Allegheny-Cumberland County PA Archives History - Letters .....History Or John & William Elliott November 7, 1920 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Lynn Beatty klbeatty@npgcable.com February 2, 2007, 6:55 am Letter of Mrs Laverty to Mrs Rhey. 611 Grandview Avenue East Pittsburgh, Pa Nov 7, 1920 My dear Mrs Rhey: Was very glad to receive your letter of Oct 27, & will be pleased to hear from you later when you get more information on the family. I shall be patient as i fully realize how church & civic work takes up ones time. This time last year, I was President of the Woman's Civic Club & had an office in every organization in our church. Since I had the "flu" last January have not been able to keep up with the procession, & have had to give up most of my outside work. That is the only reason I have time to hunt up family records and history. It is really getting interesting. Have found a DD, LLD, and a Judge and now I hear of a "Jesse James". I never heard of the "Renegade" William Elliott. Now wont you please tell me about him when you write. If you have a few dates, it makes it easier to understand things. If Edward Elliotts son William was your ancestor, William Sr, then the Charles Elliott who was was [sic] killed by the Indians in 1763 was William Sr's brother John Elliott who was in the same Indian fight, but who escaped & afterwards was a Revolutionary soldier, was Charles' brother also. John was 17 years old when Charles was killed in 1763. That means John was born in 1746. He was next to the youngest & there were seven children. Now do you think William Sr would have been old enough to go to Fort Duquesne in 1756? In the Perry Co history where I got my information, there isn't anything said about William leaving Perry Co. I thought he lived there, because the history said in reference to his estate after his death, "the land of William Sr was devised to James & the five daughters" You can tell when you hear from your aunts, if the names of Williams children compare with the names I have given you. If Edwards son William was your great great grandfather, then Robert would be your great great great great grandfather & he is only my great great grandfather. Was looking at a History of Allegheny Co last Saturday in the Library & I found a Major Kirkpatrick was at Fort Duquesne & there is a Kirkpatrick Street in Pittsburgh. The Perry Co History said William Elliott married Elizabeth Kirkpatrick. Robert Elliotts third & fourth sons were William & Robert. Have been thinking your ancestor William Sr might have been Roberts son William who may have had a son William Jr, but his is only guessing. The William Elliott who was a renegade might have been the son of William or Robert. For some reason our people know nothing at all about those two boys William & Robert. Edward & Thomas lived in Saville Tp, Perry Co & David & James lived in Middleton (now Middlesex) township, Cumberland Co. The daughter Margaret who married William Clark lived in Cumberland Co also, but we know nothing about Grisel (Mrs Joseph McMin) Mary (Mrs John Irwin) and Ann beyond the fact that they were all living when their fathers will was made in 1765, and were in middle life as James, the youngest was 32 at that time, having been born in 1733. Roberts children were all born in Ireland. James was 4 yrs old when they came here in 1737. The Presbyterians were driven out of Scotland by religious persecutions, and for the same reason, they left Ireland. Father said the Elliotts were of pure Scotch blood. You know at that time, the Presbyterians would not intermarry with the Catholics, and the Irish were Catholic. There is a "Clan Eliot" in Scotland & they have their Tartan or Plaid & there are ever so many Elliotts in Ulster Province, Ireland at the present time. Our people came from near Armagh. They were farmers of course. They were three months on the ocean in a sailing vessel. Arrived in America toward Fall. Imagine coming to a new county and settling as they did, in an entirely new section, no houses, no land cleared. They built a log house as soon as they could. Poor Mary, with a family of ten children, think of it. But they were Christian people and were glad to bring their children to the land of freedom. The Silver Spring Congregation had built a log church in 1736 so they had a place of worship in their new home. I think Robert & Mary are buried in the Silver Spring Churchyard. I Know James and Margaret (my great grandparents) are buried there. When Robert and his family came, they brought some furniture along, two bureaus and a "chest of drawers". Fathers sister Mary got one of the bureaus & my sister Tillie has the other one. They are walnut. The "chest of drawers' is out in the farm house. My brothers own it. Then they had their clothing & bed clothing packed in great chests. Two of them are in the barn now, used to keep feed in when they first came, they built their house in the field across the road from where the present house stands. They had built the second house, that is Robert had. Then his son James built a two story log house with weather boards in 1781. It is still standing. All of James' children were born in the old log house, or block house, except John, my grandfather, who was born in the house built in 1781. When grandfather was married he built a stone house, 1816, which father tore down, and built a frame house in 1888 beside the house built in 1781. Some of the folks wanted father to tear the old house down, when he built, but he said his Father was born in that house, and it should stand as long as he lived, and it will stand a good while longer for sentimental reasons. There were Indians on the land when our people came and they lived on friendly terms until the Paxtang Rangers killed the Conestoga Indians, when they became frightened and left. The Elliotts and the "other Indians" got their water from the same spring. I have heard that story too about being distantly related to John Eliot, the apostle to the Indians, but he was born in England, according to the Encyclopedia. However, Robert Spelled his name Eliot when they came here. Will send you a copy of his will. You might like to have it. The name is spelled two ways in the will. Poor dear old Robert could not write, but thats no reflection on him, but on the times in which he lived. He was a good man. Am practicing on making a family tree, but have not succeeded in getting more than about half the names in it, that I have. I'll give you this one, so you can see who some of your relations are, outside your own branch of the family. A granddaughter of Dr David Elliott (son of Thomas) has promised to make me a copy of the Elliott family record as kept by Dr Elliott, that will settle some questions. I'll give you all the information I can, and will try to reward you for your trouble in helping me, with love and best wishes, Anna Elliott Laverty. Additional Comments: Extracted from Josiah V. Thompson Journals, Vol. 4, pg 150-154 This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/pafiles/ File size: 7.5 Kb