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1Lar1111er, ,i1c, :tasters illlb Qllltcb jfa1111I1r9 COMPILED AND EDIT.ED BY RACHEL H. L. MELLON ~ri11teb for Pribate ~irruiaticn BY J.. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPAJ\TY, PHILADELPHIA MDCCCCIII COPYRIGHT, I 903, BY RACHEL H. L. MELLON ~. ~ ,1 I ~ /. ~ :-t'•, , --. -~-·.~.·.t~~ ~'\ - -~C. Ube 1atfmett mcmastets anb Bllfeb jfamflfes To the Memory of My Honored Father and Mother, WILLIAM AND RACHEL McMASTERS LARIMER, And to my Husband, JAMES ROSS MELLON, These pages are affectionately dedicated by RACHEL HUGHEY LARIMER MELLON ~reface HE desire to place before the members of my family and their descendants some facts concerning our progenitors has been accomplished to a greater degree than I thought possible when I undertook the task. Added zest was given to my researches when I became a member of the Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and step by step the old Bible records, wills, deeds, and state papers have been searched. I have en deavored to give merely short sketches of my forefathers, Larimer, Hughey, McMasters, Sheakley, McCurdy, Creigh ton, Irwin, King, and McLaughlin,-who settled in Lancaster, York, and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania, and the journeyings back to the old homesteads and churches of these counties has been a great pleasure to me. Differing from the trend of most family histories, I have attempted to trace each line of ancestry as far as is possible, without giving prominence to any particular line; they are, therefore, left open to further research, with the hope that in each family some one may be able to supply addi tional information.• The members of our early families were descended from the Covenanters, Dissenters, and Reformed Church of the Huguenots, and came to Pennsylvania to enjoy religious freedom. They owned large farms in Lan caster and York Counties, and were loyal patriots, God-fearing * Any person having authentic records of the surnames of the wives of Robert or Thomas Larimer will confer a great favor by forwarding such infor mation; for I feel that we are but making a beginning of our American family records. Address Rachel Hughey Larimer Mellon, 400 North Negley Ave nue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 7 ]Preface and upright, and prominent in their localities. As the march of civilization moved westward after the war of the American Revolution, members of every family, without an exception, settled west of the Allegheny Mountains. Grateful acknowledgment is due to those friends whose efforts have enabled me to collect and arrange the data herein presented. Among these are Mr. Karl A. Saeger, of New York ; Dr. L. C. Loomis, of Washington, D. C. ; Mrs. Eliza McMasters King; Mrs. Mary McMasters Jones; Mrs. Annie E. Jones, Mrs. J. McF. Carpenter, and Thomas Galey, of Pittsburgh ; William H. H. Larimer, of Kansas City; Edwin K. Larimer, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa ; Thomas McMasters Larimer, of Leavenworth, Kansas; Mr. Calvin Hamilton; Miss Virginia McCurdy and Mr. Charles McCurdy, of Gettys burg; Mr. Watson Ellmaker, of Lancaster; Mr. H. E. Marker, of Greensburg; and Mrs. Louis McFarlane, of Circleville, Pennsylvania. And I also wish to acknowledge with appreciation my in debtedness to Miss Minnie Fogle Mickley, ex-Registrar Gen eral of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and gene alogist, of Mickleys, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, for her valuable assistance in preparing this work. RACHEL HUGHEY LARIMER MELLON September, I 903 (tontents PAG.E THE LARIMER FAMILY . • 13 THE SHEAKLEY FAMILY . • 43 THE McCuRDY FAMILY . 53 THE CREIGHTON FAMILY . • . 61 THE McMASTERS FAMILY . • 65 THE HUGHEY FAMILY . • . 73 THE KING FAMILY • . • . • • 79 THE McLAUGHLIN FAMILY. • . 91 THE IRWIN FAMILY . 95 WAR RECORD . • 99 MARRIAGES . 113 DEEDS • • . • 119 WILLS '• . 127 ADDENDA. • 167 INDEX OF NAMES . • • 177 1ist of Illustrations PAGE The Larimer Arms Fronti!pitce. Arms, Lorimier, N eufchatel • • . Title-page. · Genealogical Chart • • • 12 Old French Arms, Larmor, Bretagne • 16 The Adams County home of the Larimers • 18 William Larimer, Jr., No. 2 3 • • . 20 Rachel McMasters, No. 17 (Mrs. William Larimer, Jr.) • • 22 Fae-simile of William Larimer, Jr.'s, note to President Lincoln • • 26 Conestoga wagon, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia . 28 Rachel H. Larimer, No. 42 (Mrs. James Ross Mellon) . 30 Suburban home of William Larimer, Jr., No. 23 . 32 Four generations,-Judge Thomas Mellon, James Ross Mellon,. _William Larimer Mellon, Matthe·w Mellon • .. • . 34 Homestead of William Larimer, Sr., No. 9 . 36 The Larimer brothers • • • 38 The Sheakley homestead . 44 The Thaddeus Stevens house • 46 Old tavern-stand adjoining Sheakley farm . 48 Ann Sheakley ( Mrs. William Larimer, Sr.) • 50 James McCurdy' s homestead • 54 Lane leading to Robert Mc Curdy' s homestead . • 56 William Creighton's homestead • 62 II itst of 1lllustrations PAGE The John McMasters homestead ,. • • • 66 Chair of John McMasters, No. 6 • • • • 69 Eliza Ann McMasters, No. 16 (Mrs. Hugh D. King) • . • 70 Mary McMasters, No. 23 (Mrs. B. F. Jones) • • 70 Annie E. Larimer, No. 38 (Mrs. T. M. Jones) • • 70 Rachel Hughey, No. 15 (Mrs. John McMasters) • • 74 John Hughey' s homestead and spring-house • • 76 Silhouette of Rachel Hughey, No. I 5 . • 78 Robert King's homestead . So Silhouette of Elizabeth King, No. 9 (Mrs. John Hughey) . • • 82 Fae-simile of Rev. John King's sermon notes . • . • 84 James Sheakley, No. 20, Governor of Alaska, 1893-97 . • • I IO Robert McCurdy, No. 14, Associate Judge of Adams County, 1869-73 . 110 Calvin Hamilton, superintendent Gettysburg Cemetery • I IO Thomas McCurdy Vincent, brigadier-general by brevet. Picture taken in majoi:' s uniform, I 8 6 5 • • • • • 112 William Larimer, Jr., No. 2 3, brigadier-general National Guard, 1849 • 112 Thomas McMasters, No. 20 • • • 112 Mellon family group . • I 14 W. L. Mellon and family . • • • • I I 6 Sarah Lucille Mellon in her mother's wedding-gown, bonnet., and parasol • 1 I 8 Old oak landmark on Robert McCurdy farm . • 124 Silhouette of John McMasters, No. 6 . 140 Tombstone of Robert King . • • • 162 Old Leacock Church., Lancaster County . • • 164 Arms, Lorimier, etc . 172 12 CRossING THE PRAIRIES IN THE Ou> WAY 'ttbe 1atfmet jfamil~ HERE has been a great deal written about the Hu guenot refugees, but really very little of their de scendants. It is estimated that in 1660 there ,vere over two million Huguenots, the best and thriftiest citizens of the old world. In the middle of the sixteenth century over four hundred thousand escaped, and many thousands went to England, Scotland, Ireland, and America. The history of their endurance is among the most remark able records of religious liberty. The persecution of the Huguenots, which checked all wholesome developments at home, whether religious, literary, or commercial, were favor able to their growth abroad, and we consequently find that in literary and artistic excellence the Huguenots have taken their full share. In the Revolution we can see traces of their mental and moral activity. It may be that their day of influence is not yet over, for their history is a standing marvel, illustrating the abiding power of strong religious conviction. It remained for their descendants to show to France that the Huguenot creed goes well with freedom and advance, that the religious instinct so deeply implanted in man is a true friend to orderly national life. Religion which does not abuse its power, a freedom from divided allegiance, an appetite for constitutional and intelli gent belief in the sovereignty of the people,-these are the 15 ttbe Urtmer Jamill? elements which the Huguenots of to-day can bring to the service of the republic under which they dwell safely, none making them afraid. In a list of one hundred and fifty of the early families of York County, Rev. Dr. Demorest, in his sketches, or history, gives the names of many French Huguenots, including the name Larimer, whose. children were presented for baptism between 1769 and 1793. He says : '' Whence came all these people ? Their traditions of trustworthiness, which we may not call in question, point with few exceptions to New Jersey, but I am confident we shall speak more precisely when we say the colony came from about New York City.'' The name "Larimer" is variously spelled Larimier, Lori mer, Lormer, Lorimor, Lorimore, Lorrimer, Larmor, Larimer, Larimore, Larrimore, Larrimer, and the scribes in the various years made the changes that are seen in every branch of the family. £It3abetb 1Lortmtert of francet* married, first, De Paul Emile, Marquis de Braque, Comte de Loches, steward and overseer in general of the equipages and liveries of his Majesty ; second, Joseph Fran~ois Damas, Mar quis de Ruffey, Brigadier-General, who entered the Boulonnais regiment of infantry, as a lieutenant, April second, 1 724. He there had a company, December twenty-eighth, 172 5, and was in all the campaigns in Germany and on the Rhine until 1 735. Appointed colonel of the same regiment at the death of his brother, June eighth, 1736, he took command of the Bavarian army, where he was engaged in many actions from March, * I have not succeeded in tracing my ancestors in France, but find a great deal of history, of which Elizabeth Lorimier's biography is a fair example. ( See Addenda.) 16 ttbe Urtmer Jamill? I 742, until July, I 743. He assisted in the defeat of General Nadasti near Severne; fought in the affair of Haguenau, and at the siege of Fribourg in I 744 ; served in the army of the lower Rhine during the winter and during the following cam paign. He was appointed brigadier of infantry on the first of May. He was at the sieges of Mons and St. Guilian in 1746, and at the battle of Raucoux the same year. He went over to the Italian army in the month of November, and assisted in the defence of Provence until March, I 747, at which time he left the army.