Biographical Sketch of John H. Darlington (1850-); Chester County, PA

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From "Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsylvania, 
comprising a historical sketch of the county", by Samuel T. Wiley and edited by 
Winfield Scott Garner, Gresham Publishing Company, Philadelphia, PA, 1893, pp. 
654-656.

John H. Darlington, a representative farmer of this county, who was educated at 
Professor Weyer's military school and Professor Worrall's academy, in West 
Chester, is the eldest of the two sons of Job and Lydia (Huey) Darlington, and 
was born February 11, 1850, on the farm where he now lives, in East Bradford 
township, near West Chester, this county.  The old, numerous and distinguished 
Darlington family of Chester county was founded in the early years of the 
eighteenth century by Abraham Darlington, an English Quaker, who came over with 
his brother John from Darnhall, Cheshire, and settled in Aston township, Chester 
(now Delaware) county, Pennsylvania.  John removed to Maryland and all trace of 
him has been lost.  Abraham married Elizabeth Hillborn (see sketch of Frank P. 
Darlington in this volume), and from their union comes the large family 
connection, estimated at nearly two thousand in all, now scattered throughout 
Chester and adjoining counties.  

Several of the name have occupied important positions in this county, and others 
have distinguished themselves in various lines of industry and effort, including 
the law, journalism, literature, legislation and military achievements.  The 
children of Abraham and Elizabeth Darlington were: Mary, Deborah, Elizabeth, 
Abraham, Thomas, John (great-grandfather), Hannah, Rachel, Job and Rebecca.  

John Darlington, great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born at 
the old homestead (now owned by Clement Biddle), on Brandywine creek, this 
county, and on March 17, 1751, married Esther Dicks, daughter of Peter and Sarah 
Dicks, of Providence, and settled on a farm of one hundred acres in East 
Bradford township, this county, where in 1761 he built the house now occupied by 
his great-grandson, John H. Darlington, whose name heads this sketch.  Here he 
lived, engaged in agricultural pursuits, until his death, February 3, 1813.  His 
children were: Sarah, born March 1, 1752; Job, born December 20, 1753; Joseph, 
born December 12, 1755; Elizabeth, born August 15, 1757; Esther, born July 7, 
1759; Deborah, born May 1, 1761; Leah and Rachel, twins, born August 29, 1763; 
John, born March 17, 1766; and Zillah, born September 5, 1769.

Job Darlington (grandfather) was born on this old homestead, and purchasing the 
farm from the heirs, passed all his days here, engaged in farming and stock 
raising.  He married Rebecca Hoopes, and reared a family of five children, among 
whom was Job Darlington (father) who was born here October 8, 1808.

After attaining manhood he succeeded his father in the management of the old 
homestead, and in turn spent his life here, in the cultivation of the ancestral 
acres, dying July 30, 1882, in the seventy-fourth year of his age.  He owned one 
hundred and fifty acres of land, and the farm on which John H. resides is a part 
of the old homestead tract.  Politically Job Darlington was a whig and 
republican, and in religion a strict member of the Society of Friends.  In 1849 
he married Lydia Huey, a daughter of John Huey, and by this union had a family 
of two children, both sons: John H., subject of this sketch, and A. Martin, now 
residing near Knoxville, Tennessee.  John Huey (maternal grandfather) was a 
native of Chester county, but removed to the State of Delaware, where he died in 
1848.  He was a teacher in his younger days, and a farmer in later life, and by 
his marriage with Phebey Martin, had a family of six children, of whom Mrs. 
Darlington was the eldest.

John H. Darlington was reared on the old homestead previously mentioned, and 
received his primary instruction in the common schools.  He afterward attended 
Professor Weyer's military school at West Chester, and still later took a course 
of training in the academy conducted by Prof. Hunter Worrall in the same 
borough.  Following the example of his ancestors, and his own inclinations, he 
has devoted his life principally to agricultural pursuits, and with the 
exception of a couple of years spent in West Goshen township, has always resided 
on the old farm where he was born, in East Bradford township, which property 
passed into his possession in 1882.  He has been very successful in his farm 
operations and is in very comfortable circumstances.  Being a man of sound 
judgment and careful business habits, he has been called on to serve as executor 
of a number of estates, and has always given entire satisfaction in his 
performance of these duties.  In politics he is an ardent republican, but while 
loyally supporting his party at all times, has never entertained any political 
ambition for himself  nor allowed the use of his name for any office.  On 
November 3, 1880, Mr. Darlington was united in marriage with Sarah H. Marshall, 
a daughter of William P. Marshall, of West Chester.