Western Pennsylvania Genealogy
Compiled by Douglas H. Lusher


Family Group Record



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David Simpson and Mary Peoples




Husband David Simpson 1 2 3 4

           Born: Aug 1809 or 1811 - County Derry, Ireland 1 2
     Christened: 
           Died: Aft 1890 - Derry Twp, Westmoreland Co, PA
         Buried: 


         Father: Robert Simpson (      -1847) 1 2 4
         Mother: Margaret Gilliland (Abt 1776-1872) 2 4


       Marriage: 18 May 1854 or 1855 1 2 5

   Other Spouse: Lucinda Gamble (Abt 1816-1852/1853) 1 2 5 - 3 Jul 1841 1 5



Wife Mary Peoples 2 4

            AKA: Mary P. [Unk],3 Mary Peebles 1
           Born: 8 Apr 1820 2 5
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 


         Father: Joseph Peoples (      -      ) 2 5
         Mother: Elizabeth Steel (      -      ) 2




Children
1 F Elizabeth S. "Lizzie" Simpson 1 2 5

           Born: 24 Mar 1855 2 5
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 
         Spouse: M. L. Middlekauf (      -      ) 2 5


2 F Mary J. Simpson 1 2 3 5

           Born: 5 Jan or 25 Jun 1857 2 5
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 
         Spouse: George A. Lynn (1849-      ) 2 3 5
           Marr: 9 Jun 1885 3


3 M George P. Simpson 1 2 5

           Born: 23 Oct 1858 2 5
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 



4 M Joseph Williamson Simpson 1 2 4

           Born: 15 Jan 1860 - Westmoreland Co, PA 2 5
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 
         Spouse: Flora Belle Wilcox (      -      ) 5
           Marr: May 1888 - Saltsburg, Indiana Co, PA 5


5 M David Emmett Simpson 1 2 5

           Born: 4 Dec 1861 2 5
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 



6 F E. Agnes Simpson 1 2 5

           Born: 19 Apr 1864 2 5
     Christened: 
           Died: Abt 1892
         Buried: 




General Notes: Husband - David Simpson


He served an apprenticeship as a tailor under Samuel Simpson, of Killy Loo, and left him and came to a brother, John Simpson, and worked with the latter for several years, under instruction. To illustrate the changing nature of a journeyman's career, this is a portion of the places in which he worked: In 1833, he migrated to St. John's, New Brunswick; waited there a long time, finding no work; came then on a schooner to Philadelphia, paying the passage of three comrades who had no money; worked in Philadelphia a few years and then sent the passage money for his father and family, who became soon thereafter citizens of Philadelphia; went to Baltimore, Maryland, remaining eighteen months; Ellicott's Mills, Maryland, being his next location, removing from there to Philadelphia, where he engaged in the business with his brother, William H. as a partner; his first location was on the corner of Seventh and Pine, and removing from thence to Sixth, between Spruce and Pine. We next find him successively in Wilmington, North Carolina, New York city, then in Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Lewistown, Hollidaysburg, Loysburg, Bedford County (meanwhile teaching the art of cutting), Newry, Blair County, and Johnstown, Cambria County, arriving in the latter place in 1842. Here he was a cutter, tailor, and subsequently engaged in the business for fifteen years. He erected five shops on the island, all being destroyed by fire; he built the "Mansion House," later kept by Joseph Shoemaker. He then engaged in farming, at the intersection, having purchased the Samuel Black farm. Selling this he bought the Rev. Lewis' farm, and again disposing of this property, he purchased the John B. Ogden farm of 250 acres, situated in the Ligonier valley, and exchanged it for the George Allison tract, receiving a premium of eight thousand dollars.

He was born three miles from Londonderry, in county Derry, Ireland. He was a tailor by trade. He came to America in 1833, landed at St. Johns, New Brunswick, and from there went to Philadelphia, from whence he walked to Blairsville, Pennsylvania, and returned the next spring to Philadelphia. He then left that city and worked at tailoring in Baltimore and at Frederick and Hagerstown, Maryland, Wilmington, North Carolina, and in New York City. In 1841 he went to Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, and from thence removed in 1842 to Johnstown where he worked for twelve years. In 1845 he built the "Mansion House" which was 50x80 feet in dimensions and was swept away by the great flood of 1889. In 1854 he sold the above named house and purchased a farm in Derry township, Westmoreland County, on which he lived for nine years. He then sold that farm and bought and sold two other farms. In 1874 he purchased a well-improved farm in Derry township on which he then resided. He also owned some valuable property in Latrobe.
He was a strong and unswering democrat. He was the oldest living charter member of Conemaugh Lodge, No. 191, I. O. O. F. and during a half century membership never asked for or received a cent of benefits.

He was born in Ireland and came to America one year in advance of his father and the remainder of the family. He landed at St. John, New Brunswick, in 1833, and from there went to Philadelphia. After a short time spent there, he came to Blairsville, Pennsylvania, on foot. This was in the autumn of 1833 and the following year he returned to Philadelphia. Like all his brothers he had learned the tailors' trade and he now followed this as a journeyman in Baltimore, Frederick and Hagerstown, Maryland; Wilmington, North Carolina; and New York City. In 1841 he went to Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, and from there removed to Johnstown, where he worked at the same trade for twelve years. He had in the meantime saved up a large proportion of his earnings, and in 1845 built the "Mansion House," a first rate hotel measuring eighty by fifty feet in its dimensions. This building afterwards was carried away in the great flood which destroyed so much of the town in 1889. In 1854, Mr. Simpson sold this property and purchased a farm in Derry township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. He lived there for nine years and sold it at the end of that time. Two other farms were successively bought and sold by him and then, in 1874, he purchased a highly improved farm in the same township and there made his home until his death.

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Sources


1 Editor, History of Indiana County, Pennsylvania (Newark, OH: J. A. Caldwell, 1880), Pg 380.

2 Samuel T. Wiley, Biographical and Historical Cyclopedia of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: John M. Gresham & Co., 1890.), Pg 511.

3 John W. Jordan, History of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Genealogical Memoirs, Vol. III (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1906), Pg 407.

4 Fenwick Y. Hedley, Old and New Westmoreland, Vols. III & IV (New York, NY: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1918), Pg 1106.

5 Fenwick Y. Hedley, Old and New Westmoreland, Vols. III & IV (New York, NY: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1918), Pg 1107.


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