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Below is a family biography included in the History of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania published in 1889 by A. Warner & Co.   These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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JEREMIAH MURRY CARPENTER, farmer, post office New Texas, was born at Hamilton’s Mill, Westmoreland county, Jan. 2, 1818, a son of John and Jane (Murry) Carpenter, his father being a native of Baltimore, Md., and his mother a native of Westmoreland county, Pa. His father, an attorney in Huntingdon county, Pa., came to this township, A. D. 1827, where he lived for a short time upon a farm, and died of consumption. His grandfather, Daniel, had a captain’s commission in the Revolution. His great-grandfather was also Daniel, and his great-great-grandfather, Henry, immigrated to Lancaster county, Pa., from Switzerland in 1698. His maternal grandfather, Jeremiah Murry, who came here from Ireland in 1784, founded the town of Murrysville, built the mill there and accumulated a large amount of land in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties. Mr. Murry’s wife was Ann Montgomery, of Chester county, Pa. J. M. Carpenter received his education at Murrysville, and spent his youth there until he was seventeen years of age. He then went to Ohio, where he afterward engaged in the mercantile business, and also at Murrysville in the same business, until 1852, at which time he moved to his mother’s farm, in Plum township, where he has since remained. He married, in December, 1842, Ellen McFadden, of West Middletown, Washington county, a daughter of James and Margaret (Stewart) McFadden. Mr. McF. was born in County Down, Ireland, and Mrs. McFadden at West Middletown, Washington county. Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter: Mary Elizabeth (Mrs. James McJunkins, Sr.), John, James McFadden (an attorney at Pittsburgh), Jeremiah Murry (deceased), Samuel L. (attorney in Denver, Colo.) and Bertha Ellen. Mrs. Carpenter died March 22, 1869. Mr. Carpenter is an elder in the Presbyterian Church. He was five years justice of the peace in Westmoreland county, and five years here. Aside from his farm work, Mr. Carpenter has done considerable surveying in the neighborhood.

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This family biography is one of 2,156 biographies included in the History of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania published in 1889 by A. Warner & Co.

View additional Allegheny County, Pennsylvania family biographies here: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Biographies

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