istory of the Mumford Family, Descendants of David Mumford Family Histories A History of the Mumford family and descendants of David Mumford. Copied from manuscript (badly faded) written by Anthony Wayne Mumford, January 1877. Copied by L.J. Mumford, 1941, and his daughter, Erma Mumford Hahn, 1963. Edited and augmented by Eric Mumford, 1991. Submitted by Beverly Settlemire David Mumford was born near Elizabethtown, New Jersey, on the seventh of April 1755. Of his parents we know very little. They were of English descent in moderate circumstances. So far as known there were but two children, James the oldest and David. They both entered the Army of the Revolutionary War at its beginning and continued together in the same company until James was killed in the battle of Brandywine. This left David alone as far as we can learn at present as nothing is found in books or papers that we are able to get hold. Of either father-mother-or sister except one half-brother (we know nothing). I have heard his name but have forgotten it. It was not Mumford. But I recollect my father saying he had gone to New York City and became wealthy. As for David he continued in the army, and was one of those patriots who in the winter of 1777 and '78 marked their pathway with the blood of their feet in the snow at Valley Forge. He was a man of fine appearance about 5'9" and very muscular. David Mumford was married in 1779 to a young woman named Abigail Poole aged 20 and of great beauty which she retained to a remarkable degree til the time of her death which occurred at the age of 73 years. After the close of the war they lived in or near Elizabethtown until about the year 1786, where they had 3 children, the third dying in infancy. Then they moved to Washington County, PA where they had 5 more children, the next to the youngest dying quite young. Their family record stands thus: born David Mumford April 7, 1755 4/17/1756 - 7/23/1818 Abigail Poole Sept.17, 1759 Margaret Sept.11, 1780 married John Williams James Dec. 11,1783 12/14/178; married Catherine Wright William Oct. 12, 1786 died as infant Sarah Jan. 4, 1788 married Wm. McFadden Martha June 11, 1790 married Art. Johnson William Harrison Nov. 9, 1792 married Elizabeth Rallyea John Dec. 28, 1795 Peter July 23, 1797 married Betsy Henry It will be observed that they named 2 of their children the same, viz. William, the first having died in infancy. In the year 1798 David Mumford and his son James started for Northwestern PA. (from Washington Co., PA) in search of a place to make a permanent home, and came to the place where Meadville now stands in Crawford Co., where there was a block house and a few log cabins huddled together for protection from the Indians. From Meadville they went 5 miles southeast to the high ground between French Creek and Conneaut Marsh and took up a claim to a fine tract of 500 acres of soldier's land having the promise of half for settling it. Here David and his son built a log cabin and the son, James, only 15 years old stayed and kept possession while his father went back to Washington County to move his family out, which took between two and three months, the distance being about 200 miles over deep ravines, creeks and long spurs of the Allegheny Mountains with no roads at all. He brought the first wagon into Crawford County making his own roads and bridges. During this time the son, James with two dogs and two guns remained alone at the house they had built, living on game which he killed and what he could find in the woods. Game was very plentiful, also panthers and bears could be seen any day in the woods. The Indians were quite numerous in this locality and somewhat troublesome for at least the 2 months when his father arrived with the family. They found themselves in a thickly wooded country with no cleared land -- no crops in the ground. They went to work and cleared a piece of ground and sowed some turnips which was the only crop they got planted that summer. In the Fall the Indians would come and steal them so they had to watch them in order to save any of the crop. After the provisions they had brought with them were exhausted they had to live "on the woods." Their flour and salt was brought up the Allegheny River and French Creek in canoes from Pittsburgh. When the family arrived they brought with them a cow with a young calf and for safety they built a pen of heavy poles against the back of their cabin. I have heard the Old Lady tell that she had to get up as often as 3 times in one night to chase the bears away from the pen with a firebrand! During the first summer there were three brothers named Davis who came into the neighborhood in search of land. After camping near for some time, Mumford began to suspect that their intentions were not good, which proved true, for the three came to the cabin one morning and after a short talk they told him that he had to get out as they were taking over the place and ordered him to get out without delay. This Mumford refused to do saying that the claim was his and he intended to hold it, as he was within his rights and ordered them off of the place. Then followed a tremendous fight in which Mumford was the victor, whipping the three of them and driving them off the place, backing the command with a ready rifle. The three left and gave him no further trouble. David and his wife were members of the Methodist Church and their cabin became one of the first preaching places west of the Alleghenies. Here the old people lived and died, David about the year 1816 after suffering greatly from rheumatism contracted in the war. His wife Abigail died on Christmas Day 1830. Their oldest daughter, Margaret, married a man named Williams and settled near Chillicothe, Ohio. James Mumford, the oldest son, married a lady named Catherine Wright and settled on the south side of Conneaut Marsh, Crawford Co., PA, where he raised four sons: Aaron, David, Jackson, and Caneda and two daughters, Betsy and Jane. All settled in Crawford Co. except Jackson who went to Iowa. Sarah, the second daughter of David married a man named William McFaddin and settled east of Meadville. Martha, the third daughter, married Arthur Johnson. Peter Mumford, the youngest son married Betsy Henry and lived on the old farm and took care of his mother. Peter and his wife had five children. Peter left his wife and went to Iowa, taking the oldest and youngest daughters with him. William H. Mumford, next to the youngest son of David and Abigail, married a woman named Elizabeth Ralya and moved into the old homestead after Peter left and took care of his mother until her death. Here were born to them nine children: Abigail, David, William Wilson, Anthony Wayne, Rebecca, Ezra, James, Rachel and John. After the death of his mother (1830) the old homestead was sold and William (H) Mumford bought a tract of 106 acres on Deer Creek in the northeast part of Mercer County, PA right in the woods where he had to cut away the trees to build a house. Here they lived and worked hard clearing up a farm and raising a large family. After the family had lived there about nine years, the wife and mother, Elizabeth, took sick and died of bloody flux. William H Mumford afterward married Sarah Wentworth and lived in the same place until his death which occurred January 13, 1854.