Source
Source for: Elizabeth Smith, 10 FEB 1767 - 02 SEP 1852
Index
Name source: S40Page: Ancestry Family Trees
Text: http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=7195919&pid=-1144209510
Birth source: S163 Narratives of Randolph County McC - McM. Page 59
Burial source: S169Burial source: S90Text: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=54977896
Emigration source: S163 Narratives of Randolph County McC - McM. Page 59
Religion source: S113Text: Oakdale Reformed Presbyterian Church Charter Member History of Oakdale Township. Page 33
Religion source: S163 Narratives of Randolph County McC - McM. Page 55
Religion source: S219Text: Oakdale Reformed Presbyterian Church Charter Member Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, "The Covenanter Witness," Weekly: Volume 13, page 256
Residence source: S6Text: Thomas McClurken
Event source: S180 Pension Register.Biannual amount of $17.05 1/2.
Event source: S226 Thomas McClurken Pension File. Pages 3 & 28.
Event source: S93Page: page 2251
Text: wid appl 20 Aug 1846 Washington Co IL
Death source: S163 Narratives of Randolph County McC - McM. Page 59
Death source: S94Page: page 240
Text: aged 85 yrs., died 11-9-1857
Residence source: S1Text: Thomas McClurken
Residence source: S2Text: Thomas McClurken
Residence source: S3Text: Thomas McClurken 1810 US Census. Thomas McClurken Page 513
Residence source: S4Text: Thomas McClurken
Residence source: S5Text: Thomas McClurken 1830 US Census. Thomas McClurken Page 59/344.
Residence source: S8Text: David McClurken
Event source: S268Page: July 1976, Volume 3, Issue 3
Text: LOOKING BACK
Wanda GROENNERT
In 1762 the ship "Lord Dunlace" set sail for America with a group of immigrants from Ireland. They put into port at South Carolina. Among the passengers were Robert McCLURKIN and his four sons, Thomas, Archibald, John and Mathew. They finally settled in Chester County, Camden District, South Carolina where they bought some land.
Like many immigrants who fled to America from the "old country" they too were striving for a better way of life, free from oppression and the King's rule. But the very thing they left behind followed them to America. When America declared war to fight for independence from Great Britain in 1776, Robert McCLURKIN and his four sons joined in the fight by serving from the State of South Carolina.
When the war was over, Thomas McCLURKIN had married Elizabeth SMITH in South Carolina (Elizabeth was the daughter of John and Agnes Faris SMTH. John SMITH was also in the American Revolution.) To this union the following children were born; Nancy, John, James, Thomas, David, Archibald and another son not named.
Sometime in the spring of 1830 James and Thomas MC CLURKIN, Archibald and John HOOD and their families started the long journey from South Carolina in covered wagons.
In May 1830 they all arrived in Washington County, Illinois in the part that was called Ayer's Point, Elkhorn Prairie of Elkhorn Point.
In 1833 more of the family arrived, namely: John and David McCLURKIN and John DGNNELLY. These people, along with the ROUNTREES, Thomas BIRD and others opened up this part of the county to other settlers.
It soon became a growing, thriving community and by 1835, they had a school house, built a church made of brick, had a steam-mill, a store, a blacksmith shop and of course, a cemetery.
Indeed these Scotch and I r i s h settlers had found their promised land. Here they could worship as they wanted. They could till the ground and raise their families in the peace they so desperately sought and fought for.
Illinois was a free slave state and this too was reason to settle here. The very idea of slavery to these people was abhorred. They knew what it was to be an oppressed people and the thought of owning a slave was disgusting and truly against their religious beliefs. Some of these people played a great role in our county by manning the "underground railroad," to help slaves escape farther north, only to come under attack by their neighbors and friends.
Thomas MCCLURKIN was one of these pioneers who helped settle Washington County in the 1830's. He also is distinguished apart from many of our other earlier settlers by the fact that he is one of only four known American Revolutionary Soldiers buried within the boundaries of Washington County. The other three known burials are George BROWN, James CRABTREE, and Conrad GOODNER. If there are any others buried in Washington County they too are like the "Unknown Soldier" and known only to God.
Thomas MCCLURKIN surely thrived in our county, for at the age of 95 he applied for a pension for having fought in the American Revolution. I do not know if he ever received his f i r s t payment, but as a guardian of our nation of independence and a pioneer who helped to open up Washington County, he certainly would have deserved it .
Today Washington County has many descendants of Thomas MCCLURKIN. If you are of this line or any other line which you can prove, back to the American Revolution now is the time to join the new DAR Chapter being organized. The DAR is open to all the women if you can prove your descent from anyone who gave service of any kind to the colonies during the years 1775-1783. .Printed first in the Nashville News, 18 Dec 1975.