My McCandless line has been a brick wall for almost twenty years. The earliest I can trace this family line is to John McCandless, born in 1798. The earliest evidence of his existence was a note in the Harrison County, Ohio Newspaper stating he needed to pick up his mail in 1827, a year before he married Mary Ann Neel in the same county. All efforts to date, including traveling to the region, have been exhausted. There are two other options available: to trace all his descendants to see if any can shed light on his history, or to trace all the early McCandless lines to see if any lead to him. On this page, I will attempt the latter. The following is a simple list of all the known early McCandless lineages prior to 1798.
Maryland
George McCandless
+Sarah
--George McCandless, b. April 10, 1773 in Maryland. Christened June 24, 1773 in Baltimore, Maryland (2)
--James McCandless, b. August 5, 1776 in Maryland. Christened November 24, 1776 (2)
Pennsylvania
Alexander McCandless, b. 1750; d. January 24, 1817 (buried in Montour Cemetery, Oakdale, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania) (1)
+Jenny Wilson b. 1739; d. April 13, 1806 (buried in Montour Cemetery, Oakdale, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania) (1)
Alexander McCandless, will written November 29, 1812; will proven January 23, 1813, Fawn Township, York County, Pennsylvania; will executors Hannah McCandless and Robert Gorden; wife Hannah McCandless; Children Agness, Ruthia, James, and John. (3)
Alexander McCandless
+Margaret Sutton, b. 1766 in Pennsylvania to William Sutton; d. June 16, 1864 in Pennsylvania (buried in Hopewell-Hebron Cemetery, Clinton, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania (1)
Alexander McCandless, b. 1763; d. December 31, 1812 (buried in Slate Ridge Cemetery, Delta, York County, Pennsylvania) (1)
Alexander McCandless, b. 1781; d. 1848 (buried in Montour Cemetery, Oakdale, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania) (1)
David McCandless, b. 1776 in Ireland; d. December 6, 1871 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. 95 year old widower, resided at 709 S. 15th Street, 26th Ward. "1871-12-08; Paper: Public Ledger. MCCANDLESS--on the 5th instant, David McCandless, aged 95 years. The relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend his funeral, from his late residence, 709 south Fifteenth street, this afternoon, at 1 o'clock. Internment at Mount Moriah. (buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania) (1)
Hugh McCandless, d. 19 Feb 1861, age 53 (buried in Raccoon Church Cemetery, Candor, Washington County, Pennsylvania) (1)
Hugh McCandless, b. abt 1767; d. January 11, 1856 (buried in Raccoon Church Cemetery, Candor, Washington County, Pennsylvania) (1)
+Jane Unknown, b. abt 1778; d. July 26, 1853 (buried in Raccoon Church Cemetery, Candor, Washington County, Pennsylvania) (1)
James McCandless, b. 1794; d. October 21, 1850 (buried in Slate Ridge Cemetery, Delta, York County, Pennsylvania) (1)
James T McCandless, b. 1793; d. December 18, 1863 (buried in McCandless Cemetery, Butler County, Pennsylvania) (1)
Jane McCandless b. 1774; d. 1845 (buried in Montour Cemetery, Oakdale, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania) (1)
Jane McCandless, b. 1774; d. December 2, 1845 (buried in Montour Cemetery, Oakdale, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania) (1)
+James Elliot d. 1837 (buried in Montour Cemetery, Oakdale, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania) (1)
John McCandless, b. August 19, 1782; died March 9, 1859 aged 76 years, 6 months, 18 days in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. He was a farmer and served in the war of 1812. He is buried in Bethel Church Cemetery, Enon Valley Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. (1)
+Mary Young, b. August 3, 1792 to Captain William Young and Mary Elder. Married August 3, 1792. m. abt 1813. d. February 9, 1868. She is buried in Bethel Church Cemetery, Enon Valley Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. (1)
--William McCandless, b. March 5, 1815
--Nancy McCandless, b. September 15, 1816; d. 1898
+Smith Hamill
--John McCandless, b. April 13, 1818
--Jane McCandless, b. 1821
--Robert W. McCandless, MD, b. August 1, 1823
--James Kennedy McCandless, b. February 14, 1837
John McCandless
+Jane Carothers
--Unknown son
--Unknown son
--Unknown son
--William McCandless, b. October 20, 1777 in Ireland; d. February 19, 1850 in Butler County, Pennsylvania.
+Nancy Fish, b. June 7, 1783 in Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania to Nathan Fish and Nancy Jane Campbell; m. April 3, 1801. d. September 24, 1870 in Butler County, Pennsylvania. She is buried in Unionville Cemetery, Unionville, Butler County, Pennsylvania (1)
--John Fish McCandless, b. 1802; d. 1869
--Nathan Fish McCandless, b. 1803; d. 1891
--Jane Carothers McCandless, b. 1806; d. 1898
+Unknown Thompson
--Nancy Fish McCandless, b. 1808; d. 1892
--Mary Ann McCandless, b. 1810; d. 1865
--Robert W. McCandless, b. 1812; d. 1878
--Josiah McCandless, b. 1816; d. 1875
--Anderson McCandless, b. 1818; d. 1884
--Jemima McCandless, b. 1820; d. 1893
+Unknown Rodgers
--Porter McCandless, b. 1823; d. 1884
--William Coulter McCandless, b. 1825; d. 1901
Margaret McCandless, b. 1782; d. 1852 (buried in Montour Cemetery, Oakdale, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania) (1)
Robert McCandless, b. 1745; d. April 27, 1813 A very nice essay on this family can be found here: http://www.aboutcancer.com/RobertMcCandless.pdf
+Jane Unknown, d. 1798
--John "Jack" McCandless, d. 1844 (buried at McCandless Cemetery, Butler County, Pennsylvania) (1)
+ Margaret Unknown
--William O. McCandless
--Margaret McCandless, b. 1822; d. 1873
+Unknown McBride
Robert D McCandless, b. 1785; d. June 9, 1879 in West Sunbury, Butler County, Pennsylvania (buried in West Sunbury United Presbyterian Church Cemetery, West Sunbury, Butler County, Pennsylvania) (1)
+Unknown
--Martha McCandless, d. 1871
+Unknown McQuillen
Robert McCandless, resided in Clay Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania in 1870 (4). Born abt 1796 in Ireland, Tanner (4).
+Elizabeth Unknown, b. abt 1799 in Pennsylvania (4)
William McCandless, b. abt 1752 in Scotland; d. December 1826 in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania (buried in Raccoon Church Cemetery, Candor, Washington County, Pennsylvania) (1)
+Martha McBride, b. abt 1755 in Scotland and died after January 1827 (buried in Raccoon Church Cemetery, Candor, Washington County, Pennsylvania) (1)
--Margaret McCandless, b. 1792; d. 1864
+Unknown Marshall
PIONEERS (From the History of Butler County, PA) - Centre Township
The story of the settlement of this township is interesting from the fact that its pioneers came in a body to take possession of the land without the aid of constitution or by-laws. In 1796 sixty men from Allegheny, Westmoreland, Juniata and Cumberland counties appeared in this part of the wilderness and selected sixty eligible farms and sites for cabins. To each a name was given, such as "Eden," "Hickory," "Hermitage," "Glenn," "Partnership Farm," "Thorn Tent," etc. Then the cabins were erected, one on each farm, and next the drama of the lottery was enacted. A slip of paper bearing the name of each farm was placed in a hat, while a list of sixty names was handed to one of the colonists. When the first slip was taken from the hat and the name of the farm proclaimed, it was credited to the first name on the list, and so on until all the farms were distributed. As the tract was then unsurveyed, it was agreed that after the survey, should two persons be found to be occupying the same 400 acres, the neighbor on the north should relinquish his claim and take the next unsettled tract of 400 acres to the north. This plan worked admirably, and within the year the following named tract owners were actual residents:
Henry BAUMGARTNER, 400 acres; John BYERS, 400; Samuel COOK, 300; Isaac CURRY, 400; William ELLIOTT, 300; Christian FLEEGER, 300; William FREEMAN, 400; Archibald FRYER, no land taxed; John GALBRAITH, 300; James HOGE, 150; George MCCANDLESS, 400; James MCCANDLESS, 400; John MCCANDLESS, 400; Robert MCCANDLESS, no land taxed; Thomas MCCLEARY, 200; Joseph MCGREW and Daniel MCKISSICK, no lands taxed; Aaron MOORE and sons, Alexander and Robert MOORE, no lands taxed; David MCJUNKIN, 400; William MCJUNKIN, 400; Adam RUDEBAUGH, 400; Jacob RUDEBAUGH, no lands taxed; John SCOTT and Robert SCOTT, no lands taxed; Archibald St. CLAIR, 400; Anthony THOMPSON, 400; James THOMPSON, no lands taxed; Moses THOMPSON, 400; John THOMPSON, 400, and James and Matthew THOMPSON, no lands taxed. The men named located in this township, while James, George and William MOORE, Lewis WILSON, Henry MONTOOTH, Eliakim ANDERSON and Charles SULLIVAN, who formed part of the company of sixty colonists, located in what is now Franklin township.
(Pg 582)
John and Samuel CUNNINGHAM, also members, settled where now stands Butler, and made their homes there. A number of the other colonists sought homes in different parts of the county, but more than one of them returned to the original location of the party in Centre township. The Indians threatened the settlement in 1797, the scare driving away the pioneers, nine or ten of whom never returned.
The MCJUNKIN and MCCANDLESS families had, from the beginning of the settlement in 1796, a good representation here. David, born in Ireland, came hither from Allegheny county to remain. His brother William left in 1797, but managed to hold his 400-acre farm until the provisions of settlement were fulfilled. David, following the example of Archibald St. CLAIR, established a distillery early in this century. In 1830 he bought Dr. John THOMPSON's mills and furnaces on the Slippery Rock, which he carried on successfully to the time of his death in April, 1844. His wife Elizabeth, daughter of the pioneer Aaron MOORE, whom he married in 1797, died in October,1845. Six male members of the MCCANDLESS family accompanied the pioneers of 1796, and four of them located in this township. They were the sons of John MCCANDLESS, who came from Ireland, and settled in Allegheny county with his family. John, one of the colonists of Centre township, was the first sheriff of Butler county. He died in 1810.
Warrantees of Land for Washington County, Pennsylvania, 1733-1858, Part 3: Surnames M-Q
Name Acres. Date of Survey.
McCandless, Elizabeth, 400 Jan. 13, 1785.
McCandless, Alex'r, 400 March 6, 1786.
McCandless, Wm., 300 March 6, 1786.
TAX: Effective Supply Tax, 1781, Robinson Township, Washington County, PA
Acres. Horses. Cattle. Sheep. Value.
McCandlesh, Allex'r 300 3 5 5 87
McCandless, William 300 3 3 7 82
Church: Religious Agreement, 1782/87: Washington Co, PA
We, and each of us, whose names are underwritten, being chiefly the inhabitants of the western frontier of Washington County, considering the many abounding evils in our own hearts and lives, as also the open and secret violation of the holy law of Godd, which dishonors His name and defiles and ruins our country; such as ignorance, unbelief, hardness of heart, contempt of God in his ordinances, law, and gospel (in particular in setting our hearts upon the creature in one line or another more than upon God), breach of his Sabbath, disobedience to parents, backbitings, entertaining bad thoughts, and receiving groundless evil reports of others, unfaithfulness to God for His mercies, profaning His name, uncleanness, defraud, deceit, over-reaching in bargains, gaming, horse racing, cock fighting, shooting for prizes, lying, covetousness, discontent, fretting against the dispensations of God's providence, unfaithfulness for God (in suffering sin to remain on our neighbor unreproved), denying God in the neglect of family and secret worship, catechizing and instruction of our children and servants or slaves, vexatious wranglings, and law suits, together with innumerable evils, provoking God to send down heavy judgements on our land, and to withhold or withdraw His gracious presence, and unfit our soul for enjoying any solid happiness, which we desire to acknowledge with shame and sorrow of heart before God, and do in the strength of God and depending on His Grace for support, solemnly promise (to our power, according to our various places and stations) to engage against, both in ourselves and others, as providence shall give us opportunity, and prudence direct.
In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands, the 14th day of February, 1782. (N.B. This is not to be a barrier to prevent any from signing at any time hereafter.)
Robert McCready, William Vance, John Stone, James Edgar, William McCandless, Robert Dunbar, John Robinson, John Donahey, Matthew Hilles, Benjamin Bearkus, John McMillen, Samuel Hindman, George McCulloch, John Ekin, Moses Wallace, David Thompson, Henry McBride, John Dodds, John Strain, James Barr, Thomas Hanna, James Dabbin, Thomas Strain, Samuel Jeffrey, Alex. McCandless, Samuel Leeper, James Matthews, William Smith, Thomas Bay, Ebenezer Smith, John Cowen, Thomas Barton, Hugh Sherer, Hugh Newel, Arthur Campbell, John Stephenson, Samuel Johnston, James Loop, John Hustein, William Thompson, William Reno, William Rannells, Henry Graham, William Hughes, William Campbell, Patrick McCormick, John Singer, Joseph Patterson, Daniel C. McCoy, David Kerr, John Morrison, John Stone, William Park, William Smiley, George Marquiss, Mary Marquiss, Thomas Marquiss, Joseph Vance, John Marquiss, William Wallace, Samuel Reed, James Marshall, Elias Newkirk, John Cooper, William McCullough, Alexander Wright, James Jackson, Agness Jackson, Mary Cowen, Sr., Mary Cowan, Jr., Martha Dunbar, Prudence Matthews, Elizabeth E. Hughes, Janet McCandless, Anne Vance, David Rannells, Elizabeth McCullogh, Ruth Rannells, Annie Park, Mary Johnston, Martha Edgar, Mary Graham, John Hughes, Gabriel Walker, Alexander Kidd, Jean Patterson. --86.
The above signed the first day. Attached is a second additional clause, with 28 names added to the first list. The second clause and names read thus:--
We desire to acknowledge the goodness of God, who hath continued his precious gospel with us in purity, and especially for his late gracious outpourings of divine influence on many parts of the land, and especially here where we were so sunk in carnal security and wordly mindedness, floating along with the flood of vanity. And we desire to lament our barrenness and leanness under these gracious favors, and we do now, the strength of God, relying on His grace, resolve that we will seek to the Lord for help to improve these precious favors, and knowing that some do oppose the work, and aspersing it as a delusion, &c., we will be guarded in our conduct, careful or our company, and we believe that it is the duty of awakened sinners next to their supplication to the throne of grace to lay open their case to ministers and experienced Christians, lest Satan and corruption might get the advantage of them, and that we will be careful and watchful to perform the duties required by Christian rules in the families we belong to, as we stand related severally as parents and children, husbands and wives, masters or mistresses, and servants.
Signed in 1786 by Angas Sunderland, Jane Sunderland, Thomas Bay, Elizabeth Bay, Mary Patterson, Sarah Vance, Jean Marquis, Martha Rannells, Robert Morgan, Margaret Marshall, Susannah Patterson, Robert Marshal, Elizabeth Thompson, Tabitha Kirk, Sarah Marquis, Susannah Parke.
May 31, 1787, Thomas Hays, Jos. Colville Vance, William Huston, John M. Cloan, Joseph Wiley, Catharine Edgar, Catharine Phillis, John Sanders, Andrew Ferguson, Elizabeth McMillen, Mary Edgar, Sr., Hannah Huston.
To which names are added these words, "Whole number 114--dead 26." James Edgar, Esq., makes a note below the additional clause of these words, "I believe this additional clause was made on the second day's signing."
Source
Alfred Creigh, HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, B. Singerly Printer, Harrisburg, Pa., 1871.
Sources:
1. Find-a-grave.com
2. "Maryland, Births and Chrstenings, 1650-1995," index, FamilySearch *https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F4ZX-6VK: accessed 2 January 2015), George McCandless in entry for George McCandless, 10 Apr 1773; citing Maryland; FHL microfilm 13,699.
3. York County Will Abstracts 1749-1819. Retrieved from http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/york/wills/willabstrl-o.txt
4. United States Census, 1870 via familysearch.org. Robert McCandless, Pennsylvania, United States; citing p. 10, family 67, NARA microfilm publication M593, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington DC; FHL microfilm 552,814
5. History of Butler Co., PA, R. C. Brown Co., Publishers, 1895, from http://genealogytrails.com/penn/butler/center.html