Piper Ancestor

Manuscript on “Cromwell McVitty” prepared by Raymond Greene, Lewistown Pennsylvania August 28, 1934. Read before the Piper-McVitty-Shoemaker Family reunion a few days later. (If you are related to the Pipers of Lawrence County, this is your guy.)

Cromwell McVitty (originally spelled McVity) emigrated to America, probably from Dublin, Ireland prior to 1760 and purchased a farm three or four miles from Churchtown, Caernarvon Twp, Lancaster County Pennsylvania.  The farm slopes down the slide of a hill towards the Conestoga Creek and has nice drainage.  The Vestry book of the old Bangor Episcopalian church at Churchtown, records his name as a vestryman in 1783 and a pew-holder in 1759.

Cromwell McVitty was married three times.  The first marriage was to Margaret Hudson who was about 20 years of age.  She was a daughter of George Hudson, Jr., who died prior to September 15, 1747, and a granddaughter of George Hudson Sr., who dies about April 11, 1748, as his will was probated on that date.  George Hudson, Sr. took up 320 acres of land in the year 1720 at Churchtown. Cromwell McVitty’s land was separated from George Hudson Jr’s land by a public road.  By this marriage there were at least two children, William born about 1760 and Elizabeth born in 1762.  After the death of Cromwell McVitty, his son William, purchased the farm.

Cromwell McVitty’s second marriage was to Margaret Anderson, April 4th, 1763, as recorded at the St James Episcopal Church at Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  We do not have any record of any children born to this marriage.  Cromwell McVitty’s third marriage occurred about 1770 to Margaret McCurdy, who died June 3 ,1833.  The following children were born to this marriage: Edward, born Jan. 29th, 1771, died May 12, 1833. John born Dec 27th1773, died Sept. 21, 1857.  Ann born Feb. 26, 1775, died Jan. 7, 1843. Sarah about 1778.  Thomas born Nov. 15th, 1781, died Dec. 20, 1823.  Margaret born about 1783. Samuel born about 1785. Of the above children, it is recorded that Elizabeth was unmarried.  Edward married Margaret Taylor. John married Mary Taylor. Ann married Henry Harmoni.  Thomas married Mary Cook, a daughter of Christian Cook of the Concord Narrows and resided at Shirleysburg, Pennsylvania.

In 1760 Cromwell McVitty purchased jointly with his brother- in- law Morris Hudson, land in Caernarvon Township, Lancaster County Pennsylvania from the William Penn heirs.  His name is given on the muster roll of Revolutionary soldiers for that County (Pennsylvania Archives, 3rd Series, Vol 17 and 5th series, Vol. 7 page 499). This record makes his descendants eligible to the Daughters of the American Revolution.  Later he purchased land in Amberson Valley, Franklin County Pennsylvania and his name is given in the tax list for Fannett Township in 1786 as owner of three hundred and fifty acres.  He gave the land for the Church and the Cemetery at Amberson Pennsylvania and timber for the construction of the original Presbyterian church building.

Cromwell McVitty was born about the year 1729 and died in March 1789 and was buried near his home in Lancaster County.  A partition of his land in Franklin County was filed at Chambersburg Pennsylvania in 1795.

In the “miscellaneous book” for the years 1791 to 1796 page 142 at the Lancaster County Court House is given the division of Cromwell McVitty’s estate in Caernarvon township, which consisted of 160 ¾ acres and was appraised at 333 pounds, 6 shillings, and 8 pence.  Out of this 160 ¾ acres it appears that 67 ½ acres belonged to the estate of Margaret McVitty.  It was divided as follows: Margaret, his wife to receive 10 pounds per year.  William being the eldest, 66 pounds, Elizabeth 33 pounds, Edward 33 pounds, John 33 pounds, Ann 33 pounds, Sarah 33 pounds, Thomas 33 pounds, Margaret 33 pounds and Samuel 33 pounds.

In 1795 The Court in Franklin County was unable to partition the 352 acres in Fannett Township so it placed a value of 44 pounds on this land which was turned over to Edward McVitty at that place.