Mercer County PAGenWeb

THE BLACK FAMILY 

THE BLACK FAMILY —Adam Black was born in Adams County in the year 1763. He married Polly Allegan in 1786. Both were supposed to be of Scotch-Irish descent, his father being Henry Black. Adam and his wife lived in that county until 1803, when they removed to Washington County, Penn., and in the following year to Mercer County, settling on the farm where David Gilren now lives. This he cleared, and upon it erected a log tavern, which he kept for some years. At that time there was, comparatively speaking no settlement anywhere about, but all was dense forest. Mr. Black died in 1816, his widow living until 1841; both, however, died on the farm they had first located upon. Their eldest child was Elizabeth Chambers, who was born in 1787, and died in Mercer in 1818. Following her were born Henry, 1789­1860; Joseph, 1791- [still living in 1888]; Alexander, 1794-1853; Ibby, 1795-1862; Adam, 1797-1864; Robert, 1800-1848; Maria, widow of Maj. John K. Harris, 1802, and Peggy, 1805-1826. Henry and Joseph both served in Harrison’s army in the War of 1812, Henry being afterward captain of the Mercer Blues. Adam was also at one time commander of that organization, and at a later date became major of the volunteer battalion. Robert was the captain of the Springfield Light Infantry when it was first organized. In civil service Henry was a presidential elector in the campaign of 1840, when Gen. Harrison was elected President. Alexander, besides serving as a soldier at Erie for two terms, was chosen justice of the peace, a position which he creditably filled two terms; Adam, also, for a similar period, served as justice, and Robert was elected to the Legislature, and died in Harrisburg at the close of his second year of public life. In religious faith the members of this family inclined toward the Presbyterian Church, and were its zealous defenders and supporters. Three of the brothers, Alexander, Adam and Robert, were elders in the Centre Church, of which their sister’s husband, Rev. John Munson, was for a long time pastor. Of the sisters, Ibby was married twice, first to Thomas Brandon, and later to Rev. John Munson; Maria was the wife of J. K. Harris, and Elizabeth became the spouse of John Chambers, and by him the mother of B. B. Chambers, editor of the St. Louis Republic.

History of Mercer County, 1888, page 1025-1026  




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