Husband Capt. John Hamilton 1 2 3 4
Born: 17 Jun 1749 - New London, Chester Co, PA 2
Christened:
Died: 28 Aug 1793 - Harrisburg, Dauphin Co, PA 2 4
Buried: - Harrisburg, Dauphin Co, PA
Father: John Hamilton (1702/1704-1755) 4 5 6 7
Mother: Jane Allen (1715-1791/1794) 4 7 8
Marriage: Dec 1772 9
Wife Margaret Alexander 1 9 10 11
Born: 1754 - Sherman's Valley, Cumberland (later Perry) Co, PA 12
Christened:
Died: 22 Dec 1835 12
Buried: - Presbyterian Cemetery, Mifflintown, Juniata Co, PA
Father: Hugh Alexander (1724-1777) 10 13 14 15 16
Mother: Martha Edmiston (1734- ) 11 17 18
Other Spouse: Andrew Mitchel (1754-1825) 12 19 - Jun 1795 12 19
Children
1 F Jean Hamilton 9 21
AKA: Jane Hamilton 20
Born: 1 Jun 1774 - Sherman's Valley, Cumberland (later Perry) Co, PA 9 21
Christened:
Died: 20 Mar 1847 - Harrisburg, Dauphin Co, PA 21 22
Buried: - Paxtang, Dauphin Co, PA
Spouse: John Kean (1762-1818) 12 20 23
Marr: 10 Dec 1789 12
2 F Martha Hamilton 9 24 25 26
Born: 5 Aug 1776 - Harrisburg, Dauphin Co, PA 9 25
Christened:
Died: 16 Mar 1830 8 22 25
Buried: - Harrisburg, Dauphin Co, PA
Spouse: James Alricks (1769-1833) 22 24 27
Marr: 21 Jul 1796 or 1798 24 25
3 M [Infant] Hamilton
Born: 1 Feb 1781 9
Christened:
Died: Mar 1781 9
Buried:
4 M John Hamilton 9
Born: 10 Sep 1782 9
Christened:
Died: 2 Jun 1851 28
Buried: - Mifflintown, Juniata Co, PA
Spouse: Francesca Blair Edmiston ( -1818) 28
Marr: 14 Feb 1805 28
5 M Hugh Hamilton 3 9 29 30
Born: 30 Jun 1785 - Fermanagh, Juniata Co, PA 9 29 30
Christened:
Died: 3 Sep 1836 - Harrisburg, Dauphin Co, PA 30 31 32
Buried: - Harrisburg Cemetery, Harrisburg, Dauphin Co, PA 31
Spouse: Rosanna Boyd (1786-1872) 30 33 34
Marr: 6 Jan 1807 30 31 34
6 F Mary Hamilton 9
Born: 30 Dec 1787 9
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Did Not Marry
7 F Margaret Hamilton 9
Born: 11 Aug 1789 9
Christened:
Died: 18 Nov 1814 35
Buried: - Harrisburg, Dauphin Co, PA
Spouse: Moses Maclean (1785- ) 35
Marr: 18 Apr 1809 - Harrisburg, Dauphin Co, PA 35
8 F Katherine Allen "Kitty" Hamilton 9
Born: 13 Nov 1792 9
Christened:
Died: 12 Jun 1873 - Harrisburg, Dauphin Co, PA 36
Buried:
Spouse: Gen. Jacob Spangler (1768-1843) 36
Marr: 1820 - Harrisburg, Dauphin Co, PA 36
General Notes: Husband - Capt. John Hamilton
He was only six years old when his father died. His father bequeathed him a farm and fulling mill on Sherman's Creek, Pennsylvania. When John came of age he went to possess his patrimony. Starting full-handed from both father and mother, and possessing great energy and tact, he accumulated a fortune-quite large for the times-in farms, mills and valuable properties in Harrisburg. Having resided a short time after marriage on Sherman's Creek, he removed and established himself at "Fermanagh," on the Juniata, where he erected a large stone mansion. From "Fermanagh" he removed to Harrisburg, where he died suddenly, of a prevailing epidemic.
Under the will of his father he inherited a "plantation and fulling-mill, bought of James Long, on Shearman creek, in Cumberland county" (now Perry County, Pennsylvania). He was educated principally in the celebrated academy of Rev. Mr. Alison, Chester County. When upon a visit to his patrimony in the Juniata region, he was attracted to the superior excellence of a tract of land called "Fermanagh," now in Juniata county. He purchased it. On the Shearman's creek farm Hugh Alexander was his adjoining neighbor; he became attached to his daughter, and at twenty-three years of age he married her; established himself at "Fermanagh," and erected a large stone mansion. This house was occupied by himself, later his son John and a grandson, Hugh Hamilton. He became, by successful industry and in right of his mother, Jane Allen Hamilton, possessor of a great fortune for his day. The inventory of personal property at his death, in 1793, makes his effects in money £7,500. At that moment he had active enterprises of various kinds in full operation-at Lost creek, at Fermanagh, in Shearman's Valley and at Harrisburg. He was one of the original lot holders at Harrisburg. One of his largest houses was that at the southeast corner of Market square; another on his lot, Front street and Raspberry alley. In 1792 he employed at his warehouse and stores, on what is now Mulberry street, between Second and Third streets, "as many as fifteen mules and a far greater number of horses, upon which he sent nails and salt and other merchandise to Pittsburgh." He was one of the last of those in the interior who held slaves, a half dozen in all. All but one continued in the family until the death of his widow, not as slaves, but as free laborers on the farms.
Mr. Hamilton was a sergeant in Capt. Gibson's company, Col. Wilson's battalion of Cumberland county associators, in 1776; captain of a company in Col. Samuel Lyon's battalion in August, 1777; and also captain in Col. Buchanan's battalion in 1778, and was out in two campaigns, 1776 and 1781. In the family records of the McAlisters, of Lost Creek, Juniata, one of whom married a granddaughter of Capt. Hamilton, we have the following narrative: "The American army, December, 1776, shattered, disheartened and decreasing daily, were making precipitate retreat across Jersey into Pennsylvania, before the victorious army of Howe and Cornwallis. In this gloomy hour a meeting of the people was called at the farm of Mr. William Sharon within a couple of miles of Mr. Hugh McAlister, near the present town of Mexico, to consult and devise measures to reinforce Washington and the army. All the neighbors below the Narrows met. John Hamilton, of Fermanagh, was made chairman. It was unanimously agreed to raise a company of mounted men. All were young men, with younger families, but they did not hesitate. They agreed to march. Hamilton pledged himself to start immediately, then McAlister and Sharon. The former was chosen captain, the latter lieutenants, and in two days they were off, more than eighty strong, riding the first day to the mouth of the Swatara, over snow many inches in depth. They reached camp, on the Pennsylvania side, below Trenton, the day after the Hessians were captured." None but men with their whole hearts in the cause would have made such a dreary march in a most inclement winter.
In 1793 Harrisburg was scourged by a pestilence resembling yellow fever, an epidemic that then prevailed at Philadelphia, Baltimore and New York. One of its victims was Mr. Hamilton. [CBEDC, 184]
General Notes: Wife - Margaret Alexander
On the death of her first husband, she found herself a handsome and wealthy widow, thirty-five years of age, with six minor children. After a widowhood of two or three years, she too, by a singular coincidence, married a Mr. Mitchel, but not a kinsman of the man whom her mother-in-law had married thirty years before.
Summer and winter she took a cup of tea at daylight. Unusually early, tidy and active in her habits, of good stature, sound health, even temper and "beautiful complexion."