Union City Township Pioneers Ferdinand and Isabella Carroll
The Carroll family played an important part in Union City and Union Township history. Ferdinand Carroll was born in 1751 in northern Ireland. He was the youngest of a large family of children, and when he was still a young boy he was sent to live with an uncle in London. During his journey to London a fellow traveler stole his valise which held all of his clothes except for the ones he was wearing.
Ferdinand had too much pride to face his uncle in his destitute condition, so he apprenticed himself to a weaver and stayed in London for seven years, working at his trade. When he was 24 years old, Ferdinand married Isabella Johnstone. Eventually they became the parents of twelve children, six sons and six daughters.
After their two oldest sons came of age, Ferdinand and Isabelle decided to immigrate to America. Unwilling to part with his children, Ferdinand decided to bring the entire family to America. He sold his life lease on the land he held for enough to pay the expenses of the family, and in the spring of 1801, they embarked from Dublin to new York in an old war vessel.
Ferdinand, his wife Isabella, and their nine children made the trip to America. The oldest child, Samuel, was 25 years old, and the youngest, Isabella, was two years old. She died of measles during the voyage and was buried at sea. The voyage was a slow and tedious one and after eight weary weeks, they passengers landed at New Castle, Delaware, instead of New York. Ferdinand relieved the monotony of the trip by playing his violin. Although he was an excellent musician, the passengers were so weary of the voyage that they were delighted when land finally appeared on the horizon. They were glad to escape the captain who was an arrogant tyrant and rejoiced that he was arrested when the ship arrived in America.
Soon after the ship docked, Ferdinand set out with his family for Chillicothe, Ohio, and they had gotten as far as Pittsburgh, when he heard that fever and ague were raging in Chillicothe. He decided not to go there after all. The Holland Land Company offered 100 acres free for making a settlement and staying five years on a 400 acre tract of land, and this offer captured Ferdinand’s attention. He listened more closely and discovered that such a tract was located on the head waters of French Creek, a tributary of the Allegheny River.
Ferdinand and his two oldest sons, Samuel and George, started up the Allegheny River to Franklin. They had a hard time decided what part of the country to choose. Finally, Ferdinand decided to settle the matter by chance. He put a stick on end, as near perpendicular as possible, and said that he would go which ever way it fell. The stick fell towards Meadville and Ferdinand immediately set out for Meadville.
After arriving in Meadville, Ferdinand was directed to Union Township. He arrived in Union and purchased the right of settlement and improvements on Tract 139 in the southwest of Union Township from Andrew Halsey for $20 in gold. Ferdinand returned to Pittsburgh for his family and household goods. They family and their household goods rode on horseback from Pittsburgh and in time were installed in their one story shanty, built of poles. The Carrolls called their new home “Castle Halsey.”
In the fall of 1801, Ferdinand completed the settlement of tract 139 and secured a clear deed for 100 acres, which he left to his youngest son, William. Ferdinand was 50 years old on arriving at “Castle Halsey,” and his family consisted of his wife and nine living children; Samuel, George, Phoebe, Jane, Betsey, Mary, James, Thomas, and William.
In 1809, Ferdinand left his farm and moved to the Moravian Grant near what was later called LeBoeuf Station. Here he rented a place for a term of years, but it didn’t prove to be profitable. He returned to his own farm, which in the meantime had grown up with a heavy second-growth of timber. In early times the small timber was cut away, and the large timber girdled and left standing. When Ferdinand returned, he found the large dead trees had blown down among the young timber, making it more difficult to clear than the first time he had done it. Again, he set to work with a will and the virgin forest gave way to meadow land under the steady strokes of his axe.
Ferdinand died on February 1, 1831, at the age of 89 years, from a cancer on his lip. His wife, Isabella, died in September 1839 at the age of 70 years.
Ferdinand had too much pride to face his uncle in his destitute condition, so he apprenticed himself to a weaver and stayed in London for seven years, working at his trade. When he was 24 years old, Ferdinand married Isabella Johnstone. Eventually they became the parents of twelve children, six sons and six daughters.
After their two oldest sons came of age, Ferdinand and Isabelle decided to immigrate to America. Unwilling to part with his children, Ferdinand decided to bring the entire family to America. He sold his life lease on the land he held for enough to pay the expenses of the family, and in the spring of 1801, they embarked from Dublin to new York in an old war vessel.
Ferdinand, his wife Isabella, and their nine children made the trip to America. The oldest child, Samuel, was 25 years old, and the youngest, Isabella, was two years old. She died of measles during the voyage and was buried at sea. The voyage was a slow and tedious one and after eight weary weeks, they passengers landed at New Castle, Delaware, instead of New York. Ferdinand relieved the monotony of the trip by playing his violin. Although he was an excellent musician, the passengers were so weary of the voyage that they were delighted when land finally appeared on the horizon. They were glad to escape the captain who was an arrogant tyrant and rejoiced that he was arrested when the ship arrived in America.
Soon after the ship docked, Ferdinand set out with his family for Chillicothe, Ohio, and they had gotten as far as Pittsburgh, when he heard that fever and ague were raging in Chillicothe. He decided not to go there after all. The Holland Land Company offered 100 acres free for making a settlement and staying five years on a 400 acre tract of land, and this offer captured Ferdinand’s attention. He listened more closely and discovered that such a tract was located on the head waters of French Creek, a tributary of the Allegheny River.
Ferdinand and his two oldest sons, Samuel and George, started up the Allegheny River to Franklin. They had a hard time decided what part of the country to choose. Finally, Ferdinand decided to settle the matter by chance. He put a stick on end, as near perpendicular as possible, and said that he would go which ever way it fell. The stick fell towards Meadville and Ferdinand immediately set out for Meadville.
After arriving in Meadville, Ferdinand was directed to Union Township. He arrived in Union and purchased the right of settlement and improvements on Tract 139 in the southwest of Union Township from Andrew Halsey for $20 in gold. Ferdinand returned to Pittsburgh for his family and household goods. They family and their household goods rode on horseback from Pittsburgh and in time were installed in their one story shanty, built of poles. The Carrolls called their new home “Castle Halsey.”
In the fall of 1801, Ferdinand completed the settlement of tract 139 and secured a clear deed for 100 acres, which he left to his youngest son, William. Ferdinand was 50 years old on arriving at “Castle Halsey,” and his family consisted of his wife and nine living children; Samuel, George, Phoebe, Jane, Betsey, Mary, James, Thomas, and William.
In 1809, Ferdinand left his farm and moved to the Moravian Grant near what was later called LeBoeuf Station. Here he rented a place for a term of years, but it didn’t prove to be profitable. He returned to his own farm, which in the meantime had grown up with a heavy second-growth of timber. In early times the small timber was cut away, and the large timber girdled and left standing. When Ferdinand returned, he found the large dead trees had blown down among the young timber, making it more difficult to clear than the first time he had done it. Again, he set to work with a will and the virgin forest gave way to meadow land under the steady strokes of his axe.
Ferdinand died on February 1, 1831, at the age of 89 years, from a cancer on his lip. His wife, Isabella, died in September 1839 at the age of 70 years.