Milford chronicle., 1909-06-18
Business Men Of Frederick From
1870 to the Present Time.
SAMUEL VIRDEN.

The ancestors of Mr. Virden came to
America from Amsterdam about five years
previous to the landing of Penn. For
many years prior to their coming the city
of Amsterdam had been the most impor-
tant commercial city OF Europe. Her
aggressive and entsrprising merchants,
through their East India Company, had
pushed their enterprises across the Allan.
tic, and planted Colonies aud occu pied
the land from the Connecticut to the
Delaware. Upon each magnificent river
they had built forts and begun villages, |
but their progress and power had been
transferred to the Duke of York, when 1
Mr.. Nlrden's ancestors came.
Samuel Nirden was the son OF Peter /
Nirden and Elizabeth Lowber Virden his
vile. She was the daughter of Peter
Lowber, one time q wealthy and inhuen-
tial citizen Of Murderkill Hundred, and
was married to Mr.. Virden when she was
less than sixteen years of age, but she was
destined early 10 become a widow by the
trsgic death of her husband, who was
killed by being thrown from a horse,
when her infant son Samuel was but one
month old. Samuel Virden was born
June the 2lst, l793 on the farm adjoin.
ing Frederica then belonging to his father
now owned by Albert W. Stephenson.
His mother, after the death of her first
husband, married Robert Young, formerly
a resident of Sussex County. Samuel the
son was brought up by his stepfather, on
the farm which had previously been his ,
fathers. When he had reached his ma
iOrity he married Anna Smack, daughter
Of Mckinney and Rachel Smack. BY this
marriage Mr.. Nirden inherited through
bis wife valuable farm and also the
Lexington Mills, now the property of
Henry &. Lynch. Mr.. Nirden sold the !
mills but retained the farm, which is still
n the family ; it passing to his youngest
laughter Elizabeth, now Mrs John w. =
Hall, Jr. Mr.. and Mrs Nirden were the \
parents of eight children-four sons and y
our daughters, namely: Mckinney :,
smack, Peter /. S, Elizabeth LOwbeT, %
edwin, Anna s., Ruth, Samuel and Eliza !,
)eth. Most of those now living are located =
n the South, in or near jackson, Miss, ex- n
ept Mrs Hall who resides in Frederica ri
Mr.. Nlrden for many years was actively -
ngaged in farming and milling but finally
etred to private life. He was a man OF
much activity, even after his retirement.
lie was great sportsman and delighted
q fishing and cunning. He and his bosom
riend and boon companion, Waitman
ipple, whilded away many an hour on
he banks of the Murderkill River with
cd and line angling for white perch, for
7hich sport they we're exceedingly fond.
ONE of their fish stories we're remarkable.
An able writer had said imam is pre-.
a social being" This aphorism
aptly demonstrated in Mr.. Nirden, for
o man ever enjoyed companionship
lore than he.
Samuel Virden wac twice elected to the
legislature from Murderkill Hundred
rst in 1927, secondly in 1910, and filled
lat position with distinction. The cam.
aign of 1910 was the most exciting of
ly the country ever passed through to
lat time, the battle cry of the old Wing Gus
arty being Tip and Tyler and hard sea
der. Log cabins we're drawn through nee
ie country and in the excitement that
-evailed, men seemed beside themselves
a Babel of confusion This was the to o
mpaign that sent General Harrison, bnT
e Hero of TippecanOe, to the executive
ansiOn by an overwhelming majority. W.
Near the close of lS4l Mr. Vlrden lost
s wife, who was about forty -four wears
age. This was his first serious affection VI,
her than the loss of his father in his w
iancy of which he had no recollection.
)wever, he married again. his second SI1
fe being Miss Eliza Ann Warren, who
rvived him about two years. He was an
nest upright man, strict in business re-
ions with others, indulgent to his fam vi
, obliging to his neighbors, loyal and Aoco
e to his friends. He died July 9th, Pape
g, in the eighty-fourth year of his age. J.
ISAAC r. JESTER 8