AREA HISTORY:  Historical Personages, Lower Chanceford Township, York County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Kathy Francis

Copyright 2006.  All rights reserved.
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History of York County, Pennsylvania.  John Gibson, Historical Editor.
Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886.
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SOME HISTORICAL PERSONAGES – Page 747

Rev. Joshua Williams was born in Chester County, son of Lewis Williams, an emigrant 
from Wales.  When he was two years old he moved with his parents to Lower 
Chanceford.  He was one of the first pupils of York County Academy; entered 
Dickinson College and graduated in 1795, in the same class with Roger B. Taney, 
afterward Chief Justice of the United States.  His intellectual powers were strong 
and vigorous, and he was very proficient in the science of Mental Philosophy.  The 
title of Doctor of Divinity was conferred upon him by Jefferson College.  He was 
pastor of the historic Paxton and Derry Churches in Dauphin County, from 1799 to 
1802.  He died August 21, 1838, while pastor of Big Spring Church, Cumberland 
County.

Hon. James Stewart, of Mansfield, Ohio, was born in Lower Chanceford, on the farm 
now owned by James W. Stewart; when yet young he removed with his parents to Seneca, 
Ontario Co., N. Y.  After attaining manhood he was admitted to the bar, and soon 
after moved to Mansfield, Ohio, where he at once won distinction in his profession.  
He was elected president judge of the county court, and served two terms; he was 
afterward chosen judge of the circuit court of Ohio, embracing several counties.  He 
died in 1856.  One of his daughters married the Hon. John Sherman, of Ohio, the 
distinguished secretary, of the treasury, and five times elected United States 
senator from Ohio, and brother of Gen. Sherman.

William Cowman, of Lower Chanceford, on January 24, 1885, was ninety-five years old.  
His parents, Robert and Catharine (Davison) Cowan, emigrated from Ireland to America 
before the Revolution.  A brother of Mr. Cowan’s father came to New York in 1778, 
when in possession of the English.  He paid the guard a guinea, escaped into the 
American lines and came to York County to find his brother in the patriot army.  
William Cowan was born January 24, 1790, and now is the last representative of Capt. 
Colvin’s company of soldiers that marched in 1814 from York County to the defense of 
Baltimore when endangered by the invading English army.  He describes with vividness 
the scenes which transpired about the time of the death of the British commander, 
Gen. Ross, and the retreat of his army.  Capt. Colvin’s company of 150 men belonged 
to Chanceford, Hopewell and Fawn.  They were nearly all tall men of fine stature.  
Hugh Long who lived near the Brogue was first lieutenant; J. McDonald, second 
lieutenant.  The company met and started on the march from the farm now owned by 
David Wilson.  They were in the service but fifty-five days; after the retreat of 
the British they were discharged.

Mr. Cowan was born during Washington’s first term.  He remembers the election of 
John Adams, the second president of the United States, and went with some friends to 
the common voting place at the lower end, at Nicholson’s Mill, near Muddy Creek 
Forks, at the time of the election of Thomas Jefferson, in 1801; voted the 
Federalist ticket at the second election of James Madison.  He was appointed 
postmaster in 1826; elected a member of the legislature in 1834, and served with 
Thaddeus Stevens when the common school bill was passed, through the influence of 
that distinguished “American Commoner.”  He became an elder of Chanceford Church in 
1835, and served in the office just one-half century.  He and Robert Ramsay, of 
Peach Bottom Township, now ninety-three years old, are the last representatives of 
the “old defenders” now living in York County.  His father died in 1799 and his 
mother in 1842.

Col. John Kelley, of militia fame, owned a large tract of land surrounding what is 
now Laurel Station on the York & Peach Bottom Railway.  He was noted as a great fox 
and wolf hunter.  The late Thomas Kelley, Esq., a lawyer of York, was his son.  
Mary, his daughter, when a little girl, once went into a den and brought to her 
father a half-dozen little wolves, while the old wolf was hunting food in the woods.  
Her father’s famous dog had gone into the den first; when he returned they knew from 
his actions that the old wolf was not at home.  Rev. William Bingham of Oxford, 
Chester County, is a grandson of Col. Kelley.  Mary Kelley afterward became the wife 
of Dr. McDonald, of Fawn.