Westmoreland County PA Archives Church ..... Greensburgh Presbyterian Church, Selected Records of Rev. John Cannon, Greensburgh Presbyterian Church: From the Journals of Josiah V Thompson
************************************************
Copyright. All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm
************************************************
File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Lynn Beatty
************************************************
V5 Page 377
Miss Martha Cannon Morning Sun, Louisa Co, Iowa Sept 22, 1921
Family record of Births &c were not in her father's family bible, but were
entered by him in the back of the book of Session Records of the Church which
he kept. She had her niece go upstairs & bring it down & while she has gone to
lie down for her usual rest, I am copying from the Register which is of the form
& similitude of the old time day book, like Father used to keep. It is an inch
longer than this record book & 2 inches narrower. I copy:
"These dates of the following particular events of my life were writen [sic]
by my own hand.
In Sept 1810, I was honored by the Faculty of Jefferson College with the
degree of B.A. May 23, 1815 was licensed to preach the Everlasting Gospel by a
presbytery of the Reformed Church in the City of Philadelphia.
Sept 26, 1816 was ordained by the same Presbytery in the town of Greensburgh,
Westmoreland, Co, Pa to a Pastoral charge in that village and its vicinity.
...... [Some family information removed and may be found in Bible entry for John Cannon.
April 3, 1822 I went by appointment of Synod on a commission to S. Carolina
where I met with me fellow commissioners, M. Lusk. There in five weeks, Christ
by us, settled all disputes in that part of our church, rectified disorder,
ordained Messr Madden & McMillan, administered the Lord's Supper, organized the
S. Presbytery. By God's blessing I arrived safely at home on the 8th of June.
In April 1823, my congregation was divided & I
V5 Page 378
retained Greensburgh & the Societies in Westmoreland and Indiana lying toward
the East & N.E. In all having 72 regular members.
3. Sept 10, 1823 In God's good providence, my daughter Matilda was born.
4. On Febr 16th, 1826 God gave us Amanda
5. Aug 9th, 1828 In God's goodness our family was increased by the birth of Susan
6. May 9th, & 10 midnight 1831 After much weakness and affliction of her
mother, through God's mercy, my daughter Elizabeth Brown was born
7. was born on the fourth of October 1833 John Renwick, second son & seventh child.
8. on the Nineteenth of January 1836 Martha, the youngest child of Jno &
Martha Cannon was born"
All of the foregoing is written in the firm strong plain handwriting of
John Cannon.
He died Martha said, shortly after she was born. I think two weeks.
Then, following the above is written in a good hand but not so bold,
the following:
Rev Jno Cannon was born Nov 1781 in the County Derry, Ireland. He died
Feby 2d, 1836 near New Alexandria, Pa
Mrs Martha Cannon was born Dec 28th, 1799, was married to Rev Jno Cannon Feby
3d, 1818. Died in Morning Sun, Iowa Nov 9th, 1884 aged 84 yrs 10 months & 12 days
Robert Brown Cannon was born Oct 4, 1821.
In the back of the book, Rev John Cannon has written: Evidently a record of
baptisms.
Date & Place Name Parents Name
Dec 1, 1816 Thomas Hays Campbell aged 18 mos William & Jane Campbell
June 11, 1821 Qat [sic] Shanang
Samuel Hays Findley
Other, not recollected
May 24, 1824 Brown Wylie Gill Rev'd Jonathan Gill, pastor of Thorn & Puckaty
Ohio Licking Co
Aug 28, 1826 James Wylie Kirkpatrick
William Wilson Duffield
James Fisher Fulton
Nathaniel
Samuel
Thomas
Forks, Young
June 11, 1832 Mathew McClenahan & Susan Wilson
Joseph Evens Par.
Mary Jane McCaig Par. Samuel
These were baptisms evidently outside of his church & for those in the
church, this register was kept & recorded on Pages 2 to 27 are the admissions,
Baptisms & Marriages. I make record of some:
Admissions
Page 2 No2 June 2, 1817 upon personal examination after publick rebuke for
Adul & fornication, Elizabeth Patterson. Also on same day upon testimonial Thos
Gamble, R. Elder, & Mrs Gamble John & Allison G.
On June 14, 1817 Upon personal examination Hugh Cannon, Sarah Cannon, Robt
Duncan, Mrs Thompson, Robt Alexander, Jane Alexander, Jacob Leslie, Elizabeth
Leslie, George McClelland & upon testimonial Moses Boyd, Samuel Boyd, James
Wallace
V5 Page 381
David Milligan & Mrs Milligan
Aug 16, 1817 Upon per. Ex. Rose Ann & Margrt Patterson Church membership, Jane Hurst
Mch 7, 1821 Per. Ex Hannah Crawford
May 16, 1821 Ex & cft Mrs Mary Dunlap
Register of those who are separated from the church
Page 3
Date Cause of Separation Name
Apr 8, 1817 An infant of 3 m & 9 days seper by death Robert Brown
May 1817 By death James Lyon
June 13, 1818 By death, aged 11 weeks Mary Cannon
Sept 1818 Moved away Thomas Patterson & wife
Sept 1818 Moved westward Moses & Samuel Boyd
Sept 1818 By marriage Margaret Black
Sept 1820 By removal Sarah Hollaway,
Elizabeth Patterson,
David Milligan & wife
Oct 1824 By death Joseph Steel
1825 By death William Dunlap
1826 By death Mrs. Margaret Dunlap aged 103
1826 By death Old Mrs. Shearer & David Rankin
Feby 1830 By death Hugh Cannon aged 96 years
Oct 1830 By death Mr. Samuel Patterson
1832 By death Joseph Henderson
1838 By death Samuel Smith, ruling Elder
1838 By removal James & Elizabeth Henderson
David Henderson, wife & two daughters
Robert Henderson & wife
Daniel & Martha Enver
Page 4 Admitted to the Lord's Supper for First time
May 24, 1818 by Church membership Rosanna Patterson
Sept 12, 1819 By Church membership Jeremiah Cannon
Sept 3, 1820 By Church membership & exam Betsy Milligan
Sept? 9?, 1821 By Church membership & exam Jeremiah Dunlap
Page 5
Aug 18, 1822 By cft & exam James Henderson
Aug 18, 1822 By per exam Hannah Crawford
Oct 6, 1822 By per exam & ch Mem Sarah Milligan
Aug 1823 By of our church Susan Dunlap
June 12, 1825 By per Exam Lydia Niccols
Sept 4, 1827 By [sic] Montgomery & Jane Thompson
V5 Page 382
Page 6 Register of Baptisms
No 1 Date Name age Parents names
1 Nov 3, 1816 Roseann Taylor Dunlap 4 mos 11 days Robert & Elizabeth Dunlap
Nov 10, 1816 Alexander Cannon 4 mos 8 days Alex & Sarah Cannon
2 Nov 24, 1816 Mary Ann Milligan 11 mos 24 days Samuel & Margaret Milligan
1 Feby 6, 1817 Robert Brown 1 mos 7 days Robert & Ann Brown
Mch 30, 1817 Letitia Shearer Robert Shearer
June 14, 1818 David Milligan 8 mos David & ____ Milligan
Page 7
No 1 Date Name age Parents names
Feby 11, 1819 Martha Shearer 2 mos Robert & ____ Shearer
Mch 7, 1819 Samuel Milligan 2 mos Samuel & Margaret Milligan
May 31, 1819 Mary Ann Cannon Born 2 Apr Jno & Martha Cannon
Aug 22, 1819 John Nickles Cannon Alex & Sarah Cannon
Oct 10, 1819 Thomas Dunlap 3 mos Robert & Elizabeth Dunlap
May 15, 1820 Joseph Scroggs Leslie Jacob Leslie
Mar 11, 1821 Hannah Crawford, a married woman & Robert, her infant son
May 1, 1821 David Shearer Robert & Margaret Shearer
Page 8 Record of Marriages
Mch 11, 1817 Charles McComb of Conemaugh, Indiana Co. to " Moley" McGuire of
Derry, Westmoreland Co., Pa. (Martha says this was a sister of her Uncle Alex
Cannon's wife, Sarah)
Feby 12, 1818 William Lazzar to Rachel Cannon both of Mt Pleasant,
Westmoreland Co., Pa (Martha says this was a daughter of her Uncle James Cannon)
Nov 3, 1818 William Dunlap to Mary Latta, both of Westmoreland Co., Pa
Feby 11, 1823 Andrew Fulton to Mary Ann Purvis, daughter of William Purvis
Apr 15, 1823 Henry Sterling of Pittsburgh to Susan Brown, daughter of R.
Brown of Greensburgh
1824 Edward Hill to Betsey Wilson, both of Derry Tp
Page 9
Feby 24, 1824 Thomas Hays of Crawford County to Susan Dunlap of Unity, Westmoreland
Dec 16, 1824 George Peoples of Ligonier Valley to Jemima Cannon of Derry Tp
(Martha says this was first cousin of her father, but not, she thinks, a
daughter of his oldest sister, Betsy who married her 1st cousin, John Cannon.)
V5 Page 383
Aug 23, 1825 William Brown to Lydia Niccols, both of Gbg
Mch 7, 1826 Robert Alexander to Ann Maria Sooter, both of Youngstown
Feby 8, 1827 James Fletcher to Jane Nevin both of Derry Tp, Westmoreland Co., Pa
July 31, 1827 William McClure of Redbank to Jemima Jane Cannon (Martha says
what she said above bottom of preceding page applied to this Jemima Jane & not
that one. S'd this Jemima was living with her father when a new brick house
was building & McClure was working on it & they married & they removed to land
he had taken up in Northern part of state.)
Nov 13, 1827 Hugh Cannon to Catherine Miller, both of Derry Tp (Martha
supposed this is one of her Aunt Betsey's sons as she lived in Derry Tp & had a
son Hugh)
Mch 7, 1828 James Cannon to Elisabeth McAll Alexander, Unity (Martha says he
was a son of her Uncle James & Rebecca Shields, his wife.
June 26, 1828 Isaac Temple & widow Hannah Crawford at John Temple's
Nov 18, 1828 James Patterson to Jane Thompson, daughter of Moses Thompson, Indiana Co.
Mch 16, 1830 Samuel P. Brown to Mary Jane Nichols, both of Gbg (Martha says
James Nichols, the lawyer at Gbg was her father. He had two daughters, Nancy &
Jane (Mrs. Fulton, I think) & Nancy once wanted to join a convent & her father
who had moved to the country had great difficulty in restraining her from doing so.)
V5 Page 384
Record of Baptisms
Date
Name Born Parents
Page 10
Dec 9, 1821 Robert Brown Cannon Oct 4, 1821 John & Martha Cannon
Dec 27, 1821 Martha Jane Cannon Alex & Sarah Cannon
Nov 23, 1823 Matilda Cannon Sept 10, 1823 John & Martha Cannon
(between June & Sept) 1824 Martha Jane Dunlap John & Martha Dunlap
Page 11
Nov 14, 1824 Elizabeth Cannon Alex & Sarah Cannon of Derry Tp
June 13, 1825 Jemima Elizabeth Shearer by Mr. R. Gibson Robert & Margaret Shearer
June 19, 1825 James Henderson & Jane Write Children of Mary Write of Indiana Co.
Oct 2, 1826 Elizabeth Dunlap by Mr. Gill Robert & Elizabeth
Oct 2, 1826 Amanda Cannon Feby 16, 1826 John & Martha
Page 12 Registry of members admitted to the church
but no dates given
James Henderson (marked) Dead
May 31, 1824 on examination Moses Thompson
June 5, 1824 Removed David Henderson
Before the Sacrament at J. Coleman's May 1st, 1825. From the Secession
Church on Examination & good character among others: James Oliver & Margrt his
wife, Nancy Thompson wife of Moses Thompson. Same time G.A. Presbyterian
Church, Elizabeth Henderson, wife of David Henderson in testimony of good
character. Later "removed" is written over her name. Mary Wright on cft &
later "removed" written above her name. & Mary Gamble.
Page 13
Before our S (Synod?) at Greensburgh June 12, 1825 from the General Assembly
Presbyterian Church on person examination Lydia Niccolls, daughter to John
Niccolls, Sheriff. Above her name the word "dead" is later written.
Before the S. at New Alexandria Sept 4, 1824 William (removed) Brown & Jane
Nivens on personal examination.
Montgomery & Jane (dead) Thompson from the A Church
Margaret (removed) Henderson cft & exam fr G. Assembly Church.
June 10, 1826 Joseph (dead) Fletcher & Ann (removed) Hay: one from
Canonsburgh the other from Pgh conf on cft.
V5 Page 385
Page 14
Sept 2, 1827, Elizabeth (dead) Brown, wife of Dr B. of Blairsville, Eliza
Thompson on exam James Thompson & Robt Beatty on cft from Ireland.
Page 15 Admitted to Sacrament Lord's Supper for 1st time New Alexandria
May 29, 1831 Robert Henderson & Martha his wife fr AR Church, Thomas Brown,
John Dunlap Jun, Margaret Jane Dunlap, Polly Thompson James Gemmil & Mrs Mary
Dunlap, she on cft fr Dr Black Aug 28, 1831 Before our Sacrament at
Greensburgh, Lavinia Ann Brown & Mary Dunlap both brought up in our church
(made defections) Before the Com of the Supper at Valley Church
Aug 26, 1832 James Henderson, Robert Gamble etal
Page 16 Before the Supper of our Lord at Valley Church
Aug 31, 1834 James Dunlap, Nancy Thompson. These were young members now
admitted to full communion
Before the Lord's Supper at New Alexandria
Oct 1, 1836 Alexander Cannon, & Mary Ann Johnston brought up in this church
on personal examination (Martha says this is the son of Alex & Sarah.)
July 1, 1837 Mary Ann Cannon brought up in this church on personal
examination (Martha says this was her oldest sister)
Before the Lord's Supper at Gbg
Page 17
June 19, 1841 On personal ex, Matilda Cannon (Martha's sister)
Page 18 Record of Baptism
Jany 3, 1828
William Campbell Fletcher, son of James & JaneMay 25, 1828 Joshua Milton
Dushane, son of Joshua & Mary (Martha says he used to live with them & was the
only one of the 4 boys that turned out well.)
Page 19
Mar 14, 1830 John Markle Gemmil, parents John & Ellanor Gemmil (Martha says
James Gemmil's father was Thomas & he had brothers Thomas, Alexander & John &
Andrew. This might have been his nephew.)
Mar 14, 1830
V5 Page 386
May 24, 1830 Robert Gamble, a lad of 18 yrs
Aug 2, 1830 Ann Elisabeth Brown, grandchild of Robert & Ann Brown, Parent,
Elizabeth Brown Decd. (Martha says her grandparents took her when her mother
died & there was quite a fight for her by her father when he married again & he
got her but she died of scarlet fever.)
Sept 12, 1830 John Gamble, a lad of 13 yrs parents Samuel & Francis Barr or
Baer, stepfather & real mother
Page 20
Dec 12, 1830 Robert Orr Henderson & William Montgomery Henderson, Parents
Robert & Martha Henderson of Indiana Co Pa
Aug 27, 1831 Elizabeth Brown Cannon, dau of John & Martha
Mch 1, 1832 James Cannon, son of Alex & Sarah
Page 21
Feby 9, 1834 Robert Dunlap McCreery, son of Samuel & Margaret
June 2, 1834 By Mr. Sproutts, John Renwich, parents John & Martha Cannon
Page 22
Sept 7, 1834 Margaret Fulton & her twin sister Isabella Myrue, parents,
Robert Allard & Ann, his wife
Oct 26, 1834 Matilda Henderson, Parents, James & Elizabeth Henderson,
removed to Illinois
Page 23
Aug 26, 1839 Robert Brown, Parents, James & Nancy Gemmil
Page 24
July 28, 1841 Thos Ferguson Campbell, Parent Lavinia Ann Campbell
Anna Elizabeth Gammil, parents Jas & Nancy Gammil
Page 26 Marriages
May 15, 1832 The Revend [sic] George Scott of Darlington, Beaver Co., PA to Mary Brown
Nov 28, 1832 Samuel Patterson to Mary Thompson, he of Derry Tp, she of Aultmans Run
On a loose folder he has given the names of a half dozen heads of families &
their children among them "Samuel & Marget [sic] Milligan, children, Eliza,
Sarah Robert Jamieson, Jane, James, Marget, Mary Ann Born Dec 1, 1815.
----------