The Catholic population of northern Ireland had been nearly wiped out In the Wars of the Irish Rebellion during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James. In the year 1610, King James of England wanted to replace the population of northern Ireland with settlers friendlier to the British and so offered the land to his subjects – many lowland Scots took the opportunity and moved to Ulster. They were successful at farming there for many years but during the reign of Charles I, many started to migrate to America due to his attempts to convert them to Anglicism, as well as the economic prospects looking more promising.

“There is a well established tradition that seven Alexander brothers, Presbyterians from Scotland who had sojourned for a while in the north of Ireland, probably at Raphoe, co. Donegal, and Sligo, co. Sligo came to Cecil County, Maryland before moving on to Somerset. If we may judge from the circumstantial evidence remaining, then along with the brothers came two sisters: one the wife of Matthew Wallace, the other Jane who married John McKnitt.

In Somerset, at early dates, we find William, Andrew, Samuel and John Alexander, and in Cecil County James, Francis, Joseph and Samuel.”

Genealogies of Pennsylvania families from the Pennsylvania Geneological Magazine

Many Alexanders, McKnitts, and Wallaces were included in this migration. The nine Alexanders came to America on the ship Welcome in 1676 and anchored in the Delaware River offshore from the town New Castle.

“In 1676, a Scotch Irish family, with seven brothers and two sisters, by
the name of Alexander came from Donegal, Ireland. Some settled in Cecil County others further south in Somerset, Pocomoke and
in Virginia. They were farmers, weavers, tanners and blacksmiths. Several Alexanders located just south of Stricklersville Road
(now in Fairhill) as they received a 2000 acre land grant in 1717 and 1718. These land grants included the land in Franklin from the Maryland border to Stricklersville Road to Tweeds Mill on the Big Elk Creek. A petition was signed by the Alexander’s in 1722 attesting to the fact that they believed this land was in Maryland.

The Alexander family was a hardy family and had many children. Soon there was not enough land for all of them to continue to live here and through the years the family expanded to Tennessee, North Carolina and up the Susquehanna River to York and other surrounding areas.
However, many of our many-generation township residents’ ancestors more than likely were an Alexander. Alexander family members were the
founders of both Head of the Christiana Presbyterian Church on Rt. 273 in Delaware and the Rock Church on Rt. 273 in Maryland. Many of them are buried there.”

ranklintownship.us/sites/g/files/vyhlif5586/f/uploads/alexander-family.pdf

They intermarried with other Scotch-Irish families, such as the McKnitts and Wallaces.

The details are sketchy on the Alexander family. There is some controversy over the identity of the father. Some think it is the Rev. James Alexander, but most seem to think he had no children, and instead it is William Alexander, who was married to Mary Maxwell.

William (1646-1715) acquired Hunting Quarter (100 acres) in 1687 and Hogg Quarter (100 acres) at the headwaters of Wicomoco Creek. He was married to Ann Liston.

Andrew “The Farmer” 1648-1700 was married to Ann Taylor and had two children Jane and Col. Elias Alexander.

Elizabeth (1650-1692) was married to Matthew Wallace and had seven or possibly more children.

James Benjamin (1652-1740) was married to Mary Steele.

Francis “The Weaver” (1654-1733) was married to Rebecca Smith.

Samuel (1657-1733) Samuel bought lands with his sons Andrew and Francis in 1723 in the southern part of Cecil County called Sligo and Alexandria tracts, and bought a lot for the church at the same time. He was married to Mary Elizabeth Taylor and had nine children.

Mary (1660-1774) was married to John Steele and had one child.

Joseph (1660-1726) “The Tanner” married Abigail McKnitt and was the father of James Robert “The Yeoman” Alexander and several more children.

John (1660-1726) was married to Mary Barbary and had two children.

Joseph Alexander 9th, 10th, 11th great grandfather and 10th, 11th, 12th great uncle

Francis Alexander also 9th, 10th, 11th great grandfater and 10th. 11th. 12th great uncle.

The other siblings are 10th, 11th, and 12th great aunts and uncles.