Berks County

John McManus John McManus, Iron Manufacturer, was born in September, 1808, in County Fermanagh, Ireland. He received a liberal education in his native county, the classical portion of which was obtained at Purtuna College. In 1827, he emigrated to the United States and was soon afterwards engaged in business. His first step in this direction … Read more

John Montgomery Baldy Baldy, John Montgomery, physician, was born at Danville, Pa., June 16, 1860, son of Edward Hurley and Henrietta Cooper (Montgomery) Baldy, and a descendant of Jacob Baldy, who came to America about 1730, settling in Berks county, Pa. On the maternal side he is descended from Thomas Cooper, the eminent scientist (q.v.). … Read more

John Morgan John Morgan, Builder, etc., was born in Radnor township, Pennsylvania, in the year 1786. He settled in Phoenixville when but a boy, and lived to see it grow from a mere village to one of the most prosperous business centers in the State. By trade he was a carpenter, and by care, energy … Read more

John P. Le Van John P. Le Van, Master Mechanic, was born in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, November 7th, 1834. His ancestors emigrated to this country in 1699, and consisted of three brothers, who being embroiled politically with the Huguenots, and French Huguenots themselves, came to the United States to seek safety, tranquility and fortune. His … Read more

John Pringle Jones John Pringle Jones, jurist, b. near Newton, Berks co., Pa., in 1812; d. in London, England, 16 March, 1874. He was graduated at Princeton in 1831, studied law, and was admitted to the bar of Philadelphia in 1834, afterward settling in practice in Reading, Pa. He was appointed in 1839 deputy attorney-general … Read more

John Riegel John Riegel, one of the old and substantial farmers of Jackson township, Montgomery county, Ohio, and a resident of the county since six years of age, was born in Berks county, Pa., July 12, 1826, of German ancestors. John Riegel, his grandfather, also a native of Berks county, was there married and had … Read more

John Ritter Ritter, John. Was born in Exeter Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, February 6, 1779. He received such education as the country afforded in German, and but three months of English schooling. At eighteen years of age he entered the printing-office of the Readinger Adler, of which his father was half-owner. This was at the … Read more

John S. Griffith John S. Griffith, Lawyer, was born, July 2d, 1813, in Bucks county, Pennsylvania. He was the first of eleven children of James Griffith and Mary (Simpson) Griffith. James Griffith, a native of Bucks county, and a blacksmith by trade, moved to Ohio in 1817, in Bethel, Clermont county, where he farmed during … Read more

John Schwartz Schwartz, John. Born in Berks County, Pennsylvania, October 27, 1793; received a common-school education; served as Lieutenant in the last war with Great Britain; was engaged in mercantile pursuits from 1806 to 1829, and from that year to 1857 was wholly devoted to farming. He was elected a Representative from Pennsylvania to the … Read more

John Sylvanus Hiester John Sylvanus Hiester, son of Joseph and Elizabeth Hiester, was born in Berks County, Pennsylvania, July 28, 1794. He began the study of law with Attorney-General Bradford, but upon the death of that eminent lawyer in 1795, he passed into the office of Jared Ingersoll, under whose direction he finished that study. … Read more