Sloan Research Notes
There are three good write ups on the Sloan family of John Sloan and Nancy Agnes Daugherty. The first two are, I believe, by my grandparents Richard Perry Sloan and Frieda Mildred Moore and the other is by Richard's brother William's daughter Edith. I have copied portions of them them here and inserted my comments and questions in [bold]. If anyone can help elaborate on any of this, please let me know.
If anyone would like a full copy of either of the ones by Richard and Frieda, let me know. Click here for the one by Edith Sloan.
1. From The Sloan Family Story #1
I believe this was written by Richard Sloan and Frieda Moore-Sloan.
The home of William John Sloan was in Ohioville, Pennsylvania. He Married Rebecca
Jane McClelland and their five children were born there. Approximate dates of
birth; Jennie (Jean) Alexander – 1868 [this date is lined out and 1864
is written above it]; Edith Noble – 1870; Claudia – 1872; twins
John Howard and William Wills – 1874.
[This is difficult. Jean may have been born in Allegheny City (Pittsburgh),
which is in Allegheny County. I show Claudia and Edith born in Island Run, Columbia
County, and the twins born in Spencerville (or Sprucevale), Ohio. Claudia died
at age 15]
2. From The Sloan Family Story #2
I believe this was also written by Richard Sloan and Frieda Moore-Sloan.
The ancestors of William John Sloan came to America from Northern Ireland.
They settled in Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh in an area called Fairview, now
Ohioville, Pa. At that time the area was truly frontierland. In 1861 William
John married Rebecca Jane McClelland and when Rebecca’s mother visited
the couple in their home she cried because she felt her daughter was living
in a dangerous wilderness. Ohioville is actually an area between Midland and
Beaver, Pa.
[Rel says the immigration was about 1833. Pittsburgh is in Allegheny
County and Fairview/Ohioville is in Beaver Co. Fairview is still a city, near
Ohioville. In 1840 there are 2 John Sloans in Beaver County;
one in New Sewickley Twp and the other in North Sewickley. I am thinking the
one in New Sewickley is this family.]
The couple’s five children were: Jennie Alexander (Jean), born in 1863
in Old Allegheny, Pa; Claudia in Ohioville (she lived only a short time); Edith
Noble, 1870 in Ohioville; and the twins William Wills and John Howard, born
in 1873 in Spencerville, Ohio (near Calcutta).
[Note the conflict with the first write-up. Where were these kids really
born??]
The family became members of the Covenanter Church and continued to be Covenanters
until they moved to East Liverpool where they united with the United Presbyterian
Church. William John served in the Civil War and his name appears on a bronze
plaque in the East Liverpool United Presbyterian Church as one of the congregation
who served in the Civil War.
[Click here to see
the original documents showing William John's promotion to Sergeant and his
promotion to Lieutenant - and a picture of him in his uniform]
3. From What I Know About Dr. William John Sloan (1839-1921)
by Edith Ann Sloan, Ed.D.
Family of Origin
William John was born Nov. 7, 1839 in Pittsburgh [Allegheny Co.],
PA. His parents were John Sloan [there is no John Sloan in Allegheny
County in the 1840 Census. Either this birth place is wrong or the family moved
to Beaver County within a few months of William John's birth] of Pittsburgh
and Nancy Agnes Daugherty who was born in 1810 and came to U.S. from Ireland
in 1818. They were married in 1833 in Pittsburgh. [Is 1833 also the
immigration year of John Sloan?]
Their children (and William John's siblings) included:
Sam Robert, born 1834
James, b. 1836
William John (above)
Thomas Spraul, b. 1839
Eliza Jane - died
Mary - died
Martha
(Two brothers, probably James and Thomas, died in the Civil War.)
[Where does this Civil War info come from? I believe Thomas Sloan is
alive in 1880; widowed and living with his mother Nancy and his daughter Bertha
in Allegheny County, PA. I have not been able to locate James in any census
beyond 1850.]
Marriage
William John married Rebecca Jane McClelland on Oct. 22, 1861. Ceremony was
performed in Allegheny City, PA (now Pittsburgh, PA) by Rev. Robert Gracey.
"William John and Rebecca Jane settled in Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh,
in an area called Fairview, now Ohioville, PA. At that time, the area was truly
frontier land. . . . When Rebecca's mother [Rebecca Jane Alexander McClelland]
visited the couple in their home, she cried because she felt her daughter was
living in a dangerous wilderness. Ohioville is actually an area between Midland
and Beaver, PA." (The Sloan Family Story by Richard Perry Sloan and Frieda
Moore Sloan.)
[Fairview did not change it's name to Ohioville...they are two separate
(but close) cities in Beaver County]
In the spring of 1861, William John was described as 5'8" tall, had a sallow
complexion, hazel eyes, and brown hair. His occupation was as a "nailer"
in the oil industry.
Civil War
In his pension papers, William John related "I was enrolled in April 1861
in 'Iron City Guards' to serve for three months but was not mustered into the
U. S. Service and received no pay. At the close of the term, I, in company with
a number of men, with the consent of the officers, retired. The company was
then mustered into the U.S. Service for three years as Co. C, Pa. Reserves.
I returned to Pittsburgh and assisted in recruiting [Thompson's] Battery C,
Independent Pa. Artillery [Volunteers] in which I mustered as Sergeant."
He was discharged from this unit August 23, 1863, at Harrisburg, PA. He was
promoted to Second Lieutenant in Tyler's Park Battery Pa. Volunteers and mustered
out on Aug. 24, 1863. He reenlisted that month (August 1863) in Park Battery,
Penna Light Artillery Volunteers, under Captain Horatio Tyler, as a 2nd Lieutenant.
While on duty in Frederick City, Maryland, in February, 1862, he was "injured
by overmarching resulting in varicose veins in his left leg, followed by rheumatism."
He was discharged on Jan. 28, 1864.
Carolyn Edith Birchard Learned remembers seeing documentation noting William
John's survival of the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg, Maryland, 1862).
Family and Residence Locations
After leaving service in the War, he lived at 278 Robinson St. in Allegheny,
PA (now Pittsburgh, PA) until 1866; lived in Smith's Ferry, PA, 1866-1874; moved
to Sprucevale, Columbiana Co., OH 1874-1878; to Ohioville, Beaver Co., PA, in
1878-1888; to Salineville, Columbiana Co., OH, in 1888; to Youngstown, OH, in
1888; back to Salineville, OH, in 1888-1891; to East Liverpool, OH, in 1891-1910;
and to Crystal City, TX, in 1910. He returned to E. Liverpool sometime between
1917 and his death there in 1921.
[I have not been able to locate him in 1870 when he should have been
in Smith's Ferry. In 1880 the family is in Beaver County, Ohio Township. I will
be looking closer at this sequence of residences for further leads]
For more notes, see my page on Sloans in Allegheny & Beaver Co., PA 1800-1850 and John Sloans in PA, 1790-1850