William McCord

WILLIAM "OF THE FORT" MCCORD was born Bet. 1715 - 1716 in Ireland, and died Bet. 1756 - 1759 in Franklin Co., PA. He married MARY IRWIN. She was born Bet. 1715 - 1716, and died Bet. April 1756 - 1758 in PA. William and his brothers built Ft. McCord in PA in 1756 to defend the settlers against the Indian attacks. William (of the fort) and his brother, David (of Derry) both held original land patents fot their lands granted by the sons of William Penn in the early 1750's. It was attacked by a band of Deleware Indians, led by Shingas, Chief of the Turtle Clan, of the Deleware Tribe, and everyone there was either captured or killed, and the fort burned to the ground on 4/1/1756. The account of the massacre is recorded in an early colonial newspaper," The Maryland Gazette", of 4/15/1756. It is thought that William, along with two of his brothers, was away from the fort at the time of the massacre. He didn't die until later,possibly from wounds recieved in this massacre, or possibly during one of the follow-up engagements, as his estate was administered in the Cumberland Co., PA court in 1759. Recently discovered records suggest he may have been residing in York Co., PA at the time of his death, possibly with William and Jane McLeary. Source: Michael McCord's Book, "The McCord Saga."