Biographies

Louis Richards Lawyer and Law Writer. Louis Richards, law writer and member of the Bar of Berks county, Pennsylvania, was born May 6, 1842, at Gloucester Furnace, Atlantic county, New Jersey, of which his father, John Richards, was proprietor. The latter, a native of Berks county, came of a vigorous stock of Welsh descent, his … Read more

Ludwig Spang Filbert FILBERT, Ludwig Spang, physician and inventor, was born in Berks county, Pa., March 12, 1825. His uncle, Peter Filbert, was the first mayor of Reading. His mother’s maiden name was Spang. Both the Filbert and Spang families have been prominent in Pennsylvania for many generations. When quite young he removed with his … Read more

Martin Luther Martin Luther, M.D., Physician, was born March 16th, 1826, at New Holland, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. He is the son of Dr. John Luther, now deceased, who was a prominent physician of that locality; was also very active in political life, and an influential and leading member of the Masonic body. His grandfather was … Read more

Mathias Richards Richards, Matthias. He was born in 1757; was a Judge of Berks County, Pennsylvania from 1788 to 1797; and a Representative in Congress from Pennsylvania from 1807 to 1811. Died in 1830. Lanman, Charles. Biographical Annals of the Civil Government of the United States During Its First Century: From Original and Official Sources. … Read more

Matthias Sheeleigh, 1821-1900 Source: Proceedings of Pennsylvania-German Society, Volume X, 1899. Rev. Matthias Sheeleigh, D.D., was born at Charlestown, Chester Co., Pa. on December 29, 1821. He was the son of Jesse Sheeleigh, b. November 9, 1793, d. August 16, 1830 (married Mary Orner, b. May 3, 1796, d. April 3, 1876, daughter of Elizabeth … Read more

Nathan C. Schaeffer Schaeffer, Nathan C., educator, was born near Kutztown, Berks со., Pa., Feb. 3, 1849, son of David and Esther Ann (Christ, pronounced Krist) Schaeffer, and grandson of Philip and Elizabeth (Fetterolf) Schaeffer. His great-grandfather, George Schaeffer, came to this country from Germany in 1750. One of his four brothers, Rev. William C. … Read more

Nathaniel Ferguson Nathaniel Ferguson, Iron Manufacturer, was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, on November 20th, 1817. He is the son of John Ferguson, who emigrated to the United States at the commencement of this century. His son received his elementary education at the common school, and completed the same by attending the Moscow Academy, in … Read more

Newton D. Strong This gentleman, with whom we were well acquainted, was the second son of William L. Strong, a Presbyterian minister, who for more than twenty-five years was pastor of a church in Connecticut, and afterwards of a church in central New York. Newton was born October 17, 1809, at Somers, Lolland County, Connecticut, … Read more

Nicholas Keim Nicholas Keim, Hardware Merchant, was born in Oley, now in Berks county, Pennsylvania, April 2d, 1719; and was the son of John Keim, who emigrated from the province of Alsace, on the Rhine, to America, in 1707, locating in the fair valley of Oley, a French Huguenot settlement “remarkable in the annals of … Read more

Nicholas Lutz Nicholas Lutz, soldier, b. in the Palatinate, Germany, 20 Feb., 1740; d. in Reading. Pa., 28 Nov., 1807. He was captain of a battery at the battle of Long Island, where he was taken prisoner, but was exchanged in 1779. He was a delegate to the Pennsylvania convention to ratify the Federal constitution … Read more