RHEA-L Archives

From: <>
Subject: page 5 Samuel Rhea
Date: Fri, 15 Aug 1997 10:48:24 -0400 (EDT)

"The melancholy task devolved upon me of informing you of the death of our
aged and beloved father, who departed this life on the 15th day of August
late in the afternoon and on the following day his body was interred at Rocky
spring Presbyterian churchyard, attended by a very numerous assemblage of
relatives and acquaintances. We thought it proper to deposit his remains in
Mother's grave, who has been an inhabitant of the silent tomb for upwards of
twenty-eight years. She died in the latter end of April in the year 1783 and,
strange as it may appear to you, her bones were but little decayed. We
collected them carefully and returned them to accompany those of her much
beloved husband in the hope of a joyful resurrection to them both when time
shall be no more. I have often heard them both say that there was but little
differences in their ages. I know of no record of either of their ages, but
from all the circumstances that I am acquainted with, father was 86 or 87
years of age, old and full of days.. During the last two years of his life
his comforts and pleasures were considerably interrupted by frequent attacks
of giddiness or pain in his head. The day before he took his last illness he
rode up on the South Mountain to a cold spring, there to bathe his head in
hopes of some relief. Inddeed his last ride was the only one he had taken of
any considerable distance for many months before his decease.

In the night after his return from the cold spring, he was seized with an
excessive pain in the head attended by frequent vomiting. In a day or two
after the attack he was totally deprived of the use of his speech and
apparently of his reason, and remained in that state till within a few days
of his death, when he was in some degree restored to the use of both. From
the time that he took his last illness until his death, was something short
of two weeks. Then ended the life of the man who from filial affection, as
well as other considerations arising from his having been the support of our
youth, we are bound to venerate and respect and always to have his memory
ingrateful remembrance."

His will and many letters and documents relating to it are in the possession
of James C. Rea at Pittsburgh, pennsylvania.

Samuel Rhea, founder of the American branch of our race, was born in 1725 of
Scotch parentage. A tradition current among branches of the Rhea or Rea
family in Tennessee, Texas, and Florida, is that matthew Campbell, a
descendant of the third Duke of Argyle, got into trouble on church matters in
Scotland, during the persecution of the Convenanters, (1660-1680) and fled to
the north of Ireland. There he took the Gaelic name, Rhea (both Rhea and
Campbell mean pleasant meadows), settled down and married.

His son was Matthew Rhea, who married, first, Mary Lockhart, their children
being Samuel, William, Matthew, Isaac. His second wife was Elizabeth
McIlwaine,--their children being Archibald, James, Joseph, Margaret, and
Agnes.

Samuel Rhea, oldest son of Matthew Rhea, imigrated to America in December
1754 with his wife, who was a Miss Eleanor Snodgrass, and their oldest child,
Ann, then about three years old. Their second child, John, was born either at
sea, or soon after landing in chester County, Pennsylvania, January 17, 1755.
The first name of Samuel Rhea's wife is not known, but she was a descendant
of Benjamin Snodgrass, who came from the north of Ireland and settled in New
Britain Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, on the Nechaminy Creek, about
1730. (See "Doylestown--Old and New", by H. K. Davis, page 4.) "By 1725-30 a
number of settlers had found homes in the neighboring township, including
Benjamin Snodgrass." Benjamin Snodgrass was a widower and was accompained to
America by one daughter, Mary. It is presumed that his son stayed in Ireland,
married and was the father of the Miss Snodgrass who married Samuel Rhea.
There is evidence she was a granddaughter of Benjamin Snodgrass.

page 6
Samuel Rhea settled first on Mill Creek, near Lancaster in the Province of
Pennsylvania, but he only remained there a short time, then removed
toCumberland County, near carlisle, Pennsylvania. The history of that period
shows that at this very time the fair Cumberland valley was suffering from
incursions of the Indians, and the savages were commiting the most
appallling crimes.

ending of Samuel Rhea and beginning of John Rea.

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