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1751 -- 1772
Emigration of Ephraim's Father From Ireland
The exact identity of Ephraim's father is not known at this time
by this researcher. My current research focuses on this issue. What is known
is a discussion below on five McCartneys, all with connections to Lancaster
Co., PA; two of which were residing in Lancaster at the time of Ephraim's
birth in 1772. If Ephraim's father was not one of the five listed below, Ephraim's
father was someone for which no record of him ever existed or still exists
today. I am hopeful that someday I will find definitive evidence as to
whom Ephraim's father was. It was Ephraim's father who emigrated to America
from Ireland between the years 1751-1772.
Plausible Candidates for the Father of Ephraim
James McCartney
Tax records of Lancaster Co. PA (1771-1773) list a "Jas" McCartney
residing in Martick Township at the time of Ephraim’s birth, but it
is unknown if he would have been old enough to have been Ephraim’s father.
If James was not the father of Ephraim, he may have been an older brother
or an uncle of Ephraim.
Laughlin McCartney
Tax records of Lancaster Co. PA (1771-1773) also list a Laughlin McCartney
residing in Lancaster (Borough) at the time of Ephraim's birth. Furthermore,
the 1790 Federal Census records Laughlin and family residing in Northumberland
Co.--(1, 1, 5, 2, 0)-- [Males: (16+)(<16) / Females: (all)(all other free
persons)(slaves)] as well as the 1800 Federal Census of Northumberland Co.--(0,
1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 2, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0)--[Males: (<10)(10-15)(16-25)(26-44)(45+)
/ Females: (<10)(10-15)(16-25)(26-44)(45+)(all other free persons)(slaves)].
Laughlin was old enough to have been Ephraim's father.
An 1896 article appearing in The American Monthly Magazine describes Laughlin as the son of a John "MacCartney". The play on words in this article is somewhat confusing though, and could be misconstrued or interpreted in one of two ways; either Laughlin's father came to America in 1755 and fought for General Braddock during the French and Indian War or Laughlin did:
Mary Gibson married Maclachian or Laughlin McCartney, the youngest son of a Scotch Laird John and Lady Flora MacDonald MacCartney, who came to America in 1755, under General Braddock, in the Queen’s regiment of “picked men,” that is, men of noble birth and character, of splendid physique, and six feet or over in height. He served with the brave grenadiers until the defeat and death of their leader, and finally settled opposite the town of Sunbury, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. He was too old for military service in the American Revolutionary Army, but gave freely of all his means to advance the cause. Mary Gibson died September 22, 1832, aged eighty-two years, in Cincinnati, Ohio, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Flora MacD. Tomlinson, who was the grandmother of the President of the “Mary Gibson Society.” The Tomlinson family emigrated to Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1834, and have since resided there. (Vol. IX, July-December 1896; DAR: Washington DC; pg. 636)
The 1790 census implies a relatively young to middle-aged father (Laughlin) with five children at home (1 boy and 4 girls). Ten years later in the 1800 census, Laughlin's age is listed at 45+ with four children still at home (1 boy and 3 girls). Because of the large number and young age of his children in the 1790 and 1800 census, it would appear that Laughlin was approximately 45-50 years old in 1800, placing his birth therefore between 1750-1755. If this is accurate, Laughlin was not the man who fought under General Braddock in The American Monthly Magazine article, but rather his father. There is no reference in the article though, that Laughlin's father/family originated from Ireland.
Additional historical documents found by the researcher list Laughlin as a private in Samuel Hunter's 1st Battalion during the Revolutionary War. He did not serve active duty but assisted in the American cause by storing and distributing ammunition from his home in Northumberland Town, Mahoning Twp., Northumberland Co., PA. This concurs with the The American Monthly Magazine article. Laughlin apparently died ca. 1803-1810, as he is not listed in the 1810 federal census and the last record of him was a debt owed by him to a doctor in Northumberland Co. in 1803.
Robert McCartney
1772 [March 21 - April 21] Lancaster Co., Derry Twp--Will of Robert Carithers
lists a Robert McCartney as a grandchild along with children Mary, Elones,
Dorcus, Jane and Sarah. Even though this Will was administered the same year
as Ephraim's birth in Lancaster Co., several unanswered questions need to
be asked. This Will does not state the age of Robert McCartney, nor does it
indicated whether or not this Robert McCartney was residing in Lancaster Co.
at the time. If the Robert McCartney listed in Robert Carithers' Will was
at least 18 years of age and if he were residing in Lancaster Co. at the time,
he would then be a possible candidate to be the father of Ephraim.
Not Likely to be Ephraim's Father
Andrew McCartney
Eighteen years after the birth of Ephraim, the 1790 Federal Census of Lancaster
Co., Colerain Twp., lists an Andrew and three females--(1, 0, 3, 0, 0)--[Males:
(16+)(<16) / Females: (all)(all other free persons)(slaves)]. Two years
later Andrew apparently died in the same township. Andrew's wife and children
are listed in his Will--(Will Abstracts) Wife: Margaret McCartney; Children:
George and Rebecca; Ex.: John Caldwell, William Brown and Margaret McCartney.
It is a possibility that Andrew was the father of Ephraim eighteen years prior
to the 1790 census, but not likely, as Andrew's Will makes no mention of Ephraim.
Additionally, the 1815 tax list of Colerain Twp. list resident George McCartney
living next to widow McCartney. George would be the son of Andrew mentioned
in his Will twenty three years earlier and "widow McCartney" would
be a reference to Andew's wife.
Samuel McCartney
Historical documents
and the History of Indiana Co., PA (1880), list a Samuel McCartney
as a private in the 8th Co., 6th Battalion, Lancaster Co. Militia (1776; 1780-1781).
Samuel was born in PA April 18, 1753, was of Scotch-Irish parentage spending
most of his boyhood in the Cumberland Valley (present-day Franklin and Cumberland
counties), married Nancy Penolope Young April 27, 1790 and died April 14,
1817. Additional Lancaster Co. records place him in Martick Twp. in 1779,
seven years after Ephraim's birth, and Bart Twp. (1782) before eventually
settling in Indiana Co, PA. Samuel and his wife Nancy's nine children
were: Martha; Jacob Y.; George; Andrew; Penelope; Elizabeth J.; Samuel; John
Y.; and Jane (Apollo People, 1974). Samuel was old enough to have been
Ephraim's father, but was not because he was born in Pennsylvania (not Ireland
or Scotland) and more importantly, did not marry until eighteen years after
the birth of Ephraim. Samuel may have been an uncle to Ephraim though because
of his ties to Lancaster Co.