Surnames: McIlvaine, King, White, Torrence, Tarr, Phillips
Dunbar Township, Fayette County, Penna Robert Andrew McIlvaine
The Scotch Irish McIlvaines of America point to Ayrshire, Scotland, as the home of their ancestors and revert to a period as far back as 1315 when Edward, brother of Robert Bruce, led a large force into Ireland with the purpose of expelling the English troops from the soil of Erin, great numbers of his soldiers and retainers remaining in Ireland and founding what is known as the Scotch Irish race, many of whom migrated to America in colonial times, and among whom were the ancestors of Robert Andrew McIlvaine of New Haven, Fayette County, Penna, whose father, John McIlvaine, was a native of Delaware, where in 1796 he married Sarah White by whom he had ten children, six born in Delaware.In 1813 he with his family left his native State in the latter part of June for Washington County, Penna, arriving there after a tedious journey, a great undertaking in those days, in the early part of August and locating on Pike Run. In the same county two of his uncles, George McIlvaine and Grier McIlvaine, were then living and also two of his brothers-in-law, Fisher White and James White.
On the 25th of August, 1814, his son Robert Andrew McIlvaine was born, and in October of the same year, John McIlvaine moved to Connellsville where he lived until March, 1815, when he moved across the river into New Haven, a town at that time comprising about twenty dwellings and a few
shops. Here in 1815 Mrs McIlvaine taught a small school and counted among her pupils Margaret Connell and Eliza Connell, daughters of Zachariah Connell, the founder of Connellsville. This school was one of the pioneer educational enterprises of the village. While living there three children were born to Mr McIlvaine: Sarah McIlvaine, Isaac McIlvaine, and Eliza McIlvaine. The parents instructed their children in the precepts and practices of Christianity and endeavored to impress them
with a sense of the importance of habits of industry and frugality.John McIlvaine died in 1850 in his seventy ninth year, Sarah his wife having gone before him in 1835 in her fifty second year. Of their ten children only four survive: Mary Tarr, the oldest survivor, a resident of Bethany, Westmoreland County, Penna, in her seventy sixth year: James McIlvaine, aged seventy three, now of Washington County, Penna, a gentleman distinguished for his benevolence as well as great business ability; Isaac McIlvaine, the youngest survivor, residing near Pittsburgh, Penna; and Robert A McIlvaine, the subject of this sketch, who is sixty seven years of age and lives in New Haven where he has spent the greater part of his life, actively identified with the business and growth of the place,
In the early part of 1853 Mr McIlvaine, after aving been engaged with the ordinary share of success in various avocations of life, entered upon the business of a druggist, earning an exceptional reputation therein for scientific accuracy i the compounding of medicines, and securing the confidence of a large circle of customers thereby, as well as augmenting his own financial resources. From this business he withdrew in 1876, and though keeping a watchful eye over his affairs, now lives in comparative retirement, unpretentious in his habits, and greatly preferring to fields of public duty the quiet enjoyments of home.
In May, 1841, Mr McIlvaine married Miss Susan King, an estimable young lady and former resident of Westmoreland County, Penna. Of this union four children were born, the first not surviving its birth. The others, Josephine McIlvaine, Gertrude McIlvaine, and Ada McIlvaine, grew up to maturity and were in proper time given the best educaitonal advantages at command. Josephine McIlvaine graduated at Beaver Female Seminary and Institute; Gertrude McIlvaine at the Washington Female Seminary; and Ada was educated at the Moravian Seminary at Bethlehem, Penna.
In 1868 Gertrude McIlvaine was married to Thomas R Torrence of New Haven. In 1871 Mr McIlvaine lost his daughter Josephine who died only four months before her mother, Mrs Susan K McIlvaine, who expired in the fifty second year of her age. In 1872 Ada McIlvaine married Dr Ellis Phillips of New Haven. Mr McIlvaine and all his children are members of the Episcopal Church, the office of senior warden having been filled by him since 1854. He has five living grandchildren: Josephine Torrence; Catharine Torrance; and Robert McIlvaine Torrence; and Ada Phillips and
James McIlvaine Phillips, two having died in infancy: Thomas Torrence and Gertrude Ellisa Phillips.