Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/938

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��BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES:

��number of years ; he is now the owner of a farm on which he resides. His brother John is a farmer and resides in Kansas. His sisters and other brothers died while young, in Pennsylvania. William B., eldest son of Israel and Sarah J. McCoy, was born Dec. 29, 1858 ; he is married and resides on a farm in Knox Co. Jason B., their second son, born in April, 1860, is attending college at Ashland, Ohio. Floras B., their eldest daughter, born in May, 18G2, died in her 2d year. May and Willie, their two youngest, are twins ; one of them lives with her father, and the other was taken soon after her mother's death, into the family of William Dickison of Crawford Co., where she still resides

McCLELLAN, WILLIAM, farmer ; P. 0. Butler ; he was born in Westmoreland Co., Penn., April 23, 1818; he came to this State in 1824, and to the county in 1826. He married Nancy Simmons June 11, 1840; Mr. McClellan has had fourteen children ; he rented for several years after his marriage ; in 1853, he purchased 80 acres in Sec. 29, of John Wilson, for .$1,000 ; owned it for eight years and sold it to Daniel Fox for $1,800 ; bought 5 acres in Sec. 21, sold, and bought 60 acres in Sec. 28 for $1,200, sold for $2,400 ; bought 40 acres of the old homestead for §900, and traded for 10 acres north of Independence ; bought 70 acres in Pike Town- ship. Knox Co., sold, and bought 1 10 acres of William Ross for |5,525, and sold at a loss, then bought in Inde- pendence ; he has been a member of the Presbyterian Church twenty-four years, also belongs to the Clear Fork Grange, No. 255, and to the Sons of Temperance; he was Constable and Township Assessor two years ; his wife died April 22, 1872 : he has since married. His father, David McClellan, was born in 1790, the year William McClellan, Sr., David's father, came to America; William, Sr., entered 60 acres of land in Pennsylvania, Fairfield Township, Westmoreland Co. He was born in Cork, Ireland ; he was the father of nine boys and three girls ; he and wife died about 1826 or 1827 ; Mrs. McClellan' s father, Andrew Hazelette, was born near Old Philadelphia ; married Ruth Adams ; she raised five sons and four daughters ; she died in 1820. He was again married, and had three daughters ; he was the owner of 70 or 80 acres of land, served in the United States Cavalry during the Revolutionary war, and died about 1830; David McClellan's father was a farmer, he married Rebecca Hazelette in 1815 ; came to Ohio in 1824, and in 1826 to Richland Co. ; was a soldier in 1812 ; and was the father of three sons and three daughters ; he died Oct. 8, 1862. His wife died Feb. 5, 1867. During life, he entered 80 acres in Sec. 15. He and his wife were members of the Presbyter- ian Church.

McCURDEY, ANN; P. 0. Perryville. This benevo- lent lady was born in Carroll Co., Md., Jan. 17, 1808 ; her grandfather on her mother's side was a Roman Catholic ; he was married to a Protestant girl, and en- tered the army during the struggle for American inde- pendence ; was in several bloody engagements, but never returned to his home ; is supposed to have been killed in battle ; his wife lived to be 96 years of age. Her father was a farmer ; his name was Busbey ; he died at 30 years of age, when Ann was but 1 year old. She came to Ohio in her 16th year; was married to

��Thomas McBride in her 20th year, A. D. 1828, by whom she had four children — Rebecca (now Rebecca Deen), Hugh McB., Elizabeth (widow of the late Wm. Darling), John McBride. After eleven years of wedded life, death called the husband and father hence, leaving the widow with the care of a young family. After re- maining his widow eleven years, she was again mar- ried, April 11, 1850, to James McCurdey, with whom she lived ten years, when she again became a widow. James McC. was born in the State of Pennsylvania, 1791 ; he came to Worthington Township at an early day, and entered 160 acres of land in Sec. 12. Was married to Sarah McKonkie, who was born in 1796, by whom he had one son and two daughters ; she died Dec. 24, 1844, having lived twenty-nine years after her marriage. Mr. McCurdey was one of the early settlers of the county ; it cannot be ascertained when he came here, but there were but few settlers in the township ; the land was covered with timber, which required an immense amount of hard labor to clear away ; they then had but few tools, and they were often of an inferior quality ; fire was often used, but it was more often a source of mischief than benefit. The Widow McCurdey is spending the remaining years of her life on a pai't of the old homestead, which is farmed by .John Coe ; she lives all alone, preferring solitude, where she can think of the past, and of the future life that is soon to be to her a haven of rest.

McCURDEY, ROBERT, farmer and stock-raiser ; P. 0. Perryville. Robert McCurdy's great grandpar- ents emigrated from Ireland about the year 1760, the present generation being of Scotch-Irish descent ; his grandfather was born in Westmoreland Co., Penn., June 4, 1768 ; was married to Elizabeth McKelvey March 30, 1790, by whom he had three sons and six daughters; he owned 150 acres of fine land which ha sold, and cameto Richland Co. in 1824; he and the entire family belonged to the Presbyterian Church ; he held numerous prominent offices in his native State, and died in Richland Co. July 24, 1839. Wm. McCurdey, the father of Robert and .John, was born Dec. 12, 1794; he was married to Elizabeth McKelvey Nov. 5, 1817, who was born in 1791 ; the result of this marriage was two sons and three daughters ; his wife had three broth- ers, all of whom were in the battle of Brandywine and numerous other engagements ; one of them, Will- iam INIcKelvey by name, held a Captain's and, perhaps, afterward a Colonel's commission ; once when out with his comrades on a foraging expedition, they were sur- prised by a superior force of the enemy ; thinking dis- cretion the better part of valor, they fled ; the British pursued with bayonet fixed, and this Captain, to avoid his enemies, ran under some low trees, where his cap caught in the limb; he ran a few steps but could not bear the idea of losing it ; turning quickly, he snatched it from the bush just as a powerful soldier was about to claim it ; his treasure secure, he lost no time in re- gaining his camp ; but when he came to look at the cap he found it was not of much service, being pierced by nine musket balls. William M-cCurdey was a farmer, and the owner of 200 acres of land, previous to his to his death ; his family belonged to the Lutheran and Presbyterian Churches ; his wife died April 21, 1832 ; he survived her until Sept. 16, 1867. His son Robert

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