Person:Richard Irwin (5)

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ID: I16974 Name: Richard IRWIN Sex: M Birth: 1740 in County Armagh, Northern Ireland Death: 1812 in Northumberland County, PA Note:

Mercer County's First Reznor. George Reznor (1769-1838). When John Reznor, I, died in Northumberland County in 1801, his son George got the property that was later called Orwig's. Union County history shows that a road was laid out from Rockey's Mill to George Reznor's saw mill, five miles; and from Reznor's saw mill to the Brush Valley and Mifflinburg Road, four miles and 140 perches. George sold his saw mill and his land to Abraham Orwig, in 1816, and moved to Mercer County. We may well wonder why George sold his saw mill, for whoever worked a saw mill in the Pennsylvania wilderness must have had a thriving business. When Charles II of Great Britain signed the deed for the territory which he designated as Pennsylvania and turned it over to young William Penn, he completed the greatest timber deal in history. Pennsylvania was practically all wooded territory. There were few lakes and bare mountain tops. Records show that some timber tracts in the state had 100,000 board feet of white pine to the acre, which was not unusual, even a century ago. The giant trees measured 130 to 200 feet tall and two to six feet in diameter, and stood in the glens amid the hardwoods and hemlocks. The quality stand of white pine was confined to the West Branch Valley of the Susquehanna. The timber from this section was more valuable because of its size and texture. It was only natural that in the course of time, a number of saw mills sprang up along the river. The first saw mill was constructed on the West Branch at what is now the town of Lewisburg in 1770. The early sawing was inexpert and crude. For hauling logs, a team of four to eight oxen was set to work. Logs were hauled to the bank of a stream and floated to the mill. George married Elizabeth Irwin in Union County January 17, 1807. Elizabeth was born May 7, 1777. Her father was Richard Irwin, born 1740, in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. He immigrated to New London Township, Chester County, PA, and married Ann Steele in November, 1764. Elizabeth's mother, Ann Steele, was born May 18,1744, to Samuel Steele, Esq., and Ann Futhey, in New London Township, Chester County. Elizabeth was the seventh child of this marriage. She died June 16, 1858, in Delaware Township, Mercer County. The Irwin Family. The Irwin family was of Scottish descent, and were very numerous along the banks of the river Irwin in Scotland to which they are said to have given the name. The poet Robert Burns alluded to it, lamenting that Scottish poets had neglected to sing the river's praises. The family traces its ancestry to David Irwin of the County of Armagh who married Margaret Berry in 1725 and reared a family of eleven children -- eight sons and three daughters. Of the sons, six emigrated to America and settled principally in Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia and Ohio. When Richard Irwin was thirty-six years old, he moved to White Deer Township, Northumberland (later Union) County, which was then considered the frontier and very dangerous territory. Linn's Annals of the Buffalo Valley contains many allusions to him: New London Township: 1762. Richard Irwin. Freeman. Tax 9 shillings. 1763: Richard Irwin. Poll Tax. Not found in New London after that date. Annals, page 113, 1776, at a town meeting Richard Irwin was appointed 1st Lieutenant of the Committee of Safety in Capt. William Murray's Co. (note: William Murray's sister Ann was the wife of John Reznor, II) Page 49: assessment list of inhabitants of White Deer, for the year 1778, appears the name Richard Irwin, one log cabin. In 1789 Richard was elected Supervisor for White Deer. In 1796 he is listed in the Annals as weaver and farmer and owning a log house and barn, and the names of two of his sons are given: Samuel and John, weaver and surveyor, respectively. In two or three places in the Annals, Linn published extracts from the diary of Flavel Roan, "an eccentric and jolly bachelor of bibulous habits." Roan wrote in a dashing, off-hand way, and appeared to be on friendly terms with all the prominent early settlers of the Buffalo Valley. In his journal he mentions visiting Richard Irwin and Samuel Dale, and of calling on the same day Dr. Joseph Priestly, the celebrated Unitarian preacher and philosopher, the discoverer of oxygen, who lived in the neighborhood. Annals, p. 361: July 29, 1807. Militia meeting. Field Officers present. Election for company officers at Richard Irwin's, White Deer. Edward Morton and I attended and clerked. We had plenty of talk and some whiskey. Annals, p. 381: July 1, 1809. Called at Grier's and R. Irwin's. Sent a snuff box to Mrs. Robt. Lyons. Had business at Dr. Priestley's. Not a quart of whiskey in all the haying. Met Col. S. Dale on his way to the assembly. Party at Rev. John Hood's. The Steele Family. Ann Steele, who married Richard Irwin, was a descendant of Ninian Steele, who came from Northern Ireland and settled in New London Township and died there in 1745. He left six children, among whom was Samuel Steele, Esq., who lived in Thunder Hill, New London Township, and died in May, 1760, leaving eleven children, among whom was Ann. Ann's sister Ruth married Robert Futhey, whose daughter Ann married Samuel Dale in 1769 and moved to the Buffalo Valley near the present site of Lewisburg. Sources. Irwin, Samuel D. The Irwin Family: Sketch of Richard Irwin of Chester County, PA and his Descendants. Evening News Printing, Franklin, PA 1893. LDS Family History Library. Film Area 924090, Item 19. Another filming, Washington, D.C. Photoduplication Service, 1985, on one microfilm reel: 35mm. Kauffman, Mrs. Carrie L. "Lumbering Along the Susquehanna," Susquehanna Tales," Vol. 1. Sons of the Revolution: 1955; 99-104. Linn, John Blair. Annals of the Buffalo Valley, Pennsylvania, 1755-1835. Lane S. Hart, Harrisburgh, PA 1877. Reznor, Lamont E. & Ivan M. Reznor Genealogy, 1940-85, updated by Beverly Ann Reznor Brown 1995.

Father: David IRWIN Mother: Margaret BERRY

Marriage 1 Ann STEELE b: 18 MAY 1744 in New London Township, Chester County, PA Married: 7 NOV 1764 in New London Township, Chester County, PA Children

Samuel IRWIN b: 17 AUG 1765 in New London Township, Chester County, PA
David IRWIN b: 15 DEC 1766 in New London Township, Chester County, PA
John IRWIN b: 24 JAN 1768 in New London Township, Chester County, PA
James IRWIN b: 13 FEB 1770 in New London Township, Chester County, PA
Margaret IRWIN b: 18 MAY 1772 in West Fallowfield Township, Chester County, PA
Ninian IRWIN b: 24 MAY 1774 in West Fallowfield Township, Chester County, PA
Elizabeth IRWIN b: 7 MAY 1777 in West Fallowfield Township, Chester County, PA
Robert IRWIN b: 5 AUG 1782 in West Fallowfield Township, Chester County, PA
Richard IRWIN b: 13 OCT 1785 in West Fallowfield Township, Chester County, PA
Joseph IRWIN b: 20 MAY 1788 in White Deer Township, Northumberland County, PA (Union 1813)