SCOTT FAMILY. The sons and daughters of Old Erin have ever been among the first to volunteer in any enterprise requiring pluck, fortitude and gallant heroism. It is therefore not surprising, that, in ascertaining the nationality of our forefathers, so many of those who first braved the dangers and privations of pioneer life have been natives of the fair Emerald Isle, small in area, but mighty in the strength of a heroic race. One of their poets aptly expresses the sentiments of the true Irishman the world over, in the lines: When Erin first rose from the dark swelling flood,
God blessed the green island, He saw it was good.
Tile Emerald of Europe, it sparkled, it shone,
In the ring of this world the most precious stone.
Arm of Erin prove strong; but be gentle as brave,
And uplifted to strike, still be ready to save.
Nor one feeling of vengeance presume to defile,
The cause of the men of the Emerald Isle.WILLIAM SCOTT, the great-great-great-greatgrandfather of the present generation:
Should auld (relations) be forgot
And never brought to mind;
Should auld (relations) be forgot,
And days of auld lang syne.
William Scott, the progenitor of the family with which this genealogy has to deal (as taken from a late history), was horn in Scotland in the latter part of the seventeenth century, the exact date being not known. On account of his loyalty to the principles of the "Church of Scotland," and bitter opposition to popery, he, with many other families of Covenanter sympathies, in order to enjoy peace and safety, was compelled to leave, his native land and find a home elsewhere. He accordingly went to the North of Ireland, County Derry. There he laid out a deer park and salmon fishery, as he was a man of considerable wealth (judged by the standard of those days, not of the present). But few details of his life have come down to us, nor do we know when he died, and of his family we have no account, except of one son, Joseph.
Joseph Scott, son of William Scott, was born in County Derry, Ireland, in the early part of the eighteenth century. His children (so far as has been ascertained) were one daughter and five sons, viz.: Mary, William, Zaccheus, Nathan, Samuel and James. He died in Ireland, after which his children emigrated to America, first locating in Lancaster county, Penn., some of them afterward moving to Washington (now Allegheny) county, same State. William (the eldest son) was killed in one of the Indian wars; Zaccheus settled with his brother James, on a farm in Elizabeth township, Allegheny Co., Penn., and all trace of him has been lost; Nathan located in New Jersey, and nothing further has been heard of him except that be had one son; James, the youngest son of Joseph Scott, Sr., when he came to western Pennsylvania settled in what is known its the "Forks of the Yough" settlement, now Elizabeth township, Allegheny Co., Penn. This farm he afterward patented, November 9, 1789; part of this farm is now owned by his grandson, Zaccheus Scott. James Scott had eight children, and three of the sons were in the war of 1812, two of them as captains, one being promoted to colonel (but little further is known of the family connection). Mary (the eldest child and only daughter of Joseph Scott, Sr.) was married near the year 1760, to James Young, of Lancaster county, Penn. Mr. Young lived on the main road from Philadelphia to Lancaster, and kept an inn at which the wagoners stopped on their route. Mr. Young died prior to the year 1780, his wife afterward married John Morgan, and with her eight children came to western Pennsylvania in 1780, and located in what is now Robinson township, Allegheny Co., Penn., near where the fort (afterward known as the "Cowan Fort") was built. She was known to the succeeding generation as Grandmother Morgan, and her descendants as far as known at this writing are 324.
Samuel Scott (son of Joseph Scott, Sr.) was born in County Derry, Ireland, in 1751, and in youth came to this country, first locating in Lancaster county, Penn. He attended a communion of the Reformed Presbyterian Church at that place, was married about the year 1775, to Elizabeth Wilson, a sister of Rev. J. R. Wilson, of the same church, and moved to western Pennsylvania, settling on a farm on Mingo creek, Washington Co., Penn. He bought a team of horses in Lancaster county, a Conestoga wagon and farm implements, and drove through by way of Bedford Springs to the above-named place. There he remained until about the year 1795, when he moved to Campbell's run, Washington county (now in Robinson township, Allegheny Co., Penn.), was one of the pioneers of the settlement, and helped to build the Cowan fort, or blockhouse, in which the settlers would often leave their wives and children for safety from the Indians. He rented a farm of 331 acres from John Bail, which he afterward bought, in November, 1799, the same for £516 specie, the deed thereof being recorded March 1, 1800. Mr. Scott purchased on May 4,1805, a farm in Washington county on the headwaters of Miller's run, Mt. Pleasant township, containing 309 acres, for the sum of $2,474 (which farm he afterward willed to his sons John and Joseph), same being the eastern part of the land granted to Gen. George Washington, owned at that time by Alexander Addison. In the fall of 1805, a communion service was held at the home of Samuel Scott, on Campbell's run, about fifty persons having gathered, most of them coming from a distance. The dwelling was but a log cabin, and consequently the barn floor was covered with straw, over which was spread wagon covers and blankets. Here the guests slept, Mr. Scott lodging with the company, feeding the horses and people. Thursday was kept as a fast day; Friday all the able-bodied men went to work hewing and hauling logs to erect a communion table, seats and a tent, so that the minister could address the audience, and services were held Saturday afternoon, Sabbath and Monday morning, after which the worshipers returned to their homes.
In 1815 Mr. Scott went on a chase on horseback to the land office at Canton or Mansfield, Ohio, being first of the numerous competitors, and entered a section of land (640 acres); he also, at another place entered a half section-in all 960 acres. It was a perilous journey at that time, on account of the Indians. He died in 1819, aged sixty-eight years, owning at the time about 1,600 acres of land. His wife died in 1827, aged seventy-eight years, and they are buried in the cemetery at Union (U. P.) church, in Robinson township, Allegheny county. They were active and influential members of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, in which he was a ruling elder for many years. They raised a family of nine children, all of whom grew to maturity and reared families. Their names are as follows: John, Margaret, Elizabeth, William, Mary, Joseph, Samuel, Nancy and James. His descendants at this writing, as far as known, are 619 in number. Part of the farm or homestead is still owned by Scott connection. The farm on Miller's run he left by will to his two sons, John and Joseph--the north end, 159~ acres to John, and his grandchildren still own sixty-five acres of it, and goes by the name of the Scott heirs. The south end, 150 acres, he left to his son Joseph, and his son James owns and lives on it. Each of the farms have three producing oil wells, some of them, at this writing, producing at the rate of seventy-five barrels per hour.
Joseph Scott, son of Samuel, was born in 1788, in Allegheny county, Penn., becoming inured from boyhood to the privations and hardships of the frontier settlements. In 1808 he was married to Margaret McCurdy, of Allegheny county, afterward settling in Mt. Pleasant township, this county, on the farm afterward left him by his father Samuel. She bore him eight children, one of whom, Joseph L. (the only one living), is married and resides in Cecil township. The mother died June 4,1827, and in 1829 the father was united in marriage with Sarah Douglas, who was born in 1795, in Cecil township, this county; she was a daughter, of Patrick Douglas, a native of. Scotland, who came with his parents to America when but nine years of age, locating in eastern Pennsylvania, and afterward settling in Cecil township, where he died in his eighty-ninth year. The mother passed away when eighty-eight years old. Joseph and Sarah (Douglas) Scott began married life on his farm (as above mentioned) on Miller's run in Mt. Pleasant township (now occupied by their son James), upon which he erected a good brick residence in 1834. Their children were as follows: Nancy (deceased in infancy), Margaret S. (widow of James K. Robb, of Jackson county, Kans., who was reared in this county but died in Ohio), Nancy (deceased in 1887), Robert D. (of whom a sketch follows), James (of whom special mention is made further on) and John (living in Mt. Pleasant township, married to Lizzie Bolton). The father was a soldier in the war of 1812, and an influential citizen, having assisted in settling several estates. He was an active member of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, of which he was ruling elder several years. He died May 14,1861, and August 2, 1882, his wife was laid beside him.
ROBERT D. SCOTT, eldest son of Joseph and Sarah (Douglas) Scott, was born January 16, 1834, on the old home place in Mt. Pleasant township, where his early education was received. On May 25, 1870, he selected a life companion in the person of Mattie R., daughter of William Thompson. The father was born in Mt. Pleasant township, and was married to Eliza Jane Fleming, a native of the same place. In 1874 they moved to Allegheny county, Penn., where he passed away in April, 1882. Mrs. Thompson is yet living in that county, and is the mother of twelve children, viz. Mary (deceased in her twenty-second year), Mattie H. (Mrs. Robert D. Scott), Sarah Ann (wife of Alexander May, of Cecil township), Eliza Jane (Mrs. C. B. Potter, of McDonald, Penn.), Ebenezer (at home), Maria (residing with her mother), Alice (Mrs. Samuel Thompson, of Canonsburg, Penn.), Emma (wife of James Riddile, of Allegheny county, Penn.), William Harvey Smith (living in Mansfield, Penn.), two deceased in infancy, and Joseph (living in Sioux City, Iowa). Since their marriage Robert D. and Mattie R. (Thompson) Scott have resided on the farm in Cecil township, containing 119 acres of well-improved land, upon which he has erected good buildings. Four children have blessed this union: John Herbert, Sarah Elizabeth, one deceased in infancy, and Mary (who died at the age of seven years and six months). Mr. and Mrs. Scott and their two children are members of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, of which he is an elder, and he has also served about thirty-five years as treasurer.
JAMES SCOTT (second son of Joseph and Sarah (Douglas) Scott) was born January 1, 1836, on the borne farm in Mt. Pleasant township, this county, receiving his education in the district schools of the neighborhood. In 1867 he was united in marriage with Eliza Thompson, a native of Carroll county, Ohio, daughter of Hance and Eliza (Henderson) Thompson. The parents were born in Ireland, emigrating to America in 1830. In 1834 they moved to a farm in Carroll county, Ohio, thence to Harrison county, Ohio, where he died February 9, 1892, having been preceded in 1863 by his wife. She was the mother of the following children: Sarah (deceased in Carroll county, Ohio, at the age of ten years), Margaret (deceased in Pittsburgh, Penn.), George (deceased in childhood), Eliza (wife of James Scott), George (deceased in his eighteenth year), Jane (living in Harrison county, Ohio), Sarah (wife of Joseph Thompson, Carroll county, Ohio) and W. P. (living in Carroll county, Ohio). James and Eliza (Thompson) Scott, lived on a farm adjoining their present home until 1880, when they removed to the place of 150 acres which they now occupy. The tract has been in the family name since 1805, being, originally a part of the George Washington survey. It also contains a producing oil well, which yields from seventy-five to eighty barrels of oil per day. Mr. and Mrs. Scott are members of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, of which he is ruling elder. They have four children, namely: Lizzie H., Sadie B., Ida M. and Jennie A.
Text taken from page 529 of:
Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893).Transcribed August 1997 by Jean Suplick Matuson of Plano, TX as part of the Beers Project.
Published August 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.[ Back to Beers Table of Contents] [Back to Beers Project Page]