Person:Josiah Espy (3)

Caution: The Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, Pa., places Josiah Espy who married Miss Buell and Elizabeth Crane as a son of George Espy and Jane Taylor, but other sources indicate that Josiah was a brother of George Espy, but those appear to be in the minority.

“Josiah Espy, son of George was born in the north of Ireland in 1718, and came with his parents from Ireland in 1729. They located in Hanover, Lancaster county, now Lebanon county, where Josiah died in 1762, aged forty-four years. He was twice married, first to Miss Buell and afterwards to Miss Elizabeth Crane. There is no account of the separate issue of these marriages, but by both there were children: Josiah; Susan, wife of John Patton; Mary, died in 1818, aged seventy-three, was the wife of James McClure; Martha, born in 1747, wife of Capt. Lazarus Stewart; George, died in April, 1814, in Luzerne county; Priscilla, born in 1753; Robert, in 1755, and Samuel, in 1757.” Source: Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, Pa.

A correction made by Jim Atchison:

Espy, Florence Mercy, History and Genealogy of the Espy Family in America, Iowa, Fort Madison: Espy 1905. George Espy, son of Josiah and Elizabeth Crain Espy was an Elder in the First Presbyterian Church of Willes-Barre; was commissioned second Lieutenant, June 1776, of Capt. Robert Crawford's Company (also of my family), Col. Samuel Hunter's Battalion of Northumberland County, and was in active service. Proof of this is found in the Archives of Pennsylvania

Further if the documentation and church records are to be believed Josiah married Elizabeth after the death of Miss Buell. Their marriage occurred in 1740 Hanover, Pa. If that's true, then 9 of the children of Josiah are children of Josiah and Elizabeth Crain. Additionally after the death of Josiah in 1762 Elizabeth goes on to marry Robert Ewing.