James McIlvaine, p. 64

JAMES McILVAINE, Cashier of the First National Bank of Washington, Penn., was born February 28, 1809, near the town of Lewes, in the State of Delaware, the third son of John and Sarah (White) McIlvaine. His parents and grandparents were natives of the State of Delaware, and were descended from Scotch-Irish ancestry. The family name is first mentioned in the records of Ayrshire, in Scotland. In 1315 Edward Bruce (brother of Robert) led a large force into Ireland, with the purpose of driving out the English troops. Great numbers of his soldiers remained in that country, and founded what is known as the "Scotch-Irish" race, many of whom emigrated to America in Colonial times, and among them came the ancestors of the McIlvaines.

To the parents of the subject of this sketch were born ten children six sons and four daughters and he is the only surviving member of the family. In 1813 his parents came to Washington county, and settled in East Pike Run township, near the residence of Mrs. McIlvaine's brothers. The following year they moved to Connellsville, in Fayette county, Penn., where they passed the remainder of their lives, the mother dying in 1835, aged fifty-seven years, and the father in 1851, aged seventy-nine.

James McIlvaine received his education in Connellsville, and after leaving school was employed as merchant's clerk and bookkeeper until a short time prior to his marriage in 1833, when he commenced business on his own account. He became a partner in the Fulton Foundry Company, and subsequently, in connection with his brother-in-law, established the Eagle Foundry, and they were the first persons in Fayette county to manufacture coke from bituminous coal, which they made in limited quantities, and only for use in their own foundry. (The making of coke as an article of trade was not commenced until five years later). He was, also, at the same time engaged in merchandising, in which he continued for some years after leaving the foundry. He then removed to his farm near Connellsville, and was for some time engaged in agricultural pursuits. Early in 1843 Mr. McIlvaine changed his residence to Uniontown, in Fayette county, and was for six years a writer in the office of the Prothonotary. While thus engaged the office of the Coroner of the county became vacant by a resignation, and as some important cases were pending in which the Sheriff was concerned, he yielded to the earnest request of the Court and Bar, and agreed to accept the office, and serve until the next election, and upon their application to the Governor he was duly commissioned. During his brief term of office, it became his duty, owing to the legal disability of the Sheriff to act, to sell several valuable farms, and it is believed no similar case can be found in the records of Fayette county.

In 1849 he returned to Connellsville, and for the next three years was largely employed as an auditor of the accounts of trustees, guardians, executors and administrators, and making distribution of proceeds of Sheriff's sales etc., nearly the whole of that business having been entrusted to him by appointment of the Court upon request of Gentlemen of the bar. Of the numerous reports and decisions made by him while serving in that capacity, not one was ever reversed. In one case was an appeal taken from the Court below to the Supreme Court, and it was affirmed by that tribunal. In 1852 he removed to Brownsville, in the same county, having accepted the appointment of teller in the Monongahela Bank, but next year he proceeded to Philadelphia, having received and accepted a pressing invitation to be Cashier in the office of the Assistant Treasurer of the United States, which at that time was located in the U. S. Mint. While engaged in the duties of this office, he received a cordial and flattering request to come to Washington and be Cashier of the Franklin Bank. Having signified his willingness to accept the office, he was unanimously elected, and arrived in Washington April 12, 1857, and was "unknown by face" to all the officers and directors of the bank, and to every business man in the town. The Franklin Bank of Washington was a State institution, incorporated in 1836; was chartered as the First National Bank of Washington in 1864, and re-chartered in 1884.

Upon his arrival in Washington Mr. McIlvaine took rooms in the "Fulton House" (now "Hotel Main"), then under the management of Gen. John Hall, and although there have been many changes of landlords, he has for a period of thirty-six years remained in the same house and occupied the same rooms. During this extended period of service he has filled the position he occupies with fidelity and honor, and now, in the eighty-fifth year of his age, his head is well covered with hair of almost snowy whiteness, his person is erect and well-preserved, he walks with a firm and alert step, and is actively engaged in the duties of his office. In earlier life he took an interest in local military affairs, and bore in succession commissions as Major and Colonel, and is still familiarly addressed by the latter title. Throughout the whole of his long and busy life, every position he has been called to fill, without an exception, came to him unsolicited and unsought. Politically he is a life-long Democrat, holding his opinions firmly but unobtrusively. For more than fifty years he has been a member of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and a liberal supporter of its interests and institutions, both at home and abroad.

In 1833 Col. McIlvaine was united in marriage with Miss Cornelia A. Norton, of Connellsville. She was born in Connecticut, and, when an infant, her parents removed to Louisiana, where her father bought a plantation, and, following the custom of those times, purchased slaves and became a planter. After his decease, the widow and children came to Pennsylvania, and settled in Connellsville. Col. and Mrs. McIlvaine had no children. After a happy married life of forty-four years, Mrs. McIlvaine, who was the last survivor of her father's family, died in 1877, and her remains are interred in Washington Cemetery. As expressive of her life and character these words of Holy Writ are inscribed upon her memorial window in the Episcopal Church "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

Text taken from page 64 of:
Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893).

Transcribed April 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project.
Published April 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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