Cliffords

51. JOSEPH⁴ CLIFFORD (Charles³, James², unknown Clifford¹); born 15 May 1764 in New Jersey;⁵⁸⁵ died 9 June 1841; married circa 1792 ISABEL PRITCHETT (also PRICHETT); born 31 December 1772 in Ligonier, Westmoreland County; died 23 June 1855.⁵⁸⁶ Joseph and Isabel are buried in Fort Palmer Cemetery, Fairfield Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.⁵⁸⁷

Joseph Clifford had a tour of militia duty in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, 31 March to 3 June 1791, under the command of Captain John Craig, Sr.⁵⁸⁸ Joseph Clifford first appeared in the federal censuses for Westmoreland County in 1800, with, as indicated by age distributions, Isabel and first four children.⁵⁸⁹ Age distributions reported in the 1810 federal census suggests one of Joseph and Isabel's sons was not enumerated;⁵⁹⁰ if not an error, the son would probably be the oldest, Charles, who would have been 15 at the time of 1810 census. However, in 1820 and 1830, apparently all three sons were enumerated.⁵⁹¹

Joseph owned 381 acres of land in the Ligonier area.⁵⁹² As is often the case when several related families remain in one area, a particular home sometimes become the center of family activity. Apparently for the Ligonier Cliffords this home would have been that of Joseph, then passed to his son Edward and then to Edward's son Abram Clifford. According to Charles D. Clifford (#1981) (Fort Mitchell, Kentucky), Abram's house was the repository of Clifford family mementos and family records.

This from Francis McConaughy⁵⁹³ in the Ligonier Echo, 20 July 1892, page 2:

Joseph had many daughters, but only Wm. and Edward, two sons [he had three sons]. Wm. was an invalid for many years, not leaving the house, and seemingly having no disease, but under Brother James' [that is Francis McConaughy's brother James McConaughy, who was also a physician] advice, as instructed by Dr. Stewart of Indiana. When studying medicine, to go out a little, and more and more, till he was able to go any place he wished, he repaired watches, handy at many things, an extensive reader. Edward was a very stout worker, extensive dealer, and became wealthy. His wife was of the Beardy Myers family, and has raised a large industrious family of working, and good managing young people with families.

Joseph and Isabel apparently lived their entire lives in the Ligonier Valley.⁵⁹⁴ In 1850, Isabel (listed as age 77 and born in New Jersey) was living with her son William (age 51), single, watchmaker, in Ligonier Township.⁵⁹⁵

Isabel (Pritchett) Clifford was a daughter of the Pritchetts who came with the Cliffords, Mehargs, and Parks to Westmoreland County from New Jersey. According to Hedley (1918a), page 15: "The Pritchett family had become tired of the home in Ligonier Valley, presumably because of the Indian incursions, and had concluded to move back to New Jersey and take their daughter Isabella with them. On the night before they were to start, Joseph Clifford took Isabella Pritchett across the hills to Squire James Pollock's place, where they married, and Isabella remained a citizen of the Valley until her death."

Two important Westmoreland County Orphans Court documents, one in 1855⁵⁹⁶ and one 1857, give information on Joseph and Isabel's children and their grandchildren. Here is the 1857 document:⁵⁹⁷

Charles Clifford, decd - Petition of Jane Ann Louther [formerly] Jane Ann Beam states that her uncle Charles Clifford s/o Joseph, lately died intestate, unmarried, no children. f [father] & m [mother] deceased. Following brothers and sisters: 1) Mary md. John Taylor and have sold to Edward Clifford. 2) Sarah md. Charles Menoher, both dead. Sarah sold to Edward Clifford. 3) William Clifford d[deceased], sold to Edw. Clifford. 4) Jane Clifford, decd - intestate and unmarried. [5)] Rachel Clifford md. to Thomas Beam. Rachel deceased leaving issue: 1. Joseph, 2. Henry, 3. Jane Ann, and 4. Lemon T. Beam, who conveyed their interest to Edw. Clifford except Jane Ann, your Petitioner. 6) Edward Clifford. 7) Rebecca McDowell, widow [Rebecca (Clifford) McDowell died 14 May 1857], conveyed interest to Edw. Clifford. (8) Ann md. James Menoher - interest to Edw. Clifford. Charles [deceased, the reason for the petition] had land in Lig. Twp adjoining John Pollock, Robert Clifford, John Clifford, Jos. Scroggs, and O'Hare, 140A.

 

Children of Joseph and Isabel (Pritchett) Clifford:

+	230	i.	Mary5 Clifford; born 17 February 1793; died 11 December 1875; married (first) Samuel Riddle; married (second) John Taylor.
	231	ii.	Charles Clifford; born 5 April 1795; died 19 April 1833;598 did not marry; buried in Fort Palmer Cemetery, Fairfield Township, Westmoreland County, where his stone reads "In memory of Charles Clifford Who died April 19 1833 Aged 38 yrs 14 days." The name of the monument maker, J. Rogers, also appears on this stone. Charles owned land in Ligonier Township. See the 1857 Orphans Court document above. Charles, son of Joseph, was mentioned in the will of his grandfather, Charles Clifford (see under #11).
+	232	iii.	Sarah Clifford; born 17 February 1797; died 4 December 1850; married Charles Menoher.
	233	iv.	William Clifford; born 9 September 1799; died 12 August 1855; buried in Fort Palmer Cemetery.599 William was a watchmaker. In 1840, William was apparently the only child still living with Joseph and Isabel.600 In 1841, William was taxed as a single man, watchmaker, with one silver lever watch.601 In 1850, William was living with his mother, Isabel.602 William died intestate. He apparently was an invalid for part of his life-see the above recollection by Francis McConaughy.
	234	v.	Jane Clifford; born 4 May 1802; died 4 October 1835; buried in Fort Palmer Cemetery, where her stone reads "In memory of Jane Clifford Who died Oct 4, 1835 Aged 33 years and 5 months."
+	235	vi.	Rachel Clifford; born 15 December 1804; died 14 February 1836; married Thomas Beam.
+	236	vii.	Edward Clifford; born 27 July 1807; died 2 June 1886; married Catherine Myers.
+	237	viii.	Rebecca Clifford; born 17 January 1810; died 14 May 1857; married William McDowell.
+	238	ix.	Ann (or Anna) Clifford; born 7 April 1813; died either 11 January 1899 or 8 February 1899; married James Menoher

52. THOMAS⁴ CLIFFORD (Charles³, James², unknown Clifford¹); born 1766, in New Jersey or Pennsylvania (see next paragraph);⁶⁰³ died 25 November 1841; buried in Old Ligonier Cemetery, Ligonier Borough (the corner of St. Clair and Church Streets), Westmoreland County;⁶⁰⁴ married CATHERINE LAWSON; born 1780 in northern Ireland;⁶⁰⁵ died (tentative, see next paragraph) circa 1855.

Two of Thomas's children, Thomas (Jr.) and Sarah, were alive in 1880, at the time of the federal census. Son Thomas's 1880 census report lists both of Thomas's parents born in Pennsylvania.⁶⁰⁶ Daughter Sarah Noble's census report lists Sarah's father born in New Jersey and her mother born in Ireland.⁶⁰⁷ I believe Sarah's report is the accurate one.

Thomas Clifford is buried in Old Ligonier Cemetery, Ligonier Borough, Pennsylvania.⁶⁰⁸ Catherine, a daughter of James⁶⁰⁹ and Sarah Lawson of Fairfield Township, Westmoreland County,⁶¹⁰ is probably buried there as well. There is a stone in Thomas Clifford's family plot, "Clifford, [not readable], d. [not readable], age 75." If this is Catherine's stone, and since she was reported born in 1780, she would have died circa 1855. She was listed in the 1850 federal census but I could not find her in the 1860 federal census

Thomas was enumerated in Westmoreland County from 1800-1840.⁶¹¹ In 1840, a male, age 60-70 (born 1770-1780) was enumerated with Thomas (enumerated age 70-80) and family. I can not identify this male; he could not have been Catherine's father, whose will was recorded in 1826. In 1841, Thomas (Sr.) was taxed in Ligonier Township for 150 acres, two horses and 3 cows.⁶¹² In 1850, Catherine was living with her son Thomas and daughter Mary Clifford in Ligonier Township,⁶¹³ presumably on the old homestead.

Thomas's will was written 27 September 1841 and recorded 7 December 1841.⁶¹⁴ He mentioned wife, Catherine, sons John, William, David and Thomas, and daughters Mary Clifford, Sarah Clifford, wife of Henry Noble, Elizabeth Clifford, wife of Marmaduke Wilson Dickey, and Jane Clifford. Pertaining to land, son John was willed "a small piece of land eight or more acres… .," son William 30 acres "including the coal bank and plumb bottom" and daughter Jane 30 acres. Grandson Thomas Gordon Clifford (#683) was bequeathed $100 and grandson William Lawson Clifford was bequeathed $5. I can not place grandson William Lawson Clifford-but see under Charles Clifford (#239), first child of Thomas and Catherine. Land mentioned was that of Plum Bottom adjoining the Hermitage Furnace Place (located north of Ligonier). Executors were sons Thomas and John, with witnesses Thomas Pollock, James Clifford (probably #251) and (son?) William Clifford (#242).

 

Children of Thomas and Catherine (Lawson) Clifford (not necessarily all in order of birth):

+	239	i.	Charles5 Clifford; born circa 1799-1800; probably died before 1842.
+	240	ii.	John Clifford; born circa 1801; died between 1850 and 1860; married Jane [-?-].
+	241	iii.	Sarah Clifford; born circa 1807; still alive in 1880; married Henry Noble.
+	242	iv.	William Clifford; born 22 February 1808; died 18 April 1877; married Mary Ann Irwin.
	243	v.	David Clifford; born 11 February 1811; died 2 October 1844; buried in Old Ligonier Cemetery, Ligonier Borough, Westmoreland County. Letters of Administration in the name of David's estate were granted 11 November 1844 to John Clifford [#240] with William Clifford [#242] and John [-?-] as sureties.615
+	244	vi.	Jane Clifford; born circa 1816; married Samuel Galbraith.
+	245	vii.	Thomas Clifford; born 10 March 1816; died 22 August 1889.
+	246	viii.	Elizabeth Clifford; born circa 1816; married Marmaduke Wilson Dickey.
	247	ix.	Lawson Clifford; born 4 March 1818; died 20 July 1831; buried in Old Ligonier Cemetery, Ligonier Borough, Westmoreland County.616
	248	x.	Mary Clifford; born circa 1818-1820. In 1850, Mary, not married, was living with her mother and brother Thomas.617

53. CHARLES⁴ CLIFFORD (Charles³, James², unknown Clifford¹); born 1770, in New Jersey;⁶¹⁸ died between 1837 and 1840, probably near Ligonier, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania; probably buried in Fort Palmer Cemetery, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania-at least there is a stone in this cemetery for Charles with the inscription: "C. Clifford, Jr. 1770-" (see Photo 7). Charles married JANE LYTLE; born circa 1765 in New Jersey;⁶¹⁹ still alive in 1850.⁶²⁰ Jane's date of death and place of burial are not known; she probably died between 1850 and 1860 and is probably buried in the Wheeling, West Virginia, area, although there is a memory stone for Jane next to her husband's stone in Fort Palmer Cemetery, but with no dates: "Jane Lytle wife of C. Clifford, Jr."

Photo 7. Memory stone of Charles Clifford (Jr.) (#53) in Fort Palmer Cemetery. Photograph taken March 2002 by Donna Mohney, RD # 1, Box 477A, Ligonier, Pennsylvania 15658. The stone in the background is that of James C. Shrum (#588), son of George and Sarah Ann (Clifford) Shrum (#219).

Timeline perspective for the year 1765, the year Jane Lytle was born in New Jersey:
On 22 March 1765, Britain enacted the Stamp Act, which was denounced two months later by Patrick Henry in Virginia. Also in 1765, Eli Whitney (cotton gin) and Robert Fulton (steamboat) were born, as was the future King William IV of England. In August, Britain stationed a standing army of 6,000 in the American colonies. Little known fact about 1765: Spain sent 220 rams and ewes to Saxony—this started the wool industry in Germany.
Timeline perspective for the year 1770, the year Charles Clifford (Jr.) was born:
The Boston Massacre occurred on 5 March 1770 when British troops fired on a taunting crowd of colonists and killed five. On 19 April, Captain James Cook discovered Botany Bay on the Australian continent. On 16 May, Marie Antoinette married Louis, Dauphin of France, who would become King Louis XVI of France. William Clark, of Lewis and Clark fame, was born in Virginia in August. On 16 December, Ludwig Von Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany. Little known fact about the year 1770: William Addis invented the toothbrush in the 1770s while a prisoner in Newgate Prison, London.
Timeline perspective for the years 1837-1840, within which period Charles Clifford (Jr.) died:
In January 1837, Michigan became the 26th state. In March, United States recognized the Republic of Texas. In July 1838, Charles Darwin gave a paper on his theory of evolution to the Linnaean Society in London. Also 1838 was the beginning of the "Trail of Tears," when the Cherokee Nation was forced to reloacate from their ancestral homes in mainly Georgia to the western United States. On 8 July 1839, John D. Rockefeller was born in New York state. On 10 February 1840, Britain’s Queen Victoria married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (Germany). Also in 1840 William Henry Harrison was elected president of United States. His opponent, President Martin Van Buren, was attacked for "wallowing lasciviously in raspberries."

I present "timelines," only for my direct ancestors. For sources, see the References section.

Jane Lytle was one of seven daughters (no sons) of Robert and Elizabeth (Allen) Lytle. This Lytle family lived in New Jersey in the latter part of the eighteenth century; at least two of Robert and Elizabeth (Allen) Lytle's daughters, Jane and Elizabeth, were born in New Jersey.⁶²¹ The family was in Armstrong Township, Indiana County, Pennsylvania, by the early part of the nineteenth century. Although Jane Lytle and probably Charles Clifford (Jr.) were born in New Jersey, it remains a mystery where they met and married in the late 1790s. Robert Lytle's will was written 27 August 1810 and recorded 10 June 1812, Armstrong Township, Indiana County, Pennsylvania.⁶²² The Lytle family is treated in "Lytles, Redicks, and Zinns" (in preparation). See Chart 3: "Some Clifford-Lytle relationships."

Charles Clifford was sometimes listed as "Jr." and sometimes as "Sr." in the few records pertaining to him. His stone in Fort Palmer Cemetery is inscribed "C. Clifford Jr." Perhaps "Sr." meant he had a son called Charles (who would have died young), but Sr. and Jr. often simply referred to the older or younger of two men in the same area with the same name. Regardless, there is no evidence for a son named Charles.

A Charles Clifford was listed in a "Party of men of the Third Battalion of Westmoreland County Militia reconnoitering on the frontier of said county for four days commencing the eleventh day of May, ending the fourteenth, one thousand seven hundred and ninety one. Both days included."⁶²³ The pay role of this detachment, same source, states the Militia was under the command of Captain Hugh Hamill. In 1791, Charles (Sr.) (#11) would have been age 61; Charles (Jr.) would have been age circa 20. This Charles could have been Charles (Jr.). Charles Clifford, again presumably Charles (Jr.), was listed in "Burial Places of Soldiers of 1812;" the place of burial was listed as Fort Palmer.⁶²⁴ However, I know of no other documents or family legend pertaining to Charles (Jr.) being in the War of 1812, at which time he would have been about age 42. I know of only one other Charles Clifford who this could be: Charles Clifford (#239), born 5 April 1795, died 19 April 1833,⁶²⁵ son of Joseph and Isabel (Pritchett) Clifford.

Charles was given 150 acres of land by his father in 1800 and another 100 acres by his father in February 1815.⁶²⁶ In 1828, Charles Clifford, as Jr., was the grantee of a land transaction with Joseph Clifford, presumably Charles's brother, Joseph (#51),⁶²⁷ but perhaps this grantee was Charles (#239), son of Joseph.

This from Francis McConaughy⁶²⁸ in the Ligonier Echo, 27 July 1882, page 1:

The Joseph Clifford [#51, brother of Charles] family are the next in direction, as you follow up the Hannah's run. There were also Thomas [#52, brother of Charles], and Charles Clifford all joining lands, but I only knew of Joseph's church relations, and the others may have attended other churches. Thos. had the largest family and I think Charles had only 3 or 4 sons [he had five sons]. Robt. was miller, and James schoolmaster of Charles boys.

Charles Clifford was enumerated in present-day Ligonier Township in 1820 and 1830.⁶²⁹ In 1820, besides Charles, there were five males (presumably the five sons) and one female, Jane. In 1830, besides Charles and five other males, there were two females, one between 50 and 59 (Jane) and one between 10 and 15. Jane would have been too old to have had a daughter age 10-15 in 1820, and there is no evidence from other documents or family legend for another child. Son Robert was apparently living with the family in 1830, and perhaps he was married by this time; and the female between ages 10 and 15 was his wife Mary A. Clifford, who was born March 1816 and would have been 15 when the 1830 census was taken.⁶³⁰

Charles Clifford (as "Sr.") was taxed in Ligonier Township from 1829 through 1837, but not thereafter. I could find no Charles Cliffords listed for Pennsylvania in the 1840 federal index (but could find neither his sons Robert nor James Clifford in this census). Since Charles was not taxed after 1837, perhaps he was deceased by 1838. In 1840, Jane was apparently living with her son Joseph, as suggested by age distributions of Joseph's census report.⁶³¹ In 1850, Jane was living with her sons John and Joseph and Joseph's family in the Wheeling, West Virginia, area;⁶³² but neither Jane nor John was listed with Joseph in 1860.⁶³³

The next record for Charles is the "The heirs of Charles Clifford, James and Joseph tenants," on the 1841 tax list for Ligonier Township.⁶³⁴ On 3 February 1842, Charles's sons Robert, John, James and Joseph petitioned the court to appoint John Hill to administer Charles's estate⁶³⁵ (see Document 3). There was no mention of son Thomas, but he apparently was still alive in 1846, see later. On 22 February 1842, letters of administration for Charles's estate were granted to John Hill, with James Menoher and John Young as sureties.⁶³⁶ Perhaps this James Menoher was the James Menoher (#258) who married Ann Clifford (#238), a daughter of Charles's brother, Joseph Clifford.

Document 3. Signatures of Robert, John, James and Joseph Clifford (sons of Charles Clifford, #53), from the original handwritten petition to have their father's estate administered by John Hill. Orphans Court Docket Aad-page 268, 1842, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.

In 1846, Robert Clifford and Joseph Clifford came into Court and presented the following petition:⁶³⁷

Charles Clifford Dec'd: Robert Clifford and Joseph Clifford came into Court and presented the following petition to wit, to the honorable [?] the of the Orphans Count of Westmoreland County at February Term 1846 the petition of Robt and Joseph Clifford two of the sons of Charles Clifford late of Ligonier Township, decd, humbly sheweth that their father the said Charles Clifford died seized of a certain plantation or tract of land in Ligonier Township adjoining lands of Edw Clifford, John Pollock, John ? Clifford and others containing 100 acres. That his children are now all of age viz Robert, John, James, Joseph and Thomas. That their father at the time of his death was considerably involved in debt. That John Hill, Esq. of Fairfield Township is the Administrator to their father's Estate but that ?no ?spills [?bills] came into his hands to meet the payments of the debts. They therefore pray your honor to award an inquest on the said real estate so that it may be divided to and amongst the heirs of the said deceased or that it be valued and appraised (if it cannot be divided) and this person duly bound will pray.

February 15 1846

Robert Clifford
Joseph Clifford

The remainder of the document pertains to the inquest on Charles's land. The finding of the appointed 12 "free, honest and lawful men" was that partition of the land amongst the heirs could not be done "without prejudice to or spoiling the whole … and therefore the inquest [sets the value of the land] at eleven dollars and twenty five cents lawful money of the United States for each and every acre … and the land and tenements would not conveniently accommodate more than one of the ?children of said intestate …" The document ends with a notation of 25 May 1846: "Inquisition confirmed and on motion of Mr. Marchano rules on the heirs and legal representative of Charles Clifford, dec, to appear on the first day of new term and accept or refuse the real estate at the valuation notice as before. June 20, 1846. Served on all the heirs but John and Thomas Clifford."

This document and the document to be taken up next are valuable in helping us understand the subsequent movements of Charles and Jane's children.

This 15 February 1846 document names Thomas as a son of Charles and Jane. Thomas is also named as a son of Charles and Jane in The Lytle family section of "Some families of Indiana County," page 27.⁶³⁸ These are the only documents I have for the name of the other son, Thomas. Also, the age categories of the 1820 and 1830 federal censuses for Charles Clifford show six males (presumably Charles and five sons).⁶³⁹

On 12 January 1847, "Jane Clifford, relict of Charles Clifford late of Ligonier Township," for $300:

"… for the love and affection I have to him have granted, remised, released and forever quit claimed unto said Robert Clifford, his heirs and assign forever the dower and third right and title of dower and thirds and all other rights interest and claim whatsoever in law or equity which I have of in to a certain tract of lands situated in the Township of Ligonier adjoining lands of John Pollock, Edward Clifford and others whereon the said Robert Clifford now resides late the estate of my husband Charles Clifford deceased …"

The quit claim was recorded 12 January 1847. Witnesses were A. Douglass and Jacob Tash.⁶⁴⁰ Two additional quit claims are recorded immediately beneath Jane's quit claim:⁶⁴¹ (1) John Clifford of Ohio County. Virginia (present-day West Virginia), for $228, quit claim his share of his father's land to Robert Clifford (dated 24 November 1846). (2) James Clifford and wife Matilda and Joseph Clifford and wife Phoebe, for $456, quit claim their shares to Robert Clifford (dated 26 October 1846). Note: there is no mention of son Thomas.

There is little anecdotal information for Charles. The most we get from the early history books on Westmoreland County is that Charles was a son of Charles and Jane Clifford and he married a Miss Lytle. Here is what Mary (Clifford) Felton, (#713) daughter of James and Matilda (Redick) Clifford, said about Charles in a 29 April 1921 letter to Robert Sebastian Clifford (#1384),⁶⁴² author of "The Robert Sebastian Clifford Chart:" "Charles Clifford my grandfather had four sons, viz. Robert, John, James, and Joseph… . There were no daughters. Charles Clifford owned, lived and died on a farm near Ligonier, Westmoreland Co., Pa. and I know of only one brother [of Charles], James."

In synopsis, we know from Charles's stone that he was born in 1770 (although the 1820 federal census would have him born no earlier than 1777). He was probably born in New Jersey as was his wife, Jane Lytle. The Lytles were not found in Pennsylvania (Indiana County) until the early nineteenth century. Assuming Robert Clifford was the first-born child of Charles and Jane (Lytle) Clifford, they were married by 1798. We know Charles was given land (or perhaps he purchased it) from his father in 1800 and again in 1815. By 1820, his family of five sons was complete. Charles was alive at least to 1837, being taxed in Ligonier Township through 1837. When he died is speculative. There is no death date on his stone. Possibly Charles died in 1837 or 1838, the first year he was not on the tax list, but Letters of Administration were not issued until 1842. He was apparently "considerably involved" in debt when he died. The year 1846 was important to the family because this was when Jane and her sons John, James and Joseph quit-claimed their shares in Charles's estate to Robert, and thus set the stage for James and family departure to Lockport, Pennsylvania, and Joseph and his family moving to the Wheeling, West Virginia, area where brother John was living.

 

Children of Charles and Jane (Lytle) Clifford:⁶⁴³

+	249	i.	Robert5 Clifford; born 1798; died 1863 or 1864; married Mary A. [-?-].
+	250	ii.	John Clifford; born circa 1800.644
+	251	iii.	James Clifford; born 1 April 1804; died 21 July 1875; married Matilda Redick.
+	252	iv.	Thomas Clifford; born circa 1804-1810; died after 1846.
+	253	v.	Joseph Clifford; born 15 October 1811; died 11 June 1880; married Phoebe Karns.

54. JANE⁴ CLIFFORD (Charles³, James², unknown Clifford¹); born 12 September 1772 in New Jersey;⁶⁴⁵ died 13 November 1852;⁶⁴⁶ married JOHN MENOHER; born 1771; died 4 June 1819. Both John and Jane are buried in Fort Palmer Cemetery, Fairfield Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania-not in the Clifford area, but in a section containing several Menohers.⁶⁴⁷

We have no pictures of Charles and Jane (Gordon) Clifford's children, but their daughter Jane (Clifford) Menoher's death certificate described her "of rather a dark complexion."⁶⁴⁸ John Menoher was a son of John and Sara (Cunnins) Menoher.⁶⁴⁹ John also had at least two siblings: Sarah Menoher, who married Joseph Louther, and Hugh Menoher.⁶⁵⁰

In 1800, John, Jane and apparently children Charles and Sarah were living in Fairfield Township (Ligonier Township was not set off from Fairfield Township until 1822), Westmoreland County.⁶⁵¹ By 1810, all the children except Thomas (not yet born) were with their parents in Fairfield Township.⁶⁵² John died in 1819, and in 1820, Jane, listed as "Widow," was head of household. In 1830, Jane, as head of the household, was living with apparently three of her sons (James, Joseph and Thomas), her daughter Elizabeth, and an unidentified male, age 15-20.⁶⁵³ In 1850, Jane was in the household of her son Thomas and daughter Elizabeth.⁶⁵⁴

 

Children of John and Jane (Clifford) Menoher:⁶⁵⁵

+	254	i.	Sarah5 Menoher; born 30 June 1795; died 15 January 1879; married John Douglas McElroy.
	255	ii.	Charles Menoher; born 24 May 1797; died 10 April 1851; married Sarah Clifford; born 17 February 1797; died 4 December 1850. Sarah was a daughter of Joseph and Isabel (Pritchett) Clifford (#51). Sarah and Charles therefore were first cousins. In 1850, the family was living in Ligonier Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania (census page 29), where Charles was farming. Children of Charles and Sarah (Clifford) Menoher (a) John Menoher, married Jemina Catherine Johnston. (b) Jane Menoher, married Reuben McKinley McKelvey. (c) Joseph Menoher, married Martha Rector. (d) William Menoher, married Catherine Austraw. (e) Rebecca Menoher, married William McColly. (f) Samuel M. Menoher, married Sarah Jane Young. (g) Isabel Menoher, married James P. McKelvey. (h) Melissa Menoher, married Michael Frye. (i) Thomas Menoher; married Rachel Bennett. (j) Sarah J. Menoher. For detailed information, see #232 Sarah Clifford (daughter of Joseph and Isabel (Pritchett) Clifford.
	256	iii.	Elizabeth Menoher; born 9 April 1801; died 21 June 1868; buried in Fort Palmer Cemetery, Fairfield Township; Westmoreland County.656 Elizabeth apparently did not marry. In 1820 and 1830, she was living with her mother, who was head of the household, in Fairfield Township; in 1840 and 1850, she was living with her mother and brother Thomas in Fairfield Township.657 In 1860, Elizabeth and her brother Thomas were still living in Fairfield Township.658
+	257	iv.	John Menoher; born 11 November 1803; died 16 September 1832; married Mary Matthews.
	258	v.	James Menoher; born 15 February 1806; died 21 March 1879; buried in Fort Palmer Cemetery;659 married Ann Clifford (#238); born 7 April 1813; died 8 February 1899. Ann was a daughter of Joseph and Isabel (Pritchett) Clifford; hence Ann and James were first cousins. See Ann Clifford (#238) for details and sources.
	259	vi.	Samuel Menoher; born circa 1794 or 1809;660 died 21 July 1839; buried in Fort Palmer Cemetery-in the same area as John and Jane Menoher's other children. Samuel apparently did not marry. He wrote his will 6 July 1839, recorded 19 August 1839.661 The proceeds from the sale of his personal property were to be equally divided amongst his "brothers and sisters;" his farm was willed to brother Thomas Menoher; he mentioned his sister Elizabeth Menoher, and appointed his brother Charles Menoher executor. Witnesses were John Hill and Robert ?Brewne (Browne?).
+	260	vii.	Joseph Menoher; born 22 October 1811; died 26 April 1871; married Sarah Curry.
	261	viii.	Thomas Menoher; born 27 December 1815; died 29 June 1869; buried in Fort Palmer Cemetery.662 This Thomas was probably the Thomas Menoher, age 20-30, enumerated in 1840 in Fairfield Township next to the household of Joseph Menoher (his brother). In Thomas's household in 1840 were one female age 30-40 (probably his sister Elizabeth) and one female age 60-70 (undoubtedly his mother, Jane Clifford Menoher).663 In 1850, Thomas's mother and sister, Elizabeth, were still living with him in Fairfield Township as was a Sarah ?Tarmon (could this be Harmon?), age 16, and David Beck, age 10.664 In 1860, only Thomas and his sister Elizabeth were in the household in Fairfield Township.665

55. SARAH⁴ CLIFFORD (Charles³, James², unknown Clifford¹); born 1776 in probably Pennsylvania;⁶⁶⁶ died 7 November 1853 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. On 1 June 1793, she married ROBERT POMEROY REED (JR.); born 1772; died 17 October 1848.⁶⁶⁷ Robert and Sarah (Clifford) Reed are buried in Fairfield Cemetery, Ligonier area, Westmoreland County. Probably Sarah was the only child of Charles and Jane (Gordon) Clifford to be born in Pennsylvania. Three of Sarah and Robert's children, Margaret, Lavinia and Marshall, were alive at the time of the 1880 federal census. They all report both Sarah and Robert being born in Pennsylvania.⁶⁶⁸

One online report,⁶⁶⁹ no source given, has Sarah Clifford born 4 July 1776, dying 7 November 1853, and marrying Robert Pomeroy Reed on 1 June 1793 in Cumberland Valley, Pennsylvania. There is a Cumberland Valley in present-day Cumberland Valley Township, Bedford County, Pennsylvania. J. P. Lytle's (1909) The Reed Family states Sarah was born "in Independence year, 1776," but does not give a specific date.

In 1800, Robert and Sarah Reed and apparently children Mary, Charles and George were living in Fairfield Township, Westmoreland County; also in the household in 1800 was an unidentified female, age over 45.⁶⁷⁰ In the 1810 federal census, there apparently were five males and three females within the right age distributions to be the first eight children of Sarah and Robert.⁶⁷¹ In 1820, the age distributions of persons in the household, still in Fairfield Township, were males: 4-1-0-3-1; females 2-0-1-1⁶⁷² (see beginning of end notes for age intervals of federal census categories). In 1850, Sarah was a widow and living with her son Thomas Reed and family.⁶⁷³

Robert's father was Robert Reed (Sr.) of Donegal, northern Ireland, born circa 1730; Robert's mother was Mary (Polly) (Pomeroy) Reed. By 1800, Robert (Sr.) was deceased⁶⁷⁴ and his wife Mary, age 45 or over, was living in Fairfield Township with one female under 10 and one male age 16 and under 26.⁶⁷⁵ Both Robert (Sr.), and Polly are buried in the West Fairfield Cemetery, Fairfield Township, Westmoreland County.⁶⁷⁶ See end note #676 for the location of this cemetery and another "Fairfield" Cemetery.

Robert Reed (Sr.) along with Charles Clifford (#11), James Clifford (#12), Isaac Stimmel and James Flack came to the Ligonier area in circa 1759.⁶⁷⁷ Besides Robert (Jr.), other children of Robert (Sr.) and Polly (Pomeroy) Reed were (1) McQuade Reed, born circa 1752 (went to Kentucky); (2) Joseph Reed ("went south"), (3) John Reed (to Kentucky), (4) Polly Reed (married Robert Piper- one of their children was Mary Piper who married James Reed, #265, a son of Robert and Sarah (Clifford) Reed, (5) Martha [Mattie] Reed (married Samuel Shannon), (6) George Reed (killed by aboriginals), (7) Elizabeth (Betsy) Reed (married Thomas Hogg), and (8) Robert Reed.⁶⁷⁸

The following episode was excerpted from "A journal kept at Ligonier during the building of the stockade fort of the Revolution, called Fort Preservation [afterwards named Fort Ligonier]," 1778:⁶⁷⁹

As summer came on [summer of 1778 in the Ligonier area], Martha [apparently called both Mattie and Rebecca] and her brother [George] and the children of the Robert Means family named George, Rebecca, and James, left the fort one day to pick berries and as they ascended the hill on the opposite side of the Loyalhanna they met Major William McDowell coming towards the fort on horseback. At this juncture they were fired upon by Indians concealed behind a log and young Reed fell dead. McDowell's rifle stock splintered by a bullet, wounding him in the hand. Young Means ran back to protect the girls, who had started to run to the fort but was captured and the Indians soon caught and tomahawked Miss Means; but Miss Reed outdistanced her pursuers as she fled towards the fort.

The shots had been heard at the fort and a party headed by a young man named Shannon [he eventually married Mattie Reed] started out to the rescue. By now, only one fleet Indian was in pursuit of Miss Reed and as he was not gaining on his intended victim, he left out several blood curdling yells intended to paralyze her with fright. But this had the opposite effect, obviously scaring the daylights out of Miss Reed so that she fairly flew. The rescue party was now in sight, however, and the Indian turned into the bushes and disappeared, and young Shannon heroically rescued Miss Reed. The rescue party found the lifeless body of Miss Reed's brother, but he had not been scalped. The body of Miss Means was also found, but she had been tomahawked and scalped. Miss Means' brother had been carried away, a prisoner, but was not killed. Three years later he was able to return home and it was then learned from him that the Indians who had so vigorously pursued Miss Reed had been an admired athlete among his tribe, an accepted suitor for the hand of the chieftain's daughter, but when word got out that he had been outdistanced in a race with a 'paleface squaw' he was forever disgraced and subject only to scornful and contemptuous treatment from his fellow tribesmen.

From Lytle, J. P. 1909, pages 60-61:

"The Pipers were old settlers in Ligonier Valley. Robert Piper, Sr., had married a daughter [Polly Reed] of Robert Reed, Sr., and was engaged as a tenant on the farm [of Robert and Sarah (Clifford) Reed]. In 1810, Robert Piper, having lived there for more than 2l years, could of course get a lawful deed by presenting his claim. Although the Reeds had held undisputed possession for some 50 years, they had never secured a deed and didn't seem to see any need of it.

But it seemed that the Pipers and Reeds took a notion that they did need a deed about the same time. In fact both got ready about the same time and the trip to Harrisburg was to be commenced next morning. In some mysterious way, Sally [Clifford] Reed [#55], Robert Reed's (Jr.) wife, discovered the tenant's plan the evening before. She hurried home and started her husband for Harrisburg and Piper's horse was brought out saddled and bridled, Sally, then the mother of eight children, mounted him and rode five miles to Coal Hill, tied him in the brush and walked home, trusting in God and Robert Reed to do the rest. As no other horse was thought fit for the journey, and this one could not be tracked till morning, the start was delayed. As a consequence Reed arrived in Harrisburg in the evening and had his business attended to the next morning just as Piper dismounted his jaded horse. Well up to this time the Reeds were Presbyterians and Piper was an elder in the church. Sally was brought before the session for "spiriting" away Piper's horse. She was asked to acknowledge "that she was sorry for the act." She answered that, "instead of being sorry she was thankful that God had made her the instrument in saving her property." But the minister said, "Mrs. Reed, unless you acknowledge that you are sorry for taking the horse and hiding him five miles from home in the night, you cannot commune nor have your children baptized here as heretofore." Her answer was: "I am not sorry, nor I don't wish to belong to a church in which one of the elders is a big a rascal as Bob Piper." So although this happened almost 100 years ago the Reeds are mostly United Presbyterians."

There is an epilogue to this story. Sally (Clifford) Reed's son James Reed married Polly Piper, a daughter of the above mentioned Robert Piper.

 

Children of Robert and Sarah (Clifford) Reed:⁶⁸⁰

+	262	i.	Mary5 (Polly) Reed; born 14 August 1794; died 6 December 1872; married Hugh Brady.
+	263	ii.	Charles Reed; born 29 September 1796; died 2 December 1860; married Kezia Boyle.
+	264	iii.	George Reed; born 1798; married (first) Jane McWherter; married (second) Mary Jane Taylor.
+	265	iv.	James Reed; born 15 March 1801; died 8 January 1870; married Polly Piper.
+	266	v.	Robert Reed; born 30 October 1804; died 20 January 1865; married (first) Leah Peoples; married (second) Mrs. Nancy (Mount) Minteer.
+	267	vi.	Sarah (Sally) Reed; born 7 November 1806; died 27 May 1873; married William Lytle.
+	268	vii.	Margaret Reed; born 4 November 1807; died 22 February 1881; married Gawin (or Gawan) Adams, Jr.
+	269	viii.	Joseph Reed; born circa 1809; married (first) Susan Porch; married (second) Julia Liliston.
+	270	ix.	Thomas Clifford (T. C.) Reed; born 16 August 1813; died 17 October 1878; married (first) Marian Ewing; married (second) Jane Clifford McElroy.
+	271	x.	Lavinia Reed; born 26 January 1816; died 24 February 1889; married John Lytle.
+	272	xi.	Marshall Reed; born 15 May 1819; died 20 March 1892; married Sarah McKelvey.
	273	xii.	John Reed; died 1878; he was twice married, one wife being Mary Elliot, but the "Reed Family History" did not list children. John was "a skilled saddler." In 1850 a John Reed, age 30 (born circa 1820), was living in a hotel in Ligonier Township; his occupation was saddler.681 The innkeeper of the hotel (name of hotel not given) was Daniel Boucher. He was a brother of Hiram Boucher-see the section "The Bouchers." In 1870, a John Reed, farmer, age 61 (born circa (1809), and a Margaret [-?-], age 73 (born circa 1807) (his wife?), were living in Ligonier Township. Also in the household was a Jesse Potter who worked on the farm.682 A guess would be that the John Reed, born circa 1820, was the John Reed, son of Robert and Sarah (Clifford) Reed.