This man appears to be the son of the immigrant, Hugh McClung who died in Greene County,TN.
We have very few records about him and know very little. He was probably the brother to the
John McClung in Greene County records. We think this is the John A. who went to Madison County,
Alabama and had the sons: Hugh and Rev. David McClung.
Francis was probably born in PA probably in the late 1730s or about 1740. (just estimating)
and was taken as a youngster to Rockbridge County, VA. The first record we have of him was
a note in the possession of the Frank Lee McClung family of Timber Ridge, VA, a descendant
of James to whom it was originally given:
"We promise to pay to James McClung or his heirs executors, administrators or assigns the
just sum of four pounds ten shillings current and lawful money of Virginia on or before the ninth
day of October next ensuing the date hereof, it being for value received of him the which
payment well and truly to made we hereby do bind ourselves our heirs Exrs and Admrs in the
penal sum nine pounds ten shillips of the like lawful aforesaid in witness whereof we have
set our hands and seals this tenth day of October, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-one.
Francis McClung furnished the Virginia Militia two horses to aid in prosecuting the
campaign against the Cherokee Indians about the year 1777.
The next record of him is in Washington
County, VA in 1778 where he was made a constable in the courtroom of John Fane. In another
record Alexander Doran was made constable in the room of Francis McClung. (It is possible
that Francis was appointed as a judge in Washington County near the close of the Revolutionary
War. (Annals of SW VA by L. Summers, p. 978 and 1047).
We know that Francis had moved to Greene County, TN because his possessions were probated
there in 1786. "Nov. Term 1786: John McClung hath leave to administer on the Estate of
Francis McClung, decd, and enters into bond himself with Charles Lowry and David Taylor, his
securities in the sum of two hundred pounds for his due admrs according to law. Ordered
that Letters of Administration be granted to sd Jno McClung on sd Estate." (Greene County,TN
Minutes of the Court of Common Pleas, by Burgner, p. 71--See database.) Since this court
granted the Letters of Administration, we know that the property of Francis was in this county.
His probate file would be most interesting.
Since John McClung was excused from a previous commitment to attend to this estate, we can safely
assume that John was a close relative. We have no indication that Francis had any children.
He may have. Some of the people in Alabama may be his descendants. We are thinking that
the John, son of Hugh, was the same as John A. found in Madison County Alabama by 1816. It
may be that the William who died in 1818 was a son of Francis. We do know that a Francis was
at that William's estate sale.
Francis Sr. was not included in the will of Hugh McClung. He had died several years before
Hugh died in 1789. As far as we know, the only son named in Hugh's will was a John.
If Francis had married, the record would probably have been in Rockbridge County, VA. Very
few marriage records exist from the early days of that county. The time frame for this would
have been ca 1760.