Page:Family of Ormsby of Pittsburgh.djvu/19

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Family of Ormsby.
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ber of the inhabitants who joined me to do duty," which desperate situation was happily relieved by the arrival of the English troops under Colonel Boquet, with a large quantity of provisions and munitions of war. As indemnity for their losses, the chiefs of the Six Nations, at the treaty of Fort Stanwix, 3 November, 1768, made over to twenty-two gentlemen, one of whom was John Ormsby, a large tract of land bordering on the Ohio river above the Little Kanawha, comprising about one-fourth of the present state of West Virginia, to which grant the traders gave the name of Indiana;[1] but owing to the disaffection of the colonies, which culminated in the Revolutionary war, the grant was never confirmed by the king.

In July, 1764, John Ormsby married Jane McAllister, b. 1747, d. Pittsburgh, 13 June, 1799; of fine old Scotch stock, prominent in colonial affairs and active patriots during the Revolutionary war. She was daughter of Archibald McAllister, who emigrated from Scotland to America in 1732 and settled at Big Spring, Cumberland county, Pa., by "his dearly and well-beloved wife Jean."[2] The other children of Archibald McAllister were: John, of Middleton township, Cumberland county, Pa.; quartermaster in the Revolutionary war. Richard, proprietor of McAllisterville, Juniata county, Pa., which he laid out;[3] colonel in the Revolutionary war. David, of Cumberland county, Pa. James, of Martinsburg, Berkeley county, Va., later of Springfield, Hampshire county, Va. Archibald; captain in the Revolutionary war. Daniel, who lived on his farm about two miles from Carlisle, Pa. Mary, who married John McKnight, of Middleton township, Cumberland county, Pa., who took part in the French and Indian war, and was an early justice of Cumberland county.[4] Andrew,

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  1. See original deed in the western room of the old State House, Philadelphia.
  2. See will of Archibald McAllister, Will Book B, p. 2 sq., Register's Office, Cumberland county, Carlisle, Pa.
  3. See History of Northumberland, Huntington and Other Counties, by I. D. Rupp, p. 344.
  4. See, for instance, History of Northumberland, Huntington and Other Counties, by I. D. Rupp, app. pp. 506-7.