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Greenwood
Ancestors
Harry Greenwood was known to
his grandchildren and great grand children as "Dada". He was Nana's [Charlotte
Smullen's] father. "Dada" was born in
1872 and lived to be 92 years old. Dada's father was Thomas Greenwood;
his mother was Ester Peeky, daughter of John Peeky.
John
Peeky was a shoemaker like his brothers. John Peeky married Mary A. Clmyer
on 28 October 1821 at St. Michael's Evan. Lutheran Church, Germantown,
Philadelphia. John and Mary raised their six children in Germantown.
Anna Larkin Peeky (1826 - before 1883) married Evan C. Stotsenburg on April 30, 1849 at the Upper Presbyterian Church. They resided in Germantown.
Sarah Ann Peeky (1829 - aft. 1883) married Samuel B. Fisher on August 14, 1851 and lived in Whitemarsh Township, Montgomery County PA. Sarah had four children - all boys! One was an undertaker in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia; two lived in Cheltenham Township, Montgomery County PA. and the youngest lived in Philadelphia.
Eliza Peeky (1831 - aft 1883) married Charles Didier on December 30, 1852 at the Market Square Presbyterian Church. He was from Upper Dublin Township, Montgomery County PA, while she was from Moreland Township, Montgomery County PA. After they were married, they lived in Philadelphia PA.
Caroline Peeky (about 1833 - aft 1883) married George Farris and they resided in Cheltenham Township, Montgomery County PA. They had five children, four girls and one boy. They remained in the Philadelphia area except for one who lived in Wilmington, Delaware.
Lemuel
Peeky ( the only boy in the family!) resided in Wilmington, Delaware after he
was married.
Their
youngest child, Ester Peeky was born in 1836.
John's mother, Barbara Rorer Peeky, died in 1833 at the age of 82; his
father, Jacob Peeky, died in 1839
at the age of 86. At the time of
Jacob's death his son, John Peeky, was 48 years old and Dada Greenwood's mother,
Ester Peeky, was only three years old. In
1839 John Peeky lived in Bristol Township, Philadelphia.
Thomas Greenwood Jr. (1860 -1924) became a machinist. He lived at home
until 1896, when he and his wife moved
to Pulaski Ave. Germantown.
Lemuel Greenwood (1862-1866) died at the age of
four and is buried at Leverington Cemetery, Roxborough, Philadelphia.
Caroline Greenwood (1864 - 1925/30) remained single and inherited the
family home at 288 Rittenhouse St.
Mary A. Greenwood (1866 - 1927/30) married Edwin Shaw, who was a
finisher. They lived at 429 Winona Street and then 458 Earlham Street, both in
Germantown.
John Greenwood (1868 - 1924) was married and lived on West Walnut Lane in
Germantown.
Harry Greenwood (1872 - 1964) was your great-grandfather who you
called "Dada".
Forrest Greenwood (1875-1915/23) was a salesman of bicycles and then a
machinist. Forrest and his wife, Mae, lived in Germantown and had two
daughters.
Dada's
grandmother, Mary A. ClymerPeeky, died in 1844 before he was born.
His grandfather, John Peeky,
purchased property in Moreland Township, Montgomery County PA in 1851 from
Jonathan Luken and Hannah Shoemaker. John
Peeky later lived at the Greenwood
household at 177 Rittenhouse St., Germantown Philadelphia. until he died in 1882. John Peeky is buried at the Lower Burial
Grounds (Hood Cemetery), Germantown with other members of the Peeky clan.
Harry
Greenwood
Harry
Greenwood grew up in Germantown with his brothers and sisters: Thomas Greenwood
Jr. was fifteen years older, Lemuel
Greenwood was thirteen years older, Caroline Greenwood was eleven years older,
Mary A. Greenwood was nine years older, John Greenwood was seven years older,
and his younger brother was three years younger than him. In 1875, the
Greenwood house hold, at 177 Rittenhouse Street, Germantown, consisted of seven
kids ranging form the ages of 18 to a new born. All the boys were mechanically
inclined.
It
has been said the Harry Greenwood drove the first automobile down Broad Street
in Philadelphia. This could have been when the first cars were available or when
Broad Street was opened to motor vehicles. Who knows?
I
do know that the Greenwoods were heavily involved with bicycles. Either Thomas
Sr. or Thomas Jr. had a bicycle shop." In 1880's the sport of cycling swept
the country. At that time every hamlet with a population over 500 boasted a
cycling club. Most prominent among the clubs was a dashing group which called
itself 'The Wissahicken Wheelmen'.
. . . Germantown was a center of the cycling industry. More than half a
dozen of the country's most popular models were produced locally. Each year a
bicycle show was staged at the Germantown Town Hall featuring exhibitions by 20
to 25 manufactures. " - German Town Courier , 100
years Ago in Germantown 1958 . In the paper showed a picture of three
cyclists. The caption reads " DASHION TRIO of cyclists pause for
picture outside Wissahickon Wheelmen's clubhouse before taking off for an
afternoon's run. From left to right are: Harry Greenwood, William H. Hart and
Alexander Allen. Club chronicler described membership as 'whole-souled and jolly
fellows'."
Harry Greenwood became Treasure of the Overland Motor Company and automobile distributor. He married Charlotte Ester Orton sometime before 1895. I have no idea how or when they met. Sometime during the late 19th century, William T. Orton and his wife Mary A. (nee Redford) Orton migrated from England. Their only child, Charlotte Ester Orton was born November 1873. Not much is known about the Ortons. They probably settled in the Germantown area. I don't know if Charlotte was born in England or Germantown.
Harry
and Charlotte Orton Greenwood lived in Germantown and only had two children.
Their first child was
William Orton Greenwood, born in 1896. Their second child was a daughter, named Charlotte
Ester Greenwood, born September 26, 1906.
I would not be surprised if Charlotte did not also attend Filter Elementary School with Bart Smullen Jr. Charlotte attended secondary school at
Stevens School, Germantown Stevens
was an old private school for girls. When all the private schools started
to become co-ed in the 1960's Steven closed their door.
Harry
Greenwood retired at the
early age of [I think] 49; it was said that he spent half his life retired. He
was a sportsman: fisherman, skeet shooter, hunter, and a great spectator of
sports. In
1921, Harry and Charlotte bought a large house at 7014 Clearview Street
in Mount Airy, Philadelphia in 1921. They lived there until 1955 when they
retired to an apartment around the corner form their daughter and son-in-law.
Mount Airy is between Germantown and Chestnut Hill in the outskirts of
Philadelphia.
Charlotte
("Chick") became engaged
to Bart Smullen in 1927. Her engagement picture and announcement appeared in
the paper on April 13, 1927. Her picture was a photograph by Bachrach. [ Bachrach
was the same Photography Studio that took my wedding photographs]
The announcement read:
" Mr. and Mrs. Harry Greenwood of 7014 Clearview av., Mt. Airy, announced the engagement of their daughter, Charlotte Ester, to Mr. Stanley B. Smullen of 6600 Wayne av., Germantown, at a tea given this afternoon. Miss Greenwood is a student at the Stevens School, Germantown."
Upon
reading this your Father, Stanley III realized his mother was 21 and still in
high school! Nana (Charlotte) claims the only reason Stevens would graduate her
was because she was getting married. They were married in 1928.
The Crash of 1929 occurred right after they were married, followed by the depression. Having received certificate in Real Estate Law in June of 1928 did not provide Bart Jr. with a job at this time. Popie says he started working at the ACME super market for a pitiful wage. During the 30's he became a store manager; his wages weren't much; but he could provide food for his family. Bart Jr. also worked with his father in real estate sales and development.
"Chick" and Bart's first child was Nancy Carolyn Smullen was born January 24, 1930. During their early married years, I think, they lived with Harry and Charlotte Greenwood until they bought the house at 48 W. Gowen Avenue in Mt.Airy. Their second child, Stanley Bartlett Smullen, III ("Sonny"), was born March 30, 1934.
The
Greenwoods remained in their home until1955 when they retired to an apartment on
Germantown Avenue, around the corner from Chick and Bart.
They witnessed their grandchildren's marriages and the birth of
great-grandchildren.
Charlotte Greenwood died on April 7, 1962. At that time, Harry Greenwood lived with his daughter and son-in-law at 48 W. Gowen Avenue, Mt. Airy until his death July 5, 1964 age 98. Charlotte was known to her grandchildren as "Nanie" and Harry was called "Dada".