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George M. McCullough, (Son of William McCullough), was born June 17, 1780. He died Sept. 25, 1867. He married Janet Thompson in January of 1805. He was born in Ireland but moved to Chester Co. South Carolina by 1809. There the couple had a daughter named, Sarah (Sally) J. McCullough. He died at College Springs, Page Co., IA. He is buried in Grove Cemetery, west of College Springs, Iowa. It is also known as the "Old" College Springs Cemetery. Shortly after 1830 George moved from Chester SC.. The 1830 census of Chester Co., SC. list George as still living there in that 1830 census. The letter George wrote in 1860 explains that he lived in Chester Co., SC. for 23 or 24 years after 1807-8; so this would indicate he left SC. around 1831-32. Also known, is the fact that by 1839 George was living in Southern Indiana, because one of his daughters, Sarah Jane McCullough, married Thomas G. Ulmer in 1839, in Scott Co., Indiana (formally Clark Co., Indiana area). One of George's other children, George McCullough Jr., was living in Preble Co., Ohio by the year 1850. That George married Sarah Ann McKee, who was born in Todd Co., Kentucky in 1827.
The "M", George's middle initial, may have stood for
"McKee". Many farther down the family line middle names are
found to be "McKee". The McKee family has family-ties
farther back into South Carolina, and even Ireland, to this
McCullough family. The son of George M. McCullough Sr., George
McCullough Jr., moved to College Springs, Iowa area, along with some
other family members of his father's party of 1858. About a year
later, 1859, Sarah and her husband Thomas G. Ulmer, who had moved to
Clark Co., Illinois from Indiana in 1852, moved within 20 miles of
her father and brother. Thomas G. and Sarah Ulmer moved to White
Cloud, MO. (you can read more about the area, and how it was for
these families when they moved to Iowa and Nodaway Co., MO., by
clicking Back to George McCullough, born 1780; For George McCullough and his wife, Janet, it must have been a scary and yet wonderful time for them, when they left Ireland and came to a new country. Not only a country new to them, but new to the world. The United States had declared itself as an independent nation about 30 years before they came to it. The country was still struggling to be recognized as an independent nation when George and Janet arrived in America in May of 1807. Although the United States had become an independent country, it still had not established itself with the other world powers. Not long after, the War of 1812 began. This country was just in the beginning of it’s existence and it was a time when people were still sold as slaves. I do not know if our family did or did not have slaves. But some of the family records indicate that George was very much opposed to slavery and moved north to Scott County, Indiana in 1830. He wished to be in a free state. Janet (Thompson) McCullough, was born Aug. 5, 1785 in Antrim County, Ireland. She died Mar. 13, 1859. She is buried in the Grove Cemetery, west of College Springs, Iowa. Janet died the same year that she and George made the move from Indiana to Iowa. She was the daughter of John Thompson and Margaret Clark, of whom I have no dates or information on at this time.
George and Janet McCullough had twelve (12) children. I have
placed that information on a separate page for easy printing of the
list. For the list of children click
George wrote a letter to his son, James, in 1860. The letter
still exist. A transcript of that letter is posted on a separate
page. It is interesting to read. He wrote some about his life and
also wrote about the trip from Ireland and a bad storm that they went
through while at sea. To read the transcript click George McCullough lived 87 years. He was 78 (3 months short of 79 ) when Jennet, his wife died. Then the Civil War tore the country apart. One can only wonder how he must have been concerned for his children, their well-being, and way of life as the war dragged on, not knowing how the war would affect him and his children, surely he must have been worried. It was in the last few years of George's life that President Abraham Lincoln made his now famous “Gettysburg Address” and also was assassinated. George did live long enough to see the end of that terrible war, he died in 1867. If you read the letter he wrote to his son and family, and realize the hardships and sorrows that the Civil War caused, you can not help from being respectful and proud of this ancestor. While studying George McCullough, I realize, that here was a man that was born in a country that was struggling with starvation, oppression, religion and political conflicts, and many other problems that we today do not relate to, or have to face on a daily basis. The opportunities Ireland offered were slim. The land that his father had left him and his brother was not large enough to support both his brother's family and his. George had the courage to leave Ireland and come to America. But America, at that time, had people who thought little more of the Irish than they did of the poor black man. The ship George sailed to America on was suppose to arrive in New York. A hurricane blew them off course and they landed in Bermuda. The British were heavy into the slave trade at that time and used Bermuda as a slave holding area. There George witness more discrimination and inhumane treatment of his fellow man. George was drafted into the British Army. However, after about 10 weeks he and his family was able to leave Bermuda. They continued their trip to America and later arrived in Charleston, South Carolina. There slavery was a way of life and I believe George was disheartened about what he saw. After living in South Carolina for over 20 years, he later moved north. I think his dislike of slavery played a large part in his decision to move north, both in his move to Indiana and later to Iowa. His move to Iowa was just before the Civil War started. He was not a wandering man, but rather a man who strived to improve his and his family's lives. He was willing to brave the unknown to make things better for those he loved. Our ancestor, Thomas G. Ulmer, could not have found a better man's daughter to marry. We who are descendants of Thomas G. Ulmer should all be proud that we are also descendants of George and his daughter, Sarah McCullough.
A photo of George and Janet's headstone is available here
One of the daughters of George McCullough married into the
Murphy family. There is a biography that was written by their
granddaughter about them. It allows more insight into the times and
lives of the family. If you would like to read it click Another of the daughters (Sarah) married an Ulmer.
Sarah (Sally) J. McCullough, (daughter of
George and Janet McCullough) is the next direct link in the
McCullough family to this Ulmer family. Sarah J. McCullough
married Thomas G. Ulmer and is one of our
grandmothers and our direct blood-link from William McCullough.
Information about her is listed on Many people miss the importance of knowing about the McCullough family. All of us that are descendants of Thomas G. Ulmer and Sarah J. McCullough are also the descendants of William McCullough (1735). He, just like George Werner Ulmer (circa-1716), is also a blood related grandfather of us. We that are descendants of Sarah McCullough, are just as much McCullough as we are Ulmer. Note: The spelling of Janet's name may have been Jennett. However, George had it spelled "Janet" on her headstone so I also will spell it as he did. |
