Robert STOREY (1739 – 1835) is Alex’s 7th Great Grandfather, one of 256 in this generation of the Miner line.

Robert Storey was born in 1739 in Convoy, County Donegal, Ireland.  He emigrated and settled in Chester County and Crawford County, Pensylvania. He married Margaret  Lacey LACKEY in Ireland.  Robert died 28 June 1835 in South Shenango Twp., Crawford Co., Pennsylvania. age 95 years, 10 months.

Margaret Lacey Lackey was born in 1740 in Ireland. Margaret died in 05 Feb 1836 in Crawford County, Pennsylvania.  age 96 years

Children of Robert and Margaret:

1800 PA Census Records for Shenango Township, Crawford County
Story, Robert – 1 male age 16 thru 25
1 male age 45 and over
1 female age 45 and over

1810 PA Census Records for Shenango Township, Crawford County
Storey, Robert – 2 males under 10 years of age
1 male 26 thru 44
1 male 45 and over
1 female under age 10
1 female 26 thru 44
1 female 45 and over

In the 1830 census, Robert was in his 90’s and Margaret in her 80’s were living in South Shenango, Crawford, Pennsylvania

Males: 2 born 1820-1825, 1 — 1815-1820, 2 — 1810-1815, 1 — 1800-1810, 1 — 1760-1770, 1 — 1730-1740. Females: 1 born 1825-1830, 1 — 1820-1825, 1 — 1815-1820, 1 — 1810-1815, 1 — 1800-1810, 1 — 1780-1790, 1 — 1740-1750. Total Free White Persons: 15

Notice from Meadville Courier dated February 24, 1835
DIED – “At the residence of his son in South Shenango on the 28th of January, Mr. Robert Story, in the 96th year of his age, one of the first settlers of that township.”

Children

1. Robert Story

Robert’s wife Anne Read (Reed) was born 25 Jul 1782. Her parents were John Reed ( – d. 1816) and Ann Atchison (b. 1747 in Lancaster Co., PA) Her paternal grandparents were David Reed ( – 1748 Martik, Lancaster, PA) and Jennie Culbertson (1714 – 1772). Her maternal grandparents were John Atchison (1710 – 1776) and Catherine Clark  (or Calhoon) (1712 – 1792)

Ann’s father John Reed was a son of David Reed, one of the earliest pioneers of Washington County, Penn.   John Reed, who was of Scotch-Irish descent, and a native of Lancaster county, Penn., about the year 1777 came with a brother, David, to Washington county. They were offered settlement rights by the State of Virginia on certain conditions which they accepted, and immediately erected their cabins on “the waters of Miller’s Run,” presently the Venice-Southview area. In the fall they returned to Lancaster county, where John’s wife was awaiting him, and David’s betrothed then becoming his bride.  John was already married [to Anna Atchison, daughter of John Atchison and his wife Catherine {Calhoon}], and David was married [to Margaret May] on his return home. In the spring following they with their wives moved to their new homes. They lived several years undisturbed.

David Reed Marker — 40° 18.89′ N, 80° 16.15′ W. Marker is in Venice, Pennsylvania, in Washington County. Marker is on Miller’s Run Road (Pennsylvania Route 50) 0.4 miles east of Southview Road, on the right when traveling west

On the 22d of September 1784. John and David Reed dined with George Washington at David’s house [Google Satellite View] in Mount Pleasant township,  The brothers were later ejected from lands in Mount Pleasant township found by the court to be the property of George Washington and they moved to Cecil township, eight miles away.  Today, both are rural suburbs of Pittsburgh.

By the end of the War for Independence George Washington owned about 58,000 acres of western lands in Pennsylvania and what is now West Virginia. Washington believed that the woods of western Pennsylvania and the Ohio Valley beyond would one day become part of a great American nation. But the retired general also feared that unsupervised settlement could lead to disaster. Poor families moving onto the land, and beyond control of eastern elites, could lead to Indian wars, and an uncouth democracy whose weak commercial ties with the east could lead to calls for secession from the Union, or annexation by Spanish Louisiana or French Canada.

IGeorge Washington’s Land in Pennsylvania. In 1781 this parcel became part of the state’s new Washington County, named in the general’s honor.

In September 1784, Washington traveled into western Pennsylvania to survey the 2,813 acres the British government had awarded him for his service in the French and Indian War. There, families had already settled on some of his lands, and the general feared that the loss of even a single parcel to squatters would have a cascading effect, and that he and other legitimate investors might lose hundreds of thousands of acres.

Washington also hoped to attract settlers to western Pennsylvania as part of a tremendously ambitious plan for development of the new nation. The retired general was planning a grandiose scheme of canals and roads that would link Lake Erie to the Ohio River to the Potomac River to the Atlantic Ocean, a system that would carry the wealth of the nation’s interior to himself and his home state of Virginia.

Washington’s Perspective

In 1784, on his only visit to this area, Washington lodged with John Canon and from here went to visit his land. On September 19, he noted in his diary, “Being Sunday, and the People living on my Land apparently very religious, it was thought best to postpone going among them until tomorrow.”

The next day General Washington dined at David Reed’s log house and met with the settlers, who were reported to be “mostly Seceders,” another name for the members of the Associate Presbyterian Church. Washington wrote, “Dined at David Reed’s after which Mr. James Scott and Squire Reed began to enquire whether I would part with the Land and upon what terms.”

The diary of Washington continues, “I told them I had no inclination to sell, however, after hearing a great deal of their hardships, their religious principles and unwillingness to separate or remove…concluded by making offers, which after long consultation the settlers refused. All chose to stand suit and abide the issue of the law.”

The court ruled that Washington’s title to the land was the valid one; so, shortly thereafter, most of the settlers purchased new claims nearby in what is now Cecil and Chartiers Townships where they were still within walking distance of their meeting house at Oak Spring.

Covenanters Perspective

When Washington arrived at his Pennsylvania properties in September, 1784, he was met by a group of Scotch-Irish Presbyterians led by David Reed, who had already settled upon and laid claim to the lands given to him by Congress. When these squatters had arrived in the early 1770s, the area was a trackless forest, still considered by many to be part of the sprawling colony of Virginia. These frontier families had cleared the land; built fences, log cabins and barns; and endured the risk of Indian attacks. They had grown their own corn and wheat, raised cows and pigs, and hunted wild game.

Now, years later, they were being confronted by an absentee landlord, who had kept track of every acre he owned and every shilling of rent he was due. Operating on the assumption that those who improved the land had stronger legal and moral claim to ownership than someone who simply possessed a paper title, they refused to grant Washington occupancy and were unimpressed by his revolutionary war credentials.

Calling themselves the Covenanters, they identified themselves with the Scotsmen who in the 1640s had opposed King Charles I’ efforts to tax and rule them without their consent. Washington, on the other hand, saw himself as the victim. Unlike other speculators such as Robert Morris, Henry Knox, William Bingham, and the Holland Land Company, Washington actually took pains to physically visit and attempt to settle and organize his several holdings. He also knew that squatters frequently sold land to which they had no real title.

Washington was convinced that the squatters had taken advantage of him, penalizing him for the years he had led his country’s army in its fight for independence. “Indeed, comparatively speaking I possess very little land on the Western Waters,” he wrote to his attorney. “To attempt therefore to deprive me of the little I have, is, considering the circumstances under which I have been and the inability of attending to my own affairs, not only unjust, but pitifully mean.” He had little sympathy for this “grazing multitude,” who “set forth their pretensions” to his land, and attempted to “discover all the flaws they could in my Deed.”

On September 14, 1784, Washington and the squatters faced off near his gristmill at present-day Venice. After explaining their respective positions, they agreed to meet again in a few days. Doing his best to salvage the situation, the general met again with the squatters, who again refused to recognize his ownership.

George Washington’s Grist Mill in Perryopolis.Early 1900’s

On September 20, 1784, thirteen of the farmers who had been squatting on Washington’s lands for the previous twelve years, met with the general at the home of Reed.  After Washington again insisted he held title to the land, they announced that they would be willing to buy the land from him outright. They made clear to the general that they were not conceding that he owned the land, but had no desire to engage in a long and nasty dispute – a dispute they well knew Washington could win.

Washington said he would accept no less than twenty-five shillings an acre, paid in three annual installments, with interest. Otherwise, they could sign a 999-year lease. These were stiff terms. None of the thirteen squatters was interested in the lease. When they asked Washington if he would sell the land at his asking price over a much longer period of time and without any interest, he refused, at which point they formally declared that they did not recognize his ownership.

The ensuing lawsuit dragged on for two years. In October, 1786, Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Thomas McKean, riding circuit in the western part of the state, presided over the trial in Washington, Pennsylvania. When the jury came back with a verdict in favor of the general, he became the proprietor of thirteen separate plantations. Washington showed some mercy by absolving the squatters from twelve years of back rent. Permitting the squatters to keep their plantations, he only demanded that they pay future rent. But the squatters would have none of it.

Abandoning the homes they had built over many years, they all moved away. Several obtained warrants for land adjacent to or near Washington’s land, cleared it, and built new plantations.

Washington would keep his grip on the land for another decade. In 1796, with western land speculation in full collapse, he sold the entire tract to a local agent for the modest sum of $12,000. When the agent defaulted on the mortgage, the general then retained the land until his death.

Soon after the organization of Washington County in 1781, John Reed was chosen justice of the peace of the district which afterwards in 1787 became the Fourth, and justice of the peace of the Court of Common Pleas, and was reappointed in November, 1788. On the 2d of October, 1783, he purchased of David Lindsey “all that tract or parcel of land lying and being on the waters of Miller’s Run, within the county and State aforesaid, containing four hundred acres,” adjoining James McCormick and others. ,

They lived there several years in undisturbed possession, but the land being really a portion of the George Washington survey, was afterward claimed by that famous personage.  After the ejectment suit was decided, the two brothers removed to Cecil township, where they purchased land.   John died in 1816, leaving the following children: David (who settled on the home farm), John (sold his land, which was later owned by John Cabbage), Catherine (Mrs. Daniel McClean, Chenango, Penn.), Ann (married to Robert Story), Jane (wife of David Emery [sic], Darlington, Beaver Co., Penn.) and Mary (wife of Rev. Alexander Murray, Slippery Rock, Penn.) .

OBITUARY OF MR. ROBERT STORY.

Obituary.—Robert Story departed this life February, 1846, in the 72d year of his age. He was a native of Ireland, and emigrated with his parents to America when a youth, and after some changes as to their residence, he with his parents came to Crawford County, Pa., and settled in the bounds of the Associate congregation of Shenango. Although at that time a member of the Presbyterian church, he for reasons satisfactory to himself, left his former connection with that church and became a member of the Associate church, and also a ruling elder in their congregation of Shenango for many years. His acquaintance with the doctrines of grace, his knowledge of church discipline, and his zeal for God’s declarative glory, rendered him eminently useful in his day; hence his relations not only sustained a loss in his death, but the church, and especially the congregation, of which he was an efficient member. Yet to him death appeared a welcome messenger, as he died in the full assurance of faith. “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.”

Copy of will for Robert Story of South Shenango Township, Crawford County, PA lists the following…

Wife – Ann
Eldest son – John Reed (deceased) – John’s children listed as John and Jane
Other sons – David, Robert Murray, Alexander, and James
Daughters – Margaret, Ann, and Mary
Amanda also listed in this will; however, there is no mention as to her relation to the deceased.
Executors – son, James, and Robert Martin
Witnesses – Robert and Margaret McCONAHEY
Dated 22 December 1843

 Crawford County  Census Records for the Storys

1840 PA Census Records for South Shenango Township, Crawford County

Story, Robert – 1 male of 10 and under 15
1 male of 15 and under 20
1 male of 20 and under 30
1 male of 60 and under 70
1 female of 10 and under 15
3 females of 20 and under 30
1 female of 50 and under 60

1860 PA Census Records for South Shenango Township, Crawford County

Forest, Jonathon – farmer age 23 born in PA
Amanda – age 24 born in PA
Margrette – age 5/12 born in PA
has Maria Story, age 40 – born in PA, living with family

Story, Anne J. – age 39 farmer born in Ohio
Mary Ann – age 17 born in PA
Margrette – age 15 born in PA
Trina (?) – age 10 born in PA
William – age 8 born in PA

Story, Anna – age 48 farmer born in PA

Story, James – age 82 farm laborer born in PA

(All four of these households are next door to each other.)

South Shenango Township Cemetery Records – Crawford County, PA

Robert Murray Story b. 1816 d. 1853
Ann Jane, wife of Robert, b. 1817 d. 1908
Margretta J. b. 1844 d. 1906
William Russell b. 1847 d. 1849

Jean, daughter of Robert and Ann Storey, who departed this life May 24, 1838 age 19 years

John Reed Story, died 9/25/1841 age 36 years

Robert Storey d. 2/1/1846 age 72 years
Anne, wife of Robert Storey d. 12/9/1848 age 67 years

Story, Margaret b.1807 d. 1851
Story, Mary b. 1814 d. 1884
Story, Anne b. 1812 d.1902

Row V

James Story 1823-1916
Sarah Maria Story 1866-1866
Sarah Snodgrass Story b.1834 d.1866

Children of Robert and Ann:

i. John Reed Story b.  1805 Ireland; d. 25 Sep 1841 South Shenango Township; m. Mary [__?__] (b. 1810 Pennsylvania – d. aft 1860 census)

John’s children listed as John and Jane

John R Story [Jr.] of South Shenango Twp.:  mother and sister /s Mary Storey, Jane Story; request William Q Snodgrass; witness Thomas Glen, John Glen; South Shenango Twp. 8 Aug. 1866; filed 29 Oct. 1866. .

In the 1850 census, John’s widow Mary was living in South Shenango, Crawford, Pennsylvania.
Story, Mary – age 39 born in PA (listed as head of family)
Jane – age 11 born in PA
John A. – age 8 born in PA.

By the 1860 census, the three were still together, though this time John R was listed as head of household

ii. David Story b. 1810 Penns;  d. Betw. 1860-1870 census, Nebraska; m.  his first cousin Sarah  McConahey (b. 1811 Penns – d.  Betw. 1860-1870 Cass Nebraska)  Her parents were Robert McCONAHEY and Margaret STORY.

1840 Census South Shenango Township, Crawford County
Story, David – 1 male of 30 and under 40
1 female unfer 5
1 female of 5 and under 10
1 female of 30 and under 40

In the 1850 census, David and Sarah were farming in South Shenango Township, Crawford County with eight children at home.

Story, David – age 40 born in PA farmer
Sarah – age 39 born in PA
Ann R. – age 11 born in PA
Margaret – age 9 born in PA
Robert – age 8 born in PA
William I. – age 6 born in PA
Alexander M. – age 4 born in PA
Sarah M. – age 2 born in PA
David E. – age 2 born in PA
Daniel M. L. – age 1/12 born in PA
(Robert R. and David Story lived next door to each other, with James Story only two houses over in this census.).

David came to Nebraska Territory in 1857, settling on a claim in Cass county about one mile southeast of Murray.

In the 1860 census, David was living in Cass, Nebraska Territory

In the 1870 census, Sarah was a widow farming in Rock Bluffs, Cass, Nebraska with her children Robert, William, Alexander and Sarah.

In the 1880 Nebraska census, Sarah was living with her son-in-law and daughter H.L. and Sarah Oldham in Rock Bluff, Cass, Nebraska..

The History of the United Presbyterian Church, Murray, Nebraska, 1860-1960 by Margaret Spangler Todd

“According to appointment of the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church made at Philadelphia in May 1860 I came a missionary to Nebraska Territory in July and commenced preaching half time in Rock Bluff Cass County.” Thus Rev. Thomas McCartney entered the first minutes in the Session Records of the Rock Bluffs United Presbyterian Church.

The next item entered was dated August 18, 1860, reading: “By arrangement with those who requested preaching August 18th was designated as the time for the organizing a church. And on the day appointed, after a sermon from Matthew 11:29 the following people were admitted in full communion by assenting to the pricinples of the church, to wit: Robert M. LATTA [our ancestor and David Story’s first cousin] , Letitia LATTA [Robert’s wife], William L. Thompson, Hanna E. Thompson, William H. Royal, Elizabeth Royal, David Storey  , Jane Latta and Mary Latta.” Also Robert M. LATTA and W.L. Thompson were, by ballot, chosen as ruling elders and the organization named “The United Presbyterian Congregation of Rock Bluffs.”

The following Act of Legislature was approved January 4, 1861: “To incorporate The United Presbyterian Church at Rock Bluffs City: Section I – Be it enacted by the council and the house of representatives of the Territory of Nebraska, that Joh Latta [Robert’s brother John Allison], William H. Royal, David Storey,  Robert M. LATTA and William L. Thompson and their associates and successors, the members of the United Presbyterian Church of Rock Bluffs City, Cass County, be, and the same are hereby created a body politic and corporate, under the name style and title to remain in perpetual succession with full power to plead and be impleaded, to sue and be sued, to receive, acquire hold and possess prpoerty, real, person and mixed; to use, employ, manage and dispose of all such property as they deem proper for use and well being of said church and in consistent with the provisions of said act, to elect such trustees and other officers and make such rules and by-laws as they deem proper provided always, that they do any act or make any rule or by-law which shall in any way conflict with t he constitution of the United States or doctrine or usages of the United Presbyterian Church of the United States of America.”

For more on the pioneers of Rock Bluff, Nebraska see my posts Robert McConahay LATTA  and Western Pioneers.

iii. Alexander Storey

iv. Margaret Story b.1807 d. 1851

In the 1850 census, Margaret was living with her brother James in South Shenango, Crawford, Pennsylvania.

v. Ann Story b. 1812 Penns. d.1902 South Shenango

In the 1850 census, Ann was living with her brother James in South Shenango, Crawford, Pennsylvania.

In the 1880 census, Ann was single and living in South Shenango with a daughter named Magdalena, born in 1867 in Pennsylvania. Since Ann was 55 in 1867 and unmarried, Magdalena must have been adopted.

In the 1870 census, Magdalena was living with her parents William and Magdalena Minesinger in Pittsburgh.

By the 1900 census, Ann and her brother James were again living together in South Shenango together with Mary (Magdalena) W Mienersager age 32 and her brother William Mienersager age 28.

vi. Mary (Maria) Story b. 1814  Pennsylvania; d. 1884

In the 1850 census, Mary was living with her brother James in South Shenango, Crawford, Pennsylvania

In the 1870 census, Maria was living with Amanda and Jonathan Forest in South Shenango, Crawford. PA.
Forest, Jonathan – age 34 farmer born in PA
Amanda – age 37 keeps house born in PA
Margatta – age 10 born in Ohio
Emma Jane – age 8 born in PA
Has Maria Story, age 56 born in PA, living with them.

Story, Anne – age 58 born in PA was their next door neighbor.

In the 1880 census, she was still living with the family in Pine Township, Crawford County

Forrest, Jonathan – age 44, farm laborer, born in PA, father born in PA, mother born in IRE
Amanda – age 47, wife, keeps house, born in PA, father born in IRE, mother born in PA
Etta – age 20, daughter, at home, born in Ohio, parents born in PA
Emma – age 19, daughter, at home, born in PA, parents born in PA
Henderson – age 9, son, at home, born in PA, parents born in PA
Story, Maria – age 64, cousin, keeps house, born in PA, father born in IRE, mother born in PA.

vii. Robert Murray Story b. 1816 Penns.; d. 1853 South Shenango, Crawford, Pennsylvania; m. Ann Jane [__?__] ( b. Apr 1817 Ohio – d. 1908)

In the 1850 census, Robert R Story was farming in South Shenango, Crawford, Pennsylvania

Story, Robert R. – age 35 born in Ireland
Ann Jane – age 36 born in OH
Mary A. – age 8 born in PA
Margaretta I. – age 6 born in PA
Terzah – age 2/12 born in PA

In the 1900 census, Ann Jane [__?__]  was living in South Shenango, Crawford, Pennsylvania with her daughters Margareta and Tizrah. Tizrah was an inmate at the United Presbyterian Home for the Aged in Wilkinsburg, Allegheny, Pennsylvania in 1920 and 1930.

viii. James Story b. Nov 1823 Penns.; d. 1916 South Shenango, Crawford, Pennsylvania.

In the 1850 census, James was farming in South Shenango, Crawford, Pennsylvania
Story, James – age 26 farmer born in 1823 PA (real estate = $1500) living with
Margaret Story- age 43 born in 1807 PA (real estate = $250)
Ann Story – age 38 born in 1812 PA (real estate = $250) James’ sister
Mary Story – age 36 born in PA (real estate = $250) James’ sister
Joseph Cowan – age 16 farm hand born in PA
Amanda Story – age 22 born in PA born 1828. Who is this?

In the 1910 census, James (age 86) was living with his niece Terzah in South Shenango, Crawford, Pennsylvania.

2. Margaret Story (see Robert McCONAHEY‘s page)

Sources:

Obituary of Robert Story – Google Books

Conneaut Township History

http://www.storeygenealogy.com/ireland/donegal/donegalstoreys.html

http://boards.ancestry.com/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=626&p=surnames.story

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/8056270/person/-122033210

http://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-28F