Some History of James McCormick - Originally submitted by Tanyahyde to Welton
Family Tree on 10 Jul 2008
James McCormick was born on May 3, 1645 in Kilteny, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry,
Ulster, Ireland. He was the son of Thomas McCormick and Matilda Patterson. James
died in/before 1738.
"One of the signers of 'the humble address of the govenor, officers, clergy and
other gentlemen in the city and garrison of Londonderry' to William and Mary of
the date, July 29, 1689; shortly after the famous siege of that noted stronghold
of Protestantism, was James McCormick." Pennsylvania Genealogies by Wm.
Egle
He is mentioned in accounts of siege of Londonderry in 1689. Londonderry was the
chief stronghold of Protestantism in the north of Ireland. As a defender in the
siege, Captain James was pitted against the forces of James the II who was
making a move for restoration of the Catholic faith. There is a stained glass
window in the Londonderry Cathedral which has his name.
History of the siege of Londonderry
In 1689 the city withstood a 105 day siege by the army of James II. The event is
commemorated every year. Although James's opponents saw him as a tyrant acting
as a tool of the expansionist Catholic Louis XIV of France, it was not tyranny
but stupidity and cowardice that brought his downfall. After fleeing to France
in 1689, he assembled an Irish-French army in an attempt to restore himself, but
in 1690 his army was defeated by William at the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland.
Boyne near Drogheda, in Ireland, the deposed Roman Catholic King James III of
England was defeated by the army of his protestant successor, William III.
--
Encyclopedia of Pennsylvania biography illustrated By John Woolf
Jordan, Thomas Lynch Montgomery, Ernest Spofford, Frederic Antes Godcharles
Published by Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1914 Item notes: v. 2 Pg 685-689
McCORMICK, Col. Henry, Soldier, Manufacturer,
There are certain men so eminent in their careers and who exert so great an
influence upon the community in which they live that their names become, so to
speak, synonymous with the cities of which they are the glory. Such a man was
the late Colonel Henry McCormick, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
James McCormick, the first ancestor of this family of whom we have any
record, was one of the signers of the "humble address of the governors,
officers, clergy and other gentlemen of the city and garrison of Londonderry" to
William and Mary, July 29, 1689, shortly after the famous siege of that
stronghold of Protestantism. He married, and among his children were: I. Hugh,
born about 1695, in the province of Ulster, Ireland. He emigrated with his
family to America, prior to 1735, and settled in Paxtang township, Lancaster
county (now Dauphin), Pennsylvania. He married, and had children: John, born
1718, married and had children, and probably settled in the valley of Virginia;
Samuel, born 1723, married and had children; Hugh, born 1725, married Sarah
Alcorn. 2. Thomas, of whom further.
--
Courts and lawyers of Pennsylvania a history, 1623-1923 By Frank
Marshall Eastman Published by The American historical society, inc., 1922 Item
notes v. 4 Pg 333-335
The McCormicks came to Lycoming county from what was then Lancaster county,
and to Lancaster county, now Dauphin county, from Ireland, descendants of
James McCormick, of Londonderry, who had two sons, Hugh and Thomas, both of
whom came to Pennsylvania, and founded families, this branch descending through
Hugh McCormick, born about 1605, in the Province of Ulster. There he married and
lived until about 1735, when he came to the Province of Pennsylvania,
accompanied by his wife and children, and his brother Thomas and his family.
His fourth son, Hugh (2) McCormick, was born in Ireland, in 1725, and at the age
of ten came to Pennsylvania with the family. They settled in Lancaster county,
where Hugh (2) remained until about 1770, when he bought 1,300 acres of
unimproved land in White Deer Valley, and there became prosperous and wealthy.
He married Sarah Alcorn, daughter of James and Mary Alcorn, of Cumberland
county, Pennsylvania, and they were the parents of nine children, including a
son, Seth.
--
Family record and biography By Leander James McCormick Published by
s.n., 1896
Descendants of James McCormick, of Londonderry, Ireland.
On July 29, 1689, following the celebrated siege of the city of Londonderry,
Ireland, there was presented to William III. and Mary his wife, an address
hearing the signatures of the well-known gentlemen and citizens of that city.
Among these names occurs that of James McCormick, of whom is known little
else, save that he was the progenitor of the family of that name, who somewhat
later emigrated to America.
He had several children, of whom two were :
1. Hugh McCormick (1st). B, 1695. D,
2. Thomas McCormick (1st). В., 1702. D., 1762. M., Elizabeth Carruth 1728.
Hugh McCormick, Son of James McCormick, and His Descendants.
i. Hugh McCormick (1st). Son of James McCormick (Londonderry ).
B. in North of Ireland, 1695. D. in Lancaster Co., Pa.
He removed to America before 1735, and settled in Dauphin Co., Pa.
Had issue :
i. Hugh McCormick (2d). B. 1725. D. Sept., 1777. M. Sarah Alcorn, 1749.
--
History of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania By Luther Reily Kelker
Published by Lewis Pub. Co., 1907 Item notes v. 3 Pg 20-23
THE McCORMICK FAMILY, which came to this country from Ireland some time
during the seventeenth century, has a record in the history of this country of
which the members of the family may justly feel proud. They have been well
represented in all the "professions, as well as in the financial, commercial and
military circles, and have earned distinction in every field of operations in
which they were interested.
(I) James McCormick, the first ancestor of this family of whom we have any
record, was one of the signers of the "humble address of the governors,
officers, clergy and other gentlemen of the city and garrison of Londonderry" to
William and Mary, July 29, 1689, shortly after the famous siege of that
stronghold of Protestantism. He married, and among his children were: i. Hugh,
born about 1695, in the province of Ulster, Ireland. He emigrated with his
family to America, prior to 1735, and settled in Paxtang township, Lancaster
county (now Dauphin), Pennsylvania. He married, and had children: John, born
1718, married Jean Cathay; James, born 1721, married and had children, and
probably settled in the valley of Virginia; Samuel, born 1723, married and had
children; Hugh, born 1725, married Sarah Alcorn. 2. Thomas, see forward.
--
Pennsylvania genealogies: Scotch-Irish and German By William Henry
Egle Published by L. S. Hart, printer, 1886
McCORMICK FAMILY.
I. One of the signers of "the humble address of the Governor, officers, clergy,
and other gentlemen in the city and garrison of Londonderry," to William and
Mary, of the date of July 29, 1689, shortly after the famous siege of that noted
stronghold of Protestantism, was JAMES McCormick 1. Further than that we have
little knowledge of him, save that he was the ancestor of the family of whom we
have this record. Among other children he had issue:
2. i. Hugh, b. about 1695; m., and had issue.
3. ii. Thomas, b. 1702 ; m. Elizabeth Carruth.
II HUGH McCormick, 2 (James, 1) b. about 1695, in the Province of Ulster,
Ireland; emigrated with his family to Pennsylvania prior to 1735, and located in
Paxtang township, Lancaster, now Dauphin county, Penna. He married, and had
issue:
4. i. John, b. 1718; m. Jane [Cathay.]
ii. James, b. 1721; m., and had issue, but probably went into the valley of
Virginia.
5. iii. Samuel, b. 1723 ; m., and had issue.
6. IV. Hugh, b. 1725 ; m. Sarah Alcorn.
--
Scotland's mark on America By George Fraser Black Published by
Scottish Section of America's Making 1921
As Scotland gave to the world the knowledge of the art of logarithms, the
steam engine, the electric telegraph, the wireless telegraph, illuminating gas,
the knowledge of chloroform, and many other important inventions, it was to be
expected that the inventive faculty of her sons would not fail when transplanted
to this country.
Cyrus Hall McCormick (1809-84), inventor of the reaping machine, was
descended from James McCormick, one of the signers of the address of the city
and garrison of Londonderry presented to William III. after the siege in 1689.
Of his invention the French Academy of Sciences declared that by its means he
Had "done more for the cause of agriculture than any other "living man."
