In June 1774 Robert and his family sailed from Kirkcudbright to New York aboard the ship "Golden Rule." They were pioneers in settling in Springfield on the Connecticut River.
The Family of Robert McClellan, Meikle Knox, Buittle.
Peter C. McClellan, a farmer of Somonauk Township, is the owner of the northwest quarter of section 29. He was born Oct. 26, 1829, in the township of Hebron, Washington Co., N. Y., and is the son of Robert G. and Nancy (Cruikshank) McClellan. The former was born Sept. 17, 1799, in the same township. The latter was born in Salem, in the same county, Aug. 12, 1804. Mr. McClellan of this sketch is their first-born child. Rev. David M., third son, is a graduate of Jefferson College, in Pennsylvania, and has been for 20 years an ordained minister of the United Presbyterian Church, and for the past 10 years has been a settled Pastor at Kansas City. He prepared for the ministry at the Theological Seminary at Xenia, Ohio. Maggie, only surviving sister, lives with her brother, Peter.
The latter received a substantial education, finishing his course of study at Cambridge Academy, Washington Co., N. Y. He taught nine terms of school in New York and Iowa, and afterwards became a farmer. He was married in his native township Sept. 7, 1864, to Isabella Beveridge. They have one child, Mary E., who was born on the farm in Somonauk Township, Nov. 7, 1869. Mrs. McClellan was born in Hebron Township, Oct. 5, 1830, and is the daughter of Matthew and Elizabeth Beveridge.
In June, 1866, Mr. McClellan came to DeKalb County and bought the farm which he now owns, and of which he took possession in 1867. He has been Assistant Supervisor of Somonauk two years.
Robert McClellan, from whom Mr. McClellan is a descendant in the fourth generation, was a citizen of Micklenax (Meikle Knox), in the parish of Buttle (Buittle), Scotland. In 1769 he went to Newtown in the parish of Twenholen (Twynholm) in the stewartry of Galloway, on the River Dee near Kirkcudbright, where the family lived five years on the estates of Lord Selkirk. In June, 1774, with his wife, Nicolas (Gordon) McClellan, and children, William, John, Grise, Robert, Mary and Nancy, set sail from the Mass at the mouth of the river Dee, for America. The ship "Golden Rule," on which they took passage, proved unseaworthy and put into Dublin Bay for repairs, where she was detained three days. Three guineas was paid for the passage of each member of the family. They landed at New York and proceeded up the Hudson River to Albany and thence to Manchester, Vt. From there they went across the Green Mountains to Springfield on the Connecticut River. The route they pursued across the mountains had never before been traversed by a carriage, and a part of the journey, including a distance of 14 miles, consumed 14 hours. They resided at Springfield 10 years, and on account of religious considerations they removed to Hebron, Washington Co., N. Y., then called Black Creek. The parents afterwards removed to Salem in the same county. The father died there in 1789, aged 73 years. He was also buried there. The mother died in Cambridge in 1799, at the age of 69 years, and was buried in the place where she died.
Robert McClellan (2d) was born in 1766, in Micklenax, Scotland, and came to America with his father's family, as stated. He was married Dec. 5, 1793, to Mary Thompson, who was born in 1768, in Salem. Their children were named Sarah, William, Robert, Gordon, Nancy, John and Phebe. Sarah is still living and is over 90 years of age. She is the widow of Alexander Beveridge, of Hebron. Phebe is the widow of William Armstrong, of Somonauk. Four of them died on the farm where they were born and reared. Robert McClellan died in Hebron Jan. 6, 1829. His wife died there also, June 20, 1839. The paternal ancestors of Mr. McClellan were born, reared and died in the Associate Presbyterian Church and its outgrowth, the United Presbyterian Church.
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