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WHO WAS - Welsh Family
in Plum Township
Venango County, Pennsylvania
By H. W. Strawbridge November 29, 1957

An old family that lived in Diamond many decades ago was the Welsh family. Little is known of the very early history of the family. It is said that the family tree can be traced back to a Lady Brook whose picture is displayed in a London castle.

Three Welsh brothers emigrated from England to Pennsylvania. One of them, Jarod, settled in Plum Township about 1822. He was born Nov. 1, 1789, and married Rebecca Reynolds who was born Dec. 21, 1797.

Just exactly where the family first lived when they arrived in Plum isn't known, because record of deeds indicate Jarod held title to the whole or parts of three different tracts as follows: Big Spring Lot, between Sunville and Wallaceville: a lot (later P.G. Welsh land) south of Diamond; and lot No. 1146 (handy to the later William Goodwin land) on the eastern side of the township.

It is definitely known that Jarod maintained his residence during his last several years at the present Raymond Kightlinger place just north of Diamond. He owned many acres of land and farmed quite extensively. He and his sons especially raised many oats, and this apparently was their chief cash crop.

Often Shoot Deer for Meat

Deer were common then and it was nothing for Jarod, when the family was in need of meat, to walk up the ridge and shoot a deer in the vicinity behind the Diamond Cemetery.

He was a staunch Democrat and was a member of the first township school board, organized in 1834. When he first heard of Lincoln's election in November, 1860, he remarked: "If that man is elected again, I hope I never live to see it." Oddly enough, he died just four months later, on Feb. 26, 1861. His widow, Rebecca, died Nov. 4, 1875.

They had seven children: William Reynolds Welsh (1815 - 1877); Mrs. Mary B. Daniels (1826 - 1897); Jared B. Welsh (1830 - 1905); Miss Joanna Welsh (1832 - 1906); Charles Elliott Welsh (1833 - 1872); Mrs. Nancy Alcorn; and Martin VanBuren Welsh (1839 - 1919).

When the father died, his land was divided among his children. Joanna received the homestead 66 acres; Van got the 66 acres across the road; William R. (Ren) got 66 acres north of Van's land; and Elliott got 66 acres across the road from Ren's section. Mrs. Daniels got a piece of land in Troy in Troy Township.

Ren and Elliott had made an oil lease in 1865 with some Oakland Township speculators on their (Welsh) other piece of land south of Diamond along the creek. It is thought no oil was found there. Elliott was once shot during a Halloween prank in the early years. However, he recovered from it. He died of tuberculosis in September, 1872.

Mrs. Mary Daniels died of dropsy in Diamond. She was the mother of Lester and Lee Daniels, both deceased. A granddaughter, Mrs. Ellen Anderson, lives today in Boone, Iowa. Her father was Lester.

Joanna Welsh never married. She was a good-hearted soul and was severely afflicted with rheumatism. She was an invalid her last years. She died just across the line in Troy Township.

Mrs. Alcorn Lived to 90

Mrs. Nancy Alcorn lived above Titusville and reached 90 years of age. She was the grandmother of Clyde Vosburgh who with his sons operate the Vosburgh Dairy at Bethel.

Van Welsh lived near Diamond for several years before moving to Los Angeles where he died. He still has a daughter living there, Mrs. Lottie Stewart.

Jared B. Welsh, the main subject of this sketch, was born near Diamond. He spelled his first name with an 'e,' whereby his father used 'o' so they wouldn't get mixed up.

In 1860 Jared married Miss Caroline Amanda Baugher, who was born at Woodcockboro, Crawford County. It is thought that they lived their first married years in Troy Township.

In 1873 or 74 they bought around 50 acres which was the northern part of Abe Williams' farm. Jared's farm was northwest of Diamond, and a long land extended from his buildings to the dirt road which leads from Luce's Corners to the present L. O. Kightlinger house.

Jared and Caroline had the following children: Mrs. Kiz Bryner, Mrs. Lydia Johnson, Miss Sarah 'Sadie' Welsh, Jared 'Judd' Lee Welsh, and Miss Katherine C. Welsh. Sadie met a tragic death when she was a little girl. It happened around the noon hour one day on the Diamond school ground. A jealous boy threw a pail of hot ashes on her, setting her dress afire. She lived only a day or two. She was buried in the center section of the Diamond Cemetery. After he body had remained in the ground for 17 years, her father decided to buy a lot in the extreme southeast corner of the cemetery, so he had her body raised and reburied. The late Albert D. Wright was one of the men who did the task. He said that Sadie looked exactly as she did when she was buried, but as soon as the air touched her, her features commenced crumbling.

Mr. and Mrs. Welsh also raised a grandson, Van W. Welsh, who later went to Ohio and died there in 1911.

Jared B. Welsh was rather heavy in size and friendly to all his acquaintances. He was quite a visitor and many evenings he would carry his lantern and walk across the fields to visit various neighbors.

He had an unusual gait in his walking. Folks claimed he got this by walking the railroad ties home from Washington state. He had gone out there either on business or for work.

His Land Very Stony

He was primarily a farmer. His farm was exceptionally stony, though. One time he hired the late Ben Strawbridge, who was then around 16 years old, to help his grandson, Van, plow. The ground was so stony that one had to hold the bouncing plow while the other led the jittery horse.

After their work was done for that day, Ben and Van went down to the store that evening for groceries. On their way home they saw the Northern Lights streaking brilliantly across the sky. They told this to Mr. and Mrs. Welsh. Mrs. Welsh, a very religious woman, said the lights were an ill omen and were a sign of war.

At another time Ben Strawbridge and Ed Wright cut logs in Mr. Welsh's woods one winter. Instead of wearing boots or shoes, Ed had rags or burlap wrapped around his feet. He claimed his feet were comfortable, too. Ed met a tragic death in the oil fields in 1896.

Jared was a very good trainer of oxen. When he broke a yoke of oxen, they really knew their duty. He once sold a team of old oxen to David Grove, south of Diamond. While harrowing, these oxen would walk several rods to the end of a field without a driver, then turn around and proceed back right beside their last round.

Once Jared traded a yoke of oxen to John Noel of Luce's Corners for a kicking mare. Mr. Noel plainly told Jared that the mare was a kicker and that he might not want her. Jared said he could drive anything that Noel could, so the deal was made. On the very next day Jared came over with the mare and wanted his oxen back. Mr. Noel said a deal was a deal, so Jared went back home. The second day he sent the mare over again, so Noel sent back the oxen, completely reversing the deal. This is remembered by Orrie Rieb, whose father-in-law was Mr. Noel, and who lives on the old Noel homestead.

Never Trade Certainty

The following incident was related by Arthur Dempsey who lives in Townville. As a boy he lived a distance north of Diamond. One day he went to the postoffice to get the mail and Jared Welsh was also there. Jared looked below the postoffice and saw Andrew J. Proper out in his yard, so he started walking towards Andrew for a visit. Andrew noticed him coming, so he threw away his old chew of tobacco, thinking he could beg a fresh chew from Jared. When they met they exchanged greetings and talked a little when Andrew spoke up, "Say, Jared, how about a fresh chew of tobacco?" Jared, having seen Andrew throw away his old chew, wisely replied: "Andrew, let me tell you something. Never trade certainty for an uncertainty, I haven't got any tobacco."

Jared and Caroline were active members of the Diamond United Brethren Church. They also were active for a while in the Free Methodist Church when it was first built. Caroline taught a Sunday School class in the U. B. Church. Mrs. Sylvian Stephenson of Diamond still has a cup and saucer with a blue design that Caroline gave her when Sylvian was in her Sunday School class.

Was Good Cookie - Maker

Mrs. Welsh was a very good-hearted woman. Quite often the neighboring Thomas children, Ida, Laura and Herbert, would go over to the Welsh place and Mrs. Welsh would give cookies as large as saucers to them. This photograph of Mrs. Welsh is owned by the grandniece, Mrs. Ellen Anderson of Boone, Iowa. None could be found of Jared.

Jared B. Welsh died on the afternoon of March 9, 1905, ten days after sustaining a stroke of paralysis. He was buried on the following Sunday from the U. B. Church.

Caroline stayed on the farm a few years, then moved to Titusville. She sold her share of the farm to her son, Judd, in 1913. Some time after moving, she transferred her membership to the Methodist Church.

On July 22, 1922, Judd died in the hospital of a malignancy on his jaw.

About the middle of March, 1924, Mrs. Welsh took ill with pneumonia. However, she was gaining from this when she had a stroke on March 30. She died the next day at her home.

No buildings have been on the Jared Welsh farm for many years. Also there are no descendants of Jared and Caroline in this area. They live in distant parts. Among them are two granddaughters, Sadie in Oklahoma, and another in California. They are of the Bryner line of descendants.

Transcribed by Penny Kulbacki Minnick
minnick862@verizon.net

Disclaimer:there may be errors due to transcription ofinformation from both early and late (current contributors) work.