The Lindsley Family of Bradford, Pennsylvania

This family probably came from near London, England.

Francis Lindsley is said to have come to the American colonies in 1639, and to have been on the first vessel which anchored in New Haven bay. This is, however, not beyond question. It is certain that he was living at Branford, Connecticut, in 1645, and his brother John signed the oath of fidelity to New Haven in 1641. Francis Lindsley removed to New Jersey in 1667, going from Branford with the Milford, Connecticut, company.

(I) Eleazer Lindsley

Eleazer Lindsley, the first member of this family about whom we have definite information, was born December 7, 1737, died June 1, 1794. There is divergence about the colony of his birth, whether it was Connecticut or New Jersey; if the latter, he was probably a descendant of Francis Lindsley. Before the revolution he was living in New Jersey, and in that war he was an officer in the regiment called the Jersey Blues. From the church records of Morristown, New Jersey, although his parentage is not disclosed, we learn that he had brothers, Timothy, died June 5, 1787, aged fifty-seven, and Benjamin, born February 22, 1731, died November 8, 1815, married Sarah ??. After the revolution he rode through the Genesee country to find a tract of land. In 1789 he bought at least one-half of township number one, range two, Phelps and Gorham purchase; some hold that he bought the whole township. In the spring of 1790 a party left New Jersey to settle on this new land. The party was of about forty persons, of whom seven were slaves. There were Colonel Lindsley, two sons, Samuel and Eleazer, and several sons-in-law, with other men; nearly all brought their families. The journey was made by wagons and horseback to the Susquehanna river at Wilkes-Barre, thence they went in boats to the purchase, and landed at the Tioga Flats, June 7, 1790. The new town was called Lindsley, but by a mistake the name was changed to Lindley, and this name has been preserved. Here he built the first saw mill; after his death his wife kept the first tavern, and she entertained Colonel Williamson and his company. In 1793 Colonel Lindsley was elected to the legislature. He was a worthy leader of the community, kind and generous, public-spirited, and an earnest Christian. At Morristown he had been a member of the Presbyterian church, as also his wife; in the new settlement, when there were no traveling ministers, he would himself read sermons on the Sundays. He married Mary, born August 23, 1738, died November 20, 1806, daughter of Thomas and Margaret (Wallace) Miller. Children:

1. Samuel, of whom further.
2. Anne, born July 24, 1762, died March 10, 1764.
3. Elizabeth, born July 17, 1764, married John Seely.
4. Mary, born July 17, 1764, died July 29, 1784.
5. Anna, born July 3, 1767, died in January, 1813; married Ezekiel Mulford.
6. Eleazer, born July 4, 1769, died May 11, 1825; married, April 23, 1787, Eunice Halsey.
7. Jemima, born January 28, 1772, died August 16, 1830; married Stephen Hopkins.
8. Micajah, born June 23, 1774, died young.
9. Sarah, born June 8, 1776, died in 1859; married Ebenezer Backus.
10. Phebe, born August 16, 1780, died January 21, 1814; married David Paine.

(II) Samuel Lindsley

Samuel, son of Eleazer and Mary (Miller) Lindsley, was born September 6, 1760, died May 1, 1805. He accompanied his father in the migration to Lindley. He married Lois Bradley, who died June 18, 1814.

(III) William Lindsley

William, probably son of Samuel and Lois (Bradley) Lindsley, was born in 1786, died at Lindley, in 1840. At that place his life was passed; he was a farmer, and served as a captain in the state militia. He was at least an attendant of the Presbyterian church; his wife is known to have been a devout member. He married Catharine Piquet, born, probably in Virginia, about 1794, died at Lawrenceville, Tioga county, Pennsylvania, about 1878. Children:

1. Abram Bradley, of whom further.
2. Alexander, born in 1814, died during the civil war in Mississippi, opposite Helena, Arkansas; planter; married Brown; no children.
3. Lois, born in 1816, died at Lawrenceville, 1906; married Parday Damon, deceased; he was a lawyer; no children.
4. Catharine, born in 1817, died at Lawrenceville, 1907; married Butts, of Arkansas, deceased; he was a lawyer; children:
   1. Katharine, residing in Boston;
   2. Lindsley, deceased;
   3. Augustus, deceased.
5. Eleazer, born in 1819, deceased; married Delia (Boyer) Harrower, of Lindley; no children.
6. Phineas, born in 1821, died at Lawrenceville, 1890; married Rosetta Wescott, of Caton, New York; children, all residing at Lawrenceville:
   1. Mary,
   2. Eugene,
   3. Frederick.
7. Walter, born in 1823; died in Mississippi, unmarried; was a planter.
8. Margaret, born in 1830, deceased; married J. H. Middlebrook, of Lindley, deceased; he was a merchant; children:
   1. William, residing at Manistee, Michigan;
   2. May, residing in Boston.
   3. Blanche, residing in Boston.
9. Eugene, died at Lawrenceville; he had been a planter in Arkansas; married, had daughter, Lucilla, deceased.

(IV) Abram Bradley Lindsley

Abram Bradley, son of William and Catharine (Piquet) Lindsley, was born at Lindley, March 12, 1812, died at Lawrenceville, June, 1894. Although it is in another state, Lawrenceville is but one and one-half miles from Lindley. His whole life was passed at Lindley. There he attended public school in his boyhood; there he was a farmer, and served as assessor of the town, as supervisor, and in other town offices. He was a Democrat. He attended the Presbyterian church, and his wife was a member thereof. He married Anna Maria, born at Athens, Bradford county, Pennsylvania, January 25, 1815, died in March, 1879, daughter of Michael R. and Emily (Lindsley) Tharp. Her father was born while his parents were on their way to America, in 1775, and lived mainly at Athens and Lindley. He was a surveyor in the northern tier of Pennsylvania counties. He died at Tioga, Pennsylvania, in 1869. His wife was born at Lindley, and died, rather young, at Athens.

Children of Michael R. and Emily (Lindsley) Tharp, all born at Athens:

1. Anna Maria, married Abram Bradley Lindsley.
2. Emily, born in 1818, died at Lindley, 1883; married Rev. McCullough, of Tioga county, Pennsylvania, a Presbyterian minister, deceased; children:
   1. Henry, residing at Lawrenceville;
   2. Samuel, residing in Kansas.
3. Harriet, born in 1826, died in Wilkes-Barre, 1902; married H. Fuller, of Wilkes-Barre, a lawyer, deceased. Children, all the living reside in Wilkes-Barre:
   1. Maria, deceased;
   2. Emily,
   3. Grace,
   4. May,
   5. Henry,
   6. John, deceased.

Children of Abram Bradley and Anna Maria (Tharp) Lindsley, all born at Lindley:

1. Clarence, born in 1834, died at Emporium, Pennsylvania, 1881; he was a carpenter; married Eliza Clark, of Corning, New York, deceased; children:
   1. Harry, born in 1860, resides at Corning;
   2. Rue, born in 1879, married Arlie Darling, a physician; they reside at Lawrenceville.
2. Rue, born in 1836, died at Elizabeth, New Jersey, 1879; married Dr. E. B. Miner, of Wilkes-Barre, deceased; no children.
3. George H., born in 1838, resides at Lawrenceville, farmer; married Mary Waldron, of Caton, New York, deceased; several children.
4. William, born in 1840, a carpenter at Corning; married, has children.
5. Joseph, born in 1842, died at Emporium, 1867; was a farmer.
6. Henry, born in 1844, resides at Corning, employed in the glass factory; married Mary Collins, of Erwin, New York; children:
   1. Frank E., born in 1872, deceased;
   2. Anna, born in 1874, married David Dunkle; they reside at Norwich, Pennsylvania.
7. Halsey, born in 1847, died at Corning, 1906; married Lamira Lane, of Driftwood, Pennsylvania, now residing at Corning; children:
   1. John, deceased;
   2. Charles, resides at Berea, Kentucky.
8. ??, born in 1850, died at Emporium, 1874; was druggist; unmarried.
9. Sterling Ross, of whom further.

(V) Sterling Ross Lindsley

Sterling Ross, son of Abram Bradley and Anna Maria (Tharp) Lindsley, was born at Lindley, Steuben county, New York, June 18, 1853. He attended public school at Lawrenceville. Immediately after leaving school he went to Wilkes-Barre, and began to learn the printer’s trade. There he remained three years. In 1872 he went to Lawrenceville, where he worked in a printing office until 1874. Having secured a position with the Mansfield Advertiser, he removed to Mansfield, Tioga county, Pennsylvania; two years later he went to Cuba, New York, where he worked for one year on the Herald. Two years were then spent at Elmira, New York, with the Gazette, and a few months, in 1879, in New York City. In 1882 he took a position on the Reporter, of Port Allegany, Pennsylvania. From 1884 to 1889 he was in Smethport, first on the Democrat, afterward on the Miner. After a year at Bradford, with the Bradford Star, he returned to Smethport and for a little more than one year managed the Democrat, then becoming editor, manager and part proprietor of this paper. This has been his permanent station, and he is still conducting this paper in a creditable manner. He is a member of Smethport Lodge, No. 389, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and of the McKean Encampment of the same order. Mr. Lindsley’s religion is the Presbyterian, but as Smethport has no Presbyterian congregation he attends different churches and has not connected himself with any one. He married, November 6, 1884, Myra, born at Sinnemahoning, Pennsylvania, January 25, 1863, daughter of John and Ann Berfield. Child, Russell Ross, born June 7, 1889; he attended public school at Smethport; having learned the trade of printer, he is now assisting his father with the Smethport Democrat.

See: Genealogy of the Allegheny Valley Pennsylvania

Source

Jordan, J. W. 1840-1921. (1913). Genealogical and personal history of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania. New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co.

This genealogy is based upon the source cited above. Only the structure and formatting have been changed for clearer presentation; the genealogical and biographical content