William was born to parents John and Jannet, likely in Northern Ireland in the Ulster colony. We believe the Allison family first settled in Donegal Township. Allisons appear to have been active members of the East Donegal Presbyterian Church. It is likely that members of this congregation emigrated from Northern Ireland's Ulster together to try their luck in the American colony.
William Allison is visible in Chester County Pennsylvania at Donegal Township on the land patent map. His acreage was on the east shore of the Susquehanna River. The survey date for his land is 1735. Robert Allison and Richard Allison also held acreage on this map. Reverend James Anderson owned the land next to William. James Anderson was the pastor of the East Donegal Presbyterian Church. His name appears on William's father, John Allison's will. In turn, William was a witness to the Reverend James' last will and testament dated 1740.
William Allison married Catherine Craig around 1737. He was 41 and his bride was in her twenties. They had six surviving children: John, Patrick, Agnes, Robert, William, Catherine born between 1738 and 1751.
John Allison, who we believe to be William’s father, died in Chester County in 1729 and is visible on the Donegal tax rolls. When father John Allison died he left his sons his land and its "improvements". There was a dwelling house, a woolen house, horses, cows, and sheep. He also left a list of tasks for his boys: build a second house, dig a well…. It is clear from his will that everything that needed doing on the Pennsylvania frontier was done by hand.
Farming was intense, backbreaking work. It took months to clear an acre of trees to create farmland. It is surprising that with so many months of intense work invested to build a farm how frequently settlers picked up and moved on. Land deed records give us evidence that the Allisons moved west. In 1750 William Allison warranted 100 acres in Antrim Township, Franklin County.
Antrim had a front row seat to the turmoil of the French and Indian war. The Scots Irish settlers on the edge of civilization in Pennsylvania colony were caught between the French and Indian alliance to push back the British colonists on the east coast of America. It was a bloody time. Till then relations with the Indians had been fairly peaceable. The Penns bought lands from Native Americans and held to their treaties. The climate shifted when France and England went to war and challenged each other for control of the colonial lands in North America. Suddenly settlers were attacked. Kidnapped. Scalped. Women and children were traded as slaves. The colonials created garrison buildings to which they could flee to in times of attack. Fort Allison may be one of these garrisons. We have no details of exactly how the Allisons weathered the Indian troubles. We do know they survived. During this time William Allison was Justice of the Peace for Cumberland County 1749 and 1750.
William prospered, owning more property at his death than he inherited. His will lists hundreds of acres in Antrim Township, a house, cattle, silver, a distillery and slaves. Like his father, and perhaps all Presbyterian elders, he had very specific plans for the property he left behind and how his children and wife were to manage it.
William lived into his eighties and survived long enough to see the signing of the Declaration of Independence and to watch his sons go to war to defend their rights during the American Revolution.
His eldest son John became Colonel John Allison in the Revolutionary war and founder of the town of Greencastle, Pennsylvania; son Patrick became Dr. Reverend Patrick Allison, the first pastor of the first Presbyterian church of Baltimore. Daughter Agnes married. Son William inherited the family farm. He is our 4th grandfather.
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