A Correction and a Research Clue

William and Rebecca Miller left Cecil County, Maryland and moved to Fayette County, Pennsylvania around 1782 as mentioned in yesterday's  post. That post, however, contains an error. I said:

"On August 21, 1771, a Lawrence Harrison sold 293 acres to a William Miller (our William?), though the deed was not recorded till 1788 (the land was originally owned by Lawrence's father, a man named Battle Harrison, and it appears that this might have been a land grant)." 

However, Battle Harrison is Lawrence's father and it does not appear to have been a land grant. I just found the correct information online - see below (italics added). However, this contains a great new research clue:

"Lawrence Harrison, Sr., father of Benjamin, settled near- Stewart's Crossing, now Connellsville, Fayette County, Penn., prior to Mar. 30, 1768. Lawrence owned land adjoining Col. William Crawford who settled there on the west bank of the Youghiogheny River about 1767. (Veech, pp. 90-93, 118-19)

Crawford made surveys in the vicinity of Stewart's Crossing for Benjamin, William., Battle and Lawrence, Jr., sons of Lawrence Harrison. (Veech, P. 119)

This area in Pennsylvania where the Harrisons lived was claimed for awhile by Virginia. Therefore, records of Benjamin Harrison are found in Westmoreland County, Penn., as well as in Yohogania County, Va. until boundary disputes were finally settled in September 1780."(source: http://www.frontierfolk.net/ramsha_research/benharrison.html)

I have in the past concentrated my research on Fayette County, PA, records, but indeed, it looks like a search of Westmoreland and Yohogania counties is in order.

The Youghigeny River Near Connelsville, Fayette County, Pennsylvania

William Miller--A Builder of Boats?

One of the burning questions for all William Miller researchers is whether or not he was truly involved in the business of building boats and ships. Family legends hold fast the notion that he built sloop ships on Chesapeake Bay for General George Washington during the Revolution, and that even after moving west to Fayette County, Pennsylvania, the family carried on the business of boat-building.

Once source of this legend is this page out of a Fayette County history book which talks about "the Millers" helping to build the flat bottom boats along the Yough [Youghiogheny] River which were used to transport pig iron up to Pittsburgh.

While this is likely our William, there is no proof. But circumstantial evidence certainly points that way. Land records show that a William Miller bought property right along this river--something a boat-builder would certainly do.

It is up to future researchers to find more certain proof, but for now, we cling to the thought of an ancestor involved in such a unique profession.