Francis R. Bucher ^{1 2 3 4}

   Other names for Francis were Francis E Bucher and Frank Bucher.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Alt. Birth, 1 Sep 1805, Sunbury, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA.

• Census, 1850, Sunbury, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA. ⁶ Francis Bucher, age 45, tanner, is living with wife Mary age 55; son John, 14; Amelia, 12; Edward, 10; Richard, 8; Louisa, 4; and William, 1.

On the same census page a few lines above is a Lewis Bucher, age 9, living without his family in the household of a Margaret Oliphant, age 25.

On the same page number (next sheet) is Charles Bucher, born in 1824, obviously a relative.

• Census, 1860, Sunbury, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA. ⁷ The 1860 Census shows Francis Bucher, 53, tanner, living with Mary A., 47; Emily A., 21; Edward M., 19, apprentice to druggist; Richard F., 17, apprentice to tanner; and William H., 11. Living next door is Francis' son John W. Bucher, age 24, tanner, and with him is Esther A., 24; and Francis E., 9 months on June 18, 1860 when the census was recorded. The post office is Sunbury. Everyone was born in Pennsylvania. Living next door is Elizabeth Weiser, 73, the widow of George Weiser who began the tannery Francis now operated, who was Francis' older sister. She is living with her daughter Margaret M.

• Census, 1870, Sunbury, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA. ⁹ Frank Bucher, age 66, retired farmer, is living with Mary, 56; Edward M., 29, tanner; Emily A., 30; Richard, 28, tanner; and William Henry, 21, tanner.

• Book: History of Northumberland County, 1891. ¹⁰ Tanneries were for many years the most important local industrial feature. Jacob Yoner's, which first appears in the assessment of 1788, was doubtless the earliest established; it was situated on the west side of Second street immediately north of the Shamokin Valley railroad. After pursuing his calling at this place for more than twenty-five years, Mr. Yoner moved to Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, in 1818, and sold the property to Isaac Zeigler. He continued the business until within a short time before his death, July 25, 1840; Conrad J. Fry and Francis Bucher then operated the plant several years, and it was subsequently destroyed by fire.

The second tannery established was that of Christian Gettig; it was situated on the south side of Chestnut street at the present site of James C. Packer's residence and the Reformed parsonage, and first appears in the assessment of 1793. The first proprietor died in 1797; in his will he mentions the bark-mill and also a quantity of leather in various stages of preparation, and devises his establishment to his son, Christian Gettig, Jr., who continued operations until his death in 1802; several years later the property was purchased by Dr. Solomon Markley, by whom the building was adapted to other purposes.

The Robins tannery, which was also established in the last century, occupied the southeast corner of Market and Fifth streets. It first appears in the assessment of 1796, credited to Zachariah Robins; several years later he was succeeded by Thomas Robins and John Spear, who dissolved partnership in 1803. Thomas Robins was individual owner in 1805, and Zachariah Robins in 1811; from that time the establishment was operated by Thomas, John, and Gilbert Robins, and possibly by Gideon Markle also, until finally abandoned. William Dewart, Jr., is credited with a "large tanyard" in the assessment of 1802; it occupied the southeast corner of Chestnut and Third streets, and was one of the principal establishments of this nature for many years.

At some time between 1808 and 1811 it was purchased by George Weiser, subsequently associate judge of Northumberland county, who continued the business nearly half a century. The establishment was then operated under lease by Francis Bucher, and by Bucher Brothers (J. Weiser and E. Masser Bucher) until its destruction by fire in 1866. Frederick Haas established a tannery on the north side of Market street at the second lot east of Fourth at some time between 1820 and 1823, as evidenced by its first appearance on the assessment books at the latter date. It was then operated for some years by Charles Gobin and subsequently by Henry Haas.

Bucher Brothers (J. Weiser and E. Masser Bucher) built a tannery at the southeast corner of Center alley and Linden street in 1866. This partnership was dissolved in 1868, after which the business was continued by E. Masser Bucher individually until 1871. This was the last tanning establishment at Sunbury, and the only one that was equipped with modern appliances.

• Book: Genealogical & Biographical Annals of Northumberland County, 1911. ² Francis Bucher, youngest son of Henry and Catharine (Epley) Bucher, lived at the old homestead in Sunbury. He learned the trade of tanner and was one of the last persons engaged in that business in the borough. He died March 19, 1875, at the age of seventy. On Dec. 8, 1831, he married Mary Ann Masser and to their union were born six sons and two daughters: The eldest two, both named Henry, died in infancy; John Weiser is the oldest surviving member of the family; Emily died unmarried in 1908; Edward (deceased) married Amelia Fisher (whose mother was ninety-seven years old in 1910 - the oldest living woman in Sunbury); Richard, who lived and died in Sunbury, was in the army for fifteen years, was held prisoner at Andersonville for over a year and was in Custer's forces; Louisa died young; William H. is a resident of Sunbury.

Francis married Mary Ann Masser, daughter of Henry Masser and Mary Barbara Baldy, on 8 Dec 1831.^{1 2 3} (Mary Ann Masser was born on 6 May 1813 in Sunbury, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA,^{3 9 11 12} died on 1 Oct 1903 ^{3 11} and was buried in Sunbury: Lower Cemetery, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA.)