Person:James McCorkle (10)

Will of James McCorkle

Will of James McCorkle of Montgomery County, dated 5th February, 1794, proved in Montgomery May Court, 1794. Niece Margaret McCorkle, wife of William Adams. Nieces Martha and Rebecca McCorkle. Tract called Dunkard Bottom. Martha McCorkle, widow of brother William McCorkle. [Source: Chalkley's Augusta County Records, "Walter Crockett of Wythe vs. Gordon Cloyd and others", Vol. 2].

Will Abstract:

McCorkle, James. Will probated May, 1794.

Names: niece, Margaret, wife of William Adams.

[A Brief of Wills and Marriages of Montgomery and Fincastle Counties, Virginia, 1773-1831 by Anne Lowry Worrell, pg. 51].

Land Acquisition in Virginia

• Copy of deed William Christian and Anne to James McCorkle, dated 16th August, 1784, and proved in Montgomery County 25th August, 1784. [Source: Chalkley's Augusta County Records, "Walter Crockett of Wythe vs. Gordon Cloyd and others", Vol. 2].

Records in Augusta County, VA

• Page 287.--6th January, 1767. Robert Neelley (Neally, Neilly, Nealy) (and Anna), of Halifax County, to William Christian, £78, 350 acres on a branch of Roan Oak, adjoining Robert Breckenridge and Archibald Graham. Teste: Isaac Christian, Stephen Trigg, Arthur Campbell, James McCorkle, John Crocket.

• Vol. 2 - Walter Crockett of Wythe vs. Gordon Cloyd and others--O. S. 33; N. S. 11--Bill filed 9th July, 1798. James McCorkle and Wm. Christian, partners in 1775, gave their bond with Walter Crockett as sureties. McCorkle is dead, leaving heiresses Peggy Adams, wife of William Adams and Rebecca Thompson, wife of Andrew Thompson. Copy of deed William Christian and Anne to James McCorkle, dated 16th August, 1784, and proved in Montgomery County 25th August, 1784. Copy of will of James McCorkle of Montgomery County, dated 5th February, 1794, proved in Montgomery May Court, 1794. Niece Margaret McCorkle, wife of William Adams. Nieces Martha and Rebecca McCorkle. Tract called Dunkard Bottom. Martha McCorkle, widow of brother William McCorkle. Martha and William were parents of three nieces above. Devise to Robert Currin, Jr., son of Robert. Depositions in Winchester, 29th June, 1805. Michael Switzer 25 years old. Paul Kauffman 23 or 24 years old. Michael Houseman aged 28. Conrad Cutliff aged 19 (Gotlieb?). Francis Cutliff aged 61.

Information on James McCorkle

In 1770 another James (McCorkle) came from Ulster and was a merchant in Staunton. A few years later he removed to Montgomery, of which county he was sheriff in 1778. He died there in 1794. It was this James who was trustee of Liberty Hall Academy in 1783. He had a brother William, those daughters were Margaret, Martha and Rebecca". Most important parts of this story can be proven by primary evidence; however the "1770" and "Ulster" assertions have not been proven. In addition, Morton left out some very important information that leads to other avenues of research. James McCorkle was a militia Captain, a Gentlemen Justice of Montgomery County and a 1782 trustee of Washington and Lee University. The sketch on the right is from "The Founders of Washington College" published in 1890. This sketch may have been the source of Morton's comments which were published some thirty years later; however, there is an important difference in the two accounts. The sketch alleges that James went to Ingles Ferry in 1770, not Staunton. The first evidence of this James McCorkle in Augusta is on Jan 6, 1767 when he witnessed a deed transferring property to William Christian. [Source: A History of Rockbridge County, Virginia]

Hale in his "Trans Alleghany Pioneers" states that seven families were settled West of New River in 1754, but gives the names of but two, Reed and McCorkle. [Source: A History of The Middle New River Settlements and Contiguous Territory, by David E. Johnston (1906)].

Thomas Copley was also listed as a customer of McCorkle's store in New Dublin between 1774 and the start of the Revolution. Ingle's Tavern and McCorkle's store were meeting places, New Dublin is now under Claytor Lake. Ingle's Ferry was the scene of great activity as frontiersmen came in from many places on their way to join Col. Andrew Lewis at Camp Union, Lewisburg, WVA., preparatory for the Ohio expedition against the Shawnees in 1774. (Col. Andrew Lewis lived at Richfield, Salem, VA. Ingle's Ferry is located 1.4 m. east of Radford, in 1760 it was the site of the first rendevouz of Col. Byrd's expedition agianst the Cherokees. There Indians returning to New River in 1763 were attacked by Wm. Ingles and party of settlers.) McCorkle's store did a rushing business. Officers and men flocked into the store, buying supplies and taking chances on guns and other merchandise being raffled. Rum, drawn from huge oaken casks, was dispensed in great quantity. Apparently the entire Fincastle Battalion assembled in this area before marching to Camp Union. Among those coming from afar were companies commanded by Cpt. James Harrod, founder of the first settlement in Kentucky and Cpt. Evan Shelby from the edge of Tennessee. [Source: http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/w/e/l/Lreonard-H-Wellman/GENE5-0026.html]

In 1774 William Christian and friend James McCorkle agreed on an operation of a store at New Dublin. This partnership was to last until 1776. In the spring and summer of 1774, William was a colonel of the Fincastle County troops and prepared for action against the Indians. In the summer of 1784 William Christian and his wife Annie moved to Kentucky where he received a military grant and where his father had claimed lands. William sold 400 acres of the Dunkard's Bottomland to James McCorkle that year. [Source "Dunkard's Bottom" Historical Marker: http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM4BYM]