Individual Details

Noah Speers

(27 Mar 1769 - 9 Jun 1832)



Noah inherited his father's land on the east side of the Monongahela River after his mother died. This is Belle Vernon - there is now a town by the same name.
Noah's will, dated 2 Jun 1832, then conveyed the same property to Noah W. Speers, his son.

Noah apparently suffered the same fate as his father. A kick from a horse said to have caused his death in 1832. Noah and his wife are buried in the Gibsonton Cemetery in Belle Vernon. However, it seems just as likely that Noah died from cholera, as it believed at least two of his sons died in a cholera epidemic in 1832.

I have seen mixed lists of their children - the list here is taken from databases online and has not been researched by me.

THE OLD AND NEW MONONGAHELA
Gibsonton.
page 388
This village is situated on the Monongahela river, in Westmoreland county, about one quarter of a mile below Bellevernon. In 1771, Henry Speers the older and Regina Froman, his wife, from Germany, settled near the site of this place and became the owner of it, as well as a large tract of land surrounding it. The farm at that time was within the limits of Bedford county, from which Westmoreland was formed February 26th, 1773. Richard Penn was then Governor. The old log house, the primitive part of which he built, stood across the ravine from the present stone mansion, where yet may be seen some old fruit trees. This was in time improved until it was sixty feet long, most of the timber being hewn logs. The house now occupied by Jacob Irons was built partly with logs taken from this house. Henry Speers the older died from the kick of a horse in 1773, not having long enjoyed the comforts of his new home. His remains are supposed to be interred in the graveyard near the present school house on the same farm. We have no data on which to fix the date of the death of his wife. By his will, Henry Speers, May 14th, 1773, conveyed the present Gibsonton farm to his son, Noah Speers, who, by his will, bearing date of June 2nd, 1832, conveyed it to his son, Noah W. Speers, now a resident of Memphis, Tennessee. Noah Speers was born March 27th, 1769, being only about two years old when his father, Henry Speers settled on the farm. He, that is, Noah, died June 9th, 1832, also from a kick of a horse, having lived on this farm ever since his father settled on it. The addition to the primitive house was built by Noah Speers, this part being of hewn logs whilst the original cabin was of round logs, as were all the first houses.
It was the second generation of settlers who in Western Pennsylvania began to erect houses with hewn logs. So far as we can ascertain, the round logs in the primitive house formed the blacksmith shop which once stood near the old residence, but most of which shop now constitute the old Jane [p.389] Goe house on Bellevernon hill, to which place it had been moved in 1843. The late Jas. Beazell for a time worked at his trade in this shop whilst it stood on the Speers farm, of which we are now writing. The old log barns which stood one in the meadow just below the present road before reaching the row of houses of Gibsonton, and the other on the site of the present large frame barn in front of the residence of Jacob Irons, were both burned about 1850 or 1851. Noah Speers was in his early days a large slaveholder, and to accommodate his slaves he erected the main part of the stone mansion. His slaves were manumitted under the gradual emancipation laws and were all free before his death. The mansion house was enlarged and fitted up by Noah W. Speers for an academy in 1842, as we have already mentioned in a former part of this history. He also resided in it after the school closed until the farm was sold to John Niccolls in about the year of 1846. In 1848 it was sold to Wm. Eberheart, who remodelled and improved the stone mansion, putting on the cornice around the roof and adding other changes which gave it a neat and desirable appearance. The present large frame barn on the public road was built for Eberheart by the late Geo. Whiting, of Fayette city. During his ownership Eberheart also had erected the stable now standing near the mansion on the site of the former one which was burned. After the financial embarrassment of Wm. Eberheart in 1853, the farm was sold to J. K. Moorhead by the Sheriff of Westmoreland county. The farm was sold by Moorehead to John Gibson, of Philadelphia. At the death of John Gibson, his son Henry C. became sole owner. The extensive distillery known the world over as Gibsonton Mills, was erected on this farm in 1856-57 by the firm of John Gibson Son & Co. The firm subsequently took in Charles Gibson, and then it was changed to John Gibson, Sons & Co. On the death of Charles the firm became John Gibson Son & Co.





Events

Birth27 Mar 1769
Death9 Jun 1832Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
MarriageNancy Virginia Frye

Families

SpouseNancy Virginia Frye (1774 - 1845)
ChildAbraham Speers (1790 - 1832)
ChildSolomon Speers (1792 - 1860)
ChildLiving
ChildLiving
ChildCassandra Speers (1796 - )
ChildNancy Speers (1800 - )
ChildRebecca Speers (1802 - 1882)
ChildLucinda Speers (1805 - )
ChildFlorinda Speers ( - )
ChildLouisa Speers (1808 - )
ChildLewis Marchand Speers (1810 - 1883)
ChildJames Speers (1812 - 1832)
ChildJacob Speers (1814 - )
ChildNoah W. Speers (1818 - )
ChildClarissa Speers (1818 - )
FatherHENRY SPEERS (1725 - 1773)
MotherREGINA FROMAN (1729 - 1805)
SiblingJoseph SPEERS (1744 - 1770)
SiblingElizabeth Spears (1746 - 1773)
SiblingMary "Molly" Spears (1747 - 1805)
SiblingSarah Spears (1748 - 1814)
SiblingRachel Spears (1749 - 1820)
SiblingSusanna Spears (1750 - )
SiblingCatherine Spears (1751 - 1816)
SiblingChristena Spears (1752 - 1841)
SiblingJacob Spears (1754 - 1825)
SiblingRev. Henry Speers Jr. (1756 - 1840)
SiblingANN "NANCY" SPEARS (1759 - 1839)
SiblingRegina Speers (1763 - 1827)
SiblingSolomon Spears (1765 - 1788)

Endnotes