J. V. REA is a representative of one of the pioneer families of cross Creek township. Alexander Rea was born in the North of Ireland about the year 1700, emigrated to America and settled on the eastern shore of the Delaware, within the confines of New Jersey, in 1734; but it is not known when or where he died or was buried, nor can an account be given of any of his family except his son. Samuel Rea, son of Alexander Rea, was born in 1734 in New Jersey, soon after the arrival of his parents from Ireland. It was his boast that he was begotten in Ireland, bred on the ocean and born in America. At an early age he settled on Martin's creek, in Lower Mount Bethel township, Northampton Co., Penn., and owned a tract of land lying between Martin's creek and the Great Bethel Church (Presbyterian). He was a colonel in the Revolutionary war, which commenced in 1775. He was married to Ann McCracken, September 22, 1761, and to Rebecca Nelson December 10, 1782. He died September 19, 1813, in his eightieth year, and was buried in Great Bethel graveyard. The marriage with Rebecca Nelson was without issue, but the following children were born to him by his wife Ann McCracken: William, intermarried with Jane Mason; Sarah, with Robert Lyle; Janet, with Mr Sillimen; John, with Rebecca Cox; Alexander, with Miss Jones; Isabel, with Jeptha Orison; Mary, with William McKibben; Ann, with Rev. George M. Scott, grandfather of ex-President Harrison's wife (deceased). Ann McCracken died March 27, 1781, aged forty-five years.
William Rea, the grandfather of J. V. Rea, was a farmer. He was born in Lower Mount Bethel township, Northampton Co., Penn., September 13, 1762, and was married to Jane Mason January 24, 1788; crossed the Alleghany mountains to Washington county, Penn., in 1789; lived and taught school one winter one and one-half miles west of the town of Hickory, in Mount Pleasant township; in March, 1790, he purchased a tract of land in the adjoining township of Cross Creek, from George Marquis, situated about half way between Cross Creek village and West Middletown, being part of a patent entered by Col. James Marshall. He was appointed and sent as one of a committee of three by the Whisky Insurrectionists in 1794, to meet the United States army at Braddock's fields, sent for the subjection of the Insurrectionists. He was appointed by the governor of Pennsylvania in 1823, a justice of the peace for the townships of Cross Creek, Hopewell and Mount Pleasant. He died September 28, 1835, aged seventy-four years, and was buried in the Presbyterian graveyard at Cross Creek. The following named children were born to his marriage with Jane Mason: Annie, intermarried with David Campbell; William Mason, Sr., with Elizabeth Campbell; Elizabeth, with George Campbell; Sarah, with Rev. Joseph Vincent; Rhoda, with Robert Allison; Isabella, with William Beatty; Jane, with Joseph McNary; Samuel, died in 1821, aged twenty-one years; John, died in 1822, aged twenty-years; Mary, died in 1806, when sixteen months old; Jane Mason, the mother, died September 18, 1854, aged ninety years. William Mason Rea, Sr., was born March 16, 1790, in Cross Creek township, on the farm on which he lived and died. His death took place June 27, 1865. He married Elizabeth Campbell December 26, 1811, and to them were born the following children: John C., born March 19, 1813, intermarried with Mary Ann Lyle October 16, 1835; William, born December 19, 1815, unmarried; Joseph V., born June 22, 1818, married Eliza Ann McElroy November 26, 1840; Jane, born June 4, 1832, intermarried with Cyrus Wells, December 22, 1842; Elizabeth, April 19, 1828, married William T. Kerr June 27, 1849; C. C. Rea, born April 28, 1834, married Catherine Cook, November 27, 1856; Mary, born February 21, 1821, died October 21, 1821, and Samuel, born April 1, 1830, died February 1, 1839. William Rea died December 7, 1884; Elizabeth died December 5, 1883; Jane died September 26, 1853; John C. died September 24, 1882. William Mason Rea, Sr., died June 27, 1865, his wife, Elizabeth on August 21, 1868.
John C. Rea's family is as follows: James L. married Lizzie Anderson, to whom one daughter was born (all deceased); William M. married Martha Keys, to whom four daughters were born (after her death he married Nannie A. McElroy, to whom four sons were born); Samuel Jefferson married Sarah Jane Graham, to whom four sons and two daughters were born (one son now deceased); Lizzie married D. M. Pry, to whom two sons and three daughters were born (Lizzie is deceased); Aaron L. (deceased) married Ageline Keys, and to them one son (deceased) married Clara White, who became the mother of two daughters; Mary married John Pry, and to them one son and one daughter were born; Alice M. married Ewing McWreath, and they had two sons and one daughter; Eliza A. married J. D. Cook, and had one daughter (now dead) and one son.
J. V. Rea's family is as follows: Alexander M., a physician and surgeon of West Middletown, married Tamer A. Cochran, and had one daughter (wife and daughter are both deceased; by his marriage with Mrs. Coulter three daughters were born, one of whom is dead); William M., married to Maggie J. Acheson, had two sons, Joseph V. and William A. (wife died May 1, 1873); Nancy Jane was married to J. W. McDowell, Esq., and to her were born two sons, Joseph Rea and John Wilton, and one daughter, Fleda Estella (deceased); Jane was married to Cyrus Wells, and had four sons and two daughters (one daughter deceased) as follows: Alexander Franklin, married to Annie Berry, has four sons and three daughters; William, married to Miss Robison, had four sons and one daughter; John, married to Clara Amspoker, had three sons and one daughter; Joseph, married to Annie Sheppard, had two sons; Ruth A., married to Clinton Morton, had two sons and one daughter. Elizabeth (Rea) Kerr's family is as follows: Ella Kerr, married to Theo dore Campbell, had no issue; Isaac Kerr, married to Matilda Neal, had two sons and one daughter; Elizabeth Kerr had one son and one daughter (deceased). C. C. Rea's family comprised Mary Elizabeth, married to John N. Smiley (has two sons and two daughters); Florence Ida, married to William Marshall (has one son); Winifred Eloine, married to William Buchanan (has two sons and one daughter); Effie Leonin, not married; Charles Maynard, single; Jennie Evelrena, married to Wilmer Cummins (had one son and one daughter); Tamer Catherine, Ella Alberta, Iva Viola, all three single.
Text taken from page 491 of:
Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893).Transcribed February 1998 by Karen Souhrada of Pittsford, NY as part of the Beers Project.
Published February 1998 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.[ Back to Beers Table of Contents] [Back to Beers Project Page]