USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial and revolutionary families of Pennsylvania; genealogical and personal memoirs, Volume II > Part 38
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944
SAMSON
born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, July 11, 1870. The building in which he was born stood on Smithfield street and was removed when the present Post Office was erected on the site. He received his education in the schools of Allegheny and Pittsburgh and the Western University of Pennsylvania. His technical education was obtained at the Pittsburgh College of Pharmacy and the School of Embalming. He entered the employ of his father and bore much of the responsibility of the business in his later years and at his death succeeded to the entire control. He is exceedingly capable and a worthy suc- cessor of his father, not only in a business sense, but in his official life. He is a director of the Pittsburgh Free Dispensary and president of the Methodist Episcopal Church Union of Pittsburgh, as well as a charter member of the Athelia Daly Home for working girls. Other positions of honor and trust he has been compelled to refuse in favor of the constant demands of his ever in- creasing business. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and president of the Board of Trustees of the Oakland church of that denomina- tion. In fraternity he is a Free Mason, belonging to Pittsburgh Lodge, No. 484. His patriotic membership is in the Pittsburgh chapter, Sons of the American Revolution. Harry G. Samson married, October 18, 1893, at Saeger- town, Pennsylvania, Elizabeth Saeger, born April 26, 1872, at Saegerstown, Penn- sylvania, daughter of Amos and Loraine (McLain) Saeger. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Harry G. Samson: Howard Saeger, born June 6, 1895; Hudson Gilmore, born August 9, 1896; Edwin Herbert, born September 5, 1901, died April 5, 1906.
FLORENCE JONES REINEMAN
FLORENCE JONES (Mrs. Robert T. Reineman), vice-regent of Pittsburgh Chapter, Pennsylvania Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, is a great-granddaughter of the patriot officer, Lieutenant Joshua and Jane (Hunt- er) Archer. Lieutenant Joshua Archer was a son of Sampson and Rebecca (Thompson) Archer. His mother was a sister of General William Thompson. Sampson Archer came from England to Angusta county, Virginia, in 1737. In the year 1758 he was in actual service against the French and Indians, as lieu- tenant in the militia of that county. He was elected to the vestry of Augusta parish, Staunton, Virginia, November 23, 1756, and in the minutes of a ves- try meeting of Augusta parish for May 20, 1761, occurs the following entry: "Sampson Archer, Gentleman, being about to remove out of this colony, has resigned his seat in this vestry". At the time he was one of the wardens.
LIEUTENANT JOSHUA ARCHER, son of Sampson and Rebecca (Thompson) Archer, was born in Augusta county, Virginia, during the year 1745. During his early life he accompanied his uncle, General William Thompson, on his sur- veying expeditions, and they were the first white men to visit any part of what is now Fleming county, Kentucky, in 1775. They also discovered the Upper Salt Licks of Kentucky. He served in the Revolutionary war under Colonel Arthur St. Clair in 1776, as sergeant in Captain William Butler's company. In 1777 he was lieutenant of a company of riflemen, commanded by Captain John Nelson. He subsequently acted as scout and spy under General George Rogers Clark, and served until the close of the Revolution. He was killed by the In- dians near Louisville, Kentucky, in 1800. General George Rogers Clark de- livered the funeral oration at his burial. While in service at Carlisle, Pennsyl- vania, Lieutenant Archer met and married Jane, daughter of Captain Joseph, and Mary (Ferguson) Hunter, both natives of Antrim, Ireland, who settled in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, early in the eighteenth century. Captain Jo- seph Hunter served in 1779, with General George Rogers Clark, helping to establish Fort Jefferson, near the month of the Ohio river. From an article of Thomas Joyes it appears that Captain Joseph Hunter exercised some form of civil and military jurisdiction over the surrounding territory.
MARY POSEY ARCHER, only child of Lieutenant Joshua and Jane ( Hunter) Archer, was born near Louisville, Kentucky, June 13, 1786, died in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, July 28, 1871. At Charlestown, Indiana, November 2, 1812, she was married by the Hon. James Scott, her guardian, to Charles Robinson War- ing, born in Leicester, England, about the year 1787. As a child he came to New York with his father, Thomas Waring, who was born about 1754. Thomas Waring became a wealthy merchant of New York City, and held the office of inspector of customs. On the death of his wife, Esther (Robinson) Waring, he married a daughter of Governor Clinton, of New York, and after her death he married a Miss Van Guelder, a niece of General Warren. Charles Robin- son Waring was graduated from Princeton University at the age of seventeen.
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REINEMAN
After several years of foreign travel he returned to the United States and be- came a merchant of Baltimore, Maryland. While a resident of Baltimore the war of 1812-14 with Great Britain broke out. He enlisted and served in that war, attaining the rank of lieutenant.
ESTHER WARING, daughter of Charles Robinson and Mary Posey (Archer) Waring, was born in Louisville, Kentucky, December 12, 1830, died in Pitts- burgh, Pennsylvania, April 3, 1891. She was married in Meadville, Pennsyl- vania, May I, 1851, to Edward Purnell Jones, a prominent lawyer of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Edward Purnell Jones was born in Pittsburgh, October 6, 1822, was graduated from the College of Allegheny, Meadville, Pennsylvania, and ad- mitted to the bar, October 26, 1850. Some celebrated cases are connected with his record as a lawyer, and he was an active worker in many departments of civic and ecclesiastical life. He was for many years a member of the Pitts- burgh Common and Select Councils, a director and solicitor for the People's Savings Bank, president of the Smithfield Bank, member, vestryman, and junior warden of St. Peter's Protestant Episcopal Church, member of the finance committee of the diocese of Pittsburgh, and one of the incorporators of Alle- gheny Cemetery. He died November 3, 1892.
FLORENCE JONES, daughter of Edward Purnell and Esther (Waring) Jones, married Robert Theodore Reineman, an attorney of Pittsburgh. They have a daughter, Florence Waring Jones, born in Pittsburgh, November 16, 1887. Mrs. Reineman is an interested member of the "Daughters" and devotes a great deal of her time to patriotic work. She joined the Pittsburgh Society several years ago, and has always been active in society affairs. She served three terms as a member of the advisory board, followed by two terms in the ardu- ous office of corresponding secretary, and in the year 1909 was elected vice- regent.
MARGARET IRWIN HAYS
MARGARET IRWIN (Mrs. Richard Hays) deceased, was one of the older mem- bers of the Daughters of the American Revolution (National number 694). She was a granddaughter of Captain George McCully, a Revolutionary officer, and a great-granddaughter of Captain Nathaniel Irish, who served in Colonel Flow- ers' regiment of Pennsylvania Artillery. His daughter, Ann Irwin Irish, mar- ried Captain George McCully. Captain Irish was an original member of the "Society of the Cincinnati". He was on the retired army officers list, drawing half pay at the time of his death, September 11, 1816 (see Laughlin sketch). Captain George McCully was born May II, 1752, died November 24, 1792. He was successively ensign, lieutenant and captain, serving in the Second and Third Pennsylvania regiments. He retired January 17, 1782, and was on "half pay" until his death. He married Ann Irwin Irish, and their daughter Eliza, married Boyle Irwin.
BOYLE IRWIN was born in county Tyrone, estate of Wellbrook, Ireland, in 1772, died in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, July 26, 1860. His grandfather, John Irwin, came from Ayre, Scotland, and settled in County Moneghan, Ireland, in 1690. John Irwin (1) fought with William III., Prince of Orange, at the bat- tle of the Boyne and for his valor won the honor of knighthood in the Order of St. Andrew. John Irwin, father of Boyle Irwin, was born in Ireland in 1702, and made his home there throughout his entire lifetime. Boyle Irwin, son of John Irwin, entered Dublin College, but the lure of the New World brought him to America before his graduation. He came to Pittsburgh, Penn- sylvania, where he established a commission business which he conducted many years. He engaged in the manufacture of salt from 1824 (the year he bored the first salt well west of the Alleghenies) until his death. He accumulated a com- fortable fortune, honestly and justly, and to the end of his career was an active man. He was a faithful member of the First Presbyterian Church of Pitts- burgh, and a Republican politically. He married, in Pittsburgh, April 21, 1803, Eliza McCully (daughter of Captain George McCully), who died July 28, 1867, at the age of eighty. Children: 1. Mary Ann, married Joseph Painter. 2. Eliz- abeth, married William McClure. 3. George W., married Anna Ewalt. 4. Sarah, married Robert Arthur. 5. Ann, married James Laughlin (see Laugh- lin). 6. Jane H., married James Steele. 7. Caroline S., married William Hays. 8. John Boyle. 9. James Adams. 10. Margaret, see forward.
MARGARET IRWIN, daughter of Boyle and Eliza (McCully) Irwin, married Richard Hays, who was of German ancestry. Members of the Hays family came to this country prior to the Revolution and some of them were in General Washington's army at Trenton. They were of the detail left behind to keep the camp fires burning while the army retreated. Richard Hays was the son of William and Lydia (Semple) Hays, of Northampton, Pennsylvania, the former named having been a tanner and manufacturer of leather. Richard Hays was born October 25, 1815, in the Hays Mansion in Pittsburgh. He grad-
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HAYS
uated from the Pennsylvania University, and later became an assistant to his father, thoroughly learning the tanning business. After the retirement of his father, Richard and his brother Charles succeeded to and continued the busi- ness for several years. Richard then sold his interest and turned his attention to the iron and steel business with his brother-in-law, James Laughlin. He be- came a large stockholder in the Iron City National Bank, also a director, and finally was elected president. He retained this high position until his death, be- ing reelected many times. He was one of the incorporators and directors of the Citizens' Passenger Railway of Pittsburgh, and served as director twenty- two years, until his death. He was a member of the municipal commission which erected Municipal Hall. He was a member of Allegheny county sinking fund commission for six years. He was successful in his personal business and in the management of corporations with which he held official connection, and was esteemed and honored, as a most valuable citizen. He married, October 30, 1847, Margaret Irwin. Three children were born of this marriage, two o1 whom arrived at maturity: Jennie W., wife of Hon. W. G. Hawkins, president judge of the Orphans' Court of Pittsburgh; Anna, widow of E. M. Byers.
MATILDA GRAHAM HORNER
MATILDA GRAHAM HORNER descends from Revolutionary ancestors along both paternal and maternal lines. Her great-grandfather, James Horner, was a member of Captain Bennett's company, Northampton Light Dragoons, in 1777, and his son, James (2), was captain of the Mountain Rangers, 1778-83. Her maternal grandfather, John Davis, was a deputy quartermaster under Gen- eral James Irvine. When only a lad he had served General Washington and been approved by him for his promptness. William Davis, father of John Davis, was an ardent patriot living near Trenton, New Jersey, who supplied farm pro- duce for the troops and took part in the battle while his wife Mary, made lint for the wounded.
WILLIAM DAVIS married Mary Means and they had a son.
JOHN DAVIS, son of William and Mary ( Means) Davis, was born at Tinicum, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, August 25, 1764, died at Meadville, Pennsylvania, February 27, 1839. He married Mary McGonigle (McGonigal) born at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, April 23, 1773, died at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1818.
MARY MEANS DAVIS, daughter of John and Mary (McGonigle) Davis, was born at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, December 12, 1806, died there February 9, 1887. She married, June 7, 1832, John Horner.
The Horner family are of Scotch-Irish ancestry ; the first member of the fam- ily is believed to have come to America in 1706, landing at Chester, Pennsyl- vania, and settling in Northampton county of the same state. The first of this family of whom there seems to be any authentic account was James Horn- er, who was born in Allen township, Northampton county, Pennsylvania, 1710, died in 1793. He married Jean Kerr, born 1713, killed by the Indians in 1763 at the Craig settlement during the Selon Massacre. She was the first white woman killed in the settlement and is buried in the Allen township burying ground. James Horner in 1777 served in the Northampton Light Dragoons and fought in the Revolutionary war. In 1782 he is named in the records as judge of Northampton county, Pennsylvania. The children of James and Jean (Kerr) Horner were: James, grandfather of Miss Matilda G. Horner, John, Hugh and a daughter who married a McNair.
JAMES HORNER, son of James and Jean (Kerr) Horner, was born in Allen township, Northampton county, Pennsylvania, June 4, 1759, died in Wilkins - burg, Pennsylvania, May 20, 1824. When but a lad of nineteen he enlisted in the Revolutionary service and was made captain of the Mountain Rangers, serv- ing from 1778 to 1783. In 1786 he settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and for the sum of sixty guineas bought a piece of land on Market street, between Second and Third avenues, of about three hundred feet front. The value of that piece of land now (1910) if put in figures, would not seem worthy of be- lief. Here James Horner erected buildings and established a tannery and harness making business. After several years he retired from active business life and purchased a tract of three hundred acres on the Frankstown road, where he built a substantial residence, on which he resided until 1800, when he again
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HOMER
removed, settling in what is now the borough of Wilkinsburg. Here he erected a new home, the same being the first frame dwelling in that vicinity, now the corner of Wood street and Pennsylvania avenue (Wilkinsburg). The old homestead on Frankstown road stood until 1907, when it succumbed to the march of improvement. He was for many years a justice of the peace for Al- legheny county and was known far and wide as "Squire Horner". Like many other land owners of that day, he owned slaves-fifteen in all-one of them a big negro named "Jack" who had long been a faithful and trusted servant. He used to carry the farm produce to Pittsburgh and was greatly coveted by one ot Mr. Horner's neighbors, who finally offered him seven hundred dollars for Jack, after having in various ways tried to induce him to leave his master. When Mr. Horner found Jack wished to leave him, he would not sell him but instead, gave him his freedom. The deed of emancipation is still preserved by his grandson, James Horner. Jack did not live long to enjoy his freedom being found dead soon after in the clump of trees on an adjoining farm. His would- be master was charged with the murder but escaped and did not return to the neighborhood until after the death of "Squire Horner". James Horner (Squire) married Mary McNair, born in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, June 13, 1770, died in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, September 16, 1818. She was a daugh- ter of Davis and Annie (Dunning) McNair, and granddaughter of Colonel Robert Dunning, who died in Cumberland, August 1, 1750, colonel of the Sec- ond Regiment (Pennsylvania) in 1747-48, during the French and Indian wars. The children of James and Mary (McNair) Horner were six as follows : David, never married; John, of later mention; Dr. James D .; Jane McCrae; Sarah (Mrs. James Kelly) ; Ann (Mrs. William Davis).
JOHN HORNER, second son of James and Mary (McNair) Horner, was born in the old Frankstown road homestead (Pittsburgh), 1793. He was educated at home and at Washington and Jefferson College. After leaving college he learned the drug business, and in 1820, in company with Thomas Cleland, opened a drug store in a log cabin at the corner of Third avenue and Market street, Pittsburgh. After the death of his father he gave up the drug business and removed to the family home in Wilkinsburg. Here, in 1840, he was elected justice of the peace, holding this then important office for fifteen years. In 1853 he was elected clerk of the court for Allegheny county and served two terms. His successor was General Thomas Rowley. About this time failing health compelled him to retire from all active participation in public or official life. He was a man of unquestioned integrity and a faithful public official. He was a supporter of Whig and Republican principles. He married Mary Means Davis (see Davis). They were the parents of eight children, as follows: I. James, born April 1, 1833 ; married Margaret S. McFarland and has John Mc- Farland, Frank Kennedy and Georgia Davis. 2. John Davis. 3. William Henry, died young. 4. George Kennedy, died young. 5. Mary G., died young. 6. Matilda Graham, see forward. 7. Ella McGonigal (Mrs. John McKelvy). 8. Eliza McNair, widow of Franklin M. Gordon.
MATILDA GRAHAM HORNER, sixth child of John and Mary M. (Davis) Horn- er, was born in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania. She is one of the earlier members of the Pennsylvania Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, being num- ber 984, and of the Pittsburgh Chapter, number 921. She is unmarried and re- sides in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania.
JENNIE SERRILL GRIFFITH
JENNIE SERRILL (Mrs. Samuel Blair Griffith) descends on the paternal side from Jacob Serrill, patriotic member of the Society of Friends, who was dis- missed from the Darby meeting for "taking up arms in a martial manner", and on the maternal side from the Revolutionary soldier, Christian Mowry, one of the heroes of the "Bloody Foot" regiment (Eighth Pennsylvania). Christian. Mowry enlisted as a private in the Eighth Pennsylvania Regiment, Colonel Mackay, Lieutenant Colonel Brodhead, Major Stephen Bayard, Captain James Pigot. The regiment marched five hundred miles from Pittsburgh in the dead of winter to join the army of General Washington at Morristown, New Jersey. They suffered terribly on the march, being without surgeons or medical attend- ance. Many died on the march over the mountains, and the survivors reached Washington's headquarters in such a sorry condition that they were afterward called the "Bloody Foot" regiment. They served at Brandywine, Germantown and Valley Forge, and throughout the war under the immediate command of General Washington. Christian Mowry was transferred to the west and served in defense of the frontier, being honorably discharged in 1779. He died in Pittsburgh in 1788, aged forty-one years. He married Margaret Klingensmith ; they had at least two sons: Philip, born within the stockade at Fort Pitt, and Peter, see forward.
DR. PETER MOWRY, son of Christian and Margaret (Klingensmith) Mowry, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, September 14, 1760, died in 1833. In 1786 he entered the office of Dr. Nathaniel Bedford, who was the first regular practitioner of medicine to locate in Pittsburgh, as an apprentice, and attended lectures at the University of Pennsylvania. After his return from his lecture course, he became a partner of Dr. Bedford and attained prominent rank as a physician. He was the leading medical authority of that early day. His house and office stood on the east side of Diamond Square. Dr. Bedford, his instructor and partner, came to Pittsburgh, a surgeon in the British army. He is represented as having been well educated and of polished manners, but very dressy, wearing ruffled shirt fronts and wrist bands. Dr. Peter Mowry married Elizabeth Grey. Two of his sons, William and Bedford, became physicians, but died in early life.
DR. CHARLES BEDFORD MOWRY, son of Dr. Peter and Elizabeth (Grey) Mowry, married Mary O'Hara.
ELLEN O'HARA MOWRY, daughter of Dr. Charles Bedford and Mary (O'Hara) Mowry, was born May 28, 1820, died June 21, 1904. She married James Pearson Serrill, born February 24, 1810, died May 12, 1889. They were the parents of Jennie Serrili.
JENNIE SERRILL, daughter of James Pearson and Ellen O'Hara (Mowry) Serrill, married Samuel Blair Griffith.
JACOB SERRILL, the great-grandfather of Mrs. Griffith, was the Quaker an- cestor mentioned previously who bore "arms in a martial manner" during the
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GRIFFITH
troublous Revolutionary times. He indeed fought "foes without and foes with- in", and in the battle between love of country and his religious training and profession that he had to fight, a less patriotic man would have taken refuge behind his religion. But those times that indeed "tried men's souls" saw many such inward battles fought and won for patriotic defense against the invader. Jacob Serrill married Hannah Pearson. Their son, George Serrill, married Jane Pearson. James Pearson Serrill, son of George and Jane (Pearson) Ser- rill, married Ellen O'Hara Mowry, the great-granddaughter of Christian Mow- ry, the Revolutionary soldier.
A third line of Revolutionary descent that connects Mrs. Griffith with Rev- olutionary days is the Pearson. James Pearson, great-grandfather, was cap- tain of a company of Philadelphia Artillery. He died in 1813, aged seventy- eight years. He married Susannah Hart. Their daughter, Jane Pearson, mar- ried George Serrill, son of the patriotic "Friend", and they were the parents of James Pearson Serrill, father of Mrs. Samuel B. Griffith.
ELIZABETH WILSON ROBINSON ALLEN
ELIZABETH WILSON ROBINSON (Mrs. Edward Jay Allen) derives membership in the Patriotic Order, Daughters of the American Revolution, from the life and distinguished service of her great-grandfather, William Wilson. His ser- vice was rendered, not on the red field of carnage, but his mission was to pro- tect the frontier settlers from the horrors of Indian warfare threatened through the barbarism of an English governor.
William Wilson was born in Pennsylvania, died in Maryland. In June, 1776, he was appointed an agent of the Continental Congress and entrusted with the mission of proceeding from Fort Pitt, through the hostile wilderness, to the British military post at Fort Detroit. Here he was to meet chiefs of the In- dian tribes and try to induce them to come to Fort Pitt and there meet the rep- resentatives of the Continental Congress and arrange the terms of a treaty which would prevent the Indians from engaging in the wars then on between the Colonies and Great Britain. This treaty was of immediate importance, as the British commandant, Governor Hamilton, had offered a reward for the scalps of every patriotic American settler, and was influencing the Indians against the cause of the Colonies in every possible way, and hoped to bring on a border war. William Wilson was a man of great influence with the Indians, and it was now to be used to avert the threatened atrocities. He met the chiefs and was successful in inducing them to leave Fort Detroit, journey to Fort Pitt, where they made a treaty with Congress, thus preventing a bloody war on the de- fenseless frontier at this time, when it would have been a serious blow to the cause of American Independence. This was the service rendered by William Wilson and its value cannot be overestimated. William Wilson married Eliza- beth Robinson.
DAVID WILSON, son of William and Elizabeth (Robinson) Wilson, died in Al- legheny, Pennsylvania, 1846, and was a carpenter and builder. He married Elizabeth Enoch, born in Wales, died in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, in 1850. There were ten children born of this marriage, all of whom are deceased.
MARY ENOCH WILSON, daughter of David and Elizabeth (Enoch) Wilson, was born near Allegheny, 1815, died in Oil City, Pennsylvania, 1888. She was the eldest daughter of the family and was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. She married William Robinson, in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, about 1835. William Robinson died in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1841. He was a manufacturer of iron railings and kindred foundry specialties in iron. Three children were born to them: William B. Robinson, now of Knoxville, Iowa; John H., deceased, formerly of Oil City, Pennsylvania, and a daughter, Eliza- beth Wilson.
ELIZABETH WILSON ROBINSON, daughter of William and Mary Enoch (Wil- son) Robinson, was born at St. Louis, Missouri, March 8, 1838. She is a member of the Shady Avenue, East End, Pittsburgh, Calvary Protestant Episco-
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ALLEN
pal Church, and of Pittsburgh Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. She married, July 16, 1856, Colonel Edward Jay Allen, and has sons, William H., a dealer in coal properties, married Helen M. Myers, of Harrisburg, Penn- sylvania; Edward H., of Chicago, Illinois; Harold, a lawyer of Pittsburgh; and daughters Edna J. (Mrs. André I. Rickmers), and Mary L.
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