Josiah V. Thompson

Uniontown, Pa

Family Record Book

23

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Enroute to New York City, Saturday Oct 19, 1929 8:44 PM

I left 3627 Lytle Road Shaker Heights, O at 7:42 AM along with Mr & Mrs Frank J. Riley & Pat in their Packard auto with their chauffeur W. Scott Richards driving, taking the road along the lakes to Erie, Pa. Passing through Lake Co, O west of Painesville, O, Mrs Riley saw along the road the name of Henry Merkel Mentor O & a little later saw the name of a Markel along the road.

Ambassador Hotel 14th & K. Sts Washington D.C. Room 1106 Oct 25, 1929 1:44 PM

This is the 49th Anniversary of Andrew's birth & he drove up in his auto from Warrenton, Va to see me here today. I was over this forenoon to see A.W. Mellon, Secy of the Treas & his private Secy Art E. Sixsmith gave me the following directions to go to Smithsburg, Md.

Smithsburg, Md is about 72 miles from Washington D.C. Go to Frederick, then on the Hagerstown Road to Benevola & turn to the right there. Smithsburg is about 20 miles from Benevola, a good road.

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Peoples Banking Co Smithsburg Washington Co, Maryland Oct 26, 1929 about 2 PM

We did not turn off at Benevola, but drove into Hagerstown, Md & got our lunch & drove out here 11 miles north & going in the bank across the way they told me that Lancelot Jacques was not Pres of this bank now & asking what was the matter they said: "Florida" & the banking Dept asked for his resignation. Coming across here, Mr Baird phoned his home here & his wife said he was at his daughter's, Mrs Garvin Hager, Mealey Parkway, Hagerstown, Md or at his farm adjoining. We then drove to his residence, a fine brick, but it was closed & I could get no response to my repeated raps.

Driving back to Hagerstown, Md, we went to above address & found Mrs Hager, mother‑in‑law to Mrs Garvin Hager & the latter's son, J.G. Hager Junr aged about six years. She said Mrs Hager had gone to the football game, but pointing to a house nearby near a big white farm, she said Mr Jacques was there at his farm as she saw his auto parked there. We then drove down & was:

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At Farm of Lancelot Jacques, Mealey Parkway, edge of Hagerstown, Md Oct 26, 1929 about 4 PM

Going in the house, a woman said Mr Jacques (they pronounce it Jakes) was outside & she called him in. He is a fine looking man with good regular features, rather heavy set, well built & weighing about 190 lbs & about my height.

He told me that his emigrant ancestor, great grandfather, I think, Lancelot Jacques was in partnership there in Frederick Co, Md (before Washington Co was formed) with Thomas Johnson ( he said first Gov) of Maryland in the furnace business from 1765 to 1785 & he has the original contract with him dated Jany 1765 (make slip to see & get copy) & said his sister had the old bibles in storage in Baltimore, Md where she left them when she moved to Calif. He said he had a son at Smithsburg, Md who had ten children. Lancelot Jacques first took up 15,000 A & later got 10,000 A. They had slaves & the Civil War left them broke.

At Oak Hill Sunday 27th, Frank J. Riley weighed 144 lbs, Pat 34 &

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W. Scott Richards born Nov 11, 1905 & 6 ft 2 in & I each 176. I had a talk with Frank Jerome Riley in my room before the wood fire 2 to 3 Am 27th in which I told him I would make an effort to make a quick sale with the U.S. Steel at a probably greatly reduced sale or price as well as area which would most likely reduce his compensation to $40,000 to $50,0000 which he agreed with me was the best thing to do by reason of his exigencies & mine.

Mr Jacques said the original Jacques large land areas were at or near Green Spring or Clear Spring Md now Washington Co, Md about 10 to 12 miles west of Hagerstown & north of the National Road. He said a tract of over 600 A of the old tract was sold at forced sale at the Court House not long ago & he bought it.

Asking him for the name of his son with ten children & his sister's he wrote them on the back of some cks in his check book as follows:

Son: Lancelot Jacques Jr, Smithsburg, Md

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Sisters: Mrs Kate Middlekauff, Dunn Irvin Drive, Hagerstown, Md, Celia Jacques, 71 yrs old Baltimore, Md, Mrs S.E. Eyler, 73 yrs old Washington, D.C.

Elizabeth Jacques Haines aged 79 yrs San Diego, Calif, The Pardo [best guess]

This latter is the oldest sister & I think he said she was 75. She has the old Jacques bibles which he said she had left in storage in Balto, Md when she went to Calif which I think he said was abt 20 yrs ago. I think he said he was 57 yrs old & he told me the date of his birth which I thought I had written down, but don't find it.

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At Frank J. Riley's Nov 10, 1929 1:40 PM

The other night, thinking over the Markle family connections, see Apr 18 & 19th, 1929 Book 22 p [blank] Aurora, Ills, I think that George Markle, father of Gideon 1805‑1847 was the son of Gideon who was son of Uncle Peter & who cousin Kate Smith said was caught & convicted of counterfeiting & who had a couple of daughters who dressed well.

From the information gotten May 3, to June 2d 1929 et seq at Clifford, Mich see book 22 p [blank] from David B. Markle I deduce that his grandfather, Barney or Bernard Markle, who the old papers proved was son of Henry Markle who with his brother Abram Markle went from Ulysses NY to Canada & were distillers, and this Abram is he who went back to NY & joined the U.S. in War of 1812 & later fought through Congress & got the land concession in Indiana & settled just north of Terre Haute, Ind established the second mill in the state, which is still going & where I was about Dec 29, 1925 & died there about 1825. I feel sure that Henry & Abram were sons of Bernard Markle, sailor on board the Hyder Ala [best guess] in Revolutionary War & who was son of Uncle Peter Markle. Investigate my Aug 1898 record at Reading Pa

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Nov 10, 1929 7:40 PM

Writing Oct 18, 1929 in answer to my letter of Oct 11, from 1614 Eighth Ave, Seattle Wash, Henry Drum Markle, my second cousin, Prop of the Drum Machine Co there says: I will answer as best I can the seven questions you asked:

1. the date of the last letter I had from you was Sept 2 (no year given) & he knows nothing of a book number

2. My father's name was John Jack Markle born in 1818. He died in West Newton, Pa. Do not remember year of death.

3. My mother was Diana Frear, died in Chenoa, Ills 1893

4. Bell Drum is my full cousin. He has the bible at his home in Gridley, Ills.

5. My full name is Henry Drum Markle. I was born in West Newton, Pa July 24, 1855 Believe I was married about 1884 am not sure of date.

6. My wife's name was Rebecca Anne White born about 1851 at Buchanan, Virginia. Her father was Henry Lawrence White, died in Bloomington, Ills

7. My son is Harry L. Markle

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born Oct 3, about 1885 or 1886. He is now living in St Louis, Mo. I have two sisters younger than I & Elizabeth is living in Chicago, Ills but do not know their married names. Maiden names: Elizabeth Markle & Allie Markle. Allie is in Wilmington, Del now. They were both born in Chenoa, Ills.

Henry Drum Markle

I answered him on Nov 6/29

June 17, 1930 see book 22 page 589.

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I recd a letter dated Oct 20, 1929 from George A. Findley of Grimes, Iowa as follows: in substance. He says he was talking to Henry A. Wallace (of Des Moines, Iowa) who referred him to me as an authority on the Finley family. He says: "I think my grandfather came from Westmoreland, Indiana, Co, Pa in 1843 & settled in Farmington, Iowa. They moved to Dallas Co near Grimes, Iowa in 1860 where he lived until his death 1889. My father was born in Pa 1849 & died 1925. I was born 1877. I have three brothers & a sister living here. I just recd an old record of our family.

First Abel Findley, his children:

1. James born May 10, 1801 died 1818

2. Jane born Dec 119 [sic], 1802, married McCurdy

3. Eliza born May 10, 1804 died young

4. William born Oct 10, 1805 was a doctor when last heard of in Ills. Had a son James.

5. David born July 5, 1807

6. Mary born May 23, 1809

7. Ann Maria born Feby 10, 1811 married Mr Ward

8. Martha born Mch 10, 1813

9. Abel, twin born Mch 10, 1813 died young

10. Harvey born Nov 22, 1814

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11. Nancy Garvin born Oct 13, 1816

12. Abel born May 16, 1819 married Mary Jane Kerr my ancestor

13, Eleanor born Jany 17, 1821 married Mr McKellip

Can you tell me anything of my people. We haven't known anything of them since my people came west. Will be grateful for anything you can tell me.

George A. Findley

I wrote him Nov 5, 1929.

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At Frank Jerome Riley's 3627 Lytle Road, Shaker Heights, O Nov 24, 1929 2:33 PM

Thomas Taylor Seelye 6 ft 4 in tall weighing 215 & born in Cleveland, O July 17, 1897 was here last night from 10:3‑ PM until 4 AM. He lives in Chagrin Falls, O where his telephone is 432. He is here now & says his ggfather Seth Seelye (whose ancestors came to N.E. in 1630) married Abigail Taylor & had four sons or five of whom one was Pres for 38 yrs of Smith College, Northampton & others viz: Samuel, Henry & his grandfather Thomas Taylor Seelye born July 17, 1818 had a son Thomas Taylor Seelye, who defended & cleared Capt Peter Haynes of NY for the murder of his Junoesque wife's paramour, married Miss Mary Whittaker whose mother was Arrial Hanna, daughter of Robert Hanna who was a first cousin of Mark A. Hanna, Leonard Hanna & Howard Melville Hanna & he said Robert Hanna was a descendant of Robert Hanna of Hannastown

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Westnd Co. He says the second Robert above was the son (or grandson?) of Leonard Hanna who married Ann Leonard, a daughter of Mary Finlay Thompson (daughter of Uncle John Finley 1713‑1757) by her second husband James Leonard an Irishman. Mr Seelye my informant has a son, the 4th T.T. born June 13, 1927, the second T.T., his father was born June 13, 1866. Robert Hanna was an eldest child & had the family bible of the Westnd Co Robert with several generations of records. His oldest child, Louis Hanna went west & was Governor of North Dakota & not taking the old bible with him, it went to his sister Arrial & to her daughter Mary W. Seelye & then to my informant Thos Taylor Seelye, who has it locked up in a trunk at home & will bring it here for me to copy when I get back from MY from where I am staring via Pgh on PRR 4:25 PM train today see C.A. Hanna's Ohio Valley Genealogies at Oak Hill.

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Isaac Wood Henderson of Wooster, O RFD about 6 or 8 miles west (a little north) came in to see me yesterday at 2:30 PM at the Statler. He said his brother Steward Henderson RFD Grindstone, Pa living on the old home farm had the bible of his father Samuel Henderson & I wrote to him yesterday for record. I. Wood said he has no children. Mrs Noble is his sister & another sister died when sixteen. He said Robert Hatfied [sic], living abt 4 miles N. West of Wooster, O was a Finley descendant & was a cousin of Eli Finley.

L Ray Lackey of Los Angeles Calif wrote that Emma L. Finley widow of Albert W. Finley, their old Oakland Ave Uniontown, Pa had died in an indigent Institution in San Francisco Calif No 2d or 3d 1929

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At residence of Frank J. Riley, 3627 Lytle Road, Shaker Heights, Ohio Sunday Dec 8, 1929 8:05 PM

Frank J. & I arrived at 55th St & Euclid Ave on PRR at this hour last night after a two weeks trip to NY via of Pgh Pa & were met by Jack O'Hearn who had driven us all four to the 4:35 PM train at same station Sunday Nov 24, 1929.

Thomas Taylor Seelye who says he had never tasted liquor until 1915 when his father to whom he had just come on being kicked out of college sent him as a guide & bodyguard to Wild Bill Taliaferro at the McAlpin Hotel, who for 18 yrs had been sheriff of a county in Texas & had gotten some oil leases & sold them for four million dollars & could not write his name. He was Wild Bill's companion & guide around town at all the prominent cafe's cabarets, hotels & at drinking places for 7 weeks & drank for 3 years, but on Mch 6, 1928, because of his son Thos Taylor Seelye the 4th now 2 1/2 yrs old. Swore off drinking & said he would never again drink whisky, beer or

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anything else intoxicating. He is 6 ft 4 in tall & weighs 212 lbs. He says after last seeing me here, he looked through his trunk in which he found two old bibles, but not the old Hanna Bible he had spoken about, but that his mother, Mary Whittaker Taylor had it at Westfield, NY as he learned by a telephone talk with her in which she said she would send it to him. He told her not to do so & he said he would be there within two weeks & get it & bring it to me here. He says it has some leaves laid in it giving the records from the graveyard at Lisbon, O formerly New Lisbon, O where so many of the Hannas are buried & also in the bible are newspaper clippings & one an obituary of U.S. Senator Mark A. Hanna gives much of the early Hanna history. Mr Seelye lives at Chagrin Falls, O near here, his telephone is No 432. He says

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his mother's mother Arriel Hanna was daughter of Robert Hanna, got the old bible because of being the oldest son of Leonard Hanna whose mother I feel sure was Ann Leonard, daughter of Mary Finley Thompson, daughter of John Finley 1713‑1757 by her 2d husband, James Leonard who she married in 1768. He says this Leonard had three sons, Robert, Edward, & Leonard.

He said Robert had several children that died young but only two grew to maturity & left issue viz:

Caseius [sic] who was brilliant but a wild drinker after the Civil War went west & he thinks died under a cloud leaving issue. The other was his grandmother. He said his father & Mother separated when he was a child & he went with his father & went from him which he opposed to the World War & he never wrote him & he has only seen him 2 or 3 times since, but his