I am looking for any and all information that may be available on an ancestor of mine, Joshua Parrish [1770-1840]. He eventually settled in Cambria Co. PA, but prior to that he had worked at the Widow Parr's mill, on the pike below {south of} Littlestown. He worked there in the early 1790's. He married a lady named Barbara Timble, who lived on the tract 'Dyers Mill Forest' down in MD, west of Silver Run. Below is some material on him from a book that I wrote on Cambria Co. PA, A Romp Through Early Cambria County PA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -1797 Joshua elected lieutenant in Bedford Militia -1804 Joshua purchases 200 acres in Woodbury Twp., Bedford Co. -1808 Joshua sells 137 A. to Wm. Nickles. The plot had originally been in Woodbury Twp., but was in Greenfield Twp., Bedford Co. at the time of sale. -1810 Joshua in census that year living in Greenfield Twp. Bedford -1811 Joshua goes to confession to Gallitzin - [Gallitzin's records] -1811 Joshua appointed auditor of Greenfield Twp., Bedford Co. -1819 Joshua patents 388 acres, and purchases 436 acres, this land in Cambria County, probably the mill, Joshua bought the mill property from the Philadelphia firm of Drinker and Vaux. This firm sold land to a good many families in early Cambria. Excerpts from the transaction read as follows: . . .seventeenth day of May in the year 1819 . . . containing four hundred and thirty six acres . . .adjoining the lands of Israel Halwell, Thos. Penrose, Enoch Edwards, and Christian Martin. Being a tract surveyed on a warrant . . . to Mary Brown and . . . dated July 1, 1784 . . . and the said William Brown [sic.] and Mary his wife and James Harris and Nancy his wife by deed recorded 1795 in Huntingdon County [before Cambria was created] . . . conveyed to Jacob Downing." Jacob Downing's name shows up in a number of old deeds at the Cambria County Court House. Jacob in turn sold the property to Drinker & Vaux, the Philadelphia firm from whom Joshua Parrish acquired the property. This bit of business was carried on by Drinker & Vaux's attorney, Wm. Smith. Joshua was apparently a well thought of citizen. One of Gallitzin's biographers mentions the Parrish family as one of the three families especially favored by him. Perhaps the Weaklands and McGuires would have been the others. Another account gives us additional information about Joshua Parrish. This is Story's 'History of Cambria County'. Page 555 tells us about Joshua: He was a native of England, and married Barbara Thimble. At the solicitation of Fr. Gallitzin he came to Loretto . . . and built what is known as the O'Hara Mill. He died about September 1840. They had eight children: Peter Benedict, Joseph, James, Thomas Augustine, John, Elizabeth Parrish- O'Hara, Mary Parrish-Storm, and George Parrish. Another source, which I found in St. Francis College Library one windy fall day actually records him being born in two different countries. This bad editing job was in the "Cyclopedia of Cambria County". I have retained a few quotes from it. [page 126] . . .a native of England, who emigrated at a very early day, and married Barbara Thimble, a German woman whose Father served in the German army. Joshua Parrish was a millwright, who learned his trade in western Maryland. He built the mill now called O'Haras, which was among the first mills of the county. [page 354] Joshua Parrish. . . was born in the Conewago settlement, this state. . . through the influence of Dr. Gallitzin was induced to remove to this county to take charge of a mill owned by that gentleman. He located in Munster Township, where he cleared a large tract of land, and with his entire family was converted to the Roman Catholic faith. I do not know why it says that the mill was owned by Gallitzin; the deed does not show him owning it. The home of Joshua Parrish became a meeting place for Catholics of the area to assemble for services. The people who lived down where Wilmore is now would come to Joshua's place for services when Gallitzin would stop. A history of St. Bartholomew Church at Wilmore says that: " . . .When the people. . . went to Mass, it was generally at Loretto, except when Mass was celebrated nearer - at the Parrish homestead, near Munster. . ." There is an account of one of Gallitzin's visits to the Parrish homestead written by a rather colorful character, the Rev. Peter Henry Lemcke. Lemcke is probably the most honest biographer that Gallitzin has had. Much of the writing about Gallitzin is coated with a syrupy pious piffle that presents him with wings and sprinkled with fairy dust. This kind of biography makes it difficult for normal people to identify with him. Lemcke had first-hand experience with the man and allows us to see Gallitzin as one of our own kind. One of the greatest insults that an honest man can have is a dishonest biographer http://james-miller.org/