Husband John Witherup 1 2 3 4
Born: 21 Feb 1762 - England 3 5
Christened:
Died: 24 Sep 1842-1843 - Clinton Twp, Venango Co, PA 6 7
Buried: - Calvert-Riddle Cemetery, Clinton Twp, Venango Co, PA 8
Marriage: 1786 5
Wife Mary Brockington 9 10
AKA: Mary Brockingham 1
Born: 18 Jul 1767 - England 5
Christened:
Died: 13 Feb 1835 - Venango Co, PA
Buried: - Calvert-Riddle Cemetery, Clinton Twp, Venango Co, PA 11
Father: [Father] Brockington ( - )
Mother:
Children
1 M Capt. Abraham Witherup 10 12 13 14
Born: 18 Jan 1787 - Harrisburg, PA 14
Christened:
Died: 4 Apr 1875 - Clinton Twp, Venango Co, PA 15
Buried: - Calvert-Riddle Cemetery, Clinton Twp, Venango Co, PA 8
Spouse: Elizabeth Phipps (1800-1880) 12 16 17
Marr: 4 Mar 1819 - Rockland Twp, Venango Co, PA 18
2 M John Witherup 6
Born:
Christened:
Died: Bef 1890
Buried:
Spouse: Did Not Marry
3 M Robert Witherup 6
AKA: Robert Witherop 19
Born:
Christened:
Died: 1843 - Minnesota 19
Buried:
Spouse: Jane Ridgeway ( -Abt 1890) 20
4 M William Witherup 6 20
Born: 1790-1800
Christened:
Died: Abt 1848 - Scioto Co, OH
Buried:
Spouse: Susan Ridgeway ( - ) 20
5 M Alexander Witherup 6
Born: 26 Jul 1796 - Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, PA 20
Christened:
Died: 16 Jun 1835 - Scrubgrass Twp, Venango Co, PA 20
Buried: - Calvert-Riddle Cemetery, Clinton Twp, Venango Co, PA 8
Spouse: Sarah Tracy (1804-1876) 20
6 M David Witherup 6
Born: - ? Scrubgrass Twp, Venango Co, PA
Christened:
Died: Bef 1890 - ? Shelby Co, MO
Buried:
Spouse: Jane Dunlap ( - ) 20
7 F Martha Jane Witherup 1 9 21
Born: 10 May 1803 - Scrubgrass Twp, Venango Co, PA 9 22
Christened:
Died: 1 Jan 1881 - Franklin, Venango Co, PA 20
Buried: - Shorts Cemetery, Victory Twp, Venango Co, PA 23
Spouse: Col. William W. Shorts (1805-1885) 1 24
Marr: 1826 9 21
General Notes: Husband - John Witherup
There is no record of his early life or the date of his arrival in America. However, he is mentioned as being probably the only native of England among the pioneers of the Scrubgrass region of Venango County, Pennsylvania. It is supposed that upon coming to this country he landed at Trenton, New Jersey, where he lived for some time, removing then to Philadelphia. Shortly after their marriage John and Mary Witherup removed to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he found employment hauling freight across the mountains to Fort Pitt (now Pittsburgh), whither he removed later and resided for some years. While at Pittsburgh he was engaged in various enterprises, furnishing lumber and other material for the first court house in Allegheny County - though according to the account of his mill found below this would appear to have been after his removal to Venango County. It is a matter of record that he cut and placed in position the first stick of timber in that building. It is family tradition that in 1789 he accompanied one John Harris on an exploring expedition to the Scrubgrass region, in what later became Venango County, the story being that they came over the Indian trail leading from Fort Pitt to Fort Franklin, leaving the trail at that place in Irwin Township where the town of Barkeyville now stands and turning to the east, passing down the valley of the big Scrubgrass creek. Continuing past the mouth of Bullion run on to the Allegheny River, they went up the stream as far as what is now Eagle Rock, in President Township, at that time a notorious rendezvous for the numerous Indian tribes in western Pennsylvania. Their journey must have ended there, for they returned to Fort Pitt by water. John Witherup must have been well pleased with what he saw, for he decided upon the locality for his future home, though the exact time of his emigration is not known. It was likely during the year 1800, possibly a year or so earlier. The following records are found in Venango County: "To John Witherup a large tract of land at the mouth of Scrubgrass creek, adjoining lands of Samuel Dotty, Aaron Austin, surveyed June 25, 1801, by virtue of improvements and settlements." The tract contained 440 acres. His grandson, James B. Witherup, believed that the word improvements implied that he had settled there earlier than the date given. The first cabin which he built stood for many years, and his grandson describes it as he saw it Dec. 23, 1846; "It was a one-story building about twenty by thirty feet. The cabin stood some thirty rods from the river, on a plot of ground now known as the old garden. It extended along the foot of the hills on the west side of the creek, from the southwest to the northeast. One end of the cabin faced the river; in the north corner was built one of those old-fashioned fireplaces with a stone chimney, and in the opposite corner of the same end was the door; between the door and the chimney was a small window of six lights, eight by ten glass. Two windows of the same size adorned the south side of the building, also one in the center of the other side. I have no knowledge of how long Mr. Witherup occupied this cabin, but he afterward built a large frame house about fifty feet east. The old cabin was used as a workshop. The public road passed through between the two structures. As the late Captain Witherup decided to utilize the ground on which the original house stood for a garden, he removed the cabin in the spring of 1849. While he was digging up the earth he found a silver spoon, one of the set which his mother owned. He was greatly elated. The spoon remained in his family until 1860, when it came into the possession of the writer, who preserved it until 1897. I made a present of it to my daughter-in-law, wife of L. P. Witherup."
After John Witherup became settled he set to work to build a sawmill, a rather stupendous task under the circumstances, which, however, did not daunt him. It was the first mill in Clinton Township (there was also a gristmill attached), and he was quite extensively engaged in milling and lumbering as well as farming. It is supposed that it was on this mill that the lumber he cut for the Allegheny court house was sawed. How long it continued in operation is not known, but the location has been established by his grandson, James B. Witherup. The creek flowed along the foot of the hill; on the east side of the creek bank, about three hundred feet from its present course, was a deep hole, and the location of the mill was at the point here where the public road winds up the hill. While fishing in the creek there one day in the summer of 1847 he saw several logs embedded in the gravel, which was in six feet of water, and on returning to the house questioned his father, who said the first mill had been on that spot. A more improved mill was built on the west side of the creek, only a few rods south of the log cabin, which was operated until the demands made upon it rendered it unfit for use, and was taken down by Abraham Witherup in 1847. He built a larger and better mill on the same site, which was operated until March, 1865, when work there ceased upon the washing away of the dam in the big oil flood which occurred that month. The mill remained idle for some years, when Alfred Hardwick purchased the frame and fixtures, starting a woolen mill and carpet factory in 1876. He operated his factory until 1889, when he sold it to William Johnson, who in turn carried it on until his death. After his death the lumber was used for other purposes. The old frame stood until it rotted away. An old iron foundry and log gristmill stood a short distance east of the sawmill, but these buildings were swept away on a flood of Aug. 3, 1853; the creek now has its bed on the site. Some time before his death John Witherup sold his property to William Morrow, who held it until it was sold for the payment of a debt in 1846, when it passed into the possession of Captain Witherup, Mr. Morrow moving away in December and the Captain settling there immediately.
John Witherup was chosen to a number of important public offices. He was the first sheriff of Venango County, elected in 1805, and during his term had the contract for furnishing the material for the first court house, of which he superintended the construction. In 1803 and 1804 he was road supervisor. In 1808 he became justice of the peace, which position he filled for twenty-five or thirty years. In 1821, 1822 and 1824 he was township auditor; in 1826, fence viewer; and from 1823 to 1826, county commissioner. [CAB, 1063]
General Notes: Wife - Mary Brockington
Her parents came from England and settled in Philadelphia, PA.