SAMUEL WELCH, Rev. Soldier© 1998 Revolutionary War soldier SAMUEL WELCH lived 7 Nov. 1762-30 Dec. 1842 and was a prominent citizen of early Jefferson Co. Although his life is well documented, some facts have been complicated factual errors in a book entitled Welch and Allied Families, published in the 1930s. Samuel is most likely son of a Walter Welch, who came from Ireland with Braddock's Army and settled in Virginia., according to an account attributed to Samuel's granddaughter. Samuel's birth date is problematical and his birthplace is unknown. The Welch book reprints a letter written in 1924 by Knox Jamison, Samuel's great-grandson, which reports his birth as occurring in 1772. Based on this report, the National DAR is not admitting anyone on this line. However, the birth date is illegible in Samuel's family Bible, printed in 1811. It appears as if someone wrote 1772, then tried to correct that by writing 1762 over this entry. Samuel's own statements indicate that 1762 is the correct date. Jamison says Samuel grew up in Shippensburg, Cumberland Co., Pa. He was apprenticed and probably lived separately from his father, who is likely the Walter Welch in Boonesborough in 1779. Walter later moved to Abingdon, Washington co., Va., where he died after 1789. In a deed dated 22 Oct. 1839, James Welch of Jefferson Co., Ind., sold his one fifth interest in Walter's property in Washington Co. It is believed that this James is Samuel's brother and the James listed as one of Walter's children by Mary Hillis Welch. The Jamison record says that Samuel married Jane Cunningham on 31 Aug. 1797 at Shippensburg. Two family Bibles give that marriage date. But the 1811 Bible gives Jane's last name very legibly as Cunning and a second family Bible, which Samuel reportedly carried with him, gives her name as Cumming or Cummins. Whatever the name it is certainly NOT Cunningham. Jane lived 13 Jan. 1779-16 Feb. 1846. Samuel's applied for a pension based on his service in Springer's Legion. But because that unit fought in the Indian Wars, the application was rejected. Samuel reapplied based on his service as a drummer boy, swearing he enlisted at age 14, in September 1776 from Cumberland Co. (hence born about 1762.) In 1792, Samuel served as private in Capt. William Faulkner's Co. He then transferred to Capt. Uriah Springer's Co., serving under Gen. Wayne at the Battle of Miami Rapids. Samuel was severely injured at Fort Defiance, Ohio., on Oct. 15, 1794 while blowing up rocks. Jamison's letter says Samuel was stationed at Cincinnati, a claim is supported by the appearance of Samuel's name on an account list at Fort Washington (Cincinnati) in 1794. Samuel moved to Clark Co., Ky., in 1797. He purchased a 160-acre farm on Stoner's Creek in 1806 and sold that in 1816. He next purchased 160 acres in the NW/14 Section 29 Twp. 5N Range 12E and 160 acres in Section 30 from the Federal government on Aug. 7, 1816. This land is on Scott's Ridge in Shelby Twp. Samuel built a grist mill and dam on his land on Brushy Fork in 1819 and probably operated it until his death. He was postmaster of the short-lived Caledonia post office from Dec. 13, 1830 until July 23, 1834 and then again from July 2, 1836 to Nov. 29, 1838 The post office commission may have been a reward for his activities as a Democratic candidate. (Jamison erroneously called him a Whig.) Samuel ran for the state assembly twice in the 1830s and lost badly. His best showing was third place in a race for the state senate. According to a county history, Samuel proposed the idea of building a road from Madison to Lake Michigan, using a charcoal road bed. It is not known if Samuel was actually responsible for originating the actual idea of the Michigan Road. At some point, the Welch family joined the Pleasant Township Presbyterian Church in Switzerland Co. On March 1834, Jane Welch Sr., and her daughters, Jane Welch Jr., Elizabeth Welch and Mary Jamison, were all granted letters of dismission from the church. They presumably transferred to the nearby Caledonia Presbyterian Church, whose early records were destroyed in 1854. The family Bible says that Samuel died about 11 a.m. on 30 Dec. 1842 "by a most sudden and unexpected visitation of Divine Providence." Knox Jamison reported that Samuel was killed while rolling logs. (So much for the debilitating war injuries?) Both Samuel and Jane Welch are buried in the family cemetery on the Scott's Ridge farm. Samuel's farm was sold to son-in-law Hugh Kirkwood in 1843. In 1850, Kirkwood sold it to John Scott, another one of Samuel's sons-in-law. Scott sold the farm to his son, Walter Scott in 1856. Walter Scott sold the farm in 1862 to Mathew Ralston, who had married Agnes Jamison, one of Samuel's granddaughters. Ralston lived until 1875 and Agnes owned the land until her death in 1926 when the farm passed to her son, James Finley Ralston. Finley Ralston promised the farm to his niece, Mildred Stevenson and her husband, John Hopper, who moved in with Finley in March 1940. The Hoppers inherited the farm when Finley died in 1954. Mildred died in 1993. John Hopper died in October 1996. The farm was sold in early 1997, passing out of the Samuel Welch family after 181 years. Samuel's children are named both in his will in Jefferson Co. and in the family Bible.
Children of Samuel and Jane Welch
Sources: Written by Robert W. Scott. Secondary sources include Welch and Allied Families; Historical and Biographical Souvenir of (several counties including Jefferson); Records of Larry Hutsell, Patricia Treese, the late Mary Hill . Primary sources include Samuel Welch's pension application, Jefferson Co., Ind. deeds, wills, probate records.
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