The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-04-29
THE COMPTON FAMILY
Comparatively Few Left of a Once
Large Connection.


Mr.. Jacob Brown, of Cumberland,
wrote the following communication for
this paper on April 18th, week after
the eighty-ffth anniversary of his birth,
which was fittingly celebrated by the
members of the Allegany County Bar
Association on Wednesday, the 18th
inst, full account of the celebration
appearing in another column of THE
REPUBLICAN to-day. Mr.. Browns re-
markable memory, his cleaness of
vision and the cleverness with which he
uses the pen indicates that he is still
remarkably preserved man both in
mind and body. That this is true of
our highly esteemed correspondent will
be patent to all who read the following
lines penned by his own hand, being his
toryof the Compton Family, at one time
a family of large connection and of con-
siderable influence in the Grantsville
region, but now none remaining there
and few elsewhere Mr. Brown, in dis
cussing this family, says:
! To the Editor of The Republican:
( 1t has been quite while since have
written up any of the good old families
of Garrett county. 1t has been sug
gested that the Compton family would
be suitable subject for paper of the
kind
Robert Compton was the ancestor of
the family in this region, having been
born in 1867 in New Jersey. He claimed
that he was a messenger for Washing
ton during the War of the Revolution.
By trade he was tailor. He was mar
ried to Lydia Brown in New Jersey and
died in Grantsville in the year 1856, and
his wife died in Somerset county, Pa,
in 1847.
Some years afCer starting in life
Robert moved to Berlin, Somerset coun-
ty, Pa, where he went into business,
following his trade that of tailoring,
where he brought up a family of twelve
children, all of whom, except one, are
dead. The members of the family be-
came scattered, only three passed away
in the nome county Somerset. The
surviving members drifted over into
Maryland.
The faithful old family bible record
shows the names of the children with
the dates and places of their births as
follows:
Archie, born in New Jersey in 1902
and was married but had no children;
died number of years age.
Phineas, born in NevsJersey in 1904;
died July a. 1858; his wife was Alkaline
Glotfelty. They had three children
Samuel, Lucretia, wife of Isaiah
Boucher, both dead, and Lydia, wife OF
DR.. H. Stewart.
Eliza H., born in 1907; she became
the wife of Daniel burst; both dead a
number of years ago; left many children,
many of them now dead, but some still
living One of of the deceased sons
was Elisha, tax collector of old Allegany
county.
Sallie A. Compton was born in 1909.
She was the wife of Joseph Glotfelty, a
prominent citizen of the county He
died in 1864 and she in 1863 DIR. E. H.
Glotfelty, of Accident, was son; once
a member of the Maryland Legislature.
The oldest daughter, Lydia, was the
wife of Perry Shultz, sheriff of ALE.
gany county in 1858; both dead many
years ago. Another daughter is Mar.
tina, wife of w. H. Swauger, lumber
manufacturer, of Garrett county. She
is in her middle sixties; bright and in
telligent, and can write matter fit fol
the type. She had helping hand in
getting up this account of her family.
Catherine was born in 1871; wife Of
; John Davis; both died in Somerset coun.
ty many years since,
David Compton. the last of the Jersey
births, was born July 8, 1914, and dice
in 1866 from an accident due to the
breaking of a threshing machine. He
was blacksmith but later became &
prosperous farmer. His wife was Eliz.
abeth Brown, sister of the writer. allow
me to say. She died in 1895. The pro.
duct of this happy union was five sons
and one daughte,, Armada, who is still