Travels of John Speir:
Born
and raised in Edinburgh, the only son of John Speir, Sr. In 1788 he
immigrated to Baltimore, MD, soon afterward removing to Pittsburgh, PA
where he went into business. The dishonesty of his partner forced him
to remove to Little Beaver, Beaver County, PA. While in Pittsburgh he
was married, in 1796 to Miss Ann Harnit who was born and reared near
Baltimore, MD. During the Revolutionary War Mrs. Martha Washington
boarded at the tavern of her parents, at Warm Springs, VA, where
Washington occasionally visited his wife. At that time Mrs. Washington
presented to Miss Harnit an eight-gallon iron kettle, which is now
owned by her grandson, Erwin Brown, of West Salem Township. John Speir
and wife with their three eldest children removed from Beaver County to
West Salem Twp. in the fall of 1801, locating about one mile west of
the site of Greenville. All his children were reared and died in Mercer
Co. John died March 26 1813 leaving a family of 8 children. He was
Baptist in faith, and an old-line Whig in politics.
[Children of John Speir and Ann Harnett/Harnit:
John H., Polly, Margaret, Anna, Samuel S., Elizabeth, Robena, and James.]
History of Mercer County, 1888.
Submitted by Beth Rollinson
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