BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, BELMONT COUNTY, OHIO

"History of the Upper Ohio Valley" Vol. II, 1890.

Presented by Linda Fluharty from hard copies provided
by Mary Staley & Phyllis Slater.


Page 631.

WILLIAM DENHAM

A notable early settler of Belmont county was William Denham, a native of
Ireland, who emigrated in 1789, setting sail from Belfast, May 15. The
receipt for £3, 8s, 3d, which he paid as passage money to Capt. Mark
Collins, of the ship, "St. James," is still preserved by his descendants.
His ship was six weeks getting within sight of land, and a storm then kept
them out from shore for three weeks longer. William proceeded to South
Carolina, where he was married to Rebecca Sargent, a native of that state.
Soon afterward they came on horseback through Kentucky to Ohio, and settled
in Belmont county. On the way one of the party became very sick and one of
his friends thereupon went out to hunt for game for food for him and hap-
pened to see an Indian. Returning to camp he reported the fact, and there
was a rapid mounting, in which, remarkably enough, the sick man was the
first in the saddle with his gun ready for battle. After their arrival in
Belmont county, John Denham, son of the above, was born, October 22, 1802.
He received the benefit of the pioneer schools, and was reared to a life
of industry. He was apt and intelligent, and, though never apprenticed to
any trade, following farming all his life, he was a natural mechanic and
framed all the buildings he erected. He was influential among his neighbors,
and at one time held the rank of captain in the Ohio militia. He died,
leaving to his heirs a valuable farm of 160 acres. His wife, Elizabeth,
to whom he was married April 22, 1830, is now the oldest living member of
the St. Clairsville United Presbyterian church. She was born in West
Virginia, April 2, 1813, the daughter of John and Elizabeth (Morrison)
Giffen. Her father was born in Scotland, 1774, and came to America with
his parents when two years of age. He and wife were in Fort Henry at the
time of the siege of 1782, when Elizabeth Zane performed her famous
exploit of carrying powder past the Indians. Mrs. Denham's mother, a 
daughter of William and Mary (Henry) Morrison, was on one occasion in
the fort when the Indians drew out all the men but one, who was too old
for battle, into an ambush, and killing them, left the women and the one
man to defend the garrison. The heroic women, of which Elizabeth Morrison
was one, by loading the guns rapidly, with the old man's assistance, managed
to repulse the savages. John Denham and wife had twelve children, of whom
eight are living: Sophia J., William, Elizabeth A., wife of Samuel Wiley;
Emily, wife of Joseph A. Hall; May, Mary R., Sarah A., wife of William Hall;
Joseph H. and Maria.