USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial and revolutionary families of Pennsylvania; genealogical and personal memoirs, Vol. III > Part 43
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65
RACHEL H. (LARIMER) MELLON
The Colonial and Revolutionary descent of Mrs. Mellon extends along both maternal and paternal lines, and includes officers and privates of the War of the Revolution from the families of Larimer, Sheakley, McCurdy, Hughey, King, McMasters, all early Pennsylvania names, and resident mostly of York and Lancaster counties, as they were then formed. A point of historical interest to the family is the old William Sheakley farm in Adams county, on which was shed the first blood of the world famous battle of Gettysburg. Mrs. Mellon is a daughter of William Jr. and Rachel (McMasters) Larimer. The original family name was French, Lorimier, derived from the Latin Lorum, a thong. The English form, Lorimer, indicates the name of an ancient trade. The "Larimer" was a maker of bits, spurs, stirrup irons, and all kinds of metal mountings of brass and iron, including armor. The first family record of the name is found in 1080, when a certain Durand Lorimer went from Caen, France, to Scotland, doubtless with the armies of William the Conqueror. In Scotland Lorimer is quite a common name.
The first of the Larimer family of record in this country was Robert, born about 1690, who came to America from Scotland, where his ancestors had fled when driven from Alsace, Lorraine, by the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. He settled in Berwick township, York county, Pennsylvania, early in 1700, and died there in 1772. He was a successful farmer, the tax records showing him possessed of two farms, one in Berwick township of two hundred acres, and one in Mt. Joy township. The children of Robert Larimer and his wife Saralı were: Thomas, John, William, Mary, Margaret, Jean and Robert.
THOMAS LARIMER, eldest son of Robert and Sarah Larimer, was born about 1745. To him was deeded the farm in Mt. Joy township, Adams county, and there he established his home, passed his life, dying in September, 1816. The homestead still stands and is near the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Thomas Larimer enlisted May 9, 1778, as private in the Third Vacant Company, of a Ger- man regiment commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Lewis Weltner. He is described as paid till January 1, 1782; enlisted to serve three years. His wife was Catherine --- , of Herwick township, same county. Children: William, Thomas, Margaret, Mary, Sidney, Nancy and Elizabeth.
WILLIAM LARIMER, son `of Thomas and Catherine Larimer, was born in 1771 in Adams county, Pennsylvania, where the first twenty years of his life were passed. In 1790 he removed to Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, and purchased a farm on the "Kings Highway" (the old turnpike), known as the "Mansion Farm". It was located in North Huntingdon township (now the site of the town of Circleville), on the great highway from the far east to the Ohio river. The homestead has been remodelled, but the large oak logs of the original house are still there and are more like iron than wood, their dark brown coloring, similar to the antique oak of today. There William and Anne Lari- mer lived for about fifty years, and there entertained many of the prominent
1510
MELLON
men of the time, who journeyed west or south, among them William Henry Harrison and Aaron Burr, the latter, Anne (Mrs. Larimer) did not like. She said "He could not meet my eye in conversation". Mrs. Anne Larimer had seen General Washington several times as he passed her York county home in his carriage. This was while he was president (1794). William Larimer was twice married. His first wife, Martha (McNease) Larimer, of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, died young and left two children, John and Catherine. His second wife, Anne (Sheakley) Larimer, was daughter of George and Mar- garet (McCurdy) Sheakley, of Adams county. She was a woman well fitted both by character and inheritance to be a helpmeet to her husband in their pio- neer life. "She was a tall, fine looking woman of commanding presence", "and a devoted Presbyterian". William Larimer was a man of energy and good business qualifications. At his death he left his affairs in good condition and his family well provided for. He died on the "Mansion Farm", September 18, 1838. His wife Anne died August 23, 1853. Their children were: Margaret, George, William, Martha, Washington, Hamilton, James, Anne, Thomas and Mary.
William (2) Larimer, son of William (1) and Anne (Sheakley) Larimer, was born at the homestead farm, now Circleville, Westmoreland county, Penn- sylvania, October 24, 1809, died on his farm near Leavenworth, Kansas, May 16, 1875. He lived a wonderfully useful and adventuresome life of sixty-seven years in the states of Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado, and there are today in these states undying monuments to his memory. . Larimer Station on the Pennsylvania railroad, Larimer township in Somerset county, Larimer avenue in Pittsburgh, Larimer county in Colorado, Larimer street in Denver, and Fort Larimer in Arkansas, all bear mute testimony that he lived. He be- gan his business career with his friend and neighbor, John Irwin, in the "Con- estoga Wagon System", carrying goods from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia over the turnpike as early as 1830. His next was with his brother-in-law, John Mc- Masters, in merchandising. He organized with the Hon. John Covode the Westmoreland Coal Company stil in existence, one of the largest in the soft coal region. For over twenty-four years he was in active successful business, and held many important positions of trust. He was the first president of the Pittsburgh and Connellsville railroad, treasurer of the Ohio and Pennsylvania railroad (now the Pennsylvania lines west), chief organizer and builder of the Remington Coal railroad at McKees Rocks, a large shareholder in numerous California gold mining enterprises and overland transportation companies. He was uniformly successful and became wealthy. He was public-spirited and gen- erous. He removed to Pittsburgh where he dispensed rich hospitality. He took an unusual interest in military affairs, and was prominently identified with the National Guard or Militia of his state from 1828 until his removal to the West in 1854. He was commissioned second lieutenant, Eighth Infantry, Au- gust 3, 1828, by Governor Shultze. Major of First Battalion, Sixth Regiment Allegheny County Volunteers, April 15, 1845, by Governor Shunk. Brigadier- General of Pennsylvania troops, June 4, 1848, by Governor William F. John- ston. Major-General, December 22, 1852, by Governor Bigelow. He was not an ornamental soldier, but an active devoted one.
After financial difficulties culminating in 1854, General Larimer decided to 4
1511
MELLON
"go west" and begin anew, which he did the following year, going to Nebraska. Here he at once took an active part in the turbulent affairs of that territory ; he was elected a member of the Legislature, taking sides as he had in Penn- sylvania with the anti-slavery forces. The first meeting at which the Republi- can party of Nebraska was organized was held at his home in Omaha. In 1858 he removed to Kansas. The Pike's Peak gold hunting excitement of that year carried him to Colorado. He was one of the founders of the city of Denver, and built the first house there, on land which he and his son, William H. H. Larimer, had pre-empted. While a resident of Colorado, General Larimer served for a time as United States Commissioner and Judge of Probate for the First Judicial District of the Territory. He became well known throughout the West and extended the numerous acquaintance he had before made in Pitts- burgh among statesmen, journalists and influential men of all classes, many of whom he had entertained in his Pittsburgh home. Horace Greeley was a warm friend and frequent guest of General Larimer. He supported the great jour- nalist in his campaign for the presidency and carried on a correspondence with him. Mr. Greeley's daughter, after her honored father's death, sent his favor- ite pen to his lifelong friend, General Larimer. Another friend of General Larimer was General Sam Houston, the Texan liberator and first governor. He expressed his appreciation of General Larimer in rich gifts, at one time a beau- tiful brocade gown for Mrs. Larimer, at another time two miniatures of him- self in frames of solid gold. General Larimer was loved by his friends and also had a personal magnetism that drew men to him and made strangers his friends. He was six feet tall, brown hair, hazel eyes, with a voice and man- ner to attract men. He was an eloquent platform speaker. He had a great fund of general knowledge and personal experience to draw from, and was never at a loss for words to express himself.
We quote from an impromptu speech reported in the Rocky Mountain News of Denver under date of September 11, 1862. At this time the General was re- cruiting officer for the Third Regiment, Colorado Volunteers.
"The Mass meeting held here Saturday night last was the largest and most enthusiastic ever held in the territory. The meeting was scarcely organized when General Larimer was called for by the immense crowd in attendance. He came forward and was received with hearty cheers and most kindly feelings. Lights were called for that they might see his face. When these were brought the applause was renewed. The General spoke as follows :
"Mr. Chairman and fellow citizens: I am an old pioneer. I came to this country in the fall of 1858. I am one of the first settlers of our Rocky Mountain Territory. I wrote one of the first letters ever written from this country, certainly the first from Denver City. I had dated my letter the night before "Golden City", but after writing it we met and changed the name to Denver, after our Governor, an honor to his country and his name. Well, Denver is here still and I believe will be for ages to come. * *
* Abraham Lincoln, has been trying to preserve the Constitution and the Union, sustaining every state in its rights, whether real or fancied and to leave slavery untouched, wherever it existed, believing that the National Government was not responsible for it. He has been moving slowly and has done everything that could be done, to conciliate and assure the South that their institution should be untouched. In this course I have been disposed to stand by the President. Now I begin to think I can see the hand of God in this matter. Had this war been ended a year ago, slavery would have remained untouched: The millions who have so long been bowed down by tyranny and oppression, would never have scented the air of freedom and universal liberty, as it passed on every breeze, over the plantations of the South, from every far off blood stained battle field; but now they have breathed its breath, heard its words, drunken
1512
MELLON
in its spirit and as 'the lightning cometh out of the East and shineth unto the West' so has the light of universal freedom flashed, tongue to tongue, and mind to mind all over the land".
At the outbreak of the Civil War he raised the Third Regiment, Colorado Volunteers, and was its first colonel, commissioned by Governor Lane, of Colo- rado. After a short service he resigned and went to Kansas, where he entered the service again as captain of General Blount's body guard. After the massacre of Baxter Springs he was commissioned captain of Company A, Fourteenth Kansas Cavalry by Governor Thomas Carney. While in Nebraska he was commissioned captain of the La Platte Guards by Governor Izard of that ter- ritory. After the war ended General Larimer was elected to the Kansas State Senate, 1867-70. The last years of his life were spent in Kansas and he was fre- quently spoken of by the press in connection with the gubernatorial chair and the United States senatorship. His Kansas farm was near Leavenworth, and here on Sunday morning he breathed his last. He was a man of ability and gave the best he had, always true to the principles of his Huguenot ancestry.
His wife, whom he married, October 16, 1834, at her home on Turtle Creek, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, was Rachel, daughter of John and Rachel (Hughey) McMasters, wealthy pioneers of the county (see McMasters and Hughey). The children of General William Jr. and Rachel (McMasters) Larimer were: John, William, Edwin, Thomas, Cassius, Joseph, George, Annie and Rachel H. The two daughters married well-known business men of Pitts- burgh, where they reside. Annie is the wife of T. M. Jones, of the great steel firm of Jones & Mclaughlin, whom she married in 1858. Rachel H. married James Ross Mellon, of the Mellon National Bank, son of Judge Thomas and Sarah Jane (Negley) Mellon.
JUDGE THOMAS MELLON, a son of Andrew and Rebecca (Wauchob) Mellon, was born February 3, 1813, at Lower Castleton, county Tyrone, Ireland, and after an eventful life of ninety-five years, died in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Feb- ruary 3, 1908. His parents came to Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, in 1818, and settled near Murraysville. His education began at his mother's knee at an early age, was continued through the country schools, the Greensburg Academy, a preparatory school conducted by the Rev. Jonathan Gill, to the Western University of Pennsylvania from which he graduated with honors in 1837. He had already registered at the bar in September, 1835, and after study- ing in the office of Hon. Charles Shaler, (while also acting as clerk in the Pro- thonotary's office) was admitted to the bar, December 15, 1838, and opened a law office the following June. Without paying particular attention to one branch of the law at the expense of another, he continued practicing until the first Monday of December, 1858, when he was elected a law judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Orphan's Court and Criminal Court of Allegheny county, Penn- sylvania. He continued on the bench a period of ten years and then retired to private life, not desiring reëlection, as various personal enterprises, in which he had embarked, took up all his time and attention. January 1, 1870, he opened a banking house that was known as T. Mellon & Sons Bank until the formation of the Mellon National Bank, July 1, 1902. He early saw the possibilities of the coal business, and did a great deal for the development of his section. In con- nection with his sons he built the Ligonier Valley railroad, a most potent factor
1513
MELLON
in the growth of that valley and the town of Ligonier, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. Judge Mellon had a wide circle of friends and acquaintances in Pittsburgh and neighboring towns, to whom his wonderful memory for persons and events on many occasions proved a mine of information, and he was never so busy that he could not find time to enlighten some anxious inquirer on matters that happened years ago. Until 1893 he was more or less actively engaged in business, keeping separate and distinct in his mind in a truly marvelous way the many enterprises in which he was interested, and his clear perception and remarkable judgment have been used on many occasions to his great advantage and that of his business associates. About this time his eighty years of active and useful life began to tell upon his never robust constitution, so that he was content to remain quietly at home, feeling sure that his very capable sons would properly carry on the various and manifold interests he had been instrumental in starting.
He married, August 24, 1843, Sarah Jane, daughter of Jacob and Anna Bar- bara (Winebiddle) Negley, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, February 3, 1817, died January 19, 1909. Judge Thomas and Sarah J. (Negley) Mellon had eight children, five of whom were sons that grew to manhood, and three of whom survive: James Ross Mellon, married Rachel H. Larimer (see Larimer). He is president of the City Deposit Bank, Pittsburgh; Andrew W., president of the Mellon National Bank; Richard B., vice-president of the Mellon National Bank. Mrs. Thomas Mellon was a member of the East Liberty Presbyterian Church and deeply interested in many charitable institutions to whom her benefactions were exceedingly liberal. She was vice-president of the board of managers of Home for Aged Women of Wilkensburg, Pennsylvania, and president of the board managing the Home for Aged Couples. The birthdays of Judge and Mrs. Mellon fell on the same day, February 3. In 1908, on their last joint birthday, Judge Mellon died. Mrs. Mellon survived him a little less than one year, dying in her ninety-second year, being in seemingly good health until a few minutes before passing away.
(The Sheakley Line)
William Sheakley, of Scotch-Irish parentage, came from Ulster county, Ire- land, to the American colonies in the year 1740, settling on a tract of five hun- dred acres on the "Little Conawago" in what is now Mt. Pleasant township, Adams county, Pennsylvania. He was accounted a wealthy man for his day. In 1780 he was taxed for five hundred acres of land, six negroes, four horses and six cattle. For all, he paid in taxes, eighty pounds. During the Civil War Rhodes Confederate Division swept down on Carlisle and occupied the Sheak- ley farm for the night. A shot from a union cannon killed several men and wounded others who were carried into the Sheakley barn. This was the first blood of the fierce three days fight at Gettysburg. William Sheakley was a mem- ber of the York county (Pennsylvania) Committee of Observation, appointed November 3, 1775.
William Sheakley married Mrs. Janet Moor, widow of James Moor, and she bore him: I. John, born January 29, 1755, died September 25, 1816. He set- tled in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, in 1804. He was an ensign in the Revolu-
1514
MELLON
tion. He married Margaret Jenkins and had twelve children. 2. George, born 1760, died 1812.
George Sheakley, son of William Sheakley, was an ensign of the Eighth Company, Fourth Battalion, John McIlvaine, captain. He was commissioned June 17, 1779. He married Margaret McCurdy (see McCurdy), and had sons William and Robert. His daughters were Anne, Margaret and Nancy. Anne became the wife of William Larimer Sr.
(The McCurdy Line)
Margret McCurdy, great-grandmother of Mrs. Rachel H. Mellon, was the granddaughter of James McCurdy, who emigrated from county Antrim, Ire- land, in 1720, and settled in Maryland.
Robert McCurdy, son of James McCurdy, married Ann Creighton, of Lan- caster county, Pennsylvania. They later removed to York county. Their daugh- ter Margret married George Sheakley (see Sheakley). Robert McCurdy was lieutenant-colonel of the Fifth Battalion, Lancaster County Militia, commanded by Colonel James Crawford, Captain James Mercer. "Momleers Authentic His- tory of Lancaster County" says "James Mercer Major", "Robert McCurdy Cap- tain".
(The McMasters Line)
Rachel McMasters Larimer, mother of Mrs. Rachel H. Mellon, was a grand- daughter of Thomas McMasters, a descendant of Patrick McMasters, who fled to Ireland from Scotland in the days of persecution. Thomas McMasters was born in Breseigh, Ireland. He married Rachel McWhinney and had issue.
John McMasters, son of Thomas and Rachel (McWhinney ) McMasters, married Rachel, daughter of John and Elizabeth (King) Hughey. The Kings were a noted Revolutionary family. Rev. John King, chaplain in Washington's army, and Lieutenant Robert King were of that family. Captain John Mc- Masters, who resided in York county where he was taxed on one hundred and thirty-three acres of land, was an uncle of the above John McMasters. He moved to Allegheny county, after the Revolution.
Rachel McMasters, daughter of John and Rachel (Hughey) McMasters, was born in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, and died September 16, 1879. She married William Larimer, Jr., at her home on Turtle Creek, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, October 16, 1834, and bore him nine children (see Larimer).
John Hughey, great-grandfather of Mrs. Rachel H. Mellon, was born in Lan- caster county, Pennsylvania, in 1752, died in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, in 1837. He and his brother Ephraim served in the Revolution. John Hughey served on frontier duty on tours of two months each during the years 1775-76- 77. He was of Captain James Morrison's company, Colonel Porter, comman- der. In 1776-77 he was of Captain John Paxton's company with Colonel James Morrison's regiment in the Jersey campaign. In 1831 he was placed on the pension roll of Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, for services as a soldier of the Revolution.
J. HOWARD PATTON
J. HOWARD PATTON, a resident of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, descends in the fifth generation from John Patton, an early settler in the Cumberland Valley and the grandfather of Lieutenant John Patton, the Revolutionary ancestor. A second line of Revolutionary descent that Mr. Patton traces leads to Lieutenant John Simpson, father of Rebecca Simpson, who was J. Howard Patton's grandmother. This line also leads to Captain James Murray of Paxtang town- ship, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, who was Rebecca (Simpson) Patton's grandfather.
The American progenitors were Matthew and John Patton of Covenanter stock, brothers, natives of Northern Ireland. They came to Pennsylvania at an early date in the eighteenth century and settled in Cumberland county, Penn- sylvania, taking up a tract of land in (now) Peters township as early as 1735. They are assessed on the tax lists of that township and county in 1751. Mat- thew Patton, probably the elder brother, died at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Janu- ary 7, 1778, his will was probated. His wife was Elizabeth, who survived him as did eight children. Many of this branch served in the Revolution and were influential men. Some of them left Pennsylvania and settled in the Carolinas. It is with the descendants of the younger brother John, that this record deals.
JOHN PATTON, born in Ireland, died in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, in June, 1767. He married Susanna Tussey and their children were: William, see forward; Mary and Benjamin. The latter settled in North Carolina and became noted in the War for Independence. He was a member of the Carolina convention that passed the oft quoted "Mecklenberg Declaration" and a man of firm character and undaunted courage who lived to a good old age.
WILLIAM PATTON, son of John and Susanna (Tussey) Patton, was born in the north of Ireland in 1730 and died March 23, 1777, in Peters township, Cumberland county, Pennsylvania. He was but a lad when his parents came to Pennsylvania, and his life was one of pioneer hardship and privation. At this early period, the danger from Indian attack was always present and every man's home was a block house for defense. On one occasion, he was obliged to flee with his family to Carlisle as the Indians were raiding the vicinity of his home. William Patton married, August 5, 1754, Elizabeth Moore, born in 1732, and died June 1I, 1819. Their children were : Mary, born October 2, 1755, died Sep- tember 27, 1756. John, of later mention. Elizabeth, born January 25, 1759, died September 25, 1759. James, born February 20, 1763, married in 1785, Sar- ah Dinwiddie, who bore him eleven children; he was a soldier of the Revolu- tion. Letty, born June 14, 1766. Benjamin, born July 14, 1770, died July 24, 1770. Benjamin, born April 23, 1772, married Phoebe Wheeler, and had five children : Benjamin, their son, was Judge Patton of Philadelphia and Pitts- burgh, Pennsylvania. Joseph (twin) born April 23, 1772, married Miss Richie of Franklin county. Joseph was county commissioner of Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, in 1801 and 1805.
1516
PATTON
JOHN PATTON, son of William and Elizabeth (Moore) Patton, was born in Peters township, Cumberland (now Franklin) county, Pennsylvania, December 25, 1757, and died at his home-farm in Woodcock Valley, Huntingdon county, May 23, 1836. Early in life he took up a tract of land in the Woodcock Val- ley, near McConnellstown and on it lived most of his life. He was one of the Cumberland county Associators during the Revolution and was in active service on the frontier, which they were defending from invasion by the British and Indians from New York. He was a private in Captain William Donaldson's company of the Third Battalion, Cumberland County Militia, commanded by Colonel William Chambers "called out by an order from Council, July 28, 1777". (See Pennsylvania Archives 2nd series vol. xv, p. 575). He subse- quently served as lieutenant of the county militia when called on duty between the years 1778 and 1782. (See Pennsylvania Archives, third series, vol. xxiii, p. 270). Between the years 1788 and 1821 he served Huntingdon county as sheriff, through nine different terms. He first served through four successive yearly appointments, then through five elective terms. Never more than one term intervened between his retirement from the office and his re-election as will be seen by the following list of sheriffs from Huntingdon Records.
1787
. Benjamin Elliott.
1788
. John Patton.
1789
John Patton.
1790
John Patton.
1791.
John Patton.
1792-3-4
John Galbraith.
1795-6-7.
John Patton.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.