Biographies - Elmira Township

William Moffitt, son of David and Elizabeth (Nicholl) Moffitt, natives of Antrim county, Ireland, was born in that county and died here in April, 1879, aged fifty-five years. William Moffitt received a liberal education in his native country, and coming to the United States in 1845, worked at the weaver's trade in Philadelphia until 1854 when he moved west to Elmira, where his brother-in-law, William McBride, had hitherto settled and carried on a blacksmith shop. Here he learned the trade, worked a few years for McBride, and established his own shop in the "Oliver settlement." In a short time after he established a carpet-weaving factory, bringing a loom from Philadelphia. Both industries he carried on up to the time of his death.

Before leaving Ireland he promised to marry Ann Jane Leech, and from his first earnings in Philadelphia he sent her money to come over. Like a true girl she responded and on the day of her arrival in Philadelphia they were married in 1848. The lady died in 1866, and is buried in the Elmira cemetery. Both of them were rare lovers of literature, the old gentleman being thoroughly conversant with all the leading writers, and a supporter of fifty-two weekly newspapers.

William Moffitt's parents came to Philadelphia in 1848 with a young family. Some time later they moved to Henry county, Ill., purchased a farm near Weathersfield where the father died in 1854. The mother is still a resident of Kewanee, residing with her daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth, wife of John Moffitt.

Of William Moffitt's children, six are living, namely, John L., a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church in Colorado; George W., a resident of Stark county, referred to in local history; Margaret L., wife of Fred Fleming, of Toulon township; Eleanor L., wife of George Critzman, of Kewanee, and Anne J., wife of Jesse Fleming, a farmer of Elmira.

The great-great-grandfather was James Moffitt, who was the father of five children, James, born in 1789, David, Jane, William and John. William came to Philadelphia in 1831, James in 1840, and David in 1845. Jane and her family settled in Australia early in the forties.

David and his family moved from Philadelphia to Illinois; John went first to Scotland, but ultimately came to the United States. Robert Nichol, David Moffitt's father-in-law, was a soldier in the British army, was in Jamaica fifty years ago, and it is supposed that some of his children are still there. Many of the grandchildren of those Moffitt's are today scattered throughout the country, but the greater number of their children have crossed the unknown ocean.