Donated by Marta Burns, thank you Marta!
[Marta Burns]
Captain William McKennan was a son of the Rev William McKennan, a
Presbyterian clergyman of New Castle, Delaware, where William was born in
1758. He married Elizabeth Thompson, daughter of John Thompson and niece
of Governor Thomas McKean. At the breaking out of the Revolution he was a
merchant, which business he gave up and joined the Delaware line, "Blue
Hen's Chickens," as captain of a company and served during the war,
receiving a wound at the battle of Brandywine.
After the war William McKennan returned to his home and remained a number
of years. In 1798 he removed to Charlestown, now Wellsburg, West
Virginia, and in 1800 to Washington county, Penna. He was appointed in
1801 prothonotary of the county by Governor McKean, and removed from West
Middletown where he resided to the county seat where he remained the
remainder of his days. He held the position of prothonotary during
Governor McKean's administration which was till 1809. He was also a
trustee of Washington Academy and Washington College. His death occurred
in January, 1810, at the age of fifty two years, leaving a widow who died
in 1839, and five sons and one daughter: William McKennan; John T
McKennan; Thomas M T McKennan; David McKennan; James W McKennan; and Ann
E McKennan.
William McKennan, the eldest son, was educated at Washington College,
became a teacher and emigrated to Ohio where he died. John T McKennan was
educated at Washington Academy, became cashier of the Monongahela Bank at
Brownsville, Penna, and died September 18, 1830, while on a visit at
Reading, Penna.
Thomas M T McKennan was also educated at Washington College. He entered
the office of Parker Campbell as a law student and was admitted to the
bar in the twenty first year of his age on the 7th of November, 1814. At
the next June term of court he succeeded Walter Forward as deputy
attorney general for the county and acted until March, 1817, when William
Baird commenced to act. His rise at the bar was rapid and he was soon
employed in all important cases, maintaining a front rank in the
profession while he lived. In 1831 he was elected a member of Congress of
the United States and continued for four terms at a sacrifice of personal
interest, and declined a renomination.
Upon the death of Joseph Lawrence in 1842 he yielded to the urgent
solicitations of the people and the demands of his party and served
during the remainder of the term. As "chairman of the committee of the
whole" for the space of two months in the first session of that year, he
rendered efficient aid to the paramount industrial interests of the
country and increased a reputation already national. He was chose a
presidential elector in 1840, and was president of the Pennsylvania
Electoral College in 1848. His influence with the incoming administration
was potent, and the more appreciated because unselfish and disinterested
in its exertion. Common consent assigned him a place in the Cabinet of
1849; and when in the following year President Fillmore called him to the
Secretaryship of the Interior, all parties hailed the appointment as one
eminently merited. A reluctant acceptance of the office was granted, only
to be recalled after a few days' experience. Weared by the ungenial
details of official business, and disgusted with the importunities of the
place hunters attracted by his patronage, he resigned his position near
the Executive and returned to his cherished home and the friends whom he
loved. Soon after he received and accepted the presidency of the
Hempfield Railroad Company, and while engaged in the administration of
its affairs died at Reading, Penna, on the 9th of July, 1852.
Mr McKennan's connection with Washington College was longer and more
intimate than that of any other individual. Entering the Academy at a
very early age and matriculating as a member of the first freshman class,
he passed through the entire curriculum of studies with credit to himself
and to his instructors. Such was his rank as a scholar that in February,
1813, he was appointed tutor of ancient languages and acted in that
capacity for eighteen months.
Two of his sons, Judge William McKennan of the class of 1833 and Dr
Thomas McKennan of the class of 1842 have served on the board of
trustees. His youngest son, John McKennan, graduated in the class of
1851, and another son, Jacob B McKennan, was for a time a student at the
college.
David McKennan, a son of Captain William McKennan, was also educated at
Washington College, after which he learned the trade of tanner, and
resided at Brownsville where he died comparatively young. James W
McKennan, the youngest sonof Captain William McKennan, graduated from
Washington College and became adjunct professor of languages, studied
theology under the Rev John Anderson, D D, and entered the ministry of
the Presbyterian Church. He was pastor of Lower Buffalo Church from 1829
to 1834 and later pastor of a church in Indianapolis. His health failed
and he retired from duties and removed to Wheeling, where his daughter
resided, and died in that city in 1861. Ann E McKennan, the only daughter
of Captain William McKennan, became the wife of the Honorable Thomas
Gibbs Morgan of Louisiana, a native of this county, a prominent lawyer of
Baton Rouge. She died young, leaving one son, Philip Hickey Morgan, who
is the present minister of United States to Mexico.
History of Washington County, Pennsylvania: with biographical sketches
of many of its pioneers and prominent men / edited by Boyd Crumrine.
Illustrated. Philadelphia: L.H. Everts and Co., 1882. P486
Historic Pittsburgh
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