THE SCOTCH-IRISH
The Scotch-Irish in colonial Pennsylvania were Scots from Scotland, Ireland and England. At the time of the Irish plantation many Scottish people were persuaded, some voluntary and some forced, to take up residence in Northern Ireland. Here they were known as Ulstermen. From there many immigrated to America and are known to us as Scotch-Irish. McCracken is a sept of the Mac Naughton Clan which was earlier found in Galloway, Scotland. The name is unmistakably Gaelic. The McCracken's of Pennsylvania arrived via the Port of Philadelphia and preferred to live in the frontier so you will see them migrating outward as the populations grew. Three Scotch-Irish settlements (Craig, Hunter and Martin) had been established at the Forks of the Delaware River, in what is now Lower Mount Bethel, Northampton County, Pennsylvania.
HUNTER'S SETTLEMENT
Alexander Hunter, a Presbyterian from Northern Ireland, arrived at The Forks of the Delaware with about thirty Scotch-Irish families. He took up three hundred acres of land on the North Branch, near the mouth of Hunter's Creek. "Hunter's Settlement," as it was called, was located at three places; near Martin's Creek, at Richmond (on the road from Easton to the Water Gap) and at Williamsburg, on the same road.
On the 8th of June, 1748, the inhabitants living on the "North Branch" of the Delaware, embracing Hunter's Settlement and other immigrants who had settled there subsequently, namely.....THOMAS MCCRACKEN, petitioned the court of Quarter Sessions, to lay off a township. The court ordered the petitioners to produce a draft of the township at the next term. This movement led to the organization of Mount Bethel Township. Mount Bethel Township was originally a township in Bucks County, before the establishment of Northampton County. In 1752 Northampton County was erected from Bucks County. In 1787, Mount Bethel Township was divided into Upper and Lower Mount Bethel, which names they still bear. History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania: from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time, Volume 2, by William Watts Hart Davis.
THE MCCRACKEN FAMILY
The McCracken family derive their origin from what are believed to have been one of two brothers, Thomas and Robert McCracken. Thomas McCracken was born in Northern Ireland 1704-1708 and died in Lower Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, between August 12, 1788-August 22, 1792. Thomas McCracken, was a farmer, first recorded in Bucks County, now Northampton County, February 1, 1745. In 1752 Northampton County was erected from Bucks County. In 1758 he was Second Lieutenant in the Militia but was too old to serve in the Revolutionary War. In 1772 Thomas McCracken, Robert McCracken (brother of Thomas), Robert McCracken (son of Thomas), Hugh McCracken (son of Thomas) and Samuel McCracken (son of Thomas) were all taxpayers in Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. He is attested in Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania in 1775, 1785, 1786 and in Lower Mount Bethel Township in 1788. Mount Bethel Township was divided into Upper Mount Bethel Township and Lower Mount Bethel Township in 1787. He appears in the 1790 Lower Mount Bethel Township census with 2 males over 16 and 3 females. His wife, Margaret still living in 1801. Children: Robert, Hugh, Margaret, John and Samuel. National Genealogical Society Quarterly, June 1952, Vol. 40, Issue 2, Pg. 64-69. The McCracken's of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, by George E. McCracken PhD., F. A. A. R.
CHILDREN OF THOMAS AND MARGARET MCCRACKEN
1. Robert
Robert McCracken, eldest son of Thomas and Margaret, was born circa 1736, perhaps in Northern Ireland. He is recorded as a farmer in Mount Bethel Township in 1772. Robert was listed as a Private in Captain John Neilson's Company, December 10, 1776. He died of camp fever on March 9, 1777 while in the service. Inventory of his estate was filed June 20, 1777 and settled on November 18, 1779. Presumably, he was buried in Pennsylvania and the remains never removed but the D.A.R. records for Oakland County, Michigan, show an inscription in the Oak Hill Cemetery, Pontiac, Michigan, in which cemetery his wife is buried, giving date of his death as shown above, age at death being 41 years. Census for 1790 shows Mary as a widow in Northumberland County, with 1 male above 16, 1 male below and 2 females. Wife: Mary Hutchinson. Ch: Thomas, Anna and Robert. National Genealogical Society Quarterly, June, 1952, Vol. 40, Issue 2, Pg. 64-69. The McCracken's of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, by George E. McCracken PhD., F. A. A. R.
2. Hugh
Hugh McCracken, second son of Thomas and Margaret, was born, before 1746, perhaps as early as 1737. The earliest record of him is 50 acres surveyed in Bucks County, May 8, 1753. He is recorded in 1772, 1775, 1776 and 1785 when his name along with several others of the family, is among those who were federal taxpayers in Mount Bethel Township; he was also recorded in 1790 and 1798 in Lower Mount Bethel Township. During the Revolution he served as a private in Captain Middaugh's Company of the Militia and as a Ranger. The 1790 census lists him with 4 males above 16 and 3 females. He served as administrator of his father's estate between 1793 and 98. He was living in 1798 but died before 1812, without probate. His wife was named Elizabeth. Children: Samuel, James, Henry (married cousin Eleanor McCracken), Hannah and Thomas. National Genealogical Society Quarterly, June, 1952, Vol. 40, Issue 2, Pg. 64-69. The McCracken's of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, by George E. McCracken PhD., F. A. A. R.
3. Samuel
Samuel McCracken, son of Thomas and Margaret, was born in Mount Bethel Township circa 1746-1747 and died there on the 8th of September 1794 in his 48th year. In 1787 Mount Bethel Township was divided into Upper and Lower Mount Bethel Townships. He first appears as a Ranger in John Neilson's Company, July 9, 1776. He received a certificate dated April 25, 1781 for 12 days Militia duty in that month as a Sergeant signed by Captain Hugh Gaston. In 1784 he was a Sergeant in the 5th Battalion. In 1785 he was a Sergeant in Middaugh's Company and elected Ensign in the 2nd Battalion. He was an Ensign in the 3rd Company, May 19, 1786 and finally, in 1790, he was a Lieutenant in the 3rd Company, 7th Battalion. He married Jerusha McIlhenny (McIlhaney). The 1790 census lists him with 1 male over 16 and 3 females. Samuel McCracken's daughter, Agnes, was appointed administratrix of his estate, December 15, 1794 but her administration did not satisfy her sister, Eleanor, who asked for accounting, December 18, 1800. According to the 1850 Census of Upper Mount Bethel, Eleanor McCracken is recorded as E. McCracken, age 70, female, living with her son James. Eleanor died in the spring of 1852, shortly before the birth of her last grandchild, Phoebe McCracken. Phoebe McCracken has stated that Eleanor married her first cousin, Henry McCracken. Samuel and Jerusha are both buried at "Three Churches," lots 121 and 122. Children: Eleanor, Agnes, James and William. Daughter Agnes married a man named Barnes and became the mother of Agnes Barnes who died on October 18, 1873 at the age of 70. National Genealogical Society Quarterly, June, 1952, Vol. 40, Issue 2, Pg. 64-69. The McCracken's of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, by George E. McCracken PhD., F. A. A. R.
4. John
John McCracken, was the fourth son of Thomas and Margaret. John, with his sister, Margaret, was a residuary legatee of his father but was superseded by his brothers Hugh and Samuel who entered a caveat against the will in 1793 and had it set aside. John was probably living in 1810 with his sister-in-law, Mary, widow of his brother, Robert. He died in 1813 and his estate was administered by his nephew Thomas, son of his brother Hugh. In probate papers it is stated that he was "a lunatic from 1800." He owed his brother Hugh's estate $389.73 and his sister Margaret $9.00. John was unmarried. National Genealogical Society Quarterly, June, 1952, Vol. 40, Issue 2, Pg. 64-69. The McCracken's of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, by George E. McCracken PhD., F. A. A. R.
5. Margaret
Margaret was married at the First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. Her husband was John Moore. Margaret died sometime after 1820 when she was last listed in the census.
The Scotch-Irish in colonial Pennsylvania were Scots from Scotland, Ireland and England. At the time of the Irish plantation many Scottish people were persuaded, some voluntary and some forced, to take up residence in Northern Ireland. Here they were known as Ulstermen. From there many immigrated to America and are known to us as Scotch-Irish. McCracken is a sept of the Mac Naughton Clan which was earlier found in Galloway, Scotland. The name is unmistakably Gaelic. The McCracken's of Pennsylvania arrived via the Port of Philadelphia and preferred to live in the frontier so you will see them migrating outward as the populations grew. Three Scotch-Irish settlements (Craig, Hunter and Martin) had been established at the Forks of the Delaware River, in what is now Lower Mount Bethel, Northampton County, Pennsylvania.
HUNTER'S SETTLEMENT
Alexander Hunter, a Presbyterian from Northern Ireland, arrived at The Forks of the Delaware with about thirty Scotch-Irish families. He took up three hundred acres of land on the North Branch, near the mouth of Hunter's Creek. "Hunter's Settlement," as it was called, was located at three places; near Martin's Creek, at Richmond (on the road from Easton to the Water Gap) and at Williamsburg, on the same road.
On the 8th of June, 1748, the inhabitants living on the "North Branch" of the Delaware, embracing Hunter's Settlement and other immigrants who had settled there subsequently, namely.....THOMAS MCCRACKEN, petitioned the court of Quarter Sessions, to lay off a township. The court ordered the petitioners to produce a draft of the township at the next term. This movement led to the organization of Mount Bethel Township. Mount Bethel Township was originally a township in Bucks County, before the establishment of Northampton County. In 1752 Northampton County was erected from Bucks County. In 1787, Mount Bethel Township was divided into Upper and Lower Mount Bethel, which names they still bear. History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania: from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time, Volume 2, by William Watts Hart Davis.
THE MCCRACKEN FAMILY
The McCracken family derive their origin from what are believed to have been one of two brothers, Thomas and Robert McCracken. Thomas McCracken was born in Northern Ireland 1704-1708 and died in Lower Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, between August 12, 1788-August 22, 1792. Thomas McCracken, was a farmer, first recorded in Bucks County, now Northampton County, February 1, 1745. In 1752 Northampton County was erected from Bucks County. In 1758 he was Second Lieutenant in the Militia but was too old to serve in the Revolutionary War. In 1772 Thomas McCracken, Robert McCracken (brother of Thomas), Robert McCracken (son of Thomas), Hugh McCracken (son of Thomas) and Samuel McCracken (son of Thomas) were all taxpayers in Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. He is attested in Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania in 1775, 1785, 1786 and in Lower Mount Bethel Township in 1788. Mount Bethel Township was divided into Upper Mount Bethel Township and Lower Mount Bethel Township in 1787. He appears in the 1790 Lower Mount Bethel Township census with 2 males over 16 and 3 females. His wife, Margaret still living in 1801. Children: Robert, Hugh, Margaret, John and Samuel. National Genealogical Society Quarterly, June 1952, Vol. 40, Issue 2, Pg. 64-69. The McCracken's of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, by George E. McCracken PhD., F. A. A. R.
CHILDREN OF THOMAS AND MARGARET MCCRACKEN
1. Robert
Robert McCracken, eldest son of Thomas and Margaret, was born circa 1736, perhaps in Northern Ireland. He is recorded as a farmer in Mount Bethel Township in 1772. Robert was listed as a Private in Captain John Neilson's Company, December 10, 1776. He died of camp fever on March 9, 1777 while in the service. Inventory of his estate was filed June 20, 1777 and settled on November 18, 1779. Presumably, he was buried in Pennsylvania and the remains never removed but the D.A.R. records for Oakland County, Michigan, show an inscription in the Oak Hill Cemetery, Pontiac, Michigan, in which cemetery his wife is buried, giving date of his death as shown above, age at death being 41 years. Census for 1790 shows Mary as a widow in Northumberland County, with 1 male above 16, 1 male below and 2 females. Wife: Mary Hutchinson. Ch: Thomas, Anna and Robert. National Genealogical Society Quarterly, June, 1952, Vol. 40, Issue 2, Pg. 64-69. The McCracken's of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, by George E. McCracken PhD., F. A. A. R.
2. Hugh
Hugh McCracken, second son of Thomas and Margaret, was born, before 1746, perhaps as early as 1737. The earliest record of him is 50 acres surveyed in Bucks County, May 8, 1753. He is recorded in 1772, 1775, 1776 and 1785 when his name along with several others of the family, is among those who were federal taxpayers in Mount Bethel Township; he was also recorded in 1790 and 1798 in Lower Mount Bethel Township. During the Revolution he served as a private in Captain Middaugh's Company of the Militia and as a Ranger. The 1790 census lists him with 4 males above 16 and 3 females. He served as administrator of his father's estate between 1793 and 98. He was living in 1798 but died before 1812, without probate. His wife was named Elizabeth. Children: Samuel, James, Henry (married cousin Eleanor McCracken), Hannah and Thomas. National Genealogical Society Quarterly, June, 1952, Vol. 40, Issue 2, Pg. 64-69. The McCracken's of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, by George E. McCracken PhD., F. A. A. R.
3. Samuel
Samuel McCracken, son of Thomas and Margaret, was born in Mount Bethel Township circa 1746-1747 and died there on the 8th of September 1794 in his 48th year. In 1787 Mount Bethel Township was divided into Upper and Lower Mount Bethel Townships. He first appears as a Ranger in John Neilson's Company, July 9, 1776. He received a certificate dated April 25, 1781 for 12 days Militia duty in that month as a Sergeant signed by Captain Hugh Gaston. In 1784 he was a Sergeant in the 5th Battalion. In 1785 he was a Sergeant in Middaugh's Company and elected Ensign in the 2nd Battalion. He was an Ensign in the 3rd Company, May 19, 1786 and finally, in 1790, he was a Lieutenant in the 3rd Company, 7th Battalion. He married Jerusha McIlhenny (McIlhaney). The 1790 census lists him with 1 male over 16 and 3 females. Samuel McCracken's daughter, Agnes, was appointed administratrix of his estate, December 15, 1794 but her administration did not satisfy her sister, Eleanor, who asked for accounting, December 18, 1800. According to the 1850 Census of Upper Mount Bethel, Eleanor McCracken is recorded as E. McCracken, age 70, female, living with her son James. Eleanor died in the spring of 1852, shortly before the birth of her last grandchild, Phoebe McCracken. Phoebe McCracken has stated that Eleanor married her first cousin, Henry McCracken. Samuel and Jerusha are both buried at "Three Churches," lots 121 and 122. Children: Eleanor, Agnes, James and William. Daughter Agnes married a man named Barnes and became the mother of Agnes Barnes who died on October 18, 1873 at the age of 70. National Genealogical Society Quarterly, June, 1952, Vol. 40, Issue 2, Pg. 64-69. The McCracken's of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, by George E. McCracken PhD., F. A. A. R.
4. John
John McCracken, was the fourth son of Thomas and Margaret. John, with his sister, Margaret, was a residuary legatee of his father but was superseded by his brothers Hugh and Samuel who entered a caveat against the will in 1793 and had it set aside. John was probably living in 1810 with his sister-in-law, Mary, widow of his brother, Robert. He died in 1813 and his estate was administered by his nephew Thomas, son of his brother Hugh. In probate papers it is stated that he was "a lunatic from 1800." He owed his brother Hugh's estate $389.73 and his sister Margaret $9.00. John was unmarried. National Genealogical Society Quarterly, June, 1952, Vol. 40, Issue 2, Pg. 64-69. The McCracken's of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, by George E. McCracken PhD., F. A. A. R.
5. Margaret
Margaret was married at the First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. Her husband was John Moore. Margaret died sometime after 1820 when she was last listed in the census.
THE SCOTCH-IRISH
The Scotch-Irish in colonial Pennsylvania were Scots from Scotland, Ireland and England. At the time of the Irish plantation many Scottish people were persuaded, some voluntary and some forced, to take up residence in Northern Ireland. Here they were known as Ulstermen. From there many immigrated to America and are known to us as Scotch-Irish. McCracken is a sept of the Mac Naughton Clan which was earlier found in Galloway, Scotland. The name is unmistakably Gaelic. The McCracken's of Pennsylvania arrived via the Port of Philadelphia and preferred to live in the frontier so you will see them migrating outward as the populations grew. Three Scotch-Irish settlements (Craig, Hunter and Martin) had been established at the Forks of the Delaware River, in what is now Lower Mount Bethel, Northampton County, Pennsylvania.
HUNTER'S SETTLEMENT
Alexander Hunter, a Presbyterian from Northern Ireland, arrived at The Forks of the Delaware with about thirty Scotch-Irish families. He took up three hundred acres of land on the North Branch, near the mouth of Hunter's Creek. "Hunter's Settlement," as it was called, was located at three places; near Martin's Creek, at Richmond (on the road from Easton to the Water Gap) and at Williamsburg, on the same road.
On the 8th of June, 1748, the inhabitants living on the "North Branch" of the Delaware, embracing Hunter's Settlement and other immigrants who had settled there subsequently, namely.....THOMAS MCCRACKEN, petitioned the court of Quarter Sessions, to lay off a township. The court ordered the petitioners to produce a draft of the township at the next term. This movement led to the organization of Mount Bethel Township. Mount Bethel Township was originally a township in Bucks County, before the establishment of Northampton County. In 1752 Northampton County was erected from Bucks County. In 1787, Mount Bethel Township was divided into Upper and Lower Mount Bethel, which names they still bear. History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania: from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time, Volume 2, by William Watts Hart Davis.
THE MCCRACKEN FAMILY
The McCracken family derive their origin from what are believed to have been one of two brothers, Thomas and Robert McCracken. Thomas McCracken was born in Northern Ireland 1704-1708 and died in Lower Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, between August 12, 1788-August 22, 1792. Thomas McCracken, was a farmer, first recorded in Bucks County, now Northampton County, February 1, 1745. In 1752 Northampton County was erected from Bucks County. In 1758 he was Second Lieutenant in the Militia but was too old to serve in the Revolutionary War. In 1772 Thomas McCracken, Robert McCracken (brother of Thomas), Robert McCracken (son of Thomas), Hugh McCracken (son of Thomas) and Samuel McCracken (son of Thomas) were all taxpayers in Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. He is attested in Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania in 1775, 1785, 1786 and in Lower Mount Bethel Township in 1788. Mount Bethel Township was divided into Upper Mount Bethel Township and Lower Mount Bethel Township in 1787. He appears in the 1790 Lower Mount Bethel Township census with 2 males over 16 and 3 females. His wife, Margaret still living in 1801. Children: Robert, Hugh, Margaret, John and Samuel. National Genealogical Society Quarterly, June 1952, Vol. 40, Issue 2, Pg. 64-69. The McCracken's of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, by George E. McCracken PhD., F. A. A. R.
CHILDREN OF THOMAS AND MARGARET MCCRACKEN
1. Robert
Robert McCracken, eldest son of Thomas and Margaret, was born circa 1736, perhaps in Northern Ireland. He is recorded as a farmer in Mount Bethel Township in 1772. Robert was listed as a Private in Captain John Neilson's Company, December 10, 1776. He died of camp fever on March 9, 1777 while in the service. Inventory of his estate was filed June 20, 1777 and settled on November 18, 1779. Presumably, he was buried in Pennsylvania and the remains never removed but the D.A.R. records for Oakland County, Michigan, show an inscription in the Oak Hill Cemetery, Pontiac, Michigan, in which cemetery his wife is buried, giving date of his death as shown above, age at death being 41 years. Census for 1790 shows Mary as a widow in Northumberland County, with 1 male above 16, 1 male below and 2 females. Wife: Mary Hutchinson. Ch: Thomas, Anna and Robert. National Genealogical Society Quarterly, June, 1952, Vol. 40, Issue 2, Pg. 64-69. The McCracken's of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, by George E. McCracken PhD., F. A. A. R.
2. Hugh
Hugh McCracken, second son of Thomas and Margaret, was born, before 1746, perhaps as early as 1737. The earliest record of him is 50 acres surveyed in Bucks County, May 8, 1753. He is recorded in 1772, 1775, 1776 and 1785 when his name along with several others of the family, is among those who were federal taxpayers in Mount Bethel Township; he was also recorded in 1790 and 1798 in Lower Mount Bethel Township. During the Revolution he served as a private in Captain Middaugh's Company of the Militia and as a Ranger. The 1790 census lists him with 4 males above 16 and 3 females. He served as administrator of his father's estate between 1793 and 98. He was living in 1798 but died before 1812, without probate. His wife was named Elizabeth. Children: Samuel, James, Henry (married cousin Eleanor McCracken), Hannah and Thomas. National Genealogical Society Quarterly, June, 1952, Vol. 40, Issue 2, Pg. 64-69. The McCracken's of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, by George E. McCracken PhD., F. A. A. R.
3. Samuel
Samuel McCracken, son of Thomas and Margaret, was born in Mount Bethel Township circa 1746-1747 and died there on the 8th of September 1794 in his 48th year. In 1787 Mount Bethel Township was divided into Upper and Lower Mount Bethel Townships. He first appears as a Ranger in John Neilson's Company, July 9, 1776. He received a certificate dated April 25, 1781 for 12 days Militia duty in that month as a Sergeant signed by Captain Hugh Gaston. In 1784 he was a Sergeant in the 5th Battalion. In 1785 he was a Sergeant in Middaugh's Company and elected Ensign in the 2nd Battalion. He was an Ensign in the 3rd Company, May 19, 1786 and finally, in 1790, he was a Lieutenant in the 3rd Company, 7th Battalion. He married Jerusha McIlhenny (McIlhaney). The 1790 census lists him with 1 male over 16 and 3 females. Samuel McCracken's daughter, Agnes, was appointed administratrix of his estate, December 15, 1794 but her administration did not satisfy her sister, Eleanor, who asked for accounting, December 18, 1800. According to the 1850 Census of Upper Mount Bethel, Eleanor McCracken is recorded as E. McCracken, age 70, female, living with her son James. Eleanor died in the spring of 1852, shortly before the birth of her last grandchild, Phoebe McCracken. Phoebe McCracken has stated that Eleanor married her first cousin, Henry McCracken. Samuel and Jerusha are both buried at "Three Churches," lots 121 and 122. Children: Eleanor, Agnes, James and William. Daughter Agnes married a man named Barnes and became the mother of Agnes Barnes who died on October 18, 1873 at the age of 70. National Genealogical Society Quarterly, June, 1952, Vol. 40, Issue 2, Pg. 64-69. The McCracken's of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, by George E. McCracken PhD., F. A. A. R.
4. John
John McCracken, was the fourth son of Thomas and Margaret. John, with his sister, Margaret, was a residuary legatee of his father but was superseded by his brothers Hugh and Samuel who entered a caveat against the will in 1793 and had it set aside. John was probably living in 1810 with his sister-in-law, Mary, widow of his brother, Robert. He died in 1813 and his estate was administered by his nephew Thomas, son of his brother Hugh. In probate papers it is stated that he was "a lunatic from 1800." He owed his brother Hugh's estate $389.73 and his sister Margaret $9.00. John was unmarried. National Genealogical Society Quarterly, June, 1952, Vol. 40, Issue 2, Pg. 64-69. The McCracken's of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, by George E. McCracken PhD., F. A. A. R.
5. Margaret
Margaret was married at the First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. Her husband was John Moore. Margaret died sometime after 1820 when she was last listed in the census.
The Scotch-Irish in colonial Pennsylvania were Scots from Scotland, Ireland and England. At the time of the Irish plantation many Scottish people were persuaded, some voluntary and some forced, to take up residence in Northern Ireland. Here they were known as Ulstermen. From there many immigrated to America and are known to us as Scotch-Irish. McCracken is a sept of the Mac Naughton Clan which was earlier found in Galloway, Scotland. The name is unmistakably Gaelic. The McCracken's of Pennsylvania arrived via the Port of Philadelphia and preferred to live in the frontier so you will see them migrating outward as the populations grew. Three Scotch-Irish settlements (Craig, Hunter and Martin) had been established at the Forks of the Delaware River, in what is now Lower Mount Bethel, Northampton County, Pennsylvania.
HUNTER'S SETTLEMENT
Alexander Hunter, a Presbyterian from Northern Ireland, arrived at The Forks of the Delaware with about thirty Scotch-Irish families. He took up three hundred acres of land on the North Branch, near the mouth of Hunter's Creek. "Hunter's Settlement," as it was called, was located at three places; near Martin's Creek, at Richmond (on the road from Easton to the Water Gap) and at Williamsburg, on the same road.
On the 8th of June, 1748, the inhabitants living on the "North Branch" of the Delaware, embracing Hunter's Settlement and other immigrants who had settled there subsequently, namely.....THOMAS MCCRACKEN, petitioned the court of Quarter Sessions, to lay off a township. The court ordered the petitioners to produce a draft of the township at the next term. This movement led to the organization of Mount Bethel Township. Mount Bethel Township was originally a township in Bucks County, before the establishment of Northampton County. In 1752 Northampton County was erected from Bucks County. In 1787, Mount Bethel Township was divided into Upper and Lower Mount Bethel, which names they still bear. History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania: from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time, Volume 2, by William Watts Hart Davis.
THE MCCRACKEN FAMILY
The McCracken family derive their origin from what are believed to have been one of two brothers, Thomas and Robert McCracken. Thomas McCracken was born in Northern Ireland 1704-1708 and died in Lower Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, between August 12, 1788-August 22, 1792. Thomas McCracken, was a farmer, first recorded in Bucks County, now Northampton County, February 1, 1745. In 1752 Northampton County was erected from Bucks County. In 1758 he was Second Lieutenant in the Militia but was too old to serve in the Revolutionary War. In 1772 Thomas McCracken, Robert McCracken (brother of Thomas), Robert McCracken (son of Thomas), Hugh McCracken (son of Thomas) and Samuel McCracken (son of Thomas) were all taxpayers in Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. He is attested in Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania in 1775, 1785, 1786 and in Lower Mount Bethel Township in 1788. Mount Bethel Township was divided into Upper Mount Bethel Township and Lower Mount Bethel Township in 1787. He appears in the 1790 Lower Mount Bethel Township census with 2 males over 16 and 3 females. His wife, Margaret still living in 1801. Children: Robert, Hugh, Margaret, John and Samuel. National Genealogical Society Quarterly, June 1952, Vol. 40, Issue 2, Pg. 64-69. The McCracken's of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, by George E. McCracken PhD., F. A. A. R.
CHILDREN OF THOMAS AND MARGARET MCCRACKEN
1. Robert
Robert McCracken, eldest son of Thomas and Margaret, was born circa 1736, perhaps in Northern Ireland. He is recorded as a farmer in Mount Bethel Township in 1772. Robert was listed as a Private in Captain John Neilson's Company, December 10, 1776. He died of camp fever on March 9, 1777 while in the service. Inventory of his estate was filed June 20, 1777 and settled on November 18, 1779. Presumably, he was buried in Pennsylvania and the remains never removed but the D.A.R. records for Oakland County, Michigan, show an inscription in the Oak Hill Cemetery, Pontiac, Michigan, in which cemetery his wife is buried, giving date of his death as shown above, age at death being 41 years. Census for 1790 shows Mary as a widow in Northumberland County, with 1 male above 16, 1 male below and 2 females. Wife: Mary Hutchinson. Ch: Thomas, Anna and Robert. National Genealogical Society Quarterly, June, 1952, Vol. 40, Issue 2, Pg. 64-69. The McCracken's of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, by George E. McCracken PhD., F. A. A. R.
2. Hugh
Hugh McCracken, second son of Thomas and Margaret, was born, before 1746, perhaps as early as 1737. The earliest record of him is 50 acres surveyed in Bucks County, May 8, 1753. He is recorded in 1772, 1775, 1776 and 1785 when his name along with several others of the family, is among those who were federal taxpayers in Mount Bethel Township; he was also recorded in 1790 and 1798 in Lower Mount Bethel Township. During the Revolution he served as a private in Captain Middaugh's Company of the Militia and as a Ranger. The 1790 census lists him with 4 males above 16 and 3 females. He served as administrator of his father's estate between 1793 and 98. He was living in 1798 but died before 1812, without probate. His wife was named Elizabeth. Children: Samuel, James, Henry (married cousin Eleanor McCracken), Hannah and Thomas. National Genealogical Society Quarterly, June, 1952, Vol. 40, Issue 2, Pg. 64-69. The McCracken's of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, by George E. McCracken PhD., F. A. A. R.
3. Samuel
Samuel McCracken, son of Thomas and Margaret, was born in Mount Bethel Township circa 1746-1747 and died there on the 8th of September 1794 in his 48th year. In 1787 Mount Bethel Township was divided into Upper and Lower Mount Bethel Townships. He first appears as a Ranger in John Neilson's Company, July 9, 1776. He received a certificate dated April 25, 1781 for 12 days Militia duty in that month as a Sergeant signed by Captain Hugh Gaston. In 1784 he was a Sergeant in the 5th Battalion. In 1785 he was a Sergeant in Middaugh's Company and elected Ensign in the 2nd Battalion. He was an Ensign in the 3rd Company, May 19, 1786 and finally, in 1790, he was a Lieutenant in the 3rd Company, 7th Battalion. He married Jerusha McIlhenny (McIlhaney). The 1790 census lists him with 1 male over 16 and 3 females. Samuel McCracken's daughter, Agnes, was appointed administratrix of his estate, December 15, 1794 but her administration did not satisfy her sister, Eleanor, who asked for accounting, December 18, 1800. According to the 1850 Census of Upper Mount Bethel, Eleanor McCracken is recorded as E. McCracken, age 70, female, living with her son James. Eleanor died in the spring of 1852, shortly before the birth of her last grandchild, Phoebe McCracken. Phoebe McCracken has stated that Eleanor married her first cousin, Henry McCracken. Samuel and Jerusha are both buried at "Three Churches," lots 121 and 122. Children: Eleanor, Agnes, James and William. Daughter Agnes married a man named Barnes and became the mother of Agnes Barnes who died on October 18, 1873 at the age of 70. National Genealogical Society Quarterly, June, 1952, Vol. 40, Issue 2, Pg. 64-69. The McCracken's of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, by George E. McCracken PhD., F. A. A. R.
4. John
John McCracken, was the fourth son of Thomas and Margaret. John, with his sister, Margaret, was a residuary legatee of his father but was superseded by his brothers Hugh and Samuel who entered a caveat against the will in 1793 and had it set aside. John was probably living in 1810 with his sister-in-law, Mary, widow of his brother, Robert. He died in 1813 and his estate was administered by his nephew Thomas, son of his brother Hugh. In probate papers it is stated that he was "a lunatic from 1800." He owed his brother Hugh's estate $389.73 and his sister Margaret $9.00. John was unmarried. National Genealogical Society Quarterly, June, 1952, Vol. 40, Issue 2, Pg. 64-69. The McCracken's of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, by George E. McCracken PhD., F. A. A. R.
5. Margaret
Margaret was married at the First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. Her husband was John Moore. Margaret died sometime after 1820 when she was last listed in the census.
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