Essentials
Born: 29 August 1784 (or 7 August 1788); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Son of: Adam KIRCHNER (or KARTCHNER) and Sarah WEBER (or WEBERIN)
Married: Prudence WILCOX; 6 October 1809;
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died: 2 April 1826; Manayunk, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Short history
Soldier, Paper Maker, Heavy Drinker

SOURCES UNKNOWN
     John Christopher Kartchner (or Cristoph Johann Kirchner or Kartchner) was born in Philadelphia on August 29, 1784 (or August 7, 1788). His father was a German immigrant. John Christopher was fond of sailing and loved to build boats and set them adrift in the Delaware River. When he was old enough to go to work he got a job working for John Wilcox (or Willcox), and soon gained admiration from his employer. Mr. Wilcox had a daughter, Prudence, who John got acquainted with, and they married October 6, 1809.
     They had seven children. The sixth child, William Decatur Kartchner, married Margaret Jane Casteel on March 17, 1814, in Nauvoo, Illinois.
     John Christopher got rheumatic fever and was not well for many years. His wife Prudence got a job working in the paper mill to help feed the family. All was done for him that could possibly be done but de died on April 2, 1826 leaving his wife with 5 children to support. He was buried April 1826 at the Dutch churchyard in Merion Township, Montgomery, Penn.
     He did not belong to any church group during his lifetime. But he lived a good clean life, and did all his health let him do to help his wife support his family.

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Soldier, Paper Maker, Heavy Drinker

BY WILLIAM DECATAR KARTCHNER (SON)
EXCERPTS FROM PUBLISHED JOURNAL
     About the year 1730 George, William, and John Walton came from England, arriving in Virginia the early part of the year. Here they separated, George going to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he became a prominent lawyer and statesman and a member of the first Continental congress which convened in Philadelphia in 1774. George was also a member of the Third Congress held in Philadelphia. John was the youngest, William followed George to Philadelphia.
     Although but little is recorded of the heroic deeds of the Walton’s during the American struggles with the Indians and in the Revolutionary wars and contentions, they lectured through the country in favor of continental rule, and when the sacred document, the Declaration of Independence was written, George Walton was one the signers. George also lectured in neighboring towns encouraging the citizens to volunteer in defense of the constitutional rights.
     William Walton, MD, did much service for his country as a Physician and Surgeon in the American Army. He had an interesting family residing in Philadelphia. His daughter married a man by the name of Wilcox from England. The couple, Sarah Walton and John Wilcox, had six children: William, James, John, Prudence, Sarah, and Ann.
     About the year 1700, three Kartchner brothers came from Germany and settled in Philadelphia. One, a boy of ten summers, stayed there and married a German girl. They would occasionally speak to each other in German but used the English language in common talk. Little is recorded of his deeds, he being a private citizen. Mr. Kartchner was in comfortable circumstances in Philadelphia. Their son, John Christopher, was very fond of sailing and loved to build boats and set them adrift on the Delaware River. He became a very interesting boy for his activities and would go to the tops of the hills where groves of Hickory saplings were. He would climb them and, taking hold of the bent end of the limb, would swing from one tree to another with great force. This he called his flying science. At that date boxing schools were considered the foremost part of a young man’s education. John C. studied boxing and became second to none while practicing with his fellow players. His enemies soon learned to dread him. He was a boy of few words and never quarreled with his companions, but took special pleasure in punishing his offenders. The first appearance of his indignation was made known by a blow well aimed and might be compared with the kick of a mule. It was followed by quick succeeding blows so that a man was whipped before he had time to defend himself. John C. saw an enticement to learn the newspaper trade.
     Mr. John Wilcox, husband of Sarah Walton, daughter of William Walton, was a paper maker by trade and soon became the owner of a paper mill some thirteen miles west of Philadelphia, and carried on a lively business for what was called a hand mill, as the machine had not yet been invented. They hauled their paper to Philadelphia, where they bought rags and vitrol and other materials as were needed for carrying on the paper making business. John C. Kartchner went as an apprentice to Mr. Wilcox and soon gained the admiration of his master by his promptness and firmness. Fear had no place within him, and if a hard trip or dangerous exploit came up it was known that John C. was capable of handling it. He was full of fun and liked to play tricks. At one time on returning home he picked up a black snake and placed it in his bosom to let it appear at its pleasure. It lay still against the warm bosom until they were eating dinner. The serpent smelled the vitals and was enticed to stretch forth his head to the consternation of all, who with one accord jumped back, falling pell mell to expiate themselves from the approaching danger. The whole scene was enjoyed with a quiet smile from John.
     John became acquainted with Miss Prudence Wilcox, daughter of his master, John Wilcox. Prudence was born December 6, 1787. Being constantly together, they fell in love and were married about the year 1804. Prudence’s sister, Sarah Wilcox, was married to a Mr. Ellis a blacksmith who would occasionally disturb the peace under the influence of whiskey. He was of little worth to his fellows except in the good done in hammering iron. Sarah Ellis lived in Philadelphia until about the year 1830 when she took the fever and died. What became of Ellis is unknown.
     Ann Wilcox, another sister of Prudence, was a virtuous old maid who was skilled in embroidery work. She lived and died at the home of her sister Prudence at the age of about 40 years, at a place called Manayunk, six miles west of Philadelphia. She was buried in the old Baptist Churchyard on Ridge Road, on mile north of the residence. Prudence Kartchner had seven children: Caroline, Peter, Welliver, Margaret, Mark, John C., William and Sarah Ann. Caroline was born October 11, 1810. In 1812 war broke out. Prudence’s husband, John C., volunteered and went on shipboard and landed at Mobile; from there to New Orleans and immediately under General Jackson’s command. During his absence Peter Welliver was born August 29, 1812. On John’s arrival home, he was greatly rejoiced over his “warrior," as he called him. In the battle of New Orleans they were commanded until they could see the whites of the eyes of the English intruders before they could fire. After passing through these bloody scenes it seemed to beget within them a general hatred of the English.
     Margaret was born July 9, 1814. She married James Webb, a Yorkshire man and blacksmith, contrary to the wishes of her father’s family. Mark was born April 12, 1818, died April 23, 1818. John C., the father went to work for himself paper making and soon became the proprietor of a mill. Business being brisk, he hired hands and took apprentices, finally taking a partner in the business by the name of William Welliver, his wife’s cousin, who kept a book and paper store in Philadelphia, who received the paper to sell, and bought rags, vitrol and materials for the mill. Thus it ran along for some years apparently prospering, and at the time John C. sent by the regular teamster money and goods to pay hands, Mr. Welliver pronounced the firm broke. ... (John Christopher takes to heavy drinking) ... Another son was born November 13, 1816, whom he called after himself, John C. Jr.
     About this time he decided to emigrate west of Ohio, but his wife Prudence objected. He now worked journey work from one mill to another. Finally he went to the Catskill mountains and worked the better part of one year, drinking hard and fighting often. It began to tell on him. He came home sick and was nursed well again and went to work near his home. He thought of entering a suit against William Wilcox for his wife’s part of an estate in Philadelphia, left to his children by John Wilcox, but was drinking too much to save up enough for a beginning.
     Another son was born May 4, 1820, at Hartford, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. He wanted to name the baby Decatur, but his wife wished to name him William Walton after her grandfather, so they named the boy William Decatur. This boy became the writer of this history.
     John C. became much careworn from the once happy business agent paper maker, down to what they called a journeyman workman. He was never known to quarrel with a man, Mr. Lavern told me, but would fight at the least sign of an insult. Time passed swiftly without much interest to him. In 1823 on September 7th, his youngest daughter, whom they called Sarah Ann, was born. About this time John C. moved his family to Manayunk, and shortly after John Wilcox, my mother’s youngest brother, came from Buck County, Pennsylvania, to visit the family. He was a young man and a great musician. He had three instruments, violin, clarinet and flute, which were amusing to me and I think brightened up the dull scenes of our home considerably.
     My father worked in the Manayunk Mills. My uncle was also a paper maker, worked with him and lived with my father. It was common for men to work by piece, and so they would generally complete their day’s work by 2 or 3 o’clock, and then amuse themselves and the family with sweet strains of music. My mother also worked in the paper mills in the room called the soul, picking paper. She would have her baby under the bench and a touch of her feet could keep her quiet in a kind of box cradle.
     In the winter of 1825 my father took sick by excessive drinking and exposure, and took very bad with rheumatic fever. All was done that could be thought of by the medical faculty of that day without success. The old school doctors were thought to be foremost in the healing arts. My father lingered, receiving no benefit from anything until April 2, 1826, when he died, leaving my mother with five children in poverty to support. Our connections came from Philadelphia and Buck County to the funeral, which was a large attendance of carriages. His remains were interred in the Dutch Churchyard, seven miles southwest of Manayunk. I was sitting on my Uncle John’s lap and put my head out of the window of the carriage, when a sudden jolt caused the window to strike my chin, which resulted in the tongue being bitten, which caused me to renew my sobs and tears.

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