Joel McLemore

Notes:

He was born, according to the ALBEMARLE PARISH REGISTER, on the "7th day of the 11th month, 1739" (February 23, 1739/40), and was baptized on the "23rd day of the 12th month, 1739" (February 23, 1739/40). (James L. McLemore, III, p. 55).

First Sheriff of Richland Co., Feb 12, 1787-89. Justice of the Peace in 1787. Inquirer and Collector of Taxes 1784-1785.

He served two hundred eighty-four days as a captain and thirty days as a commissary under Lt. Col. Taylor and Col. Sumter during 1780 and 1781. In addition, he supplied flour during 1782. He was captured at Fishing Creek, but escaped, S.C.H.& G., XXVII, 207; A.A.5124; V219. (From "Roster of South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution" by Bobby Gilmer Moss, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Baltimore, 1983, p. 636).

James L. McLemore III notes that his Revolutionary War File number was 5124.

Will in Richland Co., SC, Feb. 1794 to Apr. 6, 1795.
(Transcription below courtesy of Mark Freeman)

Will of Joel McLemore, Will Book "C", p. 105, Box 21, Package # 504. In The Name Of God Amen. I Joel Mclemore of Richland County & State of South Carolina, being in health of body & of Sound sence & Memory Thanks be to Almighty God for the same, but calling to mind the Mortality of my body & Knowing it is appointed unto all men once to die do make and ordain this my last will & Testament in Manner & form following. That is to say principally & first of all I give & Recommend my Soul into the hands of Almighty God who gave it and my body I recommend to the Earth to be buried at the Discretion of my Executors hereafter Named. And as touching such worldly Estate Wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me with in this life. I give devise and dispose of the same in the following Manner & Form. Imprimis, it is my desire that all my just debts be paid. Item -- I lend unto my beloved wife Elizabeth McLemore during her natural life, the plantation and house in which I now live with one seventh part of my Riverswamp plantation.

Item -- I lend unto my beloved wife Elizabeth McLemore during her Natural life, The use of my five Negroes by Name Tom, Will, Jude, young Lucy & Millie, but with this restriction that should she marry my children Shall not be constrained to pay for their board, but the profits arrising from the labour of those five Negroes Shall go towards the Support of my Children as well as herself.

Item -- I give & bequeath unto my beloved Nephew Joel McLemore Son of John McLemore Deceased (after my debts are fully paid) one horse, or Mare, to the value of Ten pound Sterling.

Item -- I give & bequeath unto my beloved Brother Burwell McLemore (after my debts are paid) thirty Silver Dollars.

Item -- I give and bequeath unto my beloved neice Elizabeth Edmunds (after my debts are paid) One cow & calf & one Sow & Piggs together with the feather bed & furniture which I have already given her before witnesses, & which she has already got in possession.

Item -- I give & bequeath unto my beloved Children John, Sarah, James, Mary, Joel & Jesse Claiborne all my Estate both real and personal to be Equally divided between them, at the discretion of my Executors as they come of Age or Marry, but with this restriction, my field Slaves not to be Sepperated, before my debts are fully paid, & I give and bequeath the Same to them & their heirs, legally begotten of their body forever.

Item -- It is my desire that if either of my children should die before they come of Age or Marry, or before they have an heir legally begotten of their body, that the Estate of the deceased should be Equally divided between the Survivors. Item it is my Desire that Each of my children Should have a Sufficient Share of Education, as Much as their interest will admit, or as much as it is thought necessary by my Executors.

Item I also lend unto my beloved wife Elizabeth McLemore During her Natural life the use of one Seventh part of my Stock and household furniture. Item & Lastly, I do hereby constitute Nominate & Appoint my worthy & well beloved friends Claiborne Clifton, John Hopkins Joel Adams & John Hamilton, my lawful Exaectors & Guardians of my Children, Revoking, disannuling and making voyd all former Wills & Executors, by me in anywise Named or Made, Ratifying & confirming this & no other to be my last will & Testament, in Witness Whereof, I the Said Joel McLemore have hereunto set my hand & seal, this ___ day of February 1794.

Signed Sealed & Acknowledged in presents of Thomas Edmunds, James McLemore (The two words use & My, which are interlined Observed before Signed as Witnwsses). Proven in Open Court April 6 1795 on the testimony of both Witnesses. Martyn Alkins C.C.

In an April 4, 2002 email to McLemore cousin researchers, McLemore cousin Thelma Hayes provides information from the Daughters of the American Revolution's Library which genealogist James McLemore III later confirms is the "Rosetta Stone" as to the lineage of Nanny's grandfather, Joel McLemore. Both of their emails follow. The man below, Captain Joel McLemore, is Emma McLemore's (Nanny's) grandfather's grandfather - her great great grandfather. A big thank you to Thelma Hayes for providing this to us!

Hi McLemore Cousins,
Yesterday, I received a photocopy of the following McLemore document taken from a file located at the DAR Library in Washington DC:

The McLemore Family in Richmond

Captain Joel McLemore came to South Carolina before the Revolution (his wife was Miss Wyche, the same family of Mrs. T. Taylor). He planted on the Congaree Swamp about twelve miles below Columbia. He was an officer in Colonel Taylor's command and served him all through the war. He was a brave honest and upright man. He left John, James, and Joel. John married his cousin, the Widow Patrick, sister to Claiborne Clifton. The Widow Patrick had one son Curtis Clifton, and a daughter Sarah. Curtis died unmarried; Sarah married Andrew Wallace.

Major John McLemore had by his only one wife, John and Joel and a daughter Eliza. John married a Miss McMorris who had two sons, John and Mark, and one daughter Victoria. Eliza married William Meyer, and died childless. Captain McLemore had a daughter married to William Smart who left a large family.

Captain Joel McLemore came from Virginia, a young man, about the same time that Colonel Thomas Taylor did. He was highly educated and had property. He bought lands on the Congaree River below Columbia where he lived and died. He had four children, Major John McLemore, Joel McLemore, James McLemore, and Mrs. Smart. His son Major John McLemore lived and died on the land he inherited from his father, his descendants are now three grandchildren and their families. His son Joel McLemore moved to Tennessee where he raised a large family.

(Note by Thelma: the following is on the second page)
I hereby certify that the attached is a true and correct copy of original document written by Andrew Wallace, written about the year A. D. 1854.
(Signature) Elise Wallace Hebb
Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 21st day of November, A. D. 1925.
(Signature) G. C. Bills, Notary Public
My Commission expires: 12/10/1928
(Copied from the following website:

http://groups.msn.com/MaddoxMcLemoredescendants/general.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&ID_Message=147&LastModified=4675452110803208613)

McLemore genealogist James McLemore III responds to the above, also in an email of April 4, 2002:

Eureka! I think you have found the Rosetta Stone for your branch, the proof we have been looking for that your Joel (b. 1801-02) was Joel III, son of Joel Jr. and wife Temperence (Goodwyn)McLemore, and so grandson of Capt. Joel McLemore who moved from Virginia to South Carolina before the death of his father John Mackelmore in 1767 back in Virginia. Since Logan County, Tn site where Temperence and her large family are found, is immediately north of the Tennessee/Kentucky State line, I am not bothered at all by the document's reference to Tennesee rather than Kentucky as the place where he (Joel Jr, Nanny's great grandfather - note by EC) settled with his "large family," nor do I consider it a problem as to where - Tennesee or Kentucky - Joel Jr. died or whether his family's move into Kentucky came before or after his death. He left South Carolina for Tennessee, and his "large family" shows up later without him just over the line in Logan Co., and this document to me is the nail in the coffin that confirms my conclusions previously stated to y'all. I now consider the matter proved and resolved, especially because the document is a notarized copy of an 1854 statement made apparently by Capt. Joel's step-grandson-in-law, the husband of his son Major John's step-daughter, and so written by the hand of one who should have had some degree of familiarity with Major John's family and therefore presumably with Capt. Joel's family too.

What does bother me is the reference by this Andrew Wallace to Major John's "only one wife". It lists three children by her, but aside from Eliza(beth) who married William Meyer, who was probably the daughter of Cressy or Crissy Clifton Patrick (the "Widow Patrick"), daughter of his father Joel's older sister Sarah who married Thomas Clifton, the two boys had to have been born before Cressy or Crissy was widowed by her first husband Mr. Patrick and she had married Major John - or they themselves had to have married and began producing their own children while they were still pre-teen boys! The chronology just won't admit of enough time for her to have been their mother. In addition, I have other children for Capt. Joel McLemore besides the three boys and one girl mentioned by Wallace, including a possible one named Matthew who after Joel's death appears along the Georgia/South Carolina border on or near land Joel supposedly held there, and who numbered among his own descendants (like your Joel III) issue named Joel and Howell, a strong indicator of the connection.

That is why, in addition to "the Group" I have copied in Mr. Robbie Robertson (whose e-mail address is the last in the listing above). Robbie is most interested in the Clifton Family descended from Joel's sister Sarah and her son (Crissy's brother) Claiborne Clifton (I think!). But as he has done a great deal of research into both families, I hope he can help me - us - unravel some of the confusion surrounding Capt. Joel and his family in South Carolina. That is why I also begin by sending him a copy of Thelma's find for his comment as well as his valuable instruction to us all on the actual structure of Joel's family.

I therefore anxiously await his, and each of your, comments on Thelma's find and my comments above thereon.

Jim McLemore

(Research):Adam Ivey left a lengthy will in Sussex County dated 3 August 1789 and proved 7 May 1792.[327] The will left 100 acres "whereon he now lives" to son Ephraim Ivey, and 110 acres "whereon he now lives" to son Peebles Ivey. (The will mentions that the 110 acres to Peebles Ivey was the tract purchased of Joel McLEMORE less 40 acres reserved for the homeplace, meaning that it was the 1725 patent to McLEMORE while the 100 acres devised to Ephraim Ivey was the 1749 patent to McLEMORE.)

Source: http://www.genfiles.com/ivey/AdamIvey.htm

(Medical):A direct male descendant of Joel McLemore, along with two direct male descendants of his brother Burwell, were participants in the Morrison yDNA study.

The main purpose of this study was to prove that the immigrant founders of this family in America, James Macklemore and Abraham Macklemore, were brothers. If brothers, then the y-DNA of the direct male descendants of both men would match. However, instead of confirming this, it appears that we have AT LEAST two distinct yDNA groups, with three additional potential lines. The first cluster of matching yDNA has ten members, who are part of the R1b1a2 haplogroup . The R1b DNA haplogroup, is the most common in Western Europe. Two of the ten participants can trace their lines back to the immigrant Abraham Macklemore, the husband of Mary Young. Another member can trace himself back to Moses McLemore b. ca. 1738 who is thought to be a son of Wright McLemore, grandson of William Macklemore, and great-grandson of the immigrant James Macklemore. If both these members are correct in their paper trails, AND if Amos can be proven to be a great-grandson of James Macklemore, then the assumption that James and Abraham have a common paternal ancestor is correct as descendants of both men share the same yDNA. The other six members of this first cluster all have the McLemore surname, and all can trace their lineages back to McLemore men who predate the Civil War, but have not conclusively linked themselves back to either James or Abraham.

The second cluster in the study have three members to date. They are all in the E1b1 Haplogroup, which is rare in Western Europe. All of them match each other, but do not match any other McLemores yet tested. All three of these members can trace their ancestry to John Macklemore of Virginia, the husband of Faith. Two of them descend from his son Burwell, and the third from his son Joel. But, as discussed above, IF we have also proven that the immigrants Abraham and James Macklemore are brothers, then it follows that John Macklemore could not be the biological son of the immigrant James, as the yDNA of these two clusters is very different.

Our current thinking is that John was likely a son of Fortune's and a stepson of James Macklemore, who raised him as his own. Alternatively, it may still be proven that James and Abraham were not brothers. They may share the same surname, but not the same paternal ancestry. More proven descendants of James and Fortune Macklemore will need to be tested to confirm or refute either theory.

See Morrison/McLemore DNA study results for Group AJ.



See Morrison/McLemore DNA study results for Group AJ.

http://www.geneticousins.com/morrison/

Family/Spouse: Elizabeth Wyche. Elizabeth was born after 1739; died after 1795 in Richland County, South Carolina. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. James McLemore was born after 1755 in Virginia; died about 1796 in Richland County, South Carolina.
2. Sarah McLemore was born after 1766 in South Carolina; and died.
3. Jesse Claiborne McLemore was born after 1771 in South Carolina; and died.
4. Mary McLemore was born after 1771 in South Carolina; and died.
5. Major John McLemore was born about 1776 in South Carolina; died after 1837 in South Carolina.
6. Joel McLemore, Jr. was born about 1776 in South Carolina; and died.

Notes:

Grew to manhood in Virginia, and was left cash, not land, under his fathers will. His family remained in Virginia. (James L. McLemore, III, p 46).

Probably named for Fortune's father....He was apparently born about 1698 to 1700, but could have been born as much as three or four years earlier. Unlike his siblings, however, he remained where he was born, in Albemarle Parish of Surry County (later Sussex County), Virginia, ending his days only a few miles southwest of the location of his father's abandoned 1714 land patent. He did not follow his parents and their other children into North Carolina, although it appears he may have acquired some property or other interests in South Carolina later in his life. Accordingly, John is known as the founder of the Virginia family, though one son also started a South Carolina line, and several grandsons also migrated southward and westward into North Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama to start lines of their own. (James L. McLemore, III, p 54).

A John MACKMORE is referenced on a November 13, 1713 patent issued by George WYCHE, but it is not known if this is our John Macklemore. The first certain reference to our John Macklemore was a patent issued to him on New Year's Eve, 1725 (March 24, 1725/6). This was for 150 acres of new land astride the county line between waht was then Surry and Isle of Wight Counties, on the south side of Nottoway River, on the north side of Three Creeks, on the east side of "the Great Ready Branch" (Patent Book 12, p. 441). He paid fifteen shillings for this land....he would have been required to be at least twenty-one....(therefore) would have been born not later than March 1704/5 (James L. McLemore, III, pp. 54-55).

In addition to the 1725 patent described above, he witnessed a deed in 1730 in Bertie County, North Carolina, along with his brother Charles, apparently while on a visit to his family there. On May 21, 1746, the Surry County Court entered an order that he be paid 150 pounds of tobacco as a witness fee for appearing in a matter then before the court (Surry County Order Book, 1744-1749, p. 174). (James L. McLemore, III, p. 56).


Will of John MacLemore
(As transcribed by Mark Freeman)

Will Book B, p. 108. "In The name of God Amen. I John Macklemore of Nottoway Parish in the County of Southhampton being of sound sense & memory do make this writing my last will & testament in form & manner following.

Imprimis I give & bequeth to my son John Macklemore one pound current money.

Item: I give & bequeath to my son Burrell Macklemore one pound current money.

Item: I give & bequeath to my son Joel Macklemore the land & plantation I now live on containing two hundred and fifty acres be the same more or less, I say I give the said land to my said son Joell & to his heirs forever.

Item I give to my Daughter Sarah Macklemore one pound current money.

Item I give and bequeath to my Daughter Lydia Macklemore one feather bed & furniture, one cow & calf & one sow & piggs.

Item I give the use of the following articles to my loving wife during her natural life and at her decease to my son Joell (that is to say) one feather bed & furniture, two cows & calves, and one sow & piggs, and one bay horse.

Item I give and bequeath to my son Joell Macklemore, after my debts & funeral charges be paid, the rest and remainder of my estate of all kinds whatsoever and I do constitute & appoint my son Joell my sole executor of this my last will & testament as witness by hand this 17th day of March 1758.

Witness: Edmund Pate, Abraham Wiggins, Joshua Nicholson, Jr.. In a Court held for Sussex County the 19th day of February 1767 the last Will & Testament of John Macklemore decd. was presented into Court by Faithy widow & relic of the said John and the said Faithy declared that she would not accept receive or take the lagacy or legacies to her given or bequeath'd by the said Will or any part thereof & did renounce all benefit & advantage which she might claim by the said Will which declaration on her motion is recorded. And thereupon on the motion of the said Faithy (Joell Macklemore the Executor in the said Will named being out of the Country) who made oath as the law directs and the said Will being proved by the oaths of Abraham Wiggins & Joshua Nicholson, Jr., two of the witnesses thereto & ordered to be recorded. Certificate is granted her for obtaining letters of administration of the Estate of the said Jo. Macklemore with the will annexed, giving security whereupon she with Joshua Nicholson & Charles Gilliam her securities entered into and acknowledged their bond for her due administration of the said estate. Exd. Teste: A. Claiborne, CSC.

John Macklemore made his mark, "J", on the will.

Faith Macklemore filed the household inventory, which consisted mostly of household furniture, etc. (Sussex Will Book B, p. 113). She also filed her accounting signed by her "Faithy V Macklemore" and recorded September 15, 1768 (Sussex Will Book B, p. 217). In it she showed a distribution of one pound current money to each of John's two older sons, John Jr. and Burrell, and also a similiar distribution to Thomas Clifton, the neighbor [and brother-in-law] of John Jr. (James L. McLemore, III, p. 58). John Macklemore Sr. may have also died owning property in South Carolina, as his nephew Richard McLamore was appointed on December 23, 1767 as administrator of the estate of John McLamore in that province, and following Richard's death in 1771, John's son Joel took over in his place. Indeed, when John's will was admitted to probate in Sussex County, Virginia, his widow Faithy had to qualify as administrator, since Joel, the named Executor, was "out of the country" (outside Virginia) at the time, and hence was probably in South Carolina helping to take care of matters there.

In an 1986 letter to Rudy Leverett, Jim McLemore (the author) indicates that Simon TURNER was a witness to the will of John McLemore, Sr.

(Medical):For yDNA study of this branch of the McLemore family, see:

http://strongfamilytree.org/showmedia.php?mediaID=2082

Two descendants of John and Faith son Burwell, and one descendant of their son Joel, have tested their yDNA and are matches. They are all members of the E1b1 Haplogroup, which is rare in Western Europe.

Edwin Holcombe indicates this branch of the McLemore family most closely match a number of members of a Hooper family.

John married Faith ??? about 1718 in Surry County, Virginia. Faith was born before 1703 in Surry County, Virginia; died before 1771 in Sussex County, Virginia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Mark Freeman indicates that her maiden name : "might be Howell, Harrison, and Burwell...among others. McLemore, Harrison and Burwell names are linked through marriage, and include ancestors of the Presidents Benjamin Harrison and William Henry Harrison. Faith Magee/McGee is also suggested as a possibility in "B. F. McLemore"

James L. McLemore, III, in a posting to http://boards.ancestry.com/ notes that her maiden name is "possibly Edmonds, probably not Briggs or Magee." In his book, James explained that "one of her oldest grandchildren was named Howell, a family name or surname used frequently in the Edmunds and Briggs families as a given name; both of these families were related to Thomas Blunt (oldest son of Henry Briggs's first wife Mary, and father-in-law of Howell Edmunds) with whom, as already stated, the early McLemore family had had a close connection." (James L. McLemore, III, p. 55).

Jim White, another researcher, states that her maiden name was Briggs.

Faith's renunciation of John's will gave her a widow's life right in the homeplace, but she apparently died by 1771 when we find the last Virginia reference to Joel, the sale of his father's homeplace. The deed for transfer, dated March 6, 1771, and recorded March 21, 1771, was from Joel McLemore (without a spouse joining in) of "Coleton County" (Craven County?), South Carolina, to Adam FOY of Sussex. This deed (Sussex Deed Book D, p. 317) was witnessed by Burwell McLemore, among others. (James L. McLemore, III, p. 59).

Notes:

Married:
James L. McLemore, III notes that due to the great disparity in the age of their children, their may have been more than the five surviving children born to the couple. (James L. McLemore, III, p. 55).

Notes:

Both James and (brother?) Abraham Macklemore settled on the banks of the Roanoke River, just across the Virginia-North Carolina line following its establishment by the Byrd Commission in 1728. Just what had the Macklemores been doing, just where they had been located, during the period from Mun. Macklemore's importation in 1681 to the 1732 repatent of the James Macklemore patent following his removal to North Carolina, has long been a matter of inquiry and dispute. Without further record, we may never know for sure. (James L. McLemore, III, p 36). It is assumed that James and Abraham were immigrants, but it is possible they were born on U.S. soil to an unknown progenitor, possibly even Mun. Maklemore.

Mun. Macklemore is the earliest recorded family member in the Americas. His relationship to James and Abraham is unknown. Although it has been speculated he might be the father of James Macklemore he is more likely an uncle or cousin, based on their projected ages.

James began having his children while still in Virginia. It is probable that all six (known) children were born prior to James' 1714 patent adjoining Richard Washington. (James L. McLemore, III, p 40).

Will, dated 7 Feb 1733/4 Bertie Co., NC: (Extract courtesy of Mark Freeman)

" ... being sick and weake of body ..."

Son William Macklemore - plantation formerly laid off for George Mosley. Son James Macklemore - plantation where I now live, and the land from the line formerly laid off to Mosley to the riverbank. Son Charles Macklemore - rest of the land from the riverbank to the head. Son Ephraim Macklemore - 70 or 80 acres on Peehill Creek on the upper side of the first branch of the creek. Sons William and James - cattle each. Daughter Margery Macklemore and son Charles Macklemore - cow and calf each. Sons William, James, Charles, and Ephraim - sows and pigs each. Remaining estate to my wife Fortain Macklemore for her lifetime with reversion to my said children.

Ex. wife

Wit. John Doyle, Abraham Macklemore, Thomas Roberson

Most of James' children moved along the edge of the frontier in north central North Carolina in the early to mid 18th century, and their families are not as easily traced. Some speculation is therefore involved in the following outline of their activities. A careful review of the last will and testament of James Macklemore can aid the reader in understanding the early subsequent history of his sons. As we shall see shortly, the oldest two boys, William and John, had grown to manhood while the family lived in Virginia, and remained there to start families.

William, either due to being the oldest son or stronger ties to his father, was left land by his father. John, already firmly established with land of his own--and being a younger son---was left money instead. James left most of his land to be divided among his three younger sons, and by devising oldest son William with them as well, he preordained that the descendants of the younger three, plus descendants of William, would be Carolinians (at least initially), and that John's posterity would comprise the Virginia branch of the family. (James McLemore, III, p 46).

James married Fortune Gilliam about 1690. Fortune (daughter of John Gilliam and Margaret Henshaw) was born between 1668 and 1671 in Surry County, Virginia; died after 1736 in Bertie County, North Carolina. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Fortune or Fortain. Assumed to be the daughter of John and Margery GILLIAM, she would have had to have been one of their youngest children (if not the youngest), as she was probably born with a few years of the time of her father's death in 1671.(James L. McLemore, III, p 39).

Robert McLemore Butler shows her date of death as 12 May 1754 in Surry County, Virginia, much later than the date shown by James McLemore and Mark Freeman.

Billy W. McLemore of Alabama shows her to be half-Cherokee Indian.

Notes:

James McLemore, III, attorney and author of books regarding the earliest McLemore immigrants to America wrote the following about the probable ancestors of James and Abraham Macklemore of southside Virginia:

"William McIlmorrow.....(the) probable father of James Macklemore the immigrant (husband of Fortune Gilliam)....died in Colmonell Parish, Ayrshire, Scotland in July 1664 and he had at least one other son after James.....younger brother Abraham who came to America with him. William's Testament Dative is recorded in the Glasgow Commissariot records of the Scottish Records Office but it does not name his children, just his widow Mary Aitken. A legal analysis of it proves William had children, however.

Source: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/mB0.2ACEB/434.1.1.1.1.1 29 April 2005 8:42 pm


James L. McLemore, III, the family authority, posted a message board note about his changes in thoughts to this theory:

I thank you for citing my earlier book as authority for several of the statements that you make in your posting. However, I hope that no one thinks that I am your authority for the assertion that the immigrant McLemore brothers James and Abraham came from Argylshire in Scotland; they did NOT. They came from Ayrshire, the old Carrick District thereof, where Robert the Bruce was earl before he was king. This was the southernmost third of the shire, consisting of Ballentrae, Colmonell, Barr, Girvan and Dailly Parishes (and perhaps one or two others to their immediate north), where the family name was rendered McIlmorrow, and the name appears in the records frequently from 1526 until the mid 1800's. The "Il" in Scottish was generally heard by the English ear in Britain and America as "Le", and the Scottish ending "ow" or "owe" was usually dropped by English writers on both sides of the Atlantic, though at least one example of it has been found in Surry County, Va. record! So I hope that your plans to do research in Scotland will allow you to change location from Argylshire to Ayrshire, or you may be barking up the wrong tree based on perpetuated misinformation that has been floating around the family in this country for years.

All of this will appear in a new edition of my book which I hope to get back to writing soon. I have just finished moving this past fall & have not yet unpacked the boxes and boxes of research materials that I have collected over the years. Once I have set up a new home office and organized these files, I anticipate about a year to complete the book, now 60% done in rough draft. But there are other projects as well. Still I hope to announce something on this and other boards then.

By the way, there were several Abraham McLemores and I do believe that I recall hearing that at least one of the later ones was a Presbyterian Minister, but I have never heard that the original one was. If you have some authority for that statement, I'd like to see it. I have always believed that the immigrants' father William McIlmorrow (d. July 1664, Colmonel Parish, Ayrshire, Scotland) was a religious man - or that his wife Mary Aitken was - as they gave religious or Biblical names to most of their sons (except the probable 1st born, William), including Abraham (after the Patriarch), James (after the eldest brother of Jesus), and Mungo (after the patron saint of Glasgow & the SW Lowlands. And James named his youngest son Ephraim, another Old Testament name. I have always believed from the date of their arrival in America that the brothers came as a result of the Covenanting Wars, which ended in the year of their arrival, 1689, but I have never been able to determine for sure which side they had been on - the Anglican or the Presbyterian one. But I have always told my own preachers every time we got a new one at church that my ancestors left Scotland to get away from long-winded Presbyterian preachers and that each should remember that we don't pay for overtime!

http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/mB0.2ACEB/377.1.3

The earlier theories about the origin of the McLemore family name that James referred to was that the McLemore clan originated among the mixed cultures of Gaelic-speaking inhabitants of eastern Ireland and western Scotland. This culture resulted from the intermarriage of the native Gaelic population with the Norwegian and Danish Vikings who raided and occupied these areas. The surname was thought to be derived from "Mac Ghille Mhuire" which literally means "son of the Servant of the Blessed Virgin Mary." It was quite common for Norsemen, upon converting to Christianity, to take names with some sort of religious significance. The name was first used during the first half of the 12th century among the Scandinavian population in Waterford, Ireland and/or among a similar population in the west of present day Scotland. In the last half of the 15th century, it was common in the parts of western Scotland known to have been strongly influenced by the Scandinavians, such as Galloway and Argylshire. Whether the Scottish clan descend from those of Waterford, or vice versa, is not known with certainty. When the early Macklemore's emigrated to America, they also preserved the name, which has since evolved to the present spelling of McLemore. In Scotland, the name continued to evolve, in the Highlands to Gilmore, and in the lowlands to Murray.

The first family member known to be in America was Mun. Macklemore. He immigrated to Virginia from probably from Argylshire or Ayshire, Scotland around 1679, as an indentured servant to a Virginia landowner. He is either the older brother or father of James and Abraham Macklemore, the brothers who are generally conceded to be the founders of the family in the United States. Both James and Abraham were farmers near the Virginia/North Carolina border. Their descendants settled first in that area, and then gradually spread to Georgia and Tennessee and further even westward.

This theory was from the books "The Early History of The McLemore Family of Virginia and The Carolinas" by James L. McLemore, III (available for purchase at P.O. Box 1085, Suffolk Virginia 23434) and "Ole Rosinheels: A Genealogical Sketch of the Family of Major Amos McLemore, 27th Mississippi Infantry Regiment, C.S.A" by Dr. Rudy H. Leverett.

And finally, a very detailed post regarding the most current theory, including an extract of the will of William McIImorrow was posted to the following website:

http://www.unsolvedancestry.com/awards.asp

Many believe Mary Aitken (Aitkine) and William McIlmorrow of Colmonell Parish, Ayreshire, Scotland are the parents. - William McIlmorrow died in July 1664, and has a Testament Dative on file with the Scottish Archive (Scottishdocuments.com). There is no mention of children, but people believe they had children because of the word (bairns). - Other Mary Macklemore's seem to exist, causing confusion on the connection (finding out who these Mary's are might help solve the puzzle.) The following is a message I wrote earlier describing my thoughts on a Mary Macklemore that helps the confusion about the McLemore Scottish roots: "Mary could possibly fit in the position of this Mary Aitken, but I feel it is more unlikely than likely. William McIlmorrow died 6/8/1664, so it's possible that Mary moved to Aberdeenshire and remarried William Turner in 1670. However, with the birth of James and Abraham being around 1660, this would make the Mary in your document only 10 or 11 when she had children. Plus, according to a McLemore researcher, in 17th century Scotland the women kept their maiden name throughout life?so I don't believe this is the same Mary, since she would have to be the daughter of a McLemore/Mcilmorrow. So now I wonder about the possibility of James and Abraham having a sister. I recently came across another family line that has a Mary Ann McLemore married to Dr. Thomas Gibson Carson. According to a couple of people's research (I have no documentation on this), her birth was in 1688 in Londonberry, Tyrone, North Ireland. This also has her married in July 27, 1707. If documentation of this person exists, then that opens the possibility of a sister or at least another documented McLemore as old as James and Abraham. It also opens the possibility of where the family was located. Also, if this Mary Ann were born around that time and was a sister, then that would put serious doubt on the William and Mary McIlmorrow connection since this person was born after William's death. Then there is the land grant for Col. Edward Hill, which he is receiving land for bringing people over, including a Mary Macklemore. According to a McLemore researcher, this was a repatent of the same land to Col. Hill with Mungo Macklemore on the first one (dated 1681)." This can be found online at the Library of Virginia Digital Collection: Land Office Patents and Grants. - Notes from Turner-Parker Pedigree, Oct. 1898, This manuscript was written by Wm. Parker in 1791 and copied by Wm. H. Sassnet in Oct 1898." Wm.Turner, a minister of the Kirk of Scotland was born in Aberdeenshire Scotland in 1645. He married Mary McLemore, born in same shire in 1650. married in 1670. On account of persecution of the Covenanters he fled with his young bride and settled in the North of Ireland. Persecution followed him and his co-believers there and with quite a colony he came to Maryland in 1680 and settled in Worcester Co. in 1680- not far from Snow Hill the present county seat. There were born to this couple; William-1671. Elisha-1672. Mary 1674. Ebenezer 1675. John 1675. John 1677. Gertrude 1679. Thomas 1681."


Abraham and James Macklemore were very likely brothers. - Abraham Macklemore's will was signed Jan 4, 1735 (NC State Archives) witnessed by Wiliam Gillim, William Clanton, and Joseph Brady. - Three sons, Atkins (b. 1724 Bertie Co., NC, d. May 1791 in Warren Co., NC), Young (b. 1726, d. bef. April 9, 1804, Williamson Co., TN) and William (b. 1728, d. bef. 1736/7 in Bertie Co., NC) - Wife, Mary (Young) who died in Northampton Co., NC around 1737/38 - James Macklemore's will dated Feb 7, 1733 in Bertie Co. NC. Witnessed by John Doyle, Abraham Macklemore, and Thomas Roberson. - James's children, William (b. abt 1692, d. 1750), Margery (b. abt 1696), John (b. abt. 1698 in Surry Co., Virginia, d. abt 1767 in Sussex Co., VA), James (b. 1702-5, d. abt. 1770), Charles (b. bet. 1705-9), Ephraim (b. 1709-12), d. abt. 1787) - Wife, Fortune (Fortain) Gilliam (b. 1671 in Surry Co. VA, d. abt. 1736 Bertie Co., VA), possible daughter of John Gilliam and Margery Henshaw. - There is a 1695 Virginia headright record for the importation into Virginia of a Mary Macklemore in a patent to Col. Edward Hill, and it was a repatent of a 1681 patent to the same man for the same land in Charles City County (I think), and for the most part with the same headrights, with one or two exceptions, specifically including the Macklemore one - in the earlier patent it was to Mun. Macklemore. This is the only reference to a Mun. (Mungo) Macklemore, so there is room for error in the interpretation of who this is.


Transcript of testament dative for William McIlmorrow: ["The testa[men]t dative & inventar of the goods geir debts & soumes of money q[uhi]lks perteinit to umq[uhi]le W[illia]m Mcillmarrow in McCallastoune within the parochin of Cammonell the tyme of his deceis wha deceist in the moneth of Julii last bypast 1664 yeirs ffaithfully maid & givin up be Mary Akin relict of the defunct & ex[ecut]orix dative surrogat in place of Mr Jon & Jon Herbertsouns pro[curato]r fiscalls of the Com[m]issariat of Glasgow who are exe[cut]ors dative decernit to the defuncts goods geir & debts be de[crei]t of the Com[m]issar of Glasgow his deput upon the 4th day of August instant 1664 yeirs as the sam[en] beirs Inventar Item the defunct had the tyme fors[ai]d perte[n]ing to him the goods & geir underwr[itte]n of the pryces following viz In the first the saweing of nyne bolls corne estimat to the thrid corne pryce of the boll with the fodder iiij lib Inde jct and viij lib Item the saweing of thrie firlots of beir estimat to the fourth corne pryce of the boll w[i]t[h] the fodder v lib Inde xv lib Item four ky pryce of the peice o[ve]rheid x lib Inde xl lib It[em] twa stotts pryce of the peice o[ve]rheid x lib Inde xx lib Item twa yeir old qua[n]ddoch pryce of the peice o[ve]rheid iiij lib Inde viij lib Item thrie stirks pryce of the peice o[ve]rheid xlsh Inde vj lib Item twenty sheip pryce of the peice o[ve]rheid xxx sh Inde xxx lib Item ane old hors pryce th[e]rof vj lib xiijsh iiijd It[em] insyt & plenisching of the hous in utencills & domicills with the abulziements of the defuncts body estimat worth xx lib Sum[m]a of the invent[ar] ..... ijctLiij lib xiijsh iiijd Debts awand in Item ther was awand to the defunct the tym fors[ai]d the soumes of mo[ne]y following be the persons underwry[tte]n viz In the first be Hew Cathcart of Carrilltoune Lxxiij lib vjsh viijd It[em] be Andrew Ros at the Bridgend of Girvan viij lib It[em] be Patrick Carnochan in Lowstoune xxx lib It[em] be James Andersoune in Daly xx lib It[em] be Andro Ramsay y[ounge]r x lib Item be James Mcillwraith in Meikle Brochloch xij lib Sum[m]a of the debts in ...... jct xiij lib vjsh viijd Sum[m]a of the invent[ar] & debts .... iijct xvii lib Debts awand out Item ther was awand be the defunct the tyme fors[ai]d the soumes of mo[ne]y efterspe[cife]it to the persons eftermentionat viz In the first to the heritor of Killoux of duty the s[ai]d yeir jct xliij lib It[em] to the minister of Daly of teynd the s[ai]d yeir ix lib vjsh viijd Item to Helen Glen of fie & bounteth the s[ai]d yeir xx lib It[em] to Jon Begs off fie & bounteth the s[ai]d yeir vij lib xsh iijd Item to Hew Kennedy of Daljavoch of deuty the s[ai]d yeir xiij lib vjsh viijd Sum[m]a of the debts out .... jctLxxxxiij lib ixsh iiijd Rests of frie geir debts deduceit ......ijct xxxiij lib xvijsh iiijd To be divydit in thrie p[air]ts Deids pairt is ..... Lxxiiij lib xijsh vd (In margin ? quota iij lib) I Mr W[illia]m Ffleiming of Ferm Com[m]issar of Glasgow be the tenor heirof eft[er] dew warning maid be edict opinly as effeirs ratify approve & confirm this p[rese]nt testa[men]t & inventar in swa far as the sam[en] is leillily & treuly ma[i]d & givin up nothing omittit furth th[e]rof nor set w[i]t[h]in the just availl th[e]rinconteinit & give & com[]itt full power of intromissoune w[i]t[h] the goods geir & debts abovewry[tte]n to the s[ai]d ex[ecut]orix dative abovesurrogat allenderly w[i]t[h] power to hir to call & persew therfor if neid beis becaus schoe hes maid faith as use is & fund cation as law will as ane act m[ai]d therupon att lenth beirs Att Glasgow the eight day of August 1664 yeirs The q[uhi]lk day compeirit perso[na]ly Patrick Aikin in Balachduan & becam actit as cau[tione]r & sur[e]ty for Mary Aikin relict & ex[ecut]orix confirmit to um[quhi]le W[illia]m Mcillmarrow th[a]t the goods geir & debts conteinit in the defuncts confirmit test[amen]t salbe maid furth cum[m]and to all p[air]tys haveand entres as law will & the s[ai]d ex[ecut]orix becam obleist for his releif q[uhe]rupon they askit acts befor thir witnessis James Hamiltoin wryter in Glasgow Walter Graham mess[enge]r ther James Bishop ther & Hew Kennedy of Daljavoch] First testament of William The testa[men]t dative ad omissa and invent[ar] of the guids geir debts & sowmes of mo[n]ey q[uhi]lks perteinit to u[mquhile] W[illia]m Mcillmurrow in Mcallastoun w[i]thin the parochine of Camonell the tyme of his deceis who deceist in the moneth of July jajvjct and thrie scoir four yeirs omittit & left furth of the defuncts prin[cipa]ll confermit testa[men]t the tyme of the confermatione th[ai]rof be Marie Aikine relict of the defunct and onlie exe[cut]orrix dat[ive] surrogat & confermit to him and of new againe ffaithfullie made & givin up be the s[ai]d Marie Aitkine who is exe[cut]orix dative ad omissa surrogat in place of Mr Jon & Jon Herbertsounes pro[curato]r fischalls of the Comissariat of Glesgow who is exe[cuto]rs datives decernit ad omissa to the defuncts guids geir & debts omittit furth of his prin[cipa]ll confermit testa[men]t be dec[rei]t of the Comissar of Glesgow his dep[u]t upon the sixt day of July jajvjct and thrie s[c]oir fyve yeirs as the samyne beirs Inventar Item ther was omittit and left furth of the defuncts confermit testa[men]t the tyme of the conferma[tio]ne th[ai]rof be the exe[cut]orix fors[ai]d xxxvj lib as being the worth of ane irone luddie in the custodie of Agnes Mcclaimount in Clachine of Camonell (in margin ? xxviijs viijd) Sum[m]a of the invent[ar] patet ..... xxxvj lib Nae divisioune I Mr W[illia]m Flyming of Ferme Comissar of Glesgow be the tennor heirof ratifie approve and conferme this p[rese]nt testa[men]t & invent[ar] in sua far as the samyne is leillie & trewlie made & givin up nathing omittit furth th[ai]rof nor set w[i]thin the just availl th[ai]rincontenit and give and comitt full power of intromissioune w[i]th the s[ai]d sowme abovewr[itt]ine to the s[ai]d exe[cut]orix dative ad omissa above surrogat allenerlie w[i]th power to her to call & persew th[ai]rfor if neid beis becaus she hes made faith sas use is & fund ca[utio]une as Law will as ane act made th[ai]rupon at length beirs givin att Glesgow the twenty ane day of July 1668 The q[uhi]lk day compeirit James Hamiltoune wryt[er] pro[curato]r speciallie constitut be the p[air]tie obligator eft[er]spe[cife]it and consentit for th[e]m to the reg[ist]ra[tio]une of the band underwr[itt]ine q[uhi]lk the s[ai]d Comissar dep[u]t admittit q[uhe]rof the tennor follows I Andrew Mcillmurrow in Kilrie be the tennor heirof binds and obleissis me my airs and successors as cau[tioune[r & sovertie for Marie Aikine relict and exe[cut]orix dat[ive] decernit and confermit ad omissa to u[mquhile] W[illia]m Mcillmurrow in Calmonell that the guids geir & debts givin up and confermit in the defuncts confermit testa[men]t ad omissa sall be made furth cumand to all p[airti]es haveand intres as Law will and I the s[ai]d Marie Aikine binds & obleissis me & my successors to warrand my s[ai]d cau[tioune]r & his fors[ai]ds of his cau[tioun]rie & of all danger th[ai]ranent Consenting thir p[resen]ts be reg[ist]rat in the buiks of counsell & Sessioune Comissar Court buiks of Glesgow that exe[cutoria]lles neidful may pas heirupoune on sex dayes and constituts James Hamiltoune wryt[er] our pro[curato]r wr[itt]ine be Jon Eastoun wryt[er] in Glesgow & sub[scrivi]t as follows att Idailie the threttin day of July jajvjct thrie scoir fyve yeirs Befor thir witnessis Jon Mcknabeine at Daill & Jon Couper ther Jon Abercrumbie not[ary] inserter of the dait & witnessis & James Andersoun att Daillie & is thus sub[scrivi]t Andrew Mcillmurrow & Marie Aikine w[i]th our hands att the pen led be the not[ary] following at my co[m]mand becaus we cannot wryt o[u]r selves Ita est Joannes Abercrumbie no[ta]rius publicus in premissa requisit[us] de mandat[o] dict[e] personatir scribere nescein[tis] Johne Couper witnes John Mcknabine witnes James Andersone witnes

Prob. married Mary Aitken. Mary was born before 1642 in Scotland; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John married Margaret Henshaw. Margaret was born before 1648; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]