Husband James Pollock 1 2 3
Born: 1728 - Coleraine, County Londonderry, Ireland 3 4
Christened:
Died: 1812 3 4
Buried:
Father: [Father] Pollock ( - )
Mother:
Marriage: Abt 1770
Wife Mary Herron 1 2
AKA: Mary Heron 4
Born:
Christened:
Died: 5 Nov 1820 5
Buried:
Children
1 M Thomas Pollock 6 7
Born: 1772 7
Christened:
Died: 1847 7
Buried:
Spouse: Rachel Hendricks ( -1807) 7
Spouse: Susan Henderson ( -Bef 1880) 6 7
2 F Elizabeth Pollock 7
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: John McCoy ( - ) 7
3 F Mary Pollock 7
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: David Knox ( - ) 7
4 M James Pollock 7
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Did Not Marry
5 M John Pollock 1 2 8
Born: 8 Oct 1783 - Mt. Pleasant, Westmoreland Co, PA 1 8
Christened:
Died: 16 Mar 1862 1 8
Buried:
Spouse: Elizabeth Hamill (1788-1864) 1 8
Marr: 15 Sep 1807 1 8
6 M David Pollock 7
Born: Abt 1784-1785
Christened:
Died: 30 Jan 1807 7
Buried:
7 F Nancy Pollock 7
Born: 1789 7
Christened:
Died: 1845 7
Buried:
Spouse: William Lytle ( - ) 7
General Notes: Husband - James Pollock
He was one of four brothers who came from Coleraine, Ireland, to America, prior to 1750.
About the year 1760 five brothers, bearing the name of Pollock, settled in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. They came from Ireland, whither they had emigrated from Scotland a few years previous. One made his permanent home in Cumberland County, one returned to Ireland, two settled in Erie County, and one, James, came to Ligonier Valley with some Indian traders, and with his hatchet marked a tract of land for his future home. He returned to Cumberland County, where he married, and in 1767 they settled upon the farm which he had located. Here they spent their lives, diligently performing whatever work their hands found to do. Mr. Pollock was prominent in both Church and State. He brought with him to Westmoreland County a commission as justice of the peace, which office he held until incapacitated for its duties by old age. He was elected a member of the State Legislature, and attended the opening of the session, but soon returned home, where he remained and gave his attention to his farm. He was long a member of the Presbyterian Church, and was an elder in the same, but afterwards united with the Seceder Church, in which organization he was an elder. He and his wife were endowed with strong intellects, and were noted for their intelligence and piety. [HWC 1882, 701]
He and his wife settled in Ligonier valley, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, at what is now Greensburg, about 1773, where he became a prominent citizen. He was appointed the first justice of the peace in that part of the state, having taken with him a commission from the Governor, on his removal to Westmoreland, dated February 27, 1773; re-appointed January 11, 1774. This office he held until the adoption of the Constitution of 1776. He was appointed, March 21, 1777, sub-lieutenant of the county, holding the office until he was superseded April 2, 1778, for reasons which appear thus in the Penn'a Col. Records, xi, 455:
"George Reading, Esq., was appointed by the House of Assembly to be sub-lieutenant of Westmoreland county, in room of James Pollock, who is superseded because he hath not taken the oath of allegiance to the State." Mr. Pollock represented his county, one or more sessions, in the Legislature of the State. "He was possessed of considerable worldly means for that period and, in a season of peculiar scarcity, his poor neighbors received grain and other necessaries from him, without money and without price." His grandson, Rev. J. T. Lytle, records an incident which illustrates his force of character, as well as that of his wife. Mrs. P. had accompanied a small caravan of the neighbors, who had gone east of the mountains to obtain salt, iron, and other necessaries, and on returning they were met on the top of the Alleghenies by a number of persons fleeing from the Indians, who were reported to have entered the valley. They represented to her the danger of proceeding, and tried to persuade her to turn back "I will go on till I see Jamie," was her reply. She pursued her journey, and found all in peace, and her husband awaiting her return. The alarm was a false one. Before the fugitives started they had gathered around Mr. P. and tried to persuade him to flee with them, but he quietly remarked. "I will wait till I see Mary."
Mr. Pollock was visited by a very severe affliction in the tragic death of his son David, who was killed January 30, 1807, under the following circumstances: He had gone over the mountains eastward, on business, or, as some suppose, on an affair of the heart. In his return he had stopped at the house of one Statler, or Slotter, on the mountain, to take breakfast and feed his horse, and had proceeded on his journey. He had not traveled far when two men stopped and shot him; they then drew him off the road and robbed him, concealing his body behind a log, and made for the woods. This occurred on the old Pennsylvania road between Stoystown and Statler's tavern. Some packers from Westmoreland county, traveling down the road and near the place, heard the report of two guns. Coming to the spot, they found a hat, a whip, and a horse; they also saw tracks into the woods, which they traced for two or three rods, but could see nothing more. They then went on towards Statler's, and soon met a footman to whom they showed what they had found, and told the story. The footman knew the horse and said he had traveled in company with the owner the day before. The packers then took the horse on to Statler's; Mr. S. immediately sent an express to Stoystown. In the meanwhile, some horsemen coming up the road, examined the place and found the body within a rod or two of the road. While the packers were coming with the footman they saw two armed men on the road, who immediately took to the woods. The neighbors then collected and pursued them, and, about midnight, found them in a house about six miles from Somerset. The woman of the house came out and told the party there were two men in the house. The men heard the noise and prepared to escape. Two of the party, Macks Koontz and Jacob Lambert, went in. One of the men, who afterwards proved to be the murderers, attempted to escape by the door, and on his way fired at one of the party, the bullet passing through his clothes. The man was then fired on by a number and instantly killed. The other was quietly arrested and lodged in the Somerset jail. From papers found on their person they proved to be Frenchmen, named Noel Huguel and John Duplie Arnaud. Huguel, the surviving murderer, was tried at Somerset, convicted, and hung. They bore the evidences of their guilt on their person. The body of Mr. Pollock was stabbed in ten or fifteen places. He had been shot through the neck and his throat cut in such a manner as nearly to sever his head from his body. A part of the dirk, with which he had been stabbed, was found in the body; the other part, with Mr. P.'s watch and seventy dollars in money, was found in the possession of the prisoners. The indignation of the people was such that Huguel had to be protected from lynch law.* On the same day, January 20, 1807, Mrs. Rachel Pollock, wife of Thomas, the eldest brother of David, died in childbed. The Rev. Mr. Lytle states, that while the two dead bodies lay in the same room at the house of James Pollock, Mrs. P., the mother, replied to one of the women present, who was trying to console her, "It might be worse." "But what could be worse," the friend replies; "here is your son murdered and your daughter-in-law dead?" "Well," said Mrs. P., "it would have been great a deal worse if my son had murdered some other man." David Pollock was a very promising young man of 22 or 28 years of age.
*See American Register 1806-7, i. 214.
General Notes: Wife - Mary Herron
from Heron's Branch, Franklin Co, PA