Dr. Reece Pugh, M.D.

Reece Pugh was the second son of Amos Pugh and first wife Elizabeth Sidwell Pugh of East Nottingham Township, Chester County, PA, born on September 17, 1828. Pugh descended from immigrants from Wales who settled southwestern Chester County in the early 1700s. He was a birthright member of the Society of Friends and was educated in the common schools. His father operated a grist mill, so naturally Reese’s first apprenticeship was at the mill. Amos Pugh was a respected member of the community operating a large farm, grist mill, a small general store. He also served as school director for many years.[1]

But Reece’s interests were wide and varied and took him well beyond the bounds of the grist mill in East Nottingham. Next he studied dentistry and practiced for a few years in Kennett Square, New London and East Nottingham. It is most likely that he studied dentistry from Dr. Anderson in Kennett Square, who was well known for taking on apprentices.  He is listed in the Pennsylvania Septennial Census of 1856 as a dentist.[2]

The next career that caught his fancy was photography. Cope and Ashmeade’s Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Chester and Delaware Counties, Pennsylvania offers this description: “The next enterprise he engaged in was photography, and during his seven year connection with that business he travelled extensively throughout the United States.”  The seven-year time period that was referred to would be between 1855 and 1861. This statement of extensive travelling is difficult to substantiate. Checking Craig’s Daguerreian Registry as well as other resources, Pugh’s name does not appear. This is not surprising in an era when daguerreotypists/ambrotypists did not identify their work, or may not have afforded mats or cases impressed with their names.

The best source for tracking Pugh’s residence and occupation are the Chester County Tax Lists.[3] In 1855 Reece Pugh is recorded on the tax discount list of his home township of East Nottingham with the explanation for his absence as simply “left”.  So perhaps he did travel during 1855 as an itinerant daguerreotypist, however the tax list for the next year finds him back in East Nottingham. The tax collector, regrettably did not record the occupation. Pugh remained in East Nottingham/Oxford thereafter. In 1858 he is listed as a daguerreotypist, but in 1859 as a watchmaker. Again in 1860 his occupation is daguerreotypist and in 1861 as an ambrotypist. Unfortunately, data for single freemen status of tax payers is absent from the 1862 tax list for East Nottingham/Oxford. The following tax list in 1863 records him as a miller, working at the family grist mill.

Cope and Ashmeade’s biographical work is illustrated with portraits of Reece Pugh, his father Amos Pugh, brother Job Pugh and Uncle, Evan Pugh (founder of Penn State University). Could Reece Pugh have taken any of these portraits? Amos Pugh’s portrait looks like it was copied from a daguerreotype of the 1840s, so perhaps an early itinerant passing through the area gave young Reece his first glimpse of this magical art. Evan Pugh’s portrait is from a carte-de-visite portrait of the early 1860s by an unidentified maker, a copy is in the collection of the Chester County History Center.[4] Was this taken by his nephew? It is impossible to verify.

Reece Pugh’s career then took a different turn. According to the tax lists of 1864 – 1866 he was again listed as a watchmaker. While supporting himself through this trade, he began the study of  medicine. Pugh graduated with a medical degree in 1867 from Philadelphia University, today the University of Pennsylvania. He practiced in East Nottingham only until 1871, when he returned again to the jewelry and watchmaking business.

The Oxford Press ran an advertisement for the removal of his clock, watch and jewelry business to the second story of S. S. Ewing’s clothing store on Market Street Oxford in 1874. The ad notes that he gives prompt attention “to the repairing of sewing machines and other light machinery.” [5] Pugh was well known in the area for his mechanical genius.

The Daily Local News of West Chester ran a story in the September 7, 1887, issue, that Pugh was repairing the clock formerly owned by Benjamin Franklin and now at the West Chester Normal School (today West Chester University). The newspaper reported: “The Doctor has given the pendulum the right swing and the same old tick that tickled the great philosopher’s ears in the days of yore.”[6]

Cope and Ashmeade summed up Pugh’s character as follows: “He was a man of varied accomplishments, studious and industrious habits, possessed a well stored and philosophic mind, and therefore his advice and counsel were eagerly sought for on matter of importance.”[7]

Reece Pugh died at the home of his brother, Job S. Pugh on Broad Street in Oxford on August 8, 1902 after a short illness.[8] He was never married. He was buried in Little Elk Friends Cemetery on Hickory Hill, Chester County, PA.

©Pamela C. Powell, 2022.

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[1] Gilbert Cope and Henry Graham Ashmeade, editors, Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Chester and Delaware Counties, Pennsylvania, (New York; Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1904), Volume I, p.280-281.

[2] East Nottingham Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania Septennial Census, 1856, Chester County Archives and Records Services, West Chester, PA.

[3] East Nottingham/Oxford Borough, Chester County, Pennsylvania Tax Lists, 1854-1865, Chester County Archives and Records Services, West Chester, PA.

[4] Unidentified photographer, Evan Pugh, ca. 1860, CDV#1525, Chester County History Center, West Chester, PA.

[5] Oxford Press, (Oxford, PA), 1 April 1874.

[6] Daily Local News, (West Chester, PA), 7 September 1887.

[7] Gilbert Cope and Henry Graham Ashmeade, Volume I, p. 281.

[8] Oxford Press, (Oxford, PA) 14 August 1902.