• Born: April 13, 1784 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania
• Died: August 20, 1856 in Hilltown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania (Buried at Hilltown Baptist Church “Lower” Cemetery)
• Spouse: Elizabeth Hoffman
  • Born: November 14, 1786
  • Died: November 6, 1855
• Married: November 21, 1809 at the Tohickon Reformed Church
• Children: Nathan, Silas, John, Martha, Joel, Mahlon, Oliver, Elizabeth, Mary
• Occupation:   Carpenter

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Little is known about the life of Josiah Thomas.  He was born on April 13, 1784 and was a carpenter by trade.  He lived in several locations, the first being a log house built for him by his father, Asa.  Later in his life he purchased a small farm on a hill about a mile south of his original home.  

Josiah was married to Elizabeth Hoffman at the Tohickon Reformed Church on November 21, 1809, and they had several children.  Josiah died on August 20, 1856 at the age of 72. Elizabeth died on November 6, 1855 at the age of 69.

Children of Josiah Thomas and Elizabeth Hoffman

Nathan is discussed here.  It will be noted here, however, that no concrete documentation has been found to date that confirms that Nathan was Josiah’s son.  This inference has been made after lengthy research and due to the presence of very strong evidence.

Silas was born in 1811 and was a schoolteacher in many towns in Bucks and Montgomery counties, including Warrington, Gwynedd, Plymouth, and Whitemarsh, and later moved to Philadelphia.  He was married to Harriet Height and had five children: Dr. John S., William, Silas h., Lizzie, and Mary.

John was born in 1812 married three times.  His third wife was Margaret Murphy. He had several children: Levi, Maria, Martha, Olivia, and Caroline.  He died in 1866.

Martha married David Riale and died March 15, 1881 at the age of 68. 

Joel married Cathatine Herr.  Mahlon did not marry.  Elizabeth married John Holt.  Mary was born in 1822 and never married

Oliver was the youngest, born in 1830.  He did not marry. Though he was a bricklayer and mason by trade, in the early days of the Civil War he worked at the Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, Virginia.  The Confederate army seized the factory and forced all its employees to produce ammunition. Initially, these workers were exempted from being drafted into the Confederate army.  Oliver sympathized with the north, and one day when he saw starving Union army prisoners being marched through the city he bought loaves of bread and handed slices to them as they passed.  He was imprisoned for a short time for doing so, and upon his release he returned to work at the iron works. By that time, Oliver and his fellow workers at the foundry were no longer exempted from the draft, and rather than serve in the Confederate army he planned an escape.  It was fortuitous that he knew a British subject, also from Wales and also bearing the surname Thomas. This Welshman gave Oliver his pass (the identification card of the day) that he used to escape to Philadelphia. He joined the Union army and served as a lieutenant and captain.  Shortly after the end of the war he died of consumption in Nebraska.