BIO: Richard Smith HOLT, Beaver County, PA
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BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES. This Volume Contains Biographical Sketches
of Leading Citizens of Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Buffalo, N.Y.,
Chicago, Ill.: Biographical Publishing Company, 1899, pp. 116-121.
_________________________________________________________________
RICHARD SMITH HOLT, a leading attorney-at-law of Beaver, Pa., and one of
the ablest lawyers in Beaver county, is a member of the law firm of Wilson &
Holt. Mr. Holt was a pupil in the public school and in Peirsol's Academy at
West Bridgewater, after which he attended the State Normal course at
Edinboro, Pa., working his way through college by teaching, which profession
he followed for some time after his graduation. After teaching for six years,
he began to study law under the late Samuel B. Wilson, Esq. After his
admission to the bar in 1888, he entered upon the practice of his profession,
and after the death of his preceptor he became a law partner of George Wilson,
the son of Samuel B. Wilson.
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Since then the firm has been Wilson & Holt.
For a man whose life has been as busy as his, Mr. Holt has done much
outside of his regular duties. He is now serving his sixth year as a member
of the city council. He is deeply interested in educational matters, and has
served as a member of the school board. He is a prominent and active member
of the American Mechanics.
Mr. Holt purchased a vacant lot near the corner of Fourth and Market
streets upon which he built a handsome residence in 1892 and 1893. When his
day's work is done, and he retires to his home, he is pleasantly greeted by
his accomplished wife, and five unusually bright and interesting little ones,
of whom both Mr. and Mrs. Holt are extremely proud. Mrs. Holt was, before her
marriage, Sarah Eveline Brunton, a daughter of William A. Brunton, a sketch
of whose life will be included as a part of this narrative. Their children's
names and ages are as follows: Beulah G., born January 20, 1886; Mary Jane,
born January 19, 1888; Elizabeth Wilson, born April 6, 1890; Margaret Anna,
born September 22, 1892; and Sarah Eveline, born in May, 1898.
Richard Smith Holt is a son of Samuel J. and Mary Ann (Taylor) Holt, a
grandson of William Holt, a great-grandson of Thomas Holt, Jr., and a
great-great-grandson of Thomas Holt, Sr. The family is of English origin.
Thomas Holt, Sr., removed from the eastern part of Pennsylvania to Mifflin
county, Pa., settling at McVeytown, Oliver township, where he owned 600 acres
of land. He was joined in wedlock with Elizabeth Mitchell, a (laughter of John
and Jane (Ross) Mitchell. Their union was blessed with numerous offspring,
namely: Thomas, Jr., who married Elizabeth Walker; John, who married Sarah
Mellikin; William; Elizabeth, wife of John Magee; Mary, wife of Jacob Yost;
Jane, wife of John McClintock; Dorcas, wife of Mr. Stackpole; Eleanor, wife
of Francis Windell; and James, who was killed by the Indians.
Thomas Holt, Jr., was a farmer, and lost his beloved wife not many years
after their marriage. He went to Trumbull county, Ohio, where his death is
supposed to have occurred, as all trace of him was lost. Only two children
were born to him and his wife, and they were twins: William Humphrey and
Dorcas, -born in 1806. Dorcas became the wife of James Critchlow.
William Humphrey Holt located in Brighton township, Beaver county, Pa.,
about 1833, as the tax receipts of 1834 show that he paid taxes on a farm
previously purchased by him. This farm is now the property of S. R. Workman.
Later, Mr. Holt sold that farm and bought one which Samuel Johnson now owns.
Still later, he purchased a farm just west of the Samuel Johnson farm, and
upon it he spent his closing years. Upon all his farms he made improvements,
and the last one purchased by him is still owned by his heirs. He laid down
the burden of life in 1877, while his wife lived until 1896, when, at the age
of ninety-three years and two months, she passed away. Mr. Holt was a very
public-spirited
118 BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES
man and served as supervisor of his township and as school director, and was
elder and class leader of the M. E. church. Six children were born to him and
his worthy wife, namely: Mary, who first became the wife of Socrates Small,
and after his death wedded George Triess; Thomas Fritz, who married Margaret
J. Fritz; John Wesley, who died in infancy; Samuel Jacob, the father of our
subject; Dorcas, who also died in infancy; and Rachel Ann, wife of John Hogue.
Samuel Jacob Holt, father of our subject, was born in Brighton township,
Beaver county, and was reared on a farm. When grown, he followed the
occupation of teaming until he purchased a farm in Brighton township, upon
which he lived until 1898, when he abandoned farming and retired to Beaver,
Pennsylvania. His whole life has been spent in agricultural pursuits, in
which he has been successful to such a marked degree that he not only still
owns his farm, but also property in Beaver and Vanport. In his political
views, the elder Mr. Holt follows the leadership of the Republican party. He
was united in marriage with Mary Ann Taylor, whose life was terminated by
death in 1898, at the age of sixty years. Their children were: William H.,
who married Carrie R. Hamilton, and is a prosperous farmer of Brighton
township; Richard Smith, the subject of this life-review; Thomas Fritz, who
was twice married, -Annie Merton being his first wife, and Rebecca McCollough
the second one, and who is a stone mason at New Castle; Elizabeth Jane, and
Jefferson, were the next two, who both died in infancy; Mary, wife of Dr.
James H. Shoemaker of East Liverpool, Ohio; Frank R., D. D. S., a successful
dentist of Beaver, Pa.; and Clyde, a teacher and law student of Beaver.
Richard Smith Holt first saw the light of day in Borough township, Beaver
county, Pa., on December 15, 1860. He is still a young man and his friends
predict great things for him in the future.
William A. Brunton, father-in-law of our subject, was born in Green
township, Beaver county, Pa. He is a son of John and Margaret (Alexander)
Brunton, and grandson of William Brunton. William Brunton was of German
nationality, and was a farmer by occupation. Little is known of him except
that he located in Green township, and lived to be about seventy-five years
of age. His wife, Barbara, lived to he about eighty-five years old, and bore
her husband eleven children, as follows: John; Joseph; Thomas; Henry;
William; Elizabeth; Sarah; Rachel; Rebecca; Nancy; and Mary Ann.
John Brunton, father of William A., inherited a part of the homestead farm,
and followed the quiet and peaceful life of a farmer all his days. He died at
about fifty years of age, but his wife, who was a daughter of Stephen
Alexander, lived about seventy-seven years. Their children were: Mary;
William, father of Mrs. Holt; Elizabeth; Sarah; and Barbara.
William A. Brunton bought out all the heirs and became owner of the
homestead, which he sold later and embarked in the gro-
BEAVER COUNTY 121
cery business at Shippingport. This he conducted for twelve years, and then
returned to farming, which he continued until 1887, when he removed to
Beaver, Pennsylvania. Since then he has been interested in other pursuits. He
was joined in marriage with Mary J. Vazey, a daughter of Francis Vazey. One
son and six daughters blessed their union. They were named: John; Sarah E.,
wife of Richard Smith Holt; Margaret; Lalla Belle; Estella E.; Daisy F.; and
Barbara E.
William A. Brunton enlisted in 1862 in Company H, 140th Reg., Pa. Vol., as
a private. The principal battles in which he took part were: Fredericksburg
and Gettysburg. At the latter he was wounded in the knee and leg, which
prevented his walking for three years. He now draws a pension from the U. S.
Government, and is a valued member of the G. A. R., Post No. 47; he also
belongs to the I. O. O. F. Few men so completely have the confidence of the
public as has Mr. Brunton, and his standing is certainly well merited.