William McClelland

William McClelland (1733-1815) William McClelland (John B. McClelland’s brother) was born 1733 in Antrim, Ulster, Ireland, and died Aug 1815 in German Township, Fayette, Pennsylvania. He married Esther Hopwood abt. 1755 in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. She was born abt. 1735 in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and died in McClellandtown, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.

"In his early manhood William McClelland emigrated to America and settled in Maryland or Virginia, from whence he removed to South West Pennsylvania. McClellandtown, Fayette Country, Pennsylvania, was founded by John McClelland." Genealogical and Personal History of Western Pennsylvania Vol. 3; Editor-In-Chief, John W. Jordan. (Page 1174)

McClellandtown was founded by a family of that name, who lived there many years ago. William McClelland, the founder, died here July 12, 1815, in the eighty-second year of his age. The town is some eight miles southwest of Uniontown, and two and one-half miles east of the Monongahela River. It is pleasantly situated in the midst of a moral and industrious people, and in a rich country. It has produced many men who have won distinction in their spheres of life.

William McClelland (1733 - 1815) served, 1780, as a private in Captain Wood's company, 1st battalion, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.

Per Ken O'Neal, William McClelland’s burial site is located on the south side of PA-21 McClellandtown Road, across from the McClellandtown Volunteer Fire Company (102 Blaine Avenue, McClellandtown, Pennsylvania 15458) in the wooded area next to parking lot of the George J. Plava Elementary School (120 Puritan Road, McClellandtown, Pennsylvania 15458). There is a Historic Gravesite sign at the entrance to the school and a sign along the woods on the north side of the parking lot. The gravesite has a white fence around it and there is a small, square stone in fence, but the inscription is illegible. Take heed, the area is surrounded by poison ivy.

In 1995 two of William's descendant's visited the grave of William & Esther McClelland and said their gravestones were lying on the ground inside a fenced area. The burial site for the McClelland's is located on the south side of Rt. 21, across from the McClellandtown Volunteer Fire Hall, in the woods next to the parking lot for the George J Plava Elementary School. There is a Historic Gravesite sign at the entrance to the school and a sign along the woods on the north side of the parking lot.

∼William "Doc" McClelland was reported to be the son of Ruth CARLO and William MCCLELLAND, both said to have been Irish immigrants who took up land in the Path Valley, PA.

Although William's last will and testament bequeaths his house and lands to his best-known wife, Esther HOPWOOD, old Fayette County, PA land deeds dated from the 1790s to 1807, as researched by Steve Johnson, record a first wife called Ann. Her last name is given as WRIGHT in one unsourced family tree.

Specifically: "Fayette Co. Deed Book F, page 183, dated 1807 is signed by William McCLELLAND + Anne his wife of German Township, witnessed by Samuel WILSON, a neighbor of the McCLELLANDs in McClellandtown. There are several such deeds, mostly from the 1790s, and sometimes dealing with his sons. All are signed by William McCLELLAND + wife Ann, several describe known neighbors and locations in McClellandtown, and several are witnessed by known neighbors in McClellandtown."

First wife: Ann UNKNOWN d. abt. (1807-1810) Marriage: Around 1763 (William would have been 29-30).

Their known children: 1) Elizabeth McClelland (1764-1818) 2) William H. McClelland (1764-1833) 3) James McClelland (1767-1846) 4) Andrew McClelland (1770-aft. 1830) 5) John McClelland (1771-bef. 1815) 6) Asa McClelland (1776-1854) 7) Enos/Enoch McClelland (1784-1814) 8) David McClelland (abt. 1777- aft. 1830) 9) Robert McClelland (? - alive in 1815)

Second wife: Esther Anne HOPWOOD. Marriage: Probably around 1860. (William would have been 77.)

Just how "Doc" McClelland got his nickname is not known, but it may have been due to the quality of the whiskey he poured during the seven years he held the license to run the public house in what became known as McClellandtown. Perhaps some people simply felt better leaving then when they had arrived.

The taverns, or public houses, in Doc McClelland's lifetime were important way stations expected to provide lodging for people, stables for horses, and decent food in addition to whiskey, which was probably the only alcohol available other than hard cider and perhaps some kind of ale. The spacing of taverns along roads was important to the people living in each township, and the granting of a license to operate a tavern was serious business - no one wanted to see a public house accidentally burned down or run by an incompetent person, so there is a chance Doc McClelland himself may have been relatively temperate.

According to Frank Ellis' records Doc only held the proprietorship for seven years before surrendering it to David Shroyer, but that is years longer than any of his predecessors or successors. Given that he ran the place this long and the town acquired his name - where before it had been just another tavern along the main road - he must have made the place more than the usual draw for locals and travelers alike.

William "Doc" McClelland's grave is bordered by a white picket fence on school property with these GPS coordinates, courtesy of Franklin Ellis, "History of Fayette County, German Township", page 601:

GPS Location: 39.88587 N 79.86382 W

Although this site is now called the McClelland Family Cemetery I have not seen any records of any other burials nearby.

Thanks to: Steve Johnson for sharing his Fayette County records research distinguishing first wife Ann from second wife Esther, available online at - http://genforum.genealogy.com/mcclelland/messages/1243.html

Sources: Federal census, "History of Fayette County" by Frank Ellis, published by L. H. Everts and Co, pg. 592, 1882, Philadelphia. The Morning Herald newspaper, column "M'Clellandtown News Budget" by O. E. Hostetler, date unknown. Encyclopedia of Pennsylvania Biography, Volume XV, published in New York by the Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1924. Revolutionary War militia service noted on Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) application of James Carter Ballard in 1919 (on Ancestry.com), and as family lore provided to the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) by descendant Lillian Syfers Welsh, for the North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 for William McClelland, pg. 17, entry 137047.* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Feb 15 2021, 15:10:33 UTC