Rev. Hugh Melvin McInnes


1902, Oct 25 - born in Massillion, Ohio.
1925, Aug 23 - married Beulah Francis Guiley.
1930, Jul 6 - Marian LaNette born
1932, Apr 7 - Virginia Mae born
1934, Graduated from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. Became pastor of the Baptist Church in Valier, Montana.
1936, called to pastor First Baptist Church in Havre, Montana, left after a few months.
1937-1939, worked in the Rieder Mercantile Store in Valier, Montana.
1938, Jul 27 - Margaret Ann born
1939, spent summer with family in Canton, Ohio. in the fall attended Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois.
1940, attended Grace Theological Seminary in Winona Lake, Indiana in the fall.
1940, Nov 3 - became joint Pastor of Burr Oak Baptist Church in Albion, Indiana and Wolf Lake Baptist Church in Wolf Lake, Indiana
1942, May 24 - Ordained at Wolf Lake Church
1944, Nov 8 - accepted pastorate at Calvary Bible Church in Dowagiac, Michigan.
1946, Feb 14 - Roberta Jean born
1946, Dec 3 - accepted position with Rural Bible Crusade in Missouri.
1947, Jan 24 - moved to California, Missouri.
1957, Oct - Pastor of Ormas Baptist Church until 1965
1978, Dec 10 - died in Jeffersonville, Indiana and buried in Ormas, Indiana.

Jessie Rowena Misener Biddle


1907 - Dec 8, born in Humberstone, Ontario, Canada.
1932 - Aug 24, married Rev. Raymond Alexander Biddle in Wainfleet Township, Ontario, Canada
1981 - Jan 19, died from ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). Buried in Birmingham, Alabama.

Rev. Raymond Alexander Biddle


1907 - July 22, born in North East, Maryland with twin sister Ruth Janney
1932 - Aug 24, Married Jessie Rowena Misener in Wainfleet Township, Ontario, Canada
2001 - July 24, died in Petersburg, Indiana; buried in Birmingham, Alabama

McInnes Tree

Found a great webpage with a very detailed family chart of the descendants of John McInnes. Follow the trail down through James McInnes, Hugh McInnes I, James McInnes, and grandpa Hugh Melvin McInnes. One interesting tidbit I want to research is that the elder James died in a coal mine accident. But the elder Hugh was also the last McInnes in my line to be born in Scotland. Seems there ought to be some good stories in there.

Field Worker Added To Staff

the following article appeared in the Rural Bible Crusade of Missouri newsletter, Nov.-Dec.-Jan., 1946-1947, Vol. 2, No. 1.
Rev. Hugh M. McInnes comes to us as a Field Worker, through the efforts of Rev. Floyd Hitchcock, who broadcasts the Faith of Our Fathers Program over Radio Station KWTO in Springfield , Mo. Rev. McInnes will work chiefly in the Springfield area in order to help Rev. Hitchcock with his radio program and preaching services in the rural communities.
He will visit the rural schools in that section to enroll them in the R.B.C. Memory Contest and explain the program and purpose of this Contest.
Rev. Hugh M. McInnes was born in Massillion, Ohio. In 1925 he married Beulah Guiley, the sister of our director.
After spending nine years in the banking business he and Mrs. McInnes felt led by the Lord to train for full time service.
In 1934 after both had graduated from the Moody Bible Institute they left for Montana where they served in Home Missions Churches for about five years. Mr McInnes served pastorates in Indiana and also in Michigan. His interest has chiefly been in Rural areas.
In December of 1946 he accepted the call to become a Field Worker of the Rural Bible Crusade of Missouri. He will begin his work with the Crusade on February 1, 1947.
Correspondence may be addressed to Rev. Hugh M. McInnes, c/o R.B.C. of Mo. Box 306, California, Mo.

Meet The McInnes's

the following article appeared in the Rural Bible Crusade of Missouri newsletter, Oct.-Jan., 1947-48, Vol. 2, No.4

From left to right we present Virginia, Mrs. McInnes, Bobbie Jean, Peggy Ann, Mac, and Marian.
They are living in Ozark, (South of Springfield, Mo.) and are working in the Rural area of Springfield for the R.B.C.

Helt's Prairie Cemetery

by K. McCullough
Dad & I were at Helts Prairie Cemetery this past Sunday. We saw the tombstone of Ralph & Eliza Campbell, my Grandpa (Claude) Campbell's parents. I noticed that staked in the ground behind Eliza's side of the tombstone was a metal marker from the DAR. Engraved in Ralph's side of the tombstone was a symbol--three chain links and in the center of each link was an initial--"FLT". I did some checking on the internet today, and found that this stands for "Friendship, Love and Truth" and marks members of the Oddfellows. This fraternal organization started in England in 1810, and appears to be a forerunner of labor unions in this country. Its members--who were generally laborers--paid dues, but that money went back to its members in times of need. It was also a social group.

I also saw the tall pillar tombstone for Capt. Josiah Campbell. From the dates, he was probably the father/uncle of Ralph Campbell, and I would say that he fought in the Civil War.

I also found the tombstone of Louisa Stokesberry and her husband (whose name escapes me)--my Grandma (Geneva) Campbell's parents. I noticed that she and her husband had buried two little boys who were about 12-13 months old at death. The second son that they lost was named Owen S. Stokesberry. Evidently, then, Geneva named her oldest son, Owen Stanley, after her little brother who was lost in infancy.

I also found the tombstone for Esther Ambrose Campbell--Uncle Owen's ex-wife. She's buried by herself and Owen is buried by himself in a very different part of the cemetery. Esther's parents are buried a few rows over from her.

Just thought you might find this interesting. Makes you feel a little more connected and now you can support the Oddfellows' fundraisers.

Ozark Missionaries

My parents Beulah Frances (Guiley) McInnes and Hugh Melvin McInnes as told by their youngest daughter.
Some of my earliest memories of my parents were from the time I was about two on. I remember our house in Ozark, MO, the outhouse, the fruit cellar, the swing in the tree, the shed out back that was my parents office, the field where we had a cow that ate the nails out of the chicken house in the same field and finally died, the chickens we raised, the garden and flowers in the yard. My father was the director of Rural Bible Crusade in that part of Missouri in those days, that would have been 1947 to around 1952. Our house was a square concrete house that was musty and cold a lot. We had a big concrete front porch that went all the way across the front of the house. It did not have a railing around it. We often had missionaries or pastors visit us for a meal. Once a missionary family with a daughter about my age came to visit. I do remember she pushed me off that porch on my tricycle. It was many years later when I met that missionary man again. I had to apologize for disliking his daughter all that time. With the Rural Bible Crusade my parents would go to country schools during the week. They were allowed to take school time to tell Bible stories, teach Bible verses and sing songs. The kids were encouraged to learn Bible verses. The teachers were allowed to listen to them and check through out the week if the kids knew the verses. If a student learned 500 verses during the school year they could go to camp in the summer free. Of course others could go by paying for the week. I do remember those summers at the camp. It was at one of those camp meetings that I received Christ as my Savior. I could remember a place called Elephant Rocks also. I remember pictures of mom teaching a group of young people a Bible Story while sitting on these rocks. This past summer as we traveled back roads through Missouri we came across a state park called Elephant Rocks. We turned around, went back and walked the mile trail around and over them. Other than the trees being taller they were as I remembered. In talking with my sister we both remembered that they were on the way to the Rural Bible Crusade camp. So they must have been a stopping place on the way to camp way back then.

Another thing I remember about our house at Ozark was dad's blue velvet chair. Now the velvet was rather stiff and sparse. I remember coming home late at night and when dad would turn on the light we would see tracks in the velvet where slugs had crawled across the chair. I guess the dampness in the house attracted them. Although I know my parents were always busy and I guess I would say now that they did not have much money, I did not know that at the time. My life was fun, playing and having the run of the place. I had three big sisters who watched out for me, played with me and helped take care of me. It was my job each morning to go out to the chicken coop to open the little door for the chickens to come out. So I would bravely walk out there, open the fence gate and leave it open. Then I would walk and pull the little door on the coop up so the chickens could come out. Since I knew what happened, they would all come out in a hurry and swarm around my legs, I would run as fast as I could for the open fence gate before the chickens got me. I could do all that with out a lot of fear because I knew my mom was standing at the kitchen window watching me.

We had friends that lived in a nearby town whose father pastored the church there. We would be at their house often for meals and parties. We had grandparents visit and stay awhile with us. I remember a time of friendliness and socializing. When visitors came we would take a day to show them the sights of Old Matt's cabin, The Shepherd of the Hills country, the dam at Bull Shoals (all part of Branson now). I remember when my oldest sister got married and the reception was at our house. Mom put Marian's wedding presents all over the house so people could come in and see them. They were on the tables, couch, bed, etc.

I remember my parents receiving a gift of money and with it they bought a record player. Other than a radio that was our entertainment.

My father would go to small country churches to speak. One I remember was in Tanneyville, MO. They would often have "dinner on the grounds" after the morning service. They would set up sawhorses and lay boards on top for the tables outside in the yard. All the church people would bring food to share. I once ate so much chocolate cake that I couldn't eat chocolate cake for quite awhile. We would visit and stay at a lady's house near there too. Her name was Dilly. She had a small house but made us feel welcome and at home. I would play in her yard and was fascinated with her well. It had a bucket on a long rope and pulley with a crank that you would let the buck down in the well, fill it with water and crank it back up again. Once when I was playing in her yard I was stung by a yellow jacket. Her house had lots of doilies and pillows but we sure felt at home there. The house was made of creek rock as many of the houses were around there. One family we would visit lived across a creek. There was not a bridge to get to their house, you just drove down and through the creek. If the water was high they didn't come to church. I remember dad saying that the man from that house had a saying when he left church, "See you if the creek don't rise."

Putting Food On The Table

written by the youngest son of Raymond and Rowena Biddle.
In the years I lived at home, everybody worked. My father worked six days a week. He left for work at the furniture store at 7:30 a.m. and arrived home at 5:30 p.m. He pastored three churches as well. On Saturday nights he worked until 8 p.m. He did get Thursday afternoons off. That was the day they went to town to buy groceries. I was in school, so I didn't get to go except in the summer. We had two church services every Sunday morning, one service on Sunday night and one on Wednesday night and one on Thursday night.
My Dad always had two sometimes three gardens which he dug up by hand. They totaled usually one half to one acre. The ones not on the home place were done on shares with the land owner. Dad grew almost anything that would grow. He mulched, composted and fertilized if he could afford it. He watered, and he weeded. Of course I got to help once I was big enough. He had early, midseason, and late crops. We all helped with the picking. During the days while Dad was at work my mother canned anything and everything. We all knew we were in trouble if we didn't have about 500 quarts of fruits and vegetables canned by October.
The only times we ate out were when someone invited us to their home. I must have been ten or eleven the first time I ate in a restaurant. You guessed it, someone invited us out to eat. I was seventeen years old the first time I went to McDonalds. I took a girl on a date. The first time we had pizza Al took us to a "drive in." I bought the pizza. I think I was a Freshman in high school.
My parents tried to have meat on Sunday and one other weeknight. We did buy milk, bread, flour, sugar, etc., but we didn't buy vegetables, fruit, or processed foods. If we bought fruit, it was the drops from a farmer or orchard. We were often allowed to glean the leftovers at a church members home orchard. Therefore, we ate alot of applesauce, pear sauce, rhubarb sauce, etc. We raised our own strawberries and grapes. Mom made every kind of pie on the planet.
To supplement the meager meat ration, my brother and Dad would go squirrel hunting. I would go rabbit hunting with my Dad. I usually was the rabbit dog since we didn't have one. I would scare up the rabbits, and they would run towards my Dad and his 12 guage shot gun. I was about six years of age when I became the fish provider. My Dad liked to fish, but he seldom had time. There was a small pond near our house with plenty of bluegills and the occasional bass. Four about six years I fished that pond to near death at least three days a week. Sometimes, I would only bring home enough for a taste for everybody, but other times we would have a regular feast and the meat budget went for something like a popsicle for everyone. I didn't know about anything other than worms and a cane pole until I was out of college. We also went into the woods and hunted nuts in the fall. We cracked hickory nuts by the stove for a winter snack or popped pop corn in a metal pan.
I don't recall anyone every mowing the grass but my brother or I. My parents were assigned the ever important task of putting food on the table. Both of us started early mowing the neighbors yards. One summer I used the push mower to mow five different yards. I believe I was eleven. Al had gone to college, and I stepped up and took his jobs along with my own. Al made extra money with a paper route. When I was twelve I began working for farmers helping with hay season. My parents liked this because the farmers usually fed me while I worked at their places. More than once my parents "borrowed" money from me to keep things going.
My mother had a routine to everything. Monday was wash day, Tuesday was ironing day, Wednesday was cleaning day, Thursday was shopping day, Friday was baking day, Saturday was picking and canning day. During the winter Saturday was food processing day. She made stews, soups, casseroles, etc. These had the intended purpose of making everything go a little further. If a local farmer was butchering we could sometimes get the ingriedients for scrapple, head cheese, or chitlins. I more than once was sent looking for a cheap tongue, a "dog" bone or pigs feet for pickling.
Several summers my mother organized VBS, but she never taught a Sunday School class or regular Bible study. Father with work only preached five times a week. I'm not sure he ever had much time to prepare messages until we moved to Westville. I only lived there for two and half years. We still had a garden, but we could actually buy ice cream once in a while and have meat more than twice a week.
My favorite memories were the couple Thursday afternoons each year that my parents would plan to do something special. We would sometimes go on a picnic, go to a state park to swim, or go to a parishoners pond to fish. I remember less than a dozen of these, but it was time I knew my parents focused on us kids and having fun. When we went on a vacation we went to visit family. We knew better than to ask for money. If we didn't have our own money to buy something we didn't get it. Other than socks or underwear, I only remember getting one fun birthday gift as a child. I only had two birthday parties growing up. One I invited my whole first grade to without telling my parents. The other was when I was in high school. My mother did manage to have a cake of some kind each year. We carved pumpkins, we dyed Easter eggs, and we celebrated Christmas. We just didn't spend much or have much. Decorations were homemade. Looking back I know the finacial pressures on my parents were great. We didn't know about many things the world had to offer. We didn't have TV until well after everyone else had one. We didn't have a telephone until I was in high school. We didn't have indoor plumbing until I was in junior high. I never experienced air conditioning until I was out of college. If I wanted to get somewhere I walked or rode my bicycle until I was in college and then I split my time between hitch hiking and working to get a cheap car (a VW bug).
After we were
married, we knew that visiting family was what my parents expected, it was what we were raised on. They made a big event of seeing you boys. They had never had money in the past and now for the first time in their lives they could spoil their grand children a little. They planned feasts for the few holidays they could share with you.

Obituary: Doris McCullough

DANA- Doris J. McCullough, 82 of Dana died at 8:35 pm Sunday July 17, 2005. She was born June 25, 1923 in Vermillion County, Indiana to the late Claude Campbell and to Geneva Stokesberry Campbell. Survivors include her husband of 57 years Maurice McCullough whom she married Jan. 4, 1948 in Dana; three daughters, Nancy McMahon and her husband Wilburn McMahon of Covington, Rebecca Lawson and her husband Steven Lawson of Dana and Karen McCullough of Indianapolis; two granddaughters, Amy (Ben) Biddle of Lebanon and Janet (Nathan) Benzing of Fairmount, Illinois; two great-grandchildren; She was a 1941 graduate of Dana High School. She and her husband farmed together in Dana for over 40 years, retiring in 1988. She attended the Montezuma Independent Baptist Church. Services are 11:00 am Wednesday, July 20, in Overpeck-Gooch Funeral Home at 225 Maple St. in Dana with Pastor Keith B. McIntyre officiating. Burial is in Bono Cemetery in Dana. Visitation is from 4-8 pm on Tuesday at Overpeck-Gooch Funeral Home, and before services on Wednesday. Memorials should friends so desire, may be made to the Independent Baptist Church, PO Box 335, Montezuma, IN 47862 in her memory.

Campbell Family Has Reunion


(note: this was a newspaper clipping hand dated 1981)
Descendants of Claude and Geneva Stokesberry Campbell gathered at Covington City Park September 20 for a reunion and carry-in dinner. The reunion was hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Fred Landis of Kingman, Mr. and Mrs. David Landis and Bryan of Covington, Mr. and Mrs. Jeffery Kurowski of Plymouth and Linda Landis of Houston, Texas.
The Campbell family had not been together for a reunion for approximately ten years and it is planned to have annual reunions in the future.
Those attending were Owen Campbell, Mr. and Mrs. Maurice McCullough and Mr. and Mrs. Steven Lawson, all of Dana; Mr. and Mrs. Howard Rettig, Janet Rettig, Mrs. Ruth Blackwell and Karen McCullough, all of Indianapolis; Mr. and Mrs. Buddy Balen and sons, Mr. and Mrs. Craig Widener and son and Alice Balen, all of Danville, Indiana; Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Rettig of Plainfield.
Also Mr. and Mrs. Paul Campbell and Susan of Chrisman, Illinois and Mr. and Mrs. Virgil Teuscher and family of Atlanta, Indiana. A special guest was Mrs. Paul Bennett (Mildred Campbell) of Bismark, Illinois.
The next reunion will be in Danville, Indiana, September 19, 1982, hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Buddy Bolen and Mr. and Mrs. Howard Rettig.

Regiment Records

Here is a copy of the regiment records. It tells of the battles that the regiment participated in. Page 183 records information about Isaiah. There is no mention of his being wounded or captured. John Biddle a regiment musician was captured at Winchester. From this information the only way Isaiah could have been at Gettysburg would be is he had become attached to another regiment while his had been disbanded. The battle at Winchester preceded Gettysburg by just over two weeks and Isaiah would have had to travel only 86 miles in two weeks to have been at Gettysburg. However, it does not appear that his regiment was there as an active unit.

There was never indication that Isaiah participated in anything but a reserve and supporting role at Gettysburg.

However, from this regiment history, they were in the thick of the fighting at Antietam. Bloody Lane was considered a horrendous party of the fight. When we studied the Civil War in school there were some shocking pictures of the bodies piled up at Bloody Lane.

I'm continuing the search. - Dad

Not Worth Much in 1912

Found a listing of the Merrick Security and Trust Company's Credit Guide and Directory for September 1912. Isiah Biddle is correctly listed as 60 years old, but his wife's name is Ella. He's also listed as the Justice of the Peace. Two firms rate him as "prompt to pay" but his total estimated worth is rated less than $300.
The only thing that confuses me is the wife's name. I'm not sure how you get Ella out of Sara Catherine Pearse but I really have little info on her.

George Gordon McMahon, 1920

George Gordon McMahon, 1920
FTGeorge Gordon McMahon, 1920

Born on December 19, 1919 in Arkansas, Gordon was a child of the Dust Bowl. He married Mary Jane Gertrude Dore on September 14, 1936 in Hugo, Oklahoma. They traveled the Grapevine (The Mother Road) bringing their family to Arizona and finally Bakersfield, California. He died on December 8, 1987 of Alzheimer's.
We have one of the pipes he used to smoke. Being Irish Catholic, I'm not sure if the beads pictured are a rosary or just a pacifier. It could be a picture of his christening too.

Ralph Campbell Dies at Home Monday Morning

(editor's note: this was an old newspaper clipping with no date)
Ralph Campbell, 88, of 614 South Main, died at his home at 7 a.m. yesterday.
He was a well known Clinton resident, having lived here all his life except six years, which he spent in Kansas. Mr. Campbell was born in Vermillion County, and spent most of his life as a farmer. He was a member of the Methodist Church of Clinton and of the Oddfellows Lodge of Clinton.
Survivors include the widow, Eliza Ann (Church); three sons, Claude Campbell, route one Dana, Glenn Campbell, Danville, Ill., Florence Campbell, San Bernardino, Cal.. 11 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.
The body was taken to the Frist Funeral Home and will be removed to the Methodist Church for services at 2 p.m. tomorrow.
Dr. George P. Burdon will officiate the services and burial will be in Helt's Prairie cemetery.

Biddle Family Groups

RAYMOND ALEXANDER BIDDLE married JESSIE ROWENA MISENER, (b. December 8, 1907 d. January 19, 1981) on August 24, 1932. Still living are their two children, three grandchildren and five great grandchildren


WALTER ERNST BIDDLE married DEBORAH ALEXANDER (b. July 1, 1875 d. March 6, 1962)
Their children are:
  1. EDITH MAY BIDDLE, b. August 13, 1895. m. Thomas Hitchcock. d. September 5, 1933 in a car accident
  2. WALTER FREDERICK BIDDLE, b. August 11, 1896
  3. HELEN BIDDLE, b. January 11, 1900
  4. CARROLL LINCOLN BIDDLE, b. May 25, 1902. d. May 1980
  5. HAYES HERMAN BIDDLE, b. March 1, 1905
  6. RAYMOND ALEXANDER BIDDLE, b. July 22, 1907 d. July 24, 2001
  7. RUTH JANNEY BIDDLE, b. July 22, 1907
  8. EUNICE BIDDLE, b. March 12, 1911
  9. DORIS VIRGINIA BIDDLE, b. January 4, 1914

ISAIAH BIDDLE married SARAH CATHERINE PEARSE (d. 1938) July 4, 1866. Their children are:
  1. CHARLES EDWARD BIDDLE, m. Beatrice Simpers
  2. SARA ELIZABETH BIDDLE, m. Harry Perkins
  3. WALTER ERNEST BIDDLE b. May 8, 1872 d. October 1944
  4. ANDREW NELSON BIDDLE, m. Lida Parks
  5. MAGGIE BIDDLE, m. Charles Stewart
  6. JOHN ALFORED WILSON BIDDLE (named after Rev. John Alfred Wilson)
  7. HERMAN and CLARENCE BIDDLE, d. in infancy
  8. NORA VIRGINIA BIDDLE, d. in infancy
  9. ETHEL MILLER BIDDLE
  10. HARRY MARSHAL BIDDLE, m. Helen Dunlap
  11. BEATRICE BIDDLE, d. in infancy
  12. CLARENCE ISAIAH BIDDLE, m. Mary Norman

ANDREW BIDDLE married ELIZABETH J. MARQUISS/MARCOUS (b. 1825 d. September 24, 1871) March 22, 1843. Their children are:
  1. ISAIAH BIDDLE b. April 25, 1843 d. 1919
  2. Louisa Biddle, b. 1844
  3. Emma Jane Biddle, b. March 28, 1846, d. November 11, 1903
  4. Edward Hyland Biddle, b. 1848
  5. Michael Biddle, b.1848
  6. Hyland Biddle, b. 1849
  7. John T. Biddle, b.

ANDREW BIDDLE married LOUISE MCGREGOR (b. 1795) December 1819. Their children are:
  1. ANDREW BIDDLE b. 1820-1828?

ANDREW BIDDLE married MARY BOULDEN March 30, 1784. Their children are:
  1. William R. Biddle b. 1810, d. 1879
  2. ANDREW BIDDLE
  3. Thomas A. Biddle m. Jane L. Walcott October15, 1838
  4. Boulden N. Biddle, b. Sept 12, 1824, d. September 3, 1863, m. Mary E.
  5. Augustine Biddle
  6. James Biddle

NOBEL BIDDLE married MARY
Their children are:
i. ANDREW BIDDLE


THOMAS BIDDLE married ELIZABETH A. BOULDEN
Their children are:
  1. NOBEL BIDDLE


JOHN BIDDLE married MARY JONES

WILLIAM BIDDLE married SARAH KEMPE/SMITH

EDWARD/EDMOND BIDDLE married PENELOPE GOODALE

JOHN BIDDLE married ELIZABETH HIGGINS

EDWARD BYDDYLL married ELIZABETH WYAT

JOHN BYDDYL married MARGARET

Burr Oak Baptist Pastor

Found a web page that lists Rev. Hugh McInnes as pastor of Burr Oak Baptist Church from 1940-1944, located near Albion, Indiana. The only highlight listed was a Gospel Team from Grace Seminary.

New Photo Album

Check out the new Flikr badge in the sidebar. It's a little skimpy now but I'll keep adding more photos. Feel free to leave comments with each picture in Flickr, that way I don't have to duplicate all the pics on the blog.

Misener Resource Family Page

I recently discovered a HUGE resource site for the Misener family in North America. Connie Duke has compile an alphabetical listing of many branches of the Misener family. She does give a disclaimer though - she hasn't personally researched the information so be sure to double check dates and places, etc.

McCullough Coat of Arms

The same coat of arms is claimed by both Scottish MacCullochs and Irish MacCulloughs.
Ermine fretty Gules. Crest: A hand throwing a dart all proper. Motto: vi et animo (I live and breathe).
While not in the list of the hundred most numerous surnames in Ireland, MacCullagh, MacCullough and other spelling variants such as MacCollough and MacCulloch combined constitute one of our most numerous names, with an estimated population in Ireland of nearly 5,000 persons. Together they constitute one of the fifty most common names in Ulster and eighty to ninety per cent of those of the name in Ireland are of that province, principally Antrim, Down and Tyrone.
Petty's “census” reveals a similar position in 1659, when MacCullough and variants was listed as among the principal Irish names in the baronies of Antrim, Belfast, Carrickfergus and Toome in Co. Antrim and Lower Iveagh in Co. Down. In the previous century the Annals of Loch Cé tell us that Seamus Mac Con Uladh was killed at Dunbo (near Coleraine) in 1532. This name is given by the learned editor in his index as MacCullagh. Today in Ulster about one-third use the -agh ending and most of the remainder the -ough, although MacCullow and MacCulloch are also found. The -ough spelling is very much more common in counties Antrim and Down, but it must be remembered that the spellings do not necessarily denote the origins of any particular family.
The name MacCulloch is also that of an important Scottish family. This name is traditionally derived from the Scots-Gaelic word culach, a boar, and in this connection it is interesting to note that in Co. Sligo, within living memory, Boar and Bower were in use as synonyms of MacCullagh. These MacCulloughs can be of two origins. MacCulloch is and was common in the province of Galloway, whence stemmed so many of the Ulster settlers. Its origins, however, are totally obscure, and although it has been suggested that it derives from the Scots Gaelic Mac Cullaich, it is possible that it too derives from Mac Cú Uladh and represents previous Irish settlers in Galloway. This theory is reinforced by the fact that the MacCulloughs of Ireland and the MacCollochs of Scotland claim similar coats of arms. - Source

McInnes Coat of Arms

"The earliest version we have traced appears in Logan and R.R. MacIan's "The Costumes of the Clans" published in 1845-47. The shield is simply shown with three six-pointed stars and three buckles with the motto "E Labore Dulcedo" (work brings happiness) the full arms are seen later to incorporate a "Thistle and Bee" in the Crest. The Inneses have attempted to claim this shield as belonging to the MacInneses of Speyside - saying that in reality these MacInneses were Moray Inneses (Clan Innes is not mentioned in "The Costumes of the Clans". the Coat of Arms was never matriculated but is often referred to as the "ancient arms of the MacInneses" but where was the source for MacIan claiming these arms to belong to the MacInneses - the Fergusons also have a thistle and bee on their crest - the search continues." - Source

Andrew Biddle Commissioned

From the Journal and Correspondence of the Council of Maryland, April 1, 1778 through October 26, 1779.

Commissions issued to John Collyberger appointed Capt, Peter Cline first Lieut, Alexander Moor second Lieut, Martin Mikesell Ens. Samuel Gandy Ens. of Capt. Meridiths Compy Andrew Biddle first Lieut, Nicholas Fringer second of the Council of Maryland, 1778-1779. 145

Campbell Photo

Ralph and Eliza Ann (Church) Campbell
with grandson G. Martell (sp?)
circa WWII ?

Commissioned Appraisers

An Act for the relief of Benjamin Pearce, of Cecil County. Lib. TH. No. 6, fol. 345. 1818.
CHAP. 132.
Passed Feb. 6, 1819.
1. BE IT ENACTED, by the General Assembly of Maryland, That Jeremiah Taylor, Thomas Biddle, sen. Josiah Alexander, Spencer Biddle, and William Boulden, be and they are hereby appointed commissioners to ascertain the damages sustained by Benjamin Pearce by the opening and making public the road in Cecil county beginning at the south east corner of a tract of land called Knowl Wood, and running with the line of the same to Elk River.
See 1815, ch. 83.
Commissioners to ascertain damages sustained by him.
2. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the said commissioners, or a majority of them, shall value and ascertain the damages sustained by opening said road, and return the same to the levy court at their next sitting thereafter, and the damages so ascertained shall be levied and assessed, as other county charges are, and shall be paid over to the said Benjamin Pearce, or his order.
To return thesame to levy court.
3. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the said commissioners shall been titled to receive as a compensation for their services, a sum not exceeding two dollars per day, to be ascertained by the levy court, which is hereby directed to be levied, collected and paid, as other county charges are.
Allowance to commissioners.

First Church Job

Here's a picture of the Episcopal Church in Northeast at which Dad (Raymond Biddle) pumped the bellows for the organ. He took me to this church on the week day we visited. He told how he was paid, I believe, a nickel to pump the bellows for the old organ. His place was in a small room behind the organ. The room had a window and upon occasion he would sneak out during the long sermon to play with other boys in the church yard. One Sunday the organist started to play the closing hymn and the air started to run out because he wasn't pumping. The tune turned slowly down a couple of keys until he could dive back through the window and bring the air back up to full force. He didn't say whether he lost his weekly job.

Generations of Isaiah Biddle

as told by Cal Biddle...
These are the generations of Isaiah Biddle, soldier, patriot, husband, father, gospel minister. We do have copies of some of his sermons, but I have not found a photograph of him. Isaiah Biddle's father was Andrew.

Isaiah
served in the Civil War on the side of the North. His enlistment papers described him as 5'5" with blue eyes and brown hair. He was a sargeant in Company A of the 5th Maryland Volunteers. He married Sarah Catherine Pearse on July 4, 1866, in Northeast, Cecil Co., Maryland. He became a minister and died in 1919. My father knew him, his grandfather, and he heard him talk about the war. Dad said that he always told him the reason he never got shot was because he was short enough to hide behind any rock or log. His wife died in 1938.

They had thirteen children. Four died in infancy. They were named Herman Biddle, Clarence Biddle, Nora Virginia Biddle, and Beatrice Biddle. I don't have a listing of what order any these children were born. The ones who lived to adulthood are as follows.

1. Charles Edward Biddle married Beatrice Simpers. They adopted a son Charles.

2. Sara Elizabeth Biddle married Harry Perkins. They had one son, Lawrence Perkins. After Harry's death she married a Mr. Abrams. There were no known children of this marriage.

3. Walter Earnest Biddle (the third child and my grandfather) was born May 8, 1872. He married Deborah Alexander, and they had nine children. He worked as a potter his entire life. Here are the children of this marriage:
a. Edith May Biddle born August 13, 1893. Married Thomas Hitchcock. They had several children, but she was killed by a drunk driver who ran a stop sign on September 5, 1933.
b. Walter Frederick Biddle, born August 10, 1896. He married Ester. Ester died just last year, 2005. We and Dad visited her just after he moved to live with us. They never had any children. They lived in Peoria, IL. He served in World War I and played some semi professional baseball before the war. He worked for the Catepillar Tractor company most of his adult life.
c. Helen Biddle born January 11, 1900. She married and had several girls. Dad lost track of the girls.
Carroll Lincoln Biddle born may 25, 1902. Married and had two girls who we still have some contact with. He worked his entire life for the Sun Oil Co. at a refinery. Sunoco. He lived in Wilmington, Delaware. He and Dad were probably the closest especially after he led him to the Lord. They used to fish together guite a bit on the Chesapeak Bay. Died May 30, 1980.
d. Hayes Herman Biddle born March 1, 1905. He married, but they never had any children. He was a plant manager in Cleveland, OH. They retired to Northeast where he died on May 29, 1986. As kids he and Dad did many things together especially in an old row boat they "borrowed" to gather coal, go hunting or fishing.

e. Raymond Alexander Biddle and his twin sister
f. Ruth Janey Biddle were born July 22, 1907. She married and had two sons who both survive. Richard and David are both older than Al. We remain in contact with them.
g. Eunice Biddle born March 12, 1911. Died just a couple years ago. One son is retired and lives in Florida. They travel around the country in a big RV. His daughter teaches at Miami University in Ohio.
h. Doris Virginia Biddle was born on January 4, 1904. She is the only sibling still living. She married Robert White who is deceased. They had two children. The oldest lives in California. The youngest Robert White Jr. is still single and travels extensively. Doris lives in a retirement high rise in Sandusky, Ohio. She is a faithful member of the First Baptist Church. Since Dad bought her first violin, she offered to anyone in our family her more than three hundred year old violin with the stipulation that it go to someone who would faithfully play it. I knew of no one who was taking up the violin among our clan so she donated it to Oberlin College. It was valued at $18,000. She road to church when she was 90 on the back of a motorcycle. She says Ray lived to be 94, and he lived the longest. She doesn't expect to live any longer than the next two years.

4. Andrew Nelson Biddle married Lida Parks. They had no children.

5. Maggie Biddle married Charles Stewart. They had one son, Harold.

6. John Alford Wilson Biddle married ? They had two girls, Emily and Mildred.

7. Ethel Miller Biddle never married. She lived in the old home place in Northeast until she died at the age of 103. I met her while I was in junior high school when my parents went back to Northeast. I was in Great Grandfather Isaiah's house for about an hour on a hot summer day. The things I remember was that Ethel had on a long dress, about ankle length, even though there was no fan and no air conditioning. The house badly needed painting. It looked like it had been whitewashed at one time, but most had faded away. She offered us a cold glass of lemonade which was actually only slightly colder than lukewarm. The electrical wiring had been surface mounted and was minimal. She didn't have a television but there was a console radio. She had a good size vegetable garden for a single elderly lady. I remember wide wooden steps coming up to a large front porch. The front door stood open with a screen door to keep out the bugs. The house was two stories tall, but I never made it past the front room and the back kitchen. Later that day we met another great uncle painting a mast on a sail boat at the harbor. Dad said he was in his nineties, and he was about twenty plus feet up in the air on a little bench with a pully mechanism painting on someone's boat. I don't remember the name, and he never came down to greet us. He just said hello to Dad and kept painting. We did go to see Isaiah's grave. There was a small stone with a veteran's marker and flag.

8. Harry Marshall Biddle married Helen Dunlap. They had four children, Blanche, Marshall, Hilda, Ethel. Marshall never had any boys.

9. Clarence Isaiah Biddle married Mary Norman. They had two girls. He served in the U.S. Navy in World War I and died in 1919 or 1920 some say from diesease contracted during the war.

Dad told me while he lived with us that in 1917 he along with millions of others in this country contracted the flu. More people died that year in the United States than died in the war. There wasn't much medical care, and he doesn't know how sick he really was. However, he did hear the doctor tell his mother he didn't know if he would make it. He did, and you made it here too.

Book Review: The Grapes of Wrath

John Steinbeck's classic American novel is a powerful and gripping saga, but for me it was more than a fascinating read, it's a commentary on our heritage. Set during the Great Depression and economic hardships of the Dust Bowl, Steinbeck follows the struggles of the fictional Joad family as they travel Route 66 west to California looking for work and hoping for a better life. It was fascinating to follow the transformation from sharecropping farmers to migrant workers as each new hardship forces sociological changes. Interspersed throughout the story are chapters reflecting the grander scope, giving a better understanding that this struggle is more than one family and truly a national crisis.
It was exciting to read about places like Bakersfield and Oklahoma where family still resides. For a time the McMahons lived at the government camp. I've seen one photo where Grandma is wearing a borrowed dress outside the clapboard shack, ready to attend the Saturday night dance just as Steinbeck describes.
The book is filled with colloquial speech and can be difficult to read. There is also quite a bit of vulgar language. Several graphically violent scenes accentuate the depth of their struggle. It's easy to see why this book would have been banned and even burned. If any of this would prevent you from reading the book, may I recommend the movie starring Henry Fonda. It eliminates the rough language and gives a cleaner ending. However, I know the real story hasn't ended. It continues on today in the heritage of my own family, affecting our values, decisions, and relationships.

Death of a Mother-In-Law

Vitals: Various Articles from The Cecil Whig, Elkton, 1883: Cecil Co., MD
Transcribed and contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Cyndie Enfinger
*****Saturday, August 4, 1883*****
Death of Mrs. Littoway. Mrs. Littoway, and aged citizen of Earlville, in the First district, died at the residence of her son-in-law, Wm. Duhamel, in that town, on Monday last. Mrs. Littoway some time ago had a fall, from the effects of which she never fully recovered.
Mrs. Littoway was an aunt of Mr. E. Brown, of this town and a sister of the late Michael Realley. She was 84 years of age. Her first husband was Wm. Marcus, by whom she had two sons James, who resides in Elk Neck, and Hyland L. who resides on the Groome farm near this town, and one daughter (Elizabeth J. Marcus), now deceased who married Andrew Biddle, of North East. Her second husband was Jacob Biddle, deceased and by him she had four children – Edward now residing in North East, John a grocery merchant in Philadelphia, Ann Eliza now deceased who married Wm. Price, of Warrick and Mary wife of Wm. Duhamel, of Earlville, at whose house she died. Her third husband was Louis Littoway, of Bethel, in this county whom she survived. She had no children by the last marriage. Deceased was an estimable christian lady a member of Bethel M. E. Church, an excellent mother, and a kind friend. Her funeral, took place at Bethel on Wednesday, was largely attended.
(editor's note: Elizabeth and Andrew named their sixth child Hyland, after Elizabeth's brother.)

Coming to Indiana

Taken from History of Parke and Vermillion counties, Indiana, with historical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families. Published: Indianapolis : B.F. Bowen & Company, 1913.

Alanson Church was a native of Vermont, where he spent his boyhood and from there he came to Fountain county, Indiana, in an early day. There (Josiah Church) was born, and there he grew to manhood, was educated and when he was a young man he established his future home in Vermillion county and here was married (to Fannie Ford). He settled first on Helt Prairie, later moving to the old James land, which he bought for one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, which land was entered from the government by Elijah B. James. Here Mr. Church went to work with a will, cleared up the land and developed a good farm, becoming one of the substantial men of the neighborhood. His family consisted of twelve children, namely: Richard F., Alanson L., Nancy, Susan, Merina Jane, Mary Catherine; Josiah Otis is deceased; Eliza Ann, Joel Lincoln, Lewis Morton, George Wilbur, and John Augustus.
Josiah Church was a Republican and for some time was constable in his township.

McMahon Family Crest

The Shield is: Argent three lions passant reguardant in pale gules armed and lanqued azure.
The Crest is: A dexter arm in armour embowed ppr. garnished or, holding in the hand a sword both ppr. pommel and hilt gold.
The Motto is: "Sic Nos Sic Sacra Tuemur", 'Thus We Guard Our Sacred Rights'.
Variant spellings for McMahon are: MacMahon, Mahon, Maghan, Mann, Maughan Gaelic spelling: "MacMathghamha".
The name itself is said to come from the Irish word for 'bear'.

We Fought At Gettysburg

The following information was provided by Aunt Ethel Biddle. Isaiah Biddle served in the Civil War and was at Gettysburg. His enlistment papers, still retained by Aunt Ethel, describe him as 5' 6" tall, blue eyes and brown hair. He was a member of Company A, of the 5th Maryland Volunteer Regiment. Upon the expiration of his enlistment he was discharged in January of 1865 with the rank of Sergeant.

Family Crest

The Biddle family crest, as pictured here within a Navy ensignia, is properly described in heraldic terms as "Argent, three double brackets sable."
According to James Parker's Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry orginally published in 1894 this is the only instance of the "bracket" device in heraldry, which would account for the variations in it's shape.