Alexander family records : an account of the first American settlers and colonial families of the name of Alexander, and other genealogical and historical data, mostly new and original material, including early wills and marriages heretofore unpublished

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ALEXANDER FAMILY
RECORDS.

An Account of the First American Settlers
and Colonial Families of the Name of
Alexander, and Other Genealogical and
Historical Data, Mostly New and
Original Material Including
Early Wills and Mar-
riages Heretofore
Unpublished

BY

WILLIAM M. CLEMENS

W I

Limited Edition.

1914

NEW YORK

WILLIAM M. CLEMENS

Publisher
45 and 49 William Street

ALEXANDER FAMILY RECORDS.

CONTAINING

The Alexanders of Scotland.
Early American Colonists.
Royal Descent of the Alexanders.
The Virginia Family.
Virginia Wills.
Marriages in Virginia.
The Connecticut Family.
Boston Alexanders.
The Maine Family.
Ehode Island Alexanders.
New-. S$rk\u9L frKe { Revolution.
Pennsylvania Muster tolls'.
Members of Congress. :

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THE ALEXANDER FAMILY.

Among the early colonists, the Alexander fam-
ily was conspicuous for worth, ability and service
toward the progress and establishment of the
nation. The history of the family is necessarily
brief.

1. John, Lord of the Isles — Margaret, daugh-
ter of Eobert II, King of Scotland. From this
marriage are descended all of the Alexanders.
Their third son, named Alexander, had issue,
Alexander, second son, who married, 1480, and his
son, Thomas obtained "Menstrie," 1505.

Andrew Alexander, son of Thomas of "Men-
strie," — Catharine Graham, 1500, and had Alex-
ander, who married Elizabeth Douglas, and their
youngest son, Andrew, succeeded to "Menstrie,"
1544. His son, Alexander of Menstrie — Eliza-
beth Forges. Their eldest son was William
Alexander of "Menstrie," whose eldest son —
Marion Contee, 1567, and their only son, William,
Lord of Stirling — Janet Erskine. Their son,
John Alexander, was the emigrant to Virginia,
1659.

This complete Scotch history is taken from the
"House of Alexander," a rare old Scotch book,
down to the advent of John Alexander in Vir-

3

4 ALEXANDER FAMILY

ginia, who purchased all of the land lying between
"Hunting Creek" in the South, and the little
falls of the Potomac on the North, including the
sites of Hunting Creek Warehouse and Arlington.

William Alexander, of Menstrie, bore for arms
per pale ar. and sa. a chev. and in base a crescent,
all counter charged, quartering McDonald. Crest
— a bear sejant, erect ppr. Motto:" Per mare,
per terras." Arms of Alexander of Menstrie,
first Earl of Stirling, from whom the Virginia
family is deduced. He was born 1850, died in
London, 1640; knighted, 1613; created Earl of
Stirling, 1633.

For the purpose of encouraging the formation
of settlements in Canada, Charles I founded the
"Order of Nova Scotia Baronets" in Scotland,
and Sir William Stirling was created Viscount
Canada, and made Secretary of State for
Scotland.

Sir William Alexander was a poet of some
merit. His son, William, married and died, 1638
(in the lifetime of his father), leaving in infant,
who became the second Earl of Stirling, but dying
in 1640, the title passed to his uncle, Sir Anthony
Alexander, third Earl of Stirling, who, dying
without an heir, the title passed to his brother, Sir
Henry, fourth Earl of Stirling, in whose family
it remained until it passed to the descendants of
his brother, John, who had emigrated to America
and died, 1667. His son,

ALEXANDER FAMILY 5

John Alexander married Miss Grahame, sold
his home, Gartmore, in Scotland, emigrated to
America, 1660, and settled in Stafford county,
Virginia. His son,

John Alexander, called Capt. John Alexander,
probably came over with his father, and obtained
Howson's patent in 1669, which embraced all the
land from ''Great Falls of the Potomac to Great
Hunting Creek." He married, had two sons, the
11 eldest sonne and heire,"

Robert Alexander, married Frances, daughter
of Charles Ashton, will probated 1704. Their
son,

Robert Alexander, born 1688, died 1735, mar-
ried Ann (daughter of Col. Gerard Fowke, of
Maryland). Issue: John, Gerard, Sarah and
Parthenia. (Will on record).

Gerard Alexander, son of Robert and Ann
Fowkes, died 1761, married Mary Dent. In will
proved in Halifax, names wife, Mary, daughter,
Nancy, sons, Robert, Philip, George, Gerard, and
daughter, Mary Ann.

George Dent Alexander died without issue.
Gerard married Elizabeth Ashton, daughter of
Col. William Alexander, of Effingham, and wife,

Massey; Nancy married Fielding,

eldest son of Col. Fielding Lewis and wife, Betty
Washington, sister of President George Wash-
ington. The will of George Dent Alexander, who
died without issue, shows legacies left to the sons

6 ALEXANDER FAMILY

of Fielding Lewis (his nephews).

Nancy Alexander married Fielding, son of Col.
Fielding Lewis and Betty Washington, and had
children: John, George, Charles, Robert, Eliza-
beth, Catharine, Nancy and Lucinda.

The Royal descent of the Alexander family is
as follows:

Robert Bruce, King of Scotland, married

Lady Isabel, daughter of

Donald, Earl of Mar, and had :

Princess Mary Bruce, who married

Walter, Lord High Steward of England, and
had:

Robert II, King of Scotland, who married

Lady Elizabeth Muir, and had:

Princess Catharine Stewart, who married
Sir David Lindsay, Earl of Crawford, and had :

Lady Margery Lindsay, who married

Sir William Douglas, of Lochleven, and had :

Sir Henry Douglas, who married

Lady Elizabeth Erskine, and had :

Robert Douglas, who married Margaret Bal-
four, had:

Lord Thomas Douglas, who married

Lady Elizabeth, daughter of

Archibald Boyd (son of Lord Robert Boyd, who
was Regent of Scotland, 1466). They had:

Lady Elizabeth Douglas, who married

ALEXANDER FAMILY I

Alexander, Alexander of ' * Menstrie, ' ' 1545,

had:

Lord William Alexander, born 1580; knighted
1613 ; died 1640 ; progenitor of the Virginia Alex-
anders

John Alexander, his son, married Miss Graham
Capt. John Alexander left two sons; their son
Robert Alexander, married Frances Ashton,

had:

Robert, born 1618, married Ann Fowke, and

had:

Gerard Alexander, married Mary Dent, and
had:

Nancy Alexander, who married

Fielding Lewis, eldest son of Col. Fielding
Lewis and wife, Betty Washington, sister of
President George Washington.

Archibald Alexander, the Captain in the Sandy
Creek expedition, first sheriff of Rockbridge, Va.,
etc., was born in County Down, Ireland, in 1708,
and there married his cousin, Margaret Parks.
Their oldest child, a daughter, was born in Ireland
in 1735. Coming to America in 1737, he settled
first at Nottingham, Pennsylvania, where four
more children were born, including William, the
oldest son. About the year 1747, the family came
to the Shenandoah Valley and settled in Borden's
Grant, on Timber Ridge. The wife of Captain
Alexander died in 1753. In 1757 he married his

8 ALEXANDEK FAMILY

second wife, Jane McClure. Her children were
five sons and three daughters. Of Archibald
Alexander's children, six sons and six daughters
became heads of families. The names of the sons
were William, Joseph, John, James, Samuel and
Archibald. The son William married Agnes Ann
Eeid, and was the father of ten children, including
the distinguished Rev. Dr. Archibald Alexander.
The oldest daughter, Elizabeth, married John
McClung, and was the mother of Margaret (or
Elizabeth) wife of Robert Tate of Augusta, Judge
William McClung and others. Mary, a daughter
of Captain Alexander's second wife, married
John Trimble, first, and afterwards Lewis Jordan.

The blessing of Abraham descended on Capt.
Alexander. His descendants are almost as count-
less as the stars. They embrace Alexanders,
McClungs, Tates, Stuarts, Paxtons, Moores,
Steeles, Grahams, Campbells, Carutherses,
Turners, Rices, McCrarys, Trimbles, Wilsons,
Cummings, Scotts, Lyles, Doakes, &c, &c.

Robert Alexander, the founder of the first
classical school in Virginia, was a brother of
Captain Archibald Alexander, and preceded the
latter to America. He married in Pennsylvania,
Esther Beard. His children were:

1. William, who died in Rockbridge, in 1829,
leaving children; 2. Robert, who lived in Camp-
bell county, and was the clerk of the county
court for many years, being succeeded in office

ALEXANDER FAMILY V

by his son, and lie by his son, both called Jack
Alexander ; 3. Peter, who, it is believed, went to
the West; 4. Hugh, who died unmarried; 5.
James, who married Peggy Lyle, of Rockbridge,
and removed to Greenbrier; and daughters, Ann,
Esther, Ellen and Sally. The last named was the
second wife of Colonel John Wilson, of Bath
county.

Archibald Alexander, born in April, 1772, seven
miles east of the site of Lexington, Va., was a son
of William Alexander, who was a son of Archi-
bald. Young Alexander was educated at Liberty
Hall, under the Rev. William Graham. When not
yet twenty years of age, he was licensed as a
preacher by Lexington Presbytery, October 1,
1791, at Winchester. He states that among the
hearers of his first sermon after he was licensed,
was General Daniel Morgan. Returning to Lex-
ington late in 1791, he stopped in Staunton.
"The town," he says, "contained no place of
worship but an Episcopal church, which was with-
out a minister. It was proposed that I should
preach in the little Episcopal church; to which I
consented with some trepidation; but when I en-
tered the house in the evening it was crowded,
and all the gentry of the town were out, including
Judge Archibald Stuart," (not then Judge) "who
had known me from a child." In course of time
Dr. Alexander became President of Hampden-
Sidney College. From that position he was
transferred to Philadelphia as pastor of a church

10 ALEXANDEK FAMILY

in that city ; and after a few years was appointed
a professor in the Theological Seminary at
Princeton, New Jersey, where he spent the re-
mainder of his life. He died in 1851. He was a
voluminous author. His wife was a daughter of
the Rev. Dr. James Waddell.

Following are the abstract of wills of Archibald
Alexander's father, Archibald, and also that of his
uncle William Alexander :

ALEXANDER, ARCHIBALD

Rockbridge Co., Va. Will filed Feb. 1, 1780.
s. John Alexander.
s. James Alexander.
s. Samuel Alexander.
s. Archibald Alexander.
s. William Alexander,
d. Jane Alexander.
ALEXANDER, WILLIAM

Rockbridge Co., Va. Will filed June 6, 1797.

wife Nancy.

bro. Archibald Alexander.

bro. Samuel's child.

sister Jean Alexander.

s. Archibald Alexander.

s. Andrew Alexander.

s. John Alexander.

d. Phoebe Alexander.

d. Peggy Alexander.

d. Sally Alexander.

ALEXANDER FAMILY 11

d. Nancy Alexander,
d. Betsy Alexander,
d. Patsy Alexander.
s. in 1. Edward Graham.

Ann Hartley Alexander, wife of Gustavus
Brown Tyler, was the daughter of Eichard Barnes
Alexander, born in Virginia, 1770, died in Ken-
tucky, 1821, and wife, Elizabeth Toye Whiting;
son of John Alexander, born January 15, 1739,
and wife, Elizabeth Barnes; son of John Alex-
ander, born July 26, 1711, died 1764, married
Susanna Pearson, December 31, 1731, born
December 29, 1717, died October 6, 1788 ; daughter
of Simon Pearson, "Gent," son of Robert Alexan-
der, born 1688, died 1735, married Ann Fowke;
son of Robert Alexander, died June, 1704, and
wife Frances; son of John Alexander, Sr., died
1677, of Alexandria, Virginia.
(See William and Mary Quarterly).

Among the marriage records of Virginia, the
following recently discovered, have never before
appeared in print :
ALEXANDER, Andrew and Isabella Paxton,

March 27, 1800, Rockbridge Co., Va.
ALEXANDER, Andrew and Nancy Aylett, May

17, 1803, Rockbridge Co., Va.
ALEXANDER, Archibald and Jane McClure,

1757, Augusta Co., Va.

12 ALEXANDEK FAMILY

ALEXANDER, Archibald and Isbel Patton, by

Rev. John Brown, Dec. 31, 1795, Rockbridge

Co., Va.
ALEXANDER, Cornelius and Jane Weir, March

3, 1785, Rockbridge Co., Va.
ALEXANDER, Eliz. and Samuel Tate, Feb. 1,

1785, Rockbridge Co., Va.
ALEXANDER, Elizabeth and Alexander B.

Stuart, March 20, 1821, Rockbridge Co., Va.
ALEXANDER, James and Martha Tilford, June

17, 1794, Rockbridge Co., Va.
ALEXANDER, James and Peggy Lyle, April 7,

1801, Rockbridge Co., Va.
ALEXANDER, James and Mary Cavin, Oct. 9,

1804, Rockbridge Co., Va.
ALEXANDER, James H. and Nancy McCluer,

April 13, 1820, Rockbridge Co., Va.
ALEXANDER, John and Jenny Ocheltree, Oct. 6,

1803, Rockbridge Co., Va.
ALEXANDER, John and Betsy Reid, Nov. 14,

1815, Rockbridge Co., Va.
ALEXANDER, Joseph R. and Sarah Alexander,

Aug. 3, 1820, Rockbridge Co., Va.
ALEXANDER, Marg't. and Wm. Scott, Nov. 4,

1790, Rockbridge Co., Va.
ALEXANDER, Marg. and Edw. Graham, Dec 31,

1792, Rockbridge Co., Va.
ALEXANDER, Margaret and Samuel W. Lyle,

Nov. 8, 1825, Rockbridge Co., Va.
ALEXANDER, Martha and Benjamin H. Rice,

ALEXANDEK FAMILY

13

Sept. 21, 1814, Rockbridge Co., Va.
ALEXANDER, Mary and Wm. Carson, Aug. 22,

1794, Rockbridge Co., Va.
ALEXANDER, Nancy and William Turner, May

6, 1806, Rockbridge Co., Va.
ALEXANDER, Phoebe and Wm. Caruthers, Nov.

17, 1796, Rockbridge Co., Va.
ALEXANDER, Sally and James McClung, May

23, 1822, Rockbridge Co., Va.
ALEXANDER, Sarah and Dr. Samuel Campbell,

Sept. 9, 1794, Rockbridge Co., Va.
ALEXANDER, Sarah and Joseph R. Alexander,

Aug. 3, 1820, Rockbridge Co., Va.
ALEXANDER, Thos. and Eliz. Buckner, July,

1791, Campbell Co., Va.
ALEXANDER, Wm. and Elizabeth Campbell,

April 11, 1805, Rockbridge Co., Va.
ALEXANDER, William H. and Julia Caruthers,

Jan. 15, 1824, Rockbridge Co., Va.

The John Alexander line of Windsor, Conn.,
from Scotland, prior to 1644, is as follows :

Henry Foster (8) Alexander, born October 24,
1797, died December 17, 1852, son of Ebenezer (7)
Alexander, born April 24, 1765, Winchester, N. H.,
died December 6, 1843, Boston, married June 3,
1788. Rhoda Scott. Ebenezer lived in Winches-
ter and Chesterfield, N. H., until about 1800, when
he removed to Montague, Mass. About 1820 he
removed to Boston. He was son of Asa (6)

14 ALEXANDEK FAMILY

Alexander, born October 17, 1742, Winchester,
N. H., died November 4, 1811, married, November
13, 1762, Mary Bond, served in the French and
Indian War.

Asa (6) Alexander was son of Ebenezer (5)
Alexander, born about 1715, Northfield, Mass.,
died July 29, 1788, married Abigail Rockwood,
lived in Northfield, Mass., and Winchester, N. H.,
served in the French and Indian War.

Ebenezer (5) Alexander was son of Ebenezer
(4) Alexander, born October 17, 1684, died Janu-
ary 22, 1768, married, October 10, 1709, Mehitable
Buck. This Ebenezer Alexander lived in
Wethersfield and Coventry, Conn., and then set-
tled in Northfield, Mass. He was in the Louisburg
expedition in 1745. Was deacon of the Northfield
church for forty years, known as the "fighting
deacon. ' '

John (3) Alexander, born July 25, 1645, Wind-
sor, Conn., died December 31, 1733, Northampton,
Mass., married, November 18, 1671, Sarah Gay-
lord. He lived several years in Northfield, Mass.,
and elsewhere in Massachusetts.

George (2) Alexander, born probably in Scot-
land ; died May 5, 1703, married, March 18, 1644,
Susanna Sage. He resided first in Windsor,
Conn., removing to Northampton, and later to
Northfield.
""His son John, was born in 1645. Daniel, an-
other son, was wounded in King Philip's War.

ALEXANDER FAMILY 15

Another son was Nathaniel of Northampton.

Robert Alexander, of Boston, 1684, was a
Scotchman.

Thomas Alexander, one of Captain Lathrop's
company, called "The Flower of Essex," was
killed in the fight at " Bloody Brook," in 1675.

The Maine branch of the family is descended
from David Alexander, who came to America
from Ulster, Ireland, with a colony of Scotch-
Irish immigrants in 1719. He settled in Top-
sham. He had two sons, William and James.
The eldest, William, was born in Ulster, Ireland,
in 1706. He lived in Harpswell, Maine, where
his house was still standing in 1799. He was a
soldier in the fourth Indian War, 1722-5, and a
member of Captain Adam Hunter's Company, in
the French and Indian War. He married Jennet,
daughter of James Wilson, who came from Ulster,
Ireland, to Topsham, Maine, in 1719. Their son,
David, born at Harpswell in 1737, married Anna,
daughter of Joseph Ewing, who was also
from Ulster, Ireland. Their son, William, of
Brunswick, Maine, was a Revolutionary soldier
in Captain John Roger's Company, 2nd Mass.
Reg't., 1779, and on the U. S. S. "Protector," in
1780. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Wil-
liam Campbell, whose ancestry is traced to
William Campbell, of Campbellstown, Argyle-

16 ALEXANDER FAMILY

shire, Scotland. Their son, Campbell Alexander,
married Margarte Stanwood, a descendant of
Philip Stanwood, who came to New England in
1652.

Descendants of the Alexander family may claim
membership in the patriotic societies, through the
many Revolutionary officers of the name. Among
these are Abram and James, of South Carolina;
Charles, Hezekiah and Elijah of North Carolina;
Archibald, George, George D. and Morgan, of
Virginia; James and Samuel, of Georgia; John,
of Pennsylvania ; Andrew, of Delaware ; Henry, of
Rhode Island ; John, of New Hampshire ; Nathan-
iel and Thomas, of Massachusetts; and Samuel,
of New York.

Living in Boston, Mass., in 1799, were Joseph
Alexander, of Orange Street, and Giles Alexander,
of 52 Long Wharf. The last named was a well
known merchant.

Among the early settlers of Fairfield, New Jer-
sey in 1716, were Francis, James and Samuel
Alexander, of whom little is known.

Samuel Curtis, son of Henry, born in Windsor,
Conn., April 26, 1649, married Sarah Alexander,
daughter of George Alexander, of Northfield,
Mass., July 23, 1678.

ALEXANDER FAMILY 17

Burials are recorded in Stark county, Ohio, as
follows :

Elizabeth, daughter of W. and A. Alexander,
died January 12, 1832, aged 14 years.

Ann, wife of William Alexander, died December
3, 1827, aged 42 years.

In the year 1819, the following Alexanders
resided in Providence, R. I. :
Henry Alexander, constable.
William H. Alexander, accountant.
John Alexander, portrait painter.

Among the Alexander marriages recorded in
New York State is that of Robert Alexander and
Jane Willett, March 5, 1772.

New York Alexanders in the Revolution are
recorded as follows :

Alexander Alexander, Albany Co.
Hugh Alexander, Albany Co.
Jonathan Alexander, State line.
Robert Alexander, Albany Co.
Rufus Alexander, State levies.
Sandy Alexander, Albany Co.

The Pennsylvania Muster Rolls for 1776-1783,
show th following Alexanders :

Samuel Alexander, Oct. 10, 1776, 1st Lieut.
William Alexander, Aug. 1, 1777, gunner.

18 ALEXANDER FAMILY

Alex. Alexander, Oct. 14, 1776, private.

James Alexander, 1783, Northumberland Co.,
private.

William Alexander, 1781, Westmoreland Co.,
private.

William Alexander, 1780, Bedford Co., private.

Robert Alexander, 1781, Bedford Co., private.

Hugh Alexander, 1781, Bedford Co., private.

James Alexander, 1781, Bedford Co., private.

William Alexander, 1782, Cumberland Co.,
private.

Samuel Alexander, 1782, Cumberland Co.,
private.

David Alexander, 1782, Bedford Co., private.

Francis Alexander, 1782, Cumberland Co.,
private.

The following Alexanders have been members

of Congress since 1776:

ALEXANDER, Adam R., a representative from
Tennessee, in 1823, died in Jackson, Tenn.

ALEXANDER, Armstead M., a representative
from Missouri, in 1883, died in Paris, Mo.,
Nov. 7, 1892.

ALEXANDER, De Alva Stanwood, a representa-
tive from New York, in 1897, born in Rich-
mond, Me., July 17, 1846.

ALEXANDER, Evans, a representative from
North Carolina, in 1806, died Oct. 28, 1809.

ALEXANDER, Henry Porteus, a representative

ALEXANDER FAMILY 19

from New York, in 1849, died in Little Falls,
N. Y., Feb. 22, 1867.

ALEXANDER, James, Jr., a representative
from Ohio, 1837; native of Maryland, died
in St. Clairsville, Ohio, Augnst 6, 1846.

ALEXANDER, John, a representative from
Ohio, in 1813.

ALEXANDER, Joshua Willis, a representative
from Missouri, in 1907, born in Cincinnati,
Ohio, Jan. 22, 1852.

ALEXANDER, Mark, a representative from Vir-
ginia, in 1819, born in Mecklenburg county,
Va., Feb. 7, 1792, died in Scotland Neck,
Halifax County, N. C, Oct. 7, 1883.

ALEXANDER, Nathaniel, a representative from
North Carolina, in 1805, born in Mecklen-
burg county, N. C, March 5, 1756, died in
Salisbury, N. C, March 8, 1808.

ALEXANDER, Robert, a delegate from Mary-
land in 1775.

ALEXANDER, Sydenham Benoni, a representa-
tive from North Carolina, in 1891, born in
Mecklenburg county, N. C, Dec. 8, 1840.

Stephen Alexander was born at Schenectady,
New York in 1806, and died in 1883. He was
appointed adjunct professor of mathematics in
the College of New Jersey in 1834, and professor
of astronomy on the creation of the Chair in 1840.
In 1845 he was transferred to the professorship

20 ALEXANDEK FAMILY

of mathematics, which he exchanged again for
the professorship of mechanics and astronomy
in 1854. He retired from this position in 1878.
He was appointed to conduct the expedition to
Labrador to observe the solar eclipse in 1860,
and a similar expedition to the West in 1869.

The following Alexanders are listed as missing
heirs or entitled to estates, by the publisher of
GENEALOGY, 45 William St., New York:

Alexander, James, Detroit, Mich.

Alexander, James, Brooklyn, New York.

Alexander, Matthews, New York, 1869.

Alexander, Samuel, New York.

Alexander, William K., Danville, Virginia,
1875.

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