Person:James Galbraith (3)

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James GALBRAITH was born in 1666 in Northern Ireland. He died on 23 Aug 1744 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Parents: John GALBRAITH . Children were: John GALBRAITH, Andrew GALBRAITH, James GALBRAITH Jr., Elenor GALBRAITH, Isabel GALBRAITH, Rebecca GALBRAITH.

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768–769. James Galbraith was born in the North of Ireland in 1666, and died in Donegal Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on August 23, 1744. He was buried in the old graveyard at Derry. Rebecca Chambers was born in the North of Ireland in—say—1667. They were married about 1689. She took the name Rebecca Galbraith. There is no proof that James married Rebecca Chambers, just family lore. There is no proof that James married Rebecca Chambers, just family lore. He is the son of John Galbraith. She is the daughter of Arthur Chambers. They had six children:

i. John Galbraith was born in Ulster, Ireland, in 1690, and died in Donegal Township in October, 1753. He was about 28, married to Janet _____, and had one or two children when he arrived with his father. His will mentions his wife Janet; daughters Elizabeth, Margaret, and Eleanor McKinley; and grandsons John and Joseph McKinley. Eleanor married Patrick McKinley on February 27, 1735. They also had a daughter Janet. ii. Andrew Galbraith was born in the North of Ireland in 1692, and died in Pennsylvania. Per CGANA, sect. III, p. 6, (Orbison's manuscript, corrected): He married Mary Kyle who was born in Ireland in about 1688, daughter of James Kyle who was born in 1663 in Tyrone County, Ireland. Mary died in 1735 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. There is proof that they had one son, John Galbraith (b. about 1717, d. 1769 Pennsylvania). Per CGANA, sect. III, pp. 8–10: Andrew and Mary are believed by some to have had a son, Andrew, who married Mary Sharpe, and another son, Robert, but there is no proof of this. Andrew (Sr.) immigrated from Ireland to Pennsylvania with his father in about 1718 and settled in what later became Lancaster County. He helped in the organization of the county and became its first coroner. Later he held the offices of Justice of the Court of Common Pleas, Representative to the General Assembly, Justice of the Peace, and was one of the first Ruling Elders of the old Donegal Church. He served several years in the Provincial Assembly and was one of the most prominent of the pioneer settlers. iii. Eleanor Galbraith was born probably in the North of Ireland in—say—1696. Per CGANA, sect. III, p. 7: records of the First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia show that in 1734 she married Benjamin Gass who lived near Chambersburg in (then) Cumberland County. Per CGANA, sect. II, p. 12: their children included a daughter, Mary, who married her first cousin, William Stewart. (Also see Family of Millers and Stewarts.) (The order of these three daughters is as given in CGANA, sect. V, p. 39; their dates of birth are pure speculation.) iv. Isabel Galbraith was born probably in the North of Ireland in—say—1698. Per CGANA, sect. III, p. 7: records of the First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia show that she married Alexander McMillan in 1735; vol. IV, p. 6, gives October 21, 1735. v. Rebecca Galbraith was born probably in the North of Ireland in—say—1700, and died in Pennsylvania between December 28, 1748 and January 2, 1748/9. Per Torrence and Allied Families, she married in Ireland Alexander Stewart of Fort Stewart and Carnomanga, county Donegal. He died in 1743 and their eldest son, Alexander, inherited the estate. In about 1745, Mrs. Rebecca Stewart with her remaining five children (Charles, Robert, William, Frances, and Margery) arrived in Pennsylvania. Her will (available from the Lancaster Co., PA, Historical Society) was dated December 28, 1748, and her estate was inventoried January 2, 1748/9. Her executors were her brother, John, and her son, James Karr [Kerr?]. It also mentions sons "Charles Steuart", "Robert and William Steuart"; also daughters "Frances Steuart" and "Margaret". Witnesses were "Janet Galbreath" and "Elizabeth Karr". Per CGANA, sect. II, p. 12, (Lt.) William Stewart married his first cousin, Mary Gass, daughter of Eleanor Galbraith (above). vi. James Galbraith [#384]: He was born in Ulster in 1703, and died in East Pennsboro, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, on June 11, 1786.

Per CGANA, sect. III, p. 7, in an item written by Lela Booth: "James Galbreath, 52 years old, arrived in Pennsylvania in October 1718 on the ship Wm. Galley, Capt. Sam'l Haines. (Per the MacDaid Memorial Library, FL, Passenger List and Attestation)." [Note that this library cannot be found and this passenger list cannot be confirmed. The MacDaid Library has all the earmarks of being a genealogical scam.]

In Chronicles of Penn 1688–1748: The account books of Penn's agents show that by September 6, 1719, James Galbreath "late of Ireland" is charged in 1720 for 100 acres out near the Susquehanna R. Per the Orbison Manuscript, James settled in Conestoga Township, Chester County (later Donegal Township in Lancaster County). The assessment list of Conestoga Township for 1721 shows an assessment against "James Kilbrah" with a valuation of £5 and a tax of 1s 3d.

James Galbraith on the Tax List James Galbraith 1/6 W. Connestoga 1722 James Galbraith 1/8 Donegal 1724 James Galbraith 1/6 Donegal 1725 James Galbraith 1/6 Donegal 1726 Note that W. Connestoga was changed to Donegal in 1722. From The Galbraith Families of Donegal..., section 3, p.7+ comes: James and his sons were immediately active in helping to organize a Presbyterian church in the new settlement. That first building was a small log cabin with look-outs at the corners where men of the congregation kept watch. This building was built by the big spring and was used for about 12 years.

In the southwest corner of the old cemetery in the Derry Presbyterian Churchyard are two flat slabs of white marble: Here lieth the remains of the Rev. William Bertram, first pastor of this congregation who departed this life 2nd May, 1746 Aged 72 years As also Elizabeth, his daughter, wife of James Galbraith, Esqr. who departed this life 2nd Feb. A.D. 1799, Aged 85 years. Here lieth the remains of James Galbraith who departed this life ye 23rd August, 1744 Aged 78 years Also James Galbraith, Esqr. The younger on ye 11th June, 1786 Aged 83 years Who dwelt beloved by all, In rational piety, modest hope, and cheerful resignation Elizabeth . . . . . . . . . The last "Elizabeth" is probably the wife of Rev. Bertram.

James Sr. and James Jr. both acquired land in Derry Township about ten miles to the north. The township developed where two Indian paths intersected near Derry Spring and the James Galbraith plantation (the Allegheny path running close to the current Rte. 422, and the Conewago path running south from Manada Gap to Conewago Creek).

It is not known when James Sr. went to live in Derry or what happened to his wife, Rebecca. James was probably living with his son, James Jr., when he died at age 78. Both James Sr. and Jr. were buried in the old cemetery in the Derry Presbyterian Churchyard, Hershey, Pennsylvania, and are on the the honor roll of those buried there:

Frontiersmen: James Galbraith, Sr. and James Galbraith, Jr.

The reason for the immigration of the Galbraith family at that time can only be speculated upon, but from 1714 to 1719 there were severe droughts in Ireland with attendant loss of crops and livestock. Also, as the lookout on the original log cabin church attests, there was active hostility against Presbyterians.

Sources: The Clan Galbraith Association of North America, The Galbraith Families of Donegal Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a collections of works, including: Galbraith of Donegal; Extracted from Pennsylvania Genealogies by William Henry Egle, 1886; with significant corrections by Jean Harriger. Harringer, Jean; Galbraiths of Pennsylvania Origin More on the Galbraiths from the Redtower (the Association's publication) Orbison, Robert Allison; The Galbraith Family, an unpublished manuscript, with amendments and corrections by Jean Harriger Extracts from Gilbreath, Galbreath, Galbraith by Elmer C. Galbreath Keith, Chronicles of Penn 1688–1748, vol. II, p.596. Moran, Clara Galbreath Royse, and Good, Marie Galbreath The Descendants of John and Elizabeth Aikman Galbreath 1943, (published in 198_ by J.W. Galbreath, Collinwood, TN, titled Galbraith; Library of Congress call number: CS71.G1491980; Dewey: 929/.2/0973 ED: 20) Miller, Robert Finney; Family of Millers and Stewarts, 1909 Mary Kyle's information came from James Kyle Genealogy by Margot Hill, 1998. IGI (International Genealogical Index) entry for James Galbraith.