Joseph Somerville
JOSEPH SOMERVILLE, a retired farmer living on a tract of forty -five acres situated two miles southeast of Kaylor, Pa., in Brady's Bend township, Armstrong county, was born on that farm June 30, 1847, son of James Somerville and a grandson of James Somerville. James Somerville, the grandfather, was born in County Down, Ireland, not far from Belfast, and was nineteen years of age when he came to the United States and settled near Worthington, Pa., where he claimed 400 acres. In the meanwhile he became lonely and went to Westmoreland county to marry Sarah Scott. While he was absent from his land another prospector came along and quietly settled on 200 acres of the tract, and thus James Somerville found but 200 unoccupied acres awaiting him when he returned. This he improved and lived on until he was fifty years old. He died when aged about ninety years, and was buried in the Presbyterian Church cemetery in Franklin township, of which church he was a member.
James Somerville, son of James, was born in Franklin township, Armstrong Co., Pa., Oct. 4, 1804. He learned the making of hats, but later on decided to become a millwright and worked as such for a number of years, and then settled down as a farmer on the present home farm in Brady's Bend township, which, before it was divided, contained 200 acres. His death occurred when he was aged fifty-seven years, seven months, twenty-five days., and he was buried in the cemetery of the Reformed Church in Sugar Creek township. In 1839 he was married to Tina Milliron, daughter of Jacob Milliron, who owned 400 acres of land, a store and a distillery. The following children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Somerville: Sarah, who is unmarried; William, deceased; James, deceased; Mary, a widow; Joseph, and John.
Joseph Somerville received his schooling in Brady's Bend township and then learned the carpenter's trade and worked in the oil fields in Butler, Clarion and Venango counties. Since then he has continued to live on his present farm, which he has owned since he was twenty-one years of age, the land being divided after the death of the father, May 29, 1862. Oil has never been developed on this place. With the exception of fifteen acres in timber and pasture it is all under cultivation.
In politics Mr. Somerville is a Democrat. He is a member of the Associate Presbyterian Church.
Source: Pages 755 - 756, Armstrong County, Pa., Her People, Past and Present, J.H. Beers & Co., 1914
Transcribed February 1999 by Doris Rizza for the Armstrong County Beers Project
Contributed for use by the Armstrong County Genealogy Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/armstrong/)Armstrong County Genealogy Project Notice:
These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format, for any presentation, without prior written permission.Return to the Beers Project
Return to the Armstrong County Genealogy Project
Return to the Armstrong County Genealogy Project
Return to the Armstrong County Genealogy Project