The Following document was found among my great-grandfather’s (Harry W. STERLING) papers and was written by his cousin, Samuel McCalmont, in 1908. Samuel McCalmont records McCalmont ancestry information, family interviews, and cemetery records. An extract from an 1888 memoranda by G. B. McCalmont begins under the title “City of Bradford”and is inserted between solid lines. Another extract from a memoranda is given by Alexander McCalmont in 1853.
Given by Samuel McCalmont, May 26, 1908, at Morrison, Illinois, September 30, 1908. From June 10, 1907 to June 15, 1907, I visited Miss Jane R. McCalment and other relatives in Bellefont, Pennsylvania. While there, Miss McCalmont loaned me a paper containing some information as to the McCalmont family history and compiled by George Byreh McCalmont, now deceased, late of Bradford, McKean County, Pennsylvania, Which I copy as follows: _____________________________________________________________________________ “CITY OF BRADFORD” G. B. McCalmont, City Solicitor. “Bradford, McKean Co., April 29th, 1883.” “Memoranda made the 29th of April 1883 by George Byreh McCalmont of the City of Bradford, County of McKean, State of Pennsylvania, from information received from John S. McCalmont of Franklin, Pa., John B. McCalmont of Altona, Knox Co., Ill., and Janet R. McCalmont of Bellefont, Pa., and from information contained in a memoranda made in the year 1885*, by Rev. Thomas McCalmont of Highfield, Southhampton, England, a copy of which was sent by his widow, Emily G. McCalmont, who still resides at Highfield.
1. George Byreh McCalmont, was born at Fort Madison, Iowa., September 4th, 1844.
My father’s name was Robert McCalmont. He was born in Mifflin County, Pa., June 20, 1816 and died at Buffalo Furnace, Armstrong Co. Pa., February 15, 1846.
My grandfather’s name was Henry McCalmont. He was born in Mifflin Co., Pa., March 4th, 1776, and died February 5th, 1855, in Cornplanter Township, Venango Co., Pa., at a place now called Plumer. He moved to Venango Co., March 3rd, 1819.
My great grandfather’s name was John McCalmont. He was born January 1st, 1750, in the County Armagh, Ireland, near the town of the same name. He emigrated to America in company with his brother, Thomas, in 1766.
My great-great grandfather’s name was Thomas McCalmont. He moved between the years 1750 and 1766, from the county Armagh to the County Antrim, Ireland, and lived on the old homestead called Closeburn in the Parish of Cairncastle. He had two brothers James and John. His wife’s maiden name was Sarah Wallace.
My great-great-great grandfather’s name was Thomas McCalmont, and as he is the head of the family as far back as I know, I will commence with him and come down to the present time. THOMAS McCALMONT The Covenanter Head of the family as far as is known. Thomas McCalmont was a native of Western Scotland. He was a covenanter preacher and escaped from Scotland in a fishing boat about the years 1666 or 1668 to avoid persecution on account of his religious convictions, under the reign of Charles the Second. He settled on a farm in the Parish of Cairncastle being the name of a parish in western Scotland in which there was a remarkable cavern called Cresoplin which was one of the retreats of the Covenanters in the days of persecution in the reign of Charles the Second from 1660 to 1680.
There is a branch of the family now living in the neighborhood of Oben in Argylshire, Scotland. This family has a tradition of some of its members having emigrated to Ireland more than two hundred years ago. One of this Highland family, who is curious in matters of genealogy, thinks he has identified his family with that of Buchanan and refers those whom it may concern for information on the subject to an old book published in Glasgow entitled “The History of the Ancient Sur-names, Particularly the Clans” by Wm. Buchanan of Auchur 1792. This Highland gentleman of Oben, Scotland, thinks he has traced connections or branches of his family to Holland, Switzerland, and America.
Thomas McCalmont, the Covenanter preacher, has three sons: John, James, and my great-grandfather Thomas, all Covenanters. John held a farm called Clarkstown in the Parish of Cairncastle, County Antrim, Ireland, and some of his descendants are still living in the North of Ireland or were in the year 1855. One of them named Hugh went to the West Indies where he was drown. The inscription on John’s old Bible is “John McCalmont, his book. God give him the grace therein to look. Born the first day of March 1709.” James, son of Thomas the Covenanter preacher, I know nothing more of.
THOMAS McCALMONT, son of the Covenanter preacher, was my great-great grandfather and the father of all the McCalmonts in America, that I know of. He, Thomas McCalmont, son of the Covenanter, moved between the years 1750 and 1766, from the County Armagh (where my great-grandfather John was born) to the County Antrim, Ireland, and lived on the old homestead, the farm called Closeburn in the Parish of Cairncastle. He left five sons, Robert, Hugh, Thomas, James, and John (My great-grandfather).
First: Robert was born in 1725 and died in Larhe, Ireland, June 10, 1775. He commanded a ship trading between the north of Ireland and America. He left two sons, Hugh and James. James was a surgeon and lost his life on the coast of Africa. Hugh, son of Robert had numerous descendants, a full account of whom will be given in this memoranda when complete.
Second: Hugh, son of, I know nothing of. Third: Thomas, son of Thomas, came to America with his brother John (my great-grandfather) in 1766 at the age of 31 and settled in Centre County, Pa., and died there Sept. 6, 1819. A full account of his descendants will be given in this memoranda when it is complete.
Fourth: James McCalmont, son of Thomas, came to America in May 1775, a soldier in Burgoyne’s army, and was captured with the rest at Stillwater in October 1777. He was afterwards married at or near Carlisle, Pa., and moved to Mercer County, Pa., in 1803, where he died. A full account of his descendants will be given in this memoranda when complete.
Fifth: John McCalmont (my great-grandfather) son of Thomas, was born January first, 1750, in the County Armagh, near town of same name, Ireland. He left Ireland for America in the year 1766 in company with his brother Thomas (who settled in Centre County, Pa.). He, John, was first apprenticed in Ireland to a clock maker and not liking the master of trade, he ran away and entered into an agreement with the captain of the ship Rose to serve three years on this side for his passage to America, with the privilege of having his agreement cancelled on payment of a sum of money. He went to work for Mrs. Bartholomew to pay his passage over. She lived about nine miles from the City of Philadelphia. It was at the home of Mrs. Bartholomew that he first met Elizabeth Conrad who afterwards became his wife. Soon after they were married they moved to Greenwood Chisnacoquillas Valle, Mifflin County, Pa., and there remained until 1787. Their first child, Thomas, was born there October 14th, 1774. He also had five others. Henry, my grandfather, was born March 15th 1776. James born next, I do not know the date. John born 1780, Robert born August 27th, 1783, Alexander (who was President Judge during his life) born October 23, 1785.
They moved previous to September 9th, 1787, to Nittany Valley between what is now Bellefont and Fisher’s Creek and settled at a spring the head of Lick Run. The seventh child, John the second, (the first John was drowned at 18 months old) was born here September the 9th, 1798. Jane 1795 and Joseph, November 23, 1790 or 98, I cannot make out which.
During this time he was in the Revolutionary Army. He served under General Lacy. His Captain’s name was A. Brown. He wintered with Washington at Valley Forge in 1777. He moved in 1803 with all his family except his son, Henry, my grandfather, who afterwards moved to Venango County, Pa. He died at his son Robert McCalmont’s about one mile from Franklin, Pa. He left numerous descendants a full account of whom will be given in this memorandum when complete.
Yours truly, Geo. B. McCalmont To Miss Jane R. McCalmont Bellefont, Pa. _____________________________________________________________________________
On Friday, June 14, 1907, Miss Jane R. McCalmont, my mother, my wife and I drove from Bellefont to Jacksonville, Pa., a distance of 8 or 9 miles, and visited the old “Lick Run Presbyterian Church”, where our ancestors attended church and where many of them are buried in the adjoining cemetery. This church was organized over one hundred years ago and the present building was built some 75 or 80 years ago. In this old cemetery D found mehmuhtes (monuments?) as follows:
Thomas McCalmont, Died Sept. 6, 1819, aged 74 years. (This is our great-great-grandfather and is the same Thomas McCalmont mentioned in paragraph “Third on page 3 of the forgoing memoranda of George B. McCalmont.)
Mary McCalmont, his wife, died May 7, 1803 aged 58 years.
John McCalmont, died February 25, 1855, aged 80 years, 11 months and 16 days. (This is our great-grandfather).
Jane Allison McCalmont, his wife, died Sept. 2, 1852, aged 76 years, 7 months and 1 day.
William Scott McCalmont, died Dec. 17, 1863, in the 62nd year of his age. (This is our Grandfather.)
Margaret B. (Laird) McCalmont, his wife, died April 23, 1843, aged 35 years, 2 months, and 5 days.
Mary Elizabeth McCalmont (a sister of my father) wife of William Harter, died Sept. 10, 1865, aged 30 years, 2 months and 15 days.
James A. McCalmont (brother of my grandfather and father of Miss Jane R. McCalmont). born March 18, 1801, and died August 13, 1875.
Elizabeth, his wife, born Dec. 8, 1804, and died August 8, 1881. Robert McCalmont (son of James A. McCalmont and Elizabeth, his wife) born Jan. 2, 1841and died April 8, 1902. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To the right of the grave of Mary McCalmont, wife of Thomas McCalmont (See further up page), is the grave of a son marked by a rough stone at the foot of the grave. This was the first grave in the cemetery and the Indians helped Thomas McCalmont, the father, to dig the grave. William McCalmont (Son of Thomas) died Dec. 19, 1957, aged 52 years, 5 months, and 24 days. (This was the brother of our great-grandfather). His descendants now live in Newton, Iowa.
Phebe McCalmont, his wife, died June 27, 1851, aged 52 years, 5 months and 14 days.
Thomas Stewart McCalmont, a son, died Feb. 5, 1839, in his 17th year.
Sarah W. McCalmont, a daughter, died March 27, 1848, aged 14 years and 25 days.
Emily McCalmont, a daughter, died May 17th, 1849, aged 21 years., 5 months and 16 days.
I also found the grave of Rebecca A. (daughter of William S. and Margaret B. McCalmont, our grandparents) who died June 25, 1839, aged 19 months.
Also the grave of an infant son, who died Sept. 27, 1831.
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Thomas McCalmont (brother of our grandfather) died Feb. 7, 1839, aged 39 years, 4 months and 7 days. Margaret Jane Laird, a daughter, wife of Mathew J. Laird died March 1, 1854, aged 25 years.
Nancy B. McCalmont, a daughter, was born in Center County, Pa., Sept. 21, 1830, and died in Fayette, Iowa, May 25, 1906. She married Thaddeus McNaul, who died Sept. 20, 1900... Three children survive her, D.A. McNaul, and Miss May McNaul both of Fayette, Iowa, and Mrs. Bell Hursh of Waverly, Ia. There are several other McCalmont graves in this cemetery, mostly of children, however. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Samuel Aley of Jacksonville, Pa., (Post Office, Nittany, Pa.) is one of the elders of the Lick Run Presbyterian Church and does some work in caring for the said graves in said cemetery.
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Miss Jane R. McCalmont also gave me the following: Extract from a memorandum made by Alexander McCalmont, October 9, 1853. Alexander McCalmont was the son of John and Elizabeth (Conrad) McCalmont. He was born October 1785, in Cishacequillas Valley. His parents moved to Nittany Valley 1787, and subsequently in 1830 with their whole family to Venango County, Pa., where at Franklin, the county seat, he resided until his decease, August 10, 1857. He was President Judge of the 18th Judicial District of Pennsylvania from 1838 to 1848.
Extract from Alexander McCalmont’s memoranda: When about two years of age my father moved to Nittany Valley and settled on a place at the head of a spring called Lick Run. The tract of land on which we lived and improved until the Spring of 1803, adjoined the tract on which my Uncle Thomas settled and on which Jacksonville is. My father’s tract which he purchased was east of the one on which the village is, and was bounded on the east by a tract owned by Captain Wilson on which he was settled before the Revolution. When the War of the Revolution commenced, Captain Wilson was driven off by the Indians and moved to Carlisle or near it. The first school I went to was taught by Wm. Wilson. The school house was between Thomas Wilson’s and Wm. Wilson’s. This was in 1792. The only person’s living in Nittany Valley between where Bellefont is and Fishing Creek Narrows, in my earliest recollection, were William Lamb who lived on Spring Creek at now Bellefont, a German family the name of Elson three miles further down the Valley, etc. Robert McClelland built the first mill in the Narrows on Lick Run. Phillip Houser was the mill-wright. John Harbison lived at Harbison’s gap. In 1794 a school house was erected on my Uncle Thomas’ land. Wm. McGarvy was the first teacher and taught it two years. The only sermon I heard up til 1794 was preached by the Rev. R. (Wm?) Grier in Mr. (Wm?) Wilson’s barn. His text was Mathew XI-28, 29, 30.
The “Uncle Thomas” referred to in the above extracts, was my great-great-grandfather. Alexander McCalmont was the son of John and Elizabeth (Conrad) McCalmont.
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Miss Jane also loaned me a ‘family tree’ of our branch of the family which was prepared by James David McCalmont, son of John and Jane (Laird) McCalmont, who now lives at Columbus, Ohio, and is as follows:
Grandmother McCalmont. Maiden name Jane Allison(Laird) (the date February 1, 1776 appears in pencil. Probably the date of her birth.) Married Dec. 13, 1798. Brothers: Samuel and James. Sister: Sarah McCune and Rebecca Reed. Grandfather McCalmont. Name John McCalmont. (The date March 9, 1774 appears in pencil. Probably the date of his birth.) Marred Dec. 13, 1798. Brothers: Thomas and William. (William had children as follows: Andy, David, Joseph, Emily, Jane Rebecca Gary and Maria Johnston.) Sisters: Jane Ross, Mary McCullock, Pally McKee, and Sally Woods. They (Grandfather and Grandmother McCalmont as above) had a family of eight children.
1. Thomas married Nancy Beck. Two daughters, Nancy and Margaret Jane. Nancy married Thadies NcNaul and had one child, Nettie. (See Section on Thomas McCalmont). Margaret Jane married Mathew Laird and had two children James and Thomas. 2. James married Elizabeth Stirret. Six children as follows: Stuart married Emma Conklin and had 4 children, 3 girls and 1 boy. Rose married Wm. Shortlidge and had three daughters, one deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Shortlige are both dead. Their two surviving daughters, Mrs. John S. (Elizabeth) Walker and Miss Anna Shortlige live in Bellefont, with Miss Jane R. McCalmont. Mrs. Walker has one son, Robert, who is about 12 years old. James married Emma Lowry and lives at State College, Pennsylvania. They have 5 children: William Thomas, deceased (think he was killed in the Army). Robert, deceased. Jane Rebecca (the Miss Jane R. McCalmont who loaned me these records) who lives in Bellefonte, Pa.
3. William (Scott) McCalmont married twice. First wife, Margaret Laird and the second, Polly Stirret. (Polly Stirret was a sister of Elizabeth Stirret, wife of James McCalmont at #2 above). Children of first wife are as follows: Jane married Andrew Miller, children are Retta, Ida, William, Mary, Lizzie, Frances and Bert. John James married Sarah E. McKean and had one child, Samuel. Margaret married S. Stirling and had one child, Harry.
4. Mary Guilford married John Beck. Children: Margaret married Hiram Housal; John married Jennie Irvin and had two children, Irvin and Allison; Jane; Emily Rebecca; James; William married Ella Fester and had two children, Frank and Hazel; Nathaniel married Agnes Durham and had two children, Edith and Hayes.
5. Rebecca Allison married John McKee. Children: Jane married Upton Brooks, and George married Susan _____ and had one child named Gregg.
6. Margaret married Andrew McClenahan whose first wife was Jane Hutchison. Margaret’s (Peg) children: Eleanor Hutchison, deceased; Emiline; John McCalmont; Margaret Alice. (This family lives near Adrian, Michigan and I visited them while in Ann Arbor)
7. John married Jane Laird, Children: Thomas Guildord married Lilla Brown and has an adopted daughter. Pearl, Agnes Elizabeth who is unmarried and lives at Mr. Healthy, Hamilton County, Ohio. R.F.D. #3. James David married Mary Wood, first wife and Lizzie Johnson, second wife. He had one child by first wife, Alburtee.
8. Jane Ross married David Smyth, Children: Mary Guilford married David Laird and they had the following children: Jennie Dean whose children are Ethel, Imogene, Effie (Elfie), Willie Laird and John. W. Scott had two children, Lizzie C. Simpson who had two children (Jennie and Naomi) and Jessie. John McCalmont Smyth married Maggie Milliken and they have children as follows: Edward; Herbert; Laird; Joseph; May Robert Reed; and Charles. William R. Smyth married Julia rodman and had two sons, William and Leoh.
The above constitutes all of the additional information I have at hand at this time.