In the beautiful "Mid Lowlands" of Scotland, in the part lying south of the Firth of Forth, with the river Clyde on the west and the Tweed rising in and flowing through to the sea on the east, lived this ancient family, Hogg, of which we are an American branch.

Back in the 18th century, the was one William Hogg, "the only child of his parents", a wheelwright by trade, married to one Margaret Lumsden of Pimploth, in which town they resided until the birth of their eldest son William. Going from there to Dalhousie, where a second son, George, was born in 1801 - a hundred years ago. Next after these sons came the two daughters, Margaret and Elizabeth. The fifth child, a son James was born at Gorebridge, where the family lived but a short time, as the next son, John by name, was born at Stowe January 03, 1813. During the three succeeding years, the family moved to Dalkirth. The father's health having been impaired by rheumatism, he was obliged to guit his trade and seek a livelihood by means of the "Carriers" occupation. That is, delivering goods of light weight between towns in a certain district. Here it was, on February 22, 1816 that the son Wilson was born. The first six children had all been given family names, but the seventh was given the surname of two maidens who proved themselves very kind neighbors. On February 22, 1818 was born the son Adam. After this the family made another move, but whether to Tyne Head or Galashiels I am uncertain. But at one of these places was born Marian in 1820, and on June 18, 1822 was born Catherine. The family lived at a place called Misselburgh and then returned to Dalkirth where the wife assisted the husband in the support of their family by keeping a "tollgate". But whether the return was made previous to November 15, 1825, the date of Thomas Pringle Hogg's birth, I am unable to ascertain. Lastly was born Ellen, the youngest of twelve children, on December 25, 1827. These all lived to be men and women of mature years and yet never all saw each other. All these many towns in which our grandpaxents resided are very near Edinburgh, so though they made frequent changes in location, the distance was not great.

In Scotland, when boys reached a certain age they were apprenticed to some useful pursuit. Whether the boy's natural inclination is always consulted or not, I am in doubt. William, the eldest of the past generation of Hoggs, was bound out to learn the cooper trade (barrel making), and the fact is handed down to us that he hated it, and hated it so desperately that when the regiment of "Scots Grays returned from Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo and were looking for recruits, he begged to quit his trade and enlist. This he was permitted to do and even though he was under age, an inch too short and too light in weight, he was accepted. He served with his regiment until his death, which occurred in Dublin Barracks, caused by injuries sustained by being thrown from his horse. After his enlistment in 1815, he was allowed to go home but once. When the King visited Scotland on the occasion of knighting Sir Walter Scott, the "Scots Grays" were his body guard and William Hogg obtained permission to visit his parents. At that time, the family lived on the direct road between Edinburgh Castle and Melrose and Abbottsford. Those at home witnessed the sight of a king and his guard riding at full speed, eight abreast, down a fin Scotch road and return. William married a Scottish maiden, but after his death all trace of her was lost by the family. He had no children.

George, the second son, was a blacksmith by trade and came to America in 1825. He went to Philadelphia and there plied his trade. In the city of brotherly love, he met Abigail Reynolds, an English woman from Yorkshire. They were married in 1827 and continued to reside in that city until 1832. They removed to Franklinville, New York and later bought the farm in Lyndon (now owned by George W.). There they reared their family of seven children, having lost two while yet living in Philadelphia. The family is Mrs. Ann E. Weed and brother James, living together in Franklinville; John R. who died in 1894 leaving a widow and two daughters of Franklinville; George W. and wife, of the same place, who have a daughter and son; Benjamin F. who died in 1987 leaving a widow, a daughter and two sons of Columbus, Kansas; Adam and wife, who have one son, live in Kansas City; and Mrs. B.F. Miller of Northfield, Minnesota, who has a son and daughter.

The senior George Hogg and wife knew what making a home in a new country meant. Many were the trials and hardships in their life's pathway. In 1859 he, after much suffering, succumbed to the ills of the flesh. It was twenty years later before the family was deprived of their mother and we our Aunt Abigail.

Margaret, the oldest of the daughters, came to Philadelphia with her mother and the children in 1830. She had no desire to leave her native land but sacrificed a good position in a "gentleman's house" to come in obedience to her mother's wish. In Philadelphia, she met and married John Gallow, an Irishman~ There she resided until her death, which occurred soon after that of her husband. Thus leaving to the care of their father's sister her four orphaned children: John, James, Lizzie and Ned, all of whom are long since numbered with the dead.

Elizabeth, the second daughter, familiarly known as "Aunt Betsy" was a tailoress by trade. From girlhood she was very much of an invalid, but ever industrious and very painstaking. She followed her father to America in 1829, never marrying. She lived at home after the family came to Franklinville and went from house to house where the fruit of her needle's labor was needed. She died of congestion of the lungs in April, 1857.

James was a moulder and came to this country with his uncle and aunt Tumbull in the year 1827. He came without the usual preparation of a man seeking his fortune in a new, far off land. He went to Leith to bid the uncle and aunt good bye and was persuaded at last to come with them. He worked in different cities where there was a call for skilled labor in his line. When but a young man, he met his death in Nashville, Tennessee. He was horseback riding. The horse was frightened, he was thrown and his head struck a tree. He was instantly killed.

John was also a moulder and followed his trade in his native land many years. He went north from Edinburgh to Dundee where he married Ellen Kaddy. To them was born seven children: George K., William, Ellen, Eliza, Margaret, John and Catherine Wilson. He moved to Glasgow from Dundee, and it was there that he made the cylinders for the ocean vessel known as the "Great Eastern". The proprietor of the shops consulted him about the task. He was very confident he could mould them if he could do it his own way and be allowed help enough. This was granted him. The cylinders were too large to be made in the shop and there did the work so successfully that when completed, the men in their enthusiasm carried him into the city of Glasgow on their shoulders. From Glasgow, he went to Manchester, England where he lived and labored until in 1860. He came to Philadelphia and there with his family made his home. He did much of the work in his line for the government during the War of the Rebellion, to the cause of right in that strife was sacrificed the life of his eldest son, George K. Uncle John Hogg married a second time. He had two other sons from this union, Wilson and a second George K. The former died at the age of 4 years and the latter, with Catherine and William are the only surviving members of this family. He died in November, 1888, having suffered many years with rheumatism and gout. His heart began to fail of its work and caused him to suffer much during the last months of his life.

Wi1son was apprenticed to a gardener at Eskbank. Before his seven years of service had expired, he had to leave to come to America with his mother and the children, his father having preceded them by nearly two years. But a boy himself, he was the oldest son she had with her to assist in the then terrible undertaking of a journey across the Atlantic. The old sailing vessels of the early thirties were not the floating palaces of the 20th century. Leaving Leith, the port of Edinburgh in May, 1832 with all their household and personal effects, the mother and seven children, the youngest but 5 years old, took a coasting vessel around England to Liverpool. All, with the provisions for a long voyage, were transferred; and how - only the boys that had to lift and tug at the heavy Scotch chests, could tell. At last they were off for America, but not for ten weeks and two days and a five day quarantine, making eleven weeks of life on water, were they permitted to land in New York City. Then only to get themselves and baggage aboard another vessel bound for Philadelphia where the father, two brothers and a sister awaited their arrival. Here they made a home and all the older children found employment. But only for a little space, for in September 1832, the family came again to New York City. They went up the Hudson River to Albany; then through the width of the state on the Erie Canal to Rochester; thence by teams to Franklinville, Cattaraugus County to the first farm on the Lyndon road, which they had been induced to purchase. It was the letters of one Robert Little containing such a glowing account of this part of the state that decided the family to locate in Franklinville and Lyndon. The history of Wilson was even identical with the family. All had the same toils, hardships and privations to endure and to exercise the same energy and preservance required to carve out a home in the wilderness of the state. The father's health never permitted of labor after reaching Franklinville and in December, 1844 he died of apoplexy. On January 01, 1845, Wilson married Agnes Reid and took her to the house where dwelt mother, sisters and brother. To her credit be it said, while she yet lives to hear it, that hers must have been a grand peace loving nature, for she dwelt in harmony with her husband's people, and proved that one house though not large was sufficient for two families. In July, 1855 at the age of 74 years, occurred the death of Grandmother Hogg, the result of a severe and painful illness. Hers was a well earned rest, after a life of care and toil. A girl of only 18 years when she was married in 1978, she assumed the responsibilities of a house before most girls are capable of thinking for themselves. But hers was a strong character and a robust nature, these coupled with a willingness to work, made it possible for her to bear the burden of the rearing of her sons and daughters. Possessed of a fair education, she supplemented it by much reading and thus kept in touch with good minds. To Wilson and Agnes Rogg were born eight children and death had never entered the family circle until July 01, 1895 when our father was taken from us after a long and painful illness, caused by heart failure. He was in his 80th year, the oldest of any of his people, and had enjoyed the 50th anniversary of his marriage. His was a genial, hospitable nature, always looking on the bright side of life. He was blessed with an excellent memory and a wonderful power to recollect faces and names. The children are William, a contractor for the Standard Oil Company, living at Verona, Pennsylvania, Eliza Reid Rose of Lyndon; Margaret Lumsden Kales of Franklinville; James Adam, a cheesemaker at Angelica, New York; Jeannette Agnes, "an old maid" (author of this narrative) of Franklinville; Wilson, a driller of Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, Nathan R., carpenter of Dawson City, Northwest Territory; George Thomas, a lawyer of Buffalo, New York and at present, secretary to Judge Laughlin of the First Department of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, New York City. "Our Mother and your Aunt Agnes still lives, at the age of 79 years and is present today; the last survivor of the past generation."

Adam worked at home on the farm and then went to the lumber woods of McKean County, Pennsylvania in the winter of 1839. In February, 1840, he was killed by a limb falling from a tree and striking him on the head. He breathed on for a number of hours, but died without regaining consciousness, His body was brought home and lies in the old cemetery at Franklinville. He, only 22 years of age, was the first of three brothers to meet a violent death in the year 1840.

Marian, after living in Franklinville until well grown, went to New York City. There she met and married a man by the name of Dunham. He, however, lived but a very few years. After living a widow a number of years, she married Charles Cooper for a second husband. Her only child died in infancy and she herself made a visit to the old home during the summer of 1854. At that time, she was much of an invalid suffering from and unknown disease, which later proved to be cancer of the stomach, causing her death in 1855, Her body lies buried in Greenwood Cemetery, New York City.

Catherine remained in Philadelphia one and a half years after the family came on to Cattaraugus County. She was assistant maid for the sister Margaret in the home of a wealthy Quaker lady. In 1835 she ccompanied her brother James to Franklinville where she continued to live until her marriage with John Waring on March 17, 1846 when she moved over the town lines into Farmersville. here she spent her life making a pleasant home for her husband and rearing her five children. The only daughter died in childhood of that dread disease scarlet fever. Her sons are James Henry, a lawyer and present Mayor of Olean City; William W. who with his wife forms the law firm of Waring and Waring in Franklinville, NY. They have a family of five children, two boys and three girls: Melvin John, a carpenter of Franklinville, NY, who has two daughters; and Sam, a farmer occupying the old homestead where his father and mother spent so many busy, happy years. He has a family of four, two sons and two daughters. Catherine died of paralysis in November, 1889 and her husband survived her only until the following February.

Thomas Pringle lived at home until he married Sarah Ann Carpenter in September, 1848. They went to the farm on the town line road between Franklinville and Lyndon, where they lived many years and where all their nine children were born. It was on the old farm that they endured the severest hardships of their lives, and bore many of the keenest sorrows and enjoyed much of the sweetest pleasure meted out to them. After leaving the farm, the family lived a short time at Cadiz. Then Uncle bought the place in Franklinville and built the house and barn and in other ways made it the pleasant home-like place it was in which they too would spend the last years of their beautiful useful lives. In July, 1896 after more than a year of suffering, he succumbed to paralysis of the throat and was survived only a little more than two years by his wife, when she too was gathered home to her eternal reward. The children were Wilson Julius, who died when his baby brother was yet unnamed, only as he had called him "My Tommy". The evening of his death, his mother said "We will have a Wilson still". Hence Reverend Wilson Thomas of Chicago, Ill. who has a family of three daughters, one daughter having died of diphtheria. William Lumsden, a cheesemaker of Maplehurst, whose family consists of three sons and three daughters; Ella Parker of Farmersville Station, a family of two boys and fours girls; Julius Alonzo of Dawson City, Northwest Territory. His family is made up of two sons, Frank Wellington, a manufacturer of cheese at New Hudsons. George Eugene, cheesemaker of Arcade, NY, a family of a son and two daughters. Professor Charles Wesley of Barrie, Ill,, who is the proud father of four sons. And Kate B. Reynolds, Yonkers Park, NY, who has one son. To this family belongs the distinctions of being the only branch of the Hogg family to form an association and by these annual reunions which keep up a family feeling that can be insured in no better way.

Ellen, the babe of the family, lived in Franklinville all her life after the arrival of the family from the "old country" while she was but a mere child. On May 09, 1850, she married Samuel Stowell Spring, a young lawyer of New England extraction, who was practicing his profession in Franklinville. He grew in popularity and was elected District Attorney and later Judge of Cattaraugus County. In July, 1875 he died of ulcers of the stomach and his wife was left a widow with her family of six children, only about half of whom were grown to years of discretion. Her children are Alfred, Judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, who has a son and two daughters; Levi Thomas who died in 1889 leaving one daughter; George Edward, a lawyer of Franklinville, who has but one child, a son Samuel Arthur, "Commercial Traveler" with five children; Nellie Maria Stone, Franklinville, three children; and Katherine Margaret Spring, also of Franklinville.

This ends the hastily written history of the Hogg family, down to the present generation. Some of the rest may take up the separate families, as I am better at taking a glance backward. As a family, we made a mistake in not preparing a family history a few years ago while we had Father with us, for his memory went easily back to the things we should so much like to know. But "vain regret", with the aid of our own and Mother's memory and a few data gathered here and there (mostly from old letters), I have done what I could on a two day notice.

Jennie A. Hogg
July 25, 1901

1903 and 1910 Addednums by Jennie Hogg.