JAMES WATSON. In recording the names of the prominent and influential citizens of Washington county, our list would be incomplete were to be omitted the name of this in his lifetime, well-known eminent attorney. James Watson was born in Canonsburg, Washington Co., Penn., a son of John and Mary (Miller) Watson, both of whom died in Cannonsburg, They were the parents of six children, of whom only one survives, a daughter, Mrs. Miller now living with her son in law, Mr. Haft, in Houstonville, this county, Our subject received his primary education at the common schools of his native town after which be attended Canonsburg College, from which he graduated. Immediately after graduation be came to the borough of Washington and commenced the study of law in the office of Thomas McKennan, under whose preceptorship he studied until he was admitted to the bar in 1833. Soon afterward, Mr. McKennan being admitted to Congress, Mr. Watson was received into partnership with him in the practice of law, and during his absence our subject had compete charge of the office and business His entire legal life was at the Washington county bar, and at first his practice was a general one, but later in life he would take no criminal cases. On April 15, 1875 Mr. Watson passed from earth at the age of sixty- years. He was a member of the United Presbyterian congregation of Washington and in polities he was a Republican. On January 15, 1835, be was married to Miss Maria Woodbridge Morgan, daughter of George and Elizabeth Aldrich (Thompson) Morgan, and ten children were born to them. viz.: Elizabeth Thompson, living with her widowed mother Mary Baynton, widow of Rev. Alexander Reed, late of the Presbyterian Church (she resides in Washington, Penn.): George (deceased): Jane Gilman living in Allegheny; David Thompson, a prominent attorney of Pittsburgh; Matilda. wife of A. G. Happer, in Washington, Penn.; James, an attorney in New York City; William Morgan, partner with his brother, David T., in law business, in Pittsburgh, and two that died in infancy. Mrs. Watson still resides in Washington. She is a member of the First Presbyterian Church. George Morgan, father of Mrs. James Watson, was born in 1780 in Princeton, N. J., a son of Col. George Morgan who was married in Philadelphia to Miss Mary Baynton (daughter of a merchant of that city), by whom he had children, John, Ann, George, Thomas and Maria. Col. George Morgan came with his family to Washington county settling on land in North Strabane township, said land being a portion of what is known as the "Morganza tract." Col. George Morgan died in 1810, his wife surviving him fifteen years, and they were both buried in the family ground at Morganza and afterward removed to the cemetery at Washington, Penn. Their son George was educated at Princeton (N. J.) College, and came west in 1 796 after he had finished his studies. He married Elizabeth A., daughter of David Thompson, of Delaware, in which State the daughter was born, and the young couple then settled on the old farm at Morganza, on which they resided many years. The family of children born to them were as follows: David T. (deceased), Mary B. (deceased) wife of Rev. William McCombs), Elizabeth MeKennan (deceased wife of Luther Edgerton, of Marietta, Ohio), Nancy Gibbs (widow of William D. Morgan, and now living in Washington, Penn.), Maria Woodbride (since Mrs. James Watson). Gorge (deceased) Matilda Bowman (first wife of William D. Morgan, of Washington), Dr. William MeKennan (deceased), and Lauretta Thompson (residing at Washington). The father died suddenly while on his way home from a visit to Obio, the mother passing away several years after, in Washington, at the age of seventy years. The family is one of the best known and most highly connected in the county.

Text taken from page 221 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed February 1997 by John R. Mort of Salt Point, NY as part of the Beers Project. Published February 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

[ [Back to Beers Table of Contents] [Back to Beers Project Page]