My Genealogy Hound

JAMES VAN HORN, cashier of the Hatboro National Bank, was born in Northampton township, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, December 24, 1837, a son of Isaac and Cynthia (Craven) Van Horn, and a descendant of a family of Holland Dutch extraction. Abraham Van Horn was the first of this family to settle in Northampton township, Bucks county, locating there abouth the year 1720. He married Martha Dungan, and among the children born of this marriage was a son, Isaac Van Horn, who was born November 5, 1745, and married Mary Betts, who was born October 2, 1760, daughter of Thomas and Sarah Betts. Their children were are as follows: Isaac was born January 25, 1787; Sarah, born November 5, 1789, became the wife of James P. Moore; Abraham was born January 10, 1791; Samuel, born October 1, 1792, married Phoebe Twining, and died April 7, 1846; John, born June 26, 1794, married Sarah Martindale; Aaron, born April 7, 1796, married Elizabeth Scarborough; Martha, born March 9, 1799, became the wife of Jonathan Smith, August 10, 1819, and died January 3, 1857; Charles, born April 18, 1801, married Sarah Twining; and Ann was born September 19, 1803.

Abraham Van Horn, second son of Isaac and Mary (Betts) Van Horn, was united in marriage, June 3, 1812, to Susan Ruckman, born November 9, 1787, daughter of James and Mary Ruckman, the former born November 11, 1748, and the latter, a daughter of James Hart, born January 15, 1752. Mr. and Mrs. Ruckman were the parents of twelve children, namely: Susannah, born March 11, 1773, died August 1, 1777; William, born October 30, 1774, died January 5, 1775; Jane, born December 10, 1775, died April 15, 1776; John, born February 20, 1777, is also deceased; William, born February 23, 1779, died September 27, 1797; Sarah was born April 15, 1781; Elizabeth was born June 25, 1783; Mary was born August 10, 1785; Susan, born November 9, 1787, is mentioned before as the wife of Abraham Van Horn; Jane was born October 5, 1789; Isabel was born March 8, 1792; and Ann was born February 23, 1794. Abraham and Susan (Ruckman) Van Horn were the parents of eight children, namely: Isaac, born May 2, 1813, mentioned hereinafter; Mary Ann, born August 19, 1815, who became the wife of Adrian Cornell, January 8, 1840, and died August 6, 1893; James Ruckman, who was born April 29, 1817, and died May 4, 1817; James R., born March 21, 1818, who married Anna Craven, January 24, 1872, and died May 4, 1888; Isabella, born June 9, 1821, who married George W. Hunt, October 27, 1847, and is still living; Sarah Ruckman, born February 11, 1826, who became the wife of W. Earle Campbell, February 9, 1853, and is still living; Elizabeth, born July 16, 1828, who became the wife of George W. Craven, February 25, 1858, and both are still living; and Emily Jane, born August 7, 1832, who became the wife of William Godshalk, October 12, 1876, and died September 17, 1898. Abraham Van Horn, father of these children, died April 7, 1869.

Isaac Van Horn, eldest son of Abraham and Susan Van Horn, was united in marriage, October 1, 1835, to Cynthia Craven, born May 27, 1817, daughter of Thomas and Jane (Krewson) Craven. Thomas Craven, born February 21, 1785, died August 21, 1868, and Jane (Krewson) Craven, his wife, was born May 6, 1795. Their marriage ceremony was performed February 20, 1812, and they were the parents of the following named children: Anna Eliza, born October 14, 1813, died February 6, 1833; Matilda, born March 13, 1815, married Aaron Cornell, and died August 5, 1902; Cynthia, born May 27, 1817, is mentioned above as the wife of Isaac Van Horn; James R., born December 20, 1818, married Mary Cornell, and died December 22, 1847; Sarah, born January 27, 1821, died June 18, 1821 ;and Jane, born May 8, 1828, became the wife of William Moore, March 15, 1854. Isaac and Cynthia (Craven) Van Horn were the parents of the following named children: Charles Krewson, born August 3, 1836, died January 16, 1837; James, born December 24, 1837, is mentioned at length hereinafter; Thomas, born October 11, 1840, married Elizabeth Webster Hart, September 15, 1862; and Julia A., born October 3, 1845, became the wife of Abraham A. Slack, September 14, 1870. Isaac Van Horn, father of these children, died December 21, 1898, and his wife, Cynthia (Craven) Van Horn, passed away May 25, 1899.

James Van Horn, son of Isaac and Cynthia (Craven) Van Horn, was educated in the public schools, and Millersville State Normal School, and for a few years after completing his studies he taught in the public schools of Bucks county and Philadelphia. In 1861 he was appointed deputy recorder of deeds by his father, who at that time held the office of recorder of deeds for Bucks county. He subsequently served nine years in the internal revenue department, fifth district of Pennsylvania, and after the expiration of this period of time he was for four years superintendent of coal works in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania. In 1876 he was elected cashier of the Hatboro National Bank, and has served in that capacity ever since. The high esteem in which he is held in the community is evidenced by the fact that he served as secretary of the Hatboro school board for nine years, has been borough treasurer for over twenty years, was burgess of the borough for three years, and is secretary of the board of trustees of Loller Academy. He is a member of the Abington Presbyterian church, and has been an elder since 1882. He is an adherent of the principles of Republicanism.

On June 3, 1862, Mr. Van Horn married Rebecca A. Cowell, and the issue of this marriage was four children: Sarah, born March 27, 1865, died in infancy; Ella, born November 11, 1866, is the widow of Professor W. H. Detwiler; Edgar, born November 8, 1870, died in childhood; and Arthur, born December 21, 1874, died in infancy.