Alexander McElhany and (unknown first name) Heaslet McElhany

Alexander McElhany (1700-1761) and wife, (unknown first name) Heaslet McElhany (perhaps 1720-?)

In looking at the Booth family tree, I've gone back to the earliest members on one branch.  These are my 9th great grandparents.

Lancaster county Pennsylvania was where they left their wills to be probated (source: Pennsylvania Wills and Probate  Records, 1663-1993) Alexander's is indexed as number 151.  I don't know Mrs. McElhany's first name, just her maiden name.  And we don't know anything about either of their parents, nor where they came from...at least at this point.

The County of Lancaster is a popular tourist destination, with its Amish community a major attraction. The term Pennsylvania Dutch comes from the Pennsylvania German language, derived from the German Deutsch ('German'), Dutch Duits ('German'), Deitsch ('Dutch' which in this usage has nothing to do with the people or language of the Netherlands): they are the descendants of Germans (Deutsche) who immigratedin the 18th and 19th centuries for the freedom of religion offered by William Penn.^[4] They were also attracted by the area's rich soil and mild climate.^[5] Also attracted to promises of religious freedom, French Huguenots fleeing religious persecution settled this area in 1710.^[6][7] There were also significant numbers of English, Welsh and Ulster Scots (also known as the Scotch-Irish in the colonies). (Source: Wikipedia)

I would guess that Alexander McElhany is of the Scotch-Irish roots. His family were among the Scottish people forced to relocate in Ireland by the English in Ulster, or Northern Ireland.

Their ancestors were mostly Protestant Lowland Scottish migrants, the largest numbers coming from Galloway, Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, Ayrshire and the Scottish Borders, with others coming from further north in the Scottish Lowlands. (Source: Newshound: Daily Northern Ireland news catalog - Irish News article". nuzhound.com.

Lancaster County was part of Chester County, Pennsylvania until 10 May 1729, when it was organized as colony's fourth county. As settlement increased, six other counties were subsequently formed from territory directly taken, in all or in part, from Lancaster County: Berks (1752), Cumberland (1750), Dauphin (1785), Lebanon(1813), Northumberland (1772), and York (1749).^[11] Many other counties were in turn formed from these six.

At the time that the McElhanys lived in Lancaster County, PA, there was a border dispute with Maryland, known as Cresap's War.  Beginning in 1730 as settlers crossed the Susquehanna River to settle and raise crops, Cresap would burn their homes and destroy their crops, saying the land belonged to Maryland, not Pennsylvania.  Eventually (and with a lot of violence) the Mason-Dixon line became the boundary in 1767.

Today, Lancaster county promotes tourist visits to the county's numerous historic and picturesque covered bridges by publishing driving tours of the bridges.^[109] With over 200 bridges still in existence, Pennsylvania has more covered bridges than anywhere else in the world, and at 29 covered bridges, Lancaster County has the largest share. (Source: Wikipedia)

When I lived in Connecticut one weekend we drove down to Lancaster County to visit the Amish country, and to see the little towns which had names to laugh at.  Blue Ball, PA and Intercourse, PA.
Yes, they are both in Lancaster County...the place where so many Mennonites and Amish live.

I only know a little bit about Alexander and his wife.  They probably were farmers, and they had 6 children that I know of.  Their oldest son (and my ancestor who I'll talk about tomorrow) Thomas was born in Hanover Township in Lancaster County.  Remember how I mentioned different counties being formed out of Lancaster county? The records show Hanover township as the birth place of Thomas, and as being in Lancaster County.  There are about 6 Hanover townships in Pennsylvania, none listed as Lancaster County any more.  So here's something else to research.

Today's quote:

The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all these living beings, which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another.

THOMAS MERTON