Early Settlers of Beaver and Mercer Counties, PA

Credit for most history and much of the genealogy presented here goes to Cyrus Chatley who prepared and privately published The Chatley and Spear Families (1928). Cyrus in turn acknowledges the contribution of his brother, Addison Chatley, which he says "this record is largely the writing of Addison Chatley and of the things said in reference to him."

Francis Chatley and Rebecca Spear, his young wife left Londonderry, Ireland in spring 1798. They landed in Philadelphia in May 1798. He first hired out as farm labor in New Jersey. About year later the Chatleys, wanting to claim a tract of unsettled land, moved on to Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Although their original destination was Washington County, but as noted  in The Chatley and Spear Families (p.4), "they stopped to stay one night with a man by the name of Billy Miller, who had taken up 400 acres of land in Beaver Co, on Little Beaver Creek. Miller had in his employ a man who moved upon the land and was to have 100 acres for making the settlement. The man became dissatisfied and so Milled asked Francis Chatley to take the man's place and get the 100 acres; Miller also promised to furnish provisions until Chatley could raise a crop. The offer was accepted. So Miller conducted them to the place where they lived all the rest of their lives."

In the year 1830 Francis Chatley and his sons secured a 600 acre section of land in French Creek township in the N.E. Corner of Mercer County, PA, which they divided into seven lots or farms for: sons, Samuel, Andrew, John, Ahijah and daughters Betsy married to John Campbell. Jane married to Billy Andrews, and Polly with her sons Frank and Jo Steen. Ahijah never settled on his lot, but sold it to Mathew Andrews who took possession in 1853. Ahijah remained on the "old homestead" the remainder of his life.