John Minniss and Sarah Ann Scowden

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Husband John Minniss ^{1 2}

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           Born:  - Susquehanna Co, PA
     Christened: 
           Died: Abt 1828 - Westmoreland Co, PA
         Buried: 

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         Father: Hugh Minnis (      -Abt 1798) 3 4
         Mother: 

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       Marriage: 

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Wife Sarah Ann Scowden ^{5 6}

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           Born: Abt 1791 - Susquehanna Co, PA
     Christened: 
           Died: 15 Nov 1883 5
         Buried: 

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         Father: Theodore Scowden (      -      ) 6 7
         Mother: 

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   Other Spouse: Dr. Silas Taylor (1787-1875) 2 6 - 1836 8

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Children

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1 F Mary Minnis ⁹

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Harrison Dean (      -      ) 9

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2 M James Donald Minniss ^{2 10}

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           Born: 17 Oct 1826 - Meadville, Crawford Co, PA 2
     Christened: 
           Died: 30 Oct 1888 10
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Loduskie Drake (1828-      ) 2
           Marr: 7 Jan 1843 2

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General Notes: Husband - John Minniss

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His father was an early settler of Mercer County, PA, and had left his family behind until he could make necessary preparations to receive them. When he had done this he sent for them. They had nearly reached their new homestead when the father, who had been a stout, vigorous man, was taken ill. His son, who had been with him all the time, at once set out to hasten the family’s steps. When he returned with them he found nothing but a new-made mound, which contained his father’s corpse. The son of the deceased, John, at once set about completing the labors which his father had not been permitted to finish. With heroic resolution he toiled day after day, barely being able to support the large family. His reward at length came, for in after years the name of Capt. John Minnis became known far and wide as the title of a man of worth, integrity and honesty.

The oldest son, John, was a youth of unusual ability, and continued the work that his father had left unfinished, and supported the family until the younger members were able to take his place. He was afterward known as Captain Minnis, of the Mercer county militia.

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General Notes: Wife - Sarah Ann Scowden

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In 1800 she came with her father from the Susquehanna to what is now Union Township, Crawford County, Pennsylvania, being at that time but a little girl. At an early age she married Captain John Minnis, a soldier of the War of 1812, and settled with him in Mercer County. His business, for he was a carpenter by occupation, often kept him from home until late at night and sometimes for entire days, and she was often left alone in their large unfinished cabin, which stood near the border of a dense and dismal forest. She had for a long time one evening awaited her husband's return, but he not coming, had at last retired and composed herself to sleep. She was awakened in the course of the night by the noise of a large animal climbing the side of the house. It soon afterwards sprang into the loft above, which was only partly furnished with a floor. Realizing her danger, she sprang from her bed and attempted to rekindle the fire and thus scare away the hungry intruder. Frightened by the angry growls of the ferocious animal, which now showed its head and looked down from the loft above, she retreated to the farther end of the cabin and took refuge in a large tea chest which closed with a spring lock. Fearing that it might close on her and bring her to a death even more terrible than that of being devoured by the panther, she kept her fingers between the box and the cover. The next moment the savage creature bounded upon the box, crushing her fingers with his weight. Tortured by the pain and frightened almost to death, she fainted and remained unconscious until morning. Then with difficulty withdrawing herself from her cramped position, and finding that the animal had departed, she hastened to the nearest neighbor with her frightful tale. The panther had done no further damage than to devour a quantity of fish and meat hung from a beam near the fireplace. Left a widow by the death of her first husband, she married Dr. Taylor and they lived together until his death at Batavia, New York, and she remained a resident of Athens Township until the end of her life.

1 —, History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1877), Pg 66.

2 —, The History of Crawford County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Warner Beers & Co., 1885), Pg 784.

3 —, History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Its Past and Present (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk & Co., Publishers, 1888), Pg 1099.

4 J. G. White, A Twentieth Century History of Mercer County Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1909), Pg 1031.

5 —, The History of Crawford County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Warner Beers & Co., 1885), Pg 496, 784.

6 Samuel P. Bates, LL.D., Our County and Its People, A Historical and Memorial Record of Crawford County, Pennsylvania (W. A. Fergusson & Co., 1899), Pg 476.

7 —, The History of Crawford County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Warner Beers & Co., 1885), Pg 674.

8 —, The History of Crawford County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Warner Beers & Co., 1885), Pg 496.

9 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of Western Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1915), Pg 1670.

10 —, Nelson's Biographical Dictionary and Historical Reference Book of Erie County, Pennsylvania (Erie, PA: S. B. Nelson, Publisher, 1896), Pg 875.