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HISTORY OF THE NAME McClure AND EARLY McClure’s OF SCOTLAND, IRELAND AND VIRGINIA Source: “McClure Families of Allen, Paulding and Van Wert Counties Ohio,” by Ruth Woten Rumbaugh. The name of Maklure or McClure came from the Greek word "Lure" which means "Harp". During the 12th century in Scot- land it was spelled Maklure. The McClures descend from the McLeod Clan in Scotland which is of Norse Origin, with the same Tartan and Motto: Partus Sum (always prepared or I am ready). Their right to them has never been disputed. Leod, the progenitor of this Clan was one of three sons of Olave the Black, King of Man and the Isles. He was born early in the 13th century. He died 1237. The Isle of Man is in the Irish Sea, midway between northern Ireland, northern England and southern Scotland. Leod married the daughter of a Norwegian Chieftan, who was Governor of Skye. He received possessions in Skye in the Herbrides including the fortress of Dunvegan. This Castle of Dunvegan dates from the 13th century and is still in the possession of the family. Sir Norman MacLeod was the son of Sir Rory Mor McLeod (1595-1626) of Dunvegan, the 15th Chieftan of the Clan. Sir Norman received Bernera (Bernary) island in the Herbrides which formerly belonged to Malcolm, who was the third Chieftan of the MacLeod Clan. The McLeods fought under Sir Norman McLeod of Bernera in the battle of Worcester in 1651 on the side of the Royalists for Charles II, crowned King of Scotland. They were opposed and defeated by Oliver Cromwell. After the battle, the Scots who had fought for Charles were forced to flee. The MacLeods fled to Ulster Province in Ireland and changed their name to McClure to hide their identity. They settled in Convoy and Rapoe, County Donegal, near Londonderry in Northern Ireland. Charles II was restored to power as King of England in 1660. In the 18th century a great many of the Scotch-Irish, as they were then called, left Ireland for America, among them were the McClures (McLeods). They were driven out by the Crown's opposition to their Calvinistic (Presbyterian) faith. They were deprived of all civil, religious and property rights. They were forbidden to hold public meetings, religious or otherwise, or even conduct religious burial services. What property they did have was confiscated. All this, along with the exorbitant prices they were charged, forced their departure from Ireland. A great many of the McClures came to America by way of Pennsylvania, some remained in Pennsylvania, others scattered out along the east coast, and some came down between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains into the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. I have found the name spelled in many different ways. Some of the more prevalent variations area Maklure, McLure, McLewer, Maclure, McCluer and McClure. These are but a few of the different spellings of the name. The last two, McCluer and McClure are the forms most commonly found in America today. My sincere apologies to those of you who may spell your name one way and find it listed another in this genealogy. I really did make a sincere effort to find just how the name was originally spelled. To my amazement a lot of the times it was spelled both ways, McClure and McCluer, in the same early document. The most of the time I have used the spelling of McClure unless I was quite sure a certain family spelled their name McCluer. Two McClure brothers established the McClure family in Rockbridge County, Virginia, John and Halbert, thought to be the sons of Arthur McClure. In 1700, Arthur was a Ruling Elder in the Raphoe Congregation at Convoy, County Donegal, Laggan Presbytery, Synod of Ulster, Ireland. It is not known for certain if Arthur ever came to this country. We are from Halbert. Halbert was born in Raphoe, County Donegal, Ireland where he was Ruling Elder in the Presbyterian Church. We do not know the date of his birth or the date of his importation to this country but it is thought to be 1740. We do know he was in Virginia by 1742 as he is listed in Capt. John McDowell's militia from Botetourt County, Virginia at that time. (Chalkley Vol. 2, pg. 508) Benjamin Borden was given a large grant of land on the Shenandoah and the Upper James River with the provision he settle one hundred families in ten years. This was in present day Rockbridge County, Virginia. It is known as Borden's Great Tract. He went to Ireland for settlers and came back with several families among whom were the McClures. On 19 March 1746 Halbert McClure purchased from the estate of Benjamin Borden two hundred thirty acres on the North Branch of the James River. (Augusta Co., Va. Deed Bk. 1, pg. 203) Halbert McClure, as all the early McClures, was a Presbyterian. He lived within the bounds of the Timber Ridge Meeting House. The Timber Ridge Church was organized in 1746. His son, Alexander was one of the first Ruling Elders of this church in 1755. The earliest church building was built of logs, with dirt floor and split logs for pews. This was replaced by a sandstone church built in 1756 by some fifty families, which, no doubt, included the McClures. The stones were carried by the women on horseback for five miles to the building site. This structure is still a part of the church in use today. In 1777 a Presbyterian Academy, known as the Augusta Academy was changed to Timber Ridge and was known as the Liberty Hall Academy. In 1780 it was moved to Lexington, Virginia and is now known as the Washington and Lee University. The Timber Ridge people furnished the endowment to establish this, now, well known University. In the WILL of Halbert McClure (Augusta Co., Va. Will Bk. 2, pgs. 36-38)he is referred to as "Gentleman". The term "Gentleman" was understood to be one of the Upper Mid- dle Class, coming between the nobility and the yoemen. They were descended from free men, with a coat-of-arms and the privilege of wearing a sword. On the American frontier a prominent person would be given the title, only, as a matter of courtesy. In Halbert's WILL dated 23 March 1753 and proven 15 Mar 1754 we find the name of his wife to be Agnes. Two of his sons, Alexander and Nathaniel were named executors of his estate. We also find he had a brother John, for he mentions his brother John's son, Halbert in his WILL. A complete list of Halbert's children are found in the McClure Family by James A. McClure pgs. 135,136, 140, 181,and 193 as follows:
*Indicates our line of McClures #Samuel was a member of Capt. John Buchanan's Va. Militia #According to the Pond material, in 1774 this Thomas was at the Battle of Point Pleasant in Capt. Murray's Company. Nathaniel McClure, born 1712 the eldest son of Halbert, purchased from the estate of Benjamin Borden 180 acres of land in the Borden Tract on 1 May 1747. (Augusta Co., Va. Deed Bk. 1, pg. 265). Nathaniel McClure was in both John Christian's Militia and Capt. John Buchanan's Militia in 1742. (Chalkley Vol. 2, pg. 508) From the WILL of Nathaniel McClure dated 5 Feb 1761 and proven 19 May 1761 (Augusta Co. , Val Will Bk. 3, pgsl 18 & 19) we find the name of his wife to be Mary who was the administrator of his estate. The names of his children were found on pgs. 139 & 140 of the James A. McClure book. We descend from the youngest son of Nathaniel McClure, Moses, born in Virginia in 1760. According to the family records Moses spent seven years in the Revolutionary War. We are quite certain he was in the Battle of Cowpens 17 January 1781 in South Carolina, although, so far, we have been unable to find the needed documentation to verify this. We do know he was in that vicinity around that time. After the war Moses went to Ft. Bryan, Kentucky where he followed the profession of farming. This is near present day Lexington, Ky. He is listed in Fayette County, Ky. as a taxpayer in 1790. (Heinman's Census of Kentucky, pg. 61) To date we have been unable to find a marriage record for Moses and his wife, Sarah "Sally" McCorkle. A biography says they were married in Bourbon County, Ky. but that courthouse is said to have burned and no early records are available. They were probably married in Kentucky around 1789-90 as their second child, Samuel, was born in Harrison County, Ky. on 17 Nov 1793. The children of Moses and Sarah "Sally" McCorkle McClure, all born in Harrison Co., Kentucky are as follows: Nathaniel, born around 1790-91, died from wounds received in Winchester's defeat at the battle of River Raisin in 1813 near Detroit, Michigan * Samuel, born 17 Nov 1793, married in Champaign Co. , Ohio on 14 Aug 1817 to Margaret Watt. After her death he married in Allen County, Ohio 30 Sept 1845 Elizabeth Patterson Thomas, married in Harrison County, Kentucky to Mary Dungan on 10 December 1828 James, married in Champaign County, Ohio on 20 Feb 1823 to Luana Darnell. He located in Union County, Ohio * Moses, born 10 Oct 1799, married in Champaign County, Ohio on 11 Feb 1826 Mary S. Watt. (I am quite sure she was a sister of Margaret Watt who married Samuel) * Mary F. "Polly", married Harrison Co. , Ky. 28 April 1827 to Thomas Xenophon Johnson Sarah "Sally", married 18 August 1821 in Harrison Co., Ky. to John Brewsaugh * Alexander, born 14 July 1806, married in Greene Go., Ohio 22 Dec 1829 to Margaret Neely John, married Jane Brentlinger. He died in 1846 in Missouri Jane, married 15 May 1833 in Champaign Co., Ohio to John Pollock We are concerned here with the families that settled in Allen, Paulding and Van Wert Counties of Ohio which were the Samuel, Moses, Mary McClure Johnson and Alexander families. These families are marked ( * ) . On 27 January 1801 Moses McClure purchased l33 acres of land on Twin Creek, Harrison County, Ky. from Matthew and Margaret Patterson. (Harrison Co., Ky. Deed Bk. 1, pg. 596) This same year on 1 July 1801 Moses and Sarah, his wife,sold twenty acres of this land to David McKee. (Harrison Co., Ky. Deed Bk. 1, pg. 680). This leaves 113 acres of land which identifies the tax recept of Moses McClure for 113 acres of land and two horses. This tax receipt, for the year 1803, was held by Elzie McCluer of Allen County, Ohio who is a descendant of this Moses McClure. This tax receipt is now in the possession of the Allen County Museum, Lima, Ohio. According to the land tax records of Harrison County, Ky. Moses died between 10 June 1810 and 10 April 1811 but his estate was not settled till after the death of his wife, Sarah, which occurred in 1823. Her estate consisted only of personal property. On 29 August 1833 a deed for the remaiming 113 acres was executed from Moses McClure's heirs to Robert Clifford, (Harrison Co., Ky. Deed Bk. 14, pg. 310). This deed was signed by Samuel McClure and Margaret McClure, Moses McClure and Mary S. Watt McClure and John Pollock and Jane McClure Pollock and James McClure and Luana Darnall McClure. This being only four of the heirs along with their spouses, in the estate of Moses McClure. This deed definitely ties this family to the McClures of Allen County, Ohio. There are, however, three other deeds on file regarding this estate. One from Thomas S. Johnson and Mary F. McClure Johnson. (Harrison Co., Ky. Deed Bk. 11, pg. 171) in which they deed their share in the estate of Moses McClure to Robert Clifford. This is dated 31 January 1829. On 19 January 1832 Thomas McClure and Mary, his wife, deeded their one ninth share of the estate of his father to Robert Clifford. (Harrison Co., Ky. Deed Bk. 12, pg. 410) On 5 Sept 1843 Alexander M. and Matilda Brewsaugh deeded one half of the undivided interest of their father, John Brewsaugh who was entitled to one ninth part of the tract of land on Twin Creek, Harrison Co., Ky. known as the McClure farm to Robert Clifford. (Harrison Co., Ky. Deed Bk. 19, pg. 275) From the last two deeds it is evident there were nine legal heirs to this estate. We have only found the signed releases or deeds for six of these heirs as above noted. On the fourth deed Alexander M. and Matilda Brewsaugh release only one half of the undivided interest of their father, John Brewsaugh, who was entitled to one ninth part of the tract of land on Twin Creek, Harrison Co., Ky, known as the McClure farm. (Harrison Co., Ky. Deed Bk. 19, pg. 275). This would indicate that John Brewsaugh and Sarah McClure Brewsaugh had two children. We find no release or deed from the other child. This leaves two children of Moses and Sarah (McCorkle) McClure unaccounted for, so far as the estate settlement is concerned, Alexander and John. It is my oppinion the reason the last two children did not sign deeds releasing their share of this estate is because they were minors at the time of the death of their Mother, Sarah (McCorkle) McClure in 1823. So far, we have not been able to locate guardian papers for these last two children, Alexander and John. |
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