Do you have multiple people in your file with the same names? If so, were they born in the same year and died in the same year? Well, I have TWO men named James Crawford who were born about 1758 and died in 1836.
Over the years, I have seen records for one man attached to the opposite James Crawford. Both have gravestones indicating they served during the revolutionary war. However, it appears that both may be claiming the same military service. IF so, that would explain why the DAR has closed one line for future memberships. The line thru James Crawford of Fleming County is still open for membership while the James Crawford line of Jefferson County, Indiana is currently closed.
I recently found an application for a military pension for the James Crawford of Fleming County, Kentucky. This application not only supports the DAR keeping the line open but provides information about where James lived prior to migrating to Kentucky along with an approximate time for that migration.
State of Kentucky Fleming County
On this day personally appeared in open Court before the justices of [this] Fleming County Court now sitting James Crawford a resident of the county and state first aforenamed aged 74 year who being first duly sworn according to law do[th] on his oath makes the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of an act of congr[ess] passed June 7th 1832 viz tha he entered the service of the United States in Botetourt County Virginia in the year 1778 or 79 (he thinks in 78) the first day of September that he served under Capt William Colbert in the regiment commanded by Col Patrick Lockhart immediately after being in listed [low] the mouth of Big [Beaver] the he served the full term of 3 months the period for which he was enlisted and was discharged at Fort McIntosh by Col Lockhart that he was in no engagement during the period that he afterwards entered the service of the United States as a volunteer in the year 1780 in December in the State of Virginia Botetourt county that he marched to South Car olina under Major David Campbell and Capt Alex Hanley that he marched without delay having slept but one day during the march to join Col Morgan’s rifle corps whose regiment he joined three or four days after the bat tle of the cow pens that he was in the the an
next page my re[locating] four Cornwallis during the re treat at the ford of Yadkin river acting as a picket guard under Capt Hanby he was at tacked and his Capt and one private taken pri soner the private afterwards escaping and two men of the guard killed and two wounded after crossing Atkins river he marched to Halifax courthouse in Virginia that he was discharged at that place by Maj Campbell herein been in no battle or skirmish other than the aforenamed that he volunteered the last time for 3 months which time he [served] previous to being discharged that he had un[?] ten discharged both times has lost them both long since that know but one person in this count who can prove his service whose certificate is below annexed that he hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and that his name is not on the agency of any state. Sworn to and subscribed this 1st day of Apl in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty three he as born in Augusta County Virginia he lived there [till] he moved to Fleming County Kenty he herewith attached a $30 bill which he [as Pas pay] James Crawford Jn0 McRoberts [give as] he knew the foregoing James Crawford while a boy that he knew him when he went into the service & when he reld but how long he served he don’t know he thinks he went a second time but of this his recollection is not certain he hath known him for [upwards] such years and his character is good he hath lived in Fleming Cty Kenty about 40 years John McRoberts
U.S. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application files, 1800-1900, James Crawford, 1 April 1833; database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : viewed online 5 December 2022). Original Source: NARA microfilm pubication M804.
In honor of the 4th of July, I am reposting this from last year.
Does your tree go back to colonial times? If so, have you tried to find revolutionary war ancestors? When I first started researching my tree, I looked for a Crawford that served. Unfortunately, I still haven’t been able to get my tree back far enough on my Crawford line to have a potential patriot.
Since I had a copy of my great grandmother’s application to the Daughters of the American Revolution, I gave up looking for a Crawford patriot and applied using her application — and I was denied. Her application used Jason Hammond (1762-1842) as her patriot ancestor.
However, the line thru this Jason Hammond is closed. My application was modified to go thru Jason’s father, Nathaniel Hammond (#A050625) who provided patriotic service for Connecticut.
After my application was approved, I quit looking at most of my other branches. Wanting to have a patriot ancestor on my mom’s side of the tree, I did investigate the Buckles line.
Recently, I was curious about how many patriot lines I might have in my tree. Thus, I started researching the men in the 8th generation of my tree to see if someone with similar information was listed in the DAR ancestor file. And I found quite a few ancestors on the DAR site.
Paternal Side
Elizur Talcott (1709-1797 #A113367 provided patriotic service and served as a Colonel for Connecticut in the 6th Regiment militia under Brigadier General Wolcott
John Foster (1735-1800) #A041635 served as a private for Maryland under Capt. Peter Mantz
Daniel Harris (abt 1737-1821) #A051563 served as a private for Virginia under Capt. James Kearny, Cols Thomas Hartly, Hubley
Samuel Demarest (1707-1785) #A131555 possibly served for York County, Pennsylvania.
Simon Van Arsdale (1746-1802) #A117118 served as a Major for Pennsylvania under Col. Andrew in the York County militia and also as a Captain under Col. McPherson and an ensign under Capt. Hugh Campbell
Henry Banta (1718-1805) #A005785 provided patriotic service for Pennsylvania
Harmanus Ostrander (1729-1803) #A210554 served as a private for new York in the Ulster county militia
Ebenezer Merry (1748-1809) #A078189 served as a private for Connecticut under Lt. Seymour and Maj Newberry
Stephen Peabody (1753-1838) #A086830 served as a sergeant for Massachusetts under Capt. Jabes West and Col. Jonathan Eddy
Maternal Side
Benjamin Rush (1752-1819) #A100014 provided patriotic service in North Carolina by furnishing supplies in 1780
James Buckles (1733-1797) #A016515 served as a Captain for Virginia in the Berkeley County militia
Thomas Dawson (1760-1832) #A030832 provided patriotic service for Virginia by furnishing supplies
Oliver Miles (1738-1820) #A078880 served as a private for Massachusetts under Lt. Ephraim Wheeler and Col Eleazor Brooks
John Josselyn Junior (1735-1810) #A063118 served as a Captain for Massachusetts under Col. John Whetcomb at Lexington and in the 8th Worcester County Militia under Col Job Cushing. He was also a town treasurer.
Nathaniel Wells Senior (1730-1804) #A122573 served as a private for Connecticut under Capt. James Chapman and Col. Samuel Holden Parsons
Oliver White (1724-1789) served as a private for Massachusetts under Capt Eliakim Smith at Lexington and under Captains Smith, Moses Kellogg and Col. Jonathan Ward
David Kennedy (1730-1792) #A064685 served as a private for Connecticut at Lexington
Comfort Barnes (1737-1816) #A006295 was a civil servant and provided patriotic service for Massachusetts. He served on the Committee of Safety or Correspondence.
I never dreamed I had this many potential patriots in my tree! Now, I have to not only document their service but make sure I have documented my line back to them.
Do you ever find yourself going off on a tangent with your genealogy research? I know Thomas MacEntee has referred to this as following the lure of a ‘bright and shiny object.’
The recent Facebook post by the 8th Virginia Regiment group about James Curry has proven to be one of those ‘bright and shiny objects.’ Thus, I’ve been on a detour with my research.
As I was updating my sourcing for James Curry (1752-1834), I found a source that leads to another source. The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center Obituary Index database on Ancestry is that source leading to another source.
Name: James Curry Death Age: 82 Birth Date: abt 1752 Death Date: 5 Jul 1834 Death Place: Jerome Twp, Union, Ohio, USA Spouse: Maria Newspaper Information: Newspaper: Marysville Tribune, Newspaper Date: 12 Sep 1883, Newspaper Page: 5 Column: 3; Repository: Marysville Public Library; Years Available: 1853-1892 | Newspaper: Marysville Tribune, Newspaper Date: 19 Sep 1883, Newspaper Page: 5 Column: 4; Repository: Marysville Public Library; Years Available: 1853-1892
“Ohio, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center Obituary Index, 1810s-2016,”Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : Hayes Presidential Center Obituary Indexers and Volunteers. “Ohio Obituary Index.”, Jerome Twp., Union County, Ohio, viewed online (31 October 2021), James Curry.
This index provided enough information for me to find the articles about James Curry on Newspapers.com in Ohio newspapers.
Honor to a Soldier Pioneer The Curry Reunion and What It Proposes to Do
Last Saturday the Curry descendants had a reunion on the farm of John Curry in Jerome township, a large number of the relatives being in attendance.
Those present were mostly the lineal descendants of the grandfather, Col. Jas. Curry, who was an officer in the Revolutionary army. He was a native of Belfast, Ireland, and emigrated with his father to America in 1782, when ten years old, and located in Augusta county, Va. When he arrived to manhood he entered the Revolutionary army where he made an honorable record. After the close of the war and when 35 years of age he moved to Ross county, and subsequently, in 1811, moved with is family to the wilds of Madison county, that portion afterwards being incorporated into Union county. He helped to organize the county and put it into running shape. He was a member of the legislature for Madison county (Union not being formed) in 1812-3, when the state capital was at Chillicothe. He was re elected to the same office in 1813. In 1814 he was elected from the Delaware and Madison district, and was returned to the same office in 1815. In 1816 he was chosen to represent Madison county, it being entitled to a separate representation. In 1819 Mr. Curry was returned as Madison’s representative, and this term closed his official career in the legislature. It was during this his last term that the act organizing Union county was passed, the bill completing its passage Dec. 24, 1819. He was one of the electors in 1816 and cast the vote of the State at Chillicothe for James Monroe who was one of the Presidential candidates. He was also Associate Judge of Union county from 1822 til 1828, the court being held part of the time at Milford. His official career closing with the expiration of the Judgship, being then 76 years old, he retired to his farm and awaited the summons from on high, which cam to him through an attack of apoplexy in 1834, at the age of 82 years. He was buried in the family graveyard situated on the farm, by the side of his wife, who had preceded him about eight years.
We have been thus explicit in narrating the history of Col. James Curry for the reason that it was proposed and planned at the family reunion, last Saturday to remove his remains and those of his wife, to Oakdale cemetery. This will take place Saturday afternoon of this week, and in view of the fact that he was an honored Revolutionary officer, having followed the fortunes of Washington’s army through the war, and having been so prominently connected with the organization of the county and shaping its destinies, the citizens owe it to the memory of this once patriot soldier and civilian to attend the funeral obsequies in a body. We can never fully estimate from our present standpoint the services of the Revolutionary soldier or his arduous labors in opening this western wilderness and shaping it to the requirements of social elite. We should honor them, though they be but dust now, for the glorious work they have done in laying the foundation stones of the grandest civilization the world has ever know.
We hope our country friends, as many of them as can, will be present next Saturday afternoon, if not to participate in the funeral exercises, to stand at least with uncovered head s the dust of these respected pioneers is conveyed to the final rest. We regret very much that the time is so short to give the public due notice of this event. If timely notice could be given very many would attend who will not know anything of it till it is over. Let as many attend as can.
The following week an article appeared detailing to reburial of Col. James Curry and the honors paid to him and his wife.
Exhumation and Reinterment of the Remains of Colonel James Curry and Wife after a Slumber of Fifty Years, and the Honors Paid Them
Saturday last was the day set apart by the Curry descendents to take up the remains of Col. James Curry and his wife, in Jerome township, and have them removed to Oakdale cemetery, one mile west of Marysville. The Editor of the Tribune upon the invitation of Col. W. L. Curry, shared with him his buggy to the old farm so long occupied by the venerable grandsire. It is situated about one mile to the southwest of New California, on the road leading from the latter place to Plain City. We arrived there about 11 o’clock and found about twenty persons present, mostly those who belong to or are connected with the lineage of the family.
The graves had already been opened and it was bu the work of a few moments to lift the skeletons from their long resting place and put them in a new casket, specially prepared for them. The main bones of the frame-work in both graves were in good condition for removal, and they were as artistically placed in their new receptacles as though done by a professed anatomist. The caskets were then closed up and removed to the hearses which were in waiting, and in a few moments after the cortege was on its way to Oakdale cemetery.
The graveyard is located on the farm where Mr. Curry resided (now owned by the Nonemaker heirs) about two or three hundred yards west of north of the point where the original pioneer cabin stood, no traces of which for many years have been left. The burial limits are about three rods square, surrounded by a board fence gong to decay. Within the enclosure stand two walnut trees and about half a dozen honey locusts, which suggest to the passing traveler that this must be a family burial place. There are some half dozen other graves in the lot, in all of which are remains of the Curry connection. Two old-fashioned, plain sandstone slabs marked the graves which were opened. That of the venerable sire had the simple inscription: “James Curry, died July 5th 1834, aged 82 years, 5 months and 7 days.” The inscription on the wife’s headstone reads: “Mary M. Curry, died January 10,, 1826, aged 57 years.” Then follow the lines written after he death by her poet son, Otway: “The spirit hath returned to him Who gave its heavenly spark. To live and reign with Seraphim, When suns and stars are dark.”
The same son subsequently wrote a beautiful poem, entitled “To My Mother,” which will be found in the second department of the County History, page 93. It is a gem that has won for itself immortality.
The coffins were both made after the proverbial old sextagon style with a distention across the breast and the sides sloping towards the ends. The wood was the customary black walnut. The lid of the coffin and the covering over it were decayed and the earth had fallen in. The sides were standing in position, but considerably decayed. It that of Mr. Curry the wood was well preserved and so tough that it could hardly be whittled with a penknife. The bottom boards of both coffins were sound. As before intimated the remains were taken out in good shape. They has been entombed — those of the husband fifty years, lacking ten months and those of the wife fifty-eight years.
Of those who were present at Mr. Curry’s funeral, four were present to witness the exhumation, namely, John Curry, Zachariah Noteman, George Rickard and Llewellyn Curry, the latter being then but four years old.
A procession of seven or eight carriages followed the hearses to town. At the east end the pall bearers in carriages were in waiting to join the procession. These gentlemen were George Snodgrass, sr., Andrew Keys, William M. Robinson, John F. Sabin, Levi Longbrake, John B. Coats, David O. Winget, Taber Randall and James A. Henderson.
As the procession moved west through Fifth street, it was met in front of the M.E. church by the members of the Grand Army of the Republic who filed their lines on each side of the road for the head of the cortege to pass through. As the hearse bearing the remains of the old Revolutionary veteran, draped int he flag he one so nobly defended, came up, the members of the Grand Army marched on either side of the hearse till reaching Court street, where they entered carriages and preceded the hearses to the cemetery grounds.
Arriving there the caskets were ranged in the shade of teh overhanging oaks. Rev. Thrail read some appropriate scripture lessons and offered prayer. After stating the nature of the obsequies, he introduced Hon. J. W. Robinson, who read a brief history of the early pioneer, the services he rendered the country and the responsible public trusts he subsequently filled, and referred tot he appropriateness of the honors that were being paid on this occasion to one who had acted so conspicuous a part in the development of this part of the country.
Judge Cole followed in some appropriate off-hand remarks. He had known Mr. Curry in his day, and knew him to be a true, honest man in every respect and worthy of the high honors paid to his memory by the living of to-day. The remarks of both gentlemen were listened to with profound attention.
William M. Robinson, after Curry’s casket had been lowered into the grave remarked: “I assisted burying these remains in the family graveyard nearly fifty years ago.” It is one of the strange events, that fifty years later he should be called to assist in the reburial of the same person.
Under two oaks, whose outreaching branches shade the chosen spot; will henceforth rest the dust of these early pioneers. Here the family descendants will make their periodical pilgrimages to pay their devotions to an honored ancestry; and here too the patriot and civilian may drink in the Revolutionary inspiration of love of country and home. And las of all, the imperishable marble will mark the spot honored to hold the dust of a true friend of his country and of mankind.
I doubt that I would have looked for information about James Curry in 1883 papers if I hadn’t seen the information in the obituary index. Thus, paying attention to those potential leads and following them can be beneficial.
Ohio Roll James Curry Col. Bowman Captain VA In the Army of the United States during the Revolutionay War Inscribed on the Roll of Ohio at the rate of Twenty Dollars per month, to commence the 1st of May 1818 Certificate of Pension issued the 25th of Jan 1819 and sent to Burns Parish Columbus, Ohio
image 305 James Curry Capt fourth VA regt 1777-1780 May 1818 certificate warrtny
Image 306 James Curry was a Resident of Madison, Ohio deposeth and sayeth that on the 24th day of June 1777 he entered into the service of the United States in the Virginia line on continental establishment in the revolutionary war as a first Lieutenant, his commission stated as above was then in Capt. Robert Higgin’s Company in the 8th Virginia Regimental commando by Col. Abraham [Boiseman] that on the Regiments being replaced by various cuasin on being in action [discharged from] the 8th to 4th joined or consolidated and denominated the 4th Reg and was then commanded by Col John Nevill a number of [supunumerary] officer now then sent home; your deponent was still retaind in [?] and on September the 23rd 1779 received a Captain Commission that he was with the troops of the Virginia line in the neighborhood of Morristown, where the Hutts were nearly com[pleted] for wintering in when orders were received for the line to March for Charleston So Carolna that your deponent [trasfer] of the Virginia line left him encamped near Morristown on the 10th Dec 1779 and reach Charlestown early in april and after about a month seige we cap[autated] on the 12 of May 1780 your deponent with the other officers were paraled to Harddrolls point where we were detained until June 1781
Image 307 when a [cartel] was settled for exchanging the prisoners in the Southern departments as far as officers of similar rank would apply and the remainder to be paroled to their homes liable to be called in by the British authorities on certain specificants [except by mentioned] of those paroled to their homes and [that I have number] was your deponent and became liberated by the end of the war. Your deponent states with regrets that he has after the strictest search been unable to find his commissions; also two counterparts of paroles; and certificate of an oath of fidelity to the United States [since] to be taken before the Journals of Division that of your deponent taken before the Marquis de la Fayette and to which was his signature; some in Camp near Valley Fort in the spring of 1778 shortly before the army quitting there plans, and but a little proceeding the battles of Monmouoth, in which action your deponent was ; [We] should have mentioned above that those officers and who remaind of the soldiers wee brought to James tavern in Virginia (after the [carel] was agreed on) in District frankforts. our deponent further state that he has no pension allowed him by the laws of the United Staes nor is his name on your pension list
Image 308 and then from his [?] circumstances he needs the tender aid of his country, by the act of Congress of March 18th 1818 James Curry
U.S. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application files, 1800-1900, James Curry, 5 January 1819; database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : viewed online 31 October 2021). Original Source: NARA microfilm pubication M804.
Do you have family stories that get told again and again. In my family, most of those stories were more recent and easily proven. A couple that come to mind were stories of the flooding when my parents were married and my brother’s premature birth. These are the stories I grew up hearing.
As I’ve researched my family tree, I’ve come across stories related to the revolutionary war that I’ve yet to prove. The first was that Hiram M. Currey of Champaign County, Ohio served with George Washington at Valley Forge. The second is a story that a Crandall ancestor took part in the Boston Tea Party.
One revolutionary war story that I didn’t think I’d have trouble proving was that my ancestor, Jason Hammond, fought in the revolutionary war. After all there is a listing for Jason Hammond with a wife named Rachel Hale in the 1994 edition of the DAR Patriot Index.
My great aunt, Esther Crawford Noll, was listed in the 1980 directory for the Kansas Society of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.
And, I have a partially filled out, hand written copy of an application to the DAR for my great-grandmother, Josie Hammond Crawford.
The National Archives microfilm, ‘Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army during the Revolutionary War’, contains a record for a Jason Hammond serving under Col. Wells.
However, my application to the DAR thru Jason Hammond was denied, not because I couldn’t prove my relationship to Jason Hammond, but because I couldn’t prove his service. The DAR has closed applications for Jason Hammond.
Since my application was accepted thru Jason’s father, Nathaniel Hammond, the reason for denial was not that the proof was not up to current standards.
Thus, it appears that the ‘same name’ issue strikes again. Even though I don’t have any other Jason Hammonds in my file of an appropriate age to have served, it is possible and even likely that there were other Jason Hammonds living in Connecticut at the time of the revolutionary war.
For now, this story of a revolutionary ancestor has been placed on the shelf as ‘legend’. At some point, I may try to prove otherwise, but for now, it is just a legend.
Were any of your ancestors in the colonies prior to the American Revolution? If so, have you tried to identify ancestors who may have fought in the Revolutionary War?
Since I am a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), I already knew that one of my ancestors provided patriotic service during the war: Nathaniel Hammond of Connecticut.
I had also started collecting documentation to prove William Buckles on my mother’s side of my tree.
Beyond that, I didn’t know which of my ancestors might have served. Thus, I needed to create a list of ancestors who might have served so that I could research them in Fold3 and the DAR databases.
To create a list of potential people, I needed to know who was of the appropriate age to serve. I found a wiki on FamilySearch that lists various wars and suggests ‘Ages of Servicemen in Wars.’
Using that information, I was able to create a marked group of those whose Birth date is after 1715 AND Birth date is before 1767
Using this group, I created a custom report to list the names, birth dates and birth places. (Note: I should have added the death date and death place to my report.)
I saved the report as a text file so that I could open it in Excel.
When I opened the text file in Excel, I had almost 270 individuals in my list.
Since this list was NOT limited to ancestors, I had to manually figure out who on the list was an ancestor.
To help identify those ancestors, I created a marked group in RootsMagic for my ancestors. This allowed me to have an alphabetical list of ancestors in RootsMagic and compare it to the list of potential revolutionary war ancestors in my Excel spreadsheet.
After marking the ancestors on my list of potential revolutionary war people, I was down to 20 names.
I then looked up those 20 names using the DAR Ancestor Search site. Of my 20 ancestors of the appropriate age to have served, only five of them had service information in the DAR database. An additional 2 men were in the DAR database, but their service information is questionable. Revolutionary War Patriot Ancestors
Ancestors of Appropriate Age but NOT in DAR database
Richard Beckerdite
Frederick Briles (Broyles)
Theodore Hale
William Harding — LOYALIST
John Iglehart
John Ralston
John Ricketts
Benjamin Rush
Crafford Rush
James Story
Green Wells
Nathaniel Wells
Oliver White
Now that I have identified potential revolutionary war participants, I can watch for their names in county histories, court records and other documents.
Do you have ancestors living in the colonies prior to the revolutionary war? Have you applied to the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) or Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) for those ancestors? If so, have you ever encountered a warning that ‘future applicants must prove correct service’?
This happened to me when I applied for the DAR. I was trying to use my great-grandmother’s application (Josie Winifred Hammond Crawford – #319934) to apply. She applied thru her great-grandfather, Jason Hammond (1762-1830). Unfortunately, I was told they wouldn’t accept Jason Hammond as a revolutionary war ancestor. Since there were other Jason Hammonds living in Connecticut at the time, I’m assuming that the other Jason Hammond was the one who served. Fortunately, I was able to apply thru Jason’s father, Nathaniel Hammond, who provided support for the revolutionary troops.
As I’m researching various James Crawford families in early Kentucky, I’ve found that the DAR has limited applications for one of those James Crawfords.
Unfortunately, many people for many years have mixed these men up. The James Crawford who has data in the ‘correction file’ is one of the James Crawfords living in Fleming County, Kentucky. This James was married to Sarah Vansant in 1786 in Botetourt County, Kentuckyand died in 1836. James Crawford is buried in the Hillsboro Cemetery in Fleming County, KY
The second James Crawford was married to Rebecca Maxwell Anderson. This James Crawford owned land along Paint Lick Creek in Madison and Garrard Counties, Kentucky before moving to Jefferson County, Indiana. James Crawford is buried in Hebron Cemetery in Jefferson County, Indiana.
Both men have tombstones indicating that they are revolutionary war veterans.
Since I’m trying to prove that the James Crawford of Jefferson County, Indiana is the uncle to my ancestor, I’ve been trying to learn about his life. Thus, when I learned about a biography of him, I wrote to the Madison Public Library to see if they had a copy of that biography.
I recently received a copy of that biography. It appears that this biography was clipped from a newspaper and placed in the 1916 DAR scrapbook.
James Crawford Ancestor of Mrs. Jennie V. Johnson James Crawford was born in the colony of Virginia, in 1758. At the early age of twenty years he ‘as sisted in establishing American In dependence,” by enlisting as a pri- vate from Boetourt county, under Capt. Wm. Colbert and Col. Patrick Lockhart. He served three months, and then, after a lapse of two years, he re- enlisted for another three months campaign under Capt. Alex Henley and COl. Morgan. He was engaged in the battle of Camden and the skirmish on Tadkin river. The next public record we have of him is after his removal to Ken- tucky, where he is mentioned as be- ing a member of the first convention held in Kentucky to frame a state constitution. this body of men con- vened at Danville in 1792, and as a result Kentucky took her place among the United States of America. James Crawford continued to be active in public affairs and served as a member of teh house of repre sentatives in 1821 and 1822. He married Rebecca Anderson and their daughter, Elizabeth, b- came the wife of Rev. Beverly Vaw- ter, who was so renowned in his day as a preacher in the church of the disciples. His son, Richard Beverly Vawter, who married Maria Lane, were the parents of Mrs. Jennie Vawter Johnson. James Crawford applied for a pen- sion April 1st, 1833, while living in Fleming county, Ky. His claim was allowed. He lived only three years longer, dying at the age of seventy- eight years. His remains lie buried in Hebron cemetery, Jefferson coun- ty, Ind. A headstone has been provided by the government and will soon be placed by the John Paul Chapter, D.A.R.
I had hoped that this biography would open some doors in my James Crawford research. However, the middle part of the biography appears to pull information for several different James Crawfords. So the question becomes: What is TRUE and What is FALSE?
Born in Virginia in 1758 — likely TRUE for James Crawford who married Rebecca Anderson
Military Service — Likely FALSE – currently DAR is crediting this military service to the James Crawford who married Sarah Vansant.
Member of first Kentucky territorial convention – likely FALSE. Other documents indicate that the Rev. James Crawford of Fayette County, KY was the person who was a representative to the convention.
Served as a member of the house of representatives in 1821 and 1822 — Likely FALSE. Other documents indicate that the James Crawford (1797-1836) of Fleming County is the one that served in the Kentucky House of Representatives. This James Crawford was married to Elizabeth Stockton.
Married to Rebecca Anderson — likely TRUE – land records indicate that the James Crawford of Indiana was married to Rebecca Anderson.
Burial — likely TRUE – Find a Grave supports this burial information
Thus, I didn’t find this biography very helpful. However, it has shown me that I need to find corroborating documents for details in any biography that I find.
This biography also illustrates why one might need to research everyone with the same name in a particular area. If I hadn’t researched these various James Crawford families, I would not have been able to identify aspects of this biography that are likely for the other James Crawfords.
On my way home from the Northeast Kansas Library System’s monthly board meeting, I stopped in Topeka to use the library and archives at the Kansas State Historical Society. One of the books I used was Montgomery County, Virginia: The First 100 Years. [Text by Judge C. W. Crush; Index by Mrs. Frances Terry Ingmire. St. Louis, MO: Mrs Terry Ingmire, 1982.]
On page 94 of this book is a list of Captain Love’s Company of Militia. Since James Crawford was listed as a lieutenant for the company, this list may prove useful to my Crawford research. By knowing the names of the various men in this company, I can search their pension records for mention of James Crawford (or any other Crawford).
Page 94
A list of Capt. Love’s Compy. of Militia — April 5th 1781 William Love, Capt. James Crawford, Lt. James Smith, Lt. James White, Ensign George Erving, Sergt David Busher, Sergt Philip Dutting John Lashley John King Abram Gooding Christley Vaught George Vaught Nathan Morgan Archy Reagh William Smith Peter Neast Warren Filpot Adm Dulton Peter Greger Peter Laughton James Fork John Vaught David Vaught Jese James James James William Moore John Brown Geo. Douglas Danl. Pearee Edward Crawford Michl Plankepicker Gasper Vaught David Kirkwood William James Kaser Wells Hugh Con Christopher Bulyes Mikl. Burton John Burton Zac. Plankepicker Michl. Branser John Hunt
Heartland Genealogy 