1710 - 1778 (68 years)
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SOME NOTES REGARDING JOHN AND MARTHA MONTGOMERY, two distinct family
histories January 29, 2012
Following genealogic history of the 18th century can be quite difficult. Families of Ulster-Scots
heritage, for example, tended to travel and live in small inter-connected groups and communities.
To make it more difficult for researchers of the 21st century, they also stayed within small
boundaries of common and duplicated names for their children. In addition, in today's
technology, it is quite easy to pull up names and records of people on the internet and
inadvertently mix or cross them. This has happened frequently.
This is the case regarding two parallel families: that of John Montgomery and Martha Finley of
Pennsylvania (referred to in this note as the JMMF group) and John Montgomery and Martha
Montgomery (referred to in this note as the JMMM group) who lived their later years in North
Carolina. They are two distinct, but related, family groups; but since their histories are quite
similar, have often either been mixed up or mistakenly combined as one family group. This note
will attempt to help identify the differences, and clarify which ones are which.
The easiest way to understand these two parallel families is by reviewing their respective
children and the subsequent lives of those children. While both families chose to name their
children with similar patterns, it is fairly clear that each group of children lived different lives.
John Montgomery and Martha Finley (JMMF), after arriving from Northern Ireland, lived out
their lives in Pennsylvania. The majority of information regarding their lives (and their
children's lives) comes from Pennsylvania. John and Martha Montgomery (JMMM), it is
believed, lived in Pennsylvania (but the complete dates not fully determined) from about 1735
until about 1770. At that time they and all their children's families (except for one daughter)
moved south to Mecklenburg, NC. They settled near Charlotte, bought land and lived out the
remainder of their lives in that area. The majority of what is known about the JMMM group
(and their children's lives) comes from North Carolina.
The daughter of the JMMM Montgomerys, Agnes Nancy Montgomery, stayed in Pennsylvania
when the rest of her family moved south. She married Robert Montgomery (about 1771), son of
the JMMF Montgomerys, and lived out her years with him in Pennsylvania. Thus the JMMFs
and the JMMMs became in-law families to each other about the same time as the move to NC
was put together. The other biggest piece of evidence regarding these separate in-law families
comes from a set of 4 letters written by Martha (JMMM) Montgomery and three of her children
in 1797 and 1799 from NC. Martha (JMMM) Montgomery's grandson Robert was traveling
from Mecklenburg to Harrisburg, and the southern relatives took advantage of his trip(s) to send
those letters to their northern relatives. Grandson Robert's journeys are also described in a
sketch written by him about 1832. These letters help demonstrate that there were two
independent family groups communicating with each other, and transcription copies are in the
hands of many of their descendants.
Current Y-DNA analysis of tested particpant male descendants of both of these groups seem to
indicate it is quite possible that John Montgomery (JMMF) and John Montgomery (JMMM) are
related to each other in some way, perhaps even as close at 1st or 2nd cousins. However at this
point in time, historical evidence of what that relationship is or who the related ancestors might
be has not come to light. It is not yet known who the fathers or grandfathers of each of these
John Montgomerys might be. It is also believed in family tradition that Martha Montgomery
(JMMM) is also a Montgomery daughter of her own maiden surname, and thus she may be a
Montgomery cousin to her husband or to the JMMF John Montgomery as well. No knowledge
has been currently found to determine who Martha Montgomery's parents might have been, so it
remains unclear exactly how and if her ancestors are related to the Montgomery family.
The children of John Montgomery and Martha Finley (JMMF) of Pennsylvania are as follows:
1. Agnes Nancy Montgomery. She was born in NI in 1726 and came over on the boat with her
family to PA. She is the eldest of all the children of either family, and probably about twenty-
five years older than her counterpart Agnes Nancy Montgomery (JMMM). Interestingly enough,
to confuse matters more, after she married Alexander McCorkle, she moved to NC and lived not
too far from the JMMM Montgomerys while the rest of her family remained in PA.
2. Joseph Montgomery (b. 1733, PA, very shortly after his parents arrived from NI). The most
famous of all the children in these groups, he lead a distinguished life as a preacher, teacher, and
delegate to the Constitutional Convention. When looking for information on children of these
families, this man is the one most often found and much detailed. He married Elizabeth Reed
and Rachel Rush.
He is the well-known Rev Joseph Montgomery. His counterpart is virtually unknown and was
not likely a church officer.
3. John Montgomery - very, very little is known about this John Montgomery. There is some
tradition that he may have died in Blount, TN, about 1795, but there is no known factual
information on this. His counterpart John Montgomery (JMMM) of NC is fairly well
documented as a land owner in Mecklenburg.
4. Robert Montgomery - married Agnes Nancy Montgomery from the JMMM group. Both he
and his counterpart from Meckelnburg served in the Revolutionary war, and service records for
each are available to show the differences in their lives. This Robert was also fairly active in
community activities around Harrisburg - church records, jury duty, and serving as an area tax
collector. Their children intermarried with a number of well-established area families.
5. Elizabeth Montgomery (b. abt 1754 PA, married Robert Strain). Lived in Pennsylvania, died
in Ohio
6. William Montgomery (b. abt 1755 PA, married Ann Reid). Lived in Pennsylvania.
The children of John Montgomery and Martha Montgomery (JMMM) most recently of North
Carolina are as follows:
These children (except Agnes Nancy who was already well-provided by her husband in PA) are
listed in the will of their father John Montgomery who died in 1778 in Mecklenburg, NC
1. James Montgomery (b. 1745 PA) He and his wife died about 1793 in Mecklenburg as fairly
young adults, leaving minor children. There are court records showing how his brothers handled
his estate papers (they died intestate) and provided for the care of their children.
2. Joseph Montgomery (b. 1736, PA). Some time after collecting his share of his father's estate
in NC in 1778, he headed west to Kentucky as an Indian fighter. Nothing further is known of
him. He is often confused with his more famous counterpart Joseph Montgomery (# 2 JMMF).
3. John Montgomery (b. 1737 PA). Owned land in Charlotte and south towards Lancaster, SC.
His later years are not known, but his children were born in Lancaster, SC. It is believed that
after he sold is NC land in 1806 he headed west to Blount, TN. His children are believed to
have gone from TN to Alabama and then to Texas.
4. Martha Montgomery (b. abt 1740 PA) married Robert Robison of Mecklenburg, NC.
Their children inter-married with a number of well-established Mecklenburg families.
5. Robert Montgomery. (b, abt 1740 PA). Also owned land in the Charlotte and south-of-
Charlotte areas.
6. Rebecca Montgomery (b. abt 1742 PA). Married William Orr of Meckelnburg, NC.
7. Elizabeth Montgomnery (b. abt 1744 PA). Married William Houston. They moved west to
Kentucky, nothing further is known. This is described in one of Martha's 1797 letters, which
distinguishes her from Elizabeth Montgomery (# 5 JMMF).
8 Agnes Nancy Montgomery (b. abt 1750 PA). Married Robert Montgomery from the JMMF
group and remained in PA with him.
9. David Thomas Montgomery (b. abt 1754 PA). Served in the Revolutionary war from NC.
Bought land in Burke, NC, and settled there.
Based on the ages of the two groups of children, it is reasonable to believe the John and Martha
Montgomery (JMMM) were probably about ten years younger than their Pennsylvania counter-
parts John and Martha Finley Montgomery (JMMF).
Keith R Montgomery
AlbanyMusician@montyhistnotes.com
Montgomery, John (1710-1778)
Notes discussing John Montgomery/Martha Montgomery
versus John Montgomery/Martha Finley
and their relationship
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