THOMAS WEIR IRWIN is a great-grandson of John Irwin, who was born in County Down, Ireland, and who, in 1801, together with his wife, their son William, and his wife (Margaret McCormick, whom he married in 1800), two other sons James and John and one daughter, all left their native land together for America, intending to come by the same ship. William, just before the vessel sailed, went back for something he had forgotten, and when he again reached the quay, or wharf, he found to his dismay that the good ship had set sail without him, taking all the rest of the family. He followed, however, by the next ship he could find sailing for the New World, and must have passed the other on the ocean, for his trip was only of five weeks' duration, while the other ship had a perilous passage of thirteen weeks, being very nearly swallowed up by a succession of storms. After landing, the family located on Plum run, Allegheny Co., Penn., near Pittsburgh. In the year 1802 they all moved to Kentucky except James Irwin, who remained in Washington county, Penn., to learn a trade. In 1803 the family proceeded to Ross county, Ohio, where they bought land, and Great-grandfather Irwin died there. Grandfather Irwin, with his wife, mother, brother and sister, moved to Highland county, Ohio, in 1804, and here he bought land, cleared off the timber and built his house, three corners of it resting on stumps, the fourth one on a stone. It was a typical old-fashioned log cabin, with clapboard roof weighted with poles, mother earth serving as a floor, while the primitive "furniture" consisted of a block of wood, three-legged stools, etc. Here the great-grandmother of our subject died at an extremely advanced age, and her son William and his wife both passed away in old age, he in 1853 and she in 1851.
In 1814 their son Robert was born in the "Wilderness" of Highland county, Ohio, where he attended the first school held in the county. The schoolhouse was of logs, one end being the fireplace, and the windows were holes cut in the logs and covered with greased paper. For five years Robert drove teams for his father between Chillicothe and Cincinnati, Ohio. He married Nancy W. Weir, a daughter of Thomas Weir, whom he met while visiting his uncle, James Irwin, in Pennsylvania. A correspondence was begun, and in 1840 they were married. To them were born the following children: James, Margaret, Lavina, Nancy W., Susan E., William McCormick and Thomas W.
The subject of our sketch was born January 24, 1843, in Highland county, Ohio. His sister Margaret married Josiah Smith, and bore him the following children: Nancy, Eleanor, Iva, Lola, Irwin, Margaret, Lavina, Thomas and Edna, of whom Nancy, Eleanor and Thomas are dead. Thomas W. Irwin is one of West Bethlehem's most prominent farmers, and enjoys an enviable reputation for thrift and honesty. Although his early education was gleaned from the common schools, he is a well-informed man, and has traveled quite extensively, spending some time in the "Far West." Mr. Irwin is a Democrat, and although not an office-seeker is one of the leaders of his party. He is a regular attendant of the United Presbyterian Church, of which he is a member.
Text taken from page 1428 of:
Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893).Transcribed January 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project.
Published January 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.[ [Back to Beers Table of Contents] [Back to Beers Project Page]