Husband Capt. Abraham Witherup 1 2 3 4
Born: 18 Jan 1787 - Harrisburg, PA 4
Christened:
Died: 4 Apr 1875 - Clinton Twp, Venango Co, PA 5
Buried: - Calvert-Riddle Cemetery, Clinton Twp, Venango Co, PA 6
Father: John Witherup (1762-1842/1843) 7 8 9 10
Mother: Mary Brockington (1767-1835) 3 11
Marriage: 4 Mar 1819 - Rockland Twp, Venango Co, PA 12
• Photograph: 1910. Indentified as the Witherup home, said to be the first home made with lathe and plaster in Venango County, Pennsylvania.
Wife Elizabeth Phipps 1 13 14
Born: 14 Nov 1800 13 15
Christened:
Died: 19 Nov 1880 13 15
Buried: - Calvert-Riddle Cemetery, Clinton Twp, Venango Co, PA 6
Father: John Phipps (1765-1833) 16 17
Mother: Catharine Haney (1773-1833) 13 16
Children
1 F Mary Ann Witherup 18 19 20
Born: 3 Dec 1819 20
Christened:
Died: 22 Dec 1887
Buried:
Spouse: James Haslett ( -1884) 18 20
Marr: 19 Jun 1837 20
2 M John Witherup 21 22
Born: 16 Feb 1821 22
Christened:
Died: 25 Mar 1888 22
Buried:
Spouse: Did Not Marry
3 M Robert Witherup 21 23
Born: 20 Nov 1822 23
Christened:
Died: 22 Jan 1892
Buried:
Spouse: Sarah McCool ( -1861) 23
Marr: 13 May 1851 23
4 M David Witherup 21 24 25
Born: 31 Mar 1824 25
Christened:
Died: 15 Jun 1863 25
Buried:
Spouse: Catherine Webster ( -1885) 24 25
Marr: 27 Apr 1847 25
5 F Catharine Witherup 21 24 26
Born: 11 Dec 1825 26
Christened:
Died: 23 Mar 1855 26 27
Buried: - Scott-Wasson Cemetery, Scrubgrass Twp, Venango Co, PA 28
Spouse: Nathaniel Marshall Wasson (1823-1904) 21 26 29 30
Marr: 24 Mar 1847 26
6 M Joseph Witherup 21 31
Born: 8 Jul 1827 - Venango Co, PA 31 32
Christened:
Died: 20 Dec 1905 31
Buried: - Rockland Cemetery, Rockland Twp, Venango Co, PA 33
Spouse: Eleanor "Ellen" Brandon (1833-1898) 31
Marr: 13 Nov 1856 31 32
7 M Abram Witherup 34
AKA: Abraham Witherup 21
Born: 30 Mar 1829 - ? Rockland Twp, Venango Co, PA 34
Christened:
Died: 1914 35
Buried:
Spouse: Sarah Ann Porter (1832-1875) 34 36
Marr: 18 Nov 1852 34
8 M Samuel Phipps Witherup 21 37 38
Born: 29 Jan 1831 - Rockland Twp, Venango Co, PA 38
Christened:
Died: 6 Jan 1894 - ? Crawford Co, PA 38
Buried:
Spouse: Mary Jane Porter (1843- ) 36 38
Marr: 18 Oct 1860 38
9 M William Witherup 3 39 40 41
Born: 24 Aug 1832 - Rockland Twp, Venango Co, PA 21 41 42
Christened:
Died: 16 Jul 1915 - Clinton Twp, Venango Co, PA 42
Buried: - Calvert-Riddle Cemetery, Clinton Twp, Venango Co, PA 43
Spouse: Martha L. Eakin (1845-1926) 39 41 44
Marr: 19 Nov 1863 21 41 42
10 F Sarah Slone Witherup 21 45
Born: 30 Jun 1836 - Rockland Twp, Venango Co, PA 45
Christened:
Died: Aft 1919
Buried:
Spouse: Oliver Dutton McMillin (1818-1895) 21 46
Marr: 28 Jun 1854 45
11 M James Brockington Witherup 47 48
AKA: James V. Witherup
Born: 9 Jun 1838 - Rockland Twp, Venango Co, PA
Christened:
Died: 3 Jul 1920
Buried: - Calvert-Riddle Cemetery, Clinton Twp, Venango Co, PA 49
Spouse: Achsah R. Coulter (1839-1891) 50 51
Marr: 18 Feb 1875 - Jackson Center, Jackson Twp, Mercer Co, PA
12 F Martha Shorts Witherup 21 52
Born: 10 Feb 1841 - Rockland Twp, Venango Co, PA 52
Christened:
Died: 21 Dec 1918 53
Buried: - Clintonville U. M. Cemetery, Clinton Twp, Venango Co, PA 54
Spouse: Elliott Davis (1839-1915) 21 52
Marr: 23 Jun 1864 52
13 F Elizabeth Ann Witherup 21
Born: 22 Jul 1843
Christened:
Died: Aft 1909
Buried:
Spouse: Alfred Hardwick (1842-1908) 55
Marr: 1889
General Notes: Husband - Capt. Abraham Witherup
He served in the War of 1812 and for some reason his company was delayed and did not reach Erie on time, which suggested a hint from some one that cowardice was the cause. Stung to the quick he went into the fight with reckless spirit, won the admiration of Commodore Perry, and after the conflict was over, an invitation to dine with him, an honor as surprising to the captain as to his comrades. He is described as a man of dignified appearance, tall, erect, finely proportioned, and handsome. He was a life-long Democrat, and esteemed it a proud day, when, accompanied to the polls by his eight sons, they all cast their votes for James Buchanan for the presidency. [HVC 1890, 274]
He lived with his parents at Pittsburgh, PA, and was about twelve years old at the time of the settlement in Venango County, where he resided until his death. He had vivid recollections of the primitive conditions prevailing at the time of their removal into this region, where the forests were then full of wild beasts, and a small tribe of Indians still made their home on the banks of the river, below the creek.
He served in the war of 1812 with the 132d Regiment, commanded by Lieut. Col. Samuel Dale. In September, 1813, when Pennsylvania was threatened by the British, General Mead issued a proclamation calling out the State militia for the defense of Erie, and eight companies of the regiment named responded at once, joining the brigade at Meadville and proceeding at once to Lake Erie. Though the troops were not engaged, their presence averted a catastrophe, and the danger having passed, the regiment was discharged Aug. 9th. Again, when an army of British and Indians landed at Black Rock, burned Buffalo and the shipping in the harbor there, and were reported to be advancing on Erie, the first brigade of Mead's division was ordered out and mustered hurriedly, Colonel Dale receiving marching orders Jan. 6, 1814. His regiment was discharged Feb. 10th, after the alarm was found to be false. Abraham Witherup's company, the 7th, was delayed for some reason and did not reach Erie on time, which provoked some unfavorable comment, but the fact that he was one of eight men of the regiment who volunteered on board Perry's fleet reversed it completely, his action winning the special commendation of the Commodore, who after the conflict was over invited Captain Witherup and his men to dine with him, a most unusual and unexpected honor. During the sixties he was awarded a pension for his services.
In 1846 the Captain moved across the river, to a farm owned by his brother William, but on Dec. 23d of the same year changed his residence to the old homestead on the creek, remaining there until his death. He and seven of his sons were engaged in the lumber business and flatboat building, along with farming. In 1859, when the price of coal boats at Pittsburgh rendered that end of the business no longer profitable, it was given up, but the lumber business was continued until the oil flood washed away part of the dam, in March, 1865. By this time oil hunters were soliciting the Captain for leases on his land, so he did not repair the dam at once to resume his old business, as he might have done ordinarily. He had one offer of seventy thousand dollars for the old homestead and farm, but refused it, and he made considerable money from the leases, forty-five wells being drilled on his land, which with the exception of a few unproductive holes averaged from two to 160 barrels daily for a period of seven or eight years. The first one, sunk in 1867, started as a two-hundred-barrel producer, putting him free of debt and enabling him to live in comfort the rest of his life.
The Captain was one of the influential men in the locality in his day, and while in Rockland served twenty years as justice of the peace, always endeavoring to settle cases without litigation whenever possible, and thus preventing many lawsuits among his neighbors. He was a strict teetotaler, and a prominent member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, which he and his wife joined about 1835-36, the Captain at once becoming a member of the church session and later a ruling elder, which office he filled until his death. All his life he was an ardent Democrat, and it was a proud day for him when he went to the polls with his eight sons to vote for James Buchanan for president. He was a tall man, erect and of commanding presence, pleasant in manner and speech under all circumstances, and was loved and honored by all who knew him as well as by his immediate family. He and his wife dispensed true Christian hospitality from their home during their long married life, which covered fifty-six years, giving a welcome to all who came. [CAB, 1065]