HISTORY: Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia, Chapter 7, Sloans of Hanover, Dauphin County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Bookwalter Copyright 2007. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/dauphin/ http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/dauphin/runk/runk-bios.htm _______________________________________________________________ Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, Containing Sketches of Representative Citizens, and Many of the Early Scotch-Irish and German Settlers. Chambersburg, Pa.: J. M. Runk & Company, 1896, pages 142-145. _______________________________________________________________ THE SLOANS OF HANOVER. Several members of the Sloan family settled in Hanover as early as 1730, but in the absence of the assessment list it is difficult to fix the exact date. John Sloan, who died in September, 1741, left a wife Jean, and children, James, Robert, William, John, George, Sarah, and Cinquas. It was John Sloan, the first, who was the ancestor of the Sloans of Hanover, but the connecting link we have no knowledge of. Several of the family followed the Rev. Mr. Sankey to Virginia, and hence the prominence of the name in the South. On the tax and other lists for 1751, 1756 and 1759 we have only the names of John and Samuel Sloan. In 1769, the next list, John disappears, and Samuel, James, Archibald, and Alexander come upon the stage. Samuel died during the Revolutionary era, in October, 1777, leaving brothers John, James, Archibald, and William. Archibald Sloan, who married first in 1759, Margaret Sloan, and secondly in 1766, Mary Craig, of Hanover, died in 1793. Concerning Alexander Sloan we have the following record: ALEXANDER SLOAN, b. in 1744; d. in January, 1812; m. Jean Moor. They had issue: i. John, b. 1767; m. Elizabeth French, sister of Capt. James French; removed to Ohio in 1832, and died there at an advanced age, leaving a large family. ii. Robert, b. 1769; m. Sarah McCormick. iii. Alexander, b. 1771; m. Jane French, DAUPHIN COUNTY. 143 Portrait: N. O. Hickok 144 HISTORICAL REVIEW [blank page] DAUPHIN COUNTY. 145 sister of John's wife; d. at Williamsport, Pa., at an advanced age. iv. Isabella, b. 1773; d. in 18__, unm. v. James, b. 1775; m. Nancy McCreight; d. December 1, 1820, in Hanover. vi. William, b. 1777; unm.; d. in 1818, in Hanover. vii. Jean, b. 1781; m. Alexander Bell, of Hanover; d. in 1832, in Ohio. ROBERT SLOAN, a native of Hanover township, born in 1769, was brought up on his father's farm. He subsequently applied himself to mechanical pursuits, and carried on the business of cabinet-making. On the 30th of March, 1799, he was married by the Rev. James Snodgrass to Miss Sarah McCormick, of Hanover, daughter of James McCormick and Isabella Dixon. Shortly after he removed to the city of New York, but about 1812 permanently located at Harrisburg, where he pursued his avocation. He became one of the old borough's prominent citizens - esteemed by all for his industry, energy and uprightness of character. He was an elder in the First Presbyterian church thirteen years, "possessing," says Rev. Dr. Robinson, "the confidence of the church as a man of God, noble and blameless in his uprightness." He died at Harrisburg, December 4, 1833, aged 64 years. His wife, Sarah McCormick, was one of the most amiable of women, whose life was characterized by a faithful devotion to all the highborn virtues of Christian womanhood, only ending with her days on earth, which closed on the 5th of April, 1843. The children of Robert and Sarah Sloan, who reached maturity, were as follows: i. Eliza, m., first, Thomas Baird; secondly, James Rutherford Boyd. Mrs. Boyd survives and resides in Harrisburg. ii. Alexander, M. Mary Todd, of Hanover, daughter of Capt. James Todd and Sally Ainsworth. Mr. Alexander Sloan survives and resides in Harrisburg. iii. Isabella, m. Matthew P. Kennedy; d. in 1877, at New Brighton, Pa. iv. John, d. at Indianapolis, Ind., in 1874. v. William, b. 1815; studied medicine with Dr. Luther Reily, graduated at the University of Pennsylvania, and in 1837 was appointed assistant surgeon in the U.S. army. He served through the Florida and Mexican wars. During the war of the Rebellion he was medical director of the Department of the East, with headquarters in New York city. After the war he was transferred to the Department of the Northwest and stationed at St. Paul, Minn., where he died on the 17th of March, 1880, aged 65, the oldest surgeon in continued service in the army. vi. Mary, m. D. Craighead; d. in 1866, at Indianapolis, Ind.