THE BLACK FAMILY
—Adam Black was born in Adams County in the year 1763. He married Polly
Allegan in 1786. Both were supposed to be of Scotch-Irish descent, his
father being Henry Black. Adam and his wife lived in that county until
1803, when they removed to Washington County, Penn., and in the
following year to Mercer County, settling on the farm where David
Gilren now lives. This he cleared, and upon it erected a log tavern,
which he kept for some years. At that time there was, comparatively
speaking no settlement anywhere about, but all was dense forest. Mr.
Black died in 1816, his widow living until 1841; both, however, died on
the farm they had first located upon. Their eldest child was Elizabeth
Chambers, who was born in 1787, and died in Mercer in 1818. Following
her were born Henry, 17891860; Joseph, 1791- [still living in 1888];
Alexander, 1794-1853; Ibby, 1795-1862; Adam, 1797-1864; Robert,
1800-1848; Maria, widow of Maj. John K. Harris, 1802, and Peggy,
1805-1826. Henry and Joseph both served in Harrison’s army in the War
of 1812, Henry being afterward captain of the Mercer Blues. Adam was
also at one time commander of that organization, and at a later date
became major of the volunteer battalion. Robert was the captain of the
Springfield Light Infantry when it was first organized. In civil
service Henry was a presidential elector in the campaign of 1840, when
Gen. Harrison was elected President. Alexander, besides serving as a
soldier at Erie for two terms, was chosen justice of the peace, a
position which he creditably filled two terms; Adam, also, for a
similar period, served as justice, and Robert was elected to the
Legislature, and died in Harrisburg at the close of his second year of
public life. In religious faith the members of this family inclined
toward the Presbyterian Church, and were its zealous defenders and
supporters. Three of the brothers, Alexander, Adam and Robert, were
elders in the Centre Church, of which their sister’s husband, Rev. John
Munson, was for a long time pastor. Of the sisters, Ibby was married
twice, first to Thomas Brandon, and later to Rev. John Munson; Maria
was the wife of J. K. Harris, and Elizabeth became the spouse of John
Chambers, and by him the mother of B. B. Chambers, editor of the St.
Louis Republic.
History of Mercer County, 1888, page 1025-1026
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