My Genealogy Hound

JAMES SHARP (deceased) was born in Franklin county, Pa., in 1784, of Scotch-Irish descent, the youngest of the three children born to Matthew and Eliza (Lindsay) Sharp. As early as 1794, or when James was but ten years old, he left home in Franklin county, and came to Pittsburgh, where for many years he lived with his half-sister, Mrs. Hancock. In 1826 he purchased nearly a thousand acres of land, in two tracts, on the Allegheny river, originally the property of Gen. Wilkes. Not until the building of a canal through this tract of land did Mr. Sharp conceive the idea of building a town, for the land was valuable, part being a beautiful sugar-camp and the balance well adapted to farming. With an enterprising spirit, however, he commenced to build the town which is now honored by his name. He was liberal, and the ground-space on which nearly all the churches and schools in the borough are located was given through his generosity. He built and paid for the first two schoolhouses erected in the borough, and paid the salaries of the teachers. He married Isabella L. Stockman, a kind and noble lady of great energy and perseverance, a daughter of Nathan Stockman and granddaughter of Rev. John Roan, a very prominent minister of Harrisburg, Pa. Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Sharp, of whom only Mrs. Eliza Lindsay Clark now remains. These children were named as follows: James S., who died at Cannonsburg Pa., the bright particular star of the family Mary Roan (Mrs. Lloyd), Annie (who died in infancy), Jane B., John Roan Stockman, a promising young man of high character and intellect, who died in his twenty-second year, at Cannonsburg, Pa., while in his junior year at Jefferson College, and of whom Prof. Orr said, “To a clear and vigorous intellect he united a fine imagination and elegant taste,” and Mrs. Clark. The last mentioned, an intelligent and refined lady, resides at the homestead, and looks with pride on the old home and the great achievements of her kind and noble father. Mr. Sharp died in 1861, and his widow in 1873, aged seventy-five years. The family are all members of the Presbyterian Church.