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Fife Family Genealogy
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William Fife (1751-1808) and his wife, Margaret Boyd Fife (1763-1849), and many of their children and descendents are buried in the historic section of the Bethel Church Cemetery, Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. William, Margaret and their 19-year-old son, Samuel, are interred, side-by-side, beneath flat stone slabs whose inscriptions have become so worn and weathered as to be almost indistinguishable.

The Bethel Cemetery Corporation advised in December 1997 that: " . . . as the markers deteriorate in the oldest section one of the cemetery, these locations will be lost. Records of unmarked graves are not known and no burials are made in section one." A number of relatives believe strongly that the community and the descendents of William and Margaret Fife should be aware of, and respect, the contributions of William, an ancestor who served on the Continental Line in the war for independence, who volunteered as a frontier militiaman, and whose leadership, during his lifetime, was recognized by his command and his neighbors.

For the above reasons, Bob Fife and other relatives were pleased to fund a bronze replacement marker that was installed on William's grave site in 1998. Click on the photo to enlarge the inscrption.

It's regrettable that proper recognition of the true "Captain Billy" was delayed for so many years. Refer to the section, Evidence Vs Family Myths.

Published writings of the Bethel Presbyterian Church discuss, for example, the 1804-1805 division of St. Clair Township and the role of William Fife Sr. who had, of course, died 10 years earlier. It was his nephew, William, the son of John Fife who was an 1803 Trustee of the Bethel Church, not William Sr. And John Fife, "The Pioneer", served in his son's militia company, not with brother William as written in church history. We hope this research can help to eliminate the confusion.

Margaret Gilfillan authored an excellent pamphlet in 1955 relating to ancestors, Alexander Gillfillan and Martha Boyd Gilfillan. Mrs.Gilfilland correctly writes that Alexander and William Fife were brothers-in-law, and had married sisters Margaret and Martha Boyd. She confirms our research that Alexander served as a private 5th Class in the Company of Captain William Fife, his brother-in-law, who commanded theSecond Battalion, Washington County Militia, 06/14/1782.

William Fife, Senior was the brother of John Fife, "The Pioneer". Descendents estimated his year of birth to be 1720. LDS records indicate that a William Fife was baptized in Scotland on 4 June 1718, listing the father and mother as Andrew Fife and Ann Livingston Fife. This suggests the parents of brothers John and William were born in Scotland in about 1690.

William Sr. was living in the Philadelphia area in 1769. In 1776, he acquired a patent called "Fifer's Delight", a 386-acre tract of land adjacent to his brother John's homestead. His descendents and some publications of the Bethel Presbyterian Church incorrectly attribute military service to William Sr., confusing him with his nephew, William, son of John "The Pioneer".

William Sr. was 76 years old when he died. His will was probated on 11/29/1794. The pictured marker is a memorial installed by descendents at the Bethel Church. The inscription unfortunatel perpetuates the myth about "Captain Billy". It's likely that William Sr. and his wife, Jane, were buried elsewhere.

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Fife Family Genealogy
*Click Photo To Enlarge - - Then Click Browser "Back"*
	William Fife (1751-1808) and his wife, Margaret Boyd Fife (1763-1849), and many of their children and descendents are buried in the historic section of the Bethel Church Cemetery, Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. William, Margaret and their 19-year-old son, Samuel, are interred, side-by-side, beneath flat stone slabs whose inscriptions have become so worn and weathered as to be almost indistinguishable. The Bethel Cemetery Corporation advised in December 1997 that: " . . . as the markers deteriorate in the oldest section one of the cemetery, these locations will be lost. Records of unmarked graves are not known and no burials are made in section one." A number of relatives believe strongly that the community and the descendents of William and Margaret Fife should be aware of, and respect, the contributions of William, an ancestor who served on the Continental Line in the war for independence, who volunteered as a frontier militiaman, and whose leadership, during his lifetime, was recognized by his command and his neighbors. For the above reasons, Bob Fife and other relatives were pleased to fund a bronze replacement marker that was installed on William's grave site in 1998. Click on the photo to enlarge the inscrption. It's regrettable that proper recognition of the true "Captain Billy" was delayed for so many years. Refer to the section, Evidence Vs Family Myths. Published writings of the Bethel Presbyterian Church discuss, for example, the 1804-1805 division of St. Clair Township and the role of William Fife Sr. who had, of course, died 10 years earlier. It was his nephew, William, the son of John Fife who was an 1803 Trustee of the Bethel Church, not William Sr. And John Fife, "The Pioneer", served in his son's militia company, not with brother William as written in church history. We hope this research can help to eliminate the confusion. Margaret Gilfillan authored an excellent pamphlet in 1955 relating to ancestors, Alexander Gillfillan and Martha Boyd Gilfillan. Mrs.Gilfilland correctly writes that Alexander and William Fife were brothers-in-law, and had married sisters Margaret and Martha Boyd. She confirms our research that Alexander served as a private 5th Class in the Company of Captain William Fife, his brother-in-law, who commanded theSecond Battalion, Washington County Militia, 06/14/1782. William Fife, Senior was the brother of John Fife, "The Pioneer". Descendents estimated his year of birth to be 1720. LDS records indicate that a William Fife was baptized in Scotland on 4 June 1718, listing the father and mother as Andrew Fife and Ann Livingston Fife. This suggests the parents of brothers John and William were born in Scotland in about 1690. William Sr. was living in the Philadelphia area in 1769. In 1776, he acquired a patent called "Fifer's Delight", a 386-acre tract of land adjacent to his brother John's homestead. His descendents and some publications of the Bethel Presbyterian Church incorrectly attribute military service to William Sr., confusing him with his nephew, William, son of John "The Pioneer". William Sr. was 76 years old when he died. His will was probated on 11/29/1794. The pictured marker is a memorial installed by descendents at the Bethel Church. The inscription unfortunatel perpetuates the myth about "Captain Billy". It's likely that William Sr. and his wife, Jane, were buried elsewhere.

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