Becky the obituary is a great find and will fit very nicely with what you have already compiled for DAR. Shirley On Sat, 24 Aug 2002 00:22:12 -0400 "Becky" <rlucas@neo.rr.com> writes: > I have been investigating John Neville the son of Gen. Joseph Neville > b. 1733 who died in 1819 Hardy Co. Va. I am related through his > daughter Elizabeth b. 1792 who died in Tucker co. WVa. I found this > through an article in the "History of West Virginia Old and New" > Elizabeth was married to John Reay in Hardy co. and was widowed when > she married David Gilmore and moved to Tucker co. I recently > received three articles in different newspapers about her son George > M. Reay. Here is some of what the obituaries and articles said... > .From the Daily New Dominion of Aug.15, 1903, titled "Long Life > Ended" > Squire George Reay passed Quietly Away this Morning. Found dead in > sitting position....Here is what it said about his birth.... George > Madison Reay was born Oct. 22, 1813, and had he lived until this > coming Oct. he would have been 90 years of age. He was born on the > land of his great grandfather, General Joseph Neville, who was a > brother of General John Neville, one of the leading actors in the > early events in and about the great city of Pittsburg. These two > illustrious brothers were born in Virginia near the birth place of > George Washington, and in boyhood days were playmates of this > country's saviour. Joseph Neville settled on Stony River, near the > north branch of the Potomac River, in what is now Hardy co. West > Virginia. It was here that Squire Reay was born. His grandfather was > in the Revolutionary War (that would be John Neville, son of Gen. > Joseph Neville). It goes on to say that he worked as a tanner when > he first came to Morgantown and moved to Athens, Ohio and Iowa ! > before returning to Morgantown to finally settle down in 1840. He > owned his own tannery and foundry there. > This is from the Morgantown Evening Post of Aug. 15, > 1903.....Squire George M. Reay, aged 89 years. The news of the death > of Squire Reay will be received every where in this vicinity with > genuine regret by the hundreds of people who know and respected him > for his many virtues. No man stood higher in the community as a > Christian, businessman, and citizen. Squire Reay came to Morgantown > when 16 years of age from Tucker Co. and he often told of his > arrival, of his walking here and carrying all of his worldy > possessions in a red bandanna handerchief. > This is from the Morgantown Evening Post of Wed. April 16, 1902. > This was an interview of George Reay before his death. In this > interview he gives the following reminiscences of his ancestors and > of the early days of Morgantown, WVa. Mr. Reay was 89 years old at > this time and the oldest inhabitant of Morgantown...."He was born in > Hardy Co. on the farm of his great grandfather, Gen. Joseph Neville, > a brother of Gen. John Neville of Pittsburgh, who had charge of > troops in the famous "Whiskey Insurrection". His grandfather was > Capt. John Neville and served in the Rev. War (I did not see in the > pension application that John was a Captain - I have seen this said > in several articles about him though). The article at this point > talks about his father John O. Reay " Mr. Reay's father settled in > Hardy Co. and died two months before his birth. His mother shortly > afterward moved to a farm where Parsons (this is in Tucker co. WVa) > is now located and when 19 yrs of age Mr. Reay, with ! > all of his worldly belongings in a red bandanna handkerchief started > out to make his fortune and on May 3, 1833 he arrived at Morgantown > where he has since made his home and has ever been respected as one > of its most upright, enterprising and Christian citizens...... > Hope you all enjoyed this. > Becky > > > ==== NEVILLE Mailing List ==== > Please do NOT send attachments to the list. Rootsweb surname lists > do not accept attachments. > > ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/.