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]
