Source: HISTORY OF THE PAN-HANDLE WEST VIRGINIA 1879
Page 349

     Brief sketch of the Hervey family, of Brooke county, West Virginia by Rev. David Hervey, (now June 1879) in the Eighty- fifth years of his age)

     The Hervey family is of Scotch origin. The members of it, from time, immemorial, have been Presbyterian., in their religious belief and church connection. At the time of the religious persecution in Scotland the family ancestors emigrated to the north of Ireland and settled in the county of Monahan. Here Henry Hervey, (the father of Rev. David Hervey, of Brooke county) was born in 1740.

     At the age of thirty, he, in company with his cousin, William Hervey, came over to this country landing at Philadelphia in April 1770. Thence two years later, in 1772, they came west of the Allegheny mountains.

     William Hervey settled in Washington county, PA. and Henry Hervey in Brooke county, Virginia. Henry Hervey forthwith entered his claim by settlement to the farm upon which his son Rev. D Hervey now resides, located in Brooke county, about midway between the Ohio river and the Pennsylvania line. This farm was then, and for several years after, the frontier farm of the settlement. It is moreover believed to be the only farm in the county still owned and occupied by the children of the original settlers. It has been in the continuous ownership of the father and son for 107 years.

     Henry Hervey was married in 1776 to Margaret Hutcheson. She came over in company with her half brother, William Young, emigrating from near Belfast, Ireland. At the time of their marriage, from the best data at hand, he was thirty-six years old, and she twenty-two.

     Both were active and continuous co-workers in the organization and subsequent support of Lower Buffalo Presbyterian church, of which they were members, and in which he as at one time elected ruling elder, but with characteristic modesty declined to serve.

     Locating here in the troublous times of the revolution, they were exposed to frequent alarms from fear of the Indians who often passed through this section. For mutual protection, the settlers built fort "wells" situated near the site of the old Lower Buffalo church, and about three miles east of the farm on which Mr. Hervey resided. During the six or seven summers after their marriage, Mrs. Hervey lodged with others in the "fort" while her husband armed for defense, would go out on Monday morning to his work on the farm, remain during the week and return on Saturday evening and spend the Sabbath with his family in the fort. And so it came about that some of the children were born in the fort. Their family consisted of nine children, five sons and four daughters, viz: William, Jane, James, Mary, John, Isabel, David, Margaret and Henry.

     The father and mother - the revered head of the family - lived together for twenty-nine years on the farm that their industry had made productive, and were mutually blessed in each others society, when, in 1805, Henry Hervey, the father and husband, died after a short illness at the age of sixty-five, and was buried in Lower Buffalo graveyard. The mother, thus left in sole responsibility as the head of a large family, by her great executive ability, by her constant and even gladsome devotion to duty, by the depth and strength of her character, and by her life controlling integrity and piety, raised a family distinguished for usefulness, intelligence and activity in the community and in the church.

     Of her descendents, three of the first three of the second and three of the third generation became ministers, a much larger number were elected to the office of ruling elder, and all, so far as known, who arrived at the age of maturity became consistent professing Christians.

     WILLIAM HERVEY: the oldest of the family of nine children, settled in Jefferson county, Ohio and spent the greater part of his life in that state, but eventually returned to West Virginia and located in Ohio county where he dies in 1844, ages sixty-five years.

     JANE HERVEY: the second child, married Andrew Eagleson, and settled in Ohio, living for the most part in Harrison county, in the bounds of Beech Spring church.

     REV. JAMES HERVEY, D.D. the third child, graduated from Jefferson College in 1810- was licensed to preach in 1812 - and th same year was installed pastor of the church of the Forks of Wheeling, in Ohio county, WVa. In accordance with the wish of the increasing membership of the church at the Forks of Wheeling, the last years of his ministry were spent wholly in that congregation, to which he continued to peach until his death in 1858 aged 88 years.

     MARY AND JOHN died single and early in life, aged respectively twenty-three and twenty -four years.

     ISABEL HERVEY married James Black, of Harrison county, Oh. She was the mother of three sons and one daughter. The daughter lives in East Virginia.

     REV. DAVID HERVEY the seventh child, was born on the homestead October 29, 1794., and is consequently in his eighty- fifth year. He is the only living member of the family and resided on the old home farm, which has been continuously in the ownership of his father and himself ever since the land was taken up by his father. He graduated at Jefferson College in 1825, was licensed by the Presbytery of Washington in 1827, installed and ordained pastor of Mount Prospect church, Washington county.

     MARGARET HERVEY the eighth child - married James Allison of Jefferson county, Ohio. She died early in life, but left descendents who do her honor.

     REV. HENRY HERVEY D.D. the youngest son of the family, was born 1798, graduated at Jefferson College in 1825; was licensed to preach in 1827, and ordained and installed pastor of the church at Martinsburg, Ohio in 1830. He died in 1872 v(Please note. The book has a much longer bio. of this family. You can stop at the library for further details.) >