Connellsville  A Family History

The Bishops

I discovered through the obituaries of Nana’s mother’s father Samuel S. Bishop (1852-1924) and grandfather George Bishop (1829-1906) that we are amongst the original settlers of Connellsville. (See Attached)

Not only is George Bishop’s mother, (Patience Robbins) from a family that settled very on (Robbins) and George Bishop married Rebecca McCormick, a descendant of the McCormick family.

William McCormick “was the first man to secure a permanent home within the present limits of the Borough of Connellsville”, According to a 1906 article in the Daily Courier on Connellsvilles’ history. William McCormick came from Winchester, VA in 1770, and settled right across the Youghiogheny from William Crawford, who had arrived in 1768.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Crawford_(soldier)

From what I can gather,
William McCormick married William Crawford’s sister, Miss Effie Crawford (1776),
and William Crawford married William McCormick’s sister.

 

Minnie Isabel Bishop
children: Albert William Means (b 1921)
brother: William “Billy” C. Bishop (b 1877)
brother: James “Uncle Carl” Bishop (b 1861)
Born June 6 1875 (connellsville paper)
Born June 6 1876
Died Feburary 23 1931
Married Dec 12 1904 (marked 1905 on 1910 Census)
Death Certificate 1931 Age 55 8months 17 days signed by Bishop 327 Jefferson St
Aortic Sleciosis Aortitis
129 E Church Place
father: Samuel S. Bishop (1852-1924) (Dad’s great grandfather)
mother: Louise Crossland (1844/1848-1912) (Dad’s great grandmother)

The Bishops were my paternal grandmother’s mother’s family. My great grandmother Minnie Isabel Bishop’s father was Samuel S. Bishop, and his father was George Bishop.

The most information we have is on The Bishop’s through articles and obituaries originally printed in The Daily Courier and archived on Newspaper.net.

We trace our roots through Dad’s mother’s side of the family to the earliest group of settlers in Connellsville. One of the more colorful ancestor’s is my great granduncle William “Billy” Bishop.

 

Brooks Boys > Dad > Nana (grandmother) > Minnie Isabel Bishop (great grandmother) > Samuel S. Bishop (great great grandfather) > George Bishop (great great great grandfather)

Samuel S. Bishop

George Bishop

George Bishop (1829-1906)
wife: Rebecca McCormick
children: Samuel B. Bishop, (Wilmerding, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania), John Bishop, William A. Bishop, Charles H. Bishop (Connellsville, Fayette County, Pennsylvania)
parents: Patience Robbins (mother) Steven Bishop (father)

George Bishop Obituary

OLD RESIDENTS DEAD — George Bishop and Uriah Dull Called to Their Reward. — SKETCHES OF THEIR CAREERS. — Former Was a Lifelong Citizen of Connellsville and Latter Was Native of Springfield Township, Moving Here Some Years Ago. — George Bishop, one of the oldest and best known citizens of Connellsville, died at his home on East Main street, Sunday afternoon at 12:46 o’clock, after a short illness. Mr. Bishop had suffered three strokes of paralysis and had recovered from a recent stroke when he suffered an attack of pneumonia, which was followed by pleurisy of the heart. Deceased was 76 years, 11 months and eight days old, having been born in Connellsville April 3, 1829. He was the son of Stephen Bishop, who was a native of the State of New Jersey. At the age of 14 years Mr. Bishop engaged with a Mt. Pleasant shoemaker to learn his trade. He walked the entire distance from Connellsville to Mt. Pleasant and back again each day while he was learning the trade. When his apprenticeship was completed he set up a shoe shop in Connellsville, and remained at work up until within a few weeks of his death. Mr. Bishop’s mother was Patience Robbins Bishop, who was a descendant of the Robbins’ of early pioneer days, and who were prominent in the early history of Connellsville. He married Rebecca McCormick, daughter of Samuel McCormick, who was a descendant of the McCormick Family that first settled in Connellsville over a hundred years ago. Mr. Bishop was a remarkable man and although he was acquainted far and wide in Fayette and adjoining counties, he never became intimate with anyone, preferring to lead a life of quiet uprighteousness and never entering into public affairs or business matters of his friends. In his younger days he is remembered as a man who always attended to his own affairs and went about with a pleasant smile for all, but never desiring to engage in anything that would call attention to himself. For years he was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, but some time since he dropped out of the order. It is a remarkable fact, that he was never before a magistrate with any complaint about his fellow men, never had a law suit with anyone, never was a juror and never served in the army. His life was as quiet and peaceable as it was possible to have it. He never acquired great riches but always lived a comfortable plain, happy way. His wife died about ten years ago, since which time he has been gradually failing in health. Several years ago he became a member of the Methodist Protestant Church, and his bowed reverent head was never missing from the church services on Sunday. He was a rock ribbed Democrat and, although he took no active part in elections, he was always up early at the polls to cast his vote and frequently stayed up late on election night to hear the results. He is survived by the following children: Samuel B. Bishop, Wilmerding; John Bishop, William A. Bishop, Charles H. Bishop, Connellsville. The funeral will take place Tuesday afternoon at 2 o’clock from his late residence on East Main street. At this hour private services will be held and at 2.30 o’clock the remains will be taken to the Methodist Protestant Church, where services will be held and to which all his friends and relatives are respectfully invited. Interment will be made in Hill Grove cemetery.