Joseph Alexander McCurdy and Jane Brady Armstrong

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Husband Joseph Alexander McCurdy ^{1 2 3}

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           Born: 11 Dec 1857 - Derry Twp, Westmoreland Co, PA 1 2 3
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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         Father: Alexander Jackson McCurdy (1829-1884) 2 3 4
         Mother: Sarah Pounds (1833-Aft 1890) 2 3 4

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       Marriage: 10 Sep 1885 5 6

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   Other Spouse: Florence Ludwick (      -      ) 7 - 29 Jun 1897 7

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Wife Jane Brady Armstrong ^{5 6 7}

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 28 Feb 1888 5
         Buried: 

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         Father: Col. James Armstrong (      -      ) 5
         Mother: Rachel Welty (      -      ) 5

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Children

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1 F Rachel Welty McCurdy ⁵

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: Abt Aug 1888
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General Notes: Husband - Joseph Alexander McCurdy

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The Mayflower, which crossed the At-lantic in 1620, contained one of his paternal and two of his maternal ancestors. Edward Doty, who was one of the forty-one men who signed his name to the first constitution of government ever subscribed by a whole people in the history of the world, had among his descendants Mary Doty, paternal grandmother. Thomas Pound, who in 1635 came from London to New England, and his wife, who was one of the children who came in the Mayflower, have among their descendants Sarah Pounds, the mother of Mr. McCurdy. William Drummond came to New Jersey from Scotland, and had among his grandchildren Mary Drummond, maternal grandmother. Wil-liam Collier, a London merchant, who came to America in 1633, and who was assistant governor of Plymouth colony for thirty years, had among his descendants Sarah Collier, maternal great-grandmother. John Cannon, who came to Plymouth colony in 1621, had two descendants, Hannah Cannon, married to Stephen Adonijah Pounds, and Ella Cannon, married to William Drummond, maternal great-great-grandmothers. Three of his great-grandfathers, Alexander McCurdy, Joseph Pounds, and Nathaniel Doty were in the Revolutionary war, and two of his great-great-grandfathers, Stephen A. Pounds and William Drummond were killed in that great struggle.
All of his ancestors lived in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, principally in Derry township, for many years. Alexander McCurdy set-tled before 1760. Joseph Pounds, John Drummond and Nathaniel Doty came to Derry town-ship together about 1785, from Basking Ridge and Sterlings Buildings, New Jersey, where some of their ancestors from Plymouth colony had settled a century before. They were Pres-byterians, and were among the founders and supporters of old Salem church in Derry town-ship. The McCurdys were at one time seceders.

He spent his childhood and youth on a farm in Derry township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, attended the common schools, and in 1869-70 he received valuable instruction of Rev. W. H. McFarland, later of San Francisco, California. After attending the State Normal school at Edinboro, Pennsylvania, for one term, he began teaching in the public schools of Westmoreland County at the age of sixteen, since which time he has made his own way in the world. He educated himself by teaching in the winter and attending school in the summer. In 1878 he graduated at the State Normal school at Indiana, Pennsylvania. In the years 1879 and 1880 he was a student in the classical course, first in the University of Wooster, Ohio, and then in Lafayette college, Easton, Pennsylvania. He was principal of the public schools of Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania, in 1880-81, then became one of the owners and editor of the Mt. Pleasant Dawn, which he changed to the Journal. He improved the paper and trebled its circulation, but at the end of two years he relinquished the editorial chair for his life-work in the legal profession.
In April, 1883, Mr. McCurdy became a law student in the office of Moorehead & Head, at Greensburg, Pennsylvania. While pursuing his law course he was for one year teacher of the Greensburg High school, and was also reporter for the associated press and correspondent for a number of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia papers. He was admitted to the Westmoreland County bar August 31, 1885, and soon gained a lucrative practice. He was solicitor for Westmoreland County; he was chairman of the Republican county committee in 1886, when Hon. Welty McCullough was elected to Congress, the first republican congressman from Westmoreland County since Hon. John Covode. He was a member of the Greensburg Presbyterian church.

1 Samuel T. Wiley, Biographical and Historical Cyclopedia of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: John M. Gresham & Co., 1890.), Pg 129.

2 John W. Jordan, History of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Genealogical Memoirs, Vol. II (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1906), Pg 6.

3 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1913), Pg 846.

4 Samuel T. Wiley, Biographical and Historical Cyclopedia of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: John M. Gresham & Co., 1890.), Pg 130.

5 Samuel T. Wiley, Biographical and Historical Cyclopedia of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: John M. Gresham & Co., 1890.), Pg 131.

6 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1913), Pg 848.

7 John W. Jordan, History of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Genealogical Memoirs, Vol. II (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1906), Pg 7.