Bios: McVEY, John R. 1821 - 1824: Wayne Township, Mifflin Co, PA
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From: Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley, PA,
J. M. Runk & Co., 1897. p. 535:
JOHN R. McVEY. John R. McVey, retired farmer, of Wayne Township, Mifflin
County, PA, was born September 18, 1821, near McVeytown. He is a son of
Elijah and Mary (Yost) McVey. His grandfather, John McVey, born near
Philadelphia, of a Quaker family, was a teamster with the Revolutionary
army. He came to Mifflin, then Cumberland, county, when a young man,
and settled where McVeytown now is, owning all the land in that
vicinity. He was an extensive farmer and stock-raiser. He married Mary
Wakefield, of English and German descent. Their seven children were as
follows: William; John; Eliel; Elijah; Rachel (Mrs. Jacobs); Sarah (Mrs.
Lewis Bond); and Mary (Mrs. Humphries). John McVey died in McVeytown.
He was an old-line Whig, and a member of the Presbyterian Church. His
wife died in Wayne Township.
Elijah, son of John McVey, born in McVeytown, in 1799, received a common
school education. He was a farmer all his life. Moving from McVeytown
to Wayne Township, he cultivated one of his father's farms there, for
many years, after which he sold it, and bought the farm where John R.
McVey now resides. He was celebrated for the fine stock he raised. He
married Mary Yost, born near Lewistown, of German and English descent,
whose family had been among the early settlers of that section. They
had six children: John R., of Wayne township; Mary H. (Mrs. Samuel
Wharton), of Wayne township, deceased; Eliel, who died in youth; Sarah,
who died in early life; Eliel (2), who was drowned when thirteen years
old; and Sarah (Mrs. John D. Miller), deceased. Elijah McVey was a
Whig, and died a Republican. He was an active member of the Presbyterian
Church, taking a keen interest in all church matters. He held the office
of supervisor of roads, and overseer of the poor. He died in Wayne
Township,. His widow died at the age of seventy-three, Dec. 4, 1871.
John R. McVey obtained his education in the public schools of Shirley
Township, Huntington County, and of Wayne Township, Mifflin County. He
began life on the farm with his father, working also on his farms in
Wayne Township. At the age of twenty-three he went west, driving a
two-horse team to Iowa, with his uncle. Returning to Pennsylvania after
a year, he assisted his father in the cultivation of the homestead farm,
at the same time cultivating for himself 200 acres of land which his
grandfather had given him. He also operated on the farm, a saw-mill,
turning out a very large amount of lumber, for which there was a ready
demand. He has continued at farming during his entire life, taking
charge of the homestead after the death of his father, and giving much
attention to the raising of fine stock.
Mr. McVey was married in 1848, in Sugar valley, Wayne Township, to Mary
A. Gibson, born in Huntington County. They have twelve children as
follows:
Elizabeth (Mrs. George Fields), of Newton Hamilton;
Elijah,residing in Oregon;
William, of Newton Hamilton;
Ellen (Mrs. CharlesFlott), residing in Kansas;
Annie (Mrs. George Fields), deceased;
John,a farmer in Sugar valley;
Laura M. (Mrs. James Heart), Residing in Nebraska;
Juniata (Mrs. William McClay), residing in Oregon;
Flora M., deceased;
Nanie M. (Mrs. James Morrison), resides on the homestead farm;
Alice W. (Mrs. David Caldwell), of Long Hollow; and
James, residing in Sugar valley, Wayne township.
Mr. McVey had been all his life an
industrious, hardworking man, who in his old days enjoys the respect and
confidence of all in the community. He owns over five hundred acres of
land in Wayne Township. He has filled the office of township
supervisor. Mr. McVey is a Republican; he was in the olden days, a
member of the "Know Nothings." He is a consistent, zealous member of
the Presbyterian Church.
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>From a post on the McVey Family Genealogy Forum: Re: McVeys from PA and
MD Posted by Carol McVey on June 04, 1998 at 17:02:41: In Reply to:
McVeys from PA and MD posted by Carol McVey on May 02, 1998 at 10:50:39:
John, Benjamin, & Jacob McVey came to America from Northern Ireland in
the mid-1700s. New Castle Deleware was probably their port of entry,
because that port had a great trading connection with Northern Ireland
at that time. Benjamin probably married Marth (Mattie) Passmore in New
Castle, DE in 1740. Benjamin's older brother, John, may have spelled his
name "McVegh. His wife is known only by her given name, Mary. They had
four children. It is said that Benjamin was a slaver and that only two
sons, Jacob and Passmore, believed in slavery; the other sons detested
slavery, and for that reason left Maryland. Some disagree, though, and
believe that none of them left Cecil County, MD until after the death of
Benjamin. Plus Benjamin left John Sr. one of his slaves in his will.
Benjamin and Martha had 10 known children:
1. John Sr. b. 1747 near Philadelphia PA, m. Sarah Wakefield in Cecil MD
in 1779 and d. in Newton Hamilton, PA in 1824. He founded the town of
McVeytown, PA. Their children were:
A. William McVey b. 1783 m. Rebecca Mitchell
a. George Mitchell McVey b. 1816 in McVeytown, PA d. 1853 in Sandusky, OH
m. Catherine Swigard and Margaret Hoofnaagle
B. John McVey Jr. b. 1787 m. Margaret Walters
a. Mrs. Couch McVey?
C. Eliel McVey b. 1795 m. Mary K. Brown
D. Elijah McVey b. ? m. Mary Yost
E. Rachel McVey b. ? m. Joseph Jacobs
F. Sarah McVey b. ? m. Major Lewis Bond
G. Mary McVey b. 1799 m. Royal Humpries
2. William McVey
3. Jacob McVey
4. Benjamin McVey
5. Elizabeth McVey m. Samuel Bond
6. Edmund McVey
7. Passmore McVey
8. Enoch McVey b. 1765 in Cecil MD d. 1855
m. Elizabeth (Eliza) Lyons in Muskingum, OH.
9. Hannah McVey
10. George McVey