Adam Wallace Irwin of Milton

ADAM WALLACE IRWIN

OF

MILTON, DELAWARE

1871 – 1925

The Wednesday, December 16, 1925, Wilmington News Journal newspaper reported that A. Wallace Irwin of Milton Succumbs, that he was a prominent Mason and was always interested in Civic Affairs, that the resident of Milton died in the Jefferson Hospital at Philadelphia. Saturday morning. Saturday would have been the 12^th of December.

His family background stretches for ages in England and Scotland and he was a descendent of pioneers to America, some of which fought in the American Revolution for independence. He was born June 18, 1871 in Marydel, some say Maryland, some say Delaware, but in Marydel, a state line village, its not real important, I guess.

His father, Edward Gwin Irwin, was a Methodist Episcopal Church Minister who belonged to the Philadelphia and Wilmington Conferences.

His mother was a Milton lady, Annie Hall Megee. She was born in Milton, the 6^th of November 1844, to Noah Wilbank Megee, born September 30, 1814 in Indian River Hundred, to his 28 year old father, Thomas and mother, Elon, also age 28. Noah died September 11, 1883. age 68. Noah's family goes back to the Scottish side of the Megees. Noah had brothers and sisters, Thomas Peter, born 1818, sister Elizabeth, born 1823, brother Levin , 1825, brother William Thomas , born 1827, a sister Mary born 1829, Noah's wife was the former Patience Kellam, born 1812, died 1859. They were married December 10, 1838 and had four children, twin daughters, born in Milton, Lydia born 6 November 1844, died at age 6, in 1850, and Anna Hall, born 6 November 1844 who lived to 1919. A daughter, Cordelia, born August 1848 but lived less than a year. A son , Charles Thomas Megee was born in Milton November 11, 1854 and lived to age 77.

Noah's father and mother died the same year, 1857, in Milton. Mother, Elon on 14^th June and Father , Thomas, 27^th August.

Noah's wife, Patience, passed away 18 November.1859, age 47, after 20 years of marriage.

Sometime prior to 1862, Noah married Lydia H Burton, or anyway, had three children with her, daughter Mary, born December 11 1862, son John B, born august 28, 1865, died 1866, and another son William Paynter Davidson Megee born 1872 who lived to be 79 years of age.

This covers for Adam Wallace Irwin's Milton side of his family, the Megees, and their Scottish family ancestors would be, for one, Patrick Adholach MacGregor, born 1550 , Lochaber, Invernessshire, Scotland and was married to Christiana Keppoch MacFarland .

It appears that Adam Wallace Irwin was raise and educated in Wilmington where his father moved when he had retired. During the Spanish - American War he enlisted in the Army and saw service, then reenlisted and served in the Philippines Army of Occupation, reaching the rank of Sergeant Major before he was mustered out in 1901,

September 27, 1905 , Adam Wallace Irwin was married to Miss Sara Martin Polk in Milton where he spent most of the rest of his life.

Sara and her twin brother, Samuel M. were born March 30, 1882 in Milton, Delaware to John Collins Polk, age 47 and Annie Elizabeth Martin, age 37. Sara's father died 15 January 1899, in Milton, and her mother, died 14 June 1904 in Milton. Sara lived to age 58 and died in Rehoboth the 3d of November 1940. Sara's father, John Collins Polk, was born 16 April 1834 in Delaware and died in Milton at age 64, January 15, 1899. his parents were William Polk, 1802 – 1847, and Sarah Bradford, 1798 – 1873.

The Polk family, Robert Bruce Polk, Sr., and Magdalen Tasker Polk, came to White Hall, Somerset county, Maryland, before 1672. They came to Maryland from Donegal, Ireland.

During World War One Adam Wallace Irwin was associated with the Philadelphia Schuylkill Arsenal, taking the positions of their officers who were called overseas. In 1920 he took a position of salesman and associate with the Philadelphia lumber company, Brown & Bates and sold their products in Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania where he was popular and well known.

In Milton Mr Irwin was very interested in politics and the development of the natural resources of Sussex county. He was a member of the Building & Loan Association, member and official of the Goshen Methodist Episcopal Church, a Mason with Endeavor Lodge and Tall Cedars, active in all civic movements.

In November 1925 Mr. Irwin had a physical breakdown and on December 8^th was taken to Beebe Hospital in Lewes , transferred to Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia where he died.

Adam Wallace Irwin is survived by his wife Sara, his daughter Anna, a senior of the Milton High School, a brother Charles of Ardmore and a sister Miss Francis Irwin of Philadelphia. Services were from his late home and burial was in Goshen Cemetery.