Richard Hanna and Mary Gregg

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Husband Richard Hanna ¹

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           Born: 1790 - County Down, Ireland 1
     Christened: 
           Died: 15 Jan 1872 - ? Washington Co, PA 2
         Buried: 

       Marriage: 1834 2

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Wife Mary Gregg ¹

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           Born: 1800 1
     Christened: 
           Died: 6 Sep 1876 2
         Buried: 

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         Father: James Gregg (      -      ) 1
         Mother: Elizabeth [Unk] (      -      ) 1

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Children

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1 F Elizabeth M. Hanna ²

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: J. J. Stewart (      -      ) 2

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2 M James G. Hanna ¹

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           Born: 5 Jun 1837 - Independence Twp, Washington Co, PA 2
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Mary A. McCreary (      -1865) 2
           Marr: 26 Feb 1861 2

         Spouse: Jane A. Scott (1844-1881) 2
           Marr: 12 Mar 1868 2

         Spouse: Melissa J. Welch (1857-1885) 3
           Marr: 3 Jan 1883 2

         Spouse: Margaret L. Denny (1848-      ) 4
           Marr: 28 Dec 1887 2

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General Notes: Husband - Richard Hanna

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He was born in County Down, Ireland, but, when young, moved with his parents to County Cavan. He learned the weaver's trade, and, like many others of his young countrymen, struggled until he saved enough to pay his passage to America. In 1818 he embarked from Dublin, but when only a few weeks from shore, the ship sprang a leak. Hoping to reach port before the vessel sank, the crew steered for Cork, which was reached in time, and the passengers (for some reason not being allowed to land) were transferred to another ship bound for Halifax. After a voyage of twenty-one weeks, the good ship anchored at Halifax, where young Mr. Hanna followed his trade for a short period. Then, as he had a distant relative in Washington County, Pennsylvania, he decided to attempt the journey thither. He had previously been employed at gathering stones, for not being able to secure steady work at his own trade, he accepted the only employment offered. Having very little money with which to pay the expenses of a trip to Pennsylvania, he invested his small savings in goods, which he attempted to sell on the journey to Washington County. This experiment, however, was only partially successful, and only by the strictest economy did he succeed in arriving at the end of his journey. He had finally reached West Middletown, six miles from his destination, when the soles of his shoes dropped off, but he passed on to the one or two houses then erected on the present site of Independence, where his relative resided. The long, tedious trip was accomplished, and the young traveler had just one cent in his pocket as capital stock to invest in new speculations. He began working as a farm hand at the very modest salary of $4 per month, at which he continued during the summer - in winter following his trade. Thus he struggled on for some time, and, although his small pile of savings did not increase with wonderful rapidity, each year some addition was made. In 1830 he joined a party going to Richland (now Ashland) County, Ohio, and, upon his arrival there, purchased 160 acres of land and began the herculean task of clearing it. He married and soon, the young couple returned to Washington County, Pennsylvania, locating about a mile south of Independence, on a farm which became their permanent home. Quiet and unassuming in manner, disliking all forms of publicity, and finding his chief happiness in home life, Mr. Hanna was yet a remarkably clear-sighted business man, by natural and acquired gifts supplying the loss of a literary education, and, working in the face of poverty and against such odds, he conquered. At the time of his death, Mr. Hanna owned an estate valued at over $40,000, this vast accumulation being the fruit of those early years of heroic self-denial, toil and patient waiting. Politically he voted the Democratic ticket, and in religious faith was, with his wife, a member of the Associate Reformed Church.

1 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 373.

2 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 374.

3 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 374, 601.

4 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 374, 1393.