McBride - Bumpus Genealogy

Jane Irwin

             Sarah Harris

Grave location & Information

                                                      The History of David Armstrong and Sarah Harris

David Armstrong was born in Ireland in 1746, came to America with his parents, Thomas and Isavella in

1764.   He was married in 1779 to Sarah Harris, born in 1760, a daughter of Roland Harris, who resided at

what is now Fort Loudon on Lincoln Highway, at the foot of Path Valley.
                                                                        ( See Harris History )
He purchased 156 acres of land from his father on October 21, 1789. The deed, witnessed by James and John

Armstrong, was recorded in Chambersburg on June 17, 1790 David and Sarah sold this land on April 6, 1794.
Their address was given as Fannett township. In 1790 they, with their 5 children, George, Rebecca, Archibald

Thomas and Roland, migrated to Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, and located near the present site of
Greensburg, where they remained until 1796. Their sixth child, Mary, was born there.

Frances Drake

Elizabeth McCune

In 1795 the father & the two older

children, George, age 15, and Rebecca,

age 13, left the home east of the Allegheny

River and crossed  the country westward

through the dense forests, where only at 

long distances a settler's cabin could be

seen. They finally reached a point 3 miles

west of the present  town of Slippery Rock,

Butler County , Pennsylvania , at the juntion of Wolf Creek & Slippery Rock Creek, where they commenced the settlement of a 400

acre tract of land.

Jane Jack

Samuel Jack

Elizabeth Armstrong

NOTE:  Grave location with information is added only IF it can be found.

The forest was full of small game. One writer tells of a neighbor, Peggy Walker, being chased one evening riding home from a visit at the Armstrongs; she was startled by the terrific scream of a panther which sprang from the bushes close to the path. Her horse was frightened and ran, the panther following but
was unable to overtake the horse which was the swifter. She reached home in safety but was nearly overcome by fright.
       We can scarcely visualize the primitive conditions surrounding our ancestors. They lacked nearly all the ordinary comforts of a home; they were without schools and churches; the roads were only trails through the forest, there were no bridges over the streams; the nearest store where they could procure
necessary supplies was Pittsburgh, fifty or more miles away. From tradition we learn the children met in some of the homes for private instruction. The first religious service was held under the trees near the
the present Presbyterian Church at Plain Grove early in July, 1799, by Rev. Elisha McCurdy, a missionary. At a second meeting, probably in September, a movement was made to found a church and select a site for a building which was of logs and about 20 x 30 feet in size with no floor,  puncheon seats and windows of oiled linen or of paper. The church was heated by a large open fireplace; the pulpit was in one corner on a raised platform on puncheon and was also a split log.
       We should ascribe highest praise to our ancestors for their courage in establishing a civilzation under such unfavorable conditions for the record reveals that David Armstrong had a prominent place in the organizing and building of the first church in the community.

Elizabeth Wallace

Samuel Armstrong

David Armstrong  was a soldier in the Revolutionary War ,  having
enlisted in the Cumberland County in 1777 under the command of Col.
James Dunlap in Capt. Noah Abraham's company. His record may be 

 found in Pennsylvania Archives Vol.6, Page 86. He died March 20,
 1811 ; Sarah, his wife, died February 3, 1816. They are buried in the
 Presbyterian Church cemetery, Plain Grove, Lawrence Co., Pa. Their
 family consisted of six sons and four daughters, all married, the
 following outline shows name, date of birth, death and marriage.
     ***   Somewhere  on  this  list  you  will  find  your  Ancestor.   ***

         David Armstrong

Grave location & Information

Mary Armstrong.

Alexander McBride

During the summer they erected a log cabin, where, in the fall, the two  children were left when the father returned to Westmoreland County. The long winter nights must have been lonesome for these two children, as there were no near neighbors, and the forests in those days were full of wild animals.  Tradition says
 " the wolves came around the cabin & made the nights hideous with their angry howling."   Early in the
spring of 1796 the remainder of the family came to the new home and succeeded in holding the 400 acres. Here the four younger children were born. The family remained together 'till, the course of events ; they

were removed, the children by marriage and the parents by death. The new home was founded in an unbroken forest and was located on what had been an Indian Camping ground; in fact  the Indians were

quite numerous and were on friendly terms with the new settler's; they were frequent visitors in the home,
 one writer has stated " the boys of the family particularly George mingled with the Indinas and became much attached to their customs and manner of life, and frequently joined in the chase with them."

Ann Armstrong

                   Family  of  David  Armstrong and  Sarah  Harris

Names                                                                    Born                    Died

George Armstrong                                         11 - 02 - 1780      08 - 28 - 1830
m.  **  - ** - 1807   Elizabeth McCune            03 - 24 - 1776      08 - 04 - 1848

Rebecca Armstrong                                      05 - 17 - 1782       01 - 04 - 1854
m.  03 - 10 - 1806   Capt. James McCune    05 - 07 - 1771       04 - 06 - 1825

Archibald Armstrong                                    03 - 06 - 1785       06 - 18 - 1869
m.  10 - 08 - 1869   Elizabeth Wallace          10 - 08 - 1788       12 - 12 - 1888

Thomas Armstrong                                       08 - 27 - 1787       04 - 03 - 1860
m.  12 -18 - 1824   Frances Drake                 03 - 22 - 1800       10 - 03 - 1875

Roland Armstrong                                         02 - 23 - 1790       05 - 07 - 1864
m.  06 - 16 - 1816   Jane Donnel                    * * -  ** - 1794       04 - 27 - 1843

Mary Armstrong                                          06 - 15 - 1795       04 - 21 - 1847
m.  05 - 25 - 1820   Alexander McBride     12 - 20 - 1795        10 - 14 - 1878

       Note:  2nd marr for ( Alexander ) :
       * Nancy Reynolds McCaslin                  04 - 26 - 1804         07 - 25- 1885                    

David Armstrong                                          03 - 26 - 1798          12 - 31 - 1840
m.  01 - 11 - 1821   Jane Jack                       05 - 23 - 1800          07 - 04 - 1842

Ann Armstrong                                             08 - 10 - 1800          08 - 19 - 1848
m.   Samuel Jack                                          02 - 26 - 1798          04 - 09 - 1845

Samuel Armstrong                                       01 - 28 - 1803          02 - 20 - 1853
m.  06 - 01 - 1843 Nancy Robb Loveland    06 - 01 - 1803
         2m.  / 11 - 10 - 1826 :  Jane Irwin        01 - 13 - 1801           04 - 01 - 1840

Elizabeth Armstrong                                    01 - 06 - 1807          04 - 07 - 1888
m.  12 - 31 - 1829  -  William McNees  -       01 - 11 - 1807          04 - 12 - 1856

Archibald Armstrong

James McCune

Rebecca Armstrong

Jane Donnel

Nancy R. McCaslin

                       The  History  of

David  Armstrong  &  Sarah  Harris

George Armstrong

David Armstrong

Nancy R. Loveland

Rowland Armstrong

William McNees

Thomas Armstrong