Bios: McVEY, John R. 1821 - 1824: Wayne Township, Mifflin Co, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Mark McVey. MarkJMcVey@aol.com USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. http://files.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/mifflin/ ____________________________________________________ From: Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley, PA, J. M. Runk & Co., 1897. p. 535: JOHN R. McVEY. John R. McVey, retired farmer, of Wayne Township, Mifflin County, PA, was born September 18, 1821, near McVeytown. He is a son of Elijah and Mary (Yost) McVey. His grandfather, John McVey, born near Philadelphia, of a Quaker family, was a teamster with the Revolutionary army. He came to Mifflin, then Cumberland, county, when a young man, and settled where McVeytown now is, owning all the land in that vicinity. He was an extensive farmer and stock-raiser. He married Mary Wakefield, of English and German descent. Their seven children were as follows: William; John; Eliel; Elijah; Rachel (Mrs. Jacobs); Sarah (Mrs. Lewis Bond); and Mary (Mrs. Humphries). John McVey died in McVeytown. He was an old-line Whig, and a member of the Presbyterian Church. His wife died in Wayne Township. Elijah, son of John McVey, born in McVeytown, in 1799, received a common school education. He was a farmer all his life. Moving from McVeytown to Wayne Township, he cultivated one of his father's farms there, for many years, after which he sold it, and bought the farm where John R. McVey now resides. He was celebrated for the fine stock he raised. He married Mary Yost, born near Lewistown, of German and English descent, whose family had been among the early settlers of that section. They had six children: John R., of Wayne township; Mary H. (Mrs. Samuel Wharton), of Wayne township, deceased; Eliel, who died in youth; Sarah, who died in early life; Eliel (2), who was drowned when thirteen years old; and Sarah (Mrs. John D. Miller), deceased. Elijah McVey was a Whig, and died a Republican. He was an active member of the Presbyterian Church, taking a keen interest in all church matters. He held the office of supervisor of roads, and overseer of the poor. He died in Wayne Township,. His widow died at the age of seventy-three, Dec. 4, 1871. John R. McVey obtained his education in the public schools of Shirley Township, Huntington County, and of Wayne Township, Mifflin County. He began life on the farm with his father, working also on his farms in Wayne Township. At the age of twenty-three he went west, driving a two-horse team to Iowa, with his uncle. Returning to Pennsylvania after a year, he assisted his father in the cultivation of the homestead farm, at the same time cultivating for himself 200 acres of land which his grandfather had given him. He also operated on the farm, a saw-mill, turning out a very large amount of lumber, for which there was a ready demand. He has continued at farming during his entire life, taking charge of the homestead after the death of his father, and giving much attention to the raising of fine stock. Mr. McVey was married in 1848, in Sugar valley, Wayne Township, to Mary A. Gibson, born in Huntington County. They have twelve children as follows: Elizabeth (Mrs. George Fields), of Newton Hamilton; Elijah,residing in Oregon; William, of Newton Hamilton; Ellen (Mrs. CharlesFlott), residing in Kansas; Annie (Mrs. George Fields), deceased; John,a farmer in Sugar valley; Laura M. (Mrs. James Heart), Residing in Nebraska; Juniata (Mrs. William McClay), residing in Oregon; Flora M., deceased; Nanie M. (Mrs. James Morrison), resides on the homestead farm; Alice W. (Mrs. David Caldwell), of Long Hollow; and James, residing in Sugar valley, Wayne township. Mr. McVey had been all his life an industrious, hardworking man, who in his old days enjoys the respect and confidence of all in the community. He owns over five hundred acres of land in Wayne Township. He has filled the office of township supervisor. Mr. McVey is a Republican; he was in the olden days, a member of the "Know Nothings." He is a consistent, zealous member of the Presbyterian Church. --------------------------------------------------------------------- >From a post on the McVey Family Genealogy Forum: Re: McVeys from PA and MD Posted by Carol McVey on June 04, 1998 at 17:02:41: In Reply to: McVeys from PA and MD posted by Carol McVey on May 02, 1998 at 10:50:39: John, Benjamin, & Jacob McVey came to America from Northern Ireland in the mid-1700s. New Castle Deleware was probably their port of entry, because that port had a great trading connection with Northern Ireland at that time. Benjamin probably married Marth (Mattie) Passmore in New Castle, DE in 1740. Benjamin's older brother, John, may have spelled his name "McVegh. His wife is known only by her given name, Mary. They had four children. It is said that Benjamin was a slaver and that only two sons, Jacob and Passmore, believed in slavery; the other sons detested slavery, and for that reason left Maryland. Some disagree, though, and believe that none of them left Cecil County, MD until after the death of Benjamin. Plus Benjamin left John Sr. one of his slaves in his will. Benjamin and Martha had 10 known children: 1. John Sr. b. 1747 near Philadelphia PA, m. Sarah Wakefield in Cecil MD in 1779 and d. in Newton Hamilton, PA in 1824. He founded the town of McVeytown, PA. Their children were: A. William McVey b. 1783 m. Rebecca Mitchell a. George Mitchell McVey b. 1816 in McVeytown, PA d. 1853 in Sandusky, OH m. Catherine Swigard and Margaret Hoofnaagle B. John McVey Jr. b. 1787 m. Margaret Walters a. Mrs. Couch McVey? C. Eliel McVey b. 1795 m. Mary K. Brown D. Elijah McVey b. ? m. Mary Yost E. Rachel McVey b. ? m. Joseph Jacobs F. Sarah McVey b. ? m. Major Lewis Bond G. Mary McVey b. 1799 m. Royal Humpries 2. William McVey 3. Jacob McVey 4. Benjamin McVey 5. Elizabeth McVey m. Samuel Bond 6. Edmund McVey 7. Passmore McVey 8. Enoch McVey b. 1765 in Cecil MD d. 1855 m. Elizabeth (Eliza) Lyons in Muskingum, OH. 9. Hannah McVey 10. George McVey