REFN: 5670AN
REV. James Alexander , a member of the Laggan Presbytery in Raphoe was imp
risoned there in 1680, which may have induced the brothers to flee to Amer
ica.
There is a well established tradition that seven Alexander brothers,Presby
terians from Scotland who had sojourned a while in the north of Ireland, p
robably at Raphoe.Co., Donegal, and Sligo,Co.,came to Somerset Co. Maryla
nd before going on to Cecil Co. If we may judge from the circumstantial ev
idence remaining,
then along with the brothers came two sisters: one, the wife of Matthew Wa
llace; the other Jane,who married John McKnitt. In Somerset,at early date
s, we find Wlliam, Andrew, Samuel, and John Alexander, and in Cecil Coun
ty James , Francis, Joseph , and the afore-mentioned Samuel Alexander. I h
azard a guess that they were sons of the Reverend James Alexander,of Rapho
e, a member of Laggan Presbytery in 1680, whoes ministerial brethern th
en in northern Ireland included David Brown, of Urney, William Trail
e, of Lifford,Thomas Wilson, of Killybegs, and William Liston, of Letterke
nny,to mention a few. I name these because one David Brown became an impor
tant civic-minded Presbyterian leader in Somerset: because William Trai
le and Thomas Wilson
soon joined Francis Makemie, "fatherof organized Presbyterianism in Americ
a", in his labor in Somerset: and because William Alexander, Sr., of Somer
set, had a grandson named for William Liston. At first in Somerset and lat
er in Cecil, we find Matthew Wallace and John McKnitt. Rev.James was bo
rn in Bughall Scotland. He went to County Donegal in(what is now) Northe
rn Ireland, and settled (probably) in Raphaoe. He was active in the Lagg
an Presbytery there. His seven sons and two da ughters left Ireland for Am
erica in the ship Welcom, landed in 21 Sep1670. Rev.James and his wife a
re presumed to have remained in Ireland.Thier children settled in Somers
et and later in Cecil County Maryland,some of them going to the New Munst
er Tract in the extreme northern part of
Cecil County (in fact part of New Munster was north of the present Maryla
nd - Pennsylvania boundary) and others settling to the south,still in Cec
il County, near the western terminus of the present Chesapeak and Delawa
re Canal. Reverand James Alexander He was a minister of the CONVOY Congreg
ation,County Donegal Ireland,from 167 8 to his death in 1704.It is believ
ed he was first a minister of Raphoe congregation County Donegal,
for a time between 1640 and 1678. Both congregations are in the Raphoe Pre
sbytery. Laggan Presbytery.
Alexander family of New Munster were orginally from Scotland. About the ti
me of James 1, they together with a large number of Presbyterians migrat
ed to Ireland and settled in Ulster. During the late 7th century several A
lexanders migrated to America and settled in Somerset Co., Md. later in Ce
cil Co., Md. They came to America on the good ship "Welcome" that anchor
ed in the Delaware River in 1679. There was an Alexander family in Somers
et Co. as early as 1666. Also John McKnitt settled there about the same ti
me.
Alexander settled in 1707 in "The Woods" between the brances of the Elk Ri
ver. Their 90 acre plantation " Glasgow" adjoined "Bullen"s Range" a tra
ct laid out for Samuel Alexander called "Sligo." "High Spaiola"(Hispaniol
a) covering 900 acres in which John McKnitt Sr. & Jr. had an interest in J
ean (John) Brevard's "Charles Camp." All were adjoining and all located wi
thin a mile of the western end of the present Chesapeake and Delaware Cana
l, where Back Creek flowed into what is now the canal.
Pa Genol Mag "John McKnitt maternal grandfather of John McKnitt Alexande
r, who was secretary of the Mecklenburg Convention of 1775, settled in Som
erset Co. Md probably in 1684. He was accompanied by his first wife Jan
e, whom he had married in Northern Ireland a short time before sailing f
or America. It is uncertain whether the McKnitts landed at Phil