History of Roxborough, (Philadelphia County) Pennsylvania United States of America

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Horatio Gates Jones, author, was born at Roxborough, Pa., Jan. 9, 1822; son of the Rev. Horatio Gates and Deborah (Levering) Jones. He was graduated at the University of Pennsylvania, A.B., 1841, A.M., 1844. In 1845 he made a trip to the western country, and on his return in 1847 was admitted to the Philadelphia bar. In early life he associated himself with the Historical society of Pennsylvania and was for some years its corresponding secretary and its vice-president, 1867-93. In 1856 he became connected with the Welsh society of Philadelphia and was its president, 1862-93. He was clerk of the Philadelphia Baptist association, 1858-73, when he resigned and was chosen its moderator. He served as president of the board of trustees, 1867-93; as a director of Girard college, 1865, and as secretary of the board of trustees of Crozer Theological seminary, 1868-93. He was largely interested in the formation of the Baptist Home of Philadelphia and served as secretary of its board of trustees from its organization in 1869. He was state senator, 1875-83; a member of the Historical societies of Rhode Island, New York, Delaware, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Florida, of the Moravian Historical society, the New England Historic Genealogical society, and the American Antiquarian society. In 1877 he was elected an honorary fellow of the Royal Historical society of Great Britain. He was one of the founders of the American Baptist Historical society in 1853, and became one of its vice-presidents. He received the honorary degree of A.M. from Brown in 1863 and that of D.C.L. from Judson university in 1883. He was married to Caroline Vassar, daughter of the Rev. Dr. Rufus Babcock, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. He is the author of: Life of Ebenezer Kinnersley and his Discoveries in Electricity; Memoir of Henry Bond, M.D.; Life of Andrew Bradford, the Founder of the Newspaper Press in the Middle States of America; The Bradford Prayer Book of 1710; Memoir of Rev. Abel Morgan of the Pennepek Baptist Church; History of Roxborough and Manayunk, Philadelphia County, Pa.; The History of the Levering Family; and histories of the Pennepek or Lower Dublin church; the Great Valley church, Pa.; the Brandywine church, Pa.; the Roxborough Church, Pa.; the Lower Merion church, Montgomery county, Pa.; and the Rittenhouse paper mill, the first ever built in America. He collected a valuable Welsh library, including the Cydgordiad, printed in Philadelphia in 1730, the first concordance of the Bible in the Welsh language. He died in Roxborough, Philadelphia, Pa., March 14, 1893.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Roxborough, (Philadelphia County) Pennsylvania

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