GENEALOGY and HISTORY of the HEPBURN FAMILY" of the Susquehanna Valley

CIENEALOGY CCwL-ECfioR cL^ ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 00676 7633 kM^— ^Pi_^ ^ ^' ^. \ JAMES HEPBURN Born, 1747 Died, 1817^ GENEALOGY AND HISTORY HEPBURN FAMILY SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY, WITH REFERENCE TO OTHER FAMILIES OF THE SAME NAME. Remember the days of old, Consider the years of many generations : Ask thy father and he will shew thee; Thy elders, and they will Tell thee. — Deuteronomy, xxxii, 7. By JOHN F. MEGINNESS, Author, of Otzinachson, Biography of Frances Slocum, Historical Tournal, etc. x WILLIAMSPORT, PA. : Gazette and Bulletin Printing House. i8q4. THIS PRIVATE EDITION LIMITED TO ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN COPIES. : 1186787 TO THE READER. That the desire for a knowledge of family genealogy is growing rapidly, and taking deep root in the minds of the people, is no longer doubtful. To know something of one's ancestry is a thought uppermost in the minds of thousands. This is attested by the many family histories that have been written in recent years, and the many that are still in course of preparation. Annual family reunions and meetings for the purpose of conferring together this « ; and collecting and preserving family records are another evidence of V) growing sentiment, and as the years roll on they are likely to increase. QK'^ The preparation and publication of this book came about in this way Sometime in 1882 I met my personal friend, Hon. L. A. Mackey, in Lock Haven, and he made an earnest request that I should undertake the task of writing the "History of the Hepburn Family of the Susquehanna Valley." \ On replying that I felt incompetent to undertake such a work, Mr. Mackey ^s^ quickly replied: " The time has come; you must do it!" We soon after pO- parted and little more was thought of the matter until the sudden death of my friend in February, 1889, recalled his request made seven years before. Still v,^V^ the beginning of the work was deferred from time to time, mainly on account Y\ of the difficulty involved in such an undertaking. -^ About the close of 1891 Mr. Robert Hopewell Hepburn, of Avondale, made a similar request and insisted that I should undertake the work, at the same time proffering his aid and assistance in the undertaking. Seeing that there was no way of escape, except by a flat refusal, the work of gathering 'the materials and consulting authorities was commenced and pursued until in the autumn of 1894 it was finished, so far as the original scope had been outlined. The earnest request of my deceased, as well as living, friend has now been complied' with, so ftr as I have been able, and the result is herewith presented. That it will be found imperfect in some respects there is little doubt ; that errors will be detected is probable, for in sifting and condensing the mass of materials which had been collected largely by correspondence, transcribing the names and dates of births, marriages and deaths'of many persons, it would be passing strange if no errors were committed. No perfect book has yet been written, and never will be until man is perfect. Those who discover errors, therefore, will please cover them with the mantle of charity. The history of this family is one which possesses absorbing interest from the earliest times to the present. Few families in the course of four or five centuries can show a continuous line of more distinguished members—of members who have been eminent in the professions of law, theology and medicine; of members who have distinguished themselves as orators, scholars, soldiers, statesmen and politicians. Descendants of this long and illustrious line have reason not only to feel proud of their Scottish ancestors, but to honor and revere their names and memories. To those who aided in furnishing information, and by their influence en- couraged the work, my acknowledgments are due and warmly tendered, and especially to Mr. R. H. Hepburn, of Avondale, and Mrs. Anna H. Watts, of Carlisle, Pa. My humble work is done. John F. Meginness. WiUiamsport, Pa., December i, iSg^. THE HEPBURN FAMILY. JAMES AND WILLIAM HEPBURN were prominent and representative men in the West Branch Valley of the Susquehanna one hundred years ago. The latter came as early as i yji, from Ireland, afid at once became identified with the struggling pioneer settlers in their efforts to repel the sav- ages. The former, who spent about ten years in and about Philadelphia, did not locate here until about the close of the Revolutionary war, when he engaged in the mercantile business, and the buying and selling of land. Through sagacity, business tact and enterprise, he accumulated a handsome competence ; William became a State Senator, and it was largely through his efforts that Lycoming County was organized April 13, 1795, and as a recognition of his ser- vices he was appointed the first judge. And working together, the two brothers were prime movers in laying the foundation of what is now the beautiful and flourishing city of Williamsport, Pa. ORIGIN OF THE FAMILY NAME. The Hepburn family was of Scotch origin and of high antiquity, the house having been founded as early as 1 200. It is not positively known how the name came into existence, but there is a tradition that it" originated from the names of two rivers. In early times, before Christian names were adopted, families were often designated by a title corresponding with -some object in tlie neighborhood' where the)- lived. This surname underwent many changes in the course of the ages, ft is probable, therefore, that the family originally lived near two streams from which the name Heborn was deduced. In course of time it was changed to Heb'ron, then Hcpborn, 6 THE HEPBURN FAMILY. and finally the transition to Hepburn was easy. In France, where members of the family were held in high esteem during the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the name was written d' Hebron, d'Hepburne, and some- times Esbron. During the last two hundred years the name in Scotland and America has almost univ^ersally been written Hepburn, although there are a few in this countr}' who still write it Hepborn. Before proceeding with the history of James and William, and their descendants, let us look into the history of the early families,—for there were several,—that we may better understand their distinguished ancestry. It will not be at- tempted, however, in these preliminary remarks, to follow anything like a connected line of descent in Scotland, be- cause at this late day that would be almost impossible, inas- much as the origin of the family dates back fully seven hundred years. Investigations of the early history have been mostly confined to Burton, who is pretty generally conceded to be the fullest and most accurate of Scottish historians, for the purpose merely of showing some of the leading and representative members of the different houses and the stir- ring and exciting events with which they were connected. Many members of the family in early times occupied prominent positions in civil and military life, were distinguished as ecclesiastics, poets, divines, judges and advocates, and were more or less identified with the fierce political and religious dissensions which so disturbed Scotland during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Others sat in Parlia- ment and assisted in the framing of laws, whilst others were entrusted with their administration. One married a Scot- tish queen, another distinguished himself as a soldier in the service of Gustavus Adolphus and Louis Xlllth., and became a Marshal of France, whilst another was prominent in the great battle of Waterloo. In 1488, in the early part of the reign of James III., when THE HEPBURN FAMH.Y. y there was much poh'tical friction, as well as many conspira- cies, to obtain the mastery, Burton says (Vol. III., p. 32,): " Doubtless in the confederacy there were several leaders stimulated by personal wrong or disappointment. For in- stance, the Howes and Hepburns on the border were angry that the revenues of the Priory of Coldingham, which they sought to divide between them, should be devoted to the support of the King's favorite choir in the Chapel Royal of Sterling. But the confederacy, though it might have been helped from such quarrels, rested on broken ground." EARLS OF BOTHWELL. In the peerage of Scotland the Earls of Bothwell, who were members of the Hepburn family, occupy a conspicu- ous position in history. The rank or title was not fully created before 1488. During a disturbance, when James III. was on the throne, a rebellious party, headed by Douglas, seized a number of his adherents at the Bridge of Lauder and hanged them before the King's eyes. A young man named Ramsay was saved, and James IV., who had raised the standard of rebellion (see Encyclopedia Brittannica, p. 3593,) against his father, created him titular Earl of Both- well. Ramsay very much desired the title in full, but the Hepburns had a firm grip on it. "They were of an ancient race, these Hepburns of Hailes," says Burton, and \vere able to control the appointment. James III. was assassin- ated in 1488, and his son, James IV., succeeded him, when the question of the earlship was decided. I. Patrick Hepburn, third Lord Hailes, was made the first Earl "of Bothwell. He was the eldest son of Adam, second Lord Hailes, and Helen, eldest daughter of Alex- ander, first Lord Howe. He was Governor of the Castle of Berwick and defended it for a time in 1482, when the town was invested by the English, but afterwards surren- dered.

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