Person:James Huston (3)

Contents 1 Documentation 2 Overview 3 Parents 4 Children 5 Sources 6 Footnotes

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Documentation

Overview

Church records for Old Swedes Church in Wilmington Delaware show that Family:James Houston and Mary Glassford (1) had a son baptized there in 1721/22. He is believed (Source:Anonymous, 1905) to be the James Huston who settled on Conadoguinet Creek, East Pennsboro Township, Cumberland County adjacent to the Silver Springs Meetinghouse by 1772 when he secured a warrant for land. The patent for this property was later granted to a John Orth in 1785, indicating that James had transferred the land to Orth prior to this date. Source:Anonymous, 1905 also believes that he moved to Mifflin (now Centre) County, where he died of a tooth extraction in 1789.

From Source:Anonymous, 1905

James Huston...bought a farm [in September, 1785] at the head of Penn's creek, in what is now Centre, but at that time was yet included within the bounds of Cumberland county. In the deed conveying it the seller is designated as "James Huston, of Philadelphia, innholder;" and the purchaser as "James Huston, Jr., distiller, of East Pennsboro, Cumberland county." "Junior" here does not indicate that James Huston, of East Pennsboro, "distiller," was a son of James Huston, of Philadelphia, "innholder," for there is a record in the orphans court of Cumberland county showing that he was a brother of John Huston, who in the will of Samuel Huston is designated as one of the testator's "two younger sons." He in all probability was a nephew of James Huston, of Philadelphia, "innholder."

James Huston's land in Cumberland County lay near Silver Spring Meetinghouse.

Parents

There are a number of questions surrounding the identity of this James Huston. This article assumes that he is the son of person:James Houston (14) but its also possible that he is the son either of Person:Christopher Huston (3) or Person:Samuel Huston (5) both of whom settled nearby.

According to Source:Anonymous, 1905 James Huston was born in 1758, served in the war of the Revolution, and from 1780 to 1786 appears regularly on the East Pennsboro tax list as a freeman. ^[2] He then disappears from the records and never re-appears in Cumberland county as a citizen. He removed to his farm in Penn's Valley, married, and ever afterward lived in that part of the State. He married Catharine Ewing, whose father, James Ewing, was one of the early settlers of the vicinity of McCormick's Fort, in Huntingdon county.

James Huston was born in 1758, served in the war of the Revolution, and from 1780 to 1786 appears regularly on the East Pennsboro tax list as a freeman. ^[3] He then disappears from the records and never re-appears in Cumberland county as a citizen. He removed to his farm in Penn's Valley, married, and ever afterward lived in that part of the State. He married Catharine Ewing, whose father, James Ewing, was one of the early settlers of the vicinity of McCormick's Fort, in Huntingdon county. In 1782, when about twelve years old, Catharine Ewing was captured by the Indians and for seven days marched through the wilderness in rain, sleet and snow to Canada. She was taken to Montreal and there held a captive until after the war, when she was exchanged and sent to Philadelphia. From Philadelphia she finally found her way back to her home. James and Catharine (Ewing) Huston had issue as follows: Samuel, Mary, Thomas, Isabella, Catherine and Margaret. Four of these children married and raised large families. Some of their descendants are yet living in central Pennsylvania, but many have scattered to distant parts of the country and not a few have won fame and distinction. </blockquote>

It seems a stretch of the data to consider this James Huston to be a son of Samuel (5). The fact that Samuel did not name a son "James" in his will would seem to require an explanation. The statement That "there is a record in the orphans court of Cumberland county showing that he was a brother of John Huston, who in the will of Samuel Huston is designated as one of the testator's "two younger sons" looks to be a circular argument. It is not obvious from the excerpt that "John Huston brother of James" was the John Huston mentioned in Samuels will; same name, but plausibly a different person.

1. ↑ Source:Anonymous, 1905
2. ↑ The designation Freeman on these tax lists indicates that he was over 21, but did not own land. This probably means that the entries in the tax record for James Huston are for a different person.
3. ↑ The designation Freeman on these tax lists indicates that he was over 21, but did not own land. This probably means that the entries in the tax record for James Huston are for a different person.

Children

Sources

Much of the information above was taken from Ancestors of Irene Harvey, a personal website. Most of the data is not documented to original sources.

Footnotes