Fayette County Genealogy Project

BLANEY Family
Contributed by Karen Souhrada <souhrada@rochester.rr.com>

- Father Samuel Blaney and his wife Margaret FOY
- Son John H. Blaney
- Grandson William Blaney

[source: pages 1004-1005 of Nelson's Biographical Dictionary and History of Fayette Co., PA; Vol. III]

"William Blaney, a farmer and civil engineer of Perry Township, is a son of the late John H. and Mary (PARKHILL) Blaney, and was born and reared in Perry Township. Captain Samuel BLANEY, his paternal grandfather, was of Scotch-Irish descent. He was born in Boston, Mass., reared in New York City and was a sea captain for a number of years. He married Margaret FOY, of New York City, and soon after, abandoning the sea, they emigrated to Western Pennsylvania, settling first in Uniontown, Fayette Co., in which town and county he taught school for many years, being considered par excellant in his day. To them were born five children, three sons and two daughters, of whom some lived to maturity. Captain Blaney died in 1843 and Margaret, his wife, died in 1859, both having attained a ripe old age.

John H. Blaney, a third son of Captain and Margaret Blaney, was born December 24, 1803, and died in 1887. He was married in January 1831, to Mary PARKHILL, eldest daughter of James and Sara (SMITH) Parkhill. She died in 1885, aged nearly eighty-three years. To them were born five children: Mary J., born in 1832; Margaret, born in 1833, and died in 1897; Sarah (CAMPBELL), born in 1835, and died in 1887, leaving one son J. Clark Campbell; William (subject) born in July 1837, and Adaline, born July 11, 1841, and died July 28, 1844.

William Blaney received his education in the common schools, Laurel Hill academy and Madison college, at Uniontown. Leaving school he took up civil engineering and teaching in the public schools. He was married to Eliza Ann CAMPBELL, April 7, 1864, who died June 6, 1870. To this union there were born two sons: John C., born May 22, 1865, married to Lida CROW, of German Township; and Robert B., born March 29, 1867, married Laura FARRELL, of Perry Township. In December, 1873 Mr. Blaney married Mary A. BURCH, daughter of John and Martha Burch, deceased. Mr. Blaney has followed surveying and farming for upwards of forty years, in which time he has been fairly successful, having acquired about three hundred acres of well improved lands in this and Washington counties. He is a man of strictly moral habits and adheres to the principles of the Republican Party"
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Additional Historic Notations: Re: Samuel BLANEY

[Reference to Captain Samuel BLANEY: Source: History of Fayette Co., PA, by Ellis; page 558:]
"One of the earliest school-houses in Franklin Township was a log building that stood in 1800 upon the Uniontown and Pittsburgh road, about forty rods south of John SHOTWELL's stone mansion. It was the only school-house in Franklin west of Flatwoods, and one of the very first in that section of the country. it was built before the year 1800, but just when cannot be told. Among its earliest patrons and supporters were Hugh SHOTWELL, Robert SMITH, John ALLEN, Jonathan SHARPLESS, Anthony SWAYNE, James MC CAFFERTY, William RITTENHOUSE, Joseph GHRIST, John PAXON, Jacob BAUGHMAN, William BURTON, Jacob WOLF, William CONDON, John and Robert PATTERSON, Amos EMMENS, Catherine SHANKLIN, and John SHOTWELL. The first teacher was Samuel BLANEY, a retired sea-captain, and a fine scholar for that day. BLANEY was perhaps the most famous school-teacher Franklin ever had. He taught in and about Franklin for upwards of thirty years, and died at Flatwoods at a ripe old age."

[Source : Ellis' History of Fayette County, page 558]
"The old Franklin school-house was built in I821 upon the site of the present house. It was constructed of hewn logs, eighteen by twenty-four feet in size, was covered with a shingle roof, and was furnished with slab benches. Those most active in building the house were Joseph GHRIST, David HAZEN, Samuel BLANEY, …"

[Source: Fayette Co. History, by Ellis:]
"...Mr. Rittenhouse was much devoted to the encouragement of religious as well as secular education, and at an early day built a school house on his farm, where in Samuel BLANEY, a famous teacher in his day, taught the children of these pioneers their early steps in the paths of learning."

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