JAMES BROWN TENAN. A record of the substantial citizens of Washington county would be incomplete were the names of this representative family of Smith township not included in the list. They were among the large number of pioneers who emigrated from Ireland to America during the eighteenth century. James Tenan was born in 1758, in County Londonderry, Ireland, where he was educated. Soon after the close of the revolution the young man crossed the ocean to America in a small sailing vessel, and in the course of time located in Pennsylvania. He married Jane Brown, near the town of Octoraro, Lancaster county, where he remained until 1785, where they purchased and settled upon a small tract of land in Smith township, this county, where the following named children were born: John, Robert, James, William, Mary and Moses. Mr. Tenan (who then spelled his name Tynan) united with the Democratic party. In religion he was an early member of the Associate Reformed Church. He died in 1840, having been preceded to the grave by his wife in 1836. James Tenan, son of James and Jane (brown) Tenan, was born in 1796, in Smithtownship, and received his education in the subscription schools of the neighborhood. In 1829 he was united in marriage with Margaret, daughter of George M. McCullough , a native of Lancaster county, Penn. Mr. McCullough grew to manhood there. and there married Agnes Gibson, to whom the following named children were born: Christina (Mrs. James Wilson), Agnes (wife of Thomas McCullough), Susan, Jane (Mrs. Joseph McNall), Mary (wife of James Brown) and Margaret (Mrs. James Tenan). Mr. McCullough came to Washington county and settled on a 400-acre tract of land in Smith township, where his life was passed. He brought a few slaves with him to Washington county, where they remained until they died. Politically he was a Federalist, and in religion a member of the Presbyterian Church at Florence, where both he and his wife were buried. James and Margaret (McCullough) Tenan passed their married life on the home place in Smith township, and to their union two sons were born, viz.: George McCullough and James Brown. The father was liberal in his political views, and voted with the Jacksonian Democrats. In religious faith he was a member and liberal supporter of the Associate Reformed Church until his death, which occurred April1, 1859. James Brown Tenan was born September 14, 1832. the day the burning of New York City, in Smith township, where he received a common school education. On June 5, 1860, he married Mary, daughter of Jonas Amspoker, of Smith township, and to this union one son, Douglas, was born (Died at the age of three years). On March 21, 1864, the mother died, and for the second wife Mr. Tenan married, at Philadelphia, in October, 1876, Harriet E., daughter of William H. Bozman, of McConnellsville, Morgan Co., Ohio. Her parents were booth deceased; the father died in September, 1860, and the mother died at Athens, Oho. In politics Mr. Tenan is an active Democrat, and with the exception of three years, spent at Athens, Ohio, has been a resident of Burgettstown ever since. He is a member a earnest supporter of the United Presbyterian Church at Burgettstown, Mrs. Tenan being a member of the M. E. Church. On the farm in Smith township, which is situated two miles from Burgettstown, are two oil wells, with fair prospects for others. Mr. Tenan had (on his mother's side) two aunts (McCullough by name), who lived to be over ninety years of age.

Text taken from page 701 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed June 1997 by Dawna Trainor of Baltimore, MD as part of the Beers Project. Published June 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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