THOMAS SLATER, a well-known farmer of Cecil township, is a son of James Slater, who was born, in 1767, in County Armagh, Ireland, and learned the shoemaker's trade. In 1792 he embarked on an American-bound vessel, landing first in New York City, where he followed his trade, and was married to Martha Thompson. She was a native of Ireland, and a fellow-voyager with Mr. Slater. In 1800 they came to Allegheny county, Penn., soon afterward locating on the farm where he died in 1812, having been preceded by his wife in 1832. They were members of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, in which he was ruling elder for many years. Their children were: Mary, who married Matthew Crawford, of Mt. Pleasant township, and died in 1832; Elizabeth, married to William Crawford, and died in 1838; John, who died in infancy; John (who died in March, 1883), married to Margaret George Thompson of Pittsburgh, Penn., and first locating in Allegheny County, afterward moved to Cecil township, this county; James (a shoemaker and farmer, deceased in 1863, married to Margaret Watters, of Allegheny county, Penn., thence moving to Indiana); William (married in 1854 to Margaret McCoy of West Virginia), was pastor of the Reformed Presbyterian Church at Miller's Run between the years 1843 and 1847, then resigned on account of ill health and died March 24, 1889; Margaret (deceased in March, 1891 at Beaver Falls, Penn.), became the wife of John McAnlis, of Beaver county, Penn.; Jane, widow of John George, of Mt. Pleasant township, now residing at Beaver Falls, Penn.; Thomas, of whom a sketch follows; and Martha, unmarried, who died in 1839, in Beaver county, Penn. Thomas Slater was born in 1819, in North Fayette township, Allegheny Co., Penn., and received his early education in the subscription schools of that locality. In 1843 he came to Mt. Pleasant township, this county, locating near Hickory, and was married same year to Christina J., a native of Pittsburgh, and daughter of William and Margaret (George) Thompson. The father was born in Allegheny county, Penn., and the mother was a native of Mt. Pleasant township. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Slater resided on a farm near Hickory until September, 1855, when he came to his present farm in Cecil township, this county. It contains 173 acres of good land, upon which he has erected a comfortable house and commodious barn, also made various other improvements. The following children have been born to this union: William T., a teacher of Wilkinsburg, Penn.; John R., living in Cecil township; George W., a physician in Baltimore, Md.; Elizabeth G., wife of Sherman G. Sackett, Colorado; Jane Allison, married to F. L. McClelland of Topeka, Kans.; Anna, who died in 1872; Emma and Ella (twins); Margaret wife of Dr. S. A. S. Metheney, and Thomas Melville. Mr. Slater has much of the force and foresight that characterizes all self-made men, who, from small beginnings, have carved out for themselves a competence or a fortune. Himself a diligent reader, and a consistent friend of higher education, he has spared no pains to give his family advantages in this respect, often at much personal self sacrifice. He is a man of strong character and of well-defined opinions, especially on moral questions; and stands high in the estimation of all who know him, or have dealings with him, for his personal integrity and worth. In his early life he traveled somewhat in the West and South, visiting at one time in South Carolina where friends of his mother lived, near Abbeville; since the Civil war, however, he has heard nothing of them. Cousin "Jimmy Wilson" had a large plantation and many slaves.

Text taken from page 1000 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed March 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project. Published March 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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