The 1812 Immigrants from Ballyleese, Ireland, to Washington County, Pennsylvania
Jane McElravy was born in Ireland about 1786, based on ages listed in census records. We have very little information regarding Jane. It consists of census records for 1860 and 1870 and a very brief death notice. She was living on the Hugh McIlravy farm in Archer Township, Harrison County, Ohio, in 1860 with the two children of Hugh who were not yet married at that time; she was living with George McElravy's daughter's family in Cadiz Township, Harrison County, in 1870; and she was living with George at the time of her death in 1874 - the death notice stating that he was her brother. The brief History of Western Pennsylvania item that lists the McElravys includes "Jennie, died in Ohio". (Jennie was a common nickname for Jane.) From these references, I include Jane as one of the 1812 immigrants to Washington Co. PA - but none of the records cited above constitutes proof, so this is somewhat speculative.
In 1857 Eleanor Quigley McIlravy, wife of Hugh McIlravy (1791-1879) died in Archer Township, Harrison County, OH. In 1859, Robert McElravy (1807-1859) died in Tuscarawas County, OH. In February, 1860, Hugh married Harriet Atkinson McElravy, the widow of his brother Robert and moved to Tuscarawas County. Three of Hugh's children had previously relocated to Tuscarawas County and one had moved to Carroll County. Hugh retained ownership of his farm in Harrison County until 1864. At the time of the 1860 census, the farm was listed with his youngest unmarried son, Robert - and Hugh's unmarried daughter Nancy, along with an adopted daughter, Rachel Ruby, were also still living there. Also, Jane McIlravy, age 75, was a member of this household. This is the earliest record of Jane that we have found to-date. The 1860 census listing was as follows:
Note: Rachel Elizabeth Ruby was adopted by the Hugh McIlravy family in 1855. She lived with the family until her marriage to Winfield Scott Creighton in Knox County, IL, in December 1867.
In 1870, Jane McElravy was living with the Robert Miller family in Cadiz Township, Harrison County. Elizabeth Miller was her niece (daughter of George McElravy).
Note: From known birth dates, the actual ages at the time of this census (26 July 1860) were: Nancy - 27; Robert - 25; Rachel - 8.
Jane McIlravy
75
F
Ireland
Nancy
26
F
OH
keeping house
Robert
24
M
OH
farmer
Rachel E. Ruby
6
F
OH
An undated death notice from a Harrison County newspaper in 1874 reads as follows:
Jane McElravy
83
F
Ireland
Robert Miller
39
M
PA
Elizabeth
25
F
PA
George T.
4
M
OH
Samuel W.
1
M
OH
"JANE MCILRAVY, an old lady who has lived with her brother, George McIlravy, of this township, died on Friday evening, the 12th inst. Her age was eighty-nine years."