NOTE: this is information extracted from "Our Family History" by William E. Elder, a manuscript written (I think) in 1909. No sources were included but much of the history of the late 19th century was based on his own personal memory. I would guess he got most of the birthdates, etc. from a family bible or two. I can make no claim for the veracity of this information, as I have no way (or interest) in verifying it. I am merely making this information available for those who wish to further their own research.

Besides the genealogical data, the manuscript also contains anecdotal information, i.e., family stories about final illnesses or accidents, plus other events considered interesting enough to be remembered and passed down. Please contact me if you would be interested in this information.

Also, please also be patient with my lack of knowledge on how to set out a family lineage, as I have little or no training in genealogy. As this branch of the Elder family descended through a number of men named John, the author designated them as John (1), John (2), etc. , a practice I will continue.

At the very end, I include family information written down by my uncle, James Lanphere Elder, to show my connection to the Antrim County, Coshocton County and Monroe County lineage.

ELDER Family in Antrim County, Ireland

The earliest record is of a John Elder (1) who emigrated from near Edinborough, Scotland in 1680 to Antrim County, Northern Ireland. He rented land from a Lord Cavenaugh two miles east of a small village named Bellamona. His descendents in Ireland would hold this lease for the next 150 years, until 1830.

There is no mention of dates of birth, death or marriage or name of wife. But there is a son, John Elder (2), born ca. 1690.

John (2) had two sons, John (3), born ca. 1720, and Henry, born ca. 1735. Henry is noted as the founder of the Henry Elder lineage of Monroe County, Iowa. Henry's son Mathew was born ca. 1775. Mathew lived long and passed his last years living with his son Henry (grandson of previous Henry) in Monroe County, where he is buried.

It was noted that most of "his" (Henry's?) family went to Canada from Ireland and settled near Quebec. So I suppose it is possible that the older Henry from Ireland may have had more children than just Mathew.

Getting back to John (3), he had four children, three sons and a daughter. They were:

John (4), usually called "Jack," born 1752, active in the Presbyterian church of Finvoy.

James, born 1755, who became the preacher at the Finvoy church and stayed in that position for 60 years. James had two sons who emigrated to South Carolina in 1805. The author states nothing more is known of that line.

Thomas, no birth date, died as a young man, no marriage and no children.

A daughter of unknown name and birth date, who married a man named Bond. This Bond caused John (4) financial ruin in 1802. Please contact me for details of this story.

John (4)'s wife died sometime between 1802 and 1830. John (4) died in 1835, but not before he and his older sons had emigrated, at separate times, to the United States. Apparently his younger sons (James, Thomas and/or Samuel) let the leased land run down and when John (4) left, the lease was given up, after 150 years continuous occupancy.

ELDER Family in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Iowa

John (4) had seven children, six sons and one daughter, all born in Antrim County, Ireland. They were:

Mathew, born 1780, emigrated 1806 to western Pennsylvania, ran a large woolen mill at Elder's Mills, PA. When John (4) emigrated in 1830, he came to live with his son Mathew at Elder's Mills, PA. John (4) died in 1835 and was buried in Darlington, Beaver Co., PA. Mathew had two sons, John R. who moved to Cuba, Missouri and Thomas, who stayed in Darlington, plus an unspecified number of daughters.

William, born 1781, no emigration date but ended up somewhere in Pennsylvania. He had two sons, Stewart and Rankin, one of which died in the Civil War, and three daughters, names unknown.

John (5), born 10/13/1783, married to Margaret Gray 5/29/1804, emigrated to US the next day. More on John (5) below.

James, no birth date, emigrated to Coshocton, Ohio, died sometime before 1855 when his widow and four children moved to Monroe County, Iowa. These children were:

. . . . . . .John , emigrated to Oregon in 1859, lived in Oregon City, died Feb. 1906

. . . . . . .Isaac, also emigrated to Oregon in 1859, returned to Iowa in 1861 and stayed until 1881, when he returned to Linn County, Oregon. Married to Sarah McBride, no children. She died March 1908. Isaac was still living in Albany, Oregon at the time the author was writing in 1909.

. . . . . . .Mary, married to man named Bartlet, lived in Oregon City, Oregon.

. . . . . . .Catharine, married and divorced a man named Ellison, married a man named Birt, stayed in Iowa, author presumed her dead at time of writing, 1909.

Thomas, no birth date, emigrated in 1830 to Ohio and stayed there until 1856, then moved to Iowa and stayed there until his death in 1867. Married Jane, unknown maiden name, had two sons and one daughter.

. . . . . . .John M., who stayed in Monroe County until his marriage failed and then moved to Allegheny, PA, and was still alive in 1909.

. . . . . . .Jacob, who married Margaret Watson. Jacob died of typhoid during the Civil War, in Memphis TN, while serving in the 36th Iowa Regiment. Jacob and Margaret had one child, Lizzie, who married Ed Braham, living in Fowler CA in 1909. Margaret remarried after Jacob's death, to J. C. Robeson, whom she also survived in 1909.

. . . . . . .Mary Jane, who married a man named Long and lived in Monroe County, IA.

Samuel, no birth date, youngest son, emigrated sometime in the 1830's and lived in both Ohio and Indiana before moving to Iowa in 1854. Married twice, first to woman named McCurdy, then to woman named Anderson. (Samuel's nephew, James Elder, son of John (5), also married twice and to the sisters of his uncle Samuel's wives!) Before he died in August 1868, Samuel had three sons and four daughters but there was no mention of which wife gave birth to which child.

. . . . . . .John, died 1869, no marriage

. . . . . . .George, had a family and lived in Kansas or Nebraska

. . . . . . .Wallace, had a family and lived in Kansas or Nebraska

. . . . . . .Mary Ann, married Robert Thompson, living in Ontario, Oregon in 1909. Thompson was brother to Nan Thompson Elder, apparently a sister-in-law to the author.

. . . . . . .Vena, died as a young woman

. . . . . . .Mattie, no information

. . . . . . .Clara, no information

Margaret, no birth date, married to Gray, unknown given name, brother to Margaret Gray who married Margaret Elder's brother, John (5). Thus, it was a brother and sister marrying a brother and sister. This couple did not emigrate but their descendents are said to have founded the Gray Family of Monroe County, Iowa.

Continuing with the story of John (5) and Margaret Gray Elder, they landed in Baltimore in August 1804, lived there one year, then moved to Coshocton County, Ohio, near Warsaw on the Walhonding River. John (5) stayed there until 1851, when he moved briefly to Monroe County, Iowa , to be nearer his children, buying land at what is now Avery, Ohio. Not liking the prairie, he moved back to the old homestead in Coshocton County and died there, 1/21/1852.

During the years in Coshocton County, Margaret Gray Elder died in 1824 and John (5) took as his second wife, Esther McConnel, marrying her in November, 1825. John (5) had many children, twenty in all, eighteen of which survived infancy. There were nine by Margaret, one girl dying in infancy and there were eleven by Esther, again one girl dying in infancy. The author does not give a complete list of these children. These are the only ones discussed.

. . . . . . .Matilda, born 9/20/1805, died 3/26/1857, married Jax. Magaw 2/15/1829, had son John Magaw (served in Civil War, died 1909) and five daughters, Mary Jane (married, stayed in Ohio), Margaret (married, stayed in Ohio), Hannah (no marriage, moved to Iowa in 1871, in 1909 was living in Fowler, CA), Belle (no marriage, moved to Iowa in 1857, died Aug. 1903), and Martha (moved to Iowa in 1857, married George Fullerton, living in Fowler, Fremont County, CA in 1909).

. . . . . . .Mary, died in infancy, born 6/27/1807, died 7/3/1807

. . . . . . .James, born 8/26/1809, married Elizabeth McCurdy 4/30/1835, second marriage to Jane Anderson in August, 1841, died Feb. 1877. This was the nephew of Samuel Elder, who married his uncle's wives' sisters.

. . . . . . .Mathew, born 7/4/1815, died 6/19/1882, married Jane Lowery on 12/26/1839. In 1850 moved from Coshocton, Ohio to Monroe County, Iowa, where author (William E.) was born sometime later. Mathew and Jane had eleven children, eight sons and three daughters, one of the girls dying as an infant. Some children were born before the move to Iowa. But at least two sons were born afterward, William E. and James H. William E. Elder, living in Oregon, had at least one son, Harvey, born prior to 1882.

ELDER Family as Recorded by James Lanphere Elder

James H. Elder, son of Mathew and Jane Lowery Elder, born 1857. Married Anna Bay and lived in Albia, Monroe County, Iowa. Employed in the railway mail service and served as local mayor. Spent his last years in Clifton, Ohio(?), dying in 1933.

James H. and Anna Bay Elder had two sons:

Frank Ray, born 1885 in Albia, Iowa, died 1962 Cincinnati, Presbyterian minister.

Earl, missionary in Egypt, professor at American University in Cairo, Arabic scholar and author.

Frank Ray Elder married Frances Lanphere (born 1885) in 1911.

As a final note, despite 150 years in Northern Ireland, my branch of the Elder family has always considered itself to be a *very* Scottish family. The years in Northern Ireland were often glossed over in family lore as a "brief" interlude between Scotland and the United States.

please email me at jessie@dakota2k.net if you have any questions. I may or may not be able to help, but it won't hurt to ask!