JAMES, JOHN and JOSIAH BLYTHE
are sons of William and Mary S. (Marshall) Blythe, the former of whom,
a
farmer by occupation, was
born on the old family farm in Fallowfield township, Washington Co., Penn.,
in 1800.
William Blythe was a son
of James Blythe, a native of the North of Ireland, whence, in company with
his brothers,
John and Harry, he emigrated
to America. James settled on the farm that yet remains in the family, in
Fallowfield
township, this county; John
near what is now Fayette City, Fayette Co., Penn., while Henry went to
Ohio, thence to
the South. They were all
Scotch- Irish Presbyterians. William married Mary S. Marshall, a native
of Cross Creek
township, Washington county,
born in 1809 a daughter of James K. and Rebecca (Hanover) Marshall, the
father a
native of Ireland, whence,
when but a child, his parents brought him to this country, and to Cross
Creek township, this
county. He was a soldier
in the war of 1812, and for his services to the Government was given a
warrant for 160
acres of land. He and his
wife were Presbyterians of Scotch-Irish ancestry.
Mr. and Mrs. William Blythe
were the parents of eight children five sons and three daughters viz.:
James, Alexander
F. (who died in June, 1840,
aged seven years), John, Emeline (who died in 1848, aged twelve years),
Elmira (married
to Smith Carson, and residing
on their farm in Fallowfield township), Josiah, William F. (who was a soldier
in the Civil
war, having enlisted, when
eighteen years of age, in the Sixth Heavy Artillery, Two Hundred and Twelfth
Regiment P.
V., and died in November,
1864, of fever incurred through exposure in the field; he was unmarried),
Harriet A.
(married to Morgan Redd;
they reside on their farm in Ohio). The mother died in September, 1863,
the father on
January 31, 1883. He was
the owner of 300 acres of land in Washington county, and 320 in the West.
JAMES BLYTHE, eldest son
of William and Mary S. Blythe, is a prominent contractor, builder and lumber
dealer in
Monongahela. He was born
November 9, 1831, in Fallowfield township, Washington Co., Penn., on the
old homestead
farm, which he now owns,
and which was the property of his father and grandfather before him. He
remained on the
farm until he was twenty
years old, when he came to Monongahela and followed the trade of a carpenter.
On March
20, 1856, he was married
in Monongahela to Miss Elizabeth Butler, who was born on her father's farm
in Carroll
township, three miles southeast
of Monongahela, a daughter of Ira R. and Mary (Boyd) Butler, the former
born in
Chester county, the latter
near Havre-de-Grace, Md. Mr. Butler was a Quaker, and was descended from
the
followers of William Penn.
The latter gave 1,000 acres to the family ancestor in Chester county, and
a lot in
Philadelphia, which latter
is still in the possession of the family. The late Gen. Benjamin F. Butler
was of the same
family. In 1859 James Blythe
moved to the old homestead farm in Fallowfield township, which he purchased
in 1869.
In 1876 he engaged in the
lumber business under the firm name of Foster, Blythe & Neel. In 1884
he moved into
Monongahela, where he has
since resided. He and his wife have had children as follows: William H.,
burgess of
Charleroi, and engaged in
real estate and farming (he married Miss Joanna Carson, who died in 1871,
and they had
one daughter, Millie); Ira
R., a farmer owning a farm near Scenery Hill, Bethlehem township (he married
Miss
Josephine Carson, and they
have five children: Cora, Luella, Alpha, James and Russell); and Mary A.,
residing with
her parents. Mr. Blythe
is a member of Henry M. Phillips Lodge, A. F. & A.M. He is a Republican,
and has held
various offices of trust,
including president of the select and common councils. In October, 1862,
he enlisted in
Company I, One Hundred and
Fifty-fourth P. V. I., serving until July, 1863, and was first sergeant
of his company.
Mr. and Mrs. Blythe are
members of the M. E. Church, and rank among the leading citizens of their
town.
JOHN BLYTHE, third son of
William and Mary S. Blythe, was born on the old farm in Fallowfield township.
He is a
prominent architect and
lumber merchant of Monongahela. He has been twice married, first to Miss
Martha Pierce,
by whom he had four children,
only one of them surviving, Lorena, a thoroughly accomplished and well-educated
young lady. She spent one
year in an art school in Paris, France, and now resides in Monongahela.
Her mother died in
1867, and Mr. Blythe then
married Miss Lavina Campbell, by whom he has two children, Harry and May.
JOSIAH BLYTHE, fourth son
of William and Mary S. Blythe, was born on the old home farm in Fallowfield
township. When he was a
youth his father purchased a farm in Carroll township, this county, to
which Josiah removed,
and has here since resided.
At the death of his father he bought the interest in this farm of the remaining
heirs. In
1872 he married Miss Nannie
S. Teeters, of Monongahela, a daughter of Abraham and Fanny S. Teeters,
and to this
union have been born six
children, as follows: William J., Minnie C., Lulu V., Sallie E., Laura
V. and Norman B., all
yet living under the parental
roof. Mr. Blythe is a thorough French scholar, speaking the language fluently,
as well as
reading and writing it.
He is a Republican, and takes an active interest in all political matters.
He and his wife are
members of the Methodist
Church. He is engaged in general agriculture, including stock raising,
and makes a specialty
of Poland-China swine. He
is also interested in other fine stock, including fancy poultry, turkeys
and geese, of which
he breeds many fine specimens
of different varieties.