Alexander McElhaney and Mary Ann Dawson

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Husband Alexander McElhaney ^{1 2}

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           Born: Abt 1771
     Christened: 
           Died: 13 Mar 1859
         Buried:  - Old Sandy Cemetery, Sandycreek Twp, Venango Co, PA 3

       Marriage: 

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Wife Mary Ann Dawson ^{1 2}

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           Born: Abt 1783
     Christened: 
           Died: 8 May 1859
         Buried:  - Old Sandy Cemetery, Sandycreek Twp, Venango Co, PA 3

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         Father: James Dawson (1753-1814) 2
         Mother: Elizabeth [Unk] (1758-1829) 2

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Children

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1 M John McElhaney ¹

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           Born: 
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           Died: 
         Buried: 

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2 F Elizabeth McElhaney ¹

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           Born: 
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           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: [Unk] Griffin (      -      ) 1

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3 F Eleanor McElhaney ¹

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           Born: 
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           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: [Unk] Griffin (      -      ) 1

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4 F Phoebe McElhaney ¹

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           Born: 
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         Buried: 

         Spouse: [Unk] Durning (      -      ) 1

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5 F Martha McElhaney ¹

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           Born: 1810
     Christened: 
           Died: 1890
         Buried:  - Old Sandy Cemetery, Sandycreek Twp, Venango Co, PA 4

         Spouse: Joseph Phillips (1816-1906) 1

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6 M William E. McElhaney ¹

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           Born: 8 Jun 1811 1
     Christened: 
           Died: 30 Mar 1895
         Buried:  - Old Sandy Cemetery, Sandycreek Twp, Venango Co, PA 5

         Spouse: Caroline Haslett (cal 1820-1880) 1
           Marr: 1838 1

         Spouse: Maria L. Cooper (      -      ) 1
           Marr: 1882 1

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7 U [Infant] McElhaney

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 1811
         Buried:  - Old Sandy Cemetery, Sandycreek Twp, Venango Co, PA 3

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8 M James McElhaney ^{1 6}

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           Born: 8 Jun 1813 - Pithole, Cornplanter Twp, Venango Co, PA 1
     Christened: 
           Died: 1897
         Buried:  - Old Sandy Cemetery, Sandycreek Twp, Venango Co, PA 5

         Spouse: Catharine A. Kephart (1822-1918) 1
           Marr: 1839 1

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9 F Mary Ann McElhaney ¹

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           Born: 
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         Buried: 

         Spouse: [Unk] Vincent (      -      ) 1

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10 M Alexander McElhaney ¹

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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General Notes: Husband - Alexander McElhaney

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The treaty negotiated by Gen. Anthony Wayne, on the 3d of August, 1795, between the United States and the Northwestern Indians, was immediately followed by a great influx of white people from the East to portions of western Pennsylvania, many coming to Venango County, hitherto containing but a few bold hunters. Among these was Alexander McElhany, who had emigrated from Ireland in 1794, and settled east of the mountains, but wishing to go where a poor man would have a better chance, he came to Venango County and settled at Pithole, 1796 or 1797, with his family, but the Indians proving so troublesome, he was compelled to load his family in his ox cart and return to the east, after a residence of six months, and leave almost everything behind him. He remained east for some time, then returned to Pithole, and lived there until about 1819, when he moved to Sandycreek, and made his settlement. [HVC 1879, 640]

He settled at Pithole in 1796, and then returned to the East. Some years later he came back, but within a short time removed to the vicinity of Waterloo. He came into Sandy Creek in 1819 and purchased four hundred acres of land from Jonathan Pratt.

On the passage to America, the ship in which he sailed was attacked by pirates and some of the passengers were captured. Alexander's friends thinking to save him from a similar fate, put him to bed in the guise of a very old woman. He must have impersonated the character well, for the ruse saved his life. [GGSOPF, 363]

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General Notes: Wife - Mary Ann Dawson

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The Dawson family, who were probably the earliest adherents of Methodism in Venango County, PA, were among the first permanent settlers on the headwaters of Pithole creek, in Allegheny township.

The Dawson family, of which there is a numerous connection in Forest County, PA, is descended from three brothers, Thomas, John, and James, who were of Scotch-Irish descent and migrated from eastern Pennsylvania to the extreme southwestern part of Allegheny township, Venango County, at the time when the surrounding country was an unbroken wilderness. The names of Thomas and James appear in a tax list of 1805. Thomas was the only one of the brothers who resided permanently in that township. He was a farmer of comparative wealth and prominent in local affairs. The family was actively identified with Methodism in that section. [HVC 1890, 536]

1 Editor, History of Venango County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk, & Co., Publishers, 1890), Pg 1027.

2 Emma Siggins White, Genealogical Gleanings of Siggins and Other Pennsylvania Families (Kansas City, MO: Tiernan-Dart Printing Co., 1918), Pg 363.

3 Venango County Historical Society, Venango County Pennsylvania Cemetery Records and Early Church Histories, Vol. 8, Sandycreek Township (Franklin, PA: Venango County Historical Society, 1999), Pg 74.

4 Venango County Historical Society, Venango County Pennsylvania Cemetery Records and Early Church Histories, Vol. 8, Sandycreek Township (Franklin, PA: Venango County Historical Society, 1999), Pg 78.

5 Venango County Historical Society, Venango County Pennsylvania Cemetery Records and Early Church Histories, Vol. 8, Sandycreek Township (Franklin, PA: Venango County Historical Society, 1999), Pg 75.

6 J. H. Newton, History of Venango County, Pennsylvania (Columbus, OH: J. A. Caldwell Publishers, 1879), Pg 641.