Bios: James B. McLean 1812-1876: Amity Twp, Berks Co., PA

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From:  Morton L Montgomery, "Historical and Biographical Annals of Berks
County, Pennsylvania.  Chicago, J. H. Beers & Co., 1909.  p 1237

Surnames mentioned:
Breuster, Ermentrout, Griesemer, Lorah, McLean, Neff

Note: Surnames of related families have been capitalized, but are lower case
in the original.

JAMES B. McLEAN.  The McLean family originated in Ireland where Daniel
McLEAN was born in the northern part, April 8, 1812, and came to America
when 21 years of age.  His death occurred June 22, 1876, when he was 64
years, 2 months and 14 days old.  His remains are interred at Amityville.

After coming to America he located in the vicinity of Mauch Chunk, Carbon
Co., Pa., being attracted there by the coal mines, as he was a miner.  There
he resided until 1850, when with his family he moved upon a farm in Amity
township, near Weaverstown.  This farm consisted of 116 acres of good,
fertile land, and he farmed it successfully until his death.  Daniel McLean
was an enterprising man, and very industrious, and labored hard to bring up
his children in the right way and give them more educational advantages than
he had enjoyed.  Although a Presbyterian, as there was no church of that
denomination in the vicinity, he attended the Reformed Church.  His wife was
Elizabeth Ann BREUSTER, who was born Aug. 12, 1816, and died Oct. 17, 1881,
aged 65 years, 2 months and 5 days.  She too was a native of Ireland, and
she and Mr. McLean met on shipboard.  During the two months consumed by the
trip on the sailing vessel, the young people grew to love each other, and
upon landing in New York they were married.  Their children were:  James B.;
Samuel B., who resides in Amity township on the old homestead; Dr. Daniel
B., who resides near his brother James B.; and John, who was born Dec. 10,
1851, and died April 6, 1886, aged 34 years, 3 months and 26 days.  The old
homestead has a stone house upon it built by Daniel McLEAN in the sixties.
Mr. James B. McLEAN has an old dinner gong, brought from Ireland, and of a
kind seldom seen in this country.  It is 2-1/2 inches in diameter and 3/8 of
an inch thick.  This family relic is over a hundred years old, and is
greatly prized.

James B. McLEAN, a farmer of Weaverstown, Amity township, was born Sept. 9,
1843, and when 25 years old he began farming in that vicinity.  His boyhood
was filled with work on the farm and attending school, until he was given
the advantage of a course at the Hill school at Pottstown and at the
Boyertown Academy.  He was licensed to teach by Professor ERMENTROUT and was
examined by James N. ERMENTROUT, later presiding judge.  Mr. McLean taught
school one term during the winter of 1866-7 at Weaverstown, and received 25
dollars a month for his services.  Then he worked for his father-in-law for
several years, and after the latter's death he bought the farm of 131 acres
of very good land, suitable for mixed farming.  The house was built by
George LORAH in 1797, and is in excellent condition.

Mr. McLean and family are members of the Reformed Church of Amityville, in
which he is a deacon and elder, and has been since 1866.  In politics he is
a Democrat and has served his township as committeeman, auditor, assessor
and registry assessor.  He might have had any of the other offices within
the gift of his neighbors, but refused them, feeling that he had done his
full duty as a good citizen.  He was a State delegate to four conventions,
and a delegate to a number of county conventions.  Mr. McLean was a delegate
to the convention that nominated Judge James N. ERMENTROUT for the first
time, and to the one which nominated him for the second term.

In 1866 Mr. McLean was married to Mary A. LORAH, a daughter of John and Emma
(GRIESEMER) LORAH.  Mr. and Mrs. McLean have had two children:  William
Lorah, who died in infancy; and Rev. Eugene Lorah.

The Rev. Eugene Lorah McLEAN was educated in the public schools of his
community, Kutztown State Normal school, Franklin & Marshall college, and in
a theological seminary.  After his graduation he was ordained and his first
charge was at Everett, Pa.  There he preached the gospel for 10 years and is
now stationed at Frederick, Md.  He married Mary NEFF, of Huntingdon county,
Pa., and they have a daughter, Mary Margarite.

James B. McLEAN is widely and favorably known in Berks county as a man who
is industrous as a farmer, and public-spirited as a citizen.  He is
pleasantly located and he has brought his land to a high state of
cultivation.