John Moreland and Letitia [Unk]
Husband John Moreland 1 2
Born: Abt 1739 - Ireland Christened: Died: 1823 3 Buried: - United Presbyterian Cemetery, Greenville, Mercer Co, PA 3Marriage:
Wife Letitia [Unk] 1 2
Born: Abt 1742 - ? Ireland Christened: Died: 1838 3 Buried: - United Presbyterian Cemetery, Greenville, Mercer Co, PA 3
Children
1 M Isaac Moreland 1 4 5
Born: Abt 1771 - Ireland Christened: Died: 17 May 1851 3 6 Buried: - United Presbyterian Cemetery, Greenville, Mercer Co, PA 3Spouse: Lillias Mossman (1762-1845) 4 7 Marr: 1800 6 8
2 M William Moreland 1
Born: Abt 1775 - Ireland Christened: Died: 1850 3 Buried: - United Presbyterian Cemetery, Greenville, Mercer Co, PA 3Spouse: Jane Minto (Abt 1779-1857) 9 Marr: 1806 10
3 M Alexander Moreland 1
Born: - Ireland Christened: Died: Buried:Spouse: Nancy Wilson ( - ) 9
4 M John Moreland 1
Born: - Ireland Christened: Died: Buried:Spouse: Martha McGill ( - ) 9
5 M James Moreland 1
Born: - Ireland Christened: Died: Abt 1798 - Westmoreland Co, PA Buried:
6 M Robert Moreland 11
Born: - Ireland Christened: Died: Buried:Spouse: Martha Mahan ( - ) 9
7 F Margaret Moreland 9
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:Spouse: Thomas Smith ( - ) 9
8 F Elizabeth Moreland 9
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:Spouse: William Hanna ( - ) 9
General Notes: Husband - John Moreland
“In the north of Ireland, near the town of Coleraine, County Londonderry, lived John and Letitia Moreland. Their cottage and weaver’s shop stood on the bank of the Bann River. This honored couple were blessed with six sons—Isaac, William, Alexander, John, James and Robert—and two daughters—Margaret and Elizabeth. They were the direct descendants of the sturdy Scotch Presbyterians, their forefathers having fled from Scotland to Ireland during King James’ persecution, and nearly all their descendants have been adherents of some branch of the same church. As their family grew to manhood and womanhood it became plain to all of them that their environments would seriously interfere with their desire to become independent men and women. ‘America, the land of the free and the home of the brave,’ caught and held their attention. Money to pay passage, however, was not easily obtained. Isaac, the eldest son, was apprenticed to a weaver in Scotland, with whom he served two years. He worked three more years before he could save enough money to pay passage for himself and his brother William to Philadelphia.
“In 1793 they took passage on the ship Little Mary. Their captain loved strong drink and sacrificed the lives of many of his passengers by sailing his ship in the wrong direction. The voyage should have been made in about twelve weeks, but to the sore distress of all on board, it occupied twenty-one weeks. They were reduced to a half a pint of flour and a pint of water each per day. After working for a time in Philadelphia, they came to Westmoreland County, where they were employed until 1796, when they came to that part of Mercer County where the centennial was held to honor our ancestors. They cleared a piece of land near the stone house during the first summer. In the fall of 1797, Isaac went to Philadelphia and made arrangements for the rest of the family to come to the new home. He started to return, but owing to the heavy rainfalls the rivers were so swollen that he was compelled to remain until spring. All this long winter William lived alone, near this very place, with no companions save bears, wolves and Indians, the latter being the most unwelcome of all. In 1798 the whole family removed from Ireland, and after stopping for a short time in Westmoreland County, at the home of their uncle, Isaac McKissick, they came to this place. While in Westmoreland a long dreaded sorrow befell them in the death of James.
“Had not these pioneers heeded the scriptural injunction, ‘It is not good for man to be alone,’ we would not be here today, enjoying the fruits of their labors. They were married as follows: Isaac to Lillias Mossman, William to Jane Minto, Alexander to Nancy Wilson, John to Martha McGill, Robert to Martha Mahan, Margaret to Thomas Smith, and Elizabeth to William Hanna. In this particular their descendants have not closely followed their good example. In 1797, Isaac and William Moreland each took up a tract of land containing eight hundred and fifty acres, for which they paid $2,000. Their father settled one hundred acres and John and Alexander each the same amount. Robert bought one hundred and fifty acres east of Jamestown. A large portion of the land settled by his descendants is still owned by some member of the family.”
1 J. G. White, A Twentieth Century History of Mercer County Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1909), Pg 769.
2 Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 1029.
3 —, History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Its Past and Present (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk & Co., Publishers, 1888), Pg 430.
4 —, History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Its Past and Present (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk & Co., Publishers, 1888), Pg 607.
5 Bertha Mossman Kaler, Concerning the Family of Mossman (Self-published, ~1912(?)), Pg 4.
6 Bertha Mossman Kaler, Concerning the Family of Mossman (Self-published, ~1912(?)), Pg 35.
7 Bertha Mossman Kaler, Concerning the Family of Mossman (Self-published, ~1912(?)), Pg 3.
8 —, History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Its Past and Present (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk & Co., Publishers, 1888), Pg 534.
9 J. G. White, A Twentieth Century History of Mercer County Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1909), Pg 770.
10 —, History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1877), Pg 41.
11
J. G. White, A Twentieth Century History of Mercer County Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1909), Pg 769, 799.
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