James Marshel “moved to the western country some three years prior to the Revolution, and settled in what is now Cross Creek Township.” Frontiersman and local officer.
James Martin was born in the Cumberland valley and resided in what was then (1772) Colerain township. Was in the War.
Adam Orth was “brought up amid the dangers and struggles of Pennsylvania pioneer life. He received the limited education of the ‘back settlements.’... He was one of the pioneers in the manufacture of iron in Lebanon county.”
John Reynolds.
Joseph Powell.
John Smilie. His father settled in Lancaster county and evidently was a farmer. In 1781 John Smilie “removed with his family to then Westmoreland county,” which meant that he went to the frontier. Office-holder.
William Todd went to Western Pennsylvania about 1765 and later “removed to Westmoreland county where he settled upon land subsequently warranted to him.”
John Whitehill, “son of an Irish immigrant who settled on Pequea Creek in 1723.” Received a good education. Local office-holder. At his death he left “a large landed estate”.
Robert Whitehill, brother of the above Whitehill. “In the spring of 1771 he removed to Cumberland county, locating on a farm two miles west of Harrisburg.” Extensive public career. “Died at his residence in Cumberland county two miles west of the Susquehanna.” Evidently dependent largely upon agriculture, but farmer of some means.
Obviously such a table is more or less superficial so far as economic aspects are concerned, for the forms of wealth possessed by each member and the numerical proportions of the several forms at the time of the Pennsylvania state convention are not apparent. More than the ordinary margin must therefore be allowed for error on both sides. Evidently also it is difficult to classify these men from the meagre data given; but the following table may be taken to be roughly correct as to the men about whom we have some economic facts.