John Gallagher
Immigrant after 1804
JOHN GALLAGHER The Gallagher name is Irish, and is also found spelled Gallaher and Gallager. John Gallagher, was born in the early 1760’s in Ireland, and was a native of County Down. Toward the end of the 18th century he came to America with his wife Margaret and six children: James, John Jr., William, Mary, Margaret, and Jane. There is an eleven year gap in their birth years between John Jr., born in 1783, and William, born in 1794, and another gap between William and Mary, born in 1801. It is possible that John came first to America without his family, perhaps looking for and acquiring land. The family arrived in Butler County, Pennsylvania, in 1797, and settled in Muddy Creek Township. He eventually farmed a tract of 400 acres. On this land he built a log house in which they lived the remainder of their lives. John Gallagher is listed among the Taxables of Connoquenessing township in 1803, having 400 acres, 3 cows, 1 horse or ox, valuation $250, and tax $.75 (Muddy Creek township was created in 1804, from a portion of Connoquenessing township) The oldest son, James C. Gallagher, was born in Ireland, County Donegal, in 1780 or 1781. His middle name is believed to have been Craighton, and this name, sometimes as Crayton, is carried by some of his descendants. One of his daughters was named Amelia Cratin. It is therefore speculated that his mother’s maiden name, or his grandmother’s, may have been Craighton. It is a common name in County Down, Ireland.
John Gallagher may have had a brother, William, who also settled in Muddy Creek township. Wording is ambiguous in the biography found in the 1895 History of Butler County: “He died in Muddy Creek township, as did also his brother William” . This appears at the end of a biography of John Gallagher, but following lines about his son James (who did have a brother William). However, a biography of James Gallagher follows, and seems to indicate that James died in Franklin township.
The death dates for John and Margaret Gallagher are not established, and their graves have not been located.
| Date | Location | Notes | Sources | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | early 1760s | County Down, Ireland | [2] | |
| Marriage | To Margaret [unknown] | [2] | ||
| Death | 1830s | in Muddy Creek Twp., Butler Co., PA | [2] |
Ancestry chart segment
Generation 6 Generation 7 Generation 8
+-- [unknown]
| (????-????)
+-- John Gallagher --+
| (176?-183?) |
James C. Gallagher --+ +-- [unknown]
(1781-1863) | (????-????)
+-- Margaret [unknown]
(????-????)
Sources: [2]
Children
(children with Margaret [unknown])
| Name | Gender | Date of Birth | Birthplace | Spouse | Notes | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James C. Gallagher | M | 1781 | County Donegal, Ireland | 1) Sarah Forrester 2) Mary Albright |
Direct line | [2][3][4][5] |
| John Gallagher, Jr. | M | 1783 | Ireland | Frances Mains | [2][6] | |
| William Gallagher | M | 1794 | [2] | |||
| Mary Gallagher | F | 1801 | 1) James English 2) J. Milton White |
[2] | ||
| Margaret Gallagher | F | 1803[?] | [2] | |||
| Jane Gallagher | F | 1804[?] | [2] |
Places of Residence
| Location | Dates | Notes | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| County Down, Ireland | born early 1760's; -1780's or 90's | [2] | |
| immigrated to U.S. | after 1783 | [2] | |
| Muddy Creek Twp., Butler Co. PA |
1797 - died 1830's | [2] |
Sources
| Ref. Num. | Description | Image of original |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | History of Butler County Pennsylvania 1895, page 48, in the section entitled "Taxables of 1803 for Buffalo Twp.," indicates that John Gallagher owned 400 acres of land, one cow, and one horse or ox, for a total value of $283 and paid tax on that property of $85. There is also a John Gallagher listed on page 51, in Connoquenessing Twp., who owns 400 acres, 3 cows, and 1 horse or ox, for a total value of $250 and a tax of $75. | |
| 2 | History of Butler County Pennsylvania 1895, p. 1262 John Gallagher biographical sketch: "John Gallagher, Sr., one of the pioneers of Butler county, was a native of Down county, Ireland, and settled in Muddy Creek township, late in the Eighteenth or early in the present century. ...The eldest son, James, was twice married, his first wife being Sarah Forrester , and his second, Mary Albright. He died in Muddy Creek township, as did also his brother William ." |
(Complete text) |
| 3 | Personal correspondence from Elizabeth Wilson Williams. | N/A
|
| 4 | Personal correspondence of Elizabeth Wilson Williams with Elsie Crayton Segura. Elsie indicated that the middle C. of James' name was Creighton. | |
| 5 | 1850 United States Federal Census, Franklin Township, Butler County, PA, Page 243, lines 17-26 lists James Gallaher, 70, married to Mary Gallagher, 40. They are listed as living with eight children: daughter Nancy Gallagher, 22; son James Gallagher, 18; daughter Mahala Gallagher, 16; daughter Amelia C.[L?] Gallagher, 15; daughter Matilda Gallagher, 12; son Robert S. Gallagher, 10; son Washington Gallagher, 8; and son Henry Gallagher, 6. The elder James is listed as a farmer and as having been born in Ireland. The remainder of the family is listed as born in PA. James is listed as unable to read or write. All of the children except Nancy are listed as having been in school that year. |  |
| 6 | 1850 United States Federal Census, Franklin Township, Butler County, PA, Page 243, lists John Gallaher, 67, married to Francis, 69. They are listed as living with three daughters: Margaret Gallagher, 28; Mary Gallagher, 26; and Catherine Gallagher, 24. John is listed as a farmer , real estate valued at $1,000, and as having been born in Ireland. The remainder of the family is listed as born in PA. John is listed as unable to read or write. | |
Source notes
- Have been unsuccessful in locating census data for John Gallagher. John Gallaghers found in census do not match well with other known data.
- The 1895 History of Butler County p. 1262 biography of John Gallagher says he settled and remained on a site that was at the time of writing (1895) owned by Henderson Wilson. The 1900 census shows Henderson Wilson residing in Franklin Twp. Butler Co. This township was created from the eastern half of Muddy Creek Twp., so it reasonable to believe that the original Gallagher homestead was indeed in present day Franklin Twp. John Gallagher's sons James C. Gallagher and John Gallgher, Jr. both owned farms in Franklin Twp.
Conjecture
- In the 1895 History of Butler County p. 1262 biography of John Gallagher,the writer briefly discussed John Gallagher, then his son James C. Gallagher, then ends with a final line that is quite unclear as to which Gallagher it refers. "He died in Muddy Creek township, as did also his brother William." The younger James C. Gallagher did indeed have a brother William, but by 1850 the eastern half of Muddy Creek Twp. was re-designated as Franklin Twp. The Gallagher farms lay in Franklin Twp., and James C. Gallagher's family is enumerated there in the 1850 census. However, his father, John Gallagher, did indeed die on the homestead while it was still in Muddy Creek Township. This leads to the conclusion that John must have had a brother William who also immigrated from Ireland to this area.
- John Gallagher was still in Ireland at the time of the American Revolution. His son James C. Gallagher was born there in 1780. Nevertheless, the book Early Settlers of Butler County, PA. 1800-1806 ed. John F. Galll & David K. Webb, 1934, Chillicothe, OH, on pg 15 provides a list of Revolutionary Soldiers Who Resided & Owned Land in Butler County Previous to the Year 1804. Included in this list is a James Gallaher. The veteran James could possibly be an older brother of John Gallagher, or an uncle, or he could be completely unrelated. No relationship is established. The book Revolutionary War Veterans Who Settled in Butler Co. PA by Paul W. Myers, Closson Press 1985, does not mention any Gallagher or Gallaher.
Research Wishlist
- Enter the dates for origins of the townships. Was Connoquenessing Twp. created from old Muddy Creek (& so would that Gallagher in the taxables of 1803 be our ancestor?
- Locate additional tax records; a will?
