. 

(3)  Hannah  Seeking''  married  Daniel  Corson  (son  of 
CorneHus  and  Phoebe  Corson).  Daniel  died  February  15. 
1882,  of  apoplexy,  leaving  his  wife,  a  daughter  and  a  son  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  a  good  kind  husband  and  father. 

(4)  William  Sebring'  moved  to  Illinois,  married  and  died 
there,  leaving  a  wife  and  three  children. 

(5)  Rachel  M.  Sebring^  married  Felix  D.  Costerisan. 
"We  have  been  blessed  with  thirteen  children — eleven  still 
living  now  (1882);  two  in  California,  two  in  Iowa,  one  in 
Minnesota,  and  the  rest  in  this  State,  Wisconsin,  Lime  Ridge, 
Sauk  County." 

(6)  John  Sebring'  married  Marian  or  Mary  Ann  Touts, 
of  Jersey  Shore,  Lycoming  Co.,  Pa. 

(7)  Robert  Sebring''  married  Phoebe  Reed,  now  of 
Liberty,  Tioga  Co.,  Pa.    He  resided  there  all  his  life.  I  think. 


Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  Thirds  33 

(8)  Jonathan  Sebring^  never  married  ;  he  died  the  year 
his  parents  moved  to  Wisconsin. 

(9)  Joseph  Sebring"  died  in  infancy. 

(10)  Rebecca  Sebring'  married  Daniel  Callahan.  They 
reside  in  Sacramento  City,  California. 

(i  i)  Sarah  Sebring^  married  Hulings  Thomas.  They 
now  (1882)  live  in  Lock  Haven,  Pa. 

(12)  George  L.  Sebring  married  Rosanna  Thomas; 
they  had  four  children  :  i,  William^  ;  2,  Emma^  (died  a  few 
years  ago) ;  3,  Robert**,  and  4,  CoraI 

(13)  Harriet  Sebring"  married  Samuel  Thompson  ;  they 
had  nine  children — seven  still  living  in  1882,  viz.  :  i, 
Rebecca  Thompson^  ;  2,  John  Thompson^  ;  3,  Royal  Thomp- 
son^ ;  4, Thompson^  ;    5,   George  Thompson^  ;    6, 

Westley  THOMPSON^  and  7,  Otto  Thompson*. 

2.  Robert  Corson^  (second  child  of  Benjamin  [fourth]" 
and  Hannah  Corson),  died  in  1865  in  Sauk  Co.,  Wisconsin. 

3.  Rebecca  Corson"  (third  child  of  Benjamin  [fourth]^  and 
Hannah  Corson),  married  James  Davis  and  they  had  seven 
children  :  (i)  Thomas  Davis^  ;  (2)  John  Davis'^  ;  (3)  Hannah 
Davis";  (4)  James  Davis";  (5)  George  Davis^  ;  (6)  Mary 
Davis^  and  (7)  Corson  Davis^  ;  they  are  all  dead  with  per- 
haps one  ex'ception. 

4.  Rachel  Corson"  (the  fourth  child  of  Benjamin  [fourth]^ 
and  Hannah  Corson),  married  John  Sebring  (a  brother 
to  Jonathan,  who  married  her  sister  Sarah),  and  they  moved  to 
the  Block  House  (now  called  Liberty)  in  Tioga  Co.,  Pa.,  where 
they  still  were  living  in  1877  ;  she  died  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
two,  he  at  the  age  of  eighty-four,  they  having  been  married 
sixty-two  years.  They  had  four  children  :  (i)  Benjamin 
Sebring'  ;  (2)  John  Sebring"  ;  (3)  James  Sebring',  and  (4) 
Thom.\s  SEBRING^  Of  these,  Benjamin  and  Thomas  are 
deceased. 

5.  Joseph  Corson"  (fifth  child  of  Benjamin  [fourth]'^  and 
Hannah  Corson),  died  unmarried  in  Washington,  D.  C,  April 
7,  1S62. 


34  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

6.  Hannah  Corson"  (sixth  child  of  Benjamin  [fourth]* 
and  Hannah  Corson),  married  WilHam  Cox.  They  had  eight 
children,  all  of  them  now  deceased  except  three,  viz.  :  (i) 
Mary  Cox^  ;  (2)  Rebecca  Cox'  ,  and  (3)  Robert  C.  Cox^ 
The  last  named  is  better  known  as  General  Robert  C.  Cox, 
and  has  made  a  most  honorable  record  for  himself  as  a  soldier, 
civilian  and  citizen.  A  brief  sketch  of  his  life  is  here 
submitted  : 

General  Robert  Corson  Cox',  only  surviving  child  of 
William  and  Hannah  (Corson)  Cox*^,  was  born  November  18, 
1823,  in  what  is  now  the  borough  of  Montoursville,  Lycoming 
Co.,  Pa.,  then  almost  a  wilderness.  In  April,  1846,  he  mar- 
ried Lydia  Ann  Wheeland,  whose  ancestors  were  among  the 
early  settlers  in  Loyalsock  Township,  Lycoming  County.  After 
his  marriage  General  Cox  settled  in  Tioga  County  where  he 
still  lives.  Until  1854  he  lived  on  a  farm,  and  aftenvard  sold 
it  and  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  ;  this  he  continued  until 
the  breaking  out  of  the  war.  He  was  Major  of  the  171st 
Regiment,  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  Colonel  of  207th  Regi- 
ment, Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  and  received  the  commission 
of  Brevet  Brigadier  General,  April  9,  1865,  and  of  Major- 
General  of  National  Guards  of  Pennsylvania,  June  6,  1871. 
After  the  war  he  was  elected  first.  Treasurer,  then  Prothono- 
tary  and  Clerk  of  the  Court  of  Tioga  County  at  Wellsboro,  and 
continued  in  office  until  January-,  1894,  making  a  total  of 
twenty-four  years  in  all.  He  is  now  over  seventy-two  years 
of  age,  but  is  strong  and  well.  He  had  three  children  who 
grew  up  and  married,  but  has  only  one  son  living.  His 
grandson,  Homer,  whose  mother  died  when  he  was  only  three 
days  old,  has  always  lived  with  his  grandparents,  and  is  now 
an  undergraduate  of  Cornell  University.  The  children  of 
Robert  and  Lydia  Ann  Cox  are  : 

I.   Henry  C.  Cox^  born  October   31,  1848,  Cashier   in 
First    National    Bank,  Wellsboro,  Pa.,  married  ist,   Catherine 

E- ;  married  2d,  Anna  Aleck,  July,  1888.      Homer 

Cox^  born  June,    1872,  son  of  Heniy,  by  his  first  wife,  has 
already  been  spoken  of 


Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  Third*.  35 

2.  Mary  Cox\  born  February  23,  1851,  married  Jacob 
Richards,  February  22,  1871;  died  September  11,  1892. 
Their  children  were  :  Leon  Richards^  and  Nellie  Richards'. 

3.  Caroline  Cox^  born  July  7,  1866,  married  Alfred 
R  Dentt,  October  13,  1887  ;  died  February  24,  1891.  She 
left  one  child,  Mildred  M.  Dentt^  who  lives  with  grand- 
parents. 

Hannah  Corson,  mother  of  General  Cox,  died  in  Illinois. 

8.  Jane  Corson",  (eighth  child  of  Benjamin  [fourth]^  and 
Hannah  Corson),  married  John  Tallman,  and  they  had  eleven 
children:  (i)  Benjamin^;  (2)  Hannah^;  (3)  Sarah';  (4) 
Elizabeth'^  ;  (5)  Deborah"  ;  (6)  Joseph^  ;  (7)  Anderson^  ;  (8) 
Thomas^  ;  (9)  Mercy^  ;  (10)  John^  and  (i  i)  Rachel'.  Four  of 
these  are  deceased  ;  the  others  live  in  western  States. 

9.  John  Corson",  (ninth  child  of  Benjamin  [fourth]'^  and 
Hannah  Corson),  married  Elizabeth  or,  (as  John  Sebring 
says),  Alentha  Bryan,  and  they  had  five  children  :  (i)  Jos- 
hua" ;  (2)  Catherine"  ;  (3)  Benjamin"  ;  (4)  Charles'  ;  and 
(5)  Hannah'. 

10.  Mercy  Corson"  (tenth  child  of  Benjamin  [fourth]^  and 
Hannah  Corson),  married  John  Chapman  and  they  had  seven 
children — names  unknown  to  me. 

The  foregoing  acount  of  Benjamin  Corson  (fourth)'  and 
his  descendants  was  furnished  me  by  Felix  Costerisan,  of 
Sauk  Co.,  Wisconsin.  John  Sebring,  of  Liberty,  Tioga  County, 
Pa.,  writing  to  me  in  1879  said  :  "The  only  child  of  Benja- 
min Corson  (fourth)\  now  living,  is  my  wife,  Rachel.  I  am 
now  eighty-four  years  old  ;  my  brother,  Jonathan,  who  mar- 
ried my  wife's  sister,  Sarah  Corson,  is  ninety-seven  years  of 
age,  and  at  the  time  of  his  wife's  death  they  had  been  mar- 
ried sixty-five  years." 

n.  Joseph  Corson^  my  father,  was  the  second  son  of 
Benjamin  the  third^  and  Sarah  Dungan  Corson.  His  history 
will  be  fully  given  in  Chapter  V. 

HI.  Thomas  Corson'  (third  son  of  Benjamin  the  third* 
and  Sarah  Dungan   Corson),  left  Bucks  County  soon  after  he 


36  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

became  of  age,  and  bought  a  farm  in  Plymouth  Township, 
Montgomery  County,  Pa.  (This  farm  has  been  recently  owned 
and  occupied  by  Elhvood  Ritter,  grandson  of  Jacob  Ritter, 
the  Quaker  preacher).  Uncle  Thomas  married  Sarah  Roberts, 
and  they  had  four  children  : 

1.  Rebecca  Corson^  married  John  Stockton. 

2.  Bex'jamin  Corson"  married  Rachel  Harvey. 

3.  Thomas  Corson"  died  unmarried. 

4.  Joshua  Corson"  died  in  his  minority. 

About  the  year  181 5,  Thomas  Corson's  wife.Sarah,  died, 
and  he  then  married  his  first  cousin,  Rebecca  Marple,  then 
the  widow  Hood.  She  was  the  daughter  of  his  uncle  and 
aunt,  Benjamin  and  Hannah  (Dungan)  Marple.  After  his 
seco'nd  marriage  he  bought  a  farm  in  the  Chester  Valley, 
Chester  County,  Pa.,  where  they  lived  many  years. 

The  children  by  his  second  wife  were  : 

5.  Sarah  Corson"  married  John  Phipps. 

6.  Marple  Corson"  married  Ellen  L.  Jones. 

7.  Abel  Corson"  died  young. 

8.  Joseph  Corson",  now  deceased  ;    so  too,   is  Marple". 
Uncle  Thomas^  died  February    10,  1834,  and  his  widow, 

January  26,  1846. 

1.  Rebecca  Corson^  (eldest  daughter  by  his  first  wife), 
married  John  Stockton,  of  New  Jersey.  The)-  lived  for 
a  while  at  Evansburg,  Montgomery  Count}-,  Pa.,  and  after- 
wards in  Philadelphia,  where  they  both  died,  leaving  one  son, 
John,  who  married ,  and  lived  in   Philadelphia. 

2.  Benjamin  Corson"  (second  child  of  Uncle  Thoma.s'^ 
and  his  wife  Sarah  Roberts  Corson),  married  liLs  first  cousin 
Rachel  Harvey.  They  lived  six  miles  from  Williamsport,  Pa., 
where  he  died  June  14,  1870,  leaving  several  children. 

5.  Sarah  Corson"  (fifth  child  of  Uncle  Thomas■^  and 
first  by  his  second  wife,  Rebecca  Marple  Corson),  married 
John  Phipps  ;  they  moved  to  his  farm  near  Lionville,  Chester 
County,  Pa.,  where  they  lived  many  years.  The>-  had  seven 
children  : 


Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  Third'.  37 

(i)  Rebecca  Corson  Phipps'  married  John  T.  Bell. 

(2)  Clayton  Phipps'  married   Nancy  Alice  Snively. 

(3)  Mary  Jane  Phipps"  married  Geo.  W.  Miller. 

(4)  Sarah  Phipps'  married  Jos.  E.  Hickman. 

(5)  Martha  Phipps^  married  Mordecai  H.  Steele. 

(6)  Amy  Marple  Phipps^  married  John  Henry  Storm. 

(7)  John  Beitler  PhippsI 

The  mother,  Sarah  Corson  Phipps^  moved  to  Frazer,  on 
the  main  line  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad.  On  April  14,  1882, 
she  was  seventy-six  years  of  age,  and,  to  commemorate  the 
event,  her  children  invited  the  relatives  from  Bucks,  Mont- 
gomery and  Chester  Counties,  to  assemble  at  her  home  on 
that  day.  There  was  a  large  gathering  present,  but  I  was  not 
able  to  attend.  She  died  January  18,  1891.  Her  dauo-hter, 
Amy  M.  Storm,  writes  me  the  following  history  of  the 
children  : 

(i)  Rebecca  Corson  Phipps^,  married  John  Thomas  Bell, 
and  they  had  three  daughters  and  one  son.  Her  husband  is 
now  deceased;  she  resides  in  West  Whiteland Township,  Chester 
County,  Pa.  The  four  children  are  :  i,  Martha  Thomas 
Bell^  ;  2,  Lillian  Bell*;  3,  Chas.  Phipps  Bell^  and  4,  Sarah 
Phipps  Bell**.  Their  second  daughter,  Lillian  Bell*,  married 
Jonathan  Wilmer  Thomas  ;  they  live  in  East  Whiteland  Town- 
ship,   Chester    Co.     The    youngest  daughter,  Sarah    Phipps 

Bell^  married Dowlin.    Their  son,  Charles  Phipps 

Bell^  married  EmmaGriffeth,  and  they  have  two  sons,  Maurice' 
and  Lewis  Bell^  who  reside  in  Philadelphia. 

(2)  Cl.\yton  Phipps^  (second  child  of  John  and  Sarah 
Corson  Phipps),  married  Nancy  Alice  Snively,  and  they  have 
five  children  : 

1.  Zenlicka  Bell  Phipps^ 

2.  Annie  Marple  PhippsI 

3.  Clayton  Phipps^ 

4.  Joseph  Snively  Phipps-. 

5.  John  Beitler  PHIPPS^  residing  in  Clarksburg,  West 
Virginia. 


38  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

(3)  Mary  Jane  Phipps^  (third  child  of  John  and  Sarah 
Corson  Phipps),  married  George  W.  Miller  who  is  now 
deceased;  she  lives  in  Willistown  Township,  Chester  County, 
Pa.,  and  has  no  children.. 

(4)  Sarah  Phipps",  married  John  E,  Hickman. 

(5)  Martha  Phipps"  (fifth  child  of  John  and  Sarah 
Corson  Phipps),  married  Mordecai  Howard  Steele,  who  was 
accidentally  shot  by  one  of  a  gunning  party,  November  21, 
1880.  Martha  lives  with  her  son,  George  Miller  Steele^  ; 
her  daughters,  Sarah  W.  Steele^  and  Amy  Marple  Steele^ 
live  in  Marple  Township,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa. 

(6)  Amy  Marple  Phipps",  (sixth  child  of  John  and 
Sarah  Corson  Phipps)  [my  correspondent],  married  John 
Heniy  Storm  ;  they  have  two  sons,  Johx  Bell  Storm*  and 
Corson  Phipps  Storm^  They  reside  in  East  Whiteland 
Township,  Chester  County,  Pa.,  with  the  mother,  Sarah 
Corson  Phipps. 

(7)  John  Beitler  Phipps"  (youngest  child  of  John  and 
Sarah  Corson  Phipps),  was  killed  while  trimming  a  willow  tree, 
January  23,  1875.  "His  death  was  a  severe  blow  to  mother," 
writes  Amy  M.  Storm,  "as  he  was  a  fine  young  man,  of  great 
promise,  and  a  great  comfort  to  his  widowed  mother." 

6.  Marple  Corson*  (sixth  child  of  Uncle  Thomas 
Corson,  and  second  by  his  second  wife,  Rebecca  Marple 
Corson),  married  Ellen  L.  Jones  ;  they  lived  in  Chester  Co.,  Pa. 
Their  children  were : 

(i)  William  Jones  Corson",  born  October  28,  1837. 

(2)  Mary  Elizabeth  Corson^,  born  August  22,  1839. 

(3)  Joseph  Thomas  Corson",  born  Februar>^  18,  1843; 
died  February  28,  1858. 

(4)  George  Washington  Corson",  born  November  18, 
1845;  died  March  2,  1894. 

(5)  Rebecca  Jones  Corson",  born  September  22,  1848. 

(6)  Caroline  Waltz  Corson^,  born  May  25,  1853. 

(7)  Marple  Corson^,  born  September  16,  1855;  died 
October  25,  1857. 


Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  Third*.  39 

(8)  Catharine  Waldrawin  Corson^  born  September  16, 
1857. 

(i)  William  Jones  Corson^  (eldest  son  of  Marple^)  mar- 
ried and  had  children. 

(2)  Mary  Elizabeth  Corson^  (daughter  of  Marple*')  mar- 
ried August  17,  1 87 1,  Rev.  Vincent  G.  Flinn  (who  died  in 
1889),  and  they  had  three  children:  Eleanor  B.  Flinn^, 
born  June  30,  1872;  Caroline  Corson  F"linn^,  born  January 
10,  1875;  and  Frank  Vincent  Flinn^,  born  January  14, 
1879. 

(4)  George  Washington  Corson^  (son  of  Marple*') 
married  February  12,  1889,  Hilda  Marguerite  Pleym,  of 
Christiana,  Norway.  Their  children  are  George  Clarence 
CoRSON^  born  November  26,  1889;  Hilda  Marguerite 
Corson^  born  in  September,  1891  ;  and  Thomas  Vickers 
Corson^  born  December  20,  1893. 

Marple  Corson,  Sr.^  died  about  1880. 

7.  Abel  Corson*"'  (seventh  child  of  Uncle  Thomas*),  died 
young. 

8.  Joseph  CoRSon^  (eighth  child  of  Uncle  Thomas',  and 
fourth  by  his  second  wife,  Rebecca  Marple  Corson),  was  born 
October  27,  1821.  He  married  first,  Caroline  Waltz,  of 
Shannonville,  and  second,  Elizabeth  A.  Stockton,  one  of  the 
"Princeton  Stocktons,"  a  very  celebrated  family  in  New 
Jersey.  By  his  first  wife  he  had  one  child,  Edward  Evan 
Waltz  Corson^  who  studied  medicine  and  graduated  at  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania. 

His  first  wife,  Caroline  Waltz  Corson,  died  January  17, 
1848  ;  he  married  his  second  wife,  Elizabeth  A.  Stockton, 
November  11,  1852.  He  died  April  25,  1865.  His  son  (by 
his  first  wife),  Edward  E.  Waltz  Corson^  after  graduating  in 
medicine,  was  admitted  to  the  Navy  as  Assistant  Surgeon,  and 
died  July  10,  1880,  aged  thirty-three  years.  There  were  two 
children  by  the  second  wife,  but  they  died  very  young.  The 
widow,   Elizabeth  A.   Stockton  Corson,  lives  in  Philadelphia. 


40  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

IV.  Mary  Corson',  (fourth  child  of  Benjamin  the  third' 
and  Sarah  Dungan  Corson),  married  WilHam  Harvey.  They 
Hved  near  DoHngton,  Bucks  Co.,  Pa.,  until  the  husband's 
death  ;  after  which  event,  Mary  Corson  Harve\''  moved  with 
her  children  to  the  North  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna  River, 
not  far  from  Williamsport,  and  married  again.  She  had  no 
children  by  her  second  husband  ;  by  her  first  husband, 
William  Harvey,  she  had  eight:  i,  Richard'*  ;  2,  Rachel"  ; 
3,  Belinda";  4,  Sarah";  5,  Allen^  6,  Benjamin";  7. 
Thomas^  and  8,  William",  all  born  in  the  Bucks  County 
home. 

1.  Richard  Harvey^  the  eldest  of  these  children,  mar- 
ried and  moved  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  died.  His  grand- 
son, John  Harvey^  married  a  grand-daughter  of  William 
Jeanes,  a  member  of  the  Plymouth  Meeting  Society  of 
Friends. 

2.  Rachel  Harvey''  (second  child  of  William  and  Mary 
Corson  Harvey'),  married  her  cousin,  Benjamin  Corson",  (son 
of  Thomas',  a  brother  to  her  mother).  They  lived  near 
Williamsport,  Lycoming  County,  Pa.  ;    they  left  children. 

3.  Belinda  Harvey"  (third  child  of  WilHam  and  Mary- 
Corson  Harvey'),  married  William  Atkinson.  They  lived  in 
Upper  Wakefield,  Bucks  County,  Pa.  Both  died  long  ago, 
Belinda  at  the  home  of  her  son,  Harvey  Atkinson^  There 
were  other  children  who  live  in  or  near  Philadelphia. 

4.  Sarah  Harvey"  (fourth  child  of  William  and  Mary 
Corson  Harvey'),  married  first,  Peter  Blaker,  b}'  whom  she 
had  eight  children  : 

(i)  Henry  Blaker"  lives  near  Montgomer>^ville,  Mont- 
gomery County,  Pa. 

(2)  William  Blaker^  lived  in  Champaign  County, 
Illinois. 

(3)  Levi  Blaker''  lived  in   Missouri  ;  may  be  there  still. 

(4)  Peter  Blaker'  went  to  Missouri  also. 

(5)  Belinda  Ann  Blaker'  lived  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 


Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  Third*.  41 

(6)  Thompson  Blaker^  lived  in  Bucks  County. 

(7)  Agnes  Blaker'  married,  and  died  in  St.  Louis  long 


aeo. 


(8)  Thomas  Blaker'  married,  and  died  in  St.  Louis. 

In  1877,  the  first  six  of  these  children  were  living,  as  was 
also  a  child  by  the  second  marriage.  Sarah  Harvey's"  second 
husband's  name  was  John  Griffith,  by  whom  she  had  but  one 
child  to  which  I  have  just  referred.  The  children  by  her  first 
husband  all  married  and  had  children. 

5.  Allen    Harvey"   (fifth    child  of  William    and   Mary 

Corson    Harvey^),    married .     He  died 

in   Williamsport,  leaving  three  children  :    (i)  Amos  Harvey^ 
(2)  Belinda  Harvey",  and  (3)  Mary  HarveyI 

6.  Benjamin  Corson  Harvey"  (sixth  child  of  William 
and  Mary  Corson  Harvey^) — known  among  his  associates  as 
Corson  Harvey — resided  in  or  near  Williamsport,  Pa. 

7.  Thomas  Harvey"  and 

8.  William  Harvey*  (children  of  William  and  Maiy 
Corson  Harvey'^),  both  lived  in  Logansport,  Indiana.  They 
were  both  married  and  had  children. 

V.  Richard  Corson'^  (fifth  son  of  Benjamin  the  third*, 
and  Sarah  Dungan  Corson)  was  born  December  4,  1768,  and 
died  October  29,  1845.  He  married  (first)  Ann  Marple,  by 
whom  he  had  three  children:  i,  David",  and  2,  Ann",  who 
died  very  young;  and  3,  Eliza  H.",  who  grew  to  womanhood 
and  married  Abraham  Cornell.  Richard  lived  for  a  time  in 
Plymouth,  but  after  his  first  wife's  death  he  moved  back  to 
Bucks  County.  His  second  wife  was  Elizabeth  Bennett,  who 
died  June  29,  1843,  at  the  age  of  68  years.  They  had  three 
children:  4,  John  Bennett";   5,  Maria  Ann",  and  6,  Nancy". 

3.  Eliza  H.  Corson"  (daughter  of  Richard  Corson^  by 
his  first  \\-ife),  married  Abraham  Cornell  and  they  had  eight 
children:  (i)  Ann  Eliza';  (2)  Richard^;  (3)  Charles'; 
(4)  Catherine';  (5)  HIRAM^•  (6)  David";  (7)  Henrietta^,  and 
(8)  GilliamI 

Eliza  H.  Cornell"  died  December  29,  1857,  aged  57  years. 


42  History  of  the  Corson  Fmnilv. 

(i)  Ann  Eliza  Cornell"  (eldest  child  of  Eliza  H.^  and 
Abraham  Cornell),  was  born  January  ii,  1823  ;  she  married 
John  Gill  and  they  had  three  children — t^vo  sons  and  one 
daughter. 

(2)  Richard  Cornell^  (second  child  of  Eliza  H.^),  born 
October  3,  1824,  married  Mar}'  States  by  whom  he  had  four 
children — two  sons  and  two  daughters — all  living  in  the  We«-t. 

(3)  Charles  Cornell''  (third  child  of  Eliza  H.'^),  born 
October  9,  1826,  married  Martha  Ann  Ritch  by  whom  he  had 
five  children — three  sons  and  two  daughters. 

(4)  Catherine  Cornell^  (fourth  child  of  Eliza  H.^),  born 
May  23,  1829,  married  Thomas  Laylon  ;  they  had  no  children. 

(5)  Hiram  Cornell''  (fifth  child  of  Eliza  H.'^),  born 
September  4,  1832,  married  Mary  Jane  McKinstry  ;  they  had 
two  children  :  Catherine^,  and  JamesI 

(6)  David  Cornell^  (sixth  child  of  l^liza  H.'"'),  born 
February  7,  1837,  married  Sarah  McKinstrj^  ;  Martin"*  is  the 
name  of  their  only  child. 

(7)  Henrietta  D.  Cornell''  (seventh  child  of  Eliza  H."), 
born  July  29,  1840,  married  William  Ardeway;  they  had  one 
child — Cornell  Ardewav^ — who  died  in  his  nineteenth  year  : 
his  father,  William,  died  a  few  years  previous,  and  his  mother 
then  married  John  Keppard. 

(8)  Gilliam  Cornell^  (eighth  and  youngest  child  of 
Eliza  ¥[.%  born  March  15,  1843,  graduated  in  medicine.  He 
married  Lucretia  Good,  by  whom  he  had  five  children  ;  of 
these  a  son  and  daughter  only  are  living — Howard\  and 
LuellaI 

4.  John  Bennett  Corson^  (eldest  child  of  Richard  Corsoir^ 
by  his  second  wife,  Elizabeth  Bennett),  was  born  October  6, 
1 8 10.  He  was  always  called  "Bennett"  Corson.  He  married 
Eleanor  Fetter  and  they  had  four  children  :  (i)  Elizabeth^  ; 
(2)  Maria  Ann^  ;  (3)  William  W.^  and  (4)  Mary  E.^ 

(i)  Elizabeth  Corson",  born  April  5,  1832,  died  in  her 
seventh  year. 


Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  Third*'.  43 

(2)  Maria  Anw  Corson",  bom  July  19,  1833,  married 
S.  Curtis  Worthington,  of  Trappe,  Pa.,  and  they  had  four 
children:  i,  Maryanna  Corson  Worthington^  ;  2,  Harrilt 
Worthington^  ;  3,  Benjamima  Ellen  Worthington*  ;  4, 
Clara  WorthingtonI  Of  these,  Benjamima  Ellen  Worth- 
ihgton*  married  Harr>^  Reed,  by  whom  she  has  one  child, 
Maria  Louisa  Reed\ 

(3)  William  Warren  Corson'  (son  of  John  Bennett 
Corson''),  born  April  14,  1836,  married  Mary  Grace  Addis,  of 
Pennypack.  They  have  one  child — William  Warren  Corson, 
Jr.^ — who  married  Bertha  Dennison.  William  Warren  Corson', 
the  elder,  ser\^ed  in  the  Civil  War. 

(4)  Mary  E.  Corson^  (youngest  child  of  John  B.  Corson*'), 
died  in  1 866,  in  the  twenty-second  year  of  her  age. 

5.  Maria  Ann  Corson^  (second  child  of  Richard  Corson^ 
by  his  second  wife,  Elizabeth  Bennett),  was  born  May  30,  1813, 
and  died  February  21,  1855;  she  married  her  cousin,  William 
Warren  Bennett,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  fourteen 
children,  all  dying  in  infancy  except  tAvo — (i)  Louisa^  and 
(2)  ElvinaI 

(i)  Louisa  Bennett",  born  in  1838,  married  William 
Hulse  and  they  had  one  child,  Luty  Hulse^. 

(2)  Elvina  Bennett",  born  in  1845,  married  Samuel 
Bayles,  a  sea  captain,  by  whom  she  had  two  children,  Minnie 
Bayles^  and  Clifton  BaylesI  Their  home  is  at  Port  Jeffer- 
son, Long  Island,  N.  Y. 

6.  Nancy  M.  Corson"  (third  child  of  Richard'  and  Eliza- 
beth Bennett  Corson),  born  September  29,  1818,  married 
Jacob  Miles  Search,  by  whom  she  had  five  children  as  named 
below : 

(i)  Ellwood  Search'',  born  September  22,  1838, 
unmarried. 

(2)  Theodore  C.  Search'',  born  March  20,  1841, 
married  Anna  L.  White  of  Bucks  County  and  have  one  child 
— Ida  May  Search\  who  married  Prof  George  Howard  Cliff, 
Principal  of  Philadelphia  Normal  School,  and  a  grandchild, 
Anna   Search    Cliff",   daughter    of  the  last  named  couple. 


44  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

(3)  Henrv  Lot  Search',  born  September  18,  1846, 
married  Maiy  Ann  Lefferts;  they  have  two  children — 
Susanna  Search^  born  in  1878,  and  Theodore  Corson 
Search.^ 

(4)  Erasmus  N.  M  Search",  born  March  7,  1851, 
married  Maiy  Ella  Warren;  they  have  three  children,  Pauline 
M.^,  Leroy*,  and  Ethel^^ 

(5)  Ann  Elizabeth  Search",  born  March  13,  1853, 
married  Edwin  W.  Roberts ;  they  have  two  children,  HARRV^ 
(died  aged  eight  years),  and  Harold  Search  Roberts^ 

Of  Theodore  C.  Search",  who  has  achieved  extraordinaiy 
success  as  a  business  man  and  who  has  an  enviable  reputation 
as  a  philanthrophist  and  as  an  advocate  of  protection  and  purer 
politics,  a  more  extended  notice  must  be  given.  In  a  recent 
publication  there  appears  the  following  account  of  liis  life : 

"Theodore  Corson  Search,  son  of  Jacob  Miles  and  Nancy  (Corson) 
Search,  was  born  in  Bucks  County,  March  20,  1841  ;  he  is  descended 
through  his  father,  and  grand-father,  Christopher,  from  Charles  Search, 
who  came  from  England  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago  and 
settled  in  Bucks  County.  Theodore  attended  the  country  schools  until 
his  seventeenth  year,  when  he  went  to  Lancaster  County  and  entered 
the  State  Normal  School.  After  a  preliminary  course  of  study  there,  he 
entered  what  is  now  the  Crozier  Theological  Seminary,  where  he 
remained  three  years,  and  completed  an  unusually  solid  and  thorough 
literary  education,  which  was  given  an  extra  effectiveness  by  his  teach- 
ing simultaneously  with  the  progress  of  his  studies.  For  two  years  he 
was  principal  of  the  High  School,  Middletown,  Dauphin  County,  Pa., 
and  for  two  more  had  charge  of  the  Academy  in  the  same  place  ;  in  all 
he  taught  seven  years  and  then,  in  1868,  he  decided  to  go  to  Philadel- 
phia and  then  entered  upon  the  business  life  that  he  has  since  followed 
with  marked  success. 

"His  beginning  was  made  in  the  mercantile  house  of  Davis,  Fiss 
&  Banes,  wool  merchants,  whose  successors,  Fiss,  Banes,  Erben  &  Co., 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  worsted  and  woolen  yarns  ;  in  which  firm 
he  became  a  junior  partner  in  1872.  In  1883,  this  firm  was  dissolved,  to 
be  succeeded  by  Erben,  Search  &  Co. ,  who  placed  themselves  in  the  front 
rank  of  their  department  of  manufacture  in  the  United  States.  The  build- 
ing up  of  their  huge  business  was  largely  the  work  of  Theodore  C. 
Search,  who  had  labored  zealously  to  make  himself  master  of  the  art 
and  secrets  of  textile  manufacture,  until  he  became  an  acknowledged 
authority  in  all  that  pertained  to  this  most  intricate  and  interesting 
industrial  trade.  He  was  master,  too,  of  the  business  side  of  this 
industry ;  its  splendid  success  demonstrated  to  his  associates,  his 
executive  abiUty,  and  one  of  them — the  head  of  the  immense  corpora- 
tion bearing  his  name,  the  John  B.  Stetson  Company — finding  that  he 


Theodore  C.  Search 


Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  Third*.  45 

needed  freedom  from  the  vast  business  which  he  had  built  up,  souo-ht 
Mr.  Search's  services  for  that  company.  The  result  was  that  Theodore 
C.  Search  was  made  treasurer  and  practically  the  executive  head  of  the 
John  B.  Stetson  Company,  in  January,  1892,  though  he  did  not  with- 
draw from  the  firm  of  Erben,  Search  &  Co.,  until  1894.  In  addition  to 
these  large  business  interests  he  has  been  a  director  in  the  Bank  of 
North  America  for  fifteen  years,  and  lately  has  been  chosen  Presdent 
of  the  Colonial  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company.  He  has  been  for 
many  years  a  director  in  the  Manufacturers'  Club  of  Philadelphia  after 
having  filled  the  office  of  President  of  its  predecessor,  the  Philadelphia 
Textile  Association  ;  he  is  also  a  member  of  the  Union  League  and  one 
of  its  membership  committee.  While  in  the  wool  business  he  was  one 
of  the  Vice-Presidents  of  the  National  Association  of  Wool  Manufactu- 
rers of  Boston,  and  the  American  Protective  Association  of  New  York  ; 
both  of  these  organizations  are  national  rather  than  merely  local  in 
character,  including  in  their  membership  many  conspicuous  men  of  the 
country  at  large.  In  politics  he  is  a  pronounced  Republican  and  a 
champion  of  the  principle  of  protection  to  American  industry,  and  took  a 
prominent  part  in  the  campaign  which  resulted  in  the  election  of  General 
Harrison. 

"Perhaps  the  work  which  Mr.  Search  takes  most  pride  in,  is  the 
founding  and  building  up  of  the  Philadelphia  Textile  School,  which  is 
now  included  in  the  Pennsylvania  Museum  and  School  of  Industrial 
Art.  For  more  than  a  dozen  years  he  has  sustained  and  developed  it, 
and  for  this  unselfish  service  the  people  of  Philadelphia  and  manufac- 
turers of  the  entire  country  owe  him  a  large  debt  of  gratitude. 

"The  story  of  the  progress  of  this  school,  started  by  Mr.  Search 
in  a  small  room  on  Spring  Garden  Street,  rented  for  the  purpose,  with 
five  pupils,  up  to  its  present  fine  quarters  in  the  Pennsylvania  Museum 
and  School  of  Industrial  Ait,  at  Broad  and  Pine  Streets,  with  its  more 
than  seven  hundred  pupils,  would  fill  a  large  volume,  if  told  in  detail  ; 
it  suffices  here  to  say  that  Theodore  C.  Search  was  its  sole  supporter  for 
some  time,  until  the  late  William  Arrott  and  Thomas  Dolan,  hearing  of 
the  good  work  being  done  by  Mr.  Search,  told  him  to  depend  on  them 
for  their  share  of  the  expense,  and  thus  was  the  schcol  afterwards 
supported. 

"The  fostering  of  this  school  has  been  Mr.  Search's  most  exacting 
and,  at  the  same  time,  most  satisfying  work  during  the  last  dozen  years 
of  his  life  ;  and  while  he  has  given  to  the  city  and  country  a  unique 
institution  of  the  utmost  practical  value — viewed  either  from  the  art  or 
humanitarian  standpoint — he  has  unconsciously,  also,  reared  himself  a 
lasting  monument.  He  still  labors  as  zealously  and  as  judiciously  and 
successfully  for  the  institution  as  he  did  during  the  period  of  its  struggles 
and  uncertainty.  Within  a  year  he  has  made  impressive  addresses  in 
its  interest,  before  the  Legislature  of  Pennsylvania,  and  before  the 
National  Association  of  Wool  Manufacturers,  at  Boston.  His  speech 
before  the  latter  body,  together  with  a  striking  illustrative  exhibit  of  the 
product  of  the  school,  aroused  intense  interest  throughout  the  New 
England  States,  and  elicited  the  most  pronounced  and  gratifying  recog- 
nition of  the  value  of  this  school  and  of  its  work,  to  the  textile  art  and 
manufacture  of  America. 

"Theodore  C.  Search  is  now,  and  has  been  for  years,  Vice- 
President  and  Chairman   Industrial  Committee,  Pennsylvania  Museum 


46  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

and  School  of  Industrial  Art,  into  which  his  Textile  School  has  been 
merged." 

VI.  Elizabeth  Corson'^  (sixth  child  of  Benjamin  the 
third*  and  Sarah  Dungan  Corson),  married  Issachar  Morris. 
They  hved  for  some  years  after  their  marriage  at  Wrightstown, 
Bucks  County,  Pa.  ;  they  then  moved  to  Philadelphia,  next 
back  to  Wrightstown,  and,  finally,  to  Lycoming  Count>v 
Their  children  were  : 

1.  Benjamin  Corson  Morris^  (born  1801),  married  Anna 
Oliver. 

2.  Hannah  Morris",  married  Jacob  Eyans. 

3.  Jane  Morris^  married  Baltis  Titman. 

4.  Sarah  Morris",  married  George  Kudcr. 

5.  Joseph  R.  Morris",  married  Elizabeth  Ann  Kline. 

6.  Eliza  Morris^  married  Joseph  Corson  Blaker. 

7.  George  W.  Morris",  married  Maria  Thomas. 

8.  Charles  Morris",  married  Sarah  Thomas. 

9.  John  C.  Morris",  married  Caroline  Fuller. 
10.   Rachel  Morris",  married  Zebulon  Robbins. 

Elizabeth  Corson  Morris"^  died  in  Januaiy,  1853  ;  her 
husband  had  died  nearly  eighteen  years  before,  in  June,  1835, 
and  both  are  buried  in  Columbia  County,  Pa. 

I.  Benjamin  Corson  Morris",  their  eldest  son,  graduated 
in  medicine  and  settled  at  Philo,  Illinois.  He  married  Anna 
Oliver  and  subsequently  moved  to  Urbano,  Champaign  County, 
Illinois,  where  they  both  died.  His  children  all  lived  near 
their  parents  in  Illinois';  their  names  are  as  follows  : 

(i)  Dr.  Issachar  Morris". 

(2)  John  Oliver  Morris',  a  farmer. 

(3)  George  W.  Morris',  a  merchant. 

(4)  Mary  Oliver  MOrrisI 

(5)  Ellis  Morris^  a  farmer. 

(6)  Jacob  Morris". 

(7)  Emma  Morris^,  who  married Boice. 

(8)  Joseph  Morris",  who  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Stone 
River. 


Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  ThirdK  47 

2.  Hannah  Morris"  (second  child  of  Issachar  and  Eliza- 
beth Corson  Morris^),  married  Jacob  Evans.  They  lived  and 
are  buried  in  Columbia  County,  Pa.  Their  children  numbered 
five : 

(i)  Issachar  Morris  Evans',  a  farmer. 

(2)  Andrew  J.  Evans^,  a  merchant — now  deceased. 

(3)  Dr.  Joseph  R.  Evans",  who  lives  in  Bloomsburg — 
as  do  also  Issachar  M.  and  the  family  of  Andrew  J. 

(4)  Sarah  Evans",  who  married Stadin,  and 

lives  at  Jeffersonville,  Montgomery  County,  Pa. 

(5)  Elizabeth  Evans",  who  married Hartman, 

a  preacher,  of  Kansas,  where  they  reside. 

3.  Jane  Morris"  (third  child  of  Issachar  and  Elizabeth 
Corson  Morris^),  married,  first,  Baltis  Titman,  by  whom  she 
had  three  children  : 

(i)  Mary  Titman^  who  married Hampton,  of 

Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

(2)  Elizabeth  Titman^,  now  deceased. 

(3)  Issachar  M.  Titman",  also  deceased. 

Jane  Morris'"  first  husband  died  and  she  married,  second, 
Daniel  Fox,  by  whom  she  had  five  more  children  : 

(4)  Rachel  Fox". 

(5)  Ellen  Fox'^,  married Stout  of  Shenandoah, 

Pa. 

(6)  Anna  Fox",  (now  deceased),  married Creasy 

of  Bloomsburg,  Pa. 

(7)  John  Fox^,  a  merchant  of  Harley,  Idaho. 

(8)  James  Fox",  a  dentist  of  Catawissa,  Pa.,  who  has  been 
a  member  of  the  Legislature  of  this  State.  John  and  James 
are  twin  brothers. 

Jane  Morris'"  second  husband  also  died  and  she  then 
married,  third,  Samuel  Kisner,  Esq.,  whom  she  has  survived  ; 
she  is  now  living  a  widow  in  Bloomsburg,  Pa. 

4.  Sarah  Morris"  (fourth  child  of  Issachar  and  Elizabeth 
C.  Morris'),  married  George  Kuder  and  moved  to  Champaign 


48  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

County,    Illinois,    where    they   both    died.      They   had    eight 
children — seven  still  living,  as  follows  : 

(i)  IssACHAR  Morris  Kuder",  a  farmer  of  St.  Joseph, 
Illinois. 

(2)  George  Kuder'^  and 

(3)  Benjamin  Kuder',  farmers  of  Kansas. 

(4)  Hannah  Kuder",  married Hamilton. 

(5)  Emma  Kuder',  who  married  her  first  cousin,  Paul 
Blaker. 

(6)  Sarah    Kuder',   who    married Witte,    a 

farmer  of  Sidney,  Illinois. 

(7)  Phcebe    Kuder',  who    married    Witte,   a 

farmer  of  Homer,  Illinois. 

Soon  after  the  family  settled  in  Illinois,  Sarah  Morris'" 
husband  (George  Kuder),  died,  and  she  married,  second, 
Isaiah  Wright,  who  survived  her. 

5.  Rev.  Joseph  Roberts  Morris"  (fifth  child  of  Issachar 
and  Elizabeth  Corson  Morris^),  married  Elizabeth  Ann  Kline, 
by  whom  he  had  five  children,  as  follows  : 

(i)  Dr.  Matthias  K.  Morris',  of  Holiday's  Cove,  W.  Va. 

(2)  John  A.  Morris',  who  lives  in  California. 

(3)  Anna  Morris',  who  married  Rev.  J.  F.  Heiiner,  of 
Cripple  Creek,  Col. 

(4)  Dr.  a.  Judson  Morris',  who  is  ph)-sician  to  the 
Indians  at  Rosebud  Agency,  South  Dakota. 

(5)  Joseph  R.  Morris',  a  lawyer  of  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

6.  Eliza  Morris"  (sixth  child  of  Issachar  and  Elizabeth 
C.  Morris^)  married,  first,  her  cousin  Joseph  Corson  Blaker 
(who  was  killed  by  being  thrown  from  a  horse,  in  1835),  and 
they  had  three  children  : 

(i)  Issachar  Blaker',  (now  deceased);  his  widow  lives 
at  Shenandoah,  Pa. 

(2)  Paul  Blaker',  who  married  his  first  cousin,  Emma 
Kuder;  he  is  now  deceased. 


Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  Third'.  49 

(3)  Gen'l.  Charles  M.  Blaker^  Attorney  at  Law, 
Bloomsburg,  Pa.,  (who  has  given  me  the  information  about 
this  branch  of  the  family). 

After  the  death  of  her  first  husband,  Ehza  Morris  Blaker"* 
married,  second,  Vincent  Arnwine,  by  whom  she  had  five 
more  children  : 

(4)  BuRTis  Arnwine',  who  resides  in  Wilkes  Barre. 

(5)  Mary  C.  Arnwine^,  who  married Parver. 

(6)  Amanda  A.  Arnwine'',  who  married Bow- 
man, of  Wyoming,  Pa. 

(7)  Caroline  Arnwine'',  who  married Rich; 

her  husband  is  now  deceased. 

(8)  John  A.  Arnwine^,  of  Wyoming,  Pa. 

Eliza  Morris  Blaker's"  second  husband  is  also  dead,  and 
she  is  now  living,  a  widow,  at  Greenwood,  about  ten  miles 
from  Bloomsburg,  Pa. 

7.  George  W.  Morris''  (seventh  child  of  Issachar  and 
Elizabeth  Corson  Morris^),  married  Maria  Thomas  and  moved 
to  Cook  County,  Illinois,  where  he  became  a  member  of  the 
Legislature  ;  both  are  now  deceased.     Their  children  were  : 

(i)  Freeman  Morriss  of  Kansas. 

(2)  William  Morris",  a  merchant,  of  Onargo,  III. 

(3)  Corson  Morris^,  who  died  in  Andersonville  Prison. 

(4)  John  MorrisI 

(5)  Dallas  MorrisI 

(6)  Emma  MorrisI 

(7)  Catherine  Morris^,  who  lived  near  Chicago,  111, 
The  father,  George  W.   Morris,  was  killed  by  a  railway 

train. 

8.  Charles  Morris^  (eighth  child  of  Issachar  and  Eliza- 
beth Corson  Morris'),  married  Sarah  Thomas  and  moved  to 
Cook  County,  Illinois ;  he  is  deceased,  but  his  wife  is  living  in 
Chicago.      They  had  five  children  : 

(i)  Frances   J.   Morris^,  married  Doyle    of 

Chicago. 

(2)  Ross  Morris^  a  farmer  of  Bloom,  111. 


50  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

(3)  Elizabeth  Morris^  who  married  Green. 

(4)  Freeman  T.  Morris',  Esq.,  a  lawyer  of  Watseka,  111. 

(5)  Thomas  MorrisI 

9.  Dr.  John  C.  Morris''  (ninth  child  of  Issachar  and 
Elizabeth  Corson  Morris'^),  married  Caroline  Fuller ;  they  are 
living  at  Orange,  Luzerne  County.  Pa.  By  his  first  wife  he 
had  four  children : 

(i)  Elizabeth  Morris",  deceased. 

(2)  John  C.  Morris,  Jr.',  of  La  Fayette,  Lidiana. 

(3)  Franklin  Morris^,  a  teacher  of  Dallas,  Pa. 

(4)  Wilbur  Morris,  of  Tunkhannock,  Pa. 

10.  Rachel  Morris*"'  (tenth  child  of  Issachar  and  Eliza- 
beth Corson  Morris^),  married  Zebulon  Robbins — both  are 
deceased.     Their  children  were  : 

(i)  John  M.  Robbins',  a  banker,  living  in  Shenandoah, 
Pa. 

(2)  Issachar  M.  Robbins",  living  at  Mt.  Airy,  Philadel- 
phia. 

(3)  Dr.  Honora  Robbins^,  residing  in  Bloomsburg,   Pa. 

(4)  Sarah  S,  Robbins'^,  also  of  Bloomsburg. 

(5)  Elmer  E.  Robbins^,  a  grain  dealer  of  Sac  City,  Iowa. 
The  parents  lived  in  Columbia  and  Schuylkill  Counties, 

but  they  have  long  since  passed  away.  General  Charles  M. 
Blaker,  Esq.,  (my  correspondent)  further  adds  :  "The  Morris 
children  nearly  all  liv^ed  to  see  '  three  score  and  ten,'  and  had 
large  healthy  families  ;  so  have  their  grandchildren." 

VII.  Rachel  Corson^  (seventh  child  of  Benjamin  the 
third'*  and  Sarah  Dungan  Corson),  married  Paul  Blaker.  The 
following  from  Mrs.  Wynkoop,  her  granddaughter,  is  a  reliable 
account  of  her  husband's  ancestry  in  Pennsylvania,  and  of  her 
children  after  her  marriage  : 

John  Blaker,  great-grandfather  of  Paul,  her  husband, 
came  from  Germany  about  1683.  His  son,  Peter,  married  a 
Miss  Buckman  in  17 18.  John,  son  of  Peter,  married  a  Miss 
Williams  in  1740. 


Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  Third' 


51 


Paul,  son  of  John,  was  born  in  August,  1776,  and  married 
Rachel  Corson^  daughter  of  Benjamin  Corson  third*,  March 
28,  1805.  (His  wife  was  born  in  February,  1776.)  He  died 
of  heart  disease,  November,  1839  ;  his  wife  died  from  injuries 
received  by  being  thrown  from  a  gig,  September  3,  1844. 
Their  children  were  :  (i)  Joseph^  ;  (2)  Benjamin*'  ;  (3)  Paul''  ; 
(4),  Rack EL^;  (5)  Joshua",  and  (6)  Alfred^. 

(i)  Joseph  Corson  Blaker*'  (son  of  Rachel  Corson'^  and 
Paul  Blaker),  born  September  i,  1806,  married  his  cousin, 
Eliza  Morris,  and  they  had  three  children,  Issachar^,  Paul^ 
and  Charles  M.  Blaker^,  Esq.  Joseph  Blaker''  was  thrown 
from  a  horse  and  killed. 

(2)  Benjamin  Blaker"  (second  son  of  Rachel  Corson'^  and 
Paul  Blaker),  married  Caroline  Walton.  Their  children  were  : 
I,  Walton'  ;  2,  Louise",  and  3,  William".  Benjamin"  died 
in  1857  of  softening  of  the  brain. 

(3)  Paul  Blaker"  (third  child  of  Rachel  Corson^  and 
Paul  Blaker),  married  Sarah  Tomlinson.  Their  children  : 
I,  Henry  W.^  (born  February  5,  1838);  2,  Mary',  and  3, 
HowardI 

1.  Henry  Walmsley  Blaker"  married  Priscilla  Cooper 
about  1863.  They  removed  to  Pleasanton,  Kansas,  in  1880, 
and  engaged  in  the  grocery  business.  They  have  three 
children:  (i)  Laura  Blaker^;  (2)  Lizzie  Blaker'',  and  (3) 
William  BlakerI 

2.  Mary  Blaker"  (daughter  of  Paul  Blaker"  and  Sarah 
Tomhnson),  born  October  25,  1840,  married,  December,  1864, 
Benjamin  Cooper,  a  farmer  in  Northampton  Township,  Bucks 
County,  Pa.  They  have  four  children  :  (i)  Luella  Cooper^ 
born  September  29,  1865  ;  (2)  James  Cooper^  born  May  3, 
1868;  (3)  Annie  Cooper^  born  in  May,  1870,  and  (4) 
E'stella  Cooper",  born  August  17,  1876. 

3.  Howard  Blaker'^  (son  of  Paul  Blaker"  and  Sarah 
Tomlinson),  married  his  cousin,  Sarah  Bennett",  November 
25,  1880. 


52  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

(4)  Rachel  Blaker''  (fourth  child  of  Rachel  Corson'^  and 
Paul  Blaker),  was  bom  November  17,  1 8 1 8  ;  she  died  in 
middle  age,  unmarried.  ^ . 

(5)  Joshua  Corson  Blaker"  (fifth  child  of  Rachel  Corson' 
and  Paul  Blaker),  mamed  Ann  Croasdale,  March  25,  1840. 
Their  children  were:  i,  Rachel  An.V  ;  2,  Benjamin'; 
3,  Alfred,  Jr.^;  4,  Eveline';  5,  Paul' ;  6,  Emma  Josephine' ; 
7,  Susanna',  and  8,  '. 

1.  Rachel  Ann  Blaker^  married  William  Wyncoop, 
January  6,  1859. 

2.  Benjamin  Blaker'  married  Addie  Brabent  of  Wis- 
consin, December,  1872. 

3.  Alfred  Blaker,  Jr.",  married  Annie  Hibbs  in  1869  ; 
moved  to  Kansas  in  1871,  where  he  went  into  the  grain  and 
lumber  business  with  his  brother,  Benjamin,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Blaker  Brothers.  They  are  still  there  and  doing 
well.  Alfred  had  three  children  :  (i)  Earnest^  ;  (2)  ELEANOR^ 
and  (3)  William^. 

(6)  Alfred  Blaker"  (youngest  child  of  Rachel  Corson' 
and  Paul  Blaker),  married  Susan  Roberts,  Januaiy  15,  1853  ; 
they  had  no  children.  Alfred,  who  was  born  May  i,  1822, 
was  a  very  prominent  man  and  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  in 
Newtown,  Bucks  County,  Pa.  He  was  widely  known  as  'Squire 
Blaker.  He  is  now  deceased  but  his  widow  still  lives  in 
Newtown. 

VIII.  Sarah  Corson'  (eighth  child  of  Benjamin  the 
third*  and  Sarah  Dungan  Corson),  married  Matthias  Bennett, 
They  lived  about  one  mile  west  of  Addisville,  Bucks  County, 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  about  the  year  1826.  She 
afterwards  resided  with  her  children,  of  whom  there  were  six  : 

I,  William";  2,  Bernard";  3,  Elizabeth";  4,  Redecca"; 
5,  Benjamin",  and  6,  Matthias,  Jr." 

I.  William  Bennett",  the  eldest  of  these  children,  died 
unmarried. 


Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  Third'.  53 

2.  Bernard  Bennett"  married  Eliza  Parks  and  had 
several  children.     They  lived  near  the  home  of  his  father. 

3.  Elizabeth  Bennett"  married  Andrew  Von  Boskirk  of 
Hatboro.  She  died  over  twenty-five  years  ago.  I  was  in 
consultation  in  her  case  a  few  days  before  her  death.  She 
left  several  children  who,  I  belie\'e  are  doing  well. 

4.  Rebecca  Bennett"  married Hogland;  they 

had  several  children,  but  I  heard  a  few  years  ago  that  all  of 
them  were  dead. 

5.  Benjamin   Bennett"  married  Van   Horn ; 

they  had  four  children :  Sarah'',  Phebe',  and  two  sons. 

6.  Matthias  Bennett,  Jr."  married  Hannah  Croasdale; 
I  have  heard  that  they  had  two  children  and  lived  in  Warmin- 
ster, Bucks  County,  Pa. 

IX.  Jane  Corson'^  (ninth  child  and  youngest  daughter  of 
Benjamin  the  third*  and  Sarah  Dungan  Corson),  married, 
when  nearly  forty  years  of  age.  W'MmHT-  Bennett  (brother  to  v3^a-0uC 
Matthias,  who  had  married  her  sister  Sarah).  The  two  brothers 
lived  on  adjoining  farms,  about  half  a  mile  from  the  White 
Bear  Tavern,  at  Addisville,  in  Northampton  Township,  Bucks 
County-,  Pa.  Jane  had  two  daughters,  both  very  intelligent 
girls.  I  often  stopped  to  see  the  family  on  my  way  to  and 
from  New  Hope,  during  the  years  1826—7,  and  occasionally 
aftenvards.  The  names  of  the  daughters  were  :  i,  Jane  Eliza 
BENNE'iT"and  2,  Sarah  Margaretta  Bennett",  How  well  I 
remember  their  tall,  graceful,  intellectual  mother,  \\\\h  her 
bright  eyes,  black  and  shining,  beaming  kindness  and  cheer ; 
she  was  a  most  lovely  woman.  How  singular  that  this  numer- 
ous family  of  six  men  and  five  women  (my  father  and  his 
brothers  and  sisters),  should  all  have  lived  until  the  youngest 
was  fifty  years  of  age;  and  that,  too,  they  should  all  have 
married  and  had  families. 

I.  Jane  P>liza  Bennett"  (eldest  daughter  of  Aunt  Jane 
Bennett^),  married  William  Buckman,  of  Newtown.  They 
lived  for  some  years  on  her  father's   farm  and   then   moved  to 


54  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

the  mil]  on  the  Ncshaminy  Crock  near  Newtown  ;  they  next 
moved  to  a  farm  in  Sadsbur}-,  Chester  Count>-,  where  they 
were  found  murdered  on  the  moming  of  tlie  24tli  of  Septem- 
ber, 1863 — she,  in  her  room  ;  he,  out;ide  of  tlie  house,  hang- 
ing to  a  post  of  tlie  fence  witli  his  feet  on  the  ground  and  a 
gasli  in  his  tliroat  There  were  strange  stories  about  tliese 
deaths ;  one  of  tliem,  at  least,  was  a  foul  murder.  I  attended 
the  burials  at  Newtowm,  Bucks  Count\%  Pa.  Their  children 
were  t\vo  boys:  (1)  Eugene  Buckmax",  who  went  to  the  war 
and  died,  and  (2)  Clarence  Buckman",  who  was  in  1SS2  a 
State  Senator  in  Minnesota, 

2.  Sarah  Margaretta  Bexnett''  (youngest  daughter  of 
Aunt  jane  Bennett^),  married  Charles  Blaker,  now  deceased. 
They  had  five  cliildren  :    (i)John';    (2)  Isaac";    (3)  Julian"  ;V 
(4)  Wade",  and  (5)  Abbie". 

(1)  John  Blaker"  (eldest  cliild  of  Sarah  Margaretta 
Bennett*  and  Charles  Blaker)  lived  witli  his  mother  on  the  faiTn 
uiiich  was  long  in  tlie  possession  of  tlie  Blaker  family.  He  has 
since  moved  to  some  part  of  tlie  West  During  the  war  he 
served  as  a  Lieutenant  in  tlie  Third  Regiment  of  Colored 
Troops. 

(2)  Isaac  Blaker",  (3)  Julian  Bl.\ker'.  and  (4)  Wade 
Blaker",  all  live  in  Kansas,  ^  ji^^ 

(5)  Abbie  Bl.\ker"  (youngest  chiid  of  Sarah  MargaretLi 
Bennett*  and  Charles  Blaker)  married  Harrison  Rice  (son  of 
Hiram  and  Esther  Corson  Rice — the  latter  a  first  cousin  to 
Abbie's  motlier).  They  have  t\\o  children :  i,  Is.'L\c^  and 
2,  Julian^ 

1,  Isaac  RiCE^ married  Susan  Comly;  2,  Julian  Rice" 
married  and  moved  to  Kansas. 

X  Joshua  Corson^  (tenth  child  of  Benjamin  the  third* 
and  Sarah  Dungan  Corson)  was  bora  March  6,  1780.  He 
mamed  (1806)  Hannah  Lee,  a  sister  of  Dr.  Ralph  Lee  oi 
Newtown,  Bucks  Count>%  Pa,  Tliey  lived  nearh^  all  of  their 
married  life  on  a  farm  four  miles  below  New  Hope,  on  the 


'^ 


Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  Tbird\  55 

"Middle  Road."  (Subsequently  the  farm  was  o-vimed  by  their 
son  Joshua.)  When  I  v.-ent  in  1826  to  New  Hope,  as  a 
student  of  medicine  to  Dr.  Richard  D,  Corson,  their  oldest 
children  were  then  young  ladies.  The  parents  continued  on 
the  farm  until  all  of  their  daughters — seven  in  number — and 
two  of  their  three  sons  were  married ;  they  then  moved  to 
Forrestville.  Hannah  Lee  Corson  died  August  14,  i860, 
aged  75  years,  22  da}^;  her  husband  (Uncle  Joshua),  died 
May  29,  1869.  Both  were  buried  in  the  Presbj'terian  bury- 
ing ground  at  Forrestville.     Their  children  were : 

1 .  A^iiY  Lee  Corson*  married  Charles  Heston, 

2.  Sarah  Duncan  Corson*  married  Gilbert  W.  Ely. 

3.  Amos  Lee  Corson^  married  Anna  Louisa  Thomas. 

4.  Esther  Corson^  married  Hiram  Rice. 

5.  Ralph    Lee    Corson^   unmarried — died    I\Iarch    2y, 

1889. 

6.  Mary  Corson^  married  Anderson  G.  Smith. 

7.  Ann  M.  Corson^  married  William  H.  Ellis. 

8.  Joshua  Corson*  married  Sarah  A.  Johnson. 

9.  Hannah  Corson* married,  first,  Watson  Kirk;  second, 
Thomas  WTiite. 

10.  Elizabeth  Helen  Corson*  married  William  K. 
Doan. 

All  of  Uncle  Joshua's  children  are  now  (December, 
1895),  dead  except  Esther,  ]VIary,  and  Joshua. 

I.  Amy  Lee  Corson*,  the  eldest  child,  married  Charles 
Heston,  and  hved  on  his  farm  near  Pinevffle,  Bucks  County. 
They  had  three  children:  (i)  Hannah  Ann^;  (2)  Albert 
Augustus",  and  (3)  Mary  Elizabeth^. 

(i)  Hannah  Ann  Heston',  bom  November  4,  1837, 
married  December  24,  1868,  Joshua  Beans,  Esq.,  attomey-at- 
law  and  a  member  of  the  Penns}4vania  Legislature  from  1868 
to  1 870 ;  they  live  in  Doylestown  and  have  had  one  child  : 
Mary  Heston  Beans^  bom  December  17,  1867  ;  died  March 
17,  1872. 


^6  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

(2)  Albert  Agustus  Heston^  born  November  4,  1841, 
married  July  4,  1867,  Sarah  E.  Thompson,  of  Philadelphia. 
He  was  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  War,  serving  three  years  and 
seven  months.  Of  his  nine  children  five  died  at  an  early  age ; 
the  others  are  : 

1.  Frank  E.  Heston\  born  March  i,  1872. 

2.  Phebe  Thompson  Heston^  born  May  12,  1873. 

3.  Hannah  A.   Heston^  born  Januaiy  9,    1879;     and 

4.  Jesse  Heston^  born  May  11,  1874. 

Of  these  Frank  E.  Heston^  married  Februar}-  15.  1893, 
Marion  Murphy,  and  on  the  same  day,  his  sister,  Phebe  T. 
Heston^  married  Stephen  Vandegrift ;  the  latter  have  one 
child,  John  Albert  Vandegrift"*,  born  November  19,  1895. 

2.  Sarah  Dungan  Corson^  (second  child  of  Joshua*  and 
Hannah  Lee  Corson),  born  August  26,  1808,  married  Decem- 
ber, 1828,  Gilbert  W.  Ely,  and  lived  near  to  Horsham  Friends' 
Meeting,  which  they  attended.  Both  are  now  deceased, 
Sarah,  August  i,  1888,  and  her  husband,  September  21,  1889. 
They  had  six  children  : 

(i)  Hannah  Corson  Ely",  born  P^ebruary  i,  1830. 

(2)  Joshua  Corson  Ely",  born  September  28,  1833;  died 
July  I,  1853. 

(3)  Rebecca  Smith  Ely",  born  Januaiy  29,  1837. 

(4)  William  Elwood  P^ly^,  born  September  13,  1842, 
died  July  6,  1892. 

(5)  Anna  Louisa  Ely",  born  March  31,  1847,  died 
March  13,  1883. 

(6)  Adele  Caroline  P^ly",  born  Februaiy  28,  1853, 
died  August  16,  1896. 

(i)  Hannah  Corson  Ely",  married  December  14,  1854, 
George  Webster,  a  farmer  of  Horsham,  and  they  have  two 
children  :  Joshua  Ely  Webster^  born  January  20,  1856,  and 
Ella  Webster^,  born  August  27,  1857. 

(3)  Rebecca  Smith  Ely",  married  George  S.  Teas,  also 
a  farmer  of  Horsham  ;  they  have  one  child,  Ellen  Teas  . 
born  October  18,  1857. 


Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  Third*.  57 

(4)  William  Elwood  Ely^  M.  D.,  graduated  from  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania  in  1 864,  and  served  for  a  time  as 
surgeon  in  the  late  war.  He  married,  July  28,  1866,  Hannah 
Conrad,  by  whom  he  had  two  children :  Francis  Edward 
El\'*,  born  March  26,  1867,  and  Bertha  Estelle  Ely^,  bom 
August  2,  1868.  They  lived  in  Lansdale,  where  Dr.  Ely, 
engaged  in  the  business  of  broker  and  real  estate  agent.  He 
died  July  6,  1892.  His  eldest  child,  Francis  Edward  Ely*, 
married  (1890)  Letitia  C.  Pyle  and  they  have  one  child, 
Eleanor  C.  Ely^.  Bertha  Estelle  Ely®,  the  younger  of 
Dr.  Ely's  two  children,  married  Lincoln  Weingartner. 

(5)  Anna  Louisa  Ely''  married,  July  13,  1872,  Israel 
Mullen  of  Horsham,  and  they  have  three  children  : 

1.  Howard  Ely  Mullen®,  born  October  6,  1874. 

2.  Clarence  Mullen®,  born  August  3,  1877. 

3.  Wesley  Mullen®,  born  July  8,  1882. 

(6)  Adele  Caroline  Ely''  married,  October  22,  1874, 
Samuel  C.  Lukens,  a  lumber  merchant  of  Philadelphia,  where 
they  lived.  They  had  ten  children,  three  of  them  dying  at  an 
early  age : 

1.  Elsie  Lukens®,  born  February  24,  1S76;  died  July 
16,  1876. 

2.  Gilbert  Ely  Lukens®,  born  November  17,  1877; 
died  June  i,  1880. 

3.  Jessie  May  Lukens^  born  May  22,  1880. 

4.  Marion  Lukens®,  born  February  11,  1882. 

5.  Edward  Samuel  Lukens®,  born  December  27,  1883. 

6.  Barclay  Walton  Lukens®,  born  March  27,  1886; 
died  February  19,  18S9. 

7.  Helen  Lukens®,  born  May  28,  1888. 

8.  Walter  Lee  Lukens®,  born  May  13,  1890. 

9.  Arthur  Lewis  Lukens®,  born  October  27,  1892. 
10.  Samuel  Conard  LuKENS^  born  June  9,  1895. 

3.  Amos  Lee  Corson",  (third  child  of  Joshua'^  and  Han- 
nah Lee  Corson),  born  May  4.  18 10,  married  Anna  Louisa 
Thomas,    daughter  of  Reese  Thomas  of   Gulf   Mills,  Mont- 


58  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

gomen-  Count)-,  Pa.  Tliey  were  married  first  b\-  Friends' 
ceremony,  January  i6,  1834,  at  the  Thomas  residence,  and 
four  days  latter,  January  20,  1834,  by  the  Mayor  of  Philadel- 
phia, in  his  office  in  that  city.  The  second  ceremony  was 
brought  about  because  it  was  rumored  that  the  Friends'  mar- 
riage ceremony  was  illegal  unless  it  took  place  in  a  meeting 
house ;  to  avoid  a  possibility  of  that  kind  the)-  went  before  the 
Mayor  and  were  by  him  married  again.  Amos  died  July  5, 
1879;  his  wife,  Anna  Louisa,  died  April  11,  1891.  They  had 
two  children  : 

(i)  Rebecca  Brook   Corson",  born  June  18,  1843. 
(2)  Wilbur  Thomas  Corson',  born  March  9,  1853. 
(i)  Rebecca    Brook   Corson^    married,    December    10, 
1880,  George  B.  Carr,  Esq.;  they  have  no  children.      Mr.  Carr 
is  an  attorney-at-law. 

(2)  Wilbur  Thomas  Corson',  married,  June  30,  1875, 
Elizabeth  Lord  Redman  of  Haddonficld.  N.  J.,  and  they  have 
tvvo  children  :  Elizabeth  Redman  Corson",  born  March  5, 
1876,  and  Maria  Louisa  Corson^  born  Augu.st  13,  1885. 

4.  Ralph  Lee  Corson^  (fourth  child  of  Jo.shua''  and 
Hannah  Lee  Corson),  lived  at  Wrightstown,  Pa.  He  never 
married,  and  died  March  27.  1889,  in  his  seventy-eighth  year. 

5.  P^sther  Corson*"'  (fifth  child  of  Joshua'"  and  Plannah 
Lee  Corson),  married  September  10.  1835,  Hiram  Rice,  and 
they  had  three  children:  (i)  William  Rice",  M.  D.,  born 
March  13,  1836;  (2)  Joshua  Corson  Rice",  born  November 
27,  1837  ;  and  (3)  Harri.son  Rick".  They  lived  for  a  time 
near  the  Solebury  Meeting  House,  later  in  the  vicinity  of 
Centreville,  and  finally  at  Newtown,  Bucks  County,  where 
Hiram  died,  September  10,  1S81.      Of  their  children  : 

(i)  William  Rice",  M.  D.,  born  in  Solebury  Township, 
Bucks  County,  was  educated  at  the  Hughescan  School,  in 
Buckingham  Township,  Bucks  County,  Pa.,  and  at  the  P'riends' 
Pligh  School,  in  Philadelphia,  completing  a  cla.ssical  course  at 
the  latter  place  at  the  age  of  eighteen.  He  then  took  up  the 
scudy  of  medicine,  graduating  from  the    University  of  Penn- 


Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  Third*.  59 

sylvania,  in  i860.  He  began  practice  in  h^cnchtown,  N.  J., 
of  which  borough  he  was  one  of  the  Incorporators  and  for  two 
terms  its  Mayor.  In  187 1,  he  removed  to  Trenton,  N.  J., 
and  soon  established  a  large  and  lucrative  practice.  He  inter- 
ested himself  in  municipal  affairs,  serving  three  terms  as  a 
member  of  the  Board  of  School  Trustees,  two  terms  as  City 
Physician,  and  was  finally,  in  1879,  elected  Mayor  of  the 
City  ;  after  serving  a  second  term,  (having  received  a  re-elec- 
tion) as  Mayor,  he  withdrew  from  political  life  and  has  since 
devoted  his  attention  entirely  to  his  practice. 

(2)  Joshua  Corson  Rice  was  an  invalid  for  many  years 
until  relieved  of  his  suffering  by  death,  January  27,  1877. 

(3)  H.\RRiso.N  Rice"  married.  May  16,  1877,  Abbie 
Blaker',  his  second  cousin,  (she  was  a  daughter  of  Sarah 
Margaretta  [Bennett]  Blaker).  They  lixed  near  Newtown, 
Bucks  County,  on  a  farm.  Harrison  died  January  14,  1885, 
leaving  a  comfortable  estate.  He  had  two  children  :  Lvn- 
DRETTA  RICE**,  boHi  June  12,  1878.  and  Maud  E.sther  Rice\ 
born  August  9,  18S1. 

6.  Mary  Corson"  (sixth  child  of  Joshua''  and  Hannah 
Lee  Corson),  married,  in  1838,  Anderson  G.  Smith,  a  farmer, 
of  her  neighborhood.  They  lived  on  the  "Middle  Road" 
near  Pineville.  Her  husband  died  May  16,  1894,  in  the 
eighty-third  year  of  his  age.     They  had  six  children  : 

(i)  Marv  Ellen  Smith",  born  January  14,  1840;  died 
March  12,  1843. 

(2)  Hannah  C.  Smith",  born  March  3,  1843. 

(3)  Clara  A.  Smith',  born  February  12,  1848;  died 
January  2,  1858. 

(4)  Joseph  Z.  Smith",  born  June  13,  1849. 

(5)  Edgar  Pue  Smith^  born  December  13,  1854. 

(6)  Ida  May  Smith",  born  April  3,  1859.     Of  this  group 

(2)  Hannah  Corson  Smith',  married,  March  3,  1864, 
Jacob  S.  Livezey,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  B>berry,  and  their 
son,  Edward  LIVEZEY^  born  June  30,  1866,  married,  March 
8,  1888,  Ruth  Betts.      Edward  and    Ruth    Livezey   have  two 


fio  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

children  :     Charles  W.    Livezev'',  born   June   26,  1890,  and 
Martha  Livezev^  born  June,  1893. 

(4)  Joseph  Z.  Smith"  married,  November  16,  187 1, 
Mary  Paxson  and  they  have  two  children :  George  L.  Smith**, 
born  January  11,  1873,  ^""^  Edith  W.  Smith^  born  Septem- 
ber 9,  1881. 

(5)  Edgar  Poe  SMiTir  married,  October  9,  1877,  Jennie 
E.  Gurney,  of  New  York  State.  They  have  two  children : 
Hannah  Mary  Smith^  born  July  17,  1879,  and  Charlotta  G. 
Smith^,  born  November  23,  1880.  Edgar  Poe  Smith's'  wife, 
Jennie  E.  Gurney,  died  November  8,  1890 ;  he  married  again, 
October  4,  1893,  his  second  wife  being  Mary  Elizabeth  Akers. 

(6)  Ida  May  Smith\  married,  Januar>^  21.  1885,  Edward 
M.  Carey. 

7.  Ann  M.  Corson^  (seventh  child  of  Joshua''  and  Han- 
nah Lee  Corson),  married  in  1833,  William  H.  Ellis,  an 
engraver  of  note;  he  died  in  1892,  at  the  age  of  76;  his  wife 
died  January  4,  1894,  at  the  age  of  77.  They  left  two  sons, 
(i)  George  Washington  Ellis',  born  February  22,  1839, 
and  (2)  William  Godey  Ellis^  born  October  10,  1844. 

(i)  George  Washington  Ellis'  married,  March  30, 
1864,  Annie  Senior,  by  whom  he  had  one  child,  Thomas 
White  EllisI  Annie  Senior  Ellis  died  October  12,  1889; 
on  December  26,  1891,  George  W.  Ellis  married  Anna  Helen 
Watson.  They  have  had  one  child,  William  Godey  Ellis, 
Jr.^  born  August  17,  1895. 

Thomas  White  Ellis*,  only  son  by  the  first  marriage, 
married,  in  1892,  Clara  Childs,  of  London,  England. 

(2)  William  Godey  Ellis',  (Sr.),  married.  May  26, 
1864,  Anna  M.  Slack,  by  whom  he  has  two  children: 
I,  George  Edwin  Ellis^  and  2,  Enola  E.  Ellis^  the  former 
born  May  14,  1865,  the  latter,  November  20,  1876. 

I.  George  Edwin  Ellis-,  married,  May  i,  1889,  Nettie 
Hill;  they  have  one  child,  George  Edwin  Ellis,  Jr.*,  born 
July  7,  1890. 


Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  Thirds  6i 

2.  Enola  E.  Ellis'-  married,  November  15,  1893,  Philip 
R.  Schuyler. 

8.  Joshua  Corson^  (eighth  child  of  Joshua^  and  Hannah 
L.  Corson),  born  May  2,  1820,  married  March  12,  1842, 
Sarah  Ann  Johnson,  who  was  born  May  2,  1820,  and  died 
January  12,  1876.  They  lived  on  his  father's  farm  near  New 
Hope,  which  subsequently  became  his  own.  He  married 
again  after  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  and  still  lives  with  his 
second  wife  at  the  old  home.  His  children  by  his  first  wife 
were  :  (i)  James  Johnson  Corson",  born  March  2,  1844  J  (2) 
Ralph  Lee  Corson^,  born  April  23,  1846  ;  (3)  Watson  Kirk 
Corson^,  born  November  14,  1848 ;  (4)  Hannah  Louisa 
Corson^,  born  July  25,  185 1  ;  and  (5)  Caroline  Amanda 
Corson",  born  April  27,  1853. 

(i)  James  J.  Corson''  married,  March  2,  1869,  Flora 
Urania  Humphrey,  of  Maine.  They  had  two  children : 
I,  Anna  Urania  Corson^  born  April  15,  1870  ;  and  2,  Ida 
Smith  Corson,  born  December  2,  1875;    died  June  3,  1879. 

I.  Anna  Urania  Corson^  married,  April  18,  1893, 
Howard  E.  Young,  Assistant  Treasurer  of  Guarantee  Trust 
Company,  of  Philadelphia,  in  which  city  they  reside.  They 
have  one   child,    Flora   Humphrey  Young^,    born  March  5, 

1895- 

(2)  Ralph  Lee  Corson^  unmarried. 

(3)  Watson  Kirk  Corson^  married  (first),  October  16, 
1872,  Rosine  I.  Merrick,  and  they  had  two  children  :  Watson 
Merrick  Corson^,  born  April  2,  1879,  ^"<^  James  J,  Corson^^, 
born  April  14,  1881.  His  first  wife  died  Januaiy  23,  1889, 
(she  was  born  February  2,  1855),  and  on  December  19,  1889, 
he  married  (second)  Mattie  Slack  Keith,  who  died  March  13, 
1891,  without  issue.  He  married  (third),  June  16,  1892, 
Lizzie  Dolby  Torbert ;  they  live  in  Camden,  N.  J.  Watson  is 
engaged  in  business  in  Philadelphia. 

(4)  Hannah  Louisa  Corson^  married,  December  30, 
1868,  John  Atkinson  Ellis,  a  farmer ;  they  live  near  Forrest- 
ville.     They  have  seven  children,  all  living  : 


62  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

1.  Carrie  Corson  Ellis^  born  November  19,  1869  ; 
married,  November  19,  1891,  James  R.  Cooper. 

2.  Edwin  Milton  Ellis^  born  July  7,  1874. 

3.  Mabel  Ann  Ellis^  born  April  15,  1878. 

4.  Elizabeth  Bertha  Ellis^  born  May  8,  1880. 

5.  John  Atkinson  ELLIS^  born  May  19.  1885. 

6.  Joshua  Corson  Ellis*,  born  April  22.  1890. 

7.  WiNFiELD  Roy  Ellis"*,  born  February  5,  1892. 

(5)  Caroline  Amanda  Corson"  (daughter  of  Joshua 
and  Sarah  A.  Johnson  Corson),  married,  November  30,  187 1, 
James  Pemberton  Van  Horn,  a  farmer  living  near  Newtown, 
and  they  have  two  children:  Edgar  Smith  Van  Horn-,  and 
Martha  E.  Van  Horn"*,  the  former  born  November  21,  1872  ; 
the  latter,  April  27,  1879. 

9.  Hannah  Corson"  (ninth  child  of  Joshua''  and  Hannah 
Lee  Corson),  born  April  21,  1822,  married  (first),  December, 
1844,  Watson  Kirk,  a  merchant  of  Centreville,  who  died 
October  18,  1858,  in  the  thirty-eighth  year  of  his  age.  Han- 
nah married  (second).  May,  i860,  Thomas  White,  and  they 
continued  in  the  mercantile  business  at  Centreville.  Hannah 
died  June  15,  1894.  She  had  no  children  b\-  either  husband, 
but  adopted  one  who  is  now  a  young  lady. 

10.  Elizabeth  Helen  Corson''  (tenth  and  youngest 
child  of  Joshua*  and  Hannah  Lee  Corson),  born  October  19, 
1826;  married,  December  2,  1847,  William  R.  Doan.  a  near 
neighbor.  They  had  five  children  :  (i)  Benlamin  Eastikrn 
Doan",  born  January  12,  1849;  (2)  Sarah  Ann  Doan^  born 
February  i<S,  1851  ;  (3)  George  W.\shington  Doan",  born 
August  19,  1853;  (4)  Hannah  Kirk  Doan",  born  September 
iS,  1855;  (5)  Martha  Ellen  Doan".  born  December  24,  1859. 

(i)  Benjamin  E.\stburn  Doan"  married,  Januar}'  4, 
1877,  Louisa  A.  Baker,  a  Yankee  girl,  daughter  of  Calvin 
Baker;  they  live  near  Elmira,  N.  V.  They  had  three 
children:  Anna  Estella  Doan«,  born  September  23,  1878; 
Calvin  Baker  Doan*,  born  January  13,  i88i  ;  and  Joshua 
Corson  Doan*,  born  June  19,  1887. 


Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  Third*.  63 

(2)  Sakah  Ann  Doan'  married,  November  18,  1868, 
Benjamin  W.  Rockafellow,  a  farmer ;  they  live  near  I'^orrest- 
ville  and  have  had  three  children :  John  B.  Rockafellow**, 
born  September  6,  1869;  Watson  W.  RocKAl•-ELLO^v^  born 
July  8,  187 1  ;  and  Willl\m  Rockafellow^  born  September 
23,  1873.  Their  second  son,  Watson,  died  Januar}'  11,  1886  ; 
their  oldest  son,  John  B.  Rockafellow'*,  married,  January  3, 
1894,  Louisa  M.  Fries,  and  they  have  a  son,  born  November 
17,  1895. 

(3)  GEOKfiE  Washington  Doan'',  died  at  the  age  of  four 
years. 

(4)  Hannah  Kirk  Doan"  married,  September  18,  1880, 
Silas  A.  Selsor.  They  live  in  Doylestown,  and  have  had  four 
children  :  Thomas  Watson  Selsor^  born  August  29,  1883  ; 
Lizzie  Helen  Selsor",  born  in  1885,  died  in  May,  1886  ; 
Charles  ALr.ERT  Selsor*,  born  July  26,  1887  ;  and  Louisa 
Selsor^  born  July  16,  1889. 

(5)  Martha  Ellen  Doan'  married,  December  28,  1892, 
Clinton  A.  Paul,  and  they  have  two  children  :  Sarah  Eliza- 
beth Paul^  born  November  17,  1893  ;  and  Hannah  Louisa 
PauiA  born  July  26,  1895. 

Here  I  may  add  that  all  of  Uncle  Joshua  Corson's  daugh- 
ters, seven  in  number,  were  married,  and  that  all  of  his  grand- 
children but  three  are  married.  While  his  children  were  not 
members  of  Quaker  Meeting,  they  all  inclined  to  Quakerism. 
though  Ann  and  Hannah  joined  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
Speaking  of  that,  Ann  P:ilis  wrote  to  me  :  "  All  married  into 
Quaker  families  and  in  spite  of  all  adverse  influences,  the 
Quaker  will  stick  out  of  all  of  u.s." 

XI.  Amos  Corson'  (youngest  child  of  Iknjamin  the 
third^  and  Sarah  Dungan  Corson),  was  born  in  December. 
1786.  He  married  Martha  Martindale.  They  lived  for  a 
time  at  the  mouth  of  the  Pennypack  Creek  ;  then  they  moved 
to  a  farm  near  Bristol,  which  they  had  purchased.  After  living 
there  several  years  they  sold  it  and  bought  the  Judge  Jenks' 
farm,  two    miles  east   of  Newtown,  a   fine   place,    where  they 


64  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

lived  until  uncle  Amos'  death,  July  9,  1861.  His  widow 
moved  to  near  Bristol,  where  her  son  Richard  had  bought  a 
farm,  and  lived  there  until  her  death,  which  occurred  on  the 
twenty-second  of  March,  1869.  Both  were  buried  at  South- 
ampton Baptist  Church.  Their  children  were  :  i,  Sarah®  ; 
2,  Benjamin"  ;  3,  Jane''  ;  4,  Joseph''  ;  5,  Richard®  ;  6, 
Elizetta"  ;  7,  Isaac®;  8,  Maria  Ann®;  9,  Martha  Ellen®, 
and  10,  Amos®. 

1.  Sarah  Corson®  (eldest  child  of  Uncle  Amos^)  died  in 
1827,  aged  17  years. 

2.  Benjamin  Corson®  (second  child  of  Uncle  Amos'*), 
born  March  5,  181 2,  married  Mary  Ann  Scull,  a  lineal 
descendant  of  Nicholas  Scull,  Surveyor  General  in  William 
Penn's  time.  Their  children  were :  (i)  Frances^,  and  (2) 
Lizzie''. 

(i)  Frances  Corson'  married  Benjamin  Shallcross  and 
they  had  seven  children :  i,  John'';  2,  Leonard'^;  3,  Mary*; 
4,  Anna^;  5,  Frances^-  6,  Sallie  C.**,  and  7,  Letitia^ 

(2)  Lizzie  Corson'  (second  child  of  Benjamin®)  married 
Joseph  Merrill  and  they  had  nine  children:  i,  Benjamin''; 
2,  Richard^;  3,  Joseph^;  4,  Edward*;  5,  William  Harris''; 
6,  Thomas  Roberts^;  7,  Susan^-  8,  Mary*,  and  9,  Martha 
Anna*. 

3.  Jane  Corson®  (third  child  of  Uncle  Amos')  married 
Lewis  Shallcross.  Their  children  were :  (i)  Amos',  (2)  Lewis', 
and  two  others,  deceased. 

(i)  Amos  Shallcross'  lived  at  Holmesburg. 

(2)  Lewis  Shallcross'  lived  in  Philadelphia ;  he  died  in 
1890,  leaving  a  widow  and  nine  children,  who  live  in 
Wissinominef. 

4.  Joseph  Corson®  (fourth  child  of  Uncle  Amos')  married 
Mary  Dungan  and  they  had  three  children  : 

(i)  Josephine  Corson',  who  married  Robert  Barr. 

(2)  Jane  Corson',  who  married  James  Johnson 

(3)  Martha  Corson'. 


Descendants  of  Benjamin  the  Third*.  65 

5.  Richard  Corson^  (fifth  child  of  Uncle  Amos^)  mar- 
ried Mary  Willard  and  they  had  one  child,  a  daughter,  born 
about  1870.  They  live  on  a  fine  farm  in  Bucks  County, 
adjoining  the  city  of  Bristol. 

6.  Elizetta  Corson"  (sixth  child  of  Uncle  Amos'^),  born 
in  1818,  lived  in  Bristol  with  the  two  orphan  children  of  her 
sister,  Martha  Ellen  Yerkes.  Elizetta  was  unmarried ;  she 
died  September  11,  1885,  and  was  buried  at  Southampton 
Baptist  Church. 

7.  Isaac  Corson''  (seventh  child  of  Uncle  Amos^)  married 
Sarah  Pinto,  who  died  in  1870;  he  had  one  child  by  her, 
Mary  Corson^.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  Isaac 
married  Eliza  Lane  by  whom  he  had  three  children.  They 
lived  in  Philadelphia. 

8.  Mary  Ann  Corson^  (eight  child  of  Uncle  Amos^), 
married  Jeremiah  Linn  ;  they  lived  in  Frankford — had  no 
children. 

9.  Martha  Ellen  Corson"  (ninth  child  of  Uncle  Amos^), 
married  Theodore  Yerkes,  of  Bucks  County,  Pa.,  who  died  in 
1870,  leaving  two  children  :  (i)  Emma  Steinmetz  Yerkes^ 
and  (2)  Newton  Yerkes^  The  children  lived  with  their 
Aunt  Elizetta  after  their  mother  died  in  1881,  leaving  them 
orphans.  Newton  died  in  1888  ;  Emma  married  Alexander 
Forsythe,  and  they  are  now  living  in  Bristol  ;  no  children. 

10.  Amos  Corson"  (youngest  child  of  Uncle  Amos'^), 
married  (in  1862),  Sarah  Emma  Willard,  a  sister  to  his 
brother  Richard's  wife.  They  lived  on  their  farm  between 
Doylestown  and  Centreville,  and  had  four  children  :  (i)  Emma 
Corson'^,  (died  in  infancy) ;  (2)  Isaac  Willard  Corson^  ; 
(3)  Richard  Corson^,  and  (4)  Marian  C.  L.  CorsonI 

Amos'  first  wife  died,  and  he  then  married  Sarah  R. 
Hicks  ;  they  are  living  at  Holicong,  Penna. 


V. 

Joseph  Corson\ 

Joseph  Corson^  my  father,  (second  son  of  Tknjamin. 
the  third',  and  Sarah  Dungan  Corson),  was  born  March  1 5, 
1764,  in  Dublin  Township,  Philadelphia  County,  on  the 
Keen  farm.  Until  adult  age  he  was  not  engaged  in  any  other 
business  than  farming.  lie  had  a  good  common  school 
education  for  those  times.  When  he  had  turned  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  he  came,  \\ith  his  friend,  Samuel  Maulsby,  to 
live  on  the  farm  which  the  latter  owned  in  the  Whitemarsh 
part  of  Plymouth  village.  Samuel  Maulsby,  the  friend,  was  a 
young  man  of  just  about  m\'  father's  age  ;  he  was  the  son  of 
Hannah  Maulsby,  who,  after  the  death  of  her  first  husband, 
married  Richard  Corson,  my  father's  uncle. 

In  1786,  my  father  married  Hannah,  daughter  of  Joseph 
Dickinson,  (who  lived  on  the  fiirm  his  grandfather,  William 
Dickinson,  of  Maryland,  purchased  about  one  hundred  years 
before,  when  he  first  came  to  Pennsylvania,  and  which  had 
been  in  the  Dickin.son  family  ever  since).  After  their  mar- 
riage, my  parents  rented  the  Maulsby  farm — which  I  have 
alluded  to — and  brother  Alan  was  born  there.  The  okl  house 
has  been  removed  ;  it  stood  a  few  feet  north  of  the  barn, 
now  (1891)  belonging  to  David  -Marple's  widow — immed- 
iately in  front  of  her  new  residence. 

The  whole  farm  was  in  Whitemarsh  Township.  Mont- 
gomery County,  Pa.  It  included  the  whole  north  ca.st  corner 
of  the  two  roads,  the  (iermantown  turnpike,  its  south 
boundary,  and  the  Plymouth  and  Inroad  Axe  turnpike,  along 
which  it  extended  for  half  a  mile,  its  western  boundary. 

I  will  here  quote  what  brother  Alan  has  written  about 
father.  "He  was  born  in  Dublin,  Philadelphia  County,  from 
which  place  the  (father's)   family  removed  to  Bucks  Count}', 

66 


THE 

NEVi^  YORK 

PUBLIC   LieRARYl 

,  At*«r.  LtMA  *•«  TMm  i 


Joseph  Corson'.  cj 

and,  when  he  had  passed  his  minority,  he  moved  to  I'lymouth, 
where,  after  some  time,  he  married,  and  rented  Samuel 
INIaulsby's  farm  near  l^lymouth  Meeting  House,  where  I 
was  born,  and  where  they  hved  two  years,  leaving  in  Marcli 
or  April.  1789,  and  going  to  the  farm  of  John  Da\  is,  in  Ply- 
mouth Township,  one-half  mile  above  Hickorytown  (now 
Ralph's  farm),  where  they  remained  two  years.  They  then 
moved  to  a  farm  along  the  northwestern  side  of  Plymouth 
Township,  called  "  Campbell's  Farm,"  (now,  1880,  owned  by 
Samuel  Stout),  of  100  acres,  where  they  remained  a  few 
years,  paying  ^^^30  annual  rent.  I'athcr  afterwards  pur- 
chased it,  or  agreed  to,  at  ^looo,  but  it  had  been 
entailed,  and  there  being  difficulty  about  the  title,  it  was 
given  up  ;  he  then  bought  the  farm  and  store- house  in 
Hickorytown.  to  which  place  the\-  removed  in  March.  1800, 
where  the\-  remained  and  continued  the  store-keeping  and 
farming  till  his  death,  fourth  month,  4th,  1834.  Our  mother 
died  twelfth  month,   17th,  1810." 

Alan  and  Henjamin  (who  tlied  before  he  was  five  years 
old)  were  born  on  the  Maulsby  farm ;  Mary  on  the  Davis 
farm;  .Sarah,  Hannah  (who  died  under  two  years)  and  Joseph 
D.,  on  the  Campbell  farm ;  and  Charles,  George,  Hiram, 
William,  and  Hannah,  the  second  (who  also  died  under  two 
}'ears),  at  Ilickorj-town,  Plymouth  Township.  The  children  of 
m\'  father  in  the  order  of  their  birth  are  as  follows  : 

1.  Ai..\n",  born  P'cbruaiy  2,  1788;  married  Mary  Egbert. 

2.  ]5K^•IA^^^•^  born  May  12,   1789  (died  early). 

3.  Maky^  born  June  19,  1792;  married  Charles 
Adamson. 

4.  Sarah*',  born  December  13,  1793;  married  Thomas 
Read. 

5.  HA^•^•AH^  born  October  23,   1795  (died  early). 

6.  JosKi'U  D.^  born  January  4,  1799;  married  Ann 
Hagy.    ■ 

7.  CnAKL.Es'',  born  Januar\-  22,  1801  ;  married  S.irah 
Egbert. 


68  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

8.  George'"',  bom  January  23,  1803;  married  Martha 
Maulsby. 

9.  Hiram",  born  October  8,  1804;  married  Ann  J. 
Foulke. 

10.  Willtam",  born  August  8,  1806;  never  married. 

11.  Hannah^,  born  August  29,  1809,  (died  early). 
After  mother's  death,  in    18 10,  father  married,  in    18 12, 

Eleanor  Coulston,  daughter  of  John  Coulston  and  grand- 
daughter of  Bernard  Coulston,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of 
Plymouth  Township  and  a  very  large  land-holder.  She  was  a 
remarkably  neat,  smart  woman,  and  was  named  after  her 
aunt  Eleanor  Coulston,  who  was  the  second  wife  of  David 
Rittenhouse,  the  astronomer,  who  for  a  time  resided  in  Nor- 
riton  Township,  on  the  farm  owned  now  by  Mr.  Gouldey, 
and  where  he  made  his  observations  on  the  Transit  of  Venus. 

About  thirty  years  ago,  the  Cabinet  of  National  Sciences 
of  Montgomery  County,  appointed  myself  and  Benjamin 
Markley  Boyer,  Esq.,  a  committee  to  ascertain  the  spot  on 
which  he  had  placed  his  obscrvatoiy  and  also  to  get  permis- 
sion to  raise  a  small  marble  monument  to  commemorate  the 
event.  I  saw  the  owner  of  the  property  and  he  readily 
acceded  to  my  request,  but  the  Society  disbanded  and  noth- 
ing more  was  done  in  the  matter.  It  has  been  my  hope  that 
the  Montgomery  County  Historical  Society,  formed  in  1881, 
would  take  up  the  abandoned  project,  and  that  long  before 
this  the  monument  would  have  been  an  accomplished  fact. 
I  still  hope  that  it  will  be  built. 

My  father  was  a  large  man,  being  a  little  over  six  feet  in 
height,  but  well  proportioned,  with  a  fine  intellectual  head 
and  the  keenest  and  most  piercing  black  eyes.  He  was  a 
man  of  great  force  of  character,  jocose,  witty,  and  often  quite 
satirical.  Not  being  a  member  of  Friends'  Meeting,  and 
mother  having  a  "birth  right,"  she  in  accordance  with  the 
discipline  was  "turned  out  for  marrying  out  of  meeting;" 
but  notwithstanding  this,  she  continued  to  go  to  the  meeting 
and  father  to  go  with  her.     They  used   the   plain    language, 


Joseph  Corson'.  69 

and  father  even  wore  the  plain  coat,  quite  a  conspicuous  article 
of  dress  then,  and  especially  on  so  large  a  man.  After 
mother's  death,  and  before  the  coming  to  us  of  a  stepmother, 
our  sisters,  Mary  and  Sarah,  the  former  eighteen  and  the 
latter  sixteen  years  of  age,  attended  to  the  household  affairs, 
and  cared  for  their  young  brothers.  Joseph  was  only  eleven, 
Charles,  under  ten  ;  George,  between  eight  and  nine  ;  myself, 
six  years,  and  William,  four  years  of  age.  How  faithfully 
these  two  frail  young  girls — I  say  frail,  for  our  mother  and  her 
two  sisters  and  her  brother  all  died  under  fifty  years  of  age  of 
consumption — cared  for  us  and  led  us  along  in  safe  places; 
how  they  shielded  us  from  harmful  influences,  before,  and 
even  for  years  after,  our  stepmother  came  to  aid  them,  the 
characters  of  our  after  lives  must  testify. 

They  were  fond  of  reading  ;  the  early  loss  of  their 
mother  fell  heavily  upon  them,  made  them  thoughtful,  anxious, 
studious,  and  thus  were  they  fitted  to  direct  our  young  minds, 
to  create  in  us  a  love  of  such  light  pleasant  literature  as  fell 
in  their  way.  Compared  with  the  present  times,  there  were 
few  books  then,  but  in  poetry  and  history  we  had  some  of  the 
best,  for  father  was  a  reader,  and  exceedingly  sensitive.  He 
would  often  read  aloud,  and  frequently  have  I  seen  him 
unable  to  proceed  when  touched  by  the  earnest  pleadings  of 
the  orator  or  the  touching  sentiments  of  the  poet.  Often  on 
these  occasions  the  tears  would  flow  over  his  cheeks  freely. 
He  was  kind  and  generous  to  his  children,  a  good  neighbor, 
and  a  man  of  undoubted  courage. 

I  may  here  mention  an  incident  illustrative  of  his  prompt- 
ness and  fearlessness.  One  day  while  building  the  house  in 
front  of  his  residence,  in  which  to  have  grain,  feed,  etc.  (for 
at  that  time  he  sold  largely  to  the  people  from  Berks  County, 
who  brought  down  wheat,  and  took  back  salt  and  other 
goods  for  the  store-keepers  in  Berks  County,  and  indeed  all 
the  way  to  Pittsburg),  while  standing  in  the  yard  looking  at 
the  builders,  a  large  grey  horse,  on  which  was  a  gentleman 
equipped   with  saddle-bags,  and  to  all  appearance  being  an 


yo  History  of  the  Corson  Fa  mil  v. 

up-country    store-keeper  (they   then   ahvays  came  down    on 
horse-back),  despite  all  the  rider  could  do,  came  dashing  into 
the  yard  where  father  stood.    The  man  in  a  bland  voice  asked 
father  to  aid  him  in  getting  the  horse   to  go   on.  which  father 
quickly  did  by  taking  up  a  lath  and  giving  the  horse  a  sharp 
crack  along  the  side.      The  man  then  went  slowly  on  his  way. 
After  a  few   hours,    men   arrived    at   the   hotel    opposite   our 
house,  in  hot   pursuit  of  a  man   who   had   stolen  from   Berks 
County,    the    night    before,    a  fine   grey  horse,   owned  by  a 
Mr.    Boyer.     This    Mr.    Boyer    was    a    frequent  dealer  with 
father,   and  the   horse '  was   used,    therefore,    to    come   to  the 
place,  and  into  this  open  yard,  where  they  unloaded  their  pro- 
duce  and   loaded   their  goods.      Father  was   quite    mortified 
that  he  had  helped  the  man  away.      Just  two  weeks  after  that 
time  he  and  I  were  in  the  store  late  in  the  afternoon  when  we 
saw  pass,  the   same   man,  saddle-bags  and   all,   on  a  beautiful 
sorrel  mare,  trotting   slowly    and    composedly  along.      Father 
stepped  to  the  door  and   looked   after  the   man  —he  was  con- 
vinced that  he  was  the  one  who  rode   Boyer's  horse — he  sent 
to  the  barn  for  a  small,  but  speedy  mare,  as  round  as  a  barrel, 
and   putting   a    horse-pistol,    which    belonged    to    ni)-  brother 
Joseph — then  a  member  of  a  Horse  Company — in  the  pocket 
of  his  large  Quaker  coat,  sprang  upon  her  bare-back  and  rode 
briskly  after  the  man.      When   he  reached  Pl)'mouth   Meeting 
he  saw  him  still  riding  in  the  moderate  regular  gait,  and  father 
followed    slowl)',   too,   but  gradually   gaining  on    him  till  he 
came  up  to   him  just  where  now   is  the    Marble    Hall  School- 
house.      He  had  approached  him  so  slowly,  that  the  man  was 
not  alarmed,  and   after  saluting  him  and    talking   along  for  a 
short  distance,  father  remarked  that  his  animal  was  a  beautiful 
one,  to  which  he  gave  quiet  assent.      Then  father  said:   "You 
do  not  recollect  me — I  am  the    person    who    two  weeks  ago 
helped  to   get  your  stubborn   grey   horse   out  of  the  yard  in 
Hickorytown  " — "Yes"  !  he  recollected  it,  "now  that  it  was 
brought   to   his   mind."      I'^ather   then   said  he    must   ride  on 
more   briskly,  and   leaving   him,  rode  to   the   hotel    at  Barren 


Joseph  Cor  son'.  yx 

Hill,  and  told  the  inn-keeper  and  loungers  there,  the   circum- 
stances   of  the    case,    and   proposed  to   arrest    him — he    was 
already  in  sight  and  so  respectable  in  appearance  that  they  all 
positively  declined  to  aid  him.      There  was  no  time  to  be  lost, 
and  stepping  to  the  middle  of  the  road,  he  took  the  horse  by 
the  bridle  and  told  the  man  that  he  had  stolen  Boyer's  horse, 
and  he  suspected   that  this  one  too   was  stolen.      The  man   in 
the  quietest,  gentlest  way  denied  the  charge,  protested  against 
being  thus  stopped  from  proceeding  on  his  way,  and  the  man 
of  the   hotel    became  very   indignant,    and   quite   out-spoken 
about  the  arrest  of  a  man    at  his  house.      He   seemed  to  fear 
that  it   would  injure   the   reputation    of  his   place,   which  was 
then  a  favorate  place   for  travellers   to  stop.      Others  of  those 
present   denounced  the   arrest,    but,    nothing   daunted,  father 
told  him   he  must  turn  around  and  go  before  a  squire,  and  the 
man  reluctantly  turned   about  to   go  with  him  to    Norristown. 
Before   the\^    reached    there,    it  had   become   dark,  and  when 
they  arrived  he  at  once  enquired  for  a  lawyer  ;    he  was,   how- 
ever, taken  before  a  Justice.      Father  testified,  but  it  was  not 
considered  sufficient,  and   he  then  begged  the  Squire  to  hold 
him   till  he    could    return  home  and  get  testimony.      Despite 
the  pleading  and  threats   of  the  lawyer,  he  agreed  and  father 
came    home,  got   several    of  those    who    had    seen    him  on 
Boyer's  horse,   and  after  their  testimony  the   man  was  placed 
in  jail.      There  were  numbers   of  people  to   speak  of  it  as  an 
outrage,  and  to  predict  the  large  damages  which  father  would 
have   to   pay.      At  that    time    there   \\-ere    no    daily    papers ; 
country  papers  were  sent  by  riders   once   a  week,  and  inter- 
course   even    between    Counties   was    very    limited,    so    that, 
though  the  affair  was  published  in  our  country  paper,   nothing 
was  heard  of  the  owner  of  the  sorrel  mare,   and   it  seemed  as 
though  the  case  would  depend  on  the  testimony  in  the  Boyer 
horse  case,  and  this,  it  was  thought,  would  fail  to  convict  him. 
Weeks   had  passed   when   a  lawyer  from   Norristown,  John  B. 
Sterigere,    was   looking  after  his   political   prospects   in    Lan- 
caster Count)',  where  he  saw  in  a  tavern  a  hand-bill  describing 


72  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

the  stolen  sorrel  mare.  She  was  so  beautiful,  that  when  the 
man  was  arrested,  she  attracted  the  notice  of  the  Norristown 
people,  and  Mr.  Sterigere  having  seen  her,  recognized  the 
hand-bill  as  referring  to  her.  He  brought  the  hand-bill  home 
with  him  ;  father  wrote  to  the  o\\ner,  who  came  down, 
recognized  the  animal,  and  the  man  was  convicted  and  sent 
to  the  Penitentiaiy  or  State  Prison  for  seven  years.  He  had 
stolen  many  horses  in  Lancaster  and  Berks  Counties,  and  sold 
them  in  New  Jersey.  His  plan  was  to  go  in  the  Lancaster, 
Reading,  or  Harrisburg  stage  to  a  stopping  place— even  the 
roadside  would  do — then  taking  his  saddle  and  bridle  he  would 
steal  a  horse  early  in  the  night,  and  by  next  morning,  by  even 
slow  riding,  would  be  thirty  or  forty  miles  away,  and  could 
cross  the  river  at  Philadelphia  before  bed-time  and  have  his 
property  in  a  safe  place  before  morning  of  the  next  day. 
The  Boyer  horse  and  some  others  were  recovered  after  his 
conviction. 

About  twenty-five  years  after  this  occurrence,  I  had  a 
similar  experience  in  arresting  a  horse  thief  on  the  turnpike 
road  below  Barren  Hill,  and  carrying  him  off  to  Norristown, 
but  I  will  defer  the  details  till  I  come  to  speak  of  my  own 
history. 

Father  died  suddenly  from  paralysis,  in  the  early  morn- 
ing of  the  fourth  day  of  fourth  month,  1834;  just  six  years 
after  I  began  to  practice  medicine,  and  twenty-four  years, 
nearly,  after  mother's  death.  After  father's  death  our  step- 
mother lived  awhile  at  the  old  place  in  Hickoiytown,  then  for 
a  year  or  two  with  us,  but  finally  moved  to  her  niece's  home  in 
Norristown,  where  she  died  eleventh  month  twenty-first,  1846. 
They  are  all  buried  in  Plymouth  Meeting  burying  ground, 
and  here  I  may  mention  an  incident,  which  at  the  time  it 
occurred,  made  me  feel  both  sad  and  revengeful,  but  as  time 
rolled  on  my  revengeful  feelings  subsided,  for  I  came  to 
believe  it  was  the  result  of  conscientious  feelings  on  the  part 
of  the  actor.  Father  had  put  at  the  head  of  mother's  grave 
a  marble  headstone,  very  small,  with   merely  her  name,  age, 


[awiii     :.j-'^- ^ 


1909   ><^ 


Joseph  Corson^.  73 

etc.  There  were  a  few  others  in  the  graveyard  at  that  time, 
but  not  a  great  many,  though  Friends  and  some  others  had 
been  burying  there  for  about  a  hundred  years.  Laurence 
Egbert's  wife  had  also  had  a  stone  placed  at  her  grave  just 
before  the  event  of  which  I  speak.  It  was  a  principle  of 
Friends  to  avoid  all  show  of  that  kind  and  very  generally 
acted  on.  Old  Friend  Jacob  Albertson,  the  grandfather 
of  J.  Morton  Albertson,  who  died  a  few  years  ago,  was  a 
very  strict  Friend  and  became  greatly  annoyed  by  seeing 
persons  placing  these  memorial  stones  to  the  graves.  He 
spoke  of  it  in  the  business  meetings  and  privately  to  Friends ; 
but  as  no  action  was  had  to  prevent  it,  he  one  day  took  a 
sledge  and  broke  the  tops  off  the  headstones  at  the  graves  of 
mother  and  Mrs.  Egbert  It  produced  great  excitement  in 
the  neighborhood  and  Thomas  Egbert  sued  the  old  man  for 
breaking  his  mother's  gravestone.  There  was  a  settlement 
effected  afterwards  without  a  trial  at  court.  Father  went  to 
the  yard  and  finding  that  the  stone  had  been  broken  off  a  few 
inches  below  the  surface  of  the  ground,  had  it  sunk  a  little 
lower  and  there  it  is  to  this  day,  deformed  somevvhat  by  the 
loss  of  a  part  of  the  very  top  of  the  stone,  knocked  off  by  the 
sledge. 

And  now  for  the  sequel.  In  what  is  called  the  "new 
ground,"  that  occupied  by  the  Orthodox,  in  the  same  yard, 
are  laid  Jacob  Albertson,  Jr.;  his  wife,  Martha;  their  sons, 
Samuel,  Lewis,  and  Henry,  and  at  the  head  of  every  grave 
was  placed  a  much  larger  marble  stone  than  there  was  at 
mother's  and  Mrs.  Egbert's  graves.  Hundreds  of  them  are 
now  to  be  seen  in  the  Hicksite  part  of  the  bur>ung  ground  ; 
indeed  there  is  scarcely  a  single  person  buried  there  whose 
grave  is  not  thus  marked.  They  are  all  low,  plain  and  simply 
marked  with  the  name,  age,  etc.  No  one  objects  to  them 
now. 


VI. 


ALAN  Wright  Corson*. 

Alan®  was  the  eldest  child  of  Joseph  and  Hannah  Dick- 
inson Corson,  and  was  born  February-  21,  1788,  on  the 
"  Maulsby  Farm,"  located  at  the  intersection  of  the  German- 
town  and  the  Plymouth  and  Upper  Dublin  Turnpikes  ;  he 
married,  November  24,  181 1,  Mary  Egbert,  daughter  of 
Laurence  and  Sarah  Norman  Egbert,  and  lived  for  the  greater 
part  of  his  married  life  on  his  farm  in  Whitemarsh  Township, 
a  short  distance  northeast  of  Cold  Point  Church.  He  died 
on  June  27,  18S2,  aged  ninety-four  years,  four  months  and 
six  days — a  long  life,  free  from  the  use  of  alcoholic  drinks, 
and  unattended  by  any  serious  illness.  His  enjoyment  of 
good  health  is  the  more  remarkable  when  considered  with  the 
fact  that  his  mother  died  of  consumption  at  the  age  of  forty- 
seven  years. 

Our  friend — the  late  Moses  Auge — in  his  biography  of 
distinguished  men  of  Montgomery  Count)',   Pa.,  thus  speaks 

of  brother  Alan  : 

"  Let  the  mind  be  great  and  glorious,  and  all  other  things  are 
despicable  in  comparison. — Seneca." 

"Without  doubt,  the  best  known  and  most  justly  celebrated 
scholar  and  scientist  in  Montgomery  County,  was  Alan  W.  Corson,  (son  of 
Joseph  and  Hannah  Corson),  of  Whitemarsh  Township.  We  have 
others  whose  scholastic  attainments  are  more  classical,  but  in  the  higher 
mathematics,  botany,  geology,  mineralog)-,  conchology,  entomology- 
and  astronomy,  he  was  distinguished  in  our  country. 

"Born  in  Whitemarsh  Township,  second  month,  21,  1788,  he  con- 
tinued on  the  farm  of  his  father  and  attended  Friends'  School  until 
twelve  years  of  age,  when  his  father,  having  entered  the  store  business, 
and  needing  his  services,  he  entered  on  his  duties  there,  at  which  he 
continued  until  grown  to  adult  age.  That  business  in  the  country 
affords  much  opportunity  for  study  ;  and,  with  an  ambition  to  learn,  a 
good  memory  and  mental  capacity,  he  soon  made  rapid  progress  in 
knowledge.  The  libraries  were  visited  for  volumes  of  histor}',  science 
and  literature,   and  he  rp.pidly  took  place  among  the  brightest  young 

74 


Alan  W.  Corson 


/Ilan  Wright  Corson\  75 

men  of  his  time.  He  possessed  such  decided  mathematical  capacity," 
says  Mr.  Auge,  "that  he  was  able  to  master  these  studies  nearly  unaided 
by  teachers.  By  the  time  he  was  grown,  therefore,  he  was  capable  of 
teaching  all  the  common  mathematical  branches,  as  well  as  other 
studies  usual  in  high  schools.  He  was  thus  early  a  self-taught  scholar 
and  teacher  also,  a  profession  to  which  he  devoted  himself.  For  many 
years,  in  addition  to  carrying  on  a  farm  of  about  fifty  acres,  he  taught 
Friends'  School  at  Plymouth  Meeting,  and  afterwards  for  many  years 
a  boarding-school  in  his  own  home,  in  Whitemarsh,  his  reputation  as  a 
teacher  being  so  high  that  he  drew  many  pupils  from  Norristown  and 
other  places. 

"About  middle  life,  however,  he  abandoned  teaching  as  a  pro- 
fession, and  having  a  large  farm  and  a  nursery  of  trees  and  shrubs,  he 
divided  his  time  between  these  and  land  surveying,  an  art  in  which  he 
was  regarded  as  the  most  accomplished  in  the  count)-.  His  reputation 
in  that  department  was  so  eminent  that  he  was  often  called  to  distant 
places  and  employed  whenever  there  were  difficult  lines  to  run  that 
required  extra  skill  and  accuracy  to  determine  true  boundaries. 

"In  this  calling  he  was  not  relieved  from  service  until  he  was 
nearly,  if  not  quite,  eighty  years  of  age,  when  he  deemed  it  prudent  to 
decline  further  labor. 

"He  was  also,  during  nearly  all  his  adult  life,  because  of  accuracy 
in  accounts,  excellence  of  judgment  and  high  character  of  integrity, 
employed  by  neighbors  and  acquaintances  to  wiite  wills,  deeds,  and 
agreements  for  them  ;  he  was  frequently  also  appointed  executor  by 
testators  or  chosen  administrator  by  the  heirs  of  those  dying  intestate." 
******** 

"  No  man  could  be  more  careful  than  was  Alan  W.  Corson  to 
deport  himself  so  as  not  to  give  offense  ;  sensitive  and  unobtrusive, 
refusing  to  be  put  forward  in  places  above  his  friends,  ever  ready  to 
discover  the  appearance  of  neglect  and  quick  to  refuse  to  receive  a 
favor  bestowed  with  a  shade  of  reluctance — such  was  his  character. 

"  He  became  a  member  of  the  Society-  of  Friends  at  a  very  early 
age,  and  attended  the  meetings  very  regularly.  Once,  after  an  attend- 
ance at  Philadelphia  Yearly  Meeting,  he  was  returning  on  foot  (at  that 
time  there  was  not  even  a  stage),  when  as  he  reached  the  hill  at  'Robin 
Hood,'  (now  Laurel  Hill),  he  saw  a  neighbor  coming  behind  him  in  a 
two-horse  carriage,  with  some  of  his  family  in  it,  but  yet  a  vacant  seat 
He  felt  that  now  he  could  have  a  ride  home.  As  they  neared  he  turned 
and  spoke  to  them,  and  instinctively  held  up  his  hand  as  they  seemed 
to  be  passing.  Thev  stopped  and  took  him  in.  He  had  scarcely  been 
seated  before  the  conviction  seized  him  that  but  for  the  gesture  he  made 
they  would  have  passed  without  inviting  him  in.  At  once  he  said  he 
des'ired  to  get  out  Thev  endeavored  to  detain  him.  but  he  sprang  out 
and  after^vards  walked  home  with  a  very  light  step.  This  litde  inci- 
dent was  most  characteristic  of  the  man." 

:\Ir.  Auge.  in  his  biography,  already  alluded  to.  thus  sums 
up  his  history  : 

"A  nodce  of  Alan  W.  Corson  would  not  be  complete  without 
further  reference  to  his  brothers  and  sisters,  the  other  children  of  Joseph 
Cordon,  who  left  a  large  flimilv.  nearlv  all  of  whom  were  well  educated 


76  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

and  possessed  commanding  talents  and  marked  moral  characteristics. 
The  author  will  be  pardoned  for  saying  that  they  exhibit  marked  pecu- 
liarities, reminding  him  of  some  of  the  time  honored  clans  of  Scotland. 
The  Corsons  will  arraign  each  other  sometimes  sharply,  but  to  the 
oDutside  world  they  are  a  unit.  This  results  from  the  very  commendable 
and  warrantable  pride  of  the  family,  or  esprit  de  corps,  as  the  French 
phrase  it.  Almost  all  the  race  possess  a  keen  jocular  turn  of  mind, 
and  some  of  them  a  talent  for  mimicry  and  critical  badinage  peculiarly 
French.  The  author  may  also  add  that  he  has  no  knowledge  of  any 
man  of  the  country  from  whom  are  descended  so  large  a  number  of 
cultivated  and  distinguished  offspring,  both  in  the  male  and  female 
branches,  as  are  descended  from  Joseph  Corson. 

"With  few  exceptions,  the  whole  Corson  race  have  been  cultivated 
in  mind  and  are  notorious  for  their  love  of  free  thought  True  to  their 
Huguenot  origin,  they  have  been  outspoken  for  freedom — the  deadly 
foes  of  slavery,  and  most  of  them  life-long  teetotalers.  As  the  phrenolo- 
gists say,  the  moral  instincts  have  predominated  over  those  strictly 
religious,  Alan  \V.  being  the  only  one  of  the  male  members  of  the 
family  who  assumed  the  strict  garb  and  life  of  the  Friends,  although 
most  of  them  adhere  to  the  Society's  teachings.  Alan  W.  is  justly 
noted  for  his  doctrinal  unity  with  those  who  hold  the  views  of  Elias 
Hicks,  and  for  the  conscientious  fulfillment  of  every  precept  of  Christian 
morals. 

"Alan  W.  Corson's  mind  received  a  strong  religious  bent  at  a  very 
early  age,  and  his  conscientiousness  and  truthfulness  have  been  control- 
ling characteristics  during  his  long  life.  Many  years  ago,  with  his 
cousin,  John  Evans,  he  used  to  make  annual  excursions  to  the  lowlands 
of  Delaware,  Maryland,  the  sandy  pine-woods  of  New  Jersey,  and  even 
to  the  Adirondacks,  for  specimens  of  botany,  geology,  mineralogy  and 
entomology,  and  in  search  of  other  scientific  matters." 

Ala N^  was  married  on  the  24th  of  November,  181 1,  to 
Mary  Egbert  (daughter  of  Laurence  Egbert — see  history  in 
chapter  on  Maternal  Ancestry)  and  they  were  the  parents  of 
seven  children : 

1.  Hannah  Corson^  born  November  25,  1S12;  married 
James  Ritchie. 

2.  Sarah  Corson^  born  October  13,  18 14;  married 
Isaac  Garretson. 

3.  Elias  Hicks  Corson'^,  born  February  19,  18 16; 
married  Emily  R.  Harris. 

4.  Luke  Corson^,  born  February  24,  1 8 1 8 ;  married 
Clementine  Quinlan. 

5.  Laurence  Egbert  Corson^  born  April  26,  18 19; 
married  Mary  A.  Johnson. 


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Alan  Wright  Corson".  77 

6.  Joseph  Corson^,  born  January  20,  1821;  married 
Martha  H.  Cutler. 

7.  Martha  Corson^  born  April  5,  1827  ;  married  Isaac 
Styer. 

Of  these  Sarah,  ElIx\s  H.,  and  Laurence  E.,  are 
deceased. 

1.  Hannah  Corson''  (eldest  of  Alan's  children),  married 
August  II,  1847,  James  Ritchie,  a  florist  of  Philadelphia, 
where  they  have  lived.  Her  husband  was  suffocated  in  his 
room  by  gas,  about  eleven  years  ago. 

Hannah  inherited  her  father's  love  of  the  natural  sciences, 
and  stands  high  as  a  botanist;  she  has  a  rare  and  valuable 
collection  of  plants  and  shells. 

Their  children  are:  (i)  Helen^  and  (2)  EmilyI 

(i)  Helen  Ritchie^  married  George  H.  Perkins  of  Phila- 
delphia and  they  have  five  children :  i,  Emily  Perkins^;  2, 
Howard  Perkins^;  3,  Edwin  Perkins^;  4,  Joseph  Perkins^- 
and  5,  Francis  PerkinsI 

(2)  Emily  Ritchie^  married  Dr.  John  Graham,  a  success- 
ful physician  of  Philadelphia,  and  they  have  three  children : 
I,  Bessie  Graham'';  2,  Warren  Graham'';  and  3,  Lorna 
GrahamI 

2.  Sarah  Corson^  (daughter  of  Alan  W.  and  Mary 
Egbert  Corson)  married,  P^'ebruary  ii,  1847,  Isaac  Garretson, 
and  they  had  four  children  :  (i)  Anna^;  (2)  Mary*;  (3)  Joseph^ 
and  (4)  Allen^. 

(i)  Anna*  and  (3)  Joseph*  remained  at  home  unmarried  ; 
Joseph  is  now  deceased. 

(2)  Mary  Garretson*  married  William  P.  Livezey  and 
they  have  three  children:  i,  Louis  J.  Livezey^;  2,  Helen  C. 
Livezey",  and  3,  Joseph  Livezey''. 

3.  Elias  Hicks  Corson^  (eldest  son  and  third  child  of 
Alan  W.  and  Mary  Egbert  Corson),  was  born  February  19, 
1816,  and  died  November  5,  1877.     He  lived,  therefore,  but 


78  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

a  little  more  than  three  score  of  years,  yet  his  was  a  life  of 
honor  and  usefulness.  Theo  W.  Bean  in  his  biography  thus 
speaks  of  him  : 

"His  father,  a  distinguished  teacher,  mathematician,  and  botanist, 
was  able  to  give  him  superior  opportunities  of  instruction  ;  to  which 
primary  store  of  knowledge,  he  added  by  reading  and  observation.  At 
the  time  of  his  majority  he  engaged  in  lime  burning  in  Chester  County, 
but  soon  returned  and  began  the  same  business  in  Plymouth,  where  it 
was  continued  with  energy  and  profit  until  his  death,  November  5,  1877. 
He  was  also  engaged  in  the  coal  business,  and  was  the  owner  of  a  fine 
farm  adjacent  to  the  quarries  which  he  cultivated  to  its  fullest  capacity. 

"Early  in  the  anti-slavery  movement,  he  joined  his  efforts  to  those 
put  forth  by  the  friends  of  human  rights,  and  through  the  long  years 
of  that  strife,  was  active  in  the  cause,  contributing  freely,  and  aiding  in 
all  proper  ways  to  give  freedom  to  the  slave. 

"  To  the  temperance  cause  he  also  gave  his  heartiest  approval,  for 
which  work  he  was  eminently  fitted  ;  no  amount  of  opposition  or  incon- 
sistency of  others  being  able  to  tempt  him  to  unbecoming  violence,  or 
prevent  his  administering  a  deserved  rebuke.  It  may  be  said  of  him 
that  few  men  in  this  section  of  the  State  were  better  known  or  more 
universally  esteemed.  He  displayed  a  varied  knowledge,  was  quick  of 
apprehension  and  possessed  a  rare  facility  of  conversation,  combined 
with  the  kindness  and  gentleness  of  a  child.  He  possessed  a  strong 
individuality,  was  a  marked  man,  in  stature,  strength  and  symmetry, 
and  possessed  not  less  remarkable  business  qualifications  than  strong 
mental  endowments.  He  was  fond  of  literature,  a  reader  of  the  poets, 
and  kept  pace  with  the  transactions  of  the  times.  His  conversation 
and  presence  were  magnetic,  his  manner  agreeable,  and  his  wit  devoid 
of  sting  or  bitterness.  Good,  pure,  strong,  and  true,  his  influence  will 
survive,  while  to  his  he  remains  a  bright  memory,  a  spur  to  noble 
deeds  in  the  cause  of  humanity." 

He  married  March  13,  1845,  Emily  R.  Harris,  daughter 
of  Henry  and  Rachel  [Wilson]  Harris,  of  Philadelphia. 

Their  children  were  :  (i)  Henry  H.^;  (2)  George'*; 
(3)  Martha^  and  (4)  Emil\'*,  (twins);  (5)  Walter  H.^; 
(6)  Carroll^  and  (7)  Percy  H.^ 

(i)  Henry  H.  Corson^  the  eldest  son,  is  a  shrewd  and 
successful  business  man  of  Minneapolis,  Minnesota.  He 
married  Sarah  T.  Abrahams,  of  Minnesota,  and  they  have 
five  children  :  i,  Emily  H.  Corson^  ;  2,  Margaret  B. 
Corson^  ;  3,  Henry  H.  Corson,  Jr.^  ;  4,  Helen  Corson^  ; 
and  5,  Anna  A.  Corson^ 

(2)  George  Coi^son^  (second  son  of  Elias  H.),  married 
Elizabeth  D.  Cadwallader,    daughter  of  Charles  M.  and  Ann 


^  '  ^w 


Elias  Hicks  Corson 


Alan  IVright  Corson^.  79 

[Conrad]  Cadwallader.  He  has  been  in  partnership  with  his 
brother,  Walter  H.  Corson,  for  about  eighteen  years,  conduct- 
ing the  business  of  lime  burning  which  had  been  established  by 
their  father,  and  in  which  they  have  been  very  successful. 
George  is  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Tradesmen's  National 
Bank  of  Conshohocken,  Pa.  He  is  a  man  of  sterling  integrity 
and  has  the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  who  know  him.  His 
living  children  are :  Charles  Cadwallader  Corson^  and 
George  Corson,  Jr.^  ;  his  second  child,  Percy  Corson^  died 
in  Januaiy,  1894,  aged  nine  years. 

(3)  Martha  CoRsoN•^  (daughter  of  Elias  H.),  married 
Warren  H.  Poley,  of  Gcrmantown,  v/here  they  live.  Her 
husband  is  the  proprietor  of  two  large  drug  stores  and  has 
been  very  successful,  both  as  a  pharmacist  and  as  a  business 
man.  They  have  three  children:  i,  Emily  C.  Poley^  ; 
2,  Corson  Poley^  ;  and  3,  Irvin  Poley^. 

(4)  Emily  CoRSON^  (daughter  of  Elias  H.  and  a  twin 
sister  to  Martha),  lives  at  home  with  her  mother.  Both 
Martha  and  Emily  arc  most  intelligent  and  refined  v/omen, 
who  possess  the  art  of  kindness  and  gentleness  in  the  highest 
degree. 

(5)  Walter  H.CoRSON^  (son  of  Elias  H.),  born  October  28, 
1858,  is  associated  with  his  brother  George  in  the  business  of 
lime  burning,  etc.,  under  the  firm  name  of  G.  and  W.  H. 
Corson.  He  is  a  man  of  good  judgment  and  business  ability, 
and  has  a  wide  circle  of  acquaintances,  who  enjoy  his  society 
not  only  because  of  his  bright  and  witty  sayings,  but,  also,  on 
account  of  his  well  informed  mind  and  pleasing  personality. 

He  married,  first,  Anna  Albertson,  who  died  in  October, 
1884;  second,  in  1892,  Katherine  Irene  Langdon,  an  artist 
of  high  talent  of  New  York  City,  whose  landscape  paintings 
have  given  her  a  wide  reputation  as  a  master  in  her  profession. 
They  have  one  child,  Bolton  Langdon  CoRSON^  bom  October 
27,  1894. 

(6)  Carroll  Corson^,  (son  of  Elias  H.)  graduated  in 
medicine  from  the   University  of  Pennsylvania,  in    188 1,  and 


8o  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

practiced  for  a  short  time  at  New  Richland,  Minnesota ;  then 
at  Bismarck,  South  Dakota;  and  finally  at  West  Duluth, 
Minnesota,  where  he  still  resides,  having  a  large  practice.  He 
married  Helen  P.  Hillyer,  and  they  have  one  child.  Hicks 
HiLLYER  Corson®. 

(7)  Percy  H.  Corson'^  (youngest  child  of  Elias  H.  and 
Emily  H.  Corson)  was  engaged  in  the  flour  business  in 
Minnesota  for  several  years,  and,  while  there,  married 
Elizabeth  A.  Forbes.  He  subsequently  entered  the  Univer- 
s\ty  of  Pennsylvania,  as  a  student  of  medicine,  graduating  in 
June,  1894.  He  has  since  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
his  profession  at  his  home  in  Plymouth  Township,  and  success 
seems  now  assured  to  him.  He  has  two  children :  Donald 
Corson®,  born  August  4,  1889;  and  Eleanor  Corson®,  born 
August  27,  1895. 

Emily  Harris  Corson,  widow  of  Elias  H.  Corson,  still 
lives  at  the  home  where  her  children  were  raised ;  only  her 
daughter  Emily  remains  in  her  immediate  household,  though 
three  of  her  sons  have  settled  so  near  her  as  to  be  still 
practically  a  part  of  her  family. 

4.  Luke  Corson^,  (son  of  Alan  W.  and  Mary  Egbert 
Corson),  born  February  24,  181 8,  married  Clementine 
Quinlan,  and  they  have  one  child,  Alan  Corson'',  born  July 
15,  1854.  They  reside  in  Nebraska,  in  Johnson  County,  near 
Tecumseh. 

5.  Laurence  Corson'',  (son  of  Alan  W.  and  Mary 
Egbert  Corson),  born  April  26,  18 19,  married  November  20, 
1845,  Mary  A.  Johnson,  and  they  had  three  children  : 

(i)  Alan  W.  Corson*,  (second),  who  has  three  children  : 
Mary  Corson®,  Burnside  Corson®,  and  Norman  Corson®. 

(2)  Sarah  CoRSON^  who   married  Robert  P.  Garsed. 

(3)  Norman  B.  CorsonI 

6.  Joseph  Corson^,  (son  of  Alan  W.  and  Mary  Egbert 
Corson),  born  January  20,  1820,  married  June  29,  1843, 
Martha  H.  Cutler.  He  studied  medicine  in  my  office,  grad- 
uating at  the   University  of  Pennsylvania,    and    practiced  for 


Elias  Hicks  Corson's  Home 


Alan  Wright  Corson^.  8i 

many  years  in  Portsmouth,  Ohio,  where  he  died  July  7,  1866. 
He  served  in  the  Civil  War  as  a  Surgeon  of  an  Ohio  regiment. 
His  children  numbered  three,  all  still  living,  namely : 

(i)  Edward  Jenner  Corson^  born  January  13,  1845, 
lives  in  Portsmouth,  Ohio,  and  is  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
business.  He  is  prosperous  in  his  business  and  is  highly 
esteemed  as  a  man  and  citizen. 

(2)  Florence  Corson^  born  August  16,  1847. 

(3)  Frank  B.  M.  Corson^  born  February  6,  1855,  lives 
in  Portsmouth,  Ohio.  He  is  a  manufacturer  and  has  achieved 
pronounced  success. 

7.  Martha  Corson^,  (youngest  child  and  daughter  of 
Alan  W.  and  Mary  Egbert  Corson),  born  April  5,  1827,  mar- 
ried November  23,  1848,  Isaac  R.  Styer.  They  have  no 
children. 


VII. 


Mary  Corson«. 

Mary^  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Hannah  Dickinson  Corson, 

born  June  17,  1792,  married  Charles  Adamson  in  the  spring  of 

1 8 19.     They  resided  a  few  years  in  Gwynedd  Township,  then 

moved  to  Charlestown  (now  Schuylkill),  Chester  Count>%  Pa., 

where  they  both  died,  after  a  residence  of  many  years.     They 

were  engaged   in  merchandising,  their  store  being  a  base  of 

supplies  for  a  circuit  of  many   miles    until   the   iron   works,  a 

mile  away,  crystallized  about  them  the  town  of   Phoenixville. 

My  sister  Mar}--,  for  many  years  of  her  life,  suffered   from  a 

bronchial    affection,    but    although    experiencing    so     much 

physical  prostration,  she  was  a  most  pleasant,  cheerful  woman 

up  to  the  time  of  her  death.     Gentle  in  manners  and  sweet 

and    unselfish    in    disposition,    she  yet    possessed   a  strongly 

marked   individuality.       Her  sense   of   justice  made    her    an 

advocate  of  equal  rights  before  the  "suffrage  movement"  was 

known.      Her  love  of  beauty  made  her  surround  herself  with 

plants  and  flowers,  her  garden  being  a  delight  to  the  eyes  of  all 

passers-by.       All  about  her  were  recipients  of   her  bounty. 

Her   books,  her   flowers   and   fruit   were   always  shared   with 

others  and   seldom   did   visitors   leave   her   presence   without 

some    tangible    evidence    to   take    with    them  of    her  genial, 

generous  spirit.      But  more  than  all  she  gave  sympathy  to  the 

afflicted,  hope  to  the  despondent,  kindness  to  the  unfortunate 

and  an  example  of  pure,  sweet,  womanhood  to  all.     In  her 

last  years,  when  confined  every  winter  to  her  chambers,  she 

literally  filled  them  with  growing  plants.      She  believed  they 

had    a    beneficial    effect    upon    her,     though    at    that    time 

82 


Mary  Corson  Adamson 


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Mary  Corson^.  83 

physicians  considered  them  hurtful  in  a  sick  room.  Some 
years  ago  when  Dr.  Anders  of  Philadelphia  was  advocating 
their  value  in  the  chambers  of  the  sick,  he  published  my 
account  of  her  living,  as  it  were,  in  a  green  house,  and  yet 
continuing  to  so  great  an  age.  She  died  in  August,  1877, 
aged  85  years,  i  month  and  23  days,  having  outlived  her 
husband  four  years. 

Their  children  were:  i,  Joseph^,  who  was,  when  quite 
young,  thrown  by  a  stumbling  horse  and  killed  ;  2,  Hannah^; 
3,  Sarah^;  4,  Thomas'',  and  5,  CharlesI 

2.  Hannah  Adamson^  eldest  daughter  of  Charles  and 
Mary  Adamson,  born  February  7,  1820,  married  Elijah  F. 
Pennypacker  of  Chester  County,  who  died  January  2,  1888. 
Hannah  Pennypacker  survived  her  husband  until  April  23, 
1894.  Their  children  were:  (i)  Sarah^  (2)  Caroline**, 
(3)  Elizabeth^  (4)  Elijah,  Jr.^  (5)  Margaret^  and  (6)  Sum- 
nerI  Their  father  was  a  distinguished  man.  In  early  life,  a 
member  of  the  Legislature  and  one  of  the  Commissioners  of 
the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  he  renounced  a  future  of  great 
political  promise  in  order  to  espouse  the  anti-slavery  move- 
ment. About  the  same  time  he  united  himself  with  the 
Society  of  Friends.  His  wife  was  above  the  average  in 
intellectual  ability  and  although  much  younger  than  her 
husband,  her  character  and  disposition  were  such  that  she 
could  appreciate  the  sacrifices  her  husband  made  for  the  sake 
of  his  convictions  and  willingly  co-operated  with  him  in  the 
work  to  which  he  was  allied.  Delicate  health  made  her  daily 
round  a  narrow  one,  but  her  keen  intelligence  took  her  far 
beyond  her  visible  boundaries.  Only  those  who  knew  her 
intimately  knew  how  complete  was  her  knowledge  of  the  past 
and  how  wide  and  sympathetic  was  her  interest  in  the  progress 
of  the  great  v/orld  outside. 

Of  the  children  of  Elijah  F.  and  Hannah  A.  Penny- 
packer,  who  arrived  at  maturity,(i)  Sarah^  and  (5)  Margaret^, 
are  interested  in  art — the  former  being  connected  for  a 
number  of  years  with  the  Philadelphia  School  of  Design  for 


84  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

Women  ;  Margaret  is  teaching  in  a  similar  school  in  Pitts- 
burgh ;  (6)  Sumner*  has  spent  some  years  in  the  West 
engaged  in  the  construction  of  engines ;  (2)  Caroline^  and  (3) 
Elizabeth*  have  remained  at  the  homestead ;  (4)  Elijah,  Jr.^ 
succeeded  his  father  in  the  real  estate  business  and  settlement 
of  estates.  His  honesty  and  sincerity  united  with  good  judg- 
ment soon  won  for  him  a  place  in  the  community  similar  to 
that  occupied  by  his  father.  He  was  suddenly  stricken  and 
died  in  February,  1895,  in  his  thirt>--sixth  year. 

3.  Sarah  Read  Adamson'  (third  child  of  Charles  and 
Mary  Corson  Adamson)  graduated  in  medicine  in  1851,  and 
in  June  of  the  following  year  (1852)  married  Dr.  L.  C.  Dollcy 
and  moved  to  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  where  she  has  since  lived 
and  practised  her  profession.  Her  admission  (along  with  that 
of  Dr.  Blackwell  and  one  or  two  others)  to  the  medical  pro- 
fession marked  an  epoch  in  the  progress  of  human  thought 
and  its  realization  was  attended  with  many  difficulties.  It 
seems  strange  now  to  think  that  men  could  be  so  blinded  by 
prejudice,  and  perhaps  by  jealousy  or  ignorance,  as  to  deny 
to  women  the  opportunities  in  the  walks  of  life  which  they 
themselves  enjoyed.  But  such  was  the  condition  of  things 
forty  or  fifty  years  ago.  A  half  century  has  righted  many  of 
the  wrongs  of  women,  but  the  dawn  of  the  twentieth  century 
will,  I  fear — though  I  hope  not — find  a  multitude  of  injustices 
to  her  sex,  still  to  be  corrected. 

Jane  Marsh  Parker  in  her  book,  dedicated  to  Dr.  Sarah 
R.  A.  Dolley,and  entitled  ''Rochester,  a  Story  Historical,"  has 
written  a  short  account  of  her  life  which  with  a  little  change 
and  some  condensation  I  will  introduce  here  : 

In  February,  185 1,  Sarah  R  A.  DoUey  received  her  de;<ree  of 
Doctor  of  Medicine  from  the  Central  Medical  College  of  Rocliester, 
N.  Y.,  she  being  one  of  the  first  women  upon  whom  such  honor  had 
been  conferred,  Elizabeth  Blackwell  having  graduated  from  Geneva 
College  in  1849. 

The  first  application  made  by  the  brave  Quaker  girl  for  collegiate 
advantages  was  to  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Medicine — Refused.  The 
Jefferson  Medical  College  hears  her  firm  knock  upon  the  door — No 
admittance.  One  after  another  of  the  medical  schools  listened  to  the 
plea  of  her  preceptor  and  honored  uncle,  Dr.  Hiram   Corson,  for  her 


Mary  Corson^,  85 

admittance  only  to  say  her  nay.  That  women  should  be  taught  the 
science  of  medicine  was  not  denied  but  the  propriety  of  their  attending 
lectures — that  was  the  lion  in  the  way. 

Dr.  Edwin  Fussel  formerly  of  Chester  County,  Pa. ,  then  of  Phila- 
delphia, consented  to  take  Miss  Adamson  as  his  private  student  in 
anatomy,  and  later  to  find  her  opportunities  for  dissection,  but  just  at 
this  time  a  circular  of  the  Central  Medical  College  of  New  York,  then 
domiciled  in  Syracuse,  met  the  eye  of  her  ever  vigilant  uncle,  Dr.  Hiram 
Corson.  He  at  once  corresponded  with  the  poet  and  Anti-Slavery 
lecturer,  Wm.  H.  Burleigh,  who  was  then  living  in  Syracuse,  with  the 
result  that  arrangements  were  speedily  made  for  her  admission  to  the 
College.  Dr.  William  Corson  (a  brother  to  Dr.  Hiram,  who  was  unable  to 
go)  accompanied  her  to  Syracuse,  and  though  the  school  was  a  little  off 
color,  in  that  it  was  Eclectic  in  its  teachings,  he  did  not  advise  his 
niece's  return,  but  seemed  pleased  with  the  arrangements  and  with  the 
women  students  whom  he  met  there,  some  of  whom  afterwards  became 
known  to  fame  and  honor. 

After  the  graduation  of  Miss  Adamson,  she  made  application  to 
the  governors  of  Blockley  Hospital  for  admission  to  that  Institution  and 
she  was  the  first  woman  who  was  accorded  the  privilege  of  studying  in 
its  wards  as  a  physician  and  to  whom  a  certificate  of  such  observation 
and  practice  was  accorded. 

In  June,  1852,  she  married  Dr.  L.  C.  Dolley  and  they  settled  in 
Rochester — both  practising  their  profession.  Dr.  Dolley,  the  wife,  soon 
attracted  attention  as  a  woman  of  talent  and  ability,  and  became  recog- 
nized as  a  leading  physician  among  women — one  who  has  ever  been  an 
honor  to  her  profession,  and  more  than  realizing  the  expectations  of  her 
friends.  Dr.  Dolley  has  been  a  close  student  and  a  quiet  leader  of 
thought  among  the  progressive  women  of  her  community.  Her  home 
on  East  Avenue  has  long  been  headquarters  for  scientific  classes  and 
committee  meetings.  She  is  a  member  of  Monroe  County  and  State 
Central  Medical  Societies  of  New  York  and  of  the  American  Medical 
Association. 

Dr.  Charles  Sumner  Dolley^  only  son  and  child  of 
Dr.  Lester  C.  and  Dr.  Sarah  R.  A.  Dolley,  is  well  known  in 
Philadelphia,  where  he  resides,  and  among  scientific  men  has 
a  more  than  local  reputation.  He  is  a  member  of  many 
learned  societies. 

4.  Thomas  Adamson^,  married  Sarah  Victoria  Wright,  of 
Philadelphia.  For  some  years  he  was  in  mercantile  business 
in  Philadelphia,  but  for  more  than  twenty-five  years  has  been 
in  the  Consular  Service  of  the  United  States.  First  at 
Pernambuco,  then  at  Honolulu,  next  Consul-General  at 
Melbourne,  Australia,  and  now  Consul-General  at  Panama, 
Central  America.  He  is  a  man  of  great  experience  and 
ability  in  his  profession,  and  so  regarded  by  the  Government. 


86  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

Their  hvo  sons  are:  (i)  Joseph  Adamson^  who  first  married 
Miss  Carrie  Gleason  of  Philadelphia,  and  afterwards,  Miss  Lena 
Stovell  of  Georgia  and  was  for  a  time  Vice-Consul  at  Panama ; 
and  (2)  Charles  Adamson^  a  lawyer  in  Philadelphia,  who,  a 
few  years  since — Februaiy  20,  1889 — was  elected  a  member 
of  Philadelphia  Common  Council. 

Since  writing  the  above  I  have  received  a  copy  of  the 
Panama  Star  and  Herald,  of  June  14,  1894,  with  such  a 
detailed  account  of  his  doings  during  thirty-one  years  as 
Consul  and  Consul-General  that  it  is  proper  to  insert  it  here. 
He  withdrew  from  the  office  of  Consul-General  a  few  years 
ago — in  1S92 — and  has  since  resided  in  Cedartown,  Georgia. 

The  Star  and  Herald,  thus  speaks : 

Thomas  Adamson  Honored. 

Made  a  member  of  the  Order  of  the  Double  Dragon.  For  more 
than  thirty  years  in  the  Consular  Service  of  the  United  States. 

\_From  the  New    York    Times.'] 

Recently  the  press  announced  that  Thomas  Adamson  of  Cedar- 
town,  Ga.,  had  received  from  the  Emperor  of  China  the  star  and 
insiijnia  of  the  Order  of  the  Double  Dragon.  Mr.  Adamson' s  life  has 
been  a  most  interesting  one.  Until  recently  he  was  Consul-General  of 
the  United  States  at  Panama,  and  perhaps  the  most  experienced  officer 
in  the  service.  He  is  a  native  of  Chester  County,  Penna.  His  ancestors 
on  his  father's  side  were  of  the  religious  society  of  Friends,  or  Quakers, 
and  on  his  mother's  side  descendants  of  French  Huguenots  who  came 
to  New  York  in  1675. 

His  official  life  began  November  25,  1861,  when,  on  the  recom- 
mendation of  Thaddeus  Stevens  and  other  eminent  Pennsylvanians,  he 
was  appointed  by  President  Lincoln  as  Consul  at  Pernambuco,  Brazil 
The  accidents  of  war  made  that  post  one  of  the  most  important  of  our 
Consulates,  for  it  was  in  that  vicinity  that  the  Anglo-rebel  cruisers 
Alabama,  Florida,  and  Georgia  made  their  most  serious  depredations  en 
our  commerce. 

In  May,  1863,  Mr.  Adamson  had  under  his  charge  294  of  the 
men  taken  prisoners  by  the  Alabama  and  Florida,  for  whom  he  had  to 
provide.  The  United  States  Government  had  forbidden  Consuls  to 
draw  for  gold,  and  bankers  in  Brazil  refused  to  buy  currency  drafts,  so 
that  for  a  time  it  seemed  as  if  the  Consul  might  not  be  able  to  feed  the 
captured  men.  The  personal  character  of  the  Consul  enabled  him  to 
borrow  of  a  British  banker  the  money  he  would  not  advance  on  the 
credit  of  the  United  States,  and  the  men  were  cared  for  and  sent  home. 

In  May,  1863,  the  Florida  entered  the  port  of  Pernambuco,  and 
Mr.  Adamson  made  a  vigorous  protest  against  her  being  permitted  to 
coal  there.      In   his  discussion  of  the    case    he   was    pitted   against  the 


Thomas  Adamson 


THE 

NEVt  VQRK 

'PUBLIC    library! 

(^Artw,  Leoox  and  TII^m  , 

19Q-J 


Mary  Corson\  87 

President  of  the  province,  who  was  an  eminent  lawyer,  afterward  Minister 
of  Foreign  Affairs  of  the  empire,  and  who  was  assisted  by  a  Judge  of  the 
Supreme  Court,  who  afterward  became  the  chief  legal  adviser  of  the 
Emperor.  Consul  Adamson's  management  of  the  difficult  cases  he  had 
to  deal  with  secured  for  him  the  warm  commendation  of  the  United 
States  Minister  at  Rio  Janeiro  and  the  thanks  of  the  Department  of 
State  at  Washington.  His  watchful  care  of  the  disbursements  for  relief 
of  seamen  secured  for  him  the  favorable  notice  of  the  Treasury  Depart- 
ment. His  services  to  vessels  in  distress  caused  the  Boards  of  Under- 
writers of  New  York  and  Boston  to  petition  the  Department  of  State  to 
promote  him  to  a  still  more  important  position. 

In  April,  1869,  Consul  Adamson  returned  home  on  leave  of  absence, 
and  on  the  ist  of  June,  1869,  he  was  appointed  to  the  Consulate  at 
Honolulu.  On  reporting  at  the  department  for  instructions,'  Mr.  Adam- 
son  was  informed  that  he  had  been  selected  for  the  posts  because  the 
department  wished  certain  things  done  there  which  it  had  not  been  able 
to  get  any  Consul  to  do  ;  that  in  carrying  out  his  instructions  the  Consul 
would  probably  make  himself  unpopular,  but  the  duty  must  be  performed, 
even  if  the  Consul  had  to  be  sacrificed.  Mr.  Adamson  performed  the 
duty  assigned  to  him,  and  received  the  thanks  of  the  Department  of 
State  for  his  faithful  administration,  which,  as  Hamilton  Fish  said,  had 
resulted  in  turning  a  Consulate  that  had  cost  the  Government  $30,000  a 
year  into  a  source  of  large  revenue. 

In  February,  1871,  at  the  instance  of  William  D.  Kelley,  Mr.  Adam- 
son was  appointed  to  the  Consulate  at  Melbourne,  Australia.  Shortly 
after  his  arrival  at  Melbourne  he  received  from  a  member  of  the 
Hawaiian  Cabinet  an  intimation  that  King  Kamehamaha  would  be 
pleased  to  have  him  accept  the  position  of  Minister  of  Foreign  Aft'airs 
of  the  Hawaiian  Kingdom.  Mr.  Adamson  highly  appreciated  the  offer, 
but  preferred  to  remain  in  the  service  of  his  own  country.  In  Melbourne 
Mr.  Adamson  devoted  himself  to  measures  for  increasing  the  commerce 
of  the  United  States,  and  to  the  repeal  of  certain  laws  that  interfered 
wuth  our  shipping.  His  usefulness  was  recognized  by  his  promotion  to 
the  rank  of  Consul-General  at  Melbourne,  dating  from  June  17,  1874, 
with  supervision  of  all  the  Consulates  in  Australia,  New  Zealand,  and 
Tasmania.  During  his  term  of  office  there  he  succeeded  in  obtaining 
the  evidence  necessary  to  complete  the  case  of  the  United  States  before 
the  Tribunal  at  Geneva,  in  regard  to  the  claim  for  damages  done  to  our 
commerce  by  the  Anglo-rebel  steamer  Shenandoah,  after  her  departure 
from  Melbourne,  where  she  had  added  to  her  crew  and  stores.  This 
evidence  fixed  upon  the  British  Government  the  responsibility  for  the 
destruction  of  thirty  American  whaleships,  for  which  the  United  States 
were  allowed  _^  1,250,000. 

In  1877  Mr.  Adamson  obtained  leave  of  absence  to  return  home, 
and  April  10,  1878  was  commissioned  as  Consul-General  at  Rio  de 
Janeiro,  where  he  served  for  over  four  years  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
Department  of  State.  At  Rio,  Mr.  Adamson's  experience  in  Consular 
duties  and  his  knowledge  of  Portuguese  enabled  him  to  detect  the 
peculations  of  a  subordinate,  which  had  for  twenty  years  escaped  the 
notice  of  his  superiors.  A  part  of  the  stolen  money  was  recovered,  and 
turned  into  the  United  States  Treasury.  From  Rio  de  Janeiro  Consul- 
General  Adamson  was  transferred  to  Panama,  Colombia,  because  the 
commencement  of  v^-ork  on  the    Panama    Canal  gave    that  post   great 


88  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

importance.  On  his  arrival  at  Panama,  in  April,  1883,  Mr.  Adamson 
was  immediately  called  to  take  action  in  a  case  in  which  the  local 
authorities  had  exceeded  their  just  powers,  and  violated  the  treaty  rights 
of  two  American  marines  by  imprisoning  them.  William  L.  Scruggs, 
United  States  Minister  at  Bogota,  referring  to  Mr.  Adamson's  discussion 
of  the  affair  with  the  President  of  Panama,  said  that  his  arguments  were 
unanswerable  and  covered  the  whole  ground,  thus  making  his  own  side 
of  the  case  easy  in  his  controversy  with  the  Government  at  Bogota. 
During  1884-5,  Colombia  was  convulsed  by  civil  war.  In  December, 
1884,  communication  with  Bogota  was  cut  off,  and  for  five  months  our 
Minister  there  could  not  communicate  with  Washington.  This  leftCon- 
sul-General  Adamson  as  the  only  representative  of  the  United  States  in 
Colombia  with  whom  the  United  States  Government  could  communicate 
quickly,  or  from  whom  it  could  receive  prompt  information  of  the  pro- 
gress of  the  revolution.  Between  November,  1884,  and  May,  1885. 
Panama  had  six  different  rulers,  constitutional  and  revolutionary. 

The  City  of  Panama  was  taken  by  assault  of  the  rebel  forces  on  the 
i6th  of  March,  1885,  evacuated  by  them  on  the  17th,  and  retaken  on 
the  31st  of  March,  1885.  On  the  last  named  day,  the  guerrilla  cliief 
Pedro  Prestan,  who  had  captured  the  City  of  Colon,  imprisoned  the 
United  States  Consul  at  that  place,  together  with  other  prominent 
Americans,  and  on  the  evening  of  that  day  he  burned  the  city,  render- 
ing 12,000  people  homeless.  While  these  events  were  in  progress,  there 
was  a  constant  necessity  for  action  upon  the  various  emergencies  as  they 
arose,  and  as  to  which  it  was  impossible  to  wait  for  orders  from  Washing- 
ton. But  Consul-General  Adamson  felt  himself  strengthened  by  the 
confidence  of  the  new  Secretary  of  State,  Thomas  F.  Bayard,  who  sent 
him  a  message,  as  follows  :  "The  Depnrtment  trusts  to  your  judicious 
management,  and  the  wise  discretion  which  your  long  experience  in  tne 
service  enables  you  to  exercise  during  the  present  trying  times,  and  will 
omit  no  proper  effort  to  sustain  you." 

The  burning  of  Colon  and  interruption  of  the  Isthmian  transit 
route  caused  the  United  States  Government  to  send  a  large  military  force 
thither.  During  a  part  of  April,  1885  there  were  1,200  United  Stales 
marines  and  blue  jackets  ashore.  On  the  24th  of  April,  Commander 
B.  McCalla,  United  States  Navy,  then  commanding  the  United  States 
force  ashore,  entered  the  City  of  Panama  and  issued  a  "notice  to  the 
public,"  declaring  that  "  no  persons  with  arms  will  be  permitted  to 
enter  the  city  by  land  or  by  sea."  He  also  arrested  the  rebel  General 
Aizpuru,  but  soon  released  him.  The  notice  that  no  persons  bearing 
arms  would  be  permitted  to  enter  the  city  was  of  the  gravest  nature, 
because  it  forbade  the  landing  of  the  National  Army  of  the  Cauca,  which 
arrived  to  recover  legitimate  control.  Commander  McCalla  posted  a 
company  of  United  States  marines  on  the  only  wharf,  and  ordered  them 
to  fire  upon  any  body  of  soldiers  that  might  attempt  to  land  there. 
Consul-General  Adamson  protested  against  this  act,  and  declared  that 
he  had  no  right  to  attempt  to  prevent  the  National  Army  from  landing 
on  their  own  soil.  As  Commander  McCalla  persisted  in  his  course, 
Consul-General  Adamson  cabled  to  Secretary  Bayard,  and  received  a 
reply  to  the  effect  that  the  action  of  Commander  McCalla  was  unauthor- 
ized and  that  the  United  States  did  not  intend  any  infringement  on 
the  sovereignty  of  Colombia.  Consul-General  Adamson' s  action  through- 
out was   approved  by  the  Department  of  State  at  Washington,  and  the 


o 


THE 

NEW  YORK 

[PUBLIC   LIBRARY 

fi>un4<tl»«i. 
1909 


Mary  Corson^.  89 

representatives  of  the  Colombian  Government  addressed  to  him  a  letter 
thanking  him  for  his  action  in  securing  the  "bloodless  pacification  of 
Panama.' ' 

In  July,  1885,  Consul-General  Adamson  returned  home  on  leave  of 
absence,  and  tendered  his  resignation  to  Secretary  Bayard,  who  requested 
him  to  retain  his  place  and  return  to  Panama.  Mr.  Adamson  retained 
his  place  at  Panama  until  July  i,  1893,  when  he  was  relieved.  The  last 
dispatch  received  by  Consul-General  Adamson  from  the  Department  of 
State  was  signed  by  Josiah  Ouincy,  and  expressed  the  recognition  of  the 
Department,  of  "the  valuable  aud  efficient  services  which  you  have 
rendered  to  the  Government  during  the  long  period  of  time  that  you 
have  been  in  its  service." 

5.  Charles  Adamson'^,  the  youngest  child  of  sister  Maiy, 
hvcs  in  Phoenixvillc,  Chester  County,  and  has  for  many  years 
been  in  the  employ  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  overseeing 
and  attending  to  the  many  houses  of  that  company  in  Con- 
shohocken,  Norristown,  Phoenixville  and  Pottstown.  At 
present  he  is  enjoying  himself  in  leisure  hours  by  a  study  of 
the  writings  of  old  poets  and  the  historians  of  the  nineteenth 
centur}^  a  period  of  the  greatest  activity  and  progress  the 
world  has  ever  witnessed  in  efforts  to  advance  the  civilization 
of  our  country  so  that  human  rights  shall  be  the  inheritance 
of  all  equally,  without  distinction  of  sex,  color  or  nationality. 


VIII, 


Sarah   Corson   Read*. 

Sarah  was  the  third  of  father's  children  who  Hved  beyond 
their  childhood.  She  was  born  December  13,  1793,  in  Ply- 
mouth Township,  on  what  was  known  as  the  Campbell  Farm, 
near  Hickorytown.  In  1816  she  married  Thomas  Read. 
They  lived  for  a  short  time  at  Hickorytown,  and  then  moved 
to  Pawling's  Bridge,  Chester  County  ;  next,  to  a  farm  and  mill 
in  Upper  Merion,  Montgomery  County  ;  and  finally  to  Nor- 
ristown,  where  they  both  died,  Thomas  on  the  23d  of  Sep- 
tember, 1856,  Sarah  on  the  8th  of  May,  1859.  Their  chil- 
dren were  as  follows : 

1.  Susan  Read'',  born  in  181  5  ;  died  at  the  age  of  seven 
years. 

2.  Sarah  Read",  born  September  13,  1819  ;  married 
Charles  Jones. 

3.  Hannah  Read',  born  in  Januan,-,  1822  ;  married 
George  Schultz. 

4.  MaryAdamson  Read",  born  in  September,  1824;  mar- 
ried John  Roberts. 

5.  Edwin  Read^,  died  in  infancy. 

6.  Louis  Wernwag  Read'^,  born  July  5,  1828;  married 
Georgine  Hurst. 

7.  Joseph  Corson  Read'^,  married  Minnie  Burrins. 

8.  Alan  Wright  Read^,  unmarried. 

2.  Sarah     Read",  second    of    these    children,    married 

Charles  Jones,  a  farmer  in  Plymouth   Township,  where  they 

resided  until  his  death,  February  14,  1864.     They  had  seven 

children  :  (i)  Ellen  Corson  Jones^;  (2)  Joseph  Corson  Jones^; 
90 


Sarah  Corson  Read^.  91 

(3)  Martha  Corson  Jones^;  (4)  Jonathan  Read  Jones^; 
(5)  Charles  Jones^;  (6)  James  Cresson  JoNES^  and  (7)  Sarah 
Read  Jones^ 

(i)  Ellen  Corson  Jones^  the  eldest  child,  married  in 
1864  David  R.  Jones.     They  have  one  child,  Eliza  R.  Jones^. 

(2)  Joseph  Corson  Jones''  (son  of  Charles  and  Sarah 
Read  Jones),  born  December  5,  1841,  received  a  good  educa- 
tion and  remained  on  the  farm  with  his  father  until  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  civil  war,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  Fourth  Regi- 
ment, Pennsylvania  militia,  under  Colonel  Knowerder,  of 
AUentown,  and  Captain  Heniy  Bonsall,  of  Norristown. 
The  regiment  was  taken  to  Hagerstown,  Maryland,  where  it 
was  held  for  a  time  and  then  mustered  out.  He  then  enlLsted 
in  the  Seventeenth  Pennsylvania  Cavaliy,  in  the  army  of  the 
Potomac,  and  served  in  all  the  battles  of  his  regiment  from  the 
battle  of  Chancellorsville  to  the  close  of  the  conflict.  The 
most  important  are  the  following  :  Cold  Harbor,  Seven  Days' 
battle,  Gettysburg,  and  the  surrender  of  Lee  at  Appomattox. 
Although  he  took  part  in  some  of  the  most  hotly  contested 
battles  of  the  war,  yet  he  was  never  seriously  wounded.  He 
was  captured  while  on  a  reconnoitering  party  near  Lynchburg, 
Virginia,  but  soon  made  his  escape.  After  a  faithful  and  hon- 
orable war  ser\dce,  he  returned  home  and  resumed  farming. 
His  father  had  died  in  1863,  so  he  assumed  the  active  man- 
agement of  the  farm,  which  continued  for  about  three  years, 
when  he  removed  to  Conshohocken  and  became  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  E.  D.  &  E.  Jones,  lumber  merchants.  The 
firm  name  was  changed  in  1880  to  Evan  D.  Jones  &  Com- 
pany, and  after  the  death  of  Evan  D.  Jones  (senior  member 
of  the  firm  and  a  cousin  to  Joseph  C),  the  business  passed 
into  the  hands  of  Joseph  C.  Jones,  who  continued  it  under  the 
old  name  of  Evan  D.  Jones  &  Co. 

Joseph  C.  Jones  is  a  good  business  man,  careful  and 
methodical,  and  has  been  very  successful.  He  has  long  been 
recognized  as  a  leading  citizen  of  Conshohocken,  in  the  affairs 
of  which   he   takes  an   active  interest.       He    has   served    at 


92  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

various  times  as  a  member  of  Town  Council,  Board  of  Health, 
and  School  Board.  He  is  still  a  member  of  the  School  Board 
and  takes  a  deep  interest  in  the  public  school  system. 

He  married,  December  5,  1867,  Emma  Wood  (daughter 
of  Charles  Wood)  and  they  have  five  children  :  Nellie  Jones^ 
who  died  at  the  age  of  four  years ;  Charles  Wood  Jones^ 
associated  with  his  father  in  the  lumber  business  ;  J.  C.  Frank 
JoNES^  also  interested  with  his  father  ;  Florence  Jones^  and 
Alan  Wood  Jones'.  All  arc  unmarried  and  living  at  home 
with  their  parents. 

(3)  Martha  Corson  Jones''  (third  child  of  Charles  and 
Sarah  Read  Jones)  lives  with  her  mother  and  sister  Sarah  at 
their  home  in  Conshohockcn. 

(4)  Jonathan  Read  Jonf^®  (son  of  Charles  and  Sarah 
Read  Jones)  graduated  at  the  Polytechnic  College  of  Phila- 
delphia and  was  an  architect  for  a  number  of  years,  being 
associated  with  Mr.  Benner  under  the  firm  name  of  Jones  & 
Benner.  They  were  very  successful  designing  and  building 
many  large  and  important  bridges.  A  few  years  ago  he  con- 
nected himself  with  the  Alan  Wood  Company,  the  large  iron 
manufacturers  in  Conshohocken,  and  ha.s  since  occupied  an 
important  position  in  the  management  of  that  Company. 

In  1868  he  married  Hannah  C.  Wood  (daughter  of 
David  L.  Wood)  and  they  were  the  parents  of  four  children  : 

1,  Percy  Wood  Jones^  who  married,  Januar>',  1894,  Helen 
Stanton ;  2,  Arthur  Jones^  deceased  ;  3,  Walter  Law- 
rence JoNES^  living  at  home  with  his  father  ;  and  4,  Jona- 
than Raymond  JonI':s'. 

Jonathan's  wife,  Hannah  C.  (Wood)  Jones,  died  January 

2,  1892.  In  March,  1894,  he  married  Dora  Siedcntoft  (a 
cousin  to  his  first  wife)  and  by  her  has  one  child,  Bertram 
Warner  Jones'. 

(5)  Charles  Jones  (fifth  child  of  Charles  and  Sarah  Read 
Jones)  learned  the  trade  of  a  printer  with  Morgan  R.  Wills, 
of  Norristown,  and  on  December  18,  1869,  issued  the  first 
copy  of  "The  Recorder,"  of  Conshohocken.      He   has   been 


Sarah  Corson  Read^.  93 

for  a  number  of  years  in  the  office  of  the  "Evenmg  Bulletin," 
of  Philadelphia.  He  married,  in  1871,  Emma  White,  of 
Norristown,  where  they  now  reside.  Their  children  are : 
I,  Albert  W.  Jones^  (born  November  6,  1871,  died  August 
27,  1896);  2,  Joseph  Jones^;  3,  Helen  Jones^;  4,  William 
W.  Jones";  5,  Ada  Jones^  (deceased) ;  6,  Charles  Jones^; 
7,  Clarence  Jones^  and  8,  Harry  W.  Jones"  (deceased). 

(6)  James  Cresson  Jones^  (son  of  Charles  and  Sarah 
Read  Jones)  graduated  as  a  civil  engineer  at  the  Polytechnic 
College,  Philadelphia.  He  was  first  employed  on  the  Ply- 
mouth Railroad,  afterwards  on  the  Canada  Southern  Railroad. 
He  died  in  August,  1872,  aged  twenty-one  years. 

(7)  Sallie  Read  Jones'^  (youngest  child  of  Charles  and 
Sarah  Read  Jones)  lives  with  her  mother  and  sister  Martha  in 
Conshohocken.     She  is  unmarried. 

There  are  few  women  who  excel  these  three — Sarah  R. 
Jones  and  her  daughters  Martha  and  Sallie — in  those  benevo- 
lent and  unselfish  qualities  that  are  essentially  present  in  every 
truly  noble  and  beautiful  character.  Intelligent,  quick-witted, 
and  full  of  quiet  humor  ;  kind  and  gentle  to  all,  especially  to 
the  poor  and  unfortunate  ;  inflexibly  adherent  to  principle 
and  right  and  as  strongly  opposed  to  intemperance  and 
injustice — these  are  some  of  the  qualities  that  have  made 
them  respected  and  esteemed  by  all  who  know  them.  (Post- 
script— Sarah  R.  Jones,  the  mother,  died  July  3,  1896.) 

4.  Mary  Adamson  Read^  (daughter  of  Thomas  and 
Sarah  Corson  Read)  married  Nov.  i,  1849,  John  Roberts,  of 
Norristown.  He  died  December  20,  1 864  ;  she  on  February, 
4,  1894.  Their  children  numbered  four:  (i)  Elihu  R.^  (2) 
Willis  R.^  (3)  Nellie  J.^  and  (4)  Joseph^ 

(i)  Elihu  Read  Roberts^  married  Isabella  Webster,  of 
Philadelphia  ;  they  have  one  child,  Gene  Roberts". 

(2)  Willis  Read  Roberts^  a  graduate  of  Ann  Arbor 
University,  Michigan,  married  Margaret  M.  Jamison,  of  Norris- 
town ;  they  have  three  children:  i,  Willis  Read  Roberts, 
Jr.»;  2,  Victor  Jamison  Roberts";  and  3,  Paul  Greir  Rob- 
erts". 


94  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

(3)  Nellie  Jones  Roberts''  and  (4)  Joseph  Roberts^ 
died  at  early  ages. 

5.  Edwin  Read  died  in  infancy. 

6.  Louis  Werxwag  Read''  (eldest  living  son  of  Thomas 
and  Sarah  Corson  Read)  was  born  at  Plymouth,  Montgomery 
County,  July  5,  1828.  His  life  has  been  a  busy  one,  full  of 
honor  and  success.      Of  him  Friend  Auge  thus  speaks  : 

"  There  are  few  persons  in  our  State,  in  civil,  military,  or  profes- 
sional walks  of  life,  who  have  had  such  varied  e.xperience  as  the  gentle- 
man whose  name  heads  this  sketch.  Some  of  his  early  years  were  spent 
atwhatw.isknownas  "  Read's  Mill,"  situated  near  the  Schuvlkill,  in  Upper 
Merion  Township,  Montgomery  County,  and  which  his  father  owned  for 
sometime.  His  rudimentary  education  was  obtained  in  the  common 
schools  of  the  locality,  after  which  he  became  a  pupil  for  a  considerable 
time  at  Treemount  Seminary  under  Rev.  Samuel  Aaron.  In  1845  ^^  '^ 
very  early  age  he  entered  from  that  school,  the  office  of  his  uncle. 
Dr.  William  Corson,  to  study  medicine,  and  graduated  from  the  Medical 
Department  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  in  1849,  about  the  time 
of  his  majority. 

"  When  the  Crimean  War  between  Russia  and  Turkey  and  its  allies 
broke  out,  Dr.  Read,  young  and  enterprising,  offered  his  services  to  the 
Russian  Government,  then  needing  surgeons.  Bearing  the  requisite 
credentials,  he  sailed  for  Russia,  entered  the  service  of  the  Czar  in  1855 
as  surgeon,  and  remained  during  the  war  and  through  the  terrible  siege 
of  Sebastopol.  WHiile  there  he  effected  some  important  improvements 
in  the  treatment  of  gun-shot  wounds  that  elicited  the  admiration  of  his 
fellow-surgeons,  and  were  generally  adopted.  After  the  war  had  closed 
he  spent  several  months  in  the  hospitals  of  Paris  for  the  purpose  of 
gaining  further  experience  in  the  treatment  of  diseases,  and  then  returned 
to  the  United  States  with  advantages  of  experience  possessed  by  few  men 
of  his  age.  In  the  autumn  of  1857  he  opened  an  office  in  Norristown 
and  commenced  the  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery,  in  both  of  which 
he  speedily  attained  a  leading  position.  In  the  subsequent  year  he  mar- 
ried Georgine,  daughter  of  Alfred  Hurst,  who  bore  him  two  children- 
Nina  Boreiche  and  Alfred  Hurst  Read. 

"Mrs.  Read  was  a  woman  of  rare  mental  gifts,  and  her  death, 
which  occurred  August  5,  1885,  was  widely  lamented. 

"On  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion  in  186 1,  although  in  the 
possession  of  a  large  and  lucrative  practice.  Dr.  Read  offered  his  services 
and  experience  to  the  government,  and  on  June  i,  1861,  was  appoirtcd 
Major  and  Surgeon  of  the  Thirtieth  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  First 
Reserves,  the  first  three  years'  regiment.  He  hold  his  position  until 
July  17,  1863,  when  he  resigned  to  accept  the  appointment  and  promo- 
tion as  Surgeon  of  United  States  Volunteers,  and  soon  thereafter  was 
assigned  to  duty  as  Medical  Director  of  the  Pennsylvania  Reserve  Corps, 
Third  Division  Fifth  Army  Corps,  Army  of  Potomac,  which  position  he 
filled  until  November,  1864,  when  he  was  transferred  from  duty  in  the 
field  and  placed  in  charge  of  the  McKimm   United  States  Hospital  at 


/  ^ 


Louis  W.  Read,  M.  D. 


THE 

NEW  YORK 

'PUBLIC   LIBRARYl 

yh${*f,  Lwlox  ini  TWitHj 

F»un4}tl6nt. 

1909 


Sarah  Corson  Read'''.  95 

Baltimore.  He  continued  in  that  position  until  after  the  return  of  peace, 
when  the  institution  was  closed  and  the  officials  honorably  mustered  out 
of  the  United  States  service.  Dr.  Read  was  brevetted  Lieutenant- 
Colonel,  United  States  Volunteers,  January  12,  1866,  '  for  faithful  and 
meritorious  services  during  the  war.' 

"  It  may  be  related  in  connection  with  Dr.  Read's  services  as 
United  States  Army  Surgeon  that  in  all  human  probability  he  was  the 
means  of  saving  the  life  of  General  Hancock,  while  the  latter  was  at  his 
father' s  house  in  Norristown  and  the  Doctor  at  home  on  a  brief  visit  to 
his  family.  The  General' s  wound  had  been  repeatedly  probed  for  the 
ball  by  army  surgeons  to  no  purpose,  they  expressing  the  belief  that  it 
did  not  remain  in  the  wound,  which  continued  intensely  painful.  On 
Dr.  Read's  visit  the  General  seemed  despondent  of  ever  being  relieved 
except  by  death,  but  at  Hancock's  earnest  invitation  Dr.  Read  intro- 
duced a  probe,  and  in  a  few  minutes  found  the  ball  and  extracted  it,  to 
the  General' s  great  joy,  thus  assuring  an  early  recovery  which  enabled 
him  again  to  take  the  field  and  render  important  services  in  the  suppres- 
sion of  the  Rebellion.  This  providential  relief  of  General  Hancock 
was  a  marked  professional  achievement,  and  well  corresponded  with  the 
enterprise  and  self-reliance  that  at  twenty-two  years  of  age  led  the 
Doctor  to  enlist  in  a  foreign  army  with  a  view  of  obtaining  the  highest 
qualifications  in  his  profession. 

"  In  April,  1866,  after  an  absence  and  public  service  of  nearly  five 
years.  Dr.  Read  returned  to  Norristown,  where  he  opened  his  office 
and  resumed  practice  with  an  experience  still  more  enlarged  by  such  an 
extended  tour  of  duty  in  the  field  and  hospitals  of  the  country. 

"  Upon  the  election  of  General  Hartranft  as  Governor  of  Pennsyl- 
vania and  the  organization  of  the  Pennsylvania  National  Guard,  Dr. 
Read  was  appointed  Surgeon-General  of  Pennsylvania,  with  the  rank 
of  Brigadier-General,  on  May  15.  1874,  [and  reappointed  to  the  same 
position  by  Governors  Beaver,  Pattison  and  Hastings— the  last  appoint- 
ment being  on  the  3d  of  July,  1895.  On  the  25th  of  May,  1895,  he  was 
elected  President  of  the  Association  of  Military  Surgeons  of  the  United 
States].  He  is  a  member  of  the  Union  League,  the  Military  Order  of 
the  Loyal  Legion  of  Pennsylvania,  the  Pennsylvania  Historical  Society, 
and  the  Association  of  the  Sons  of  the  Revolution. 

"In  1876  Governor  Hartranft  appointed  Dr.  Read  to  the  very 
responsible  position  of  Commissioner  for  the  Insane  of  the  southeastern 
counties  of  the  State.  This  trust  involved  the  selection  of  a  site,  choice 
of  a  plan  and  the  construction  of  the  buildings  at  Norristown,  all  of 
which  duties  at  great  sacrifice  of  his  private  affairs,  were  patriotically 
performed  ;  and  to  his  self-sacrificing  efforts  the  success  of  this  Asylum 
—now  acknowledged,  not  only  in  this  country,  but  also  m  Europe,  to  be  a 
model  one — is  no  doubt  largely  due. 

"Dr.  Read  has  for  many  years  been  a  member  of  the  Montgomery 
County  Medical  Society,  the  Medical  Society  of  Pennsylvania  and  of 
the  American  Medical  Association." 

7.  Joseph  C.  Read^  in  early  life  was  a  druggist.  After 
serving  through  the  entire  RebelHon  he  went  to  Minnesota, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  himber  business ;  afterwards  pursued 
the  same  business  in  Florida,  where  he  married  Minnie  Burrins. 


96  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

He  died  in  Fernandina,  in  1889,  leaving  three  children  :  (i) 
Thomas  Read",  who  died  in  infancy;  (2)  Joseph  Read'',  a 
student  of  pharmacy  living  in  Norristown ;  (3)  Daisy  Read", 
living  with  her  mother,  who  is  Matron  of  the  Soldiers'  Widows' 
Home  at  Marshallton,  Iowa. 

8.  Alan  Wright  Read''  studied  dentistry  with  Brown  & 
Coar  in  Norristown.  In  1857  he  joined  them  in  Germany; 
practiced  his  profession  there  a  short  time  ;  then  went  to 
Copenhagen  (Denmark)  where  he  still  lives.      He  is  unmarried. 


IX. 

Joseph  Dickinson  Corson/- 

Brother  Joseph  was  born  in  Plymouth  Township  on  the 
"Campbell  Farm,"  January  4,  1799.  He  married  Ann  Hagy, 
daughter  of  William  Hagy,  of  Lower  Merion,  Montgomery 
County,  Pa.  Their  last  years  were  spent  in  Norristown,  where 
he  died,  March  30,  1857.  He  had  an  unusually  bright  mind 
and  possessed  special  mathematical  talent,  as  did  many  of  our 
family.  His  wife  died  March  20,  1868.  Their  children  who 
passed  their  minority  were:  i,  Catharine'';  2,  Hannah''; 
3,  Hiram^  ;  4,  William''  ;  5,  Isabella''  ;  6,  Clara"  ;  7,  Hum- 
phrey", and  8,  Howard^ 

1.  Catharine  Corson^,  died  about  1849,  unmarried. 

2.  Hannah  Corson''  is  unmarried.  Since  1871  she  has 
been  Supervisor  of  the  Female  Insane  in  the  Eastern  Hospital 
at  Norristown,  Pa.,  where  there  are  at  present  1000  female 
patients.  It  is  a  responsible  position,  which  she  fills  to  the 
satisfaction  of  the  Trustees  and  the  Chief  Physician.  She 
enjoys  her  position,  as  it  affords  an  opportunity  for  the  exer- 
cise of  her  administrative  ability  and  her  humanity. 

3.  Hiram  Corson'',  whose  brilliant  literary  career  makes 
him  deserve  an  extended  notice,  which  here  follows  : 

PROF.  HIRAM  CORSON,  LL.  D. 

Prof.  Hiram  Corson  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  on  the  sixth  of 
November,  1828.  Up  to  the  age  of  fifteen  he  was  carefully  educated 
at  home  by  his  parents.  His  father,  who  was  an  able  mathematician, 
kept  him  at  mathematical  studies,  and  when  he  went  to  the  classical 
and  mathematical  school,  of  which  the  Rev.  Dr.  Samuel  Aaron  was 
principal,  in  Norristown,  Pa.,  he  was  far  in  advance  of  all  students  of 
his  age  in  mathematics,  the  study  of  which  he  continued,  and  com- 
pleted the  extended  course  there  pursued.     At  this  school  and  at  the 

97 


98  History  of  the  Corson  Family, 

classical  school,  of  which  the  Rev.  Dr.  Anspach  was  principal,  in  Mont- 
gomery County,  Penna.,  he  gave  the  larger  portion  of  his  time,  for 
nearly  five  years,  to  the  study  of  Latin  and  Greek,  reading  extensively 
of  the  literatures  of  these  languages  and  the  opera  omnia  of  several 
authors.  In  the  fall  of  1849  ^^  ^^"^"t  to  Washington,  and  was,  during 
the  following  winter,  connected  with  the  reporting  corps  in  the  United 
States  Senate.  He  was  also,  for  a  while,  private  secretary  to  Lewis  Cass. 
In  the  following  summer  he  became  connected  with  the  library  of  the 
Smithsonian  Institution  in  Washington,  then  in  charge  of  the  accom- 
plished scholar  and  bibliographer.  Prof.  Charles  C.  Jewett,  under  whose 
guidance,  and  in  the  preparation  of  the  catalogues  of  the  library  of 
Congress  and  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  in  accordance  with  the  plan 
originated  by  Professor  Jewett,  for  the  stereotyping  of  a  general  alpha- 
betical catalogue  of  the  libraries  of  the  United  States,  he  made  a  care- 
ful study  of  bibliography  and  the  management  of  libraries.  He  assisted 
Professor  Jewett  in  the  preparation  of  his  "  Notices  of  Public  Libraries 
in  the  United  States,"  which  was  printed  by  order  of  Congress  in  185  i. 
This  work  was  prepared  in  pursuance  of  a  scheme  to  make  the 
Smithsonian  Institution  a  center  of  bibliographical  knowledge. 

Professor  Jewett' s  plan,  above  referred  to,  was  for  stereotyping 
catalogues  by  separate  movable  titles.  This  plan  was  presented  in  a 
paper  published  in  the  fifth  annual  report  of  the  Board  of  Regents  of 
the  Smithsonian  Institution,  together  with  the  report  of  the  commis- 
sioners, to  whom  the  plan  was  referred  for  examination.  It  was  proved 
to  be  entirely  practicable,  and  far  more  economical  than  any  other  that 
had  been  devised. 

A  serious  disagreement  which  occurred  between  Professor  Jewett 
and  the  Secretary  of  the  Smithsonian,  Prof.  Joseph  Henry,  resulted  in 
the  removal  of  Professor  Jewett  from  his  position  and  the  grand  cata- 
logue scheme,  the  realization  of  which  would  have  proved  a  great 
service  to  learning,  was  unfortunately  abandoned. 

During  the  six  or  seven  years  of  his  connection  with  the  Smith- 
sonian Institution,  Professor  Corson  attended  all  the  courses  of  literary 
and  of  scientific  lectures  given  by  the  distinguished  scholars  and 
scientists  who  were  engaged  by  the  Institution  at  that  time.  He  also 
made,  with  the  abundant  material  at  his  command,  an  extended  study 
of  English,  French  and  German  literatures.  In  September,  1854,  he 
married,  in  Boston,  Miss  Caroline  Rollin,  a  native  of  Paris,  a  lady  who 
had  been  highly  educated  in  France  and  Germany,  and  who  has,  during 
her  whole  married  life,  done  extensive  literary  work  in  the  way  of  trans- 
lations from  French  and  German,  and  in  original  contributions  to 
periodical  literature.  She  has  written  valuable  articles  on  Faust, 
Machiavelli,  Victor  Hugo,  etc. 

Their  only  surviving  child,  Eugene  Rollin  Corson,  is  a  prominent 
physician  and  surgeon  in  Savannah,  Georgia.  He  has,  along  with  his 
extensive  practice  there,  since  1880.  contributed  largely  to  medical 
journals.  His  elaborate  paper  on  "The  Vital  Equation  of  the  Colored 
Race  and  its  Future  in  the  United  States,"  has  been  regarded  as  a 
valuable  contribution  to  ethnology. 

In  1859  Professor  Corson  removed  with  his  family  to  Philadelphia, 
where  he  devoted  himself,  for  the  six  following  years,  to  lecturing  on 
English  literature  and  kindred  subjects,  in  the  Ladies'  Seminaries  of  the 
city  and  elsewhere.     During   these  years  he  also  prepared  students  in 


Prof.  Hiram  Corson,  LL.  D. 


THE 

NEW  YORK       . 
'PUBL/C    library] 

^(•r,  Leno,  t„o  r/ld.,  ^ 
found-Jtmn%, 

19Cy 


Joseph  Dickinson  Corson". 


99 


Latin  and  Greek  and  mathematics  for  admission  to  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania,  For  three  of  those  years  he  had  his  own  lecture  room 
in  the  city,  where,  in  addition  to  his  outside  lectures  and  teaching,  he 
lectured  twice  a  week  for  twenty-five  weeks  each  year  to  audiences  com- 
posed of  the  most  cukivated  people  of  the  city.  He  was  also  an  active 
member  during  this  time  of  the  "Shakespeare  Society  of  Philadelphia." 

In  1864  he  received  from  the  College  of  New  Jersey  the  degree  of 
Master  of  Arts. 

In  March,  1865,  he  was  elected  Professor  of  Moral  Science,  History 
and  Rhetoric,  in  Girard  College,  Philadelphia,  and  was,  ex-officio,  vice- 
president  of  the  college.  By  reason  of  its  too  onerous  duties,  he 
resigned  this  position  in  August  of  the  following  year,  having  accepted 
the  professorship  (offered  him  by  Dr.  Henry  Barnard,  the  newly  elected 
president),  of  rhetoric  and  English  literature,  in  St.  John's  College, 
Annapolis.  During  his  connection  with  St.  John's,  literary  study  in  the 
college  attained  to  an  unusual  prominence. 

In  1870  he  was  elected  Professor  of  Rhetoric,  Oratory,  and  English 
Literature,  in  the  Cornell  University.  Since  the  beginning  of  the 
academic  year,  1890,  '91,  his  professorship  has  been  confined  to  Eng- 
lish literature,  a  new  and  distinct  chair  having  been  established  of 
English  philology  and  rhetoric. 

Professor  Corson  has  contributed  extensively  to  various  journals  and 
reviews,  articles  connected  with  his  line  of  study,  the  titles  of  which 
alone  would  occupy  more  space  than  can  be  given  in  this  notice,  and 
has  published  the  following  works:  "Chaucer's  Legende  of  Goode 
Women,"  with  an  introduction  and  notes,  glossarial  and  critical,  1863  ; 
"  An  Elocutionary  Manual  :  with  an  introductory  essay  on  the  study  of 
literature,  and  on  vocal  culture  as  indispensable  to  an  aesthetic  appre- 
ciation of  poetry, "  1864  ;  "Address  on  the  Occasion  of  his  Induction  as 
Professor  of  Moral  Science,  History,  and  Rhetoric,  in  Girard  College, 
March  29,  1865"  ;  "A  Revised  Edition  of  Jaudon's  English  Ortho- 
graphical Expositor,"  1866,  published  forthe  use  of  the  Southern  freed- 
men  ;  a  separate  edition  of  the  above  essay  on  the  study  of  literature, 
and  on  vocal  culture,  etc.,  1867;  "The  Satires  of  Juvenal,  with  a 
literal  interlinear  translation,"  1868;  "  Handbook  of  Anglo-Saxon  and 
Early  English,"  1871  ;  "  Syllabus  of  a  Course  of  Lectures  on  the  English 
language  and  literature"  1873;  (a  second  enlarged  edition,  1876); 
' '  Jottings  on  the  text  of  Hamlet ' '  (First  Folio  versus  Cambridge  edition), 
1874  ;  "The  University  of  the  Future  :  an  address  delivered  before 
the  Alumni  of  St.  John's  College,"  July  7,  1875  !  "The  Claims  of 
Literary  Culture"  ;  an  address  before  the  Hahnemann  Medical  College  of 
Philadelphia,  September  27,  1875;  "The  Idea  of  Personahty  and  of 
Art  as  an  agency  of  Personality,  as  embodied  in  Browning's  poetry," 
a  paper  read  at  the  eighth  meeting  of  the  London  Browning  Society, 
June  23,  1882,  and  pu'blished  in  the  Society's  Papers,  Part  III,  1882  ; 
"The  Two  Voices  and  A  Dream  of  Fair  Women,  by  Lord  Tennyson  ; 
with  a  biographical  and  general  introduction  and  explanatory  and  critical 
notes,"  1882  ;  Response  to  the  Toast,  "The  True  Scholar,"  made  at 
the  sixth  annual  dinner  of  the  N.  Y.  Alumni  Association  of  Cornell 
University,  March  31,  1886  ;  "An  Introduction  to  the  study  of  Robert 
Browning' s  poetry, ' '  1 886.  Of  this  work  the  poet  wrote,  ' '  Let  it  remain  as 
an  assurance  to  younger  poets  that  after  fifty  years'  work  unattended  by  any 
conspicuous  recognition,  an  over-payment  may  be  made,  if  there  is  such 


4741.51 


loo  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

another  munificent  appreciator  as  I  have  been  permitted  to  find  ;  in 
which  case  let  them,  even  if  more  deserving,  be  equally  gratified." 
This  work  has  been  the  most  extensively  used  of  all  the  numerous  works 
on  Browning's  poetry  which  have  been  published  since  the  founding  of 
the  Browning  Society  of  London.  "  An  introduction  to  the  study  of 
Shakespeare,"  1889  ;  this  is  an  introduction  to  the  study  of  the  Plays  as 
plays.  The  work  called  forth  immediately  on  its  publication  the  most 
favorable  notices  from  leading  journals,  literary  magazines,  and  reviews, 
in  the  United  States,  England  and  Germany,  evincing  a  general  sense  of 
the  need  of  a  higher  study  of  the  dramatist  than  the  merely  textual 
study  pursued  in  the  schools. 

The  London  Spectator,  in  its  extended  article  on  the  work,  February 
15,  1890,  says  :  "  If  we  were  asked  to  give  any  one  feature  which  had 
especially  struck  us  in  reading  Dr.  Corson's  Introduction  to  Shakespeare, 
we  should  at  once  answer — its  common  sense.  Upon  reflection,  and 
in  dread  of  misconstruction,  we  might  substitute  the  expression,  clear- 
ness of  judgment,  or  simplicity  and  directness  of  insight  or  thought  ; 
but  to  ourselves,  in  all  the  comfort  of  intimacy,  where  there  is  no  danger 
of  misunderstandings,  we  said  common-sense,  and  are  tempted  to  leave 
the  expression  for  those  to  whom  it  will  carry  its  full  weight  of  com- 
mendation." 

The  New  York  Nation,  of  November  14,  1889.  says  : 
"The  volume  is  full  of  interest,  and  is  marked  by  its  individuality  ; 
but  its  great  merit  is  that  it  exemplifies  tlie  spirit  in  which  Shakespeare 
should  be  studied,  standing  squarely  against  the  metaphysical  and  mor- 
alizing perversion,  the  superfine  intellectuality,  and  all  the  misconcep- 
tions of  dramadc  art  and  confusion  of  aesthetic  standards  which  came 
upon  us  from  Germany,  and  have  been  fostered  by  the  transcendental 
and  latter-day  critics  of  this  country.  As  an  '  Introduction'  this  book 
sets  the  student  upon  the  right  lines  at  once,  and  frees  him  from  many 
errors  before  he  has  time  to  entertain  them  ;  and  the  writer  speaks  with 
such  spirit  and  decision  that  he  cannot  be  misunderstood.  Altogether, 
so  excellent  a  volume  of  Shakespeare  criticism  has  not  been  put  forth 
by  an  American  scholar  in  many  a  day." 

"  A  Primer  of  English  Verse,  chiefly  in  its  leslhetic  and  organic 
character,"  1892.  In  this  work  but  little  attention  is  given  to  the  mere 
mechanics  of  verse  ;  it  introduces  the  student  to  the  higher  study  of 
verse  as  an  inseparable,  organic  element  of  poetic  expression.  It  has 
been  extensively  used  in  schools  and  colleges,  and  has  given  a  new 
direcdon  to  an  important  line  of  literary  study — important  as  conduc- 
ing to  the  informing  life  of  poetical  productions. 

"The  Aims  of  Literary  Study,"  1895.  This  work  has  done  much 
to  revolutionize  literary  study  in  schools  and  colleges.  The  Atlantic 
Monthly,]\xrv&,  1895,  says  of  it  :  "  The  truths  which  he  sets  forth  are 
of  the  kind  that  enter  the  mind  like  light  ;  they  do  not  knock  like  an 
officer  of  the  law."  The  School  Review.  "  The  sympathetic  insight  for 
the  spiritual  in  literature  that  Dr.  Corson  possesses  in  so  high  a  degree, 
is  a  rare  possession  among  the  sons  of  men." 

Professor  Edward  Everett  Hale,  Jr. ,  writes  in  The  Dial:  •  •  We  have 
to-day  very,  very  few  teachers  of  English  literature  who  have  exercised 
any  such  influence  over  their  students  as  Zarncke  exercised  for  manv 
years  over  some  of  the  best  scholars  of  Germany.  But  of  these  few 
there  can  be  be  no  doubt  that  Professor  Corson   is   one.     I  do  not  know 


Joseph  Dickinson  Corson^'.  loi 

who  among  the  younger  teachers  of  English  have  ever  studied  with  him; 
but  they  know  themselves,  which  is  the  important  matter,  and  their 
students  reap  the  benefit  of  it.  Among  all  the  teachers  in  America,  I 
suppose  Professor  Corson  is  one  of  the  few  who  are  really  men  of  genius. 
....  Professor  Corson  has  a  keenness  of  insight  into  the  living 
meaning  of  things  that  I  can  compare  only  with  the  power  of  Mr.  Ruskin, 
or  possibly  of  Professor  Dowden,  among  those  now  living  who  have 
given  thought  and  study  to  the  interpretation  of  literature.  It  is  only 
of  recent  years  that  this  power  has  come  to  expression  in  books.  And 
these  books,  remarkable  contributions  to  criticism  as  they  are,  do  not 
adequately  convey  Professor  Corson' s  influence.  It  is  therefore  an  excel- 
lent thing  that  he. has  now  endeavored  to  condense  the  spirit  of  his 
teaching  into  an  essay  called  'The  Aims  of  Literary  Study.'  .  .  ,  Ithas 
the  great  merit  of  conveying  successfully  just  what  itattempts  to  convey. 
...  A  student  of  Professor  Corson's  who  reads  it  feels  at  once  a 
revival  of  the  old  fire  that  was  kindled  when  he  first  went  into  that 
stuffy  lecture-room  in  White  Hall.  On  others,  the  effect  will  perhaps 
hardly  be  so  striking  ;  but  still  the  book  will  say  what  it  is  meant  to  say. 
It  is  a  very  small  book  ;  in  fact,  it  is  an  i8mo.  I  wish  it  were  larger,  lor 
it  ought  to  hold  a  place  of  dignity  on  the  book-shelf  alongside  of  works 
of  greater  size  but  less  excellence.  In  its  present  shape,  however,  it 
will  be  easier  to  bind  it  upon  the  tablet  of  the  heart,  which  is  rather 
more  to  the  purpose." 

Says  the  New  York  Evangelist:  "Not  Matthew  Arnold  himself 
has  given,  or  could  give,  a  more  clear  and  lucid  and  persuasive  exposi- 
tion of  the  subject  of  which  it  treats.  In  fact,  Arnold's  celebrated 
definition  of  culture,  as  a  knowledge  of  the  best  that  has  been  thought 
and  said  in  all  ages,  seems  poor  and  superficial  beside  Professor  Corson' s 
warm  and  effective  contention  that  culture  is  not  knowing  at  all,  but 
being,  or,  at  least,  knowing  for  the  purpose  of  being.  Never  before, 
perhaps,  was  the  idea  of  literary  education  lifted  to  so  high  a  plane  and 
so  successfully  carried  over  from  the  realm  of  the  purely  intellectual 
into  the  region  of  the  spiritual.  This  is  the  power  and  persuasiveness 
of  the  little  book — the  light  that  shines  through  it  is  a  spiritual  light. 
Its  interpretation  of  things  intellectual  is  a  spiritual  interpretation.  And 
yet  it  is  very  far  from  being  cloudy,  or  vague,  or  above  the  head  of  the 
ordinary  reader — the  ordinary  student  or  teacher  of  English.  Many  of 
the  utterances  have  the  precision  and  brilliancy  of  epigrams.  The  little 
volume  contains  much  that  is  quotable,  much  that,  if  space  permitted, 
we  should  give  to  our  readers.  We  would  call  the  attention  of  parents 
to  what  the  author  has  to  say  on  vocal  culture  as  hardly  less  important 
than  his  lofty  ideal  of  literary  study." 

"The  Voice  and  Spiritual  PIducation,"  1896;  this  work  was  as 
favorably  received  as  the  preceding,  and  the  highest  commendations 
were  bestowed  upon  it  by  leading  literary  and  educational  organs. 
"Selections  from  Chaucer's  Canterbury  Tales  (Ellesmere  Text),  edited 
with  Introduction,  Notes,  and  Glossary,"  1896.  This  work,  published 
but  two  months  ago,  bids  fair  to  be  the  leading  text-book,  in  the  study 
of  Chaucer. 

Professor  Corson,  was  among  the  earliest  engaged  lecturers  at  the 
Peabody  Institute,  in  Baltimore.  In  January,  1868,  he  gave  a  course 
of  lectures  there  on  the  poetry  of  Milton  to  large  audiences.  During 
the  many  years  of  his  connection  with  the  Cornell  University  (at  the 


I02  History  of  the  Corson  Famity. 

time  of  the  writing  of  this  article,  twenty-five),  he  has  been  in  demand 
as  a  lecturer  and  reader  ;  and  when  his  university  duties  have  permitted, 
he  has  accepted  invitations  to  lecture  and  read  in  various  cities  and 
towns  of  the  country.  In  June,  1877,  he  read  before  the  New  Shakes- 
peare Society,  in  University  College,  London,  a  paper  on  the  develop- 
ment of  Shakespeare's  verse  as  a  chronological  test.  He  has  been  a 
vice-president  of  the  society  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1878,  in  con- 
sideration of  his  literary  services,  St.  John's  College  conferred  upon  him 
the  honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws.  In  June,  1882,  he  read  a 
paper  on  Personality,  and  Art  as  an  agency  of  Personality,  before  the 
Browning  Society  of  London,  in  University  College,  of  which  the  poet 
wrote  to  Dr.  Furnivall,  the  founder  of  the  society  :  "If  your  society 
had  produced  nothing  more  than  Professor  Corson's  paper,  I  should  feel 
abundantly  grateful." 

Professor  Corson  has  been  instrumental  in  establishing  and  guiding 
a  large  number  of  Browning  clubs  in  different  parts  of  the  country,  and 
has  carried  on  an  extensive  correspondence  with  Browning  students. 
He  has  probably  done  more  to  promote  the  study  of  the  poet  than  any 
one  else  in  the  country.  He  had  conducted  a  club  in  the  University, 
and  had  lectured  on  Browning  in  various  places  for  some  years  before 
the  London  Browning  Society  was  formed,  in  1881.  Up  to  that  time 
the  general  reader  had  hardly  looked  into  the  poet's  works,  which  had 
the  undeserved  reputation  of  being  "wilfully  obscure,  unconscientiously 
careless  and  perversely  harsh."  Their  quickening  power  has,  of  late 
years,  been  experienced  by  thousands,  and  thousands  are  indebted  to 
Professor  Corson  for  their  introduction  to  this  power. 

In  the  winter  terms  of  1883,  '84,  and  '85,  he  lectured  at  the  Johns 
Hopkins  University,  having  been  appointed  for  a  period  of  three  years 
lecturer  on  English  literature.  The  first  course  comprised  ten  lectures, 
five  on  the  aesthetics  of  English  verse,  and  five  on  the  poetic  ideals  of 
the  nineteenth  century,  as  exhibited  in  the  poetry  of  Tennyson,  Robert 
Browning,  and  Elizabeth  Barrett  Browning  ;  the  second  comprised 
twenty  lectures  on  the  poetry  and  drama  of  the  Restoration  period,  and 
on  the  subsequent  drama  to  Sheridan,  inclusive  ;  the  third,  twenty 
lectures  on  Shakespeare.  Of  the  last  course.  President  Oilman,  in  his 
annual  report,  1885,  says:  " Professor  Corson,  whose  instructions  dur- 
ing two  preceding  winters  had  exercised  a  marked  influence  in  this 
community,  gave  twenty  lectures  upon  Shakespeare  in  January,  Feb- 
ruary, and  March.  After  two  introductory  discourses,  he  discussed  ten 
of  the  principal  plays,  namely,  Romeo  and  Juliet,  King  John,  Much 
Ado  About  Nothing,  Hamlet,  Macbeth,  Coriolanus.  Julius  Ca:sar, 
Antony  and  Cleopatra,  Winter's  Tale,  and  Cvmbeline.  It  was  the 
speaker's  purpose,  as  he  stated  it,  "to  represent  the  poet's  early,  middle, 
and  late  work,  and,  along  with  a  presentation  of  the  organic  structure 
of  the  plays  selected,  to  indicate  Shakespeare's  progress  in  the  creation 
of  character,  to  contrast  his  portrayal  of  character  with  that  of  Ben 
Jonson  and  other  contemporary  dramatists,  ...  in  a  word  to 
present  the  plays  on  the  human  side  rather  than  on  the  scholastic. 
...  So  large  a  number  of  persons  desired  to  hear  Professor 
Corson  and  Mr.  Gosse  (who  gave  a  course  of  lectures  on  the  rise  of 
classical  poetry  m  England  from  Shakespeare  to  Pope),  that  the  authori- 
ties of  the  Peabody  Institute  kindly  opened  one  of  their  large  halls  to 
the  university,  and  these  lectures  were  therefore  announced  as  under 
the  auspices  of  both  foundations. ' ' 


Joseph  Dickinson  Corson^.  103 

As  the  result  of  forty  years  lecturing  on  English  Literature,  and 
kindred  subjects,  Professor  Corson  has  a  large  mass  of  literary  material 
which  he  hopes  to  find  time  before  his  working  powers  fail  him,  to  pre- 
pare for  publication.  This  material  covers  the  whole  field  of  English 
Literature  from  the  Anglo-Saxon  epic  of  Beowulf,  of  the  8th  century, 
to  the  present  time. 

4.  William  Corson^  (fourth  child  of  Joseph  and  Ann  Cor- 
son), died  unmarried,  in  Portsmouth,  Ohio,  October  i,  18C4. 

5.  Isabella  Corson^  (fifth  child  of  Joseph  and  Ann 
Corson),  married  George  A.  Lenzi,  of  Norristown.  Their  chil- 
dren are  : 

(i)  Anne  Corson  Lenzi^  married  to  Thomas  Scott  of 
North  Wales. 

(2)  William  Corson  LENZI^  assistant  teller  in  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Norristown. 

(3)  Marie  Blanche  Lenzi^  and  (4)  Claribel  Lenzi*, 
the  last  three  unmarried  and  living  with  their  parents.  All  the 
daughters  have  shown  marked  artistic  ability. 

6.  Clara  Corson^  (sixth  child  of  Joseph  and  Ann  Cor- 
son), married  William  John  Sholl;  their  children  are:  (i) 
Albert  Edward^  and  (2)  Anna  McClureI 

(i)  Albert  Edward  Sholl*  married  Mary  Mills  of 
Canajoharie,  N.  Y.;  they  have  one  child,  Helen  Corson 
Sholl^  born  in  1890. 

(2)  Anna  McClure  Sholl*  is  engaged  in  literary  work, 
and  has  shown  considerable  talent  as  a  writer. 

7.  Humphrey  Corson''  (seventh  child  of  Joseph  and  Ann 
Corson),  married  Ella  Bowman  of  Kent  County,  Md.  He 
died  August  19,  1892.     Their  children  are  : 

(i)  Evelyn  Corson*  married  Frank  Webb  Blake  of 
Norfolk,  Va.,  and  they  have  one  child,  Mary  Corson  BLAKE^ 

born  in  1890. 

(2)  Emma    Rubena    Corson*,  unmarried,    teaching  near 

Baltimore. 

(3)  Walter  Bowman  Corson*,  unmarried. 

8.  Howard  Corson^  (the  youngest  child  of  Joseph  and  Ann 
Corson),  died  unmarried  at  Norristown,  January  21,  1870. 


X. 


Charles  Corson^. 

Charles  was  the  third  son  of  Joseph  and  Hannah  D, 
Corson,  and  was  born  at  the  Hickorytown  home,  January  22, 
1801.  He  married  Sarah  Egbert  (daughter  of  Laurence 
Egbert  and  a  sister  of  Mary  who  married  brother  Alan)  and 
they  Hved  for  more  than  fort)'  years  on  their  large  farm  at 
the  junction  of  the  Perkiomen  and  Skippack  Creeks,  in  Lower 
Providence  Township,  Montgomery  County.  There  they  both 
died,  Sarah  on  the  23d  of  August,  1864  (she  was  born,  March 
17,  1801),  Charles  on  the  5th  of  May,  1878,  aged  76  years, 
3  months,  13  days.  They  are  both  buried  in  Montgomery 
Cemetery  at  Norristown. 

Though  busily  engaged  in  the  labors  of  a  farm  of  177 
acres,  Charles  was  not  inattentive  to  what  was  passing  around 
him.  At  the  time  he  and  his  good  wife  commenced  farming, 
the  anti-slavery  subject  was  beginning  to  exercise  the  people 
of  PennsyK^ania,  and  especially  of  that  portion  of  it  between 
the  Marjdand  line  and  Philadelphia  and  Harrisburg. 

Charles  was  an  impulsive  man  with  an  inborn  courage 
that  enabled  him  to  espouse  openly,  and  advocate  boldly, 
any  cause  which  had  for  its  object  the  bettering  of  the  com- 
munity. But  not  that  alone  ;  his  .sympathies  were  with  the 
sufferer,  wherever  found,  and  he  therefore  entered  boldly 
the  ranks  of  the  anti-slavery  people — the  hated  abolitionists 
as  they  were  then  regarded.  He  entered  the  contest  early, 
even  before  the  formation  of  the  Anti-Slavery  Society  of 
Philadelphia   in    1837.       The    members   of  the    Montgomery 

County   Historical   Society    have    recently    asked    me,  one  of 
104 


Charles  Corson^. 


105 


their  members,  to  write  an  account  of  the  work  done  by 
abohtionists  in  Montgomery  County  ;  from  which  I  may  be 
allowed  to  draw  testimony  in  relation  to  Charles'  participancy 
in  anti-slavery  work.  In  writing  the  account  the  county 
was  divided  into  sections,  so  as  better  to  individualize  each 
one's  work.  The  Lower  Providence  section  is  made  up  of  a 
group  of  ten  or  fifteen  men  and  women,  of  whom  Charles 
Corson  and  wife  are  a  part.  The  work  done  by  this  group 
was  continued  for  many  years  and  during  the  lifetime  of 
Charles  was  carried  on  by  him  with  great  vigor  and  fearlessness. 
His  house  was  a  station  on  the  "  Underground  Railroad," 
where  fugitives  were  housed,  secreted,  and,  when  opportunity 
offered,  sent  on  over  the  line  to  the  next  station,  and  so  on  to 
Canada. 

Numerous  were  the  cases  brought  at  night  to  his  house 
by  the  other  abolitionists  of  that  and  the  Chester  County 
group.  I  will  mention  a  single  one,  the  case  of  Rachel,  or 
"  Rache,"  as  she  was  called.  She  had  been  a  slave  in  Balti- 
more, but  had  escaped  to  West  Chester,  where  she  remained 
until  the  "  Master  "  had  her  arrested.  Her  escape  from  her 
"Master"  and  her  reception  by  Dr.  Fussell  is  a  thrilling 
histoiy ;  but  as  these  incidents  occured  in  Chester  County, 
we  will  start  with  her  when  she  and  three  others  were  brought 
by  Dr.  Fussell  to  William  Taylor's,  in  Phoenixville.  Mr.  Taylor, 
in  speaking  of  it,  said,  "  I  arose  and  mounted  my  horse  to 
pilot  them  ;  we  crossed  the  Schuylkill  River  at  Phoenixville. 
There  was  then  (forty-four  years  ago)  no  bridge  there  and  the 
night  was  very  dark.  I  took  Dr.  Fussell  and  his  part)^  to 
Charles  Corson's.  A  large  part  of  the  road  was  through 
woods  and  so  dark  that  I  had  to  feel  the  way  and  lead  the 
Doctor's  horse.  We  crossed  the  Perkiomen  Creek  at  Tyson's 
Mill  and  got  to  Charles  Corson's  about  midnight.  I  left 
Dr.  Fussell  and  party  at  Corson's,  and  returned  home  at  three 
o'clock  that  night.  The  next  day  Charles  Corson  geared  to 
his  market  wagon  and  took  '  Rache  '  to  the  home  of  William 
H.  Johnson  at  Buckingham,  Bucks  County  (another  important 


io6  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

Underground  Railroad  station) — a  distance  of  about  twenty- 
five  miles.  Mr.  Johnson  then  wrote  to  her  husband  in  West 
Chester  to  tell  him  where  she  was.  The  husband,  who  was  a 
free  man,  gave  a  power  of  attorney  to  some  one  in  West 
Chester  to  dispose  of  his  property  and  forward  the  receipts  to 
him  at  Waterloo,  Canada,  where  husband  and  wife  finally 
reached."  He  also  gives  the  cases  of  John  and  Jane  French ; 
Periy  and  Lucy  Simons ;  Eliza,  a  slave  mother  and  her  son  ; 
all  of  whom  came  to  the  Upper  Providence  Group  and  were 
carried  across  the  Perkiomen  to  Charles  Corson,  and  by  him 
sent  on  and  on,  to  the  Underground  Railroad  stations  in  Ikicks 
County,  and  to  all  of  the  others  until  they  were  safe  in  Canada. 
Mr.  Taylor  in  his  account  of  the  work,  said  "so,  it  would 
appear  to  those  who-  stood  aloof,  that  the  road  of  those 
engaged  in  the  Underground  Railroad  was  not  strewn  with 
flowers,  but  there  was  a  consolation  that  outsiders  did  not 
understand." 

The  children  of  Charles  and  Sarah   h^gbert  Corson  who 
lived  beyond  their  childhood  were  : 

^,        I.  Richard  Reed  Corson",  married  Louisa  Williams. 
^^*"'''' 2?^ William  Egbert  Corson",  married  Hannah   Highley. 
"^^'""S.  George  Norman  Corson',  married  Maria  Hurst. 

4.  Adelaide  Corson'^,  married  Albert  Crawford. 

5.  Susan  Rogers  Corson",  married  Felix  Francis  Highley. 

6.  John  Jacobs  Corson^  married  Rebecca  P^reedley. 

7.  Mary  Francis  Corson",  unmarried. 

8.  Laurence  Egbert  Corson^,  deceased  ;  was  unmarried. 
Their  first  born,  also  named   Laurence  Plgbert  Corson, 

died  in  infancy,  as  did  also  their  second  born,  Joseph  Leedom 
Corson,  and  their  fourth  child,  PLleanor  Corson  ;  their  sixth 
child,  Joseph  Norman  Corson,  was  drowned  at  an  early  age. 

I.  Richard  Reed  Corson^  born  October  31,  1825,  mar- 
ried December  28,  1863,  Louisa  Williams  (daughter  of  PMward 
and  Maria  Williams),  of  New  Castle,  Del.  He  served  with 
distinction  in  the  Civil  War,  in  the  cavalry  branch  of  the 
service,    attaining  the   rank   of    Major.     After    the    war   was 


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Charles  Corsorf.  107 

ended  he  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business  in  Norristown. 
His  wife,  Louisa  Williams  Corson,  is  a  woman  of  superior 
intelligence  and  highly  gifted  as  a  musician.  They  have  three 
children :  (i)  Charles  Edward^;  (2)  Marie^  and  (3)  Louise 
Harding^ 

(i)  Charles  Edward  Corson^  is  in  the  real  estate  busi- 
ness ;  he  is  unmarried. 

(2)  Marie  Corson^  married  William  E.  Albertson,  (son 
of  the  late  J.  Morton  Albertson,)  who  is  at  the  head  of  the 
Albertson  Trust  Company  of  Norristown.  They  have  three 
childien :  i,  Marie  Albertson^;  2,  Howard  Albertson", 
and  3,  William  Lee  Albertson^ 

(3)  Louise  Harding  Corson^  married  September  24, 
1896,  George  Clay  Bowker,  son  of  the  late  John  Bowker,  of 
Philadelphia. 

2.  William  Egbert  Corson''  (son  of  Charles  and  Sarah 
Egbert  Corson),  born  October  3,  1829,  married  January  8, 
1856,  Hannah  Highley  (daughter  of  George  and  Ann  [Francis] 
Highley),  and  they  had  five  children,  the  last  two  (twins)  dying 
in  infancy.  The  mother  also  died  shortly  after  their  birth. 
The  other  three  children  are  :  (i)  Frank  Egbert'*;  (2) 
Charles^  and  (3)  AnnieI 

(i)  Frank  Egbert  Corson^  married  Rebecca  Hughes, 
and  they  had  one  child,  Helen  Corson^  who  is  now  an 
orphan,  her  mother  dying  several  years  ago,  and  later  her 
father  was  killed  by  a  fall  from  a  building  in  a  Western  State, 
where  he  was  temporarily  engaged,  working  at  his  trade,  that 
of  a  carpenter. 

(2)  Charles  Corson'*  moved  to  a  Western  State  and 
married. 

(3)  Annie  Corson^  married  the  Rev.  William  T.  Way, 
who  is  the  Rector  of  Emanuel  Episcopal  Church  in  Baltimore, 
where  they  live. 

3.  George  Norman  Corson^  (third  son  of  Charles  and 
Sarah    Egbert    Corson),    was   born   March   11,    1833.     After 


io8  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

teaching  in  the  public  schools  for  a  short  time,  he  commenced 
the  study  of  law  and  in  due  time  was  admitted  to  the  Bar, 
where  he  soon  assumed  a  leading  position  ;  he  was  a  member 
of  the  Constitutional  Convention  and  has  held  other  important 
positions.  He  married,  September  29,  1859,  Maria  Hurst, 
(daughter  of  Alfred  Hurst).  Their  children,  who  have 
reached  adult  life,  are  :  (i)  Georgine^;  (2)  Simon  Cameron^; 
(3)  Rosalie®;  (4)  Harold^  and  (5)  ChalfordI 

(i)  Georgine  Corson*  married  J.  Sherburn  Singer  and 
they  have  one  child,  J.  Sherburn  Singer,  Jr.^ 

(2)  Simon  Cameron  Corson*  is  a  civil  engineer  ;  he  is 
unmarried. 

(3)  Rosalie  Corson*  married  George  N.  Weaver,  and 
they  have  one  child.  Hurst  Weaver^ 

(4)  Harold  Corson*  is  a  conveyancer  and  Justice  of  the 
Peace  ;  he  married  Carrie,  daughter  of  the  late  Kphraim  and 
Margaret  A.  Gautier  ;  they  have  no  children. 

(5)  Chalford  Corson*  is  unmarried. 

4.  Adelaide  Corson^  (eldest  daughter  of  Charles  and 
Sarah  Egbert  Corson),  born  October  28,  1834,  married  Novem- 
ber 29,  1855,  Albert  Crawford,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Lower 
Providence  Township,  Montgomery  County,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  four  living  children  :  (i)  Joseph*;  (2)  J.  Norman*; 
(3)  Sarah  C.*,  and  (4)  Marv  F.* 

(i)  Joseph  Crawford\  who  is  unmarried,  is  in  the  drug 
business  in  Philadelphia,  and  has  been  \cry  successful. 

(2)  J.  Norman  Crawford*  succeeded  his  father  in  the 
management  of  the  large  farm  owned  by  the  latter  ;  he  mar- 
ried Josephine,  daughter  of  the  late  Samuel  Rittcnhouse,  and 
they  have  two  children  :  (i)  Bessie  P'rancis  Crawford^  and 
(2)  Adelaide  Corson  Crawford^. 

(3)  Sarah  Corson  Crawford*  married  Wallace  B.  Hen- 
derson, of  Upper  Merion  Township,  Montgomery  County; 
she  died  August  8,  1896.  They  have  two  children  :  i, 
Joseph  Crawford  Henderson^  and  2,  Allen  Traquair 
Henderson^ 


George  N.  Highley,  M.  D. 


Charles  Corson^.  109 

(4)  Mary  Francis  Crawford'^  is  unmarried  ;  she  resides 
with  her  parents. 

5.  Susan  Rogers  Corson^  (daughter  of  Charles  and 
Sarah  Egbert  Corson),  born  December  9,  1836,  married 
Januar>'  i,  1857,  Fehx  Francis  Highley,  a  son  of  George  and 
Ann  Francis  Highley  (and  a  brother  to  Hannah,  who  married 
Susan's  brother  William).  They  lived  for  about  eighteen 
years  after  their  marriage  on  their  farm  in  Schuylkill  Town- 
ship, Chester  County,  at  the  confluence  of  the  Pickering  Creek 
with  the  River  Schuylkill,  and  then  moved  to  a  farm  which 
they  purchased,  near  Jeffersonville,  in  Norriton  Township, 
Montgomery  County  ;  finally,  in  1884,  they  moved  into  their 
present  home,  in  the  eastern  suburbs  of  Norristown,  where 
they  have  been  living  a  quiet  retired  life.  They  have  had  six 
children,  the  eldest  of  them,  Albert  Crawford  Highley*, 
born  March  22,  1858,  died  at  the  age  of  12  years  and  8  days. 
Their  living  children  are:  (i)  George  N.^;  (2)  Ione  B.*; 
(3)  Charles  C.*;  (4)  Sarah  C.^  and  (5)  Nannie  P.« 

(i)  George  Norman  HIGHLEY^  M.  D.,  eldest  living  child  of 
Felix  Francis  and  Susan  Rogers  (Corson)  Highley,  was  born 
August  13,  1859,  on  the  Schuylkill  Township  farm,  in  the 
house  (which  is  still  standing)  built  by  his  great  grandfather, 
Heniy  Highley.  He  studied  medicine  with  his  great-uncle, 
the  late  Dr.  William  Corson,  and  graduated  from  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania,  March  15,  1881  After  practising  for  a  short 
time  in  Roxborough,  Philadelphia,  he  moved  to  Conshohocken 
(June  12,  1882),  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  married, 
June  I,  1887,  Maiy  Wood  Wilson  (daughter  of  the  late 
William  and  Annie  H.  [Yerkes]  Wilson)  and  they  have  had 
three  children  :  i,  Albert  Wilson  Highley^  who  died  May 
23,  1893,  aged  4^  years;  2,  Annie  Wilson  Highley^  born 
April  4,  1893,  and  3,  Charles  Corson  Highley,  Jr.^  born 
June  8,  1895. 

Dr.  George  N.  Highley  is  an  active  member  of  the 
Montgomery  County  Medical  Society,  the  Medical  Society  of 
Pennsylvania,   the    American    Medical  Association,   and    the 


no  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

Obstetrical  Society  of  Philadelphia.  He  is  a  Director  of  the 
Tradesmen's  National  Bank  of  Conshohocken,  and  is  now 
serving  his  second  term  as  Burgess  of  the  borough. 

(2)  loNE  B.  HiGHLEY*,  boHi  November  11,  i860,  married 
Henry  Lawrence  Everett,  proprietor  of  The  Aimers'  Review  of 
Philadelphia.  Both  she  and  her  husband  have  decided  literary 
tastes  and  have  travelled  extensively  :  they  have   no  children. 

(3)  Charles  Corson  Higiilev'',  born  February  23,  1862, 
is  unmarried.  After  having  been  a  student  at  law  for  a  short 
period  he  was  appointed  (in  1882)  Cashier  of  the  Malvern 
National  Bank,  which  position  he  still  holds,  as  well  as  a 
directorship  in  the  same  institution.  He  is  also  a  Justice  of 
the  Peace  and  a  general  business  man  in  Malvern,  Chester 
County,  whose  people  hold  him  in  high  esteem. 

(4)  Sarah  Corson  Highlev,  born  October  18,  1863, 
married  George  Meade  Holstein,  a  son  of  Dr.  George  W. 
Holstein,  of  Bridgeport,  Montgomer}'-  County.  Her  husband 
is  the  general  manager  of  the  Bertha  Zinc  and  Mineral  Com- 
pany, Pulaski,  Virginia,  where  the\'  reside.  They  ha\'e  three 
children  :  i,  Abbv  P""ou  Albade  Holstein",  born  July  19, 
1893  ;  2,  George  Meade  Holstein,  Jn.^born  March  9,  1895  ; 
and  3,  Francis  Highley  Holstein",  born  July  16,  1896. 

(5)  Nannie  Pawning  HIGHLEY^  born  May  5,  1873,  lives 
with  her  parents  in  Norristown. 

6.  John  Jacobs  Corson'  (son  of  Charles  and  Sarah 
Egbert  Corson),  born  Januar>^  5,  1839,  has  been  a  successful 
business  man  in  Norristown,  where  he  has  resided  since  he 
attained  his  manhood.  He  has  been  long  recognized  as  a 
leading  real  estate  agent  and  conveyancer,  and  an  able 
financier.  He  is  a  Director  of  the  Montgomery  Trust  and 
Safe  Deposit  Company,  and  is  largely  interested  in  the  building 
associations  and  other  financial  institutions  of  the  boro'ugh. 
He  married,  April  8,  1872,  Rebecca  Pawling  Freedley 
(daughter  of  Henry  Freedley,  and  great  granddaughter  of 
Joseph  Heister,  a  former  Governor  of  Pennsylvania).  They 
have   eight   children :    (i)    Nellie   Corson  ;   (2)   Susan    R. 


John  J.  Corson 


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Charles  Corson'' 


III 


(Daisy)  Corson^;  (3)  Alice  Corson^  ;  (4)  John  Jay  Corson*  ; 
(5)  Henry  Freedley  Corson^;  (6)  Paula  Corson";  (7)  Russel 
Corson^  and  (8)  Dorothy  Corson^ 

7.  Mary  Francis  Corson^  (youngest  daughter  of  Charles 
and  Sarah  Egbert  Corson),  born  March  29,  1841,  and  her 
brother,  8,  Laurence  Egbert  Corson'',  born  November  3,  1842, 
continued  to  live  at  the  old  homestead  after  the  death  of  their 
father  in  1878,  and  until  the  death  of  Laurence  in  February, 
1888.  They  operated  the  farm  very  successfully  during  that 
time,  working  in  perfect  harmony  and  love — each  striving  to 
better  the  condition  of  the  other.  Both  were  possessed  of 
bright  and  intellectual  minds,  and  were  leaders  of  thought  in 
their  neighborhood  and  among  their  circle  of  acquaintances. 
Laurence  died  of  an  acute  illness,  February  16,  1888. 
Mary  Francis  then  took  up  her  residence  with  her  sisters, 
Susan  R.  Highley  and  Adelaide  Crawford,  alternately.  For 
several  years  before  the  death  of  her  brother  she  suffered 
greatly  with  rheumatism  and  it  afterwards  afflicted  her  so 
much  that  she  became  unable  to  leave  her  bed  or  chair  and 
has  since  remained  in  that  unfortunate  condition.  Though 
her  body  has  been  deeply  afflicted  and  pain  and  distress  are 
her  constant  companions,  she  has  borne  it  all  with  a  Christian 
fortitude  and  forbearance.  It  can  very  truthfully  be  said  of 
her  that  kindness  and  Christian  charity  have  characterized  her 
whole  life. 


XI. 


George  Corson"'. 

George  Corson^  (fourth  son  of  Joseph  and  Hannah 
Dickinson  Corson),  was  born  Januaiy  4,  1803,  at  Hickory- 
town,  in  Plymouth  Township.  He  was  an  apt  scliolar  with  a 
remarkable  mathematical  talent,  equalling  if  not  excelling  his 
brothers,  Alan  W.  and  Joseph  D.,  who  were  distinguished  in 
their  neighborhoods  for  the  same  talents,  and  which  was  a 
characteristic  of  their  father.  In  brother  Alan's  school,  where 
were  congregated  some  of  the  brightest  minds  from  different 
parts  of  the  county,  George  led  them  all  in  that  branch  of 
studies  ;  while  in  reading,  and  more  especial)}'  in  spelling,  he 
fell  behind  many  of  them,  being  very  careless  about  these 
branches.  When  grown  to  adult  age  he  engaged  in  store- 
keeping  with  Jonathan  Maulsby  at  Plymouth  Meeting,  and  as 
the  business  was  one  to  which  he  had  been  accustomed,  while 
with  his  father,  he  was  successful  to  a  great  degree.  On 
Januaiy  24,  1832,  he  married  Martha  Maulsby,  daughter  of 
Samuel  and  Susan  IMaulsby,  ncc  Thomas.  Samuel  Maulsby 
was  the  owner  of  a  large  and  fertile  farm  at  Plymouth  Meeting, 
where  in  addition  to  the  farming  operations  the  burning  of 
lime  was  extensively  carried  on  by  him.  After  the  death  of 
his  father-in-law,  George  purchased  the  homestead  and  the 
hmestone  quarries  and  continued  the  business  successfully 
until  his  death  from  consumption,  November  18,  i860,  in  the 
58th  year  of  his  age. 

Moses  Auge,  in  his  Biography  of  Men  of  Montgomery 
County,  says  of  him  :  "  He  was  justly  distinguished  for  high 
moral  qualities,  being  a  most  untiring  temperance   and   anti- 


■^mw/ 


George  Corson 


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i9uy  ^ 


George  Corson^.  u, 

slavery  reformer.  Few  men  have  exercised  a  better  influence 
in  the  neighborhood,  than  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  Though 
never  a  member  of  Friends'  Meeting,  he  and  his  wife  were 
frequent  attendants  of  it,  and  their  children  were  brought  up 
in  accordance  with  the  principles  of  the  Society."  There  are 
a  few  incidents  of  his  life  which  will  outline  his  character, 
better  than  any  eulogium,  which  after  the  fashion  of  biogra- 
phers would  do.  At  the  time  of  cariying  on  his  varied  opera- 
tions at  Plymouth  and  especially  in  the  lime  business  where 
the  men  employed  had  long  been  exceedingly  abusive  to 
horses,  he  exercised  a  marked  influence  for  good.  Not  a 
man  was  allowed  to  strike  or  maltreat  a  horse,  and  even  the 
carters  in  the  employ  of  others,  were  often  stopped  in  their 
abuse  of  the  animals,  by  his  fearless  interference.  No  threats 
of  injury  from  the  drivers  checked  him  for  a  moment.  I  have 
several  times  seen  the  whip  and  even  clubs  raised  to  strike 
him,  but  those  who  raised  them  quailed  before  the  courage 
and  demands  of  the  friend  of  the  noble  animal. 

When  he  added  lime  burning  to  his  other  business 
operations,  it  was  the  universal  practice  to  furnish  whiskey 
to  the  laborers.  Among  the  workmen  were  a  few  called 
"•archers."  It  was  their  business  to  construct  the  arch.  On 
account  of  the  skill  deemed  necessary  they  received  double 
wages.  While  the  men  received  but  a  dollar  per  day  the 
archers  received  two  dollars.  They  were  specialists  and  went 
from  kiln  to  kiln  in  the  neighborhood  wherever  such  work  was 
needed.  Many  of  the  workmen  drank  heavily,  and  there  was 
sometimes  great  loss  by  reason  of  "bad  burns,"  a  term  in 
use  to  designate  a  failure  to  have  the  stone  well  converted 
into  lime  ;  fights  among  the  men  were  also  common,  and 
George  determined  to  stop  the  "grog." 

When  he  announced  to  the  men,  that  no  more  liquor 
would  be  given  to  them,  and  that  they  should  not  bring  any 
of  their  own,  there  were  grumbling  and  oaths  in  abundance. 
The  archers  struck  at  once.  They  felt  confident  that  he  could 
not  burn  lime  if  they  all  refused  to  "arch,"  and  that  he  would 


114  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

soon  come  to  their  terms,  Those  people  who  best  knew 
George  Corson,  knew  full  well  that  there  would  be  no  com- 
promise. They  felt  that  a  man  of  his  mathematical  talent 
and  mechanical  genius  could  easily  be  "foreman"  and 
"  archer,"  too,  if  need  be.  Hiring  outside  men,  in  place  of 
those  who  quit  the  work,  he  stood  on  the  top  of  the  kiln  and 
directed  raw  hands,  where  to  lay  the  "arch  stones,"  one  after 
another  till  the  arch  was  completed,  and  it  was  a  success. 
From  that  time  the  business  of  "arching"  was  a  lost  one. 
Since  then  any  of  the  common  workmen  can  arch,  and  with- 
out increase  of  wages  in  his  business.  Other  manufacturers 
of  lime  continued  to  give  whiskey  to  the  men  for  a  time, 
some  of  them  for  years,  but  eventually,  seeing  how  much 
better  the  business  could  be  done  without  its  being  used,  it  was 
abandoned.      Now,  it  is  not  given  b\-  any  lime  burner. 

As  AN  Anti-Slavkrv  Man. 
As  early  as  1830,  Benjamin  Lundy,  the  little  New  Jersey 
Quaker,  came  to  Plymouth  to  speak  about  slavery,  and  to 
show  that  the  Southern  slave-holders  were  scheming  to  embroil 
the  United  States  with  Mexico,  and  then  to  wrest  Texas  from 
that  country,  in  order  to  have  a  vast,  new  and  fertile  region 
consecrated  to  slaver}-.  F'ricnd  Lundy  was  also  desirous  to 
procure  subscribers  to  the  Genius  of  Universal  Ematieipation, 
a  paper  he  was  then  publishing  in  the  City  of  Baltimore.  He 
came  to  George  Corson's  house  and  was  entertained.  George 
procured  the  Friends'  Meeting-house  in  which  to  hold  a 
meeting  in  the  evening.  Word  was  sent  around  to  the  resi- 
dents, but  when  the  time  came  there  were  ver^^  few  present — 
only  Alan,  George  and  Hiram  Corson,  Jonathan  Maulsby  and 
his  sister,  George  Corson's  wife,  Jonathan  Adamson,  and  two 
or  three  others.  In  a  quiet,  conversational  tone  Benjamin  gave 
his  views  on  the  enormity  of  slavery  in  the  United  States  ; 
told  of  his  travels  through  Texas,  undertaken  in  order  to 
discover  the  condition  of  its  people  ;  and  especially  their  views 
of  slavery  in  the  States.  He  also  laid  bare  the  scheme  of 
our  Southern  people  to  secure  that  vast  region  for  the  extension 


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George  Corson''.  115 

of  slavery.  This  was  the  awakening  of  George  Corson  and 
his  wife  to  the  subject  which  for  many  years  strongly  engaged 
his  attention  and  sympathy,  and  led  him  to  give  entertainment 
and  encouragement  to  anti-slaver>^  lecturers.  It  was  the 
beginning  of  a  generous  hospitahty  which  was  given  to  the 
advocates  of  anti-slavery  for  a  period  of  thirty  years.  He 
subscribed  for  the  Genms  of  Emancipation  and  thus  kept 
abreast  of  the  anti-slavery  movement  so  that  when  William 
Lloyd  Garrison  made  his  famous  declaration,  George  occupied 
a  foremost  position. 

The  Anti-Slaver>^  Society  of  the  nation  was  formed  in 
1833,  and  he  was  ready  to  join  hands  with  the  hated  aboli- 
tionists, as  they  were  called.  From  that  time  he  and  his 
excellent  wife,  the  youngest  daughter  of  Samuel  Maulsby, 
threw  open  their  house  to  all  the  anti-slavery  speakers, 
attended  meetings,  far  and  near,  conveyed  speakers  to  meet- 
ings gotten  up  for  them,  and  while  ever  they  remained  in  the 
neighborhood  gave  them  a  home.  Garrison,  McKim,  Charles 
and  Cyrus  Burleigh,  the  renowned  Lucretia  Mott,  Miss  Mary 
Grew  and  her  zealous  friend,  Mrs.  Cyrus  Burleigh — then 
Margaret  Jones — Abby  Kelley,  the  zealous  and  eloquent, 
afterwards  married  to  the  abolitionist,  Stephen  Foster,  and  many 
others,  were  entertained  by  his  good  wife  and  himself  This 
now  seems  a  trifling  matter  to  talk  about,  to  those  who  have 
been  born  since  those  days  ;  but  to  others  who  know  how 
abolitionists  were  denounced  by  nearly  the  whole  of  our  peo- 
ple, how  ministers  in  their  pulpits  spoke  of  them  as  infidels, 
for  going  against  slavery  which  was  sanctioned  by  the  Bible 
and  was  a  divine  institution  ;  how  the  vulgar  people,  sup- 
ported by  the  minister's  belief,  cursed  them  and  mobbed 
them;  how  even  Friends  "dealt"  with  those  of  their  members 
who  took  active  part  with  the  abolitionists  ;  how  even  their 
beloved  preacher,  the  amiable  and  Christian  Lucretia 
Mott  and  her  husband,  were  treated  with  extreme  coldness 
and  heavy  censure  by  Friends  with  whom  they  had  a  long 
time  worshipped  ;  I  say  that  to  those  who  lived  in  these  times 


ii6  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

and  knew  of  those  things,  the  open  advocacy  of  George 
Corson  and  his  wife  and  their  taking  these  '1  hated  people  "  to 
their  home,  was  not  a  trifling  affair,  but  a  heroic  act,  bom  of 
courage  and  nobleness. 

Only  persons  of  courage  and  deep  convictions  were 
found  in  the  ranks  of  the  aboHtionists  in  the  early  days  of  the 
anti-slavery  struggles.  It  was  at  that  time  safe  and  respect- 
able to  be  a  Colonizationist,  for  the  slave-holders  approved  it 
as  a  means  for  removing  from  their  midst  the  free  negroes, 
whose  freedom  caused  the  slaves  to  long  for  it,  too,  and  made 
them  restless  and  dissatisfied.  So,  Northern  people,  who 
hated  abolitionists,  could  prate  boldly  of  being  Coloniza- 
tionists,  and  consequently  advocates  of  freedom  for  them. 

George  Corson  was,  one  day,  on  a  visit  to  his  brother 
Charles,  who  lived  at  the  junction  of  the  Skippack  and 
Perkiomen  creeks,  and  while  coming  home  on  the  back  road 
not  much  travelled,  overtook  a  man  on  horseback,  and  behind 
him  on  foot  a  black  man,  with  a  rope  around  his  neck,  the 
other  end  being  fastened  to  the  rider's  saddle.  This  unusual 
and  disgraceful  sight  attracted  his  attention,  but  knowing  as 
he  did,  that  many  colored  men  had  been  caught  by  their 
former  masters  and  taken  south,  he  at  once  took  in  the  situa- 
tion, and  riding  up  to  the  master  asked  him  why  he  was 
taking  the  man  along  in  that  way  ;  the  slaveholder  replied, 
that  *'  the  man  had  been  his  slave,  had  ran  away,  that  he  had 
found  him  and  was  taking  him  home."  After  some  further  talk, 
George  hurried  on  to  Norristown  and  got  a  warrant  in  order 
to  arrest  him.  When  the  slaveholder  came  to  the  town  he 
was  arrested  and  taken  before  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  (?)  The 
master  procured  a  lawyer,  and  the  office  was  soon  filled 
with  people,  indignant  that  a  Southern  gentleman  (?)  should 
have  been  thus  insulted,  and  Norristown  disgraced,  by  having 
him  arrested.  The  Magistrate  decided  that  the  master  had  a 
right  to  his  property — his  slave — and  ordered  the  prosecutor 
to  pay  the  costs.  "The  master  has  a  right  to  his  property  ; 
you  want  to    rob   him  of  his  property,"  was  the  battle  cry  of 


<  > 


H  z 
o    — 


I  ? 


George  Corsoi'f.  117 

the  pro-slavery  people  everywhere  at  that  time.  George 
Corson  was  a  small  man  and  at  that  time  a  weak  one,  but  a 
truer,  braver  man  never  stood  by  the  side  of  a  friend  in  his 
hour  of  peril.      He  died  November  13,  i860. 

Of  the  children  of  George  and  Martha  Maulsby  Corson, 
Susan'',  their  first  born  died  of  consumpton  in  her  fifteenth 
year ;  Mary'^  in  infancy ;  Dr.  Marcus  Heilner  Corson^  in 
his  twenty-third  of  year  the  same  disease.  This  son — their  fifth 
child — was  a  youth  of  remarkable  talents,  but  died  soon  after 
he  had  graduated  M.  D.  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
With  a  wonderful  memory,  a  passion  for  knowledge,  and  great 
studiousness  he  gave  great  promise  of  eminence  in  his  profes- 
sion, but  the  fond  hopes  of  his  friends  were  sadly  blighted  by 
his  early  death,  which  occurred  May  23,  1872. 

Samuel  Maui^by  Corson'^,  the  oldest  of  the  sons  was 
a  student  in  the  literary  department  of  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania, afterwards  studied  law  in  Philadelphia,  and  practiced 
there  for  a  time  ;  but  the  law  was  distasteful  to  him.  Litera- 
ture was  his  delight,  and  like  his  brother.  Dr.  Marcus  H. 
Corson,  he  was  a  scholar  of  mark.  Too  much  of  a  "  book 
worm  "  to  engage  in  ordinary  pursuits  he  resorted  to  teaching, 
for  which  he  was  peculiarly  fitted  and  which  seemed  to  be  a 
delight  to  him.  In  this  he  was  very  successful,  and  greatly 
beloved  by  his  pupils.  While  thus  engaged  he  wrote  valuable 
articles  for  the  newspapers,  which  were  greatly  appreciated  by 
the  public.  An  unassuming,  kind  and  scholarly  gentleman, 
he  passed  away  August  7,  1881,  in  his  forty-third  year.  There 
are  now  (1896)  only  three  of  the  children  living:  i.  Dr. 
Ellwood  M.''  ;  2,  Helen^  (Mrs.  Hovenden),  and  3,  Ida\ 

I.  Dr.  Ellwood  Maulsby  Corson',  after  a  proper  early 
education,  entered  on  the  study  of  medicine  under  my  pre- 
ceptorship;  but  in  one  year  after  he  commenced  the  study,  the 
war  of  the  Rebellion  came  on,  and  he  and  his  cousin,  Joseph 
K.  Corson,  entered  the  Military  Hospital,  corner  of  Broad  and 
Cherry  Streets,  Philadelphia,  as  assistants  to  the  surgeons  there. 
He  attended  lectures  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  in  the 


ii8  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

day  time,  and  the  sick  and  wounded  in  the  hospital  in  the 
evening  and  night,  until  he  graduated  in  the  spring  of  1863. 
After  graduation  he  was  immediately  commissioned  Assistant 
Surgeon  and  attached  to  the  Sixty-ninth  Regiment,  Pennsyl- 
vania Volunteers.  He  was  with  the  army  until  after  the  battle 
of  Antietam,  where  he  was  taken  ill  with  typhoid  fever  and 
sent  to  Baltimore.  This  was  but  a  few  days  preceding  the 
battle  of  Gettysburg.  After  his  recovery  from  a  severe  illness 
he  was  sent  to  New  York,  and  thence  on  board  a  monitor  to 
Charleston  Harbor.  There  the  vessel  remained,  daily  exposed 
to  a  terrible  cannonading  until  the  rebels  abandoned  the  city. 
After  the  war  he  continued  in  the  Marine  Hospital  in  Phila- 
delphia as  assistant  surgeon  to  his  uncle.  Surgeon  George 
Maulsby,  U.  S.  N.  This  service  was  somewhat  distasteful  to 
him,  so  he  soon  resigned  and  commenced  the  practise  of 
medicine  in  Norristown  in  partnership  with  his  uncle.  Dr. 
William  Corson,  with  whom  he  was  associated  until  the  latter's 
death,  1886.  He  has  since  practiced  alone.  Dr.  P^llwood  M. 
Corson  has  long  occupied  a  prominent  position  in  his  profes- 
sion, possessing  superior  skill  as  a  surgeon  and  high  art  as  a 
practitioner  of  medicine.  As  a  consultant  he  is  in  much 
demand.  He  married,  November  20,  1 866,  Margaret  Livingston 
Wilkeson,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Catherine  Cady  Wilkeson, 
and  a  niece  of  Mrs.  P^lizabeth  Cady  Stanton,  the  talented  and 
eminent  Abolitionist  They  have  three  children  :  Catherine 
Cady  Corson'^;  Bavard  Wilkeson  Corson'\  and  Livingston 
Corson^ 

Helen  Corson',  eldest  daughter  of  George  and  Martha 
Maulsby  Corson,  was  educated  in  art  in  the  School  of  Design 
in  Philadelphia,  and  after^vards  in  Paris,  France.  She  has 
lived  at  the  old  homestead,  at  Plymouth  Meeting,  since  her 
return  from  her  studies  abroad.  She  married,  June  9,  1881, 
Thomas  Hovenden,  son  of  Robert  and  Ellen  Br>-an  Hovenden, 
of  Dunmanway,  Cork  County,  Ireland.  Helen  has  executed 
some  fine  work  in  her  profession  and  has  an  enviable  reputa- 
tion as  an  artist.      Her  husband,  Thomas  Hovenden,  whose 


Ellwood  M,  Corson    M.  D. 


George  Corson^.  119 

paintings  have  won  him  world  wide  fame,  met  a  shocking 
death  at  a  grade  crossing  in  Plymouth  Township,  while 
attempting  to  rescue  a  little  girl  from  an  approaching  locomo- 
tive. This  occurred  in  August  of  1895.  The  loss  was  a 
severe  one  to  the  world  of  art  as  well  as  to  his  wife.  His 
paintings,  "John  Brown  being  led  to  Execution,"  "In  the 
Hands  of  the  Enemy,"  "Breaking  of  Home  Ties,"  and  a 
number  of  others,  have  touched  the  tender  chords  of  sympathy 
in  thousands  of  human  hearts.  The  Chicago  Inter-Ocean  in  an 
article  published  shortly  after  his  death,  paid  a  glowing  tribute 
to  the  man  and  his  work.  Among  other  beautiful  thoughts, 
it  said :  "With  all  due  deference  to  the  great  artists  of  the 
world  whose  canvases  were  hung  on  the  walls  of  the  Art 
Palace  in  Jackson  Park  [World's  Fair,  Chicago],  there  was  no 
other  picture  which  held  the  people  by  a  stronger  impulse  or 
sent  them  away  with  better  and  tenderer  sentiments  than  the 
one  by  Thomas  Hovenden,  marked  '  The  Breaking  of  Home 
Ties.'  In  speaking  of  his  work  to  othershe  would  frequently 
speak  of  his  wife's  talent  as  being  superior  to  his  own. 
However  that  may  be  it  is  certain  that  she  was  both  an  inspi- 
ration and  a  help  to  him  in  the  execution  of  his  great  work." 
Thomas  and  Helen  Corson  Hovenden  have  had  two 
children  :  Thomas  Hovenden,  Jr.^  born  March  11,  1882,  and 
Martha  Maulsby  Hovenden^  born  May  8,  1884. 

Ida  Corson',  youngest  child  of  George  and  Martha 
Maulsby  Corson  is  a  graduate  of  Vassar  College,  and  has 
resided  in  Washington,  D.  C,  for  a  number  of  years.  She 
lived  with  her  uncle,  Dr.  George  Maulsby,  Surgeon  United 
States  Navy,  until  his  death  in  1886,  and  still  considers  that 
as  her  residence,  though  she  passes  a  large  part  of  her  time 
with  her  sister,  Mrs.  Hovenden,  in  the  old  home  at  Plymouth 
Meeting. 

As  a  fitting  conclusion  to  the  history  of  George  Corson, 
I  may  add  here  the  testimony  of  J.  Miller  McKim,  at  a  meet- 
ing of  the  Anti-Slavery  Society.  He  said:  "I  hold  in  my 
hand  a  contribution  of  ^10  to  the  funds  of  the  Society,  which 


120  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

I  do  not  feel  at  liberty  to  hand  over  to  its  destination  without 
a  word  to  the  Society.  It  is  from  George  Corson,  of  Mont- 
gomery County.  He  sent  it  as  the  last  donation  he  should 
ever  make,  with  a  regret  that  he  could  not  enjoy  the  pleasure 
of  being  with  us,  Our  friend  is  in  the  last  stages  of  consump- 
tion and  entertains  no  expectation  of  recoveiy.  He  fully 
believes — I  was  going  to  say,  fears,  but  that  would  not  be  the 
word — that  his  end  is  near  at  hand,  and  he  calmly  awaits  the 
event.  It  will  be  no  grief  to  him,  but  to  us  and  the  cause  it 
will  be  a  severe  bereavement,  for  a  truer-hearted  and  a  more 
devoted  friend  to  the  slave  is  not  to  be  found  within  the 
bounds  of  our  Society." 


XII 


Hiram  Corson,  M.  D. 

I  was  the  seventh  child  and  fifth  son  of  Joseph  and 
Hannah  Dickinson  Corson,  and  was  born  at  Hickor^^town, 
Plymouth  Township,  Montgomeiy  County,  Pa.,  October  8, 
1804.  My  mother  died  when  I  was  but  six  years  of  age,  but 
I  received  almost  a  mother's  care  from  my  two  sisters,  Mary 
and  Sarah,  who  were  respectively  twelve  and  eleven  years 
my  senior.  My  early  education  was  received  at  the  Friends' 
School,  at  Plymouth  Meeting,  under  Joseph  Foulke,  a  minister 
in  the  Friends'  Meeting  at  that  place  ;  later  with  my  brother, 
Alan  W.  Corson,  who  was  talented  in  mathematics  and  the 
natural  sciences  ;  and  finally,  when  nearing  manhood,  at  the 
Friends'  Select  School,  in  Philadelphia,  under  Benjamin 
Moore.  After  leaving  school,  I  was  engaged  on  my  father's 
farm  and  in  his  store,  at  Hickorytown,  until  May  9,  1826, 
when  I  entered  as  a  student  of  medicine  in  the  office  of 
Dr.  Richard  D.  Corson,  at  New  Hope,  Bucks  County,  Pa. 
The  following  winter  I  attended  the  lectures  given  in  the 
Medical  Department  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  by 
Professors  Physic,  Chapman,  James,  Hare,  Horner,  Gibson, 
and  Dewees,  (who  was  an  adjunct  to  James).  During  the 
second  course,  in  addition  to  tliose  which  I  have  named,  there 
were  lectures  by  Samuel  Jackson,  on  the  "  Institutes  of  Medi- 
cine." I  graduated  in  the  spring  of  1828.  After  a  few 
weeks  rest  at  home  I  was  invited  by  my  father's  family  ph}'si- 
cian,  Dr.  Leedom  (grandfather  of  Dr.  Oscar  Leedom),  to  join 
him  in  the  practice  of  medicine.  Dr.  Leedom  was  well 
advanced  in  years  and  desired  to  be  relieved  of  some  of  the 
arduous  labor  of  his  profession.  After  a  three  months'  trial 
the  partnership  was  abandoned,  but  Dr.  Leedom  desired  me 


122  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

to  remain  in  the  neighborhood,  which  I  did,  hax'ing  obtained 
board  with  Jonathan  Maulsby  and  wife.  I  was  soon  in  posses- 
sion of  a  good  practice,  extending  over  a  large  extent  of 
country.  Light  carriages  were  not  then  much  used,  physi- 
cians making  their  journeys  mostly  on  horseback.  The 
Schuylkill  river  had  no  bridge  at  Conshohocken  nor  at  Spring 
Mill,  but  there  was  a  shackly  ferr\'  boat  at  the  latter  place. 
At  Conshohocken  the  river  had  to  be  forded,  and  sometimes, 
when  it  was  swollen  with  freshets,  it  was  a  veiy  hazardous 
undertaking.  So,  too,  the  Wissahickon  had  to  be  crossed, 
and  often  with  great  risk  of  life. 

In  1832,  the  Asiatic  cholera  made  its  appearance  in  this 
countiy.  It  was  first  observed  in  Quebec  ;  next  (on  the 
twenty-fourth  of  June)  in  New  York,  and  then  (on  the  fifth 
of  July)  in  Philadelphia.  When  it  reached  Philadelphia,  two 
hospitals  were  improvised,  one  by  Dr.  Joseph  Parrish,  and  one 
by  Dr.  Samuel  Jackson.  I  felt  it  to  be  my  duty  to  my 
patients  to  visit  them  and  learn  what  I  could  of  the  disease 
and  its  treatment  It  was  deemed  In-  my  friends  a  hazardous 
thing  to  do,  but  I  went  and  saw  the  patients  and  felt  well 
repaid  for  my  visit  in  the  personal  inspection  that  I  had  of 
the  terrible  disease.  I  may  remark  that  of  those  which  w  ere 
being  treated  at  the  time  of  m\'  \isit,  all  died.  In  a  week 
from  that  time  the  epidemic  reached  Conshohocken,  and  in  a 
most  violent  form.  For  man)-  nights  in  succession  I  was  at 
the  bedside  of  the  sufferers,  nearly  all  of  whom  found  relief 
only  in  death.  Scenes  of  suffering,  such  as  I  witnessed  at 
that  time,  can  never  be  forgotten,  but  remain  in  j)erfect  clear- 
ness as  long  as  memory'  exists. 

On  the  twenty-sixth  day  of  December,  in  the  year  1833, 
I  married  Ann  Jones  Foulke,  a  daughter  of  Edward  and  Tacy 
(Jones)  Foulke  of  Penllyn,  Montgomery  County,  Pa.  We 
were  married  in  Philadelphia  by  Mayor  Joseph  Watrous,  and 
soon  afterwards  began  our  married  life  in  the  house  which 
I  had  built  during  the  preceding  summer  and  fall — situated 
a  short  distance  from  Plymouth  Meeting.      There  we  lived  for 


,/ 


Hiram  Corson,  M.  D.  123 

fifty-five  years,  when  death  came  to  my  wife,  leaving  me  to 
make  the  rest  of  my  life's  journey  without  her  comfort,  sym- 
pathy, and  support — upon  which  I  had  always  placed  the 
greatest  reliance.  I  may  say  of  her  that  she  was  a  woman  of 
the  purest  character,  kind,  gentle,  and  sweet  in  disposition  ; 
seldom  has  fate  given  to  husband  and  children  a  more  lovable 
and  loving  wife  and  mother.  Her  nine  children,  brought  up 
under  her  care  and  wise  instruction,  idolized  her  ;  and  to  her 
I  always  turned  for  counsel  in  the  many  important  incidents 
of  my  professional  life.  Whenever  I  prepared  a  paper  for 
publication  I  invariably  read  it  to  her  before  sending  it  to  the 
publishers,  and  none  was  ever  sent  without  her  approval.  No 
home  was  ever  blest  with  a  wife  and  mother  more  devoted  to 
the  happiness  of  the  family.  She  died  on  the  25th  of  June, 
1888,  and  wa.s  buried  in  the  beautiful  cemeteiy  at  North 
Laurel  Hill. 

I  still  live  in  the  home  in  which  our  married  life  was 
commenced  and  completed,  and  the  place,  to  which  I  long 
ago  gave  the  name  of  "  Maple  Hill  "  (on  account  of  the  large 
number  of  maple  trees — most  of  them  planted  by  myself — 
about  the  lawn),  has  been  dear  to  me  these  many  years.  And 
now,  as  my  life's  pilgrimage  draws  to  a  close,  I  look  upon  it 
with  still  more  tender  affection  and  sweeter  memories. 

My  life  has  been  a  busy  one,  devoted  mainly  to  the  prac- 
tice and  progress  of  my  profession,  yet  with  a  good  share  of 
mv  energies  given  in  the  interest  of  public  morals  and  of 
human  rights  and  justice.  My  professional  experience  covers 
a  period  of  about  sixty  years,  from  1828  until  1888  ;  at  which 
last  named  date  I  retired  from  active  practice.  During  that 
long  period  I  contributed  to  the  literature  of  the  medical  pro- 
fession, through  various  medical  journals,  the  "  Transactions 
of  the  Pennsylvania  State  Medical  Society,"  and  the  "Trans- 
actions of  the  Ninth  International  Medical  Congress,"  about 
sixty-eight  medical  papers  and  two  important  pamphlets,  the 
one  a  "  Histoiy  of  the  Long  Waged  Struggle  for  the  Recog- 
nition of  Women  Physicians,"  the  other  on  the  "  Procuring  a 


124  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

law  to  have  Boards  of  Trustees  of  all  Hospitals  owned  by  the 
State  authorized  to  appoint  Women  Physicians  to  have  the 
exclusive  medical  control  of  the  Female  Insane  in  those  Hos- 
pitals." This  last  named  pamphlet  contained  about  fifty 
pages.  In  conjunction  with  the  faculty^  of  the  Woman's 
Medical  College,  I  had  one  thousand  copies  of  it  published 
and  distributed.  In  addition  to  the  above,  papers  on  special 
diseases  and  subjects,  rexiews  and  criticisms  of  papers  published 
by  others  frequently  were  given  to  the  medical  public.  That 
many  of  my  views — so  greatly  at  variance  with  those  long 
held — were  strongly  opposed,  is  admitted  ;  especially  so  was 
the  innovation  introduced  by  giving  to  children,  ill  w  ith  measles, 
freely  of  cold  water,  as  a  remedy — a  thing  unheard  of  before 
that  time  (1829).  Before  that  they  had,  from  time  immemorial, 
been  dosed,  disgusted  and  made  to  suffer  the  torture  of  thirst 
and  fever.  Yet  as  time  rolled  on  and  the  great  value  of  the 
cooling  treatment  was  shown  in  that  and  in  other  febrile  affec- 
tions, denunciations  of  it  were  allayed,  and  now,  1895,  the 
cooling  treatment  which  I  so  strongly  advocated,  is  universally 
used  among  enlightened  physicians.  But  faithful  and  contin- 
uous as  were  my  labors  as  a  physician,  never  in  a  single 
instance,  in  the  sixty  years,  failing  to  give  as  prompt  attention 
to  the  calls  of  the  poorest  as  to  those  of  the  richest,  I  do  not 
regard  those  labors  as  the  great  work  of  my  life.  My  efforts 
— successful  ones — to  have  women  physicians  recognized  by 
the  medical  profession,  and  to  procure  a  law  to  have  the  female 
insane,  in  all  hospitals  for  the  insane  in  Pennsylvania,  to  be 
cared  for  medically  and  otherwise,  by  female  physicians,  I 
regard  as  my  great  work. 

The  Woman's  Medical  College  of  Pennsylvania  was 
founded  in  Philadelphia  in  1850,  and,  in  December,  1851, 
graduated  seven  young  women.  The  college  classes  increased 
and  each  succeeding  year  greater  numbers  were  graduated 
and  sent  forth  to  practice.  This  movement  of  the  women  was 
not  agreeable  to  the  profession  in  Philadelphia  and  elsewhere, 
and,  strange   as  it   now  seems,  was  greatly  opposed  by  many 


Hiram  Corson,  M.  D.  125 

good  men  and  women,  outside  of  the  profession,  as  being  a 
business  outside  of  woman's  sphere,  and  demoralizing  to  her. 
No  combined  action  was  taken  against  them  until  eight  classes 
had  been  graduated  and  established  themselves  in  practice. 
But  on  November  10,  1858,  the  Board  of  Censors  of  the 
Philadelphia  County  Medical  Society  reported  their  disap- 
proval of  any  member  of  the  Society  holding  professional 
intercourse  with  the  professors  or  alumni  of  the  Woman's 
Medical  College.     The  following  is  their  report  : 

"In  reply."  they  say  "the  censors  would  respectfully 
recommend  the  members  of  the  regular  profession  to  withhold 
from  the  faculties  and  graduates  of  female  medical  colleges, 
all  countenance  and  support,  and  that  they  cannot,  consist- 
ently with  sound  medical  ethics,  consult  or  hold  professional 
medical  intercourse  with  their  professors  or  alumni."  This 
was  signed  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Censors,  and 
the  Recording  Secretary  of  the  Philadelphia  County  Medical 
Society.  In  June,  1859,  the  above  action  was  reported  to  the 
Pennsylvania  State  Medical  Society  and  that  Society  appointed 
a  committee  of  five  to  report  on  the  subject.  On  the  follow- 
ing day  the  committee  reported  that  after  a  careful  considera- 
tion of  the  resolutions  adopted  by  the  Philadelphia  County 
Medical  Society,  that  "  the  course  proposed  is  a  correct  one 
and  such  as  demands  the  sanction  of  the  Society,  and  they 
would  urge  its  observance  by  all  the  County  Societies  through- 
out the  State."  Their  report  was  adopted.  Thus  far  the 
opponents  of  women  physicians  had  met  with  no  opposition, 
and  the  report  of  the  committee  of  five  was  sent  to  all  the  County 
Societies  in  the  State,  to  be  sanctioned  by  them,  after  which  it 
was  doubtless  believed  that  no  physician  with  proper  regard 
for  his  success  in  practice,  the  friendship  of  his  professional 
brethren,  and  the  honor  of  the  profession,  would  hold  profes- 
sional intercourse  with  female  physicians.  No  delegate  from 
any  of  the  fourteen  County  Societies  expressed  dissatisfaction 
with  this  action  of  the  State  Society.  But  the  end  had  not 
yet  come. 


126  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Montgomeiy  County  Medical 
Societ)'  held  in  Norristown,  May  26,  i860,  nine  members 
were  assembled,  viz.  :  Drs.  William  Corson,  B.  F.  Foley, 
Hiram  Corson,  (myself),  Louis  W.  Read,  Jonathan  Comfort. 
Frank  Vanartzdalen,  William  P.  Robinson,  John  Schrack,  and 
Milton  Newberry.  (The  names  are  given  because  on  the  vote 
of  the  majorit)' — the  first  seven — hung  an  important  issue). 
I  then  read  the  resolutions  passed  by  the  Philadelphia  County 
Medical  Society,  forbidding  its  members  to  have  any  profes- 
sional intercourse  with  the  faculties  of  female  medical  colleges, 
the  graduates  of  these  colleges,  and  female  physicians  gener- 
ally ;  which  resolutions  had  been  sent  to  the  Montgomery 
County  Medical  Society  for  approval.  Instead  of  approval 
they  passed  strong  resolutions  against  those  of  the  Philadel- 
phia County  Medical  Society,  and  in  favor  of  the  recognition 
of  female  physicians,  with  all  the  rights  and  privileges  enjo\'ed 
by  the  male  members  of  the  profession. 

The  next  meeting  of  the  State  Societ}'  was  held  in  I'hila- 
delphia,  in  June,  i860.  Asa  delegate  from  the  Montgomer}'^ 
Count>'  Society,  I  presented  the  action  of  that  Society  in  favor 
of  women  ph}-sicians,  but  was  instantly  opposed  and  rebuked 
by  many  leading  members  of  the  profession.  Only  a  single 
voice  was  raised  in  fa\"or  of  my  advocacy  of  justice  for  women 
doctors — that  of  Dr.  John  Levcrgood  of  Lancaster  Count)^ 
— who  tried  to  say  a  few  words  in  support  of  it,  but  instantly 
the  opposition  moved  that  the  subject  be  laid  on  the  table, 
and  then  adjournment  took  place.  I  was  soon  surrounded 
by  members  of  the  State  Society,  some  indignant,  some  con- 
temptuous, some  appealing  to  me  not  to  disturb  the  harmony 
of  the  Society.  Many  of  those  who  had  been  my  warmest 
friends,  now  turned  indignantly  away  from  me,  but  I  was  still 
not  turned  from  my  course,  and  boldly  said  that  the  subject 
should  come  before  the  Society  from  year  to  year  until  victory 
was  achieved. 

The  countr)-  was  then  just  entering  on  the  War  of  the 
Rebellion,  and  many  members  of  the  profession  were  engaged 
in  it,  so  that  the  subject   remained  in  abeyance   until  1866. 


Hiram  Corson,  M.  D.  127 

When  the  war  was  over,  the  State  Society,  in  1866,  met  at 
Wilkes-Barre,  and  I  prepared  again  to  renew  my  efforts  to 
secure  for  the  Woman's  Medical  College  professors  and  grad- 
uates, all  favorable  to  the  cause,  a  proper  recognition  by  the 
male  members  of  our  profession.  When  on  my  way  to  the 
place  of  meeting.  I  was  fearful  lest  I  could  not  get  any  one  to 
"second"  my  resolution,  but,  on  entering  the  railroad  cars, 
met  a  friend,  a  member  of  the  Montgomery  County  Society, 
who  consented  to  do  it,  but  who,  after  having  had  an  inter- 
view with  a  group  of  Philadelphia  delegates  in  another  part 
of  the  train,  weakened  and  asked  to  be  excused  from  doing 
it.  Fortunately  I  met  with  another  who  agreed  to  do  it,  and 
so,  at  a  proper  time,  I  presented  the  subject  and  the  contest 
was  renewed.  And  so,  year  after  year,  it  was  brought  up  for 
debate,  and  new  advocates  for  the  rights  of  the  women  ranged 
themselves,  alongside  of  my  leadership  in  the  meetings. 
Finally,  at  the  Williamsport  meeting,  in  June,  1871,  the 
obnoxious  resolution  of  the  Philadelphia  County  Medical 
Society  was  rescmded.  The  law  to  authorize  Boards  of 
Trustees  of  Hospitals  for  the  care  of  the  Insane  in  Pennsyl- 
vania to  appoint  women  physicians  to  have  the  exclusive 
medical  charge  of  the  Female  Insane  in  all  these  Hospitals, 
and  how  it  was  procured  may  now  be  considered.  We  have 
seen  that  in  June,  187 1,  the  recognition  of  women  physicians 
by  the  male  medical  profession  was  accomplished.  In  conse- 
quence of  some  newspaper  articles  published  by  me  in  rela- 
tion to  the  bad  management  of  the  insane  in  the  Montgomery 
County  almshouse,  and  which  attracted  the  attention  of 
Governor  Hartranft,  I  was  appointed  Trustee  of  the  Lunatic 
Hospital  at  Harrisburg,  and  served  in  that  capacity  during 
seven  years.  I  there  saw  the  bad  management  of  the  insane. 
There  was  a  Chief  Physician  and  two  assistants,  the  Chief 
having  the  entire  charge  of  the  farm  of  more  than  200  acres, 
and  the  entire  management  of  the  insane  of  both  sexes. 
Beside  the  torturing  appliances,  pleasantly  called  "  restraining 
measures,"  there   were  cells   in  which  they  could  be  shut  up 


128  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

for  slight  breaches  of  rules,  and  yet  not  the  least  employment 
for  the  poor  inmates.  And  what  to  me  seemed  a  shameful 
abuse  was  the  control  over  the  female  insane  by  young  male 
physicians.  In  my  frequent  visits  to  the  Hospital,  I  became 
more  and  more  dissatisfied  with  that  part  of  the  management ; 
but  as  the  Board  of  Trustees  had  no  right  to  interfere  in  the 
least  with  the  despotic  Chief  Physician,  I  saw  that  nothing 
could  come  from  appeals  to  lijm,  so  concluded  to  bring  the 
subject  before  the  State  Medical  Societ\'. 

Therefore,  in  June,  1877 — just  six  years  after  the  status 
of  women  doctors  had  been  settled  by  the  State  Society — I 
introduced  a  resolution,  asking  for  a  commiltee  to  be  appointed 
to  report  on  the  propriety  of  ha\-ing  a  woman  physician  to 
have  entire  medical  care  of  their  sex  in  all  our  hospitals  for 
the  insane.  Though  this  was  violently  opposed  by  superin- 
tendants  of  hopitals  for  the  insane  eveiywhere,  I,  and  the  friends 
of  women  physicians — and  they  had  become  numerous — 
pressed  it  forward,  and  got  the  sanction  of  the  Society,  and 
finally  the  passage  of  a  bill — drawn  by  mj'sclf — into  a  law, 
giving  the  Trustees  the  power  to  appoint  women  physicians 
to  have  care  of  their  insane  sisters.  This  was  in  1879 — only 
two  years  after  the  introduction  of  the  subject  to  the  State 
Societ}'.  Of  this  wonderful  reform,  too  much  cannot  be  said. 
In  many  States  the  Trustees  arc  directed  b\'  mandatory  law  to 
have  women  doctors  for  the  women  insane,  in  every  State 
Hospital.  And  what  do  we  now  see  in  Xorristown?  A  thou- 
sand female  insane — sometimes  more,  sometimes  not  quite  so 
many — under  the  exclusive  care  of  Dr.  Alice  Bennett — no 
dark  rooms,  no  torturing  appliances,  but  many  agreeable 
employments  for  the  insane,  and  the  whole  government  that 
of  kindness  and  attention  to  their  needs. 

Up  to  the  time  when  the  reform  was  effected,  no  employ- 
ment had  been  furnished  to  the  insane  to  beguile  the  weary 
hours  and  dispel  the  ennui  that  hung  as  an  incubus  over  them 
— and  yet  when  it  was  announced  by  me,  in  a  State  Society 
meeting,  that  employment  was  furnished  to  the  insane  in  Eng- 


Hiram  Corson,  M.D.  129 

land,  the  superintendent  of  the  oldest  hospital  in  the  State 
declared  the  statement  untrue,  and  that  such  a  thing  as  to 
employ  them  was  impossible.  In  that  very  year,  in  whicli 
he  made  that  statement,  the  physicians  of  our  great  South- 
eastern hospital,  Drs.  Chase  and  Bennett,  introduced  it  to 
the  great  comfort  of  the  insane,  and  as  one  of  the  most 
potent  governing  agencies,  and  so  successful  were  they,  that 
now  it  is  the  practice  in  all  hospitals  for  the  insane  throughout 
the  country. 

Tributes  from  the  Medical  Profession. 

I  was  fifty-six  years  old  when  I  began  the  opposition  to 
the  doings  of  the  Philadelphia  County  Medical  Society  against 
medical  women  and  the  Woman's  Medical  College ;  sixty- 
seven  when  the  embittered  struggle  for  the  recognition  of 
female  physicians  was  accomplished  ;  seventy-two  years  old 
when  I  began  my  efforts,  to  procure  the  law  to  have  only 
women  physicians  to  have  medical  care  of  the  insane  of  their 
own  sex  in  our  State  Hospitals ;  and  seventy-five  when  that 
law  was  procured.  The  struggle  was  carried  on  with  intense 
earnestness  and  conscientiousness  during  those  many  years, 
and  yet  the  very  men,  many  of  the  most  eminent  in  the 
State,  who  so  earnestly  opposed  the  so-called  reforms,  after 
the  battle  was  over  not  only  acquiesced  in  the  decision,  but 
joined  in  doing  honor  to  me.  In  1883,  twelve  leading  male 
physicians  and  twelve  women — the  faculty  of  the  Woman's 
Medical  College — ^joined  hands  in  giving  a  reception  to  me  at 
the  Bellevue  Hotel,  Philadelphia,  during  the  time  of  the  State 
Medical  Society's  meeting,  which  in  that  year  was  held  in 
Philadelphia.  The  reception  was  in  ever}'  way  a  great  success  ; 
hundreds  of  the  profession  were  present.  I  was  then  in  my 
seventy-ninth  year  and  still  in  active  practice. 

A  resume"  of  honors  received  and  positions  which  I  have 
held  may,  perhaps,  without  impropriety,  be  introduced  here  : 

(I)  Graduated  in  medicine  at  the    University  of  Pennsylvania   in 

'^"%)  Elected  Junior  Member  Philadelphia  County  Medical  Society  in 
1828. 


130  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

(3)  Founded  and  became  a  member  of  the  Montgomery  County 
Medical  Society  in  1847. 

(4)  Became  a  member  of  the  Medical  Society  of  the  State  of  Penn- 
sylvania in  1848. 

(5)  Elected  President  of  the  Montgomery  County  Medical  Society 
in  1849. 

(6)  Elected  President  Pennsylvania  State  Medical  Society  in    1853. 

(7)  Elected  corresponding  member  of  Page  Literary  Society  of 
Millersville,  Pa.,  in  1858. 

(8)  Became  a  member  of  American  Medical  Association  in  1862, 
and  at  present  (1895)  ^  permanent  member. 

(g)  Elected  corresponding  m.ember  Meigs  and  Mason  Academy  of 
Medicine  of  Middlcport,  Ohio,  in  1873. 

(10)  Elected  Associate  Member  of  Philadelphia  Obstetrical  Society 
in  1874. 

(11)  Elected  Associate  Fellow  of  College  of  Physicians  of  Phila- 
delphia in  1876.  (This  honor  was  greatly  appreciated  as  only  residents 
of  the  city  can  be  Fellows,  and  there  can  be  but  thirty  Associate  Fel- 
lows in  the  United  States  and  only  twenty  abroad.) 

(12)  Elected  life  member  of  Alumni  Association  of  University  of 
Pennsylvania  in  1879,  ^^^  '^  Vice-President  in    1894. 

(13)  Elected  Honorary  Member  of  the  Harrisburg  Pathological 
Society  in  1881. 

(14)  Elected  member  of  Historical  Socielv  of  F'ennsvlvania  in 
1S84. 

(15)  Appointed  Trustee  of  Insane  Hospital  at  Harrisburg,  Penn- 
sylvania, by  Governor  Hartranft  in  1877,  and  reappointed  by  Governor 
Hartranft  and  Governor  Hoyt  until  1882. 

(16)  Appointed  by  Board  of  Public  Charities  "Official  \'isitor" 
to  Montgomery  Connty  Jail  and  Almshouse  and,  after  many  years  ser- 
vice, was.  in  1884,  appointed  to  same  office  in  the  great  Southeastern 
Hospital  for  the  Insane  at  Norristown,  but  on  account  of  advanced  age 
declined  to  accept  the  new  appointment  and  resigned  the  old. 

(17)  Elected  Honorary  Member  of  the  National  Association  of 
Obstetricians  and  Gynecologists  in  1894. 

The  following  testimonial    from    the    Woman'.s  Medical 

College  of  Philadelphia,  I  prize  a.s  highly  as  any  of  the  honors 

which  have  been  given  mc  : 

"The  Faculty  of  the  Woman's  Medical  College  of  Pennsylvania, 
believing  that  the  present  useful  and  honorable  position  of  Woman 
Physicians  is  mainly  due  to  the  disinterested,  persistent,  and  energetic 
efforts  of  Dr.  Hiram  Corson,  of  Plymouth  Meeting,  desire  to  convey  to 
Dr.  Corson,  with  mutual  congratulations,  their  hearty  thanks  and  ex- 
pressions of  the  highest  esteem. 

(Signed)     Fr.wces  Emily  White, 

Chainiiaii  of  Committee. 

The  above  adopted  unanimously  and  the  Dean  directed  to  send  a 
copy  to  Dr.  Corson. 

Respectfully, 

R.\CHEL  BODLEV, 
Philadelphia,  January  28,   1881.  Dean. 


Hiram  Corson,  M.  D. 


131 


The  following  action  was  taken  by  the  Philadelphia 
County  Medical  Society  in  relation  to  me.  So  frequently  and 
earnestly  had  I  for  months — yea,  even  for  years — published  in 
Medical  Journals  my  experience  of  the  value  of  bloodletting 
in  pneumonia,  pleurisy,  and,  indeed,  in  all  febrile  diseases,  and 
held  before  the  profession  the  danger  and  fatality  of  the  use 
of  the  poisonous  arterial  sedatives,  and  in  strong  terms  held 
up  the  proof  of  the  fearful  mortality  caused  by  the  prevailing 
practice,  as  taught  in  the  colleges  and  followed  by  practition- 
ers in  the  city  and  country,  that  eventually  the  Philadelphia 
County  Medical  Society  invited  me  to  address  the  Society  on 
the  subject,  at  a  meeting  to  be  held  in  the  hall  of  the 
College  of  Physicians,  on  the  thirteenth  day  of  April,  1892. 
I  was  confined  to  my  bed  at  the  time  the  resolution  of  the 
Society  was  passed,  and  when  its  invitation  was  received,  I 
was  still  ill,  but,  expecting  to  be  well  enough  in  a  few  days  to 
do  it,  I  consented.  Though  almost  confined  to  my  room.  I 
wrote  the  paper.  The  Society  had  also  appointed  the  three 
Professors  of  the  Practice  of  Medicine,  of  the  three  Philadel- 
phia Medical  Colleges,  to  discuss  the  paper  after  being  read. 
When  the  time  came,  I  was  not  feeling  able  to  go  to  the  city, 
so  I  asked  my  great-nephew.  Dr.  George  N.  Highley,  to  read 
it  before  the  Society,  which  he  did  very  well,  and  also  dis- 
cussed it.  It  may  be  of  interest  to  know  what  was  thought 
of  it.  The  following  letter  was  sent  to  me  by  Dr.  Oscar  H. 
Allis,  after  the  meeting  : 

Philadelphia,  1604  Spruce  Street, 

April  14.  1892. 

Dear  Dr.  Corson  : 

I  was  earlv  at  the  meeting,  hoping  to  have  a  chat  with  you,  but 
instead  found  Dr.  Highley,  your  nephew.  The  paper  elicited  much 
discussion.  Besides  those  appointed  to  discuss  it,  Drs.  Horatio  L. 
Wood,  Daland,  Woodbury.  Cohen,  La  Place,  and  John  B.  Roberts, 
took  part  and  spoke  to  a  crowded  house.  Dr.  Highley  read  it  well,  and 
spoke  manfully  and  energetically  in  its  behalf  I  took  no  other  part 
than  to  ask  that  a  typewriter  make  a  copy  of  it  for  publication,  and  the 
original  be  bound  with  a  portrait  of  the  author,  and  presented  to  the 
Society.  Will  you  not  kindly  send  us  a  few  lines  written  on  similar 
paper,  with  the  statement  that  much  of  it  was  prepared  while  you  were 


132  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

confined  in  bed  ?  If  you  do  not  feel  able  to  do  this,  Dr.  Highley  could 
make  such  a  statement  as  a  brief  preface  to  the  article,  giving  the  age 
of  the  writer. 

Very  sincerely, 

Oscar  H.  Allis. 

This  was  followed  in  a  few  days,  by  the  following  : 

I S07  Chestnut  St. ,  Philadelphia.  Pa. 
My  Dear  Dr.  Corson  : 

Dr.  Highley  has  doubtless  told  you  of  the  cordial  interest  in  your 
paper  and  yourself,  so  well  shown  at  the  Meeting  of  the  County  Society. 
As  the  President  remarked  from  the  Chair:  "No  other  meeting  has 
been  so  largely  attended  and  no  discussion  so  earnestly  pursued  for  a 
long  time."  We  are  delighted  to  hear  from  you  in  this  way,  and  all  are 
sorry  you  could  not  be  present.  Dr.  Highley  filled  the  place  assigned, 
both  in  reading  and  discussion,  in  a  way  to  gratify  every  one. 

Yours  very  sincerely, 
4th  mo. ,  15th,  '92.  CHARLiiS  H.  Tho.mas. 

The  same  day  came  a   letter   from  the  Secretary  of  the 
Society,  viz.  : 

"  Philadelphia  Co.  Medical  Society, 
N.  E.  Cor.  13th  and  Locust  St.,  Philadelphia, 

April   15,   1892. 
Dr.  Hiram  Corson, 

Dear  Doctor  :  At  a  meeting  of  the  I  hiladelphia  County  Medical 
Society,  held  April  13,  1893,  the  following  resolutions  were  unanimously 
adopted  : 

Resolved,  That  the  thanks  of  this  Society  be  tendered  to  Dr.  Hiram 
Corson  for  his  interesting  and  valuable  paper  on  pneumonia  ;  its  unsuc- 
cessful treatment  by  arterial  sedatives  and  its  successful  treatment  by 
bloodletting  ;  and  that  the  Secretary  de  instructed  to  convey  to  Dr. 
Corson  an  e.xpression  of  the  sympathy  of  the  Society  in  his  illness  and 
an  assurance  of  its  cordial  regard  for  him  always. 

Resolved,  That  the  original  paper  be  bound  and  filed  in  the 
archives  of  the  Society,  together  with  a  photograph  of  the  author — 
Dr.  Corson — if  this  be  obtainable. 

\'ery  truly  yours, 

T.    B.  SCHNF.IDERMAN, 

Secretary. 
Our  children  numbered  nine,  namely  : 
I.   Edward  Foulke  Corson",  born  October  14,  1834. 
3.  Joseph  Kirijv  Corson^  born  November  22,  1836. 

3.  Caroline  Corson",  born  April  2.  1839. 

4.  Tacv  Foulke  Corson",  born  June  26,  1841. 

5.  Charles  Pollen  Corson",  born  November  22,  1842. 

6.  Susan  Foulke  Corson^  born  August  9,  1845. 

7.  Bertha  Corson'',  born  December  17,  1847. 


Hiram  Corson,  M.  D.  133 

8.  Frances  Stockton  Corson'',  born  October  25,  1849. 

9.  Mary  Corson^,  born  November  26,  1852. 

Of  these,  Edward,  Caroline,  and  Charles  Follen,  are 
deceased. 

I.  Edward  Foulke  Corson"  attended  Hannah  Williams' 
Boarding  School  at  Plymouth,  for  a  while,  and  then  entered 
Treemount  Seminar)-,  where  he  remained  several  years  under 
the  tuition  of  Rev.  Samuel  Aaron.  He  then  commenced  the 
study  of  medicine  in  his  father's  office,  and  attended  lectures 
in  the  Medical  Department  of  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, in  Philadelphia,  graduating  M.  D.  in  the  spring  of  1855, 
when  just  turned  twenty-one  years  of  age.  After  practic- 
ing for  a  brief  time  with  his  father  and  at  Conshohocken,  he 
was  examined  by  the  Navy  Board,  and  passed  a  highly  credit- 
able examination,  being  second  in  a  class  of  more  than  fifty. 
At  that  time  there  were  two  new  and  large  naval  vessels 
waiting  for  Assistant  Surgeons,  and  the  two  highest  were  im- 
mediately appointed.  Dr.  Bradley,  who  passed  No.  i,  was 
assigned  to  the  "Levant,"  which  was  to  be  sent  to  the  Pacific 
coast.  He  went  to  Boston  and  embarked  on  the  ship  which 
rounded  Cape  Horn  and  was  never  heard  of  aftenvards. 

Dr.  Edward  F.  Corson  went  on  board  the  flagship 
"  Hartford,"  bound  for  China  and  Japan,  on  a  three  years' 
cruise,  and  returned  in  1861,  just  after  the  Rebellion  began. 
After  a  few  months  spent  at  home,  he  was  ordered  to  the 
Naval  Asylum  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  where  he  was  made  a  full 
Surgeon.  But  the  war  was  in  progress  and  he  could  not  bear 
to  be  idle  while  his  friends  were  rushing  forward  to  meet  the 
enemy.  So,  though  he  was  well  entitled  to  have  a  rest  on 
land  after  a  three  years'  voyage,  and  had  been  given  a  most 
desirable  place,  one  which  he  greatly  appreciated,  he  made  a 
request  for  active  service,  and  was  assigned  to  duty  on  board 
the  "  Mohican,"  which  was  sent  out  to  capture  the  Rebel 
ship  "Alabama,"  which  was  destroying  our  merchant  vessels 
on  the  seas.  For  eighteen  months  they  followed  the  "Ala- 
bama" up  and  down  the  coast  of  South  America,  around  the 


134  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

African  coast,  and  the  islands  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  and 
returned  without  losing  a  single  man,  by  sickness,  out  of  i  50 
men.  He  was  home  but  a  few  weeks  when  he  sickened,  and 
died  of  typhoid  fever.  He  was  a  pure  and  brave  young 
man,  died  June  22,  1864,  and  was  buried  at  North  Laurel 
Hill. 

2.  Dr.  Joseph  K.  Corson^,  our  second  son,  was  born 
November  22,  1836,  at  Maple  Hill.  His  education  at  first 
was  under  private  tutors  at  home  ;  afterward  under  Rev. 
Frederick  Anspach  of  the  Lutheran  Church  at  Barren  Hill  ; 
and  finally,  for  some  time,  at  Treemount  Seminar}',  at  Norris- 
town,  under  direction  of  Rev.  Samuel  Aaron.  He  then 
entered  the  drug  store  of  William  and  John  Sa\-ery  of  Philadel- 
phia, and  graduated  in  pharmacy  at  twenty-two  years  of  age. 
He  was  then  offered  a  situation  in  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  which  he 
accepted.  He  was  there  but  a  few  weeks  when  the  proprietor 
failed.  He  returned  home  and  engaged  with  his  cousin,  L.  E. 
Corson,  in  the  lime  business,  near  Norristown.  The  Rebellion 
began  soon  afterwards  and  Pre.sident  Lincoln's  call  for  75,000 
troops  was  made.  Then  the  young  men  began  to  volunteer 
for  the  war.  Joseph,  and  Charles  Styer,  then  a  student  in  my 
office,  joined  a  company  of  the  Fourth  Regiment  gotten  up 
in  Norristown,  of  which  Walter  Cooke  was  captain,  and  in  a  few 
days  went  toHarrisburg  and  the  next  night  started  for  Perry^villc, 
on  Chesapeake  Bay,  in  Maryland.  After  a  delay  there  of  a 
week  or  two,  owing  to  the  armed  hostility  in  Baltimore,  where 
the  Sixth  ^Massachusetts  Regiment  had  been  fired  on,  they 
reached  Washington  by  way  of  Annapolis.  His  army  history 
in  brief  runs  thus  :  Volunteered  in  Fourth  Pennsylvania  Regi- 
ment, April  20,  1 86 1,  as  Corporal;  honorably  discharged 
July  26,  1 86 1,  as  Sergeant,  with  the  expiration  of  the  regi- 
ment's three  months  term  of  sen'ice.  Became  acting  Medical 
Cadet  on  duty  in  the  Army  Hospital  at  Broad  and  Cherry 
Streets,  Philadelphia,  from  June,  1861,  to  March,  1863.  Then 
graduated  IM.  D.  at  University  of  Pennsylvania  in  March  of 
that  year,  and  weis  made  Assistant  Surgeon  of  the  Sixth  Regi- 


Dr.  Joseph  K.  Corson,  U.  S.  A. 


Hiram  Corson,  M.  D. 


135 


ment,  Pennsylvania  Reserve  Corps,  from  March  23,  1863,  to 
June  II,  1864.  Brevet  Major  "for  feithful  and  meritorious 
services  during  the  Wilderness  campaign  in  Virginia,"  March 
13,  1865.  Acting  Assistant  Surgeon  at  Camp  Discharge  from 
November  15,  1864,  to  May  15,  1865.  Engaged  in  practice 
of  medicine  with  his  fiither  from  May  15,  1865,  to  November 
II,   1867. 

He  entered  the  United  States  Army  as  Assistant  Surgeon 
with  rank  of  First  Lieutenant,  October  9,  1867;  on  duty  at 
Governor's  Island,  from  November,  1867,  to  March  i,  1868, 
during  which  time,  he  went  by  sea  from  New  York  to  Galves- 
ton, via  New  Orleans,  with  over  six  hundred  recruits.  At 
New  Orleans  the  cholera  appeared  on  board  and  over  forty 
cases  occurred  before  reaching  Galveston.  After  his  return  to 
Governor's  Island,  he  was  at  the  Cavalry  Depot,  Carlisle 
Barracks  from  March  until  September  2,  1868  ;  next  at  Fort 
Fred  Steele,  from  October,  1868,  to  December  6,  1869,  with 
rank  of  Captain  from  July  23,  1869;  at  Omaha  Barracks, 
Nebraska,  from  December,  1869,  to  July,  1870;  Fort  D.  A. 
Russell,  Wyoming  Territory,  from  July,  1870,  to  September, 
1870  ;  Fort  Bridger,  Wyoming  Territoiy,  from  September, 
1870,  to  November,  1872;  on  "leave  of  absence,"  at  home, 
from  December,  1872,  to  April,  1873;  at  Mobile  Barracks, 
Alabama,  from  April  to  September,  1873  ;  Mount  Vernon 
Barracks  (because  of  yellow  fever  at  Pensacola),  September. 
1873,  to  May,  1876  ;  at  Plattsburg  Barracks,  New  York,  from 
June,  1876,  to  May,  1878;  at  Fort  Whipple,  from  June,  1878, 
to  October,  1878;  at  F'ort  Yuma,  California,  from  October, 
1878,  to  May,  1882;  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  Missouri  (Cavalry 
Depot),  from  November,  1882,  to  November,  1886;  at  Fort 
Coeur  d'Alene  (now  Fort  Sherman),  Idaho,  from  January, 
1887,  to  September,  1890;  at  Washington  Barracks,  District 
of  Columbia,  with  rank  of  Major,  September.  1890,  until 
October,  1895;  home  on  two  months  vacation  and  then 
(December,  1895)  reported  at  Fort  Russell,  Wyoming,  where 
he  has  since  been.      He  was  present  at  battles  of  Gettysburg, 


136  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

Falling  Water,  Manassas  Gap,  Bristow  Station,  Mine  River, 
Rappahannock  Station,  Wilderness,  Spotsylvania,  North  Anna 
River,  Bethesda  Church,  Virginia,  and  in  various  Indian  scouts 
in  Wyoming  and  other  stations  after  the  war. 

He  married  November  2,  1874,  Mar}^  Ada  Carter, 
daughter  of  Judge  William  Alexander  Carter,  of  Fort  Bridger, 
Wyoming,  and  they  have  had  two  children  :  (i)  Mary  Carter 
Corson*  and  (2)  Edward  Foulke  Corson^  Their  first  child 
Mary  Carter  Corson'',  was  born  at  Mt.  Vernon  Barracks, 
Alabama,  January  4,  1876.  Her  parents  had  taken  pains  to 
have  her  under  good  teachers  in  their  various  western  stations, 
but  feeling  that  she  should  have  other  opportunities  for  educa- 
tion had  sent  her  for  two  years  to  schools  in  Philadelphia. 
She  was  an  exceptionally  bright  child,  a  tall  graceful  girl  of 
most  attractive  manners.  In  June,  1890,  she  took  passage 
with  some  friends  on  a  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  train,  for 
home.  On  the  last  day  of  June,  after  a  ride  of  over  fifteen 
hundred  miles,  and  when  within  a  hundred  miles,  or  there- 
abouts, from  home,  where  her  parents  were  joyfully  looking 
for  her,  the  train  was  dashed  over  an  embankment  and  she 
was  so  injured  that  she  died  in  about  an  hour.  I  cannot 
write  of  the  grief  of  her  parents,  and  her  numerous  relatives 
and  friends,  who  in  her  various  homes  had  come  to  love  her 
dearly.  When  they  came  from  Fort  Sherman  to  reside  in 
Washington,  they  purchased  a  beautiful  lot  in  West  Laurel 
Hill  Cemetery,  and  on  October  2,  1890,  we  buried  her  there. 
She  had  reached  her  fourteenth  year  and  was  almost,  so  far 
as  size  goes,  a  full  grown  woman.  To  the  writer  of  this 
article  she  was  a  child  worthy  of  the  love  of  all  who  knew  her. 

P^DWARD  Foulke  Corson^  second  and  only  living  child 
of  Dr.  Joseph  K.  and  Ada  Carter  Corson,  was  born  P^ebruaiy 
29,  1883,  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  Missouri.  He  attended 
Friends'  School  at  Washington,  D.  C,  while  his  father  was 
stationed  there,  and  now,  October,  1895,  has  just  entered  the 
Germantown  Academy,  at  Germantown,  Philadelphia.  His 
father.  Dr.  Joseph   K.  Corson — is  at  present  located  at  Fort 


Hiram  Corson,  M.D.  137 

Russell,  Wyoming.  He  will  have  reached  the  age  of  compul- 
sory retirement  with  the  dawning  of  the  new  century in  the 

year  1 900.  He  may,  however,  be  retired  before  that  time,  at 
the  discretion  of  the  President,  upon  the  basis  of  his  thirty 
years'  service. 

3.  Caroline  Corson^  our  eldest  daughter,  wa.s  born 
April  2,  1839,  and  died  July  25,  1865. 

4.  Tacy  Foulke  Corson^  born  January  26,  1841,  mar- 
ried William  L.,  son  of  James  and  Mary  L.  Cresson.  Their 
children  are : 

(i)  Caroline  C.  CressonI 

(2)  James  Cresson^ 

(3)  Ann  CressonI 

(4)  Mary  CressonI 

5.  Charles  Follen  Corson^,  born  November  22,  1842, 
graduated  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  and  then  studied 
law  under  William  Henry  Rawle,  Esq.,  of  Philadelphia  He 
was  admitted  to  the  Philadelphia  Bar  and  practiced  his  profes- 
sion there  until  his  death,  May  30,  1889.  He  senxd  in  the 
Pennsylvania  Militia  in  the  emergency  call  of  1862-3.  He 
married,  first,  Mary,  daughter  of  Lewis  A.  Lukens  ;  she  died 
December  14,  1876.  In  1889  he  married  Margaret,  daughter 
of  William  Slemmer,  of  Norristown.  His  death  occurred  but 
a  few  months  after  his  second  marriage. 

6.  Susan  Foulke  Corson'',  born  August  9,  1845,  ""^^^^ 
ried  November  26,  1868,  Jawood  Lukens,  a  prominent  iron 
manufacturer  of  Conshohockcn,  and  a  son  of  Lewis  A.  Lukens, 
of  the  same  place.     They  have  no  children. 

7.  Bertha  Corson^  born  December  17,  1847,  married 
June  17,  1868,  James  Yocom,  son  of  James  Yocom,  of  Phila- 
delphia, where  they  reside.     They  have  seven  children,  viz.: 

(i)  Frances  Corson  Yocom^. 

(2)  Thomas  Corson  YocomI 

(3)  Bertha  E.  Corson  Yocom^ 


138  History  of  the  Corson  Fainily. 

(4)  Georgiana  Corson  Yocom^. 

(5)  Hiram  Corson  YocomI 

(6)  Dorothy  Corson  Yocom^. 

(7)  James  Corson  Yocom^ 

8.  Frances  Stockton  Corson'',  born  October  25,  1S49, 
married  November  12,  1874,  Richard  Hopper  Day,  son  of 
Charles  and  Anna  (Miles)  Day,  of  Philadelphia.  They  live  in 
Germantown  and  have  three  children,  viz.: 

(i)  Bertha  Corson  Dav^ 

(2)  Charles  Day-. 

(3)  Richard  Foulke  D\\^. 

9.  Mary  Corson",  our  youngest  child,  born  November 
26,  1852,  has  lived  at  home,  unmarried  ;  for  the  past  ten  or 
fifteen  years  she  has  suffered  greatly  with  rheumatism  and  is 
now  able  to  walk  only  with  the  greatest  difficulty.  She  bears 
it  all  with  great  patience  and  fortitude. 


Wm.  Corson,  M.  D. 


XIII. 

Dr.  William  Corson^. 

William  was  the  youngest  of  Joseph  and  Hannah  Dick- 
inson Corson's  children  and  was  born  at  their  Hickoiytown 
home  on  the  8th  of  August,  1806.  He  remained  at  home 
with  his  father  for  several  years  after  he  had  completed  his 
school  days,  assisting  on  the  farm  and  in  the  store.  After  I 
had  graduated  in  medicine,  William  began  the  study  under 
my  preceptorship  and  graduated  from  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania as  a  Doctor  of  Medicine,  in  1831.  During  the  whole 
course  of  his  medical  studies,  prior  to  graduation,  he  continued 
to  render  active  assistance  to  his  father  on  the  farm  and  in  the 
store,  yet  in  spite  of  these  disadvantages  he  graduated  with  a 
creditable  standing. 

He  commenced  practice  in  a  house  on  Main  street,  near 
Swede,  Norristown,  but  shortly  afterwards  moved  further  east 
on  the  same  street,  just  below  DeKalb,  to  a  house  which 
he  purchased  and  in  which  he  lived  for  the  balance  of  his 
life,  a  period  of  over  fifty  years.  He  never  married,  but 
was  devoted  to  his  chosen  profession,  and  to  the  great 
principles  that  uplift  humanity  to  a  higher  plane  of  honor 
and  usefulness.  For  over  fifty  years  he  practiced  among 
rich  and  poor,  white  and  black,  among  people  in  widely 
different  circumstances  and  conditions  and  of  a  great  variety 
of  religious  and  political  beliefs,  yet  all  received  the  same 
willing  service.  It  was  his  rule  and  practice  to  respond  to  profes- 
sional calls  promptly  no  matter  what  the  hour  or  how  unpleasant 
the  weather.     He  had  a  large  practice.     For  many  years  he 

had  practically  no  hours  of  leisure — indeed,  had  barely  suffic- 

139 


I40  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

ient  hours  of  rest     Strong  physically,  and   strictly  temperate, 
he  was  enabled  to  live  a  long  life  of  labor  and  usefulness. 

When  he  began  to  practice  in  Norristown,  there  were 
two  other  physicians  in  the  borough  who  did  most  of  the 
practice  for  the  town  and  surrounding  territoiy.  These  were 
Drs.  Isaac  Huddleson,  an  aged  man,  and  George  W.  Thomas, 
who  had  passed  the  prime  of  life.  Both  of  them  became 
warm  friends  of  William,  as  they  had  always  been  of  each 
other  and  they  soon  established  relations  with  him  which  were 
of  mutual  benefit,  the  two  older  physicians  by  being  relieved 
of  some  burdensome  features  of  practice  ;  William  by  obtain- 
ing patients  that  would  not  naturally  have  come  to  him  in 
those  early  days  and  which  therefore  gave  him  an  earlier 
opportunity  for  exercising  his  talents  and  capabilities.  After 
the  death  of  Dr.  Thomas  (who  sur\-ived  Dr.  Huddleson  several 
years),  William  became  at  once  a  leader  in  his  profession, 
rapidly  acquiring  a  large  practice,  which  he  continued  to  hold 
almost  to  the  day  of  his  death.  A  short  time  after  the  close 
of  the  war  he  entered  into  partnership  with  his  nephew.  Dr. 
EUwood  M.  Corson,  and  they  continued  to  practice  together 
until  William's  death  in  1 886. 

My  brothers  and  sisters  were  all  active  supporters  of  the 
anti-slavery  movement,  and  in  this  great  cause  William  was 
especially  active.  Many  and  many  a  fugitive  slave  received 
his  assistance.  A  room  over  his  office  and  another  at  the 
stable  were  frequently  occupied  by  the  runaways,  and  none 
left  without  means  for  supplying  their  bodily  comfort  With 
the  aid  of  his  friends  Isaac  Roberts,  L.  E.  Corson,  Dan  Ross, 
the  colored  man,  and  a  few  others,  he  gave  a  welcome  and 
substantial  assistance  to  all  of  the  fugitives  who  came  to  Nor- 
ristown or  its  immediate  vicinity.  Often  old  Dan  Ross'  house 
would  have  fifteen  or  twenty  sleeping  on  the  floor  in  a  single 
night  and  all  who  were  sheltered  were  sent  safely  on  to  the 
next  station,  where  other  friends  would  assist  them,  and  so  on 
until  they  had  safely  reached  Canada.  William  was  always 
proud  of  the  part  which  he  took  in  the  abolition  movement, 


Dr.  William  Corson'.  j^i 

and  he  had  good  reason  for  his  pride.  It  was  in  every  way  a 
work  of  honor — now  recognized  as  such — though  at  the  time 
it  was  stigmatized  as  being  infamous  and  unworthy  of  upright 
people. 

His  death  occurred  at  2  P.  m.  on  November  7,  1886.  It 
had  been  the  wish  of  his  Hfe  that  he  might  pass  peacefully 
away  after  his  days  of  active  life  should  be  ended  and  that  he 
might  be  spared  suffering  and  distress,  and  thus  it  came  to 
pass.  I  will  here  introduce  some  testimony  from  others, 
brought  out  by  the  occasion  of  his  death,  which  will  make  the 
history  of  his  life  more  complete,  and  at  the  same  time  show 
his  character  as  viewed  by  those  outside  of  the  family.  The 
following  from  an  unknown  correspondent  appeared  in  one  of 
the  public  newspapers  ;  it  is  dated  May  14,  1887,  six  months 
after  his  death  : 

A  Good  Man  Who  Cast  His  Bread  Upon  the  Waters. 
A  few  days  ago  there  died  in  this  town  a  well-known  and  respected 
colored  man,  aged  about  70  years.  He  had  accumulated  a  little  property 
by  care  and  thrift.  Some  years  before  the  war  the  man  made  his  way 
here,  one  stormy  winter  night,  from  slavery,  and  was  cared  for  by 
Dr.  William  Corson,  a  prominent  Quaker  Abolitionist  who  died  a  few 
months  aged  about  80  years.  Dr.  Corson  asked  the  man  his  name. 
"Samuel,"  was  the  reply,  giving  the  name  of  the  family  by  whom  he 
had  been  owned.  "  That  won't  do,"  said  Corson.  "You  are  free  now — 
suppose  we  call  you  Winter — it  will  suit  the  season,"  and  by  the  name 
of  Samuel  Winter  he  was  ever  afterward  known,  and  strong  was  his 
friendship  for  Dr.  Corson.  The  same  Dr.  Corson,  nearly  fifty  years 
ago,  was  called  to  attend  a  small  boy,  a  poor  little  urchin  who  had  been 
injured  in  a  mill.  "  What  is  your  name  ?"  asked  the  doctor.  "John 
Smith,"  was  the  reply.  "  Oh,  that  won't  do,"  said  the  doctor  ;  "there 
are  plenty  of  plain  John  Smiths  already  ;  why  don't  you  call  yourself 
John  Corson  Smith  ?"  The  boy  thought  he  would  do  so,  and  when 
word  of  the  death  of  the  good  old  doctor  reached  Chicago,  one  cf  the 
saddest  hearts  in  that  great  city  beat  in  the  breast  of  General  John  C. 
Smith,  ex-State  Treasurer,  one  of  the  best  known  men  in  Illinois. 

The  Norristozim  Herald  contained,  soon  after  the  death  of 

Dr.  Corson,  the  following : 

Death  of  Dr.  William  Corson. 
Doctor  Corson,  one  of  the  oldest  and  best  known  citizens  of  this 
borough,  died  at  his  residence,  No.  16  East  Main  Street,  Thursday 
afternoon.  He  had  been  in  failing  health  for  some  weeks  and  his 
strength  gradually  gave  way  under  advancing  years.  He  was  confined 
to  his  bed  only  t^vo  days,  and  his  interest  in  affairs  about  him  was  kept 


142  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

up  until  within  twenty-four  hours  of  his  death.  He  was  the  youngest 
of  the  children  of  Joseph  and  Hannah  Corson,  of  Plymouth  Township, 
and  was  born,  August  8,  1806.  He  belonged  to  a  family  distinguished 
for  their  hostility  to  slavery  and  their  adherence  to  the  teachings  of  the 
Society  of  Friends,  and  he  grew  up  thoroughly  imbued  with  their  prin- 
ciples, although  never  assuming  the  plain  garb  and  language  peculiar  to 
them.  He  lost  his  mother  at  the  early  age  of  four  years  and  grew  up 
under  the  care  of  his  sisters.  He  studied  medicine  and  graduated  in 
the  Pennsylvania  University  in  1831.  Dr.  Corson  began  the  practice 
of  medicine  in  this  borough  and  continued  it  more  than  fifty  years — 
being  nearly  all  that  time  at  the  head  of  the  profession  here,  his  advice 
and  skill  being  sought  by  physicians  throughout  the  county  and  even 
beyond  its  borders  in  difficult  cases. 

During  the  war  he  was  appointed  on  the  board  of  Examiners,  in 
connection  with  Professor  Traill  Green,  M.  D.,  of  Easton,  and  Dr. 
Worthington,  of  West  Chester.  The  duties  were  to  examine  those 
physicians  who  went  to  the  field  as  surgeons  and  assistant  surgeons  ; 
the  work  was  a  responsible  one  and  was  well  performed.  .Subsequently 
he  was  called  upon  to  fill  the  position  of  examining  physician  in  this 
district,  during  the  drafts  made  to  obtain  the  quota  of  men  for  the 
army.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  appointed  examining  surgeon 
under  the  act  granting  pensions  to  soldiers  and  sailors  disabled  in  the 
United  States  service,  and  held  it  until  within  a  short  time  before  his 
death, 

A  few  years  since  he  was  appointed,  in  connection  with  General 
James  A.  Beaver  and  Dr.  John  Curwen,  a  Commissioner  to  superintend 
the  building  of  the  Warren  Hospital  for  the  Insane.  The  work  in  con- 
nection with  this  institution  required  some  sacrifice  of  time  and  attention, 
but  was  carried  through  in  the  most  satisfactory  manner. 

Dr.  Corson  gave  instruction  to  many  young  men  as  students.  Dr. 
Louis  W.  Read,  his  nephew  ;  Dr.  Washington  Nugent.  Dr.  Thomas  F. 
Corson,  Dr.  Henry  T.  Slemmer,  Dr.  George  N.  Highley,  Dr.  David  R. 
Beaver,  Eugene  M.  Snyder,  Isaac  Hughes,  Charles  Bradley,  S.  N.  Wiley, 
Wm.  Ramsay  and  some  others.  For  a  number  of  years.  Dr.  Ellwood 
M.  Corson,  another  nephew,  has  been  associated  with  him  in  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine.  He  was  also  among  the  first  to  give  instruction  to 
female  students — Dr.  Ellen  Zook  of  Port  Kennedy,  and  Dr.  Mary  H. 
Stinson  were  his  students,  and  became  eminent  women  doctors.  He  was 
never  married.  Dr.  Hiram  Corson  of  Plymouth  is  his  only  surviving 
brother.  He  was  a  permanent  member  of  the  State  and  National 
Medical  Societies. 

When  his  death  was  announced,  the  Montgomery  County 
Medical  Society  was  convened.  Dr.  Wilson,  the  President, 
stated  that  "  the  object  was  to  take  action  on  the  death  of  one 
of  the  Society's  oldest  members — Dr.  William  Corson."  A 
committee  of  whom  Dr.  P.  Y.  Eisenberg  was  chairman 
reported  the  following  address  : 

While  we  have  assembled  here,  in  special  session,  for  the  purpose 
of  paying  a  tribute  of  respect,  there  is  a  vacant  seat  in  our  midst,  and 
he  who  was  accustomed  to  meet  with  us  on  such  occasions  as  this,  lies 


Dr.  William  Corsotf.  143 

at  his  residence  on  Main  Street,  still  and  silent  in  his  last  sleep.  All 
that  is  mortal  of  Dr.  William  Corson,  in  obedience  to  nature's  inexor- 
able law  will  soon  join  "  the  innumerable  caravan  which  moves  to  that 
mysterious  realm  where  each  shall  take  his  chamber  in  the  silent  halls 
of  death."  While  his  remains  are  still  with  us  it  is  but  fitting  that  we 
should  pause  for  a  moment  and  recall  to  our  memories  the  life  he  led 
and  the  example  he  has  set.  It  is  true  that  the  individual  characteristics 
of  men  often  stand  out  in  bold  relief  and  we  now  remember  that  some 
one  has  said 

"All  greatness  is  solitary." 

So  in  the  lifejust  closed,  the  character,  created  by  four  score  years' 
contact  with  his  fellow-men,  is  as  sharply  defined  as  any  product  of  the 
artist's  skill  and  genius.  Dr.  William  Corson  may  not  have  been  a 
great  man,  but  he  was  a  remarkable  one.  Remarkable  for  his  force  of 
character,  for  his  positive  convictions,  for  the  fidelity  of  his  friendship, 
for  his  unswerving  opposition  to  everything  that  savored  of  wrong,  or 
tended  in  any  way  to  compromise  the  dignity  and  honor  of  himself  and 
of  others.  He  was  a  man  of  lofty  conceptions,  purity  of  purpose  and 
sincerity  of  action.  He  hated  sham  and  pretense,  no  matter  what  their 
form.  He  was  possessed  of  heroic  courage  and  thrilled  by  philanthropic 
impulses.  He  was  ever  in  the  foremost  rank,  battling  for  the  down- 
trodden and  oppressed.  He  was  generous  to  a  fault.  Many  times  have 
we  seen  him  drop  silver  coins  into  the  anxious  hands  of  some  needy  one 
in  tattered  garments.  He  bore  his  own  burdens  uncomplainingly  and  in 
silence,  and  when  they  gathered  around  as  though  they  would  crush 
him  down  to  earth,  by  the  weight  of  his  own  imperious  will  he  rose 
majestically  above  them.  In  this  he  was  truly  great.  At  times,  his 
manner  with  those  with  whom  he  came  in  contact  seemed  harsh  and 
abrupt,  but  to  those  who  knew  him  best,  he  often  displayed  the  gentle- 
ness of  woman.  These  diverse  qualities  having  been  refined  in  the 
crucible  of  experience  weie  blended  and  unified  harmoniously  in  his 
nature. 

As  a  physician  Dr.  Corson  was  highly  esteemed  among  his 
colleagues,  and  his  judgment  and  diagnostic  skill  were  sought  in  many 
a  consulting  room  for  a  period  of  fifty-five  years.  He  was  a  devoted 
attendant  to  his  patients.  His  efforts  to  relieve  their  sufferings  and  to 
cure  their  diseases,  were  untiring  and  unceasing,  and  while  we  are  here 
for  the  purpose  of  expressing  our  appreciation  of  him  as  a  man  and 
physician,  in  hundreds  of  households  and  in  thousands  of  hearts,  there 
is  a  sadness  to-day  that  cannot  be  suppressed. 

At  these  meetings  we  shall  sorrowfully  miss  his  presence.  \\  e, 
especially  the  younger  members  of  the  profession,  have  truly  lost  a 
friend  and  a  brother  ;  one  who  was  ever  ready  with  a  sympathetic  ear 
and  kindly  counsel  to  assist  in  time  of  difficulty,  lo  the  last  his 
thoucrhts  were  not  of  himself  but  of  others,  and  on  the  day  before  his 
death  he  rejoiced  in  the  success  of  two  of  his  friends,  in  their  triumph- 
ant election  at  the  polls  to  high  and  honorable  stations.  And  but  two 
days  before  he  breathed  his  last,  when  his  frame  was  too  feeble  to  sit 
erect  in  his  chair,  and  his  hand  so  tremulous  that  he  could  scarcely 
hold  the  pen,  he  wrote  a  prescription  for  a  patron  and  friend. 

Throughout  his  gradually  increasing  infirmities-for  weeks— his 
intellect  was  clear  and  vigorous,    and  occasionally  flashes  of  old  time 


144  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

fire  kindled  in  his  eye.  When  he  was  fully  conscious  that  he  could  not 
rally  and  the  end  was  drawing  near,  he  expressed  a  wish  that  he  might 
be  spared  the  pain  and  suffering  that  are  often  incident  to  approaching 
dissolution.  Nature  graciously  granted  his  request,  and  as  the  mellow 
twilight  of  an  autumn  evening  fades  gently  into  the  deep  darkness  of 
night,  so  the  life  of  our  esteemed  friend  breathed  itself  out  softly  and 
peacefully  into  that  sleep  we  call  death. 

Such  was  his  life  and  such  his  death,  and  he  has  furnished  us  with 
an  example  well  worthy  of  imitation,  and  it  is  ours  to  see  that  it  does 
not  become  a  fleeting  evanescence,  but  a  practical  reality — constantly 
admonishing  us  that 

' '  We  can  make  our  lives  sublime, 
And  departing  leave  behind  us 
Foot-prints  on  the  sands  of  time." 

The  resolutions  presented  to  the  Society  were  unanimously 
adopted  and  were  as  follows  : 

"  IVhereas,  The  members  of  the  Montgomery  County  Medical 
Society  have  learned  with  profound  sorrow  of  the  death  of  Dr.  William 
Corson,  one  of  the  founders  of  this  Society,  and 

"  Whereas,  They  recognize  in  the  death  of  their  late  associate,  the 
loss  of  one  who  at  all  times  had  the  welfare  and  prosperity  of  this 
Society  at  heart,  and  feeling  desirous  of  expressing  in  fitting  words, 
their  high  appreciation  of  his  many  qualities  as  a  man,  and  as  a  physi- 
cian, therefore  be  it 

"Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  Dr.  William  Corson,  this  Society 
mourns  the  loss  of  one  of  its  oldest,  most  active  and  talented  members, 
and  one  who  was  justly  esteemed  by  all  his  professional  brethren,  for 
many  excellent  qualities  of  head  and  heart. 

"Resolved,  That  while  we  deeply  deplore  his  death,  yet  rejoice 
that  his  was  a  well  spent  life,  full  of  years  honorable  alike  to  himself 
and  the  profession. 

"Resolved,  That  we  tendei  to  his  brother,  his  late  associate  in 
practice,  and  his  relatives,  the  assurance  of  our  heartfelt  sympathy  and 
condolence. 

"Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  sent  to  the  family 
of  the  deceased,  be  published  in  the  daily  papers  of  Norristown,  and 
entered  upon  the  Minutes  of  this  Society" — Signed  by  the  Committee, 
of  which  P.  Y.  Eisenberg,  M.  D.,  was  Chairman. 


XIV. 
Maternal  Ancestry. 

In  this  chapter  will  be  given  some  information  about  a 
few  of  the  families  who  have  intermarried  with  the  Corsons. 

First,  the  Duncans,  my  grandmother  Corson's  family. 

Second,  the  Dickinsons,  my  mother's  family. 

Third,  the  Foulkes,  my  wife's  family. 

Fourth,  the  Egberts,  my  brother  Alan's  wife's  family, 
which  is  also  the  family  of  brother  Charles'  wife,  they  being 
sisters. 

The  Duncans — Father's  Maternal  Ancestors. 

The  earliest  one  of  whom  we  have  an  account  is  William 
Duncan,  of  St.  Martin  in  the  Field,  London,  England,  who 
married  Lady  Frances  Weston,  widowed  daughter  of  Lewis 
Latham,  Falconer  to  Charles  I.,  who  is  said  to  have  lived 
to  a  great  age  :  born,  ISS'S,  and  died,  1655.  Frances  Latham, 
his  daughter,  was  a  rather  remarkable  woman.  She  was  mar- 
ried four  times,  had  eleven  children  and  eighty-two  grand- 
children. She  was  born  in  1611,  died  in  Newport,  R.  I.,  in 
1677.  Her  first  husband  was  Lord  Weston.  Her  second 
husband  was  William  Duncan,  by  whom  she  had  one  son. 
Rev.  Thomas  Duncan,  and  three  daughters.  Her  third  hus- 
band was  Jeremiah  Clarke,  who  brought  her  and  her  children 
to  America,  to  the  Baptist  settlement  that  Roger  Williams  had 
founded  in  Rhode'  Island.  Frances  Clarke,  as  her  name  then 
was,  had   seven  children  named  Clarke.     After  the  death  of 

Jeremiah  Clarke,  she  married  for  her  fourth  and    last  husband 

145 


146  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

the  Rev.  William  Vaughan  by  whom  she  had  no  children. 
The  tombstone  of  Frances  Vaughan  can  still  be  seen  in  an  old 
graveyard  in  Newport  with  quite  a  long  inscription  on  it.  As 
will  be  seen  by  the  foregoing,  William  Dungan,  of  England, 
left  one  son  only,  Thomas,  and  it  is  through  him  that  the  once 
numerous  family  in  Bucks  County  is  descended. 

Thomas  Dungan  became  a  Baptist  minister  and  married 
Elizabeth  Weaver,  daughter  of  Clement  and  Mary  (Freeborn) 
Weaver,  by  whom  he  had  five  sons  and  three  daughters.  In 
1684  the  Rev.  Thomas  Dungan  and  his  grown  sons  and 
daughters  came  to  Bucks  County,  where  he  built  the  first 
Baptist  church  of  Pennsylvania.  It  was  at  a  place  known  as 
Cold  Spring,  three  miles  above  Bristol,  and  there  he  died  and 
was  buried  in  1688. 

On  a  gravestone  in  the  graveyard  of  the  Southampton 
Church  (Baptist)  there  is  this  inscription  :  "  Sacred  to  the 
memory  of  Joseph  Dungan,  grandson  of  Rev.  Thomas  Dungan, 
who  came  from  Rhode  Island  in  1684,  and  died  and  was 
buried  at  Cold  Spring  in  1688.'' 

Sarah  Dungan,  daughter  of  the  said  Joseph  Dungan 
and  Mary  Ohl,  his  wife,  married  Benjamin  Corson,  of  North- 
ampton Township,  Bucks  County,  and  they  had  born  to  them 
eleven  children,  six  sons  and  five  daughters,  namely  : 

(i)  I^enjamix,  married  Hannah  Whitaker,  moved  to 
Muncy,  Lycoming  County. 

(2)  Joseph  (my  father),  who  came  to  Montgomery 
County. 

(3)  Thomas,  married  Sarah  Roberts,  moved  to  Chester 
Valley,  Chester  County. 

(4)  Richard,  married,  first,  Ann  Marple  ;  second,  Eliza- 
beth Bennett  ;  remained  till  his  death  in  Bucks  County,  near 
Addisville. 

(5)  Mary,  married  William  Harvey,  moved  to  Philadel- 
phia. 

(6)  Sarah,  married  Matthias  Bennett,  remained  in  Bucks 
County,  near  to  the  Corson  home. 


Maternal  Ancestry.  1.7 

(7)  Rachel,  marned  Paul  Blaker  ;  lived  in  BucksCounty. 

(8)  Elizabeth,  married  Issachar  Morris  ;  moved  to 
Muncy,  Pa. 

(9)  Joshua,  married  Hannah  Lee  ;  moved  to  Makefield, 
Bucks  County. 

(10)  Jane,  married  Wm.  Bennett;  remained  in  North- 
ampton, Bucks  County. 

(11)  Amos,  married  Martha  Martindale  ;  remained  in 
Bucks  County. 

Of  the  above,  Joseph  Corson  came  to  Plymouth  Meeting 
Montgomeiy  County,  and  married  Hannah  Dickinson.  Their 
children  were  : 

Alan  W.,  married  Mary  Egbert. 

Mary,  married  Charles  Adamson,  of  Chester  County. 

Sarah,  married  Thomas  Read. 

Joseph,  marned  Ann  Hagy. 

Charles,  married  Sarah  Norman  Egbert. 

George,  married  Martha  Maulsby. 

Hiram,  married  Ann  J.  Foulke. 

William,  died  unmarried. 

Their  descendants  constitute  the  entire  number  of  Cor- 
sons  in  Montgomeiy  County,  save  the  small  family  of  Corsons 
at  Shannonville,  (who  are  descendants  of  Benjamin  Corson, 
a  first  cousin  to  Joseph  [my  father],  of  Plymouth  Township). 

As  it  is  sometimes  veiy  interesting  to  look  back  from 
effects  to  their  causes,  it  m.ay  not  be  amiss  here  to  enquire 
why  these  Baptists  of  England  left  home  so  soon  after 
America  began  to  be  setded.  "  On  the  restoration  of  Charles 
n,"  says  the  historian,  "there  commenced  a  series  of  fearful 
persecutions.  In  Wales,  for  twenty-eight  years  during  his 
reign,  they  had  to  meet  in  the  most  secret  places  by  night, 
somewhere  in  the  woods,  or  on  the  black  mountains,  or  the 
'  Rough  Rock.'  They  were  obliged  to  change  the  place  every 
week,  that  their  enemies  might  not  find  them  out.  Often  the 
friends  of  the  infernal  foe  diligently  sought  them,  but  found 
them  not.    But  sometimes  despite  all  their  care  and  prudence, 


148  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

they  were  caught  and  unmercifully  whipped  and  fined.  Their 
cattle  and  household  furniture  were  seized  to  pay  the  fines  and 
the  expenses  of  the  executioners  of  the  law.  The  safest  place 
they  ever  found  was  in  the  woods  under  a  large  rock,  called 
Darren  Ddu,  or  the  Black  Rock.  It  is  dreadful  steep,  and 
the  roughest  place  we  have  ever  seen." 

Rev.  Thomas  Dungan  after  his  arrival  in  Rhode  Island, 
heard  of  William  Penn's  toleration  of  the  sect  in  Pennsylvania, 
so  he  came  to  this  State,  with  a  colony  of  followers.  It  is 
believed  that  Penn  and  Dungan  were  friends,  for  the  father  of 
William,  Admiral  Penn,  was  an  P.nglish  Baptist.  So  when 
Dungan  came  to  purchase  land,  desiring  a  quiet  spot,  where 
he  could  end  his  days  peacefully,  Penn  from  the  love  he  bore 
the  Baptists  and  for  his  sympathy  with  those  who  had  come 
out  of  terrible  persecution,  it  is  believed,  offered  him  this  Cold 
Spring,  of  which  he  had  doubtless  heard  tlic  Indians  speak, 
for  it  was  one  of  their  great  gathering  places.  It  was  at  this 
place,  Cold  Springs  at  the  mouth  of  the  Pennepack,  on  the 
Delaware  Ri\cr,  three  miles  above  Bristol,  in  Bucks  County, 
where  for  four  years,  from  1684  to  1688,  this  Thomas  Dungan 
lived  and  preached.  There  he  founded  a  Baptist  Church,  the 
first  one  west  of  New  England,  except  one  in  Charleston, 
S.  C,  founded  one  year  earlier,  1683.  The  site  of  his  bap- 
tism, at  Cold  Spring,  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  for  such  a 
purpose  along  the  Delaware  River.  I-^rom  then  until  the  pres- 
ent time,  that  spot  has  frequentl}'  been  the  scene  of  baptisms. 
There,  in  1688,  he  died  and  was  buried.  In  the  burj'ing 
ground  at  Southampton  Baptist  Church,  in  Bucks  County,  on 
the  tomb-stone  of  his  son,  Thomas  Dungan,  is  this  inscription  : 
"In  Memory  of  Thomas  Dungan,  Jr.,  son  of  Revd.  Thomas 
Dungan,  who  came  from  Rhode  Island  to  Cold  Spring,  in  1684, 
and  who  died  and  was  buried  there  in  1688."  This  second 
Thomas  Dungan  was  the  father  of  Joseph  Dungan,  who  mar- 
ried Mary  Ohl.  Their  daughter,  Sarah  Duncan,  married 
Benjamin  Corson,  third,  by  whom  she  had  eleven  children, 
already  spoken  of  {I'ide  Chapter  IV.) ;    the  second  child  was 


Maternal  Ancestry.  149 

Joseph  Corson,  my  father,  who  was  born  March  15,  17G4. 
When  twenty-two  years  of  age  (in  178G),  he  came  from 
Bucks  County  to  Plymouth  Meeting,  Montgomery  County, 
and,  in  1787,  married  Hannah  Dickinson. 

The  Dickinsons — My  Maternal  Ancestors. 

Hannah  Dickinson,  my  mother,  was  the  daughter  of 
Joseph  Dickinson  and  great-granddaughter  of  Wilh'am 
Dickinson,  whose  anc-estor,  John  Dickinson,  of  the  Church  of 
England,  received,  in  1658,  a  patent  for  420  acres  of  land  on 
the  Patapsco  River,  in  Maryland. 

William  Dickinson  was  a  descendant  of  Charles 
Dickinson,  whose  line  of  ancestry  has  been  traced  back  to  a 
very  remote  period  ;  a  brief  outline  is  here  given. 

The  earliest  of  the  Dickinson  name,  of  whom  we  have 
record,  was  Gaultier  (Walter)  de  Caen,  a  lineal  descendant 
of  Ivar,  General  to  Halfdan  Heilbein,  King  of  Norway  in  the 
year  700.  His  descendant,  Gaultier  de  Caen,  2d,  was 
with  his  kinsman,  William  the  Conquerer,  when  the  latter 
invaded  t^ngland  in  1066.  He  anglicized  his  name  to 
De  Kenson  after  having  received  a  grant  of  land  in  the  old 
Saxon  Manor  of  Kenson,  near  the  present  city  of  Leeds. 
Subsequently  he  married  a  daughter  of  William  Saxton,  Lord 
of  Kenson,  and  became  known  as  Walter  de  Kenson.  From 
him  descended  John  de  Kenson,  clerk  in  Chancery  during 
the  reign  of  Edward  L  From  John  sprang  Hugh  Dicconsin, 
of  Kenson  Manor,  near  Leeds,  who  lived  1422  to  1475. 
His  son  was  William,  and  William's  son  was  John  Dicconson, 
a  wool  merchant  of  Leeds,  also  Burgess  and  Alderman  of  the 
same  place  ;  he  married  Elizabeth  Danby  (or  Danbie),  daugh- 
ter of  Sir  Robert  Danbie,  and  died  in  1525.  John's  younger 
son,  William  Dickinson,  a  country  squire,  moved  to  Bradley, 
Staffordshire,  and  married  Rachael  Kinge  ;  he  died  in  1590. 
His  son,  Richard  Dickinson,  of  Bradley  Hall,  married  Eliza 
Bagnall ;  Richard  died  in  1600.  His  son,  Symon  Dickinson, 
a  squire  of  Bradley,  lived  during  the  reign  of  Elizabeth  and 


I50  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

married  Lady  Catharine  Dudley,  a  descendant  of  Edward  the 
Third,  (Direct  Hne  as  follows  :  Edward  III — his  son  John,  of 
Gaunt ;  his  daughter,  Joane  ;  her  daughter,  Elizabeth  Ferrers  ; 
her  daughter,  Elizabeth  Fitz  Hugh  ;  her  daughter,  Elizabeth 
Greystock  ;  her  son,  Sir  Gilbert  Talbot ;  his  daughter,  Eleanor 
Talbot ;  her  daughter,  Catherine  Dudley,  who  married  Symon 
Dickinson.) 

Symon's  second  son,  James  Dickinson,  born  in  156S, 
who  held  positions  of  honor  under  James  I.,  married  Bridget, 
daughter  of  John  Godson,  a  rich  merchant ;  he  died  in  1620, 
at  St.  James  Palace  (where  he  had  lived  from  1603),  leaving 
six  children.  Charles  Dickinson  (the  second  son  of  James) 
was  born  in  1594,  at  the  residence  of  his  great  uncle,  Richard 
Dickinson,  in  St.  Dunstan  Parish,  London,  with  whom  his 
father  then  liv^ed  ;  at  the  age  of  nine  he  went  with  his  father 
to  St.  James  Palace,  where  he  also  held  posts  of  honor  until 
16 10,  when  he  was  apprenticed  to  John  Carter,  a  wealthy 
merchant  of  London,  whose  daughter  Rachel  he  married  in 
16 19.  Charles  was  a  great  favorite  of  King  James  the  First, 
who  presented  him,  on  the  occasion  of  his  marriage,  with  a 
handsome  set  of  silver.  Some  of  the  pieces  are  still  in  the 
possession  of  Wharton  Dickinson,  of  Little  Rock,  Arkansas. 
In  1653,  Charles  and  his  three  sons,  Walter,  Henry  and 
John,  were  converted  by  the  great  Quaker  Preacher,  George 
Fox,  who  renewed  his  acquaintance  with  two  of  the  sons, 
Walter  and  John,  when  he  visited  the  Eastern  shore  of 
Maryland  in  1672.  Charles  died  in  1653,  ^%^^  59  years. 
His  son  John  Dickinson,  born  in  1624,  emigrated  in  1654, 
with  his  two  brothers,  to  Virginia  ;  subsequently  he  and  his 
brother  Walter  went  to  North  Point,  Maryland,  and  took  up 
300  acres  of  land,  along  the  Patapsco  River.  In  1660  he 
again  moved,  going  to  Talbot  County,  Maryland,  where  he 
purchased  300  acres  from  Nicholas  Holmes,  whose  daughter, 
Sarah  Holmes,  he  married  in  1664.  Their  third  son, 
William  Dickinson,  born  in  1669,  married  in  1690,  to  Sarah, 
daughter  of  William  Harrison   (and  granddaughter  of  James 


Maternal  Ancestry.  151 

Harrison,  who  died  in  Bucks  County  in  1687),  moved  to 
Darby,  Pa.,  in  the  same  year  (1690).  In  1703  he  came  to 
Radnor,  as  the  records  of  the  meeting  show,  and  then  bought 
a  large  tract  of  land  in  Plymouth  Township,  Montgomery 
County,  Pa.,  adjoining  the  Meeting  House,  where  he  lived 
until  his  death.  Joshua  Dickinson,  his  fifth  child,  born  in 
Darby  (?),  August  18,  1699,  married  Elizabeth  Morris, 
only  child  of  Richard  and  Hannah  (Cadwallader)  Morris,  and 
moved  to  Whitpain  Township,  Montgomeiy  County,  on  a 
farm  of  200  acres,  which  his  wife  had  inherited  from  her  father. 
It  was  on  the  "  Morris  Road,"  near  the  present  borough  of 
Ambler;  Joshua  died  April  20,  1752.  His  second  child, 
Joseph  Dickinson,  born  in  1729,  married  May  7,  1754, 
Hannah  Wright,  and  they  had  four  children,  Israel,  Mary, 
Ada,  and  Hannah  (my  mother,  who  married  Joseph  Corson). 
Hannah  Wright,  the  wife  of  Joseph  Dickinson  (and  my 
grandmother)  was  the  daughter  of  John  Wright,  who  came 
from  Ireland  about  1700,  and  settled  in  Hatfield  Township, 
Montgomery  County,  and  engaged  in  farming.  He  married 
Mary  Morgan,  who  was  a  daughter  of  John  Morgan;  the 
latter's  wife  was  a  daughter  of  John  Jerman,  the  Quaker 
preacher,  who  came  from  Llanidles,  Montgomeryshire,  Wales, 
about  1684,  with  his  wife,  Margaret,  and  two  daughters 
Sarah  and  Elizabeth,  and  settled  in  Radnor  Township, 
Delaware  County.  Pa. 

The  Foulkes.  * 

My  wife,  Ann  J.  Foulke  Corson, was  a  direct  descendant 
of  Edward  Foulke,  who  came  to  Gwynedd  from  the  Parish 
of  Llandderfel,  Wales,  in  1693,  and  whose  ancestry  has  been 
traced  back,  by  means  of  the  Welsh  records  and  other  sources 
of  information,  through  sixteen  generations  to  Colwyn  ap 
Morreiddig,  King  of  Gwynedd.  (My  wife  was  the  twenty-first 
generation.)  Before  his  arrival,  he  purchased  a  plantation  in 
Gwynedd  of  about  713  acres,  which  he  called  Penllyn.  His 
wife,  who  came  with  him  from  Wales,  was  Eleanor,  daughter 


152  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

of  Hugh  ap  Cadwallader  ap  Rhys,  of  the  parish  of  Spytcr, 
in  Denbighshire.  They  had  nine  children  of  whom  Thomas 
FouLKE  was  the  eldest.  Thomas,  born  in  Wales,  married  in 
1706,  GwEX,  daughter  of  David  Evans,  of  Radnor,  Delaware 
County,  Pa.,  and  they  had  eight  children,  of  whom  William 
FouLKE  was  the  second  born. 

William  Foulke,  born  in  1708,  married  Hannah  Jones, 
August  15,  1734.  They  had  thirteen  children,  of  whom  Amos 
Foulke,  born  in  1740,  was  the  fifth  child.  Amos  married  in 
1778,  Hannah,  daughter  of  Owen  Jones,  Sr.,  of  Wynnewood, 
Pa.  They  had  three  children,  of  whom  Edward  Foulke, 
born  November  17,  1784,  was  the  second  child.  Edward 
married  December  11,  1810,  Tacy  Jones.  He  died  July  17, 
185 1.     They  had  twelve  children  as  follows  : 

(i)  Ann  Jones  Foulke,  born  September  15,  1811,  mar- 
ried Hiram  Corson,  M.  D.,  December  26,  1833. 

(2)  Jesse  Foulke,  born  June  23,  1813  ;  died  unmar- 
ried October,  1891. 

(3)  Charles  Foulke,  born  18 15,  died  1871  ;  married 
Harriet  M.  Corson,  great-granddaughter  of  ]^enjamin  Corson 
(second). 

(4)  Susanna  Foulke,  born  1818,  died  1886. 

(5)  Owen  Foulke,  died  in  infancy. 

(6)  Priscilla  Foulke,  born  1821  ;  married  Thomas 
Wistar  ;  died  in  1882. 

(7)  Jonathan  Foulke,  died  in  infancy. 

(8)  Lydia  Foulkp:,  born  February  18,  1827;  married 
Charles  W.  Bacon. 

(9)  Rebecca  Foulke,  born  May  18,  1829;  married 
Robert  R.  Corson,  great-grandson  of  Benjamin  Corson 
(second). 

(10)  Hannah  Foulke,  born  September  18,  183 1  ;  mar- 
ried Francis  Bacon. 

(11)  P^MiLY  Foulke,  born  December  2,  1834;  married 
Charles  L.  Bacon. 

(12)  Owen  P'oulke,  died  in  infancy. 


Ann  J.  Corson 


THE 

NEW  YORK 

^PUBLIC   LIBRARY' 

Feun^atlent. 
1909 


Maternal  Ancestry.  i^^ 

The  children  of  Ann  Jones  Foulke  and  Hiram  Corson 
M.  D.,  are  : 

Edward  Foulke  Corson,  U.  S.  N.,  born  October  14, 
1834  ;  died  June  22,  1864,  unmarried. 

(2)  Joseph  Kirby  Corson,  U.  S.  A.,  born  1836;  married 
n  1874,  Ada,  daughter  of  Judge  Carter. 

(3)  Caroline  C0R.SON,  born  1839;  died  1865. 

(4)  Tacy  Foulke  Corson,  born  1841 ;  married  William 
L.,  son  of  James  Cresson. 

(5)  Charles  Follen  Corson,  born  1842  ;  married  first, 
Mary,  daughter  of  Lewis  A.  Lukens  ;  second,  Margaret  Slem- 
mer  ;  died  in  1889. 

(6)  Susan  Foulke  Corson,  born  1845  ;  married  in  1868, 
Jawood,  son  of  Lewis  A.  Lukens. 

(7)  Bertha  Corson,  born  1847  ;  married  in  1868,  James, 
son  of  James  Yocom. 

(8)  Frances  Stockton  Corson,  born  1 849  ;  married  in 
1874,  Richard  H.,  son  of  Charles  Day. 

(9)  Mary  Corson,  born  1852;  unmarried. 

The  Egberts. 

Two  of  my  brothers,  Alan  and  Charles,  married  daugh- 
ters of  Laurence  Egbert,  son  of  Laurence  Egbert,  and 
grandson  of  James  Egbert,  who  was  born  January  10,  1695. 

James  Egbert's  wife  was  Catherine ,  born   December  6, 

1695,  'ii'id  their  sixth  son,  Laurence,  was  born  January  20, 
1724,  and  lived  in  Whitemarsh  Township,  Montgomery 
County,  during  the  time  of  the  Revolution.  While  the  army 
was  in  his  neighborhood  it  took  his  son  (impressing  him  into 
the  sei"vice),  his  horses,  wagons,  and  other  valuable  property, 
causing  him  much  distress.  He  married  Sarah  Blackledge, 
who  survived  him,  dying  in  the  year  1800,  at  an  advanced 
age.  Their  children  numbered  seven  of  whom  the  youngest, 
Laurence  Egbert,  Jr.,  was  born  in  1757,  and  died  April  19, 
182 1.  His  wife  was  Sarah  Norman,  daughter  of  David 
Norman,    and    granddaughter   of    Robert    Norman.       The 


154  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

Norman's  have  always  been  proud  of  their  name  and  have 
boasted  of  their  noble  lineage.  Da\'id  Norman  married 
Mary  Stevenson  (often  called  Stinson),  daughter  of  John 
and  Grace  Stevenson,  and  they  had  eight  children  of  whom 
Sarah,  the  fifth  child,  who  became  the  wife  of  Laurence 
Egbert,  Jr.,  was  born  April  13,  1765,  and  died  July  13,  1836; 
her  father,  David  Norman,  died  April  27,  1795. 

Laurence  Egbert,  the  younger,  and  his  wife,  Sarah 
Norman,  had  six  children  of  whom  Mary,  the  eldest,  married 
Alan  W.  Corson,  and  Sarah,  the  youngest,  (she  and  her 
sister  Susan  were  twins)  married  Charles  Corson,  both  of 
them  my  brothers.  Their  descendants  arc  given  in  Chapters 
VI.  and  X. 


XV. 


The  War  Record. 

The  first  ancestor  of  the  Corson  family  of  Pennsylvania, 
of  whom  we  have  any  knowledge,  was  Cornelius  Corssen',  of 
Staten  Island,  N.  Y.,  who  received  a  commission  as  Captain, 
in  1689,  for  service  in  the  French  and  Indian  Wars.  He  died 
in  1693.-^/.  /.  Chile's  History  of  Statai  Island,  X.  Y., 
Archives. 

In  the  Provincial  service  in  Pennsylvania  we  find  Cafi'Ain 
Henry  Corson^  Associated  Regulars  of  Bucks  County  I'ro- 
vincial  Service,  1747-48. — Pemisyhania  Historical  Magazine, 
Vol.  3,  p.  437 

Revolutionary  War. 

In  the  Revolutionary  War  in  the  "  Roll  of  the  Fourth 
Associated  Company  of  Northampton  Township,  Bucks 
County,  Pa.,  taken  pursuant  to  the  direction  of  the  Committee 
of  Safety,  August  19,  1775,  Captain  Lott  commanding,"  are  : 

Christian  CoRSEN^ 

Cornelius  Corsen*. 

Daniel  Corsen^ 

Cornelius  Corsen,  Jr.'^ 

Henry  Corsen^ 

— Pennsylvania  Associators  and  Militia,  Vol.  2,  p.  14S. 

In  the  Sixth  Associated  Company,  of  Southampton  Town- 
ship, Bucks  County,  formed  August  19,  1/75,  commanded  by 
Captain  John  Folwell,  was — 

Benjamin  Corson*. 

— Pennsylvania  Associators  and  Militia,  Vol.  2,  p.  130. 

155 


156  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

War  of  181 2. 

Richard  Davis  Corson^  M.  D.,  grandson  of  Benjamin' 
and  Maria  (Sedam)  Corson,  was  a  Surgeon  at  Fort  Marcus 
Hook  in  the  War  of  1 8 1 2. 

In  the  Civil  War. 

Louis  W.  Read,  M.  D.,  grandson  of  Joseph^  and  Hannah 
(Dickinson)  Corson,  was  commissioned  June  i,  1861,  Major 
and  Surgeon  of  the  Thirtieth  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  First 
Reserves,  the  first  three  years' regiment.  On  July  17,  1863, 
he  resigned  this  position  to  accept  the  appointment  of  Surgeon 
of  United  States  Volunteers,  and  was  assigned  to  duty  as 
Medical  Director  of  the  Pennsylvania  Reser\'e  Corps,  Third 
Division,  P"ifth  Army  Corps,  Army  of  the  Potomac.  In 
November,  1864,  he  was  sent  from  duty  in  the  field  and  placed 
in  charge  of  the  McKimm  United  States  Hospital  at  Baltimore, 
and  continued  in  that  position  until  the  end  of  the  war.  He 
was  brevetted  Lieutenant-Colonel  United  States  Volunteers 
Januaiy  12,  1866,  "  for  faithful  and  meritorious  ser\'ices  during 
the  war."  Appointed  by  Governor  Hartranft  Surgeon  General 
of  Pennsylvania,  with  rank  of  Brigadier  General,  May  15, 
1874,  and  reappointed  by  Governors  Beaver,  Pattison  and 
Hastings  to  the  same  position.  The  last  appointment  was  on 
July  3,  1895.  On  May  25,  1895,  Dr.  Read  was  elected 
President  of  the  Association  of  Militaiy  Surgeons  of  the 
United  States  of  America. 

Joseph  Corson  Read",  grandson  of  Joseph^  and  Hannah 
(Dickinson)  Corson,  was  Sergeant  in  Company  B,  Fourth  Penn- 
sylvania \^olunteers  (three  months'  regiment),  April  20  to  July 
27,  1861  ;  Second  Lieutenant  Fifty-first  Pennsylvania  Volun- 
teers (three  years),  September  2,  1861  ;  promoted  to  Captain 
and  Commissary  of  Subsistence  July  22,  1862;  Colonel  and 
Chief  Commissary  of  Subsistence,  Army  of  the  Cumberland, 
June  9,  1865  ;  brevetted  Major  and  Lieutenant-Colonel, 
March  13,  1865,  "for  meritorious  ser\ices  during  the  war;" 
honorably  mustered  out,  March  13,  1866  ;  he  was  personally 


The  JVar  Record.  157 

engaged  in  the  following  battles,  viz.  :  Roanoke  Island.  X.  C.  ; 
New  Berne,  N.  C.  ;  Second  Bull  Run,  Va. ;  Chantilly,  South 
Mountain,  and  Antietam.  From  March,  1864,  to  March, 
1866,  he  served  in  the  field  upon  the  Staff  of  Major  General 
George  H.  Thomas.  In  the  discharge  of  his  duties  as  brigade, 
division,  corps,  and  depot  commissary,  and  chief  commissary 
of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  Colonel  Read  disbursed  vast 
sums  of  money,  and  issued  an  immense  quantit>'  of  subsist- 
ence stores,  without  the  loss  of  one  cent  to  the  Government. 

William  Corson  Schultz^  great-grandson  of  Joseph* 
and  Hannah  (Dickinson)  Corson,  enlisted  as  private  in  Colonel 
Baker's  Seventy-first  Pennsylvania  Volunteers.  He  was 
wounded  in  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  July.  1863,  and  died  in 
October  of  same  year. 

Hexrv  Corson  Schultz**,  great-grandson  of  Joseph''  and 
Hannab  Corson,  enlisted  as  a  private,  Fifty-first  Regiment 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers.  He  w^as  killed  in  the  battle  of 
Antietam,  September,  1862. 

Joseph  Corson  Jones^,  great-grandson  of  Joseph"'  and 
Hannah  (Dickinson)  Corson,  enlisted  August,  1862,  in  Fourth 
Pennsylvania  Militia  (Colonel  Knoderer),  Company  C  ;  after- 
ward enlisted  in  Seventeenth  Pennsylvania  Cavalry,  Company 
L  (Colonel  Kellog;  Captain  John  Reese).  He  was  Corporal 
and  Sergeant  and  took  part  in  fifty-seven  battles  and  skirm- 
ishes, the  most  important  of  which  were  :  Chancellorsville, 
(April  30  to  May  2,  1863),  Beverly  Ford,  Gettysburg,  Falling 
Water,  Brandy  Station  (August  i,  1863),  Stevensburg,  Brandy 
Station  (October  ii,  1863),  Thoroughfare  Gap,  Rappahannock 
Station,  Bealton  Station,  Mine  Run  (November  29  to  Decem- 
ber I,  1863),  Kilpatrick's  Raid  to  Richmond  (February  27  to 
March  15,  1864),  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness  (May  7  to  May 
30,  1864),  Cold  Harbor,  Trevillian  Station  (June  11  and  12, 
1864),  thirteen  engagements  along  the  Shenandoah  Valley 
(June  23  to  December  22,  1864),  Sheridan's  Raid  to  the 
James  River  Canal  and  White  House  (February  29  to  March 
18,  1865),  Dinwiddle  Court  House  (March  30  and  31,  1865), 


158  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

Five  Forks,  Scott's  Cross  Roads,  Drumon's  Mill,  Saylor's 
Creek,  Appomattox  Station,  and  Appomattox  Court  House 
(April  9,  1865).      He  returned  home  June,  1865. 

Edward  F"oulke  Corson",  grandson  of  Joseph'^  and  Han- 
nah (Dickinson)  Corson,  was  appointed  Assistant  Surgeon, 
U.  S.  N.,  April,  1859;  sailed  in  May  of  the  same  year  to  the 
China  Station  on  the  U.  S.  Sloop  of  War,  "  Hartford,"  the 
flag-ship  of  the  squadron.  Returned  in  December,  1861  ; 
was  promoted  to  Surgeon  in  U.  S,  Na\y  in  1862,  and  sailed 
in  the  latter  part  of  that  year  on  the  U.  S.  S.  "Mohican,"  in 
search  of  the  "Alabama"  ;  returned  in  the  spring  of  1864, 
and  died  June  22,  1864. 

Charlics  Follen  Corson',  grandson  of  Joseph"'  and 
Hannah  (Dickinson)  Corson,  served  in  Company  C,  Ele\enth 
Regiment  Pennsyhania  Volunteer  Militia,  in  the  emergency 
call  of  1862. 

Joseph  Kirhv  Cor>on",  grandson  of  Joseph''  and  Hannah 
(Dickinson)  Corson,  was  Corporal  and  Sergeant  in  the  Fourth 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers  (Colonel  Hartranft),  from  April  20  to 
July  26,  1861  ;  acting  Medical  Cadet  at  Military  Hospital, 
Broad  and  Cherr>'  Streets,  Philadelphia,  from  P""cbruaiy,  1862, 
to  March,  1864;  Assistant  Surgeon,  Thirty-fifth  Pennsylvania 
Infantr)'  (Sixth  Reserx'es),  from  March  18,  1863,  to  June  26, 
1864  ;  present  with  his  regiment  at  battles  of  Gettysburg,  Pa., 
Manas-as  Gap,  Bristoe  Station,  Rappahannock  Station,  Mine 
Run,  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania,  North  Anna  River,  and 
Bethesda  Church,  Va.;  Acting  Assistant  Surgeon  U.  S.  A.  at 
Camp  Discharge,  Pennsylvania,  from  November  15,  1864,  to 
May  15,  1865  ;  Assistant  Surgeon  U.  S.  A.,  October  9,  1867; 
Major  and  Surgeon,  November  15,  18S8  ;  received  the  brevet 
rank  of  Major  Volunteers,  March  13,  1865,  for  "faithful 
and  meritorious  serx'ices  in  the  Wilderness  campaign  in 
Virginia." 

George  Norman  Corson^  grandson  of  Joseph''  and  Han- 
nah (Dickinson)  Corson,  enlisted  in  Company  B,  Fourth  Penn- 


The  War  Record.  159 

sylvania  Regiment  (Colonel  Hartranft),  mustered  in  at  I  lanis- 
burg,  April  21,  1861  ;  carried  mails  from  Washington  to  camp 
and  back ;  Perryville,  Annapolis,  Washington,  Alexandria, 
Bull's  Run  ;  mustered  out  July  27,  1861. 

John  Jacobs  Corson^  grandson  of  Joseph'^  and  Hannah 
(Dickinson)  Corson,  entered  the  Army  August  13,  1862,  as  a 
clerk,  first  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department  of  liayard's 
Brigade  of  Cavahy,  Army  of  the  Potomac,  until  April,  1S63, 
and,  afterwards,  Clerk  in  the  Quartermaster's  Department  of 
the  Second  Division  Cavalry  Corps,  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
until  June  30,  1865. 

Richard  Reed  Corson'^,  grandson  of  Joseph^  and  Han- 
nah (Dickinson)  Corson,  enlisted  as  a  private  August  3,  1861, 
in  Company  B,  First  Pennsylvania  Cavalry  ;  was  commissioned 
First  Lieutenant  September  19,  1861,  and  made  Quarter- 
master First  Pennsylvania  Cavalry  ;  was  promoted  to  the  rank 
of  Captain  and  Assistant  Quartermaster,  May  12,  1862,  and 
assigned  to  duty  with  General  George  D,  Bayard,  with  whom 
he  served  until  General  Bayard  was  killed,  December  13,  J  862, 
and  then  served  with  General  D,  McM.  Gregg  as  Division 
Quartermaster  until  December  15,  1864,  when  he  was  ordered 
to  report  to  General  Winfield  S.  Hancock,  at  Washington,  as 
Corps  Quartermaster,  in  the  Veteran  Reserve  Corps;  was 
promoted  on  June  19,  1865,  to  the  rank  and  pay  of  Major 
and  Assistant  Quartermaster  in  the  service  of  the  United 
States  ;  mustered  out  October  7,  1865  ;  certificate  of  discharge 
of  indebtedness  to  the  Treasury  Department  was  issued  to  him 
January  7,  1868. 

Ellwood  .Maulsby  Corson",  grandson  of  Joseph'  and 
Hannah  (Dickinson)  Corson,  was  commissioned  Assistant  Sur- 
geon in  the  spring  of  1863  and  attached  to  the  Sixty-ninth 
Regiment,  Pennsylvania  Volunteers.  He  was  with  t'.ie  army 
untU  after  the  battle  of  Antietam,  when  he  was  attacked  with 
typhoid  fever  and  sent  to  Baltimore.  After  his  recover)-  he  was 
assigned  to  duty  on  board  a  monitor  which  sailed  from  New 


i6o  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

York  to  Charleston  Harbor.  He  was  on  board  the  vessel  dur- 
ing her  stay  at  the  latter  place,  during  which  time  (several 
days)  she  was  subjected  to  a  terrible  cannonading  by  the  Rebel 
batteries.  He  also  had  a  good  deal  of  experience  in  hospital 
service  during  and  just  after  the  close  of  the  war. 

Edward  Corson*,  of  Portsmouth,  Ohio,  great-grandson 
of  Joseplr'  and  Hannah  D.  Corson,  was  a  private  in  Company 
E,  One  Hundred  and  Eortieth  Ohio  Regiment.  His  father, 
Dr.  Joseph  Corson^  while  not  a  commissioned  officer  was  sent 
out  from  Portsmouth  to  look  after  the  wounded  after  the 
battles  of  Bull  Run  and  Vienna,  and  was  Post  Surgeon  during 
the  time  a  regiment  was  being  raised  for  the  war. 

Charles  J.  Adamson^  grandson  of  Joseph*  and  Hannah 
D.  Corson,  enlisted  in  September,  1862,  in  Company  E,  Nine- 
teenth Regiment,  Pennsylvania  Volunteer  jNIilitia  ;  rc-enlisted 
in  July,  1863,  in  Company  I,  Thirty-fourth  Regiment,  Penn- 
sylvania Volunteers,  and  again  in  July,  1864,  in  Company  I, 
One  Hundred  and  Ninct}--second  Regiment,  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers  ;  discharged  November,  1864.  He  ser\'ed  his  full 
term  in  each  regiment,  but  was  in  scr\'ice  only  about  six 
months  in  all. 

Clarence  W.  WILLS^  great-grandson  of  Benjamin^  and 
Maria  (Sedam)  Corson,  enlisted  in  the  Fourth  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers  (three  months'  service),  April  20,  1861  ;  discharged 
July  20,  1 86 1.  Re-enlisted  in  the  Anderson  Troop,  Novem- 
ber 30,  1861  ;  discharged  March  26,  1863  ;  died  October  10, 
1874,  at  Pittsburg  Landing,  Tenn.,  aged  36  years, 

WiLLL\M  WiLi^,  Jr.^  great-grandson  of  Benjamin'  and 
Maria  (Sedam)  Corson,  enlisted  April  20,  1861,  in  the  Fourth 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers  (three  months'  service)  ;  discharged 
July  20,  1861  ;  re-enlisted  August  22,  1862,  in  the  P""ifteenth 
Pennsylvania  Cavalry  (i  i6th  Regiment)  ;  discharged  January 
26,  1864;  died  Januaiy  5,  1888,  in  Plymouth  Township, 
Montgomery  County,  Pa.,  aged  49  years. 


The  War  Record.  i6i 

Lewis  E.  Wills^  great-grandson  of  Benjamin'  and  Maria 
(Sedam)  Corson,  enlisted  July  i,  1863,  in  the  Ind. 
Bat.  Artillery  (State  Militia):  discharged  August  24, 
1863  ;  re-enlisted  in  Battery  G,  Second  Pennsylvania  Heavy 
Artillery  (ii2th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers),  February  13,  1864; 
discharged  July  29,  1866. 

Andrew  W.  Wills^,  great-grandson  of  Benjamin'  and 
Maria  (Sedam)  Corson,  enlisted  August  22,  1862,  in  the 
Fifteenth  Pennsylvania  Cavalry.  Appointed  Assistant  Quar- 
termaster and  Captain,  December  5,  1863,  and  assigned  to 
staff  duty  under  Major-General  George  H.  Thomas,  in  the 
Southwest.  He  was  brevetted  Major  and  Lieutenant-Colonel 
for  meritorious  semces  and  bravery  in  the  battles  of  Antietam 
and  Nashville ;  received  and  holds  a  certificate  of  non-indebt- 
edness from  every  department  of  the  government,  although 
some  ^$70,000,000  passed  through  his  hands  while  on  duty  as 
Depot  Quartermaster  at  Nashville  and  elsewhere.  His  force 
consisted  of  fifty-two  clerks  and  from  5000  to  6000  employees. 
He  was  the  youngest  Assistant  Quartermaster  in  the  United 
States  Army;  resigned  January  i,  1868,  and  has  since  made 
his  home  in  Nashville,  Tenn. 

Albert  Augustus  Heston^,  great-grandson  of  Benjamin* 
and  Sarah  (Dungan)  Corson,  enlisted  in  Company  F,  Eastern 
Shore  of  Maryland  Volunteers  ;  re-enlisted  in  Company  A, 
Second  Maryland  Volunteers  ;  served  three  years  and  seven 
months  ;  was  in  the  battles  of  Falling  Waters,  Md.,  July  14, 
1863  ;  Piedmont,  Va.,  June  5,  1864  ;  Lynchburg,  Va.,  June 
17  and  18,  1864;  Snicker's  Ford,  Va.,  July  18,  1864;  Win- 
chester, Va.,  July  24,  1864  ;  Martinsburg,  Va.,  July  25,  1864; 
Cedar  Creek,  August  25,  1864  ;  Berr>wille,  Va.,  September  3, 
1864;  Liberty,  Va.,  June  19,  1864;  Salem,  Va.,  June  24, 
1864;  Hall  Town,  Va.,  August  16,  1864. 

William  Ellwood  Ely,  M.  D.^  great-grandson  of  Ben- 
jamin* and  Sarah  (Dungan)  Corson,  was  commissioned  in  1864 
Surgeon  in  the  U.  S.  A,  and  assigned  to  duty  at  the  Fraicy 
Hospital,  W^ashington,  D.  C,  and  from  there  placed  in  charge 


1 62  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

of  the  Sixth  Veteran  Reserves,  at  Sherburn  l^arracks.  He 
was  subsequently  transferred  to  Philadelphia,  and  assigned  to 
duty  in  McClellan's  United  States  Army  General  Hospital, 
and  after\vards  appointed  examining  Surgeon  for  General  Han- 
cock's Corps,  Army  of  the  Potomac,  He  died  in  1892,  in  his 
51st  year. 

Eugene  R.  Buckmax\  great-grandson  of  Benjamin*  and 
Sarah  (Dungan)  Corson,  enlisted  in  1865,  while  at  Millersville 
Normal  School,  in  Company  C,  of  the  Eighth  Pennsylvania 
Cavalry  ;  was  wounded  at  Amelia  Springs  and  sent  to  Annap- 
olis, Md.,  where  he  died  April  25,  1865.  He  was  buried  in 
Newtown  Cemetery,  Bucks  County,  Pa. 

Joseph  Morris'^,  of  Atlantis,  Cass  County,  Iowa,  great- 
grandson  of  Benjamin*  and  Sarah  (Dungan)  Corson,  was  killed 
in  the  battle  of  Stone  River,  during  the  Civil  War. 

Corson  Morris^  of  Cook  County,  111.,  great-grandson  of 
Benjamin*  and  Sarah  (Dungan)  Corson,  enlisted  in  Company 
F,  Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry  ;  died  in  Andersonville  prison. 

Freeman  Morris^,  brother  of  Corson  Morris,  and  great- 
grandson  of  Benjamin*  and  Sarah  (Dungan)  Corson,  enlisted  in 
the  First  Colorado  Cavalry  and  served  three  years.  He  died 
in  Colorado,  1893. 

Robert  Corson  Cox^,  great-grandson  of  Benjamin*  and 
Sarah  (Dungan)  Corson,  was  commissioned  Brigadier  Inspector, 
with  rank  of  Major,  July  18,  1854,  to  continue  to  June,  1859; 
commissioned  as  Brigadier  Inspector,  June  6,  1859,  to  con- 
tinue to  June,  1864  ;  commissioned  Major  of  the  One  Hundred 
and  Seventy-first  Regiment,  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  Novem- 
ber 18,  1862  ;  commissioned  Colonel  of  the  Two  Hundred 
and  Seventh  Regiment,  Pennsyl\-ania  Volunteers,  September 
28,  1864  ;  commissioned  Brevet  Brigadier-General,  April  9, 
1865  ;  commissioned  Major-General  of  National  Guards  of 
Pennsylvania,  June  6,  1871. 

Henry  Corson  Cox^  son  of  the  above  and  great-great- 
grandson  of  Benjamin*  and   Sarah  (Dungan)  Corson,  enlisted 


The  War  Record.  163 

in  the  Two  Hundred  and  Seventh  Regiment,  I'ennsylvania 
Volunteers,  September  28,  1864,  and  acted  as  Orderly  to  his 
father,  who  was  the  Colonel  of  the  Regiment.  He  was  scarcely 
sixteen  years  of  age  when  he  went  out,  but,  his  father  writes, 
"he  was  large  and  stout  for  his  age  and  being  an  only  son 
wasver\^  anxious  to  go  with  me." 

William  Warren  Corson^,  great-grandson  of  Benjamin* 
and  Sarah  (Dungan)  Corson,  enlisted  in  the  Thirteenth  Regi- 
ment, F.  V.  Cavalry,  August  22,  1862;  was  promoted 
to  Second  Lieutenant  in  the  same  regiment  October,  1 864, 
which  position  he  held  until  he  was  mustered  out  July  31, 
1865. 

B.  Franklin  Van  Court^  great-great-grandson  of  Ben- 
jamin'' and  Maria  (Sedam)  Corson  was  chief  clerk  in  the  Com- 
missary Department  of  the  Ninth  Army  Corps  for  one  year. 
In  January,  1864,  he  was  taken  ill  with  typhoid  fever  and  was 
brought  home  and  died  in  February  of  the  same  year. 

Thomas  Francis  Corson'',  M.  D.,  great  great-grandson  of 
Benjamin'^  and  Maria  (Sedam)  Corson,  entered  the  Army 
August  I,  1862,  as  Assistant  Surgeon  Sixty-seventh  Regiment, 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  Infantry  ;  remained  in  service  until 
after  the  surrender  of  Lee;  resigned  May  7,  1865  ;  partici- 
pated in  the  battles  of  Winchester,  Va.,  June  14  and  15,  1S63  ; 
Locust  Grove  about  November  23,  1863  ;  Battle  of  the 
Wilderness,  May  5,  6  and  7,  1864;  Bloody  Angle,  Spottsyl- 
vania  Court  House,  Va.,  about  May  15,  1864  ;  Cold  Harbor, 
Va.,  May  31  and  June  i,  1864;  Monocacy,  Md.,  July  6,  1864; 
Opequand,  Va.,  September  19,  1864;  Fisher's  Hill,  Va.,  a 
few  days  after;  Cedar  Creek,  October  19,  1864;  front  Peters- 
burg, Va„  April  2,  1865  ;  Saylor's  Creek,  April  6,  1S65. 

Robert  Rodgers  CoRSON^  great-grandson  of  Benjamin* 
and  Maria  (Sedam)  Corson,  was  commissioned  Militar>'  State 
Agent,  June  5,  1862,  by  Governor  Buckingham,  of  Connec- 
ticut ;  June  28,  1862,  by  Governor  Morton,  of  Indiana  ;  July 
7,    1862,    by    Governor    Andrew,   of  Massachusetts  ;    July  8, 


164  History  of  the  Corson  Family. 

1862,  by  Governor  Washburne,  of  Maine  ;  February  26,  1864, 
by  Governor  Corry,  of  Maine  ;  July  16,  1862,  by  Governor 
Solomon,  of  Wisconsin  ;  July  22,  1862,  by  Governor  Hol- 
brook,  of  Vermont;  July  31,  1862,  by  Governor  Olden,  of 
New  Jersey;  October  i,  1862,  by  Governor  Berry,  of  New 
Hampshire  ;  November  22,  1864,  by  Governor  Gilmore,  of 
New  Hampshire,  with  rank  of  Colonel;  November  5,  1862, 
by  Governor  Sprague,  of  Rhode  Island  ;  November  i,  1864, 
by  Governor  Smith,  of  Rhode  Island,  with  rank  of  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  ;  December  23,  1863,  by  Governor  Cannon,  of  Dela- 
ware ;  July  10,  1864,  by  Governor  Bradford,  of  Mar\land  ; 
December  9,  1864,  appointed  Assistant  Quartermaster-Gen- 
eral of  Massachusetts,  with  the  rank  of  Lieutenant-Colonel, 
"in  recognition  of  the  faithful,  energetic  and  discreet  services 
rendered  the  State";  July  20,  1865,  "Commonwealth  of 
Massachusetts,  General  Order  No.  13:  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Corson  has  the  thanks  of  the  Commander-in-Chief  for  the  able, 
efficient  and  conscientious  manner  in  which  he  has  discharged 
the  duties  appertaining  to  his  office,  and  for  the  kindness 
which  he  has  shown  in  watching  over  the  sick  and  wounded 
soldiers  from  this  State"  ;  May  22,  1865,  received  the  thanks 
of  the  State  of  New  Hampshire  through  Governor  Gilmore, 
with  the  expression  of  "  the  profound  and  hearty  gratitude 
W'ith  which  the  people  of  our  State  regard  your  efforts  in 
behalf  of  our  noble  soldiers"  ;  May  26,  1865,  received  the 
thanks  of  the  State  of  Vermont  through  Governor  Smith,  who 
writes :  "  Your  kindness  and  attention  to  our  brave  volunteers 
has  been  and  ever  will  be  appreciated  by  them  as  well  as  by 
the  State"  ;  January,  1866,  received  the  thanks  of  the  State 
by  resolution  of  the  General  Assembly  of  Rhode  Island  "  for 
his  untiring  energy  and  self-sacrificing  devotion  to  the  interests 
of  our  soldiers  "  ;  1861-1865,  Recording  Secretary  and  active 
member  of  the  Union  Volunteer  Refreshment  Saloon,  which 
in  connection  with  a  similar  organization  provided  gratuitously 
for  over  six  hundred  thousand  soldiers  passing  through  the 
City  of  Philadelphia;    1863,   Agent   in    Philadelphia  for  the 


Ill 
an 


The  ]Var  Record.  j^^ 

Boston  Committee  for  recruiting  the  iMfty-fourth  and  Fifty- 
fifth  Massachusetts  Regiments,  and  sent  over  four  hundred 
recruits  to  Boston,  who  were  mustered  into  those  regiments  ; 
1 863-1 864,  general  agent  of  the  Supervisory  Committee  for 
Recruiting  Colored  Regiments,  with  entire  charge  of  the 
recruiting.  Fourteen  thousand  men  were  placed  in  the  field 
without  cost  to  the  United  States  Government  ;  was  also  c 
early  member  of  the  Union  League  of  Philadelphia  and 
active  member  of  the  Campaign  Committee  of  that  organiza- 
tion during  Mr.  Lincoln's  campaigns  ;  1 866-1 872,  Secretary 
of  the  Pennsylvania  Freedmen's  Relief  Association,  whicli 
supported  over  one  hundred  teachers  in  the  South  and  estab- 
lished schools  in  Virginia,  Maryland,  South  Carolina,  Alabama, 
Mississippi  and  Tennessee  ;  1881-1885,  one  of  the  first  secre- 
taries appointed  in  the  Committee  of  One  Hundred  and  con- 
tinued an  active  member  in  the  organization  until  its  dissolu- 
tion in  1885  ;  first  Treasurer  and  one  of  the  original  directors 
of  the  Pennsylvania  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to 
Animals ;  Director  and  treasurer,  since  its  organization,  of  the 
Citizens'  Municipal  Association  ;  a  member  of  the  following 
boards  :  Pennsylvania  Institute  for  the  Deaf  and  Dumb ; 
Inspectors  of  the  Philadelphia  County  Prison ;  Philadelphia 
Society  for  Organizing  Charity ;  The  Sheltering  Arms  of  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church ;  The  Philadelphia  Fountain 
Society;  The  Young  American  Humane  Society;  Corpora- 
tors of  the  Woman's  Medical  College  of  Pennsylvania  ;  Cor- 
porators of  the  Hayes  Mechanics'  Home ;  Trustees  of  The 
Morris  Refuge  Association. 

John  Blaker^,  great-grandson  of  Benjamin^  and  Sarah 
(Dungan)  Corson,  enlisted  in  Company  C  of  Colonel  H.  G. 
Sickles'  Regiment.  In  1863  he  was  promoted  to  First  Lieu- 
tenant of  the  Third  Regiment,  United  States  Colored  Troops. 


Ibiram  Corson,  /Ift.  2). 


Death  of  Dr.  Hiram  Corson. 

TRIBUTES    TO    HIS    MKMORV. 

At  the  ripe  age  of  ninety-one  years,  four  months,  and 
twenty-five  days,  Dr.  Hiram  Corson  died  at  Maple  Hill,  the 
home  in  which  he  had  lived  nearly  the  whole  of  his  adult  life. 
Death  came  to  him  peacefully  and  quietly  in  the  early  morn- 
ing of  March  4,  1 896.  For  many  years  he  had  suffered  from 
periodical  attacks  of  a  peculiar  palpitation  of  the  heart  (Parox- 
ysmal Tachycardia),  and  it  was  thought  by  his  medical  friends 
as  well  as  by  himself,  that  this  would  be  the  cause  of  his 
death  ;  indeed  from  the  time  of  the  first  appearance  of  the 
affection  it  seemed  likely  that  it  would  early  compromise  his 
life.  But  though  it  continued  with  him  almost  up  to  the  day 
of  his  death,  it  apparently  had  little  or  no  influence  in  short- 
ening his  days  and  was  not  a  factor  in  the  cause  of  his  death, 
which  was  due  entirely  to.  general  debility  resulting  from  the 
enfeeblement  of  advanced  age. 

The  story  of  his  life,  written  by  himself,  appears  in  its 
proper  place  in  this  work,  but  it  seems  fitting  that  some  supple- 
mentaiy  facts  in  connection  therewith  should  be  added  here 
along  with  the  announcement  of  his  death.  Without  doubt 
he  may  be  regarded  as  the  most  illustrious  and  talented 
member  of  the  Corson  family  of  whom  we  have  knowledge  at 
the  present  time.  To  him,  perhaps,  more  than  to  any  other  is 
due  the  honored  position  which  the  name  holds  among  the 
people  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania  and  adjoining  States,  and,  in 
the  county  and  community  in  which  he  lived,  he  was,  for  o\-cr 
half  a  century,  a  recognized  leader  of  thought  and  an  exem- 
plar of  the  highest  type  of  excellence. 

When  his  death  became   known,  though  all  felt  that  his 

life  had  been  extended  to  its  natural  limit,  there  was  a  feeling 

169 


170  In  Memoriam. 

of  sadness  in  the  hearts  of  the  people,  followed  by  a  sincere, 
spontaneous  outburst  of  eulogies  on  his  well-spent  life.  The 
leading  newspapers  of  Philadelphia,  as  well  as  those  in  his  own 
and  adjoining  counties,  published  extended  notices  of  his 
death,  with  sketches  of  his  life,  and  many  of  them  had  beautiful 
editorial  comments  on  his  life  and  character.  The  Mont- 
gomery County  Medical  Society  met  in  special  session  on 
Friday,  March  6,  1896,  to  take  action  upon  the  death  of 
Dr.  Corson.  The  following  members  were  present  :  Dr.  J.  C. 
Spear,  U.  S.  N.,  who  presided ;  Drs.  J.  K.  Weaver.  C.  H. 
Mann,  George  M.  Stiles.  John  D.  Weaver,  S.  X.  Wiley.  H.  H. 
Whitcomb,  Alice  Bennett,  Samuel  Wolf  J.  j.  Kane,  P.  Y. 
Eisenberg,  E.  E.  Richards,  D.  R.  Beaver,  J.  O.  Knipe,  J.  R. 
Umstead.  H.  A.  Arnold,  L.  W.  Read,  E.  M.  Corson,  P.  H. 
Corson,  George  N.  Highley.  A  committee  on  resolutions, 
consisting  of  Drs.  P.  ^^  ICisenberg,  Alice  Bennett  and  S.  N. 
Wiley,  were  appointed  and  they  reported  the  following,  which 
were  unanimously  adopted  : 

H7tfrtas,  The  Montgomery  County  Medical  Society  has  learned, 
with  profound  sorrow,  of  the  death  of  its  most  honored  member  who, 
during  a  long  and  useful  life,  has  ever  been  distinguished  for  the  purity 
and  benevolence  of  his  character,  his  ability  as  a  writer,  his  recognized 
skill  as  a  physician,  and  his  intense  devotion  to  the  cause  of  reform, 
therefore  be  it 

Resohuut  That  the  members  of  the  Montgomer)'  County  Medical 
Society  realize  the  great  loss  they  have  sustained  in  the  death  of 
Dr.  Hiram  Corson,  who  was  one  of  its  founders,  and  for  a  half  century 
was  most  active  in  its  service  and  most  interested  in  its  welfare. 

Resolved,  That  it  is  the  sense  of  his  surviving  colleagues  that  the 
cause  of  reform  has  lost  a  most  zealous  advocate  ;  society  an  upright 
citizen,  and  the  profession  a  most  useful  member. 

Resolved,  That  the  Montgomery  County  Medical  Society  respect- 
fully tender  to  his  family  their  sympathy  in  its  affliction,  and  that  the 
members  attend  the  funeral  in  a  body. 

In  submitting  the  above  resolutions.  Dr.  1'.  Y.  F^isenberg 
made  the  following  touching  address  : 

Mr.  President  and  fellow  members  of  the  Montgomery  County 
Medical  Society  : 

We  have  assembled  here  this  afternoon  to  pay  our  last  tiibute  of 
respect  to  the  honored  memory  of  our  late  fellow  member — the  founder 
of  this  Society — Dr.  Hiram  Corson.  While  we  are  in  our  accustomed 
places,  all  that  is  mortal  of  our  good,  venerable  friend  lies  at  his  home, 


Address  by  Dr.  P.  Y.  Eisenberg.  lyi 

at  Plymouth   Meeting,  cold  and  silent  in  his  last  sleep.      He  has  been 
summoned  to  join 

"The  innumerable  caravan  which  moves 
To  that  mysterious  realm  where  each  shall  take 
His  chamber  in  the  silent  halls  of  death." 

Have  we  assembled  here  as  mourners  ?  Or  do  we  grieve  because 
our  aged  friend  has  passed  beyond  the  river?  No;  not  for  him  have  we 
come  with  heads  and  hearts  bowed  down.  We  need  not  weep  for  one 
whom  the  Great  Husbandman  has  gathered  to  his  garner  as  a  shock  of 
corn  fully  ripe  and  ready  for  the  harvest. 

But  we  mourn  our  loss— the  absence  of  that  genial,  companionable 
associate. 

We  grieve  because  we  shall  miss  his  kindly  counsel— because  we 
shall  no  more  see  his  friendly  face. 

It  is  fitting  and  appropriate,  therefore,  for  us,  his  surviving  friends 
and  colleagues,  to  pause  on  the  threshold  of  his  interment  and  recall  the 
life  he  has  lived  and  profit  by  the  example  he  has  set. 

Sorrow  may  overshadow  the  heart  at  the  thought  of  this  final  part- 
ing from  our  true  and  tried  friend,  yet  its  touch  is  softened  with  feelings 
of  pleasure,  when  we  call  up  before  us  the  sterling  qualities  of  the  man. 

As  the  Alpine  glaciers  score  their  history  upon  the  abiding  rocks 
over  which  they  pass,  so  do  great  men  engrave  enduring  marks  upon  the 
records  of  the  age  in  which  they  live. 

Dr.  Corson  may  not  have  been  a  great  man  in  the  sense  of  a  world- 
wide reputation,  yet  he  towered  above  his  fellows  in  many  points. 

He  was  true  as  steel  to  his  convictions  and  maintained  them  in  face 
of  almost  overwhelming  opposition  with  unflinching  tenacity  and  vigor. 
His  resources  in  zeal  and  energy  were  truly  marvelous  and  his  persist- 
ence in  any  cause  he  espoused  was  well-nigh  boundless. 

He  was  original  in  his  methods  in  dealing  with  either  questions  of 
reform,  or  treatment  of  disease. 

His  sympathies  for  the  down-trodden  found  expression  in  practical 
effort,  and  his  home  on  Maple  Hill  in  consequence  was  designated  as  a 
station  on  the  Underground  Railroad  during  ante-bellum  days. 

He  maintained  his  personal  views  of  the  causation  and  treatment 
of  disease,  and  practiced  his  own  methods  in  the  face  of  the  fiercest  and 
most  adverse  criticism,  with  courage  almost  heroic. 

He  championed  the  cause  of  woman — her  emancipation  from  the 
limitations  of  her  sex,  her  elevation  to  that  plane  where  she  might  stand 
equal  to  man,  her  release  from  the  environments  of  custom  and  preju- 
dice, until  she  is  now  a  recognized  factor,  equal  with  her  brother  in  the 
county,  state  and  national  medical  associations. 

His  fame  has  long  since  leaped  the  narrow  boundaries  of  home  and 
country,  until  the  scholarly  Zieuissen  pauses  to  note  a  few  sentences  of 
praise  for  his  treatment  of  inflammation  and  fever  by  the  use  of  cold 
applications.      But  why  should  we  multiply  words  ? 

His  deeds,  well  known  to  all  of  us,  are  far  more  eloquent  than 
they.  His  kindly  nature  has  fashioned  in  our  hearts  a  memorial  of 
love,  more  precious  to  us  at  least  than  a  shaft  of  marble  or  granite. 
Be  it  ever  ours  to  imitate  his  virtues. 


172  In  Memoriam. 

The  pall  bearers  selected  were  his  nephews,  Drs.  Louis 
W.  Read,  Elhvood  M.  Corson,  Percy  H.  Corson  and  George  N. 
Highley,  and  Drs.  Samuel  Wolf,  J.  K.  Weaver,  J.  O.  Knipe 
and  H.  H.  Whitcomb.  The  names  of  Drs.  L.  W.  Read,  E. 
M.  Corson  and  J.  K,  Weaver  were  added  to  those  of  the  Com- 
mittee of  Resolutions  to  constitute  a  Memorial  Committee 
which  was  instructed  to  arrange  for  a  memorial  meeting  to  be 
held  in  Norristown,  to  which  all  of  his  friends  were  to  be 
invited  to  be  present. 

The  funeral  took  place  on  Monday,  March  9,  1 896,  and, 
with  one  or  two  exceptions,  it  is  likely  that  it  was  the  largest 
attended  of  any  funeral  that  has  been  held  within  the  limits 
of  Montgomery  County.  From  far  and  near  came  his  friends 
by  scores  and  hundreds  to  have  a  parting  look  upon  the  face 
of  their  deceased  friend.  There  were  beautiful  tributes  to  his 
memory  by  several  friends,  and  then  his  body  wa.s  borne  to  its 
final  resting  place  in  Laurel  Hill  Cemetery. 

The  memorial  meeting,  planned  by  the  Montgomery 
County  Medical  Society,  and  arranged  by  its  Memorial  Com- 
mittee, took  place  in  the  Court  House  at  Norristown  on  Friday 
evening.  May  22,  1896.  It  was  a  complete  success.  Beautiful 
eulogies  on  the  life  and  character  of  Dr.  Corson  were  delivered 
before  a  large  and  cultured  audience  by  Dr.  John  C.  Spear, 
U.  S.  N.  ;  Prof  James  Tyson,  of  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania ;  Dr.  Thomas  G.  Morton,  of  the  State  Board  of  Charities  ; 
Charles  Heber  Clark,  of  Conshohocken  ;  Dr.  Charles  Hermon 
Thomas,  of  Philadelphia ;  Dr.  William  B.  Ulrich,  of  Chester, 
Pa.  ;  James  Boyd,  Esq.,  one  of  the  oldest  members  of  the 
Montgomery  County  Bar,  and  William  McDermott. 

The  addresses  of  Dr.  John  C.  Spear,  Charles  Heber 
Clark,  Prof  James  Tyson,  M.  D.,  Dr.  Charles  Hermon  Thomas 
and  Dr.  Thomas  G.  Morton  were  both  beautiful  and  scholarly, 
and  portrayed  so  truthfully  and  completely  the  character  of 
Dr.  Corson  that  they  are  here  given  in  full  : 


Address  by  Dr.  John  C.  Spear,  U.  S  N  ,-^ 

ADDRESS  BY  DR.  JOHN  C.  SPEAR,  U.  S.  N. 

Surely  there  is  no  one  within  the  confines  of  Montgomcrv  County 
to  wnorn  the  hfe  and  services  of  Dr.  Hiram  Corson  are  known  that  is 
not  ready  with  some  offering  of  pubHc  respect  on  this  memorial  occasion 
It  IS  tor  the  purpose  of  giving  this  desire  practical  effect  that  this  public 
meeting  has  been  called.  I  believe  I  am  quite  correct  in  saying  that  tl.e 
occasion  is  unique— that  it  is  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  Montgomery 
County  that  one  of  her  deceased  citizens  has  been  thus  honored  For 
some  years  before  his  death  Dr.  Hiram  Corson  came  to  be  looked  upon 
as  distinctly  the  first  citizen  of  this  county.  This  place,  if  we  are  right 
in  according  it  to  him,  was  won  without  the  aid  of  political  office,  mili- 
tary rank  or  great  fortune,  but  solely  on  his  own  merits  as  one  wii'o  had 
nobly  labored  to  benefit  his  fellow  man. 

In  a  large  farm  house,  still  standing,  on  the  Germantown-Perkiomen 
pike,  in  Plymouth  Township,  Montgomery  County,  nearly  opposite 
Ritter's  tavern,  Hiram  Corson  was  born  on  the  8th  of  October,  1804. 
Jefferson  was  President  of  the  United  States,  Washington  had  been 
dead  only  four  years,  and  the  Revolutionary  War  was  fresh  in  the 
memory  of  the  living.  Such  is  the  span  of  a  single  life  !  Joseph  Corson 
was  his  father  and  Hannah  Dickinson  Corson  was  his  mother,  both 
being  descendants  of  Colonial  families  then  in  this  part  of  Pennsylvania 
over  a  hundred  years,  and  both  belonged  to  the  Society  of  Friends,  as 
did  their  ancestors  for  several  generations  before  them.  Young  Hiram 
first  attended  school  at  the  village  of  Plymouth  Meeting  near  by  his  birth- 
place, and  when  he  was  older  he  was  sent  to  Friends'  Select  School  in 
Philadelphia.  His  first  venture  in  life  was  to  enter  the  the  office  of  the 
Norristown  Herald  X.o  learn  printing,  so  that  he  might  become  a  jour- 
nalist ;  but  he  gave  up  this  in  a  few  months  and  in  1826  began  the  studv 
of  medicine,  and  two  years  later  he  received  his  degree  as  Doctor  of 
Medicine  from  the  University  of  Pennsylvania.  Joseph  Pancoast,  in 
his  day  America' s  greatest  surgeon,  was  a  classmate. 

Dr.  Corson  at  once  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  his  birth-place,  and  almost  direcdy  acquired  a 
large  clientele  for  many  miles  around  his  home,  succeeding  in  the  course 
of  a  few  years,  to  the  large  practice  of  Dr.  Joseph  Leedom,  of  Plymouth 
Meeting.  In  1833  he  built  for  himself  a  spacious  residence  near 
Plymouth  Meeting,  which  he  called  "Maple  Hill."  Here  the  same 
year  he  brought  his  bride — here  his  nine  children  were  born,  reared  and 
educated  and  his  daughters  married  ;  here  too  a  few  years  ago  his  wife 
died  ;  and  finally  at  the  beginning  of  the  present  year  the  Doctor  him- 
self fell  into  his  last  illness  and  died  March  4th,  surrounded  by  his  lov- 
ing daughters,  who  had  come  home  to  him  to  be  with  him  in  liis  Inst 
days. 

Of  the  many  good  works  done  by  Dr.  Corson  the  founding  and 
sustaining  of  the  Montgomery  County  Medical  Society  is  not  the  least, 
for  the  profession  here  has  derived  great  benefit  from  it  in  the  last  fifty 
years,  and  the  best  interests  of  the  community  at  large  have  been 
thereby  promoted  in  many  ways.  It  was  on  the  12th  of  January,  1847, 
in  a  room  in  Ward' s  Restaurant,  corner  Main  Street  and  Strawberry 
Alley,  Norristown,  that  the  first  meeting  was  held  to  form  a  County 
Medical  Society.  Dr.  Geo.  W.  Thomas  was  called  to  the  chair  and 
Dr.  Hiram  Corson  was  appointed  secretary.   A  committee  was  appointed 


174  ^'^  Memo ria III. 

to  draft  a  constitution  and  by-laws  ;  and,  on  the  17th  of  April  following, 
at  a  meeting  held  in  the  same  room,  they  were  adopted  and  our  society 
was  launched  on  its  career  of  usefulness.  It  has  grown  to  be  one  of  the 
most  important  of  the  county  societies  in  the  State. 

Dr.  Corson  was  one  of  the  first  to  see  the  importance  of  having  a 
vigorous,  progressive  medical  organization  in  every  county  to  hold  the 
physicians  together  and  elevate  them  both  in  professional  attainments 
and  in  tone,  and  he  worked  hard  to  this  end.  So  prominent  a  part  did 
betake  in  this  that  he  was  elected  in  1852,  President  of  the  State  Medi- 
cal Society,  being  the  youngest  then  who  had  been  honored  by  election 
to  that  oltice.  Our  County  Society  is  two  years  older  than  that  of 
Philadelphia  ;  it  was  one  of  the  original  Societies  that  joined  in  form- 
ing the  larger  State  Society,  and  later  aided  in  founding  the  American 
Medical  Association.  Practically  all  this  work  fell  on  the  shoulders  of 
Dr.  Hiram  Corson.  It  was  rare  indeed  he  was  absent  from  the  meet- 
ings, and  it  is  safe  to  say  he  read  as  many  as  fifty  original  papers  of 
great  value  before  our  Society.  Many  of  them  were  published  in  the 
medical  journals,  and  became  familiar  to  the  profession  both  in  this 
country  and  in  Europe.  In  this  way  his  reputation  as  a  physician  grad- 
ually extended  and  he  enjoyed  a  large  consulting  practice,  oftentimes 
patients  coming  from  a  great  distance  to  seek  advice. 

Dr.  Corson  frequently  availed  himself  of  Montgomery  County 
Society  as  ?>.  point  d'  appui\.o  initiate  medical  and  other  reforms  which  he 
nearly  always  carried  finally  to  a  successful  issue,  thus  conferring  dis- 
tinction on  the  Society  where  they  had  their  origin. 

The  minutes  of  our  Society  bear  ample  evidence  of  the  remarkaljle 
foresight  of  Dr.  Corson.  The  day  of  his  funeral  a  distinguished  physi- 
cian who  has  closely  followed  him  for  forty  years,  remarked  to  me, 
"  well  it  turned  out  after  all  that  Dr.  Hiram  Corson  was  always  right,  or 
nearly  so  ! "  As  early  as  1828  he  began  the  use  of  cold  drinks  in  febrile 
affections,  though  no  other  physician  hereabouts  did  so.  On  July  12, 
1 85 1,  he  strongly  advocated  the  application  of  ice  and  ice-water  to  the 
throat  in  scarlet  fever,  and  in  his  practice  had  doubtless  employed  them 
in  this  maimer  for  some  years  previous  to  this  date.  On  the  fourth  of 
October,  185  i,  he  again,  but  with  more  emphasis,  advocated  this  treat- 
ment, and  also  advised  when  the  fever  was  high,  cold  sponging  of  the 
body.  On  the  fifteenth  of  October,  1853,  at  a  meeting  of  the  Society,  he 
spoke,  condemning  the  then  prevalent  plan  of  treating  sun-stroke  by 
bleeding,  attributing  (and  rightly  so  in  the  light  of  subsequent  discov- 
eries), the  high  death-rate  to  this  practice.  He  advised  in  lieu  of  vene- 
section ice-water  to  the  head  and  chest.  Sun-stroke  being  infrequent  in 
his  country  practice,  he  rarely  had  an  opportunity  to  test  the  value  of  a 
treatment  his  superior  mind  had  devised,  and  but  little  was  heard  of  it 
in  consequence.  But  with  the  advent  of  the  thermometer  in  medicine, 
cold  applications  soon  became  the  general  treatment  in  sunstroke,  and 
now  thousands  of  lives,  especially  in  our  large  cities  and  in  India,  are 
saved,  that  but  for  this  would  surely  have  perished. 

Dr.  Corson's  early  use  of  cold  applications  in  the  treatment  of 
febrile  affections  has  recently  been  so  perfected,  and  particularly  so  in 
typhoid  fever,  that  now  the  death  rate  of  this  very  common  disease  may 
be  reduced  at  least  one-half  by  its  efficient  use. 

The  use  of  cold  to  reduce  the  temperature  of  the  body  in  disease 
has  latterly  become  so  potent  a  remedy  that  I   doubt  not  as  a  life-saver 


Address  by  Dr.  John  C.  Spear.  U.  S.  N.  175 

it  will  soon  rank  second  only  to  vaccination  in  medicine  and  asepsis  in 
surgery.  We  do  not  claim  that  Dr.  Corson  was  the  discoverer  of  this 
treatment,  but  only  that  to  him  is  due  some  of  the  credit  for  the  early 
and  important  part  he  took  in  its  introduction. 

Again,  it  was  in  the  Montgomery  County  Medical  Society  on  May 
26,  i860,  that  Dr.  Hiram  Corson  began  his  efforts  to  procure  the  full 
recognition  of  women  physicians  by  the  profession  and  after  much  labor 
and  bitter  opposition,  he  succeeded  in  doing  so  in  1871.  Then,  too, 
closely  connected  with  this  was  his  beneficent  work  in  securing  the  enact- 
ment of  a  law  in  this  State,  empowering  female  physicians  to  have  charge 
of  the  insane  of  their  own  sex.  It  is  difficult  to  estimate  the  benefits 
conferred  on  the  hundreds  of  women  physicians  in  this  and  other  States 
by  their  full  recognition  in  the  profession,  and  no  one  anywhere  can  lay 
equal  claim  with  Dr.  Hiram  Corson  in  bringing  it  about.  And  as  to  the 
great  blessing  the  female  insane  have  received  from  his  thoughtful  and 
human  efforts  no  one  can  ever  know.  In  both  these  reforms  he  was  the 
leading  spirit  from  beginning  to  end.     AH  honor  to  him  I 

I  must  say  a  word  about  the  extraordinary  amount  of  work  done 
by  Dr.  Corson.  A  simple  calculation  shows  that  he  must  have  made  at 
least  400,000  professional  visits  nearly  all  in  the  country  ;  and  in  doing 
so  must  have  travelled  on  horseback  or  by  carriage  a  distance  equal  to 
going  sixty  times  round  the  world.  The  oldest  sea  captain  in  his  fleet- 
winged  clipper  ship  has  not  gone  half  so  far  !  Most  of  us  are  weary 
and  want  to  rest  after  thirty-five  or  forty  years  of  professional  labor, 
but  he  worked  on  for  sixty-eight  years.  He  evidently  thought  it  was 
better  to  Avear  out  than  to  rust  out.  What  exposure  and  fatigue  he 
must  have  experienced  in  the  early  years  of  his  practice,  with  bad  roads 
and  dangerous  streams  to  ford  !  I  have  heard  stirring  stories  in  the 
country  here  as  how  he  was  sometimes  kept  two  or  three  days  on  his 
rounds  without  once  being  able  to  reach  his  home.  Messengers  would 
track  and  overtake  him  on  the  road  to  call  him  to  other  distant  patients, 
so  that  for  several  days  at  a  time  he  would  maintain  a  sort  of  "head- 
quarters in  the  saddle,"  depending  on  the  farmers  for  food  and  fresh 
horses,  leaving  his  jaded  ones  behind  as  he  hurried  on  to  other 
bedsides. 

The  members  of  the  Montgomery  County  Medical  Society  affec- 
tionately acknowledge  the  great  and  lasting  obligations  they  are  under  to 
Dr.  Hiram  Corson  ;  but  though  he  is  dead,  his  memory  is  embalmed 
in  our  hearts  and  there  it  will  live  honored  and  cherished.  It  is  not 
expected  that  his  vacant  place  will  soon  be  filled  for  it  is  rare  indeed 
that  one  reigns  so  long  and  so  well  as  he  did. 

His  success  in  life  was  due,  we  would  say,  to  a  sound  judgment,  a 
resolute  purpose  to  pursue  the  right,  and  an  unusual  capacity  to  gather 
wisdom  from  experience.  He  too  knew  how  to  inspire  others  with  the 
soundness  of  his  judgment  and  the  integrity  of  his  purpose.  We  always 
listened  to  him  with  rapt  attention,  for  he  elucidated  every  subject  he 
spoke  upon,  and  in  the  meetings  of  the  society  brought  to  our  discus- 
sions the  store  of  his  knowledge  and  experience  with  a  manner  as 
unassuming  as  it  was  captivating. 


176  /;/  Memoriam. 

ADDRESS  BY  CHARLES  HEBER  CLARK. 

Dr.  Hiram  Corson  as  a  Man  and  a  Citizen. 

The  Weight  that  retards  the  progress  of  humanity  is  Falsehood. 
Society  has  moved  forw^ard  slowly  because  it  has  always  been  barnacled 
with  delusions  and  lies.  The  Oriental  races  have  remained  upon  a  low 
plane  of  civilization,  not  because  they  are  inferior  people,  but  because 
they  have  been  overmastered  and  stunted  by  the  influence  of  religion 
which  hid  the  Truth  from  their  eyes.  Thus  the\  have  become  laggards 
in  the  race  in  which  the  Western  nations  have  been  carried  far  forward 
by  beliefs  resting  upon  realities.  These  enlightened  nations,  in  their 
turn,  have  made  progression  precisely  in  the  ratio  that  they  have 
adjusted  themselves  to  close  relation  with  fact  ;  and,  if  the  most 
advanced  of  them  all,  our  own  nation,  is  halted  upon  its  way  to  high 
prosperity,  explanation  is  to  be  sought,  not  in  the  operation  of  occult 
forces,  but  in  the  application,  by  deluded  men,  of  wrong  theories  to  the 
business  of  conducting  the  government. 

The  power  of  clear  vision,  therefore,  the  ability  to  perceive  the 
Truth  no  matter  in  what  measure  ignorance  and  prejudice  may  have 
obscured  it,  this,  surely,  is  one  of  the  best  gifts  that  can  be  possessed 
by  man.  The  few  men  who  have  it  are  the  prophets,  the  inspired  seers, 
and  inevitably,  in  the  end,  the  leaders  of  the  herd  of  their  fellows  ;  and 
they  are  called  to  the  performance  of  a  function  hardly  less  high  and 
holy  than  that  to  which  were  summoned  the  men  of  ancient  time  who 
were  the  oracles  of  the  Divine  vision. 

Dr.  Corson  was  a  man  thus  gifted.  His  mental  vision  pierced 
through  the  incrustations  of  falsehood  and  error  and  penetrated  to  verity. 
To  his  mind,  illumined  by  fact,  it  was  an  impossibility  that  the  require- 
ments of  justice  could  be  reconciled  with  the  jjroperty  right  of  a  human 
being  to  one  of  his  fellow  men  ;  and  so  negro  slavery  inevitably  pre- 
sented itself  to  him  as  an  indefensible  outrage  against  the  rights  of  man. 
With  equal  clearness  he  saw,  when  other  men  failed  to  see,  that  for 
women  to  acquire  skill  in  the  dealing  with  the  maladies  of  women,  and 
particularly  for  women  to  direct  the  treatment  of  persons  of  their  own 
sex  in  institutions  where  physical  ailment  has  distempered  the  mind,  is 
demanded  by  considerations  of  equity  as  well  as  by  those  of  decency 
and  propriety.  Nor  could  century-old  theory  and  the  dense  opacity  ot 
professional  prejudice  forbid  that  he  should  detect  and  repudiate  the 
folly  which  would  withhold  the  draught  of  cold  water  from  lips  that 
were  parched  with  fever-thirst.  In  these,  and  in  other  matters,  he  saw 
fact  where  other  men  of  his  time  could  perceive  only  illusion  which 
would  tempt  the  rash  away  from  the  safe  lines  of  precedent  Were  all 
men  like  the  mass  of  men,  there  would  be  no  progression ;  the  world  would 
be  smitten  with  the  paralysis  of  petrification.  Were  all  men  like  him, 
we  should  have  celestial  harmony  instead  of  the  jar  and  discord  which 
accompany  the  struggle  of  the  race  toward  a  higher  destiny. 

But  it  is  possible  that  a  man  may  have  perception  of  the  truth  with- 
out possessing  another  quality  that  is  necessary  unless  the  faculty  is  to 
be  but  a  dull-edged  weapon,  and  that  quality  is  courage. 

The  man  who,  having  clear  insight,  and  postiveness  of  conviction 
that  the  thing  that  is  is  wrong,  is  set  to  no  pleasing  task  when  he  begins 
the  conflict  to  which  he  is  summoned  by  the  spirit  that  is  in  him.  The 
very  nature  which  qualifies  him  to  discern  has  always  a  sensitiveness 


Address  by  Charles  Heber  Clark .  177 

that  opens  the  door  to  suffering.  It  can  give  such  a  man  no  pleasure  to 
place  himself  m  antagonism  to  his  fellows  ;  to  bear  the  weight  of  a  ver- 
dict of  dangerous  eccentricity  ;  to  accept  obloquy  and  vituperation  as 
his  portion.  The  seer  would  find  life  less  difficult  if  he  should  c'ose  his 
eyes  to  the  vision  of  truth  and  join  with  the  crowd  in  declarin<r  that 
ancient  Wrong  is  the  only  repository  of  Righteousness.  *' 

And  so  it  is  that  the  still  hioher  gift,  without  which  the  ability  to 
perceive  may  be  but  a  guide  to  shame  and  dishonor,  is  the  Courage  that 
nerves  the  man  to  proclaim  boldly  the  Truth  that  is  in  his  soul  ;  and  to 
stand  fast  for  it,  in  absolute  isolation,  if  required,  through  the  conflict 
m  which  Falsehood  would  engage  the  Deliverer  who  tries  to  set  its  cap- 
tives free. 

The  younger  men  of  our  time  cannot  know  what  the  abolitionist  of 
the  old  slavery  days  was  called  upon  to  endure.  The  press  and  the  people 
and  the  pulpit  were  against  him.  Public  opinion  condemned  his  action, 
if  it  did  not  repudiate  his  theories.  He  was  accused  of  all  evil  inten- 
tion, from  the  theft  of  the  property  of  his  fellow  citizens  to  subversion 
of  the  government  under  which  he  lived.  No  epithet  was  too  vile  for 
application  to  him  ;  no  reproach  was  too  bitter  and  no  violence  too 
fierce  and  lawless  that  he  might  be  deprived  of  his  right  of  free  speech. 
Amid  this  storm,  and  amid  the  storms  almost  as  wild  which  raged  about 
him  when  he  plead  for  the  rights  of  women  and  of  the  fever  patients, 
Dr.  Corson  stood  erect,  undaunted,  undismayed.  The  fight  with  Pre- 
judice and  Ignorance  and  Wrong  was  on  ;  and  he,  in  the  front  rank  of 
the  combatants  for  Truth,  never  lost  wit  or  heart  ;  never  failed  to  wield 
cogently  his  weapon  of  logic  and  sense,  never  doubted  that  his  cause 
would  have  victory,  and  never  sought  ease  and  peace  while  the  enemy 
remained  in  the  field. 

He  was  but  a  country  Doctor,  with  no  influence  of  official  authority, 
operating  within  narrow  limits,  never  holding  a  conspicuous  place  in  the 
view  of  the  nation,  and  with  no  agencies  at  his  command  but  his  tongue 
and  his  pen  for  affecting  public  opinion.  But  if  to  do  what  he  did 
valiantly,  persistently,  without  shrinking  from  consequences  or  question- 
ing the  possibility  of  ultimate  success,  be  not  heroic,  then  the  world  has 
had  no  heroism. 

Some  of  us,  perhaps,  may  learn  from  his  life,  brave  and  triumphant, 
these  not  unimportant  lessons  :  first,  that  we  should  have  some  other 
greeting  than  contumely  for  the  man  who,  plainly  in  command  of  his 
mental  powers,  points  us  to  a  road  different  from  that  we  have  been 
traveling,  and,  second,  that  we  ourselves,  if  our  eyes  shall  be  opened 
so  that  we  can  see  Wrong  where  other  men  have  only  seen  Right,  shall  be 
faithful  to  our  high  privilege  and  shall  not  fear  or  waver  when  the  tempest 
shall  burst  upon  our  heads  as  it  burst  upon  his. 

With  his  qualities  of  clear  vision  and  steadfast  courage.  Dr.  Corson 
combined  the  charity  which  confesses  that  wrong  opinion  is  usually  the 
result  of  delusion  rather  than  of  culpability.  He  hated  error,  not  the 
man  who  held  it  and  combated  for  it  while  unconsciously  its  victim. 
There  is  doubt  if  he  ever  cherished  personal  animosities,  unless  in  cases 
where  men  had  yielded  themselves  to  complete  degradation  and  had 
become  vile.  There  are  few  traces  of  invective  in  his  writings  or  his 
utterances.  He  contended  with  men  because  they  embodied  and  repre- 
sented the  principle  that  was  hurtful  ;  but  it  may  be  asserted  with  confi- 
dence that  his  individual  opponents  were  regarded   by  him  with  com- 


lyS  In  Mentor iain. 

passion  instead  of  rancor.  Thus,  although  he  was  an  ardent  advocate 
of  the  complete  disuse  of  alcoholic  stimulants  in  social  and  professional 
life,  and  in  making  contention  for  his  opinions  was  vigorous  and  fear- 
less, it  is  safe  to  say  that  he  was  able  to  abhor  the  traffic  and  to  denounce 
the  practice  without  bitter  feeling  for  those  who  conducted  the  one  and 
indulged  in  the  other. 

This  characteristic  appears  in  his  method  of  controversy.  He 
urged  his  case  with  all  the  potency  of  logic,  sustaining  the  argument  by 
abundant  illustrations  drawn  from  his  own  experience  and  that  of 
others  ;  but  usually  his  discourse  was  enlivened  by  touches  of  humor, 
quaint,  kindly  and  illuminating,  of  which  he  was  a  master.  His  con- 
versation was  made  peculiarly  charming  by  this  quality.  Deeply  im- 
pressed always  with  the  gravity  of  the  need  that  men  should  earnestly 
endeavor  to  walk  in  the  right  way,  still  he  knew  that  even  the  forlornest 
existence  is  not  wholly  tragic.  And  so,  while  maintaining  his  strenuous 
purpose  that  wrong  should  be  righted,  he  could  not  be  indift'erent  to  the 
comedy  that  is  ever  intermingled  with  the  drama  of  human  life. 

He  was  not  fond  of  conversational  argument.  His  practice  was  to 
listen  patiently  to  a  vehement  opponent  of  his  theories,  and  then,  in 
quiet  tones,  to  ask  a  single  question  or  to  make  a  mere  observation 
which  often  was  conclusive  of  the  discussion.  By  nature  his  temper 
was  quick.  He  reached  conclusions  rapidly,  and  his  impulse  was  to  act 
when  his  mind  was  made  up.  But  those  who  knew  him  slightly  might 
reasonably  have  concluded  from  his  manner  of  speech,  and  from  his 
general  demeanor,  that  deliberateness  and  tranquillity  were  qualities 
belonging  to  his  temperament. 

A  man  of  his  intellectual  gifts  and  moral  elevation  inevitably 
placed  a  true  valuation  upon  things  of  little  worth  which  many  other 
men  pursue  with  eagerness  as  if  they  were  invaluable.  Public  honors 
had  no  charm  for  him.  He  was  always  ready  to  serve  society  ;  but  he 
coveted  no  high  place  and  wished  for  no  distinction.  He  had  endured 
calumny  with  calm  indifference  too  often  to  possess  any  strong  thirst  for 
the  praise  of  man  or  deep  regard  for  it.  He  had  encountered  brainless 
incompetency  in  responsible  office  too  often  to  yearn  for  the  place 
which  can  bring  no  honor  to  the  man  who  deserves  none. 

And  so,  also,  the  soul  which  always  faced  itself  to  fact  could  not 
grovel  among  the  delusions  which  lure  the  money-getter  toward  objects 
which  can  never  satisfy.  Wealth  had  no  enticement  and  laid  no  snare 
for  him.  In  all  his  money  obligations  he  had  that  scrupulous  precision 
which  is,  and  rightly,  the  world's  test  of  personal  character  ;  but  men  of 
his  kind  inevitably  disdain  the  sordid  existence  which  finds  its  best 
satisfaction  in  gain,  and  the  blind  folly  of  him  who  expends  all  his 
energies  in  heaping  up  riches  without  knowing  who  shall  gather  them. 

Thus,  too,  although  he  had  what  may  be  called  a  deeply  religious 
nature,  he  did  not  make  any  formulated  creed  fully  his  own.  Perhaps 
he  may  have  found  the  widest  of  them  too  narrow.  Perhaps  his  charity 
was  broad  enough  to  discover  some  uplifting  element  of  truth  in  all  of 
them.  We  cannot  tell,  but  of  this  we  are  sure,  that  he  rested  securely 
upon  the  conviction  of  Divine  order  and  direction  of  the  universe  ;  he 
recognized  the  Fatherhood  of  the  Creator  as  the  foundation-stone  of  the 
Brotherhood  of  man,  and  he  proved  the  strength  of  his  faith  in  the 
reality  and  obligation  of  that  Brotherhood  by  doing  what  in  him  lay,  to 
make  men  better  and  wiser. 


Address  by  Prof.  James  Tyson. 


179 


Surely  it  would  be  difficult  to  pay  a  higher  tribute  to  anv  human 
being  than  this  :  that  he  fought  only  in  the  battle  of  righteousness  ;  and 
that,  because  he  was  valiant  and  faithful,  victory  came  and  with  it  bless- 
ing for  the  race. 

How  may  a  man  acquit  himself  manfully  before  his  fellows  better 
than  by  building  up  a  spotless  character,  playing  his  part  without 
reproach  in  his  home  and  among  his  neighbors,  obeying  every  require- 
ment of  honor,  extending  his  hand  quickly  when  the  cry  for  assistance 
is  heard,  appearing  always  as  the  enemy  of  the  oppressor'  ;  always  as 
the  friend  of  him  who  has  no  helper  ;  and  from  first  to  last,  offering  to 
the  young  and  to  the  wayward  an  example  whose  mute  influence  was 
never  less  than  beneficent  ? 

How  could  a  man  play  his  part  as  a  citizen  more  nobly  than  by 
warring  against  an  institution  which  belied  the  fact,  fundamental  in  our 
political  system,  that  men  have  equal  rights  ;  by  bearing  his  testimony 
persistently  against  the  liquor  traffic,  which  places  a  heavy  burden  upon 
thrift  and  sends  myriads  into  dishonored  graves,  and  by  striving  always 
against  the  conservatism  which  would  make  immovable  the  error  that 
stands  upon  the  pedestal  of  truth  ? 

Dr.  Corson  will  be  forgotten,  it  may  be,  as  time  rolls  by  ;  butlitde 
would  he  have  cared  for  oblivion  who  cared  little  while  he  lived  for 
fame.  He  knew,  and  we  know,  that  the  great  things  achieved  by  him 
or  by  his  help  will  remain,  and  remain  to  bless. 

We  honor  ourselves  by  honoring  his  meinory  here.  Well  would  it 
be  for  us,  and  for  those  who  regard  him  not,  if  all  of  us  could  use  what 
powers  we  have  as  he  used  his.  The  holy  war  between  Truth  and  False- 
hood must  be  waged  so  long  as  men  stand  upon  the  earth  with  dull 
minds  and  half-shut  eyes  and  with  stubborn  prejudice  against  the  unac- 
customed thing.  If  any  of  us  covet  the  laurels  of  the  brave  whose 
warfare  has  been  victoriously  accomplished,  it  is  needful  that  we  shall 
have  their  valor  and  consent  to  become  the  sharers  of  their  sacrifice. 


PROF.  JAMES  TYSON'S  ADDRESS. 
Dr.  Hiram  Corson  as  a  Physician. 

Asking  myself  the  question  on  receiving  the  invitation  to  speak 
this  evening  of  Dr.  Corson  as  a  physician,  how  shall  I  characterize  the 
type  represented  by  the  precious  friend  in  whose  memory  we  are 
gathered  to-night?  the  answer  comes  promptly  and  unfalteringly— the 
honest  physician,  ardent  lover  of  truth,  inveterate  and  fearless  foe  of 
shams,  whose  single  aim  was  the  welfare  of  the  sick  and  tlie  honor  and 
advancement  of  his  profession. 

Dr  Corson  became  a  leader  in  medicine  almost  from  the  moment 
he  entered  it,  on  the  27th  of  March,  1828.  when  not  twenty-four  years 
old  and  perhaps  if  anv  lived  to  tell  us  I  doubt  not  we  would  be  told  he 
was  a  leader  among  the  students  of  his  day.  With  a  restless,  ardent 
temperament,  though  covered  by  a  quiet  gentle  exterior,  it  was  scarcely 
possible  for  him  to  be  anything  else  than  a  leader  ;  and  he  continued  a 
leader  almost  up  to  the  day  of  his  death,  at  ninety-four,  after  seventy 
years  battling  for  the  truth  and  the  right.  And  fortunate  was  it  for  the 
right  that  he  was  alwavs  on  its  side.      For  he  never  tired  in  his  ettorts  or 


i8o  In  Memoriam. 

ceased  in   his  endeavor  until  victory  crowned   them,   however  lon^j  it 
may  have  been  delayed. 

Yet  it  could  scarcely  be  otherwise  than  that  he  should  be  with  the 
right.  Of  gentle  lineage,  dating  backward  for  centuries,  a  lineage  in 
which  each  generation  was  the  best  of  its  day,  even  though  it  might  not 
reach  the  ideal  of  our  day,  it  was  scarcely  possible  that  Hiram  Corson 
should  be  aught  than  what  he  was,  and  that  his  acts  should  be  else  than 
those  prompted  by  noblesse  oblige.  And  I  may  be  permitted  to  add 
also  that  thus  is  left  to  the  descendants  of  Hiram  Corson  a  heritage 
which  will  exact  a  similar  fidelity  to  all  that  is  true  and  just  and 
honorable. 

To  make  more  than  a  passing  mention  of  many  of  the  features  and 
events  which  characterized  Dr.  Corson,  as  a  physician,  would  consume 
much  more  time  than  is  allotted  me,  and  I  will  refer  therefore  only  briefly 
to  a  few  of  such  as  seem  especially  characteristic. 

One  of  the  most  essential,  if  not  the  most  essential,  attribute  of  the 
good  physician  which  was  possessed  by  Dr.  Corson  in  an  eminent 
degree  was  common  sense,  and  it  was  probably  this  attribute  which 
prompted  him  to  take  most  of  the  stands  he  took  in  connection  with 
changes  in  the  practice  of  medicine.  The  first  of  these  was  the  crusade 
instituted  in  the  second  year  of  his  practice  against  the  use  of  hot 
liquids,  such  as  teas  and  the  like,  in  the  treatment  of  measles,  and  the 
substitution  of  the  liberal  use  of  cold  drinks  to  satisfy  the  craving 
thirst  and  to  reduce  the  high  temperature.  The  very  next  year,  in 
1830,  he  began  the  treatment  of  scarlet  fever  by  cool  sponging  of  the 
body  and  advised  the  practice  of  holding  pieces  of  ice  in  the  mouth  to 
cool  its  fevered  heat  and  that  of  the  swollen  tonsils.  This  treatment 
was  even  more  heretical  at  the  time  than  that  of  measles,  and  when  he 
added  to  it  copious  eli'usions  of  cold  water  on  the  head  and  external 
applications  of  ice  to  the  inllamed  submaxillary  glands,  the  hostility 
excited  against  this  "freezing  treatment,"  as  it  was  called  by  his  critics, 
scarcely  knew  bounds.  Nevertheless,  with  his  wonted  courage  he  held 
out,  and  as  was  usually  the  case  his  methods  have  received  the  sanction 
of  modern  and  enlightened  medicine. 

It  was  not  by  practice  alone  that  he  stood  by  his  convictions,  but 
he  wrote  vigorously  in  the  journals  and  Society  transactions  on  this 
subject,  trenchant  articles,  far-reaching  in  their  emphasis  and  convinc- 
ing in  their  argument.  Similarly  sensible  were  his  papers  on  "Meddle- 
some Midwifery,"  "  Puerperal  Convulsions,"  "Diphtheria  Treated  by 
Ice  Internally  and  Externally,"  "Blood  Letting  in  Pneumonia,"  and 
many  others.  But  the  act  which  will  perhaps  prove  to  be  the  most  bene- 
ficent and  wide-reaching  in  its  effects,  and  perhaps  the  event  of  which 
Dr.  Corson  himself  was  most  proud,  was  the  consummation  of  his  idea 
that  the  women  inmates  of  our  State  Hospitals  for  the  Insane  should  be 
provided  with  physicians  of  their  own  sex.  In  1877,  Dr.  Corson 
brought  before  the  Medical  Society  of  the  Slate  of  Pennsylvania  a 
resolution  of  which  he  secured  the  adoption,  to  the  effect  that  women 
physicians  should  have  the  care  of  the  insane  of  their  sex.  A  com- 
mittee was  appointed  of  which  he  was  made  chairman,  to  secure  its 
adoption.  And  in  less  than  two  years  after  this  committee  began  to 
work,  a  law  was  enacted  by  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  authorizing 
Boards  of  Trustees  of  State  Hospitals  to  appoint  women  physicians  to 
have  the  medical  care  of  the  female  insane.       But  the  effect  was  not 


Address  by  Prof.  James  Tyson.  iSi 

confined  to  Pennsylvania  and  now  many  States  provide  bv  law  for  tins 
humanizing  course  and  some  require  the  insane  women  to'  be  under  the 
separate  care  of  women  superintendents. 

But  as  I  have  intimated  it  was  not  simply  in  his  devotion  to  the  best 
interests  of  the  sick  alone  that  Dr.  Corson  did  his  duty  as  a  physician 
He  sought  also  to  elevate  his  profession  and  his  restless  mind  was  always 
on  the  alert  for  means  to  this  end.  It  was  more  particularly  in  the 
medical  organizations  of  his  county,  State  and  nation  that  he  could  serve 
the  profession  thus.  One  of  the  founders  of  the  Medical  Society  of  the 
State  of  Pennsylvania  as  well  as  of  the  County  Society  of  iMontgomcrv, 
his  well  known  figure  and  alert,  active  intelligence  always  added  an 
interest  to  the  proceedings  and  when  he  spoke  on  any  subject  all  faces 
were  turned  to  him  and  all  ears  opened  to  him.  He  was  quick  to 
discern  motives  and  woe  unto  him  who  sought  to  carry  any  measure 
which  would  not  bear  the  light  of  day.  f^r  with  scathing  speech  and 
pointed  finger  Dr.  Corson  always  meted  out  to  him  the  punishment  he 
justly  deserved.  Always  on  the  side  of  the  oppressed  it  sometimes 
happened  that  advantage  was  taken  of  Dr.  Corson's  absence  to  put 
through  measures  it  was  known  he  would  have  opposed.  But  as  surely 
as  the  next  year  came,  and  Dr.  Corson  was  present,  the  action  was 
reversed  or  good  reason  was  given  why  it  should  stand. 

I  well  remember  the  first  time  I  attended  a  meeting  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania State  Medical  Society.  It  was  in  Pottsville,  1  think,  in  1875. 
The  late  Dr.  Andrew  Nebinger  had  a  couple  of  years  before  made  an 
address  before  the  Society  which  contained  some  unpleasant  but  truthful 
statements  as  to  practices  which  characterized  Protestant  Christians  as 
contrasted  with  Romanists.  These  statements  did  not  meet  the  approval 
of  certain  members  of  the  Society  who  proposed  therefore  to  exclude 
the  address  from  the  published  proceedings  and  had  succeeded  the 
previous  year  in  deferring  its  publication,  though  I  fear  Dr.  Corson  must 
have  been  absent  on  that  occasion.  At  this  meeting  the  question  came 
up  again.  There  was  a  bitter  contest;  Dr.  Nebinger' s  enemies  vigor- 
ously opposed  the  address  being  accorded  a  place  in  the  proceedings. 
On  the  other  hand  Dr.  Corson  made  a  powerful  speech  in  favor  of  it 
and  was  followed  by  Dr.  E.  A.  Wood  of  Pittsburg.  Dr.  Wood  was  an 
acknowledged  agnostic  and  Dr.  Corson  a  Friend.  It  seemed  to  me,  then 
a  young  physician,  a  hopeful  sign  of  the  times  to  see  the  grand  old 
church  defended  by  the  Quaker  and  the  agnostic  against  whom  in  the 
olden  time  it  would  have  hurled  its  anathema  and  condemned  to 
eternal  torture  those  who  held  their  belief. 

The  recognition  of  women  physicians  was  one  of  the  causes  for 
which  he  battled  valiantly,  and  as  was  usual  with  him,  won  in  the  end. 
Doubtless  some  abler  pen  than  mine  will  have  described  the  stages  of 
this  struggle.  How  again  and  again  he  rallied  his  forcesuntil  the  final 
victory  cTme.  And  at  the  present  day  over  the  breadth  of  the  land 
men  are  wondering  why  they  could  ever  have  been  found  among  those 
opposed  to  the  admission  of  women  to  our  profession  and  our  societies, 
or  denied  them  the  fullest  opportunities  to  make  them  the  best  of  phy- 
sicians. And  as  I  sat  but  a  day  or  two  ago  at  a  session  of  the  Medical 
Society  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  and  listened  to  the  able  papers  of 
two  able  women  clearly  and  impressively  read,  and  heard  with  rapt 
attention  by  a  couple  of  hundred  men— addresses  full  of  useful  knowl- 
edge culled  from  actual  and  ripe  experience— again  my  thoughts  reverted 


1 82  In  Memoriam. 

with  gratitude  to  the  good  man  without  whose  efforts  the  opportunity 
might  still  have  been  denied  us  of  profiting  by  the  labors  of  these  and 
other  useful  medical  women. 

Oblivion  of  self  was  another  attribute  of  our  dear  friend  which  it 
may  be  profitable  for  us  to  dwell  upon  for  a  moment.  In  all  our  inter- 
course of  over  thirty  years'  duration,  in  all  the  addresses  of  which  he 
has  delivered  at  different  times  so  many,  I  cannot  recall  a  word  to  show 
that  any  advantage  or  disadvantage  to  himself  weighed  an  iota  in  deter- 
mining his  course.  He  was  not  one  of  those  who  loved  truth  because  it 
was  useful  to  him,  but  he  loved  it  for  its  own  sake.  It  was  always  the 
good  cause  or  the  public  weal  on  the  altar  of  which  he  was  ever  willing 
to  immolate  self,  and  he  would  journey  far  and  wide  at  personal  expense 
and  inconvenience  to  further  such  cause. 

Dr.  Corson  was  fond  of  nature  and  his  love  of  nature  was  an 
essential  and  natural  part  of  his  being.  Indeed  it  has  often  occurred  to 
me  to  observe  the  almost  inseparable  association  of  a  love  of  truth  with 
a  love  of  nature.  It  had  a  striking  illustration  in  the  learned  and  great- 
hearted yet  simple  and  retiring  Joseph  Leidy,  of  whom  Dr.  Corson  was 
an  intimate  friend  and  admirer.  I  believe  there  is  no  better  way  in 
which  1  can  show  the  fondness  of  nature  which  characterized  our  dear 
friend  than  by  quoting  from  a  letter  he  wrote  me  last  summer,  only  a 
few  months  before  he  died.     It  ran  as  follows  : 

Sunday,  23d  June,  6  A.  .M.  (1895). 
Dear  Doctor, 

As  I  look  out  of  my  window  from  my  desk,  on  the  north  lawn,  thus 
early  in  the  morning,  and  see  the  chickens  and  robins  scattered  over  it, 
hunting  their  breakfasts,  and  feel  the  fresh  moist  air  that  enters,  the 
poem  of  Philadelphia's  poet,  George  Boker,  of  which  I  will  give 
you  at  least  one  verse,  presents  itself  to  me  : 

"  With  song  of  birds  and  hum  of  bees 

And  odorous  breath  of  swinging  flowers, 
With  fluttering  herbs  and  swaying  trees, 
Begin  the  early  morning  hours." 

And  then  he  adds:  "  You  must  have  one  more  verse  so  as  to  appre- 
ciate the  joy  of  rising  early," 

"  So  fair  and  fresh  the  landscape  stands, 
So  vital,  so  beyond  decay. 
It  looks  as  though  God's  shaping  hands 

Had  just  been  raised  and  drawn  away." 

Dr.  Corson  never  said  a  word  to  me  on  the  subject  of  religion.  I 
knew  that  he  was  a  direct  descendant  of  Friends  and  a  sympathizer  with 
Friends  and  perhaps  himself  a  member,  but  of  this  I  have  no  accurate 
knowledge  even  to-day.  On  tlie  occasion  of  my  last  visit  to  him,  how- 
ever, in  September,  he  said  in  the  course  of  our  conversation,  parenthet- 
ically as  it  were,   "  I  am  ready  to  go  ;  I  am  not  afraid  to  die." 

These  words  have  often  recurred  to  me  since  then.  They  were 
spoken,  as  I  intimated,  without  reference  to  religion,  yet  it  seemed  to 
me  too  they  were  spoken  as  by  authority.      At  any  rate  they  became  to 


Address  by  Dr.  Charles  Hermon  Thomas.  is^, 

me  an  encouragement  to  believe  that  if  one  has  performed  in  the  best 
way  he  could  the  task  allotted  him,  however  humble,  and  has  been 
gentle  and  human  in  his  relations  to  man  and  beast,  as  our  dear  friend 
was,  it  may  be  all  that  will  be  asked  of  him  and  he  may  meet  death  as 
he  did  without  fear,  and  without  regret,  as  he  lived  above  fear  and 
above  reproach. 


DR.  CHARLES  HERMON  THOMAS"  ADDRESS. 
Dr.  Hiram  Corson  as  a  Champion  of  Womicn  Physicians. 

The  history  of  the  movement  for  the  education  of  women  phy- 
sicians, for  their  recognition  by  the  medical  societies  and  their  subse- 
quent advancement,  is  a  history  of  contest  from  the  beginning,  becom- 
ing sharp  and  severe  a  few  years  later  and  lasting  for  many  years.  Dr. 
Corson's  efforts  in  this  cause  began  at  the  outset  and  ended  only  with 
his  life.  The  period  of  storm  and  stress  through  which  it  passed  and 
in  which  he  bore  a  leading  part  can  be  best  appreciated  by  reference  to 
the  records  of  the  time,  and  the  purpose  of  this  occasion  cannot,  prob- 
ably, be  better  served  than  by  presenting  some  citations  from  the 
documentary  history  of  the  struggle  in  the  Medical  Society  of  the  State 
of  Pennsylvania  in  particular,  from  a  history  of  these  events  as  com- 
piled by  Dr.  Corson  himself 

It  is  now  nearly  fifty  years  ago — in  the  year  1848 — that  Dr.  Eliza- 
beth Blackwell,  the  pioneer  medical  woman  of  the  world,  in  the  face  of 
many  discouragements,  began  her  medical  studies.  In  1849,  Dr.  Sarah 
E.  Adamson,  a  niece  and  student  of  Dr.  Corson,  entered  upon  a  like 
course.  The  difficulties  encountered  by  Dr.  Adamson  in  obtaining 
college  instruction,  as  in  the  case  of  Dr.  Blackwell,  were  very  great. 
Dr.  Corson  applied  in  her  behalf  for  admission  to  the  Medical  Depart- 
ment of  .the  University  of  Pennsylvania  and  the  Jefferson  Medical  Col- 
lege, but  applied  in  vain.  She  afterwards  entered  a  small  college  for 
the  medical  education  of  both  sexes,  located  in  Syracuse,  New  York, 
and  where  she  was  graduated. 

A  charter  was  obtained  for  the  Woman's  Medical  College  of  Penn- 
sylvania in  1S50,  and  in  due  course  a  class  of  seven  young  women  was 
graduated.  From  the  very  beginning  the  opposition  to  the  entrance  of 
women  into  the  medical  profession  was  great,  but  it  is  also  true  that,  in 
the  words  of  Dr.  Corson,  "  no  combined  action  was  taken  by  the  pro- 
fession against  them  until  eight  classes  had  been  graduated  and  many 
had  established  themselves  in  practice,  when  the  Board  of  Censors  of 
the  Philadelphia  County  Medical  Society  reported  to  the  Society  their 
disapproval  of  any  member  of  it  holding  professional  intercourse  with 
the  professors  or  the  alumni  of  the  Woman's  Medical  College." 

This  report  of  the  Censors,  which  was  adopted  by  the  Society 
November  10,  1858,  "recommended  the  members  of  the  regular  pro- 
fession to  withhold  from  the  faculties  and  graduates  of  female  medical 
colleges  all  countenance  and  support  and  that  they  cannot  consistently 
with 'sound  medical  ethics  consult  or  hold  professional  medical  inter- 
course with  their  professors  or  alumni." 

Atthesucceedingmeetingof  the  Medical  Society  of  the  State  of  Icnn- 

sylvania,  held  in  Philadelphia,  June,  1859.  this  resolution  of  the  County 
Society  was  presented  and  referred  to  a  Committee,  which  reported  that 


184  III  Menioriam. 

"after  a  very  careful  consideration  of  the  said  resolutions  of  the  Phila- 
delphia County  Medical  Society  and  the  important  ethical  questions  to 
which  they  have  reference,  the  Committee  believe  that  the  course 
pointed  out  by  the  resolution  is  the  correct  one,  and  as  such,  demands 
the  sanction  of  this  Society  and  that  they  would  urge  its  observance  by 
all  the  county  societies  throughout  the  State." 

The  report  was  unanimously  adopted  and  sent  to  the  county  socie- 
ties, after  which,  as  Ur.  Corson  remarks.  "  it  was  doubtless  believed  by 
its  originators  and  advocates  that  no  physician  with  proper  regard  for 
his  success  in  practice,  the  friendship  of  his  professional  brethren  and 
the  honor  of  the  profession  would  thereafter  hold  professional  inter- 
course with  female  physicians." 

The  resolution  thus  adopted  in  1859  proved  not  to  be  the  finality 
its  promoters  intended,  but  was  destined  instead  to  become  a  source  of 
protest,  contention  and  discord,  occupying  much  of  the  time  of  the 
Society  for  more  than  a  decade  to  follow. 

Before  the  ne.xt  annual  meeting,  May  26,  i860,  a  meeting  of  the 
Montgomery  County  .Medical  Society  was  held  in  Norristown,  when 
Dr.  Corson,  then  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Society,  presented  a 
preamble  and  resolutions  "dissenting  from  the  action  of  the  Philadel- 
phia County  Medical  Society  and  the  State  Medical  Society,"  saying, 
"  we  believe  the  time  is  fully  come  when  women  should  not  be  excluded 
from  the  medical  profession,  but  if  properly  educated  and  observant  of 
the  code  of  medical  ethics  should  receive  the  same  treatment  from  the 
male  members  of  the  profession  as  is  accorded  to  the  male  members 
thereof,"  and  directing  the  delegates  of  the  Society  "  to  lay  the  pream- 
ble and  these  resolutions  liefore  the  State  Medical  Society  at  its  next 
meeting  and  ask  that  they  have  a  place  in  the  minutes  of  the  Society." 
This  was  carried  by  the  affirmative  vote  of  seven  of  the  nine  members 
present. 

Ac  the  meeting  of  the  State  Society,  held  in  Philadelphia  a  month  later, 
Dr.  Corson,  as  delegate  from  the  Montgomery  County  Society  presented 
these  resolutions,  where  they  were  met  at  once  as  he  tells  us  by  violent 
opposition,  and  a  motion  to  lay  them  on  the  table  was  promptly  carried. 

The  War  of  the  Rebellion  now  came  on  and  further  action  in  the 
matter  was  postponed  until  1866  when  (at  a  meeting  of  the  State  Society 
held  at  Wilkes-Barre)  Dr.  Corson  again  led  an  attack  upon  the  forces  of 
opposition,  introducing  a  protest  from  the  Corporators  and  Faculty  of 
the  Woman's  Medical  College  of  Pennsylvania,  coupled  with  a  request 
for  the  repeal  of  the  resolution  passed  in  1859.  Much  heated  discus- 
sion ensued  and  the  motion  to  rescind  was  lost.  A  motion,  however, 
was  carried  referring  to  the  several  county  societies  to  be  reported  on  by 
them  the  following  year,  a  declaration  that  "the  resolution  of  1859  is 
not  intended  to  prevent  members  of  the  Society  from  consulting  with 
regularly  educated  female  physicians  who  observe  the  code  of  ethics." 
The  progress  made  at  this  meeting  was  great,  as  considering  that  at  its 
opening,  it  was  only  after  several  fruitless  requests  that  Dr.  Corson  was 
able  to  obtain  a  seconder  to  his  resolution. 

At  the  next  annual  meeting,  the  reports  of  the  constituent  societies 
upon  the  question  were  received.  Some  were  in  favor,  some  against, 
but  the  larger  number  took  no  action.  The  Philadelphia  County 
Medical  Society,  however,  reported  "we  cannot  offer  any  encourage- 
ment to  women  to  become  practitioners  of  medicine,  nor  can  we  con- 


Address  by  Dr.  Charles  Hermon  Thomas.  185 

sent  to  meet  in  medical  consultation  such  practitioners/'  while  the  Mont 
gomery  County  Medical  Society  « instructed  her  ddegat^  to  use  . 
honorable  means  to  place  respectable  female  graduates  =md  the  p  ofes 

Thus  again  was  the  issue  squarely  joined.  The  test  vote  was  taken 
on  a  renewed  protest  from  the  Woman's  Medical  College,  including -1 
request  for  the  repeal  of  the  obnoxious  resolutions  of  1850  when  ^ 
motion  to  lay  on  the  table  was  carried.  ^' 

The  next  year  the  friends  of  women  physicians  again  renewed  the 
struggle  and  again  their  efforts,  ended  in  defeat. 

A  pause  of  a  year  now  occurred  as  to  the  State  Society  0  86q^ 
during  which  time  the  Philadelphia  County  Medical  Society  adopted 
lurther  resolutions  of  the  most  stringent  character,  disqualifvin-  pro- 
lessors  and  graduates  of  women's  colleges  from  membership  in  the 
Society  and  prohibiting  its  members  from  consulting  with  the  professors 
or  graduates  of  female  colleges. 

This  brings  us  to  1870,  when  the  struggle  was  renewed  once  again, 
practically  on  the  same  lines  as  heretofore,  when  a  motion  prevailed'' that 
"the  question  be  laid  on  the  table  until  the  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion shall  have  decided  upon  it." 

The  issue  was  now  introduced  to  the  American  Medical  Association 
by  the  action  of  the  Woman' s  Medical  College  in  sending  delegates  to 
that  body,  where  it  proved  the  source  of  the  liveliest  contention,  occu- 
pying the  larger  part  of  the  time  of  the  meeting  held  in  San  Francisco 
in  1 87 1,  when,  owing  to  the  nearly  equal  strength  of  both  parties,  want 
of  time  and  some  parliamentary  confusion,  what  may  be  called  a  drawn 
battle  was  the  result ;  this,  however,  showing  a  distinct  gain  for  the 
cause  of  reform.  A  few  weeks  later  both  sides  rallied  for  what  proved 
to  be  the  final  struggle  at  the  meeting  of  the  Pennsylvania  State  Society 
in  Williamsport,  where  the  motion  to  rescind  the  now  notorious  resolu- 
tion of  1859  was,  after  a  hot  debate,  carried  by  a  decisive  majority. 

Of  this  event  Dr.  Corson  has  said:  "Thus,  we  found  ourselves  in 
1871  with  the  same  resolution  before  us  that  we  had  presented  by  the 
Montgomery  County  delegates  to  the  Society  at  Wilkesbarre  in   1866. 
But,    how  different   the  situation.      Then   it  was  in   the   face  of  noisy 
insulting  opposition   that   its  mover  was  allowed  to  speak  in  favor  of 
rescinding  the   obnoxious  resolution  ;  now  at   Williamsport,  the  forces 
through  changes   effected  by  the  lapse  of  years  and  the   labors  of  the 
friends  of  reform  met  in  nearly  equal  numbers,  prepared  to  do  their  best 
for  victory,  and,  after  a  free   discussion,  the  resolution  to  rescind  was 
passed    by  a  vote   of   fifty-five    ayes    to    forty-five  nays    amid    intense 
but  quiet  excitement,  and  thus  ended  successfully  a  movement  orgin- 
ated  by  the  Montgomery  County  Medical  Society  to  blot  from  the  Trans- 
actions of  the  State  Society  a  selfish,  odious   resolution  adopted  eleven 
years  before."     And  he  adds,  "This  report  gives  but  the  faintest  idea 
of  the  bitterness  of  the  contest,  of  the  scorn  with   which  the  proceed- 
ings of  the  Montgomery  County  Medical  Society  w^ere  received  and  the 
unkindness  manifested  against  all  who  from  year  to  year  asked  for  jus- 
tice to  women  physicians."      With  this   action  of  the  State  Society  the 
conflict  came  to  an  abrupt  conclusion,  all  organized  opposition  ceased 
and  the  work  entered  upon  a  new  era. 


1 86  In  Memoriam . 

This  hasty  sketch  would  be  mcumpleie  did  I  not  here  add  that 
while  it  is  to  the  lasting  honor  of  the  Montgomery  County  Medical 
Society  that  it  was  the  first  to  resist  the  oppressive  measures  instituted 
by  the  Philadelphia  County  Medical  Society  and  adopted  by  the  State 
Society,  to  this  Society  also  the  distinction  is  due  that  it  first  of  all  the 
societies  in  the  State  accorded  to  women  physicians  the  privileges  of 
membership.  For  in  the  heat  of  the  contlict,  when  its  position  before  the 
State  Society  and  in  the  American  Medical  Association  even  was  jeop- 
ardized thereby,  there  was  entered  upon  its  records  the  following 
minute:  "May,  1870,  Doctress  Anna  Lukens  was  elected  a  member. 
This  is  the  first  female  physician  ever  elected  in  a  county  society  in 
Pennsylvania,  or  perhaps  in  the  United  States,  perhaps  in  the  world." 
At  a  later  date  (1890)  a  further  and  still  higher  step  was  taken  when, 
honoring  itself  and  her,  it  elected  Dr.  Alice  Bennett  to  the  presidency 
of  the  Society. 

It  may  also  be  added  that  notwithstanding  the  unfortunate  pre- 
eminence of  the  Philadelphia  County  Medical  Society  in  its  antagonism 
to  women  physicians,  itself  accorded  justice  to  the  subjects  of  its  former 
oppression  a  few  years  later  (1887-1888)  when  it  admitted  women  to 
membership  ;  the  first  to  be  so  elected  being  Dr.  Mary  Willets,  now  of 
the  State  Hospital  at  Norristown. 

Again  and  again,  as  we  have  seen,  the  contest  has  seemed  to  lie 
between  the  Montgomery  County  Society  on  the  one  hand  and  the 
Philadelphia  County  Society  on  the  other.  Small  wonder  if  we  are 
reminded  of  the  combat  between  David  and  Goliath,  so  unequal  was 
the  apparent  strength  of  the  combatants,  so  complete  the  victory  of  the 
righteous  cause. 

With  the  cessation  of  active  opposition,  a  period  of  rest  naturally 
followed,  lasting  a  number  of  years.  Dr.  Corson's  mind  during  the 
time,  however,  was  not  idle.  He  had  not  gone  thus  far  either  to  stoj)  or 
turn  back.  A  plan  was  forming  and  data  were  gathering  for  the 
prosecutii^n  of  a  new  and  aggressive  undertaking.  He  had  studied  the 
question  of  management  of  hospitals  for  the  insane,  especially  that  of 
the  State  Hospitals,  for  years  which  he  was  convinced  had  not  attained 
the  standard  of  their  intended  usefulness.  He  believed  that  little  active 
treatment  was  prosecuted  in  them,  and  that  the  care  of  the  female  insane 
especially  was  defective  in  one  important  parii(ular,  viz.,  the  treatment 
of  dise.Tses  peculiar  to  their  sex.  For  manifest  reasons  he  held  that 
such  special  treatment  could  only  be  properly  conducted  under  the 
peculiar  conditions  e.xisting  in  asylums  at  the  hands  of  women  physicians. 

His  indignation  had  been  aroused  by  the  reception  given  Dr. 
Mary  Stinson  at  the  asylum  at  Worcester,  Massachusetts,  where,  in 
her  position  as  assistant  physician  in  the  women's  wards,  he  felt  that 
her  services  were  belittled  and  her  work  embarrassed  by  the  male 
superintendent,  because  of  prejudice  against  her  as  a  woman. 

He  had  now  become  convinced  that  women  physicians  would  and 
could  work  advantageously  only  when  given  positions  of  professional 
independence  and  responsibility  ;  and  to  remedy  a  condition  of  things 
inherent  in  the  then  universal  organization  of  insane  hospitals,  he  took 
the  ground  that  the  system  of  hospital  organization  should  itself  be 
radically  changed.  He  held  that  the  office  of  medical  superintendent 
so-called,  which  then  included  beside  medical  superintendence  of  both 
male  and  female  departments,  the  supervision  of  the  business  manager, 


Address  by  Dr.  Charles  Hermon  Thomas.  187 

the  steward,  the  farmer,  etc.,  should  be  abolished  and  a  steward  or 
business  superintendent  appointed  as  in  the  great  general  ho  p  Lis 
whose  work  should  relate  solely  to  administratfon  an^d  who  s3  fe 
responsible  directly  to  the  Trustees;  the  medical  department  to  be 
medTcal  d  '.  "'^r'  '"'  P'^>--ans-in.chief  of  equal  rank,  having  on  1> 
medical  duties,  the  one  a  man  m  charge  of  the  department  for  men  the 
other  a  woman  in  charge  of  the  department  for  women  ;  each  phys  cian 
responsible  direcdy  and  only  to  the  Trustees  of  the  hospital  -in  effect 
two  separate  and  independent  hospitals  under  one  Board  of  Management 
Vv  ith  characteristic  boldness,  he  placed  before  the  State  Medical 
Society  in  1877  a  resolution  embodying  this  plan,  and  much  to  his  satis- 
faction, though  somewhat  to  his  surprise,  it  was  accorded  a  favorable 
reception.  He  was  himself  made  Chairman  of  a  Committee  to  report 
on  the  same  at  the  next  annual  meeting,  when  the  powerful  endorsement 
of  the  Society  was  given  to  the  plan  proposed.  He  was  then  made 
Chairman  of  another  committee  authorized  to  memorialize  the  Legislature 
on  behalf  of  the  Society  with  a  view  to  securing  the  enactment  of  the 
necessary  laws  to  render  the  plan  operative. 

A  large  measure  of  success  attended  his  efforts  before  the  Legislature, 
though  confronted  in  the  Senate  by  a  memorial  in  opposition,  numerously 
signed  by  prominent  physicians  of  Philadelphia.  In  one  important 
respect,  however,  the  act  as  passed  fell  short  of  his  desires,  in  that, 
while  it  conferred  upon  the  Trustees  the  power  to  appoint  a  woman  as 
chief  physician  for  the  insane,  it  did  not  make  it  their  imperative  duty. 
To  attempt  to  remedy  this  defect  became  the  work  of  his  later  years-^a 
work  not  even  yet  accomplished. 

While  these  events  were  taking  place  (1880)  the  Southeastern  Hos- 
pital at  Norristown  was  undergoing  organization  and  preparing  for 
active  work.  Dr.  Corson  ^vas  well  known  to  the  Trustees  and  had  much 
influence  with  them.  He  was  earnestly  desirous  that  the  new  plan 
should  be  adopted  in  this  hospital,  and,  as  of  first  importance,  was  par- 
ticularly solicitous  that  the  character  and  attainments  of  the  woman 
selected  as  the  Chief  Physician  should  be  such  as  would  render  her  a  fit 
representative  of  the  movement.  Dr.  Stinson  received  unanimous 
election,  but  owing  to  failing  health,  was  unable  to  serve.  The  choice 
then  fell  upon  Dr.  Alice  Bennett,  at  the  time  Demonstrator  of  Anatomy 
in  the  Woman's  Medical  College  of  Pennsylvania,  of  whose  services  I 
may  now  only  say  that  the  success  attained  by  her  and  the  fame  with 
which  her  labors  have  been  rewarded  were  an  enduring  source  of  grati- 
fication and  pride  to  Dr.  Corson.  He  believed  that  the  results  achieved 
by  her  were  the  complete  justification  of  the  wisdom  of  his  plan,  and 
that  notwithstanding  her  acknowledged  ability  that  such  a  success 
would  have  been  impossible  under  the  old  system  with  assistanceship 
as  the  highest  goal  which  a  woman,  however  able,  might  attain.  Thus 
he  labored  early  and  late,  undeterred  by  defeat,  physical  infirmity  or 
the  burden  of  advancing  years,  to  secure  the  extension  of  what  may  l)e 
called  the  Norristown  system— or  may  I  say,  the  Corson  system— to  tlie 
other  hospitals  under  the  control  of  the  State. 

For  the  furtherance  of  this  purpose  he  presented  bill  after  lull  at 
the  various  sessions  of  the  Legislature,  always  in  hopefulness  and  cour- 
age, and  never  cast  down  by  repeated  failure  in  its  accomplishment. 
He  believed  that  the  cause  was  right  and  that  it  would  finally  prevail. 


1 88  In  Memoriam. 

The  part  taken  by  Dr.  Corson  in  the  whole  movement  is  representa- 
tive of  his  entire  life  and  character  ;  his  sense  of  justice  was  of  the 
keenest,  and  in  the  pursuit  of  its  ends  he  was  capable  of  that  absolute 
disregard  of  precedent  which  constitutes  the  born  reformer.  Not  that 
he  was  ever  attracted  by  the  desire  for  change  or  mere  novelty.  He  stood 
by  the  ancient  testimonies  with  great  tenacity  as  long  as  he  saw  they 
fulfilled  a  useful  purpose,  but  when  he  felt  they  were  outlived  he 
cleared  them  away  with  a  ruthless  hand. 

In  carrying  out  the  various  measures  of  reform  in  which  he  was 
engaged,  he  displayed  an  untiring  energy.  While  he  was  a  clear,  strong 
speaker,  well  equipped  to  take  his  part  in  debate,  his  work  in  this 
respect  by  no  means  represented  the  chief  part  of  his  labors.  He 
possessed  a  rare  gift  for  correspondence,  as  those  who  were  privileged 
to  receive  his  letters  will  gratefully  testify,  and  this  gift  was  exercised 
most  laboriously  in  preparing  for  the  various  contests  in  which  he  was 
engaged,  either  before  the  State  Society  or  before  the  State  Legislature. 

His  life-long  association  with  the  Society  of  Friends  had  led  him 
to  entertain  feelings  of  entire  respect  for  women  in  public  capacities, 
and,  as  was  to  be  expected,  he  ardently  favored  the  extension  of  the 
fields  for  work  for  women  in  all  directions,  and  was,  therefore,  an  earnest 
advocate  of  woman  suftVage 

The  limits  of  time  will  permit  me  to  say  little  more.  An  event 
must  barely  be  named  in  which  Dr.  Corson  took  a  profound  interest 
and  which  he  has  himself  said  moved  him  to  his  most  active  efforts.  I 
refer  to  the  well-known  disturbance  at  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital  in 
which  the  men  students  endeavored  by  insulting  treatment  to  prevent 
attendance  of  the  women  students  at  the  clinics. 

I  must  not  omit  to  mention  a  later  and  most  pleasurable  occasion, 
when  a  reception  was  given  in  Dr.  Corson's  honor  in  the  city  of  Phil- 
adelphia, a  reception  in  the  organization  of  which  the  women  physi- 
cians of  the  city  took  the  prominent  part,  in  which  they  were  joined  by 
many  of  those  formerly  in  active  opposition  and  which  was  attended  in 
large  numbers  by  the  members  of  the  Philadelphia  County  Medical 
Society  and  the  State  IMedical  Society  of  Pennsylvania — the  latter  then  in 
session  in  that  city. 

I  cannot  close  without  naming  a  few  of  his  near  friends  and  co- 
workers— not  to  make  particular  mention  of  his  brethren  of  the  Mont- 
gomery County  Medical  Society — prominent  among  many  others  on 
that  honor  roll  stand  the  names  of  Dr.  Traill  Green,  of  Easton,  Pa., 
Dr.  James  King,  of  Pittsburg,  Dr.  Wilmer  Worthington,  of  West  Chester, 
Dr.  W^illiam  B.  Ulrich,  of  Chester,  and  Drs.  Washington  L.  Atlee, 
Winthrop  Sargent,  Albert  H.  Smith,  and  Joseph  Parrish,  of  Philadelphia. 

Our  friend,  honored  and  beloved,  who  has  gone,  has  left  behind 
him  an  unfinished  work,  and  who  that  knew  him  well  can  doubt  that  if 
he  were  asked  what  monument  he  would  desire  to  be  raised  to  his  memory 
— before  and  as  better  than  stone  or  brass — he  would  choose  as  his  best 
memorial  the  completion  of  the  great  undertaking  to  which  so  much  of 
the  energy  of  his  brave  and  earnest  life  was  devoted,  the  reorganization 
of  the  other  insane  hospitals  of  the  State  on  the  plan  adopted  in  the 
institution  at  Norristown. 


Address  by  Dr.  Thomas  G.  Morion.  189 

DR.  THOMAS  G.  MORTON'S  ADDRKSS. 

Dr.    Corson  as  a    Reformer    and   Phila.nthkopist.   as  shown  uv 

His  Work  in  Behalf  of  the  Insane. 

It  was  with  mingled  feelings  of  pleasure  and  sadness  that  1  accepted 
the  invitation  to  be  present  on  this  interesting  occasion,  to  join  with 
this  assemblage  m  honoring  the  memory  of  one  who,  having  faithfully 
served  his  day  and  generation,  has  gone  to  his  reward.  From  an  inii'- 
mate  personal  acquaintance,  extending  through  many  years,  I  vcrv 
highly  esteem  this  privilege  of  adding  my  testimony  to  the  exalted  per- 
sonal and  professional  character  of  our  friend,  Ur.  Hiram  Corson.  ' 

It  has  been  suggested  to  me,  that  I  should  select  for  special  con- 
sideration the  life-long  and  persistent  efforts  of  Dr.  Corson  in  behalf 
of  that  most  dependent  class,  the  indigent  insane,  whose  welfare  and 
best  interests  were  ever  in  his  mind.  His  sympathies  were  more  especi- 
ally enlisted  in  behalf  of  insane  women  in  our  State  institutions,  and  he 
saw  more  clearly  than  any  other  man  of  his  time,  that  this  es'peciMlly 
unfortunate,  helpless,  and  often  friendless  class,  not  only  required,  but 
had  the  right  to  receive,  the  direct  care,  supervision  and  treatment  of 
physicians  of  their  own  sex.  Dr.  Corson  strove  for  this  great  principle, 
by  day  and  by  night,  with  characteristic  determination  and  unselfish 
devotion. 

This  important  reform  in  the  administration  of  our  hospitals  for 
the  insane  occupied  Dr.  Corson's  attention  for  more  than  thirty  years  ; 
but  he  was  from  the  very  outset  well  aware  of  the  almost  insuperable 
obstacles  he  would  encounter,  and  that  the  changes  in  hospital  manage- 
ment he  desired,  were  only  to  be  overcome  by  public  agitation,  and  an 
entire  revolution  in  the  views  of  the  profession,  including  the  County 
and  State  Medical  Societies.  This,  he  believed  would  ultimately  be 
secured,  and  eventually  lead  to  the  enactment  of  legislation,  which 
would  at  least  permit  the  Trustees  of  our  State  Institutions  to  make  the 
experiment  of  appointing  women  physicians  to  have  the  entire  charge 
of  the  female  insane. 

Into  this  reform  movement  in  the  management  of  our  State  hos- 
pitals, Dr.  Corson  entered  with  all  his  energies,  and  with  untiring  zeal, 
but  his  efforts  from  the  very  first  were  under  the  most  discouraging, 
adverse  and  perplexing  conditions.  He  labored  constantly  by  his  tongue 
and  pen  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  until  finally  he  had  the 
proud  satisfaction  of  seeing  his  original  views  approved,  and  his  plans 
fully  carried  into  effect,  not  only  in  the  hospital  at  Harrisburg  (which 
was  the  first  to  make  request  for  a  female  physician  to  take  charge  of  the 
female  insane),  but  in  every  one  of  the  six  institutions  which  arc, 
either  in  whole  or  in  part,  under  State  control  in  our  commonwealth. 

Following  the  appeal  made  to  the  Legislature  in  1879  ''>'  the  Trus- 
tees of  the  Harrisburg  hospital,  the  management  of  the  Southeastern 
Hospital,  early  in  1880,  elected  a  female  physician  to  have  the  entire 
control  of  the  female  insane  ;  and  subsequently  at  Dixmont.  in  i8q3  : 
at  Warren,  in  1894  ;  and  finally  at  Danville,  in  1895,  women  were  given 
the  entire  medical  charge  of  the  female  insane.  At  the  Southeastern 
Hospital  here  in  Norristown,  and  at  the  Asylum  for  the  Chronic  Insane 
at  Wernersville,  female  physicians  have  had  the  entire  care  and  respon- 
sibility of  the  female  patients  from   the  dates  of  the  opening  of  these 


I  go  /"  Memoriam. 

institutions,  respectively.  Even  our  private  hospitals  for  the  insane 
have  felt  the  inlluence  of  this  great  reform  movement  of  Dr.  Corson's, 
shown  in  the  appointment  of  special  female  consultants  ;  while  the 
Friends'  Asylum  for  the  Insane  at  Frankford  has  at  present  a  resident 
woman  physician. 

Dr.  Corson's  name  first  appears  among  the  Trustees  of  the  State 
Lunatic  Asylum  at  Harrisburg,  in  1877,  he  having  received  from 
Governor  Hartranft  the  appointment  in  recognition  of  his  life-long 
interest  and  zealous  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  insane,  and  in  this  position, 
which  was  accepted  with  the  hope  of  doing  a  really  good  work,  he 
labored  in  season  and  out  of  season,  to  bring  about  his  long  wished 
for  reforms. 

When  Dr.  Corson  became  active  in  the  Harrisburg  hospital  work, 
he  found  that  the  Medical  Superintendents  of  all  State  hospitals  for  the 
insane  had  other  than  professional  duties,  which,  he  believed,  greatly 
interfered  with  their  purely  professional  work,  and  with  the  proper  dis- 
charge of  the  responsibilities  arising  from  the  care  and  treatment  of  the 
patients,  so  that  much  of  the  medical  work  devolved  upon  young  and 
often  inexperienced  assistants  ;  and  to  alter  this  condition,  Dr.  Corson 
gave  much  of  his  time  and  attention.  The  necessity  for  change  in  this 
respect  became  so  apparent  to  the  Trustees  of  the  Southeastern  Hospi- 
tal at  Norristown,  that  they  adopted  the  experiment  of  releasing  the 
physicians  of  that  institution  from  all  duties,  except  pertaining  to  the 
medical  care  of  the  patients.  The  annual  report  of  the  State  Commit- 
tee on  Lunacy  the  following  year  states  :  "The  Trustees  of  the  Norris- 
town Hospital  have  taken  the  advance  in  this  important  change  in  Hos- 
pital administration,  and  have  given  the  resident  physicians  of  that 
Institution  the  largest  liberty  in  the  management,  throwing  the  entire 
medical  responsibility  upon  tliem,  and,  at  the  same  time,  have  relieved 
them  of  all  work  other  than  the  professional  care  and  treatment  of  the 
patients."  The  Trustees  also  stated  that  "the  entire  relief  of  the  phy- 
sicians from  the  business  responsibilities  of  the  Institution  has  con- 
tinued to  work  most  satisfactorily  and  greatly  to  the  benefit  of  the 
inmates." 

The  consummation  of  his  hopes  by  the  appointment  at  this  hospi- 
tal of  a  female  Physician-in-chief  of  the  female  insane,  the  first  in  this 
country  or  elsewhere,  and  the  divorcement  of  the  purely  domestic  and 
administrative  duties  which  heretofore  devolved  upon  the  Medical 
Superintendent,  and  the  gratifying  results  from  these  reforms,  which 
were  announced  in  the  Reports  of  the  Institution  from  year  to  year, 
were  to  Dr.  Corson  a  source  of  great  pleasure  and  satisfaction — his 
labors  had  not  been  in  vain. 

When  Dr.  Corson  began  his  first  and  great  reform,  he  was  con- 
fronted with  the  difficulty  of  overcoming  the  prejudices  of  the  medical 
men  of  that  day  against  women  doctors.  Thus,  by  formal  resolution  of 
November  10,  1858,  the  Philadelphia  County  Medical  Society  recom- 
mended "the  members  of  the  regular  profession  to  withhold  from  facul- 
ties and  graduates  of  Female  Medical  Colleges,  all  countenance  and  sup- 
port," and  decided  that  they  "cannot,  consistently  with  sound  medical 
ethics,  consult  or  hold  professional  medical  intercourse  with  their  pro- 
fessors or  alumnit."  This  action  was  endorsed  and  adopted  also  by 
the  Pennsylvania  State  Medical  Society,  at  its  next  subsequent  meeting, 
1859.     The    Philadelphia    County  Medical    Society,    nearly    ten    years 


Address  by  Dr.  Thomas  G.  Morton.  191 


!i'i'  ?'!°^''.'''   !S68   reaffirmed  the  vuews  expressed  in  the  forn.er 


fessionally  consu.t  with  any  professor  or  graduate  of  a  female  coUeL-e  '• 
At  the  time  that  this  resolution  was  adopted  such  distinguished  mem- 
!^'  r[  the  profession  as  Prof  Alfred  StiUe,  Dr.  Washington  L  Atlee 
and  Dr.  Albert  H.  Smith  were  among  those  who  refused  to  recognize 
IL       °"^^'°f  ^^^'^^^""^y.^'^^^^^l  Society  to  dictate  to  them  in  this 

ies 
on 

at  the  Session  of  i860,  by  which  action  the  friends'of  the^'woman'^s 
Medical  College  at  length  gained  the  professional  recognition  which  had 
been  so  long  denied  to  its  graduates,  and  the  right  to  consultation  with 
members  of  the  Philadelphia  County  Medical  Society  could  no  longer 
be  withheld.  Subsequently,  women  physicians  were  admitted  to  mem- 
bership on  exactly  the  same  footing  as  other  members  of  the  Society. 
This  somewhat  lengthy  digression  has  been  made  merely  to  illustrate 
the  early  difficulties  which  Dr.  Corson  had  to  encounter,  and  which  he 
finally  succeeded  in  conquering,  after  a  ten  years'  war  with  the  opposi- 
tion, which  was  of  a  most  bitter  and  uncompromising  character. 

Having  gained  professional  recognidon  of  women  as  Medical 
practitioners.  Dr.  Corson  next  turned  his  attention  to  procuring  a  law 
which  would  require  the  Trustees  of  State  Hospitals  for  the  insane  to 
employ  women  physicians  to  have  charge  of  the  insane  of  their  sex. 
At  the  meeting  of  the  State  Medical  Society,  in  1877,  Dr.  Washington 
L.  Atlee,  on  behalf  of  Dr.  Corson,  who  was  detained  at  home  by  sick- 
ness, offered  a  resolution,  asking  for  a  Committee  to  be  appointed  to 
consider  "the  propriety  of  having  a  female  physician  for  the  female 
department  of  every  hospital  for  the  insane  which  is  under  the  control 
of  the  State."  At  the  following  meeting,  held  at  Pittsburg,  1878,  this 
Committee  reported  in  favor  of  appointing  a  Committee  of  seven  to 
memorialize  the  Legislature  of  Pennsylvania  to  enact  laws,  if  any  be 
needed,  to  authorize  the  employment,  by  managers  of  hospitals  under 
the  control  of  the  State,  of  women  Medical  Superintendents  for  the 
female  departments  of  said  hospitals,  and  for  hospitals  to  be  erected 
for  the  accommodation  of  females."  Dr.  Hiram  Corson  was  appointed 
Chairman  of  the  Committee,  which  draughted  a  bill  in  accordance  with 
instructions  received  from  the  State  Society,  and  presented  it  at  Harris- 
burg.  The  bill  proposed  by  the  Committee,  entitled,  "An  Act  for  the 
better  regulation  and  treatment  of  the  female  insane  in  the  Asylums  and 
Hospitals  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania,"  was  finally  passed, 
and  signed  by  Governor  Henry  M.  Hoyt,  June  4,  1879. 

The  act,  as  presented  by  the  Committee,  provided.  That  in  all 
Hospitals  or  Asylums  now  built  or  hereafter  to  be  built,  and  under  the 
control  of  the  State,  and  in  which  male  and  female  insane  patients  are 
received  for  treatment,  the  Trustees  of  said  Asylums  or  Hospitals  shall 
appoint  a  skillful  female  physician,  who  shall  reside  in  said  Asylum  or 
Hospital,  and  who  shall  have  the  medical  control  of  said  female 
inmates,  who  shall  report  to  the  Superintendents  and  also  to  the 
Trustees. 

It  is  to  be  noted  that  on  final  passage,  the  wording  of  the  Act  was 
altered  by  the  substitution  of    "may"    for  "shall,"  thus  making  the 


192  In  Memoriam. 

appointment  of  women  physicians  optional  instead  of  obligatory  upon 
the  Trustees.  This  alteration  was  unknown  to  Dr.  Corson  until  he 
received  an  engrossed  copy  of  the  bill,  and  it  was  an  occasion  of  great 
disappointment  to  him  to  have  the  fruits  of  victory  taken  from  his 
grasp  after  such  a  prolonged  and  well-fought  contest. 

Under  date  of  January  9,  1879,  the  minutes  of  the  Board  of  Trus- 
tees of  the  Pennsylvania  State  Lunatic  Hospital  at  Harrisburg  contain 
the  following  :  "  Whereas,  the  State  Medical  Society  at  its  last  meeting 
of  the  Society  held  at  Pittsburg  last  May,  appointed  a  Committee  to 
memorialize  the  Legislature  to  pass  laws,  if  any  be  needed,  to  have  a 
female  Medical  Superintendent  to  have  entire  medical  control  and  man- 
agement of  every  female  asylum  or  female  department  of  every  hospital 
for  insane,  under  the  control  of  the  State,  therefore 

"Resolved,  That  we  the  Trustees  of  the  Pennsylvania  State  Lunatic 
Hospital  at  Harrisburg,  being  deeply  im])ressed  with  the  propriety  of 
the  measure,  and  believing  that  many  advantages  would  result  to  the 
female  patients,  from  the  proposed  change,  do  earnestly  desire  that  the 
Honorable  Senators  and  Representatives  will,  in  their  wisdom,  enact 
such  laws  as  will  enable  the  proposed  measures  to  be  carried  into  eftect 
as  soon  as  conveniently  can  be  done."  When  the  law  was  enacted,  the 
Trustees,  to  their  infinite  credit,  promptly  carried  out  its  intent  by 
appointing  two  female  physicians,  and  the  Trustees'  Report  states  : 
"Although  these  ladies  have  been  but  a  short  time  in  the  Hospital,  the 
greatly  improved  condition  of  the  patients  and  wards,  under  their  care, 
alike  show  the  wisdom  of  the  step  taken  by  the  Trustees  in  determining 
to  have  our  female  patients  under  charge  of  physicians  of  the  same  sex, 
and  of  the  choice  of  the  ladies  to  have  such  charge."  This  was  in  18S0, 
and  since  that  time  the  woman  physician  has  become  a  permanent  fix- 
ture, not  only  in  the  Harrisburg  hospital,  as  already  stated,  but  at 
Norristown,  Dixmont,  Warren,  Danville  and  Wernersville.  For  many 
years  the  Insane  Department  of  the  Philadelphia  Almshouse  has  had 
some  resident  women  physicians. 

Dr.  Corson  lived  to  witness  the  fulfillment  of  his  cherished  desires, 
in  the  admission  of  women  physicians  into  every  hospital  for  the  insane, 
in  whole  or  in  part,  under  State  management,  and  he  likewise  had  the 
intense  satisfaction  of  witnessing  the  successful  operation  at  the  South- 
eastern Hospital  in  this  county,  of  his  plan  which  relieved  the  medical 
staff  of  the  institution  of  all  duties  not  pertaining  to  the  professional 
care  of  the  patients. 

It  is  a  wise  observation,  that  great  reforms  come  slowly,  and  it  is 
confidently  believed  that  indue  time,  with  the  necessary  changes  in  the 
State  laws  now  governing  the  other  hospitals  as  to  the  duties  of  the 
Medical  Superintendents,  these  officials  will  doubtless  be  relieved  of  all 
but  purely  professional  work,  thus  allowing  the  Trustees  really  to  govern 
these  institutions  in  all  respects  as  urged  by  Dr.  Corson. 

To  but  few  is  given  the  privilege  of  living  a  more  honorable,  use- 
ful, and  blameless  life  than  that  which  we  are  now  contemplating.  A 
man  of  determined  character,  with  the  courage  of  his  convictions.  Dr. 
Hiram  Corson  was  a  true  friend,  a  conscientious  and  devoted  physician, 
and  a  man  of  the  strictest  integrity  in  word  and  deed.  Such  a  career 
inspires  emulation,  and  we  are  reminded  that,  "  the  path  of  the  just  is 
as  the  shining  light,"  and  are  prompted  to  exclaim,  with  the  Hebrew 
prophet  of  old,  "Let  me  die  the  death  of  the  righteous,  and  let  my 
last  end  be  like  his." 


Index 

Of  Names  other  than  Corson  found  in  the  Genealogy. 


atuJU:.  1^  PAGE. 

Abrahams .      78 

Adamson 67,  82-89,  ^^o 

Aleck 34 

Albertson 73,  79,  107 

Akers 5o 

Ardeway 42 

Arnwine 49 

Armstrong 26 

Atkinson 39 

Baker 62 

Barr 64 

Baylis 43 

Beams 21 

Beans 55 

Bedell .    .        9 

Bell 37 

Bennett    .    .  21,  31,  41,  42,  43,  51,52,53 

Belts 59 

Bowman -     49,  I03 

Blake 103 

Blaker,  31,  39,  41,  46,  50,  51,  52,  54,  59, 

Boice ■    .    ■      40 

Bowker .    .    107 

Brabent 52 

Bryan 35,  "8 

Buckman 50,  53-54,  162 

Burleigh -115 

Burrins 9° 

Bye 22,  25,  26 

Cady "8 

Cadwallader ■     .    .    .  78 

Callahan 33 

Carey 60 

Carr 58 

Carter 136 

Chapman 35 

Childs 60 

Cliff 43 

Cochrane 27 

Comlv 54 

Conrad 57 

Cooper 51,  02 

Cornell 15,  19,  41.  42 

Cornelison ^° 


PAGE. 

Corssen    .    ,        9 

Costerisan 31,  33,  34.  35 

Cox 34,  162 

Coulston 26 

Craft 21 

Crawford 106-108 

Croasdale 52,  53 

Cresson 137 

Cruse  or  Kreuson 9 

Cutler 77>  80 

Davis 21,  28,  29,  33 

Day 13H 

Dentt ^ 35 

Dickinson   .    .     * 31,  66,  149 

Doan 55-  62,  63 

Dulley 84 

Doyle 49 

Dungan 13,  M,  I5.  64 

Dungan  Family I45 

Dunn 23 

Egbert     .        ...   67,  73,  76,  104,  153 

Ellis 55,  60,61,  62 

Ely 23,  26,  55,  56,  57,  161 

Evans 46,  47-  76 

Everett no 

Febridge 19 

Finnev '8 

Fletcher '2 

FHnn 39 

Flitcraft 26 

Forbes 80 

Forsythe ^5 

Foster "5 

Foulke 24,  25,  68,  151 

Fox ■  47 

Freedley 106.  no 

Francis '9 

Fries °i 

Fuller 50 

Fussell '«5 


Garrison 
Garretson    . 
Garsed     .    . 
Gautier    . 


.     115 

76.77 

80 

.    108 


PAGE. 

Gill 42 

Gleason 86 

Good 42 

Grew 115 

Green .  50 

Graham 77 

Griffith 41 

Gurney 60 

Hagy 67,97 

Hallmaii      29 

Harris 76,  78 

Hartman 47 

Hamilton 48 

Harvey 3h  3^>  39i  4' 

Heilner 48 

Henderson 108 

Heister no 

Heydrick I9>  29 

Heston 55i  56,  161 

Hibbs .!..(.      52 

Highley 106,  107,  109 

Hill 60 

Hillyer 80 

Hicks 65,  76 

Hickman 37.  38 

Hogland      53 

Hogan 27 

Hovenden 18,  118 

Holstein 110 

Hood 36 

Humphrey 61 

Hurst 90,  106,  107 

Hughes 107 

Hulse 43 

Jameson  ...  ...  .    12,  93 

Johnson   .  19,  22,  23,  55,  61,64,  7^,  105 

Jones 21,  36',  38,  90,  91 

Jurianson 9 

Keen 16 

Keith 61 

Kelly 115 

Keppard 42 

Kirk 55,  62 

Kisner     47 

Kline 46,  48 

Kreuson 15,  30 

Knowles 21 

Kuder 46,  47,  48 

Kunkel 23 

Larseleau  or  Larzelere 9 

La  Tourette 9 

Lane 65 

Langdon 79 

Laylon 42 

Lee 3» .  54 

Lefferts 44 

Leisler 10 

Lentz 17 

Lenzi 103 

Linn 65 

Livezey 59-77 

Lukens 29,  57,  137 


Marple i5»  26,  27,  29,  41 

Martindale 3i>  63 

Maulsby I5i  21,  23,  66,  67 

McKim 105,109 

McNair 23,  29 

McKinstry 42 

McPherson 19 

Merrick 61 

Merrill      64 

Mills 103 

Miller 37 

Miner 23 

Morris 31,  46,  49,  50,  51,  162 

Mott     115 

Mullen 28,  57 

Murphy 56 

Norman 153 

Ohl 15 

Oliver 46 

Parks 53 

Parver      49 

Paul 63 

Paxson 60 

Pennypacker 83 

Perkins 77 

Peterson 10 

Phipps 3(>,  37,  3^ 

Pinto 65 

Poley 79 

Pleym 39 

Pyle 57 

Quinlan 80 

Ramsey 22,  23 

Read 67,  74,  90,  156 

Reed 32,  43 

Redman 58 

Resan 9 

Rice 54,55,58 

Rich      49 

Richards 35 

Rickert 20 

Ritchie  76,  77 

Ritch 42 

Rittenhouse 68 

Robbins 46,  50 

Roberts    ....     27,  31,  44,  52,  90,  93 
Rockafellow 63 

Scholl 103 

Schultz 90,  157 

Scull 64 

Scott 103 

Schuyler     61 

Search 43,  44,  45 

Sebring 29,  31,  32,  33 

Sedam  or  Suydam 15,  '7 

Selsor 63 

Senior 60 

Siedentoft 92 

Shallcross 64 


PAGE. 

Simpson  .    . 23 

Singer 108 

Slack 60 

Slemmer 137 

Smith 55.  59>  60 

Snively 37 

States 42 

Stanton 118 

Staes    .    .       12 

Steever 24,  25 

Stockton 22,  36,  39 

Stowell 86 

Storm 37,  38 

Styer 77,  81 

Steele 37 >  38 

Stadin 47 

Supplee 27 

Tallman 35 

Taylor 105 

Teas 56 

Thomas 33-46,  49,  55,  57 

Thompson 33,  56 

Titman 46,  47 

Tompkins 28 

Tomilson  51 

Touts 32 

Torbet     . 61 

Vanartsdalen     18,28 

Vanburen 21 

Van  Court 19,  20,  29,  163 


«  PAGE. 

Vandegrift 56 

Vanhorn      24,  53,  62 

Vansant 24 

Vanzant 15,  17 

Walton 51 

Way      J07 

Watson 60 

Waltz 39 

Warren 44 

Webster 56,  93 

Weaver 19,  108 

Weingartner 57 

White 26,  43,  55,  62 

Whitaker 31 

Wheeland 34 

Wright 48,85,151 

Wilson 109 

Wilkinson 26,  118 

Willard 65 

Wills 27,  160,  161 

Witte 48 

Williams 106 

Willauer      27 

Wood 92 

Worthington         43 

Wolfe 28 

Wyncoop 52 

Yerkes 29,  65 

Yocom 137 

Young 61 


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