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Gc  M.  L. 

929.2 
M175m 
1550999 


GENEALOGY  COLLECTION 


/f, 


(S- 


ALLEN  COUNTY  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


[    3  1833  01143  7917 


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in  2010  with  funding  from 

Allen  County  Public  Library  Genealogy  Center 


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ORIGIN  AND  HISTORY 


OF  THE  qJ 


-   I 


MACJ_NNJS_FAMiU': 


WITH    SKETCHES    OF   THE 


Keylor.  Swisher,  Marcbbaok  and  Bryan  Fairjlies. 


Children's  children  are  ihe  crown  of  old  men,  -^"^ 

And  the  glory  of  children  are  their  fathers.  ,  I     '  i> 

— Proverbs  rrii.  6. 


By  JOHN    R.  ^^_EQm^^I^ESS, 

Author  "  Biogbaphy  of  Frances  Slocl'mT*""  Historical  Jouenal,"  etc. 


williamsport,  pa.  : 

Heller  Bros."  Printing  House. 

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I 


The  Long  Ago. 

A  wonderful  stream  is  the  River  Time 
As  it  rtins  tli rough  the  realms  nf  Tears. 

With  a  faultless  rhythm,  and  a  musical  rhyme. 

And  a  broader  sweep,  and  a  surge  sublime, 
As  it  blends  with  the  ocean  of  Years. 

—B.  F.  Taylor. 


The  River. 

Oh,  rugged  nverl  restless  river! 

Kiver  of  years— river  of  tears— 

Thou  river  of  Life  ! 


River  of  gladness!    Yet  o'er  the  blue  of  the  beauti- 
ful sky  floats  a  cloud. 

Oat  nf  whose  fleecy  whiteness  the  Loom  of  Cod 
is  weaving  a  shroud. 

*  *  «  •  « 

And  while  the  waters  glow  and  srlisten. 
And  how  seMom  du  we  listen 

To  the  turning  of  the  ponderous  «  heel  of  Time. 
Over  whose  granite  sides  are  rushing 

The  waves  of  the  river  in  a  symphony  sublime ! 
—Mary  E.  HiU. 


tr~® 


T^^-    !>>! 


#  >/  >i  SV  \"'i      ".    * 


.■:,:  .:.  ti.:A 


.^. 


iV 


:-4^: 


*>^— rib 


A  FEW  WORDS  OF  EXPLANATION. 


WHEN  I  first  conceived  the  idea  of  preparing 
this  Httle  book,  it  was  mj-  intention  to  publish 
nothing  but  a  record  of  my  own  family  and 
of  those  families  which  had  become  connected 
with  it  by  marriage;  but  as  the  work  of  collecting  material 
progressed,  so  many  interesting  facts  relating  to  other  fami- 
lies of  the  same  name  were  developed,  that  it  became  evident 
something  of  the  origin  and  history  of  the  Magennis  line 
should  be  given.  It  was  therefore  decided  to  enlarge  the  tield 
of  investigation  and  gather  what  material  could  be  crowded 
into  the  pages  of  a  small  volume.  This  soon  resulted  in  the 
accumulation  of  much  interesting  family  histor}-  which,  pos- 
sibly, may  prove  of  some  value  to  the  general  reader,  as  well 
as  to  those  bearing  the  name. 

The  date  of  the  origin  of  the  clan  of  Magennis  runs  so  far 
back  that  it  has  almost  become  obscured  by  the  haze  of  an- 
tiquity. Long  before  the  Christian  era,  eight  sons  of  King 
Milesius,  of  Spain,  raised  a  fleet  and  sailed  for  Ireland  for  the 
purpose  of  conquest.  When  about  to  land,  a  storm  arose  and 
dispersed  the  fleet.  Five  of  the  eight  brothers  were  drowned. 
The  saved — Heber,  Heremon  and  Amergin,  and  Heber  Don, 
sou  of  Ir,  (one  of  the  brothers  lost,)  effected  a  landing,  met 
the  natives  in  battle*  routed  them,  seized  the  country  and 
founded  a  colony.  Heber  and  Heremon  divided  the  territoiy 
between  them.  The  third  brother  became  their  arch  priest. 
This  was  in  1699  B.  C.  In  course  of  time  quarrels  arose  be- 
tween them,  and  Heber  was  slain.     Amergin  then  claimed  a 


ZOIT/.X/   T'^/;'   ^T(')  ^-::I*»V/  V/H-I   /. 


^    ■      f 


•^ 


■•=*.;  J.   'i:(i; 


nr.;;  vi.'^f/'  -:iil  lo  r  'lij 


C. 


'    "''■.■;''  ',;:i    -  .;j'>:i  jc; v;:^,i:;  :i;.r/.','    ....l;  :;:^  -Imii:  :fO!ti  ;^i;..,  -ii'    i 


■xr.i 


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■^r-:;  Aji',6 


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.11  10  ac* 


■Vi  f 


2  PREFACE.  1 

share  in  the  conquest,  when  more  trouble  arose  and  he  was 
killed  in  battle.  Thus  Heremon  became  sole  monarch.  He 
then  made  another  division  of  the  land  amongst  his  friends.  , 
The  north  part  of  Ireland,  now  Ulster,  he  gave  to  his  nephew, 
Heber  Don,  Ir's  only  son.  From  Ir,  therefore,  all  the  pro- 
vincial kings  of  Ulster,  and  all  the  ancient  nobility,  derive 
their  pedigrees.  The  Magennis  family  had  its  origin  in  the 
Irian  line,  but  it  was  not  until  the  eleventh  century  that  sur- 
names were  adopted  and  the  name  began  to  undergo  changes 
in  spelling.  All,  therefore,  bearing  the  name,  no  matter  how 
it  is  spelled,  descended  from  the  same  stock,  and  are  of  Mile- 
sian origin. 

The  clan,  while  in  its  original  condition,  was  fierce  and 
warlike,  and  engaged  in  many  blood}-  conflicts.  The  mean- 
ing of  the  name  in  its  original  orthography,  "great  strength," 
indicates  that  the  members  of  the  family  were  physically 
strong  and  powerful. 

An  examination  of  the  early  Irish  annals,  as  found  re- 
corded in  that  great  work  entitled  The  Four  Masters,  which 
brings  the  histon,^  down  to  1616,  shows  that  the  original  seat 
of  the  family  was  in  what  is  now  known  as  Count}'  Down. 
There  they  lived,  multiplied  and  flourished  for  hundreds  of 
years;  there  they  often  engaged  in  bloody  conflicts  with  the 
Clan  O'Neil;  there  the  Lords  of  Iveah  came  into  existence 
and  held  sway  until  the  rapacious  English  invaded  Ireland, 
upturned  society,  confiscated  estates,  devastated  the  land  by 
fire  and  sword,  crushed  the  hearts  of  the  people  and  caused 
their  sons  and  daughters  to  seek  homes  in  foreign  lands. 

Up  to  this  time  family  records  were  carefully  kept,  and  it 
is  easy  to  trace  their  origin;  but  for  a  hundred  years  after 
the  invasion  society  was  so  disrupted  that  it  is  difficult  to  pick 
up  the  ends  of  the  broken  threads  and  resume  the  narrative. 

During  the  great  emigration  from  Ireland  to  America  in 
1700,  thousands  of  Irish  sought  these  shores,  and  Philadel- 
phia and  Newcastle  seem  to  have  been  their  objective  points. 
We  have  evidence  that  there  were  many  in  the  former  city 


u;  •;;':>;-,[t.;  yfij   III   Ir.r.  ,  (oi'-fj  \o  y-u^'h'  Ir.iytuv 


.'[ni.<\  -:::  bus;  Ljitiohs.  yvj  !t  d'yltifitx 


J  7JiM,-i;/'J    --':   )•■'}•''   V,'' .a  >-"    ::■;,;".'.'  ri: 


'to  <0'iv  ,! 


PREFACE.  •  3 

Ijearing  the  name  of  Magennis  and  McGinnis  about  the  mid- 
dle of  the  eighteenth  century,  for  we  find  them  recorded  in 
the  marriage  registry'  Hsts  of  manj-  of  the  churches.  The 
register  of  Christ  Church  shows  that  Edward  Maginnes  and 
Rose  FuUerton  were  married  August  27,  1746.  This  is  the 
first  record  we  have.  The  second  was  that  of  Catharine  Ma- 
ginnes and  George  Atkinson,  on  the  9th  of  August,  1756. 
Doubtless  there  were  others  whose  records  were  not  preserved; 
but  from  that  time  up  to  the  close  of  the  century,  we  find  a 
large  number  whose  names  are  recorded  in  the  Vlllth  and 
IXth  volumes  of  the  State  Archives,  second  series. 

In  Stone's  Life  and  Times  of  Sir  William  Johnson,  (Vol. 
I,  p.  517,)  mention  is  made  of  Captain  Maginnis,  who  com- 
manded a  party  of  two  hundred  New  Hampshire  men,  and 
made  an  attack  on  the  shattered  remnant  of  the  French  army, 
in  1755,  after  their  disastrous  assault  on  the  fort  at  Lake 
George.  The  brave  captain  and  his  party  were  on  their  way 
to  reinforce  the  English  garrison  at  the  lake  when  they  fell 
in  with  the  retreating  French  and  dispersed  them.  In  the 
fight  he  received  a  contusion  on  the  head  from  a  spent  ball, 
which  caused  his  death  soon  after  reaching  the  camp.  It  is 
regretted  that  there  is  nothing  on  record  to  show  when  he 
reached  this  country  and  where  he  settled;  but  it  is  probable 
he  landed  at  Boston  and  made  his  way  to  New  Hampshire, 
where  he  soon  afterwards  entered  the  provincial  ser\nce  to 
assist  in  repelling  the  encroachments  of  the  French. 

There  were  many  bearing  the  name  who  took  part  in  the 
Revolutionar>^  War,  the  War  of  1S12-14,  and  the  Great  Re- 
Ix^llion.  In  the  latter  conflict  they  were  found  on  both  sides, 
being  governed  m  their  action  by  their  location  and  surround- 
ings when  the  war  broke  out." 

It  will  be  obser\'ed  that  several  ways  of  spelling  the  name 
are  in  use.  This  has  been  brought  about  largely  by  the  fancy 
of  members  of  different  branches  of  the  original  family.  The 
correct  way,  according  to  eminent  Irish  historians,  appears 
ou  the  title  page,  and  it  is  explained  in  the  proper  place. 


i(\' 


.iihuillv'J   !•>  t;  ;\i  r-u-rr  f".;  t.  ■•  ^»;^  ^  \[T     .^Vfifl  9W  Iso-J^i 


a -.'.u  LiUjii  J/;rij  ino-il  ?;;«.{ 


!;■  )■! 


!'  jt   /t:.i-h    Ufjflv/  'izliil   tiif-*  ;,:    ;i-'r-:v!;,':     ;[;-.:!>;;•■    .^iV  "jz^uhu^^j  t"ij 


,-!  :i       <'iai:'j  y;I:'    ^'ijflnx:^-  ^jj;.?;  no-y    rij/.ab 


r>;  •/(■;  ^^    •';;;    :j\j:n'i    b 


■idi   i:,!in.c-^'' 


if  IS! 


4  PREFACE.  5 

The  increase  of  the  family  has  been  rapid  during  the  past 
hundred  years.  Members  are  found  in  ever}-  State  and  Ter- 
ritor}'  of  the  Union,  as  well  as  in  the  distant  colony  of  Aus- 
tralia, and  other  portions  of  the  globe.  So  rapid  has  been 
the  increase  that  it  is  safe  to  sa\'  there  are  fifteen  hundred 
bearing  the  name  in  the  United  States  alone  to-da3\ 

As  the  years  roll  on,  the  desire  to  know  something  of  an- 
cestry increases  among  all  classes  of  our  people.  The  gene- 
alogies of  families  have  been  greatly  neglected  in  this  country, 
so  much,  indeed,  that  in  many  instances  it  is  with  the  great- 
est difficulty  that  famil}'  records  can  be  traced  for  three 
generations  back.  It  was  largel}-  through  a  realization  of 
this  fact  that  I  was  impelled  to  attempt  the  work  of  collect- 
ing the  records  of  my  scattered  family,  and  to  place  them  in 
permanent  form,  not  onh'  for  the  benefit  of  those  living,  but 
for  posterity.  The  task,  while  slow  and  tedious,  has  been 
pleasant;  and  if  mj-  labors  are  not  appreciated  by  all  who 
should  be  interested,  there  is  much  consolation  in  the  reflec- 
tion that  among  those  who  will  come  after  me  there  are  likely 
to  be  few  who  will  not  express  their  thanks  for  wliat  has  been 
done,  imperfect  though  it  may  be.  It  will  save  the  future 
collector  of  family  records  much  trouble  and  pave  the  wa}- 
for  a  broader  and  more  comprehensive  work. 

From  the  rapidly  growing  desire  among  all  classes  to  know 
whence  they  came,  we  are  warranted  in  arriving  at  the  con- 
clusion that  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  every  family,  no 
matter  how  humble,  will  possess  records  showing  its  ancestry 
for  many  generations.  This  sentiment  is  forcibly  illustrated 
in  the  remarks  recently  made  by  Hon.  Marshall  P.  Wilder  at 
the  annual  meeting  of  the  New  England  Historical  and  Gene- 
alogical Society,  when  he  said: 

"The  study  of  family  history  elevates  and  ennobles  the  nature  of 
man,  and  lifts  it  up  to  a  truer  and  nobler  type.  To  know  nothing:  of 
our  ancestry,  or  from  whence  we  came,  to  have  no  reverence  for  the 
precious  memories  of  the  past,  or  an  interest  in  those  who  are  to  suc- 
ceed us  in  the  battle  of  life,  is  to  ignore  the  elements  and  influences 
that  have  made  us?  what  we  are,  to  repudiate  the  natural  instincts 


^i;/.   V.  ■,":...:::>  ■U.'!:,-)l    '^d}  :n  -.r.  I! 


■■:r-b  o*  :,iKhX  "  :';;;j<  L>-i>^in' '•  '->\\''.  ir.  '~(:<i:r,  -n' 


.■'';I.t 


:xf(ee-!   x^   u^i]:''\''    .■'•'i'^-.iUi    '-.iv;<    -I        ioc.:   r.X. 


vi      .'JO   ■'■sra 


.^h.- 


cno'i  -i 


PREFACE.    .  5 

and  afTections  of  the  human  heart,  and  to  suppress  the  aspirations 
and  hojK's  of  a  soul  tlaat  is  to  course  on  through  endless  cycles  of 
et«'rnity.  And  what  more  precious  testimonial  of  your  love  of  kin- 
dred and  home  can  you  leave  than  that  which  provides  for  the  trans- 
mission of  the  history  of  your  ancestors,  yourself  and  family,  to 
future  generations?  And  how  consoling  the  thouglit,  that  when  you 
shall  have  been  gathered  to  your  fathers,  this  history  shall  live 
tlirough  all  coming  time,  as  a  precious  inheritance  to  your  descend- 
ants !  This  is  a  trust  that  Providence  has  confided  to  your  care ;  and 
who  so  dead  to  sympathy  and  aflection,  to  kindred  and  country,  that 
would  not  preserve  the  records  of  his  ancestors,  the  place  of  his  birth, 
the  home  of  his  childhood,  and  the  sacred  spot  where  repose  the 
loved  and  lost  ones  of  earth  I" 

W.  P.W.  Phillimore,  of  London,  in  his  invaluable  little 
book  entitled,  "How  to  Write  the  Histor>'  of  a  family," 
says : 

"  All  races  of  men  seem  to  possess  an  instinctive  feeling  that  a 
line  of  honorable  ancestry  is  a  subject  for  legitimate  pride.  With  the 
Cliinese  the  feeling  has  been  exaggerated  into  what  may  be  termed 
ancestor  worship.  It  was  so  with  the  Greek  and  the  Roman;  it  is  so 
with  the  Teuton  races.  Even  the  Red  Indian  preserves  some  tradi- 
tion of  his  ancestors,  and  places  the  totem  of  the  tribe  over  their 
graves,  although  necessarily  with  an  uncultured  race  the  personality 
of  individual  ancestors  is  soon  forgotten. 

"  Who  are  in  those  graves  we  know  not ; 
Only  know  they  are  our  fathers. 

"  A  few  family  memorials  were  compiled  as  early  as  the  seven- 
teenth century ;  but  the  independent  family  memoir,  however,  is  a 
pnxluct  almost  exclusively  of  modern  growth." 

The  importance  of  preserving  our  family  records  is  beau- 
tifully set  forth  in  the  following  poetic  sentiment  by  Ada 
Idd^ngs  Gale: 

"What  will  Time  give  for  what  we  lose — 

Youth's  rai)turous  hope, 
The  far  outlook  from  which  to  choose 

The  wide,  glad  scope? 

What  will  Time  give?    A  little  praise, 

A  little  blame. 
An  added  gift  of  changeful  days, 

Perhaps  a  name. 


HJAiiil^l 


(...•  i*     -s-.-    1-vrt.-1'. 


'  .1    rr"*"-    iT'^r"  **' 


•''■■  ;;  ■ 
1  t  1  1.  ' 

v;  ;/>.;; "^  > 

J;i!i  /.-C' 

;.'»A 


6  PREFACE.  -J 

What  will  Time  give?     A  narrow  place, 

A  lonely  spot, 
Remembrance  for  a  little  space 

And  then — forgot." 

It  is  shown  how  carefulh-  the  Irish  preserved  their  records 
down  to  1600,  when  the  break  for  a  century  or  more  occurred. 
During  the  present  century  the  work  has  been  revived  in  a 
more  careful  and  enlarged  form  by  John  O'Hart,  the  famous 
genealogist  of  Kilkee,  County  Clare.  His  great  work  enti- 
tled "  Irish  Pedigrees,"  will  stand  for  ages  as  a  monument  to 
his  industry  and  genius  in  this  line.  I  freely  acknowledge 
my  indebtedness  to  him  for  several  autograph  letters  convey- 
ing valuable  information  relating  to  the  pedigree  of  my  own 
branch  of  the  family. 

In  the  collection  of  so  many  names  found  in  the  following 
pages,  and  the  multiplicity  of  dates  relating  to  births,  mar- 
riages and  deaths,  some  errors  will  undoubtedly  be  discovered. 
Perfection  must  not  be  expected  in  anything  human.  But  to 
afford  an  opportunity  for  correction  when  an  error  is  detected, 
a  wide  margin  has  been  given  to  each  page,  so  that  it  may 
be  entered  by  pen  or  pencil,  and  new  names  added. 

The  work  necessarily  involved  the  writing  of  many  letters 
of  inquiry.  Answers,  with  few  exceptions,  were  promptly 
returned ;  but  less  than  half  a  dozen  were  so  tardy  as  to  pro- 
tract the  work  of  compilation.  In  a  very  few  instances  no 
answers  were  received,  which  wall  account  for  the  blanks  in 
some  records  and  the  scanty  historj-  of  certain  subjects. 

So  far  as  I  am  aware,  no  record  of  the  same  magnitude  of 
this  family  was  ever  before  attempted  in  the  United  States. 
May  a  perusal  ot  the  following  pages  serve  as  an  incentive 
for  some  person  better  qualified  to  take  up  the  subject  and 
present  the  genealogy  in  a  more  comprehensive  form.  Miss 
Mar>'  R.  Ford,  of  Allegheny,  whose  mother  was  a  McGinnis, 
has  recently  compiled  a  genealogy-  of  the  McGinnis  and 
Scott  families  of  that  city,  which  is  an  exceedingly  interest- 
ing and  valuable  contribution  to  our  genealogical  literature. 


.%:.■ 


to 


PREFACE.  7 

For  the  purpose  of  showing  the  honorable  positions  attained 
liy  many  bearing  the  name,  but  not  related  to  my  branch  of 
the  family,  I  have  given  sketches  of  a  number  of  McGin- 
neses  scattered  throughout  the  country-.  These  sketches  do 
not  include  all  worthy  of  mention;  onl}-  those  whose  histories 
could  be  obtained  with  the  least  labor  and  consumption  of 
lime.  Many  more  might  have  been  secured,  but  it  was  found 
that  if  a  halt  was  not  called,  the  little  volume  w^ould  soon 
reach  a  greater  size  than  was  originally  contemplated. 

The  few  records  given  in  the  closing  pages  will  show  that 
the  military  spirit  of  the  clan  is  still  unbroken.  Distin- 
guished in  early  ages  for  patriotism  and  valor,  those  bearing 
the  name,  wherever  found,  are  always  ready  to  array  them- 
st'lves  in  defence  of  what  they  deem  the  right,  and  to  fight 
for  whatever  flag  they  may  ow^e  allegiance. 

To  Professor  Lemuel  E.  McGinnis,  Superintendent  of  the 
public  schools  of  Steel  ton,  Dauphin  County,  I  am  indebted 
for  the  very  full  record  of  "the  branch  of  the  family  that 
settled  in  Perr}'  County,  Pa."  Like  scores  of  others  bearing 
the  name,  he  has  proven  himself  a  successful  educator,  and 
has  taken  pride  in  ennobling  his  profession.  All  the  profes- 
sions, with  few  exceptions,  are  represented  by  those  bearing 
the  name,  conspicuous  among  them  being  law,  medicine,  the- 
ology, education,  journalism,  histor>'  and  literature.  Many 
have  attained  to  high  distinction  in  civil  and  military  pur- 
suits, and  reflected  credit  and  honor  upon  their  names.  The 
record  is  a  proud  one,  and  no  descendant  in  the  Irian  line 
need  be  ashamed  of  his  ancestry. 

JOHN  F.  MEGINNESS. 

WiLLIAMSPORT,    Pa.,   189I. 


HjA'-i^H'l 


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.l(>8l  ,.A*T   ."fltO^tW/UJlV/ 


1 


BENJAMIN    McGINNESS,  Sr. 

B.  May  3.  1803  ;   d   April  6,  1S70. 

See  p    83. 


BENJAMIN   MEGINNE^S.  Jr. 

B.Oct.  13.  1840:  d.  Dec.  9,  1SS8. 

See  p   143. 


M\\   ■•!■  i);c 


WILLIAM  McGINNESS. 

B.  March  24,  1804  ;  d.  Jan.  7,  1877. 

See  p.  69. 


l-1!.v.Al.W3'=5 

•".  >-  "«iy  .a 


'■■J  >'i  <■:  IC'-iM    M,A1..'.;'W 


''^TT^T/'oy'v/V/  ^//  ^//  '^  3^ <s. ^2\  •■  '<^''  ^'"Z "</'' "<''  ^-y  ^</  '''/ 
/»  /y  //>  /^y/>  r,-^  ^/^  '^^  .^  ,^.  ■•  '/■•  '/>  K->  .-.':■  //>  /^/a 


I  >i  ^     iv;uii  I  K 


null 


The.  Family  of  Magennis. 


ITS  ORIGIN  AND  HISTORY.    :.■  ■:         ■ 

History,  as  it  lies  at  the  root  of  all  sfience,  is  also  the 
first  distinct  })rodiu't  of  man's  spiritual  nature;  his  earli- 
est expression  of  what  can  he  called  Thought.  *  *  It 
is  the  essence  of  innumerable  Bioirraphies. 

—Cmhjle.. 

^HE  family  of  Magennis  is  one  of  the  oldest  in 
e)  Ireland,  yet  comparatively  little  of  its  history 
is  known  in  America.  No  genealogies,  as  far 
as  known,  have  been  published  of  any  branches 
of  the  family  in  this  country,  notwithstanding  there  is  a 
full  record  in  Ireland  down  to  the  time  of  the  English 
invasion  in  1600.  After  that  time,  on  account  of  the 
destruction  of  records,  there  is  a  break  which  can  only 
be  supplied  by  tradition  for  nearly  a  hundred  years. 

Those  bearing  the  name  in  its  various  forms  of  spell- 
ing— although  they  have  all  descended  from  the  same 
parent  stem — are  very  numerous  in  the  United  States 
to-day,  the  greatest  number,  perhaps,  being  found  in 
Pennsylvania.  Philadelphia,  it  seems,  was  the  point  to 
which  the  early  immigrants  directed  their  steps,  and 
from  there  they  gradually  spread  to  the  interior  and 
western  part  of  the  state,  as  well  as  to  other  states. 

It  is  greatly  regretted  that  so  little  attention  has  been 
given  to  preserving  the  genealogies  of  families  of  the 


\-x\ 


B 


-'aM  to  'f^ 


-qT 


fl  Q'/.f 


:::J^ 


i)»;i 


lO  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGENNIS. 

name  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic;  and  from  the  Revohi- 
tionary  period  to  the  beginning  of  the  present  centnry, 
some  sharp  gnessing  must  be  resorted  to  in  order  to  fix 
the  ancestry  of  many  families  with  any  degree  of  cer- 
tainty. 

To  Hon.  Edmnnd  Francis  Dnnne,  late  Chief  Jnstice 
of  Arizona,  belongs  the  credit  of  making  the  first  pub- 
lication relating  to  the  history  of  the  family  in  this  conn- 
try.  It  is  a  pamphlet  of  only  seventeen  pages,  however, 
and  is  composed  of  extracts  from  the  Four  Masters  and 
other  works  on  Irish  history;  but  small  as  it  is,  it  is  an 
exceedingly  valuable  compilation,  and  shows  in  biief  the 
wonderful  history  of  a  family  whose  origin  dates  so  far 
back  that  it  becomes  lost  in  the  misty  past.  And  what 
is  stranger  still,  the  Judge  had  only  thirty  copies  of  his 
monograph  printed.  This  was  in  187S,  and  at  the  pres- 
ent day  the  existence  of  only  two  or  three  copies  is 
known.  But  in  order  to  place  the  historical  extracts  in 
more  permanent  form  for  the  benefit  of  whoever  may  be 
interested,  they  are,  by  his  permission,  reproduced  here, 
together  with  many  others  bearing  on  the  history  of  the 
family. 

Irish  scholars  inform  us  that  the  ancient  orthography 
of  the  name  of  Magennis  is  Mag  AengJmsa.  O'Hart, 
in  his  great  work  on  Irish  Pedigrees,  states  that  in  olden 
times  in  Ireland  society  consisted  of  an  aggregation  of 
tribes  or  clans,  and  family  names,  as  we  use  them,  were 
unknown  until  the  eleventh  century.  Individual  mem- 
bers of  the  tribe,  therefore,  were  designated  by  a  name 
indicative  of  some  distinguishing  personal  peculiarity. 
The  word  Aongus,  or  Aeneas,  derived  from  Aon,  excel- 
lent, and  giis,  strength,  is  the  root  of  Guinness,  Mac- 
Guinness,    Innes,    Ennis,    &c. *      Cionog   (or   Cionga,) 

*0'IIart's  Irish  Pedigrees,  p.  35,  Dublin  edition,  1881. 


nlv\' i'A  oil!  jitoii  hrn    ;-)iJn;;[J/,  yilj  >  •  uu  oniiin 


.v1:?inJ 
)')'.jv;i  [  V>k!0  :;J;:i  ,^-::;,.''l    •.;o:rj""i^  rnuiitil/H  .m'^lt  '/T 

-';'!;■-•''     =.•■/■••';■.,    .  !j    i'-.  v-: -V:; 'i     f"     '  ;;rii:»n':n  nodfiDii 

■!-y,"..  /■i.'M    /:.'•■     -     •    '"■■-'  ■;'        ;  '!'<-'    -■  .I'^:  ■'  '   '  .77; 

.:;■  '.:   .>     ^^    .^  ^    •.,.    .i;  ■:;r.     ;:.f    ;  /;■■:■  ...     .'        ;    f  .,  v^i:^   ,,.     •:j;{k> 

t;'"/.   i\.y.      j'li::^  v^-rtfr  :.:.;  .a  ':'■'.   -■■^■■■-■■j.  :    li  :£,iii   AoiaI 

-:;.;   ".'■  .-    '  ■;';:..■  Uei[    .:'.•'.■  i,    m'J   Jltj-^  .-ir 

■-•rM  :;;;.'  :■ ■•:;   w.  ^.'^i    'fM'j"        Iv^jnitc  -    ,     ■      -   -•''*^ 

■^vi    ■;•  ill   ■!::«V.SO{iv/    ''■  •     ilij    TM   fU?frt  jn"  ^  'It 

.yy./i'.  I  .yji'ootq':-j  ,  •<-:  r:!;l  •  ■'.  ,^>rc  \  ..;!r 

/  [ !  njBl 


■lO'^.^lJ  ,v<.\>..   /.  .,/, 


.fWf-f  .fj«iii!. 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  s  II 

brother  of  Ros,  who  is  No.  63  on  the  "O'Farrell"  pedi- 
••ree,  was  the  ancestor  of  MacAonghuis,  (oneeth,)  which 
h.LS  been  anglicised  into  the  various  forms  of  the  name 
we  find  to-day."^ 

According  to  MoUoy's  Irish  Grammar,  page  7,  Dub- 
lin edition,  1S67,  in  the  Irish  writing  of  the  word  there 
is  no  h  after  ^,  but  the  ^  has  a  dot  over  it,  and  wheu^ 
(ir  r/are  dotted  and  occur  in  the  middle  or  at  the  end  of 
a  word  they  are  silent,  but  have  the  effect  of  lengthen- 
ing the  preceding  vowel.  By  usage  h  is  inserted  in 
Knglish  after  an  Irish  dotted  letter  to  denote  the  dot. 
The  word  Aenghusa  is,  therefore,  pronounced  in  Irish, 
Aen-ns-a,  with  the  accent  on  the  first.  In  time,  for 
euphony,  says  MoUoy,  page  12,  the  final  a  was  dropped, 
and  the  word  became  Aen-us,  anglicised  to  Ennis  or  In- 
nis.  The  English  language  not  only  has  gh  silent  some- 
times, as  in  \iO\\gh,  plou^/^,  etc.,  but  even  2igh,  as  in 
thro//f//,  tho//^//t,  X\\oxougJi,  etc.,  and  it  has  nine  words 
!>cginning  with  the  combination  pth,  which  in  four  of 
them  equals  //  in  four  th,  and  is  doubtful  in  the  others. 

The  word  Mag  is  Irish  for  son.  It  is  generally  angli- 
cised mac,  but  sometimes,  as  with  this  name,  it  is  pre- 
scr\-ed  in  both  forms.  It  appears  in  Irish  also  as  mac. 
Tlie  son  of  Ennis,  therefore,  by  the  use  of  this  prefix, 
lx:came  MagEnnis,  or  he  wrote  it  Mac-Ennis,  if  he 
cliose,  and  thus  this  name  in  the  course  of  a  thousand 
years  has  been  recorded  by  different  writers  as  Magennis, 
Maginnis,  MacEnnis  and  Maclnnis.  By  a  strange  freak 
some  writers  have  preserved  both  the  c  and  the  g  termi- 
nation of  mac  and  mag  by  writing  it  McGennis,  McGin- 
nt-ss.  while  others  have  it  McGuinness,  ]\IcGennis  and 
M 'Guinness,  and  some  write  it  Guinness,  dropping  the 
m  altogether.     The  last  transformation  is  to  write  it  Me- 

•  Ibid,  p.  1.56. 


■J    V'i      .'"v/ov 


ri   tr< 


1  -.^fj)  J  or  •:: 

■■j; : 

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,  .i^^'^  , 

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12  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGENXIS.  j  -^ 

ginness,  which  was  evidently  brought  about  by  substi- 
tuting e  for  L\  although  it  does  not  clearly  appear  wliy  it 
is  done.  But  there  is  no  end  to  the  change  iu  names,  as 
well  as  everything  else  in  nature. 

As  mac  signifies  son,  ua  signifies  a  grandson,  and  by 
an  extension  of  meaning,  any  descendant;  but  it  is  from 
this  the  anglicised  O'  comes  for  the  same  purpose.  Ui 
is  the  nominative  plural  of  na^  (latinized  and  anglicised 
hiii  or  //_>',)  and  is  applied  to  a  tribe  or  family  as  O'  is  to 
an  individual.*  For  woman  the  prefix  ny  was  used  in- 
stead of  O,  as  Kathaleen  iiy  Houlahan,  Sara  iiy  Don- 
nell.t  From  the  foregoing  the  reader  will  clearly  under- 
stand the  meaning  of  Mac  and  O'  when  applied  to  Irish 
names.     Simply  son  and  grandson. 

There  was  but  one  original  ]\Iagennis  family  in  Ire- 
land; therefore  all  who  bear  the  name  in  any  of  its 
modificatioiis  in  Europe,  America,  Canada  or  Australia, 
undoubtedly  derive  their  descent  from  the  same  parent 
stem. 

All  well  versed  writers  inform  us  that  the  Irish  people 
have  the  most  ancient  records  in  their  own  language  of 
any  people  in  Europe.  Full  details  are  preserved  of 
events  as  far  back  as  six  hundred  or  seven  hundred  years 
before  Christ,  and  the  genealogy  of  the  different  noble 
families  is  accurately  preserved  as  far  back  as  450  B.  C, 
and  of  these  families,  that  of  Magennis  is  one  of  the  most 
distinguished.  +  It  is  not  often  that  a  private  individual 
of  the  present  day  can  find  his  name  mentioned  in  the 
standard  works  of  the  history  of  his  country,  but  it  is 
hardly  possible  to  find  a  history  of  Ireland  in  which  the 

*  Joyce,  Irish  Names,  p.  117,  edition  1871. 

t  Prender^'rast,  Cromwellian  Settlement  of  Ireland,  n.  201. 

+  Judge  Dunne's  sketch  of  the  ^Magennis  family,  p.  2. 


.^r/.v;  foy-i.*:   to  yjii/a^  3ht  si 


('::,  y< 


^■DtMOO    '(. 


■J  ^^;/-   TW  niAiio-f:    i-'H      *.Ic  :t£ 


.iJUf.;;:ii:;v.'  iji'ii  iiuv.  ■,'Kiiinr> 


yri   in- 


ITS   ORIGIN    AND    HISTORY.  I3 

11. line  of  Maj^ennis  is  not  repeatedly  mentioned  as  promi-  • 
iit-nt  in  the  stirring  scenes  therein  described.  n 

A  few  extracts  relating  to  members  of  the  family  will  •' 
.sliow  the  part  they  bore  in  those  early  days  of  Irish  his-  ■- 
tory.     About  450  B.  C,  according  to  the  chronology  of 
the  "Fair  of  Carmen,"  Milesius  was  a  king  in  the  ex- 
treme northern  part  of  Spain.    In  that  year  eight  sons  of 
Milesius,  with  a  fleet  of  160  vessels,  set  out  from  what  is 
nowCorunna  on  the  north  coast  of  Spain,  and  conquered 
Ireland.     Five  of  the  sons  were  drowned  in  effecting  a 
landing,  Heber,  Heremon  and  Amhergin  surviving.    He- 
!K.-r  took  Munster,  Heremon  had  Leinster  and  Connaught,    u 
and  to  Eimh-Ir,  son  of  the  brother,  Ir,  was  assigned  the   0 
I>art  now  known  as  Ulster,  anciently  known  as  Ultonia.  "- 
The  Ultonians  were  kings  of  Ulster  for  upwards  of  seven 
hundred  years,  and  occasionally  one  of  the  line  attained 
supreme  power  over  the  whole  island.    About  151  B.  C, 
one  of  these  Ultonians,  named  Rory,  became  monarch  of 
Ireland.* 

The  Irish  way  of  writing  his  name  is  Rughriiid-hc^ 
that  is  as  shown  by  the  h  with  the  ^  and  d  dotted,  hence 
silent.  Now  a  final  e  is  also  silent  when  immediately  -..i 
ineceded  by  a  dotted  d  ox  gA  Hence,  of  the  word  Riiigh- 
ruidJie  there  remains  for  pronunciation  only  Ru-riii^  (ac- 
cent on  the  first,)  anglicised  Rury,  and  now  Rory.:}:  His 
descendants  are  known  as  the  Clan-na  Rory,  clan  mean- 
ing offspring.  The  Magennis  family,  became  the  leading 
family  of  the  descendants  of  Rory,  and  hence  head  of 
the  clan. 

In  the  year  322,  A.  D.,  according  to  Judge  Dunne's 
c^Jnipilation,  a  combination  was  made  against  the  Clanna 

*  Kt'atin;:'.s  History  of  Ireland,  O'Connor's  translation,  p.  195. 
t  -Sm?  Nfolloy's  Irisli  Grammar,  p.  10. 
\  Jutl-e  Dunne's  Pamphlet,  p.  2. 


■  t 
h.-: IV,'. >-:?•!   •.^■'•i-.v    •.■!!'-  ^  f!;i.(  "to  gvi"*!      .!.'!ij.|-iil 


f:J.:v,   ,:1    .irjriJo'  (i'/.l    h>  no^ 


•>f!r£n  fill   sif!iJriv.'  lo  yew  iki'r!    JiIT 


14  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGEXXIS. 

Rory,  the  head  of  wliich  was  then  king  of  Ulster,  by 
the  monarch  of  Ireland,  and  the  three  Herenionian 
princes,  known  as  the  "Three  Collas,"  the  monarch 
furnishing  the  army  and  the  Three  Collas  commanding 
it.  The  Ultonians  were  attacked,  and  after  a  seven 
day's  battle  defeated,  their  palace  of  Emania  burned, 
and  the  Clanna  Rory  driven  back  to  the  extreme  north- 
eastern part  of  Ulster  to  the  Counties  of  Down  and  An- 
trim, where  they  made  a  stand,  maintained  their  inde- 
pendence, and  organized  there  the  new  Kingdom  of 
Ulidia,  called  sometimes  Dal-Aradia. 

The  descent  from  King  Rughruidhe,  or  Rory,  is  given 
by  Irish  antiquarians  in  the  following  order:  Rory  to 
Conall  Cearnach — the  great  warrior — to  Tiprait  Tire- 
ach — thirtieth  king  of  Ulster — to  Fiacha  Araidhe,  thir- 
ty-seventh king  of  Ulster — to  Conall,  whose  brother 
Saraan  was  the  last  Ultonian  king  of  Ulster,  having 
been  driven  into  Ulidia  by  the  Three  Collas,  A.  D.  332. 
The  descent  continues  to  Aenghusa,  12th  in  descent' 
from  Conall,  and  from  this  Aenghusa  comes  the  family 
name  of  Magennis,  in  the  manner  before  stated.* 

That  the  family  of  Magennis  was  head  of  the  Clanna 
Rory  is  shown  by  the  following  authorities:  "The  tribe 
of  the  McGuinnesses  were  chief  of  the  Clanna  Rory,  and 
made  at  all  times  a  considerable  figure  in  the  province  of 
Ulster,  and  possessed  the  principality  of  Dal-Aradia,  so 
called  from  Fiacha  Araidhe,  one  of  the  chiefs  of  that 
tribe  and  king  of  the  province  in  the  third  century, 
which  principality  of  Dal-Aradia  is  now  the  County  of 
Down."t 

*  See  O'Hart's  Iri^h  Pedi<:rees,  pp.  3b,  loO,  157,  Dublin  edition,  1881. 

t  McGeoghe<:an'.s  ni.>;tory  of  Ireland,  p.  127.  Abbe  ^leGeojiliejian 
was  Chaplain  to  the  Iri.sh  Brigade  in  France.  His  work,  originally 
written  in  French,  is  one  of  the  standard  authorities  of  Irish  history. 


-i y. y. H » > y. \i    to   /  :\>a a'-j  yt HT 


♦•1 


)iii    jfij      ..'.fii'.i'J    ;;v:!i'r "   mil    ai:  n7/on;-{ 


:T.:.ifp;lti£   H;^itI    yd 


rr: :it().'i' •    r-tiji   3iij 

>/-  o:  . 

:''fno':  £«jjri'jf:f>/.  -<jfti   aioit  bnc  ,ilnnc'J  i 


fviy/,'  , 


ITS   ORIGIN    AND    HISTORY.  l'5 

Abbe  McGeoghegan  has  a  chapter  in  his  great  work 
describing  the  particular  territories  governed  by  the  old 
Irish  familes.  In  treating  of  Ulster,  p.  129,  he  says: 
"  Hy-\'each  or  Iveach,  (latterly  Iveagh,)  a  territory  of 
ancient  Dal-Aradie,  in  the  County  of  Down,  now  forming 
part  of  the  baronies  of  Upper  and  Lower  Iveagh  with 
some  other  territories  in  the  same  county,  the  dominion 
of  the  Magennisses,  of  the  race  of  the  Clanna  Rory,  by 
Conall-Cearnach  and  his  son  Irial  or  Vriel,"  quoting  as 
authority  O'SuU.*     Comptom,  3  Lib.  i,  p.  115. 

O'Donovan,  the  great  Celtic  scholar,  has  a  note  in  his 
translation  of  The  Four  Masters,  as  follows:  "Clan  Aodh, 
i.  c.  the  clan  or  race  of  Hugh,  was  the  tribe  name  of  the 
Magennisses,  and  it  also  became  the  tribe  name  of  their 
territory,  but  they  afterwards  extended  their  power  over 
Ui  Ethach  Cova,  now  the  baronies  of  Upper  and  Lower 
Iveagh,  in  the  County  of  Down,  and  as  O'Dugan  informs 
UN.  over,  all  Ulidia.t  " 

Aodh,  continues  Judge  Dunne,  being  the  particular 
clan  name  of  this  family  (Magennis)  merits  explanation. 
I'irst,  the  h  shows  that  in  Irish  it  is  written  Aod,  with  a 
dot  over  the  d.  Now  a  dotted  d  when  final  is  silent,  and 
there  is  left  only  the  diphthong  ao  lengthened,  which  is 
c(jual  in  English  to  itee^  and  is  pronounced  like  uee  in 
'iueen.;}:  As  heretofore  explained,  Mac  represents  son, 
O'  represents  grandson,  and  is  used  to  denote  descend- 
ants generally.     O' Adh  would  be  awkv/ard  in  pronuncia- 

•  This  work,  now  very  rare,  was  written  by  the  celebrated  O'Snlli- 
^au.  Prince  of  Bear,  in  the  Ojuntyof  Kerry,  and  pnblir^hed  in  Lisbon 
III  1  »;/>'.«,  its  author  dying  in  exile  at  Corunna  in  the  hun<lredth  year  of 

t  OT)iinovan's  note  in  Four  Masters,  Anno  1172. 

t  Molloy's  Irish  Grammar,  p.  4.  Also  Bonrke's  Self  Instruction  in 
If'*li.  I».  ♦),  Haverty,  N.  Y.,  1873,  the  first  book  printed  in  the  Irish 
•  haratlvr  in  America. 


•1  /  :i':' 


M:.i?'r)  /JirwtiTHi; 


>i;!    !'r)-j,!!(:or;o'!CJ   ^A    .'  -u'.- ,'y^u  o'  n:   .'c:iir.> 


.i<t  -/.t  rr.i+lJ-YV'   !.-qv'     'i-iftT   Tt?'^  won  ,>!n>// ftiiii 


l6  THE    FAMILY   OF   MAGENNIS. 

tion,  SO  an  h  is  thrown  in  for  euphony,  where  O'Haodh, 
whence  O'PIea,  Hu<T^h  and  Hughes,  and  this  accounts 
for  the  frequency  of  the  name  Hugh  in  the  Alaginness 
family. 

Duald  MacFirbis,  the  highest  authority  on  Irish  gene- 
alogy, in  the  preface  to  his  great  "Book  of  Pedigrees," 
written  in  1650,  explaining  why  he  sometimes  places  the 
issue  of  the  younger  son  before  that  of  the  elder,  says 
it  is  the  Irish  custom,  when  that  progeny  is  the  more  dis- 
tinguished, and  then  cites  numerous  examples,  among 
them  this:  "The  Ulidians  place  IMac Aonghusa,  or 
Magennis,  of  the  race  of  Conall  Carnach,  before  the  de- 
scendants of  Conor  the  king,  because  Conall' s  descend- 
ants were  the  more  distinguished."* 

This  Conor  the  king,  of  whom  McFirbus  speaks,  is 
the  renowned  Conor  MacNessa,  king  of  Ulster,  at  the 
beginning  of  the  Christian  era,  and  one  of  the  greatest 
heroes  of  early  Irish  history,  but,  as  noted,  his  direct 
descendants  were  less  distinguished  than  those  of  the 
family  of  Magennis.  f 

O' Curry,  in  speaking  of  Irish  genealogy,  after  men- 
tioning the  progeny  of  Heber  and  Heremon,  says:  "Be- 
sides these  two  chief  races,  the  records  relate  the  descent 
of  two  others  of  great  historical  importance.  From  Emer 
the  son  Ir,  (who  was  brother  of  Heber  and  Heremon,) 
descend  the  races  of  Uladh  or  Ulidia,  now  represented 
ty  the  family  of  Magennis  of  Down." 

Judge  Dunne  says:  "The  learned  Dr.  O'Sullivan, 
present  secretary  of  the  Royal  Irish  Academy,  has  writ- 
ten a  masterly  introduction  to  O' Curry's  second  series  of 
lectures  on  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  ancient  Irish. 


*  O'Curry  MS.  Materials  for  Irish  Hist.,  p.  226.    Also  see  p.  207, 
t  Jiulcre  Dunne's  pamphlet,  p.  4. 


dl 


uu>l 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  1 7 

He  gets  no  further  than  the  25th  page  of  the  introduc- 
tion before  we  find  him  saying:  'Tiprait  Tireach  be- 
came king  of  Ulster,  and  was  the  ancestor  of  Alagennis 
and  other  families  in  the  east  of  Ulster.'  Of  course,  this 
does  not  conflict  with  the  other  statements  as  to  the  an- 
cestors being  Milesius,  Ir,  Rory,  Conall  or  Aengus;  they 
are  all  ancestors,  each  one  in  his  proper  place  in  the 
line." 

As  family  names  were  not  introduced  until  the  elev- 
enth century — over  eight  hundred  years  ago — and  the 
annals  are  as  yet  indexed  only  by  family  names,  it  would 
be  a  great  task  to  trace  the  notices  of  the  clan  prior  to 
the  eleventh  century.  From  that  time  down  it  is  easy, 
and  the  following  are  given  as  some  of  the  most  inter- 
esting references:  ,1  ,,  :■ 

A.  D.  1172.  In  the  Annals  of  The  Four  Masters,* 
Vol.  III.,  p.  7,  under  the  year  1172,  there  is  the  follow- 
ing entry:  "Alulmurry  ]\IacMurrough,  Lord  of  Muintir 
Hirn,  was  slain  by  Hugh  Alagennis  and  the  Clann-Aodha 
of  Ui  Eathach  Uladh." 

II 73.  "Hugh  Magennis  invaded  Armagh  and  rav- 
aged a  large  part  of  it." 

1208.  "Dewinnsi  Magennis,  Lord  of  Clann-Aodha, 
in  Iveagh,  was  slain  by  the  son  of  Donslevy  O'Haughy. 

*  This  great  work  is  so  called  because  Michael  O'Clery,  PereL'rine 
<  )'Clery,  Conary  O'Clery,  together  with  Peregrine  O'Duigenan,  were 
the  four  principal  compilers  of  the  ancient  Annals  of  Ireland  in  the. 
seventeenth  century.  Other  eminent  Irish  scholars  were  also  asso- 
<iate(l  with  them  in  the  work.  Their  manuscripts  were  translated  by 
tile  late  John  O'Donovan,  LL.  D.,  and  published  in  ISol  in  Dublin, 
under  the  title  of  "The  Annals  of  the  Kingdom  of  Ireland,  by  the 
Kour  Masters,  from  the  Earliest  Period  to  the  year  A.  D.  IGlfi."  They 
«"nsist  of  four  large  volumes.  One  page  is  given  in  the  Irish  Ian. 
cuage,  the  next  in  P^nglish,  so  that  the  two  stand  side  by  side.  Copies 
uiay  be  found  in  nearly  all  well  selected  libraries.  There  is  a  copy  in 
tlie  .^tate  Library,  Harrisburg,  Pa.  ,  ■ 


,-;;.■:  1  ,  . 


l8  THE    FAMILY  OF    MAGEXNIS. 

At  this  time  O'Haugliy  was  chief  of  all  Iveagh,  and 
Magennis  of  only  a  portion  of  it  called  Clann-Aodla." 
O' Donovan's  note. 

1258.  "  O'Neill  invaded  Tyr  Connell,  and  the  battle 
of  Lough  Swilly  was  fought.  x\  stirring  poem*  was 
written  on  the  subject.  O'Hanlon's  charges  for  O'Neill 
is  routed  by  McSweeny: 

"Then  rusliod  like  tire  Clan-Rory's  race, 

With  shouts  that  rend  the  skies, 
And  stricken  by  Me(  Jennis  stern 

The  stout  McSweeny  dies."  ' '' ' 

1359.  "Art,  the  son  of  Auliflfe  O'Rourke,  was  slain 
by  Magennis."  On  which  entry  O' Donovan  has  a  n.ote 
saying  that  at  this  time  Magennis  was  chief  of  Iveagli, 
showing  that  he  had  triumphed  over  the  O'Haugly,  who 
slew  Duvinusi  more  than  one  hundred  years  before. 

1374.      "Jenkin  Savadge  was  slain  by  Magennis." 

1376.  In  the  record  of  this  year  The  Four  Masters 
mention  that  "John  O'Rooney,  chief  poet  of  Magennis, 
died."  According  to  the  old  Irish  custom,  adds  Judge 
Dunne,  every  family — that  is  the  aggregation  of  all  of 
one  name  or  tribe — had  a  recognized  head,  and  it  was 
part  of  the  duty  of  this  person  to  see  that  the  record  of 
the  whole  family  was  made  and  preserved,  and  a  poet, 
bard  or  Seanachie  was  always  appointed  and  maintained 
for  this  purpose. 

1380.  "A  very  great  defeat  was  given  by  Art  Ma- 
gennis to  the  English  and  the  people  of  Orion  O' Han- 
Ion,  chief  of  Orior,  and  great  numbers  of  the  English, 
were  slain  on  this  occasion."  Later  in  the  record  of  this 
year  The  Eour  Masters  mention  that  "Art  Magennis, 
Lord  of  Iveah,  in  LHidia,  was  treacherously  taken  pris- 

*  Haye's  Ballads  of.  Ireland,  Vol.  I.,  p.  132. 


,;-.i'.-:'//'(r^/.i/.  Ho  it.:<\w./\'-\  c-i'MT 
•j!jh:o  -jil;  lur;.  .II-xkioQ  •57']    i' :;b;r.  rri  iJi^Z'O''     .8;:yi 


.   -wit  .UA"     .t>?.fj 

>i:r,  Mj.!l;  -^lorri  ■-  / j|r> 

,     •  ^n'i"     r---    rtrij  "U}  Ino'j-M -yd'  nl       O^f,! 


v/  , 


■■i///   Ji  bn;:  ,b..  ■■;;  j:   ',Jl:.:l-■-v<J^^1  w  ^'in^rj   :>ti(^ 


0^ 


f.ai-.  , 


<-?:i.q,.r.io-, 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  I9 

oner  in  the  house  of  Mortimer."  This  Mortimer  was 
the  celebrated  English  Alortimer,  Earl  of  ]\Iarche,  son- 
in-law  to  Lionel,  Duke  of  Clarence,  then  acting  as  Vice- 
roy of  Ireland.  Art  Magennis,  after  his  victory,  was 
probably  invited  to  the  Castle  of  the  Viceroy,  or  Lord 
Lieutenant,  to  agree  on  some  treaty  of  peace,  and  there, 
as  the  annals  state,  treacherously  taken  prisoner. 

1383.  The  next  record  concerning  Art  is  as  follows: 
"Art  Magennis,  Lord  of  Iveagh  in  Ulster,  sole  prop  of 
the  hospitality  of  Ireland,  in  his  time,  died  of  the  plague 
at  Trim,  where  he  had  been  detained  in  prison  by  the 
English." 

1396.  The  next  record  of  Magennis  shows  that  some 
of  the  family  took  the  field  against  the  English  to  avenge 
the  death  of  Art,  but  the  story  is  one  of  further  defeat. 
It  reads  thus:  "Cu-UIadh  Magennis,  heir  to  the  Lord- 
ship of  Iveagh,  was  slain  by  the  English." 

1400.  Rory,  the  son  of  Magennis,  was  slain  by  the 
sons  of  Cu-Uladh  O'Neil. 

1418.  In  this  year  the  ^Magennis  got  some  satisfac- 
tion out  of  the  English,  as  appears  by  the  following 
entry:  "Great  depredations  were  committed  by  Lord 
Furnival  upon  Hugh  Magennis,  Lord  of  Iveagh,  inUlidia. 
Magennis  and  Mac-I-Neil  Boy  set  out  in  pursuit  of  the 
English  and  their  preys  and  defeated  them,  after  they  had 
left  the  preys  behind.  Countless  numbers  of  the  English 
were  slain  and  taken  prisoners  on  this  occasion  by  Ma- 
gennis." ;,,.,.     .;..•->•< 

1420.  Then  it  seems  the  English  made  a  special 
rally  against  Magennis,  as  witness:  "The  Earl  of  Or- 
mond,  Justiciary  of  Ireland,  waged  war  with  the  Ulto- 
nians  to  obtain  dominion  for  O'Neil,  and  he  reduced 
Magennis  under  submission  to  O'Neil."  This  shows, 
adds  Judge  Dunne,  that  great  as  O'Neill  was  then  in  the 


Y;^OT^TH  hka  r.ioisio  <»Ti 


J  lo  •.^>- 


■  .1    "i-   ! 

.,     -  o'f:  !i:d  ,1.. 


^/^   '')'{i  iro-/  eifij  nl      .''•■t;,i 


-joi/.  vo  noii^jKQoo  aifu  no  hiuuo^nq 


20  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGKNNIS.  ^: 

north,  he  was  unable  alone  to  subdue  Magennis;  also 
that  the  English  were  unable  to  punish  Magennis,  ex- 
cept by  joining  forces  with  O'Neill. 

1424.  The  English,  evidently  still  fearful  of  ^la- 
gennis,  organized  another  war  against  him,  as  witness: 
"Many  Saxons  came  to  Ireland  with  the  Earl  of  Or- 
mond,  in  consequence  whereof  the  English  of  Ireland 
acquired  great  strength.  *  *  *  Another  excursion 
was  made  by  them  against  Magennis,  and  they  demol- 
ished his  castle  at  Lock  Bricrenn,  and  killed  the  consta- 
ble of  his  gallowa^lasses.  and  almost  the  whole  of  the 
ward  in  the  castle.''  In  the  same  year  it  is  recorded 
that  iNIagennis  was  driven  out  of  his  territory;  that  he 
subsequently  died  of  the  plague,  and  that  his  son  Rory 
was  elected  chief  in  his  place.  Thus  ended  the  life  of 
the  celebrated  Hugh  IMagennis,  who  was  crushed  only 
by  domestic  treachery  combined  with  a  foreign  foe.  He 
had  repeatedly  proved  himself  a  match  for  either  when 
separately  encountered,  but  the  combination  of  both  was 
more  than  he  could  withstand.  To  appreciate  the  an- 
tiquity of  this  family,  it  is  well  to  remember  that  these 
records  concern  what  is  comparatively  the  modern  his- 
tory of  the  Magennises,  and  yet  at  this  time  Columbus 
had  not  yet  thought  of  trying  to  discover  America.*     ] 

1453.  I"  t^is  year  we  find  the  ^Magennis  again  fight- 
ing his  implacable  foe  the  English.  An  English  fleet 
from  Dublin  had  put  in  at  Ardglass,  in  the  County  of 
Down,  when  these  forces  landed  and  attacked  the 
O'Neills.  In  this  battle  "Cu-Uladh,  the  son  of  Cattibar 
Magennis,  heir  to  the  Lordship  of  Iveagh,  Hugh  Magen- 
nis, McArtan,  and  fifteen  captains  were  slain.  The  total 
loss  on  the  Irish  side  was  520." 

*  Judge  Dunne's  Notes  on  the  INIagennis  family,  p.  6,  7. 


/  ii>A)/.     TO   VJlKA'i   aur  OS 


1  ni 


.lU    >;?Cvl   If.  ••i'7^i2D 


-ir:   Jo  J:ru  i">/ir;v  .<bv/  ?i; 


/  '-.n'w  ."'rffi^iM.:!/:.  ih-inH  !■ 


•.!:t  ;-,^    ■:. 


Jii  n; 


ITS   ORIGIN    AND    HISTORY.  21 

An  act  of  Parliament  passed  in  the  fourth  year  of 
Ivdward  IV.  (1465)  directed  that  all  Irishmen  within  the 
ICnj^dish  pale  should  adopt  some  English  surname,  which 
sliould  be  either  the  name  of  a  place,  trade,  colom,  or 
office. 

1488.  "  Brian  Magennis,  son  of  Art,  died  and  his 
brother  Hugh  was  inaugurated  in  his  place." 

1493.  "Hugh  ]\Iagennis  took  part  in  the  great  bat- 
tle ])etween  the  O'Donnells  and  the  O'Neills,  in  behalf 
of  the  latter,  who  were  finally  routed." 

1495.  "  Hugh  Magennis  took  part  in  a  war  against 
tlie  people  of  Fermanagh,  in  which  that  territory  suf- 
fered much  damage." 

1501.  "  Rury,  the  son  of  MacMahon,  i.  e.,  of  Brian, 
the  son  of  Redmond,  was  slain  by  the  sons  of  Magen- 
nis." 

1504.  "A  great  battle  was  fought  in  Ireland  during 
this  year  at  Cnoetaugh,  i.  e.,  the  hill  of  the  axes,  about 
eight  miles  northeast  of  the  town  of  Galway.  There 
has  been  great  discussion  about  this  battle  between  Eng- 
lish and  Irish  writers,  the  English  claiming  it  as  an 
English  victory,  when,  in  fact,  they  had  no  part  in  it. 
It  was  a  struggle  between  the  people  of  the  north  and 
those  of  the  south.  In  the  account  of  the  battle  men- 
tion is -made  that  Donnel,  son  of  ^Magennis,  commanded 
a  detachment  on  the  northern  side,  which  was  victori- 
ous." 

^517-  Gerald,  Earl  of  Kildare,  was  appointed  Lord 
Lieutenant  of  Ireland,  A.  D.  1513.  In  1517  he  invaded 
Ulster  and  attacked  Phelim  ^lagennis,  and  overcoming 
niin  made  him  prisoner.* 

*  Moore's  History  of  Ireland,  Vol.  II.,  p.  259. 


^>'?  ;i;f':;7; 


:(•  ,(J;^.- ;■:):.;    ,  ;,■(:: 


7;ii  >■■  -Hi    ■:"'';/-. 


.'•KiJy'v  ;-;Ti 


'I     ... 


,it,'j.  i'';!;'M^-:  -j] ;.,  •   f'^'- ;  I,  //,[ 


-a!    •rr.i-    l:"..!li 


J, ill    ^'liV:?'    ify.'i  ;  i   ": '.),'■;  1. 1 '\  I 


...j-,^-^,.     ..r,-^,^     ._^ 


::?  .r  , ''''.■)!:,!,' 


]■'■-,■■'  >" 


■:-:::,]"    ■<> 


.';'j  ,vi.,;.M  '■        i':v  : 


W'vi:  .M  ,.:i 


I'.v  ,i.(i^;a]  h> v-,.?wff  >-^i«'i«'  * 


22  THE    FAMILY   OF   MxVGEXNIS. 

1520.  "  Magennis,  (O'Donnel,  the  son  of  Hugh,  son 
of  Art,)  died  and  P'eliin,  the  hospitable,  his  brother,  was 
inaugnrated  in  his  place,  and  he  also  died,  and  Edmund 
Roy  Magennis  was  styled  The  ]\Iagennis. "  This  is  the 
Irish  manner  of  indicating  the  chief  of  the  family.  At 
the  present  day  certain  Irish  members  of  Parliament  are 
officially  recognized  as  the  O'Douahue,  the  O'Garmon, 
the  O'Connor  Don,  Sic. 

1566.  "Mary,  the  daughter  of  Manus,  son  of  Hugh 
Duvison  of  Hugh  Roe  O'Donnell,  and  wife  of  Magen- 
nis, died  on  the  8th  of  October. 

In  1584  Sir  Hugh  Macgennis  was  returned  to  the 
House  of  Commons  in  Ireland  from  the  County  of  Down, 

1585.  "A  proclamation  of  Parliament  was  issued  to 
the  men  of  Ireland  commanding  their  chiefs  to  assemble 
in  Dublin  precisely  on  May  day.  *  *  ^  Thither 
came  the  chiefs  of  Kinel  Connell,  etc.;  also  Magennis. 
(Hugh,  the  son  of  Donnell  Oge,  son  of  Donald  Dur)." 

1591.  "  Magennis,  (Hugh,  the  son  of  Hugh,  son  of 
Donnell  Oge,)  a  man  of  his  patrimony,  of  greatest  name 
and  renown  among  the  English  and  Irish  of  Ireland, 
died  penitently."  On  this  record  O' Donovan  has  this 
note:  '"Of  his  patrimony,  i.  e.,  a  man  who  was  more 
famed  and  renowned  than  any  other  chieftain  of  equal 
territorial  possessions  in  Ireland." 

1607.  The  greatest  men  in  the  northern  part  of  Ire- 
land at  this  time  were  the  celebrated  Earl  O'Neill  and 
Earl  O'Donnell.  In  the  year  1607  these  great  chiefs, 
with  a  number  of  the  leading  nobility  of  Ireland,  sud- 
denly left  for  the  Continent.  This  episode  is  known  in 
Irish  history  as  the  flight  of  the  Earls.  The  cause  of  it 
has  been  by  many  considered  a  mystery.  English  au- 
thorities assert  it  was  because  they  had  been  plotting, 


?JZ7.'IO/iW    ^O  Y.I  I!/:  AH    HHT 


S.S 


1-.  . .  I 


f,  ,•■>:. r-Iq  >,!<{  rn  bv 


•  1/:   ](■  '■^llw  bur  ,Ii''3jrr!:>',i'*  .1    .;.•■'•    .:i';riH  la 


ri :  (',  ivvvx  pr.'iy  ifi 


'.. -;nU 


'.n   ?.n\i    i'O 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  23 

and  promised  proofs,  but  none  were  ever  furnished. 
Father  Burke,  Ireland's  Case  Stated,  p.  253.  What 
appears  to  have  been  the  true  cause  is  fully  stated  in 
Thebaud's  Irish  Race,  p.  337.  The  Four  Masters  have 
the  following  among  other  entries  on  this  subject  under 
date  of  1607:  "  These  were  they  who  went  with  O'Neil, 
namely,  the  Countess  Catharine,  the  daughter  of  Ma- 
gennis,  and  her  three  sons,  Hugh,  the  Baron,  John  and 
Brian,"  and  then  follow  many  others.  The  Countess 
Catharine,  daughter  of  Alagennis,  is  mentioned  first, 
preceding  many  distinguished  chiefs,  from  which  fact, 
and  the  fact  that  the  title  of  the  wife  of  an  Earl  is  that 
of  Countess,  it  is  more  than  likely  she  was  the  wife  of 
O'Neill.  In  the  preface  to  the  ballad,  "Lament*  for 
the  Princes  of  Tyrconnel,"  it  is  stated  she  was  the  wife 
of  O'Neill;  and  another  authority!  says  O'Neill  was  ac- 
companied by  his  Countess. 

The  text  of  The  Four  Masters  then  continues:  "This 
was  a  distinguished  crew  for  one  ship,  for  it  is  certain 
that  the  sea  had  not  supported  and  the  winds  had  not 
wafted  from  Ireland  in  modern  times,  a  party  of  one 
ship  who  would  have  been  more  illustrious  and  noble  in 
point  of  genealogy,  or  more  renowned  for  deeds,  valor, 
prowess  or  high  achievements,  than  they,  if  God  had 
permitted  them  to  remain  in  their  patrimonies  until  their 
children  had  reached  the  age  of  manhood."  The  work 
of  The  Four  Masters  ends  with  the  Annals  of  1616,  but 
this  is  by  no  means  the  end  of  the  history  of  the  Ma- 
gennis  family.  It  was  a  stock  of  wonderful  vitality, 
thriving  apparently  with  equal  luxuriance  in  whatever 
soil  it  chanced  to  be  planted. 

*  Have's  Ballads  of  Ireland,  Vol.  I.,  p.  108. 

t  Kenmare's  Illustrated  History  of  Ireland,  p.  409,  edition  1868. 


•';"^;)i    ■rr.'vs   -s.;//,'    -jdon    J:J<}  j    hnf: 

'3,'r;fi ''rv !:-;!/  7;-'/^I  viiT      .^?;.     <;   .jvu3i  fi^iii   >:'bi;.\(ioiIT 


:,,  ■:    i;r;M|'  '3^ou^   y'i  ii  .  to 

-.'■:: jj- IT ;:;oO  c.iii  yJ  fvji;uu{inoo 

-.   hiii:   'ijjno' :  


'q 


24  THE    FAMILY  OF   MAGENXIS. 

Walpole,  ill  his  history  of  Ireland,  page  167-S,  says: 
"In  1641  the  Irish  tribes  which  had  been  evicted, 
transplanted  and  dispersed,  seemed  to  start  out  of  the 
ground  in  all  their  old  individuality.  There  were  the 
O'Reillys,  the  O'Hanlons,  the  McGennises  and  the 
O'Ouinn's."  *  *  *  In  the  war  which  followed,  "the 
forts  dominating  Tyrone  were  surprised  in  one  night, 
and  the  gates  of  Newry,  with  its  stores  of  arms  and  am- 
munition, were  opened  to  Sir  Con  McGennis." 

The  name  of  Catharine  seems  to  have  been  a  favorite 
one  in  the  family,  and  has  come  down  to  the  present  day 
in  America  as  well  as  in  Ireland,  in  the  female  line. 

The  IMagennis  family  had  its  armorial  bearings  also. 
The  late  Eugene  O' Curry,  Professor  of  Irish  History  and 
Archseology  in  the  Catholic  University  of  Dublin,  was 
regarded  as  the  greatest  among  Irish  antiquarians.  He 
published  two  series  of  lectures;  the  first  in  1861,  en- 
titled "Manuscript  Materials  for  Irish  History;"  the 
second  in  1873,  entitled  "  ^Manners  and  Customs  of  the 
ancient  Irish."  In  the  latter  series  he  recounts  an  im- 
portant discussion  as  to  the  right  of  the  Magennis  family 
to  bear  the  "Red  Hand  of  Ulster,"  thus:  ''About  the  year 
1680  a  controversy  sprang  up  among  some  of  the  bards 
of  Ulster  as  to  what  race,  by  ancient  right,  the  armorial 
bearing  of  Ulster,  the  'Red  Hand,'  belonged.  Some 
person  named  Carmac,  said  or  wrote  something,  which 
I  have  never  seen,  to  the  effect  that  the  '  Red  Hand  '  be- 
longed by  right  to  the  Clann  O'Neill,  but  he  was  called 
to  account  for  so  saying  by  Diarmait,  the  son  of  Laoigh- 
seal.  Mac  an  Bhaird  (called  in  English  Louis  Ward,) 
who  wrote  a  poem  of  seventeen  quatrains,  in  which  he 
adduces  many  historical  reasons  to  prove  that  the  '  Red 
Hand'  of  Ulster  belonged   by  right  to  the  Ulidiaus  of 


.^I 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  2$ 

Rudrician  or  Irian  race,  of  whom  Mac  Enis,  (or  Magen- 
nis,)  of  the  County  Down,  was  the  chief"  This  poem* 
begins: 

"  O  Cormac  I  remember  what  is  right ; 

Take  not  from  the  Irian  blood  its  honor.       .;  ;[■,;,)  i  ?-  ,_ 

Justice  is  the  best  argument. 

The  race  is  not  no-\v  in  bountiful  atflucnce." 

It  seems  from  a  subsequent  reference  to  this  subject 
by  O' Curry  that  Diarmait,  the  author  of  this  poem,  was 
himself  of  the  Clann  O'Neill,  and  that  he  felt  bound  to 
acknowledge  the  justice  of  the  claim  of  the  Magennis 
family.  •<■'.     i;i     :\'.}     t\;r-.;..  .     :o;'r.i'ii.;.  -.  !  "is    scu'M' 

This  subsequent  reference  is  made  in  recommending 
the  discussion  as  to  a  celebrated  ancient  Irish  harp,  pre- 
served in  the  jNIuseum  of  Trinity  College,  Dublin,  pop- 
ularly known  as  the  harp  of  Brian  Born,  and  claimed  to 
belong  to  the  O'Briens.  On  the  forearm  of  this  harp 
there  is  an  escutcheon  chased  in  silver,  with  the  "Red 
Hand  "  thereon.  The  O'Neills,  who  have  been  bearing 
the  "Red  Hand  "  for  many  generations,  stepped  in  and 
asserted  that  this  escutcheon  proved  conclusively  that 
the  harp  belonged  to  the  O'Neills,  because  it  had  their 
arms  engraved  on  it,  and  the  claim  was  for  a  long  time 
generally  allowed.  But  now  comes  O' Curry  and  says: 
"The  use  of  the  upright  arm  by  the  O'Briens  is  of  an 
older  date  than  the  'Red  Hand'  of  the  O'Neills.  In- 
deed, it  was  publicly  and  openly  asserted  in  the  seven-. 
teenth  century  by  writers  of  the  Clann  'Neill  race  them- 
selves, that  the  '  Red  Hand  '  was  the  right  of  Magennis, 
but  that  the  O'Neills  wrested  it  to  themselves  and 
continued  to  usurp  it  to  this  day."t 

*  O'Curry,  Ancient  Irish,  Vol.  III.  p.  265. 

t  O'Curry,  Ancient  Irish,  Vol.  III.,  pp.  268  to  278. 


D 


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26  THE    FAMILY -OF    MAGENNIS.  -  ; 

Judge  Dunne  thinks  there  is  much  reason  to  believe 
that  the  "Red  Hand"  should  belong  to  the  family  of 
Magennis  rather  than  to  that  of  O'Neill.  It  is  always 
spoken  of  as  the  "Red  Hand  of  Ulster."  The  family 
of  Magennis,  he  continues,  represents  the  old  Ultonians, 
the  original  Ulster  kings,  of  the  time  of  Ir,  whereas  the 
O'Neills  are  from  the  south,  of  the  line  of  Heremou, 
and  came  into  power  in  the  north  at  a  comparatively 
recent  date,  about  one  hundred  years  after  the  Three 
Collas  had  burned  Emania,  and  driven  the  Ultonians 
into  Ulidia,  or  about  432  A.  D. 

There  is  not  in  all  Europe,  continues  this  same 
writer,  an  armorial  bearing  of  more  distinction,  or  about 
which  there  has  been  more  discussion,  than  that  of  the 
"Red  Hand,"  and  as  matters  now  stand,  the  family  of 
Magennis  seems  to  have  the  best  of  it,  and  they  are  not 
slow  in  asserting  their  rights  in  the  matter.  Richard 
Magennis,  Esq.,*  of  Warrington,  County  Down,  em- 
blazons the  hand  in  his  coat  of  arms,  and  so  probably 
will  all  other  members  of  the  family  who  desire  to  pre- 
serve the  remembrance  of  its  ancient  dignity  and  high 
standing  in  ages  of  long  ago. 

Another  view  of  the  question,  though,  is  that  the 
"Red  Hand"  was  part  of  the  royal  arms  of  Ulster,! 
passing  with  the  sovereignty,  and  therefore  rightly  borne 
by  the  O'Neills  after  they  became  kings  of  that  country. 
However  this  argument  may  be  reconciled  with  the  his- 
tory of  heraldry,  the  O'Neills  have  carried  this  blazon 
over  too  many  fields  of  victory,  and  have  their  posses- 
sion of  it  too  firmly  planted  in  the  poetry  of  Ireland  to 
ever  be  deprived  of  it.     The  most  the  O'Briens  or  Ma- 


*  Burke's  Heraldic  History,  Vol.  II.,  p.  871. 

t  Judge  Dunne's  Notes  on  the  Magennis  family,  p.  11. 


■  r.  nO"fJlMA''J   ;:ri'T  dc 


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ifiirt.'o;!']    :,>!'!   irjvhlt   h;rr.    ,r,;nr.{t!H   bomad   h.r.rl   r'.r.IloO 

.11  .A  iff  J;joJfi  "<>  ,fiibiIU  oJuf 

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1!    rfi    'l:J-:-i   ir^rfj 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  27 

j^entiises  can  now  expect  is  a  recognition  of  their  ancient 
exclusive  and  present  joint  right  to  the  use  of  it. 

It  has  been  shown  how  the  family  figured  as  warriors 
in  early  times.  In  1870  there  was  published  an  elaborate 
work  on  the  history  of  the  Irish  brigades  in  the  service 
of  France,  by  John  Cornelius  O'Callaghan.  The  author 
ol)tained  access  to  the  state  paper  office  in  London  in 
1S41,  through  the  influence  of  Daniel  O'Connell,  a  rare 
favor  in  those  days.  He  gathered  there  a  mass  of  in- 
formation not  otherwise  accessible,  and  having  this  start, 
many  persons  who  intended  writing  on  the  subject  trans- 
ferred their  notes  to  him.  Concerning  the  Magennis 
family  he  writes  as  follows  :  "Robert  Plunket,  fifteenth 
Lord  Baron  of  Killeen,  and  sixth  Earl  of  Fingal,  captain 
of  the  infantry  regiment  of  Berwick,  in  the  Irish  Brig- 
ade, also  died  this  year,  1738,  at  Paris,  where  he  was 
interred.  By  his  marriage  with  ]\Iary,  daughter  of  Roger 
Magennis,  Esq.,  of  the  branch  of  Der-Iveagh,  County  of 
Down,  and  likewise  an  officer  in  the  service  of  France, 
his  Lordship  was  grandfather  of  Arthur  James,  seven- 
teenth Lord  Baron  of  Killeen,  and  eighth  Earl  of  Fingal 
deceased  in  1836,  who  duly  estimated  his  consequent  par- 
ticipation in  the  most  illustrious  or  old  Irian  blood  of 
Uladh  or  Ulster,  through  that  of  its  leading  name — 
MacGennis(or  MacGuinness) — compared  with  which,  (as 
sprung  from  the  line,  for  so  many  ages,  of  the  celebrated 
kings  of  Emania,  and  thus  best  entitled  in  that  province 
to  bear  the  heroic  ensign  of  the  "Red  Hand,")  other 
races  there.  Clan  Colla  or  Hy  Niall,  were  but  of  yester- 
day." And  thereupon  the  author  appends  a  long  note 
to  this  effect:  "The  race  of  Ir  ruled  Ulster  from  the  land- 
ing of  the  ]\Iilesians  to  the  destruction  of  Emania,  A.  D. 
332.  The  Ultonians  were  pushed  back  into  Ulidia,  now 
the  counties  of  Antrim  and  Down.     The  O'Neills  did 


avjA 


T  OllvV 


28  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGENNIS.  -.. 

not  come  in  till  about  St.  Patrick's  time,  432,  A.  D. 
Hence,"  O'Callaghan  says,  "in  Ulidia,  '  the  land  of  hos- 
pitality and  spears,'  the  Magennis,  as  elder  in  descent 
from  the  royal  line  of  Ir,  or  the  Red  Branch,  looked  upon 
the  more  modern  Heremonian,  or  Clan  Col  la  and  Hy- 
Niall  settlers  in  Uladh  as  comparative  )iozn  homines^  his 
bards  maintaining  'that  the  Red  Hand  of  Ulster'  was 
derived  from  the  heroes  of  the  Red  Branch,  and  that 
therefore  it  belonged  by  right  to  Magennis,  the  senior 
representative  of  Connall  Cearnach  (that  is  Conall  the 
victorious),  the  most  distinguished  of  those  heroes,  and 
not  to  O'Neill,  whose  ancestors,  although  they  had  no 
connection  with  those  heroes  by  descent,  had  usurped 
the  sovereignty  of  Ulster."* 

O' Callahan  gives  the  following  details  concerning  the 
later  history  of  the  family:  "The  first  of  the  name, 
ennobled  after  the  English  manner,  was  Sir  Art  or  Ar- 
thur Magennis,  married  to  Sairah,  daughter  of  the  great 
Aodh  or  Hugh  O'Neill,  Earl  of  Tyrone,  and  created  by 
James  I.,  in  1623,  Lord  Viscount  Iveagh.  By  the  result 
of  the  civil  war  of  1641-53,  the  Macgennises  were  greatly 
shattered  in  their  fortunes,  like  the  old  Irish  families  in 
general.  Had  King  James  H.  been  able  to  maintain 
himself  in  Ireland,  the  Macgennises,  through  the  repeal 
in  1689  of  the  acts  of  settlement  and  explanation  by  the 
Irish  Parliament  of  that  monarch,  would  have  recovered 
what  had  been  their  considerable  landed  possessions  at 
the  commencement  of  the  troubles  in  1641.  In  the  war 
of  the  revolution,  James  was  served  with  proportionate 
zeal  by  those  of  the  name,  the  head  of  whom,  Brian 
i\Iacgennis,t  Viscount  Iveagh,  (married  to  Lady  Mar- 


*  O'Callahan,  Irish  Brigade,  pp.  .330,  331. 

t  The  last  Lord  Iveagh,  whose  dormant  title  ha.s  been  conferred 
on  Sir  Edward  Cecil  Guinness,  was  Brvan  Magennis,  who  died  with- 


'.-.uj  :;(.■-;;   wKri  ,.:r;  j:3;--jtb    <■(;    -  ■.•i^ji   Urt<.;nj    rijiw    r.uijni'^iinoo 

'"..:=-:';  to  •■  ifi 

«[ 

•■i.'"-    -^o  T'f/.  -jr?^  rj:7''  /2':>rTn'^rii    f:  -ivi-jH   vdl  1'v:J"1j.  iyjldonuo 

w:  Ml:  ,;?- 


Tty;fj  ;iD-9d  bnrf  ifjrfw 


ITS   ORIGIN    AND    HISTORY.  29 

t^aret  de  Biirgo,  eldest  daufrhter  of  William,  seventh 
Karl  of  Clanricarde,)  was  colonel  of  a  regiment  of  foot 
in  the  Irish  array.  On  the  unfavorable  conchision  of 
that  contest,  which  left  very  few  of  the  MacGennises 
with  estates,  his  Lordship  went  into  the  Austrian  ser- 
vice with  an  Irish  corps  to  fight  the  Turks  in  Hungary, 
and  1693  died  abroad  without  issue. "^  Mr.  A.  M.  O' Sul- 
livan says  the  regiment  itself  remained  in  the  English 
service,  t 

To  illustrate  more  fully  the  force  of  O'Callaghan's 
remark,  that  the  cause  of  King  James  was  ably  served 
by  those  of  the  name,  we  have  but  to  turn  to  King 
James'  army  list  to  find  the   Magennis   family    numer- 

out  issue  in  tlie  year  1693.  Iveagh,  the  territory  of  the  Mairennises, 
Wits  situated  in  wliat  i.s  now  the  County  Down,  and  the  name  still 
survives  in  the  title  of  two  baronies  in  the  county.  The  Magennises 
were  accounted  among  the  foremost  of  the  Irish  tribes — second,  if 
indeed  second,  to  the  O'Neills.  ''Chief  over  the  noble  Clan  Aodh," 
says  an  old  Irish  topographer,  "  is  the  exalted  and  agreeable  ^lagen- 
nis."  The  same  English  policy  which  made  The  O'Xeill  Earl  of  Ty- 
rone, The  O'Donncll  Earl  of  Tyrconnell,  The  MacCarthy  Mor  Earl  of 
Clancarty,  converted  the  Magennis  of  James  I.'s  reign  into  Viscount 
Iveagh.  During  the  Civil  War  the  Magennises  remained  true  to  the 
Royal  cause,  and  lost  in  consequence  much  of  their  property.  The 
last  Lord  Iveagh  was  a  staunch  adherent  of  James  II.,  whom  he  fur- 
nished with  a  regiment  of  infantry  and  one  of  dragoons,  while  the 
King,  on  his  part,  bestowed  on  his  faithful  supporter  a  pension  of 
£300  a  year.  When  James  was  defeated,  Lord  Iveagh  entered  the 
Austrian  service  with  500  Irish  soldiers  and  fought  against  the  Turks 
in  Hungary.  He  was  married  to  Margaret,  eldest  daughter  of  the 
seventh  Earl  of  Clanricarde,  but  died  without  issue.  Lady  Iveash 
afterwards  became  the  wife  of  Colonel  Thomas  Butler,  of  Kilcash, 
who  belonged  to  a  branch  of  the  Ormonde  family.  She  was  renowned 
for  her  beauty,  piety  and  benevi jlence.  On  her  death,  a  student  win  im 
she  had  been  educating  at  her  own  expense  for  the  Church,  wrote  an 
eleg\'  called  "A  Lament  for  Kilcash,"  which  is  popular  throughout 
Munster. — Boston  PUot.  Feb,  14,  1891. 

*  O'Callaghan,  Irish  Brigades,  p.  330. 

t  Thebaud's  Irish  race,  p.  377. 


05 


;f,A 


30  THE   FAMILY   OF    MAGEXXIS.  " 

oiisly  represented.  The  latest  revised  and  corrected  list 
is  found  in  the  large  octavo  volume  of  over  700  pages, 
by  Charles  French  Blake-Forster,  entitled  "The  Irish 
Chieftains;  or,  a  Struggle  for  a  Crown,"  published  in 
Dublin  in  1S72. 

First,  as  to  the  dragoons:  In  O'Xeill's  regiment,  Ev- 
erard  McGuinness,  captain,  page  621;  in  Maxwell's,  Dan- 
iel Magennis,  lieutenant  colonel,  ]\Iagennis,  quar- 
termaster; Edward  Magennis  and Magennis,  lieu- 
tenants, pages  625-6.  In  the  infantry,  in  Lord  Antrim's 
regiment,  Bryan  McGuinness,  captain,  page  632;  in 
O'NeilPs,  Arthur  McGuinness  and  Hugh  Magennis, 
lieutenants,  page  641;  in  McMahon's,  Hugh  Magennis, 
major;  Constantine  Maginnes,  lieutenant,  page  652;  in 
Magennis'  own  regiment,  commanded  by  The  Magen- 
nis himself.    Lord    of   Iveah,    there    were    also   of    this 

family,    Brian  Magennis,    lieutenant   colonel,  ^la- 

gennis,  captain,  and  Magennis,  and  another,   

Magennis,  lieutenants,  page  662. 

King  James  had  a  parliament  of  Lords  and  Commons 
assembled  at  Dublin,  May  7,  16S9.  In  the  House  of 
Lords  sat  Brian  Magennis,  Lord  of  Iveah.  In  the  Com- 
mons there  were  Murtagh  Magennis,  of  Greencastle, 
and  Ever  Magennis,  of  Castlewelan,  both  representing 
their  ancient  territory  in  the  County  of  Down,  and  Ber- 
nard Maginnis,  representing  the  Borough  of  Keleleagh, 
pages  6S6-7.  Of  the  Lord  Lieutenants  and  Deputy 
Lieutenants  of  the  different  counties  in  Ireland  during 
King  James'  reign,  the  Lord  Lieutenant  for  the  County 
of  Down,  was  Brian  Magennis,  Lord  of  Iveah,  and  Shil- 
ling Magennis  and  Arthur  Magennis  were  Deputy  Lieu- 
tenants, and  Phelim  Magennis,  High  Sheriff  of  the  same 
county.* 

*  Blake-Forster,  Irish  Chronicles,  p.  699. 


''.vA'/.-^'o hv.  '•!<•  wniitv'i'Aur 


^l 


ijircw/.  l»-'i\!  r;-  .iiUiihi^i  ■'>.u  :;i       .0- ^^ci  K^j-j^iiin  .-Viii'-^.nj^ 


'"    ;  •  r ' '   -*,^%'''i  I  ■ ' 


•  rr 


;     70 


..  ■  -•'  i.    ST^w    •>7'"><''     ,'■/:•.?.":    '!;v    I'VjJ. 


'5:J   10 


1    h"roJ    tjfjj    K> 


.Wii  .(J  , 


ITS    ORIGIN    AND    HISTORY.  3I 

D'Arcy  McGee,  the  accomplished  Irish  writer,  has 
given  us  a  brilliant  summary  of  Irish  history,  yet,  though 
he  says  he  limits  himself  to  the  great  events,  he  does 
not  fail  to  note  the  movements  of  the  Magennis  family.* 

Of  the  MacGennises  in  the  service  of  France,  O' Cal- 
lahan recounts  as  follows:  "  Besides  Bernard,  the  col- 
onel of  dragoons,  and  his  four  sons  already  mentioned 
under  the  battle  of  Spire  in  1703,  there  were  several 
born  in  Ireland,  who,  from  the  rank  of  captain  to  that  of 
chief-de-bataillon,  were  in  the  regiments  of  Buckley, 
Roth  and  Dillon,  and  Chevaliers  of  St.  Louis.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  honorable  familv  alliances  of  the  higfher 
members  of  the  name  of  Magennis  at  home,  it  was  con- 
nected with  the  great  house  of  Justiniani — ennobled  by 
various  branches  in  Venice,  Genoa,  Naples,  the  Greek 
Empire  and  France.  Prince  Francis  Justiniani,  its  head 
in  France,  was  married  September  i,  1746,  at  the  Church 
of  St.  Sulpice  in  Paris,  says  my  authority,  to  a  Demoi- 
sella  Marie  Francois  Rose  Magenis,  of  one  of  the  most 
ancient  houses  of  Ireland. 

"In  our  own  times,  A.  C.  ^klacGennis,  Esq.,  has  been 
minister  for  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  at  the  courts  of 
Stockholm,  Naples  and  Lisbon,  and  under  another  form 
of  name,  as  Guinness,  instead  of  INIaGenness,  the  spirit 
of  an  Emanian  Prince  has  been  displayed  by  the  late 
magnificent  restorer  and  preserver  of  the  venerable  Ca- 
thedral of  our  national  apostle,  St.  Patrick." 

At  an  early  day,  probably  soon  after  the  beginning  of 
1700,  a  few  representatives  of  this  ancient  and  distin- 
guished family,  found  their  way  across  the  Atlantic  for 
the  purpose  of  seeking  homes  in  the  colonies.  One  of 
them  soon  entered  the  military  servuce,  and  we  read  of 


See  his  popular  historj'  of  Ireland,  Vol.  II.,  p.  583,  edition  1S7G. 


Jf 


(  ay.  A 


a 


ivff.'tr; 


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■U  ^iii  K) 


lo 


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io::-bx^  .'>'jtu..'  /    Hf 


'■'.Hi 


.(t"Hf  if'i(iil<*> 


32  THE    FAMILY  OF   MAGENNIS. 

Capt.  McGiniiis  commanding  a  company  of  New  Hamp- 
shire troops  in  an  attack  on  a  body  of  French  and  In- 
dians, soon  after  the  battle  of  Lake  George,  in  1755. 
The  attack  took  place  at  Rocky  Brook,  midway  between 
Glen's  Falls  and  the  head  of  Lake  George.  The  French 
were  routed,  but  the  brave  captain  received  a  contusion 
on  the  head  from  a  spent  ball  which  caused  his  death.* 

Dr.  Lyman  C.  Draper,  in  his  history  of  the  battle  of 
King's  Mountain,!  Oct.  7,  17S0,  mentions  John  AIcGin- 
nis,  an  ensign  in  the  New  Jersey  Volunteers,  who  was 
killed  in  Ferguson's  corps  while  acting  as  a  lieutenant 
for  that  special  occasion.  , 

Captain  McGinnes,  of  New  Hampshire,  who  pun- 
ished the  French  in  1755,  came  to  America  with  Plunket 
and  other  Irish  immigrants  about  1755,  and  probably 
landed  at  Boston.  We  have  no  data  to  fix  his  age,  but 
it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that,  owing  to  his  position,  he 
was  a  young  man  of  at  least  thirty  or  thirty-five  years, 
which  would  make  him  born  about  1725. 

Judge  Dunne  calls  attention  to  the  variation  in  the 
orthography  of  Irish  names,  and  says  that  a  word  of  ex- 
planation may  not  be  out  of  place.  The  Irish  language 
is  radically  different  from  the  English,  and  it  is  impossi- 
ble to  correctly  represent  all  Irish  sounds  by  English 
letters.  In  anglicising  Irish  names  uniformity  could 
have  been  secured  only  by  the  existence,  in  Ireland,  of 
some  standard  authority  acceptable  to  Irish  families. 
During  the  time  the  change  was  taking  place  the  Eng- 
lish laws  not  only  permitted  no  institution  of  that  kind, 
but  it  involved  a  penal  offense  for  the  native  Irish  to 
know  how  to  read  or  write  at  all.t    Naturally  there  was 


*  See  Stone's  Life  of  Sir  William  Johnson,  Vol.  I.,  p.  517. 

t  Draper's  Kind's  Mountain,  pp.  255,  300,  481. 

t  Mitdieir.s  Hist,  of  Ireland,  p.  39,  Glasgow  edition,  1869. 


■•!,■>  /.iJUA*4  mrr  i^i 


rA:jO>i  U: 


^>fi;   !(■  .1:!  ::    ,i:.i]ii!Q 

'I  £,  &L  \;niJOC    jiMiv/    i".|T'.i-.)   f-.  .iOr:i;ois-J    ;:i  hallii 

.   -    :  ,, T'        ,     '/     Y_, 

JffOO-, 


TO  v.n,';ij  :'.-u-jl  ji5  io 


J 


ITS   ORIGIN    AND    HISTORY.  33 

no  concert  of  action  in  anglicising  the  names,  and  many 
variations  occurred.  It  is  only  within  the  last  few  years 
that  Irish  scholars  have  taken  the  matter  in  hand  and 
shown  the  correct  Irish  form  of  different  names.  As  soon 
as  that  is  once  definitely  established  the  general  tendency 
will  be  to  conform  to  that  spelling  as  fast  as  the  change 
can  conveniently  be  made.  The  true  English  form  of 
this  name,  as  settled  by  O' Donovan,  is  Magennis. 

In  closing  his  sketch  of  this  family  Judge  Dunne 
says:  "I  would  suggest  that  an  arrangement  be  made  by 
which  some  member  of  the  family,  who  will  accept  the 
charge,  be  furnished  regularly  with  all  the  data  concern- 
ing the  family  in  this  country  necessary  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  its  history,  and  that  the  same  be  revised,  arranged 
and  printed  from  time  to  time  for  the  use  of  its  members. 
The  English  families  settled  in  New  England  have  imi- 
tated the  Irish  custom  in  this  respect  and  have  full 
records  of  all  branches  of  the  family  published  in  book 
form  so  that  each  member  can  have  a  copy.  How  glad 
many  Irish  families  of  this  day  would  be  if  their  sons, 
who  went  in  such  numbers  to  Austria,  France  and  Spain, 
during  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries,  had 
kept  such  an  account  of  their  families!  How  the  re- 
searches of  historians  would  be  helped  thereby!  The 
Irish  of  America  are  making  as  glorious  a  record  as  their 
brethren  ever  made  in  any  land,  and  they  ought  to  pre- 
serve full  details  of  it,  not  only  for  their  own  posterity, 
but  as  a  matter  of  interest  in  future  days  for  the  children 
of  their  brethren  in  Ireland,  South  America,  India,  Aus- 
tralia and  other  lands  where  the  Irish  people  are  making 
homes  for  themselves  and  their  descendants.'" 

The  suggestion  is  an  excellent  one,  and  should  be 
acted  on  without  delay.  While  the  heads  of  families 
are  living,  it  is  much  easier  to  gather  information  from 


'.■.■\    :    ■:-:<{   n'l  I'^iU'Aa  sdl  i;:- .(i/f    >      n    

•'''  .;':'•."•;.    :':^'   v.m'v/  ,/:i:rij:t  3x1:*   :;::  'rtv'-f ifivrrt  r-M;!o-  ?':>;:. 
••■-.': :yTq  ^;i;  -u'a  iunv'S'J'a'i  .'! ' '"'riM^  ^f^i •  -li  vii,i_ni5i /;:•'  ^rii 

-iffU   f'Vfif;    hv.  jK    I'!    ^■:^iJ3v..:    ■'■.;:lli':: 

■  y;  u;:      ,    .■    -         .   .  >  ..      :,j!lj  ^o HK    rf'.- 


;:-y)j>i'fjO 


i  n  '7Tir3;fi  rii  J^ 


l3i  Jfifii  fi  ^fi  iird 


•jb  -\\^>u}  \yin. 


70 1  <r!?i.JUd 


■J    Ni.:jOr):>    bsiK    ,-j£r>'' 


34  THE    FAMILY  OF    MAGENNIS. 

them  than  to  wait  until  they  have  passed  away.  The 
family  record  g-iven  in  the  following  pages,  will  serve  as 
a  model  for  other  families  to  collect  and  arrange  their 
history  in  the  same  way.  Had  the  compiler  attended  to 
this  duty  years  ago,  when  his  older  relatives  were  living, 
much  valuable  information  relating  to  the  ancestry  of 
the  family  could  have  been  obtained,  which  it  is  now 
found  impossible  to  collect.  If  other  families  will  put 
their  records  in  permanent  form,  the  future  genealogist' 
will  be  saved  a  world  of  trouble,  and  be  enabled  to  pro- 
gress more  rapidly  in  the  compilation  of  family  history. 
The  Magennis  family,  it  has  been  clearly  shown,  is  not 
only  one  of  the  oldest  but  oue  of  the  most  illustrious  in  : 
the  world,  and  its  members  should  take  pride  in  keeping 
up  its  history.  There  are  very  few  families  that  can 
trace  their  ancestry  back  for  a  thousand  years;  or  whose 
ancestors  have  passed  through  more  vicissitudes  and 
trials,  endured  greater  hardships  to  maintain  their  status, 
or  who  have  maintained  their  individuality  in  a  higher 
degree  through  the  centuries  than  the  family  w'hose  his- 
tory is  so  imperfectly  sketched  in  the  pages  of  this  little 
book.  It  has  shown  a  long  line  of  Lords,  Earls  and  rep- 
resentative men,  has  furnished  scores  of  members  who 
have  taken  high  rank  as  professional  men,  divines  and 
educators,  and  men  whose  valor  and  prowess  have  been 
shown  on  many  ensanguined  fields,      n  cou.^'ry   '•  r     •.:•:, ^^ 


;f!''.'        .'/S"//':  hviff-i.<1    ->Vi:ff    70:  rft«^fft 


r.(:   -i:— '.)--■     \i  f/; 


:".'[  .!"5f!w  ,oj^fi  xj!.-:.-/   v;,!}^  ^{flj 


;rjr/i    r-j/ijp  'il    '  .  *o  I'fo'i    r"?    ^Itfi-^s-i^'.i.-ifi    hnrjol 


•i»f{J  nii.^ii:.!!;  V  .T  '-vjiil:^i-i;>.,(l  i-j.Ji.ji^  ioin^'ja  jKliinl 


li  f>:;f':  '-■'if  yi  -  i»J 


iS«»tiS*^J^'^^, 


A 


1550999 

EMIGRATION  TO  AMERICA. 


AVhilo  History's  Muse  tlie  iiK'inorial  was  keeping, 
Of  all  that  the  <lark  hand  of  Destiny  weaves, 

Beside  her  the  Genius  of  Erin  stood  weejjini:, 
For  her's  was  the  story  that  blotted  the  leaves. 

—O'Kari,. 

K.^  J.  has  been  shown  that  the  ]\Iagennis-]McGinnis 
family  is  of  Milesian  origin,  and  that  its  history 
is  very  old.  We  are  informed  that  the  first  Irish 
settlement  in  America  was  made  in  the  Common- 
wealth period,  when  Irish  Catholics  were  banished  by 
Oliver  Cromwell  from  Ireland — some  to  France,  some  to 
Spain,  and  hnndreds  as  slaves  to  the  sugar  plantations  of 
Barbadoes,  At  this  period  thoi;sands  of  Irish — mostly 
from  Ulster — including  Catholics  and  Protestants,  left 
li-eland  for  the  Continent.  Many  also  emigrated  to 
America,  and  in  the  colony  of  Pennsylvania  one  of  the 
first  Irish  settlements  was  made.  And  in  the  same 
reign — that  of  William  and  Mary — in  consequence  of 
the  severity  of  the  land  laws,  not  to  speak  of  the  penal 
laws,  many  more  Irishmen  left  their  country  for  Amer- 
ica. 

About  the  time  of  the  emigration,  many  members  of 
this  branch  of  the  family  settled  in  Scotland  and  became 
known  as  "Scotch  Irish."  In  their  religious  belief  they 
were  mostly  Presbyterians,  but  all  were  of  Milesian  ori- 
gin, and  descended  from  MacAonghuis,  whose  ancient 
lordship  was  in  the  County  Down. 


^^"j!.  »,-iiUlm, m-m  el.'^^U^t:^.* 


L:^ov*:j»0..1. 


jj>UK/  '^^y  :•:<  ^vTAHOii/iH 


in:  ii: 


!iw:!,, 


j^ 


f;j.'j.-r;.';fny    o<if;     7  :sl/".        .Jfr>f''',M;o3     5>tf*    Tot    [>njf;fl>-il 


.£0t 


^t 


36  TIIK    FAMILY   OF    MAGENNIS.  ' .^'1 

The  followiun^  letter  to  the  author  from  John  O'Hart, 
the  celebrated  Irish  genealogist,  gives  the  pedigree  of 
his  family: 

MEGINNEvSS  OF  WILLIAMSPORT,  PA. 

Arms:  Vert  a  lion  rani}),  or.  on  a  chief  ar.  a  dexter  lianil  erect, 
couped  at  the  wrist  txn. 

This  family  is  a  branch  of  the  ancient  Irish  family  of  Jvl^ic 
Aongk.uis  (pronounced  "mac-oneese"),  derived  from  Aongus 
Mor  (or  .Eneas  Magnus),  who  (see  p.  312,  Vol.  I.,  of  the 
fourth  edition  of  my  "Irish  Pedigrees:"  New  York — Ben- 
ziger  Brothers),  is  No.  105  on  the  "  MacGuinness"  pedigree, 
and  a  quo  the  sirname. 

The  lordship  of  the  MacAonghivis  family  was,  after 
Eochaidh  (pr.  "Ocky")  Cobha,  who  is  No.  89  on  the  family 
pedigree,  and  who  lived  in  the  third  centur\^  called  Uidh 
Eochach,  which,  when  anglicised,  has  been  contracted  into 
Iveach  or  Iveagh — a  territory  in  ancient  Dalriada,  now  the 
County  Down.  This  is  the  origin  of  the  title  of  the  "Iveagh" 
pedigree. 

The  sirname  J/acAonghiois  has  been  variously  angli- 
cised "  MacGennis,"  "  MacGinnis,"  "  MacGuinness,"  "Ma- 
gennis,"  "  Maginnis,"  etc.  In  13 14  we  find  it  latinized  Mac 
Anegus ;  for.  in  that  year,  when  King  Edward  the  Second 
sought  the  aid  of  the  Irish  chieftains,  he  directed  a  letter  to 
"  Admily  Mac  Anegus,  'Dux  Hibernicoritm  de  Ouehagh  ;  " 
the  name  "  Admily  MacAnegus"  being  King  Edward's  Latin 
for  Each-.nilidh  MacAonghuis,  the  then  chief  of  the  clan, 
and  "Ouehagh"  being  the  King's  Latin  for  Iveagh  (pr. 
"Ivay"). 

While  the  prefixes  Mac  and  O'  are  the  characteristics  of 
the  old  Irish  sirnames,  some  members  of  ancient  Irish  fami- 
lies found  it  advisable  in  the  bitter  past  of  Ireland's  sad  his- 
tory to  omit  those  prefixes  in  the  transition  of  their  names 
from  the  Iri.sh  to  the  English  language  ;  but,  in  many  in- 


.r:r/:/-.jn/.j/.    no  yjij/.//.i   ;-{ii  '  ^.^ 


1o    ^>:':^(''V'i    -Jll 


//v    ,'V>i'  r'<W.  f.i:  ..:::' 7   "I' »  --^r-;! /;.;/,  ,3^]/: 

;i;ici..-  vrii  nu  (>■'  .oX  r.;   ..;•/.•  ..ji-ly'j      '  ,- .'  ■()  '  .1,7)  :'         '-      ■ 
r;    !  -'.^ui)?;^/--  ;:;  i!v,'    ,;^..<:■  '^ 


!  n.       .Oji> 


ITS   O RIG IX    AND    HISTORY.  37 

stances,  the  prefix  Mac  was  incorporated  with  the  sirname 
proper  in  an  abbreviated  form,  as  Magennis,  Jv/cGlnnis.  etc. 
And  some  members  of  ancient  Irish  families  changed  the 
spelling  of  their  sirnames  so  as  thus  to  make  a  distinction 
between  those  of  a  family  who  conformed  to  the  Protestant 
Faith,  and  those  who  remained  Catholics.  It  was  Art  Ruadh 
(roe)  MacAonghuis,  who  is  No.  124  on  the  family  pedigree, 
(or  Sir  Arthur  Magennis,  of  Rathfriland,  in  the  County  Down, 
who  first  anglicised  his  name  Magennis;  he  was  by  King 
James  the  Finst,  in  1623,  created   "  Viscount  Iveagh."" 

When  William  and  Mar>-  crushed  and  discouraged  Irish 
manufacture  in  the  interest  of  English  manufacturers,  thous- 
ands of  the  Ulster  operatives  emigrated  to  the  colonies  and 
to  America;  among  those  emigrants  to  America  were  several 
members  of  the  J/ac  Aonghuis  family. 

Before  the  Revolution  I  find  that  a  Paul  McGinnis  settled 
in  Bucks  county,  north  of  Philadelphia.  He  had  a  son  Tim- 
othy who  had  four  children,  named  David,  Timothy,  Dorothy 
and  Susan.  David  had  seven  children — ^John,  Timothy,  Da- 
vid, Sarah,  Amelia,  Catharine  and  Elizabeth;  John,  now  over 
eighty  years  old,  is  living  near  Wilkes-Barre,  Pa.;  he  had 
four  children — ^John,  David,  Susan  and  Kate. 

I  find  a  B.  A.  Meginniss  in  Tallahassee,  Florida,  whose 
great-grandfather,  Casparus  Meginness,  was  a  recruiting  offi- 
cer during  the  American  Revolutionary  War.  After  the  war 
he  settled  in  Kent  county,  Maryland,  and  had  a  large  family, 
some  of  whose  descendants  are  now  scattered  over  the  whole 
United  States  of  America. 

About  the  close  of  the  last  centur}-,  Jesse  and  Hezekiah 
McGinnis,  brothers,  settled  in  Mercer  county,  Kentucky: 
Hezekiah  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Xew  Orleans  in  18 15; 
Jesse  had  a  son  named  James  H.;  Hezekiah  left  a  daughter 
Margaret,  who  married  James  H.,  her  cou.sin,  and  they  left 
children — among  them  H.  S.  McGinnis,  who  lives  at  Nevada, 
Missouri. 


■    V    .;:,-"    'iiit    ;iii7.'    f,    '    -  '       rir:   ^/iv;  t"^'     '^fbT:|   3((f 


>:ii  ol  ! 


;i7/  yirxufi!  l  to  •■.■O'Ai 


.!ij  I'l  .,h; 


/f;;  ;n:  ';■:•[  V.   .:rr 


if^nl  I>t;«if:'II)'  Orih   LiKj: 


[rT,nl/!:G  !.-.!:,;.     ,:;  j-:h!irfy  njj'j!  hi :! 


L.;i{  ^d    ;.:;'! 


Jllji       HJ 


38 


THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGEXXIS. 


Edmund,  James  and  Pyrrhus  McGiniiis  settled  in  \'irginia: 
they  were  brothers,  whose  descendants  now  live  in  the  coun- 
ties of  Cabel,  Wayne,  Putnam,  Raleigh  and  Wyoming,  in 
Virginia:  Edmund  was  a  prominent  man;  his  son  Allen  A. 
represented  Cabel  county  in  the  Virginia  Legislature  for  seven 
consecutive  terms,  and  his  (Allen's)  son,  also  named  Allen 
A.,  served  in  the  same  Legislature  in  1832,  and  again  in 
1848.  This  last  named  Allen  A.  had  a  son  A.  B.  McGinnis, 
who  became  a  physician,  and  another  named  Ira,  who  became 
a  judge;  he  now  lives  at  Huntingdon,  West  Virginia,  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  the  law. 

James,  brother  of  Edmund  and  Pyrrhus  above  mentioned, 
had  a  son  named  Benjamin  McGinnis,  who  is  a  prominent 
lawyer  of  Raleigh,  West  Va.;  ran  for  Congress,  was  elected, 
but  through  some  political  trickery  was  counted  out. 

James  H.  McGinnis,  son  of  Pyrrhus,  is  now  postmaster  at 
Guyandotte,  West  Va. 

Sir  Arthur  Magennis,  of  Rathfriland,  in  County  Down, 
above  mentioned,  who  in  1623  was  created  "Viscount  Iveagh" 
by  King  James  the  First,  and  who  is  No.  124  on  the  family 
pedigree,  had  a  brother  John  Brian  MacGennis,  from  whom 
the  Meginjie-s  family  of  Williamsport,  Pa.,  United  States, 
America,  is  descended.  The  lineage,  so  far  as  I  have  ascer- 
tained, is  as  follows:  ^i.  '^••"' 


124.  Hugh  MacGennis, 
brother  of  the  aforesaid  first 
Vi.scount  Iveagh :  son  of  Hugh 
who  was  also  called  Feardor- 
ach  or  Ferdinand;  married 
and  had: 

125.  Hugh  J/ cGennis, 
whose  name  [see  page  319  of 
my  "Irish  Landed  Gentry 
when  Cromwell  came  to  Ire- 
land": Dublin,  James  Duffy 
&  Co.]  appeared  on  the  "In- 
rolment  of  the  Decrees  of  In- 
nocents,"   temp,    the    Crom- 


wellian  confiscations  in  Ire- 
land. This  Hugh  married 
and  had: 

126.  Arthur,  who  had  a 
brother  (Brian  McGinnis 
whose  name  [see  ibid,  p.  368] 
appears  among  the  "Con- 
naught  Certificates,"  teinp. 
the  Cromwellian  confiscations 
in  Ireland.  From  this  Brian 
the  McGinnis  family  of  the 
County  Armagh  is  descended. 

Brian  McGinnis  mar.  and 
had: 


,  f:     .'      .■*f 


..:'/ 


yriT 


ITS   ORIGIN    AND    HISTORY. 


39 


■  127.    James:  who  mar.  and 
had: 

128.  Samuel:  he  went  to 
America  and  had: 

i.  Catharine. 
ii.  James,  of  whom  pres- 
ently. 
Hi.  Samuel. 
iv.  Johnston. 
V.  William. 
vi.  John;  d.  1852. 
All    these    children    were 
born  in  Delaware,  U.  S.  A. 

129.  James:  son  of  Samu- 
el; b.  1767,  d.  1S39;  was  thrice 
married,  and  by  each  mar- 
riage had  issue.  By  the  first 
marriage  the  children  were: 

i.  Elizabeth,    d.     in    in- 
fancy. 
ii.  Margaret,  b.    1789,  d. 

1862. 

zn.   Sarah,  b.  1795,  d.  1865. 

iv.   James,  b.  1800,  d.  1826. 

V.   Ann,  b.  1801,  d.  1S87. 

vi.  Benjamin,   of    whom 

presently. 
vzi.  George,   b.    1806,   d. 

1854- 

130.  Benjamin:  son  of 
James,  b.  1803;  d.in  Califor- 


nia in  1870,  was  twice  mar- 
ried and  had  twenty  children. 
His  first  wife  was  Sarah  John- 
ston, by  whom  he  had: 

z.  John    Franklin,    of 

whom  presently. 
zz'.   Mary  Jane,  b.  1S31,  d. 

1872. 
z'z'i.  Samuel,   b.    1832,   and 

lives  in  California. 
h'.  William    H.,  b.   1834, 
and  lives  in  Califor- 
nia. 
v.  Johnston,  b.  1S36,  and 

lives  in  Iowa. 
vz.  Joseph  B.,  b.  1838. 
z'z'z.  Benjamin,  b.  1S40,  de- 

•  ceased. 
131.  John  Franklin  Me- 
ginness:  son  of  Benjamin, 
[130]:  b.  1 6th  July,  1827,  and 
living,  in  i8gr,  at  Williams- 
port,  Pa.,  United  States  of 
America.  This  John  Frank- 
lion  Meginness  is  the  pub- 
lisher of  the  "  Revi.sed  His- 
tor}^  of  West  Branch  Valley" 
and  of  the  "  Biography  of 
Frances  Slocum." 


JOHN  O'HART, 
Author  of  "  Irish  Pedigrees." 


KiLKEE,  Ireland,  July,  1891. 


A. 


•   .'    A':, 


:ii< 


•^.■nyr]     t: 


.5  ,1 


ad 


.h    ,do8i 


^       ^  .Vi-;,  -%r 
?/      —'tit)      - 

fc.-..-— A.:r;:ii/..---.gl' 


-dii^:^--^- 


MARRIAGE   RECORDS. 


What  ia  there  in  the  valo  of  life 

Half  so  (lelii:litful  as  a  wifr, 

When  friendship,  love,  and  peare  combine 

To  stamp  the  marriage  bond  divine? 

—  Cowper. 

^HAT  there  were  many  bearing  tlie  name  of  Mc- 

Ginnis-Maginnis  in  Philadelphia  at  an  earlv 

day,    is    proven    by   consnlting   the   marriage 

registers  of  the  old  chnrches.     In  the  list  of 

Christ  Chnrch,  as  given  in  the  Pennsylvania  Archi\-es, 

Vol.  VIII.,  Second  Series,  appear  the  following: 

1746,  August  27,  Maginnis,  Edward,  and  Rose  Fullerton. 
This  is  the  oldest  record  found. 

1756,  August  9,  McGinnis,  Catharine,  and  George  Atkin- 
son. 

1775,  December  5,  McGinnis,  Mary,  and  Andrew  Nelson. 

1776,  October  18,  McGinnis,  Lawrence,  and  Mar>'  Beak. 
1782;  June  30,  McGinnis,  Mary-,  and  Peter  Coriel. 

1790,  September  i,  McGinnis,  Neil,  and  Margaret  Sprowl. 
1794,  October  26,  McGinnis,  Phcebe,  and  Abraham  Wood- 

ruflf. 
1800,  January  9,  McGinnis,  William,  and  Elizabeth  Boze. 
The  registry  of  the  Sweds  Chnrch  contains  the  fol- 
lowine: 


,^asr'-- 


.c'M>ioyiUj  a;)ij>^><Ai/ 


.■r.i  i;   ;:  -;;   l.ihill    i.l'  ■■<•   'thill 
.nuu.!'- »  ■• 'i.'-';  ■iiu;  ,>/.|  ,ij;i- Sjw'jI  i'>  iivilV/ 


viui/:  ,-- 


.l)fn 


I 
,008 1 


;.-     ',.r._;:ii 


. ) :.  'V  C     J  ■ 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  4I 

1777,  March    6,    McGinnis,  John,    and    Margaret   Wood- 
bridge. 
1777,  March  12,  McGinnis,  James,  and  Mary  Noble. 
1789,  June  25,  McGinnis,  Helena,  and  John  Hill. 
1789,  July  23,  McGinnis,  Mary  Ann,  and  Michael  Tailor. 

The  record  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  Vol.  IX.,  Peniisvl- 
vania  Archives,  Second  Series,  contains  the  following-: 

1785,  July  28,  McGinnis,  John,  and  Elizabeth  Kennedy. 
1785,  August  26,  McGinnis,  Marj^  and  Nicholas  Roup. 
1787,  February  28,  McGinnis,   Catharine,  and  John  Gar- 
vin. 


^'  •^c^'', 


c,  IS  ^'r.zi  '1;   Cii:;.ti:; 


;^^<3o^ 


1^  .7:hO'1VJH   tr/A    AdAHO  ii.ri 

■  .<'7   ioui^vA/i    ban    .rirfol 

.-K.IicT  i:;.  -     


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i C« 


n 


SERVED  IN  THE  REVOLUTION. 


Liberty  aud  Union,  now  and  forever,  one  and  inseparable. 

—  Mebster. 


■^^HE  first  mention  of  any  one  bearing  the  name 

y       of  McGinnis  who  rendered   military    service 

on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic,  is  that  of  Captain 

McGinnis,  who  was  killed  near  Lake  George 

(see  page  32)  in  a  fight  with  the  French  in  1755.     He  is 

credited  to  New  Hampshire,  and  no  doubt  was  among 

the  earliest  McGinnis  immigrants. 

An  examination  of  the  Second  Series  of  Pennsylva- 
nia Archives  shows  the  names  of  the  following  ]\IcGin- 
nises  who  participated  in  the  Revolutionary  war: 

Timothy  McGinnis  appears  as  a  private  on  the  list  of 
Northampton  Associators,  (roll  of  the  Fourth  Associated 
Company,  Northampton  Township,  Bucks  County), 
taken  pursuant  to  the  direction  of  the  Committee  of 
Safety,  August  19,  1775.  Henry  Scott,  aged  68,  was 
Captain  of  his  company.  John  S.  Meginness,  a  descend- 
ant, is  now  a  resident  of  Larksville,  Luzerne  County, 
Pa.,  and  a  sketch  of  him  appears  in  the  latter  part  of 
this  work. 


r-y'-'wcrrih  ':M{r  ZI  (l,r:y]n> 


;. it;,   ■/!;;.  .•■:JV'''->!    ::,      /  !iM     Jl'iiii'J   i.l.;:    ,l\'>4li,,I 


h'.;]jsiD08«A  rfitiuo'I  Sii:?  'i.:>  Hot,  ,iiioJjif')C)5^A  lioJq: 


-Jtl.I  1 


ITS   ORIGIN    AND   HISTORY.  43 

Arthur  McGinnis  is  reported  as  a  member  of  Josiah 
Harman's  Company  in  1775.  John  Philip  DeHaas  was 
Colonel  of  the  regiment. 

James  McGinnis  appears  as  a  private  in  the  company 
of  Captain  Thomas  Church,  Fourth  Pennsylvania  Bat- 
talion, Colonel  Anthony  Wayne,  1776.  He  is  also  cred- 
ited to  the  Eleventh  Regiment,  Pennsylvania  Line. 

Patrick  McGinnis  was  a  private  in  Captain  Albright's 
Company,  Colonel  Samuel  Mile's  Rifle  Regiment,  in 
1776.  His  name  also  appears  in  Casper  WeitzeFs  Com- 
pany, same  regiment;  then  as  a  member  of  Captain  John 
Marshall's  Company,  Colonel  John  Bull's  Regiment  of 
foot,  from  IMarch  i,  1777,  to  November  12,  1777.  We 
then  find  him  in  Captain  John  McCullough's  Company 
of  Artillery,  Philadelphia,  April  27,  1779.  He  is  cred- 
ited to  Northumberland  County,  in  the  West  Branch 
Valley  of  the  Susquehanna. 

Robert  ]McGinnis  was  a  private  in  the  Company  com- 
manded by  Captain  Francis  Murphy,  Colonel  Samuel 
Atlee's  Musketry  Battalion,  1776,  and  was  taken  pris- 
oner at  Fort  Washington.  In  the  assessment  return  for 
Drumore  Township,  Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  for  1780, 
his  name  appears,  but  the  quantity  of  land  for  which  he 
was  assessed  is  not  given.  He  is  also  credited  as  a  pri- 
vate in  the  First  Pennsylvania  Regiment,  Continental 
Line.     He  was  living  in  Lancaster  County  in  1811. 

Daniel  McGinnis  was  a  member  of  the  First  Regi- 
ment— Company  not  stated.  Also  of  the  Third  Regi- 
ment. He  died  in  Loudon  County,  Virginia,  January 
13,  1831.     Age  not  given. 

John  McGinnis,  ist,  served  from  January  i,  1777,  to 
1781,  in  the  Third  Regiment,  Pennsylvania  Line.  And 
he  was  paid  ofif  by  Mr.  Nicholson  as  an  '  'eighteen  months' 


^,ji,  .YHOTcJH    (V/)A    V'.tPl5iO_  aTl 


.Ui3 

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,  j;;  V!, '/,'   '■.;■;:!  ■ 

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■  Ur\'^  -v.  ill      .P^~i   /;s   \hy]i    ,;.'..  ;;;:■;:' :n'l   ,Y-i::>liij-fA  lo 

;'3:..i:rt;'^   ianofoQ    ;;i\<V''A(..   dJDrts'rl  -rd   !)obHf5nt 

T 

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cL'nom  n:>3Jtfgb'*  nsas  nosioil'jiH  .iM  yd  ^^  b 


44  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGENNIS. 

man,"  May  14,   1785.     He  was  living  in  Adams  County 
in  1814. 

John  McGinnis,  2d.,  was  a  private  in  Captain  William 
Alexander's  Company,  Seventh  Regiment,  Pennsylvania 
Line,  Colonel  William  Irvine. 

John  INIcGinnis,  3d,  is  recorded  as  a  private  in  Cap- 
tain Samuel  Kennedy's  Company,  Seventh  Regiment, 
Pennsylvania  Line,  Colonel  William  Irvine. 

John  McGinnis,  4th,  appears  as  Second  Lieutenant  of 
the  6th  Company  of  Cumberland  County  Associators, 
May  14,  1778.  He  had  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance 
April  10,  1778. 

Roger  McGinnis  was  a  private  in  Captain  Jacob  Ash- 
mead's  Company,  Second  Regiment,  Pennsylvania  Line, 
1779.     He  enlisted  September  25,  1778. 

Edward  ]\IcGinnis  was  a  drummer  in  ]\Iajor  Parr's 
Company,  and  in  August,  1778,  he  was  a  private  in  the 
Seventh  Regiment,  Pennsylvania  Line. 

William  McGinnis  served  as  a  private  in  Captain 
Archibald  McAllister's  Company,  Colonel  Hartley's  Reg- 
iment, Continental  Line. 

The  names  of  Lawrence  and  Andrew  McGinnis  occur 
in  the  records,  but  as  they  are  so  carelessly  made  up, 
their  companies  and  regiments  are  unknown. 

Owen  McGinnis  appears  as  a  private  in  Captain  Mat- 
thew Smith's  Company,  which  was  enlisted  in  that  part 
of  Lancaster  now  embraced  in  Dauphin  County.  Sixty- 
five  members  of  this  company  reached  the  Plains  of 
Abraham  in  the  famous  march  on  Quebec,  and  nearly 
all  were  captured  January  i,  1776.  They  were  paroled 
August  7th,  and  arrived  at  New  York  September  11, 
1776. 


\  \ 


r-  ;  :     ^?  It)'/ nil) 
.anivl  rifsi:.'.'  'v^rt!; 


'.ill.-    'to 


ITS   ORIGIN    AND    HISTORY.  45 

Robert  McGinnis,  2d,  took  the  oath  of  allegiance  Mav 
14,  1778,  in  Cumberland  County.  He  must  have  been 
another  man  from  the  one  of  the  same  name  who  was 
credited  to  a  Lancaster  County  battalion  in  1776.  The 
former  afterwards  appears  as  a  member  of  the  First  Regi- 
ment, Continental  Line. 

Lieut.  John  McGinnis,  killed  at  the  battle  of  King's 
Mountain,  South  Carolina,  Oct.  7,  1780,  was  an  ensign  in 
the  New  Jersey  Regiment,  but  acted  as  a  lieutenant  on 
that  special  service.  He  belonged  to  Allen's  Regiment 
of  Skinner's  Brigade,  Ferguson's  Corps,  and  behaved 
with  great  gallantry  until  killed  in  the  charge.  It  is 
unknown  who  he  was,  but  it  is  probable  that  he  was  one 
of  the  early  immigrants  from  Ireland. 

James  McGinnis  was  mustered   March   10,    1777,  in' 
the  Third  Company,  Pennsylvania  Artillery,  commanded 
by  Hercules  Courtena}',  and  he  was  afterwards  promoted 
to  Corporal, 

The  name  of  Sainuel  McGinness  does  not  appear  on 
the  few  records  that  have  been  preserved,  but  that  he 
took  part  in  the  Revolutionary  struggle  is  well  attested 
by  tradition. 


.uniA-,  *  ,,r 


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,  ,•■.■,,  ■-  lo 

A  i 

rt'j  i(/'}C\i]!',  ton  '.aoP.'    •-'Minirbl/     juinr.S  ^o  ivi 

Mr!  ^i^ut   .';.!''  ,f>';».'r-?^X"'7   ii^f'!   :'"i^ii   :n;i.t  ;^bj<''r^:/i  "//yl  3ili 


rATA"A'A"^'%^^.^."A''>jf^.^"AT^."'^'A'A^A'Af; 


^:g^^-YrX-^'^-'^'^"^^^l-Ifl-^-T-^^'^^^^-"^^^^^ 


SjIU- 


GREAT  GRANDFATHER. 


Abbreviations. — b.,  born  ;  d.,  (lied  ;  m.,  married;  uniii.,  unmarried. 
The  italic  letters  indicate  the  number  of  children  in  a  family  in  the 
order  of  their  birth,  and  the  figures  on  the  left  mean  that  a  sketch  of 
the  subject  will  be  found  further  on  corresponding  with  the  number. 


AMUEL  McGinn  ESS,  my  great  grandfather, 
came  to  this  country  from  Ireland  somewhere 
between  1755  and  1760,  and  it  is  believed, 
landed  either  at  Newcastle  or  Philadelphia. 
The  year  he  was  born  is  unknown,  but  it  must  have 
been  about  1740  or  1742.  Some  of  his  earliest  descend- 
ants claimed  that  he  was  born  in  County  Tyrone.  Com- 
paratively nothing  is  known  of  his  parentage,  or  how 
many  there  were  in  the  family.  It  is  known,  however, 
that  he  was  accompanied  by  a  brother  named  John.* 


*  John  McGinness  was  a  seafaring  man,  and  had  command  of  a 
vessel.  On  one  of  his  voyages  it  was  wrecked  and  he  was  lost.  The 
marriage  registry  of  tlie  Swedes  Church  shows  that  he  married  Mar- 
garet Woodbridge,  of  Philadelphia,  ^larch  0,  1777.  In  time  a  daugh- 
ter was  born  and  named  .Sarah  McGinness.  Becoming  an  orphan 
soon  after  birth,  she  was  adopted  by  her  uncle,  the  Rev.  Samuel 
Woodbridge,  and  took  his  name.  He  was  a  Seventh  Day  Baptist.  In 
1778  or  1779,  when  a  mere  infant,  she  was  carried  across  the  moun- 
tains by  him  and  his  wife,  mounted  on  bales  of  goods  strapped  on  the 
back  of  a  pack  horse.  He  settled  in  Springhill  Township,  Fayette 
County,  and  founded  the  village  which  bears  his  name.  He  built  a 
church  and  dwelling,  and  preached  without  money  and  without  price 


:A:Uir/Mnv:/.Ai)  tahmo 


...   -1    'ijMM,,      I- 


V. 

'..'ir!,^      i'.'^,r.i:    73^301  J    i..     ."iI    I)3iiIRC:«}03DG    i".;; 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY,  47 

Sometime  in  the  year  1764,  Samuel  married  Margaret 
Kennedy,  of  Delaware,  and  they  took  up  their  residence 
in  Newcastle. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  Sam- 
uel McGinness  entered  the  army  and  served  in  the  Com- 
missary department  under  Washington.  He  participated 
in  several  battles,  and  saw  much  hard  service. 

When  the  war  was  over,  he  settled  in  Chester  County 
and  engaged  in  farming,  which  occupation  he  followed 
to  the  close  of  his  life.  He  died  in  Upper  Oxford  Town- 
ship about  iSoi,  and  it  is  supposed  he  was  buried  in  the 
Presbyterian  churchyard  at  Oxford.  The  date  of  the 
death  of  his  wife  is  unknown.     They  had  issue: 

i.  Catharine,  b. ,  1765;  d. ,  1845,  near  Oxford, 

Pa. 

1.  ii.  James,  b.   May  26,   1767;  d.  November  i,  1839,  in 

Colerain,  Lancaster  County,  Pa. 

2.  Hi.  .Samuel,  b.  March  i,  1771;  d.  March  3,  1841,  in  Fa}'- 

ette  Count>-,  Pa. 

3.  iv.  Johnston,  b.  March  4,  1773;  d.  October  23,  1840,  in 

Muskingum  County,  Ohio. 

4.  V.  William,  b.  ,   1775;  d.  ,  1839,  in  Sullivan 

Count}',  Ind. 

5.  vi.  John,  b.  June   9,   1777;   d.  December  14,    1852,   in 

Northumberland  County,  Pa, 

until  he  died.  Sarah  McGinness-Woodbridge  grew  up  to  be  a  very 
beautiful  woman.  She  married  John  Oliphant,  who  was  born  in 
Chester  County,  and  the  history  of  Faj'ette  County  records  the  fact 
that  when  they  stood  up  before  the  venerable  uncle  to  be  married, 
sometime  in  1790,  they  made  a  "  remarkably  fine  couple."  Andrew 
Oliphant,  the  father  of  her  husband,  was  a  trader.  When  Braddock's 
expedition  was  organized,  his  horses  were  seized  to  carry  goods.  He 
was  present  at  the  battle,  and  when  Braddock  was  mortally  wounded 
he  was  conveyed  from  the  field  on  a  litter  swung  between  two  of  his 
horses.  She  was  the  mother  of  four  sons  and  sis  daughters.  F.  H. 
and  Gen.  S.  D.  Oliphant,  of  iron  furnace  fame,  were  her  grandsons. 


VVT  >Ti^T!3 


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VII J     ;ij 


)    J;;    i 

-'n/'i  ill  ,i|''i  ,f,  .•'^■11:'-''  .'     '  ;  v''  '•  '*->"if'i''  •*'  ,t-.'«mn2  .hi  -C 

.  r 


48 


THE    FAMILY  OF    MAGENNIS. 


According  to  what  has  been  stated,  my  line  of  descent 
may  be  summarized  for  five  generations,  as  follows: 

5.  John  Brian  McGinness,  great  great  great  grandfather. 
4.  James,  great  great  grandfather. 
3.  Samuel,  great  grandfather. 
2.  James,  grandfather. 
I.  Benjamin,  father. 


,^',  1  ^  '  >  '■ 


T;._jV:    r-,! 


,p;r/fMHOAi/.  "•■to  ■ 


8^ 


-ndii'lbinriu  \r:':^r:,  jr.- 


v'w:.lfKCE--'S{  tf;-::"^  ,i:>i:/ tf ;, 'i    .J; 


f-|f;\ 


Sketch  No.  1. 

!,    :  -.i    ■  .;  ,^.     N'^ft  !-.\     S.' 

Man  is  but  the  sum  of  his  ancestors,  v.  t. 

V  ■-, .      ••,,,.-    ,,•     >',..    'ri<.:v.r.  1   '  '.  —Emerson. 

AMES  McGINNESS,4  (Samuel,  ^  James, '^  John 
Brian, ^)  b.  May  26,  1767,  in  Delaware;  d.  Nov. 
^J  I,  1839,  in  Colerain,  Lancaster  County,  Pa.  His 
boyhood  days  were  spent  principally  in  Chester 
County,  Pa.,  in  the  vicinity  of  Oxford.  When  grown  to 
manhood  he  settled  in  the  southern  part  of  the  adjoining 
county  of  Lancaster.  This  portion  of  the  county  was 
largely  settled  by  Irish,  and  consequently,  the  township 
of  Colerain  was  named  after  a  town  of  Ireland,  in  County 
Londonderry.  When  he  located  in  this  township  the 
country  was  new  and  thinly  settled. 

'  James  purchased  a  farm  in  Colerain  of  John  Russell 
and  Margaret  his  wife,  which  contained  106  acres  and 
96  perches,  on  the  21st  of  March,  1796.  He  lived  there 
until  April  29,  1837,  when  he  sold  his  farm  to  James  and 
Samuel  Findlay  for  $2,000,  and  purchased  a  smaller  one 
in  the  same  neighborhood,  where  he  lived  until  he  died. 
He  was  married  three  times.     His  first  wife,  Ann  Ford- 


G 


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;I  bios  ;^f{   I  I   ,pS. 


irK>'{  ft '.'A  .Jiiv/  l>:!rt  diH 


50  THE    FAMILY  OF   MAGENNIS. 

ham,*  was  an  English  Quakeress,  of  Philadelphia.  The 
marriage  took  place  about  1786,  and  she  died  October  12, 
1821,  aged  58  years  and  4  months.  Her  remains  were 
interred  in  the  Friends  burial  ground  at  Penn  Hill,  Lit- 
tle Britain  Township,  Lancaster  County,  Pa.  His  second 
wife,  Mary  Reynolds,  whom  he  married  about  1825,  died 
at  iSIt.  Pleasant,  Jefferson  County,  Ohio,  in  April,  1S26, 
whither  they  had  gone  on  a  visit  to  a  brother,  leaving 
an  infant  daughter.  He  then  returned  to  Colerain,  bring- 
ing the  child  with  him,  and  on  December  20,  1826,  he 
married  Hannah  Miller,  b.  September  20,  1802;  d.  January  . 
29,  1885,  at  the  home  of  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Martha  S. 
Day,  at  Prospect,  Harford  County,  Md. 

James  McGinnis  was  a  man  of  great  activity  in  his 
day.  During  the  time  of  the  transportation  of  freight 
to  Pittsburg  by  pack  horses,  he  was  employed  for  a  time 
as  a  freighter,  and  frequently  crossed  and  recrossed  the 
Allegheny  mountains.  Memorandums  entered  on  the 
fly  leaves  of  a  book  once  owned  by  him,  show  that  he 
was  at  Mount  Pleasant,  Jefferson  County,  Ohio,  May  7, 
1826;  and  as  the  name  of  Johnston  ]\IcGinnis  occurs  in 
the  same  book,  it  is  believed  that  this  brother  lived  there 
at  that  time. 


*  A  specimen  of  her  needle  work  is  still  in  existence.  It  consists 
of  a  few  mottoes  or  verses  worked  on  perforated  card  board  with  col- 
ored yarn,  with  her  name,  "  Ann  Fordham,"  and  the  date  "  177-J," 
attached.  It  was  executed  eleven  years  before  her  marriage,  and  tle- 
scended  to  her  eldest  daajrhter.  Mariraret  McGinnis  Swisher,  and  is 
now  in  the  hands  of  her  granddaughter,  Mrs.  Rebecca  Grotl",  of  Cole- 
rain.  And  although  over  116  years  old,  it  is  still  in  a  good  state  of 
preservation,  and  hangs  upon  the  wall  in  its  antiquated  frame  as  a 
precious  heirloom. 

Another  souvenir,  also  of  rare  value,  is  now  in  the  possession  of 
the  author,  her  grandson.  It  is  a  lady's  pocketbook  for  needles,  thim- 
bles and  cuttings.  The  outer  covering  is  of  worsted  stuff,  with  an 
embroidered  tlap.  and  it  contains  three  crompartmenta  or  pockets, 
which  are  lined  with  brown  silk  taken  from  her  wedding  dress! 


.-i,''T 


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.is 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY,  5! 

In  district  No.  11,  composed  of  Bart  and  Colerain 
Townships,  Lancaster  .County,  Pa.,  James  jNIcGinnis 
was  appointed  a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  ]March  31,  1S23, 
and  held  the  office  until  his  death.  The  remains  of  one 
of  his  old  dockets  is  still  in  existence  in  the  hands  of 
his  son  Morris,  of  Shane,  Baltimore  County,  Md.  It  is 
written  in  a  bold,  clear  hand,  showing  that  he  was  a 
good  penman. 

A  few  months  before  his  death,  which  was  caused  by 
cancer  on  the  lip,  he  executed  the  following  will,  which 
is  on  record  at  the  Court  House  in  Lancaster: 

Be  it  remembered  that  I,  James  McGinness,  of  Colerain 
Towiiship,  in  the  County  of  Lancaster,  and  State  of  Penn- 
sylvania, being  weak  in  body,  but  through  Divine  mercy 
favored  with  a  sound  mind,  memory  and  understanding,  and 
considering  the  uncertainty  of  this  transitoiy  life,  do  make 
and  publish  this  my  last  will  and  testament  in  manner  and 
form  following;  that  is  to  say,  as  for  and  concerning  all  my 
estate  whatsoever  wherewith  it  hath  pleased  Divine  Provi- 
dence to  bless  me  in  this  life,  I  dispose  thereof  as  follows,  to 
wit : 

First.  I  will  and  direct  that  all  my  just  debts  and  funeral 
expenses  be  fully  paid  and  satisfied. 

Item  Second.  It  is  my  will  and  I  hereby  direct,  that  all 
my  personal  estate,  (excepting  such  part  thereof  as  I  have 
herein  otherwise  disposed  of,)  shall  be  sold  at  public  auction 
by  my  executors,  as  soon  after  my  decease  as  they  may  think 
expedient. 

Item  Third.  I  give  and  bequeath  to  my  beloved  wife  Han- 
nah, the  one-third  part  of  my  estate,  according  to  the  existing 
laws  of  Pennsylvania,  to  be  in  lieu  of  dower;  and  it  is  also 
my  will  that  all  the  provisions  in  the  house  at  the  time  of  my 
decease,  together  with  as  much  grain,  &c.,  as  may  be  deemed 
necessary  for  the  use  of  the  family  for  six  mouths,  shall  be 


/.I!/'    .in    fv-^k    /.lOIHO  8TI 


":-<.■  ii                                     '            - ,  M   i; :;:;!  -^:ji■.l'.,  -.mi  s 

-  -'>n:                                            :;;:•!;;■:■:  -'vr-J  ;!<■'.   .  . . .   i.o 

.•i  ;]      .1)]/.  ,-:;;n;foO  o-;i  .rt:;:'.  ^'   ..;;:;.[[(-;.   r.>  ,<;;^ji/;  itO'r  «iri 

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ti ■.■:'■    .-;   ^<1   r 


&i.i  iinaa  .htuiiot'i  y.t^  101 


52  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGENNIS.  s,i 

retained  b}""  my  said  wife  for  that  purpose,  and  she  shall  also 
have  her  choice  of  one  cow. 

Item  Fourth.  The  children  I  had  by  my  first  wife  being 
all  married  and  settled  in  the  world  for  themselves,  and  hav- 
ing already  received  from  me  as  much  as  my  circumstances 
will  admit  of,  I  therefore  give  and  bequeath  to  them  as  fol- 
lows:  To  my  son  Benjamin  the  sum  of  one  dollar;  to  my 
son  George  the  sum  of  fifty  dollars,  to  be  paid  to  him  sixty 
days  after  ni}^  decease;  to  my  daughter  Margaret,  the  wife  of 
Henry  Swisher,  the  sum  of  one  dollar;  to  my  daughter  Sarah, 
wife  of  John  Keylor,  and  her  heirs,  a  certain  bond  I  hold 
against  James  Caldwell,  drawn  in  favor  of  Andrew  Hunter, 
and  by  him  assigned  to  me,  and  which  I  put  in  the  hands  of 
the  late  George  B.  Porter,  Esq.,  for  collection,  and  for  which 
I  paid  him  a  fee  of  three  dollars;  to  my  daughter  x\nn,  wife 
of  Moses  Bryan,  the  sum  of  twenty-five  dollars. 

Item  Fifth.  Having  the  fullest  confidence  in  the  frequent 
assurances  given  to  me  by  the  family  of  my  late  beloved  wife 
Mary,  fa  daughter  of  Joshua  Reynolds,)  that  her  only  child, 
Mar>',  should  have  and  receive  the  portion  intended  for  her 
deceased  mother,  I  therefore  only  bequeath  to  my  said  beloved 
daughter  Mary  a  bed  and  bedding  that  belonged  to  her  late 
mother,  a  trunk  and  all  her  mother's  wearing  apparel,  and 
the  sum  of  five  dollars  in  money;  and  in  case  she  be  living 
at  the  time  of  my  decease,  my  will  is  and  I  do  hereby  appoint 
my  esteemed  friend  and  relative,  Morris  Reynolds,  (her 
uncle,)  to  be  her  guardian  during  her  minority,  and  earn- 
estly hope  he  will  accept  the  appointment. 

Item  Sixth.  It  is  my  will  and  I  direct  that  so  much  of 
the  net  income  of  my  estate  as  shall  be  necessary  for  the 
maintenance  and  education  of  the  children  I  have,  or  may 
have,  by  my  present  wife,  shall  be  applied  to  that  purpose 
by  their  guardians  hereinafter  named,  until  they  shall  re- 
spectivel}'  arrive  to  the  age  of  fourteen  years. 

Item  Seventh.  I  will  and  bequeath  to  my  two  daughters, 
Martha  and  Hannah,  the  whole  amount  of  my  personal  estate 


.^■t(  'I  ■!■  .   ■".•■       '  -  •■.■:   '     r:u^  -srii  j  '  .     . 
:i;;..p^rr  -.Hi  :-  ;  '.:■.'■  ':,-..  •''     .-.[hr;  •:,[;  y'-i  -^^IJ        nflrl   •••""'T 
vli  ■:  ',  y/L'Ijfi  u^ui   (lu.V.     •■'■.'■>.'■.  j.l:  -/(i  -ict  o;    :.v:ji  .^^ 

l.'Mr   ,!.;'iirj''.ji;  x:f:' ';:/ .T    ■.'■'*. .•^  rn  7":'H    ilr    or;,-    /rjr?:    i 

.;  :■-.,■;>   .■;':>;'';„'•!:'  J..  i,>'Tii  •:■.;']  17/  vrri  ,j>f*r;; 
TVfi;     --ihfonvj.H    /injoM    ,v7iJ/.ii:>-;    bin;    . 
-{!ii.-j  iu.'^  .yjhorii; 

"k  ib/;xn  o?  :Ji:;H[T  l^^ifb  1  ''••■?"  'ffv,-  y."t  ^:  iX     .ritx'rP.  m**!! 


ITS   ORIGIN    AND    HISTORY.  53 

not  herein  otlierwise  disposed  of,  to  be  equally  divided  be- 
tween them,  share  and  share  alike,  when  they  arrive  at  the 
respective  ages  of  eighteen  years;  but  in  case  both  my  said 
daughters  shall  die  under  age  and  without  issue,  then  the 
same  shall  become  part  of  the  residue  of  my  estate. 

Item  Eighth.  As  for  and  concerning  all  the  rest,  residue, 
reversions  and  remainder  of  my  estate  whatsoever,  which  I 
have  not  herein  other\vise  disposed  of,  I  give,  devise  and  be- 
queath the  same  and  ever}-  part  and  parcel  thereof  to  my 
three  sons,  to  wit:  Morris  Reynolds,  William  Wiltshire  and 
Henry  Allen,  or  the  survivor  of  them,  his  or  their  heirs  and 
assigns  forever,  share  and  share  alike  as  tenants  in  common; 
and  in  case  either  of  my  said  sons  should  die  under  age  and 
without  issue,  then  the  share  of  such  so  dying  shall  go  to  the 
survivor  or  survivors. 

Item  Ninth.  My  will  is  and  I  hereby  appoint  my  son-in- 
law,  John  Keylor,  and  my  friends  Jeremiah  Swisher  and  Ju- 
nius Marshall,  guardians  of  my  five  last  named  minor  chil- 
dren until  m}'  sons  shall  arrive  to  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years,  aud  my  daughters  to  the  age  of  eighteen  years.  And 
it  is  my  will  that  my  wife  and  minor  children  shall  continue 
to  reside  upon  the  farm  I  now  live  on  for  at  least  one  year 
after  my  decease;  and  if  at  the  expiration  of  that  time  the 
above  named  guardians,  or  a  majority  of  them,  shall  deem  it 
more  advantageous  to  my  said  minor  children  that  my  real 
estate  should  be  sold,  they  are  hereby  authorized,  (by  and 
with  the  consent  of  my  executors  hereinafter  named,)  to  sell 
and  convey  the  same,  either  at  public  auction  or  private  con- 
tract, for  its  reasonable  value  in  current  money,  and  to  effect- 
uate this  my  intention,  I  do  hereby  vest  in  the  above  named 
guardians,  or  a  majority  of  them,  full  power  and  authority  (by 
and  with  the  consent  of  my  executors  as  aforesaid)  to  dis- 
pose of  all  my  real  estate  in  fee  simple,  or  for  a  term  of  years, 
or  other\vise,  in  as  full  and  large  a  manner  in  every  respect 
as  I  could  myself  do  if  living;  and  in  the  event  of  a  sale  be- 
ing made  of  my  real  estate,  my  will  is  and  I  do  direct  the 


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54  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGENNIS.  35 

above  named  guardians,  or  a  majority  of  them,  or  their  suc- 
cessors, witli  the  consent  of  my  executors  aforesaid,  to  la}'  out 
the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  the  said  land  in  other  land,  and 
have  the  same  executed  to  my  aforesaid  three  sons,  or  the 
survivor  or  survivors  of  them,  his  or  their  heirs  and  assigns 
as  tenants  in  common;  and  if  either  of  the  above  mentioned 
guardians  shall  refuse  to  act  or  die,  then  such  person  or  per- 
sons as  the  Orphans'  Court  of  Lancaster  County  shall  appoint 
shall  exercise  the  said  guardianship,  and  I  earnestly  entreat 
their  utmost  care,  respectively,  in  and  about  the  morals  and 
education  of  my  said  children. 

And  lastly,  I  nominate,  constitute  and  appoint  my  afore- 
said beloved  wife,  Hannah  McGinness,  executrix,  and  Lea- 
vin  H.  Jackson,  of  Little  Britaiti  Township,  executor  of  this 
my  last  will  and  testament,  and  I  do  hereby  revoke,  annul. 
and  make  void  all  wills  and  testaments  by  me  at  any  time 
heretofore  made,  and  publish  and  declare  this  only  to  be  and 
contain  my  last  will  and  testament. 

In  witness  whereof,  I,  the  said  James  McGinness,  the  tes- 
tator, have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  seal  the  tenth  day  of 
August,  A.  D.  eighteen  hundred  and  thirty-nine. 

[Signed.]     .  JAMES  McGINNESS.     [seal.] 

Signed,  sealed,  published  and  declared  by  the  said  James 
McGinness,  the  testator,  as  and  for  his  last  will  and  testa- 
ment, in  the  presence  of  us,  who  at  his  request  and  in  his 
presence,  have  hereunto  subscribed  our  names  as  witnesses  to 
the  execution  thereof. 

JOHN  BUSHONG,  Jr. 
•    .  JOHN  B.  KENNEDY. 

His  son,  Henry  Allen,  having  died  before  reaching 
the  age  of  twenty-one,  the  surviving  brothers,  Morris 
and  William,  inherited  his  share  of  the  estate.  The 
sum  of  ^366.66  was  retained  for  his  widow,    Hannah. 


\rji:i  :-n\r 


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ITS   ORIGIX    AND   HISTORY.  55 

On  the  8th  of  April,  1851,  they  sold  the  farm  of  443/^ 
acres  to  Dr.  George  T.  Dare  for  $1,250.34,  and  gave  a 
deed  for  the  same,  which  may  be  found  recorded  at  Lan- 
caster in  Deed  Book  Q,  Vol.  7,  p.  535. 

James  McGinnis,    Esq.,  had  issue  by  his  first  wife, 
Ann  Fordham,  as  follows: 

i.  Elizabeth,  b.  ,  1787;  d.  in  infancy. 

6.  ii.  Margaret,  b.  January  3,  1789;  m.  Henry  \V.  Swisher 

February  14,  1816;  d.  April  7,  1862. 

7.  Hi.  Sarah,  b.  October  13,  1795;  m.  John  Keylor  March 

18,  1S24;  d.  September  29,  1887. 
iv.  James,  b.  ,  1800;  d.  October  2,  1826,  unm. 

8.  V.  Ann  R.,  b.  May  ^3,  1801;  m.  Moses  Bryan  June  16, 

1825;  d.  September  29,  1887. 

9.  vi.  Benjamin,  b.  May  3,  1S03;  m.  Sarah  Johnston, , 

1825;  d.  April  6,  1870. 
10.  vii.  George  S.,  b.  April  18,  1806;  m.  Eliza  McGinnis, 
his  first  cousin,  October  16,  1830;  d.  Januar}'  25, 
1854.  .    ,u,     a     ..  .r.  .   r.  ir-:    2; 

By  his  second  wife,  Mary  Reynolds,  he  had:  ' 

i.  Mary,  b.  ,  April  1826;    m.  William  Vancourt,  . 

of  Cecil  County,  Mar\-land,  about  1865,  and  they 
reside  within  a  few  miles  of  Belair,  the  Capital  of 
Harford  County.  Postoffice,  Hickory'.  Mr.  Van- 
court  is  a  blacksmith  and  farmer  by  occupation. 

They  have  one  daughter,  Annie,  b.  ,  1S66. 

She  m.  Cornelius  Barrow,  of  Harford  County,  Md., 

January-  ,    1890.     They  reside  near  Corson 

Run,  that  County.     He  is  a  farmer. 

By  his  third  wife,  Hannah  Miller,  he  had  issue: 

18.  i.  Morris  R.,  b.  January  9,  1828;  m.  Sarah  A.  Swine- 
hart  Februarys  28,  1854.  Resides  near  Shane,  Bal- 
timore County,  Md. 


Ur,!:,    .s  p  .'.)' ' .      ..  'S\.X  ;    .  .  , .yv, 

•  '.  .'I  ••  .  .r.!j..,'jj:u';  firtA 

'.•m:A'    vy-r\'A    H-    ^'    ■  i  :     '..:<■    ,,-  :     '■"!■!  '■..'■    -I  ,  rlr-i.3    .::t  .^ 

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81 " 


56  THE    FAMILY  OF    MAGEXNIS. 

19.  a.  William  Wiltshire,  b.   ]\Iarch  31,    1830;  m.   Sarah 

Emily  Drenon  x\ugust  29,  1861;  d.  in  Butte  Coun- 
ty, California,  April  10,  1873.  r 

20.  Hi.  Martha  Swift,   b.   February  20,    1S33;   ^-  John    R. 

Day,  of  Harford  County,  Md.,  December  10,  1S6S. 
He  was  b.  January  30,  1829,  and  d.  May  31,  1SS9. 
at  Johnstown. 
iv.  Henrj'  Allen,  b.  October  31,   1835;  d.  September  2, 

1845- 
V.  Joshua,  b.  March  30,  1837;  d.  April  15,  1837. 
vi.  Hannah,  b.  April  6,  1838;  d,  June  4,  1843.  ' 


SAMUEL  McGINNESS,=^  (James,  2  John  Brian,  ^)b. 
March  7,  1771,  in  New  Castle  County,  Delaware;  d. 
March  3,  1S41,  in  Fayette  County,  Pa.  He  m.  Miss 
Jane  ]\rcCrea  March  27,  1799.  She  was  b.  September  15, 
1764,  in  County  Tyrone,  Ireland,  and  d.  November  27, 
1843,  ^t  her  Fayette  county  home. 

Bom  at  the  opening  of  the  American  Revolution, 
Samuel  McGinness  was  little  more  than  a  youth  of  nine 
years  at  the  close  of  the  strus^g-Ie  which  srave  us  inde- 
pendence.  Owing  to  the  disorganized  condition  of  the 
country  during  the  memorable  conflict,  and  the  absence 
of  his  father  in  the  army,  his  mother  and  her  little  fam- 
ily saw  hard  times.  He  grew  to  manhood  principally 
in  Chester  County,  Pa.,  and  was  early  inured  to  hard 
work.  His  occupation  w'as  that  of  an  agriculturist. 
Attracted  by  the  glownng  reports  of  the  advantages  to 
be  gained  by  emigrating  to  the  western  part  of  the  State, 
he  took  his  family  in  1S39  and  made  his  way  to  Fayette 
County.  It  was  a  rugged  and  hillv  region,  but  one  of 
the  earliest  settled  portions  of  the  State.     Near  where 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  57 

he  settled  the  National  Road,  that  great  thoroughfare, 
championed  by  the  illustrious  Henry  Clay,  was  soon  af- 
terwards built,  and  over  it  many  of  the  distinguished 
statesmen  of  that  period  traveled  on  their  way  to  and 
from  Washington  City,  There  they  spent  the  balance  of 
their  days  in  comfort  and  peace.     They  left  issue: 

i.  Johnston,  b.  December  25,  1799,  in  Chester  County, 
Pa.;  d.  August  20,  1S75,  i^  Tuscola,  Douglas 
County,  Illinois.  He  m.  Eliza  Durnall  in  1S27, 
in  Chester  County.  In  1S37  he  emigrated  with 
his  family  to  Fayette  Count}-,  Pa.,  purchased  land 
and  engaged  in  farming.  March,  1863,  the\'  made 
their  way  to  Douglas  Count}-,  Illinois,  and  settled. 
They  had  children  : 

1.  Samuel,  b. ,  1828.     He  m.  and  has  six 

children.     A  farmer  by  occupation. 

2.  William,  b.  ,  1829.     Unmarried. 

3.  Maria  Jane,  b.  April  30,  1831.     Unm. 

4.  John  b.  ,  1S32.     Resides  at  Tuscola. 

A  lawyer  by  profession. 
ii.  Margaret,  b.  November  7,  1801;  m.  Alexander  Hel- 
ton   ,  1824;  d.  October  15,    1889,   in  Oxford, 

Chester  County.  Mr.  Holton  was  of  Irish  origin 
also,  and  was  b. August,  1801,  and  d.  Decem- 
ber 29,  1877.  He  learned  the  trade  of  a  black- 
smith, and  followed  it  for  several  years  in  Russel- 
ville,  Chester  County,  Pa.  Soon  after  marriage 
he  became  a  farmer  and  dealer  in  stock  and  real 
estate,  which  he  followed  till  within  a  year  or  two 
of  his  death.  He  was  a  representative  man  of  his 
time,  and  served  long  as  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  in 
Upper  Oxford  Township,  Chester  County,  Pa. 
They  had  issue  (surname  Holton)  as  follows  : 

I.  Samuel  M.  Holton,  b.  January  25,  1825;  d. 
June  29,  1878.  He  m.  R.  Susanna  Wal- 
lace in  1843.     They  had  ten  children,  viz: 


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58  THE    FAMILY  OF   MAGKNNIS, 

Henrietta  M.,  b. ;  d.  June ,  1852; 

Charles  H.,  b.  ,    1854;  Sarah,  d.  in 

infancy;  Thomas,  d.  in  infancy;  Emma 

"■        E.,  b.  ,  iS — ;  Frances,  d.  in  infancy; 

James  B.,  b.  ,   18—;  Bayard,  S.,  b. 

,  d.  —  May,  iSSi;  John  S.,  b.  , 

18 — ;  Augustus,  b.  ;  d.  in  infancy. 

2.  Jackson  H.,  b.  March  13,  1S27;  d.  in  Ed- 

enton,  Chester  County,  January  8,  1S67; 
m.  Sarah  Hickman.     The}-  had: 

I.  Cassius,  b.  ;  m. ,  and 

lives  in  Reading.     2.   Randolph,   b. 

;  m.  and  lives  in   the  West.  3. 

Benjamin,  b.   .     He  is  married 

and  lives  in  the  West.     B3'  occupa- 
tion a  farmer. 

3.  Amanda,  b.  September  10.  1S2S;  d.  August 

29,  1829,  in  Russelville. 

4.  Thomas,   b.   August   i,  1830;   m.   Matilda 

Harper, ,1852.     She  died  leaving  two 

sons,  Harry  and  Frank.  Both  are  de- 
ceased. He  married,  second,  Celina  Waj-, 
and  they  have  two  sons.  They  li\'e  at 
Kennett  Square,  Chester  County,  Pa. 
Occupation,  merchant. 

5.  Benjamin  H.,  b.  January  10,  1833;  d.  Oc- 

tober 8,  1870,  in  Russelville.  He  mar- 
ried Charlotte  Jamison.     They  had  issue: 

I.  Benjamin  H.,  ra.  2.  George, 
deceased.  3.  Sarah  M.,  deceased. 
4.  Cline  Y.,  deceased.  5.  Mary.  6. 
William  H.,  married.  7.  Forest, 
married.  •  8.  Cecil,  married.  9.  Nel- 
lie, married.  10.  Park.  His  widow 
is  still  living. 


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ITS   ORIGIX    AND    HISTORY.  59 

6.  James,  b.    Septeml)er    24.    1S34.      Single. 

Lives  in  Oxford.     Occupation,  farmer. 

7.  William  V.,  b.  December  3,  1836;  m.  Saiali 

Adams.  They  live  in  Philadelphia,  and 
have  six  children:  iVnnie,  Clark,  Mary. 
Jane,  Eva  and  Lewis.  By  occupation  he 
is  a  carpenter. 

8.  Jesse  D.,  b.  March  23,  1839;  ni.  Mary  Pen- 

nock  February  6,  1861.     They  have: 

I.   M.  Tillie,  b.  November  3.  1861; 
•         •  m.D.  H.Strickland,  of  Oxford,  Ches- 

ter County,  Pa.     2.  Lizzie  J.,  b.  April 
2,  1864;  m.  Harr}-  R.  Snead,  of  Phil- 
'■  adelphia,  Pa..     3.    Ella  AL,  b.    De- 

'  cember  21,  1S66;  single.     4.  J.  Pen- 

"'Y'     '      nock,  b.   October    12,    1870;    single. 
•     '  5.  J.  Willis,  b.  August  29,  1873.     6. 

Harry    W.,   b.   December   18.    1878. 
Mr.  Holton  and  family  live  in  Ox- 
■i  ford,  Chester  County,  Pa.     By  occu- 

pation he  is  a  carpenter. 

9.  Isaac  S.  W.  Holton,  b.  April  11,  1840;  m. 

and  .settled  in  A'irginia.  Plave  children. 
By  occupation  he  is  a  farmer. 

10.  David    McHolton,  b.   March  22,    1842:  d. 

Feb.  I,  1S72,  in  Coate.sville.    Unmarried. 

11.  John  R.  Holton,  b.  April  i,  1845.     Single. 

Lives  at  Oxford,  Chester  County.  Occu- 
pation, a  dealer. 

Hi.  Eliza,  b.  October  9,  1803;  m.  John  Y.  McNeil  in 
1830,  and  d.  November  30,  1S34.  No  issue;  bu- 
ried at  Oxford. 

iv.  William,  b.  May  18,  1805;  m.  Miss  Ann  Dance,  of 
Chester  County,  Pa.,  January  30,  1836.  Moved 
to  Fayette  County  in  1 839  and  settled  in  Menallen 


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6o  THE    FAMILY   OF    :\rAGENXrS. 

Township.  April  4,  1S79,  they  removed  with 
their  family  to  Marion  County,  Kansas.  There 
they  purchased  320  acres  of  land  and  engaged  in 
farming  and  stock  raising,  and  success  has  at- 
tended their  efforts.  Postoffice,  Aulne.  They 
have  issue: 

1.  Elizabeth,  b.    November   3,    1838.     Unm. 

lyives  with  her  parents. 

2.  Samuel,  b.   August  6,  1839;  married 


They  reside  in  New  York. 

3.  Anna  M.,  b.   Decembers,  1S41;  m.  O.  C. 

Brown,  of  Fayette  County,  September  14, 

1865.     They  moved  to  Kansas  in  1873. 

:  ,^     ,,       Postoffice,  Aulne.    They  have:  Mrs.  Eva 

.....\',      Van  Ostrand;  b.  December  15,  1866;  m. 

.Dec.  II,  1888.     Mrs.  Quinnie  Danskin,  b. 

■'    .  ■■  '     April  30,    1868;  m.  June  26,    1888.     Ora 

■■-".^-     C,  b.  November  18,  1869.     Rolla  D.,  b. 

December  3,  1871. 

4.  Joseph  Johnston,  b.   November  27,    1844; 

m.  and  removed  to  New  York  Cit}-,  where 
It  >■>':''      he  d.  September  9,  1SS7. 

5.  John  D.,  b.  September  5,  1847;  m.  Hattie 

Flint  February  21,  1870.     They  reside  at 
"''•.     Winfield,  Kansas.     Issue:  Elliot  Golden, 
William  Roy,  Rolla,  and  Eva  Quinnie. 

6.  William  C,  b.  October  i,   185 1.     Single. 

Lives  at  Aulne,  Kansas. 

7.  J.  Frank,  b.  March  16,  1855;  m.  Avis  Hal- 

terman  September  26,  1888.  They  have: 
William  E.,  b.  July  18,  1889;  Byron  F., 
b.  January  20,  1891. 

Mary  Jane,  b.  March  11.  1808,  in  Chester  County, 
Pa.;  d.  June  18,  1891,  at  the  home  of  her  brother 
William,  Aulne,  Kansas.     Unmarried. 


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ITS' ORIGIN   AND    HISTORY.       ,^.  6r 

No.  3. 

JOHNSTON  ^rcGINNESS,^  (Samud,'^ James, ^ 
John  Brian,  ^)b.  March  4,  1772,  in  Newcastle,  Delaware; 
married  twice,  and  d.  October  23,  1S40,  in  Mnskingum 
County,  Ohio. 

Although  born  before  the  thunders  of  the  Revolution 
had  fairly  awakened  the  echoes  of  the  land,  he  was  too 
small  to  remember  much  about  the  great  conflict.  When 
the  battles  of  Brandywine  and  Germantown  were  fought 
near  his  home,  he  was  only  about  five  years  old.  His 
father,  it  is  supposed,  was  present  at  those  engagenients, 
as  he  belonged  to  Washington's  armv.  As  the  British 
overrun  that  portion  of  the  country,  his  mother  and  her 
family  of  small  children  were  compelled  to  seek  a  place 
of  better  security  than  Newcastle. 

When  the  war  was  over  the  family  located  in  Chester 
County,  not  far  from  Oxford,  and  there  they  remained. 
Johnston  was  brought  up  to  agricultural  pursuits,  and 
followed  farming  for  many  years.  He  did  not  marry 
early,  as  it  appears  he  was  thirty-five  years  old  when  he 
took  Jane  AIcMullin,  in  1808,  to  be  his  wnfe.  She  was  a 
resident  of  Chester  County,  but  the  date  of  her  birth  is 
unknown.     Shed,  August  25,  1821. 

Soon  after  the  death  of  his  first  wife  he  married,  sec- 
ond, Deborah  Curie,  of  Chester  County,  Pa.  She  died 
some  time  in  1827,  leaving  two  children,  which,  with  the 
seven  bv  the  first  wife,  made  a  familv  of  nine  to  care 
for. 

He  now  resolved  to  try  his  fortune  in  what  was  then 
known  as  the  "back  woods,"  and  in  1828  he  emigrated 
with  his  family  to  Ohio,  and  settled  in  the  wilderness 
near  Zanesville.  He  was  then  about  fifty-six  years  of 
age.     Soon  after  locating  there,  he  was  visited  by  his 


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62  .         THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGEXXIS.  ''   . 

brother  John,  of  Northumberland  County.  The  latter 
went  on  to  Kentucky  and  visited  his  brother  William. 
He  returned  and  reported  him  as  living  like  a  genuine 
backwoodsman  in  a  log  cabin. 

As  early  as  179S,  Samuel,  the  father  of  Johnston, 
accompanied  by  his  son  William,  visited  Ohio  to  look  at 
the  country.  They  followed  the  "  Zane  trail"  from  the 
river  near  Wheeling,  on  foot,  with  knapsacks  on  their 
backs,  to  what  is  now  known  as  Zanesville.  Samuel 
soon  returned  to  his  home  in  Chester  County,  Pa.,  but 
his  son  William  remained  a  short  time. 

About  a  year  after  Johnston  settled  here  he  was  vis- 
ited by  his  brother  James,  who  contemplated  locating 
there.  His  wife  dying,  however,  and  leaving  an  infant 
daughter  for  him  to  care  for,  (now  Mrs.  Vancourt,  of 
Hickory,  ]\Id.,)  caused  him  to  return  to  Colerain,  Lan- 
caster County,  Pa.,  with  his  charge, 

A  year  or  two  later,  a  nephew,  Benjamin,  his  wife 
and  two  children,  a  daughter  and  son,  (now  the  author,) 
visited  him,  and  remained  a  short  time,  but  not  liking 
the  countr}',  returned  to  Pennsylvania.  Although  over 
sixty  years  have  passed,  the  writer  has  a  dream-like 
recollection  of  that  visit  and  journey.  .,  . 

By  his  first  wife,  Jane  McMullin,  Johnston  McGin- 
ness  had  issue:  • 

i.   Margaret,  b.  1809;  m.  Mr.  Seibert,  and  d.  in 

Ohio. 

ii.  Caroline,  b.  181 1. 

Hi.   Mary,  b.  1813;  m.  George  Fate  and  settled  in 

Bureau  County,  111.  They  had  a  family.  A  grand- 
son, F.  A.  Fate,  graduated  at  the  Ohio  Wesleyan 
University,  Delaware,  June  1891,  with  great  credit. 
His  address  is  Bradford,  111. 


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ITS   ORIGIN    AND    HISTORY.  63 

iv.  Jane,  b.  1815;  m.  William  Fountain,  and  they 

located  in  Bureau  County,  111.,  in  1S32.  Raised 
a  family.     Both  were  living,  August,  iSgi. 

V.  Rachel,  b. 181 7;  married  and  settled  in  Bureau 

County,  111. 

vi.  Sarah,  b.  ,.  1819;  ra.  and  went  west.    She  had  a 

son  who  graduated  from  Princeton  with  high 
honor.  He  is  now  a  prominent  man  in  Iowa,  but 
his  name  has  not  been  furnished. 

vii  Samuel,  b.  August  25,  1821,  in  Chester  County,  Pa. 
His  mother,  Jane  McMullin-McGinness,  d.  the 
day  he  was  b.  In  1828  his  father  took  his  famih- 
and  emigrated  to  Ohio  and  settled  near  Zanesville, 
and  commenced  the  work  of  carving  a  farm  out 
of  the  forest.  There  his  famil}-  of  seven  daugh- 
ters and  two  sons  grew  to  manhood  and  woman- 
hood, married,  settled,  or  went  to  other  places. 

Samuel,  the  eldest  son,  was  brought  up  to  hard 
work  on  the  farm,  and  in  course  of  time  became 
the  sole  owner  of  the  patrimonial  estate.  On  the 
26th  of  October,  1S4S,  he  m.  Sophia  Morris.  She 
was  a  native  of  Chester  County,  Pa.,  having  been 
born  there  December  15,  1S23. 

After  leaving  the  place  of  his  nativity  in  Ches- 
ter County,  in  1828,  he  only  returned  once  on  a 
visit,  and  that  was  during  the  centennial  3'ear, 
forty-eight  years  afterwards.  He  left  the  cars  at 
Atglen,  Chester  Count}',  and  called  on  his  aged 
aunt,  Mrs.  Ann  Bryan.  He  also  visited  several 
relatives  on  his  mother's  side. 

Samuel  McGinness  and  wife  have  had  issue  as 
follows: 

I.  Charles  J.,  b  August  23,  1849;  d.  Decenj- 
ber  10,  1876,  while  a  .student  atWesleyan 
University,  Bloomington,  111. 


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64  THR    FAMILY  OF    MAGFNNIS.  •'. ; 

2.  Mary  E.,  b.  September  8,  1S51;  m.  J.  L. 

Dozer  Novenil^er  3,  1869.  He  is  a  car- 
penter by  trade,  and  they  live  in  Fosto- 
ria,  Ohio. 

3.  Elizabeth    A.,   b.   Sept.    23,    1853.     Unm. 

lyives  with  her  parents  at  Zanesville. 

4.  William  T.,  b.  April  2,    1856;  m.  Emma 

Dunn  October  i,  1SS4.  He  is  a  farmer, 
and  they  reside  near  Wichita,  Kansas. 

5.  Louis  H.,  b.    November  7,    1S58.     Unm. 
, ,  Is  with  H.  D.   Munson  &  Son,  musical 

in.strument  dealers,  Zanesville,  Ohio. 

6.  Alfred  S.,  b.   February   15,    1861;  m.   Ida 

Ferguson  June  9,  18S7.  He  is  a  farmer, 
and  they  live  near  Zanesville. 

7.  Edwin    G.,    b.    October   9,    1863.      Unm. 

Lives  with  his  parents. 

By  his  second  wife,  Deborah  Curie,  Johnston  McGin- 
ness  had: 

i.  Elizabeth,   b.   about   1S22;    m.  John   M.   Holcomb. 

They  live  in  Perry  County,  Ohio.  \^  i'.^. 

a.  John,  b.  about  1824.    Soon  after  the  breaking  out  of 

the  Rebellion  he  joined  the  42d  Illinois  Regiment 

and  was  killed  in  the  famous  charge  up  Mission- 

arj'  Ridge. 


No.  4. 

WILLIAM  McGINNESS,'^  (Samuel,-^  James, 2  John 

Brian,  ^)b. ,  1775;  d. ,  1839,  in  Sullivan  County, 

Indiana. 

As  he  was  born  the  same  year  that  the  Declaration  of 
Independence  was  proclaimed,  it  is  reo^retted  that  his 
natal  day  is  unknown.     His  birthplace  was  Newcastle, 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  65 

Delaware.    After  peace  was  proclaimed  his  parents  moved  ■■ 
up  into  Chester  County,  Pa.,  in  the  vicinity  of  Oxford, 
and  there  they  died  about  the  beginning  of  the  present 
centur>'. 

Comparatively  little  is  known  of  the  history  of  Wil-  \. 
liam  McGinness,  although  the  most  diligent  search  has   ,. 
been  made.      When  quite  a  young  man  we  hear  of  him  ,: 
being  in  Northumberland  County,  Pa.,  with  his  brother  . 
John,  who  was  the  youngest  of  the  family.     Then  we 
hear  of  him  visiting  the  vicinity  of   Zanesville,   Ohio, 
with  his  father,  in  1798.     x'^fter  this  he  disappears  from 
sight  for  several  years.     There  is  a  tradition  that  he  went    ' 
to  Virginia,  and  then  crossed  the  mountains  into  Ken-  " 
tucky,  and  finally  settled  in  Mercer  County,  that  state.     ' 
He  is  represented  to  have  been  a  great  reader  and  a  man 
of  considerable  intelligence.     His  brother  John  visited  '"' 
him  in  his  Kentucky  home  and  represented  him  as  living    ' 
in  true  pioneer  style  in  a  log  cabin.     He  was  a  man  of  '^ 
great  physical  strength,  and  a  story  is  handed  down  that 
he  could  carry  a  barrel  of  flour  under  each  arm ! 

That  he  married  and  raised  a  family  there  is  no  doubt, 
but  who  his  wife  was  is  unknown.     He  had  a  son  John 
who  became  a  Methodist  minister,  and  several  years  ago   ■' 
he  was  following  his  calling  in  Central  Illinois. 

It  is  related  by  some  of  his  relatives,  that,  becoming  '\ 
tired  of  slavery  in  Kentucky,  he  disposed  of  his  property   '; 
and  moved  to  Sullivan  County,  Indiana,  where  he  died   '' 
in  1839,  aged  64  years.      His  descendants  are  supposed 
to  be  residing  in  that  portion  of  the  State,  but  thus  far 
no  clue  to  them  has  been  discovered. 

No.   5. 

JOHN   McGINNESS,-^  (Samuel,  =^  James,2  John  <i 
Brian,  ^)  b.  June  9,  1777;  d.  Dec.  14,  1852,  in  McEwens- 


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.      .  .:l.i  ■  .    iud 

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66  THE    FAMILY  OF   MAGENNIS.  '^^ 

ville,  Northumberland  County,  Pa.,  and  buried  in  War- 
rior Run  Church  Cemetery. 

When  quite  a  young  man  he  made  his  way  up  the 
Susquehanna  River,  and  took  up  land  in  what  afterwards 
became  White  Deer  Township,  Union  County.  This 
was  about  1793  or  1794;  for,  according  to  tradition,  he 
was  scarcely  twenty-one  when  he  married.  The  land 
was  heavily  timbered,  but  he  went  to  work  vigorously, 
and  in  the  course  of  a  few  years  had  cleared  sufficient 
ground  to  make  an  excellent  farm  of  about  So  acres. 

Early  in  1797  he  married  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Horn,  a 
widow  lady  with  four  children.  Her  maiden  name  was 
Conley.  They  resided  on  the  White  Deer  farm  until 
1831,  when  he  sold  out  and  moved  to  what  is  now  Lime- 
stone Township,  Montour  County.  x\t  that  time  it  was 
in  Columbia  County.  Here  he  purchased  about  255  acres 
of  choice  land,  paying  about  $30  per  acre  for  it.  For 
agricultural  purposes  this  land  is  unexcelled,  and  to-day 
it  is  worth  $200  per  acre.  He  soon  afterwards  divided 
his  purchase  into  five  farms,  and  assigned  one  to  each  of 
his  children. 

During  the  war  of  1812  John  McGinness  was  called  on 
to  enter  the  service,*  and  he  marched  to  Black  Rock, 
near  Buffalo.  The  haversack  which  he  carried  at  that 
time  is  still  preserved  and  is  now  in  the  possession  of 
his  granddaughter.  Miss  Elizabeth  Catharine  Rank,  of 
Limestone  township.  His  wife  died  in  September,  1S43, 
aged  71,   in  Chillisquaque  Township,   Northumberland 


*  It  will  be  noticed  that  John  McGinness  had  six  children.  His 
eldest  daiiirhter,  ^lariraret  Ileitsman,  ha<l  six  ;  his  eldest  son,  William, 
liad  six;  his  dau^diter  Catharine  Rank  had  six.  William  Mcliinncss' 
third  Son,  William,  was  in  the  army.  Mar<raret  Heitsman's  tliird  son 
wa.s  in  the  service,  and  L'atliariue  llank's  third  son  was  tliere  also,  and 
all  had  the  letter  W  in  their  names. 


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ITS    ORIGIN    AND    HISTORY.  ^"J 

County,  whither  they  had  gone  to  live  with  their  son 
William,  on  a  farm  lying  on  the  river  a  short  distance 
below  the  east  end  of  the  Lewisburg  bridge.  She  was 
buried  in  the  graveyard  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
Lewisburg,  the  site  of  which  is  now  occupied  by  a  new 
and  elegant  church.  In  a  short  time  after  the  death  of 
his  wife  he  married,  second,  Rebecca  D.  McWilliams, 
February  27,  1S44.  The  marriage  ceremony  was  per- 
formed by  Justice  of  the  Peace  Schnabel,  of  Lewisburg. 
They  located  in  ^NIcEwensville,  where  he  purchased  a 
house  and  a  few  lots.  There  they  lived  a  retired  life, 
and  there  he  died  December  14,  1852.  He  left  the  fol- 
lowing will : 

I,  John  McGinness,  of  the  County  of  Northumberland 
and  State  of  Pennsylvania,  farmer,  do  make  and  publish  this 
my  will  and  testament,  hereby  revoking  and  making  void  all 
former  wills  by  me  at  any  time  heretofore  made. 

And  first,  I  direct  that  my  body  be  decently  interred  in 
the  bur>'ing  ground  of  the  Friends,  [Penn  Hill,]  in  Little 
Britain  Township,  Lancaster  County.  Pa.,  according  to  the 
rites  and  ceremonies  of  the  said  church,  and  that  my  funeral 
be  conducted  in  a  manner  corresponding  with  my  estate  and 
situation  in  life,  and  to  such  worldly  estate  as  it  hath  pleased 
God  to  intrust  me  with.     I  dispose  of  the  same  as  follows: 

I  direct  that  all  my  just  debts  and  funeral  expenses  be  paid 
as  soon  after  my  decease  as  possible,  out  of  the  first  moneys 
that  shall  come  into  the  hands  of  my  executors  from  any  por- 
tion of  my  estate,  real  or  personal; 

Also,  I  direct  that  a  fair  valuation  or  appraisement  be 
made  by  three  judicious  neighbors  of  all  my  said  real  estate, 
including  my  household  furniture,  and  after  being  signed 
with  their  names,  that  a  copy  of  the  same  shall  be  given  by 
them  to  each  of  my  executors; 

And  further,  I  direct  that  all  my  personal  property  shall 
be  sold,  if  necessary,  for  the  maintenance  of  my  wife  Re- 
becca; 


TO 


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68        -  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGENXIS.  "  > 

And  further,  I  direct  that  the  whole  of  my  household  fur- 
niture shall  be  and  remain  the  absolute  property  of  my  be- 
loved wife; 

And  further,  I  give  and  bequeath  to  my  son  William  Mc- 
Ginness  one  silver  dollar; 

And  further,  I  give  and  bequeath  to  my  daughter  Eliza- 
beth, intermarried  with  George  McGinness,  one  dollar  in 
silver; 

And  further,  I  give  and  bequeath  to  tny  daughter  Catha- 
rine, intermarried  with  Joseph  Rank,  one  silver  dollar; 

And  further,  I  give  and  bequeath  to  my  grandchildren, 
John  Heitsman,  Sarah  Heitsman.  Ellen  Heitsman,  James 
Heitsman  and  George  Heitsman,  and  also  the  youngest  of 
my  grandchildren,  supposed  her  name  to  be  Elizabeth  Ann 
Heitsman,  to  each  and  even,-  one  named,  one  dollar  each; 

And  further,  I  direct  that  my  grandson,  John  Heitsman, 
has  full  power  after  the  decease  of  my  beloved  wife  to  sell 
and  convey  all  my  property,  real  and  personal; 

And  further,  I  give  and  bequeath  to  John  Heitsman,  one 
hundred  dollars  after  the  decease  of  my  wife; 

And  further,  I  direct  that  after  the  decease  of  my  wife,  all 
my  effects  be  equally  divided  between  my  grandchildren  of 
my  daughter  Margaret,  intermarried  with  James  Heitsman; 

And  further,  I  give  and  bequeath  to  the  Warrior  Run 
Church  fifty  dollars,  to  be  paid  by  my  executors  after  decease 
of  my  wife.  And  I  do  hereby  make  and  ordain  my  esteemed 
neighbor  John  F.  Dentler,  and  my  wife  Rebecca  McGinness, 
executors  of  this  my  last  will  and  testament.  In  witness 
whereof,  I,  John  McGinness,  the  testator,  have  to  this  my 
will,  written  on  one  sheet  of  paper,  set  my  hand  and  seal  this 
fourth  day  of  June,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  fifty-two. 

JOHN  McGinness.    [se.\l.] 

Witnesses  present: 

Geo.  J.  Piper.  : 

G.  W.  Armstrong. 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND    HISTORY.  69 

The  above  will  was  filed  and  approved  in  the  office  of 
the  Recorder  of  Deeds,  Wills,  &c.,  at  Sunbury,  Pa., 
January  3,  1853.  See  Will  Book  No.  4,  pages  319  and 
320. 

By  his  first  wife  he  had  issue  as  follows: 

i.  Margaret,  b.  November  16,  1798.  She  m.  James 
Heitsman  about  1S18,  and  had  children:  John, 
James,  George,  Sarah,  Ellen  and  Ann  Elizabeth. 
She  d.  October  7,  1835,  and  was  buried  in  Warrior 
Run  Cemeter}-. 

a.  Jane,  b.  ,  iSoo;  d.  in  May,   1838.     Unmarried. 

Buried  in  Warrior  Run  Cemeter}^ 

ill.  Eliza,  b.  .  1802;  m.  George  S.  McGinness,  her 

first  cousin,  October  16,  1S30,  and  d.  April  4,  1S74, 
aged  71  years  and  six  months.  Buried  in  upper 
Milton  Cemetery. 

iv.  William,  b.  March  24,  1804;  m.  Catharine  Marshall. 
of  Lj'coming  County,  August  11,  1S35,  and  d. 
January  7,  1877,  at  Lock  Haven,  Pa. 
22.  V.  Catharine,  b.  March  6,  1806;  m.  Joseph  Spotts  Rank, 
of  White  Deer,  September  30,  1830,  and  d.  De- 
cember 31,  1879.  Buried  in  upper  Milton  Ceme- 
tery. 

v'l.  James  Johnston,  b. ,  1808;  d.  September  3,  1837; 

unm.     Buried  in  Warrior  Run  Cemetery. 

His  second  wife,  Rebecca  McWilliams,  died 
June  26,  1870,  and  was  buried  in  Chillisquaque 
Church  Cemetery.     No  issue. 


No.  6. 

MARGARET  McGINNESS,'  ( James, -^  Samuel, » 
James, 2  John  Brian,  ^)  b.  January  3,  17S9;  m.  Henry  W. 
Swisher,  of  Colerain,  February  14,  1816;  d.  April  27, 
1862. 


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70  THE   FAMILY  OF   MAGEXNIS. 

The  ancestors  of  Mr.  Swisher  came  from  Germany 
towards  the  close  of  the  last  century  and  settled  in  Cole- 
rain.  Henry,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  w'as  born  in 
Lancaster  County,  October  2,  1794,  and  grew  to  manhood 
in  the  neighborhood  of  his  birth.  He  was  raised  on  a 
farm,  but  learned  the  trade  of  a  weaver,  which  he  fol- 
lowed for  a  portion  of  his  tim.e.  He  was  an  industrious 
man  and  of  excellent  standing  in  the  community.  A  few 
years  after  his  marriage  he  purchased  a  farm  of  George 
Runner  and  his  wife,  which  he  greatly  improved.  On 
this  farm  the  owners  had  erected  a  stone  house,  and  a 
slab  or  tablet  in  the  gable  looking  to  the  east  bears  this 
inscription  in  plain  black  letters: 


BUILT    BY 

George  Runner 

AND 

Mary  Runner 
I  A.  D.  1807. 


When  this  building  was  erected  it  was  looked  upon 
by  the  neighbors  as  an  extravagant  structure,  and  many 
came  long  distances  to  see  it.     It  was  plain  in  its  design 
but  very  solidly  constructed,  and  is  standing  to-day  in 
an  excellent  state  of  preservation.     Here  Mr.   Swisher   ^, 
and  his  wife  lived  and  enjoyed  peace  and  happiness  for   j^ 
many  years,  and    here  the  latter  died.     The  old  stone    c 
house,  which  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  landmarks  of  the 
neighborhood,  is  now  (1891)  occupied  by  John  Groflf,  a   ■ 
son-in-law. 

After  the  death  of  his  wife,  "Uncle  Henrv'  Swisher," 
as  he  was  familiarly  called,   went  to  live  with  his  son   » 
James,  who  resided  near  the  old  homestead,  and  there  he 


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ITS    ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY,  71 

died  May  13,  1873.  ^^  ^^^^  ^  ^^^"  noted  for  his  quiet 
and  genial  disposition,  his  excellence  as  a  neighbor  and 
friend,  his  benevolence  and  sweet  Christian  temperament. 
Children  (snrname  Swisher): 

z.  Elizabeth,  b.  March  25,  1817;  m.  William  Hollis,  of 

Bart,  ,  1S44.     He  died  in  18S4;  she,  March  2, 

1 89 1.     They  had  issue: 

1.  Rachel  Aim,  b. ,  1S45;  °i-  Harry  Fer- 

guson, and  d.  in  1873,  leaving-  an  infant 
son,  Henr}' James,  who  grew  to  manhood 
and  is  unmarried. 

2.  John,  b.  1S46;  m.  Caroline  Boyd  and  had 

three  children.    While  keeping  the  Green 
•^   .  Tree  Tavern,   a  noted  hostelry    near 

Georgetown,  he  mysterioush'  disappeared 
on  the  evening  of  Nov.  II,  1S77,  and  up  to 
the  present  time  no  trace  of  him  has  been 
found.  He  put  his  children  to  bed  in  the 
evening,  came  down  stairs,  put  on  his 
overcoat,  told  his  wife  that  he  was  going 
to  visit  a  neighbor,  and  that  was  the  la.st 
■*■  she  saw  of  him.     Search  and  inquin,- were 

■    ,  made  when  he  failed  to  return,  but  no  clue 

to  his  whereabouts  was  ever  obtained. 
Supposing  him  to  be  dead,  his  wife,  in 
the  course  of  a  few  years,  married  again, 
and  now  resides  in  Lancaster.  His  mys- 
terious disappearance  caused  much  talk 
and  speculation,  but  no  one  could  give 
any  reason  for  his  strange  conduct. 

3.  William,  b.  ,  1848;  m.  Margaret  Ry- 

near.     No  issue. 

4. -Henry,  b.  ,  1850;  d.  early. 

5.  James,  b.  ,   1852;  m.  Lydia  Kersyth. 

Had  two  children;  d.  in  infancy. 


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72  THE    FAMILY  OF    MAGENNIS. 

6.   Margaret,  b.' ,  1854;  m.  Nelson  Boyd. 

Live  in  Little  Britain  Township.     Have 
one  child. 
ii.  James,  b.  February  22,  1S20;  m.  Miss  Margaret  Eb- 
erly   November   15,    1842.     She  was  b.   July   20, 
1815.     They  now  live  retired  on  their  fine  farm  in 
Colerain,  surrounded  by  the  comforts  of  life.     No 
issue. 
Hi.  Rachel,  b.  February  17,  1S24;  m.  Washington  Swish- 
er.    She  d.  May  31,  1864,  and  left  i.ssue: 

1.  James,  b.  Mar.  20,  1856;  m.  Louisa  Walker. 

They  have:     ist,   Rachel  Ann,  b.    Sep- 
tember 15,   1883,  and    2d,  Viella  L-,   b. 
June  30,  1886.     They  reside  with  James 
.      ■  and  Margaret  Swisher,  and  carry  on  the 

farm  for  them. 

2.  Elizabeth,  b.  ,  1858;  m.   Clayton  Mc- 

Cauley.     Have  five  children,  one  son  and 
four  daughters. 

3.  Henry,  b.  ,   i860;  m.   Hannah  Boyd. 

Had  one  child,  but  it  died  in  infancy. 

4.  George,  b.  ,   1862;    m.   Hannah   Mc- 

Cauley.     Have  two  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters. 
iv.  Ann  Ellen,  b.  May  17,  1830;  m.  John  Grofi"  Octo- 
ber 10,  1850.     She  died  Oct.  ,    1885,  leaving 

issue: 

1.  Margaret  Elizabeth,  b.  July  29,  1851. 

2.  Alice  Louisa,  b.  August  17,  1853;  d.  Sep- 

tember 28,  1863. 

3.  Jo.seph  Henry,  b.  July  13,  1855;  m.  Mary 

Withers.     Have  four  children,  three  sons 
■  and  one  daughter. 
4.. Mary  Jane,  b.  March  26,    1857;  m.  Jere- 
miah Hastings  Boyd.     Have  three  sons 
and  three  daughters. 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  73 

5.  Sarah  Joana,  b.  June  27,  i860;  m.  Vernon 

Cummings.     Have  one  son. 

6.  John  Harvey,  b.  Ma}^  14,  1863;  m.  Sarah 

Mauch.     Have  two  daughters. 

7.  Rachel  Ann,  b.  October  21,  1S65;  m.  Ben- 

jamin Myers.     Have  one  daughter. 

8.  Eleanor  Amanda,  b.  February  2,  i860;  m. 

William  Benner.     Have  one  daughter. 

9.  James  Swisher,  b.  Dec.  28,  187 1.     Lives  at 

home. 
,.  T  Mr.  Groflf  married,   second,   Miss   Re- 

becca   Jane   Br>'an,    of    Atglen,    Chester 
'      .  County,  Pa.,  December  27,  1887.     He  was 

bom  Aug.  28,   i82S,.in  Strasburg  Town- 
'■•     '  ship,  Lancaster  County,  Pa.     No  issue  by 

"''*  '  the  second  marriage.     They  reside  on  the 

Henry  Swisher  farm,  and  in  the  stone 
house  built  by  George  Runner  and  wife 
in  1807. 


SARAH  McGINNESS,  ^  (James,  ^  Samuel,  ^  James,  2 
John  Brian,  ^)  b.  October  13,  1795,  in  Colerain  Township, 
Lancaster  County,  Pa. ;  m.  John  Keylor  March  18,  1824, 
and  d.  September  18,  1865. 

Jacob  Keylor,  father  of  John,  was  born  in  Raumland, 
on  the  Rhine,  early  in  the  last  century.  The  name  was 
originally  written  Kuehler  in  German.  He  married  Ma- 
ria Gertrude  Boehl  about  1789.  John,  their  first  born. 
and  the  head  of  the  family  now  under  consideration, 
was  born  in  Raumland  July  19,  1790.  His  certificate  of 
baptism  is  still  in  existence  and  is  held  by  his  eldest  son, 
Milton.     It  is  dated  July  5,  1795,  and  is  signed  by   "J. 


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74  THE    FAMILY  OF   MAGENNlS. 

E.  Heim,  minister  of  Raumland.  "     His  godfathers  were 
John  Stenger  and  Jacob  Bonfer. 

Some  time  in  1795,  Jacob  Knehler,  his  wife  and  three 
children — John,  Henry  and  Katharine* — were  indnced, 
on  acconnt  of  the  devastations  and  tronbles  caused  b}- 
war  in  Germany,  to  emigrate  to  America.  It  took  the 
family  one  week  to  travel  from  their  home  on  the  Rhine 
to  Hamburg,  where  they  embarked  on  shipboard.  The 
voyage  was  long  and  perilous,  and  many  times  they  nar- 
rowly escaped  shipwreck.  They  also  ran  out  of  provis- 
ions, and  it  was  found  necessary,  in  order  to  guard 
against  starvation,  to  put  the  emigrants  on  short  allow- 
ance. After  braving  the  tempests  and  the  pangs  of 
hunger,  they  were  finally  landed  at  New  Castle,  Dela- 
ware, and  made  their  way  to  Chester  County,  Pa.,  where 
they  were  given  employment  by  Richard  Baker,  who 
lived  on  the  Brandywine. 

Jacob  Kuehler  died  at  his  home  in  Chester  County 
in   1816,  leaving  a  widow,  two  sons,  John  and  Henry, t 

*  Katliarine  was  an  infant  in  arms  wlion  they  loft  Germany.  As 
they  were  about  to  embark,  a  lady  wlio  had  no  children  met  tlietn 
and  asked  for  the  infant.  The  mother  replied  that  all  the  country 
roundabout  would  not  be  an  inducement  for  her  to  part  with  her 
child ! 

t  John  Keylor's  brother  and  sisters  were  as  follows :  Henry,  b. 
in  Raumland,  Germany,  in  1793;  came  to  America  with  his  parents. 
He  m.  Eliza  A.  Swisher,  and  died  at  Nine  Points,  Pa.,  July  21,  1875. 
His  wife,  Avho  was  b.  September  30,  ISOiJ,  d.  May  7,  1891,  at  the  same 
place.     They  had  several  sons  and  daughters. 

Katharine,  the  infant  whom  the  mother  refused  to  part  with,  was 
b.  in  Raumland  in  179.>.  She  m.  Thomas  Mullin  December  31,  ISKI, 
and  d.  in  182(i,  in  Delaware,  and  was  buried  there. 

Maria,  b.  in  Pennsylvania  in  ISOO;  ui.,  first,  Henry  Bufliniiton,and, 
secondly,  Ix'van  Way.  She  is  still  (1891)  living  with  her  dau^diter, 
Martha  llurford  and  <iranddauj?hter  Annie  Hurford,  on  the  old  Hur- 
ford  estate,  near  Atglcn,  Chester  County,  Pa. 


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ITS   ORIGIN    AND   HISTORY.  75 

and  three  daughters,  Katharine,  Alariah  and  Hannah. 
The  mother  afterwards  went  to  reside  with  her  son  John, 
and  remained  with  him  until  her  death,  which  occurred 
November  16,  1S40,  at  the  age  of  82  years,  and  was 
buried  in  the  cemetery  at  Bart  Meeting  House.  In  Ger- 
many the  Kuehlers  were  Presbyterians,  but  Richard 
Baker,  who  took  them  to  his  home  on  the  Brandywine — 
three  miles  from  Marshalton — was  a  Quaker.  He  took 
them  with  him  to  Quaker  meeting  at  Bradford,  and  thus 
they  came  to  use  the  language  of  the  Quakers  and  adopt 
their  plain  clothing,  and  when  they  died  their  bodies 
were  interred  in  Quaker  burying  grounds. 

John,  the  eldest,  when  he  grew  to  manhood,  settled 
in  Bart,  Lancaster  County,  and  soon  after  his  marriage 
with  Sarah  McGinness,  purchased  a  farm  and  engaged 
in  tilling  the  soil.  During  the  war  of  18 12  he  was  called 
on  to  raise  a  company,  wliich  he  did,  but  their  services 
were  never  required.  He  died  November  3,  1872,  and 
was  buried  by  the  side  of  his  wife  in  the  Friends  Ceme- 
tery at  Bart  Meeting  House,  as  both  during  life  had  ad- 
hered to  the  Quaker  faith. 

John  Kuehler  (anglicised  Keylor)  and  wife  had  chil- 
dren (surnamed  Keylor)  as  follows: 

i.  Ann  Eliza,  b.  Januar\'  10,  1825.  She  married  Dan- 
iel Beyer  February  21,  1848,  and  soon  afterwards 
they  removed  to  Juniata  County  and  located  on  a 
farm.  Mr.  Beyer  died  September  3,  1875,  aged 
52  years.     They  had  children  as  follows: 

I.  John  James,  b.  Dec.  6,  1850.     He  married 
Miss  Sadie  C.  Kinzer,  of  Juniata  Coun- 

Hannah,  b.  in  1S02,  in.  Nathan  Famuiis.  Is  still  (isiil)  livin;:  with 
her  nephew  and  .son-in-law,  Thomas  ^lullin,  on  a  farm  near  Cedar 
Croft,  Bayard  Tavlor's  <)ld  home,  at  Kennett  S^jnare,  Chester  Count v, 
Pa.         .  ■ 


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76  THE    FA.MILY   OF    MAGENNIS. 

ty — formerly  from  Lancaster  County. 
She  died  Jan.  25,  1881,  aged  25  years. 
He  is  still  single. 

2.  Emma  M.,  b.  June  12,  1853. 

3.  Hannah  R.,  b,  Februar\-  18,  1854.     After 

attending  the  common  schools  she  took 
a  course  at  the  Juniata  County  Normal 
School  and  became  a  teacher.  Her  teach- 
ing, at  inter\'als,  extended  over  a  period 
~       •  of  about  ten  years,  when  she  was  obliged 

to  give  up  her  profession  on  account  of 
ill  health. 

4.  Sarah  M.,  b.    September   22,    i860.      She 

married  Davis  Baily,  and  they  reside  near 

\      Thorndale,   Chester  County.      Mr  Baily 

is  a  farmer  by  occupation.     They  have 

one  son,  Raymond,  b.  February-  3,  1SS5. 

ii.  Hannah  Mariah,  b.  August  10,  1S26;  m.  Effinger  H. 

Emer}-,  of  Chester  County,  March  9,  1854.    They 

have  two  sons  : 

1.  John  K.,  b.  September  26,  1862. 

2.  Clement  M.,  b.  September  3,  1864. 

Both  single  and  live  with  their  parents. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Emer>-  live  on  part  of  the 
1    •  patrimonial  estate  in  Bart  Township,  en- 

gaged in  farming. 
Hi.  Milton,  b.  June  14,  1S28;  m.  Rebecca,  eldest  daugh- 
ter of  Davud  Beyer,  an  extensive  farmer  of  Bart 
Township,  September  13,  1849.  She  was  born 
February-  17,  1827.  They  have  lived  since  their 
marriage  on  a  large  and  fine  farm  in  Colerain 
Township,  two  miles  north  of  Kirkwood.  They 
have  issue  as  follows  : 
■'  I.  James  Elwood,  b.  August  21,  1851.     He 

was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  the 
neighborhood,  at  Union  High  School  and 


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MILTON  KEYLOR. 


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Tj       ITS  ORIGIN    AND    HISTORY.  ^^ 

I  the  Millersville  Nonnal.     He  engaged  in 

teaching  and  followed  that  profession  for 

several  years.    On  the  1 3th  of  April,  1 8S i , 

;r      he  married  Miss  Annie  C,  daughter  of 

John  M.  Shenk,  Esq.,  of  Quarryville,  Pa. 

After  his  marriage  he  taught  school  for 

b      four  years.     Then  feeling  impressed  that 

< .      it  was  his  duty  to  preach  the  Gospel,  he 

entered  CrozerSeminar>-,  ChesterCounty. 

•  •   r       Pa.,  in  the  fall  of  1S85,  and  graduated  in 

June,  18S8.    He  received  a  call  soon  after 

to  become  pastor  of  the  Newfield  Baptist 

Church,  N.  J.,  and  was  ordained  as  such 

;'.•       November  7,    1S88,   and  entered  on  his 

duties.     He  still   remains   there.     They 

have  issue : 

I.  John  Milton,  b.  March  26,  1882. 
'■:'•■  2.  Rena  Frances,  b.   Dec.  8,  18S4. 

2.  Anna  Mar>',  b.  April  18,  1S53;  m.  WilHam 
Bigler  Rynear  Jan.  13,  1S76.  He  was 
'  •  ■  bom  in  Bart  Township,  Lancaster  Coun- 
ty, May  31,  1 85 1.  They  now  reside  on 
a  farm  in  Colerain  Township.  Have 
children  as  follows: 

1.  Rebecca  Ada,  b.  April  27,  1883. 

2.  Spencer  Cleveland,  b.  May  2, 
1887. 

.  3.  Henry  E.,  b.  August  13,  1855.  After  re- 
ceiving an  education,  he  studied  medi- 
cine under  Dr.  Thomas  Wentz,  of  Kirk- 
wood,  and  graduated  with  honor  at  Jef- 
ferson Medical  College,  Philadelphia,  in 
the  class  of  1878.  Dr.  -Keylor  at  once 
entered  on  the  practice  of  his  profession, 
*  and  was  getting  fairly  under  way,  when 
he  fell  ill  and  died  September  30,  iS8o. 
He  never  married. 


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78  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGEXNIS. 

4.  Josiah  Beyer,  b.  October  24,  1S57.  After 
finishing  the  course  as  taught  by  the  pub- 
lic schools,  and  the  Union  High  School, 
taught  by  Prof.  James  W.  Andrews,  he 
graduated  at  Millersville  State  Normal 
School  in  July,  1S79,  receiving  the  degree 
B.  E.  After  teaching  two  j-ears  'he  re- 
ceived the  degree  M.  E.  He  taught 
school  four  years,  and  in  1880  was  ap- 
pointed Principal  of  MaytowMi  High 
School,  which  position  he  resigned  in 
''•'•  1881  to  accept  the  appointment  of  Super- 

intendent of  the  public  schools  of  Man- 
heim  borough,  Pa.  It  was  his  original 
intention  to  follow  the  profession  of  teach- 
ing, but  after  the  death  of  his  brother  he 
concluded  to  adopt  the  medical  profes- 
sion, and  he  commenced  the  study  of  med- 
icine under  the  direction  of  Dr.  George 
T.  Dare,  of  Oxford,  Chester  County,  Pa., 
one  of  the  oldest  practitioners  in  that  sec- 
tion of  the  country.  He  entered  upon 
his  studies  in  1882,  and  graduated  at  the 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  Bal- 
timore, in  1885.  He  at  once  began  the 
practice  of  his  profession  at  Cochranville, 
Chester  County,  Pa.,  where  he  has  con- 
tinued with  great  success  ever  since.  Jo- 
siah Beyer  Keylor,  E.  M.,  M.  D.,  is  one 
of  the  rising  young  members  of  the 
profession  in  Pennsylvania,  and  he  has 
already  established  an  excellent  reputa- 
tion as  a  successful  practitioner.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  English  Baptist  Church, 
a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  single.  He 
is  an  active  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F., 
being  a  Past  Grand  of  Hebron   Lodge 


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'f         ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  '  79 

■  No.  437,  Chester  County,  Pa.;  also  of  the 
Masonic   Order,   being   a   Master  Mason 
and  member  of  Skerrett  Lodge  A.  Y.  M. 
No.  343,    same  county.     In  addition   to 
his  studies,  he  has  traveled  somewhat  ex- 
tensively, having  visited  thirteen  states 
J-;     v^         of  the  Union  from  the  Atlantic  to  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  spending  seven  weeks 
in  Wyoming  and  Colorado  in  the  sum- 
jj.j...    ;-,,..,       mer  of  1880,  with  his  brother.  Dr.  Henr>- 
E.  Key  lor. 
iv.  Sarah,  b.  February'  26,  1830.     Married,  first,  Lewis 
.  ^.      H.  Selzer,  of  Steelville,  Chester  County,  Pa.,  on 
^     the  ist  of  October,  I S56.     Mr.  Selzer's  occupation 
■.    ^      was  that  of  a  wholesale  and  retail  merchant.     He 
■ .-,      died  soon  after  marriage,  leaving  one  son,  Henry 

-  J  W.  Selzer,  b.  March  29,  i860.  After  qualifying 
J  himself,  he  attended  the  Union  High  School  one 
J  year,  when  he  engaged  in  teaching,  and  taught 
^     public  school  in  Juniata  County  one  year.     He 

-  J     then  returned  to  his  native  place,  Steelville,  where 

he  was  engaged  for  two  years  in  a  general  .store. 
In  18S2  he  went  to  Wilmington,  Delaware,  where 
,  he  secured  a  clerkship  in  a  retail  grocery  store, 
which  position  he  filled  for  two  years,  when  he 
married  Miss  Fannie  S.  Hambright,  of  Ferma- 
nagh Township,  Juniata  County,  formerly  of  Lan- 
'  ,  caster.  Pa.  Mr.  Selzer  then  conducted  a  retail 
grocer>^  store,  in  Wilmington,  on  his  own  account, 
for  three  years,  when  he  gave  up  the  business. 
He  then  secured  employment  with  the  Trump 
Brothers  Machine  Company,  of  Wilmington, 
where  he  now  holds  a  responsible  position.  They 
have  issue: 

I.  Sarah  Elwilda,  b.  February  4, 
1885.  2.  Henry  Hambright,  b.  Oc- 
tober 16,  1886.  3.  Leroy  Welling- 
ton, b.  July  16,  1889. 


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8o  THE    FAMILY  OK   MAGENNIS. 

Mrs.  Sarah  Selzer,  his  mother,  married,  second, 
W.  F.  McLimans,  of  Sadsbury  Township.  Lan- 
caster County,  Pa.,  November  17,  1S77,  and  they 
live  at  West  Grove,  Chester  County,  Pa.  By  oc- 
cupation Mr.  McLimans  is  a  .stone  mason  and  con- 
tractor. 
V.  John  B.,  b.  December  2,  1831.  He  learned  the  trade 
of  a  cabinet  maker,  which  he  followed  for  several 
years.  He  married  Mi.ss  Leah  Lavinia  Ritz,  of 
Bart  Township,  Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  January 
20,  1858.  She  was  born  July  2,  1833.  Soon  after 
marriage  they  located  at  South  Charleston,  Clark 
County,  Ohio.  There  Mr.  Keylor  died  February 
10,  1863,  leaving  one  son,  Howard  R.  Keylor,  b. 
October  9,  i860.  Soon  after  the  death  of  her  hus- 
band Mrs.  Keylor  returned  to  Pennsylvania  with 
her  young  son.  On  the  15th  of  May,  1871,  she 
married,  second,  George  Starrett,  of  Philadelphia, 
and  they  emigrated  to  Walla  Walla,  Washington, 
where  she  died  April  10,  1889,  having  lived  there 
continuously  from  October  10,  1871.  After  receiv- 
ing sufficient  education,  Howard  R.  commenced 
the  study  of  medicine  at  the  University  of  Michi- 
gan, Ann  Arbor,  in  1878,  where  he  remained  two 
years.  He  then  entered  the  College  of  Physicians 
and  Surgeons,  Baltimore,  and  graduated  in  March, 
1882,  with  credit.  After  graduation  he  was  a  resi- 
dent physician  at  Bay  View  Asylum,  Baltimore, 
for  nine  months,  during  which  time  he  had  an  in- 
■"'■  teresting  experience  in  that  institution.  In  De- 
cember, 1882,  Dr.  Keylor  returned  to  Walla  Walla 
and  commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession, 
which  he  has  successfully  followed  ever  since.  He 
belongs  to  the  regular  school  of  medicine,  and 
stands  high  in  his  community.  On  the  29th  of 
April,  1889,  the  Governor  appointed  him  Surgeon 
General  of  the  Territorial  Militia,  which  position 


^>  !■'     'i'  ■'   V  ni//-H     ••H'i 


08 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  Si 

he  retained  until  the  territorv-  was  admitted  as  a 
state.  'May  lo,  1S90,  he  was  appointed  a  member 
of  the  State  Board  of  Medical  Examiners,  and 
elected  Secretar}-,  a  position  which  he  still  holds. 
On  the  25th  of  May,  1SS7,  he  married  Miss  Sarah 
Frances  Stine,  of  Walla  Walla  She  is  a  native 
,  of  California,  where  she  was  born  February  18, 
1864.     They  have  issue: 

1.  Edna,  b.  March  10,  1888. 

2.  Leah  Frances,  b.  April  22,  1889. 
vi.  George,  b.  May  18,  1834.     Married,  first,  Miss  Ann 

McGinness,  of  Limestoneville,  Montour  County, 
March  27,  1856.  They  settled  on  a  farm  in  Cole- 
rain  Township,  Lancaster  County,  Pa.  Mrs.  Key- 
lor  was  born  August  27,  1834,  and  died  May  17, 
1874,  aged  39  years,  8  months  and  20  days.  Her 
remains  were  taken  home  and  interred  in  the  fam- 
ily lot  in  the  cemetery-  at  Milton,  Pa.  She  left 
one  son,  Henrv-  James,  b.  March  12,  1857.  When 
he  grew  to  manhood,  he  learned  the  trade  of  a 
saddler,  and  located  at  Washingtonville,  Montour 
County,  where  he  carried  on  business  for  several 
years.  He  married  in  Danville,  Pa.,  and  has  two 
children.  George,  his  father,  married,  second, 
Anna  Scott,  of  Bart  Township,  Lancaster  County, 
Pa.,  and  they  now. (i 891)  reside  in  Wilmington. 
Delaware.  They  had  one  son,  Bayard,  who  died 
young. 

vii.  Henry,  b.  April  i,  1836.  Was  raised  a  farmer,  and 
married  Martha  Scott,  of  Colerain  Township;  b. 
July  22,  1839.  They  reside  on  a  farm.  Have  is- 
sue: 

1.  Frank  S.,  b.  January  13,  1867. 

2.  Nannie  A.,  b.  November  15,  i860.     Both 

are  unm.,  and  live  with  their  parents. 
via.  Wellington,  b.  June  11,  1838;  d.  November  10,  1844. 


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I   :  )  )o  Tr 


82  THE   FAMILY  OF  MAGENNIS.  •  • 

ANN  ROBERTS  McGINNESS,  ■5( James/ Samuel,  ^ 
James,-  John  Brian\)b.  May  23,  iSoi;  m.  Moses  Bryan 
June  16,  1825;  d.  September  29,  1S87,  at  her  home  at 
Atglen,  Chester  County,  Pa.  and  was  buried  in  the  ceme- 
tery of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  that  place.         ;■ 

Moses  Bryan,  her  husband,  was  b,  in  Bucks  County, 
Pa.,  March  17,  1776;  d.  December  12,  1839,  in  Chester 
County,  and  was  buried  in  the  cemetery  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church  at  Oxford,  Pa.  Although  left  a  widow 
early,  with  a  large  family  of  children,  Mrs.  Bryan  through 
pluck,  industry  and  frugality,  succeeded  in  raising  them 
well,  and  lived  to  see  the  survivors  all  comfortably  set- 
tled in  life.  Her  husband,  whom  she  survived  for  over 
forty-eight  years,  was  a  miller  and  stone  mason  by  trade, 
and  an  industrious  and  excellent  workman.  They  had 
issue  (surname  Bryan)  as  follows:  •':-.•      •  •  •      \!    .. 

i.  Joseph  Jackson,  b.  June  8,  1826.  Was  raised  in 
Chester  and  Lancaster  Counties,  and  learned  the 
trade  of  a  millwright.  When  a  young  man  he  set- 
tled in  Philadelphia,  where  he  has  continued  to 
follow  his  trade  up  to  the  present  time.  He  m. 
.-;.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Kent,  of  that  city.  They  have 
children  as  follows: 

1.  Garrett  Dudbridge. 

2.  Wesley  Rhea.  — 'i},;  ;;r-''i;/''    :*   '  •-• 
i'    .     3.  Henr>'  Hipson. 

They  reside  with  their  parents  at  No.  1007 
Stocker  street,  Philadelphia. 
ii.  Rebecca  Jane,  b.  December  19,  1827;  m.  John  Groff 
December  27,  1887.  His  first  wife  was  Ann  Ellen 
Swisher,  daughter  of  Henry  Swisher,  whose  wife 
was  Margaret  McGinness.  His  first  and  second 
wives,  therefore,   were  first  cousins,   their  moth- 


■our:;-  Jli-   Hi  5:.>r-.d  ,    /^    Ui:.     ,■:■:    ,';:;-. ■■,■    I^^.-.M'^    /.o;;,!/. 

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,     ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  83 

ers  being  sisters.  Mr.  Groff  and  his  wife  reside  on 
the  homestead  Swisher  farm  near  Kirkwood,  Lan- 
caster Count}',  Pa.     No  issue. 

Hi.  John  Swisher,  b.  January  22,  1830;  d.  June  20,  1853, 
at  St.  lyouis,  Mo.     He  was  a  tailor  by  trade. 

iv.  Moses  Moore,  b.  February  10,  1S32;  m.  Emma  S. 
Malin  November  9,  1S65,  and  they  reside  at  At- 
glen,  Chester  County,  Pa.  He  is  a  carpenter  by 
trade.     No  issue. 

V.  Sarah  Hastings,  b.  September  5,  1835.  After  re- 
ceiving a  preparatory  education  she  attended  the 
Millersville  Normal  School,  near  Lancaster,  Pa., 
and  qualified  herself  for  teaching  in  1859.  In  1861 
she  went  to  Philadelphia  and  was  appointed  a 
teacher  in  one  of  the  public  schools  at  Nice  town, 
where  she  remained  several  years.  She  was  then 
promoted  and  transferred  to  a  school  in  German- 
town,  where  she  has  /ollowed  her  profession  up  to 
the  present  time.  For  over  thirty  years  Miss 
Bryan  has  been  a  successful  teacher  in  Philadel- 
phia, and  as  she  has  been  for  more  than  three- 
fourths  of  that  time  employed  in  one  district,  as  it 
were,  it  speaks  well  for  her  as  a  popular  and  ac- 
complished educator. 

vz.  Sidney  Ann,  b.  Feb.  17,  1S38;  d.  March  11,  1853,  in 
Fulton  Township,  Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  and  was 
buried  by  the  side  of  her  grandfather,  James  Mc- 
Ginness,  in  the  Friends'  burying  ground  at  Penn 
Hill. 


No.  9. 

BENJAMIN  McGinn  ESS, -5  (James,  ^  Samuel,  ^ 
James, -John  Brian,  ^)b.  May  3,  1803,  in  Colerain  Town- 
ship,  Lancaster  County,  Pa. ;  d.   April  6,    1870,  in  San 


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84  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGENNIS.  i 

Bernardino,  California,  and  was  buried  in  the  old  Ceme- 
tery at  that  place.  It  has  since  been  destroyed  by  the 
march  of  improvement.  He  married,  first,  Miss  Sarah 
Johnston,  of  Colerain,  about  1826.     She  was  born  May 

,  1801;  d.   November ,  1849,  ^^  Council  Bluffs, 

Iowa,  and  was  buried  in  a  private  lot  which  lies  a  quar- 
ter of  a  mile  east  of  the  great  Union  Pacific  railroad 
station  at  that  place.  His  second  wife,  whom  he  mar- 
ried soon  after  the  death  of  his  first,  was  Mrs.  Mercy 
Ann  Mace.  She  was  a  native  of  Lancaster  County,  Pa., 
and  as  a  widow  had  emigrated  west  with  her  parents  in 
1843.  She  d.  at  San  Bernardino,  California,  April  17, 
1878. 

Benjamin  ]\IcGinness  was  brought  up  on  a  farm,  and 
was  an  industrious  and  hard  working  man.  He  received 
such  an  education  as  could  be  obtained  at  that  time  in 
the  schools  which  were  taught  on  the  subscription  plan. 
Soon  after  marriage  they  emigrated  to  Ohio,  taking 
their  eldest  son,  who  was  very  small,  with  them.  They 
stopped  a  short  time  with  relatives  on  their  way, 
when  they  proceeded  to  Zanesville.  Here  a  short  stop 
was  made  for  the  purpose  of  seeking  a  place  to  settle. 
They  did  not  like  the  country,  and  without  unloading 
their  goods,  soon  started  on  the  return  trip  to  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  they  arrived  about  1830.  After  looking 
about  for  a  short  time,  he  rented  a  large  farm  lying  in 
Bart  Township,  Lancaster  County,  from  Christian  Haus- 
er,  and  occupied  it.  The  land  was  thin  and  greatly  run 
down,  requiring  much  hard  work  to  make  it  productive. 
He  started  in  with  a  will,  however,  and  was  so  encour- 
aged that  in  1S38  he  purchased  the  farm  of  over  200  acres 
on  easy  terms. 

Soon  after  this,  certain  parties  projected  a  public  road 
to  run  from  the  mill  of  Slater  Brown,  in  Little  Britain 


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:„.,,ir    ITS   ORIGIN   AND    HISTORY.  85 

Township,  to  the  warehouse  of  William  Noble,  on  the 
railroad,  a  few  miles  below  what  is  now  Christiana.  Tlie 
survey  for  the  road  ran  diagonally  through  many  farms, 
badly  cutting  up  the  improved  fields,  and  greatly  annoy- 
ing the  owners.  The  road,  which  is  known  to  this  day 
as  the  "Noble  Road,"  seriously  damaged  the  farm  of 
McGinness.  He  took  an  active  part  in  opposition  to 
the  proposed  thoroughfare,  but  failed  to  stop  it  from 
being  run  diagonally  across  his  best  fields.  Brown,  who 
had  flour  to  deliver  to  Noble's  warehouse,  was  an  influ- 
ential man,  and  with  the  assistance  of  Noble  and  others, 
succeeded  in  baffling  all  opposition  to  his  pet  scheme, 
and  the  road  was  ordered  to  be  laid  out.  And  to  this  day 
persons  traveling  over  it,  notice  how  the  fields  on  many 
farms  are  disfigured.  It  swept  through  the  Swisher  and 
other  farms,  played  zigzag  at  "  Coulter's  Corners,"  and 
after  ruining  the  McGinness  farm,  came  out  at  what  is 
now  known  as  the  "Nine  Points."     •    .,.;    •.        ' 

The  adoption  of  this  so-called  improvement  was  the 
turning  point  in  the  life  of  Benjamin  McGinness.  Dis- 
heartened and  chagrined  at  the  triumph  of  the  party 
engaged  in  the  enterprise,  he  lost  all  ambition  to  make 
further  improvements,  and  finally  decided  to  sell  out 
and  leave  the  country.  This  he  did  by  piece  meal,  and 
in  May,  1843,  in  company  with  several  other  parties, 
started  with  their  families  in  wagons  overland,  for  Illi- 
nois. They  arrived  at  a  point  near  Nauvoo,  Hancock 
County,  July  23,  1843,  ^"^  halted  there  with  the  view  of 
purchasing  land.  Here,  in  a  short  time,  misfortune  over- 
took him  again,  by  his  falling  into  the  clutches  of  land 
sharks.  They  sold  him  land  for  which  they  could  give 
no  valid  title,  and  the  real  owners  appearing  in  a  short 
time,  took  steps  to  dispossess  him. 

The  majority  of  the  settlers  who  had  squatted  in  and 


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86  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGEXNIS.  • 

around  Nauvoo,  were  finally  driven  over  the  Missis- 
sippi by  a  mob,  and  they  took  up  their  weary  march 
across  the  prairies  of  Iowa  for  Council  Bluffs.  Here 
iMcGinness  and  his  family  arrived  in  due  time,  and  here 
they  remained  for  two  years.  Still  impressed  with  the 
idea  of  moving  westward  across  the  plains,  he  pushed 
on  to  Salt  Lake,  where  he  arrived  about  1S55.  A  short 
time  was  spent  in  this  new  settlement,  when  he  pushed 
on  to  Lower  California,  and  finally  brought  up  at  San 
Bernardino.  This  was  about  1S5S.  Here  they  found 
an  arid  country,  but  the  climate  was  all  that  could  be 
desired,  and  here  he  decided  to  settle. 

In  1867  he  started  on  a  visit  to  his  old  home  and 
friends  in  Pennsylvania.  He  traveled  overland  by  wag- 
on until  he  met  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  near  Chey- 
enne, when  he  was  enabled  to  move  more  swiftly.  He 
got  through  safely,  and  spent  the  fall  and  winter  among 
his  friends,  returning  home  in  the  early  spring  of  1S69. 
Being  broken  down  in  health  from  the  long  journey  and 
exposure  on  the  plains,  he  never  fully  recovered,  and 
died  in  April,  as  already  stated.  How  appropriate  the 
words : 

"  My  way  has  wnund  around  the  desert  years, 

Afid  cares  infest 
My  path,  and  through  the  flowing  of  hot  tears 
^  I  pine — forrest." 

He  had  children  by  his  first  wife  as  follows: 

11.  I.  John  Franklin,  b.  July  16,  1827;  m.  Martha  J.  King, 

of  Lycoming  County,  Pa.,  October  25,  1S49.     Re- 
sides at  Williamsport. 

ii.  Ann  Elizabeth,  b.  ,  1829;  d.  at  the  age  of  seven 

months  of  whooping  cough. 

12.  Hi.  Mar\'  Jane,  b.  January  11,  1831;  m.   George  Laub 

January  6,  1846;  d.  at  St.  George,  Utah,  Novem- 
ber 28,  1872. 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  87 

13.  iv.  Samuel,  b.  July  3,   1832;    m.   Martha  Ann    Coudit 

June  15,  1S57,  and  resides  at  San  Jose,  California. 

14.  V.  William  Har\'ey,  b.  April  21,  1834;  m.  Sarah  Nixon 

July  4,  1S61,  and  resides  at  Summerland,  Califor- 
nia. 

15.  vi.  Johnston,  b.  December  10,  1S36;  m.,  first,  Marj-  Ann 

Adare,  in  Beaver  County,  Utah,  July  12,  1S67, 
who  d.  August  12,  1S70;  m.,  second,  Melissa  J. 
Cafiferty  September  13,  1S78,  of  Pottawattamie 
County,  Iowa.     Resides  at  Missouri  Valley,  Iowa. 

16.  vii.  Joseph  B.,  b.  April  21,    1S38;    m.   Mary  J.   Debolt 

June  22,  1858.     Resides  at  Weston,  Iowa. 

17.  via.  Benjamin,  b.  October  13,  1S40;  m.  Hannah  Braden 

September  7,  rS6i.  He  d.  December  9,  iSSS,  of 
cancer  on  the  lip.  The  widow  and  children  reside 
on  the  homestead  farm  in  Hazel  Dell  Township, 
Pottawattamie  County,  Iowa. 

ix.  Sarah  Elizabeth,   b.   ,    1842;  d.   ,    1848,   at 

Council  Bluffs. 

X.  Lorenzo  Snow,  b.  ,  1844;  d.  aged  six  months. 

xi.  Margaret  Ann,  b.  ,  1846;  d.  aged  one  year. 

By  the  second  marriage  he  had  the  following  chil- 
dren: 

i.  Ann  Elizabeth,  b.  January-  31,    1849;  m. 

Smith  December  24,  1868.     He  is  deceased. 

Mrs.  Smith  lives  at  Santa  Ana,  Orange  Count}', 

California.     She  has  five  children. 
a.  James  Madison,  b.   April  6,    1851.     He  married  in 

San  Bernardino  July  1S74,  and  is  supposed  to  be 

living  in  Oregon  or  Washington. 
tit.  Cornelius  Voorish,  b..  March  4,   1853,  and  lives  at 

San  Bernardino.     Unmarried. 
IV.  Rachel  Julia,  b.  February'  4,  1855,  at  Salt  Lake;  m., 

first, Kelley  December  2,  1869.     He  died  at 


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88  THE    FAMILY  OF    MAGENNIS.  •        "^►^ 

West  Barnet,    Vermont.     Married,   second,   

Sebastian,  at  Los  Angeles,  May  9,  1S8S.  Had 
five  children,  three  by  the  first,  and  two  by  the 
second  marriage.  Resides  at  Ferris,  San  Diego 
County,  California. 

V.  Harrietta  Amanda,  b.  ,  1857;  d.  in  infancy. 

vi.  I>wis  Marion,  b.  August  16,  1S59;  d.  Januar}-   12, 
18S7,  at  San  Bernardino.     Unmarried. 

vii.  Mary  Emeline,  b.  November  20,  i860;  m. Baum 

at  lyOS  Angeles. 

viji.  Louisa,  b.  ,  1862;  d.  in  infancy. 


No.  10. 

GEORGE  SHED  McGINNESS,^  (James,-*  Sam- 
uel,^ James,  -  John  Brian, ^)b.  April  18,  1S06;  m.  Eliza 
McGiuness,  his  first  cousin,  October  16,  1830;  d.  Jan- 
uary 25,  1854.  His  wife  died  April  4,  1874,  aged  72 
years.  Both  are  buried  in  the  upper  cemetery  at  ^lil- 
ton,  Northumberland  County,  Pa. 

George  S.  McGinness*  was  born  in  Colerain,  Lancas- 
ter County,  Pa.,  and  was  the  sixth  and  youngest  child 
of  James  McGinness,  Esq.,  and  Ann  Fordham,  whose 
sketch  is  No.  i  in  this  pedigree.  He  was  brought  up  to 
agricultural  pursuits  in  his  native  county.  When  quite 
a  young  man,  he  made  a  visit  to  his  uncle,  John  McGin- 
ness, a  younger  brother  of  ■  .is  father,  who  lived  in  White 
Deer  Valley,  Union  County,  Pa.,  and  carried  on  farming 
on  an  extensive  scale.  He  became  a  member  of  the 
family  of  his  uncle,  and  in  course  of  time  married   his 


*  John  Fordham  and  Eliseba  Shed,  according  to  the  rej.d.ster  of  the 
Swedes  Church,  Philadelphia,  were  married  February  27, 1758.  Their 
daughter,  Ann  Fordham,  wa.s  the  mother  of  George  S.  McGinness, 
and  hirf  middle  name  was  given  to  him  in  honor  of  his  grandmother, 
Eliseba  Shed. 


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ITS  ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  (.S^  •       89 

eldest  daughter,  Eliza,  who  was  his  first  cousin.  The 
union  was  a  happy  one.  When  the  father  sold  his  farm 
in  Union  County,  and  purchased  a  large  tract  of  rich 
limestone  laud  in  what  was  then  Columbia  County,  Pa., 
(now  Montour)  the  young  couple  went  with  him.  A 
farm  was  set  aside  for  the  daughter  in  her  own  right, 
and  there  they  lived  and  died. 

The  death  of  George  S.  McGinness  was  peculiarly 
sad.  In  the  winter  of  1854,  as  was  his  custom,  he  made 
a  visit  to  his  relatives  in  Colerain,  the  place  of  his  nativ- 
ity, and  in  due  time  he  started  for  home.  The  railroad 
was  not  running  at  that  time  above  Harrisburg,  and  he 
traveled  by  stage  coach.  Everything  went  well  until 
the  evening  of  the  24th  of  January.  At  that  time  they 
reached  a  wayside  inn  on  the  public  road  a  few  hundred 
yards  north  of  the  mouth  of  Chillisquaque  Creek,  North- 
umberland County,  Pa.  The  night  was  frosty  and  cold. 
When  the  driver  of  the  stage  reached  the  inn  he  stopped 
and,  leaving  his  horses  untied,  went  inside.  He  had 
been  gone  but  a  few  minutes  when  the  team  took  fright 
and  ran  rapidly  up  the  road.  George  S.  McGinness,  his 
nephew,  George  ]\I.  Keylor,  and  a  stranger,  were  the 
only  passengers  in  the  coach. .  Finding  that  the  horses 
were  on  a  full  run,  and  being  of  a  nervous,  excitable 
temperament,  McGinness  opened  the  coach  door  in  the 
side  and  jumped  out.  He  was  thrown  violently,  strik- 
ing the  back  of  his  head  on  the  frozen  ground,  which 
caused  concussion  of  the  brain.  He  was  picked  up  in- 
sensible and  carried  into  the  hotel,  where  he  laid  in  that 
condition  for  sixteen  hours,  when  he  died  on  the  after- 
noon of  the  25th  of  January,  1854.  His  nephew  jumped 
out,  but  sustained  no  injury.  He  was  followed  by  the 
stranger,  who  was  slightly  injured.  The  team  ran  but 
a  short  distance,  when  they  came  to  a  standstill.     Had 


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QO  THE    FAMILY  OF   MAGENNIS.  ■/' 

the  passengers  remained  quietly  in  their  seats,  no  bad 
effects  would  have  resulted.  A  prominent  physician 
was  called  as  soon  as  possible,  but  finding  the  injured 
man  in  a  paralyzed  and  insensible  condition,  he  saw  at 
once  that  death  was  inevitable.  His  nephew  remained 
by  his  side  until  death  came  to  his  relief,  when  he  ac- 
companied the  body  home.  In  the  meantime  the  sad 
news  had  preceded  them,  and  the  family,  which  was 
overwhelmed  with  grief,  was  som.ewhat  prepared  to  re- 
ceive them.  His  widow  survived  him  twenty  years. 
They  had  issue: 

"  i.  Mar>^  Nesbit,  b.  May  lo,  1832;  d.  February  11,  1S90. 
Unm. 
ii.  Ann  E.,  b.  August  27,  1834;  d.  May  17,  1874.  She 
m.  George  M.  Keylor  March  27,  1856.  He  was 
her  full  cousin — her  father  and  Keylor' s  mother 
being  brother  and  sister — and  was  with  her  father 
when  he  was  killed  by  jumping  out  of  the  runa- 
way stage  coach.  When  she  died  at  her  home  in 
Lancaster  county,  Pa.,  her  remains  were  brought 
back  and  laid  in  the  family  lot,  in  the  cemetery,  at 
Milton.  She  left  one  son,  named  Henr>^  James 
Keylor,  b.  March  12,  1857. 
m.  James  Dougal,  b.  November  30,  1836;  d.  November 
19,  1888.  He  married  Miss  Caroline  Oaks  Decem- 
ber 22,  1859.  She  is  descended  from  an  old  and 
prominent  family  of  Northumberland  County,  her 
father.  Judge  Oaks,  being  a  representative  man 
during  his  lifetime.  General  Oaks,  of  the  United 
States  army,  is  an  elder  brother.  She  sur\'ives 
her  husband.     They  had  issue: 

I.  Ada  Gertrude,  b.  September  22,  i860;  m. 
Samuel  D.  Artman,  and  they  reside  in 
Milton,  Pa.  They  have  two  children: 
Homer  McKnight  and  Grace. 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY. 


91 


2. 


Harn'  Hamlin,  b.  December  14,  1S61;  ra. 
Maggie  Cora  HofFa  February  24,  18S5. 
She  was  b.  December  31,  1866.  They 
have  had  issue: 

I.  Carrie  Oaks,  b.  April  19;  d.  Feb- 
ruary 14,  1889.  2.  Samuel  Hoffa,  b. 
April  25,  1888.  3.  James  Louis,  b. 
December  31,  1890. 

Anna  Bell,  b.  December  12,  1863;  m.  Ed- 
ward Zellers,  and  they  reside  in  Lewis- 
burg,  Pa.  They  have  two  sons,  Harr}' 
and  James;  the  latter  was  b.  January  10, 
1886. 

George  S.,  b.  February-  23,  1865.  Is  a  tel- 
egraph operator  in  the  service  of  the  Phil- 
adelphia and  Reading  Railroad  at  Tama- 
qua. 

Samuel  Oaks,  b.  July  12,  1867. 

Ella  Mar}',  b.  February  18,  1872.  '• 

Charles  Dougal,  b.  October  10,  1S76. 

Eliza  Caroline,  b.  November  19,  187S. 

Florence  Celeste,  b.  ,  1880;  died  Au- 
gust,   ,  1882,  aged  one  year  and  nine 

months. 


No.  11. 


JOHN  FRANKLIN  MEGINNESS,'^  (Benjamin,  ^ 
James,-*  Sarauel,^  James,  -  John  Brian,  i)  b.  July  16, 1S27, 
in  Colerain,  Lancaster  County,  Pa.  [Here  it  will  be  no- 
ticed the  spelling  of  this  name  has  been  anglicised  in 
another  form]. 

He  received  his  education  in  the  common  schools  of 
the  time,  and  among  his  last  teachers  he  is  proud  to  ac- 


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92  THE   FAMILY   OF    MAGENNIS.  ,, 

knowledge  Mr.  J.  M.  W.  Geist,  the  veteran  editor  of  the 
Lancaster  A^ew  Era^  as  one  of  the  best,  and  from  whom 
he  derived  information  which  proved  of  great  advantage 
to  him  in  after  life.        ,.; ;  ..i  ■;  ..-^s  -  -^ti  ,  .  ■  ,'  'j   •    ;;  ; 

When  a  ver>'  small  boy,  his  father  and  mother  emi- 
grated to  Ohio  and  tarried  for  a  short  time  at  Zanesville, 
but  not  being  favorably  impressed  with  the  country, 
they 'returned  to  Pennsylvania  without  having  unloaded 
their  goods  from  the  light  wagon  in  which  they  traveled. 
About  1832  his  father  settled  on  a  farm  in  Bart  Town- 
ship, Lancaster  County,  which  he  soon  afterwards  pur- 
chased. He  worked  hard,  and  was  getting  along  finelv 
until  about  1841,  when  a  public  road  was  projected 
through  his  farm,  [for  a  fuller  account  of  the  trouble 
which  arose,  see  sketch  of  Benjamin  McGinness],  which 
caused  him  to  become  greatly  disheartened,  and  he  sold 
out  for  the  purpose  of  going  west  again.  Accordingly, 
in  May,  1843,  ^^  started  with  his  family  for  Illinois  in 
a  wagon  and  carriage,  in  company  with  several  other 
families.  They  traveled  overland,  passing  through  Co- 
lumbia, Gettysburg,  Bedford,  Brownsville,  Washington 
and  Wheeling,  where  they  crossed  the  Ohio  river.  The 
National  Road  was  then  followed  to  Columbus  and  In- 
dianapolis, when  they  diverged  from  the  western  route 
and  bore  away  for  Hancock  County,  Illinois,  where  they 
arrived  the  23d  of  July,  1843.  All  was  bustle  and  ex- 
citement in  the  new  settlement  at  that  time.  Specu- 
lators were  busilv  engaged  in  selling  land  to  the  new- 
comers,  and  many  were  led  into  purchasing  land  for 
which  bad  titles  were  given.  McGinness  was  one  of  the 
emigrants  thus  deceived. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  then  about  sixteen  years 
of  age,  not  liking  the  appearance  of  things  in  the  new 
settlement,  resolved  to  leave  and  make  his  way  back  to 


se 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND    HISTORY.  93 

his  native  place.  He  told  his  mother  of  his  intention, 
and  bidding  her  adieu  one  afternoon  in  October,  1843, 
started  out  to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  world.  He  never 
saw  her  again!  The  parting  was  a  sad  one;  and  the  only 
pang  of  regret  he  ever  experienced  was  leaving  that 
sainted  mother,  who  was  destined  to  die,  through  neg- 
lect and  suffering,  seven  years  later,  at  Council  Bjuffs, 
and  be  buried  in  a  lonely  grave,  which  has  long  since 
been  obliterated. 

"  Sleep  sweetly;  tender  heart,  in  peace  1 
Sleep,  holy  spirit,  blessed  soul,  ' '      "         ' 

While  the  stars  burn,  the  moons  increase. 
And  the  great  ages  onward  roll." 

Taking  a  steamboat  at  Warsaw,  Illinois,  the  young 
adventurer  made  his  way  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  spent  a 
few  days.  He  then  secured  light  employment  on  another 
boat  and  made  a  voyage  to  New  Orleans,  where  he  re- 
mained a  short  time.  This  journey  was  full  of  novelty, 
and  all  the  points  of  interest  at  that  early  day  on  the 
great  river  attracted  his  attention.  There  was  no  other 
means  of  traveling,  and  hundreds  of  passengers  were 
passing  up  and  down  all  the  time.  Many  of  the  boats 
were  large  and  fine,  and  did  a  heavy  business.  After 
making  two  or  three  trips  up  and  down  the  river,  he 
abandoned  it  at  Cairo,  and  made  his  way  to  Cincinnati, 
where  he  followed  the  White  Water  Canal,  then  partly 
finished,  to  a  point  in  Wayne  County,  Indiana,  where  he 
met  an  uncle  and  remained  with  him  over  winter.  Early 
in  the  spring  of  1844  he  returned  to  Cincinnati,  where 
he  embarked  on  a  steamboat  for  Wheeling.  Leaving 
the  boat  at  this  place,  he  followed  the  turnpike  on  foot, 
crossed  the  Allegheny  mountains  and  landed  at  Cham- 
bersburg,  footsore,  weary  and  almost  out  of  money. 
The  Cumberland  Valley  railroad  at  this  time  had  been 


■..    .  ,;.■"'  cLiul  ■'■.j'\lv-  ,"/(/-;:;    ■[''-■'■'■  '^   ''"   ^''^ii'i'-'   'y'  i^nc 

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94  ,    THE, FAMILY   OF    MAGENNIS.  )i 

opened  through  to  Harrisburg.  Taking  the  cars,  the 
youthful  traveler  met  a  friend  in  Conductor  Hamilton, 
who,  after  asking  him  soifte  questions,  said:  "I  knew 
your  father;  I  will  not  charge  you  any  fare,  but  accept 
a  half  dollar  to  help  you  along  to  the  home  of  your 
friends!"  The  kind  act  of  Mr.  Hamilton  has  always 
lingered  fresh  in  the  memory  of  the  recipient,  although 
forty-seven  winters  have  come  and  gone. 

In  a  few  days  he  found  himself  among  his  relatives, 
and  was  kindly  received  by  them.  A  new  condition  now 
presented  itself,  and  he  prepared  to  meet  it.  The  winter 
of  1845,  therefore,  was  spent  in  school,  and  by  industry, 
perseverance  and  a  determination  to  succeed,  he  made 
commendable  progress  in  his  studies.  On  returning  from 
school  the  subsequent  spring,  he  resolved  to  visit  rela- 
tives in  Northumberland  County,  where  he  arrived  in 
due  time.  There  were  no  railroads  up  the  river  at  that 
time,  and  traveling  had  to  be  made  by  stage  and  canal 
packet 

After  a  short  visit  with  his  friends,  he  took  up  his 
residence  in  Danville,  Pa.,  and  in  a  short  time  found  em- 
ployment as  a  laborer  in  the  Montour  Iron  Works,  which 
had  been  just  started  on  an  extensive  scale  for  that  time. 

The  war  with  Mexico  having  broken  out,  there  was 
a  great  excitement  in  the  country,  and  military  enthusi- 
asm ran  high.  Like  many  other  young  men,  he  became 
impressed  with  the  idea  of  entering  the  military  service. 
The  volunteer  ranks  being  full,  he  enlisted  at  Danville 
April  9th,  1847,  "to  serve  during  the  war"  in  the  regu- 
lar army.  This  enlistment  was  made  under  the  provis- 
ions of  what  was  known  as  the  "ten  regiment  bill." 
Congress  had  just  passed  a  law  authorizing  the  raising 
of  ten  regiments  to  serve  during  the  war.  Captain  Ran- 
dolph B.  ^Nlarcy,  then  commanding  Company  D,  Fifth 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  95 

U.  S.  Infantry,  was  detailed  on  recruiting  service,  and 
stationed  at  Harrisburg,  Pa.  From  this  point  he  sent 
recruiting  officers  to  different  towns  up  and  down  the 
river. 

After  spending  a  few  days  at  Danville  with  x\lfred  F. 
Carroll,  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  station,  Meginness 
was  placed  on  board  the  canal  packet  and  ordered  to  pro- 
ceed to  Harrisburg  and  report  to  Captain  Marcy.  He 
did  as  directed.  Captain  Alarcy,  who  was  a  tall,  mili- 
tary looking  man,  exceedingly  polite  and  genial,  received 
him  kindly  as  a  recruit.  Being  in  need  of  a  clerk,  and 
noticing  that  ^leginness  was  a  good  penman,  the  Cap- 
tain detailed  him  to  remain  in  his  office  for  that  pur- 
pose. The  position  was  a  very  pleasant  one,  although 
the  pay  was  only  eight  dollars  a  month,  with  clothing 
and  rations.  The  children  of  Captain  Marcy  frequently 
visited  the  office,  and  the  young  clerk  soon  became 
greatly  attached  to  them.  One  of  them,  a  bright  little 
girl,  with  fine  curling  ringlets,  afterwards  became  the 
wife  of  Gen.  George  B.  2vIcClellaud. 

In  a  few  weeks  Captain  Marcy  received  orders  to  break 
up  the  recruiting  station  and  repair  to  New  York  for  the 
purpose  of  sailing  for  Mexico  to  rejoin  his  regiment. 
The  order  was  promptly  obeyed,  and  on  the  15th  of 
June,  1847,  the  members  of  the  station,  including  the 
clerk,  were  landed  on  Governor's  Island,  New  York 
harbor,  and  soon  afterwards  drafted  into  Company  D, 
Fifth  U.  S.  Infantry,  which  had  been  greatly  reduced 
by  field  service  in  Mexico.  The  company  was  at  once 
organized,  and  was  momentarily  expected  to  go  on  board 
ship,  when  one  day,  much  to  the  surprise  of  the  young 
men  who  had  been  with  him  at  Harrisburg,  the  Captain 
came  over  to  the  Island,  and  sending  for  four  of  the 
young  recruits,  said   to  them:  "  Boys,  I  am  not  going  to 


l.»-f^od  f:ii  c;.;  ;^i  1.h*':.,'\/  •    ' ' ■  :y:t:--{-^_,r:  .'/.>/  bar;  ,;,'v^fnt:;§lD 


96  •        THE    FAMILY  OF    MAGENNIS. 

Mexico  with  you,  as  I  expected.  iNTy  orders  have  been 
countermanded,  and  I  am  going  back  on  recruiting  ser- 
vice. If  you  would  like  to  remain  with  me,  I  will  have 
you  detailed.  If  you  prefer  to  go  to  Mexico  and  join 
the  regiment,  it  is  all  right.  Make  your  choice!"  The 
boys  "held  a  council  of  war,"  when  they  decided  to  go 
out  and  fight  the  enemy,  and  so  reported  to  the  Captain, 
who  warmly  bade  them  good  bye,  and  wishing  them 
good  luck  in  the  role  of  soldiers,  returned  to  the  city. 

Three  companies,  (D  of  the  Fifth,  and  H  and  K  of 
the  Fourth  Infantry,)  were  taken  aboard  the  ship  Vir- 
ginian on  the  19th  of  June,  1847,  which  immediately 
sailed  for  V^era  Cruz,  Mexico.  There  were  about  270 
soldiers,  and  they  were  as  comfortably  provided  for  as 
could  be  expected  on  a  transport. 

Lieut.  Ridgely  had  charge  of  Company  D.  The  voy- 
age was  uneventful.  After  being  at  sea  a  few  days  Lieut. 
Ridgely  sent  for  Meginness,  and  producing  a  letter  from 
Capt.  Marcy,  said:  "He  recommends  you-  highly  as  a 
clerk,  and  as  I  am  in  need  of  one  to  open  the  company 
books,  you  will  go  to  work  at  once  and  write  them  up. 
Yon  can  have  an  oflfice  in  the  cabin  near  my  room." 

The  surprise  of  the  recruit  was  great,  but  as  the  ap- 
pointment carried  with  it  greater  privileges  than  those 
usually  enjoyed  by  the  common  soldier,  he  quickly  ac- 
cepted, and  to  the  close  of  the  war  filled  the  position, 
and  by  virtue  of  his  appointment  was  often  excused  from 
hard  military  service. 

Thirty  years  afterwards  he  called  on  General  Marcy, 
then  Inspector  General  of  the  U.  S.  Army,  stationed 
at  the  War  Department,  Washington  City,,  and  thanked 
him  warmly  for  the  kind  act.  The  General  was  then  very 
gray  and  quite  deaf,  but  the  mention  of  the  circumstance 
revived  his  memory,  and  he  was  delighted  to  meet  his 


M 


■;--  /!   ..:..■   ^;    h:ry.    .rlMf"!     ;-!•    ,..   ■  :  ,    ■  ■^\: ..' ^nvy.,    loi/iT 

.^:^'..  ■:;!■.!    .i:. '^-^T    -ill  "    rb-ae 

.  ; .■  .  •  .^  ;    ;:;•; /■  u.  .-.  o'f/  <.:'  '  ' 

■   -;p  _..  ..,.-     .    .  ,  '    -'■■ 

xifv./ii  r>-j;vri:jz-ji  ii-i?f)o  ?.i>v/  In'^nitnioqqK  am  /•.-  -^imiv  v<i  one 

--'f 


nvj  ^dH  to  :r  .;rri;;;fi;  5/;  "  J;;0  /ii^-j!'  jjjiu; 


w;;  j.>t:'ii;  oJ  b^Jrl v^iiab  ;iiij(?' 5rl  hjijB 


ITS   ORIGIN    AND    HISTORY.  97 

old  clerk.  "Why,"  said  the  veteran,  "I  had  entirely  lost 
track  of  you,  but  I  succeeded  in  getting  positions  in  the 
army  for  several  of  the  other  boys.  I  am  delighted  to 
meet  you."  An  hour  was  then  pleasantly  spent  with  the 
General,  who  recounted  his  services  on  the  plains  fight- 
ing the  Indians  and  making  surveys,  long  before  the 
breaking  out  of  the  rebellion.  On  taking  his  leave  the 
General  pressed  him  to  call  again  and  talk  over  old  times; 
but  the  opportunity  never  came,  and  that  was  the  first 
and  last  visit  to  the  father-in-law  of  the  once  popular 
commander  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

The  good  ship  Virginian,  bearing  the  enthusiastic 
young  soldiers,  sailed  into  the  harbor  of  Vera  Cruz  on 
the  morning  of  July  20,  1847,  ^^^  on  the  21st  they  dis- 
embarked and  went  into  camp  on  the  sandy  beach  a 
short  distance  north  of  the  city.  More  vessels  soon  ar- 
rived wath  recruits,  and  when  they  were  landed  the  en- 
campment was  found  to  consist  of  about  1000  men. 

Major  Lally,  a  volunteer  officer  from  Maine,  was  given 
command  of  the  detachment,  and  on  the  afternoon  of  the 
6th  of  August,  1847,  ^^^  march  inland  w^as  commenced, 
but  owing  to  the  depth  of  the  sand  only  a  few  miles  were 
made,  when  a  stop  for  the  night  was  ordered. 

It  was  desirable  to  push  re-enforcements  through  to 
General  Scott,  who  was  then  preparing  to  make  his  de- 
scent into  the  Valley  of  Mexico.  Major  Lally's  com- 
mand consisted  of  about  one  thousand  men.  The  road 
was  infested  by  clouds  of  guerillas,  who  had  fallen  back 
in  rear  of  Scott's  army  for  the  purpose  of  harassing 
whatever  re-enforcements  might  be  on  the  march,  and  to 
capture  supply  trains  if  possible.  Lally's  command  had 
only  been  out  two  days  when  guerrillas  attacked  it  on 
the  flank,  and  were  constantly  hovering  in  the  front  and 
rear.     The  first  fight  of  any  consequence  occurred  at  the 


M 


•/.HOT •■;)>;  av.j. 

o: 


/.^■;:i    vn;    <;iiw  ,_>;!, .:..j    i^\>yj[; 

f-.    i':,i.::;d    /Iui»    'irfj    .'TO  qffi/rj   o)r'i    J.. 


f^ 


bt^i'sino  -^/iv/  3n3>;a  snj  loi 


98  THE    FAMILY  OF   MAGENNIS. 

National  Bridge  on  the  12th  of  August.  The  bridge 
was  obstructed  and  the  heights  were  covered  with  armed 
men.  The  battle  lasted  several  hours,  and  a  number  of 
men  were  killed  and  wounded,  when  the  bridge  was  car- 
ried, and  the  enemy  fled.  The  next  morning  eight  or 
nine  wagons  were  burned  to  prevent  them  from  falling 
into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  and  the  march  towards  the 
old  battle  ground  of  Cerro  Gordo  was  resumed.  Here 
the  guerrillas  had  made  a  stand  and  stubbornly  disputed 
the  passage  of  Lally.  A  brisk  engagement  followed  on 
Sunday,  August  i6th,  but  when  three  companies  were 
deployed  to  gain  the  rear,  the  Mexicans  fled.  Company 
D  was  in  this  charging  party,  which  dashed  over  the  old 
breast  works  that  had  been  thrown  up  by  Santa  Anna. 
In  this  charge  several  men  were  killed.  Meginness  nar- 
rowly escaped,  a  Mexican  musket  ball  passing  between 
his  right  arm  and  body. 

The  command  continued  to  hold  the  battle  field  of 
Cerro  Gordo  until  the  morning  of  the  19th.  This  was 
done  for  the  purpose  of  enabling  the  wagon  trains  to  pass 
the  defiles  in  safety  and  proceed  to  the  front  in  the  open 
plain,  where  they  could  not  be  molested  by  the  enemy. 
When  the  infantry  moved,  they  only  proceeded  about 
seven  miles,  when  a  halt  was  ordered  at  one  of  Santa 
Anna's  country  residences,  called  Encerro.  It  was  a  very 
pretty  place,  and  that  night  (  August  19th )  Meginness 
and  two  or  three  comrades  had  the  honor  of  sleeping  in 
the  house  of  Santa  Anna.  They  wrapped  their  army 
blankets  around  them,  and  using  their  knapsacks  for  pil- 
lows, reposed  on  the  brick  floor  of  the  mansion.  All  the 
furniture  had  been  removed,  of  course,  and  this  was  the 
best  that  could  be  done,  but  the  honor  of  resting  there 
over  night  more  than  compensated  for  the  discomfort. 

On  the  morning  of  the  20th  the  march  on  Jalapa 
was  resumed.     Owing  to  the  heat  and  labor  of  march- 


'.■^  '-->riT      .J<';;;^uA   V>  rfjii   :vpj    ;io  r-i'^^brAi 


'  1  '''■-•■ 

■     ■ :  :     :   -.r  i 

.    f:'  'if  ['fro  :n  Ti 


[!-,no  f^flj  n:  Of  i  .'r). '-'^i  ririB  -Jl^yla-  ur 


Ktni.cl  io  3no  ii;,  ^t»t;Fn;.>  <^r;;.'  •;i.:r:   i;   ri^nw  ,£:jli£n  il5V»R 


(^   riV>   do  Ik  III   9f{j 


ITS   ORIGIN    AND   HISTORY.  99 

ing,  and  the  vigilance  required  to  guard  against  attacks, 
many  men  became  ill.  Near  the  gates  of  Jalapa  another 
attack  was  made  on  the  command,  and  brisk  firing  was 
kept  up  for  an  hour  or  two.  Here  Alaj.  Lally  received 
a  slight  wound  in  the  neck,  and  the  command  devolved 
on  Capt.  E.  R.  S.  Canby,  who  was  going  up  to  rejoin  his 
company  with  Scott.  This  was  the  same  Canby  who, 
years  afterwards,  was  treacherously  killed  by  the  Modocs 
in  the  lava  beds.  The  wounding  of  Lally  caused  a  de- 
tention, and  it  was  after  dark  when  the  detachment 
reached  the  gates  of  the  city.  Owing  to  the  darkness, 
and  the  uncertainty  of  the  strength  of  the  enemy,  it  was 
deemed  best  not  to  attempt  an  entrance  into  the  city 
until  next  morning,  and  the  men  were  ordered  to  lie 
upon  their  arms.  A  great  noise,  accompanied  by  the 
ringing  of  church  bells,  was  kept  up  all  night,  and  an 
attack  was  momentarily  expected.  When  day  dawned 
everybody  breathed  more  freely.  A  deputation  of  citizens, 
headed  by  the  Alcalde,  came  out  and  invited  Captain 
Canby  to  enter  the  city,  stating  that  the  mob  of  guerril- 
las which  held  the  place  during  the  night  had  fled.  The 
troops  at  once  marched  in,  and  were  assigned  to  quarters. 
This  was  on  the  morning  of  August  21,  1847.  ^"^^  ^^^ 
stock  of  provisions  had  grown  low  on  account  of  the  de- 
tention on  the  way,  and  sickness  was  rapidly  increasing, 
less  than  one  half  of  the  command  was  fit  for  duty.  It 
became  necessary,  therefore,  for  the  detachment  to  re- 
main here  to  recruit. 

Here  ]Meginness  became  very  ill,  and  for  several  days 
his  life  was.  despaired  of,  but  owing  to  the  careful  atten- 
tion of  the  doctor  he  recovered. 

While  detained  here,  the  city  of  Mexico  was  captured 
by  Scott,  and  the  detachment  was  prevented  from  par- 
ticipating in  the  closing  glories  of  the  campaign. 


'■•'v/;f>-)vT   \  :IhJ.   .!/..:•■;    i:-;:.';'      .•'.'••  ir.  itit^fj    jij.  ■(■:';  <•;/  jqa:^! 

:  v..  ■— •^-^:...ov/  -s^rr    

/.)tO   3fl7    oJiri    t-:: !■•',::  ^;i:v   c.-,  ji;.r-'Jji:    <,>:    :■■, i; 

■.:,:.  •:. ■  .    'no   jn^r  .       .  . ., 

-inn-Mr^/   10  ''.-JI  -z.u^  t;.[i?  ;H'i:;..:.^  ,(^;v  j:[i   r-.'t'-j  .;;   /duiiD 
-  ■'  '    .  '  _    '    ■ji'il  ^>r' ;■;')!;  tny.' 

■    '     .-■         '"       ;    .ii    '-)  '  •   ■     io  ^^'i;:! :'■;/!  j-T'    '*'■■ 


^')^  oJ  Jfrjrnrf:5i->Job  :3;L    io"i   .3-!oV3-:-jriJ  ,vi/j««903r 


Jvji'jvou^T  ^<il  igj'jof^  ;u!)  IC 


lOO  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGEXNIS.  ,, 

On  the  ist  of  October,  after  a  month's  rest,  and  being 
joined  by  more  re-enforcements,  which  swelled  the 
strength  of  the  detachment  to  nearly  three  thousand 
men,  the  march  was  again  commenced.  General  Joseph 
Lane,  of  Indiana,  was  in  command,  and  Captain  Walker, 
the  famous  Texan  cavalry  officer,  led  the  advance.  As 
a  portion  of  Santa  Anna's  army  had  fallen  back  after  the 
loss  of  the  city,  the  greatest  vigilance  was  required  to 
guard  against  being  met  and  crushed  by  a  superior  force. 
The  famous  castle  of  Perote  was  passed  in  safety  on  the 
5th,  when  it  was  learned  that  a  large  body  of  Mexican 
troops  was  stationed  some  distance  to  the  right  of  the 
pretty  little  town  of  Huamantla,  for  the  purpose  of  try- 
ing to  cut  off"  General  Lane's  wagon  train  in  the  pass  of 
La  Hoya.  It  became  necessary  to  dislodge  them,  and  a 
strong  force  was  marched  out  to  make  the  attack.  The 
troops,  supported  by  a  battery,  with  Walker's  Rangers 
in  advance,  marched  across  the  plain  in  splendid  style 
and  approached  the  town.  The  enemy  made  a  vig- 
orous defense,  while  re-enforcements  were  hurried  up 
from  La  Hoya,  where  they  had  been  lying  in  wait,  but 
Walker  made  a  dash  and  entered  the  town  first.  Being 
so  far  in  advance,  the  infantry  could  not  support  him, 
and  in  the  charge  he  lost  his  life,  but  the  victory  was 
gained.  The  town  was  given  over  to  pillage  out  of  re- 
venge for  the  loss  of  the  dashing  Texan,  and  night  set 
in  before  the  return  march  to  the  camp  commenced. 

Walker's  body  was  secured,  placed  in  a  fine  Mexican 
carriage,  which  was  confiscated  for  the  purpose,  and  an 
escort  of  cavalry,  under  command  of  Lieut.  Ridgely, 
detailed  for  the  purpose  of  conveying  it  back  to  the  camp 
which  had  been  left  in  the  morning.  As  nearly  all  the 
soldiers  had  filled  their  canteens  with  ^Mexican  aguadi- 
ente,andhad  taken  frequent  draughts  therefrom,  they  soon 


.1!    r-a:   ,i-;:,Mi:i'   ;  j'tr}!:-:,  i;; 


■n:   )■?  ■    --f!^   :^;\   .l'-: 

'■        ■•      ■  '    'i:  .'jf.  /'   .       ,    .._ 

•ti'V       ,;<orj:i.  ^i^     ;.:r;;;  <tj    Lir'  f-''j;;o"T;;.;r  rijrr  'j 


1<7il  nv/'.'^;  oii."   Iv:v;  j;!-:!!  hnr>  rl^i-b  1. 


iiic 


'ly^.h\S{     in'^tvl   ';o  i>,-u::uj;tu..    lohnjj 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND    HISTORY.  lOI 

became  very  hilarious,  and  about  every  other  soldier  iui- 
aeiued  himself  an  officer  of  hicrh  rank.  The  noise  be- 
came  terrific.  Many  soldiers  had  loaded  themselves  with 
bundles  of  Mexican  sky  rockets,  captured  at  the  shops, 
and  as  they  became  exhilarated  on  account  of  frequent 
"pulls"  at  their  canteens,  they  began  firing  off  sky 
rockets,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  pyrotechnical  display, 
on  account  of  the  darkness  which  prevailed,  was  brilliant 
in  the  extreme.  General  Lane  occasionally  rode  along 
the  demoralized  line  and  gently  ordered  silence,  but  his 
command  was  generally  answered  by  a  loud  "Hurrah 
for  fighting  Joe  Lane  !  " 

In  the  meantime  Lieut.  Ridgely,  who  had  become 
infected  by  the  enthusiasm  which  prevailed,  dashed  up 
and  down  the  line  yelling  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  "Make 
way  for  the  escort  !  " 

As  men  were  dropping  out  of  the  ranks  all  the  time, 
unable  longer  to  march,  and  as  the  darkness  was  intense 
and  all  discipline  lost,  the  commanding  general  gave  or- 
ders to  bivouac  on  the  plain  for  the  night.  Every  man 
dropped  down  and  made  himself  as  comfortable  as  pos- 
sible, while  pickets  were  thrown  out  to  watch  the  move- 
ments of  the  enemy.  But  owing  to  the  pandemonium 
of  noises  which  prevailed,  it  was  afterwards  learned  that 
the  Mexicans  took  themselves  as  far  away  as  possible 
from  General  Lane's  command,  and  had  no  thought  ot 
attacking  it.  In  the  morning  the  soldiers  were  less 
noisy,  and  quietly  resumed  the  march  for  the  camp  they 
had  left  the  day  before.  A  number  of  stragglers,  how- 
ever, did  not  rejoin  their  commands  for  nearly  a  week 
afterwards,  having  been  compelled  to  keep  under  cover 
a  portion  of  the  time  to  avoid  scouting  parties  of  the 
enemy. 

On  the  i2th  of  October,  1847,  General  Lane  entered 


r,:':  T-'r:-'.'  ■-   :  ^!  i.>  v  '•■>■' ^j  '■i:■^■l,:  W-:;';  ,;-;iri  ;  :s:i]i\    /  .  /  ' 

■'    •   v^-'l;   J.K    ;•:/•;   '.Vw   ,.-.,-;  -f)'!  -^^^r: 

■ .'  ■   '  ■    i    1  ■;  .,  -'O-;!'  ; :;,:   :^i'"  K)  ;rT' 

■■■.■    ^•..ij.;;,  ,lvi,','' ;'.;    •■    -' v     r;-;  :•  ••,'Miv    >ri;  ^  .-f 
,;-i;;:  ■.;:;.!  i:j i  ;.^  ri;--      ;■;;      ,■   !  mC  ■;:••;;■;■>- ^  ';r:^7/  !r  vet  'A 


■:;'iiOc''  on  i)-.fl  b'^F.  ,1 


[/■jiy.tny  -:)rrBv!   iK'TsnaO  r  •  'io  rlKi  -^r. 


I02  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGENNIS.  .    . 

the  city  of  Puebla  and  relieved  the  besieged  garrison 
which  Scott  had  left  behind  to  hold  the  city.  Colonel 
Childs  had  successfully  resisted  a  combined  attack  for 
twenty-eight  days,  although  it  looked  at  times  as  if  they 
would  have  to  surrender  to  superior  force.  A  halt  was 
made  for  a  short  time  at  Puebla,  as  there  was  no  longer 
any  necessity  for  pushing  forward  by  forced  marches. 
While  lying  here  frequent  dashes,  by  small  detachments, 
were  made  on  the  neighboring  villages  to  dislodge  bands 
of  guerrillas,  and  while  on  one  of  these  expeditions  the 
gallant  Lieut.  Ridgely  lost  his  life. 

After  his  command  was  thoroughly  rested.  General 
Lane  resumed  his  ]\Iarch  on  the  3d  of  December,  and 
entered  the  city  of  Mexico  on  the  7th. 

The  company  to  which  ^leginness  belonged,  with 
several  others,  was  quartered  in  the  great  Convent  de 
San  Francisco,  which  fronted  on  the  principal  street  of 
the  city.  Here  they  remained  until  the  17th,  when  they 
were  marched  out  four  miles  to  the  suburban  village  of 
Tacubaya  and  assigned  more  cleanly  and  comfortable 
quarters.  General  Riley  had  rommand.  Other  villages 
around  the  city  were  occupied  in  the  same  way  by  other 
troops. 

While  negotiations  for  peace  were  pending  with  Mex- 
ico, Nicholas  P.  Trist  being  the  commissioner  on  the 
part  of  the  United  States,  the  troops  lying  in  and  around 
the  city  were  kept"  actively  employed  at  drill,  for  the 
purpose  of  perfecting  them  in  military  discipline. 
Time,  however,  dragged  wearily  for  months,  when  the 
dullness  was  broken  by  the  recall  of  General  Scott.  His 
departure  took  place  on  the  23d  of  April,  1848,  and  the 
soldiers  were  loth  to  see  their  old  commander  go.  He 
was  succeeded  by  General  O.  Butler,  of  Kentucky. 

At  last  the  treaty  of  peace  was  ratified  by  the  Mexi- 


;'!V/'^  ;>;,,;,'    vrn  Y.ltKA-J    HHT  Sol 


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1 ,  .  ^  , ,  r  ■  . 

,  ,    MiM.-  ;•:'!  ui  :>:.■:,;■■  n^    .  


ITS   ORIGIN    AND    HISTORY.  IO3 

can  Congress,  and  preparations  were  at  once  begnn  to 
retire  from  the  country.  Early  in  the  morning  of  June 
12,  1848,  the  division  of  General  Worth  assembled  in  the 
grand  plaza,  in  front  of  the  National  Palace,  and  when 
everything  was  in  readiness,  the  "stars  and  stripes" 
were  slowly  hauled  down  from  the  flag  staff  from  which 
they  had  so  proudly  floated  since  the  capture  of  the  city. 
The  sight  was  a  beautiful  one.  The  flag  fluttered  gaily 
in  the  breeze  as  if  loth  tp  leave  its  position.  And  while 
it  was  being  pulled  down,  Duncan's  battery  was  firing  a 
national  salute.  For  regularity  and  sharpness  of  report 
the  firing  was  executed  with  the  precision  of  clockwork 
and  made  the  ceremony  quite  impressive. 

When  the  United  States  flag  was  lowered,  the  work 
of  hoisting  the  Mexican  flag  over  a  building  on  the 
south  side  of  the  plaza  was  commenced.  The  process 
was  a  slow  one,  the  halyards  became  entangled  and  the 
flag  hung  limp  around  the  staflf,  whilst  the  salute  fired  by 
their  battery  was  irregular  and  poorly  executed.  The 
ceremony  of  transferring  the  city  to  the  Mexican  au- 
thorities was  impressive,  and  was  watched  by  a  great 
mass  of  people,  who  filled  every  part  of  the  plaza  not 
occupied  by  the  military. 

The  work  of  transfer  over,  the  Fifth  Infantry,  of 
which  Meginness  was  a  member,  was  marched  into  the 
wide  entrance  of  the  palace  leading  to  the  court  yard, 
and  drawn  up  at  a  present  arms,  when  the  first  instal- 
ment of  three  millions  of  dollars,  out  of  the  fifteen  to 
be  paid  for  the  purchase  of  California,  was  carried  in 
from  the  wagons  drawn  up  in  front  of  the  palace.  The 
money  consisted  of  silver  and  gold,  and  was  packed  in 
wooden  boxes,  and  two  men  were  required  to  carry  each 
box.  The  boxes  were  turned  over  to  the  Mexican  au- 
thorities.     Meginness  and  his  comrades,  who.  composed 


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I04  THE    FAMILY  OF    MAGENXIS.  o' 

the  euard  of  honor  on  this  memorable  occasion,  wit- 
nessed  the  ceremony,  which  was  an  event  of  no  ordinary 
importance  in  their  lives.  The  payment  having  been 
made  in  accordance  with  the  treaty,  and  everything  be- 
ing in  readiness,  the  rear  guard  of  the  United  States 
army — for  such  this  was — took  up  its  line  of  march  for 
the  coast,  and  the  Mexicans  were  once  more  in  full  pos- 
session of  their  capital.  ;    ■         ].; 

The  4th  of  July,  184S,  was  spent  in  Jalapa.  The 
Fifth  Regiment  was  paraded  in  the  grand  plaza,  while  a 
national  salute  was  fired  by  Magruder's  battery,  and  the 
day  was  patriotically  observed.  On  the  14th  the  march 
to  Vera  Cruz  was  resumed,  which  place  was  reached  early 
on  the  morning  of  July  17th,  and  in  the  afternoon  the 
regiment  was  on  board  the  bark  Jane  Gano,  bound  for 
New  Orleans.  The  voyage  was  a  very  quiet  one  until 
the  Balize  were  sighted  on  the  22d,  when  contrary  winds 
caused  some  delay.  Reaching  New  Orleans  in  the  course 
of  a  few  days  the  troops  were  disembarked  and  taken  to 
East  Pascagoula,  Mississippi,  where,  in  the  month  of 
August,  those  who  enlisted  to  serve  during  the  war  were 
discharged.  ]\Ieginness  was  one  of  the  latter  number. 
He  had  spent  a  little  over  a  year  in  the  United  States 
service,  six  months  of  which  was  at  the  capital  of  Mex- 
ico. He  had  the  proud  distinction  of  carrying  a  musket, 
forty  rounds  of  ammunition  and  all  the  accoutrements, 
from  Vera  Cruz  to  ^lexico  and,  back  again,  and  never  fell 
by  the  wayside  nor  had  to  ride  in  a  wagon,  something  that 
very  few  members  of  the  regiment  could  say. 

After  receiving  his  discharge,  which  was  signed  by 
Lieut.  S.  H.  Fowler,  who  then  commanded  Company 
D,  Fifth  U.  S.  Infantry,  he  immediately  returned  to  the 
north  by  steamboat  to  Pittsburg,  and  thence  by  packet 
boat  to  Harrisburg  and  Milton,  Pa.     Stopping  a  short 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  I05 

time  with  his  uncle,  George  S.  McGinness,  at  Limestone- 
ville,  Montour  County,  he  proceeded  to  Jersey  Shore, 
Lycoming  County,  and  visited  another  relative,  William 
McGinness,  While  staying  with  him  he  was  induced  to 
take  charge  of  a  public  school,  which  he  successfully 
conducted  for  two  terms. 

On  the  25th  of  October,  1849,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Martha  Jane  King,  daughter  of  William 
King,*  of  Mifflin  Township,  Lycoming  County,  and 
soon  afterwards  they  took  up  their  residence  in  Jersey 
Shore.  June  9,  1852,  he  became  editor  of  the  Jersey 
Shore  Republicans  a  weekly  paper  owned  by  Robert  Ba- 
ker and  Jacob  Sallade,  and  continued  in  that  position 
until  June  9,  1854,  when  the  paper  was  sold.  This  was 
his  first  appearance  in  journalism,  which  became  his  pro- 
fession. On  the  29th  of  June,  1854,  he  associated  him- 
self with  S.  S.  Seely  in  founding  The  Neivs  Letter^  at 
Jersey  Shore.  The  partnership  continued  until  the  30tli 
of  August,  1855,  when  Meginness  retired. 


*  This  branch  of  the  Kiny:  family  was  among  the  early  settlers  in 
the  West  Branch  Valley.  About  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury six  brothers  emigrated  from  County  Donegal,  Ireland.  Three 
found  their  way  up  the  "West  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna  River,  and 
first  settled  near  the  mouth  of  Pine  Creek.  Their  names  were  Rob- 
ert, John  and  Adam.  The  other  three  went  to  Virginia  and  settled. 
Robert,  who  took  part  in  the  Indian  wars,  married  Susannah  Pierson 
about  1792.  They  had  three  sons,  John,  Benjamin  and  William.  The 
mother  died  October  1,  1847,  in  Mifflin  Township,  Lycoming  Couwty. 
aged  88.  Her  husband  followed  her  ^larch  29,  184S,  aged  04  years,  7 
months  and  27  days,  and  was  buried  in  the  old  cemetery  on  West 
Fourth  street,  Williamsport,  Pa.  Benjamin,  the  second  son,  died  sev- 
eral years  ago.  John,  the  eldest,  died  December  10,  1887,  aged  93 
years,  5  months  and  5  days,  having  almost  reached  the  ace  of  his 
father.  He  left  three  sons  ami  four  daughters.  William,  the  young- 
est, b.  March  21, 1802,  is  still  living.  He  m.  :Mary  Marshall,  of  Lycom- 
ing County,  December  8,  1825.  She  belonged  to  a  family  of  early 
settlers  in  the  county,  and  was  b.  August  30,  1804;  d.  January  28, 1874, 


N 


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■I  .■  ,  ■•;•   :''.;'7f;o(_  ::i  >';■:) r;';r 
t  :.  0  ..■ 'if'- T';nj7-~.q  0;l'i 


<ri>{  >lll  ::);:■ 


Io6  THE    FAMILY  OF   MAGENNIS. 

At  this  time  he  conceived  the  idea  of  writing  a  his- 
tory of  the  West  Branch  Valley  of  the  Susquehanna, 
which  was  immediately  entered  upon.  The  work  was 
prosecuted  with  energy,  and  published  by  Henry  B.  x\sh- 
mead,  of  Philadelphia,  in  the  autumn  of  1S56.  It  made 
an  octavo  volume  of  51S  pages,  and  was  the  pioneer  his- 
tory of  that  section  of  the  state.  The  work  was  kindly 
received  by  many  people  in  the  valley  at  that  time,  who 
realized  the  importance  of  rescuing  their  local  history 
from  oblivion,  but  being  in  advance  of  the  times  the  en- 
terprise did  not  prove  profitable.  But  the  author  lived 
to  see  the  day  when  a  revised  and  enlarged  edition  was 
demanded  a  third  of  a  century  afterwards.  In  after  years 
the  contents  of  his  book  were  stolen  time  and  again  by 
others  who  entered  the  historical  field,  and  two  or  three 
newspapers  republished  it  in  weekly  parts. 

In  May,  1857,  he  was  offered  the  editorship  of    TJic 


at  Jersey  Shore.  They  had  children  :  1.  ^Martha  Jane,  (wife  of  the 
author,)  b.  August  2.),  1829.  2.  Eupheuiia  Catharine,  b.  ^lareli  30, 
1833  ;  d.  April  9,  18S0,  in  Jersey  Shore;  she  m.  C.  W.  Sweeny  Octo- 
ber 24,  lSo4.  lie  d.  October  18,  18<)9.  They  left  one  son,  William 
Price  Sweeny,  b.  September  9,  1862,  and  d.  July  11,  1S84,  at  Wayland, 
N.  Y.  3.  Matthew  M.,  b.  March  25,  lS3o ;  d.  suddenly  of  heart  fail- 
ure January  29,  18(19,  on  the  homestead  farm.  He  m.  Sarah  Brcssler, 
of  Illinois,  who  survives.  They  had  four  daughters,  all  of  wh<jm, 
with  their  mother,  now  live  in  Northern  Illinois.  4.  John  S.,b.  April 
10,  1837  ;  d.  February  16,  1872.  He  was  a  farmer.  His  death,  which 
was  sudden,  was  caused  by  being  thrown  from  the  seat  of  his  wagon, 
by  the  wheel  striking  an  obstruction,  as  he  was  returning  home  from 
Williamsport.  The  accident  occurred  at  night  as  he  was  descending 
the  hill  into  the  glen  near  Mt.  Zion  Church,  a  mile  east  of  Larry's 
Creek.  He  m.  3Iiss  Elizabeth  Jane  Thomas,  of  ^Slillville,  Lycoming 
C-tjunty,  January  26,  1860.  She  came  of  one  of  the  old  families  of  the 
county,  and  was  b.  February  11,  18-38,  and  with  three  sons  survives: 
1.  Earnest  Lawrence,  b.  February  o,  1861.  2.  (xeorge  Edwin,  b.  Au- 
gust 13,  1864.  3.  Alvin  Floyd,  b.  February  22,  1871.  They  reside 
with  their  mother  midway  between  Williamsport  and  Montoursville, 
and  carry  on  gardening  on  a  large  scale.    All  single. 


;;wi  li      'V  ■:    lo  ;;:<:;j;['Ti  l)^;;  r/t  ,fj:tt(|l j;u.i'rfM    io  ^bftom 


>!fri-  j-.,;i.t  ji.;  /■jilr/    .■■i-  i.i  -i\.U':^<:i   /nnin  /J 


^>-.^  ;     Ju   !: 


>H[/isiv^'Ui- 


•«         ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  107 

Sentinel^  a  weekly  paper  published  at  Peru,  Illinois, 
which  he  accepted,  and  soon  afterwards  moved  his  family 
to  that  city.  Early  in  the  fall  of  1859  the  office  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire,  and  he  was  again  out  of  employment. 
Politics  at  that  time  were  warm  in  Illinois  on  account  of 
the  great  contest  between  Judge  Douglas  and  x'Vbraham 
Lincoln  for  the  United  States  Senatorship.  Having 
formed  the  acquaintance  of  Judge  Douglas,  that  distin- 
guished statesman  and  politician  took  a  warm  interest  in 
the  young  editor,  and  through  his  intercession  he  was 
given  a  position  as  editorial  writer  on  the  Springfield 
Daily  Register  ^wx\vl%  that  heated  campaign.  It  was  his 
good  fortune  to  be  present  at  several  of  the  great  debates 
between  those  two  eminent  men  and  hear  them  discuss 
the  political  issues  of  the  day.  And  whilst  adhering  to 
the  political  fortunes  of  his  friend.  Judge  Douglas,  he 
was,  nevertheless,  deeply  impressed  with  the  appearance 
and  ability  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  and  rejoiced  when  he 
was  elected  to  the  Presidency.  Judge  Douglas  was  a 
warm  personal  friend  of  ]\Ir.  Lincoln,  and  had  he  lived 
he  would  undoubtedly  have  been  a  strong  and  ardent 
supporter  of  his  administration.  In  fact  Douglas,  just 
before  he  was  taken  ill,  came  to  Springfield  and  deliv- 
ered a  powerful  address,  in  which  he  advised  his  Demo- 
cratic followers  to  stand  by  Lincoln  in  preference  to  the 
South.  That  speech  settled  the  question  of  secession 
iu  Southern  Illinois,  and  called  John  A.  Logan  to  the 
support  of  the  government. 

After  retiring  from  the  position  of  editorial  writer  on 
the  Register,  he  was  offered  the  charge  of  a  weekly  paper 
called  The  Spectator,  at  Carlinville,  Illinois,  with  the 
promise  of  assistance  to  purchase  it.  He  at  once  ac- 
cepted the  offer,  and  took  charge  of  the  paper  in  Decem- 
ber, 1858.     Hon.  C.  A.  Walker,  a  prominent  attorney, 


y>i  ..■:')'. -.Hi   '■'-.■^h   v:i0JHO  ZTl 

■/'i[\iiyi  :■::'.  '  v  .■.•;tl  .:''!)•,.  ' jfh.  ■V'':i>  b:^,:.    fv,^■po■j^;  y;f  ffouiw 

:o ':n!;:.  ::■■;■  :'k    ■■'oi\'.'\'   r.:  iiru:-'/  -jij"'  'urj':  ji-il'i  if:--. 
>);'/.'  y!    n-:  :r:-/ri ;'"'. '       ,;i'    '"■:■;. *:!;J    .!f;.,  /    >.:^':3 

.•;    .^.h'-'-'waI    ->;  .    '•    ,'  ■      r.    -■'■'    !■■/  '■Tiff  I. j"^    ii:.'j:1:f'jq  orfj 

;;     '■:■  :   -    .    ■    :     .■:■:•    ^r  rf^  Z.    '' .^ 

;.■'•■.'. i    ;,.-'    ;M.'d    f.iiK   ,n''r-. /;r.'     ;;;"   'jj  :..!,.  ^rr; 

•.»:.>;,■    •:.    i'!i!-:    ■■^UO'ij^'    L    tl^;?>({    O/i..;!    vll)j^'|;^,.       ,  ,        ,      ^ 

-...;..-^:  ■'•■      ■        ■•.'■.      '.fr  nr  .^-p-y^^ht,  r-  ■ 


lOS  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGENXIS.  ''> 

took  a  deep  interest  in  the  success  of  the  paper,  and  it 
was  soon  placed  on  a  permanent  and  flourishing  basis. 
He  soon  afterwards  purchased  the  paper,  supplied  the 
office  with  new  material  throughout,  and  being  liberally 
supported,  w-as  enabled  to  become  the  sole  owner  in  two 
years.  But  just  as  he  was  in  a  position  to  realize  some- 
thing from  his  labors,  the  rebellion  broke  out,  and  in  a 
few  weeks  all  business  was  at  a  stand  still.  Being  but 
60  miles  East  of  St.  Louis  the  outlook,  on  account  of  mili- 
tary movements,  was  decidedly  gloomy.  In  October,  1861, 
after  a  residence  in  Carlinville  of  two  years  and  nine 
months,  he  disposed  of  his  newspaper  office  at  a  sacrifice 
and  moved  his  family  back  to  the  home  of  his  wife's 
parents  in  Lycoming  County,  Pa.  The  war  was  now 
fully  under  \vay,  and  the  greatest  excitement,  caused  by 
drafting  and  the  movement  of  troops,  prevailed. 

On  June  30,  1862,  he  moved  his  family  to  Williams- 
port.  Late  in  the  winter  of  that  year  he  received  an 
appointment  as  a  clerk  under  Captain  Wm.  Stoddard, 
assistant  quartermaster,  Alexandria,  Va.  In  a  short 
time  Captain  Ferguson,  quartermaster  in  charge  of  the 
post,  and  all  his  assistants,  were  removed.  They  were 
succeeded  by  Captain  J.  G.  C.  Lee,  U.  S.  A.,  w^ho  im- 
mediately surrounded  himself  with  new  officers.  The 
post  at  Alexandria  was  a  very  important  one,  as  nearly 
all  the  quartermaster  and  commissary  stores  for  the  Ar- 
my of  the  Potomac  passed  through  it. 

After  two  years  service  in  a  subordinate  clerical  posi- 
tion, Aleginness  was  made  chief  clerk  of  the  bureau  of 
transportation.  This  office  was  an  important  one  on  ac- 
count of  its  close  relations  with  Captain  Lee,  the  quar- 
termaster in  charge,  as  all  the  bills  of  lading  of  stores 
for  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  passed  through  the  chief 
clerk's  hands,  and  he  was  constantly  beset  with  parties 


.kVA'/i:-lD/:U.    vjo   YJIWA'-I   S5I1T 


-^>i:io>  i-xflu?"!  oj  fif-rjio")'-;  r;  >;:  ^j-.v/  9,'i  ^jii  j?;jr   Ifrfi 


•it'ir;  t'.v  |.'j;.KV0Df  fK'  ,/[<<.';  J  ;rr)  aijj  ^.hJv>J[  jS'ii 


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ITS   ORIGIN    AND    HISTORY.  IO9 

seeking  transportation  to  the  front.  Being  intrusted 
with  passes  signed  in  blank  for  clerks  and  others  on  offi- 
cial business  with  officers  in  the  field,  he  was  frequently 
applied  to  by  sutlers  and  adventurers  to  pass  them  to 
the  front.  As  the  orders  of  the  War  Department  were 
imperative  that  civilians  should  not  be  granted  this 
courtesy  by  the  quartermaster,  it  can  readily  be  seen 
how  delicate  the  position  of  the  chief  clerk  was.  Fre- 
quent attempts  were  made  to  induce  him  by  bribes  to 
issue  passes  to  this  class  of  people,  and  on  one  occasion 
he  was  offered  $100  in  gold  to  pass  a  certain  party  to 
the  front.  The  offer  was  firmly  refused,  and  the  party 
turned  over  to  the  officer  in  charge,  who  sternly  rebuked 
him  for  attempting  to  corrupt  the  clerk  who  was  placed 
in  such  an  important  and  confidential  relation. 

The  night  of  the  assassination  of  President  Lincoln, 
he  was  apprised  of  the  terrible  affair  as  early  as  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning.  The  news  came  to  the  Quar- 
termaster from  the  War  Department,  with  orders  to  man 
ever>'  tug  in  the  river  at  Alexandria  and  intercept  every 
moving  craft.  No  one,  not  even  officers  of  high  rank, 
were  allowed  to  leave  the  city  for  a  day  or  two,  and  the 
greatest  excitement  prevailed. 

Shortly  before  the  close  of  the  war,  he  resigned  his 
clerkship  with  Captain  Lee,  A.  O.  M.,  to  accept  an  ap- 
pointment in  the  Division  of  Referred  Claims,  Paymas- 
ter General's  office,  Washington  City,  under  Colonel  J. 
Sallada.  Learning  of  his  contemplated  departure,  the 
clerks  of  his  division,  who  had  long  been  associated  with 
him,  presented  him  with  a  handsome  gold  mounted  cane, 
bearing  this  inscription: 

Presented  to 

John  F.  Meginness, 

By  his  friends  in  the  Q.  M.  Department, 

Alexandria,  Va.,  1865. 


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-kj::;   ,-'i   .i-.i!'  .I'J  b:-fr.-j\jyi    U)  ji 


.<i.a5ii  , 


no  THE    FAMILY   OF   MAGEXXIS. 

After  entering  the  Paymaster  General's  office,  he  only 
remained  there  a  few  months,  when  he  was  appointed  to 
a  first-class  clerkship  in  the  Third  Auditor's  office,  Treas- 
ury Department,  under  Hon.  John  Wilson,  and  assigned 
to  the  Division  of  State  War  Claims.  After  about  a 
year's  service  in  this  bureau,  he  was  transferred  to  the 
Second  Comptroller's  office.  Col.  Broadhead,  Treasury 
Department.  The  duties  of  this  office  consisted  in  care- 
fully revising  the  statements  of  quartermasters'  accounts 
as  made  in  the  Third  Auditor's  office,  and  if  they  were 
found  correct,  they  were  referred  back  for  final  settle- 
ment; if  not,  for  a  re-examination  and  re-statement, 
when  they  came  down  again  for  final  passage.  The  du- 
ties, which  were  clearly  of  a  supervisory  character,  were 
very  pleasant.  While  here,  he  was  associated  with  the 
famous  B.  B.  French,  who,  for  many  years,  and  during 
the  administration  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  served  as  Superin- 
tendent of  Public  Grounds,  and  was  always  close  to  the 
President.  I\Ir.  French  was  a  delightful  gentleman  to 
be  associated  with,  and  his  extensive  acquaintance  with 
public  men  and  knowledge  of  the  "ins  and  outs"  of  the 
government,  rendered  him  a  very  agreeable  companion. 

While  serving  in  this  bureau  the  great  impeachment 
trial  of  President  Johnson  took  place,  and  he  frequently 
attended  the  sessions  of  the  high  court,  which  were  pre- 
sided over  by  Chief  Justice  Chase,  and  heard  a  number 
of  the  great  speeches  delivered  by  the  eminent  counsel 
employed  on  both  sides.  Chief  Justice  Chase  presided 
with  great  dignity  and  ability,  and  held  counsel  strictly 
to  the  rules  governing  trials  of  state.  It  was  his  good 
fortune  to  hear  the  argument  of  William  M.  Evarts,  af- 
terwards U.  S.  Senator  from  N.  Y.,  which  consumed 
two  days.  It  was  a  masterpiece,  as  well  as  the  greatest 
effort  of  his  life,   and  made  a  profound  impression  on 


('■  t  '  i;;--  :,-iL;  ■;;">.'  ?.!   ;:•"!.•     -.i;j('  i;.!  ■v.)]  ;,  -ij-jfi- 


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7  .;.■;  ■ 

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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  Ill 

the  public  mind.  The  trial  resulted  in  the  acquittal  of 
the  President,  much  to  the  disgust  of  those  who  were 
instrumental  in  bringing  it  on;  Senator  Sumner,  Gen- 
eral Butler,  and  others,  being  among  them. 

During  those  exciting  times  he  frequently  saw  Sec- 
retary- Stanton^  General  Thomas,  and  all  the  eminent 
men  who  figured  so  conspicuously  in  governmental  af- 
fairs. ', . 

He  also  witnessed  the  reviews  of  the  Army  of  the  Po- 
tomac and  Sherman's  army,  when  each  consumed  a  day 
in  passing  through  the  National  Capital  at  the  close  of 
the  war,  led  by  their  respective  Generals.  The  spectacle 
was  the  grandest  military  pageant  ever  witnessed  in  this 
country,  and  those  who  were  fortunate  enough  to  look 
upon  the  lines  of  battle-scarred  veterans  as  they  marched 
up  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  will  never  forget  it. 

He  remained  in  the  Treasury  until  June  ist,  1869, 
when,  like  the  army,  it  became  necessary  to  reduce  the 
large  clerical  force,  and  he  was  mustered  out  after  being 
in  government  employ  for  seven  years.  The  experience 
gained  by  those  years  was  valuable,  and  he  returned  to 
private  life  feeling  that  he  had  profited  largely  in  the 
acquisition  of  both  civil  and  military  knowledge.  Much 
was  learned  by  being  thrown  into  close  relations  with 
the  eminent  statesmen  and  generals  of  that  time,  nearly 
all  of  whom  he  met,  and  he  looks  back  with  satisfaction 
to  what  he  witnessed  and  learned  during  the  great 
struggle;  and  it  would  require  a  volume  to  record  what 
came  under  his  observation  at  that  time. 

Soon  after  retiring  from  the  Treasury  Department, 
he  removed  his  family  to  Williamsport,  Pa.,  and  accept- 
ed the  managing  editorship  of  the  daily  Lycojuing  Ga- 
zette^ the  oldest  paper  in  Lycoming  County.  He  con- 
tinued in  this  position  until  the  22d  of  November,  when 


:  ti 


I  •^'.''r-'Tn  qI'Ta   Xi;'>rso  ?;'i  s 


^n'X'f/   oi''.v   •-■'•■;'!  l".  ,..:,t^yih   'Mil   c)}   ioi;n;  .;;';.-.;.!i<;y!H   ^siJ 


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v:icL  -s:!.!  '1; 


112  THE    FAMILY  OF    MAGEXNIS. 

the  paper  was  consolidated  with  the  daily  evening  Bul- 
letin^ under  the  title  of  Gasette  and  Bulletin^  and  he 
was  appointed  city  editor.  In  course  of  time  Mr.  E.  W. 
Capron,  the  editor,  retired,  and  he  succeeded  him  as  edi- 
tor. This  arrangement  continued  until  1872,  when  Col. 
James  H.  Lambert,  of  New  York,  secured  an  interest  in 
the  paper  and  became  editor,  when  ]\Iegiuness  again  took 
charge  of  the  city  department.  In  four  years  Lambert 
retired,  when  Meginness  again  became  editor  in  chief. 
This  arrangement  continued  until  November  10,  18S9, 
when  literally  broken  down  with  the  arduous  duties  of 
his  position,  which  involved  about  eighteen  hours  work 
out  of  twenty-four,  he  resigned  and  retired  for  a  year's 
rest.  His  connection  with  the  paper  extended  over  a 
continuous  period  of  fully  twenty  years. 

During  1888,  in  addition  to  his  editorial  labors,  Mr. 
Meginness  started  and  conducted  a  monthly  magazine, 
entitled  The  Historical  Journal.  It  was  devoted  to  the 
publication  of  local  history,  biography  and  necrology, 
and  soon  attained  a  sufficient  circulation  to  make  it  self- 
supporting.  In  addition  to  the  many  valuable  and 
interesting  articles  contained  in  its  pages,  is  the  full  bi- 
ography of  Rev.  John  Bryson,  who  served  for  over  fifty 
years  as  pastor  of  Warrior  Run  Presbyterian  Church,  and 
died  in  the  98th  year  of  his  age;  the  unique  journal  of 
Samuel  Maclay,  who,  in  company  with  John  Adlum  and 
Timothy  ]\Iatlack,  surveyed  the  West  Branch  of  the  Sus- 
quehanna River  in  1790,  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining 
if  water  communication  could  be  had  with  Lake  Erie, 
and  a  full  history  of  the  Presbytery  of  Northumberland. 
And  although  a  thousand  copies  of  The  Historical  Jour- 
nal were  printed,  the  edition  has  been  almost  entirely 
disposed  of. 

In  1889,  through  the  urgent  solicitation  of  friends, 


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.{■-.'J  ii-in'!!  ,::"^i   Ih.i':  :'':^  .f!   iu.''  ;  ^.,r>Q;:j-.r:-  ■■  i'i'      .loJ 
;;' J- :"■  ;5);i-  ri'    f>9-uj:>ii.^  ,>;/-^~''  ■.'■".'1    ,o  .:*7'j'ir;)r,...i     ii'   "-o.^aI^ 

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'hn^n*.  '\<>  noii.i  i\o'^]oi  Ha^^iu  .fxlJ   /Jtjaoiiii  f^.^^"*?'^!   n. 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  II3 

he  undertook  the  work  of  rewriting  and  revising  his 
"  Otzinachson,  or  History  of  the  West  Branch  Valley," 
because  the  first  edition,  published  in  1856,  was  entirely 
out  of  print.  The  labor,  when  coupled  with  the  ardu- 
ous work  on  a  morning  newspaper,  proved  very  exact- 
ing, but  he  managed  to  complete  the  work.  It  made  a 
volume  of  702  octavo  pages,  illustrated  with  diagrams, 
maps,  antiquities  and  portraits,  and  was  accepted  by  the 
reviewers  as  a  standard  work,  and  a  valuable  contribu- 
tion to  the  history  of  the  State. 

He  had  just  finished  his  labors  on  the  revised  history 
when  the  great  flood  of  June  1,1889  came  and  inundated 
three  fourths  of  the  city.  The  destruction  caused  by 
this  flood  was  enormous  and  entailed  a  heavy  loss  on  the 
people  of  the  West  Branch  Valley.  Seven  feet  of  water 
swept  through  his  house,  doing  much  damage.  The 
greatest  loss  he  sustained  was  in  his  library,  which  could 
not  all  be  removed  in  time,  and  about  300  books  were 
greatly  damaged.  Two  fine  works,  valued  at  fifty  dollars 
each,  were  entirely  destroyed,  and  many  others,  some  of 
them  extremely  rare,  seriously  injured. 

Soon  after  retiring  from  the  daily  newspaper,  he  un- 
dertook the  work  of  w^riting  an  exhaustive  biography  of 
Frances  Slocum,  the  Lost  Sister  of  Wyoming.  This 
involved  much  research,  besides  two  journeys  to  Peru, 
Indiana,  to  confer  wuth  the  Indian  descendants  of  Fran- 
ces living  on  the  Wabash,  where  she  died  in  1847,  ^.her 
being  lost  to  friends  and  civilization  for  nearly  sixty 
years.  The  work  was  completed  and  published  in  De- 
cember, 1890.  It  attracted  much  attention,  and  the 
edition  was  soon  exhausted. 

In  addition  to  his  editorial  and  literary  labors,  he 
made  a  journey  to  some  part  of  the  United  States  nearly 
ever>'  year  during  the  vacation  season,  and  visited  Den- 


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114  THE    FAMILY  OF   MAGENXIS. 

ver,  the  Rocky  ]\Iountaius  and  Salt  Lake  City  several 
times.  On  one  occasion  he  extended  his  journey  to  San 
Francisco  and  other  portions  of  California.  He  also  vis- 
ited Lakes  George  and  Chaniplain,  and  various  historic 
places  in  that  part  of  the  United  States.  After  a  severe 
spell  of  sickness  in  iSSi,  he  made  a  voyage  to  Havana, 
sailing  from  New  York  in  March  of  that  year.  But  a 
short  time  was  spent  in  the  old  Spanish  city,  when  he 
sailed  for  Florida  and  landed  at  Cedar  Keys.  From 
there  he  proceeded  to  Jacksonville  by  rail  and  spent  two 
weeks  in  that  city,  when  he  continued  his  journey  to 
Atlanta,  Knoxville,  Washington  city  and  home. 

In  i8S6,  he  made  a  visit  to  the  city  of  Mexico,  trav- 
eling via  Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe,  and  Mexican 
Central  Railroads.  He  spent  two  weeks  in  the  old  city, 
and  visited  many  places  of  interest.  This  visit  was 
made  doubly  interesting  from  the  fact  that  just  thirty- 
eight  years  before  he  had  been  there  in  the  capacity  of  a 
United  States  soldier.  The  buildings  in  which  his  reg- 
iment was  quartered  at  that  time  were  easily  found  and 
recognized,  so  little  had  the  changes  been  in  the  time 
that  had  elapsed  between  the  hrst  and  second  visits. 

When  making  these  annual  visits,  he  usually  wrote 
a  series  of  letters  over  the  signature  of  "John  of  Lan- 
caster," which  were  published  in  the  Gazette  and  Bul- 
letin. 

He  also  made  a  journey  to  Bismarck,  on  the  North- 
ern Pacific  Railroad,  when  that  was  the  terminus  of  the 
road.  Twice  he  spent  his  summer  vacation  on  the  Island 
of  Nantucket,  and  once  in  Boston.  New  Orleans  was  once 
visited  in  the  winter  for  a  change,  and  a  few  days  were 
spent  in  Mobile.  In  making  these  journeys,  tens  of 
thousands  of  miles  were  traveled  by  rail  and  steamboat, 
and  he  never  was  in  a  serious  accident  by  rail  or  water, 


.,.-:r!/.HOA,t/    •R.   7,:  1?.' .'.'-{    jIHT  i.l  \ 

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ITS   ORIGIX    AND    HISTORY.  II 5 

and  always  met  friends,  whether  on  the  shores  of  the 
Atlantic  or  Pacific,  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  the  city  of  Hava- 
na, in  other  great  cities,  in  the  monntains,  or  on  the  plains. 

During  the  last  thirty  years,  he  wrote  many  letters 
and  sketches  for  the  Philadelphia  Times,  The  Press, 
Record^  Nezv  York  Herald^  Sim,  and  other  journals. 
As  early  as  1855  he  was  a  correspondent  for  the  Phila- 
delphia Ledger.  And  for  several  years  he  served  as  the 
telegraphic  correspondent  of  The  Press  and  Times,  Phil- 
adelphia. In  his  journalistic  capacity,  he  attended 
nearly  every  State  Convention,  of  all  parties,  in  Penn- 
sylvania for  eighteen  years,  witnessed  the  inauguration 
of  half  a  dozen  presidents,  and  more  than  that  number 
of  governors. 

He  was  present  at  the  funeral  of  Stephen  A.  Douglas, 
at  Chicago,  and  the  unveiling  of  the  statue  of  Mr.  Lin- 
coln, at  Springfield,  Illinois.  For  forty  years  he  lived  a 
busy  life,  and  while  not  laying  claim  to  having  accom- 
plished anything  extraordinary,  he  certainly  labored  as 
industriously  in  an  humble  sphere  as  many  who  have 
achieved  great  distinction.  In  1891  he  is  actively  en- 
gaged in  preparing  an  elaborate  history  of  Lycoming 
County  for  the  publishing  house  of  Brown,  Runk  & 
Company,  Chicago,  which  he  expects  to  finish  in  the 
spring  of  1892.  And  in  addition  to  his  literary  labors, 
he  occasionally  finds  time  to  write  an  article  or  com- 
munication for  some  of  his  journalistic  friends  at  home 
or  abroad. 

Mr.  Meginness  and  wife  had  issue  as  follows: 

i.   Mary  Virginia,  b.  April  22.  1850.     Married  William 
C.  Arp,*of  Williamsport,  Pa.,  November  16,  1S70. 

*The  ancestMrs  of  Mr.  Arp,  both  on  his  father  and  mother's  side, 
came  from  Germany.  His  paternal  grandfather,  Peter  Erbb,  (as  tlie 
name  was  originally  spelled,)  married  Susan  Whitman,  of  Lanca.ster 


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Il6  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGENXIS. 

They  now  (1S91)  reside  at  Dennison,  Ohio,  where, 
as  master  mechanic,  Mr.  Arp  has  charge  of  the 
shops  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company. 

County  Pa.,  whertj  he  first  settled.  They  came  to  Williamsport.  Pa., 
early  in  tlie  pre.sent  century,  and  here  they  both  died.  Frederick 
Ritter,  his  maternal  grandfatlier,  also  settled  in  Lancaster  County, 
where  he  married  Elizabeth  Reynolds.  Soon  after  marriage  they 
emigrated  to  Lycoming  County,  Pa.,  and  settled.  At  that  time  there 
were  only  three  or  four  houses  in  Williamsport. 

John  W.  Arp,  son  of  Peter  Arp  and  Susan  Whitman,  was  b.  Au- 
gust 20,  1826,  in  Lycoming  County.  He  m.  Elizabeth  Ritter,  daugh- 
ter of  Fi'ederick  Ritter  and  F'.Hzabeth  Reynolds,  December  20,  1846, 
and  d.  April  3,  1S66,  in  Williamsport.  His  widow,  who  survis'es,  was 
b.  April  18,  1827.    They  had  issue: 

1.  William  Charles,  b.  June  28,  1848.  He  learned  the  trade  of  a 
machinist  in  the  shops  of  the  Northern  Central  Railroad,  at 
Elmira,  N.  Y.,  and  soon  after  entered  the  service  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad  Company,  at  WilUamsport,  in  the  capacity 
of  foreman  of  the  round  house.  In  a  few  months  he  was 
transferred  to  Renovo,  where  he  filled  a  similar  position  in 
the  great  shops  of  the  company  at  that  place.  In  1882  he 
was  sent  to  Indianapolis  to  organize  the  macliine  shops  of 
the  Company  at  that  place,  which  were  badly  run  down,  and 
introduce  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  .system.  The  task  was 
an  arduous  one,  but  he  succeeded  to  the  eminent  satisfaction 
of  the  management.  During  his  employment  there, the  pres- 
ent elegant  new  shops  were  erected.  It  was  then  found  neces- 
sary to  transfer  him  to  the  great  round  house  of  the  Company 
at  Columbus,  Ohio,  which  was  done  in  18S6.  A  vacancy  oc- 
curring in  1887,  he  was  promoted  to  master  mechanic,  and 
placed  in  charge  of  the  machine  shops  at  Logansport,  Indi- 
ana, and  the  round  house  in  Chicago.  There  he  had  the 
direction  of  about  600  men.  His  management  proved  highly 
satisfactory.  In  1890,  the  master  mechanic  of  the  main 
shops  of  the  Company  at  Dennison,  Ohio,  died,  and  as  the 
position  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  responsible  on  the 
South  \Vestern  sy.stem,  he  was  at  once  selected,  although  the 
youngest  of  four  master  mechanics,  to  take  his  place.  Here 
he  has  control  of  about  7oO  men,  and  consequently  much  to 
look  after. 

The  best  evidence  of  his  worth  and  ability  to  manage  the 
business  entrust <?d  to  him, is  shown  in  the  esteem  entertained 


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ITS   ORIGIN    AND    HISTORY.  II7 

ii.  Alice  Celinda,  b.  July  7,  1S53.  Married  Jasper  F. 
King  Februar\'  i,  1876.  He  died  March  iS,  1SS3. 
She  m.,  second,  Ira  B.  Waite,  of  Williamsport, 
April  25,  1 89 1,  at  Dennison,  Ohio.  They  reside 
in  Williamsport,  Pa.  By  occupation  ^Mr.  Waite 
is  a  gunsmith. 

for  him  by  the  men  who  h^ve  been  under  his  direction  at 
the  different  places  wliere  he  has  been  stationed.  When  lie 
left  Renovo,  the  engineers  and  round  house  men  presented 
him  with  an  elegant  ring.  At  Indianapolis  he  was  presented 
with  a  service  of  silver,  and  in  a  voting  contest  he  won  a 
costly  gold  watch.  But  it  remained  for  the  Logansport  shop 
men  to  eclipse  all  others  in  the  magnificence  of  their  testi- 
monials. They  not  only  presented  him  a  costly  clock  in  an 
antique  oaken  frame,  which  stands  over  eight  feet  in  height, 
and  a  superb  service  of  silver  plate,  but  gave  him  and  his 
wife  a  reception  at  the  public  hall  in  the  city,  which  was  at- 
tended by  hundreds,  all  of  whom  shook  them  warmly  by 
the  hands  and  expres.'Jed  sorrow  over  their  departure.  The 
locomotive  engineers  also  manifested  their  e^eem  in  a  series 
of  resolutions  enclosed  by  a  silver  frame. 

2.  Mary  Elizabeth,  b.  October  5,  1S49;  d.  August  5,  1S70. 

3.  Peter  Andrew,  b.  December  14,1850.     He  also  learned  the  trade 

of  a  machinist,  which  he  has  successfully  followed.  A  few 
years  ago  he  invented  a  machine  to  facilitate  the  mining  of 
coal,  which  is  pronounced  an  ingenious  and  valuable  inven- 
tion. In  1881  he  married  Isa  Graham,  of  Clearlield,  and 
they  reside  at  Philipsburg,  Pa.  They  have  one  son  named 
Alton  Atlee,  b.  February  16.  1883. 

4.  Susan  Maria,  b.  July  IS,  1852;  m.  William  Bennett  Crawford 

Sept.  26,  1872.  He  is  chief  clerk  at  the  shops  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad  Company,  Sunbury,  Pa.,  a  position  which 
he  has  satisfactorily  filled  for  eighteen  years.    They  have  : 

1.  Elizabeth  VauUeda,  b.  September  24.  1873. 

2.  Carrie  Edna,  b.  July  2U,  1875. 

3.  Sarah  Virginia,  b.  March  16,  1878. 

5.  Laura,  b.  September  12,  1856.     She  lives  with  her  widowed 

mother  in  William.sport,  Pa.     Unmarried. 

6.  John  Terry,  b.  August  9,  1860;  d.  October  2,  1862.  .  , 

7.  Lucy  Emily,  b.  July  5,  1862;  d.  November  5,  1864. 


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Il8  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGEXXIS. 

Hi.  Sarah  Rosetta,  b.  June  17,  1852;  d.  September  8, 
1856,  at  Jersej'  Shore,  Pa. 

iv.  WiUiam  Warren,  b.  March  26,  1857,  in  Jersey  Shore. 
Attended  Commercial  College,  learned  stenogra- 
phy and  became  an  expert  court  reporter.  En- 
tered journalism,  and  after  passing  through  all 
the  grades  of  journalistic  work,  became  editor  in 
chief  of  the  daily  Gazette  ar.d  'Bulletin,  Williams- 
./       port,  Pa.,  in  the  fall  of  1890.      He  married  Miss 

/  Anna  Elizabeth  Leaber,  of  Williamsport,   April 

/  22,  1880.     She  was  b.  November  7,  1S64.     They 

/  have  issue: 

I.  Mabel  Virginia,  b.  June  8,  1881. 
V.  Henry  Harvey,  b.  March  22,  1S59,  in  Carlinville,  Il- 
linois. Married  Mary  Elliott  Long  of  Williams- 
port,  October  20,  1878.  He  has  been  in  the  sen-ice 
of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  at  Williamsport, 
since  August,  1880.  His  position  at  present  is 
Railroad  Stationery-  Storekeeper.  They  have  one 
daughter,  Ella,  b.  September  21,  1879. 

vi.  Julia  Rosabella,  b.  February  19,  1S61,  at  Carlinville, . 
Illinois.     Died  July  30,  1861. 

vii.  Ida  Jane,  b.  July  31,  1862,  in  Williamsport.  Mar- 
ried Homer  J.  Edwards  August  3,  1882.  He  was 
bom  April  25,  1855.  They  reside  in  Williams- 
port, and  had  issue: 

1.  Herbert  Mason,  b.  March  13,  1884. 

2.  Martha  Elizabeth,  b.   December  22,  18S9; 

d.  August  5,  1S90. 
via.  Carrie  Armenia,  b.  September  9,  1864,  in  Williams- 
port. Married  Harry  A.  Van  Gilder,  of  Williams- 
port, December  25,  1890.  He  was  born  in  Wil- 
liamsport August  30,  1865.  He  is  chief  book- 
keeper for  the  Consolidated  Fire  Works  Company 
of  America,  New  York,  and  they  reside  in  that 
city. 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  II9 

ix.  Herbert  Eugene,  b.  May  30,  (Decoration  Day,)  1S69, 
in  Georgetown,  D.  C.  He  is  a  clerk  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company,  South 
Western  System,  at  Logansport,  Indiana.  In  1891 
he  m.  Lucy  Clewell,  of  Logansport,  Indiana,  and 
they  reside  at  that  place. 

X.  John  Franklin,  b.  October  31,  1S74,  in  Williamsport, 
Pa.;  d.  July  14,  1875.  Buried  in  Jersey  Shore 
Cemetery. 


No.  12. 

MARY  JANE  MEGINNESS,'^  (Benjamin,  ^  James,  * 
Samuel,^  James,'-  John  Brian,  ^)  b.  January  31,  1831,  in 
Bart  Township,  Lancaster  County,  Pa. ;  m.  George  Laub 
January  6,  1846,  in  Hancock  County,  Illinois,  and  d. 
November  28,  1872,  at  St.  George,  Utah  Territory. 

In  1843,  when  less  than  thirteen  years  old,  she  emi- 
grated to  Illinois  with  her  parents.  They  traveled  over- 
land by  wagons,  and  reached  their  destination  in  July  of 
that  year.  Her  life,  after  marriage,  was  largely  spent 
on  the  plains,  in  Salt  Lake,  and  the  southwestern  part 
of  the  te-ritory.  This  was  before  the  advent  of  rail- 
roads apvl  the  comforts  which  accompany  a  more  ad- 
vanced civilization.  The  ox  team,  as  a  means  of  cross- 
ing the  wide  prairies  of  what  are  now  thickly  settled 
states  and  territories,  was  a  luxury  which  all  the  emi- 
grants did  not  enjoy.  As  a  consequence,  she  endured 
great  hardships,  and  suffered  all  the  inconveniences  inci- 
dent to  the  life  of  the  pioneer  at  that  time.  After  ten 
years'  residence  in  Salt  Lake,  she  accompanied  her  hus- 
band and  family  to  St.  George,  a  wild  and  inhospitable 
spot  in  the  desert,  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles  south  of 
that  city,  where  they  aided  in  founding  a  colony.     It 


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120  THE    FAMILY  OF    MAGENNIS.  '  ^  ■ 

was  a  cheerless  and  dreary  waste  of  sand  and  wild  cactus, 
without  a  shrub  or  tree,  or  a  foot  of  arable  land,  to  en- 
courage the  weary  emigrants.  In  time,  however,  they 
succeeded  in  building  up  a  thrifty  settlement,  and  al- 
though they  failed  to  make  the  desert  blossom  like  the 
rose,  they  made  an  oasis  to  gladen  the  hearts  of  weary 
travelers.  j\Irs.  Laub  was  an  excellent  woman,  and  en- 
dured the  trials  and  vicissitudes  of  a  pioneer  life  with 
fortitude  and  Christian  resignation.  In  personal  appear- 
ance she  scarcely  rose  to  the  average  height  of  women. 
She  had  luxuriant  black  hair,  dark  eyes,  and  a  fair  com- 
plexion, with  plump,  rosy  cheeks,  and  was  considered  a 
very  handsome  woman.  She  raised  a  large  family,*  but 
the  hardships  of  a  life  on  the  plains  and  the  desert, 
coupled  with  her  onerous  domestic  duties,  undermined 
her  rugged  constitution,  and  she  died  at  the  compara- 
tively early  age  of  forty-one,  and  was  buried  at  her  des- 
ert home,  far  from  kindred  and  friends. 

"  She  sleeps:  her  breathins^s  are  not  heard  ,.,    _  ,    . 

In  humble  chambers  far  apart, 
Her  raven  tresses  are  not  stirr'd 

That  lie  upon  her  charmed  heart. 
She  sleeps:  on  either  hand  up  swells    -^    ' .'  '"'  ■'     ■    •■ 

The  plain  fringed  pillow  lightly  prest; 
She  sleeps,  nor  dreams,  but  ever  dwells 

A  perfect  form  in  perfect  rest."  ., ;.. 

George  Laub,  her  husband,  was  born  in  Lancaster 
County,  Pa.,  October  5,  1814,  and  died  November  14, 
1880,  at  St.  George.  He  was  a  carpenter,  master  builder 
and  millwright  by  trade,  and  an  excellent  workman. 
His  services  were  constantly  in  demand,  and  several  of 
the  finest  flouring  mills  in  the  territory  were  built  by 

*  It  will  be  noticed  that  she  had  eleven  children,  (eight  of  whom 
are  living,)  the  same  number  as  her  mother,  and  her  second  daughter, 
Sarah,  has  eleven  also. 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  151 

him.  He  was  industrious  and  conscientious,  kind  to  his 
family,  and  provided  for  them  liberally,  considering  the 
circumstances  which  surrounded  him  and  the  conditions 
of  the  country  in  which  they  lived.  He  was  more  than 
seventeen  years  the  senior  of  his  wife,  and  outlived  her 
eight  years,  dying  at  the  age  of  sixty-six.  They  had 
issue  (surnanied  Laub)  as  follows: 

i.  Ephraim,  b.  October  23,  1846,  in  Hancock  County, 
Illinois,  d.  June  7,  1847,  at  the  place  where  he 
was  bom.  .  •  .    . 

ii.  Luemma  Elizabeth,  b.  December  27,  184S,  in  Clay 
County,  Mo.;  married  John  William  Snell  July  11, 
1864,  at  St.  George,  Utah.  Mr.  Snell  was  bom 
March  2,  1842,  at  La  Harpe,  Illinois.  Soon  after 
marriage  they  settled  in  Salt  Lake,  where  Mr. 
Snell  is  engaged  in  mining  operations  and  the 
^  commission  business.     They  have  one  son,  John 

W.  Snell,  Jr.,  b.   March   14,   1866.     He  received 
his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native 
city,  and  graduated  from  the  University  of  Des- 
eret  in  1882.     On  the  20th  of  September,  1885,  he 
entered  a   competitive  examination — open  to  all 
the  young  men  in  the  territory  from  17  to  21  years 
of  age — for  the  appointment  as  a  cadet  to  West 
Point.     Mr.  Snell,  in  this  examination,  was  recom- 
mended by  the  board  of  examiners  for  appoint- 
ment, and  he  entered  West  Point  Military  Acad- 
*"     emy  June  12,  1S86.     After  an  experience  of  two 
years  in  that  rigid  school,  he  retired  and  entered 
-      Columbia  Law  School,  New  York  City,  October 
6,   1888.     At  the  same  time  he  was  pursuing  his 
'     studies  in  the  College,  he  read  law  under  a  prom- 
**'•      inent  attorney  in  the  city,  and  after  passing  a  bril- 
liant examination,  February  12,  1891,  was  admit- 
ted to  the  New  York  bar.     On  the  loth  of  June 
following,  he  graduated  with  high  honors   from 


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122  THE   FAMILY  OF  MAGENNIS. 

the  Law  School,  and  was  complimented  with  the 
degree  of  LL.  B.  It  is  his  intention  to  engage  in 
his  profession  in  some  western  city. 
in.  Sarah,  b.  November  lo,  1850,  in  Clay  County,  Mo.; 
m.  Ute  \V.  Perkins,  at  St.  George,  in  1867.  He 
was  b.  in  Illinois  February  4,  1849.  They  reside 
at  Overton,  Nevada,  where  Mr.  Perkins  follows 
the  occupation  of  a  farmer.     They  have  issue: 

1.  Eva  R.,  b.  November  20,  1868.     She  mar- 

ried Brigham  Whitmore,  at  Overton,  Ne- 
vada, October  16,  1 886.    They  have  three 
. :  sons,  viz.: 

1.  Br>'ant,  b.  August  iS,  18S7. 

2.  Roxton,  b.   February  13,  1SS9. 

3.  Clifford  B.,  b.  Sept.  18,  1890. 

2.  Ute  v.,  b.  at  St.  George  October  19,  1870. 

3.  Emma  E.,  b.  at  St.  George  May  2,  1872. 

She  married  David  J.  Cox,  at  St.  George, 
April  3,  1888,  and  they  reside  at  Overton. 
Have  two  daughters: 
.1.   Luemma,  b.  March  25,  1889. 

2.  Eunice   Virginia,   b.    February 
18,  1891. 

4.  Joseph  Franklin,  b.  at  St.  George  January 

15,  1874. 

5.  Pearl,  b.  at  St.  George  April  i,  1876. 

6.  John  F.,  b.  February  14,  1878. 

'  •      ,      7.  George  Elwood,  b.  October  12,  1880. 

8.  Mary  v.,  b.  June  21,  1882. 

9.  Fay,  b.  June  28,  1884. 

10.  Ralph,  b.  November  19,  1886. 

11.  Clara,  b.  September  28,  1889. 

iv.  George  Weydler,  b.  December  15,  1852,  in  Salt  Lake; 
m.  Willamina  Terry  November  15,  1875.  She 
was  bom  April  14,  1859,  in  Salt  Lake,  and  died 
May  27,  1890,  at  St,  George.     Issue: 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  123 

r.  George  Leonard,  b.  September  10,  1876. 

2.  Thomas  Franklin,  b.  January  20,  1879. 

3.  Marion  Weydler,  b.  May  21,  1S81. 

4.  Willamina  Zelma,  b.  February  27,  1883;  d. 

September  27,  1883. 

5.  Joseph  Alma,  b.  January  10,  1885. 

6.  John,   b.   December   20,    1887.     All   were 

born  in  Hebron  but  Thomas;  his  place 
W ->':;],-         of  birth  was   St.   George.      The   family 
still  lives  at  Hebron.     Occupation,  car- 
penter and  builder. 

V.  John  Franklin,  b.  iVugust  4,  1854,  in  Salt  Lake;  m. 
Marj'  Elizabeth  Pulsipher  November  15,  1875. 
She  was  born  November  20,  1859,  in  Salt  Lake. 
Issue: 

1.  Mar>'  Jane,  b.  August  26,  1876;  d.  June  10, 

1888. 

2.  Rozilla,  b.  December  18,  1878;  d.  July  27, 

1880. 

3.  Carrie  Elizabeth,  b.  February  21,  1881. 

4.  John  Franklin,  b.  February  21,  1883. 
'*•'•  .  '•••         5.   Melvina,  b.  December  21,  1884. 

6.  Alice,  b.  June  6.    1889.     All  but  Rozilla 
were  born  at  Hebron,    Utah.     She   was 
•  bom  at  St.  George.     The  family  still  re- 

sides at  Hebron.    Occupation,  farmer  and 
ranchman. 

vi.  Mary  Jane,  b.  November  29,  1856,  in  Salt  Lake;  m. 
Arnold  D.  Miller  December  14,  1873,  at  Salt  Lake 
City.  He  was  born  March  2,  1852,  at  Council 
Bluffs,  Iowa.     Issue: 

1.  Arnold  Daniel,  b.  October  23,  1874. 

2.  Bert  Henr}',  b.  December  15,  1876. 

3.  Franklin  Alma,  b.  September  3,  1879. 

4.  Edwin  Stanley,  b.  August  11,  1882. 

*  5.  George  William,  b.  December  26,  1886. 


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124  "^^^    FAMILY   OF    MAGENNIS. 

6.  Mar>'  Elmira,  b.  November  7,  18S7.  The 
first  four  were  born  at  St.  George;  the 
last  two  at  Egin,  Bingham  County,  Ida- 
ho, where  the  family  now  resides.  Mr. 
Miller's  occupation  is  that  of  ranching 
and  farming. 
vii.  Rebecca  Alice,  b.  October  4,  1858,  in  Salt  Lake;  d. 

October  27,  1861. 
viii.  Rachel,  b.  July  13,  i860,  in  Salt  Lake;  m.  William 
Alma  Perkins  August  21,  1877,  in  St.  George, 
Washington  County,  Utah.  He  was  b.  in  Potta- 
wattamie County,  Iowa,  January  28,  1847.  ^Y  oc- 
cupation he  is  a  farmer  and  freighter.  They  re- 
'.  .         side  in  St.  George,  and  have  ivSsue: 

1.  William  Wallace,  b.  January  23,  1878. 

2.  Louis  Ray,  b.  September  10,  1881. 

3.  Rachel,  b.  March  19,  1S84. 

4.  Joseph  and  Franklin,  twins,  b.  January'  12, 

1886. 

5.  Mary  Lorennia,  b.  October  4,  1888. 

6.  Caroline,  b.  April  13,  1891. 

ix.  William  Benjamin,  b.  August  4,  1862,  in  Salt  Lake; 
m.  Mar}-  Robinson  September  10,  1881.  She  was 
born  in  Lancashire,  England,  April  10,  1864.  Is- 
sue: 

1.  Jennie  Luemma,  b.  January  3,  1882,  in  St. 

George. 

2.  Blanche,  b.  July  23,    1883,  at  Hamilton, 

Utah. 

3.  Corinda,  b.  March  11,1886,  at  Hebron. 

4.  William  Robinson,  b.  April  4,  1888,  at  Dia- 

mond Valley,  Utah.     They  now-  reside  at 
St.  George,  Utah.     Occupation,  farming. 
X.   Carrie,  b.  August  4,  1865,  in  St.  George;  m.  Fred- 
erick  William   Richards  April    2,    1885,   at  Salt 
Lake.     He  was  born  April  27,  1865,  at  Farming- 
ton,  Utah,     Issue: 


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SJJMUEL  MEGINNESS. 


/" 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND    HISTORY.  1 25 

1.  Frederick  William,  b.  September  20,  1S86, 

at  Farmington. 

2.  Rena  Luella,  b.   March  26,  iSSS,  at  Ply- 

mouth, Utah.     They  reside  at  Plymouth, 
Box  Elder  County,  Utah,  where  Mr.  Rich- 
ards follows  the  occupation  of  a  farmer. 
xi.  Corinda  E.,  b.  July  19,  1867,  in  St.  George;  d.  No- 
vember 9,  18S7,  in  Salt  Lake,  at  the  house  of  her 
sister,  Mrs.  Snell.     Unmarried. 


No.  13. 

SAMUEL  MEGINNESS,^  (Benjamin/  James,* 
Samuel,'  James,'-  John  Brian, i)  b.  July  3,  1832,  in  Bart 
Township,  Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  and  emigrated  to  Han- 
cock County,  Illinois,  with  his  parents,  in  the  summer 
of  1843.  He  remained  in  Illinois  for  four  years,  when 
the  family  moved  further  westward,  crossing  the  State 
of  Iowa  in  wagons.  They  passed  over  the  iMissouri  river 
and  located  at  Florence,  in  what  was  then  the  unorgan- 
ized territory  of  Nebraska,  a  few  miles  above  what  is  now 
the  flourishing  city  of  Omaha,  xA-fter  living  there  a  year 
and  a  half,  or  tw^o  years,  they  recrossed  the  river  and  took 
up  their  residence  on  the  great  scope  of  flat  land  where 
the  railroad  depot  now  stands  at  Council  Bluffs. 

He  stayed  here  until  June,  1849,  when  he  bid  adieu  to 
parents  and  home,  and  started  for  St.  Joseph,  Missouri, 
to  seek  his  fortime  among  strangers.  There  he  remained 
until  June,  1850,  engaged  in  whatever  employment  he 
could  find.  At  this  time  the  gold  fever  was  at  its  height, 
and  there  was  a  rush  for  California.  He  obtained  em- 
ployment of  Middleton  &  Riley,  merchants,  to  drive  an 
ox  team  across  the  plains.     About  the  ist  of  July  they 


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126  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGENXIS. 

pulled  out  from  Fort  Kearney  for  Salt  Lake,  where  they 
arrived  the  ist  of  November  following. 

The  journey  was  long,  tedious  and  toilsome;  many 
Indians  were  seen  by  the  way,  but  no  trouble  was  ex- 
perienced from  them.  Countless  herds  of  buffalo  were 
encountered  on  the  plains,  and  many  exciting  incidents 
occurred.  The  highly  rarified  condition  of  the  atmos- 
phere in  the  vicinity  of  the  mountains  caused  some  dis- 
appointment as  well  as  amusement.  One  day,  as  the 
caravan  was  wending  its  way  up  the  Platte,  a  man 
named  Thompson  saw  something  ahead  of  him  in  the 
road  which  he  supposed  was  a  woman  walking.  He  was 
on  horseback,  and  immediately  struck  out  to  overtake 
her.  As  he  did  not  get  back  to  the  train  until  ii  o'clock 
at  night,  it  was  feared  that  the  Indians  had  captured 
him.  When  he  rode  into  camp  he  reported  that  he  had 
failed  to  overtake  her,  which  added  to  the  myster}--  of  the 
case.  The  next  day  the  mysterious  walking  woman  was 
again  seen  ahead,  but  when  night  came  she  had  not  been 
overtaken.  The  illusion  was  seen  every  day  for  nearly 
two  weeks,  and  when  they  came  up  to  it,  it  proved  to 
be  what  is  known  on  the  plains  as  the  great  Chimney 
Rock!  The  rarified  atmosphere  was  what  had  caused 
the  deception  as  to  distance.  On  discovering  what  it 
was,  "  Thompson's  woman"  was  the  subject  of  much 
merriment,  and  he  was  mercilessly  joked  about  it  by  the 
teamsters. 

They  saw  more  buffalos  in  one  herd,  he  says,  "than 
could  stand  in  Santa  Clara  Valley."  "One  day,"  he 
continues,  "while  lying  in  my  wagon,  very  tired  and 
partly  asleep,  I  was  aroused  by  my  team  running  away. 
Another  ox  team,  also  under  full  headway,  was  running 
alongside  of  mine,  and  the  hubs  of  the  wheels  almost 
touched.     I  succeeded  in  getting  out  and  reaching  the 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  I27 

wheel  oxen,  but  they  were  so  frightened  that  I  could  do 
nothing  but  hang  on  to  the  ox  bow.  The  wheels  of  the 
two  wagons  were  touching  and  there  was  danger  of  a 
collision  and  smashup.  Fortunately  at  this  moment  the 
pin  in  the  goose  neck  of  the  team  of  the  other  wagon 
came  out  and  let  the  oxen  loose,  so  that  I  had  a  show  to 
stay  with  my  team.  The  oxen  had  been  frightened  and 
stampeded  by  the  buffalo. 

"  In  the  evening  one  of  the  teamsters  broke  his  wagon 
tongue  off,  and  we  were  compelled  to  remove  the  light 
goods  and  abandon  the  wagon  by  the  roadside.  We  went 
into  camp  about  one  hundred  yards  from  it,  but  in  the 
morning  it  was  stripped  of  the  cover,  and  the  flour 
emptied  on  the  ground.  Thieving  Indians  did  the  work. 
If  I  had  the  wagons  and  log  chains  that  were  left  on  the 
plains  I  would  soon  have  a  fortune. 

"We  camped  near  Independence  Rock  one  evening 
on  the  Sweet  Water,  when  Henry  Walker,  W.  W.  Mark- 
ham,  William  Jones  and  myself  carried  a  wagon  wheel 
to  the  top  of  the  rock  for  the  purpose  of  letting  it  roll 
down.  In  the  descent  its  velocity  became  so  great  that 
all  the  woodwork  flew  to  pieces,  leaving  only  the  tire, 
which  made  the  trip  and  frightened  the  antelope  and 
mountain  sheep  which  were  feeding  near  by. 

"  In  the  morninor  we  found  that  the  Indians  had  stolen 
two  of  our  horses  during  the  night.  The  famous  Porter 
Rockwell  was  in  command  of  our  train,  and  I  am  free 
to  say  that  a  kinder  hearted  man  never  lived." 

He  remained  at  Salt  Lake  until  May,  1852,  when  he 
resumed  his  journey  for  California,  and  traveled  with  a 
wagon  train.  The  trip  across  the  arid  plains  and  the 
Humboldt  desert  was  a  tr>'ing  one,  but  they  managed  to 
get  through  with  little  loss.     They  crossed  the  Sierra 


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128  THE    FAMILY  OF    MAGEXNIS. 

Nevada  range  of  mountains  at  the  old  Emigrant  Pass, 
which  lies  between  Carson  Valley  and  California,  better 
known  as  the  old  Carson  Route.  "  On  the  3d  of  July, 
1852,"  he  continues,  "I  painted  my  name  on  a  rock  on 
the  summit,  and  the  snow  was  about  three  feet  deep  at 
that  time!"  Soon  after  this  they  reached  Sacramento, 
and  the  journey  was  over. 

After  a  rest  of  about  a  month  at  Sacramento,  he 
made  his  way  to  Pleasant  Valley,  about  two  miles  from 
Placerville,  and  engaged  in  gold  mining.  He  followed 
this  business  for  about  a  year,  when  not  meeting  with 
much  success,  he  left  the  place  and  went  to  Johnstown, 
not  far  from  Coloma,  El  Dorado  County,  where  he 
worked  in  the  mines  about  a  year.  But  as  luck  did  not 
attend  his  labors  he  abandoned  gold  mining  and  re- 
turned to  Sacramento,  where  he  remained  about  a  year, 
turning  his  hand  to  whatever  he  could  find  to  do. 

His  adventures  while  engaged  in  gold  mining,  were 
they  written  up,  would  fill  a  small  volume.  He  relates 
that  in  1853  he  and  John  Allread  went  over  the  Sierra 
Nevada  range  to  Carson  Valley,  near  what  is  now  Gold 
Hill,  Nevada,  to  try  their  luck  in  that  region.  They 
stopped  and  worked  in  what  was  known  as  Gold  Canon. 
There  were  a  few  miners  ahead  of  them'  at  that  time, 
and  they  warned  them  to  be  on  the  lookout  for  the  thiev- 
ing Indians.  Their  experience  with  them  is  given  in 
his  own  words:  "We  worked  all  day,  and  in  the  eve- 
ning went  down  to  the  store  to  get  our  blankets  and 
clothes.  When  we  returned,  about  11  o'clock  at  night, 
to  our  dug-out  in  the  side  hill — the  front  being  walled 
up  and  a  blanket  suspended  for  the  door — we  went  in 
and  laid  our  blankets  and  clothes  in  one  bunk,  while  we 
occupied  that  of  another  man.  In  the  morning  we  were 
surprised  to  find  that  during  the  night  the  cursed  Ute 


P.IVIVTHOAl/.    HO  7  Jn<';A'>i    HHT 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  12^ 

Indians  had  stolen  everything  we  had,  except  our  over- 
alls, which  we  had  not  taken  off!" 

On  another  occasion  he  had  an  experience  with  the 
Digger  Indians,  which  he  relates  as  follows:  "  xA.ll  win- 
ter there  was  a  camp  of  Digger  Indians  near  our  shanty. 
The  winter  of  1852  was  a  hard  one.  John  Allread,  Oli- 
ver P.  Duncan  and  I  were  the  only  boys  in  the  mines, 
and  we  worked  in  partnership.  Our  claim  was  half  a 
mile  from  the  shanty.  One  day  I  was  going  home  to 
dinner,  when  I  saw  some  young  bucks  coming  out  of  the 
shanty.  I  made  for  them  and  caught  one,  when  the 
first  thing  I  knew,  there  were  three  old  bucks  with  their 
bows  and  arrows  drawn  on  me.  I  had  to  let  him  so  as 
quickly  as  I  could.  Just  then  some  miners  came  along 
and  relieved  me,  when  the  Indians  scampered  away.  I 
then  said  I  never  would  trust  an  Indian  again,  for  we 
had  fed  them  all  winter,  and  that  is  the  way  they  re- 
paid us. 

*'The  miners  used  to  call  us  'them  cussed  boys.' 
We  played  all  kinds  of  tricks  on  them.  We  kept  up  a 
noise  all  night  long,  and  worked  hard  to  play  tricks. 
Those  were  as  happy 'days  as  I  ever  spent." 

In  the  fall  of  1855  ^^  ^^^^  Sacramento  for  the  mag- 
nificent Santa  Clara  Valley,  and  permanently  located 
within  three  miles  of  what  is  now  the  thrifty  and  beau- 
tiful city  of  San  Jose,  about  fifty  miles  south  of  San 
Francisco. 

His  experiences  on  the  plains,  in  the  deserts,  the 
mountains  and  the  gold  fields,  in  the  early  days  of  Cali- 
fornia, have  been  varied  and  exciting.  He  has  seen 
hard  times  as  well  as  good,  met  all  classes  of  people, 
and  witnessed  many  of  the  thrilling  scenes  which  trans- 
pired in  the  early  days  of  the  state,  when  the  thirst  for 


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130  THE    FAMILY  OF   MAGENXIS. 

gold  was  the    controlling  power  and  led  men  into  all 
kinds  of  excesses  and  troubles. 

On  the  15th  of  June,  1857,  he  married  Martha  Ann 
Coudit,  of  San  Jose,  and  settled  at  a  very  pleasant  place 
on  the  highway,  about  three  miles  south  of  the  city,  and 
engaged  in  farming.  She  was  born  in  Newark,  N.  J., 
September  10,  1831,  and  emigrated  west  with  her  pa- 
rents.    They  have  issue  as  follows: 

i.  William  H.,  b.  March  14,  1S5S;  m.  Florence  Haley 
November  i,  1886.  Reside  about  four  miles  south 
of  San  Jose,  and  follow  dair\-ing  and  stock  raising. 
They  have  issue: 

1.  Mabel  M.,  b,  October  7,  1S87. 

2.  Hazel,  b.  October  14,  1889. 

u.  Clara  A.,  b.  June  12,  i860;  m.S.  Pelegrin  Chaboyd 
August  10,  1889.  Reside  in  San  Jose,  Xo.  532 
South  Eighth  street.  Occupation,  fanner.  Xo 
issue. 

u'l.  Charles  E.,  b.  May  28,  1862;  m.  Lillie  Greenfield 
October  24,  1886.  He  lives  a  few  miles  south  of 
San  Jose,  and  is  engaged  in  farming  and  fruit  rais- 
ing.    They  have  issue: 

1.  Bessie,  b.  September  30,  1887. 

2.  Noma,  b.  February-  19,  1890. 

iv.  Mary  J.,  b.  January  9,  1866;  m.  Stephen  T.  Xichol- 
son  March  15,  1885.  Reside  a  short  distance  south 
ea.st  of  San  Jose;  engaged  in  farming  and  fruit 
raising.     They  have  issue: 

1.  Lester  A.,  b.  December  19,  1887. 

2.  Edna,  b.  July  i,  1889. 

V.  Ulysses  S.,  b.  August  25,  1868.  He  is  a  blacksmith 
by  trade,  which  he  follows  in  San  Jose.  Unmar- 
ried; makes  his  home  with  his  parents. 

vi.  Walter  J.,  b.  October  14,  1871.  Unmarried.  At 
home  with  his  parents. 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND    HISTORY.  131 

No.     14:. 

WILLIAM  HARVEY  MEGINNESS/ (Benjamin,  ^ 
James, "*  Samuel,^  James,-  John  Brian, ^)b.  April  21, 
1834,  in  Bart  Township,  Lancaster  County,  Pa.  He  had 
only  attended  three  terms  of  public  school,  when,  in  the 
spring  of  1843,  his  parents  emigrated  to  Hancock  Coun- 
ty, Illinois,  thus  depriving  him  of  the  advantages  of  an 
education.  Two  years  were  spent  in  Illinois,  when  they 
concluded  to  go  further  west,  and  after  wandering  about 
for  a  year  or  more,  they  finally  settled  at  Council  Bluffs, 
Iowa,  in  1846.  This  portion  of  the  state  was  then  a 
wild,  the  town  had  not  been  founded  and  the  now  flour- 
ishing city  of  Omaha  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Mis- 
souri River  had  not  been  thought  of.  Owing  to  the 
wildness  of  the  country  and  its  sparsely  settled  condi- 
tion, there  were  no  school  facilities  whatever,  and  he 
grew  up  unaided  by  the  advantages  of  education;  and  un- 
til the  breaking  out  of  the  civil  war  in  1S61,  all  he 
learned  was  obtained  through  his  own  energies. 

While  living  at  Crescent,  Iowa,  he  married  Miss  Sa- 
rah Nixon,  July  4,  1861.  She  was  a  native  of  Fayette 
County,  Pa.,  where  she  was  born  November  6,  1843. 
He  soon  afterwards  purchased  a  tract  of  200  acres  of  land 
in  Hazel  Dell  Township,  Pottawattamie  County,  Iowa, 
and  settled  down  to  the  life  of  an  agriculturist. 

When  the  war  broke  out  and  a  call  for  troops  was 
made,  he  was  ready  to  march  in  defense  of  his  country 
and  flag,  but  for  various  reasons  he  did  not  enlist  until 
1862,  when  he  went  out  in  the  29th  Iowa  regiment,  com- 
manded by  Col.  Thomas  H.  Benton,  Jr.  The  regiment 
left  Council  Bluffs  one  thousand  and  twelve  strong,  and 
proceeded  direct  to  St.  Louis,  where  they  were  detailed 
for  patrol  duty  for  two  weeks.     They  were  then  ordered 


I{_I  fHOTr'An   (1>TA    Annuo  2T1 

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132  THE    FAMILY   OF   MAGENNIS. 

to  Columbus,  Kentucky,  where  they  were  first  put  under 
fire.  After  a  stay  of  ten  days  at  th.at  place,  they  em- 
barked for  Helena,  Arkansas.  Here  the  regiment  re- 
mained for  about  two  weeks,  until  the  expedition  was 
ordered  up  the  White  River. 

The  force  sent  on  this  expedition  numbered  about 
twenty  thousand.  It  went  as  far  up  the  river  as  Duvall's 
Bluff,  where  on  disembarking,  a  rebel  force  was  en- 
countered. A  brisk  engagement  ensued,  which  resulted 
in  the  rebels  being  driven  back  towards  Little  Rock,  with 
the  loss  of  a  large  quantity  of  ammunition,  cotton  and 
provisions.     This  was  in  December,  1862. 

From  Duvall's  Bluff  the  regiment  returned  to  Hele- 
na in  time  to  join  an  expedition  to  cut  the  levee  on  the 
Mississippi  state  side  of  the  river,  and  run  a  fleet  of  boats 
through  to  the  Tallahatchie — thence  down  that  stream 
to  the  Yazoo,  for  the  purpose  of  besieging  Vicksburg, 
that  place  then  being  the  focus  for  all  the  troops  on  the 
river.  After  a  long  and  laborious  task,  a  large  fleet  of 
boats  carrying  about  twelve  thousand  men,  succeeded 
in  reaching  the  Tallahatchie,  and  proceeded  to  Shell 
Mound,  where  a  strong  fort  and  a  large  rebel  force  were 
encountered.  Here  the  troops  were  landed,  and  for  some 
time  the  fight  was  continued.  Two  gunboats,  the  Chil- 
licothe  and  Baron  De  Kalb,  accompanied  the  fleet,  and 
here  it  was  that  he  had  a  fine  opportunity  to  witness  the 
conflict  between  these  iron  clads  and  the  fort.  While 
here  he  was  sent,  with  eight  others,  all  picked  men,  to 
penetrate  the  picket  line  of  the  enemy,  ascertain  their 
force  and  the  strength  of  their  position.  This  was  a 
hazardous  undertaking,  and  fraught  with  danger,  but 
the  little  force  crept  silently  through  the  swamps  and 
cane  brake  until  they  were  inside  the  picket  line,  where, 
with  field  glasses,  they  scrutinized  the  place  and  strength 
of  the  rebel  force. 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND    HISTORY.  I33 

On  attempting  to  get  back  they  were  discovered,  and 
the  only  way  to  get  out  was  to  boldly  make  the  attempt  to 
capture  a  post  of  six  men.  This  was  successfully  done, 
and  six  prisoners  were  brought  into  camp,  besides  good 
drawings  of  the  fortification.  For  the  part  taken  in  this 
affair  he  was  made  First  Sergeant  of  his  company.  A, 
which  position  he  held  to  the  close  of  the  war. 

On  account  of  the  Mississippi  River  falling,  and  the 
danger  consequent  on  such  a  thing,  the  attempt  to  reach 
Vicksburg  and  aid  General  Grant's  forces  was  aban- 
doned and  the  fleet  ordered  back  to  Helena,  where  it  ar- 
rived in  time  to  aid  in  making  preparations  to  meet  a 
force  under  General  Price,  which  was  threatening  to  at- 
tack the  place. 

As  Vicksburg  appeared  to  be  so  effectually  besieged 
by  Grant,  and  the  rebel  leaders  evidently  aware  that  on 
the  4th  of  July  a  tremendous  effort  would  be  made  for 
its  capture;  and  knowing  that  a  vast  store  of  provisions 
was  at  Helena,  they  thought  it  would  be  a  fine  achieve- 
ment to  secure  the  booty.  Here,  on  the  4th  of  July, 
1863,  was  fought  one  of  the  greatest  battles  of  the  war. 
The  Union  forces,  numbering  not  more  than  five  thou- 
sand men,  commanded  by  General  Prentiss  of  Shiloh 
fame,  completely  routed  a  rebel  army  of  twenty  thou- 
sand, commanded  by  Generals  Price  and  Van  Dorn,  cap- 
turing and  killing  as  many  men  as  he  had  under  his 
control.  Here  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  under  fire 
for  six  hours,  firing  one  hundred  and  forty  shots  from 
the  guns  of  men  who  had  been  killed,  and,  strange  to 
say,  came  out  of  the  battle  without  a  scratch! 

After  this  victory  and  the  fall  of  Vicksburg,  General 
Steele  was  put  in  command,  and  he  immediately  began 
preparations  to  march  on  Little  Rock.  About  the  mid- 
dle of  September,    1863,    the  march   commenced;   and 


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134  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGEXNIS. 

at  the  end   of  a  month  it  was  successfully  ended  by  the 
capture  of  that  city,  with  many  prisoners  and  arms. 

The  following  spring  an  expedition  was  started  from 
Little  Rock  to  co-operate  with  General  Banks'  forces 
on  the  Red  River,  in  Louisiana.  After  the  retreat  of 
Banks,  General  Steele's  command  had  a  hard  time  and 
much  severe  fighting  to  get  back  to  Little  Rock.  At 
Jenkins'  Ferry  a  severe  battle  was  fought  in  the  rain  and 
mud,  and  here  two  brothers — ^Joseph  and  Benjamin — 
were  wounded,  and  the  former  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
enemy.  Steel  retreated  and  again  began  entrenching 
and  fortifying  the  place.  For  eight  or  ten  months  fight- 
ing was  almost  continuous. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1865  the  29th  was  ordered  down 
the  Mississippi  to  New  Orleans,  and  from  there  to  Fort 
Morgan  at  the  mouth  of  Mobile  Bay,  to  join  the  forces 
under  General  Canby,  then  preparing  to  march  on  Mo- 
bile. The  march  was  commenced  about  the  first  of  April, 
1865,  and  at  the  end  of  two  months  the  city  of  Mobile 
and  all  the  boats  of  the  enemy  on  the  river,  and  all  the 
forts  along  the  Bay,  had  been  captured.  He  was  en- 

gaged in  about  the  last  fight  of  the  war  at  "Whistler 
Station,"  eight  miles  out  of  the  city.  Soon  after  this 
he  was  lying  in  the  Mobile  City  Park,  reading  a  news- 
paper, when  the  great  explosion  of  ammunition  took 
place  in  the  warehouses,  completely  demolishing  one- 
third  of  the  city  and  killing  over  700  soldiers  and  con- 
trabands. He  escaped  through  all  the  battles  and  skir- 
mishes of  that  section,  but  had  a  brother  (Joseph)  again 
wounded  at  the  desperate  charge  on  Spanish  Fort.  About 
Mobile  was  found  the  most  perfect  engineering  in  the 
defenses  of  any  in  all  the  confederacy. 

After  quiet-had  been  restored  at  Mobile,  the  29th  was 
sent  to  Mount  Vernon  arsenal  on  the  Alabama  River,  to 


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ITS   ORIGIN    AND   HISTORY.  135 

hold  and  protect  the  place.  It  was  here  that  the  news 
of  the  assassination  of  President  Lincoln  was  received. 
Rumors  through  rebel  sources  had  been  rife  for  a  few 
hours,  when,  on  seeing  a  boat  coming  up  the  river,  he 
ran  out  in  a  canoe  and  hailed  it  for  a  newspaper.  Some 
one  on  board  had  the  kindness  to  wrap  up  and  throw  him 
a  paper  containing  the  sad  news.  From  here  the  regi- 
ment was  sent  to  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande,  in  Texas, 
whence,  after  a  stay  of  two  months,  it  was  ordered  to 
New  Orleans  to  be  mustered  out  of  service.  Sergeant 
Meganness  made  out  the  muster  rolls  for  Company  A, 
and  called  the  names  for  the  mustering  officer.  This 
took  place  in  August,  1S65,  when  the  men  were  sent  to 
Davenport,  Iowa,  and  paid  off. 

During  the  whole  three  years  of  service  Sergeant  Me- 
ginness  served  as  correspondent  for  two  Iowa  papers,  and 
wrote  many  graphic  letters  describing  the  scenes  and  bat- 
tles through  which  he  passed. 

On  returning  home  he  quietly  settled  down  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  which  he  followed  without  interrup- 
tion for  several  years.  On  ihe  opening  of  the  centen- 
nial at  Philadelphia  in  1876,  he  came  east  and  visited 
his  friends  and  the  scenes  of  his  childhood  for  the  first 
time  in  thirty-three  years.  One-third  of  a  century  had 
wrought  so  many  changes  that  he  scarcely  recognized 
the  familiar  places  of  his  youth,  and  they  possessed  lit- 
tle attractions  to  him,  since  he  had  witnessed  so  many 
stirring  scenes  in  the  West  and  South. 

• 

When  Governor  Kirkwood  was  inducted  into  office 
he  appointed  Sergeant  ]\Ieginness  one  of  his  aids,  with 
the  rank  of  Lieutenant  Colonel,  and  he  served  as  such 
for  four  years,  or  during  his  administration.  He  has 
also  held  various  civil  positions  of  trust  and  honor  since. 


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,136  THE    FAMILY  OF    MAGENNIS.  '>''■■" 

About  1S85  he  spent  a  year  in  Arizona  and  New  jMex- 
ico,  engaged  in  testing  an  invention  for  the  more  speedy 
separation  of  gold  dust  than  the  old  methods,  which 
gave  him  an  opportunity  of  seeing  and  studying  those 
curious  countries  and  the  strange  people  that  inhabit 
them.  This  invention  he  had  patented  while  living  in 
Denver  a  few  years  ago,  and  at  some  future  time  he  may 
put  it  on  the  market.  It  is  said  to  be  a  marvel  of  inge- 
nuity and  to  perform  its  work  well. 

He  has  traveled  nearly  all  over  Colorado,  New  Mexi- 
co, Arizona,  and  a  great  portion  of  the  Pacific  coast. 
While  in  New  Mexico  he  visited  the  old  Spanish 
churches  at  Santa  Fe  and  Albuquerque,  stood  upon  the 
walls  of  the  old  ruin  of  Casa  Grande,  in  the  Gila  River 
Valley,  examined  many  of  the  ancient  ruins  of  the  Az- 
tecs and  sun  worshipers,  traveled  among  the  Navajoe 
and  Pueblo  Indians,  rode  the  lonely  mountain  trail  along 
the  continental  divide  with  that  wonderful  Indian  maid- 
en, a  Navajoe  chief's  daughter,  wdio  is  so  loved  and 
worshiped  by  all  the  wild  tribes  living  along  that  rug- 
ged chain  of  mountains.  In  fact,  he  has  visited  all 
places  in  both  those  territories  of  any  interest  to  travel- 
ers; has  traveled  through  the  famed  Painted  Desert, 
where  the  wild  Indian  dare  not  go,  and  the  Petrified 
Forest,  where  everything  is  stone.  All  ancient  ruins  in 
that  region  of  any  note  have  been  visited  by  him,  and 
he  has  examined  the  Indian  hieroglyphics  and  carv- 
ings on  the  rocks,  dug  around  the  buried  walls  and 
foundations  of  the  sun  temples  of  the  pre-historic  peo-* 
pie  who  once  dwelt  in  this  strange  land;  watched  the 
Navajoe  and  Peublo  Indians  weave  blankets  on  their 
simple  looms  a  thousand  years  old,  and  went  with  them 
over  and  through  mountains  where  white  men,  perhaps, 
never  trod  I 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  I37 

After  living  in  Denver  for  two  years,  for  the  benefit 
of  his  wife's  health,  he  disposed  of  his  farm  in  Iowa  in 
1889,  and  emigrated  to  California  for  the  pnrpose  of 
seeking  a  new  location  in  a  more  congenial  climate. 
After  looking  around  for  a  short  time  he  settled  in  a  new 
place  called  Summerland,  on  the  beach  of  the  Pacific 
ocean,  not  many  miles  from  Santa  Barbara,  and  engaged 
in  the  grocery  and  provision  business.  The  town  has 
grown  rapidly,  and  as  natural  gas  has  been  struck  at  a 
depth  of  one  hundred  feet  on  his  own  lot,  the  prospects 
for  a  boom  and  increased  business  are  good.    ■:,.,, 

He  is  now  (1891)  Post  Commander  of  Summerland 
Post,.  No.  158,  G.  A.  R.,  Department  of  California,  and 
takes  an  active  interest  in  military  affairs.  For  several 
months  he  served  as  local  editor  of  the  village  paper, 
but  when  business  became  brisk  he  resigned  his  position. 
Issue : 

i.  Inez,  b.  April  21,  1862;  d.  August  23,  1862. 
it.  Grant  Hastings,  b.  August  22,  1866;  m.  Lulu  White 
at  San  Jose,  (who  was  born  there  February  23, 
1868)  October  10,  i8Sg.  They  have  one  son,  Wil- 
liam Archie,  b.  August  31,  1890.  The  father  of 
Mrs.  Meginness — Archibald  Watson  White — was 
born  in  Scotland,  and  his  wife — Carolina  Amelia 
Hervey — was  born  in  the  State  of  New  York,  and 
is  a  descendant  of  Noah  Webster.  Grant  and 
his  wife  now  reside  in  Oakland,  California. 


No.  15 


JOHNSTON  MEGINNESS, «  (Benjamin,  ^  James,  ^ 
Samuel,^  James, 2  John  Brian, i)  b.  December  10,  1836, 
in  Bart  Township,  Lancaster  County,  Pa.  In  the  sum- 
mer of  1843  he  moved  to  Illinois  with  his  parents,  where 


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138  THE    FAMILY  OF  MAGENNIS.  ,^ 

they  remained  a  few  years,  and  then  crossed  Iowa  in  the 
tide  of  emigration  which  was  setting  westward.  They 
stopped  for  one  winter  at  Florence,  in  what  is  now  Ne- , 
braska;  then  recrossed  the  Missouri  River  and  located  in 
Council  Bluffs,  near  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  great 
Union  railroad  station. 

On  the  I2th  of  May,  1852,  he  started  across  the  plains 
with  his  brother-in-law,  George  Laub,  and  arrived  in 
Salt  Lake  that  summer.  There  he  remained  until  the 
following  spring,  when  he  joined  a  wagon  train  and  pro- 
ceeded to  California,  arriving  there  in  the  summer  of 
1853.  He  was  then  only  about  seventeen  years  old. 
Gold  mining  being  all  the  rage  at  that  time,  he  engaged 
in  placer  mining,  which  he  followed  for  two  years.  He 
then  joined  a  company  of  mounted  rangers,  and  for  three 
years  they  were  engaged  in  fighting  Indians.  Their  du- 
ties were  arduous  and  dangerous,  and  they  were  subjected 
to  many  privations,  and  more  than  once  barely  escaped 
capture  and  massacre.  The  company  ranged  all  over 
northern  California  and  the  greater  portion  of  what  is 
now  the  state  of  Oregon.  In  the  spring  of  1857  they 
visited  Victoria  in  British  Columbia,  where  they  re- 
mained a  short  time.  Early  in  the  spring  of  1S58  the 
company  returned  to  San  Francisco  and  disbanded. 

After  spending  a  short  time  at  San  Jose  with  a  broth- 
er, he  again  returned  to  the  mines  and  resumed  the 
search  for  gold.  This  occupation  he  followed  till  the 
spring  of  1862.  Not  meeting  with  much  success,  and 
tiring  of  the  rough  life  experienced  in  mining,  he  left 
California  and  returned  to  Utah.  He  soon  afterwards 
engaged  in  quartz  mining  and  smelting  ores,  so  largely 
followed  in  that  territory  at  that  time.  This  occupation 
he  followed  for  sixteen  or  seventeen  years,  devoting  a 
portion  of  his  time  to  "prospecting"  in  the  mountains. 


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ln\n   ,• 

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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  139 

Reports  of  rich  findings  in  Arizona  having  reached 
him  from  time  to  time,  he  determined  to  visit  that  hot, 
arid  region  and  try  his  luck  in  a  new  field.  Accordingly 
he  departed  for  that  territory  in  1865.  He  found  it  an 
exceedingly  rough  and  dangerous  country,  where  life 
was  scarcely  respected  by  the  adventurers  who  made 
their  way  there.  Not  liking  the  country  or  the  climate, 
he  returned  to  Beaver  County,  Utah,  in  1869,  and  then 
on  July  1 2th,  of  that  year,  he  married  Mary  Ann 
Adare. 

Soon  afterwards  he  went  to  Nevada  and  engaged  in 
milling  ores.  But  owing  to  the  failing  health  of  his 
wife  he  removed  to  Iron  County,  Utah,  and  settled  in 
Cedar  City,  located  on  the  rim  of  the  Great  Basin,  24 
miles  southwest  of  Parowan.  Here  his  wife  died  Au- 
gust 12,  1870,  leaving  a  daughter  aged  about  one  year.' 
After  this  misfortune  he  returned  to  Beaver  County, 
Utah,  and  built  a  furnace  for  smelting  the  base  ores 
which  abound  in  that  country.  This  business  he  fol- 
lowed with  varying  success  until  1877,  when  he  returned 
to  Iowa  to  visit  his  brothers,  bringing  his  motherless 
daughter  with  him.  Here  he  remained  until  1880,  when 
he  made  a  trip  to  Leadville,  but  not  liking  the  place,  re- 
turned to  Iowa  the  same  year  and  engaged  in  farm  work. 
In  1878,  September  13th,  he  married,  second,  Melissa  J. 
Cafferty,  of  Pottawattamie  County,  Iowa. 

In  the  month  of  December,  1886,  he  had  another  at- 
tack of  the  gold  fever,  when,  in  company  with  his  broth- 
er William  Harvey,  they  made  a  journey  to  Arizona  and 
went  to  work  in  the  placer  mines.  The  object  of  their 
visit  was  more  particularly  for  the  purpose  of  experiment- 
ing with  and  testing  a  "cold,  dry  washing  machine," 
which  he  had  invented.  It  was  so  arranged  as  to  separate 
the  particles  of  gold  from  the  dirt  without  the  use  of 


h>T{r  I  :v':    ':.;;;','i;d   fiffOMtf.    nt   ;^^;fi[;r!rl    rlori   to  r"'-     - 
.*.';(!'  :r;i:'   y:<\7  oi  ix/v; ';^r^>I'U.•   .»'!  ,:=■?;!;:)  i/i  jini^  .rl 

^-lontf^Ti/)-.!-/-  •    .Lltv/1  v/'^'f  )-.  i;:  ,>:•'(  grii  /:ij  bin;,  norj^^i  bhfi 
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6\ll    •JTsd'ri'    ,v";*r!f:i:'0    -;'•:.  ■;'!■:    :?  ssj    ll'^UJ-''!    '■' 

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b.:a"rrj;t.>:  ■;;;  non?/  ,-'  's  'lUn'  f.-'.-M'Mi^.  giilviiiy  rfi-w  b5'/?oI 

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140  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGKXNIS.  •    :  H 

water,  and  it  is  pronounced  a  successful  machine.  But  not 
meeting  with  the  success  in  mining  which  they  antici- 
pated, they  soon  returned  to  Iowa,  and  again  resumed 
farming.  And  for  the  last  few  years  he  has  lived  in  the 
town  of  Missouri  Valley,  Iowa,  where  he  is  engaged  in 
a  boiler  shop. 

Like  his  five  brothers?  his  career  has  been  a  check- 
ered one,  and  he  has  had  many  rough  experiences  in 
the  mountainous  regions  of  Colorado,  Utah,  California 
and  Arizona.  He  spent  nearly  the  half  of  his  life  in 
the  gold  mines  of  those  states  and  territories,  but  for- 
tune never  smiled  upon  him.  Such  has  been  the  luck 
of  many  others,  and  he  cannot  claim  to  be  alone  in  the 
fruitless  search  for  the  precious  metal.  His  life  and  ad- 
ventures, if  written  out  in  full,  would  make  a  story 
more  thrilling  in  its  details  than  any  dime  novel  yet 
published.      He  has  issue  as  follows: 

i.  Sarah  L,,  by  first  marriage,  b.  July  6,  1867.     Resides 
with  her  father  at  Missouri  Valley,  Iowa. 

By  second  marriage: 

z.  Eliza  J.,  b.  June  12,  1879. 

it.  James  A.  G.,  b.  October  19,  1880. 

m.  William  H.,  b.  March  23,  1882. 

iv.  John  F.,  b.  January  2,  1884;  d.  in  infancy. 

V.  Rosebell,  b.  September  10,  1885. 


No.  16. 

JOSEPH  BREAD V  MEGIXNESS,*^  (Benjamin,  5 
James,"*  Samuel,  ^  James, -John  Brian,  ^)b.  in  Bart  Town- 
ship, Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  April  21,  1838;  m.  Mary  J. 
Debolt,  in  Pottawattamie  County,  Iowa,  June  22,  1858. 
She  is  a  native  of  Fayette  County,  Pa. 


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.£881  ,oi  ladmsjq^S  .d  ,ii.i  .jcwl  .u 


.81  .o>l 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND    HISTORY.  141 

He  emigrated  to  Illinois  with  his  parents  in  1S43,  ^"^ 
afterwards  accompanied  them  to  Council  Bluffs  and  Flor- 
ence, a  small  town  on  the  western  bank  of  the  Missouri. 
His  boyhood  days,  therefore,  were  spent  west  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  on  the  plains.  In  1855  or  1856,  he  returned 
east  and  remained  about  a  year  with  his  relatives,  and 
attended  school  one  winter  in  Jersey  Shore,  Pa.,  while 
staying  with  an  elder  brother.  The  next  year  he  re- 
turned to  the  west  and  located  in  Iowa.  He  learned  the 
trade  of  a  plasterer  and  became  an  expert  workman. 

Soon  after  the  breaking  out  of  the  civil  war  he  en- 
listed in  Company  A,  Twenty-ninth  Iowa  Volunteers, 
and  served  principally  in  the  Southwest.  He  was  se- 
verely wounded  in  the  left  thigh  and  leg  at  the  battle  of 
Jenkins'  Ferry,  Saline  River,  Arkansas,  April  30,  1864, 
left  on  the  field  and  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 
He  was  confined  in  the  rebel  prisons  at  Princeton  and 
Camden.  Leaving  the  latter  place  on  the  ist  of  Octo- 
ber, 1864,  he  reached  Shreveport,  La.,  on  the  7th,  and 
Tyler  on  the  14th.  Here  he  was  held  a  prisoner  in  camp 
until  the  14th  of  February,  1865,  when  he  was  paroled 
and  sent  to  the  mouth  of  Red  River.  The  Union  mili- 
tary authorities  here  received  him  and  sent  him  to  New 
Orleans.  On  the  20th  of  March,  1865,  he  was  fur- 
loughed  and  started  for  home,  where  he  arrived  the  lat- 
ter part  of  the  same  month.  In  a  short  time  he  was 
ordered  to  Camp  Benton,  St.  Louis,  and  then  to  Daven- 
port, Iowa,  where  he  was  discharged  as  a  paroled  pris- 
oner May  25,  1865,  on  account  of  the  war  having  closed. 

While  wounded  and  in  the  hands  of  the  rebels  he 
suffered  much.  He  was  compelled  to  march  360  miles 
when  hardly  able  to  do  so,  which  greatly  aggravated  his 
wound  and  prevented  it  from  healing  as  soon  as  it  other- 
wise would  have  done. 


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142  THE   FAMILY   OF   MAGENNIS.  *'•'■ 

When  he  reached  home  he  resumed  farming,  having 
previously  purchased  a  large  and  fine  body  of  land  on 
Mosquito  Creek,  near  the  village  of  Weston.  On  this 
farm  he  has  been  very  successful  in  raising  corn,  the 
yield  some  seasons  being  very  heavy  and  of  a  fine  quali- 
ty. A  few  years  ago  he  acquired  another  fine  tract  of 
land  in  Northern  Nebraska,  by  remaining  on  it  and  cul- 
tivating it  a  sufficient  length  of  time  to  receive  a  title 
from  the  government. 

Joseph  Bready  ]\Ieginness  and  wife  have  issue  as  fol- 
lows: 

i.  Alice  Celinda,  b.  April  i8,  1859,  in  Gamer  Town: 
ship,  Pottawattamie  County,  Iowa;  m.  James  H. 
Shields,  of  New  York,  April  19.  1881,  and  resides 
at  Weston,  Iowa,  where  Mr.  Shields  is  engaged  in 
the  grocery  business.     They  have  issue: 

1.  Pearl  Shields,  b.   October  6,  1884;  d.  Au- 

gust 4,  1886. 

2.  Hazel  Shields,  b.  July  i,  1889. 

ii.  Eliza,  b.  January  22,  1861,  in  Garner  Township;  m. 
Samuel  Roberts,  of  Hazel  Dell  Township,  Janua- 
ry 11,  1885,  and  resides  on  a  farm.  They  have  is- 
sue: ,    .^,      ,  ;,    ;,^     •,:,', 

I.   Mary  Roberts,  b.  January  7,  1890. 

Hi.  Frank,  b.  in  Garner  Towmship,  March  30,  1863. 
Single,  and  lives  with  his  parents. 

iv.  Irene,  b.  December  12,  1865,  in  Hazel  Dell  Town- 
ship; m.  J.  T.  Farrell,  of  Illinois,  January  21, 
1881.  They  live  in  Gordon,  Nebraska,  engaged 
in  the  restaurant  business. 

V.  Charles,  b.  April  22,  1869;  d.  September  23,  1870. 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  l/[% 

No.  17.  : 

BENJAMIN  MEGINNESS,  Jr.,^  (Benjamin, ^ 
James,'*  Samuel,^  James, -  John  Brian,  ^)  b.  October  13, 
1840,  in  Bart  Township,  Lancaster  County,  Pa. ;  m.  Han- 
nah Braden,  a  native  of  Fayette  County,  Pa.,  in  Iowa,    • 
Se^ptemher  7,  1861,  and  died  of  cancer  of  the  lower  lip    ' 
December  9,  1888.      His  sufferings  were  long  and  severe, 
but  he  bore  up  under  his  affliction  with  wonderful  calm- 
ness and  resignation,  and  died  peacefully  a  few  minutes 
after  the  arrival  of  a  favorite  brother  from  Denver.      For 
days  he    had  anxiously    awaited  his  coming,   and    fre- 
quently enquired  after  him,  although  so  enfeebled  that 
he  could  scarcely  make  his  wishes  known.      When  he   1 
arrived  and  greeted  him  on  his  bed,  he  recognized  him,    . 
rose  up  greatly  pleased,  then  fell  back   exhausted  and   f 
soon  expired.  '       l;:  .  x  •..:'  .'-ipir.  ■•'■ 

As  he  was  less  than  five  years  old  when  his  parents    • 
moved  west,  he  was  virtually  raised  in  the  western  states  '' 
and  territories,  and  endured  all  the  hardships  and  suffer- 
ings to  which  the  early  emigrants  were  subjected.     When  ■;■ 
but  a  small   boy  he  drove  an  ox  team  across  the  plains    ■■ 
and  throug-h  the  burning  sands  of  the  deserts  to  San  Ber-  .1 
nardino,  California,  and  back  again.      On  his  long  and 
weary  journeys  in   those  early  days  of  emigration,  and  / 
roughing  it  on  the  plains,  he  saw  some  very  hard  times,  v. 
and  often  almost  despaired   of  getting  through  safely.   . 
Various  tribes  of  Indians  were  encountered,  but  he  never  i 
had  any  trouble   with  them  as  they  passed  to  and  fro. 
He  became  quite  familiar  with  the  manners  and  customs 
of  the  roving  bands,  and  learned  the  peculiar  habits  of 
white  men  on  the  plains. 

Having  driven  an  ox  team  across  the  plains  in  the 
very   beginning  of  that  mode  of  transportation,  he  be-  • 


■;i;l!..')  ln'rrjbnij-'f:  s\i:-'/  rr,n:nh']F.  fUti  isb.'nr  .tu  .nod  5>rt  7UQ 


,!inr[  hosinyo^'jt  3fl  ,b-->a  air'  H'-i  (iinf  byJ^Trsi  has  bavhifi 
biri:  Loinr' i:\iY.3    :Joi^i   II'jl    rtarii  ,h'^«iii>Iq 


•if  3ffJ  ^rto-;  ji;  m;;i>-l  xo  ni;  ■yroi'o  3ff  vod    ilcraa  fi  iud 


jtir  (: 


.(•:j   bfJi-  #%'l^     SB 


no  iii>j 


(;.,.'     --.'  J'  I 


144  THE    FAMILY  OF    MAGENNIS.  -    4,' 

came  inured  to  the  hardships  that  white  men  were  called 
upon  to  endure,  and  was  soon  as  tough  and  bronzed  as 
an  Arab  of  the  desert.  He  was  only  about  twelve  years 
old  when  his  mother  died  at  Council  Bluffs  in  1849.  -^^' 
ter  returning  from  his  long  and  weary  journey  to  San 
Bernardino,  California,  he  settled  in  Hazel  Dell  Town- 
ship, Pottawattamie  County,  Iowa,  and  there  he  married 
his  wife.  He  soon  after  purchased  a  tract  of  land  and 
engaged  in  farming,  an  occupation  which  he  followed  to 
the  close  of  his  life. 

Soon  after  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  he  enlisted, 
December  21,  1S63,  in  Company  A,  Twenty-ninth  Iowa 
Volunteers,  under  Captain  Gardner,  and  straightway  en- 
tered the  service  in  the  Southwest.  At  the  battle  of 
Jenkins'  Ferry,  Saline  River,  Arkansas,  April  30,  1864, 
he  received  a  wound  in  the  left  side,  but  soon  recovered 
and  entered  upon  duty  again.  In  the  attack  on  Spanish 
Fort,  near  Mobile,  he  received  another  slight  wound. 
He  participated  in  the  campaigns  of  the  Southwest  and 
saw  much  severe  service. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  mustered  out  at  New 
Orleans,  August  10,  1865,  and  immediately  returned  to 
his  home  and  family  in  Iowa,  and  resumed  agricultural 
pursuits. 

Benjamin  ^leginness  was  a  good  citizen,  and  greatly 
respected  in  the  Township  where  he  lived.  Until  he 
was  attacked  by  disease,  he  was  a  strong,  robust  man, 
and  able  to  endure  great  fatigue.  His  ailment,  which 
was  similar  to  that  which  caused  the  death  of  his  grand- 
father, November  i,  1839,  soon  sapped  his  vitality  and 
rapidly  undermined  his  constitution.  He  was  stricken 
in  the  full  vigor  of  manhood,  and  died  at  the  compara- 
tively early  age  of  forty-eight.  During  his  illness  he  had 
the  warm  sympathy  of  all  who  knew  him,  and  nothing 


s--- 


.PAWAR^yAU     K)  WMV.Al.    HUT  ^^I 

ii  .';.tio  aiow  ii-jiit '.iihhf/  i^tlj  >(]rd«hi/;rl  ailJoi  brruni  •ymno 


!H  c]  03  yycrrwof  yi/-'.:»v,'   htw;  -j.^iT'-.'  2ir{  i\ioii  ,;r.'An'.!i^:n  isi 


"j  b3v/oiio'l  sil.ji:;irfw  nonr>qjiOj<'»  ni;  ,j}' 


,|.d8i  ,fj>;  fiiaA  .Hcyuhih/.  .lavi^l  3fth'ii>8  ,vM5H  '^■ 

03  -ivr.v   bun  ,^d8i  ,01  Jt-.n-o?'/-.  ,fnii3hO 

u-ji.\iui-:'j'i    brri.  ,.!jwoI  fir  7!' 


-c 


wjj  . .'     .  ,  to 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  I45 

was  left  undone  that  would  better  his  condition  or  ad- 
minister to  his  comfort.  His  death  was  deeply  and  sin- 
cerely mourned,  for  all  felt  that  one  of  the  best  and  most 
useful  men  in  the  township  had  fallen. 

His  widow  and  unmarried  children  occupy  the  home- 
stead, and  their  only  son,  John  C.,  carries  on  the  farm. 

Benjamin  Meginness  and  wife  had  issue:    "     ••  ;  i"5:->i.':, ' 

i.  Eliza  N.  Meginness,  b.  August  5,  1862,  in  Hazel 
Dell  Township;  ra.  William  J.  Hutchison,  of  the 
same  township,  Nov.  29,  1885.  He  is  a  farmer  by 
occupation.     They  have  children  : 

1.  John  Benjamin,  b.  February  21,  1887. 

2.  Ruby,  b.  June  2,  1888:  d.  the  same  day. 

3.  Raymond,  b.  May  11,  1890. 

n.  Sarah,  b.  March  30,  1864;  m.  Freeman  W.  Mene- 
ray,  of  Crescent,  Iowa,  March  20,  1883.  He  is  a 
nurseryman  by  occupation.     They  have  issue: 

1.  Luemma  Adelia,  b.  January  i,  1886. 

2.  Albert  Oscar,  b.  Nov.  2;^,  1887, 

m.  John  C,  b.  December  14,  1867.  Farmer  by  occupa- 
tion and  lives  with  his  mother.     Single. 

iv.  David,  b.  February  3,  1868;  d.  February  4,  1868. 
V.  Dora,  b.  June  26,   1870.     Lives  with   her  mother. 
Single.  '^■^''"' 

vi.  Luemma,  b.  May  26,  1872.  Lives  with  her  mother. 
Single. 


No.  18. 


MORRIS  McGINNESS, -5  (James, -^Samuel,  3  James,  2 
John  Brian,  ^)  b.  January  9,  1828,  in  Colerain,  Lancaster 
County,  Pa. ;  m.  Miss  Sarah  A.  Swinehart,  of  Quarry- 
ville,  Lancaster  County,  February  28,  1854.  She  was 
born  July  i,  1832. 


-his  TO  noUihnoo  ■r'.rA  y^U'y^  fifj'ow  imU  *»«r»5ftti 
•aif.  hm..  viq-job  c.r. .v 

.ij. 

,  •  '.ct  ti(I.i  no  p.^nTc:")  ,.0  /f'ic*|   ,r'\."^,  yiijo  jfofli  L 

f..,.,.r7   ,.:  .         ■;    .fj  ^^^..,      .         '•'  ,  vi:;.!  .T 

■.:^      .  W  .in  I 

:  U'.i-tbluio  ^^VBfl  vyr(T  ,.     j'* 

I 

...;*.    .;;  c  Jiw  aavij     .s^8i  ,di  xhM  .d  .ivr 

» 


146  THE   FAMILY  OF   MAGENXIS.  "..j/ 

Morris  was  only  about  eleven  years  old  when  his 
father  died  and  Junius  Marshall  was  appointed  his  guar- 
dian and  took  him  to  live  with  him.  The  farm  of  the 
latter  adjoined  that  of  Morris'  father.  Before  reaching 
his  majority  he  was  apprenticed  to  James  P.  Russell,  of 
Georgetown,  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  saddle  and  harness 
maker,  but  as  his  tastes  inclined  him  to  farming,  he 
never  followed  it. 

Soon  after  marriage  he  engaged  in  farming,  and  he  has 
followed  that  occupation  to  the  present  time.  He  has  re- 
sided in  York  County,  Pennsylvania,  as  well  as  Har- 
ford and  Baltimore  Counties,  Maryland.  He  is  now  the 
owner  of  a  farm  of  286  acres  in  the  latter  county,  and  he 
carries  on  farming  on  a  large  scale.  His  farm  is  located 
about  three  and  one-half  miles  northeast  of  Parkton,  a 
station  on  the  Northern  Central  Railroad.  Postoffice, 
Shane.     Issue: 

i.  Martha  Rebecca,  b.  April  9,  1S55  ;  d.  August  23, 
1864. 

ii.  William  Franklin,  b.  August  12,  1856;  married  Miss 
Ellen  Virginia  Grove,  of  York  County,  Pa.,  Jan. 
4,  1 88 1.     They  have  issue: 

1.  Cynthia  Odell,  b.  November  7,  1886. 

2.  Nellie  Sarah  Jane,  b.  December  i,  1S90. 

They  live  in  Baltimore  County,  Mar>'- 
land,  and  he  follows  the  occupation  of  a 
farmer. 

in.  Howard  B.,  b.  November  12,  1858.  Unmarried.  Re- 
sides in  Baltimore  County,  Md.  Occupation, 
farmer. 

iv.  George  W.,  b.  February  19,  1861.  Unm.  Resides 
in  Baltimore  County,  Md.    Occupation,  farmer. 

V.  Morris  Elmer,  b.  June  16,  1864;  d.  August  12,  1865. 


;lff      ,,,    •     .  .  .      >::.    .  .  .-!     i^.^l'^.t^l     kill     .:.i.  ,-^..kI 

;:r;f  :>fl  bjiL  ,;^nri;-;/:t  f^  J.^o'^o^n':;  ofi  -.^-.i-hmni  :i>fiJi  ifooS 
-OT  <f;ii  oil      .^cr.  '  .'r. ■3^-:- .'<■.;  ojIt  o:!  iroiK^qi.r  •:■  J~!ij  bsv/oliol 
-u\'.   rn   I'vv;   -.:■    ,r;r:i;7J7^un^*l     , /Jr;j;oO   >!-;Y    fri   babra 
:?4ij  ^^''i^   :'  :-*ii      .'inriv',/'''."  ,<L>:Jri;jo'^  ■jionn  !:t;^I  i'nij  biol 

.,:;.'J;r<:^o-i      .hftoiIifjJT   I/:-T^r;>0   r;  JOii;  !-/Vl   ffiJ   no   notlBiz 

«^il/„  ['jiTTraii  ,t>;;''  J  .ii  S>ir^,nA  ,0  ,i!ii>!nr.T'I  iCbill'V/   .u 

•■•i>--i  .!v;>^i  „f. 

x<u':-i    1  ladoiaoaQ  .d  ,i)t!t»I  de-rt-R  iHBZ    s 

T 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  147 

vi.  Mary  Catharine,  b.  July  26.  I S66.  Unm.  Lives  with 
her  aunt,  Mrs.  Martha  S.  Day,  at  Prospect,  Har- 
ford County,  Md. 

vii.  Hannah  Ehzabeth,  b.  August  3,  1868.  Married 
Benjamin  F.  Koler  Nov.  26,  188S.  By  occupa- 
tion he  is  a  coachmaker  and  blacksmith.  Resides 
at  Shrewsbur>-,  York  County,  Pa.  They  have 
issue: 

I.   Grace  Day,  b.  November  7,  1S89. 

viii.  Tidings  Miller,  b.  August  2,  1S71.     Lives  with  his 
parents  and  is  employed  on  the  farm. 

ix.  Sarah  Luella,  b.  April  16,  1S76.  Lives  with  her 
parents. 


No.  19. 

WILLL-VM  WILTSHIRE  .McGINNESS/' (James,-* 
Samuel,^  James,-  John  Brian,  M  b.  March  31,  1830,  in 
Colerain,  Lancaster  County,  Pa. ;  m.  Sarah  Emily  Dre- 
non,  of  Georgia,  at  "Yankey  Hill,"  Butte  County,  Cali- 
fornia, August  29,  1861,  and  d.  April  10,  1873. 

He  was  the  second  son  of  James  McGinness  and  Han- 
nah Miller,  his  third  wife,  and  was  raised  in  Lancaster 
County.  As  soon  as  he  was  old  enough  he  learned  the 
trade  of  a  carpenter,  which  occupation  he  followed  for  a 
livelihood.  A  few  years  before  i860  he  emigrated  to 
California,  where,  as  stated  above,  he  married  his  wife 
in  1861.  The  country  being  new  at  that  time,  there  was 
much  building  going  on  and  he  found  ready  employment, 
but  he  died  at  a  comparatively  early  age,  leaving  issue  as 
follows: 

i.  Hannah  Ann,  b.  April  11,  1865;  d.  October  12,  1865. 


lib',  rlr'ri'j  b^6i 


'■>   ..:.'  ;  ^^^HX^^ia'.!'    ""^     ■■TJIV/  l-(/JJJIW 
;!       ;     :    ,.i   rio-ijfil'':    .';f   ■'  i]_   -  ,;-m::.i    -  ,f-3f;ni£8 

-yrC    /l;;':,'i  ihv- -.-^  .ni   ;  .tSl  ,yjniJo'J   iiosrori/ij  ,riifii3ioD 
•IIb'J  .YJnr.'oJ  -jj;.'.;:!  ''.ffiH  'n-Anp/i      in  ,crT.p  •■>0  "io  ,non 

-.■r':H  bcB  er-i'^nniAjoV  >.:5r!jii(_lc  .'to-*  f/ruo-J^  =!f.']  iuiw  aH 

;.   .-  .  •  ■-  ..-.  , , ,. .  .  .  ,  !£•>  •'  "     ■-•'  '^.li 


•eld?!  ,ri  -ztKfoioO  .h  ;?dfci  ,ir  IhqA  .d  ,afiA  dsncfiH  . 


148  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGENNIS.  :  i  . 

//.  Ellen  Agnes,  b.  September  16,  1S66;  m.  Andrew 
Hamilton  Canterbun- June  29,  18S4.  They  have 
children: 

1.  Florence  Irene,  b.  September  22,  1885. 

2.  Frankie  May,  b.  July  18,1887. 

3.  Ina  Lena,  b.  March  i,  1889. 

4.  LawTence  Andrew,  b.   February-  28,  1891. 

They  reside  near  Copay,   Yolo  County, 
California.     By  occupation   Mr.   Canter- 
bury is  an  orchardist. 
Hi.  Alice  Irene,  b.  Feb.  23,  1S69;  m.  John  E.  Zumalt, 
of  Solano  County,  Cal.,  Ma}'  6,  1889.     They  have 
one  child,  Daniel  Edward,  b.  Aug.  8,  1890.     They 
reside  near  Oroville,  Butte  County,  Cal.     By  oc- 
cupation Mr.  Zumalt  is  a  miner. 
iv.  Willie  Newton,  b.   Dec.   8,  1872;  d.  March  9,  1873. 

Mrs.  Sarah  Emily  McGinness  m.,  second,  Thomas 
Francis  Malgin,  September  21,  1S73,  of  Cherokee,  Butte 
County,  California.      They  have  issue: 

1.  Mar>'  Frances,  b.  January  13.  1877. 

2.  Ruby  Belle,  b.  November  13,  1879.     Mr.  Mal- 

gin is  a  farmer  by  occupation. 


No.   20. 

MARTHA  SWIFT  McGINNESS,^  (James,*  Sam- 
uel,^ James,-  John  Brian, ^)  b.  February  20,  1833,  in 
Colerain,  Lancaster  County,  Pa. ;  m.  John  R.  Day,  of 
Harford  County,  Md.,  December  10,  1868,  and  settled  at 
Prospect,  in  that  county. 

Mr.  Day  was  b.  January  30,  1829.  He  was  a  carpen- 
ter and  farmer  by  occupation,  and  lost  his  life  in  the 
great  flood  at  Johnstown,  May  31,  1889.  The  circum- 
stances of  the  sad  aSair  were  as  follows: 


.;>!>! ;iH,) AM    HO  VJIKA''!    HRT  8|!,T 

//Jimo'J  oJoY    ,vr>qoQ    if-;:;  t,ii.>;^.ri  YadT 

■'■•.'Hfju  £  ^i  :frx::jr.tr;S 
;-jff»ai  ovcrf  (an'T     .Birno'lilfiD  ,xsnuoO 


ITS   ORIGIN    AND    HISTORY.  I49 

Toward  the  latter  part  of  May,  ]\Ir.  Day,  in  company 
with  his  daughter  Grace,  left  home  for  the  purpose  of 
visiting  Mr.  Henry  Robinson  and  family,  at  Saltsburg, 
Indiana  County,  Pa.,  they  being  old  friends  of  the  fam- 
ily. They  reached  their  destination  in  safety,  and  after 
a  pleasant  visit,  started  to  return  on  the  31st  of  May. 
It  had  been  raining  incessantly  for  twenty-four  hours, 
and  the  streams  were  all  greatly  swollen.  They  boarded 
the  Day  Express  at  Blairsville  Intersection  and  pro- 
ceeded as  far  as  Johnstown.  Here  the  streams  were 
found  to  be  so  high  and  rapidly  rising  that  the  train  was 
brought  to  a  halt  a  short  distance  east  of  the  Johnstown 
station.  Washouts  were  reported  ahead,  and  it  was  not 
deemed  safe  to  proceed.  Here  the  train  stood  on  the 
track  from  10  a.  m.  to  4  p.  m.,  when  the  mighty  volume 
of  water  from  the  broken  dam  came  rushing  down  the 
valley  with  irresistible  force  and  overwhelmed  them  in 
the  twinkling  of  an  eye.  Before  the  avalanche  of  wa- 
ters came,  the  passengers  had  manifested  great  uneasi- 
ness, and  many  left  the  train  and  clambered  up  the  side 
of  the  mountain  and  escaped.  Mr.  Day  is  reported  by 
the  survivors  to  have  shown  great  calmness  while  they 
were  l}'ing  on  the  track,  and  comforted  them  with  the 
assurance  that  there  was  no  danger.  Mrs.  Towne,  of 
Washington,  D.  C. ,  was  on  the  illfated  train,  and  was 
in  conversation  with  Mr.  Day  while  they  were  waiting 
at  East  Conemaugh.  She  afterwards  wrote  of  the  affair 
as  follows:  " I  talked  much  with  them.  Grace  looked 
pale  and  nervous,  not  with  fear,  but  with  anxiety  about 
her  mother,  knowing  she  would  expect  them  that  day. 
Mr.  Day  was  calm  and  feared  nothing  except  delay. 
We  were  some  hours  there  together.  The  bursting  of 
the  dam  was  talked  about  by  the  passengers.  Mr.  Day 
said  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  would  not  leave  them 
there  if  there  was  danger.     I  proposed  that  they  should 


(J|.I  .YH()T31H    a'AK    V5K)IHO   ?.TI 


:  ,;,;;yv/ 
...  .       .b'tJtJC,. 


v3xFj  i.M'irfv/ >>^^;/ir;,'' -^  ''.uv^  nwo'W''  jj-zj.;!  o:J  ?TOviv7ua  driJ 


^riv/   I'm;/,   jiiinl    '  rf?  no  afiv/  ..D  .Q 


iX      .ivili^noi  sigrfi  K'liJOfl  on 


b.!noxIc.  V 


150  THE    FAMILY   OF   MAGEXXIS.  .I.-.: 

join  me  and  we  would  go  to  some  house  on  the  hill  till 
next  day;  he  said  no,  but  that  he  would  assist  me  if  I  so 
desired  to  go.  Grace  thought  they  had  better  go,  yet  if 
there  was  a  possibility  of  getting  on  home  she  would 
like  so  much  not  to  disappoint  her  mother.  Just  then 
the  shrill  shriek  of  a  steam  whistle  startled  me,  and  I 
sprang  to  my  feet  exclaiming:  'What  does  that  mean  ?' 
'  It  means, '  replied  Mr.  Day,  'that  we  shall  move  on.' 
But  seeing  people  running  as  if  in  danger,  I  sprang  out 
of  the  car  alone  and  ran  towards  the  hill  with  the  crowd. 
The  first  time  I  looked  back  the  place  was  swallowed  up, 
and  I  very  likely  heard  his  last  words,  '  It  means  we 
shall  move  on.'  Poor  man,  he  little  thought  it  meant  to 
eternity!"       --.'i    ':■■•;:,'...;'••  >     .:  :    .:'    ■•'-  ■■■■■    •^--<   •• 

Others  say  that  when  the  whistle  blew  the  danger 
signal,  ]\Ir.  Day  came  out  on  the  platform  of  the  car, 
and  seeing  the  mighty  torrent  bearing  down  on  them, 
turned  back  for  his  daus^hter.  She  divined  the  danger, 
and  exclaiming,  "Oh  Pa!"  rushed  after  him.  He  seized 
her  in  his  arms  and  tried  to  cross  to  the  hillside,  but  she 
fainted  and  fell  in  the  torrent.  He  quickly  threw  his 
coat  off  and  tried  to  save  her,  but  in  a  moment  they  were 
engulfed  and  lost! 

The  body  of  Grace  was  found  next  day  near  the  rail- 
road station,  but  as  there  was  no  one  there  to  identify 
her,  it  was  soon  buried  and  the  grave  marked.  In  the 
meantime  Mr.  Robinson  came  from  Saltsburg  and  had 
the  grave  opened,  when  he  identified  Grace,  and  had  her 
remains  sent  to  his  home.  Mrs.  Day,  the  wife  and  moth- 
er, had  supper  waiting  for  them  that  night,  but  they 
came  not.  The  table  sat  as  "it  had  been  prepared,  all 
night,  and  as  time  passed  her  anxiety  increased.  Still 
no  tidings.  Rumors  of  a  great  disaster  flew  thick  and 
fast.     Finally    hope  fled  and  she  resolved  on  sending 


il'ij  [fiii  -jrii)  jro  0'U;o:!    .u'^o;.  o1  op   MiiO"//  jv/  JiiiL  jui  tifoj 
: -il;    t;-;i.i[     .igritofit   lOJl  l^iiuactji.'-ib  o!   Jon  JinMr  o^:  9>(il 


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■v::ni  ^•'nr.isVvN  ^rb    /.gG  j'j'I/!     .gmocl  ^ifl  nj  jr? 
•];;;fbr;3?.   ao  ba/Io.^^n    )ffg  brtis  haft  xfori    '{ffenri 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  I51 

some  one  to  search  for  their  bodies.  She  called  for  her 
brother  Morris  McGinness  and  begged  of  him  to  proceed 
to  Johnstown  and  make  a  search  for  the  lost.  .  He  made 
hurried  preparations  for  the  journey,- but  owing  to  the 
broken  condition  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  he  was 
compelled  to  take  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio,  and  go  via 
Washington  and  Cumberland,  which  made  the  journey 
much  longer.  He  reached  Johnstown  in  due  season, 
when  he  soon  learned  that  the  body  of  his  niece  had 
been  found  and  taken  to  Saltsburg,  whither  he  proceeded 
with  all  possible  dispatch.  Here  he  had  the  remains 
placed  in  .a  casket  and  shipped  home  by  express  via  New 
York  and  Philadelphia.  The  sad  affair  caused  a  great 
excitement,  and  it  is  estimated  that  fully  one  thousand 
persons  attended  her  funeral.  Miss  Day  was  a  young 
lady  of  excellent  standing  in  the  community,  and  num- 
bered her  friends  by  the  hundred.  She  was  a  favorite 
among  her  associates,  an  active  worker  in  the  Church 
and  Sunday  School,  and  possessed  a  lovely  Christian 
character  that  shone  with  a  resplendent  lustre  wherever 
sire  appeared.  Cut  off  in  the  purity  and  bloom  of  her 
young  womanhood,  under  the  most  distressing  and  ap- 
palling circumstances,  it  is  no  wonder  that  her  sad  fate 
has  been  the  cause  of  so  much  sorrow,  and  that  her 
memory  is  so  fondly  cherished  by  her  friends. 

The  following  poetic  tribute  by  Caroline  L.  Love,  a 
friend  and  associate,  is  as  touching  as  it  is  beautiful  and 
appropriate : 

My.sterious  Death  !  Thy  ways  are  dark, 

No  human  eye  can  pierce  thy  gloom  ; 
Thy  shaft  has  struck  a  shinin<x  mark 

In  womanhood's  full  and  vigorous  bloom. 

Whf'  death  should  strike  this  dreadful  blow 

Is  not  to  us  made  clear  and  plain  ; 
Save  Death,  she  had  no  other  foe, — 

God's  acts,  we  know,  are  not  in  vain. 


Tj'A  "rot  b..ili.0  -.ni^      .r-jfood   iljil)   i:)\  ivyrr.-:.?.  o.1  oco  omo?. 


■'•:inij)  ■  -ill    :ion!'A'  .[,ri/,;T'i':ifiii J  birL    r 

LTi.-';; -(J    Mto   ■-'Ms!  .!i;jjj  :•:>:.• -nii '-•>  -; 
■■•I;-r.^vf;l  r;    ...         ._  :       .ir/^"'- ;; r'     m j    v. 


152  THE    FAMILY  OF    MAGEXNIS.  . 

Her  womanly  form  and  pleasant  foce 

On  earth  we  cannot  meet  atrain ; 
Who,  let  us  ask.  will  fill  the  place 

She  nobly  tilled  without  a  stain. 

'Twa.s  not  in  sprincrtime's  joyous  hours. 

Nor  when  the  winter  winds  were  high,  ,    .        •  •^ 

But  in  the  summer  month  of  flowers, 

'T  was  then  the  hand  of  Death  too  soon 

Conveyed  this  loved  one  to  the  tomb. 
Prosyect,  Md. 

Her  watch,  chain  and  ring  were  found,  identified  and 
returned,  and  are  now  preserved  by  her  mother  as  sacred 
souvenirs  of  an  only  daughter  who  perished  in  the  great- 
est calamity  of  the  age. 

While  at  Johnstown  ]\Ir.  Morris  McGinness  made  dili- 
gent search  for  the  body  of  Mr.  Day,  but  finding  no 
trace,  he  was  compelled  to  return  home  without  it. 
Months  passed  away,  and  all  hopes  of  finding  the  re- 
mains were  about  abandoned,  when,  in  November  fol- 
lowing, another  rise  occurred  in  the  river  and  a  number 
of  bodies  were  washed  out  of  the  sand  near  the  Compa- 
ny store.  ^Ir.  Robinson  was  called  on  again  and  assisted 
in  identifying  the  remains  of  Mr.  Day.  His  shirt,  on 
being  shown  to  his  wife,  was  identified  as  her  work,  on 
account  of  the  peculiarity  of  the  stitching.  And  the 
clothier  who  had  sold  him  a  suit  also  identified  the 
goods,  so  that  there  could  be  no  mistake  about  the  re- 
mains being  those  of  Mr.  Day.  From  the  location  of 
the  place  where  the  November  flood  disinterred  the  body, 
Mr.  McGinness  thinks  that  he  must  have  walked  over 
the  spot  many  times  when  he  was  searching  for  it  in 
June,  five  months  before  it  was  found.  The  body  was 
buried  under  a  great  sand  and  gravel  bar,  and  when 
found  the  coat  was  missing,  showing  that  he  had  thrown 
it  oflf  in  his  desperate  efibrts  to  save  his  daughter.     The 


. :  /'  !i-ii,j  VI K^n  ^inr. 


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••fb  ^'  .'dJ  "Jo 

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ji-i  j: 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY,  I53 

remains  were  taken  home  to  Prospect,  Md,,  and  buried 
by  the  side  of  his  daughter.  The  widow,  bereft  of  hus- 
band and  children,  has  caused  a  beautiful  monument  to 
be  erected  over  their  graves  as  a  last  tribute  of  her  love 
and  affection,  and  the  memories  of  her  loved  and  lost 
will  always  remain  green  in  her  heart. 

"  There  is  no  death,  't  is  but  a  change, 

From  life  to  life  more  bright,  - ; 

And  through  eternity's  vast  range      ■  ..     ^■. ,;  >  '  ■,   ■ 
We  soar  to  higher  light." 

It  is  truly  said  that  misfortunes  scarcely  ever  come 
singly.  Mrs.  Day,  the  sorrowing  wife  and  mother,  met 
with  a  remarkable  accident  on  the  12th  of  May,  1891,  at 
her  home  at  Prospect,  Maryland.  She  was  pumping  water 
from  a  well  at  the  barn.  An  insecure  board  gave  way 
beneath  her  feet  and  she  was  precipitated  to  the  bottom 
of  the  well,  a  distance  of  fifty-eight  feet!  Fortunately 
she  was  not  stunned  by  the  fall,  and  immediately  realiz- 
ing that  no  one  knew  of  her  plight,  she  at  once  began 
to  climb  upward,  and  succeeded  in  reaching  the  top  of 
the  well  with  the  aid  of  the  pump  stock  as  a  brace  to 
rest  her  back  against.  At  this  point  her  cries  were 
heard,  and  help  appeared  at  once,  when  she  was  rescued 
from  her  perilous  position.  She  was  found  not  seriously 
injured,  with  the  exception  of  some  severe  bruises  and 
a  deep  gash  on  one  of  her  limbs.  Her  escape  from  death 
was  a  narrow  one;  and  few  persons,  under  the  same  con- 
ditions, would  have  succeeded  in  reaching  the  top  of 
the  well,  when  its  great  depth  is  considered,  as  quickly 
as  she  did. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Day  had  the  following  children: 

t.  Hannah  Grace,  b.  October  4,  iS6g;  d.  May  31,  1889. 
it.  Cora  May,  b.  April  18,  1871;  d.  May  14,  1873. 


r"-T  .Y^OTaiH  civTA  '^loi^co  art 


,  ,    ,  -1  n'ts;!  «?ni  no  J. 


•oi  3rii  y^{?!.''oji')i  m  hab^QrjiH  bna 


154  THE    FAMILY  OF   MAGENNIS.  '  '  '  -• 

NO.  21. 

WILLIAM  McCrINNESS,5  (John/  Samuel,'' 
James, 2  John  Brian/)  b.  March  24,  1804;  m.  Catharine 
Marshall,  of  Lycoming  County,  Pa.,  August  11,  1835; 
d.  January  7,  1877,  at  Lock  Haven,  Pa.  His  wife  was 
b.  December  31,  1806;  d.  July  25,  1883,  at  Lock  Haven. 

William  IMcGinness,  the  first  son  and  fourth  child  of 
John  McGinness  and  his  wife  Elizabeth  Horn,  was  born 
and  raised  in  what  is  now  White  Deer  Township,  Union 
County,  Pa.  His  mother's  maiden  name  was  Conley. 
She  m.,  first,  a  man  named  Horn,  a  miller  by  trade. 
He  died  in  the  latter  part  of  the  last  century  at  White 
Deer  Mills,  leaving  her  a  young  widow  with  four  chil- 
dren. Her  father,  James  Conley,  lived  for  many  years 
on  the  ''Long  Reach"  of  the  river  just  west  of  Wil- 
liamsport.  She  married  John  :\IcGinness  in  1798,  who 
was  several  years  her  junior.  .    ...,_.   ,..;      ,,..  1 ,,: 

William  was  raised  on  the  farm  in  White  Deer.  In 
those  early  times  the  farmers  were  obliged  to  send  their 
wheat  to  market  in  arks,  which  were  floated  down  the 
river  to  Columbia,  and  William  made  many  voyages  of 
this  kind  to  dispose  of  the  crop. 

When  he  married  ]\Iiss  Catharine  Marshall,  in  1835, 
they  settled  on  a  farm  in  what  is  now  Limestone,  Mon- 
tour County.  In  1844  he  purchased  a  larger  farm  lying 
on  the  river,  in  Northumberland  County,  near  what  is 
now  Montandon,  in  Chillisquaque  Township.  In  1847 
he  sold  this  farm  and  purchased  what  was  known  as  the 
"  Crownover  farm,"  in  Level  Corner,  Lycoming  Coun- 
ty, Pa.  Here  he  lived  and  carried  on  farming  on  an 
extensive  scale  for  several  years.  About  1858  he  retired 
from  farming,  and  soon  after  settled  in  Lock  Haven  with 
his  daughter,  Mrs.  Sarah  Prieson.    Both  he  and  his  wife, 


.1^   .OH 

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~i, ,  ..--..  '   -  i-  ,.,.-■■--. 

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,g1iwai;  l.,^i.  jjl  dJoS    .i. 


ITS   ORIGIX   AND   HISTORY.      .  155 

and  a  daughter,  died  at  the  house  of  Mrs.  Prieson,  and 
they  are  all  buried  in  Highland  Cemetery.  William 
McGinness  and  wife  had  issue  as/ollows: 

i.  James,  b.  Januarj-  2=),  1837;  ™-  Miss  Sarah  Cowden, 
of  L3'Coming  County,  Pa.,  November  28,  1S61. 
She  was  b.  September  28,  1842.  Some  years  af- 
terwards they  settled  on  a  farm  in  Howard  Coun- 
ty, Iowa.     Postofl&ce,  Saratoga.     Children: 

1.  Ida,  b.  February-  24,  1S63;  m.  James  Lee 
r^\'^  Gibbons  March  25,  1886,  and  they  have 

one  daughter  and  a  son,  Edith  Maud,  b. 
February  8,  1887,  and  James  I,.,  b.  No- 
vember 29,  1889. 

2.  Herbert  Benton,  b.    October   13,    1864;  d. 

August  18,  1865. 
^^  3.  Rollo  C,  b.  May  18,  1866. 

4.  Lena  Irene,  b.  March   17,  1871;  d.  March 

10,  1S72. 

5.  Walter  M.,  b.  July  25,  1873;  d.  October  26, 

1874. 
ii.  Sarah,  b.  October  7,  1838:  m.  Dr.  Adolph  Prieson 
June  21,  i860.  Dr.  Prieson  is  a  native  of  Avignon, 
in  the  South  of  France,  where  he  was  born  Jan- 
uary' 28,  1829.  They  reside  in  Lock  Haven,  Pa., 
where  Dr.  Prieson,  in  addition  to  practicing  his 
profession,  conducts  a  large  drug  store.  They  had 
one  daughter,  Kate,  b.  October  17,  1861.  She 
married  William  H.  Klapp  October  24,  18S2.  He 
was  b.  June  25,  1862.  Their  first  child,  Adolph 
Prieson,  b.  April  22,  1883,  d;  February  9,  1884. 
The  second,  Sarah  Matilda,  b.  July  20,  1885. 
23.  Hi.  John  Shields,  b.  December  9,  1840.  Studied  medi- 
cine and  graduated  in    1S64;  m.   Mar>'  Caroline 

Esenwine,  of  Lock  Haven,  Pa.,  March ,  1869. 

She  was  b.  September  17,  1851.     Reside  in  Lock 
Haven,  Pa. 


.7>10T?JH  aviA  '/iioi>ro  axi 


:.'.v.'olIol  'ii,  '>n.->:i  b/,fi  aiiv/  iur;;  r'-:fjaHft)oM 


1     ; 


;d8i    .T 


156  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGENNIS.  1  <% 

iv.  Euphemia,  b.  December  11,  1844;  d.  October  2,  1845. 
24.    V.  William  H.,  b.  September  21.  1845.     Was  married 

four  times.     See  sketch.     Resides  at  Wiuterset, 

Iowa. 
vi.  Annie  Lucinda,  b.  April  30,  1848;  d.  April  17,  1S65. 


No.   22. 

CATHARINE  McGINNESS/  Qohn,*  Samuel,  ^ 
James, 2  John  Brian, i)b.  March  6,  1806,  in  White  Deer 
Township,  Northumberland  County,  (now  Union);  m. 
Joseph  Spotts  Rank  September  30,  1S30,  and  d.  Decem- 
ber 31,  1879. 

Joseph  S.  Rank  was  born  in  White  Deer  Township, 
Union  County,  December  18,  1807.  He  is  a  descend- 
ant of  Philip  Rank,  who  was  a  resident  of  Earl  Town- 
ship, Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  early  in  the  last  century, 
and  whose  parents  came  from  Alsace  in  1728.  The  next 
in  line  of  descent  was  Philip  Adam  Rank,  who  had  a 
son  named  Adam.  In  1790  the  latter  removed  to  a  farm 
which  he  bought  in  what  is  now  White  Deer,  Union 
County,  and  there  he  died.  He  left  a  son  named  Daniel, 
who  was  born  in  1789,  and  died  in  1854.  He  left  five 
sons  and  two  daughters.  The  eldest  of  the  sons  was 
Joseph  S.,  the  subject  of  this  notice.  When  he  married 
Catharine  McGinness  the  ceremony  was  performed  by 
Rev.  David  Kirkpatrick,  the  famous  educator,  who  so 
successfully  conducted  a  classical  school  at  Milton  for 
many  years.  In  1836  he  removed  to  Limestone  Town- 
ship, Columbia  County,  (now  Montour),  where  he  has 
resided  up  to  the  present  (1891)  time,  engaged  in  the  oc- 
cupation of  farming.  They  had  issue  (surnamed  Rank) 
as  follows: 


i).    .r.iu  >i£  y/     .5f.<ii  ,is    ;  .  .d  ,.H  .vt    .^.s 


-ij'iiL  -ojir!  /J  'i'  .dot       " -"  '        ■  • 

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i.  'Mitl  Oi'iV/  ,.;«i3i-;-i  iv.bA  q:i;HH  ^/iv/  :<n3DB'3b  'a  3nil  iii 


•n-'^  _;    .■;!    ;;«^.-L>r:::^-i 


iioi  efi 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND    HISTORY.  I57 

James  Conley,  b.  October  3,  1831,  in  White  Deer, 
Union  County,  Pa.  Soon  after  reaching  his  ma- 
jority he  went  West,  settled  in  Fillmore  County, 
Minnesota,  purchased  land  and  became  an  exten- 
sive farmer.  July  18,  1856,  he  m.  Caroline  Murphy. 
She  d.  November  6,  187S.     They  had: 

1.  Mar>'  Catharine,  b.  June  12,  1858;  m.  Jer- 

ry E.  Stevens  January  10,  1883;  reside  at 
North  wood.  North  Dakota.  By  occupa- 
tion he  is  a  farmer.  Mr.  Stevens  was  a 
member  of  the  first  Senate  of  his  State. 
No  issue. 

2.  Delphia  Clarissa,   b.  August  22,  1861;  m. 

Henry  W.  Helm  October  10,  18S2.  They 
live  in  Chicago.  Mr.  Helm  is  Cashier 
for  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad.  No 
issue. 

3.  Lucy  Ann,  b.  February  4,  1863;  m.  Edward 

WiUiams  March  21,  1886;  resides  at  Au- 
rora, Brookings  County,  South  Dakota. 
^.   .  They  have: 

I.  Nettie  Caroline,  b.    November 
•  ,_,  24,1888.     2.  Paul  Stevens,  b.  Octo- 

:  ber2i,  1890.    Mr.  Williams  is  a  farm- 

er and  insurance  agent. 

4.  Nettie  Clay,  b.  March  25,  1867.    Is  a  teach- 

er b}'  profession,  and  lives  at  Larrimore. 
North  Dakota.  She  attended  the  Inter- 
national meeting  of  the  Educational  As- 
sociation at  Toronto,  Canada,  July,  1891. 
Her  route  was  by  rail  to  Duluth,  where 
she  took  an  English  steamer  on  Lake  Su- 
perior to  Sarnia,  thence  by  rail  to  Toron- 
to. After  the  meeting  she  visited  Mon- 
treal, the  Thousand  Islands,  and  Quebec. 
Then  passed  down  into  Pennsylvania  and 


/,[<Jl,  J  .10  -jd  ,0;  8  5   ,'f'i  Vl"(_       f 


■•r. 

.0 


158  THE    FAMILY   OF   MAGEXNIS. 

,  visited  relatives,  when  she  returned  home 

';     .    .  the   latter  part  of  August  by  the   same 

route  she  came. 
5.  John  Joseph,   b.    November  6,  1869.     He 

lives  at  North  wood,  North  Dakota. 

a.  John  McGinness  Rank,  b.  July  11,  1833,  in  White 
Deer.  He  located  in  Central  City,  Colorado,  where 
he  m.  Mary  Murphy  July  11,  1866,  and  d.  July  23, 
1878.  His  wife  was  b.  in  Jersey  City  in  1844. 
He  left  issue: 

I.  John  M.,  b.  December,  1867. 
I  2.  Ida  Elizabeth,  b.  November  22,  1869.     Re- 

i  sides  at  Limestoneville,  Montour  County, 

j  Pa.     By  profession  a  teacher. 

3.  Loretta  Letitia,  b.  Feb.   16,   1872.     lyives 
\:  at  Central  City,  Colorado. 

j.  4.   Margaret  Louise,  b.  October  8,  1874.     Re- 

j  sides  at  Central  City,  Colorado,  with  her 

mother. 

zii.  Daniel  Webster  Rank,  b.  February'  16,  1835,  in  White 
Deer.  He  was  brought  up  on  the  farm.  In  1S55 
he  entered  as  a  law  student  with  Robert  Hawley, 
Esq.,  of  Muncy,  Pa.,  and  was  admitted  April  24, 
1859,  at  Williamsport,  Pa.  From  there  he  went 
to  Millersburg,  Dauphin  County,  Pa.,  where  he 
was  again  admitted  and  practiced  there  until  Au- 
gust 31,  1 86 1,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  D, 
Seventh  Pennsylvania  Cavalry.  On  October  9th 
he  was  made  Sergeant;  on  November  i8th  he  was 
promoted  to  Sergeant  Major,  and  on  June  11, 1864, 
by  order  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  was  mustered 
back  to  July  i,  1863,  as  First  Lieutenant  of  Com- 
pany M,  same  regiment.  On  August  31,  1864,  he 
was  made  Acting  Assistant  Adjutant  General  for 
the  detachment  First  Brigade,  Second  Cavalry  Di- 


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•  ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  I59 

vision,  then  at  Columbia,  Tennessee,  and  was  sub- 
sequently appointed  to  the  command  of  the  detach- 
ment to  guard  Sherman's  line  of  transportation. 
He  remained  in  this  duty  for  some  time,  and  com- 
manded the  rear  guard  on  the  retreat  from  Chick- 
amauga.  December  16,  1864,  he  was  mustered  out 
on  account  of  ill  health,  not  accepting  a  commis- 
sion as  Captain  which  had  been  sent  him.  On  his 
return  he  remained  at  home,  unable  to  engage  in 
any  occupation  until  the  beginning  of  1872,  when 
he  went  to  Scranton,  Pa.,  and  followed  his  profes- 
sion there  for  ten  years,  during  which  time  he 
was  commissioned  by  Governor  Hartranft  District 
Attorney  of  the  Mayor's  Court,  the  only  commis- 
sion issued  by  the  Governor  which  had  to  be  con- 
firmed by  the  Senate.  In  1882  he  returned  to  his 
former  home  in  Limestone,  and  in  the  fall  of  1884 
he  was  elected  District  Attorney  of  Montour  Coun- 
ty for  three  years.  May  12th,  1875,  he  married 
Marj^  Catharine,  daughter  of  Robert  H.  McKune, 
formerly  Mayor  of  Scranton.  She  was  born  Jan- 
uary II,  1846,  and  died  July  18,  1881.  To  this 
union  two  children  were  born,  both  of  whom  died 
in  infancy.  After  serving  his  term  as  District  At- 
torney of  Montour  Count}',  he  returned  to  his  old 
home,  and  on  the  29th  of  May,  1889,  he  was  ap- 
pointed Postmaster  at  Limestoneville,  Pa.,  and  at 
this  time  (1891)  is  performing  the  duties  of  his 
ofl&ce. 

iv.  Hiram  William,  b.  February'  24,  1837,  in  Limestone, 
and  d.  March  30,  1838. 

V.  Henry  Clay,  b.  August  18,  1839;  d.  September  13, 
1863. 

vi.  Elizabeth  Catharine,  b.  October  2,  1842.    Lives  with 
her  father.     Unmarried. 


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l6o  THE    FAMILY  OF    MAGENNIS.  '  ■'.: 

No.  23. 

JOHN  SHIELDS  McGINNESS,  M.D.,^  (William, ^ 
John,^  Samuel,^  James, ^  John  Brian, i)  b.  December  9, 
1840.  He  was  raised  on  his  father's  farm  in  Lycoming 
County,  Pa.,  and  received  his  education  in  the  schools 
of  the  neighborhood.  In  1859  he  commenced  the  study 
of  medicine  with  Dr.  A.  Prieson,  his  brother-in-law, 
while  living  at  Level  Corner.  Attended  one  course  of 
lectures  in  the  Pennsylvania  Medical  College,  Philadel- 
phia, session  of  1860-61.  When  the  war  broke  out  the 
collegfe  was  closed.  He  then  finished  his  education  bv 
attending  two  full  courses  in  the  University  of  Pennsylva- 
nia, sessions  of  1862-63-64,  graduating  in  March  of  the 
latter  year.  In  the  meantime  his  parents  had  removed 
to  Lock  Haven,  Pa.,  where  he  finished  his  studies  with 
Drs.  Prieson  and  Lichtenthaler.  After  graduation  he 
entered  into  partnership  with  them  in  the  practice  of 
medicine  and  the  establishment  of  a  drug  store. 

After  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run  he  went  out  as  a 
volunteer  Surgeon  from  Williamsport  with  Dr.  Crawford 
and  others. 

On  the  29th  of  August,  1864,  he  enlisted  as  a  private 
in  Company  B,  207th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  for  one 
year,  or  during  the  war.  He  was  promoted,  after  exam- 
ination, in  September,  1864,  to  Hospital  Steward.  In 
October  he  was  recommended  by  Dr.  Burg,  Surgeon  of 
the  207th,  for  promotion,  and  ordered  to  Point  of  Rocks, 
Md.,  for  examination;  but  owing  to  a  battle  coming  on 
he  did  not  get  before  the  board. 

During  Warren's  raid  into  North  Carolina  Lee  tried 
to  intercept  his  return  at  Nottaway  River,  when  the  207th, 
with  other  regiments,  was  ordered  to  join  Warren  and 
cut  off  Fitzhugh  Lee.     During  this  campaign  Surgeon 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  l6l 

Burg  was  home  on  leave  of  absence,  and  the  Assistant 
Surgeon  being  taken  suddenly  ill,  the  duty  fell  upon  Dr. 
IVIcGinness  of  taking  charge  of  the  regiment.  On  their 
return  the  Medical  Director,  for  service  rendered,  gave 
him  a  furlough  and  orders  to  report  at  Harrisburg  for 
examination  for  promotion.  He  was  examined  on  the 
26th  of  December,  passed,  received  a  commission,  and 
was  assigned  to  the  199th  Regiment,  P.  V.,  and  sworn 
in  as  Assistant  Surgeon  on  the  7th  of  January,  1865,  at 
Chapman's  Farm,  near  Richmond,  Va.,  (Twenty-Fourth 
Army  Corps).  On  the  21st  of  March  following  he  was 
detailed  to  take  medical  charge  of  the  looth  New  York 
Regiment  and  look  after  its  sanitary  condition,  and  he 
remained  with  this  regiment  until  after  the  surrender  of 
Lee.  He  participated  in  all  the  battles  from  Hatcher's 
Run  to  Appomattox. 

On  the  morning  of  the  12th  of  April  he  was  relieved 
from  duty  and  ordered  to  report  to  the  ^Medical  Director, 
when  he  received  instructions  to  go  through  the  Con- 
federate armv  and  gret  the  sick  and  wounded  readv  to 
ship,  and  to  accompany  them  back  to  Burkville  Junc- 
tion, Va.  Then  he  joined  the  199th,  and  arrived  in  Rich- 
mond on  the  22d  of  April.  He  was  then  detailed  and 
assigned  to  take  medical  charge  of  the  39th  Illinois  Regi- 
ment. He  also  had  medical  charge  of  the  Freedmen's 
Bureau. 

On  the  i8th  of  June  he  was  relieved  from  duty  with 
the  39th  Illinois,  and  ordered  to  report  to  headquarters 
for  examination  for  promotion,  passed,  and  was  offered 
a  position  to  go  with  Custer  on  the  frontiers  to  fight  the 
Indians.  But  on  the  request  of  his  mother,  and  still 
having  his  interest  in  the  drug  business,  he  did  not  ac- 
cept, and  was  mustered  out  with  the  199th  at  Richmond 
June  28,  1865. 


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l63  THE    FAMILY  OF   MAGENNIS. 

He  at  once  returned  to  his  home  in  Lock  Haven,  Pa., 
where  he  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and 
has  followed  it  to  the  present  time. 

Dr.  McGinness  married  Miss  Mary  Caroline  Esen- 
wine,  of  Lock  Haven,  March  — ,  1869.  She  was  born 
September  17,  1S51.      They  have: 

1.  William  George,  b.  June  23,  1S70. 

2.  Lillie  Lucinda,  b.  November  17,  1S72. 

3.  Henry  Shields,  b.  April  27,  1877. 

4.  Edward  Duke,  b.  July  22,  1880. 

5.  Maggie  May,  b.  February'  11,  18S9. 


No.  24. 


WILLL^M  HIRST  McGINNESS,  ^  (William,  ^ 
John,  *  Samuel,  ^  James,  '^  John  Brian,  ^)  b.  September 
21,  1845,  ^"  Chillisquaque  Township,  Northumberland 
County,  Pa. 

He  was  raised  on  his  father's  farm  in  Lycoming  Coun- 
ty, Pa.,  whither  he  removed  in  1847.  Attended  school  at 
Dickinson  Seminary,  Williamsport,  Pa.  On  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  rebellion  he  entered  the  three  months' 
service.  February  29,  1863,  he  joined  the  Forty-fifth 
Regiment,  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  as  a  private  for 
three  years.  He  was  severely  wounded  May  6,  1864,  in 
the  hand  and  the  shoulder,  in  the  battle  of  the  W^ilder- 
ness.  Recovering  from  his  wounds,  he  joined  his  regi- 
ment at  Petersburg  during  the  winter  of  1864-5,  ^"^  ^^^ 
some  time  performed  duty  in  the  trenches  with  his  arm 
in  a  sling.  While  engaged  in  this 'duty  he  caught  cold 
and  suffered  an  attack  of  pneumonia.  The  surgeon 
gave  him  a  certificate  relieving  him  from  duty,  but  he 
persisted  in  staying  with  his  regiment.     He  served  for  a 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  163 

while  as  Hospital  Steward  of  the  Forty-fifth  Regiment. 
His  regiment  with  the  balance  of  the  corps,  (9th),  guard- 
ed the  railroad  from  Petersburg  to  Burkville  Junction, 
but  he  followed  up  the  army  and  was  at  the  surrender  at 
Appomattox.  He  returned  to  Richmond  with  his  com- 
mand, and  was  mustered  out  June  17,  1865. 

Soon  after  his  return  from  the  army  he  went  to  Illi- 
nois and  engaged  in  farming.  He  married,  first,  Sarah 
M.  Clark,  of  Ogle  County,  Illinois,  at  Rockford,  Sep- 
tember 21,  1871.  She  was  born  in  Trumble  County, 
Ohio,  in  1844,  and  d.  September,  1S75.  Married,  .sec- 
ond, Eliza  M  Ray,  of  Ogle  County,  Illinois,  on  the  i8th 
of  October,  1877.  She  was  born  in  1847,  and  died  in 
April,  1878.  He  married,  third,  Fannie  Rank,  of  Lew- 
isburg,  Pa.,  in  February,  1S80,  and  she  died  in  February, 
1881,  having  been  a  wife  but  one  year  and  one  week. 
His  fourth  and  last  wife  is  Jennie  Carroll,  whom  he  mar- 
ried December  i,  1885.  She  was  b.  February  20,  1852, 
in  Pennsylvania.  No  issue.  They  reside  at  Winterset, 
Iowa,  where  Mr.  McGiuness  is  engaged  in  farming  and 
stock  raising. 

Issue,  by  his  first  wife: 

i.  Herbert,  b.  February  4,  1873. 
II.  A  daughter  b.  November,  1874;  d.  in  infancy. 


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JOHNSTON  FAMILY  OF  COLERAIN.  ^  •'_- 


fp^HIS  branch  of  the  Johnston  family  came  from 
Ireland  near  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury. I  have  not  been  able 'to  gather  much  of 
the  history  of  the  head  of  the  family,  but  thg,t 
his  name  was  William  there  is  not  much  doubt.  On  the 
fly  leaf  of  an  Irish  almanac,  printed  in  Dublin  in  1757, 
and  now  owned  by  Mrs.  Sarah  Jack,  of  Colerain  Town- 
ship, Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  I  find  this  entry: 

January  10,  1787. 
Received  from  William  Johnston  13^,  13s.  4d.  half  pen- 
ny in  full  of  all  accounts  and  arrears  of  rent  due  by  him  the 
first  day  of  May  last. 

[Signed.]  Daniel  McKinley. 

Another  entry  in  this  curious  old  book  reads: 

Received  from  William  Johnston  the  sum  of  six  pounds, 
fifteen  shillings  and  eight  pence  sterling  in  full  of  all  rents 
and  arrears  of  rent  due  for  his  holding  in  Ballylalor,  until 
the  ist  of  May,  1791.  Given  under  my  hand  the  15th  of  May, 
1792. 

[Signed.]  Daniel  McKinley. 

That  these  settlements  were  made  preparatory  to  em- 
igrating to  America  is  evident,  for  on  another  leaf  of  the 
same  book  is  found  this  memorandum: 


'u.  ■  '..''An 


ITS   ORIGIN    AND    HISTORY.    .  165 

Mark  Johnston  came  to  America  in  1794,  from  County 
Antrim,  Ireland. 

It  is  believed  that  he  was  a  brother  of  William,  and 
died  a  few  years  after  his  arrival  in  this  country,  in  Lan- 
caster County.  He  was  a  plain,  unassuming  man,  and 
little  of  his  history  is  now  remembered.  His  wife  was 
named  Elizabeth  Crawford,  and  she  came  of  an  old  and 
respectable  family  in  Ireland.  Both  are  buried  in  the 
cemetery  of  Octoraro  Presbyterian  Church,  as  the  Scotch 
Irish  settlers  of  that  period  were  nearly  all  Presbyterians, 
■and  many  of  them  found  a  resting  place  in  this  old  bury- 
ing ground  after  death. 

William  Johnston  died  about  1837  or  1838,  and  his 
wife  Nancy,  who  survived  him  many  years,  about  i860. 
They  had  several  sons  and  daughters,  and  their  descend- 
ants now  live  in  Lancaster  and  Chester  Counties.  One 
of  their  daughters  became  the  wife  of  James  Sproul,  an 
extensive  iron  manufacturer  of  that  day.  He  owned  one 
or  two  forges  on  Octorara  Creek,  besides  several  farms  in 
Lancaster  County.  One  of  his  sons,  Charles  M.  Sproul, 
is  a  member  of  the  bar  of  Lancaster,  and  resides  in  that 
city. 

Mark  Johnston  and  his  wife  Elizabeth  had  the  follow- 
ing children: 

1.  i.  Mary  Ann,  b. ,  1793,  in  Ireland;  ra.  David  March- 

bank  in  1816;  d.  March  31,  1837,  in  the  44th  year 
of  her  age.  Buried  in  the  cemetery  of  the  Union 
Presbyterian  Church. 

2.  a.  William,  b.  November  4,  1794,  in  Colerain,  Lancas- 

ter County,  Pa.;  d.  November  2,  1877,  aged  82 
years,  1 1  months  and  29  days.  He  m.  Rebecca 
Griffith,  and  they  emigrated  to  Wayne  County, 
Indiana,  about  1837.  She  died  March  13,  1874, 
aged  76  years  and  2  days. 


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1 66  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGENNIS.  i'- 7  • 

Hi.  Mark,  b.  ,  179S;  d.  about  i860. 

iv.  Sarah,  b.  ,    1801;  m.  Benjamin  McGinness;  d. 

,  November,  1849,  at  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa. 

3.  V.  Elizabeth,  b.  ,  1S03;  m.  Robert  Beyer  February' 

20,   1834;  d.   February  26,  1873,  in  the  69th  year 
of  her  age. 
z;i.' James,  b.  ,  1805;  d.  young.  ''''' 

4.  vii.  Susannah,  b.  April  9,  1807;  m.  Joseph  Bready , 

1830;  d.  February  8,  1862. 


SkKTCH  No.  1. 

MARY  ANN  JOHNSTON,'^  (Mark,Mb. ,  1793, 

in  Ireland;  m.  David  Marchbank ,  1816;  d.   March 

3^  1837. 

David  Marchbank,  the  projenitor  of  this  family,  was 
born  near  Russell ville,  Chester  County,  Pa.,  in  1792. 
He  received  his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  the 
day,  and  being  apt  at  learning,  fitted  himself  to  become 
a  teacher,  which  calling  he  followed  for  some  time.  He 
also  learned  the  trade  of  a  blacksmith.  When  quite  a 
young  man  he  served  in  the  war  of  1812-14,  and  saw 
some  service.  He  died  August  7,  1849,  i"  ^^^  57^^  Y^^^ 
of  his  age,  having  survived  his  wife  twelve  years.  They 
had  issue  as  follows  (surname,  Marchbank): 

5.  z.  Samuel,  b.  December  7,  1817;  d.  July  14,  1846.     Un- 

married. 

6.  a.  Robert,  b.  February  25,  1821;  d.  March  25,  1881. 
h't.  Eliza  Jane,  b.  ,  d.  January  18,  1845,  in  the  24th 

year  of  her  age.  She  married  Charles  Long,  and 
died  leaving  an  infant  daughter,  which  was  named 
after  her  mother.  The  daughter  grew  to  woman- 
hood and  married  Taylor  Thompson,  of  Philadel- 


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•:  ,b-3L'T      .I'D 


ITS  ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  167 

phia,  about  1873.  She  is  now  the  mother  of  a 
daughter  named  Mabel.  Mr.  Long  afterwards 
married  Mary  Mullin,  and  died  about  i860,  leav- 
ing two  sons  and  two  daughters. 
7.  iv.  William  J.,  b.  Julj'  19,  1822;  d.  August  5,  1871. 
V.  Mary  Ann,  b.  Januar^^  24,  1S24;  m.  Joseph  Ecklin 
May  4,  1847.  ^^  "^^'^s  of  English  origin,  his 
grandfather  having  come  from  England.  Mr. 
Ecklin  was  born  at  White  Rock,  May  15,  1814, 
and  died  December  15,  1890,  at  the  homestead  on 
the  W«st  Branch  of  Octoraro  Creek,  Colerain. 
His  father,  W,hose  name  was  John,  died  January- 
16,  1 85 1,  nedr  Penn  Hill.  By  occupation  Mr. 
Joseph  Ecklin  was  a  farmer.  He  left  issue  as  fol- 
lows: 

I.  Eliza  Jane,   b.  February'  22,    1848;  d  Au- 
gust 14,  1 85 1. 
••''•  2.  Samuel  Howard,  b.  March  22,  1S50;  mar- 
ried Kate  St.  John  Richaman   in   1885. 
They  have  two  sons. 

3.  Laura  Ann,  b.  Julj^  11,  1853;  d.  December 

13.  1S55. 

4.  Anna  Mary,  b.  May  14,  1856;  m.  Eli  Mil- 

ler in  1883.  She  is  the  mother  of  one 
son  and  two  daughters.  Mr.  Miller  is 
engaged  in  farming,  and  resides  on  the 
farm  which  was  owned  by  James  McGin- 
ness,  Esq.,  (grandfather  of  the  writer), 
where  he  died  in  1839. 

5.  William  James  Wellington,  b.  July  8,  1858. 

Resides  at  home  and  conducts  the  farm. 
Single. 

6.  Joseph  Calvin,  b.  August  4,   1864.     Fol- 

lows farming.     Single. 
vi.  John  Yates,  b.  July  3,  1825.     Resides  with  his  sister. 
Mrs.  Ecklin.     Single. 


\'di  .■^s\o-::-'.iH  a /I  A   >:;;);  wo  cVn 


i^V.- . 


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.ri~',':i-^uf:')  iiv.':*   onr;  ;::'r 

'JdJO./f  I 


l68  THE    FAMILY  OF    MAGENNIS.  if\ 

vii.  Joseph  D.,  b.  April  lo,  1827;  d.  March  31,  1883,  in 
the  56th  year  of  his  age.  Married  Sarah  Hall, 
of  Old  Chester.  She  died  June  iS,  1890,  aged  55 
years,  3  months  and  20  da^-s.  They  had  six  chil- 
dren, two  sons  and  four  daughters,  one  of  which, 
a  son,  is  deceased.  Mr.  Marchbank"  followed  ho- 
tel keeping  for  several  years,  and  at  one  time 
kept  the  Henr\'  House,  Danville.     i\fter  leaving 

there  in ,  he  removed  to  Ottowa  County,  near 

Delphos,  Kansas,  and  purchased  a  farm,  and  there 
they  both  died,  as  already  stated. 
viii.  Rachel  Jemima,  b.  March  17,  1829.     Never  married. 
Makes  her  home  with  her  sister,  Mrs.  Ecklin. 
ix.  Nancy  Bell,  b.  December  25,  1831;  m.  Ivan  Gilbert; 
d.  June  6,  1863,  at  Christiana,  Lancaster  County, 
•  leaving  an  infant  daughter  named  Hannah  Ger- 
trude.     Mr.  Gilbert  married  again,  and  still  lives 
near  Christiana.     His  daughter,  by  his  first  wife, 
who  never  married,  lives  with  him. 
X.  David  James,  b.  March  29,  1833;  d.  September  24, 
1859.     Never  married. 


No.   2. 

WILIvIAM  JOHNSTON,'^  (Mark,i)  b.  November  4, 
1794;  m.  Rebecca  Griffith  April  i,  1824;  d.  November 
2,  1877.  His  wife  was  b.  IMarch  11,  1798;  d,  March  13, 
1874- 

The  parents  of  William  Johnston*  came  to  America 
the  same  year  that  he  was  born,  probably  about  the  mid- 
dle of  the  year.     Soon  after  landing,   they  made  their 

*  According  to  entries  in  old  books  which  belonged  to  his  parents, 
the  name  was  spelled  "Jonn.ston."  His  son  Samuel,  however,  has 
dropped  the  letter  t,  spelling  it  simply  "Johnson." 


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^  I  ,  I  i  ^ 
:  r:^  ,11  i^  . ,  -  .- 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  169 

way  to  Colerain  Township,  Lancaster  County,  where 
they  settled.  Just  when  they  died  is  now  unknown, 
but  it  was  probably  some  time  between  1820  and  1S30. 

William,  their  eldest  son  and  second  child,  was  reared 
in  Lancaster  County,  and  he  devoted  much  of  his  time 
to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  did  not  marry  early,  being 
almost  thirty  years  of  age  when  he  married  Rebecca 
Griffith,  of  Chester  County.  Their  only  child,  a  son, 
was  born  in  1825,  ^°  Lancaster  County,  where  they  then 
resided. 

In  the  spring  of  1837  they  emigrated  to  Indiana,  trav- 
eling overland  by  wagon,  and  settled  in  Wayne  County, 
a  few  miles  south  of  the  little  town  of  Milton.  The 
settlements  were  sparse  at  that  time,  and  as  the  land  was 
generally  heavily  timbered  with  beech,  maple  and  other 
hard  woods,  it  required  much  labor  to  open  up  farms. 
William  Johnston  purchased  a  tract  of  forty  acres  for 
$700,  and  went  to  work  to  found  a  homiC.  In  a  short 
time  he  bought  twenty  acres  more,  which  adjoined,  for 
$400.  Some  years  afterwards  his  son  purchased  one  hun- 
dred acres  adjoining,  for  which  he  paid  $3,000.  That 
made  a  full  quarter  section.  A  few  years  after  this  he 
purchased  forty  acres  more,  which  adjoined  on  the  west, 
paying  at  the  rate  of  $52.50  per  acre.  His  last  purchase, 
some  years  later,  consisted  of  a  farm  of  ninety  acres  ly- 
ing about  one  mile  south  of  the  town  of  Milton,  for  which 
he  paid  $6,000.  He  now  owns  290  acres  in  all,  and  the 
homestead  farm  consists  of  200  acres.  The  prices  paid 
for  each  tract  are  given  to  show  how  the  land  has  appre- 
ciated in  value  since  the  first  purchase  was  made  in  1S37. 
All  of  this  land  was  originally  owned  by  the  govern- 
ment, and  was  sold  for  $1.25  per  acre.  To-day  it  will 
range  in  price  from  $75  to  $100  per  acre. 

When  William  Johnston  and  family  settled  here  in 


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lyo  THE   FAMILY  OE   MAGENNIS.  ,-, 

1837  the  country  was  regarded  as  comparatively  new  and 
unimproved.  But  by  dint  of  hard  work  and  economy 
they  prospered,  and  in  course  of  time  they  were  enabled 
to  put  up  better  buildings  in  a  more  eligible  location  on 
their  farm. 

William  Johnston  and  wife  were  quiet  and  unobtru- 
sive in  their  manners,  excellent  citizens,  always  com- 
manding the  highest  respect  and  esteem  of  their  neigh- 
bors. After  settling  in  the  beech  woods  they  never  re- 
turned to  the  places  of  their  nativity  in  Pennsylvania, 
but  resided  where  they  settled  until  they  died,  a  period 
of  about  forty  years.  They  maintained  their  frugal  hab- 
its throughout  life,  and  died  surrounded  with  all  the 
blessings  and  comforts  they  could  desire.  From  a  com- 
paratively new  country  they  lived  long  enough  to  see  it 
thickly  settled,  and  where  heavy  forests  once  covered 
the  ground,  they  beheld  fine  and  well  cultivated  farms. 
The  original  farm,  which  they  virtually  carved  out  of 
the  forest — with  the  additions  made  by  their  son — is  now 
one  of  the  best  and  most  productive  in  the  County  of 
Wayne.  Their  son  resides  upon  the  patrimonial  part  of 
the  estate  and  keeps  it  in  fine  condition. 

William  Johnston  and  his  wife  are  buried  in  the  little 
cemetery  of  a  rural  church  not  far  from  where  they  lived 
so  long,  and  plain  marble  tablets,  bearing  suitable  in- 
scriptions, mark  their  last  resting  places. 

"The  willow  hangs  with  sheltering  grace 

And  benediction  o'er  their  sod, 
And  Nature,  hushed,  assures  the  soul 

They  rest  in  God." 

*      They  left  an  only  son  as  follows:  .    * 

i.  Samuel,  b.  February  16,  1825,  in  Lancaster  County, 
Pa.;  m.  Miss  Hester  Hoover  March  8,  1849.  Her 
parents  belonged  to  one  of  the  oldest  and  most 


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...     ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  171 

prominent  families  in  Wayne  County,  Indiana. 
They  settled  on  the  paternal  estate,  and  still  re- 
side there.     They  have  issue  as  follows; 

I.  William  Albert,  b.  July  18,  1852;  m.  Lulu 
Collis,  October  4,  .1876,  and  had  a  son 
and  daughter.  The  latter,  named  Mary, 
b.  September  22,  1879;  d.  March  8,  1888. 
The  son,  Samuel,  was  b.  June  i,  1881. 
,  j^^  ^  2.  Emily  Ann,  b.  December  4,  1854;  m.  Em- 
.j.  ,,  .  -  ^O"  Manlove  October  17,  1876;  have  chil- 
dren: Walter  Earl,  b.  July  26,  1877,  in 
Fayette  County;  Maud,  b.  July  20,  1880; 
Grace,  b.  November  2,  1886. 

3.  Amos  Lawrence,   b.    March   10,    1858,  m. 

Molly  Alison  September  9,  1879,  and  re- 
\  sides  in  Fayette  County,  Indiana.     They 

had  one  son,  Ernest,  b.  May  19,  1880;  d. 
'■■  '■  "'        September  12,  1881. 

4.  Levi  Elmer,  b.  November  14,  i86o. 

5.  Mary  Elizabeth,    b.  March   14,    1863;    m. 
KJ   <!:  Lewis  Leffingwell  Dec.  21,  1883.    Resides 

in  Fayette  County,  Indiana.     Have  one 
daughter.  Myrtle,  b.  July  2,  1885. 

6.  Dessie  Alma,  b.  June  i,  1866. 

7.  Dora  Rebecca,  b.  June  4,  1869;  m.  Elmer 

Lefl&ngwell  June  II,  i8gi.    Heisa  broth- 
er of  the  husband  of  No.  5. 

8.  Charles  Homer,  b.  October  16,  1871. 

9.  Maud,  b.  March  3,  1874;  d.  Aug.  5,  1874. 


No.  3. 

ELIZABETH  JOHNSTON, 2  (Mark,i)b. ,  1803; 

m.    Robert  Beyer  February  20,  1834;  d.    February  26, 
1873.     Her  husband  was  b.  February  24,   1801;  d.  De- 


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-J  ■■     ■        ' 


.8   .OM 


172  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGENNIS.  ,  j 

cember  30,  1873.  Mrs.  Beyer  was  noted  for  her  sweet 
and  amiable  disposition  and  ability  to  make  others  hap- 
py by  her  cheerful  smile.  Her  lovely  character  is  beau- 
tifully portrayed  in  the  words  of  the  poet: 

"True  worth  is  found  witliin  the  breast 
That  bears  a  heart  both  warm  and  true ; 

A  heart  that  makes  its  owner  blest, 
And  sheds  its  beams  on  others  too." 

The  Beyer  family  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  southern 
Pennsylvania,  their  ancestors  having  emigrated  from 
Germany  in  the  early  part  of  the  last  century.  Daniel 
Beyer,  father  of  Robert,  was  born  November  6,  1765,  in  . 
Berks  County,  and  when  a  small  boy,  frequently  visited 
Valley  Forge  at  the  time  Washington  and  his  army  laid 
there.  He  married  Rebecca  Woodward,  who  was  born 
August  8,  1765,  on  the  i6th  of  May,  17S5.  Soon  after 
marriage  they  settled  in  Colerain,  where  Mr.  Beyer  long 
followed  his  trade  of  a  millwright.  He  built  a  mill 
which  is  still  standing.  They  raised  a  large  family  of 
sons  and  daughters.  His  wife  died  August  30,  1839, 
aged  74  years  and  22  days,  and  he  followed  her  August 
2,  1852,  aged  86  years,  8  months  and  27  days, 

Robert,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  learned  the  trade  of 
a  fuller,  but  after  his  marriage,  purchased  a  farm  and  de- 
voted the  balance  of  his  life  to  agriculture.  He  was  a 
representative  man  in  his  township,  an  excellent  citizen, 
and  noted  for  his  kindness  of  heart  and  strict  moral  in- 
tegrity. He  survived  his  wife  less  than  a  year.  Both 
are  buried  in  the  cemetery  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
at  the  Union,  Colerain.  They  left  issue  as  follows  (sur- 
name, Beyer): 

i.  Susan,  b.  January  21,  1835;  m.  Joseph  B.  Carhart 
Februan,"  19,  1857.  Mr.  Carhart  is  a  native  of 
Clinton,  Hunterdon  County,  New  Jersey.     Their 


.^.r/ivraoAu.  ••^o  ymkim  mi  it  ^.i^r 


.rt  (i:;)  72  \::u\  <■  ifirrorn  ^  ,?ifi5{  0^''>  .'rfj-gn  ,sg,<:{i  ,S 


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pi 


1(0  yvit/iii  { 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND    HISTORY.  I73 

place  of  residence  is  EUvood,  New  Jersey,  on  the 
line  of  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad  to 
Atlantic  City.  Mr.  Carhart  is  a  dentist  by  profes- 
sion, and  keeps  an  office  in  Philadelphia.  They 
have  two  daughters: 

1.  Lavinia,  b.  December  3,  1857.     Is  a  teach- 

er by  profession.     Lives  with  her  parents. 

2.  Carrie,  b.  October  26,  I S65.    Was  a  teacher 

by  profession;  m.  Oliver  Gee  December 
5,  1889.  Mr.  Gee  wash,  at  Elwood,  New 
Jersey,  and  is  a  stenographer  by  profes- 
sion. They  reside  at  Haddonfield.  Have 
one  daughter,  Selina  Lillian,  b.  Decem- 
ber 31,  1S90. 
a,  Henry,  b.   March   10,    1836;  d.   December  26,  187 1. 

Married  Mar>-  E.  Hastings  Aug.  25,  1859.     They 

had  issue: 

1.  Theodore  Evans,  b.  October  16,  i860;  m. 
-^...;^,,       January  20,  1891.  Miss  Celissa  McCrery, 

of  Hopewell,  Chester  County,  Pa. 

2.  Hannah  Elizabeth,  b.  October  11,  1S64;  d. 

January-  4,  1875. 

♦  ■i"'    1:1.; 

3.  John,  b.  March  i,  1867. 

4.  Henr>'    Nelson,  b.    Dec.  24,    1868.     Hen- 

ry, the  father,  enlisted  in  1862  for  nine 

months,  and  served  in  Company  G,  i22d 

Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volunteers.    He 

was  wounded  May  3,  1863,  at  Chancel- 

^-       lorsville.     His  widow  and  children,  with 

' .   ^-      the  exception  of  the  eldest  son,  reside 

near  the  Union,  Colerain. 

Hi.  Ann   Elizabeth,  b.  December  6,  1838;  m.   Matthew 

Duulap  March,  1876,  and  d.  in  Philadelphia  May 

5,  1879,  leaving  one  son,  William,  b.  Januarys  21, 

1877.     The  son  lives  at  Conshohocken  with  his 

uncle,  his  father  having  married  again. 


l\l  .7>iOTr'iU    a  v.  A    'AltMHO   STl 

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:  ••;-:••    ',■     •  :>')   TOVrlU  -         ' 

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■J  ''.•'  y      I 
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H   .■ 


174  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGENNIS.  •;  ,.  : 

iv.  Rebecca,  b.  July  lo,  1840;  d.  August  17,  1887.  Mar- 
ried Matthew  D.  Williams,  located  in  Conslio- 
hocken  and  engaged  in  mercantile  business.  Mr. 
Williams  died  December  i,  1S81.     They  left  issue: 

1.  J.  George,  b.  March  19,  1S69. 

2.  Rowland  Brown,  b.  May  29,  1872. 

3.  Ida  May,  b.  May  30,  1874. 

4.  Mary  Elizabeth,  b.  October  19,  1877. 

5.  Maud,  b.   December  16,  1879;  d.  June  8, 
J  ;•..!:         1883.     The  two  youngest  daughters  live 

.  I ,  with  their  aunt,  Mrs.  Carhart,  at  Elwood, 
N.  J.,  and  the  two  sons  are  employed  as 
clerks  in  Philadelphia. 

V.  John,  b.  February  12,  1842.  He  enlisted  in  the  90th 
Regiment,  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  and  after 
seeing  much  hard  service  was  mustered  out.  Re- 
enlisted,  and  was  captured  at  the  battle  on  the 
Weldon  Railroad.  He  was  carried  to  the  rebel 
prison  at  Salisbury,  N.  C,  where  he  died  of  neg- 
lect and  starvation,  January  19,  1865,  in  his  23d 
year. 

z*/.* Sarah,  b.  July  28,  1843.  She  became  a  teacher  and 
followed  that  profession  six  years.  Married  Wil- 
liam Jack ,   1 87 1.     Mr.  Jack  was  born  near 

Chester,  Delaware  County,  Pa.,  January  18,  1848. 
They  reside  on  the  patrimonial  estate,  in  Colerain, 
and  have  issue: 

1.  Elizabeth  Jane,  b.  November  20,  1872. 

2.  John,  b.  December  21,  1873. 

3.  Ella  Lavinia,  b.  December  5,  1876. 

4.  William  Frank,  b.  July  14,  1879. 

5.  Robert  Norman,  b.  January  30,  1883. 


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ITS   ORIGIN    AND   HISTORY.  1 75 

No.      4:. 

SUSANNAH  JOHNSTON,-^  (Mark,i)  b.  April  9, 
1807;  m.  Joseph  Bready  in  1830;  d.  February  8,  1862. 
Her  husband,  who  was  b. ,  1812,  d.  October  25,  1862. 

The  father  of  Joseph  Bready  was  a  native  of  Ireland, 
but  the  date  of  his  birth,  when  he  came  to  America,  and 
died,  are  unknown.  His  name  was  Alexander,  and  he 
married  Jane  Walker.  They  located  in  Chester  Coun- 
ty, near  Octoraro  Creek,  and  had  issue: 

1.  John,  who  died  at  the  age  of  82. 

2.  Joseph,  the  subject  of  this  notice. 

3.  William.     Died  unmarried. 

4.  Mary. 

5.  Jane.     Never  married. 

Joseph  was  brought  up  on  a  farm,  and  followed  agri- 
culture for  a  livelihood.  In  May,  1843,  ^^^  emigrated 
with  his  family  to  Illinois.  There  were  several  families 
in  the  company.  They  traveled  overland  in  a  large  cov- 
ered wagon,  and  encamped  by  the  roadside  at  night  near 
a  spring  or  stream  of  water.  At  that  time  it  was  largely 
the  custom  for  emigrants  to  travel  in  that  way.  Their 
route  was  by  the  way  of  Lancaster,  Columbia,  Gettys- 
burg, Bedford,  Brownsville,  Washington  and  Wheeling. 
At  the  latter  place  they  crossed  the  Ohio  River  by  ferry- 
boat. The  National  Road  was  followed  through  Ohio 
and  Indiana,  to  Indianapolis.  At  this  point  the  caravan, 
which  was  composed,  in  addition  to  his  own  family,  of 
the  families  of  Benjamin  McGinness,  the  Misses  Tweed, 
William  McGuire  and  Samuel  Brooke,  bore  off  to  the 
Northwest  and  passed  through  Springfield,  Illinois. 
They  crossed  the  Illinois  River  at  Bardstown  and  slowly 
made  their  way  across  the  virgin  prairies,  and  on  the 


.;:(5yr  .f^s  7  .(' 

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176  THE    FAMILY  OF    MAGENNIS.  '77 

28th  of  July,    1843,   they  halted  within  a  few  miles  of 
Naiivoo,  having  been  on  the  road  nearly  three  months. 

Soon  after  reaching  his  destination,  Mr.  Bready  be- 
came dissatisfied  with  the  land  sharks  who  swarmed 
around  him,  and  suspicioning  that  there  was  a  scheme 
on  foot  to  rob  the  emigrants,  he  determined  to  leave  the 
place  and  retrace  his  steps  to  Pennsylvania.  Not  hav- 
ing unloaded  his  household  goods,  he  was  ready  at  a  mo- 
ment's notice  to  start.  The  greatest  drawback,  however, 
was  for  Mrs.  Bready  to  leave  her  sister,  Mrs.  Sarah  Mc- 
Ginness,  but  her  first  duty  was  to  her  husband  and  fam- 
ily, and  she  signified  her  willingness  to  return.  The 
parting  was  a  sad  one  for  the  sisters,  and  it  turned  out 
that  they  never  saw  each  other  again. 

Some  time  in  August,  1S43,  ^'^'^-  Bready  turned  his 
team  towards  the  east  and  escaped  from  the  speculators 
that  were  constantly  soliciting  him  to  buy  land.  It 
turned  out  soon  afterwards  that  he  was  lucky  in  leaving 
the  place  when  he  did,  as  the  people  of  Illinois  became 
disgusted  with  the  head  men  of  the  settlement  at  Nau- 
voo,  and  rising  in  their  might,  shot  several  of  them  in 
the  jail  at  Carthage,  where  they  had  been  incarcerated 
by  the  civil  authorities  on  the  charge  of  fraud,  and  then 
drove  their  followers  and  sympathizers  across  the  Missis- 
sippi River.  Many  of  the  emigrants  were  forced  by  the 
mob  to  abandon  their  property,  and  as  a  result  of  this 
harsh  treatment,  much  suffering  was  caused  among  the 
innocent  and  helpless. 

Joseph  Bready  and  his  family,  fortunately,  were  far 
enough  advanced  on  their  journey  eastward  to  be  out  of 
danger,  and  they  slowly  made  their  way  across  the  broad 
prairies  and  over  the  roads  they  had  traversed  but  a  few 
weeks  before.  When  the  news  of  what  had  occurred 
at  Carthage  overtook  them  they  thanked  God  that  they 
had  escaped. 


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ITS   ORIGIN    AND   HISTORY.  1 77 

As  autumn  began  to  wane  the  journey  became  more 
toilsome,  but  the  family  kept  up  good  spirits,  and  were 
hopeful  of  reaching  their  friends  in  Colerain  before  win- 
ter fairly  set  in.  They  finally  reached  Springfield,  Ohio, 
but  here  misfortune  overtook  them.  William,  their  third 
child,  sickened  and  died,  and  was  buried  among  strang- 
ers. Mr.  Bready  also  fell  sick,  and  they  were  unable  to 
proceed;  and  as  misfortunes  never  come  singly,  one  of 
his  horses  died.  This  broke  up  his  team,  and  the  out- 
look was  gloomy  indeed.  Continued  sickness,  and  the 
expense  it  entailed,  was  very  discouraging.  But  ]Mr. 
Bready  managed  to  get  a  letter  dispatched  to  his  brother- 
in-law,  Mr.  Robert  Beyer,  of  Colerain,  apprising  him  of 
the  helpless  condition  of  himself  and  family.  Immedi- 
ately on  its  receipt,  Mr.  Beyer,  who  was  noted  for  his 
warm,  sympathetic  heart,  dispatched  a  man  with  a  fresh 
horse  and  ample  means  to  see  the  returning  emigrants 
through.  He  hurried  on  his  journey  of  mercy,  met  the 
stricken  family  encamped  by  the  roadside,  cheered  them 
by  his  presence  and  started  them  on  their  journey  again 
rejoicing.  xA-bout  the  holidays  they  arrived  at  the  hos- 
pitable home  of  ]\Ir.  Beyer,  and  although  much  wearied 
by  travel  and  suffering,  they  were  greatly  cheered  by  the 
warm  reception  which  was  accorded  them  by  their  rela- 
tives and  friends.      It  was,  indeed,  an  ovation. 

Mr.  Bready,  as  soon  as  he  got  fairly  rested  from  the 
fatigues  of  his  journey  of  over  two  thousand  miles  by 
wagon,  went  to  work  with  a  vim  to  retrieve  his  broken 
fortune,  and  as  every  one  lent  him  a  helping  hand,  he 
rapidly  recovered.  His  friends  assisted  him  to  purchase 
a  threshing  machine,  and  he  followed  that  business  for 
several  years.  Hardy,  strong  and  industrious,  and  noted 
for  his  promptness,  he  recovered  rapidly.  He  purchased 
a  small  farm,  and  through  great  industry  and  economy 


W 


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178  THE    FAMILY  OF   MAGENNIS. 

was  able,  in  a  few  years,  to  discharge  every  obligation 
and  stand  forth  a  free,  independent  man.  No  man  in 
the  community  was  more  respected  than  Joseph  Bready. 
But  the  hard  work  which  he  had  followed  for  several 
years  finally  undermined  his  rugged  constitution,  and 
he  went  into  decline  and  died,  as  already  stated,  at  the 
early  age  of  fifty  years.  He  had  the  proud  satisfaction, 
however,  of  retrieving  the  broken  fortune  of  his  early 
manhood,  and  died  leaving  a  handsome  little  compe- 
tence. He  sleeps  by  the  side  of  his  wife  in  the  old  cem- 
etery at  Octoraro  Church,  and  plain  marble  tablets  mark 
their  graves.  They  had  issue  as  follows  (surname, 
Bready): 

i.  Alexander,  b.  July  15,  1831;  d.  October  9,  1835. 

ii.  Elizabeth,  b.  November  25,  1832.  Married  John 
Sampson  March  26,  1S91.  Rev.  Mr.  Easton  per- 
formed the  marriage  ceremony.  Mr.  Sampson  is 
a  native  of  Colerain.  His  ancestors,  who  came 
from  County  Deny,  Ireland,  were  among  the  earl}- 
settlers  in  the  township.  He  is  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation, an  active,  industrious  man,  and  the  owner 
of  a  fine  farm,  with  good  buildings,  and  well 
stocked.     They  have  issue: 

1.  William  N.,  b.  April  1862. 

2.  Susan  Jane,  b.  March  17,  1866.     Both  are 

single  and  live  with  their  parents. 

iii.  William,  b.  November  22,  1836;  d.  October  8,  1843, 
near  Springfield,  Ohio. 

iv.  Sarah  Ann,  b.  November  12,  1838.  Married  Fran- 
cis M.  Scott;  d.  Februan,'  23,  1869.  Had  one 
daughter.     Deceased. 

V.  John,  b.  November  23,  1839.     Single. 

vi.  Joseph  Walker,  b.  March  15,  1846;  d.  Aug.  16,  1851. 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND    HISTORY.  1 79 

vii.  Mary  Jane,  b.   August    19,    1848.     Married  Samuel 
Wright.     She  died  June  10.  1881.     Left  issue; 

1.  E.  Lrinville,  b.  December  6,  1873. 

2.  Walter  T.,  b.  November  18,  1875. 

3.  Clarence  D.,  b.  November  30,  1S79. 

4.  J.  Marion,  b.  May  20,  188 1. 


No.   5. 

SAMUEL  MARCHBANK,-^  (David/)  b.  December 
7,  1817;  d.  July  14,  1846.      Unmarried. 

He  received  a  good  education  and  became  a  teacher 
by  profession.  Being  a  fine  penman  and  a  young  man 
of  winning  manners  and  pleasing  address,  he  made  him- 
self popular  wherever  he  taught,  and  his  services  were 
constantly  in  demand.  In  1846  he  was  teaching  in  Del- 
aware, at  Cantwell's  Bridge.  On  the  12th  of  July,  of 
that  year,  he  took  passage  on  the  schooner  William  Polk, 
Captain  Hamilton,  for  Boston,  with  three  other  young 
men,  for  the  benefit  of  a  sea  voyage  during  his  vacation. 
The  vessel  was  loaded  with  corn  and  passed  out  into  the 
bay  safely.  The  night  of  the  14th,  at  midnight,  when 
thirty  miles  from  Cape  May,  and  twelve  from  land,  they 
were  struck  suddenly  by  a  squall,  which  threw  the 
schooner  on  her  beam  ends.  As  she  did  not  right  and 
was  driven  violently  before  the  gale,  she  soon  filled  and 
went  down  in  twelve  fathoms  of  water.  Captain  Ham- 
ilton and  Marchbank  seized  the  caboose  and  were  buf- 
feted by  the  waves.  As  the  latter  was  about  to  let  go, 
the  Captain  begged  him  to  hold  on  till  daylight,  when 
he  felt  certain  they  would  be  picked  up  by  another  ves- 
sel. He  did  so  for  some  time,  and  struggled  manhilly 
against  fate,  but  becoming  very  sick  and  greatly  dis- 
couraged, he  loosened  his  hold  during  a  sudden  lurch  of 


.YHO'i'HT}]    Ci^A   '/^lu>I>iO   ^TI 

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l8o  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGEXNIS.  IC.:  ' 

the  caboose,  and  sunk  out  of  sight.  The  captain  being 
more  robust  and  used  to  water,  held  on  and  was  picked 
up  in  the  morning.  Of  the  ten  souls  on  board,  all  were 
drowned  but  Captain  Hamilton.  The  three  companions 
of  Mr.  Marchbank  were  named  as  follows:  Theodore 
Wait,  George  Craft  and  Mr.  Thomas.  Thus  perished 
this  promising  young  teacher  at  the  early  age  of  29 
years,  7  months  and  7  days.  His  death  was  deeply  and 
sincerely  mourned  by  his  large  circle  of  relatives  and 
friends. 


No.  6. 

ROBERT  :\IARCHBANK,2  (David,  i)  b.  February 
25,  1821;  d.  March  25,  iSSi. 

He  became  a  teacher  like  his  brother  Samuel,  and 
followed  that  profession  for  many  years  until  his  health 
broke  down.  He  located  in  Petersburg,  Virginia,  wdiere 
he  married  Miss  Jane  Heath.  On  the  breaking  out  of 
the  rebellion  he  was  forced  into  the  Confederate  service, 
and  for  some  time  he  was  obliged  to  take  part  against 
the  government.  Finally  an  -opportunity  offered  to  es- 
cape, by  getting  among  a  lot  of  prisoners,  and  he  was 
taken  North,  when  he  communicated  with  his  brothers, 
and  they  succeeded  in  effecting  his  release.  He  then 
remained  with  his  relatives  in  Colerain  until  the  close  of 
the  war,  when  he  rejoined  his  wife  at  Petersburg,  who 
had  remained  there  and  endured  all  the  horrors  of  the 
siege.  Thinking  that  the  climate  of  Kansas  might  ben- 
efit his  health,  he  made  a  visit  to  his  brother  Joseph,  who 
resided  on  a  farm  near  Delphos,  Ottowa  County.  While 
staying  there  he  was  stricken  with  paralysis  and  died  in 
1881,  aged  60  years  and  one  month.     His  widow  died  at 


3Tf!W    J^ii  £<ll{r 


e>iiOfiv/  .iilnwiV  , 


/IB  vliKniHi 


3i. 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND    HISTORY.  l8l 

her  home  in  Petersburg  in  1SS9.  Their  only  child  and 
daughter,  Laura,  resides  there,  and  it  is  said  of  her  that 
she  is  without  a  single  relative  in  that  city. 


No.  7. 

WILLIAM  J.  MARCHBANK,-  (David,  i)b.  July  19, 
1822;  d.  August  5,  1871;  m.  Hettie  Donohue,  and  had 
five  daughters,  all  of  whom  but  two,  including  the  moth- 
er, are  deceased.  William  was  a  man  of  great  business 
activity.  He  learned  the  trade  of  carriage  making,  and 
carried  on  that  business  very  successfully.  After  his 
marriage  he  engaged  in  hotel  keeping,  and  kept  a  hotel 
in  Oxford  several  years  very  successfully.  He  then  re- 
moved to  the  "Hill  Tavern,"  in  Little  Britain,  which 
he  conducted  for  some  time  Being  desirous  of  enlarg- 
ing his  business  he  removed  to  Seafort,  Delaware,  and 
rented  a  large  house.  One  day  he  started  by  rail  for 
Wilmington.  The  train  had  not  proceeded  far  when  a 
freight  was  noticed  ahead  and  a  collision  was  feared. 
Mr,  Marchbank  at  once  became  excited,  and  not  waiting 
to  ascertain  the  true  situation,  suddenly  jumped  from 
the  platform.  His  head  came  in  contact  with  a  pile  of 
railroad  ties,  causing  concussion  of  the  brain.  He  never 
regained  consciousness,  and  died  in  that  condition. 
Physicians  were  summoned  from  Wilmington,  but  they 
found  his  case  beyond  their  skill. 


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THE  BRANCH  OF  THE  FAMILY  THAT  SET- 
TLED  IN   PERRY  COUNTY,   PA. 


I.  James  McGixnes^  was  born  in  1739,  and  came  to 
America  from  County  Down,  Ireland,  in  1790.  After 
settling  for  a  short  time  in  Philadelphia,  he  purchased  a 
tract  of  land,  containing  322  acres,  in  Greenwood  Town-- 
ship,  Cumberland  County,  (now  Buffalo  Township,  Per- 
ry County).  Here  he  lived  the  remainder  of  his  days. 
He  was  an  active  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
His  death  occurred  January  7,  1804.  He  is  buried  at 
the  Hill  Church,  Watt's  Township,  Perry  County.  His 
wife's  surname  was  Cochran,  b.  1743,  d.  August  25,  1805. 
They  had  issue:  .>  : 

2.  i.   Richard. 

3.  ii.  James. 

4.  ni.  John,  b.  1772;  d.  Januarj^  14,  1838. 

5.  iv.  George,  b.  1775;  d.  August  6,  1853. 

II.  Richard  McGinnes'  (James^)was  a  farmer  by 
occupation.  He  also  took  great  delight  in  hunting  the 
wolf  and  the  deer.  He  married  ]\Iiss  Jane  McKelvey 
and  moved  to  Illinois,  where  they  raised  three  or  four 
children,  the  oldest  of  whom  was  named  William. 

III.  James  McGinnes'^  (James^)  was  also  a  farmer 
by  occupation.     He  owned  a  property  in  what  is  now 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY,  183 

Howe  Township,  Perry  County,  Pa.  He  married  a  Miss 
Mary  Martin.  After  his  death  his  wife  moved  to  Lewis- 
town,  Pa. 

IV.  John  McGinnes,  ^  (James,  ^)b.  1772  in  north- 
ern part  of  Ireland;  d.  January  14,  1838.  Came  with  his 
father  to  America  in  1790.  Farming  was  also  his  occu- 
pation. Upon  the  death  of  his  father  he  became  owner 
of  a  portion  of  the  farm  in  Buffalo  Township,  Perry 
County.  He  was  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
He  married  Sarah  Baskin,  b.  May  7,  1776;  d.  May  21, 
1853.     They  had  issue: 

i.  Mary,  b.  September  12,  1794;  d. ;  ra.  James  Gard- 
ner. They  lived  for  a  number  of  years  in  Alillers- 
burg,  Dauphin  Count}-,  where  they  raised  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Sarah  Jane,  (Zeigler),  Eliza, 
(Tobias),  Margaret,  (Masoner),  Martha,  (Ram- 
sey), Mary  Ann,  John  and  Joseph. 

zV.  Jane,  b.  February'  18,  1796;  d.  January  10,  1S64;  m. 
John    Callin,   a   farmer.     They  lived  in    Buffalo 
.   Township,   Perr>'  County.      Their  children  were 
Sarah,  (Haas),  Eliza,  Mary,  John  and  James. 

Hi.  Sarah,  b.  March  18,  1798;  m.  Robert  Baskin,  a  fuller. 
A  remarkable  coincidence  occurred  in  this  famih-. 
The  father,  mother,  and  a  little  child  all  died  on 
the  same  night,  December  13,  1832.  One  grave 
at  the  Hill  Church,  in  Watt's  Township,  Perry 
County,  contains  the  remains  of  these  three  per- 
*  sons.     Three  of  their  children  lived  to  woman- 

hood and  manhood:     Eliza,  (Bair),  Sarah  Ann, 
(Lodge),  and  Oliver. 

h'.  Anne,  b.  March  18,  1801;  d.  July  29,  1859.  Taught 
school  a  number  of  years;  m.  George  Beard,  a 
teacher  by  profession  also.     They  had  no  issue. 

6.    V.  James,  b.  February  18,  1804;  d.  January  26,  1856. 


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184  THE    FAMILY  OF    MAGEXNIS. 

vi.  Eliza,  b.  October  22,  1S06;  d.   November  23,   1838. 
A  teacher  for  several  years. 

7.  vii.  George,  b.  August  30,  1808;  d.  1848. 

8.  vm.  John  Cochran,,  b.  June  27,  1812;  d.   March  5,  1887. 

ix.  Catharine.     Died  while  quite  young. 

V.  George,-  (James, ^)  b.  1775  in  northern  Ireland. 
He  came  with  his  parents  to  America  when  he  was  15 
years  of  age.  His  early  manhood  was  spent  in  Buffalo 
Township,  Perry  County.  He  lived  a  few  years  in  Sher- 
man's Valley,  in  the  same  county,  after  which  he  moved 
to  Shippensburg,  Cumberland  County,  where  he  engaged 
in  mercantile  pursuits.  He  was  for  a  number  of  years  a 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  took  an  active  and  leading  in- 
terest in  the  welfare  of  the  town  of  his  adoption.  While 
yet  comparatively  young  he  was  made  a  ruling  elder  in 
the  Presbyterian  Church.  This  position  he  occupied  at 
the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  August  6,  1853. 
He  is  buried  at  Shippensburg,  Pa.  He  was  twice  mar- 
ried; m.,  first,  July  20,  1805,  Mary  Linton.  They  had 
issue: 

z.  Margaret,  b.  September  20,  180S;  d.  April  20,  1889; 
m.  J.  Wilson  Hays.  Their  children  were  James 
Wilson,  b.  June  25,  1839;  Edward  Stuart,  b.  No- 
vember 25,  1844;  Mary  Ellen,  b.  October  6,  1846; 
Anna  Catharine,  b.  June  29,  1848;  Elizabeth  Jane, 
b.  October  11,  1852,  and  two  sons,  who  died  in 
childhood. 

George,-  (James, ^)m.,  secondly,  Mrs.  Catharine  Rej'- 
nolds.     They  had  issue: 

9.     z.  Rev.  James  Y.,  b.  December  18,  1814;  d.  August  31, 
1851. 
ii.  Anna  Cochran,  b.  January   18,    1820;  d.   April  28, 
188S;  m.  Rev.  Alexander  C.  Hillman,  of  the  Re- 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  185 

formed  Church.     They  had  issue:     James,  who  is 
now  a  pastor  of  a  church  in  New  York  State;  An- 
na G.,  Margaret  and  William  H. 
lo.iii.  Wilson,  b.  October  3,  1825;  d.  February-  2,  1853. 

VI.  James,  ^  (John,  2  James,  ^)b.  February  iS,  1804;  d. 
January  26,  1856.  Much  of  his  life  was  devoted  to  teach- 
ing school.  He  taught  26  terms,  a  portion  of  which  was 
in  Liverpool,  Pa.  His  boyhood  days  w^ere  spent  on  his 
father's  farm  in  Perry  County.  He  afterwards  moved  to 
Montour  County,  Pa.,  where  he  raised  his  family.  He 
was  a  consistent  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
and  lies  interred  in  the  Chillisquaque  Presbyterian  burial 
ground  in  Northumberland  County;  m.  Anna,  daughter 
of  Samuel  and  Phoebe  Bond,  of  Liberty  Township, 
Montour  County.     They  had  issue: 

i.  Samuel,  d.  March  28,  1835,  in  childhood. 

ii.  Sarah  Ann,  b.  August  28,  1834. 

in.  Phoebe,  b.  September  8,  1S36;  d.  1861.  Taught 
school  a  number  of  terms. 

iv.  Eliza  Jane,  b.  October  24,  1839.  A  teacher  in  the 
public  schools.  Her  time  and  attention  have  been 
given  to  this  work  for  the  last  28  years. 

11.  V.  John  C,  b.  January  18,  1841;  d.  May  30,  1890. 

12.  vi.  James  Y.,  b.  November  25,  1844. 

Vn.  George,^  (John,'^  James,  ^)b.  August  30,  1808; 
m.  Mary  Castle,  of  Juniata  County,  Pa.,  in  1838.  They 
lived  for  a  short  time  in  Perry  County.  They  then 
moved  to  Juniata  County.  Not  many  years  thereafter 
they  engaged  in  farming  in  the  West  where  they  both 
died  in  1848.     They  had  issue: 

i.  George  W. 

ii.  William. 

iii.  Sarah  Jane. 

iv.  John. 


X 


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l86  THE   FAMILY  OF   MAGFNNIS.  t^ 

VIII.  John  Cochran,^  (John,-  James/)  b.  June  27, 
1S12;  d.  March  5,  1S87.  His  life,  with  the  exception  of 
a  few  months  in  which  he  attended  school  in  Millers- 
burg,  Dauphin  County,  was  spent  in  Buck's  Valley,  Per- 
ry County.  He  taught  school  9  years,  and  served  as 
Justice  of  the  Peace  for  6  consecutive  terms.  His  com- 
missions bear  the  signatures  of  the  following  governors 
of  the  state:  Shunk,  Johnston,  Pollock,  Packer,  Curtinand 
Geary.  He  was  an  inveterate  reader,  which  habit,  coupled 
with  a  discriminating  judgment,  and  a  retentive  memory, 
made  him  reliable  authority  in  local  and  general  history. 
His  interest  in  popular  education  was  always  great.  His 
theory  was  that  the  best  legacy  that  any  father  can  be- 
stow upon  his  children. is  a  good  education.  For  a  num- 
ber of  years  he  was  an  earnest  and  active  member  of 
the  School  Board  of  his  district.  Married  Sarah  Ann, 
daughter  of  Simon  and  Mary  Ditty,  of  Buffalo  Town- 
ship, Perry  County.     They  had  issue: 

13.  i.  Lemuel  E.,  b.  May  15,  1853. 

ii.  Anna  M.,  b.  August  29,  1854;  m.  John  G.  Zeigler. 
They  have  but  one  child,  Walter  E. 

14.  in.  John  Cochran,  b.  December  11,  1855. 

15.  iv.  George  W.,  b.  February  9,  1857. 

16.  V.  James  Wilson,  b.  June  27,  1859. 

vi.  Ada  Adora,  b.  February  17,  1861;  m.  George  Baskin. 
They  have  one  son,  Raymond. 
■    vii.  Infant  daughter,  b.  November  19,  1862;  d.  Decem- 
ber 7,  1862. 
via.  Tirza  Rebecca,  b.  March  i,  1864. 
ix.  Sarah  Catharine^  b.  August  12,  1866;  d.  Oct.  26,  1876. 
X.  Ulysses  Grant,  b.  April  20,  1868;  d.  Sept.  25,  1871. 

IX.  Rev.  James  Y., 2  (George, ^  James, i)b.  Decem- 
ber 18,    1814;   d.   August  31,  1851.     An  able,   devoted 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  187 

minister  of  the  gospel.*  He  graduated  at  Jefferson  Col- 
lege, Canonsburg,  Pa.,  in  the  class  of  '35.  After  grad- 
uation he  took  charge  of  the  department  of  languages 
in  an  Academy  at  Steubenville,  Ohio.  His  health  failing, 
he  gave  up  his  professorship  before  the  close  of  the  first 
year.  During  the  following  summer  his  health  became 
much  improved,  and  in  the  spring  of  1S37  he  entered 
the  South  Hanover,  Indiana  Theological  Seminary.  He 
completed  his  course  in  this  institution  in  1S40,  and 
was  soon  afterwards  installed  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Lewistown,  111.  The  climate  at  this  place 
not  agreeing  with  him,  he  reluctantly  gave  up  his  charge 
after  three  years'  faithful  service,  and  returned  to  the 
mountains  of  his  native  state.  In  1844  he  accepted  a 
unanimous  call  to  the  church  at  Shade  Gap,  Hunting- 
don County,  Pa.  Here  the  remainder  of  his  days  were 
spent  in  unremitting  toil  for  the  great  cause  that  he  so 
much  loved.  Though  a  man  of  weak  physical  powers, 
he  possessed  indomitable  energy,  a  brilliant  mind  and 
an  intense  love  for  God  and  humanity.  These  qualities 
led  him  to  be  a  power  in  the  church,  a  leader  in  the 
community,  and  a  benediction  to  his  family. 

Through  his  zeal  in  the  cause  of  education,  Miln- 
wood  Academy,  at  Shade  Gap,  was  established.  This 
institution  was  in  his  time  one  of  the  most  flourishing 
of  its  kind  in  the  state.  He  married  Elizabeth  Cris- 
well,  of  Scotland,  Franklin  County,  Pa.,  October  22, 
1840.     They  had  issue. 

•  17.     i.  George  Harold  Criswell,  b.  September  21,  1841;  d. 
June  I,  1863. 
ii.  Catharine    Elizabeth,  b.   May  2,   1843;  d.   May  11, 


*  Rev.  D.  L.  Hughes  published  his  biography  in  18->4,  in  a  neat  vol- 
ume of  352  pages.  Besides  a  full  history  of  his  life  and  character,  it 
contains  a  number  of  his  tinest  sermons  and  addresses. 


;'8l  .Vr^'.'V'iV.Iit    aZA   riOtHO   ?,TI 


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l88  THE   FAMILY   OF    MAGENNIS.  •  ■' 

1888;  m.  Rev.  J.  V.  Hughes,  a  Presbyterian  min- 
ister, located  at  present  in  Wisconsin. 

iii.  Mary  Jane,  b.  February  23,  1845;  m.  Rev.  H.  W. 
Brown.*     They  now  reside  at  Wooster,  Ohio. 

iv.  Amanda  Blair,  b.  February  25,  1847;  m.  Rev.  J.  M. 
Goheen.  Both  husband  and  wife  are  at  present 
missionaries  to  India  under  the  direction  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church. 

V.  Anna  Margaret,  b.  March  19,  1849;  m.  Rev.  J.J.  Hull, 
a  missionary  from  the  same  denomination  to  Kol- 
hapin,  India.  Rev.  Hull  returned  to  this  country 
in  1880  on  account  of  ill  health.  A  year  after  his 
return  he  died.  In  October,  18S1,  Mrs.  Hull,  with 
her  two  little  boys,  returned  to  the  missionary  field 
in  India. 

vi.  Corola  Alice  Y.,  b.  October  6,  1851. 

X.  Wilson,  2  (George,  ^  James,  ^)  b.  October  3,  1825, 
d.  February  2,  1853;  a  young  man  possessed  of  much 
natural  ability  and  a  fine  education.  He  received  his 
education  at  Marshall  College,  Mercersburg,  Pa.,  from 
which  institution  he  graduated  at  an  early  age.  A  prom- 
inent feature  in  his  character  was  his  reserved  and  digni- 
fied manner.  He  assisted  his  brother,  Rev.  James  Y. , 
in  establishing  Milnwood  Academy,  and  during  its  early 
^history  was  one  of  its  professors.  After  the  death  of  his 
brother  he  took  sole  charge  of  the  institution.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  church  of  his  ancestors.  Married  Cath- 
arine Laughlin,  of  Newville,  Pa. 


*  Rev.  Horatio  W.  Brown  was  pastor  of  the  Second  Presbyterian 
Church,  William.sport,  Pa.,  from  1871  to  1884,  a  period  of  thirteen 
years.  When  he  resigned,  which  was  on  account  of  his  health,  there 
was  much  sorrow  in  his  con<rregation,  and  the  members  parted  from 
him  with  deep  regret.  He  is  not  now  actively  eniraged  in  the  minis- 
trj'. 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND    HISTORY.  189 

XI.  John  C.,"*  (James, '^  John, '^  James,  ^)  b.  January 
18,  1841;  d.  !May  30,  1S90.  He  moved  with  his  family 
from  Pennsylvania  to  Parsons,  Kansas,  in  1872,  where 
he  eno^aged  in  the  leather  trade.  He  was  a  soldier  in 
the  War  of  the  Rebellion;  at  the  time  of  his  death,  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  Fraternity,  and  an  active  work- 
er in"  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Married  Clarinda  W., 
daughter  of  William  and  Sarah  Fegley,  of  Lewisburg, 
Union  County,  Pa.     They  had  issue: 

i.  Sarah  Ann,  b.  June  18.  1868. 
ii.   Minnie  Jane,  b.  xVpril  13,  1870;  d.  April  2,  1876. 
Hi.  Phebe  Adella,  b.  July  5,  1872. 

iv.  Charles  Harrison,  b.  Aug.  21,  1874;  d.  June  19,  1876. 
V.  James  Allen,  b.  November  23,  1877. 
vi.  John  Bond,  b.  December  12.  1879. 
vii.  Elmer  Guy,  b.  December  17,  1881. 
via.  Infant  Daughter,  b.  Aug.  21,  1884;  d.  Aug.  25,  1884. 
ix.  Clarence  Myron,  b.  July  3,  1S86. 

XII.  James  Y.  ,  ^  (James,  ^  John,  -  James,  ^ )  b.  Novem- 
ber 25,  1844.  At  present  a  resident  of  Pottsgrove,  Pa. 
A  carpenter  by  trade;  has  also  been  engaged  in  teaching 
school  for  15  successive  terms.  Married  Jennie  Stout,  of 
Pottsgrove.     They  have  no  children. 

XIII.  Lemuel  E.,"*  (John  C.,^  John, 2  James, i)  b. 
May  15,  1853.  Began  the  work  of  teaching  at  the  age 
of  19.  At  an  early  period  in  his  life  he  determined  to 
make  this  his  life  work,  and  accordingly  has  always 
made  it  a  subject  of  special  study  and  preparation.  He 
has  occupied  the  following  positions  in  the  public  schools 
of  the  central  part  of  the  state:  Three  terms  in  the  un- 
graded schools  of  his  native  county.  Perry;  Principal  of 
the  Lower  Duncannon  High  School  from  1875  to  1878; 
Principal  of  the  Duncannon  Borough  Schools  from  1878 
to  1881;   Principal  of  the  Steelton  Schools  from  1881  to 


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IQO  THE    FAMILY  OF   MAGENXIS.  ' 

1888.  In  June,  1888,  he  was  elected  to  the  Superin- 
tendency  of  the  Steelton  Schools,  which  position  he  now 
occupies.  He  was  also  at  one  time  a  teacher  in  the  Ju- 
niata Valley  Normal  School.  He  has  for  several  years 
taken  an  active  part  in  the  work  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  Married  Ida  Clark,  daughter  of  Hugh  K.  and 
Ellen  S.  Wilson,  of  Perry  County.  They  have  but  one 
child:  Sarah  Ellen,  b.  September  21,  1884. 

XIV.  John  Cochran, ^  (John  C.,^  John, 2  James, i) 
b.  December  11,  1855.  He  is  at  present  serving  his  sec- 
ond term  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  Buffalo  Township, 
Perry  County,  the  same  township  in  which  his  father 
served  in  the  same  capacity  for  30  years.  Married  Mag- 
gie Jane,  daughter  of  Robert  and  Sarah  Baskin.  They 
had  issue: 

i.  Vera  May,  b.  November  17,  1882.  ^,j  j^.^,  ;     j^ 

ii.  Percy  Robert,  b.  September  20,  1884. 
Hi.  Frank  Bruce,  b.  April  24,  1890. 

XV.  George  Washington,*  (John  C.,^  John, 2 
James, ^)  b.  February  9,  1857.  In  his  youth  he  mani- 
fested considerable  talent  with  pen  and  crayon.  He  is 
now  (1891)  profitably  employed  as  a  crayon  artist.  Mar- 
ried Fannie  E.,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Catharine  Castle, 
of  Juniata  County,  Pa.     They  had  issue: 

i.  Maude  Vernon,  b.  May  19,  1883, 
ii.  Katie  Eva,  b.  November  9,  1885.  » 

Hi.  Anna  Delia,  b.  September  22,  1887. 
iv.  Wayne,  b.  January  18,  1890. 

XVI.  James  Wilson,*  (John  C.,^  John,^  James,i) 
b.  June  27,  1859.  At  present  engaged  as  a  clerk  in  a 
lumbering  establishment  at  Sparrowspoint,  Maryland. 
Married  Mary  Ella  (daughter  of  Joseph  M.  and  Eliza- 
beth H.  Cook),  of  Williamsport,  Pa.     They  had  issue: 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  I9I 

z.  Walter  Owen.  b.  April  14,  1888.  : 

a.   Infant  son,  b,  May  23,  1891. 

XVIL  George  Harold  Criswell,'*  (Rev.  James 
Y.,^  George,"'  James/)  b.  September  21,  1S41;  d.  June 
I,  1863.  Graduated  at  Jefferson  College,  Canonsburg, 
Pa,,  in  the  class  of  i860.  It  was  his  intention  to  follow 
the  footsteps  of  his  father  and  prepare  for  the  Christian 
ministry.  As  he  was  but  19  years  of  age  at  graduation 
it  was  thought  well  by  his  friends  that  he  engage  in 
teaching  for  a  time  before  entering  upon  the  active  du- 
ties of  the  ministry.  After  acting  as  tutor  in  a  private 
family  for  a  short  time  he  began  teaching  in  an  Acade- 
my at  Sewickley,  Pa.  In  1862,  after  obtaining  the  con- 
sent of  his  mother,  he  responded  to  the  call  of  his  coun- 
try by  enlisting  in  Company  G,  140th  Regiment,  Penn- 
sylvania Volunteers,  under  Captain  John  Frazer,  of  Jef- 
ferson College,  now  General  Frazer.  Soon  after  the  bat- 
tle of  Chancellorsville  he  contracted  a  severe  cold  which 
developed  into  pneumonia  and  terminated  his  short  and 
promising  life  June  i,  1863,  at  Falmouth,  Va.  He  was 
one  among  the  many  talented  young  men  of  our  state 
who  gave  up  their  lives  that  our  nation  might  live. 


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JAMES  McGINNES  OF  MONTGOMERY 
COUNTY. 


James  McGinnes,  b.  near  Jenkintown,  Pa.;  m.  Pris- 
cilla  Dalby  March  6,  1806.  She  was  born  at  North  Wales, 
Pa.,  July -I,  1785.  They  lived  at  Quakertown,  Pa.,  af- 
ter their  marriage,  until  the  spring  of  1814,  when  they 
moved  to  Berwick,  Pa.,  where  he  died  in  the  fall  of  the 
same  year.     She  died  November  6,  1847.     Issue: 

z.  Ann,  b.  February'  6,  1807;  d.  August  13,  1823. 
ii.  Enoch  Walton  (of  whom  presently). 
in.  Joseph  Webster,  b.  October  17,  1810;  d.  1S47. 
iv.  James,  b.  Januar>'  8,   18 13;  m.    Rebecca   Poulton, 
1839;  she  died  1850.     Issue: 

I.  Ann,  m.  William  F.  Price.     Their  issue: 
I.  Rebecca,  m.  Harvey  Lear;  issue,  one 
child,  Edna. 
'   2.  Ida,  m.  Sylvester  B.  Phillips;  issue,  one 
child,  Mabel. 

3.  Caroline,  m.  Jacob  S.  Mood. 

4.  Susan,  m.  Wm.  Kinsey. 

5.  James,  m.   Belle   Wilton.     Issue:     i. 

Ethel.     2.  Cornelius. 

6.  Jennie. 

7.  Lizzie. 

8.  William. 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  193 

9.  Enoch. 

10.  Annie. 

11.  Melvin. 

2.  Rocilla,  d.  aged  3  years. 

3.  Henr>',  m.  Lizzie  B.  Andrews.     Issue: 

1.  J.  Frederick. 

2.  William,  m.  Mar\'  Wychoflf. 
3-  Ida. 

4.  Lizzie. 

5.  Henr>'. 

4.  Caroline,  m.  Jacob  Swartz.     Issue: 

1.  Flora. 

2.  Henry. 

3.  Emily. 

5.  Enoch,  m.  Emma  L.  Stout.     Issue: 

1.  Jennie. 

2.  Enoch. 

In  1857  he  married  Jane  Hellyer.      They  reside  in 
Trenton,  N.  J.     Issue: 

1.  Anson  B.,  deceased. 

2.  Charles,  deceased.  .     ^-,  ,      '• 

3.  James,  deceased. 

4.  Lizzie,  m.   :Marshall  C.   Holmes  Januar>', 

1890,  living  in  Trenton,  N.  J. 

V.  Marietta,  b.  December  14,  1814,  m.  Pettit,  issue 

known  by  writer: 

1.  Samuel  Petit,  reported  killed  in  Battle  of 

Bull  Run. 

2.  Mrs.  Elwood  Dudbridge.     Aftenvards  rri. 

Colton.     At  present  living  in  Bucks. 

Enoch  Walton  McGinnes,  son  of  James,  b.  August 

II,  1808,  in  Alontgomery  County;  d.  at  Pottsville , 

1867,  suddenly,  of  diabetes. 

He  learned  the  trade  of  a  blacksmith  in  Philadelphia; 


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194  THE    FAMILY   OF   MAGEXNIS.  '-■': 

came  to  Schuylkill  County  in  1833  and  set  up  a  shop  at 
Port  Carbon.  He  afterwards  moved  to  Pottsville  and 
started  a  machine  shop,  which  he  conducted  on  an  ex- 
tensive scale  for  several  years.  '.:'•.••  >■  ■•    ■'         ■••■ 

He  became  interested  in  coal  mining  in  early  times, 
but  did  not  meet  with  the  success  he  expected.  Busi- 
ness misfortunes  overtook  him,  but  being  a  man  of  great 
activity  and  pluck,  he  was  not  wholly  discouraged,  but 
soon  started  in  again  and  succeeded. 

He  had  long  entertained  a  theory  that  the  mammoth 
vein  of  coal  could  be  reached  by  a  shaft,  because  he 
believed  that  on  account  of  the  anticlinal  axis  it  was 
thrown  upward.  His  "theory,"  as  it  was  called,  was 
scouted  by  the  geologists  and  practical  operators,  but  he 
was  cpnfident  of  its  correctness. 

Soon  after  the  sale  of  his  property  he  determined  to 
seek  assistance  and  sink  a  shaft.  He  had  but  $4.50  in 
money,  a  sleigh  and  pair  of  horses,  but  this  slender  cap- 
ital did  not  deter  him  from  making  the  experiment. 

Through  the  aid  of  friends  he  commenced  sinking 
the  shaft  at  St.  Clair.  It  w^as  450  feet  deep  and  iS  feet 
wide,  and  cost  $100,000.  The  vein  was  found  and  the 
coal  trade  revolutionized.  His  ''theory"  was  demon- 
strated. And  after  he  had  taken  out  100  tons  of  coal, 
those  who  had  scoffed  and  sneered  at  him  accepted  his 
theory  and  manfully  acknowledged  his  superior  sagacity, 
and  he  took  a  foremost  position  among  the  coal  men  of 
the  country.  Henry  C.  Carey,  the  political  economist, 
gave  him  the  title  of  "The  Columbus  of  Schuylkill 
County."  Carey  &  Hart  owned  a  tract  near  St.  Clair, 
and  the  value  of  their  property  was  greatly  enhanced 
by  the  discovery  of  the  Mammoth  Vein. 

So  greatly  were  the  coal  men  gratified  over  the  suc- 
cess of  McGinnes  that  they  made  up  a  purse  and  pur- 


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.11 ;  J  /  i: 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  195 

chased  a  fine  silver  service,  which  was  expressly  manu- 
factured for  the  occasion,  and  presented  it  to  him  as  a 
testimonial  of  the  esteem  in  which  he  was  held.  On 
the  different  pieces  there  are  emblems  of  coal  mining  in 
relief,  such  as  the  miner  with  pick,  and  shovel,  &c. 

The  presentation  took  place  on  the  evening  of  Octo- 
ber 13,  1854,  at  the  Mount  Carmel  Hotel.  The  celebra- 
tion of  this  event  was  extremely  interesting.  From  a 
pamphlet  printed  soon  afterwards,  giving  an  account  of 
the  affair,  we  learn  that  among  the  most  prominent 
guests  were  Frederick  Fraley,  president  of  the  Schuyl- 
kill Navigation;  John  C.  Cresson,  president  of  the  Mine 
Hill  Railroad;  Henry  C.  Carey,  one  of  the  well  known 
pioneers-  of  the  coal  trade,  and  author  of  several  works 
on  Political  Economy;  Abraham  Hart,  the  esteemed 
publisher;  Pierce  Butler;  Hon.  Francis  W.  Hughes,  At- 
torney General  of  the  Commonwealth;  Hon.  William 
Donaldson,  an  extensive  coal  land  proprietor;  Hon. 
James  H.  Campbell,  representative  in  Congress;  Hon. 
Charles  W.  Pitman;  M.  C.  Ford,  presiderrt  of  the  North 
American  Coal  Company;  Gen.  John  M.  Bickel,  State 
Treasurer;  Col.  J.  Macomb  Wetherill;  J.  Henry  xA-dams; 
Decatur  E.  Nice,  and  many  others. 

The  supper  was  one  of  the  finest  ever  served  in  the 
county,  and  amidst  the  clatter  of  plate  and  cutlery  were 
mingled  the  inspiring  staves  of  a  band  of  musicians. 
Frederick  Fraley  presided,  and  the  service  of  silver  for 
Mr.  McGinnes  was  placed  in  a  conspicuous  position  at 
the  head  of  the  table.  The  presentation  address  was 
made  by  the  Hon.  F.  W.  Hughes,  in  the  following 
words: 

Mr.  McGinnes:  In  behalf  of  a  number  of  your  friends — 
gentlemen  interested  in  the  Schuylkill  Coal  Basin — I  have 
the  honor  to  present  you  with  this  service  of  plate,  "as  a  me- 


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196  THE    FAMILY   OF    :\rACrENNIS.  '-'^ 

morial  of  their  appreciation  of  the  energy-  and  intelligence 
that,  surmounting  all  obstacles,  whether  of  prejudice  or  the- 
OTy,  have  demonstrated  the  accessibility  for  practical  work- 
ing, of  the  great  White  Ash  Coal  Measures  throughout  the 
entire  basin."  Considerations  connected  with  the  circum- 
stances under  which  this  highly  important  truth  was  made 
manifest,  give  a  double  gratification  in  this  presentation,  as 
the}'  prove  how  eminently  it  is  deserved.  If  he  is  entitled  to 
commendation  for  contributing  useful  labor  who  causes  two 
blades  of  grass  to  grow  where  but  one  grew  before,  how  much 
is  that  one  deserving  of  our  gratitude  who,  under  circum- 
stances the  most  trying  and  adverse,  encountering  the  opposi- 
tion of  scientific  professors,  the  alleged  experience  of  the  prac- 
tical man,  and  the  want  of  pecuniar}'  means,  aggravated  by 
a  heavy  load  of  indebtedness  incurred  in  previous  enterprise, 
has  the  genius,  energ}-,  and  courage  to  battle  with  these  ob- 
stacles, and  engage  in  a  work  that  has  added  millions  to  the 
wealth  of  this  county,  and  that  must  contribute  largely  to 
afford  employment  and  wealth  to  millions  that  in  this  and 
future  centuries  will  people  this  country;  a  work  that  re- 
quired years,  a;id  the  expenditure  of  enough  for  a  large  for- 
tune, before  its  success  or  its  folly  could  be  demonstrated. 
And  yet,  sir,  you  undertook  and  accomplished  this  great 
work — not  clothed  with  corporate  rights  and  special  privi- 
leges, but  alone — with  no  capital  but  a  name,  integrity,  saga- 
city, and  untiring  energy.  For  pecuniary  aid  you  looked  to 
the  confidence  and  sympathy  which  unceasing  argument, 
illustration,  and  the  exhibition  of  a  determined,  bold,  but 
honest  spirit  might  inspire  in  others.  By  these  means  you 
vanquished  difficulties,  and  have  demonstrated  the  inex- 
haustibility of  this  coal  basin  as  a  resource  for  anthracite 
coal,  and  have  shown  the  vast  and  munificent  provisions  of 
Providence  for  a  supply  of  fuel  for  all  the  purposes  of  the 
thronging  myriads  that  in  future  generations  will  inhabit  this 
continent. 

This  is  your  work,  sir;  this  your  proud  monument — more 
lasting  than  brass — enough  for  the  just  ambition  of  any  one. 


)  hr.r.  ,-/jn-j)i\  * 


)UI-fii      •>.'!     f>lr;00     Vrio")     >li     to    e'rlOO^Utr'     .'1'. 


....  .  -.J 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND    HISTORY.  1 97 

Its  importance  can  be  but  feebly  displayed  by  the  presenta- 
•  tion  of  this  plate,  or  by  anything  that  I  may  say  on  this  oc- 
casion. Still,  whatever  departure  it  may  be  from  the  brevity 
which  should  characterize  my  remarks  at  this  time,  allow  me 
to  refer  to  some  of  the  history  of  the  development  of  the  great 
fact  by  which  so  important  benefits  will  be  conferred  on  so 
many  of  your  fellow  men.  As  one  who  has  most  anxiously 
watched  the  progress  of  your  enterprise — who  was  of  the  ear- 
liest of  5'our  converts,  and  who  has,  to  some  inconsiderable 
extent,  shared  the  ridicule  which  the  wisdom  of  the  multi- 
tude always  so  liberally  bestows  upon  the  genius  who  has  the 
boldness  to  attack  old  theories  and  prejudices,  and  of  which 
you  received  a  very  lavish  portion — I  claim  this  indulgence. 

A  few  years  since  I  learned,  in  the  course  of  my  practice 
in  this  county,  of  your  failure  in  an  uncertain  enterprise,  that 
left  you  with  a  considerable  amount  of  indebtedness,  and  with 
no  property  but  a  name  for  strict  integrity,  great  energy,  and 
an  unconquerable,  hopeful  spirit.  The  generosity  of  friends 
purchased  at  sheriff's  sale  a  few  articles  that  were  deemed 
necessarj'  for  your  personal  comfort.  Immediately  after  being 
thus  bereft  of  pecuniary  means,  you  commenced  the  sinking 
of  a  shaft  through  rock  where  our  professional  and  practical 
men  generally  said  it  was  madness  to  look  for  coal  at  any  ac- 
cessible distance.  Even  upon  your  own  estimate  it  was  the 
work  of  three  years,  and  at  a  cost  of  probably  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  You,  I  believe,  sir,  according  to  your  own 
confession  at  the  time,  had  a  cash  capital  of  four  dollars  and 
fifty  cents !  together  with  the  aforementioned  articles  pur- 
chased at  Sheriff's  sale,  which  included  an  old  sleigh  and  a 
pair  of  horses  ! 

What  became  of  your  cash  capital  of  four  dollars  and  fifty 
cents  I  never  learned :  but  I  do  know  that  the  old  sleigh  and 
the  horses  were  soon  turned  into  dollars,  and  that  your  work- 
men were  promptly  paid.  I  also  know  that  the  confidence  of 
your  friends  soon  began  to  strengthen,  and  as  there  was  the 
promise  of  vast  benefit  to  us  all  by  your  success,  the  doubt- 


;pl 


7 >i  oral  I!  a 'A A  vjioi^io  sti 


lf.-'7;    JilJ  lo   rrv  r:f{v..i'>v-!:'  -^ir:  1"  .-K';>:lfl  :=irij  jo  ^xtaoc' o' 


:/    "if':    ''?  .;;    ,      v, 


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>i,i?i'/d  -f:?!!:!:  .■tf;x.:l";n/iu:j      .r  ■i.'^i.'.'j  li.i'O'.v.'iq  ino  • 


-'sf;  -(tf^  :?£  f^';3  ;vit  ;^':'ri'  ;,:  r'Svn' :;ni  r-'iv/  jj  bij;^  v- 


ir/?o 


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£i  bnr  1  n;i  b*>buio> 


■Jdijoh  ^ii 


198  THE    FAMILY  OF   MAGENNIS.  J^y) 

ing,  and  even  those  who  still  ridiculed,  surmised  that  a  trifle 
might  be  risked.  You  pushed  forward  with  your  work.  Pay 
day  came,  and  along  with  it  came  the  cash  for  the  hardy  miner 
and  laborer.  Even  a  capitalist  offers  to  invest  the  "needful" 
in  the  enterprise,  provided  he  is  taken  in  as  a  partner!  You, 
however,  were  too  strong  then,  and  you  declined  the  oflfer. 
The  work  continued  to  prosper,  and  on  this  day,  from  the 
great  shaft  at  St.  Clair,'  four  hundred  and  fifty  feet  deep,  ten 
by  eighteen  feet  wide,  cost  exceeding  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  still  but  partially  opened,  over  one  hundred  tons  of 
coal  have  been  mined  from  the  great  White  Ash  Mammoth 
coal  vein,  thirty  feet  in  thickness,  passed  over  your  new  and 
greatly  improved  Martz  Coal  Breaker,  deposited  in  the  cars, 
and  now  on  the  way  to  the  Atlantic  seaboard! 

This  great  experiment,  confirmed  b}-  that  on  the  lands  of 
the  North  American  Coal  Company,  and  others  less  perfect, 
proves  that  the  great  White  Ash  Coal  Measures,  instead  of 
being  reachable  only  at  the  northern  rim  of  our  coal  basin, 
as  formerh'  supposed,  are  so  at  all  desirable  points  through- 
out its  entire  area,  and  that  therefore,  ever\'  acre  of  the  land' 
can  be  made  to  yield  a  product  of  from  sixty  to  one  hundred 
thousand  tons  of  coal!  To  estimate  the  value  of  a  single 
acre  of  coal  land  in  this  basin,  when  measured  by  its  pro- 
ductiveness, far  outstrips  any  idea  that  has  heretofore  been 
entertained;  and  yet,  sir,  you  demonstrated  the  truth  of  this 
real  intrinsic  value. 

All  idea  of  exhausting  this  coal  basin  will  now  be  dis- 
pelled; and  although  the  Schuylkill  coal  trade  has  increased 
more  than  a  hundred  fold  in  the  last  twenty-seven  years,  and 
although  the  same  regular  annual  percentage  of  increase 
may  continue  for  many  years  to  come,  yet  the  subject  of  ex- 
haustibility  for  centuries  cannot  be  seriously  apprehended, 
I  will  not  enlarge  on  the  importance  of  the  great  fact  we 
now  commemorate  to  the  vast  industrial  population  that  will 
throng  these  mountains,  nor  of  its  value  in  the  generation  of 
steam,  as  well  as  for  domestic  use,  to  those  of  our  Atlantic 
cities,  and  even  throughout  the  world.     Future  generations 


.'riv/iznoj.u  'io  •(•jiy./M  ;.iHT  891 

."   ■■  i>  lr,ih  lyii-Aunjir'  .b-ilr-jibrs  [th-i  od//  %oi).'  navy  bnh  ,gni 

vn'l      ;-!ii.>7/  -.'jV>7  dir,/  \.-)ii-.7rio)  ij'>:j' -•.(;«;  uoY    .i>-j:jf«i-i  -:•<}  Jjgixn 


■.nil  :  '  1:  <     ij-.     ;i,i:;    ^  ;'Mt^(;-q    .  ,;     p. 

:';;,.    J,'^il'■  ■rr.i'iv  'i.yjn  ;i-^.-:.'.,'|  .-r.-ic .' -aij  ;;,:  .)~)'j'*  ■,■'■••■'' 

Mi'   r-trfifK!  '-.ifrfi-;! f;--if.!  'It,  Jr.  fv.  yir,  ,b-j-;(  ','<"uj;-'  v  ; 


-   a   ';u     'i  ; '■"    '.';'t   ■.tJ^;rfT?tJ>'?  oT      ' Tfjoo  lo  giioJ 


-y5  ('•^  J'j-vidf,''3  tij-f?  iov  .^rrro:^  cJ  enridv  yrrBfri  7ol 


J  ii-n)-;;!:.);;  .V./.7  r?ff' 


r-.tlVAai-J'^.-g    ■'■'.'JUl'-i.         Dni;Vf  .-JflJ    7l  fl973 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  199 

will  note  these  things,  while  we,  this  evening,  shall  contrib- 
ute to  make  up  the  record  that  will  inform  them  of  their  ben- 
efactor! 

Upon  the  conclusion  of  these  spirited  remarks,  which 
were  listened  to  with  deep  interest,  IMr.  McGinnes  arose 
to  reply.  The  reporter  thus  described  him:  "He  is  a 
man  somewhat  after  the  fashion  of  ]Mark  Anthony — 
'plain  and  blunt,  and  no  orator  like  Brutus,' — of  the 
average  height.  He  is  very  strongly  built,  and,  uniting 
delicacy  of  feeling  with  the  stamina  of  a  giant,  is  capa- 
ble of  great  physical  endurance;  while  his  deeply  set  eye 
and  thoughtful  countenance  show  a  man  of  mind — a  man 
of  study  and  observation — of  sagacity,  industry  and  in- 
tegrity. His  appearance  at  the  table  was  greeted  with 
the  most  enthusiastic  applause,  the  heartiness  of  which 
evidently  moved  his  strong  heart."     He  said  : 

Mr.  Chairman  and  Gentlemen:  Some  twenty -five 
years  ago  I  left  my  native  place  in  Montgomery  Count}',  in 
this  State,  and  settled  here,  with  not  the  most  distant  idea,  I 
can  assure  you,  of  ever  becoming  the  recipient  of  such  a 
splendid  present  as  this.  As  you  have  seen  proper  to  confer 
it  upon  me,  I  cannot  but  deeply  thank  you  for  it  as  a  mani- 
festation of  your  regard.  If  I  have  been  instrumental  in 
benefitting  others  while  endeavoring,  to  the  best  of  my  abili- 
ty, to  promote  my  own  financial  ends — for,  gentlemen,  like 
other  business  transactions,  it  was  a  matter  of  dollars  and 
cents  "unth  me,  by  which  I  expected  to  be  enabled  to  pay  a 
hea\'y  debt  which  I  had  the  fortune  or  misfortune  to  con- 
tract— I  am  exceedingly  rejoiced.  I  owe,  however,  a  lasting 
debt  of  gratitude  to  the  noble  friends  who  have  stood  by  me 
in  this  enterprise,  through  good  or  evil  report;  and  to  them, 
I  feel,  belongs  the  credit  of  my  success;  and  to  them,  and 
not  to  me  alone,  should  much  of  whatever  merit  may  at- 
tach to  it,  be  bestowed.  I  have  no  doubt  myself,  gentle- 
men, that  I  shall  be  able  hereafter  to  mine  and  send  to  mar- 


'  '•     ■•-'       •■■_',  L-t;  •,;(!-.  Mr:  i]    Ion'';  ;;!:!r;'-)0  ■"" 

■:;^ii!    Trjjn'iu    CI.       il;n    ,] 
.  .  J".   / ;•:(■.':.•  !j  -in   'ni  j1  .'/    , '-^  ;•./':■ ' 
:'•  ■         ■  •:'   ■j'.di-.:   -^fii  :♦;;  -r^.-^iTi'^'  i;.  .^lil 

/,:  ,  •!:;!■    ■  .'    _:v!ri..'-jii;:'v;.'  ■■■■  '  '     ■•■'  f'.>'  I 

■;  .:         < ,;  -^ ,  j:^  ■  :  ■.:.:•■'>•  .  - .        • .      .c.ii[l  >>:  In 

-■■■rsui  1  ';I 

-  -J  ,j;ni":ovf'jJ. ... 

.)>;il  .i  .lol — fihii"  Iri.'.nr.iift  nv/o  vra  -.. 

be:. 

i-  ■•'^'  . 


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iniir.j''^  .IvK'-'iLLi  Idifob  on  svr.a  I 


200  THE    FAMILY  OF   MAGEXXIS. 

ket  from  the  St.  Clair  shaft  one  thousand  tons  of  coal  'per 
da)',  of  the  very  best  White  Ash  variet}*,  and,  in  that  event, 
it  affords  me  pleasure  to  obser\-e,  some  of  my  kind  friends 
will  receive  their  reward.  Let  me  say  again,  I  claim  no 
praise.  I  have,  indeed,  with  some  diligence  and  industry, 
endeavored  to  promote  my  own  interests,  and  to  take  care  of 
my  family;  and,  while  I  hope  to  overcome  every  obstacle  that 
may  present  itself  in  the  path  of  my  success — if  perseverance 
can  do  it — I  feel  the  highest  sense  of  obligation  to  those 
friends  who  have  assisted  me  in  this  undertaking,  some  of 
whom  I  have  the  pleasure  of  recognizing  here,  and  to  whom 
I  desire  to  express  my  wannest  gratitude.  Mr.  Chairman,  I 
shall  hand  over  to  Mrs.  McGinnes  this  beautiful  testimonial 
as  the  first  fruit,  and  as  the  evidence  of  the  final  and  success- 
ful completion  of  the  St.  Clair  shaft. 

Many  toasts  were  proposed  and  addresses  made  during 
the  evening,  which  contributed  to  make  the  event  one 
of  unusual  pleasure  and  good  feeling,  and  those  who 
participated  in  the  ceremonies  long  remembered  the  oc- 
casion as  one  of  the  most  pleasant  events  iu  their  lives. 

The  service  of  plate  is  very  elaborate  and  consists  of 

many  pieces,  ornamented  with  emblems  representative 

of  the  coal  trade.     One  piece  bears  this  inscription  neatly 

engraved  : 

To 

Enoch  W.  McGixxes, 

from 

Gentlemen  interested  in  the  Schuylkill  Coal  Basin, 

as  a  testimonial  of  their  high  appreciation  of  the  intelligence  and 
energy  that,  surmounting  all  obstacles,  whether  of  prejudice 
or  of  theory,  have  established  the  fact  of  the  acces- 
sibility for  practical  working  of  the  White 
Ash  Coal  measures  throughout 
the  entire  Basin. 

The  plate  is  now  in  the  possession  of  his  son,  Theo- 
dore F.  McGinnes,  Danville,  and  is  as  bright  and  beau- 


/H-  '■  .y.    ~iO  7.:.. i//  -I    r?HT 


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ENOCH  LU.  McGlNNES. 


0y'r 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND    HISTORY.  20.I 

tiful  as  it  was  wheu  presented  to  his  father  thirty-seven 
years  ago. 

Enoch  W.  McGinnes  married,  first,  Eliza  Patton,  at 
Pottsville  in  the  fall  of  1833.  She  was  born  March  4, 
1813,  in  Green  County,  N.  Y.,  and  died  ]\Iarch  16,  1848, 

at  Pottsville.      Issue  bv  the  first  marriao^e: 

*  I,    ,  •,  ■  :  ■  ■■■■ 

i.  James  Patton,  b.  Pottsville,  August  21,  1834;  d.  De- 
cember 17,  1883,  at  Trevorton,  Pa.;  m.  jNIarj' Jones 
.     .  at  Pottsville,  September  14,  1S53.     He  went  out 

to  the  Rebellion  with  the  First  Defenders  from 
Pottsville,  and  afterward  was  Lieutenant  of  Com- 
pany A,  g6th  Regiment.     Issue: 

1.  Enoch  Walton,  b.  Nov.  19,  1854,  living  in 

Idaho. 

2.  John  Jones,   b.   March  9,    1857;    m.;    two 
--  children,  b.  in  Idaho. 

3.  Florence  Lydia,  b.  June  27,  1859;  m.  Wil- 

liam H.  Weaver;  four  children;  resides  at 

Shamokin. 
.4.  James  Patton,  b.  March  29,  1861;  m.;  four 

children. 
'        ■  5.   Maggie,  b.  August  11,  1863;  rn.  Steven  J. 

.       •;  Baker;  two  children,  b.  in  Shamokin. 

6.  Mary,  b.  Aug.  31,  1868;  m.  Wm.  R.  Burk- 

heiser;  one  child,  b.  in  Sunbury. 

7.  Esther  Jones,  b.  June  27,  1870;  m.  Steven 
■        -^  H.  Reen;  one  child,  b.  in  Trevorton. 

8.  Burd  Pott,  b.  January  17,  1873. 

9.  Charles  Atwood,  b.  October  11,  1874. 

10.  Eliza  Jane,  b.  April  19,  1877. 

11.  Daniel  Dalby,  b.  August  28,  1881. 

ii.  Daniel  Dalby,  b.  June  13,  1837;  °^-  Emma  R.  Tay- 
lor, of  Pottsville,  May  3,  1865,  and  d.  Februar}' 
9,  1888.  He  was  First  Sergeant  of  Company  H, 
48th  Regiment,  and  afterwards  Adjutant.     In  a 


lot 


VMOT^IH    a'^A   V.lOiaO   8TI 


.< 

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y.   ni      jOfilntJjA  j-.DiiivriaJiB  bnu 


202  THE   FAMILY   OF    MAGENNIS.  .   '       - 

letter  to  his  widow  his  Colonel  pays  the  following 
handsome  tribute  to  his  memory. 

Mrs.  Danikl  D.  McGinnes, 

Dear  Frienti  :  It  atlbrds  ui(>  .ureat  pleasure  to  say  a 
few  words  in  regard  to  the  military  record  of  your  late 
husband.  When  he  was  mustered  into  the  service  of  the 
United  States  he  was  attached  to  the  48th  lieji't  Penn'a 
Vols.,  of  which  I  was  theu  Major,  and  subsequently  pro- 
moted to  Colonel,  and  in  command  of  the  same  until 
ISGo,  when  I  was  placed  in  command  of  the  Post  in  Lex- 
ington, Kv.,and  afterward  to  take  command  of  a  Brigade. 
During  all  this  time  I  was  on  intimate  terms  with  your 
;■.  husband.     He  was  promoted  from  1st  Sergeant  to  Lieu- 

tenant, and  during  a  long  time  was  Adjutant  of  the  llegi- 
ment.  While  I  was  in  command  (for  over  six  months)  (jf 
the  Post  in  Lexington,  Ky.,  he  was  my  Assistant  Adjutant 
General.  After  we  left  this  place  to  go  to  East  Tennes- 
see, he  was  detailed  to  come  north  in  charge  of  a  recruit- 
ing party,  in  whicli  capacity  he  served  until  the  expira- 
tion of  his  term  of  service,  when  he  was  uuistered  out  by 
reason  of  his  health  having  failed.  I  can  truthfully  say, 
that  in  all  the  varied  service  through  which  he  passed, 
I  know  of  no  one  in  the  command  that  served  with  more 
credit  to  him.self  and  the  Regiment  than  did  Lieutenant 
.  '    Daniel  D.  McGinnes.    He  was  always  at  his  post  of  duty, 

-'(even  when  sick,  and  when  most  men  would  have  been 
in  the  hospital)  whether  in  battle,  on  the  march,  in  camp, 
and  while  performing  the  arduous  duties  of  Post  Adju- 
tant at  Lexington,  Ky.  In  a  word,  he  was  a  true,  patri- 
otic, intelligent,  brave,  manly  soldier,  firm  and  decided, 
but  always  a  true  gentleman. 

Very  respectfully,  '■  • 

J.  K.  SIGFRIED, 
Late  Col.  48th  Regt.  Pa.  Vols.  &  Brev.  Brig.  Gen'l. 
POTTSVILLE,  Pa.,  Aug  2;').  1891. 

Adjutant  D.  D.  McGinnes  left  six  children  as 
follows: 

1.  Elizabeth  Taylor,  b.  may  9,  1866. 

2.  Taylor  Patton,  deceased. 


rn.i: 


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'  -ft'I  :tt| 


.ddSi  ^  YfiiiJ  .d 


ITS    ORIGIN    AND    HISTORY.  203 

3.  Benjamin  Taylor,  b.  July  8,  1S74. 

4.  Paul  Taylor,  deceased. 

5.  Wesley  Taylor,  deceased. 

6.  Gerda  Taylor,  b.  September  7,  1878. 

///.  Priscilla,  b.  February  14,  1840;  m.  J.  G.  Frick,  of 
Pottsville,  November  15,  1865;  d.  at  Pottsville 
May  25,  1 89 1.     Issue: 

1.  Henry  Carey. 

2.  Mason  Mitchell. 

3.  Annie  Elizabeth. 

4.  Jacob  Gilbert. 

iv.  Theodore  F.,  b.  March  2,  1842;  m.  Kate  Berryman, 
of  Pottsville,  November  11,  1863.  He  went  out 
to  the  Rebellion  with  Company  F,  2d  Regiment 
of  the  emergency  men.  In  1880  he  moved  to  Dan- 
ville, Pa.,  where  he  is  General  Superintendent  of 
the  Montour  Iron  and  Steel  Company:     Issue." 

I.  Jane  Berryman,  b.  June  10,  1866. 

V.  John  Patton,  b.  February  2,  1845;  m.  Ella  Hunt- 
zinger,  of  Pottsville,  September  4,  1873.  Served 
in  Company  F,  2d  Regiment  of  emergency  men. 
Living  in  Pottsville,  in  the  employ  of  P.  &  R.  C. 
&  I.  Co.     Issue: 

1.  Henr}'  Huntzinger. 

2.  Susie  Ida. 

He  married,  second,  Ann  SprouU  October  17,  1848. 
She  was  born  in  New  York  City  October  12,  1817,  and 
died  at  Pottsville,  Pa.,  January  2,  1882.  Issue  by  this 
marriage: 

i.  Charles  Nathaniel,  b.  October  7,  1849;  m.  Mary 
Gressang,  of  Pottsville,  November  26,  1874.  Re- 
siding in  Pottsville,  where  he  is  Teller  of  the  Safe 
Deposit  Bank.     Issue; 


(.,-  .Y«nT?IH     iVIA    '.^icii:>\0   .-.'11 

1      1. 


'">;  'i/i    i:!j:jO    .'.^ 


.-^•f.?:!  ,'^1   :9do:tDO  IluoiqS   riiiA  .brjooos  .hohiBrr  sH 
t -in  ."i8i  ,si  i9(foJoO  yJiQ  :^ioY  waK  nl  mocf  ?.bw  ariS 

-■':t'A  ll>dlD''>7(i' '    yni  .) 


204  THE    FAMILY    OF    MAGEXXIS. 

1.  Henry  Gressang. 

2.  Alice  Foster. 

3.  Enoch  Walton. 

ii.  Mary  Agues,  b.  July  23,  1853. 

Hi.  Frances  Sproull,  b.  November  6,  1856;  m.  Frauk  H. 
Pollock  March  4,  1880.  Residiug  in  I,ebanon. 
Issue: 

1.  Henr>-  Clay. 

2.  Enoch  Walton.       '  ■  •     ■ 

3.  William.         -- 

iv.  Ann  Eliza,  deceased.  V  •  r  ,  • 


'c-   •■. 


.'■  -'.:.     Ii 


.^{yy.^A:'/  v.   -i- 


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A  VERY  OLD  BRANCH  OF  THE  FAMILY 
IN  THE  VIRGINIAS. 

In  a  work  entitled  "The  History  of  the  Upper  Ohio 
Valley,"  recently  published  by  Brant  &  Fuller,  of  Mad- 
ison, Wisconsin,  appears  the  following  sketch  of  a  prom- 
inent family  of  West  Virginia:  o,        ■   !.'•;■:    ... 

"The  McGinnis  family  figured  prominently  in  the 
early  settlement  of  the  section  composing  the  counties 
of  Cabell  and  Wayne  and  contiguous  territory  of  West 
Virginia.  Edmund,  James  and  Pyrrhus  IMcGinnis  were 
brothers  who  settled  there  in  the  beginning  of  the  pres- 
ent century,  and  many  of  their  lineal  descendants,  to 
the  fourth  generation,  reside  in  the  counties  of  Cabell, 
Wayne,  Putnam,  Raleigh  and  Wyoming  at  this  time, 
and  a  large  number  in  the  Western  states.  The  ancestry 
of  this  extensive  connection  was  originally  Scotch,  but 
settled  in  the  North  of  Ireland  and  emigrated  from  there 
to  America,  thus  constituting  what  is  famous  in  Ameri- 
can annals  as  the  Scotch-Irish  population. 

A  prominent  head  of  this  family  was  Edmund  Mc- 
Ginnis, who,  upon  landing  in  this  country,  settled  near 
Philadelphia,  and  then  moved  to  Frederick  County,  Va. 
His  son  Edmund  married  into  the  Bryan  family  of  Rock- 
ingham County,  Va. ;  subsequently  settling  at  Little 
Levels  in  Greenbrier  County  during  the  latter  part  of 
the  i8th  century.     In  1802  he  removed  with  his  family 


a/. J la OX  17  yniT  vii 

;,:'';:r-j:''^   jVdV^'  To  v: -.^i 

■,-,7'    ;;-;-'r,J-r;:-.;    :  •'.:-[;;- ;':•••■    •'>:;     ■■:■;:  /;,7/  r)!ii    '  ■     v. 


tt^'i 


■   ■       r^  ,    '     1 


.yniiJ   ^n{:    ' '-    ^.;!:i;..'77    7;:;.   i!^j7'i^xl    ,u:>,(ijtj'l  ,on'{BW 
jud  ,i;-         '    -■' ■   •* -.'J  zirfJ  lo 

cii/l  bnwmh'B  cr./r  \iimzi  r.\i\i  lo  bisorl  3n.  ..     .    ^  A 

>//  fV.'nr.rc'J  -Ay.~i'3[*2:i''^  n!  fyjvo;n  rr^rli  bfr/ 
'.':>(,* J'l ''  '    J!ir."'7  f<>>ri?r^?::  hr; 

•:)i;hvl  i  )^   vjj'  r.     ;  .iiV    ,y. 

7fjni;t  iirl  Hliw  bt^vontai  3rf  so8i   nl      .yrnjnyt)  rfjc:  f?Lij 


2o6  THE    FAMILY  OF   MAGEXXIS.  :■  7 

•to  Cabell  County  and  settled  on  the  farm  which  after- 
wards became  well  known  as  the  Shelton  Place,  situated 
on  the  turnpike  between  Guyandotte  and  Barboursville. 
He  raised  a  large  family,  all  of  whom,  including  him- 
self, with  the  exception  of  Allen  A.  ]\IcGinnis,  moved 
in  an  early  day  to  the  west. 

He  was  a  prominent  man  among  the  early  people  of 
the  Guyandotte  A^alley.  He  was  a  surveyor  of  Cabell 
County  when  its  territory  included  a  dozen  of  the  pres- 
ent counties.  He  al.so  represented  his  county  in  the 
General  Assembly  of  Virginia  for  seven  consecutive  ses- 
sions. His  son,  Allen  A.  McGinnis,  the  only  one  je- 
maining  in  Virginia,  was  also  a  prominent  man  in  his 
day,  being  a  magistrate  under  the  old  regime  and  high 
sheriff  by  reason  of  seniority  in  the  magisterial  office. 
He  was  a  conspicuous  member  of  the  Virginia  Legisla- 
ture in  1832  and  again  in  1848.  When  a  young  man  he 
married  Eliza  Holderby,  member  of  a  prominent  and 
distinguished  family  and  a  lady  noted  for  her  refinement 
and  Christian  piety.  They  had  nine  children,  three  of 
whom,  Dr.  A.  B.  McGinnis,  Judge  Ira  J.  McGinnis  and 
Mrs.  J.  W.  Thornburgh,  still  reside  in  Cabell  Count}-. 
The  father  died  in  his  eighty-fifth  year  and  the  mother 
in  the  eighty-second  year  of  her  age. 

Judge  McGinnis,  who  resides  in  the  city  of  Hunting- 
ton at  the  present  time,  in  his  early  professional  life  was 
elected  Prosecuting  Attorney  of  Cabell  County,  and  held 
that  office  up  to  the  beginning  of  the  civil  war,  at  which 
time  he  followed  his  state  into  the  perils  of  the  Southern 
Confederacy,  and  served  in  the  army  up  to  the  closing 
scenes  of  the  "lost  cause."  In  1872  he  was  elected  to 
the  State  Senate  from  the  seventh  district,  and  served  four 
years  as  a  member  of  that  body.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  board  of  directors  of  the  hospital  for  the  insane  at 


Jan?,  '^'jf!]  ?.;;  rr^fowA  fl'jv/  -j. 


-'    :o   ro  (:r/ rt;ci   u  pcv?  oil       vi;f!/:V 

•      •  I         :'.:U'/   :f::ll   u                  :  <:u<yii':,n\-'iiij':)  r.  ^i.»  ^H 
-■ii   u:  ■    ^  Uj'Vli  ,      :    -        ■      ■  '  ■    -'     * 


'io  )- 


ITS   ORIGIN    AND   HISTORY.  207 

Weston  for  a  number  of  years.  The  Judge  has  always 
taken  an  active  interest  in  politics,  and  has  been  promi- 
nent as  a  democratic  politician  and  orator.  In  18S0  he 
was  elected  Judge  of  the  Eighth  Judicial  Circuit,  which 
high  office  he  filled  acceptably  for  eight  years.  He  re- 
mained single  until  at  an  advanced  period  of  life,  but  in 
1881  was  happily  married  to  Miss  Kate,  daughter  of 
John  W.  Hite,  a  gentleman  ofliigh  standing  and  one  of 
the  families  among  the  early  settlers  of  Cabell  Co.  Mrs. 
McGinnis,  unhappily,  died  in  a  few  years  after  their  mar- 
riage. She  was  a  lady  of  culture  and  remarkable  Chris- 
tian excellence.  After  some  four  years.  Judge  McGinnis 
was  again  married,  his  second  wife  being  a  Miss  Frances 
E.  Beuhring,  who  was  also  a  descendant  of  one  of  the 
old  time  families,  a  devoted  Christian  and  a  lady  of  re- 
finement. Her  death  took  place  about  four  years  after 
their  marriage.  Two  of  the  Judge's  children,  one  of 
each  wife,  died  in  infancy,  but  a  son  of  the  last  wife,  a 
healthy,  handsome  boy  named  Ira  J.  McGinnis,  Jr.,  sur- 
vives to  cheer  his  father  during  the  evening  of  life. 

Benjamin  D.  McGinnis,  son  of  James,  was  Prosecut- 
ing Attorney  of  Cabell  County  at  the  close  of  the  war, 
and  is  now  Postmaster  at  Guyandotte,  to  which  office 
he  was  appointed  April  26,  1889.  ,., 

James  H.  McGinnis,  son  of  Pyrrhus,  is  a  prominent 
lawyer  of  Raleigh  County. 

John  W.  McGinnis,  son  of  Allen  A.,  resides  in  Bland 
County,  Va.,  and  two  sons  of  H.  H,  McGinnis,  the 
youngest  son  of  Allen  A.,  are  wealthy  farmers  in  Burk's 
Garden,  Tazewell  County,  Virginia." 


James  H.  McGinnis,   Esq.,   referred  to  above,  was  a 
son  of  Pyrrhus  McGinnis,  who  was  a  son  of  James  Mc- 


t;oS  //HOIV.IH    (IMA    ;. 

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-;:;        :  >       J  «nf[  hi:/;  ,?. 


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-■•I  '-  --J'--- 


208  THE    FAMILY  OF    MAGEXXIS. 

Giunis,  of  Virginia,  who  was  a  son  of  John  McGinnis, 
who  emigrated  to  this  country  from  County  Antrim,  Ire- 
land, just  before,  or  about  the  time  of,  the  Revolution, 
and  he  became  a  soldier  in  the  Continental  army. 

James  H.  ]\IcGinnis  was  born  July  30,  1830,  in  Logan 
County,  near  the  line  between  the  States  of  Virginia 
(now  West  Virginia)  and  Kentucky.  He  was  educated 
in  the  common  schools  of  the  country,  studied  law  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1858.  Soon  afterwards  he 
was  elected  Prosecuting  Attorney  of  the  County  of  Ra- 
leigh, Virginia,  (now  West  Virginia,)  which  oflGce  he 
filled  for  several  successive  terms;  and  he  has  since 
acted  in  the  same  capacity  for  the  Counties  of  Logan, 
Wyoming  and  Mercer.  He  ran  for  the  Judgeship  of  the 
IXth.  District  of  West  Virginia  in  the  year  1880,  but  on 
account  of  political  reasons  was  defeated.  In  1888 — 
although  not  a  candidate — he  was  nominated  for  Con- 
gress by  the  Republicans  of  the  Illd.  District  of  West 
Virginia,  and  was  elected  by  25  majority.  But  a  dispute 
arising  as  to  the  correctness  of  the  returns  from  the  city 
of  Charleston,  his  competitor  petitioned  and  obtained 
from  the  Circuit  Court  of  Kanawha  County  a  writ  of 
certiorari^  which  tied  up  the  vote  of  that  county  in  a 
lawsuit;  and  before  it  was  decided  the  Governor,  who 
was  a  strong  partisan,  proceeded  to  examine  and  count 
the  returns,  leaving  Kanawha  out,  (a  county  that  gave 
him  over  1,300  majority!) 

This  resulted  in  a  contest  before  Congress,  with  a  re- 
port by  the  election  committee  in  his  favor;  but  the  lack 
of  an  independent  Republican  quorum  until  eight  or 
ten  days  before  the  expiration  of  the  session,  and  the 
anxiety  of  the  Republicans  to  pass  the  appropriation  bills 
and  thus  avoid  the  necessity  of  an  extra  session,  pre- 
vented the  report  from  being  acted  on.     His  case,  there- 


■  AOfiU    no  yJlMA'?    3HT 

ar^o.I  rii  ,0f8i   ,r,.r  vfwT  rrfod  ?.cv/  -^^ 


'yiC!?.     -f  f!     'h(    Hfif.     ,.i:,i'.;-ji    '^^;  .r  '■}'.  ^\l:■'■     'lUTi•■•^^?  ?i 

)  -;o'i  tun  j'i  I 


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'JVK'i^  JjBfft  x^"^oo   k)  ,iuo   i. 


ii;nn   mi. 


ITS   ORIGIX   AND    HISTORY.  209 

fore,  suddenly  resolved  itself  simply  into  a  question  of 
the  passage  of  great  public  measures,  and  what  was  er- 
roneously conceived  to  be  the  rights  of  a  private  indi- 
vidual. The  former  was  thought  to  be  of  paramount 
consideration,  and  hence  his  case  was  not  considered, 
but  was  turned  over  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  Demo- 
cratic majority  in  the  subsequent  House  of  Representa- 
tives.     This,  of  course,  ended  the  case  against  him. 

The  Illd.  District  of  West  Virginia,  before  Mr.  Mc- 
Ginnis'  nomination,  in  18SS,  had  always  been  strongly 
Democratic,  and  it  was  claimed  and  confidently  believed 
by  the  Democrats  during  the  campaign  that  their  party 
would  carry  the  district  by  2,cxdo  majority. 

Mr.  McGinnis  resides  at  Raleigh  Court  House,  West 
Virginia,  where  he  is  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession. 


Rev.  David  Allen  McGinnis  was  born  October  i, 
1822,  near  the  town  of  Guyandotte,  Cabell  County,  Va. 
He  spent  the  most  of  his  boyhood  days  on  a  farm  and  in 
a  store  as  clerk  for  his  father.  In  his  13th  year  he  joined 
the  M.  E.  Church,  and  has  been  true  to  her  ever  since. 
When  17  years  of  age  he  assisted  in  teaching  a  school  in 
Wayne  County,  Va.,  and  has  taught  since  then,  in  dif- 
ferent places,  in  all  about  seventeen  terms.  On  the  17th 
of  August,  1844,  he  received  license  to  preach  the  Gos- 
pel. He  traveled  as  an  itinerant  preacher  seven  years, 
and  lost  his  health  by  cold,  wet  and  exposure.  In  1852 
the  West  Virginia  Annual  Conference  of  the  M.  E. 
Church,  granted  him  a  supernumerary  relation.  After  a 
few  years  he  was  superannuated,  which  relation  he  still 
holds.  In  July,  1852,  he  moved  to  a  farm  near  the  head 
of  the  north  fork  of  Hughes'  River,  in  Ritchie  County, 


A^ 


_    _  .:■>■  jffl  ('^  ^:.  ,    -, 

.v";noi_;.ii;  .«->'.,■, :.-.-.- '  .■-■^i -•;(•  Ti': 


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t^8i  ill 

\\h?.  ■:. 
by  ' 


2IO  THE   FAMILY   OF    MAGENNIS. 

Va.,  and  has  lived  there  ever  since.  Postoffice,  Mole 
Hill.  He  married  Sarah  Jane  ]\Iarsh  on  the  Sth  of  Octo- 
ber, 1849.      ^^  ^'^^^  t)y  her  twelve  children,  namely: 

1.  Parmenas  Mathias,  b.   May  21,   1851;  m.   Re- 

becca Victoria  Hill,  January  i,  1S72. 

2.  Asbury  Haniline,  b.  July  19,    1854;  m.  Sarah 

Bradford  January  28,  1S75.     Married  for  his 
second  wife  a  Miss  Davis. 

3.  Samantha  Beuhring.  b.  February  21,  1856;  m. 

Warner  Coplin  June  27,    1875.     Has  m.  sec- 
ond husband,  Aaron  Young. 

4.  Mary  Ann,  b.   March  9,  1S53;  ™-   Isaac  Lam- 

bert. 

5.  Enoch  Marsh,  b.  November  18,  1S57;  m.  Addie 

S.  Lawson  December  30,  1883. 

6.  Melcena  Jane,   b.  January'  25,    i860;  m.  Alva 

Grimm  March  18,  1886. 

7.  Clarinda  Ellen,  b.  July  28,   1861;  m.   Francis 

McCollough  September  18,  1887. 

8.  Sarah    Margaret,   b.    November  29,    1862;    m. 

William  Lenard  Doak  October  1883. 

9.  Armeda  Elizabeth,  b.  November  29,  1862;  m. 

John  D.  Britton.     Died  June,  1886. 

10.  Eliza  Florence,  b.   November  28,    1864;  unm. 

Died  January  23,  1885. 

11.  Eina  Helen,  b.  October  9,  1866;  d.  November 

4,  1886. 

12.  John  Houghland,  b.  September  12,  1870;  unm. 

He  lives  in  the  State  of  Washington. 


Rev.  Edmund  McGinnis,  father  of  Rev.  David  A. 
McGinuis,  was  born  November  25,  1798,  in  Hampshire 
County,  Va.  He  emigrated  with  his  parents  in  18 11  to 
Cabell  County,  and  settled  on  Guyandotte  River.     He 


-3.H     i,-;  ,r?8i    .1'-    isd/'.    a'  '  .j*i   .•. 

'  r,'6  ;   .'. >'   ■)■■•'' f:';.ov{]  c^ 

.:'■'  '.■:  1    ,'r', !   ii'jM.^/.  ;;irni'\0 

■ ' '  '  '     '  .    !  ~ ' ' "  •  - 1 '  i 

T^;v;<n^jvo'^   .b  :dd8l  ,q  i»doJD< )  .0  .11 


f      r...r^       .  ..-  (Tt    -i.    ^^.flr.-* 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  211 

was  convicted  of  sin  when  about  six  years  of  age;  and 
was  made  to  weep  when  first  he  heard  his  father  pray. 
He  was  converted  at  a  camp  meeting  held  on  Guyan- 
dotte  River  in  the  year  1815,  and  ever  afterward  chose 
the  Lord  for  his  portion.  He  was  married  to  Polly 
Houghland,  in  Washington  County,  Ohio,  June  12,  1S21; 
was  licensed  to  exhort  in  1822;  to  preach  in  1827 — done 
at  Adam  Black's,  August  11,  at  a  quarterly  meeting, 
and  the  next  year  he  traveled  Logan  circuit  in  Virginia. 
He  traveled  during  his  life  seven  circuits  and  preached 
on  many  more.  Many  persons  were  converted  and 
brought  into  the  church  under  his  labors.  He  was  an 
active  member  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  and  did  much  in 
various  ways  to  forward  the  cause  of  God.  He  was  in 
the  habit  of  praying  in  his  family  twice  every  day,  and 
he  attended  regularly  to  secret  prayer.  He  preached 
his  last  sermon  the  5th  day  of  March,  1865,  five  miles 
from  home,  and  returned  home  sick,  and  so  continued 
till  the  9th  day  of  the  following  June,  when  he  died  in 
the  triumphs  of  faith.  He  said  he  was  dying  happy, 
and  gave  his  hand  to  all  present,  and  said  to  them,  "Be 
good  and  serve  God  and  meet  me  in  heav^en."  He  died 
in  the  State  of  Texas,  leaving  his  wife  and  four  sons  be- 
hind. Six  of  his  children  had  passed  on  before  him. 
His  wife  died  July  6th,  1876.  His  four  sons  are  still 
living.  David  A.  McGinnis,  his  oldest  son,  has  been 
married  twice.  His  first  wife,  Sarah  Jane,  died  Novem- 
ber 22,  1876.  He  married  for  his  second  wife  Nancy  E. 
Hammat  January  26,  1887.  She  is  a  daughter  of  George 
Hammat,  and  was  born  in  Wood  County,  Va.,  February 
10,  1840.  Milville,  the  next  oldest,  married  Elizabeth 
Gould,  of  Washington  County,  Ohio,  about  the  year 
1848.  Oliver  Asbury  married  Helen  Reckord,  of  Law- 
rence County,  Ohio.  Fletcher,  the  youngest  son,  mar- 
ried a  Miss  Hager,  of  Cabell  County,  Va.     Mary,    the 


IIS  .v'worRni  a 'Ah  moimo  ?:n 


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212  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGENNIS.  .     i  ;  3 

oldest  daughter,  married  William  Johnston,  of  Wayne 
County,  Va.  Melcena  married  Frederick  Beuhriug. 
Eliza  married  Henry  Paine.  Edmund  AIcGinnis'  grand- 
father McGinnis,  and  his  grandmother,  both  lived  to  be 
about  99  years  of  age.  They  died  in  Cabell  County,  Va., 
about  1832. 

"Thus  fares  it  still  in  our  decay,     '  ■"■     '   ''  ''  ' 
;  ,;     \ -,         And  yet  the  wiser  mind  !■-■". 

Mourns  less  for  what  ajjje  takes  away  |   ' ,  -• 

Than  what  it  leaves  behind."  ., 


Polly  McGinnis,  wife  of  Rev.  Edmund  McGinnis, 
was  born  1797,  at  Williamsport,  Va.  Her  father,  Corne- 
lius Houghland,  left  Hampshire  County,  Va. ,  in  1796, 
having  married  Anna  Halcup  in  1795.  He  lived  in  or 
near  Williamsport,  Va.,  from  1796  till  1801,  when  he 
moved  to  Ohio  and  settled  in  Washington  County.  Some 
years  afterwards,  his  daughter  Polly  went  to  the  woods 
where  he  was  at  work,  took  him  by  the  arm  and  assisted 
him  to  the  house,  as  he  had  been  mortally  wounded  by 
the  falling  of  a  tree.  He  suffered  twenty-four  hours, 
then  ceased  to  live.  Polly  was,  at  an  early  age,  relig- 
iously impressed,  and  resolved  to  seek  the  favor  of  God. 
She  was  sent  to  Marietta,  Ohio,  to  attend  school.  She 
boarded  with  a  Presbyterian  family.  One  Sabbath  she 
desired  to  attend  the  Methodist  meeting,  and  asked  the 
family  to  tell  her  where  the  place  of  worship  was;  they 
refused  to  tell  her.  She  told  them  she  would  listen  for 
the  ringing  of  the  bell,  and  she  could  find  out  the  place 
of  service.  They  told  her  she  could  not,  in  that  way, 
find  the  place,  for  the  Methodists  had  no  bell.  "Then," 
said  she,  "I  will  go  and  stand  in  the  street  and  wait  till 
some  one  comes  along  who  looks  like  a  Methodist,  and 


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-  ITS   ORIGIX   AND    HISTORY.  213 

I  will  follow  that  one  to  the  house  of  God."  She  did 
go  out  and  wait  till  some  women  came  along,  dressed  in 
plain  style,  having  on  very  plain  bonnets.  "These," 
she  said  to  herself,  "are  ]\Iethodist;  I  will  follow  them." 
They  led  her  to  a  kitchen,  where  the  Methodists  were 
holding  a  prayer  meeting.  There  and  then  she  gave  her 
heart  to  God  and  found  the  pearl  of  great  price.  She 
was  14  years  of  age.  She  went  home  and  asked  her 
father  to  have  prayers  in  the  family.  He  granted  her 
request.  She  prayed.  For  some  time  she  continued  to 
have  family  prayer.  But  her  father  finally  told  her  he 
thought  she  would  better  not  pray  any  more  in  the  house; 
so  she  for  a  while  made  it  a  practice  to  go  into  the  gar- 
den after  night,  and  there  pray  till  she  sometimes  be- 
came exhausted  and  fell  to  the  ground.  Her  parents 
missed  her,  and  becoming  alarmed  on  account  of  her 
absence,  would  go  on  the  hunt  for  her.  After  finding 
her  in  the  garden  several  times,  and  in  the  condition 
just  described,  her  father  told  her  to  go  back  again  into 
the  house  and  pray  there.  She  did  so,  and  the  result 
was,  the  most  of  her  father's  family  became  religious. 
She  had  great  power  with  God  in  prayer,  as  the  follow- 
ing incident  will  show:  A  man's  house  burned  down — 
the  neighbors  built  a  new  one  for  him.  He  promised 
his  neighbors  that  they  might  have  a  house  warming-  in 
the  new  house.  The  time  for  it  was  appointed,  but  be- 
fore the  time  arrived,  some  one  suggested  that  they  have 
preaching.  The  man,  finding  that  his  neighbors  were 
in  favor  of  preaching,  submitted  to  their  request.  A 
messenger  was  dispatched  to  Marietta,  O. ,  for  a  preacher. 
He  called  on  Rev.  S.  Hamilton  and  told  him  what  he 
wanted.  The  preacher  replied,  "A  Methodist  preacher 
always  has  his  gun  loaded,  primed  and  cocked  and  ready 
for  shooting;  I  will  be  there  in  good  time."  He  went 
and  preached;  and  at  the  close  of  his  sermon  called  upon 


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214  THE    FA.AIILY  OF   MAGEXXIS. 

Polly  Hoiigliland  to  pray.  She  commenced  in  a  low, 
feeble  tone  of  voice,  but  soon  her  prayer  began  to  go  up 
and  up  till  it  reached  the  throne  of  God,  and  power  from 
on  high  came  down  upon  the  people;  sinners  fell  to  the 
floor  and  cried  for  mercy,  and  many  found  peace  with 
God.  The  man  of  the  house  said  to  the  preacher:  "  Do 
you  think  there  is  any  mercy  for  me,"  "Yes,"  said 
the  preacher,  "but  you  must  quit  drinking  whisky." 
"  Well,"  said  the  man,  "■  I  am  going  to  start  for  heaven 
this  very  night."  He  did  stact,  lived  and  died  a  Christ- 
ian. Polly  Houghland,  or  Polly  ]\IcGinnis,  had  a  re- 
ligion that  was  convincing  and  overpowering.  At  a 
camp  meeting  she  was  powerfully  blessed,  and  fell. to 
the  ground,  where  she  lay  for  some  time  as  though  dead. 
An  infidel  was  present  and  thought  she  was  acting  the 
hypocrite,  as  her  eyes  were  wide  open.  The  infidel 
watched  her,  in  doubt  of  her  sincerity,  till  he  saw  a  fly 
light  on  one  of  her  eye  balls  without  causing  the  eye  to 
move.  He  was  convinced,  and  said,  "  There  is  no  hy- 
pocrisy." He  sought  and  found  peace  with  God,  be- 
came a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  and  traveled  in  the  Pitts- 
burgh Conference  for  several  years.  It  would  make  this 
sketch  too  long  to  state  all  the  good  deeds  of  Polly's 
life.  Sufl&ce  to  say,  she  lived  a  holy  life  and  died  a 
Christian. 

"The  Cross!  it  takes  our  guilt  away ; 

It  holds  the  fainting  spirit  up ; 
It  cheers  with  hope  the  gloomy  day, 

It  sweetens  every  bitter  cup  ; 

"It  makes  the  coward  spirit  brave, 
And  nerves  the  fei'ble  arm  for  tight ; 

It  takes  itri  ternjr  from  the  grave, 
And  gilds  the  bed  of  death  with  light." 


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THE   KENTUCKY   BRANCH.  ,, 

Dr.  Isaac  William  McGinxis  of  New  Castle,     '• 
AND  Other  Members. 

Several  members  of  the  family  settled  in  Kentucky 
at  an  early  day,  and  their  descendants  are  now  very  nu- 
merous. They  are  not  only  still  found  in  that  State,  but 
we  find  them  in  Sangamon  County,  Illinois;  Missouri, 
and  as  far  away  as  San  Bernardino  County,  California. 

Thomas  McGinnis,  great  grandfather  of  the  subject 
of  this  notice,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  December  19, 
1743.  His  wife,  Nancy  Tenly,  was  born  January  14, 
1759,  but  the  date  of  their  marriage  is  unknown.  Their 
place  of  residence  was  probably  in  or  about  Philadelphia. 
Thomas  had  three  brothers,  John,  William  and  Neal. 
Their  father  came  from  the  North  of  Ireland,  and  his 
name  was  Thomas  also.  The  year  of  his  arrival  is  not 
known,  but  it  must  have  been  some  time  before  1743. 

The  four  brothers  emigrated  to  Mercer  County,  Ken- 
tucky, in  1778  or  1779,  and  settled  at  Harrod's  Station, 
now  Harrodsburg.  All  had  served  in  the  Revolutionary 
war.  Here  William  was  killed  by  the  Indians.  Some 
time  after  his  death  Simon  Kenton  moved  his  family  to 
Ohio  and  gave  them  land  in  the  rich  valley  of  the  ]\Ii- 
ami,  and  from  this  family  sprang  many  of  the  McGin- 
nises  of  that  state. 


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71    to 


2l6  THE    FAMILY  OF    MAGEXNIS.  .? :  " 

Thomas  McGiiinis  and  family  remained  in  Harrod's 
Station  about  two  years,  when  he  moved  three  miles 
from  the  Station,  built  a  cabin  and  cleared  a  farm,  which 
still  remains  in  the  family.  He  had  four  sons — Thomas 
T.,  John,  William,  Erasmus  Gill;  and  three  daughters — 
Elizabeth,  Mary  and  Nancy. 

Thomas  T.  McGiunis  married  Elizabeth  Johnston, 
and  they  had  three  sons  and  two  daughters,  viz. :  Wil- 
liam J.,  Isaac,  Thomas  Johnston,  Nancy  and  Elizabeth. 
Thomas  J.  first  moved  from  iMercer  County  to  Fayette 
County,  where  he  married,  and  in  1S33  moved  to  Grant 
County,  thirty-six  miles  from  Cincinnati.  Isaac  and 
Elizabeth  still  live  on  the  farm  in  Grant  County.  They 
never  married. 

William  J.  married  Priscilla  F.  Wilson.  Her  grand- 
father was  a  major  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  and 
was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Eutaw  Springs.  They  had 
nine  children,  three  sons  and  six  daughters,  viz. :  John 
T.,  Isaac  William,  Erasmus  Gill,  Judith  Ann,  Eliza- 
beth, Frances  G.,  ^MarthaJ.,  Priscilla  and  Joanna.  All 
are  living  except  Judith  Ann  and  Erasmus  Gill. 

Thomas  T.  !McGinnis  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in 
1778,  and  his  wife,  Elizabeth  Johnston,  in  Maryland,  in 
1782.  William  J.  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  born  in  Fayette  County,  Kentucky,  in  1806,  and  his 
wife,  Priscilla  F.  Wilson,  in  Montgomery  County,  Ken- 
tucky, in  1808.  The  dates  of  the  births  of  their  chil- 
dren are  as  follows:  John  T.,  1829;  Judith,  1831;  Eliz- 
abeth, 1834;  Frances,  1837;  Martha  J.,  1840;  Isaac  Wil- 
liam, 1842;  Priscilla,  1845.    Erasmus  Gill,  1849. 

Thomas  McGinnis,  and  his  brothers  William  and 
John,  served  in  the  war  of  1812.  And  Thomas  Johns- 
ton, son  of  Thomas  T.  McGinnis,  served  in  the  Mexican 
war. 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND    HISTORY.  217 

Isaac  William  McGinnis,  sou  of  William  J.  and  Pris- 
cilla  F.  Wilson,  his  wife,  had  just  fiuished  his  literary 
studies  when  the  last  war  broke  out.  And  although  but 
twenty  years  of  age,  he  entered  the  Confederate  army  as 
a  Captain  and  served  as  such  from  1S62  to  1865.  On  the 
restoration  of  peace,  he  studied  medicine  and  entered 
Belvue  College,  New  York,  from  whence  he  graduated 
in  187 1.  He  now  resides  at  New  Castle,  Kentucky,  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  his  profession. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  great  grandfather  of  Dr. 
McGinnis  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  December  19,  1743. 
This  is  the  oldest  record  the  author  has  been  able  to  ob- 
tain'of  the  birth  of  any  one  of  the  name  in  this  country. 
The  Doctor  says,  furthermore,  that  his  father  could  trace 
his  ancestry  back  to  the  thirteenth  century,  which  was 
long  before  the  beginning  of  the  troubles  with  the  Eng- 
lish, which  resulted  in  the  downfall  and  heartless  oppres- 
sion of  the  Irish  people. 


Jesse  and  Hezekiah  McGinnis  were  brothers.  They 
also  settled  in  Kentucky  very  early.  Hezekiah  served 
in  the  war  of  1812,  and  was  one  of  the  few  of  the  United 
States  volunteers  killed  at  the  battle  of  New  Orleans. 
He  left  a  daughter  named  Margaret  B.  McGinnis,  b.  in 
Warren  County,  Ky.,  July  21,  1809;  she  was  about  six 
years  old  when  her  father  was  killed. 

Jesse  McGinnis,  brother  of  Hezekiah,  had  a  son 
named  James  H.  McGinnis,  b,  March  17,  1804,  in  Mer- 
cer County,  Ky. ;  d.  February  21,  1856,  at  his  home  in 
Boyle  County,  Ky.  About  1828  James  H.  McGinnis 
married  Margaret  B.  McGinnis,  his  full  cousin,  and  they 
had  issue  as  follows: 


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2l8  THE   FAMILY   OF   MAGEXNIS.  2!: 

1.  William  H.  McGinnis,  b.   October  7,   1829,  in 

Mercer  County,  Ky. 

2.  Prof.  Hezekiah  Smith  McGinnis,  b.  March  17, 

1832,  in  IMercer  County,  Ky.  He  is  a  teacher 
by  profession,  a  calling  which  he  has  followed 
for  over  thirty  years.  He  resides  at  Nevada, 
Missouri . 

3.  Jesse  J.  McGinnis,  b.  December  2,  1835,  in  Mer- 

cer County,  Ky.:  d.  February ,  1852. 

4.  Benjamin  W.  McGiimis,  b.   May  19,    1S37,  i" 

Mercer  County,  Ky.;  d.  April ,  1890. 

5.  John   B.   McGinnis,  b.   February  28,    1840,  in 

Mercer  County,  Ky. 

6.  Margaret  T.  McGinnis,  b.  September  9,  1S43, 

in  Boyle  County,  Ky.;  d.  August ,  1864. 

Margaret  B.  McGinnis,  the  mother  of  the  above  family, 
was  living  in  July,  1891,  at  her  home  in  Kentucky,  at 
the  ripe  age  of  89  years. 


Greenbury  Dawson  ]\IcGinness  was  born  in  Mercer 
County,  Kentucky,  in  1800,  and  died  in  1836.  His  an- 
cestry has  not  been  learned.  In  1828  he  married  Nancy 
Martin  and  engaged  in  farming.  On  the  death  of  her 
husband  she  took  charge  of  the  farm  and  managed  it 
successfully  up  to  the  time  of  her  death,  which  occurred 
in  1869.     They  had  issue: 

i.  James  Logan,  b.  August  25,  1830,  in  Mercer  County, 
Ky.  He  graduated  from  Worcester  College  in 
1853,  when  he  returned  to  the  place  of  his  nativi- 
ty. In  1855  he  married  Mary  Ellen  Cavan,  and 
they  had  two  children:  i.  Von  Lebnitz  Hume, 
b.  November  22,  1856.  2.  Susan  Almeta,  b.  Au- 
gust 23,  1862.  Mrs.  McGinness  d.  in  1863.  The 
two  children   then  made  their   home  with   their 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  219 

grandmother  (Mrs.  Nanc}-  McGinness)  until  1865. 
In  the  meantime  the  war  caused  so  much  trouble 
that  Mr.  McGinness  took  his  son  Hume  to  Hen- 
dricks County,  Indiana,  to  live  with  strangers. 
Here  the  father  taught  school  until  1869,  when  he 
married,  second,  Eliza  Ann  McCampbell.  The 
same  year  of  their  marriage  they  changed  their 
residence  to  Parke  County,  Indiana,  and  engaged 
in  farming.  They  had  two  children:  i.  William 
Delano,  b.  August  15,  187 1.  2.  Ida  French,  b. 
April  23,  1876.  In  1890  they  emigrated  to  San 
Bernardino  County,  California,  and  purchased  a 
fruit  ranch,  and  are  now  living  at  Riverside,  in 
that  County. 

The  son,  Von  Lebnitz  Hume,  when  he  grew  to 
manhood,  m.  Ella  Norman,  of  Parke  County,  In- 
diana, March  17,  18S1,  and  September  26th  fol- 
lowing they  emigrated  to  Meade  County,  South 
West  Kansas,  then  an  unbroken  plain.  There  he 
engaged  in  the  cattle  business.  He  also  entered 
320  acres  of  land,  which  he  still  owns.  He  fig- 
ured with  the  Cow  Boys  of  South  West  Kansas, 
on  the  Neutral  Strip,  (or  No  Man's  Land,)  or  Pan 
Handle  of  Texas,  until  1887,  when  the  range  was 
fenced  and  the  Cow  Boys  were  deprived  of  its  use. 
On  the  4th  of  November,  1887,  he  started  for 
Southern  California,  crossed  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains and  located  in  San  Bernardino  County,  where 
he  is  now  engaged  in  the  ranch  business.  They 
have  had  four  children:  i.  Lou  Norman,  b.  De- 
cember 24,  18S1;  d.  April  14,  1887.  2.  Ruby,  b. 
April  30,  1884;  d.  April  16,  18S7.  Both  died  of 
pneumonia,  and  both  were  buried  in  one  grave  in 
Meade  County,  Kansas.  3.  Walter  Franklin,  b. 
September  21,  1886.  4.  Warren  Howard,  b.  Oc- 
tober 23,  1888. 

Susan   Almeta,    sister  to   Hume,    m.   William 


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mailli*^   .0 


220  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGEXNIS.  ^V.  r 

Hatchett  Oct.  23,  1879,  in  Mercer  County,  Ken- 
tucky. She  has  two  children,  and  the  family  now 
lives  in  Washington  County,  Kentucky. 

a.  William  Dickson,  b.  ,  1833;  ^-  Februar}-,  1879, 

without  issue. 

ill.  Nancy,   b.    ,   1836;  m.   Allen  Stewart  in    1872. 

They  live  in  Mercer  County,  Kentucky.  No  is- 
sue. ,       .    .^..  .,   (,    ,,r    ,,■   .^    .,     ^„  ,    .     -    ■•   ,-.»    t.r  •-..  ■.■- 


The  following  record  appears  in  Power's  Biographical 
History  of  Sangamon  County,  Illinois: 

I.   Davad  IMcGinnis,  b.  ,  1798,  in  Mercer  County, 

Kentucky;  m.  Elizabeth  Gibson,  in  Boone  County,  De- 
cember 24,  1820.*  She  d.  November ,  1844,  in  San- 
gamon County,  Illinois,  and  he  married,  second,  Mrs. 
Sally  M.  King,  of  Warsaw,  Kentucky,  in  1S51.  Her 
maiden  name  was  Spencer.     He  died  July  2,  1S67. 

After  marriage  he  settled  in  Boone  County,  Ken- 
tucky, and  must  have  resided  there  several  years,  for  I 
find  that  they  had  three  children  born  to  them  in  that 
county.  In  the  fall  of  1826  he  visited  Sangamon  Coun- 
ty, Illinois,  and  after  selecting  a  place  to  locate,  re- 
turned to  Kentucky.  On  the  i8th  of  November,  1827, 
he  brought  his  family  to  Sangamon  County,  Illinois,  and 
settled  in  what  is  now  Island  Grove  Township.  He  was 
accompanied  by  his  brother,  Greenbury  "Dawson,  and  in 
a  short  time  they  were  followed  by  two  more  brothers. 

By  dint  of  hard  work  he  broke  up  land  and  opened  a 
farm.  That  he  was  prosperous  we  have  evidence,  for 
the  local  historian  says  that  in  183S  he  stall  fed  about 
si.xty  head  of  cattle.  This  was  the  first  thing  of  the 
kind  done  in  that  part  of  the  State.  He  drove  them  to 
St.  Louis  and  sold  them  for  $18  per  head.     They  aver- 


wo(;  '■I^'ii.c'l  ;;iij-  hire  .nyibliri:)  ov/i  ^iul  on^:     v:>bi;j 

sua 


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"tor  ,T-")a3brv?j  vvs;{  'jw  p.Moi-jqaoiq  ?j,v/ 

t       ■         '     ■ 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  221 

aged  1600  pounds  in  weight.  He  brought  the  money 
home  in  silver,  and  kept  it  for  months  in  an  old  secre- 
tary, without  locks  on  it,  or  on  the  doors  of  the  house. 
The  doors  of  the  desk  were  open  so  that  the  money 
could  be  seen,  and  several  hired  men  were  about,  and 
there  never  was  a  dollar  stolen. 

In  1836  he  erected  a  brick  liouse  in  Island  Grove,  and 
a  few  years  ago  it  was  standing  in  a  good  state  of  preser- 
vation. It  was  about  the  first  structure  of  the  kind,  built 
in  Sangamon  County,  outside  of  Springfield. 

David  McGinnis  and  his  brother  William  were  the 
inventors  of  a  device  for  guiding  prairie  plows  by  wheels 
and  a  lever,  which  they  put  in  operation  in  the  summer 
of  1829.  It  was  adopted  throughout  the  prairie  country, 
aud  might  have  made  them  a  fortune,  but  it  was  never 
patented. 

His  death,  which  occurred  July  2,  1867,  was  caused 
by  injuries  received  by  being  thrown  from  a  buggy  by  a 
runaway  horse.  His  widow  was,  at  last  accounts,  living 
at  the  old  homestead,  three  miles  southwest  of  Curran. 

David  McGinnes  and  his  first  wife  had  issue: 

i.  Mary  Jane,  b.  October  9,  1821,  in  Kentucky;  m.  Ber- 
nard A.  Vanderen,  of  Sangamon  County,  111.,  and 
d.  August  5,  1842.  Her  only  living  child,  John  D. 
Vanderen,  is  married  and  lives  in  Labeth  County, 
Kansas. 
u.  William,  b.  July  27,  1823,  in  Boone  County,  Ken- 
tucky. June  19,  1845,  he  married  Lorinda  Dar- 
neille.     They  had  three  children  living,  viz.:     i. 

Zachary  T.,   m.,   November   ,    1871,    Fannie 

Wright,  daughter  of  Dr.  N.  Wright.     They  have 
'  two  children;    live  at  Chatham,  111.      2.  Emma; 

m.,  December  24,  1874,  Jacob  Staley.     3.   Charles. 
Ivives  with  his  parents. 


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222  TIIK    FAMILY  OF   MAGENNIS.  •,    •     ""^ 

iii.  Martha  A.,  b.  September  i,  1827,  in  Kentucky;  m. 
Thomas  J.  Darneille,  of  Sangamon  County,  111.; 
d.  December  2,  1853. 

iv.  Elizabeth,  b.  October  25,  1S29,  in  Sangamon  County; 
m.  James  A.  Hall. 

V.  John  J.,  b.  February  8,  1832,  in  Sangamon  County; 
m.  Elizabeth  Green  July  16,  1S55.  She  was  born 
February  5,  1S3S,  in  Owen  County,  Kentucky. 
They  had  two  children — David  R.  and  William. 
Mr.  McGinnis  d.  February  15,  1856. 

vi.  America,  b.  ,  1S34;  d.  ,  1844. 

vii.   Margaret,  b.  ,    1836;  m.   R.   R.   Roberts.     Had 

one  child,  and  mother  and  child  both  died. 

viii.  David  S.,b.  December  15,  1S38;  d.  in  i860. 

ix.  Elizabeth  J.,  b;  March  29,  1840;  m.  John  J.  Green 

April  2,  1867.     He  was  b.  October ,  1842,  in 

Owen  County,  Kentucky.  They  had  two  chil- 
dred — David  M.  and  John  M.  The  mother  d. 
February  3,  1873. 

There  was  no  issue  by  the  second  marriage. 

2.  Greenbnry  Dawson  McGinnis,  b.  February  i6th, 
1800,  in  Mercer  County,  Kentucky;  m.  Sally  Barkley, 
of  Boone  County,  Kentucky,  Sebtember  13,  1827.  She 
was  b.  August  7,  1806,  in  Bracken  County,  Kentucky. 
Her  husband  d.  June  29,  1869,  of  heart  disea.se.  She 
survived  him  several  years.  ii    iir  l  .    1  e-^  '^\kw 

Soon  after  marriage,  Greenbury  Dawson  McGinnis 
and  wife  emigrated  to  Sangamon  County,  Illinois,  arriv- 
ing there  November  18,  1827.  They  accompanied  their 
brother  David  McGinnis  and  wife,  and  stopped  awhile  in 
what  is  now  Island  Grove' Township,  Sangamon  County, 
but  in  a  short  time  they  removed  to  Curran  Township, 
where  they  permanently  located. 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND    HISTORY.  223 

When  they  located  at  Curran  he  prepared  logs  and 
hauled  them  together  to  build  a  house.  By  that  time 
his  small  store  of  money  was  gone,  except  one-quarter  of 
a  dollar.  They  did  not  like  to  part  with  their  last  cent, 
not  knowing  where  the  next  was  to  come  from,  but  it 
was  the  universal  custom  to  have  whiskey  at  house  rais- 
ings in  that  country.  The  raising  was  therefore  de- 
layed, hoping  that  they  would  find  some  way  to  obtain 
the  whiskey  and  save  the  quarter  dollar.  The  thought 
was  entertained  for  a  time  of  inviting  their  neighbors  to 
assist  without  the  accustomed  stimulant.  It  was  doubt- 
ful if  they  would  come  under  such  conditions;  but  the 
husband  and  wife  held  a  consultation  and  decided  that 
even  though  they  responded  to  the  call  and  helped  them, 
he  would  always  be  regarded  as  the  stingiest  man  in  the 
whole  country,  and  that  it  would  be  better  to  part  with 
his  money  than  to  have  such  a  name.  The  whiskey  and 
the  house  raised.  It  stood  less  than  one-fourth  of  a 
mile  north  of  the  Lick  Creek  timber.  His  neighbors 
wondered  at  his  going  so  far  from  the  timber,  and  as- 
sured him  that  he  could  never  raise  any  but  muley  cat- 
tle, because  the  weather  would  be  so  cold  out  on  the 
prairies  that  it  would  freeze  their  horns  off!    a-;,^;  ■■'.  1    V:. 

They  prospered,  however,  and  by  dint  of  industry 
and  economy,  succeeded  in  founding  a  good  home.  The 
/as^  quarter  was  replaced  in  time  by  dollars;  but  they 
always  remembered  their  straitened  circumstances  when 
their  humble  log  house  was  raised.     They  had  issue: 

z.  David  Ervin,  b.  Aug.  24,  1828,  in  Sangamon  County; 
m.  Matilda  Miller  August  i,  1850.  They  had 
four  children:  Permelia  A.,  William  J.,  Green- 
bury  D.,  and  Robert.  Mrs.  Matilda  McGinnis  d. 
May  3,  1858,  and  he  married,  second,  Mrs.  Ruth 
A.  Forest,  whose  maiden  name  was  Greenwood, 


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■r  ■      '  '      '  "■ 


224  THE    FAMILY  OF    MAGENNIS.  ^J^ 

They  had  six  children — Scott,  Thomas  H.,  Je- 
rome, Caroline,  Clifton,  and  a  babe.  The  parents 
reside  in  Laomi  Township,  Sangamon  Count}-. 
//.  W.  Washington,  b.  March  15,  1830;  m.  April  2, 
1857,  Charlotte  Jacobs.  They  had  five  children: 
Tabitha,  Tedorsiss,  Ulysses  Grant,  Luther,  and  a 
babe.  W.  \V.  McGinnis  lives  at  the  family  home- 
stead where  he  was  bom. 

Hi.  Elizabeth,  b.  September  2,  1831;  d.  in  her  eleventh 
year. 

iv.  Peyton  M.,  b.  August  9,  1833;  m.  Caroline  Neal  Oc- 
tober 22,  1857.     She  was  b.  April  18,  1840.     They 
-  reside  in  Curran  Town.ship. 

V.  Martha  A.,  b.   March  24,  1835;  m.  James  Brawner 
April  2,  1857. 

vi.  Greenbury  Dawson,  Jr.,  b.  May  4,  1837;  m.  Catha- 
rine Jacobs  and  removed  to  Bates  County,  Mis- 
souri.    They  raised  a  family  of  seven  children. 

vii.  Sarah,  b.  August  5,  1839;  m.  John  E.  Gibson. 

via.  Robert  Smith,  b.  July  23,  1841;  enlisted  August  13, 
1862,  at  Springfield,  for  three  years,  in  Company 
B,  130th  Illinois  Infantry.  Served  his  full  term, 
and  was  honorably  discharged  at  Springfield  Au- 
gust 30,  1865.  He  m.  Mary  E.  Bacon  November 
I,  1866.     They  reside  in  Sangamon  County. 

ix.  Mary  E.,  b.  August  12,  1849;  lives  at  th€  family 
homestead. 

3.  WilJiam  S.  McGinnis,  b.  March  30,  18 10,  in  Mer- 
cer County,  Kentucky;  came  to  Sangamon  County  in 
1827  with  his  brothers  David  and  Greenbury  Dawson. 
He  m.  Mary.M.  Kelly  in  the  latter  part  of  1833.  They 
had  one  son,  John  G.,  b.  December  4,  1834,  in  Sanga- 
mon.County.  He  was  raised  in  Jasper  County,  Missouri; 
m.  Sarah  F.  Vestal  July  10,  i860.     She  was  b.  February 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  225 

24,  1843,  in  Harden  County,  Tennessee.  They  had  two 
children:  Laura  E.,  d.  in  infancy;  Delilah  May.  Lives 
at  Chatham. 

Mrs.   Mary  AL  McGinnis  d.   August ,  1835,  and 

her  widowed  husband  soon  afterwards  m.  Alta  I\L  Kelly, 
a  cousin  to  his  first  wife.  They  had  one  child  in  San- 
gamon County,  Illinois,  when  they  moved,  in  1837,  to 
what  was  Barry,  but  is  now  Jasper  Couuty,  Missouri, 
where  five  children  were  born. 

William  S.  AIcGinnis,  d.  October  20  1845,  ^^^  his 
widow  and  children  remained  at  their  Missouri  home. 

4.   Smith  McGinnis,  b.  ,  1812,  in  Mercer  County, 

Kentucky.  He  married  in  Kentucky,  but  the  name  of 
his  wife  has  not  been  learned.  They  came  to  Sangamon 
County  and  stopped  a  short  time  with  their  brothers, 
David,  Dawson  and  William,  when  they  w^ent  to  Adams 
County,  Missouri,  and  settled.  Nothing  further  about 
the  family  has  been  learned;  but  they  had  one  daughter, 
who  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  E.  Artzman,  of  Springfield,  Illi- 
nois.  


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GENERAL  GEORGE  F.  McGINNIS 
OF  INDIANAPOLIS. 


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Comparatively  little  is  known  of  the  ancestors  of 
George  F.  McGinnis.  His  grandparents,  on  his  father's 
side,  came  to  this  country  from  the  North  of  Ireland  be- 
fore the  Revolutionary  war  and  settled  in  New  York. 
His  father,  Alexander  McGinnis,  was  born  in  Marble- 
town,  N.  Y. ,  February  21,  17S4,  and  died  at  Chillicothe, 
Ohio,  January  23,  1852. 

George  F.  McGinnis,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  was 
born  in  Boston,  Mass.,  March  19,  1S26,  and  moved  to 
Chillicothe,  Ohio,  in  1837. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  Mexican  war  he  enlisted 
and  was  elected  First  Lieutenant  of  Company  A,  Second 
Regiment  of  Ohio  \'olunteers,  for  one  year's  service. 
The  regiment  repaired  to  Brazos*,  Santiago,  and  marched 
to  Buena  Vista,  but  it  was  not  engaged  in  any  of  the  im- 
portant battles  on  Taylor's  line.  While  making  a  forced 
march  to  Buena  Vista  the  regiment  had  a  lively  skirmish 
with  a  force  of  Mexicans  under  Gen.  L'rea.  at  Rio  Frio, 
and  defeated  them.      They  arrived  at  Buena  Vista  three 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY.  22; 

days  after  the  battle  was  won.  On  the  expiration  of 
their  enlistment,  the  company  returned  home  and  was 
mustered  out.  Another  company  was  at  once  organized, 
of  which  he  was  elected  Captain.  It  was  known  offi- 
cially as  Company  K,  Fifth  Regiment,  Ohio  Volunteers, 
to  serve  during  the  war.  The  Fifth  landed  at  Vera  Cruz 
and  marched  from  there  to  another  Rio  Frio.  The  in- 
tention was  to  join  General  Scott,  but  the  City  of  Mexico 
was  captured  before  the  arrival  of  the  regiment  at  Vera 
Cruz.  The  first  Rio  Frio  was  about  fifteen  miles  from 
Monterey,  and  the  second,  where  the  company  was  sta- 
tioned until  the  close  of  the  war,  was  forty  miles  east  of 
the  City  of  Mexico. 

When  Captain  McGinnis  returned  to  Chillicothe  with 
his  company  and  was  mustered  out,  he  again  resumed 
peaceful  pursuits.  He  was  married  in  Chillicothe  No- 
vember 30,  1849,  to  Miss.  Josephine  Rapor,  b.  in  Chilli- 
cothe September  8,  1830,  and  is  living.  In  February, 
1850,  they  removed  to  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  where  they 
have  since  resided.  Five  children  have  been  born  to 
them,  only  two  of  whom  are  living. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  of  the  rebellion  he 
organized  Company  K,  of  the  Eleventh  Indiana  Volun- 
teers, and  was  elected  Lieutenant  Colonel,  for  the  three 
month's  service.  At  the  expiration  of  their  term  of 
service  they  returned  home  and  were  mustered  out,  but 
immediately  commenced  the  reorganization  of  the  regi- 
ment for  three  years.  Lieutenant  Colonel  ^McGinnis  was 
continued  in  the  same  rank,  but  on  account  of  Colonel 
Lew  Wallace  (afterwards  author  of  Ben  Hur)  being  pro- 
moted, he  was  made  Colonel  of  the  regiment,  his  com- 
mission dating  from  September,  1S61.  In  1862  President 
Lincoln  appointed  him  Brigadier  General  of  Volunteers, 
in  which  capacity  he  served  to  the  close  of  the  war. 


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-•;..v,  r,;j;  . . 

'•;•  ,     '  ^  ,  ^■;>•■>i;  r:  ,  J  •  'i  ,>frijr;-i  'jtni.K  :j:iJ    ;:! 


228  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGENNIS.  -Z-^V 

During  the  war  of  the  rebellion  General  McGinnis 
commanded  his  regiment  at  the  battles  of  Fort  Donelson 
and  Shiloh;  commanded  a  brigade  all  through  the  Vicks- 
burg  campaign,  taking  part  in  the  battles  of  Port  Gibson, 
Champion's  Hill  and  the  siege  of  Vicksbnrg.  After  the 
surrender  of  Vicksbnrg  his  corps  was  ordered  to  the 
Department  of  the  Gulf,  where  he  took  command  of  the 
Third  Division,  Thirteenth  Army  Corps,  and  commanded 
the  same  in  the  expedition  up  the  Tesche  to  Opelousas, 
taking  part  in  several  small  affairs,  but  no  battles  of  im- 
portance. He  commanded  a  small  body  of  troops  in  the 
rear  of  Fort  Gaines,  on  Dauphine  Island,  at  the  time 
Farrigut  ran  the  blockade  between  Forts  Gaines  and 
Morgan,  capturing,  or  defeating  the  rebel  army. 

He  was  afterwards  sent  to  the  mouth  of  White  River, 
Arkansas,  in  command  of  a  larger  district,  where  he  re- 
mained several  months.  From  the  mouth  of  White 
River  he  was  ordered  to  the  command  of  the  District  of 
Camden,  Arkansas,  where  he  remained  until  September, 
1865,  having  been  in  the  service  four  years  and  five 
months. 

General  McGinnis'  military  record  is  a  long  and  hon- 
orable one — a  veteran  of  two  wars.  While  in  the  field 
the  Common  Council  of  Indianapolis,  by  way  of  com- 
pliment, named  a  short  street  after  him;  but  considering 
his  long  service,  divided  between  two  wars,  they  might 
have  named  a  long  street  after  him,  instead  of  a  very 
short  one. 

There  are  a  large  number  of  the  name  of  McGinnis 
residing  in  Indianapolis,  the  city  directory  alone  show- 
ing twenty-six  names.  There  are  probably  a  hundred 
or  more  men,  women  and  children  in  that  city  to-day 
named  McGinnis. 


!5rl.!  lO'l  A      .i:;->;d:tJ-:)i/  i'.-  •i!;,.^;<  •.•:(:  '  ;'r;  i!iH  f  ^  0 

-ru;   ;c  ;'  'f/f'  ,•  :i;.''':    inn:;-  Ji.'(.//i'r''  ;;■  JT^q 

,i07i51  -At.ri'vV  "lo  I'lLtorn  i^;!]  oi  :;i:j-  >h-i-r;--;;/i-j.?lf  fe^^v/  oil 
\';;ilV/      IvJ    ■!'!;'(./.>:     ;•.;!.;     :;u.   '•!        .^ritf^nr     l,L:i'Vl>fi    ,' 

3711   bn/i   >:Ti/j7   luol    eC'ivia?   3f;i    it.    ni.-?d"  ;;;nJ/f^ii   ,?.08l 

.?.ifJnom 

-  .■•  v)  lo  vf.-//  vcf  ,2:Ioq£n?;ifH!l  "io  lioriuoD   nonrmoQ  aiiJ 

•■nsv  >?  lo  bfioJ^fti   ,rnid  ifjJl^  iDsiia  •^w^i\  a  b;jnix;n  avfiri 

,-3110  Jioria 

f:;.'^ii;!r>M/  'to '^n:£n  -^tlJ  to  :'>drr. r: 


ITS   ORIGIN^   AND   HISTORY. 


229 


General  ^McGinnis  was  the  youngest  of  eight  chil- 
dren, all  tjoys,  and  he  is  the  only  one  living  to-day.  He 
had  a  brother,  Robert  H.  McGinnis,  who  was  appoint- 
ed an  assistant  surgeon  in  the  regular  army  by  Presi- 
dent Polk  in  1847.  He  was  ordered  to  join  his  regiment 
in  Mexico,  and  a  few  days  after  his  arrival  at  Vera  Cruz 
he  had  an  attack  of  yellow  fever,  which  caused  his 
death. 

The  General  had  a  nephew,  Charles  J.  ]\IcGinnis,  of 
Chillicothe,  Ohio,  who  was  a  Captain  in  the  Sixty-third 
Regiment  of  Ohio  Volunteers,  and  served  for  three  years. 


en!    b'■^^liB^    (ioiflv/    ,":'j/'j'.  10   :-ij;.;lL    : 


b  '^iJj  (it  n:.L'  js;0  i">  ,•-;■;:!'  ' 


vas    ;T.'U;d    •.'.! 


1.   F    C 


t-j.-  ;s   'U 


JOHN  S.  McGINNIS  OF  LARKSVILLE,  PA. 


!C1;,    bv 


John  Stoneman  McGinnis,  of  Larksville,  Luzerne 
County,  Pa.,  is  the  great  grandson  of  Paul  McGinnis, 
who  emiorrated  from  Ireland  some  two  hundred  vears 
ago  and  settled  in  Bucks  County,  Pa.  In  course  of  time 
he  had  one  son  born  to  him,  whom  he  called  Timothy. 
When  Timothy  grew  to  manhood  he  married  and  had 
four  children,  named  David,  Timothy,  Dorothy  and 
Susan.  David,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
had  seven  children  named,  respectively,  John,  Timothy, 
David,  Sarah,  Amelia,  Elizabeth  and  Catharine. 

John  S.  McGinnis  was  born  in  Warren  County,  N.  J., 
January  26,  1S12,  and  when  a  young  man  of  23  he  lo- 
cated in  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  February  8,  1835,  where 
he  has  ever  since  resided.  He  was  a  carpenter  by  trade, 
which  occupation  he  followed  through  life.  He  married 
Mary  Hoffman  in  July,  1836.  She  was  born  in  Wilkes- 
Barre  May  2,  18 15. 

They  located  in  Larksville,  a  short  distance  north  of 
Kingston,   where    they   have  resided    for   many    years. 


.f-'i  .HJjiv^vi HAvi  HO  ai/y'u»j'^  /^  'y\v:^\ 


r-.T;:';',;'  >  r.v :    ■_•  r.'ioit 


fif:/>   yrlJoToCi     .yrlt^aiiT    ,b!-'sO    ^)=;^r;r.n    ji-n-ibViih  ind\ 


ITS   ORIGIN    AND    HISTORY.  23 1 

They  have  four  children,  John,  David,  Susan  and  Cath- 
arine. The  eldest  daughter  is  the  wife  of  J.  L.  Pace,  of 
Larksville. 

Mr.  McGinnis  was  noted  in  his  lifetime  for  activity 
and  fleetness  of  foot,  and  he  was  a  famous  winner  of  foot 
races  along  the  Susquehanna.  The  following,  taken 
from  the  Historical  Record^  by  Dr.  F.  C.  Johnson,  is  an 
interesting  account  of  his  exploits: 

"In  the  spring  of  1836  Mr.  McGinnis  made  an  event- 
ful voyage  down  the  Susquehanna  for  the  Baltimore 
Coal  Company,  after  the  building  of  the  Wilkes-Barre 
schutes,  boat  sheds,  wharves,  cars,  etc.,  had  been  com- 
pleted, and  things  were  ready  for  the  shipping  of  coal. 
A  large  quantity  of  lumber  was  left  over,  which,  by 
the  order  of  Supt.  Alexander  Gray,  was  put  in  a  num- 
ber of  small  scows  which  were  lashed  together  and  towed 
down  the  canal  to  the  outlet  of  Solomon's  Creek,  and 
thence  on  by  the  Susquehanna  River  to  Port  Deposit. 
Prior  to  the  start  a  match  was  made  for  a  footrace  for  $15 
and  the  drinks,  distance  50  yards,  and  it  took  place  on 
the  Wilkes-Barre  bridge,  between  a  man  who  worked  in 
the  woolen  mills  af  old  Laurel  Run  (now  Parsons)  and 
McGinnis,  which  was  in  favor  of  the  Wilkes-Barre  boy. 
Steele's  red  tavern  on  Public  Square,  was  resorted  to. 
McGinnis'  reputation  as  a  runner  was  spoken  of  through- 
out the  valley,  and  traveled  down  the  river  ahead  of  the 
scows  on  which  McGinnis  was  to  embark  on  the  morrow 
for  Port  Deposit.  At  Shamokin  Dam  a  York  State 
Yankee  raftsman,  who  was  a  runner  of  note  and  had 
beaten  all  comers  among  the  river  crews,  and  those  that 
lived  in  towns  along  the  route,  was  anxious  for  a  tussel 
with  McGinnis,  of  Wilkes-Barre.  Bill  Poland,  of  Wy- 
oming, who  was  pilot  of  the  scows  from  Wilkes-Barre, 
said:   'You  are  a  smart  pony,  but  I  have  one  here  that 


iTt  .YAO'in.in  a VI A  i>^i 

'to  ,^;>.r.4  .vl  .[  lo  sstiv* 

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it~:-Ji;3    ,^j^fv/oi[ot    od'V  -i   odj 

rifi  fii  ,no^,nfio1    .0  .'I  ."Kl 

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T  orii   i(h    £>■  -^;fj    riv/ob 

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Jr.oD  to  ;-ii:.'4v;L:!.-    )di  lot  vhattt  'jiav/  ggnrilJ   uiti 
yd    jijiilv/    ,i37o   3i-j[  aBT/  i3(J.n;;;i  'to   Y-' 

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Jhii:   r'T.';      ;!iju    •.r.'K;:   j    j);.j    .''ici.,    j    i.iiir   j.   ijvai 


232  THE    FAMILY  OF    MAGENXIS. 

will  run  against  anything  you  have  for  $50.'  The  money 
was  forthwith  staked,  and  the  race  took  place  that  day, 
which  was  again  favorable  to  McGinuis,  who  took  time 
in  the  race  to  look  back  to  see  the  slim  Yank  yards  be- 
hind him.  Over  $200  exchanged  hands  at  the  race  be- 
sides the  stakes.  Wilkes-Barre  sports  were  now  jubilant, 
and  the  making  of  racing  events  for  their  little  home 
favorite  was  the  only  topic  of  conversation.  Port  De- 
posit was  safely  reached  without  anything  eventful  tak- 
ing place. 

"Upon  the  return  journey  several  races  were  made, 
one  with  the  landlord  of  a  well  known  hostelry  at  Hali- 
fax, who  had  heard  of  INIcGinnis'  fame.  The  wager  was 
made  for  $50  and  the  race  was  run,  the  Wilkes-Barre 
boy  leaving  the  hotel  keeper  behind  by  three  feet.  The 
$50  was  paid,  and  the  landlord  threw  in  the  breakfast 
and  treats. 

"Nothing  further  took  place  until  the  packet  arrived 
at  Danville.  They  repaired  to  Dean's  tavern,  and  after 
a  little  refreshment  the  Wilkes-Barre  boys  wanted  to 
know  whether  there  were  any  men  around  who  followed 
foot  racing.  They  received  a  reply  in  the  affirmative. 
The  Danville  sprinter,  an  Iron  worker  named  Lee,  was 
sent  for  and  a  match  for  $50  a  side  forthwith  arranged. 
The  race  took  place  on  the  Danville  bridge,  and  Mc- 
Ginnis  was  the  winner  by  five  feet.  About  500  people 
were  crowded  on  the  bridge  to  witness  the  race. 

"Upon  arrival  in  Wilkes-Barre  McGinnis  had  enjoyed 
the  trip,  and  had  won  $200  and  an  overcoat. 

"In  a  few  weeks  Supt.  Gray  sent  them  down  again 
to  Columbia,  and  on  the  journey  downward  they  were 
confronted  by  Lee,  who  wanted  a  return  race,  that  he 
might  have  an  opportunity  of  winning  his  money  back. 
The  race  was  for  the  second  time  in  favor  of  young  Mc- 


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■  ■:  ;  ^ni 

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■0!.'!  -vnrrrvv  ri  ^JTttr 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND   HISTORY. 


233 


Ginnis,  who  was  then  triumphantly  carried  through  the 
bridge  by  the  immense  crowd  that  filled  the  long  struc- 
ture." 

At  the  present  time(i89i)  Mr.  ]\IcGinnis  and  his  wife 
are  residents  of  Larksville,  and  although  he  is  now  in 
his  80th  year,  he  is  in  good  health  and  a  remarkably 
well  preserved  man.  He  has  given  up  foot  racing,  but 
he  can  walk  as  briskly  and  as  far  as  any  man  of  his  age 
in  the  populous  County  of  Luzerne.  His  wife  also  sur- 
vives, and  with  the  exception  of  defective  eyesight,  is 
in  fine  condition  for  her  age.  She  comes  of  a  long-lived 
ancestry,  her  father  having  lived  to  the  age  of  98. 


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'    ■.  .  1-;  'iii^i  ,  ■    ■;'"."!    ''vii  til 


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a^^i^i^SiB^isa^feigjifeffl^^ffla 


X/[ISCELIvAKEOUS. 


JAMES  ]\IAGINNESS  OF  HARRISRURG,  PA. 

^'  James  Magitiness  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  born  about 
1780.  State  Librarian,  W.  H.  Egle,  ]\I.  D.,  his  biogra- 
pher, says  he  was  educated  at  Dublin,  and  at  the  age  of 
twenty  came  to  America,  locating  in  Philadelphia,  where 
he  began  the  profession  of  teaching.  In  1S07  or  180S  he 
was  invited  to  take  charge  of  the  Harrisburg  Academy, 
and  removed  to  that  city.  He  conducted  the  school  until 
1810,  when  he  relinquished  his  position  and  entered  into 
mercantile  business  with  his  brother-in-law,  Fred.  W. 
Leopold.  Subsequently,  about  1814,  he  resumed  school 
teaching,  and  all  his  energies  for  a  number  of  years  were 
devoted  to  that  calling.  It  was  during  this  period  that 
he  compiled  his  "System  of  Bookkeeping,"  and  the 
"New  Arithmetic."  Both  of  these  works  were  pub- 
lished at  Harrisburg  for  the  author,  by  William  Green, 
in  1821,  and  copies  now  in  existence  show  them  to  have 
been  complete  and  valuable  works.  His  Arithmetic, 
especially,  is  a  work  of  more  than  ordinary  merit,  and 
shows  him  to  have  been  a  mathematician  of  high  stand- 
ing. He  published  the  Arithmetic  by  subscription.  It 
is  a  comprehensive  work  of  372  pages,  and  is  well  filled 


.P^'JOli  >'/..    l-J,  :^i  'JrillA 


z>ifi\  •:•'  '<:'..i'///:^y)j,ii  ^.:{'":ki 


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it>^.  «i  UiiL  ,fef>8ijq  s^f;  tc 


ITS   ORIGIN    AND   HISTORY.  235 

with  problems  from  "Notation"  to  the  "Computation 
of  Shot."  In  his  preface  he  says  that  "for  originality 
and  usefulness  he  is  not  afraid  to  compare  with  any  book 
of  Arithmetic  which  he  has  yet  seen  published,"  and 
closes  by  saying  that  "he  professes  to  be  the  public's 
humble  servant."  The  book  was  copyrighted  on  the 
30th  day  of  July,  1S21,  which  was  the  forty-sixth  year 
of  the  Independence  of  the  United  States.  For  many 
years  his  publications  were  extensively  used  as  text 
books  in  the  schools  of  Central  Pennsylvania,  and  to- 
day they  are  much  sought  after  by  collectors  of  old 
books  as  something  rare  in  the  educational  line. 

While  engaged  in  teaching  he  studied  law  at  Harris- 
burg  and  was  admitted  at  the  March  term,  1820.  In 
1821  he  was  appointed  Deputy  Surveyor  for  Dauphin 
County.  He  had  previously  been  surveyor  for  several 
State  commissions  authorized  to  lay  out  certain  roads 
and  county  boundaries. 

His  wife,  Ann  Leopold,  a  woman  of  rare  accomplish- 
ments and  lovely  disposition,  to  whom  he  was  fondly 
devoted,  dying  March  18,  1828,  so  preyed  upon  his  mind 
that  he  sank  under  the  affliction,  and  died  the  21st  of 
May,  1829.  Mr.  Maginness  was  a  gentleman  of  un- 
doubted integrity,  an  able  teacher  and  a  good  citizen. 
The  records  do  not  show  that  he  and  his  wife  left  any 
issue. 

HON.   MARTIN  MAGINNIS  OF  MONTANA.     '. 

The  father  of  this  distinguished  soldier  and  repre- 
sentative in  Congress  was  born  in  County  Clare,  Ireland, 
and  came  to  New  York  when  a  young  man,  where  he 
married.  He  belonged  to  the  family  of  Magennis  of 
Newry,  Mourne  and  Iveagh,  the  seat  of  the  Magennises. 


nu,;   "'  .'.'>ii  -  '■':■-    ft  ^■-■-  /  :'    •■.       :  :■ .:  v/  -■;  j-  ,  .  .    .0 

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236  THE    FAMILY   OF    MAGEXNIS. 

]\Iartin  Maginnis,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  was  born 
in  Wayne  County,  N.  Y. ,  October  27,  1S40,  and  removed 
with  his  parents  to  Minnesota.  He  was  a  student  at 
Hamlin  University,  but  left  to  take  charge  of  a  newspa- 
per. On  the  breaking  out  of  the  civil  war  he  enlisted 
as  a  private  in  the  Volunteer  Infantry  in  1861.  After 
the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  in  which  he  participated, 
he  was  made  a  Second  Lieutenant.  At  the  age  of  twen- 
ty-two he  was  a  First  Lieutenant,  a  Captain  at  twenty- 
three  and  a  ]\Iajor  at  twenty-four.  He  served  in  nearly 
all  the  battles  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  In  1864, 
when  he  was  appointed  Major  of  the  Eleventh  ^Minnesota 
Volunteers,  he  was  ordered  to  join  the  Army  of  the  Cum- 
berland, where  he  served  until  mustered  out  in  1865. 
The  next  year  he  removed  to  Montana  and  engaged  in 
mining,  and  in  publishing  and  editing  the  Helena  Daily 
Gazette.  He  also  studied  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar.  He  was  elected  a  delegate  from  ?»Iontana  to  the 
Forty-third  Congress,  at  the  age  of  thirty-two,  and  was 
re-elected  to  the  Forty-fourth,  Forty-fifth,  Forty-sixth, 
Forty-seventh  and  Forty-eighth  Congresses,  as  a  Demo- 
crat. When  Montana  was  admitted  as  a  State  he  made 
a  vigorous  canvass  for  L'nited  States  Senator,  but  failed 
in  securing  the  nomination. 

Very  few  men  of  his  age  can  point  to  a  more  brilliant 
and  successful  record  as  a  soldier  and  a  statesman.  He 
is  a  resident  of  Helena,  and  is  largely  identified  with 
the  business  interests  of  that  thrifty  mining  city  of  the 
mountains. 


JOHN  McGIXNIS,  Jr.,  NEW  YORK. 

The  ancestors  of  Mr.  McGinnis  were  residents  of  New 
Jersey,  both  on  the  side  of  his  father  and  mother.     His 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND    HISTORY,  237 

father's  mother  was  Miss  Hedden.  Her  father  was  Gen- 
eral Hedden  of- Revolutionary  fame.  His  mother  was 
Miss  Woodruff,  daughter  of  Obadiah  Woodruff,  of  New- 
ark, N.  J.  The  branch  of  the  family  from  which  the 
father  of  Mr.  McGinnis  descended,  came  from  London 
and  Sussex,  England.  There  were  five  sons  and  five 
daughters.  One  of  the  sons  was  named  E.  W.,  but  he 
was  not  the  E.  W.  rvIcGinnes,  of  St.  Clair  and  Pottsville, 
who  sunk  the  first  shaft  to  tap  the  mammoth  vein  of 
coal. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  for  many  years  presi- 
dent of  a  bank.  He  retired  from  business  in  1864,  and 
in  1866  President  Johnson  appointed  him  Minister  to 
Norway  and  Sweden.  In  the  fall  of  1867  he  returned 
to  New  York  and  engaged  in  the  banking  and  brokerage 
business,  continuing  therein  up  to  the  present  time. 

He  is  now  president  of  the  Penn  Anthracite  Coal 
Company,  of  Schuylkill  County,  Pa. ;  president  of  the 
Mt.  Carmel  and  Natalie  Railroad  Company;  president  of 
the  W\'att  Chromatic  Printing  Company,  of  New  York, 
and  treasurer  of  the  Idaho  Mming  and  Navigation  Com- 
pany. 

The  career  of  Mr.  McGinnis  has  been  a  long  and  hon- 
orable one,  and  he  enjoys  the  confidence  and  respect  of 
a  large  circle  of  friends.  His  place  of  business  is  No. 
84  Broadway,  N.  Y. 


WILLIAM  McGINNESS  OF  NEW  MEXICO. 

The  parents  of  William  McGinness  were  natives  of 
Ireland.  IMichael,  his  father,  was  born  in  Balbriggan  in 
1809,  and  died  in  Dublin  in  1879.  He  had  three  broth- 
ers, John,  Hugh  and  Patrick.     John  died  while  in  the 


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i;i>i;)<.l  .u  !.',^rf'  bar.  ,0081 


238  THE    FAMILY  OF   MAGEXXIS. 

employ  of  a  lawyer  named  Cosgrove,  as  steward,  who 
owned  an  estate  seven  miles  north  of  Dublin.  Hugh 
came  to  America  and  settled  in  New  York.  Patrick  also 
emigrated  to  the  United  States,  and  when  last  heard 
from,  was  living  in  the  State  of  New  York,  near  Lake 
Erie. 

Michael  learned  the  trade  of  a  weaver  in  Dundeath, 
but  owing  to  an  accident  while  a  child,  when  his  right 
arm  was  burned,  he  was  obliged  to  leave  the  business 
and  seek  surgical  aid  in  Dublin.  At  the  "  House  of  In- 
dustry Hospital,''  an  institution  supported  by  the  gov- 
ernment, his  forearm  was  amputated  midway  between 
the  wrist  and  elbow.  When  convalescent  he  was  given 
employment  in  the  same  institution  as  messenger,  and 
there  he  remained  for  fifty  years,  until  his  death  in  1S79. 
He  married  Ellen  Johnston,  born  in  Clandalkin,  near 
Dublin,  in  1806;  died  in  Dublin,  1S6S.     They  had  issue: 

i.   Frances,  d.  in  infancy. 

a.  Sarah,  b.  in  1834;  m.  Nicholas  Kelly  in  Ireland,  and 
subsequently  emigrated  to  New  Zealand,  and  re- 
side in  Blenheim,  Marlborough  County.  They 
have  a  family. 
in.  William,  b.  May  15,  1S37,  in  Dublin.  Attended  the 
schools  in  that  city,  and  then  learned  the  trade  of 
a  printer  with  Alex.  Thom,  who  conducted  the 
government  printing  office  in  Dublin.  In  July, 
1857,  he  came  to  New  York,  where  he  visited  his 
uncle  and  spent  a  year.  He  then,  in  1858,  euHsted 
'• '   ■  in  the  U.  S.   Army,  and  was  sent  as  a  recruit  to 

join  his  regiment — the  Fifth  Infantry — at  Camp 
'  Floyd,  Utah,  Colonel  Albert  Sidney  Johnson  in 
command.  In  i860  the  regiment  was  ordered  to 
New  Mexico,  and  when  the  rebellion  broke  out  in 
1 86 1  it  found  them  engaged  in  fighting  the  Nava- 
joe  Indians,  whom  they  subdued,  and  in  1862  they 


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ITS   ORIGIN   AND    HISTORY.  239 

were  engaged  in  fighting  the  Southern  troops  un- 
der General  Sibley,  and  succeeded  in  driving  him 
back  into  Texas.  On  the  loth  of  April,  1863,  his 
enlistment  of  five  years  expired,  and  he  was  hon- 
orably discharged  as  he  entered  the  ser\'ice — a  full 
private  soldier.  The  same  year  he  was  offered  a 
commission  in  the  New  Mexico  Volunteers,  but 
declined,  as  he  had  seen  enough  of  militan,-  serv- 
ice in  the  regular  army,  and  besides  there  was  no 
more  fighting  to  be  done  in  that  section,  nor  hopes 
of  any. 

After  retiring  from  the  army  he  was  engaged  in 
various  pursuits,  such  as  carpentering,  hotel  keep- 
ing and  farming,  until  1S75,  when  he  accepted  the 
post  of  editing  and  publishing  the  Albuquerque 
Review,  a  "half  and  half"  English  and  Spanish 
newspaper.  This  paper  he  conducted  until  1881. 
When  the  Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe  Rail- 
road reached  that  place,  he  sold  out  and  took 
charge  of  the  printing  of  the  'Revissa  Catolica,  a 
Spanish  religious  paper  published  in  Las  Vegas, 
N.  M.  Here  he  remained  until  1882.  when  he 
returned  to  Albuquerque,  and  was  made  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  Postmaster.  Notan.'  Public  and  School 
Director,  all  at  the  same  time.  The  justiceship 
he  held  for  three  months,  when  political  enemies 
succeeded  in  ousting  him.  The  postmastership 
lasted  three  years,  but  the  other  two  offices  he  still 
continues  (1S91)  to  hold.  He  is  President, of  the 
Catholic  Union,  and  Recording  Secretan,- of  Branch 
378,  C.  K.  of  A.  The  latter  position  he  has  held 
for  five  years. 

William  McGinness  has  been  twice  married. 
First  in  Albuquerque,  January  8,  1S65,  to  Maria 
Leonor  Terma,  who  died  Januar>'  17,  1874,  by 
whom  he  had  three  children,  viz.:  i.  Roque,  b. 
August  16,  1868.     2.  Martin,  b.  October  8,  1870. 


::i'    ;■'     ■..:'.    .,'V.W<; 


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;■•>;'  -i;;n  5ri  Hon;-:  i'l  -^iifJel  3fiT     -A  to  Zi  :j  ,8ve 


240  THE    FAMILY  OF    MAGEXNIS. 

3.  Leonor,  b.  May  21,  1S73;  d.  October  7,  1874. 
Roque,  or  Roger  in  English,  and  in  Irish  Rory, 
was  married  September  26,  1S87,  to  Josefa  Ro- 
mera,  and  has  had  two  children:  i.  Sarah,  who 
died  when  four  months  old.  2.  Marie  Irene,  now 
(1891)  an  infant  eleven  months  old.  Martin  has 
left  home  and  lives  in  Arizona. 

He  married,  second,  Encarnacion  Romero  July 

22,  1S74.     The}'  have  issue:     i.   Maria  Irene,  b. 

January  2,  1870;  d.  July  12,  1SS2.     2.     Victoria, 

^■'•.''■■"  b.  June  II,  iSSi.     3.  Jose  Miguel,   b.  September 

^^''     -         25,  1883.     4.  Juan  Bernardo,  b.  January  30,  1S86. 


S.   K.   McGINNIS  OF  SOUTH  DAKOTA. 

Samuel  Kennedy  McGinnis,  now  of  Jamestown,  South 
Dakota,  was  born  at  Mt.  Jackson,  Lawrence  County,  Pa., 
in  September,  1842.  He  enlisted  as  a  private  June  8, 
1861,  in  Battery  B,  First  Artillery,  Pennsylvania  Re- 
serves, Volunteer  Corps,  commanded  by  Captain  William 
McClelland,  of  Pittsburg,  now  Adjutant  General  of  Penn- 
sylvania. Private  McGinnis  was  promoted  to  Corporal 
October  12,  1861;  to  Sergeant  April  i,  1864;  mustered 
out  June  6,  1864 — expiration  of  term.  He  was  wounded 
at  Second  Bull  Run  August  29,  1S62. 

Sergeant  McGinnis  proved  himself  a  brave  and  dash- 
ing soldier,  and  Adjutant  General  McCllelland,  who 
esteems  him  highly  as  a  friend,  always  speaks  of  him  in 
the  warmest  terms  as  an  excellent  citizen  and  worthy 
man. 


JAMES  McGINNIS  OF  GREEN  COUNTY. 

Nothing  has  been  learned  of  the  ancestry  of  James 
McGinnis.     He  resided  at  Greensburg,  Pa.,  and  had  a 


•r</:-i;.i/,i/:  '-i^  v.in/.A't  Tinr  oj.s 


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■»      •.•i-.:  ;•■■■:/.    -.•;:,-!  ::     v;:,.  .i 


.7t;:  ■  J  ro  ;^h3>to  'IC'  ^r/ 


ITS   ORIGIN    AND   HISTORY.  24 1 

wife  and  two  children.  Early  in  the  morning  of  July 
14,  1891,  he  lost  his  life  suddenly  in  a  singularly  sad 
way.  He  arose  early  and  went  down  stairs  to  start  a 
fire  in  the  kitchen  stove.  In  the  meantime  his  four-year- 
old  son,  Herbert,  got  out  of  bed,  and  finding  a  Winches- 
ter rifle  lying  on  the  floor,  raised  the  butt  end  and  pulled 
the  trigger.  The  ball  passed  through  the  floor  and  plas- 
tering in  a  slanting  direction,  and  striking  Mr.  McGin- 
nis  in  the  head — who  was  sitting  on  a  chair  by  the 
stove — injured  him  so  badly  that  he  died  two  hours  af- 
terwards! ■  ' 


INDIANA  LEGISLATURE. 

William  Franklin  McGinnis  was  a  member  of  the  In- 
diana House  of  Representatives,  from  Putnam  County, 
in  the  Legislature  of  1S57.  Nothing  has  been  learned 
of  his  ancestry  and  family,  or  whether  he  is  yet  living. 


IN  THE  MAIL  SERVICE. 

W.  S.  McGinnis,  of  Ohio,  was  appointed  Assistant 
Superintendent  of  Railway  Mail  Service  April  6,  18S9, 
with  headquarters  at  Washington.  His  duties  require 
him  to  travel  through  all  parts  of  the  United  States,  and 
he  is  therefore  one  of  the  busiest  men  connected  with 
the  postoffice  department. 


HUGH  McGINNIS. 


Hug-h  McGinnis  came  from  Ireland  about  the  middle 
of  the  last  century,  and  soon  afterwards  settled  in  what 
is  now  Westmoreland  County,  Pa.  Nothing  has  been 
learned  regarding  his  wife.     Toward  the  close  of  his  life 


•/'.'\  Jf,.  ;,:':i!;"tk'ii!  ':;il?  'J/  ■';..>"!  .rt'r' ' r i '["^  o'.vj  bfi.^  sAiw 
;  i:;^  vliLiir^im,  :.-.  -i  /';r'.r>f.!;.  :M'i  ^'ii  ;'<;if  i,(f  ^(jiii  ,fi 
'■    "''iJe    >:>.)   .^■i;';:-    r-v^'b    .':;:■■■.'.    1  m.    vI-j^;-:.'    r-^.yi::   oJI      .vt-w 

.';i  f>.';;  ,  b.iti  'li/  )  W<'^  j' ■ '.,    /  i-^;' : 'o")-]    ,i:nr.  f)iO 
'     ■.:;(:  !«i!i.  iM(-!  )^;>^'"i^    '.•■>:/■    ,;<"^'i'  ..  .:  ;...^  :..j::v!  -.'firi 'roJ 

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.ai'/r/iiOoi/:  houh 


alii  i^i;I  "w.;  v.,pi3  ■  j!'  "'f 


242  THE   FAMILY  OF   MAGEXNIS.  ~'' 

he  emigrated  to  Calcutta,  Ohio,  where  he  died  many 
years  ago  at  an  advanced  age.  He  had  the  following 
children: 

:.   George,   b.   September  gth,  1799,  in  Westmoreland 
County.     He  married  Marj'  Shrum  February  10, 
1825.     She  was  bom  Maj-  3,  1797,  and  died  Octo- 
ber 2,  1SS4.     Her  husband  died  October  17,  1875, 
and  was  buried  at  Ligonier.     They  had  issue:      r. 
Ellen  ^[elinda,  b.  April  6,  1S36;  deceased.   2.  Hes- 
■'•  '•'"'     ter  Ann,  b.  January'  20,  1845;  ™-  Henrv-  Sheats 
November  20,  1869.     Lives  at  Unityville,  West- 
■-,••''  ..       moreland  County.     They  have  three  children  liv- 
!'  •.  ing. 

ii.  John,  b.  ,  1801;  d.  young. 

ill.  William,   b.   ,    1803.     He  settled   at   Scotland, 

Greene   County.  Indiana,  but  nothing  has   been 
'     "••■"  learned  regarding  the  time  of  his  death,  or  what 

familv  he  left. 


PRIESTS  IN  IRELAND  AND  AMERICA. 

It  has  been  shown  that  the  ^fagennis  family  early  in 
its  history,  became  divided  on  the  subject  of  religion, 
one  part  adhering  to  the  Roman  Catholic  faith,  the  other 
becoming  Protestant.  In  the  preceding  pages  reference 
has  been  made  to  a  number  of  Presbyterian  and  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Clergymen.  The  names  of  the  following 
Roman  Catholic  Priests,  both  in  Ireland  and  America, 
are  given: 

IN   IRELAND. 

Rev.  J.  McGinnis,  P.  P.,  Emyvale,  Donagh  (Clogher). 
Rev.  John  McGuinness,  Blackrock,  Dublin. 
Rev.  D.  Magennis,  (Connor,)  Antrim. 
Rev.  Felix  Magennis,  (Dromore,)  Newry. 


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ITS    ORIGIN    AND    HISTORY.  243 

Rev.  Patrick  Magennis,  Venerable  Archdeacon,  Kil- 
more,  Cross  Doney  P.  O. 

Rev.  A.  Magennis,  (Dromore,)  Newry. 

Most  Rev.  Edward  McGennis,  Ciilleshouse,  Cavan, 
Kilmore. 

IN    AMERICA. 

Rev.  Thomas  Magennis,  St.  Thomas  Church,  Jamai- 
ca Plain,  Mass.  His  father  was  a  Magennis  from  Cavan, 
and  his  mother  a  McGuinnis  from  Down.  They  came 
to  this  country  about  1S30  and  located  in  Boston. 

Rev.  John  J.  I\IcGuinness,  St.  Paul's  Church,  Syra- 
cuse, N.  Y. 

Rev.  Bernard  J.  McGennis,  Nativity  Church,  Alle- 
gheny and  Belgrade  Street,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Rev.  P.  M.  McGinnis,  Charlotte  P.  O.,  Iowa. 

Rev.  P.  McGinnis,  Church  St.  Gabriel,  Montreal,  Can- 
ada. 

Rev.  D.  Mclnnes,  Grand  River,  Codroyvalley,  New 
Foundland. 

Rev.  Roderick  Mclnnes,  Red  Island,  Nova  Scotia. 

There  may  be  others  that  the  compiler  has  over- 
looked. 


SERVED  IN  THE  WAR  OF  181 2-14. 

A  careful  examination  of  \"ol.  XI\'. ,  Pennsylvania 
Archives,  Second  Series,  shows  that  the  following  Mc- 
Ginnises  served  in  the  war  of  iS  12-14  from  this  State: 

John  McGinnis  served  in  Captain  John  Donaldson's 
Company,  Colonel  Snyder,  First  Regiment  of  Militia, 
Second  Brigade,  from  September  25,  to  November  24, 
1814.      He  was  from  Union  County. 

John  McGinnis  is  recorded  as  a  private  in  Captain 
William  Harper's  Company,  Fifteenth  Militia,  Lieuten- 
ant Colonel  Joel  Ferrel. 


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244  TIIE    FAMILY   OF    MAGENXIS. 

William  McGinnis  served  as  a  member  of  Captain 
Frederick  Hoff's  Company,  Fifth  Battalion,  Second 
Detachment,  General  Richard  Crook,  as  a  Sergeant,  for 
fifteen  days.      Service  commenced  October  2,  18 12. 

John  McGinnis  appears  on  the  roll  of  Captain  Jacob 
Snyder's  Company,  Second  Regiment,  Second  Brigade, 
under  Lieutenant  Colonel  Lutz,  at  York,  from  Lancaster 
County. 

Joseph  McGinnis,  of  Chester  County,  was  a  member 
of  Captain  William  SteePs  Company,  Fifth  Battalion, 
First  Brigade,  commanded  by  i\Iajor  William  McFarland. 
They  were  at  York,  Pa.,  September  5th,  1814,  and  were 
in  service  until  March  5,  1S15. 

William  i^IcGinnis  was  a  private  in  Captain  C.  Wig- 
ton's  Company,  iSth  Section  of  Riflemen,  Colonel  Thom- 
as Humphrey,  at  Camp  Dupont,  November  13,  1814. 

In  the  records  of  the  Mexican  war  and  the  war  of  the 
rebellion,  a  large  number  bearing  the  name  are  found. 
From  Pennsylvania  especially  the  record  is  large  for  the 
last  war. 

THE  END. 

With  the  foregoing  familv  and  individual  sketches, 
this  volume  is  now  brought  to  a  close.  The  method  of 
spelling  the  name  by  each  family  has  been  carefully  ad- 
hered to.  The  author  has  given  freely  of  his  time  for 
six  months,  traveled  hundreds  of  miles  and  written  scores  . 
of  letters,  without  hope  of  pecuniary  reward.  When 
the  small  edition  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  copies  is 
exhausted,  that  will  be  the  end  of  the  work.  He  -will 
7iot  produce  it  again.  At  the  time  of  closing,  over  one 
hundred  copies  have  been  subscribed  for,  so  that  few 
books  will  be  left  for  late  applicants.     Many  errors  will 


.-.ly-r-r .:■/  ,:     ■,o    7..f*/.  '•!  ■'■  lit. 

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ITS   ORIGIN    AND   HISTORY.  245 

doubtless  be  found  by  interested  parties,  as,  with  the 
large  correspondence  involved  and  the  numerous  figures 
that  had  to  be  transcribed  and  arranged,  it  would  be  ex- 
traordinary indeed  if  perfection  is  found  to  have  been 
maintained  throughout.  But,  whenever  an  error  is  dis- 
covered, let  a  correction  be  made  at  once  on  the  margin. 
This  is  the  first  attempt  to  collect  and  publish  an\-  of 
the  records  of  this  widely  scattered  family,  excepting 
what  have  been  gathered  by  ]\Iiss  F'ord,  of  Allegheny,  re- 
lating to  her  branch.  Let  this  crude  attempt,  therefore, 
serve  as  an  incentive  for  others  of  the  name  to  do  like- 
wise. This  is  not  a  full  record  by  any  means.  There 
are  many  who  have  not  been  heard  from.  If  they  will 
collect  their  records,  "now  that  the  ice  is  broken,"  the 
future  compiler  will  be  able  to  arrange  the  y}^// gene- 
alogy of  the  Magennis  Family.     Attend  to  it  at  once. 

The  busy  \v<jrld  shoves  angrily  aside 

The  man  who  stands  with  arms  alcimbo  set, 

Until  occasion  tell  him  what  to  do; 

And  he  who  waits  to  have  his  task  marked  (Jiit. 

Shall  die  and  leave  his  errand  unfulfilled. 

—Lowell. 


49.  V; 
17 

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I      rf  ■.  ■-■.'  ?.vr; 


General  Index. 


Pa-ie. 

Allen,  Rev.  David,           ......              209 

Aodh,  meanin<r  of, 

4 

Armorial  Beariiigji, 

24 

Ann,  Bryan, 

82,83 

Annals,  "lri.«h. 

4 

Arp,  Faniilv  of, 

110 

Arp,  W.  C.,' 

IIB 

Benjamin,  Sketch  of. 

83-88 

Benjamin,  Jr.,  JSketcl;  of. 

143—145 

Beyer  Family, 

172 

Brian,                                 ... 

21 

Bready,  Joseph,  Sketch  of, 

175 

Bryan,  Closes, 

82 

("arhart,  Susan. 

172 

Clan  Rory,              .... 

14 

Catharine,              .... 

15G 

Day,  John  R.,  lost  at  Johnstown, 

149 

Day,  Grace,  lost  at  Johnstown, 

149 

Daniel,  Dalbv, 

201 

David,           "         .            .            .            . 

220 

Dawson,  (treenbiiry. 

218  222 

Draper,  Lyman  C," cited. 

'"33 

Dunne,  Jiid^ne,  10  ;  Remarks  of. 

33 

Down,  County, 

14 

Edmund,  Rev., 

210 

Emiorration  to  America, 

35 

Enoch  W.,  193  ;  Service  of  plate, 

200 

Fordham,  Ann, 

49,  50 

Four  Masters,  Annals  of. 

17 

Gerald,  Earl  of  Kildare, 

21 

George  S.,  family  of. 

88—91 

Gen.  Geo.  F.,  Indianapolis, 

226 

Grandfather,  Great, 

46 

Heremon,              .            .            .         ■,  .  , 

2 

Holton,  family  of,            .            ;  ^tiU-i^,       ^ 

57,  58,  59 

Hugh,        .     "       .            .            .            . 

21,  22,  241 

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."■"■ 


11. 


GENERAL   INDEX. 


Hirst,  "William.  Iowa, 
Hume,  Von  Lebnitz, 

Illinois  branch,  . 
Isaiic,  Dr.  "William, 
Iveagh,  Lords  of, 

James,  sudden  death  of, 

James  H.,  West  VifLrinia, 

James  S.,  of  Harrisburp. 

James',  of  3Ionttromery  County,  Pa. 

James,  Perry  County.  Pa.,  branch, 

James,  Grandfather,  sketch  ot\ 

Johnson,  Sir  William, 

John,  Lost  at  Sea, 

Johnston. 

John,  Will  of,       . 

John  F.,  History  of, 

Joseph  B., 

Johnston  Family, 

Johnston,  William.  Indiana, 

Johnston,  Samuel,  Indiana. 

John  S.,  of  Larksville, 

Judge,  Ira  J., 

John,  Jr.,  of  New  York, 

Kentucky  Branch, 
Key  lor,  John, 
Keylor,  ;Milton,    . 
Kevlor,  Rev.  J.  E., 
Keylor,  Dr.  J.  B., 
Keylor.  Dr.  Howard  R., 
King  Family, 

Laub,  George,  family  of, 
Lemuel  E.,  St  eel  ton,  Pa., 
Lord  Lieutenants, 

Mac,  meaning  of, 

MacGinnesses,  seat  of,     . 

Marchbank  Family, 

Marchbank,  Samuel, 

Martin,  Hon.,  Montana, 

Martha  Swift, 

Mary  Jane,  Utah,  family  of, 

Margaret, 

Magennis  Family,  origin  of, 

Meginne.ss,  John  F., 

Marriage  Records, 

^lilesius,  King  of  Spain. 

Miller,  Hannah, 

Morris,  Family  of, 

Name,  root  of,  10 ;  Irish  way  of  writing. 


61 


91—115 ;  family  of, 
HO- 


TS 


49; 


Hii 


1S2— 
Will  of. 


tory  of, 


fomi 


PaL'o. 
I(i2 
219 

220 

217 

28,  29 

240 
208 
'ZU 
191 
191 

51 
3 

46 
1:57 

67 
115 
142 
lt>4 
168 
170 
230 
206 
236 

215 
y  of,  74,  75 
76 
76 
78 
80 

105 

120 

30 

11.  12 

14.  15 

166 

179 

235 

148 

119 

69 

2,  10 

30-48 

40 

1 

55 

145 


<Mi 


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GENERAL  INDEX. 


111. 


Names,  Family,  variety  of  spelling, 

O'Hart,  Letter  of. 
O',  meaning  of, 

Perry  County  Branch, 
Priests,  list  of, 
Philliinore,  W.  P.  W.,     . 
Polly,  West  Va.,  Sketch  of. 
Pottsville  Branch, 

Pviink,  Joseph  S., 
Ran-k,  D.  W., 
Red  Hand, 

Revolution,  served  in,     . 
Reynolds,  Mary, 
Rory,  descent  "from, 

Samuel,  4*'),  o'i ;  History  and  family  of 

Samuel  Kennedy,  South  Dakota, 

Samuel,  of  San  Jose, 

Sarah,        .  ;  .  . 

Served  in  France, 

Shields.  Dr.  John,  KiO ;  History  of, 

Sigfried,  Gen.,  Letter  of, 

Swisher,  Henry,  70  ;  Family  of, 

Ultonians, 
Ulster,  Ireland, 
Ulster,  Red  Hand  of, 
Ulidia, 

Variation  in  spelling  names, 
Virginia  Branch, 

William  Harvev,  Cal., 
Wilder,  Marshall  P.,  Remarks, 
William,  tU,  (;.'>,  1.34;  Family  of, 
William  Wiltshire, 
AVilliam,  Dr.  Isaac,  Kentucky, 
William,  Illinois, 
William,  New  Mexico,    . 


Pau'e. 
17 

36 
U 

182 
242 
5 
212 
193 

156 

loS 

24,  25,  2r, 

42 

55 

14 

125 

240 

125 

73 

31 

161 

202 

71 

14 

2,  14 

24 

14 

32 

205 

131 
4 
131 
147 
217 
224 
237 


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1  445 


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