FUTHEY.--The Futheys are of Scotch origin. Their home in the seventeenth century was near Arbroath, in the county of Forfar, on the eastern coast of Scotland, where they owned lands bearing the same name. The family was prominent and influential, Alexander Futhey and Henry Futhey being members of the old Scottish Parliament in the reign of Charles II, while others of them filled positions of trust and honor.

Robert Futhey emigrated from Scotland to the north of Ireland in the latter part of the seventeenth century, and settled in Belfast. He had a son Robert, who between the years 1725 and 1730 came with his family to America, and settled in the southern part of Chester Co., Pa. He died soon after his arrival, leaving four children--Robert, Samuel, Margery and Henry. Robert removed to the Cumberland Valley, in that part of it now Franklin County, about the year 1770, and his descendants are numerous in Western Pennsylvania, and in some of the Western and Southern States. Henry removed to the western part of North Carolina, in the neighborhood of Charlotte, at a time when there was an extensive emigration of Scotch-Irish from Pennsylvania to that region. He has descendants in North and South Carolina. Samuel was born in 1725, and during his earlier years, after arriving in this country, resided in Londonderry Township, Chester Co. In January, 1750, he married Ruth, daughter of Samuel Steele, of New London Township. In 1763 he purchased and removed to a farm of over two hundred acres in West Fallowfield (now Highland) township, a portion of which is still occupied by some of his descendants. During the Revolution he was an ardent Whig, as, indeed, were all those of Scotch-Irish lineage. He had the reputation of being a very superior judge of horses, so much so that persons about purchasing came to him from considerable distances to obtain his judgment. He was employed by the Supreme Executive Council to purchase horses for the use of the Continental army. In the proceedings of the Council of the date of April 1, 1778, as given in the Colonial Records, is the following entry: "An order was drawn on the treasurer in favor of Stephen Cochran for the sum of two thousand pounds, to be by him paid to Samuel Futhey, of the county of Chester, to purchase horses with to mount the cavalry, agreeably to the request of the committee of Congress, now at Camp." Frequent mention is made in the proceedings of the Council of his having delivered into the Continental stables horses purchased by him for the use of the army. In August, 1777, the Council appointed persons to take an account of all the wheat, flour, grain and other stores in the county of Chester, and for the purpose of billeting and providing for the poor that might be removed out of the city of Philadelphia, and Thomas Heslep and Samuel Futhey were appointed to perform the duty for East and West Fallowfield townships. The following letter, addressed to him, and written during the Revolution, is interesting as showing the depreciated state of the paper currency in circulation:

"MR. SAMUEL FUTHEY: The mare you bought at my vendue, she stood you in £1525, and out of that you paid 3970 dollars, and there is returned to me 170 dollars counterfeits, which I have left in the hands of Mr. John Heaslet to give to you, and if you will please strike the balance you will much oblige your friend and humble servant, "TRISTHAM MOORE." He held slaves under the laws of Pennsylvania. In accordance with an act of Assembly of 1780 for the gradual abolition of slavery, he made the following return to the office of the clerk of courts of the slaves owned by him at that date, viz.:

"Samuel Futhey, of West Fallowfield, returns:

• "No. 1. A mulatto woman, named Jinn, aged twenty years, a slave for life.
• "No. 2. A mulatto girl, named Dinah, aged one year and three months, a slave for life."

He died Jan.27, 1790, and was buried in the family burial-ground at New London. As a curious item it may be added that in the appraisement of his estate his slaves were valued as follows: Jinn, at £30; Sal, at £7 10s.; and Jenny, at £5. Their order in the inventory is between the black horse and the grindstone. He left two children to rvive him--Ann, born Nov. 2, 1750, and Samuel, born Sept. 1, 1753. A son, Robert, served in the army in the Revolution, and was in the disastrous battle of Three Rivers, in Canada, in 1776. He died soon afterwards from the exposures of the serivce. Two other children, Ann and Francis, died young. Ann Futhey married Samuel Dale in January, 1769, and removed to the Buffalo Valley, near the present town of Lewisburg, Pa. Samuel Dale became a prominent and influential citizen, and was a member of the House of Representatives of Pennsylvania ten years, and of the Senate six years Their descendants, of various names, are numerous, and have filled influential positions in the State and country.

Samuel Futhey (2) had considerable taste for military affairs, and served five campaigns in the war of the Revolution, and in 1794 he was adjutant of a regiment of cavalry that marched to aid the general government in quelling what is known as the "Whiskey Insurrection" in Western Pennsylvania. He subsequently filled the office of brigade inspector for seven years, and was then and aterwards addressed as Maj. Futhey. In 1782 he married Margaret McPherson, who died in 1784, and in 1788 he married Martha Smith. He died Feb. 22, 1812, and was interred at New London.

Maj. Futhey left five children--Robert, Jane, Sarah, Samuel and John S. Robert Futhey was born Jan. 21, 1789, and resided on a part of the old homestead farm in West Fallowfield township. He served in the war of 1812-14, and was a member of the Legislature of Pennsylvania in 1841 and 1842. He married Margaret Parkinson of Carlisle, Pa. He was esteemed as a valuable citizen, and was a peacemaker in his neighborhood, and by his individual influence contributed much in abating asperities and in the settlement of many disputes, which by any other than a mild and tempeprate course would have ended in litigation. He died July 29, 1870. His surviving children are J. Smith, James L., Martha, Elizabeth, and Robert. His eldest son, J. Smith Futhey, is one of the authors of this volume, and since March 1, 1879, has been president judge of the courts of Chester County.

Samuel Futhey was born Feb. 2, 1794, and owned and occupied the old homstead. His wife was Ann Parkinson, a sister of his brother Robert's wife. He died March 29, 1855, leaving three children--Robert Agnew, Mary A., and Samuel Dale, one of whom, Robert A., as the first superintendent of public schools of Chester County, and is now cashier of the Parkesburg National Bank. John S. Futhey was born Dec. 20, 1796. He resided for many years in Wrightsville, York Co., and during his later years in West Chester, where he died Aug., 18, 1867. His wife was Juliann, a sister of the late Gen. Samuel P. Heintzelman. They left no descendants.