Namesake - James McClurkin (c1720-1795)

This week I’m writing about my seventh great grandfather James M McClurkin, one of his name sakes was James McClurkin from my week twelve post and the father-in-law of Matthew McClurkin from my Military post. James was likely also Matthew’s paternal uncle, but so far there is no direct evidence to prove the relation.

         James M McClurkin first appears on a list of covenanter immigrants applying for land having immigrated from Ballymena to South Carolina in 1772. The migration was led by Rev William

Plat for James McClurkin's land

Martin, a fiery minster, who convinced his congregation to immigrate en-mass to the United States because of their poverty and treatment in Ireland. James is the second name on the list right after William Martin so he likely had some influence in the group. He also signed a letter recommending the ships captain of the Lord Dunluce to others seeking transport to America. James received 350 acres in what would be Fairfield county South Carolina. At the time protestant immigrants were allowed to apply for grants in South Carolina based on their, age, marital status and number of children.

James had ten children who all came to South Carolina with him. His oldest seven children, James, Lillias, Mary, Eleanor, Samuel, Jane, and Thomas, all claimed 100 arces when they arrived. All of them must have been unmarried at the time, because 100 acres was the standard amount given to an unmarried immigrant who was of age. James had three younger children, Catharine, John, and Jenet, but they were not yet old enough to claim land of their own.

The revolutionary war started not long after James’s arrival and his sons were certainly active in the conflict. James, Samuel, and probably John and Thomas all fought for the continental army as did James’s son-in-law David Weir. There is even a story that James’s daughter, Jane (McClurkin) Weir carried a message in her hair for the continental army. His daughter Eleanor’s husband William Young was, according to some sources, a lone loyalist in the family and possibly did not survive the war as she remarried soon after.

In 1788 James sold his original grand of land to Robert Kirkpatrick. He likely moved in with

James McClurkin's Will

the family of one of his children, and he does not appear as a head of household on the 1790 census. In 1794 he made his will. Much had changed in the twenty three years since the family claimed land. Most of his children had married, many had children, and four had died. James mentioned all of his living children and gave especial legacies to his orphan grandchildren. He also specifically mentioned all of the grandchildren who had been named after him including my ancestor James McClurkin son of his daughter Jennet. He named his two son in laws, David Weir and John Mabin, Eleanor’s second husband, as the admins. The will was probate in 1795 so he must have died that year.

James is probably the best documented of my early Irish immigrants. I know when he came to America, how, and with whom. I know the names of all his children from the land records and his will. I know where his land was, when he got it and when he sold it. I know approximately when he died. I even know where in Ireland he came from and have a probable sibling. However, there are still some mysteries about James and his family. I don’t know his wife’s name, she is not mentioned in his will and did not sign his 1788 deed. His sons James and Thomas are difficult to pin down and I’d like to know who their children were. Over all I’m always excited to research the McClurkin name because it’s so unique and most people will the name are probably related.