John Allison (1714 - 1790)

Born 1 Aug 1714 in Strathaven, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Husband of Jean (Brownlee) Allison — married about 1758 in Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania

Descendants

Died 25 Mar 1790 at age 75 in Washington, Pennsylvania, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Janis Allison [send private message]

Biography

John was a wheat farmer. John Allison married Jean Brownlee about 1758. At the time of their marriage, Jean lived in Martic Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Jean was born on July 23, 1735, in Side, in Avondale Parish, Lanarkshire County, Scotland. She was a daughter of Archibald and Margaret (Hamilton) Brownlee. Archibald Brownlee and his family settled in Martic Township about 1752. John paid taxes in Martic Township in 1769, 1770, 1771, and 1772. In the 1770 and 1771 tax records, John was a renter with the Martic Furnace and Forge, which was located in Martic Township. The forge was built in 1751 and 1752. The business was owned and operated by Thomas and William Smith. Archibald Brownlee owned 100 acres of land near the forge. In 1773, John Allison and his family moved westward and settled in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. This area of Westmoreland County later became part of Washington County, Pennsylvania. On April 5, 1786, John Allison obtained a warrant for 415 acres of land in Canton Township, Washington County. He received a patent for this land on September 25, 1787. This parcel of land was called "Allisford." John was associated with the North Buffalo Presbyterian (Associate Presbyterian/Seceder) Church, in Washington County, Pennsylvania. John Allison died in Cecil Township, Washington County, on March 25, 1790. His will was recorded in volume one, on pages 118 and 119 of the Washington County will books:

"Know all men by these presents that I John Allison of Cecil Township Washington County and State of Pensylvania being weak and sickley of body but of good and sound memory calling to mind the mortallity of my body and that it is appointed to all men once to die do make and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following. And first of all I give my soul to god who gave it and my body I Recommend to the earth to be buried in a Christian manner at the discretion of my Executors hereafter mentioned and as touching such worldly Estate as it hath pleased god bless me with in this life I give and bequeath of it in the following manner and first after payment of all my just debts and funeral charges I give and bequeth unto my beloved wife Jane the House I now live in and her third according to law and likewise her Horse and Saddle a bed and beding of clothes and the furniture belonging to the dresser, and next I give unto my sons, Gavin, Archibald and John the land on the west side of the trail I now live on as far as to the surveyed line that William Sinctan made last Spring including said survey to be amongst them equally devided to be conveyed to them immediately after my death and likewise twenty acres to each of them to be delivered to them at my wife Jeans death and I will unto my son James one hundred acres of land including the improvements during his life, and after his death to return to my other sons and their heirs and assigns forever, two seven parts of all my personal estate I give unto my said son James, and I will that the profits of James his part be given unto my wife during her life, provided she keep him in good vituals and Clothes and after her death the profits of said James his part shall be given to my son Gavin provided he maintain said James in vituals and Clothes and on his refusal to be given to the next oldest who will accept thereof on the foresaid condition and I will unto my other sons Thomas and Hugh the rest of all my land to be ? them equally divided and likewise I will unto my sons Gavin, Archibald, John Thomas and Hugh the rest of all my personal Estate to be amongst them equally divided and I constitute and appoint my sons Gavin, Archibald and John to be my the Executors of this my last will and testament and disclame disannul and make void all other wills testaments and Legaysics by me made and acknowledged this to by last will and testament and have hereunto set to my hand and seal this twenty sixth day February Anno Domini one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine. John Alison (seal)"

"In the presence of Thomas Brownlee, Samuel McBid (McBride) William Cumingham (Cuningham) Washington County Si (seal). On the ninth day of April 1790 personally came Thomas Brownlee, Samuel McBride and William Cuningham and being sworn according to law declareth and saith that they were personally present and did see and hear John Allison the within named Testator sign, seal publish and declare the foregoing Instrument as and for his last will and testament, and that they beleive at the time of so doing he was of a sound and perfect mind & memory at the Execution there of & at the request of the Testator they Subscribed their names as witnesses there to Sworn and subscribed before me the day and date aforesaid Tho.s Stokely Register. Thomas Brownlee, Samuel McBried, William Cuningham Be it remembered that on the 9th day of April Anno Domini 1790. The last will and testament of John Allison late of Washington County deceased was proved in due form of law, and letters Testamentory thereon were granted to Gavin Allison, Archibald Allison and John Allison the Executors therein named they being first sworn well and truly to administer the Estate of the said deceased and to Exhibit a true and perfect inventory thereof into the Registers Office at Washington, and to render a true and just account of their said administration when legally thereunto required Registered this 9th day of April Anno Domini 1790."

He was buried in the North Buffalo United Presbyterian Cemetery. The site of his grave is not marked with a tombstone. In 1798, Jean’s house in Chartiers Township, formerly owned by her husband, John Allison, was valued at $30. She also owned 100 acres of land valued at $470. In 1800, Jean lived in Chartiers Township, in Washington County. On March 11, 1807, the State of Pennsylvania approved an act to enable Thomas Allison, John’s son, and Samuel Agnew, to sell the land, 260 acres in Washington County, in John Allison’s possession at the time of his death. On May 8, 1810, Thomas Allison and Samuel Agnew sold 233 acres of this land, for $1,748.62, to Archibald Allison, John Allison’s son. This land was located on the water’s of Chartier’s Creek, in Washington County. Jean (Brownlee) Allison died on February 8, 1818. She was buried in Mt. Hope United Presbyterian Cemetery, near West Middletown, Pennsylvania.

Children:

1. Gavin, b. 29 January 1759 (Lancaster County, Pennsylvania); m. Mary W. Koontz, 1802
2. Archibald, b. 29 September 1760; d. 4 July 1835; buried in the North Buffalo United Presbyterian Cemetery
3. John, Jr., b. 15 September 1762; d. 15 April 1804; m. Eleanor ?
4. William, b. 23 August 1764; d. 1 November 1764
5. William, b. 22 September 1765; d. 8 April 1766
6. James, b. 8 April 1768; d. 5 July 1810; described as "deaf and dumb".
7. Thomas, b. 3 June 1770 (York County, Pennsylvania); m. Anne Henderson, 30 December 1800
8. Ebenezer, b. 10 June 1771; d. before 1789
9. Hugh, b. 2 December 1773 (Washington County, Pennsylvania); m. Jane Irwin, 30 April 1794; (2nd) Jane Brownlee, 7 October 1799; (3rd) Rebecca McBride, 8 January 1805; (4th) Jane Gabby, 2 November 1820

Death: Mar. 25, 1790 Cecil Washington County, Pennsylvania, USA

Husband of Jeanne Brownlee

Family links: Spouse: Jeanne Brownlee Allison (1736 - 1818)

Children: Gaius A. Allison (1759 - 1838)* Thomas Allison (1770 - 1840)*

• Calculated relationship

Note: according to 1937 DAR survey "no dates, soldier of the Revolution, Pvt Washington County Militia, no stone"

Burial: North Buffalo Presbyterian Cemetery Washington Washington County, Pennsylvania, USA Plot: "no stone"^[1]

Notes

1. John Allison, born 1 Aug 1714 in Strathaven, Scotland,^[2] married Jean Brownlee, daughter of Archibald Brownlee (who married Margaret Hamilton). Jean may have been born 23 Jul 1735 in Side, Lanarkshire County, Scotland (judging by her tombstone in Washington County, Pennsylvania.^[3]
2. John Allison was described as a “native of Scotland” in the Commemorative Biographical Record, Washington County, Pennsylvania, by J. H. Beers & Co., 1893, on page 280. The brothers of John Allison included Gavin “Guin” Allison of Hopewell Township (York County, Pennsylvania) and William Allison of Windsor Township (York County, Pennsylvania). The results of the Allison/Ellison Family DNA Project prove that descendants of John, Gavin “Guin”, and William, share matching DNA. The father of John Allison, Gavin “Guin” Allison, and William Allison, was Gavin Allison the shoemaker/businessman. Gavin “Guin” Allison was identified as a son of Gavin Allison (a shoemaker/businessman, who died about 1768) in Hopewell Township, in York County. Gavin “Guin” Allison had an account with Gavin Allison, and owed 8 shillings and 9 pence to his father’s estate. William Allison was identified as a son of Gavin Allison, the shoemaker/businessman, by having signed the 1769 administrative bond of 150 pounds for Gavin’s estate. John Allison, Gavin “Guin” Allison, and William Allison’s connection as brothers is clearly identified in the Avondale Parish, Scotland, birth records for John Allison born on August 1, 1714 (in Strathaven), Gavin “Guin” Allison born on November 11, 1716 (in Strathaven), and for William Allison born on December 20, 1730 (in Strathaven), with all 3 born to Gavin Allison the shoemaker.

Sources

1. ↑ Phillips; Find A Grave Memorial# 35475307 (3 Apr 2009)
2. ↑ Avondale Parish birth register, Lanarkshire County, Scotland
3. ↑ Opinion of James Allison; genealogist

• Commemorative Biographical Record, Washington County, Pennsylvania. J. H. Beers & Co. 1893. Page 280.

[1]

• “The Descendants of John Allison of Washington County, Pennsylvania”. 1997. Compiled by James R. Allison.
• “The Descendants of John Allison of Washington County, Pennsylvania; 2021 Revised and Updated Edition”, Part 1, Pages 7-10; Part 4, Page 125. 2021. By James R. Allison.
• 1790 United States Census, Pennsylvania, Washington County, page 186.
• 1800 United States Census, Pennsylvania, Washington County, page 729.
• McElwain, Wilbur J. United States Direct Tax of 1798 Tax Lists for Washington County, Pennsylvania. 1997. Page 30.
• The Statutes at Large of Pennsylvania from 1806 to 1809, Volume XVIII, published 1915, pages 394-396.
• Washington County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 1V, pages 400-401.