Fayette County Genealogy Project

BULGER, p. 48
Contributed by Keely Deuschle

 

This family was founded in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, by Samuel Bulger, an early settler of the Brownsville section, where he died aged eighty-one years, leaving issue.

(II) Jesse H., son of Samuel Bulger, was born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, in 1822, died July, 1903. He was a molder by trade, became an expert workman and rose to positions of trust, having charge of important operations. He was foreman of the Miles Greenwood foundry at Cincinnati, Ohio, for ten years, 1852 to 1862, having previously had an attack of "gold fever," spending about two years in California, where he met with fair success in his mining ventures. He returned east and after his connection with Miles Greenwood was for a great many years superintendent of the Snowden foundry in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, also the Herbertson foundry of that place. He superintended the building of several gunboats turned out by the Snowden plant that were used by the government on southern rivers during the war between the states. He was a Republican in politics, for twenty-five years was treasurer of South Brownsville, Pennsylvania, and prominent in public affairs. He was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He married Mary Scott, of Scotch ancestry, tracing to the same family as Sir Walter Scott, the novelist. Children, six now living: 1. Miles G., married Ada, daughter of Samuel Cropp, of Brownsville. 2. William H., married Minnie Harvey, of Fayette county. 3. Rinard R., married Kate Shallenberger, of Brownsville. 4. Thomas W., of whom further. 5. Howard H., married Elma Cock, of Brownsville. 6. Jessie, married James M. West, of Pittsburgh.

(III) Thomas W., son of Jesse H. and Mary (Scott) Bulger, was born in Brownsville, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, August 23, 1865. He was educated and grew to manhood in Brownsville, where he began business life as a clerk in a carpet store. He later entered the tailoring establishment conducted by his brothers, William H. and Rinard R., in Brownsville, and thoroughly mastered the merchant tailoring business. In 1896 he came to Uniontown and opened a tailoring establishment, which he yet successfully conducts. He is a Republican in politics, served two years as councilman at Brownsville and is actively interested in local affairs. He is a member of Uniontown Chamber of Commerce, serving on the board of directors. He is past exalted ruler of Uniontown Lodge No. 370, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and is a member with his family of the First Presbyterian Church of Uniontown.

He married, December 16, 1890. Flora, daughter of Charles Thomas and Maria (Gaskell) Brawley, of Brownsville, granddaughter of Edward H. and Sophia (Marquis) Brawley, of Brownsville, and a greatgranddaughter of Patrick Brawley, born in Ireland, came to the United States, settled in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, becoming one of the early iron manufacturers of the Brownsville district. Charles Thomas Brawley was an engineer and ran on steamboats plying the Ohio and Mississippi rivers between Cincinnati, Ohio, and New Orleans, Louisiana. Children of Thomas W. Bulger: 1. Maurice Scott, born November 9, 1892, now a student at Amherst College. 2. Madelon, born April 17, 1896. 3. Thomas W., Jr., born August 2, 1899.


Source: Genealogical and Personal History of Fayette County by John W. Jordan, Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1912.

Return to Biography Index

Return to Main Index