Montgomery County PA Archives Biographies.....Comly, John Foulke April 6, 1857 - 
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Source: Biographical Annals of Montgomery County Pennsylvania, T. S. Benham & Company and the Lewis Publishing Company, 1904
Author: Ellwood Roberts, Editor

JOHN FOULKE COMLY, son of Zebedee, is a descendant of an old 
family of Friends long settled in Montgomery county. His 
mother was Phebe Kneedler, of another old family which 
located in colonial times in that section of Pennsylvania. 
John F. Comly was born April 6, 1857, on the farm on which 
he now resides. His birth was in a log house which was 
erected in 1780, and which is still standing, being occupied 
by a tenant.

John F. Comly attended the public schools of North Wales 
until he reached his eighteenth year, when he entered as a 
student at the school conducted in Norristown for many years 
by Dr. John W. Loch and his predecessor, Rev. Samuel Aaron, 
known as Treemount Seminary. He continued at that 
institution for two years, after which he returned to the 
homestead and assisted his father in farm work, taking upon 
himself its management until the death of Zebedee Comly, his 
father, which occurred in April, 1880, when he came into 
full possession, conducting it as a dairy.

Mr. Comly married, February 14, 1893, Hannah Yerkes, 
daughter of Peter and Jane (Davis) Shoemaker, farmers, of 
Plymouth township, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania. The 
couple at once took up their residence at Comly Manse, as 
the farm is now known. Mrs. Comly was born October 6, 1856, 
and comes of an old Friends' family, the Shoemakers being of 
German origin but domiciled in Pennsylvania from the time of 
William Penn. The mansion in which Mr. and Mrs. Comly reside 
was erected by his father in 1857, and is eligibly located 
at some distance from the highway, surrounded by ash, maple 
and pine trees, and a hundred acres of fine farm land which 
slope towards the Wissahickon. Mr. and Mrs. Comly affiliate 
with the Society of Friends, although not members of any 
denomination. In politics Mr. Comly is a Republican, but not 
a seeker after office or emoluments of any kind. He is 
however, interested in the promotion of party success.

Zebedee Comly (father) was the son of Clement Comly. He was 
an industrious and prosperous farmer who accumulated a 
competence by industry and good management. In politics he 
was a Whig, and later in life a Republican. He married Phebe 
Kneedler, of Gwynedd township. Their children: Rebecca 
Jones, deceased; Joseph Kneedler, deceased; Catharine, 
married Justus Jones, son of Elias Jones, her husband being 
deceased, and she residing in Philadelphia; Ann, married 
Rev. George Diehl Foust, of North Wales, a minister of the 
Lutheran church; Clement, born June 4, 1847, married 
September 22, 1874, Elizabeth, daughter of George and 
Elizabeth (Scheetz) Sickler, of Camp Hill, in Whitemarsh 
township; Elizabeth Y., unmarried, and re-sides in North 
Wales; John F., subject of this sketch.

The Comlys have intermarried with many of the leading 
families of that section of Montgomery county, and are 
widely known and highly respected for uprightness and other 
excellent qualities.

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