USA > Pennsylvania > Fayette County > Genealogical and personal history of Fayette county, Pennsylvania > Part 4
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Sarah, deceased, married (first) Andrew Work, ( second ) James Middleton ; Clarissa, of previous mention, widow of Squire Edwards. Henry Leighty died in 1844, aged sixty-two years. His widow married (third) George Boyer and lived near Dunbar, Pennsylvania, on a small farm. She had no issue by this marriage and died in 1882, aged nearly eighty- two years. Children of Squire and Clarissa Edwards: 1. John, an undertaker and furniture dealers of Vanderbilt, Fayette county, Penn- sylvania. 2. Margaret, married Joseph G. Strickler, both deceased. 3. Elizabeth, died in infancy. 4. George, deceased. 5. Frank, re- sides in Vanderbilt and is foreman on the Pitts- burgh & Lake Erie railroad. 6. Alvin C., of whom further. 7. Zella, married Alfred W. Hair and resides in Franklin township, Fay- ette county. 8. Ada, a school teacher, making her home with her mother. 9. Clara, a stenog- rapher, also living at home. 10. Robert, died in infancy.
(III) Alvin C., son of Squire and Clarissa (I.eighty) Edwards, was born in Dunbar town- ship, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, July 10, 1868. He grew to manhood on the home farm, and received his education in the public schools. He devoted his entire life to farming, but did not become a landowner until 1908, when he purchased a farm of about one hundred and thirty-two acres, his present home, which he had rented for many years. On his farm is a valued sand deposit, from which he ships many carloads of sand annually. He is a di- rector of the Union National Bank of Connells- ville and a capable and successful business man. He is a public-spirited citizen, extremely generous, and of a quiet, contented spirit, en- joying the company of his books, and of an intelligent and genial disposition. He is a Democrat, and a member of the Presbyterian church, his wife of the Methodist Episcopal church. He married, February 21, 1895, Bird C., daughter of Samuel Crossland. Children : Samuel C., born May 14, 1896; Eliza C., Au- gust, 1898; Mary Frances, September, 1907.
The Finleys of Fayette county, FINLEY Pennsylvania, descend from a Scotch ancestor, Michael Fin- ley, born in Scotland, or possibly Ireland, of Scotch parents, in the decade 1680-1690. He lived in county Armagh, Ireland, from whence he emigrated to America, landing at Philadel-
phia, Pennsylvania, September 28, 1734, with wife and seven sons (possibly eight). He first settled on Neshaminy creek, in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, afterwards in New Jersey, and later in Sadsbury township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, where he lived from 1737 to 1747. Children, all born in Armagh, Ireland : I. John, was killed by Indians in Lurgan town- ship, Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, where he settled before 1744; married Martha Berk- ley and had issue; his descendants are found South and West. 2. Samuel, D.D., LL.D., born 1715, died in Philadelphia, July 17, 1766; he was president of Princeton College, 1761- 66, a man of deep learning and a powerful preacher, an ordained minister of the Presby- terian church. He married (first), September 26, 1744, Sarah Hall, born 1728, died July 30, 1760; married (second), Ann, daughter of Matthew Clarkson, of Philadelphia; left issue by both marriages. 3. William, died 1800; a farmer of Chester and Adams counties, Penn- sylvania, later of Augusta county, Virginia; married (first) ; (second) Catherine, daughter of Samuel Culbertson, of London Grove township, Chester county, Pennsylvania. 4. Michael (2), a farmer of Chester county, Pennsylvania ; married Ann Lewis ; their eldest son, Joseph Lewis Finley, was lieutenant, cap- tain and major in the revolution. 5. Rev. James, of whom further. 6. Clements, born March, 1735, died August 1I, 1775, in South Huntington township, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania ; married, January 12, 1761, Eliz- abeth Carnahan, and left issue. There is some doubt as to whether Clements was a son of Michael, or a grandson, and son of John Fin- ley. The strongest inference is as given. Of the other children of Michael Finley there is no record.
(II) The Finleys of Fayette county descend through Rev. James Finley, fifth son of Mi- chael Finley. He was born in county Armagh, Ireland, February, 1725, died in Rostraver township, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, January 6, 1795. He came to America with his father and brothers in 1734. He received a good education and became a regularly or- dained minister of the Presbyterian church, and was for many years pastor of the East Not- tingham church, Cecil county, Maryland, East- ern Shore, 1752-83, and of Rehoboth and Round Hill churches, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, 1783-95. He played an import-
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ant part in the early settlement of Fayette county, Pennsylvania, particularly in Redstone township, where he was the first of the family to arrive in 1765. He made a wide circuit through the county, preaching here and there, but on the lookout for a good location. He is said to have been the first minister of the Gos- pel (except army chaplains) who ever pene- trated Western Pennsylvania. He tarried about a month on his first visit, then returned to his church in Maryland, but came again in 1767 and again in 1771, each time on a preaching mission. His first favorable opinion of the country was confirmed by each succeeding visit, and in 1771 he made a large purchase of land on Dunlap's creek, within the present limits of the townships of German, Redstone and Menallen. He returned east and in 1772 came again, bringing his fourteen-year-old son Ebenezer ; a farm hand, Samuel Finley (not a relative), and several negro slaves. Rev. James was at no time an actual settler of Fayette county, but his son Ebenezer always remained and was the real pioneer Finley. Rev. James Finley was regularly settled pastor of Rehoboth church, in Westmoreland county, Pennsyl- vania, in 1783, continuing until his death in 1795. It is worthy of remark that from his first coming in 1765 until 1783, thirty-four families connected with his church in Cecil county, Maryland, removed to Western Penn- sylvania. These families scattered and were the nucleus from which later sprang Presby- terian churches at Chartiers, Cross Creek, Rehoboth, Laurel Hill and Dunlap's Creek. Of the thirty-four families named, twenty- two of the heads of these became ruling el- ders of the churches named, at their organ- izations.
Rev. James Finley married, in 1752, Hannah Evans, born 1715, died April 1, 1795, daugh- ter of Robert Evans. Children: 1. Rev. John Evans, born July 6, 1753, died in Ohio, after 1813; he was pastor of Faggs Manor Church, 1781-93, removed to Bracken, Mason county, Kentucky, thence to Red Oak, Ohio; married a daughter of Job Ruston, of Chester county. 2. Samuel Robert, born December 19, 1754. died October 25, 1839. 3. Margaret, born Sep- tember 5, 1756, died May 10, 1836; married Colonel John Power, of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. 4. Ebenezer, of whom further. 5. Hannah, born June 20, 1764, died- before 1820; married John Robinson. 6. Joseph, born
December 13, 1766, died June 3, 1860; married (first), a Miss Veech, (second) Frances Moore. 7. James, born January 14, 1769, died November 17, 1772. 8. William, June 10, 1772, died August 20, 1857 ; married (first) Sarah Patterson, (second) Margaret Wilson. 9. Michael, born March 24, 1774, died July 29, 1850; married (first) Eleanor Elliot, (second) Mrs. Mary Plumer Smith.
(III) Ebenezer, third son and fourth child of Rev. James and Hannah (Evans) Finley, was born in Cecil county, Maryland, December 30, 1758, died January 18, 1849. He came to Fayette county with his father in 1772 and set- tled on lands in Redstone township, purchased by his father in 1771. Ebenezer was a daring, hardy lad, and amidst his pioneer surroundings rapidly developed stature and strength. Sam- uel Finley, who came at the same time, but not a relative, was in charge of the farm, aided by his negro slaves brought from Maryland. Sam- uel was drafted for militia duty, but Ebenezer was allowed to go as his substitute. While at Fort Wallace a rider brought news of the ap- proach of Indians. Young Finley was one of the party of twenty men who left the fort, and soon came upon a large body of Indians before whom they retreated, keeping up a running fight. Finley's gun would not go off, and in stopping to fix it he fell behind the others. An Indian with a leveled gun was about to shoot him, when a settler's shot struck him. Finley ran, closely pursued, and soon caught up with the hindmost man, who received the toma- hawk, intended for Finley, in the back of his head. Close pressed, but protected by the fire of a comrade, he safely crossed the bridge and reached the fort. A remarkable case of pre- monition or telepathy, or call it as one may, must here be recorded: During young Finley's running fight and narrow escapes, just men- tioned, his father, Rev. James Finley, three hundred miles away, had a strange and unde- finable impression that his son was in great danger, but could form no distinct conception of its nature or cause. He fell to his knees and spent a long time in earnest prayer for his son, arising with the comfortable feeling that the danger was past. He made a note of the time, and when a few weeks later he received a letter from his son giving an account of his narrow escapes from death, he saw that the time cor- responded exactly with his own strange experi- ence. Rev. Finley was a man of absolute truth
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-the reader must settle for himself what was the cause of this wireless intercourse between father and son and separated by three hundred miles of space.
Ebenezer Finley grew to be a man of im- portance in his community. His home was in Redstone, on Dunlap's creek, where at an early day he erected a grist mill and a saw mill. He married four wives, and all rest in Dunlaps' Creek churchyard. He died January 1, 1849, aged eighty-eight years. He was an elder of Dunlap's Creek Presbyterian Church for seven- ty years, and for half a century ruling elder. He married (first) Jane Kinkaid, died June 5, 1793, (second) Violet Lowry, died November 11, 1804. (third) Margery Cunningham, born 1770, died January 27, 1822, (fourth) Mrs. Sarah Jones, born September 14, 1769, died January 24, 1848. Children of Ebenezer Finley, by first wife, Jane Kinkaid: I. John Evans, born November, 1783, died March, 1793. 2. James Elliot, born November, 1784, died 1861; a farmer of Menallen township, Fayette county. 3. Elizabeth, born December, 1786, died July, 1860. 4. Joseph, born March 8, 1788, died December, 1848. 5. Hannah, born October, 1791, died March, 1793. Cliil- dren of second wife, Violet Lowry : 6. Rebecca, born October, 1795. 7. Hannah (2), born October 10, 1796. 8. William, born August, 1798; moved to Ohio, where he died, 1865; married Rhoda Harris. 9. Samuel, born July, 1800 ; moved to Ohio, where he died. 10. Jane, born 1802, died August, 1890; married John Hibbs, and lived in Redstone township. II. Ebenezer, born October 24, 1804, and lost his mother the following November II : he was a farmer of Menallen township, Fayette county, died December 28, 1891 ; married, February 9, 1826, Phoebe Wood Ward. Children by third wife, Margery Cunningham: 12. Eli H., born April 6, 1807, died January 7, 1892 ; a farmer of Menallen township; married a Miss Baird. 13. Robert, of whom further. 14. Margaret, born November 20, 1810.
(IV) Robert, thirteenth child of Ebenezer Finley, and second child by his third wife, Mar- gery Cunningham, was born in Redstone town- ship, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, April 4, 1809, died October 7, 1874. He was educated in the public schools and grew to manhood at the home farm. He became a farmer on his own account, owning three hundred and twelve acres of good land, well stocked and improved.
He was a man of industry and strictly tem- perate, having little patience with tipplers, lag- gards or spendthrifts. He was a successful business man, but very quiet and peaceful. He was a Republican in politics, serving as school director. He was a member of the Dunlap's Creek Presbyterian church, as was his wife. He served the church in Redstone as trustee and was very active in church work. For forty-five years he was a member and for thirty-five years a trustee. He was broad- minded and charitable, a judicious counsellor and a genial companion. His hospitality was proverbial, and his friends were legion. He married (first), January 23, 1833, Catherine Carothers, who died June 19, 1842: (second) May 13, 1845. Anna, daughter of Samuel and Margaret Herford, both born in Fayette coun- try, but lived all their lives in Luzerne town- ship, where they owned a good farm; they were members of the Methodist Episcopal church; their children: I. Thomas, moved to Illinois. 2. William, lived in Luzerne town- ship, but in old age moved to Brownsville, Pennsylvania. 3. Lawrence, moved to Ohio. 4. Naomi, married Thomas Dunaway, and moved to Ottawa, Illinois. 5. Mary, married a Lawrence, and moved to Iowa. 6. Anna (of previous mention ).
Children of Robert Finley and his first wife, Catherine Carothers: 1. Ruth, born March 13, 1834, died June 9, 1842. 2. Mary Margery, born October 25, 1835, died March 26, 1902; married Jeremiah Baird; eleven children. 3. Samuel E., born March 15, 1838; married Sarah Burchinal. 4. Ebenezer, born Septem- ber 6, 1841, died November 1, 1842. 5. Cath- erine, died June 9, 1842. Children by second wife, Anna Herford : 6. William Herford, died young. 7. Thomas W., born June 18, 1848; married, August 28, 1884, Jennie Smiley ; he lives on the old Finley homestead. 8. John E .. of whom further. 9. Margaret E., born March 29, 1851 ; married James G. Wilson. 10. Na- omi, born February 11, 1852, died August 1, 1852.
(V) John E., son of Robert Finley and his second wife, Anna Herford, was born in Red- stone township, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, September 23, 1849. He attended the Pleas- ant Valley subscription school. and spent four years in attendance at Merrittstown Academy in Luzerne township, riding three miles to school every day. He then became his father's
"/ " Elliott . Finley 1
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farm assistant, continuing until the death of the latter in 1874. He then purchased one hundred and fifty-seven acres of the old William Stone farm in Menallen township, on which the Stone tannery was located. The farm was un- derlaid with the Pittsburgh nine-foot coal vein, and Mr. Finley disposed of several acres of the coal, only receiving therefor $1,000 per acre. He has continued the cultivation and improvement of his farm all through life, and still makes it his home and chief business con- cern. He is a Republican in politics, but has never sought or held public office. Mr. Finley is an elder of the Second Presbyterian Church of Uniontown, his wife also being a communi- cant of the same church. He has also been connected for several years with the Patrons of Husbandry, an order that has greatly benefited the agriculturist in many ways.
He married, September 23, 1873, Josephine Hazlett, born in Franklin township, Washing- ton county, Pennsylvania, October 1, 1846, daughter of Samuel (2) and Jemima (Condit) Hazlett, both born in Washington county ; her father was son of Samuel (1) Hazlett, born in Ireland, emigrated to the United States and settled in Washington county. Samuel (2) Hazlett was the owner of a good farm of one hundred and ninety-six acres in Washington county, which he cultivated until death. He was a Democrat in politics, and a Presbyterian of the most rigid type. His wife Jemima was a daughter of Isaac Condit, and of Irish de- scent. Children of first wife: Eliza, Ann, William, Elizabeth, Caroline and Charlotte, all deceased. Children of his second wife: Samuel J., deceased, a farmer on the old Washington county homestead; Dr. I. C., now of California; John M., deceased, a soldier of the civil war, enlisted in Company K, Sixteenth Regiment, Pennsylvania Cavalry, saw hard service, and was in many of the famous battles of the war, including Gettys- burg; Josephine (of previous mention) ; James K., now manager of a company farm near Jeannette, Pennsylvania: Ruth E., now residing with her sister Josephine.
Children of John E. and Josephine ( Hazlett) Finley : 1. Winona B., born May 16, 1876; married Thomas Holland, a civil engineer of Uniontown, in the employ of the H. C. Frick Company ; children : Wilbur F. and Rosa L. 2. Anna Myrtle, born June 7. 1878; resides with her parents at the home farm.
For complete early history of FINLEY this fine old Scotch-Irish and early Fayette county family, see sketch of John E. Finley in this work. The line of descent from Michael Finley, the emi- grant ancestor, is through his fifth son, Rev. James Finley, whose third son, Ebenezer, mar- ried (third) Margery Cunningham. Ebenezer Finley had by his first three wives fourteen children, of whom Eli H. was the twelfth, and first of the three borne by his third wife. His full brother, Robert Finley, is recorded at length in sketch mentioned.
(IV) Eli H., eldest son of Ebenezer Finley and his third wife, Margery Cunningham, was born in Redstone township, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, April 6, 1807, died January 7, 1892. He grew to manhood at the home farm and received the usual education of a farmer boy of that period. After arriving at manhood he settled in Menallen township, Fayette coun- ty, where he purchased and cultivated a farm the remainder of his days. He was energetic and capable, conducting his farm operations successfully. He was quiet and retiring in dis- position and was held in high esteem among his neighbors. He and wife were members of the Presbyterian church. He married Maria. daughter of Aaron Baird. Children: 1. Mar- garet, married Jefferson Burnett and moved to Iowa, where both died. 2. Mary, married James Corder and moved to Illinois, where both died. 3. Fairmine, married J. P. Brown, whom she survives, a resident of New Salem, Penn- sylvania. 4. Anna, married Jacob Brown; he lives in New Salem, she is deceased. 5. Dr. Robert E. was a dentist of Coshocton, Ohio ; died December 31, 1903. 6. William E., of whom further.
(V) William Elliott, youngest son of Eli H. and Maria ( Baird) Finley, was born in Men- allen township, Fayette county, Pennsylvania. April 7, 1843, died March II, 1905. He was educated in the public school and remained at the home farm until his departure for the front during the civil war. He enlisted in August. 1861, in Company I, Eighty-fifth Regiment. Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, serving three years and four months, when he re- ceived his honorable discharge. He was severely wounded at the battle of Fair Oaks and was confined in the hospital at Philadelphia for three months before he was able to rejoin his regiment. After
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the war he returned to Fayette county and for seventeen years thereafter he cultivated his father's farm.
Immediately after the sale of the farm and the erection of the Buffington Works thereon, he moved to Uniontown, where he engaged in teaming very successfully until his death. He was a man of high standing in his community, faithful and upright in all his business engage- ments and highly esteemed. He was a Repub- lican in politics and served as assessor and borough auditor. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and of the Pres- byterian church.
He married, April 6, 1870, Mrs. Rachel C. (Moore) Sharpnack, born in German town- ship, Fayette county, daughter of Abraham Moore and widow of Jasper N. Sharpnack. She is a great-granddaughter of Captain Cowan, an officer in the revolution. She is also a great-granddaughter of Captain John Moore, and his wife Margaret (Colvin) Moore, who came from Maryland in 1765 and settled in Redstone township, Fayette county, on a tract yet owned in the Moore family. Aaron, son of Captain John Moore, married Mary Haney and had: John, William, Abraham, Margaret and Mary. Abraham, son of Aaron Moore, was born in Fayette county, May 17, 1823, died August 28, 1902. He was a farmer of Fayette county and a man highly esteemed. He mar- ried Adeline McClean, born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, April 2, 1823, died De- cember 24, 1894, daughter of John and Rachel (Cowan) McClean, old settlers of West-
was one of a moreland county. She
family of eight children: Gibson, Samuel, William, Thomas, Mary, Isabel, Adeline and Rachel. Children of Abraham and Adeline (McClean) Moore: John Seymour, a farmer of German township; Aaron, deceased, and Rachel C. (see forward).
Rachel C., daughter of Abraham Moore, married (first), October 1, 1868, Jasper N. Sharpnack, born in Fayette county, son of John and Sarah Sharpnack. On October 12, just twelve days after his marriage, he was drowned. She married (second) William El- liott Finley, of previous mention. She is a member of the Presbyterian church and since she became a widow has resided at her home No. 64 South Mount Vernon avenue, Union- town.
This old Fayette county family RICHEY is of Scotch-Irish descent. The first of whom we have record is James Richey, who is named on a list of early Connellsville occupations as a "forge carpen- ter." He was a flat boat builder, a thriving industry in the early days. It was commenced by the westward bound emigrants and traders, who coming across the Alleghenies and over the state road, striking the river at Connells- ville, found it a cheaper and easier means of transporting their household goods and mer- chandise. In the succeeding years it was pros- ecuted as a regular business by enterprising business men of the town, the Richeys, Millers and Whites building flat boats that carried the pig iron stacked along the banks of the Youghi- ogheny and floating it down to Pittsburgh and other river points. He continued in active busi- ness until compelled to desist by old age.
He married a Miss Sherbondy and had sons: John, David, Hunter, Andrew F., colonel of a militia regiment raised to resist invasion dur- ing the civil war. He early settled in West Virginia and at the opening of the civil war purchased the Fairmont Virginian, a most pro- nounced southern paper, changed its name to the Fairmont National and edited it as the first and only Republican paper in this country. He was a member of the first convention called to divide the state of Virginia. and was so useful and influential that at his death, November 21, 1867, it was said in the Wheeling Intelligencer : "No man in West Virginia will be more widely missed or made greater sacrifice for the cause which he espoused." He married Laverna P. Barnus and left issue.
(II) David, second son of James Richey, was born in 1809 in Connellsville, Pennsyl- vania. He was a mine worker and lived in Al- legheny, Westmoreland and Fayette counties. He was a Democrat and a Baptist. He mar- ried Sophia Eicher, born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, daughter of John Eicher, a farmer of that county. Children of David Richey : Hiram; John J .. of whom further ; Mary, married James Latimer, of Fayette county : Margaret Jane, married James Echard, of Connellsville; Joseph, of near Connellsville ; Francis Marion, a carpenter of near Pennsville, Fayette county ; James and Maria, both died in infancy.
(III) John J., second son of David and So- phia (Eicher) Richey, was born in Connells-
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ville, Pennsylvania, March 4, 1839. He was educated in the public school, and in early life lived principally on a farm. He continued farming as an occupation, working for others until 1887, when he bought a farm of one hun- dred and twenty-eight acres in Bullskin town- ship, upon which he has since successfully con- ducted a line of general farming. In politics he is a Democrat and active in township af- fairs, having served as road supervisor for seven years and as school director. He enlist- ed, in 1862, in Company F, 168th Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry, for nine months, at the expiration of which time he was honorably dis- charged.
He married (first) Melvina Hutchinson, born in Fayette county, daughter of William Hutchinson, an old settler of the county. He married (second) a widow, Mrs. Christina (Rist) Sharp, died in 1900, daughter of Peter and Sarah (Galley) Rist. Children of first wife: I. Melvina, resides in Pittsburgh, un- married. 2. David, a farmer of Fayette coun- ty, married Catherine Cable. 3. Joseph, a pipe fitter of Pittsburgh, married Carrie Dethorn. 4. Annie, married Robert Harbuck and lives in Pittsburgh. 5. Lindley, married Iva Sanders and lives in Fayette county. 6. Sophia Alice, married Guy Bogardus, a Baltimore and Ohio engineer, resides in Pittsburgh. 7. Margaret, died in infancy. Children of second wife: 8. Charles, married Myrtle Jouthers and lives in Connellsville, where he is a motorman on the street railway. 9. Frank, a farmer, married Winifred Bell, deceased. 10. Ewing Porter, a street car conductor, married Lottie Cooper and lives in Connellsville. II. Cora, resides at home.
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