George McCandless and Mary "Polly" Fish

---

---

Husband George McCandless ^{1 2}

---

           Born: Mar 1771 - Ireland 2
     Christened: 
           Died: 3 Feb 1842 - Center Twp, Butler Co, PA 2
         Buried:  - North Cemetery, Butler, Butler Co, PA

---

         Father: John McCandless, Sr. (      -      ) 1 3
         Mother: Jane Carothers (      -      ) 3

---

       Marriage: 1794 3

---

---

Wife Mary "Polly" Fish ^{1 3}

---

           Born: Cir 19 Dec 1769
     Christened: 
           Died: 28 Sep 1850
         Buried:  - North Cemetery, Butler, Butler Co, PA

---

         Father: Nathan Fish (1734-1801) 4 5
         Mother: Sarah Reeder (      -      ) 5

---

---

Children

---

1 M John McCandless ^{1 6 7}

---

           Born: 24 Aug 1798 - Center Twp, Butler Co, PA 1 7
     Christened: 
           Died: 18 Sep 1860 1 7
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Jemima Reaves Sullivan (1800-1881) 7
           Marr: 1824 7

---

2 F Mary Ann McCandless ^{1 7}

---

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: Aft 1883
         Buried: 

         Spouse: David Porter (      -      ) 1 7

---

3 F Elizabeth McCandless ^{1 7}

---

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: Aft 1883
         Buried: 

         Spouse: William Porter (      -      ) 1 7

---

4 M Robert McCandless ^{8 9}

---

           Born:  - Ireland
     Christened: 
           Died:  - Center Twp, Butler Co, PA
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Mary Jack (      -      ) 8 9

---

5 F Keziah McCandless ^{1 10}

---

           Born: 27 Nov 1809 10
     Christened: 
           Died: 1903 10
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Aaron Moore McCandless (1810-1888) 10 11

---

6 M George McCandless ⁹

---

           Born: Cir 20 Feb 1805
     Christened: 
           Died: 13 Oct 1862 9
         Buried:  - North Cemetery, Butler, Butler Co, PA

         Spouse: Elenor Dickson (Cir 1808-1875)

---

7 F Sarah "Sally" McCandless ²

---

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 10 Jun 1874 2
         Buried: 

         Spouse: [Unk] McKissick (      -      ) 2

---

8 F Jane McCandless ²

---

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: [Unk] Smith (      -      ) 2

---

---

General Notes: Husband - George McCandless

---

George McCandless, at nineteen years of age, came to America from County Antrim, Ireland, and leased land in Cumberland County, Pennsyl­vania. With him were cousins by the name of Carothers (his mother's maiden name). George had left in Ireland his parents, John and Jane (Carothers) McCandless, three brothers and two sisters. In Cumberland Coun­ty he became associated with a well-to-do former Revolutionary soldier named Nathan Fish. Nathan, fifty-six years old, was living near Carlisle with his daughters, Mary and Nancy. His son Nathaniel Fish was living in York County.
George McCandless sent favorable reports back to Antrim County, Ireland, from Pennsylvania. These letters influ­enced his eldest brother, John, with wife and small daughter, to join him. John's report to relatives corroborated that which George had sent, and so John and Jane (Carothers) McCandless and the remaining brothers and sisters all came over. With them came three nephews of John and Jane, cousins of the brothers John and George. The three nephews were Robert, David and William McCandless. Robert had married Jane McCandless, daughter of John and Jane (Carothers) McCandless, before leaving Ireland. At the same time came cous­ins by the name of Carothers.
Upon their arrival in the United States, the John and Jane (Carothers) McCand­less family, with the exception of James who had become ill and was in a hos­pital in Philadelphia, came westward as far as Carlisle, Cumberland County. Here they joined sons George and John, and here they met Nathan Fish and his daughters. George McCandless and Mary Fish were married about this time. Soon the group joined a large party which was migrating across the mountains. On their pack horses were woodcutter's tools, agricultural implements and domestic utensils of iron. There were furs and Bibles and a quantity of salt. The travelers probably followed the Forbes Road, just recently widened for wagon passage. However, most travelers still carried their possessions on horseback. When the party reached the Greensburg area, they turned northwest from the great new Pennsylvania Road, following yet the old Forbes Trail past Byerly's Station to the vicinity of Washington's Camp and into Plumb Township, Allegheny County, where they settled, some permanently. Plumb was the township which divided Allegheny County from Westmoreland when the first seven original townships were formed in 1788. Later the 'b' was dropped from the spelling. It was in this township that John and Jane (Carothers) Mc­Candless established their last home and lived the remainder of their lives. For a time, part of the family lived with them. The oldest son, John, engaged in the business of buying and selling cattle. This was near where Monroeville now stands. [MRF, 4]

He came to America before his father, and followed up an Indian trail to Centre Township, Butler County, PA, before the advent of his broth­ers. Having cleared a small piece of land and find­ing himself out of provisions, he was obliged to walk back to Westmoreland (now Allegheny County) to obtain supplies. He married Mary Fish, and as the two were coming to their new home they found their camp surrounded by wolves. This so frightened Mrs. McCandless that she prayed for death rather than endure a life in the woods with such surround­ings. [HBC 1883, 338]

He was the first of the family who settled in Butler county, PA. He came to what is now Centre township about 1795-96, built a cabin and commenced a small clearing. His eldest child, John, was born in the cabin home, the first white male child born in the township.

---

General Notes: Wife - Mary "Polly" Fish

---

of Carlisle, PA

1 —, History of Butler County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1883), Pg 338.

2 Joseph A. Ferree, The McCandless and Related Families, Pioneers of Butler County, Pennsylvania (Natrona Heights, PA: Self-Published, 1977), Pg 8.

3 Joseph A. Ferree, The McCandless and Related Families, Pioneers of Butler County, Pennsylvania (Natrona Heights, PA: Self-Published, 1977), Pg 6.

4 —, History of Butler County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1883), Pg 344.

5 Joseph A. Ferree, The McCandless and Related Families, Pioneers of Butler County, Pennsylvania (Natrona Heights, PA: Self-Published, 1977), Pg 2.

6 —, History of Butler County, Pennsylvania (R. C. Brown & Co. Publishers, 1895), Pg 676.

7 Joseph A. Ferree, The McCandless and Related Families, Pioneers of Butler County, Pennsylvania (Natrona Heights, PA: Self-Published, 1977), Pg 11.

8 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1914), Pg 726.

9 Joseph A. Ferree, The McCandless and Related Families, Pioneers of Butler County, Pennsylvania (Natrona Heights, PA: Self-Published, 1977), Pg 12.

10 Joseph A. Ferree, The McCandless and Related Families, Pioneers of Butler County, Pennsylvania (Natrona Heights, PA: Self-Published, 1977), Pg 13.

11 —, History of Butler County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1883), Pg 338, 339.