Samuel Eakin and Mary Reilly
Husband Samuel Eakin 1 2
Born: 1767 - County Derry, Ireland 2 Christened: Died: Sep 1851 - Clinton Twp, Venango Co, PA 1 3 Buried: - East Unity Presbyterian Cemetery, Allegheny Twp, Butler Co, PA
Father: [Father] Eakin ( - ) Mother:
Marriage: 1794 4
Wife Mary Reilly 1 5
AKA: Maria Reilly, Mary Riley,6 Nancy Riley 7 Born: 1774 - Ireland 8 Christened: Died: 1821 - Clinton Twp, Venango Co, PA 1 3 Buried: - East Unity Presbyterian Cemetery, Allegheny Twp, Butler Co, PA 8
Children
1 F Mary Eakin 9 10
Born: Abt 1795 - Ireland Christened: Died: 13 May 1862 or 1864 - Venango Co, PA 11 Buried: - East Unity Presbyterian Cemetery, Allegheny Twp, Butler Co, PA 12Spouse: Robert Moore ( -1826) 10 13
2 M William Alliston Eakin 1 14 15
Born: 8 Feb 1797 - on the Atlantic Ocean Christened: Died: 8 Feb 1868 Buried: - Amity-Mt. Irwin Cemetery, Irwin Twp, Venango Co, PA 16Spouse: Isabella Kelly (1808-1872)
3 F Jane Eakin 1 17
Born: Abt 1800 - Venango Co, PA Christened: Died: 28 May 1838 Buried: - East Unity Presbyterian Cemetery, Allegheny Twp, Butler Co, PA 18Spouse: James Scott (cal 1800-1867) 1 17
4 M James Eakin 1 14
Born: Abt 1805 - Venango Co, PA Christened: Died: Bef Nov 1888 - Kansas Buried:Spouse: Adaline [Unk] (1815-1880)
5 M Samuel Eakin 1 14 19
Born: 1 Jan 1807 - near Kennerdell, Clinton Twp, Venango Co, PA 3 Christened: Died: Nov 1888 - Clinton Twp, Venango Co, PA 1 20 Buried: - East Unity Presbyterian Cemetery, Allegheny Twp, Butler Co, PA 8Spouse: Margaret Ferguson Campbell (1808-1876) 3 19 Marr: 1828 3
6 M David Eakin 14 21
Born: Abt 1 May 1809 - Clinton Twp, Venango Co, PA Christened: Died: 11 Oct 1851 - Clinton Twp, Venango Co, PA 14 21 Buried: - East Unity Presbyterian Cemetery, Allegheny Twp, Butler Co, PA 22Spouse: Rebecca P. Stalker (Abt 1811-1878) 21 23 Marr: 1834
7 F Elizabeth Eakin 1 14
Born: - Venango Co, PA Christened: Died: when twenty-three years old Buried:
8 F Margaret Eakin 1 14
Born: - Venango Co, PA Christened: Died: Bef Nov 1888 Buried:Spouse: M. Moore ( - ) 1 14
General Notes: Husband - Samuel Eakin
Scrubgrass Twp Cemetery Records have his year of birth as 1769. Pg 86
The emigrant ancestor of this family in America, he was born in Ireland in 1767, and remained there until his participation in the activities of the United Irishmen under the leadership of the Emmets made that country unsafe for him, coming across the Atlantic in 1797. In the year 1799 he removed from Juniata County, Pennsylvania, to Venango County, locating on a tract of 150 acres in Clinton Township. Soon afterward his brother William and sister Margaret (Mrs. Curry) settled in that region, where both developed farms. He became an influential man in this section, and filled various township offices. [HVC 1919, 910]
While living in Ireland he owned a small farm and also a linen factory, where "Irish linen" was made. He employed twenty girls to do the spinning for him. He crossed Londonderry Bridge every morning when he went to his factory to work. He loved his native country, but hated (that is the word he used) tyrants and oppression, and hoped some day that the land of his birth would, like his adopted land, be freed from the grasp of the tyrant. It was this love of freedom and liberty that caused him to take the voyage across the stormy Atlantic in 1797 with his wife and little daughter Mary. It took them fifteen weeks. After they had been sailing thirteen weeks they first saw land, but a storm arose and they had to put back toward mid-ocean to keep the vessel from being dashed to pieces on the rocks. It took two weeks longer to get the vessel landed. They arrived at Philadelphia in the spring of 1798, but went immediately to Juniata County, PA, where they remained one year. Mr. Eakin invested his linen cloth and yarn that he brought with him, but lost it all, as he had dealt with a rascal. Being honest and true himself, he took everyone else to be the same, and so was imposed on many times. But in spite of losses he was able to give each of his sons a good farm and team when they married. He was deeply interested in the public welfare, always in the lead for advancement, and had the courage to dare to do what he thought was best for the good of the public, in church or state. In politics he was a stanch Democrat. He filled a number of township offices, and although he never held a high public position could have done so if he had wanted to - but he would rather help some other fellow get there.
When he moved from Juniata to Venango County in the spring of 1799, he came to the home of John Phipps, who had arrived from Westmoreland County two years previously. He purchased 160 acres from him, for one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, in what is now Clinton (then Scrubgrass) Township, and immediately set about to clear up the farm and make a home for himself and family. When he came the woods abounded in wild animals, such as wolves, bears, deer, wildcats and panthers, also wild turkeys. It was in the winter of 1840 that the last bears were seen on the farm, two coming into the field and carrying two sheep down into the pine woods, where they ate them. The bones and some of the wool could be seen a good many years afterward.
He brought no furniture to this country except a chest made of black walnut, and a large iron kettle to bake bread in. The latter was in the possession of one of his granddaughters, Mrs. Mary Jane (Eakin) Lockard, in 1919, and the lock and key he had for his door in Ireland was treasured by his grandson, David V. Eakin, of New Castle, PA. In an account of the early settlers in Scrubgrass Township we find Samuel Eakin mentioned as having settled where James Vogus was living in the latter eighties, and early records of surveys in what is now Clinton Township show that he had 385 acres surveyed to him May 11, 1803, "by virtue of improvement and settlement," the land being described as adjoining Aaron Austin, Wasson & McKee, John Phipps and Patrick Jack. [HVC 1919, 682]
The Eakins are all Presbyterians, in whatever part of the world they may be, and there are several ministers and elders among the grandsons of Samuel Eakin, also a great many school teachers. He was a Presbyterian in Ireland, but after coming to this country he and his family went with the Seceders when the Presbyterians commenced using Watts' Psalms and Hymns. He superintended the burning of the brick for the first church that was built where the present brick church of the old East Unity United Presbyterian congregation now stands, one mile from Eakins Corners, in Butler County, and gave almost all of his time one summer to assist in whatever way he could until it was completed. His remains and those of all his family except two, James and Margaret, lie under the shadow of the church to await the resurrection morn. Samuel Eakin while in Ireland was a member of the Society of Orangemen, and was also a member of the Masonic fraternity, but was never identified with either organization in this country. He was a true husband and father. His wife, when she lay dying, in 1821, asked him to promise her not to bring a stepmother over her children, for she had a step-mother who had abused her and she did not want her children to be treated as she had been. He promised, and was true, living alone thirty years, until his death. [HVC 1919, 682]
He died in September, 1805. [HJW, 34]
1 —, History of Venango County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk, & Co., Publishers, 1890), Pg 986.
2 Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 681, 910.
3 Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 910.
4 Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 682.
5 Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 977.
6 Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 682, 910.
7 —, History of Venango County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk, & Co., Publishers, 1890), Pg 553.
8 Venango County Historical Society, Venango County Pennsylvania Cemetery Records and Early Church Histories, Vol. 3, Scrubgrass Township (Franklin, PA: Venango County Historical Society, 1995), Pg 86.
9 —, History of Venango County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk, & Co., Publishers, 1890), Pg 986, 998.
10 Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 683, 910, 1033.
11 —, History of Venango County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk, & Co., Publishers, 1890), Pg 998.
12 Venango County Historical Society, Venango County Pennsylvania Cemetery Records and Early Church Histories, Vol. 3, Scrubgrass Township (Franklin, PA: Venango County Historical Society, 1995), Pg 90.
13 —, History of Venango County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk, & Co., Publishers, 1890), Pg 978, 986, 998.
14 Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 683, 910.
15 Nancy Byers Romig, Descendants of Rev. Johan Theodor Hofius (Export, PA: Self-published, July, 1997), Pg 8.
16 Venango County Historical Society, Venango County Pennsylvania Cemetery Records and Early Church Histories, Vol. 1, Irwin, Mineral, & Victory Townships (Franklin, PA: Venango County Historical Society, 1992), Pg 18.
17 Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 683, 790, 910.
18 Venango County Historical Society, Venango County Pennsylvania Cemetery Records and Early Church Histories, Vol. 3, Scrubgrass Township (Franklin, PA: Venango County Historical Society, 1995), Pg 93.
19 Nancy Byers Romig, Descendants of Rev. Johan Theodor Hofius (Export, PA: Self-published, July, 1997), Pg 45.
20 Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 683.
21 —, History of Venango County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk, & Co., Publishers, 1890), Pg 989.
22 Venango County Historical Society, Venango County Pennsylvania Cemetery Records and Early Church Histories, Vol. 3, Scrubgrass Township (Franklin, PA: Venango County Historical Society, 1995), Pg 85.
23
Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 683, 911.
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