History and Genealogy

I've invested a lot of time researching and recording my genealogy. With my background as a failed historian, it prompts some reflections on history, as reflected in the genealogical record.

The most striking lesson is from the Rippey genealogy, Captain John and Mary had 13 children, all of whom reached adulthood and had children of their own. This could be chance. Many family trees probably have an especially prolific family somewhere.

It could reflect the prosperous conditions in the York PA region for farmers. There's research here and here on the comparative health of disparate populations in time and space which shows colonial PA was a healthy area--the "Best Poor Man's Country" as one letter put it and a historian used for his book title.

But it contrasts with the record of their descendants. The average family size declines. That's to be expected, as it becomes harder for parents to establish their children on farms, and as prosperity decreases the need for multiple children to have one or more living in the parent's old age.

And children start dying, dying early and often. Some families seem jinxed, with 2, 3 or 4 children dying before their teen years.

The Pittsburgh Reformed Presbyterians

Here's one page of an excerpt from a book, which gives a little perspective on the Rev. John Black, Michael Harshaw's mentor, and the Reformed Presbyterians.

A Century and a Half of Pittsburg and Her People By John Newton Boucher: ""

1898 Presbyterian Directory==Harshaw Excerpt

Ministerial Directory ... Of the Ministers in the Presbyterian Church in the United States (Southern), and in the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (Northern), Together with a Statement of the Work of the Executive Committees and Boards of the Two Churches... By Edgar Sutton Robinson: ""

Obit of Rev; John Rippey, from General Assembly Minutes

Minutes of the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church of North America By United Presbyterian Church of North America General Assembly, General Assembly, United Presbyterian Church of North America:

"John Rippey DD age 67 Caledonia Presbytery son of Joseph and Eliza Smith Rippey was born Nov 24 1827 at Seneca NY and made a profession of faith in the AR congregation of Geneva NY about 1840 or 1847 was graduated from Union College in 1851 and studied theology at Newbnrg and Princeton was licensed Dec 14 1852 by Caledonia Presbytery and ordained Aug 6 1856 by the Presbytery of Saratoga pastor of West Kortright NY Aug 1856 Dec 1866 Cnylerville NY Dec 20 1800 until his death The degree DD was conferred by Westminster in 1884 He was married May 18 1853 to Elizabeth Black of Seneca NY who with one son and two daughters survives him He died at Cuylerville NY May 14 1894 of Bright's disease "

Michael Harshaw's Move to the United Presbyterians.

This reports the movement by most of the Western Presbytery of the Reformed Presbyterian Church to the United Presbyterians. I apologize for the omission of a couple of sentences--I'm still learning how to handle the Google books excerpting.

The Reformed Presbyterian magazine. Jan. 1855-July 1858, 1862-76:
""