Harriet Lukens Worthington |
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The name Worthington is descended from the locality whence the family came. Its etymology is three Saxon words, "Wearth in ton," that is, "Farm in town." Twenty miles northeast of Liverpool, in Leyland hundred, parish of Standish, county of Lancaster, England, is the town of Worthington. Here and in the adjacent manors resided the family of Worthington for many generations being established, from the time of the Plantagenets, in high repute. The main stock can be traced in the public archives back to Worthington de Worthington, in the reign Of Henry III, 1236-7, who was the progenitor of all the Worthington's of Lancashire. The old Hall of Worthington, where the family lived for seven hundred years, was pulled down less than fifty years ago. In the early part of the eighteenth century, there was resident in Byberry, Philadelphia county, Pennsylvania, three brothers, John, Thomas, and Samuel Worthington said to have been natives of Lancashire. The date fixed by tradition for their arrival is 1705, but since at that date they were mere children, it is probable that they were accompanied by parents, or the date of their arrival is incorrectly given. Elisha Worthington, the husband of the subject of this sketch, born near Mozzart, in Buckingham township, in March, 1819, is a descendant of John Worthington, of Byberry, who was married in 1720 to Mary, daughter of Thomas Walmsley. His wife Mary died 4 mo. 18, 1754, and John died 1 mo. 14, 1777, aged about eighty years. They were the parents of eleven children: Elizabeth, born 1 mo. 15, 1721; married in 1744 Joseph Tomlinson. 2. Mary, born 12 mo. 9, 1723-4, died single. 3. Thomas, born 2 mo. 2, 1726 married Hannah Duncan. 4. Hannah, born 12 mo. 7, 1727-8. 5. John, born 2 mo. 17, 1826, died 1744. 6 William, born 7 m0. 20, 1732, married Esther Homer. 7. Isaac, born 6 mo. 13, 1735, married Martha, daughter of John Carver, of Buckingham. Joseph, born 6 mo. 12, 1837, a sketch of whom follows. 9. Martha, born 1 mo. 19, 1740. 10. Benjamin, born 12 mo. 19, 1742-3; married Sarah Malone. 11. Esther, born 12 mo. 2, 1749. Of these, William, Isaac and Joseph settled in Buckingham, though Isaac removed later to West Chester, Pennsylvania. Joseph Worthington, eighth child of John and Mary, born in Byberry. 6 mo. 12,1737, married (first) Esther Carver, in 1767. and two years later purchased 125 acres of land in Buckingham, on the east side of the Durham road, South of Buckingham mountain, where William Doan lately lived. This continued to be his home until his death in 1822, though he later purchased several large tracts of land in Buckingham, among them 205 acres purchased of his brother Isaac in 1783. lying along the Neshaminy and extending across it into Warwick. He owned nearly if not quite 500 acres in Buckingham, most of which he either conveyed or devised to his children. Joseph and Esther (Carver) Worthington were the parents of two children: Joseph, who removed to Virginia; and John who removed to Ohio. After the death of Esther, Joseph married in 1773; Sarah Malone, by whom he had two children - Abner and Sarah, the latter of whom married a Tomlinson. He married (third) Esther, daughter of Anthony Kimble, and a great-granddaughter of Humphrey Morrey, the first mayor of Philadelphia. By her he had nine children: Anthony; William; Joel; Elisha; Amy, married Evan Thomas; Hannan, married James Shaw; Martha, married Carlile; Jesse, and Esther. Joseph Worthington died in June, 1822, and his widow Esther in July, 1828 Elisha, son of Joseph and Esther (Kimble) Worthington, was born in Buckingham township, and on arriving at manhood married Ann Barr, of Buckingham, and settled on land conveyed to him by his father. He died in 1828, and his wife two years later. They were the parents of five children: Margret; Thomas; Elisha, and Ann, who grew up; and Esther, who died young. Elisha Worthington, son of Elisha and Ann, was born in Buckingham, in March, 1819. Left on orphan at the age of nine years, he was reared in the family of Evan Thomas, who had married his aunt Amy Worthington, and received a good common school education. At the death of Evan Thomas he became a clerk in the store of his cousin, John Worthington, near Bridge Valley, and soon afterwards became a partner in the firm under the name of E. Worthington & Co. They built up a fine business, but by reason of incompatibility of temperament of the partners the firm was dissolved, and Elisha opened a store at Bridge Point (now Edison) in 1856, where he did a successful business for ten years, when he removed to Buckingham, where be conducted the store very successfully until his death in 1872, building up a large business. Mr. Worthington was a man of unquestioned integrity and high standing, in the community. In religion he and his family were members of the Society of Friends. In politics he was a Republican. His widow, the subject of this sketch, was Harriet Lukens, daughter of Peter and Isabella (Hallowell) Lukens. She was born in Philadelphia, where her parents spent the greater part of their married life. Her father, Peter Lukens, of Horsham, Montgomery county, later of Philadelphia, was a carpenter and millwright, and followed his trade in Philadelphia, removing to Bucks county but nine weeks before his death which occurred in 1849 at the age of forty-seven years. His wife, Isabella Hallowell, was a daughter of George Hallowell, of Jenkintown, of an old and prominent family in that vicinity. Mrs. Worthington's two grandfathers were the founders of the Horsham Library, Benjamin Hallowell, who represented the government among the Indians and was otherwise prominent in public life, was a nephew of George Hallowell. The Lukens were of German descent, being descendants of Jan Lucken, one of the original settlers of Germantown. The children of Elisha and and Harriet (Lukens) Worthington are: Evan T., prominent merchant of Newtown, Bucks county; Emma Clara, wife of Lewis Fell, who now conducts the store owned by Mr. Worthington at the time of his death, a sketch of whom appears in this work; and Isabel L., living with her mother in Buckingham. George Lukens, another son, was drowned when a small boy. For several years after the death of her husband, Mrs. Worthington was associated with her son, Evan T. Worthington, in the conduct of the store, under the firm name of H. L. Worthington & Son, but soon after the marriage of her son retired from the firm and built a handsome residence in the village, where she still resides. She and most of her family are members of the Society of Friends.
Genealogical and Personal History of Bucks
County Pennsylvania - Volume III Page 559 |