Robert Cree Jr. (1755 - 1795)

Born 1755 in County Down, Ireland

Descendants

Died 1795 at about age 40 in Pennsylvania, USA

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Biography

Robert Cree Jr Very little is known about the life of Robert Cree, Jr. He was born in County Down, Ireland and came to the USA at an early age, sometime prior to 1770. He was possibly the oldest child of Robert and Janet Hamilton Cree. He was listed in the tax records of 1778 as being a 'single freeman' so he would have been born sometime prior to 1757. Robert Cree, Sr. and his family were living in Cumberland (now Perry) County, Pa. during the years of the Revolutionary War. Several of his children, including Robert, Jr. served during this war. Robert Jr.was a member of Capt. Gilbert McCoy's Co. of the Cumberland County Militia in the summer of 1779 and later served in Capt. William Crawford's Co. of the Washington County Militia in the fall of 1781. After this term of enlistment had expired, he evidently remained in Washington County and soon thereafter, he was followed there by his parents and the rest of his family.

Robert Cree, Jr. married Elizebeth Villars, daughter of John Villars, in Washington County in 1786. They were the parents of eight known children. The exact date of Robert's death is unknown, although according to the Washington County estate records (Register of Wills, File C-7-1797) he was dead sometime before November 5, 1795. On that date, bond was given in the amount of $3000 with one of the bondsmen being Elizabeth Cree, administratrix. The inventory of his estate was made on November 12, 1795. The final accounting of his estate was made in 1797. It was customary at that time to start the settlement of estates as soon as possible after death so he evidently died in the fall of 1795, possibly in the month of October. The place of his burial is unknown although it obviously would have been at some location in Washington (now Greene) County, Pa.

Sometime shortly after 1820, his widow, Elizebeth Villars Cree and some of her younger children moved to eastern Ohio, where she settled and bought property in Harrison County. She died there in 1841 and is buried in the Methodist Cemetery at Freeport, Harrison County.

Sources

• LDS Pedigree Resource File on Family Search