William Moreland and Jane Minto

---

---

Husband William Moreland ¹

---

           Born: Abt 1775 - Ireland
     Christened: 
           Died: 1850 2
         Buried:  - United Presbyterian Cemetery, Greenville, Mercer Co, PA 2

---

         Father: John Moreland (Abt 1739-1823) 1 3
         Mother: Letitia [Unk] (Abt 1742-1838) 1 3

---

       Marriage: 1806 4

---

---

Wife Jane Minto ⁵

---

           Born: Abt 1779
     Christened: 
           Died: 1857 2
         Buried:  - United Presbyterian Cemetery, Greenville, Mercer Co, PA 2

---

Children

---

1 M Thomas Moreland ⁵

---

           Born: Abt 1818
     Christened: 
           Died: 18 Jan 1884 5
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Lillias Dowling (Abt 1814-1894) 5

---

---

General Notes: Husband - William Moreland

---

William and Isaac Moreland, brothers, came to a tract of land on the west branch of the Shenango River, Greene township, Mercer County, PA, in April, 1797, from Westmoreland County. They had recently emigrated from Ireland, and had made the journey from Westmoreland on foot, carrying their baggage upon their backs, and swimming the Shenango River. Isaac was twenty years of age, and William fifteen. Passing along the west bank of the river, to the beau­tiful and rich bottom-land, they concluded to wander no further, and, accordingly, built a cabin and commenced a clearing. Later in the season they returned to Westmoreland County and purchased a yoke of cattle and a cow, which were driven to their new home. It would appear from this, and circumstances which followed, that they were in the possession of some money, and were not obliged to take up land in order to gain a living. Their descendants state, that at the time of their settlement, there were no inhabitants nearer than the State line, and that in the fall of 1797, Isaac went to Philadelphia, with the intention of returning to Ireland, on a visit, leaving his brother to take care of their stock, but that he abandoned his purpose on meeting a man in that city who was about to sail and agreed to take a message for him to his friends. Heavy storms fell, however, and flooded parts of the country, which prevented Isaac from returning to Greene township until the spring of 1798. During his absence, an Indian came to the cabin, and stayed nearly every night with his brother. The savages were abundant, and were very suspicious, and in walking with the settlers would never allow them to go behind them. Notwithstanding this precaution, they were harm­less, and never molested the Morelands in any way.
During the absence of his brother, in the winter of 1797-98, William shot a deer one evening, when some distance from home, and the wolves, smelling the blood, started on his track. Arriving at the spot where the deer had fallen, they stopped a few moments to lick up the blood, and thus gave him an opportunity to escape; but shortly after his arrival at the cabin they appeared with terrific howls. He did not dare to let out his dogs, for fear that they would be devoured, and was unwilling to waste ammunition by shooting at them. He, accordingly, threw out a portion of the deer, which merely sharpened their appetites, and they remained howling about the cabin, and even approaching close to the door, until the light of morning frightened them away. Frequently, during the night, he threw fire-brands among them, which merely scared them away for a moment, and, he after­wards stated, that it was the most fearful night that he ever passed. [HMC 1877, 41]

1 J. G. White, A Twentieth Century History of Mercer County Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1909), Pg 769.

2 —, History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Its Past and Present (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk & Co., Publishers, 1888), Pg 430.

3 Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 1029.

4 —, History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1877), Pg 41.

5 J. G. White, A Twentieth Century History of Mercer County Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1909), Pg 770.