STUART SPEER EMIGRATED WEST AND LOCATED ON THE OLD WHEELING ROAD IN GUERNSEY COUNTY, OHIO IN ABOUT THE YEAR 1800. HE CLEARED A SMALL AMOUNT OF LAND, AND IN 1801 HE RETURNED WITH HIS BROTHER ,JOHN, AND SETTLED ON THE WHEELING ROAD, FOUR MILES WEST OF CAMBRIDGE. IN 1806 HE MARRIED JANE McCLEAN SCOTT. THEY OPENED A TAVERN, IN ABOUT 1808, FOR THE ACCOMMODATION OF THE TRAVELING PUBLIC. HE SERVED, AMONG OTHER THINGS PURE UNADULTERATED WHISKY AND BRANDY FROM THE NEARBY DISTILLERY. THE HOUSE THEY BUILT STILL STANDS ON A HILL OVERLOOKING THE NATIONAL ROAD, AT CASSEL STATION, BY THE OLD “S” BRIDGE, WEST OF CAMBRIDGE.
STUART WAS VERY BUSY AND INVOLVED. HE WAS A FIRST LIEUTENANT DURING THE WAR OF 1812 OF CAPTAIN SIMON BEYMER’S COMPANY. HE WAS AN ASSOCIATE JUDGE FROM 1829-34. HE BUILT AND OPERATED THE FIRST SAW AND GRIST MILL OF THE AREA IN 1820. ALSO, JANE HOME SCHOOLED THEIR CHILDREN. STUART AND JANE HAD EIGHT CHILDREN. 5 BOYS AND 3 GIRLS. ON 26 MARCH THE WILL OF PRESENTED TO THE THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS IN THE COUNTY OF GUERNSEY, STATE OF OHIO AND APPROVED. A COPY OF THE WILL IS INCLUDED IN THE RECORDS.
IT TURNS OUT THAT TWO OF STUARTS OF ROBERT (ROBIN) SPEER’S SONS ARE MY GREAT GRAND FATHERS. STUART (1783 – 18500 AND HIS BROTHER, ROBERT SPEER JR. (1772- 1827) HAD CHILDREN WHO MARRIED EACH OTHER. STUART’S SON ALEXANDER SCOTT SPEER (1811 -1892) AND ROBERTS DAUGHTER, WITH HIS SECOND WIFE, (MARY SPEER), WHO CHANGED HER NAME TO MORRISON ASSUME HER MOTHERS LAST NAME, AND BECAME MARY MORRISON WHEN SHE MARRIED HER FIRST COUSIN. FAMILY RECORDS INDICATE ALEXANDER AND MARY WERE WED ON 8 JUNE 1837. THE STORY OF THEIR LIFE AND TIMES IS THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THIS BRIEF STORY.