Philomen Felix Hughes (1723 - 1805)

Born 1723 in Iver, Donegal, Ireland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1805 at about age 82 in Greene, Greene, Pennsylvania, United States

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Biography

Felix Hughes migrated from Ireland to Colonial America.

Name

PHILOMEN FELIX /HUGHES/^[1][2]

Felix /Hughes/^[3]

Birth

:: 1723

Iver, Donegal, Ireland^[4]

Death

1805

Greene, Greene, Pennsylvania, United States^[5]

Burial

Cumberland Township, Greene County, Pennsylvania^[6]

Residence

United States^[7]

Object

Object:

File: http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=f21094d7-28b4-4211-9895-2a7cf3204845&tid=16179905&pid=64

Format: jpg

Title: hughes COA-ireland

Additional Bio from Ancestry site The name Hughes is intimately connected with the early annals of the valley of the Monongahela on both the Fayette and the Greene county sides of that historic stream. The sketch of Felix here presented is compiled principally from a pamphlet "My Family Memoirs," by Thomas Hughes, Baltimore, John Murphy & Co., 1880, with references also to the Histories of Greene and Fayette counties, "The Monongahela of Old," and other sources of information; and however meager circumstances force it to be, it is hoped it will afford the reader some satisfaction, as it appears to settle the question as to whom is due the honor of making the first effort towards the establishment of religion in Western Pennsylvania. Says the author of the pamphlet before me: " The motive that sent our first ancestor to this country from his native Irish home was of this character, i.e. a desire for religious freedom; he was a devout Catholic." "Settling," he continues "in the valley of Virginia, in Louden county, before the year 1739, Thomas Hughes, son of Felime or Felix and his wife with his brother Felime or Felix Hughes all from Inver, in Donegal, Ulster, (Ireland) first laid the foundation of his family in this country." Louden county is on the right bank of the Potomac, some distance above Washington; but it is well to bear in mind in the study of our early history that almost every county in every one of the older states underwent various sub-divisions in process of time. The Felix Hughes here mentioned is not, however, the one with whom we are at present concerned, but an uncle of his. "Thomas Hughes in early life had married his cousin Bridget O'Neill, unto whom were born three children." The eldest of these was Phelime or Felix, the leader of the petitioners to Father Farmer. The date of his birth is not given in the "Memoir" but inasmuch as his second child was born in 1753, it is safe to say that he must have been born at least twelve years before his parents left Ireland, that is, as early as 1727. His father Thomas was a noted hunter, and in one of his expeditions into the backwoods, which lasted for several months, he spent some time in what is now Greene county, Pa., the soil and general appearance of which pleased him so well that he determined to make his future home there. "This he did in 1771, and he was one of the very first white settlers in that country. He located where Carmichaelstown now stands, but several years afterwards exchanged farms with a party named Carmichael, and called his new place Jefferson, after his old county in Virginia. The old stone mansion which he built on his place still stands in the center of the town of Jefferson, and is still the home of a branch of his family, the Lindsays"

Greene county in which both Carmichaelstown and Jefferson are situated, was not formed till February 9th, 1796. Felix Hughes and three other families accompanied Thomas to his new home in the then West. But previous to that time and as early as 1750, though the date is not given, Felix had married Cintha Kaighn, an only daughter, by whom he had four sons and two daughters. "Immediately on their arrival they erected a fort or block-house, as protection against the Indians and wild animals, and which house, when completed, was to belong to James Hughes, and to be used by the others at night until they could build cabins for themselves, and after that when they apprehended an attack from the Indians".

This relic of by-gone days was still standing a few years ago, and may be to the present time, to carry the mind back to the perilous days in which our fathers lived. The subjoined description of the fort and its surroundings will be interesting. "In front of the fort was a large glade alive with game of all kinds, and from that fact the place was given the name of Bear Harbor, as so called by Felix Hughes in a patent obtained by him April 18th, 1785, and likewise in a conveyance to his son James on January 15th, 1787. The fort was one story and a half, the first story being of hewed logs and the half story of boards, and a shingle roof; a style of house far different from usual in that day, when round logs and clapboard roofs amde a good home. In that time Mr. Crago says that old log structure was considered an elegant house. In length it was forty feet and in width eighteen; contained two rooms, each 20 by 18, and an upper half story or loft."

Improvements were naturally enough made on the premises and the more so as danger from Indian depredations was by this time little to be feared; but another trouble arose for the Hughes family from the man who had first settled the land and who now returned to claim it after having abandoned it for a long term of years. The matter was, however amicably settled, and the present occupants remained in possession

After the year 1780, Felix set out with others to go to Kentucky to look up lands, and possibly settle there; but the little party was attacked by the Indians while descending the Ohio, one of the party being killed and Hughes himself narrowly escaping. They returned with heavy hearts and Felix determined to spend the remainder of his days in Greene county, although many of the name were by that time to be found in Virginia and Kentucky. Of his father James it is said-and the same it appears was true of him-“in religion he was a devout Roman Catholic, and clung with deepest reverence to the Church of his ancestors. He “died at the home of his son-in-law Jacob Burley, near Waynesburg (Greene county) in 1807, and was buried in Neill’s burying ground a few miles from Carmichael, near the grave of his father Felix. This was the burying ground of the Hughes family”.

Sources

1. ↑ Source: #S48 Data: Text: Birth date: 1723 CONT Birth place: CONT Death date: 1805 CONT Death place: CONT Residence date: CONT Residence place: United States
2. ↑ Source: #S65 Page: Ancestry Family Trees
3. ↑ Source: #S00045 Page: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania Veterans Burial Cards, 1929-1990; Archive Collection Number: Series 1-6; Folder Number: 218
4. ↑ Source: #S48 Data: Text: Birth date: 1723 CONT Birth place: CONT Death date: 1805 CONT Death place: CONT Residence date: CONT Residence place: United States
5. ↑ Source: #S48 Data: Text: Birth date: 1723 CONT Birth place: CONT Death date: 1805 CONT Death place: CONT Residence date: CONT Residence place: United States
6. ↑ Source: #S00045 Page: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania Veterans Burial Cards, 1929-1990; Archive Collection Number: Series 1-6; Folder Number: 218
7. ↑ Source: #S48 Data: Text: Birth date: 1723 CONT Birth place: CONT Death date: 1805 CONT Death place: CONT Residence date: CONT Residence place: United States

• Source: S48 Author: Ancestry.com Title: U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.Original data - Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970. Louisville, Kentucky: National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Microfilm, 508 rolls; Repository: #R1
• Repository: R1 Name: Ancestry.com Address: http://www.Ancestry.com E-Mail Address: Phone Number:
• Source: S65 Title: Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.; Repository: #R1 NOTEThis information comes from 1 or more individual Ancestry Family Tree files. This source citation points you to a current version of those files. Note: The owners of these tree files may have removed or changed information since this source citation was created.

• Source: S00045 Author: Ancestry.com Title: Pennsylvania, Veterans Burial Cards, 1777-1999 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2010; NOTEAncestry.com, Pennsylvania, Veterans Burial Cards, 1777-1999 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010).

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Sandy Harris for creating WikiTree profile Hughes-3140 through the import of Clark Goudy Odenbaugh Price Family Tree_2013-02-04.ged on Feb 4, 2013.

Thank you to Celeste Shepherd for creating WikiTree profile Hughes-3562 through the import of JordanMcPherson Family tree_2013-05-04.ged on May 4, 2013. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Celeste and others.