1756 - 1812

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• Birth	ABT. 1756	,, Ireland   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Died	ABT. 1812	PA   [1]
  Person ID	I2933	Barbarowa Neighborhood
  Last Modified	08 Nov 2007 09:28:59
  Family	Martha FINDLY, b. ABT. 1756
  Married	27 Jan 1779  [1]
  Notes	Married by the Rev. Alexander Dobbins of the Rock Creek Congregation ofthe Presbyterian Church of Adams County. His wife was Miss MarthaFindly, and it was noted that one or both of the contracting parties (asof that date) were from Antrim, which today is found in Tioga County.
  Children	> 1. William MC MICHAEL, b. ABT. 1779   2. Daniel MC MICHAEL, b. ABT. 1781   3. Mary MC MICHAEL, b. ABT. 1782 > 4. David MC MICHAEL, b. ABT. 1786, Probably PA.   5. Elizabeth MC MICHAEL, b. ABT. 1791   6. John MC MICHAEL, b. ABT. 1785
  Family ID	F1130	Group Sheet

• Notes

  A history of Butler county, PA. (1883), published by Waterman, Watkins &Co., provides the basic outline for the early generations of this familygroup, and this is enlarged upon, and improved by a later edition "20thCentury History of Butler County, PA, (1909) by James A. McKee. A historyof Venango County, PA (1919), provides biographical data on MabelElizabeth McMichael (5A154), with a review of her father's life, andantecedents. From the Pennsylvania Archives, Series 2, Volume 1, comesthe detailed account of the military career of the first Christopher, inthe Revolutionary War, with some of it from the Butler history. From aHistory of Cumberland & Adams Counties, PA (1886), do we find the detailsof the marriage of the first Christopher, and the listing of his childrenis had from a reading of his last will, which is was found in the RecordsOffice, Butler County. Christopher MCMICHAEL, the progenitor of this line of descent, ofScotch-Irish ancestry, came to this country from Northern Ireland, priorto the American Revolution. He fought in that war, and was enlistedpresumably, about March-April 1776, for a 2-year period, in thePennsylvania Rifle Regiment. He was a member of Capt. Richard BrownsCompany in the First Battalion, Major James Piper commanding. Thisregiment was organized strictly for the defense of the State ofPennsylvania, and consisted of three battalions of 500 men each, tworiflemen, and one musketman. It was engaged in the battle of Long Island,on August 27th 1776. Under a separate entry, Christopher was reported asmissing in action on that date, and presumably was taken prisoner by theenemy. We fond on page 252, another entry, where his name is included ona list of prisoners which were exchanged with the enemy, on December 9,1776. He returned to his unit. Due probably to the depletion of its own forces, the Pennsylvania RifleRegiment was transferred as a nucleus for a new organization in March of1777, known as the State Regiment of Foot. Cols John Bull and WalterStewart commanding, successively. And we find Christopher MCMICHAELlisted as a member of Capt. John Marshall's Company. This Regiment wasengaged in the Battle of Brandywine (Sept 11, 1777) and Germantown (Oct 41777). By a resolution of Congress, dated Nov 12. 1777, this PennsylvaniaRegiment of Foot, was taken into the Continental Army, and became the13th Pennsylvania Regiment of the Line. But Christopher's name disappearsfrom the records, and it is the statement of the Butler History, that heagain was taken prisoner at the Battle of Brandywine, and detained by theenemy until the end of the war. We have a statement of a Mr. Paul Mcmichael on CA, one of ourcorrespondents, that Christopher was held prisoner this time, on one ofthe notorious prison ships, until released; and that he and anotherprisoner,both ill and half-starved, were dumped on the beach to die. Theother man did die, but Christopher found someone who took him in and fedhim, and cared for him until he was able to travel again. After the Revolutionary War, Christopher having become a n experiencedscout, performed good service on the frontier, while the Indians were yetwarlike and troublesome, in the wild regions of the Alleghenies. He latersettled on lands near the line which now separates Armstrong and IndianCounties, in PA. Just West of Shelota, PA) The area is known as theCrooked Creek Seattlement - which term is found in his will, and isverified in a conveyance of land - That a a farm owned in 1957 by Mr.Harry Jackson Lytlr, and which lies 1/ mile NW of Shelocta, PA, which atone time was the property of Christopher MCMICHAEL. (The village ofShelota, PA is near the intersection of Crooked Creek and theArmstrong-Indian Co. line.) The tract was surveyed in pursuance of awarrant dated Dec 4 1793, granted Mr. Christopher MCMICHAEL. He, byagreement dated Apr 16, 1796, conveyed same to John Thompson for 60pounds. (This was recorded on March 9, 1841 at the Indian County CourtHouse, in Deed Book, Vol. 2, Page 247). Mr. Thompson then secured apatent for the tract of 285 acres, from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,on March 23, 1841. (Recorded in Patent Book H, Vol. 43, Page 368). The sale of the land in the Crooked Creek settlement, was in the year1796. At some time between that time, and the year 1800, ChristopherMCMICHAEL, with his wife, four sons and two daughters, removed to ClayTownship, Butler County, PA, and that area became the center of thisfamily group. Christopher MCMICHAEL was married on Jan 27, 1779, by the Rev. AlexanderDobbin of the Rook Creek Congregation of the Presbyterial Church of AdamsCounty. His wife was Miss Martha Findly, and it was noted that one orboth of the contracting parties (as of that date) were from Antrim, whichtoday is found in Tioga County. While the history books have given thenumber of children to this marriage, yet it is from his will that weobtained the full list of the names, and the probable order of birth.The will was found in the Records Office at Butler, PA. There is, however, a debatable discrepancy between the history books andthe will. The history books stste that there were four sons and twodaughters. The will names but three sons and two daughters. But there isa codicil to the will, which named another, a John McMichael, under termswhich in effect, made him also a beneficiary of the estate. And it istantalizing thought, though yet without proof, that John was the fourthson. The children: 2A2. William "My oldest son" 2B3. Daniel 2C4. Mary 2D5. David "My youngest son" 2E6. Elizabeth "David's younger sister" 2F7. A son??? (Again, in the above numbering, Christopher was the 1st generation. (Hischildren are of the 2nd generation, while the letter will identify thedescendants of each, when the lines are developed.) The codicil to the will of the 1st Christopher, of which we have spoken,was written in the hand of another person, since Christopher was too illto do it himself. Since the will's codicil was dated 21 June 1812, weinfer that he died later that year. The will itself, provided that Davidwas to receive the bulk of the estate, on the provision that he providefor his mother and younger sister. With that statement in mind, we canthen understand the provisions of the codicil, which stated that Davidwas to pay his brother Daniel, at some future date, the sum of $100.00,on the condition that he, Daniel, relinquish all claim to a tract of landupon which he was living, to one John MCMICHAEL. John is not identifiedas a son directly - but the fact that David was to reimburse Daniel outof his share of the estate, is one argument of the relationship. If Johnwere not a blood relative, then it would seem that a straight bill ofsale was in order, and that John should pay the cost. If David pays, thenthis in effect, makes John a beneficiary of the will. With the coming of the family to Butler, at some time between 1796 and1800, this county became the center of this line of decent. And in theestablishment of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, (now theUnited Presbyterian Church), many of the family were participants, andofficers of the church. William (2A2) and Christopher (3A11) wereofficers of the church and charter members. In the family of Japhiah, he(4A33) and his son Warren (5A124), were both elders of the church at WestSunbury. It is also of note, that Ethan MCMICHAEL (4A33), and Howard(5A122) and Ethan A. (5A125), were all ministers of this denomination,in other branches. In the name of God Amen I Christopher McMichael, being sick of body but of a sound mind, domake this my last will and testament, and first I do leave my body to theearth and my soul to God who gave it, and of the portion of worldly goodswith which it hath pleased the Lord to bless me, after giving me a decentChristian burial and paying all my lawful Debts, And first I do leave to my beloved wife a sufficient support in victualsand clothing from the rents or benefits arising from my plantation, andnext I leave and bequeath to my oldest son, William, the sum of onedollar, and 3rdly, I leave to my second son Daniel the sum of one Dollar,and 4thly, to my daughter Mary, the sum of one dollar, and 5thly to myyoungest son, David, all my other property, real and personal, on thecondition that he will pay all my lawful debts and keep his mother duringlife and give to

• Sources

  [S14] Series 4.