Mercer County PAGenWeb

Archibald McBride


ARCHIBALD MC BRIDE, farmer, post-office Sandy Lake, was born December 19, 1820, in Cool Spring Township, to Thomas, born in 1779, and Mary (Gill) McBride, the father being a native of Scotland and the mother of Pennsylvania. Her father, William Gill, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, from Pennsylvania and lived near Courtney’s Mill, Liberty Township. Thomas McBride came from Scotland in 1787, and with his father, Charles, settled in Pennsylvania. They came to Cool Spring Township about 1803. The land where they settled is now owned by John McCurdy. The mother of Thomas is buried at the old Cool Spring church-yard. He died in 1884, and she about ten years later. There were twelve children born to them: William, died in Ohio; Thomas, killed by the cars in the oil region; Charles, died in Ohio; James, died in Butler County; Robert, died in Ohio; Mary, died in Cool Spring Township; Archibald; Sarah, died in Butler; Margaret, single, lives in Butler; Samuel, lives in Nebraska; Isaac, died in Cool Spring Township, and John, lives, in Trumbull County, Ohio. The parents were members of the Springfield Church, and the father was a Whig. Our subject was educated in the common schools, was brought up on the farm, and worked four months at the carpenter trade. He was married in 1845 to Susanna, daughter of George Barnes, and settled in Cool Spring Township, where he remained three years. In 1848 he came to where he now lives, buying 100 acres, sixty of which he still owns. By this marriage they have had twelve children:

Maggie, married Thomas Powell; George, deceased; Melissa, a teacher at Knoxville, Freedmen’s Mission School; Mary A., married James Wallace, of Mercer; Sadie, married A. C. Reagle; George E., of Westmoreland County; Mattie; Thomas, at home; John, attending Grove City College; Myrtle, at home; Ella, at home, and Bella, married A. C. Horn. Our subject was elected justice of the peace, and held that office for two terms, about 1860-70. He has also been assessor two terms. He is a member and elder in the United Presbyterian Church, and was superintendent of the Sabbath-school of Sandy Lake. In politics he is a Prohibitionist.

Source: History of Mercer County, 1888, page 1059


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