My Genealogy Hound

JOHN McCANN, a leading baker of Pottstown, was born July 14, 1850. He is the son of John, Sr., and Mary Madeline (Strunk) McCann, who were residents of Chester county, where Mr. McCann was a farmer and cigar manufacturer. He died November 27, 1884, aged sixty-eight years, and was buried at East Vincent, in Chester county. In politics, Mr. McCann was a Democrat. In religion, he was a member of the German Reformed church. The couple had nine children, as follows: William (deceased) served in the army, and was killed during the Rebellion, he losing his life at the battle of Petersburg, on June 24, 1864, he being a member of Company H, Fifth-eighth Regiment Pennsylvania, and was twenty years of age; Susan, married Harry Oberholtzer (deceased) who was a moulder and farmer, his widow residing at Spring City with her two children; Elizabeth, married John Gosshow, of Spring City, where he is a plasterer, the couple have no children; John (subject of this sketch); Emeline, married Oronto Ortlip (deceased), a plasterer of Royersford, where she still resides, there having been eight children; Charles (deceased); Mary Jane, unmarried; Ida A., (deceased); Stephen, a stove moulder, who resides at Royersford and is unmarried, Mrs. John McCann, Sr., who is now nearly eighty years of age, resides in Royersford. John McCann (grandfather), who was a wealthy merchant, lived in Philadelphia, he and his wife both dying there.

John McCann attended neighboring schools until he was fifteen years of age, and then engaged in farming for one year. He then turned his attention to stove moulding, which he followed at Royersford from 1867 until March, 1883. He then went into the bakery business at Royersford, pursuing that occupation from April 3, 1883, to August 26, 1892, when he sold out. Going a little later to Pottstown, he built a corner property in 1893, and started a bakery which he has since operated and is still conducting.

On July 3, 1871, Mr. McCann married Emma, daughter of John and Sallie Mole. The wife’s father was a farmer. They emigrated from England, bringing with them nine children. Mr. Mole died in Philadelphia in 1861. He was a native of Yorkshire, and was fifty-four years of age at the time of his death. His remains were interred in Mount Moriah cemetery, Philadelphia. His wife survived him for thirty years. Mrs. Mole was buried in East Vincent cemetery, Chester county. She died at the age of eighty- three years.

Mr. and Mrs. McCann have two children living, five being deceased. They are: Harry Stephen, born March 28, 1872, died August 8, 1872; Emma Lavinia, born June 23, 1874, died February 6, 1878; Sallie, born and died in 1876; John, Jr., born February 22, 1878, died in infancy; Maurice Wesley, born September 18, 1889, died March 19, 1891; Flora Viola, born November 22, 1884, resides with her parents, is a thorough scholar and a music teacher. Arthur Ellwood, born October 22, 1892, resides with his parents, and is attending the public schools of Pottstown.

Mr. McCann is a Prohibitionist in politics. In religious faith he and Mrs. McCann adhere to the Methodist church, as do also their children.