Aaron Linn
Linn Family
History discloses the fact that this Linn family came from good old Scotch-Irish ancestry, and that among
its scions were revolutionary soldiers, eminent judges, attorneys, physicians and politicians, of much more than
the ordinary ability and influence, especially in the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, the Virginias, and Missouri.
Later generations intermarried with the New England family of Newcombs; hence the following narrative will treat,
to some extent of both families, which include the well known attorney-at-law in West Virginia and Charleston.
Robert G. Linn.
(I) Joseph Linn, of Scotch-Irish descent, was born in 1725, and died April 8, 1800. He married Martha Kirkpatrick,
a native of the city of Belfast. Ireland, born in 1728; died March 7, 1791, daughter of Andrew Kirkpatrick. Joseph
Linn was an adjutant in the Second Regiment of Sussex Militia, of Virginia, during the revolutionary struggle,
Aaron Hankinson being the colonel. Joseph and Martha (Kirkpatrick) Linn had four sons and four daughters: 1. Alexander,
born in 1753, married Hannah, daughter of Nathan and Uphamy (Wright) Armstrong. 2. David, married Sarah, daughter
of Brigadier-General Aaron Hankinson, and they had eight children among whom were: Alexander, married and removed
to Ohio; Mattie, married Jacob Shepherd: Polly, unmarried; Margaret, married a Mr. Shepherd; Aaron, married
Eliza Hankinson, and settled in Finleyville, Pennsylvania. 3. Andrew, mentioned below. 4. Margaret, married
Hon. Joseph Gaston, paymaster of the Sussex Militia, during revolutionary war days. 5. Marv. 6. Ann, married Jacob
Hull. 7. Martha, married (first) Isaac Schaeffer, (second) Joseph Desmond; she died in 1830, and was buried at
Sandusky, Ohio; the Rev. Isaac Desmond was her son. 8. John, married in 1791, Martha Hunt, daughter of Lieutenant
Richard Hunt; children: Elizabeth, married Rev. Edward Allen; Sarah, married Nathan Armstrong Shafer; Andrew, married
Isabelle Beardslec; Mary Ann, married Rev. Benjamin I. Lowe; Caroline, married Dr. Roderick Byington; Alexander,
a doctor at Deckertown, married Julia Yibbert; William H., who was also a physician. The father of these children,
John Linn, was appointed to the court of common pleas of Sussex County, Virginia, in 1805, serving until his death
in 1823. He was twice a member of congress and died at Washington, D. C., during his second term. He was an elder
in the Presbyterian Church at Hardyston.
(II) Andrew, son of Joseph Linn, was born in 1759, and died in 1799. He studied medicine at Log Goal. He
married Ann Carnes, of Blandensburg, Maryland, and they were the parents of five children: 1. Robert, mentioned
below. 2. Margaret, married Major William T. Anderson, of Newton. 3. Mary, married David Ryerson. 4. Martha, married
(first) Hugh Taylor, and (second) Richard R. Morris, of New York. 5. Alexander, settled at Easton, Pennsylvania.
(III) Robert, son of Andrew Linn, was born April 20, 1781. He probably came to Virginia from Pennsylvania
about 1810, and located in what was then Harrison County, now in Marion County, West Virginia, where he died September
9, 1834. He was by occupation a farmer and miller. He married Catherine Lyon, born in Pennsylvania, October 18,
1788. He and his family resided at Linn's Mills. Children: Mary Jane, married Smith M. Hensill, and died in Portland,
Oregon; Priscilla, married Newton Maxwell; Nancy, married Newton's brother, Milton Maxwell, of Butler, Pennsylvania;
Sarah, married Isaac Courtney; Louisa, married Dr. John T. Cooper, of Parkersburg; Benjamin, married Sarah Shriver;
and Robert, mentioned below.
(IV) Robert (2), son of Robert (1) and Catherine (Lyon) Linn, was born in Marion County, West Virginia, while
it was yet within Old Virginia, December 27, 1813, and died December 7, 1860. He studied law in the office of Hon.
Edgar C. Wilson, of Morgantown, Virginia, and was subsequently admitted to the bar at Pruntytown, Taylor county,
in 1846; later he practiced law in Gilmer County, West Virginia. For four terms in succession he served as prosecuting
attorney, having been elected on the Whig ticket, and he was serving in that office at the date of his death. He
held other offices of trust and importance, in which he served with faithfulness and much ability. He was among
the best known men of his section and bore the esteem of all with whom he came in contact. Mr. Linn was an elder
in the Presbyterian church. He married in Fairmont, West Virginia, Sophronia S. Newcomb, born in Greenfield, Massachusetts,
in 1816, daughter of Ebenezer (2) and Sophronia (Smith) Newcomb (see Newcomb VI). She was a woman of rare intelligence
and refinement, and a lifelong worker in the Presbyterian church. She was only two years of age, when her family
removed to Fairmont: hence her life was largely spent in what is now West Virginia, and she died in August, 1890.
Children: 1. Mary S., born September 21, 1841, married Newton B. Bland, who died in March, 1896; she died January
28, 1910, leaving three children: Robert Linn Bland, now an attorney at Weston, West Virginia, who married and
has four children; George Linn Bland, assistant cashier of the Citizen's National Bank of Weston; Hattie, of Weston,
West Virginia. 2. Nancy Catherine Lyon, born May 3, 1845, married Marion T. Brannon, of Glenville, West Virginia;
she has three living children: Hon. Linn Brannon, ex-judge of the circuit court; Alice, of Fairmont; Howard R.,
a bank cashier of Glenville. 3. Robert G., mentioned below.
(V) Robert G., son of Robert (2) and Sophronia (Newcomb) Linn, was born April 6, 1849, at Glcnville, West
Virginia (then Virginia) and was reared and educated as most youths of his time were, commencing in the common
schools and later at Witherspoon Institute. When eighteen years of age, he became assistant clerk in the circuit
clerk's office, at Clarksburg, where he remained three years. In 1869 he entered the Cincinnati Law School, graduating
with the degree of Bachelor of Laws, in 1870. His instructors at law school were Ex-Governor Hoadley, Bellamy Storer,
and H. A. Morrill. After his graduation he took up law practice at Glenville, the town of his birth, where he became
prosecuting attorney, serving one term. He was two years in Gilmer county, and twelve in Calhoun county, West Virginia,
where he served two years as prosecuting attorney. He then returned to Glcnville, in March, 1884, and remained
there until 1900, being associated in law with Hon. John S. Withers. In 1900 he went to Charleston, Kanawha County,
this state, where he now resides and practices bis profession. He has been associated, as partner in law business
in Charleston, with George Byrne, now of the Manufacturers' Record, and also with William E. R. Byrne, his present
law partner, having also his son, Robert Linn, as a member of the firm. Mr. Linn maintains offices at Sutton, Weston
and Glenville, this state, having partners in each locality. From 1873 to 1907, he had for a partner, Hon. John
M. Hamilton, with offices at Grantsville, Calhoun County. It goes almost without saying that Mr. Linn has to do
with much of the important legal business in this section of West Virginia, having so many sub-offices, the important
cases pass through his hands for final investigation. Politically, he is a Democrat. In religious faith, he is
of the Presbyterian Church. In fraternal connections, he is numbered among the members of the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows, at Glenville.
He married at Weston, West Virginia, June 12, 1876, Mary Hamilton, who was born, reared and educated at that
place. Her parents were Dr. J. M. and Mary (Lorentz) Hamilton, her mother being the daughter of John, and the granddaughter
of Jacob Lorentz, of pioneer fame in this state. John Lorentz married Mary Roger; both are now deceased. The children
of Mr. and Mrs. Linn, probably not in order of birth, were: 1. Ernest, died young. 2. George, died June 22, 1908,
while a law student at the University of West Virginia. 3. Edna, born June 25, 1878, educated at Wilson College,
Pennsylvania; taught in normal schools, is now at home. 4. Mary, born April 25, 1880, educated at the Normal School
of Glenville, West Virginia, and Hollister Seminary, Roanoke. Virginia, now at home. 5. Harriet, born March 30,
1884; graduated first in high school, then from the Glenville Normal School, and later as a trained nurse at Washington,
D. C. 6. Robert, born July 25. 1882, graduated at the law school of the University of West Virginia, in the class
of 1906, with the degree of Bachelor of Laws; was admitted to the bar the same year, and has been associated in
law business with his father, at Charleston, ever since. 7. Ruth, born October 25, 1886, is fitting herself as
a trained nurse, at Washington, D. C. 8. John Hamilton, born December 6, 1892, now in high school.
(The Newcomb Line).
As above referred to, the Linn and Newcomb families are intermarried, and this fragment of the Newcomb genealogy
naturally finds a place here:
(I) Francis Newcomb, born in England. 1605, came to the American colonies, 1635, with his wife, whose name
was Rachel.
(II) Peter, son of Francis and Rachel Newcomb, was born in Braintree, Massachusetts, March 16, 1648; married,
April, 1672, Susanna Cutting, daughter of Richard Cutting, of Watertown, Massachusetts.
(III) Jonathan, son of Peter and Susanna (Cutting) Newcomb, was born in Braintree, Massachusetts, March 1,
1685, married Deborah; and their children included Benjamin, of whom below.
(IV) Benjamin, son of Jonathan and Deborah —— Newcomb, was born at Braintree, Massachusetts, April 9, 1719,
removed to Norton, Massachusetts, and died in 1801. He married, November 24, 1743, Mary, daughter of John and Mercy
Everett, of Dedham.
(V) Rev. Ebenezer Newcomb, son of Benjamin and Mary (Everett) Newcomb, was born at Norton, Massachusetts,
in November, 1754; he was a carpenter by trade, also a farmer and a Baptist minister. He fought in the war for
national independence, being a member of Captain A. Clapp's company. He died February 13, 1829. He married Wealthy
Willis, February 23, 1779, and she died May 11, 1818.
(VI) Ebenezer (2), son of the Rev. Ebenezer (1) and Wealthy (Willis) Newcomb, was born October 22, 1785; was
a carpenter, and cabinet maker. He removed from Greenfield, Massachusetts, to Fairmont, Virginia, now in West Virginia,
where he died in 1859. He married Sophronia Smith, born December 24, 1792. Their daughter, Sophronia, born December
6, 1816, died in August, 1890. She was a native of Deerfield, Massachusetts, came to Virginia, with her parents
when two years of age; she married Robert (2) Linn and became the mother of Robert G. Linn (see Linn V).
[West Virginia and Its People, Volume 2 By Thomas Condit Miller, Hu Maxwell - Transcribed by AFOFG][West Virginia
and Its People, Volume 2 By Thomas Condit Miller, Hu Maxwell - Transcribed by AFOFG] |
