|
The Gunn Family of West Finley Township, Washington County, Penna. |
|---|
The first record of the GUNN family in West Finley is the purchase of land Jan 4, 1787
(DB D, 36) by Marcus (2) GUNN (son of John (1) ) and the taxing of the land to John (1)
GUNN beginning in 1787. John (1) his wife, Elizabeth; sons, Marcus (2), Alexander (2)
and possibly John (2) (in 1790 the father was called "Sr", and daughters Ann, Catharine,
Mary, Jane and son-in-law William (2) GUNN (DB U, 723) likely came to West Finley
from the British Isles late in 1786. The 1850 census lists Jane as born in Ireland in 1780.
If so, the GUNNS came from Scotland via Ireland. William (2) GUNN, who married
Ann (Daughter of John (1) ) GUNN (likely his cousin) was said to have been a native of
Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Benjamin (2) GUNN, born in Scotland 1771 (1850 census) was probably a brother of
William (2). Benjamin's son, Franklin (3), said his father was a native of Aberdeenshire.
Benjamin (2) came to America in 1812, to West Finley in 1817.
William (2) was said to be a son of Alexander (1) GUNN, who died in Scotland. John (1)
and Alexander (1) may have been brothers. Another John (2) GUNN who was in West
Finley 1809-11, may have been a third son of Alexander (1). William (2) and Ann's
oldest son, Cornelius (3) (Neil) was born in the old country about 1786.
Most of the land in West Finley was taken up by Philadelphia speculators. The settlers
had to buy their land from Levi HOLLINGSWORTH or Thomas SHIELDS. This led to a
number of court actions. The Marcus (2) GUNN purchase (not HOLLINGSWORTH-SHIELDS
land) was just south of the Donegal-West Finley township line. This tract was sold in 1809
by the heirs of Marcus (2). It had been patented by Alexander (2) in 1808 in trust for
the widow and children of John (1) GUNN.
HOLLINGSWORTH-SHIELDS land was purchased by:
Alexander (2) in 1799 and 1812 - he sold some to William (2) in 1801
John (3), son of William (2), in 1813
Benjamin (2), William (2) and Cornelius (3), son of William (2) in 1816
The William (2) and Cornelius (Neil) (3) tracts were near Burnsville.
The first record of William(2) GUNN is in the 1790 census. Benjamin (2) is first taxed in 1818.
He died in 1955; William (2) about 1825. The last record of John (1) is in the 1800 county
census of taxables. He was dead in 1809. Alexander (2) who never married, died in
1848; Marcus, ,who never married, died about 1790. The family is a little unusual; a
number never married; four John(1)'s and at least two of William (2)'s. A number of
those who married had no issue.
Most of the GUNN children and grandchildren moved west. John (3) (died 1848), son
of William (2) and Franklin (3) (died 1907), son of Benjamin (2) remained. By 1880 there
were only two families: Franklin (3) and Alexander A(4) (1828-1898), son of John (3). The
GUNS were buried at Chapel Cemetery near Burnsville.
The children of John (1) are given in Deed Book U, 723; of William (2) in Appearance
Docket 218 January 1835; of Benjamin (2) in Accounts 30 February 1871; of John (3)
son of William(2) in Will Book 6, 624). The GUNN family is written up in Crumrine's
HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, page 982, and in BEERS' COMMEMORATIVE
BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, page 463. Some of the dates
in these books are incorrect.
John GUNN, b c1735 d c1805 West Finley m c1762 Elizabeth ---- b C1742
living 1810 - John Sr 1790 census 2 2 4 - children named in deed books
T, 236; U, 501; U, 723.
1. Marcus b c1763 d c1790 - administrator Apr 30, 1802 Alexander, next-of-kin -
bought land from John ROBINSON Jan 4, 1787 - not faxed after 178?.
2. Ann b c1765 living 1840 m c1785 William GUNN, see below
3. Alexander b 1768 d 1848 - never married - in militia 1798 - in 1798
owned 300 acres and house worth $15
4. ?John b c1770 d c1790 - dead 1805 - 1790 census lists John GUNN Sr
5. Catharine b 1772 d 1850 - never married - taxed 1821-1825
6. Mary (Polly) b c1776, living 1809, d bef 1850, never married
7. Jane b 1780 Ireland, living 1850 - m before 1805 John CRAIG b 1761
Ireland, living 1850 - no issue
William GUNN b c1760 d c1825 m c1785 Ann GUNN b c1765 living 1840 - 1790
census 1 3 1 - in 1798 owned 400 acres and house worth $5 - militia fines 1795, 1798
1. Cornelius (Neil) b 1786 - to Ohio 1828 - bought land 1816 - sold it to
sisters, Christina and Mary 1835 - first taxed 1807
2. John b 1788 d Oct. 5, 1848, see below - first taxed 1809
3. William b c1790 - gone 1820 - living 1835 d Ohio m Jane RICHARD -
living in Ohio Co. WV 1818 - first taxed 1813
Probable children: John 1829-1851, Jane (BLARE) 1827 -1918, Marcus
1832 - all living with uncle David in 1850
4. Marcus, b c1792 m Elise ?KING b 1800 - 1850 West Finley - gone 1859
first taxed 1816
5. Alexander b c1794 - went west before 1835
6, Mary b c1797 - taxed 1834, 1836, never married - living 1850 - not 1860
7. Levi H(?ollingsworth) b c1800 - gone 1828 - 1830 Rush Twp Champaign
Co. OH - died there 1849 m Rhoda ----, living 1850 with John GUNN -
first taxed 1823
8. Elizabeth b c1802 (twin) m Aug 28, 1822 Gideon (son of Joshua)
DICKERSON - to Blooming Grove Twp., Richland Co., OH by 1830
9. Christina b c1802 (twin), never married, taxed 1826-1835 - declared
non compos mentis by court 1835
10. Addison b c1804 - probably d youth - not living 1835
11. David b 1806 d 1850 m Mary ?FRAZIER b 1804 - living 1860
probably no children
John GUNN b 1788 d Oct. 5, 1848 m 1 Sept. 9, 1814 Martha (dau of Denny)
MC CLURE b c1794 d Mar 26, 1833; m2 Jan 30, 1834, widow Nancy BURT b 1787
1. Margaret Ann b 1816 d c1870, never married
2. William b 1818 d 1862 m Nov. 27, 1839, Catharine RICHMOND b 1818
Children: Emily S. 1840 - , John F 1842 - , Martha H 1845- , Eliza 1847 -
3. Denny McClure b 1821 - 1843 and 1850 Rush Twp, Champaign Co., OH
4. Mary Jane b 1823 d Jan 21, 1897, Mahaska Co., IA, m c1845 Simon
Smith CARROLL (son of James) b 1820 - d Jan 25, 1890
5. Cornelius (Neil) b 1825 m1 Julia H b 1830 d 1852 m2 Mary Anne, gone 1857
6. Alexander A. b Oct 14, 1828 d Apr 9, 1898 m Mar 18, 1851 Mary (dau of
John) BURNS b Oct 18, 1830 d Jul 6, 1906
Ch: John Burns 1852-1855, Martha (FISHER) 1854--, William R. 1856 -,
R D A 1859--, Mary L (GRIM) 1862 - . Ada B. (ORN) 1865--, Sarah
E MARSHALL - 1868 - 1950, Lottie B (BARNHART) 1870 - , Lynn C.
(ACKLEY) 1872 - , Robert 1874 - 1879
7. Catharine b 1830 m John H. CARROLL (son of Thomas) - to Illinois
8. Martha b 1832 - d May 19, 1852
Benjamin GUNN b 1771 Scotland d Feb. 15, 1855 m1 c1792 Janet ----
b c1772, m2 Mar 19, 1847 widow Miranda MC CAIN b 1803 living 1860
1. Catharine b 1793 d c1835 m c1813 Samuel HUGHES
Ch: Janet, George, James, Margaret, Ellen, Mary, Benjamin,
Alexander, Sarah Ann
2. James b c1795 to Baton Rouge LA c 1820
3. Alexander b 1797 d May 8, 1845, first taxed 1821, likely never married
4. Jane b c1799 m c1817 Jacob HUGHES - 1871 La Prairie, Adams Co., IL
5. Mary b c 1801 m c1817 Armstrong ECKLES - 1871 Glen Easton, Marshall
Co., WV
6. Margaret b c1804 m c1838 Jonathan ECKLES - 1871 Glen Easton
7. Isabella b c 1807 m John RICHMOND - 1871 Glen Easton
8. William b c 1809 - 1871 Glen Easton
9. John b c 1811 - 1871 La Prairie
10. Franklin b Jan 1, 1815 (USA) d May 22, 1907 - 1850 in W Va m1 1834
Mary MC DANIEL 1817-1875, m2 Nov 2, 1877 Margaret MC DAID 1844-1911
Ch: Samuel 1837-1910, Janet 1838- , Hannah 1844-,
Elizabeth (DENNISON) 1847 - , Ellen 1851 - , Rebecca (PATTERSON)
1852 - , Mary J. 1855- , James 1858 - , John 1860-1912 and two others
Raymond Martin Bell
|
This article was transcribed by Wilda Marshall Brown of Port Byron, NY in February 1998.
| Raymond M. Bell Anthology Genealogy in Washington Co., PA |
Published with permission of Raymond M. Bell.