John Dodds and Sarah McKeever

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Husband John Dodds ¹

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           Born: 1771 - County Donegal, Ireland 1
     Christened: 
           Died: 1850 2
         Buried: 

       Marriage: 1818 1

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Wife Sarah McKeever ²

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           Born: 1797 2
     Christened: 
           Died: Aft 1893
         Buried: 

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Children

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1 F Agnes Dodds ²

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: Bef 1893
         Buried: 

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2 M Thomas Dodds ²

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: Bef 1893
         Buried: 

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3 M James Dodds ³

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           Born: 26 Feb 1822 - Independence Twp, Washington Co, PA 2
     Christened: 
           Died: Aft 1893
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Alvira Vance (1828-      ) 4
           Marr: 1848 2

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4 F Margaret Dodds ²

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: Aft 1893
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Lewis Applegate (      -Bef 1893) 2

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5 F Mary Ann Dodds ²

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: William Dodds (      -      ) 2

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6 M John Dodds ²

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: Aft 1893
         Buried: 

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7 M William Dodds ²

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: Bef 1893
         Buried: 

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General Notes: Husband - John Dodds

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He was born in County Donegal, Ireland, and when but a mere boy ran away to sea, first becoming an apprentice on a British merchantman bound for India. He followed a sailor's life for some time, but at length became tired of adventure, and when ashore one day while his ship was in the harbor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he concluded to remain on land, and did so. He afterward entirely abandoned "a life on the ocean wave," and deciding that a home in the forest wilds offered superior attractions to "a home on the rolling deep," he came west, walking the entire distance from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. On his arrival in the latter city he engaged in the river trade with Malcolm Leech, taking merchandise to New Orleans, which at that time was a good market, the return journey to Pittsburgh being made on foot. After steam power was applied to river navigation, this practice was abandoned, and he did but little in that business after 1836.
Soon after his marriage he purchased the farm known as the "Old Dodds homestead," lying two and one-half miles south of Independence in Washington County, Pennsylvania. In 1826 he moved to West Middletown, in order to secure better educational opportunities for his children, but ten years later he returned to the farm, and lived a retired life. He was of a very generous disposition, and many poor Irish emigrants received money from him to pay their passage to America. Among the number he brought a brother and family from Ireland, and purchased a home for them in Harrison County, Ohio. Politically he was a Whig, and in religion a member of the Presbyterian Church.

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General Notes: Wife - Sarah McKeever

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from West Middletown, Hopewell Twp, Washington Co, PA
Washington, IA

1 Editor, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 435.

2 Editor, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 436.

3 Editor, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 436, 1363.

4 Editor, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 1363.