John Strain of Washington County, Tennessee
was born Feb. 21, 1759, probably in or near Pennsylvania. Nothing definite is known of his parents,
though some evidence suggests that his mother was named Mary Woods. According to some accounts, he moved to York
County (PA?) in the fall of 1766, and to North Carolina in the fall of
1775. His pension application states
that he served in the Orange County, NC militia as an “artificer”, or harness-maker,
during the winter of 1779/80, and as a scout during the winter of 1780/81. He moved to Washington County (North
Carolina, later to become Tennessee) in the fall of 1781 and settled on the
Muddy Fork of the Big Limestone River.
On December 20, 1787 he married Isabella Allison. The couple had seven children: Mary W. Strain, Robert Woods Strain, Fanny
Jane Strain, Annalinah Strain, John Allison Strain, William B. Strain and
Margaret Strain. John Strain died on
March 21, 1840. Isabella died Jan. 10,
1847.