Person:James Caskey (4)

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James 'Jim' Caskey
b.21 Feb 1773 County Derry, Ireland
d.23 Dec 1851 Adams County, Ohio
Facts and Events
Name James 'Jim' Caskey
Gender Male
Birth[1] 21 Feb 1773 County Derry, Ireland
Marriage Irelandto Margaret 'Peggy' Anderson
Death[1] 23 Dec 1851 Adams County, Ohio
Burial[2] 1851 Cherry Fork Cemetery, Wayne, Adams, Ohio, United States
References
  1. 1.0 1.1 Ancestry.com. Public Member Trees: (Note: not considered a reliable primary source).
  2. Find A Grave.

    James Caskey
    Birth: Feb. 21, 1773, Ireland
    Death: Dec. 23, 1851
    Adams County
    Ohio, USA

    James Caskey came to America from County Londonderry, Ireland. He married in Ireland on 21 Feb 1773 to Margaret "Peggy" Anderson. They owned linen mills in Tyrone County, Ireland and were persecuted by the Roman Catholic church because they were protestants. According to family tradition, James was beaten on several occasions for his faith & on one occasion, he received such heavy blows about the head that his skull was fracture. The fracture healed but left such a large indentation on the top of his head that it was said it could hold water. The final straw came when their home and personal belongings were burned, causing them to verily escape with their lives. All their property being destroyed or confiscated, James & Peggy fled their homeland & came to America circa 1795. They settled in Rockbridge Co., Va among a significant number of Scotch-Irish Associate Reformed Presbyterians on the James River. James received his naturalization papers in 1809. After remaining in Va. for 2 decades, they relocated to Adams County, Ohio in 1811. They made the trip overland by covered wagon & down the Ohio River on a flat boat. While traveling on the flat boat, Peggy gave birth to their youngest son, Alexander on 26 Jun 1811. They landed at Manchester, Ohio and settled at North Liberty (Cherry Fork) on a little stream know as Martin's Run. They bought 250 acres of land at a cost of $2 per acre. James & Peggy were both anti-slavery, having been persecuted in their previous homeland, they were very sympathetic to others who were being discriminated against. Guiding & harboring runaway slaves was a risky business, but "old Jim Caskey" as he was called became one of the conductors on the Underground Railroad. When their brick home was built, a concealed room was constructed in the basement for the sole purpose of hiding runaway slaves. He helped many slaves to travel from the stations in Decatur & Red Oak in Brown Co. to Gen. Wm McIntire's home on Graces Run. His son Alexander, also assisted escaped slaves find their way to freedom. James' son, James Caskey became a minister of the faith and led the fight against slavery as well. He was the Pastor of the Presbyterian church in Ripley & was friends with Rev. Rankin assisting him in helping escaped slaves find their way north. James & Peggy were buried together in the same grave on the same day. The stone slabs that marked their grave were stolen in the 1940's to make sidewalks.

    Family links:
    Spouse:
    Margaret "Peggy" Anderson Caskey (1770 - 1851)

    Children:
    John Caskey (1801 - 1825)*
    Isabelle Caskey Waite (1803 - 1864)*
    James Caskey (1807 - 1854)*
    William Caskey (1809 - ____)*
    Alexander Caskey (1811 - 1868)*

    http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=66753623