Hannah Yerxa, daughter of John Yerxa and Catherine (Gerow) Yerxa, was born in 1788, the year her father purchased the grant of Frederick dePeyster near Madame Kisaway River in York County.
Hannah Yerxa married John McElroy or McIlroy. He was born about 1794. "John McIlroy, Kingsclear Parish in County of York and Hannah Yerxa, Parish of Queensbury, York County married 18 December, 1816. Witnesses: Oliver Burden and Wm. Joans (Jones)." A descendant of the McIlroy's stated that the family came from Scotland originally. "John McIlroy d. 1865, 28 Dec. aged 72 years." Anglican Church Records, Woodstock.
In the year 1821 John McIlroy along with Abraham Yerxa, Daniel Yerxa and Benjamin Yerxa all married men at the time petitioned for 1400 acres of land along the Nashwaak River in York County. However, later the McIlroy's came up to Carleton County. They were millmen.
Allan McElroy received a grant of land containing 100 acres in 1850 from Queen Victoria which comprised a large portion of present day Benton, Carleton County. (From History of Benton)
Generation Seven Jero (Gerow) McElroy (Poulus 1, Johannes 2, Johannes 3, Abraham 4, Johannes (John Yerxa) 5, Hannah McElroy 6, Jero McElroy 7)
Gerow McElroy was born in 1820 or 1821 and died in 1882. He married Margaret (surname unknown), who was born in 1822 and died in 1878. They lived in Benton, Parish of Woodstock. Benton was first known as Rankin's Mills and later the settlement was known as McAdam's Mills. Children of Gerow and Margaret McElroy were:
Gerow McElroy was a millman.
Generation Seven Archibald McElroy (Poulus 1, Johannes 2, Johannes 3, Abraham 4, Johannes (John Yerxa) 5, Hannah McElroy 6, Archibald McElroy 7)
Archibald McElroy was born June 10, 1821. On August 17, 1844, he married Rachel L. Carney, born 1823, died 1905. Buried in Benton Cemetery. Archibald was still living at the time of his wife's death. Archibald was a farmer.
Children of Archibald and Rachel (Carney) McElroy were:
Generation Seven Ward McElroy (Poulus 1, Johannes 2, Johannes 3, Abraham 4, Johannes (John Yerxa) 5, Hannah McElroy 6, Ward McElroy 7)
Ward McElroy was the son of Hannah (Yerxa) McElroy and John McElroy. He was born about 1825. Ward was a millman. He was a sickly man in 1851 and by 1861 he was deceased. Buried May 11, 1861. He married Isabell or Isabella (surname unknown). She is listed as head of the household in 1861 Census for Woodstock Parish, Carleton County. Isabella was from the United States. Methodist in religion.
Children of Ward and Isabella McElroy were:
Generation Seven Allan or Allen McElroy (Poulus 1, Johannes 2, Johannes 3, Abraham 4, Johannes (John Yerxa) 5, Hannah McElroy 6, Allan or Allen McElroy 7)
Allan McElroy was the son of Hannah (Yerxa) McElroy and John McElroy. He was born about 1828. Allan was a millman and also a farmer. He was married to Susan Ann Tripp, who was born about 1836 and died March 5, 1881 at Houlton, Maine (Anglican Church record). Her father was Peleg Tripp and mother, Elizabeth Smith. In the 1851 census, York County, her name was Susanna.
On July 16, 1798, Peleg Tripp, Sr. purchased property from Abram Good. He and his family established a home. This area, located near Keswick, became known as Tripp Settlement.
Allan McElroy began the first sawmill which was taken over by P. O. Rankin and later by Sawyer and McAdam. When the St. Andrews Railroad was being surveyed and located, the line crossed Eel River at Rankin's Mill. This was in 1857. Later, this settlement was known as McAdam's Mill. There was also a large tannery in Benton. The name Benton was first given to the village in 1872. The Carleton County part of Benton is joined with Benton, York County, by a covered bridge over the Eel River.
The finest agricultural land is on Benton Ridge near the village and between it and the St. John River. Here the pioneers established many large and fertile farms. This was known as McElroy Ridge; so it is assumed that McElroys had farms there. (Mentioned in Church records as McElroy Ridge.) The writer recalls several McElroy families on the Ridge some years ago. Currently no one resides there.
The Dominion Government established Potato Research Station on Benton Ridge which is Canada's centre for potato breeding. It is a substation of the Fredericton Research Station and contains 850 acres. This project was completed in 1975.
Children of Allan McElroy and Susan (Tripp) McElroy were:
Alice, Ella and Hannah lie in Christ Church Anglican Cemetery, Lower Woodstock, N. B.
It apears that Allan McElroy was living in Lower Woodstock in 1876, as an advertisement in a local newspaper states: "notice - I hereby give my son Havlock the remainder of his minority, and from this date will claim none of his earnings nor be responsible for any debts of his contracting." Signed, "Allan McElroy, Lr. Woodstock Feb. 28, 1876."
In 1877 old school returns there are McElroy children listed in Lr. Woodstock, District #2. The name Hannah McElroy was observed. The others were illegible.
Sometime before 1881 Allan McElroy, wife, and family moved to Houlton, Maine, where Allan was in great demand as a carpenter. His wife, Susan, died in March 1881 and daughter Frances in August 1881 at 16 years of age. So it is assumed that they both are burried in Houlton. Information from Census and Church records, cemeteries, book History of Benton and Living Descendants.
Further notes on the McElroy family are here.