James M. Quillen

Timeline

• Census: 1850 James Quillin (25), Baldwin, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States
• Census: 1860 James Quilin (47), Washington Township, Jefferson, Pennsylvania, United States
• Census: 1880 James M Quillen (51), Scott, Fremont, Iowa, United States

Biography

He was married two, perhaps three times. He lists the 6 children of his first family on his Civil War Pension application: Frances Jane (b 1850), James Robert (b. 1853), Mary Josephine (b. 1859); Rebecca (b. 1861); Ela (as listed in Pension application); and Sheridan Gilbrith (b 1866). His wife, listed in the 1860 Census is Mary Jane. Mary Jane is listed as insane in the 1880 Census and by July 15, 189_ James said Mary Jane had died in an "insane asylum". After Mary Jane's descent into mental illness James married Sarah Matilda Fiesel. (Sarah was already the mother of 2 girls: Bessie Lulu Knell and Aurelia May Lant). James M. and Sarah had 2 daughter: Glenola Grace Quillen and Myrtle V Quillen.

The birth/death registry in Washington County listed him as a white male, age 84 and single -- Birth do not know / Occupation Gent / death Apr 22, 1900 / place Venetia / cause Brights Disease / 6 months / Interment Sheridan Allegheny Co. Apr 28, 1900 / Father Nathaniel Quillen / Mother Mary Quillen.

Was he an immigrant?

His son James reported on the 1920 census that both his father was born in Pennsylvania, while his son Sheridan reported that he was born in Ireland.

If he was an immigrant he might have been the James McQuillan, laborer, age 17, from (Artoullary?), who immigrated in 1840 to Wilmington, Delaware on the Abercorn (Immigration record).

Notice that there was a Josiah Patterson (30-40) on the 1840 census at Findlay Township, Allegheny County.

DNA

Based on DNA test results of his descendants it seems likely he had some Swedish and Finnish ancestry, probably from the New Sweden Colony in what is now Delaware.

Although there was a large McQuillin family in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, James was not a member of that family.

James does not appear on the 1840 or 1850 censuses of Pennsylvania. He was not the James Quillen on the 1850 census at Cadiz, Harrison County, Ohio. He might have been the James Quillan who was there in 1840 in Harrison County, Ohio and the James Quillen who was enumerated in 1850 at Cadiz, Harrison County, Ohio. There was a James Quillen on the 1850 census of Jefferson County, Ohio, who had married 7 December 1837 in Jefferson County to Elizabeth Clancy. There was also James Quillen on the 1840 and 1850 censuses of Boone County, Indiana.

He was almost certainly a brother of the John Quillen who appears on the 1850 census in Allegheny County.

He appears on the 1860 census in Washington Township, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania as James Quilin (47), a Laborer, with wife Mary Jane (43), and children Frances Jane (10), James R. (5), and Mary Josephine (1). The heads of neighboring family were from Ireland but the census says he was born in Pennsylvania and his wife was born in New York.

During the Civil War he served as James M. Quillen who enlisted as a Private on 19 July 1864 in Company A, 193rd Infantry Regiment Pennsylvania. Mustered out on 9 November 1864 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He served 100 days. The company "rendezvoused at Camp Howe, Pittsburg, and was mustered into the U. S. service July 19, 1864, for a 100 days' term. A few days later it left for Baltimore and was there assigned to Nagle's brigade. It was engaged during its term of enlistment in guarding the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore railroad, and on provost guard duty in and about Wilmington, Del. It was mustered out at Pittsburgh, Nov. 9, 1864."

On 5 August 1870 he received an invalid pension (Application No. 875268, Certificate No. 625651).

He does not appear on the 1870 census of Pennsylvania. I believe that he had moved west into Iowa and Missouri, probably with other Quillen relatives, although he must have later returned to Pennsylvania. The 1870 census shows a James Quillen at Center Township, Doniphan County, Kansas (p. 49), but he was not this James. His son Sheridan seems to have moved back and forth between Pennsylvania and Minnesota, so perhaps this James was in Minnesota in 1870.

He was the James M. Quillen enumerated in 1880 at Scott, Fremont County, Iowa (p. 34). That James was a common laborer, married, age 51, born (1829) in Pennsylvania to parents both born in Delaware. The 1900 census of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania shows a Myrtle V. Quillen, born July 1880 in Iowa, sister of Glenola (Quillen) Swoger. James R. Quillen (his son?) was enumerated in the same county in 1885.

He spent his later life in a military invalid home.

His Washington County death record says he was buried 28 April 1900 in Sheridan [Sheraden] Cemetery, but the Pennsylvania Veterans' Burial Cards say he was buried as James M. Quillan on 27 April 1900 at Hollywood Cemetery on Clearfield Street in Pittsburgh. The date is different but the cemeteries are the same.

Sources

• 1850 Census.
• 1860 Census.
• 1880 Census.
• Billiongraves: Jas. M. Quillen.
• Findagrave: James M. Quillen.
• 193rd Regiment Infantry.
• Updated from MyHeritage Genealogy via father Nathaniel 'Nathan' Quillen by SmartCopy: May 27 2015, 1:38:10 UTC