KERR - Upper Long Cane Families, by Bob Thompson
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CITATION: RootsWeb WorldConnect Project, RootsWeb's WorldConnect Project:
Upper Long Canes Families, information submitted January 22, 2006 by Bob
Thompson . [Author cites sources of this information in
his notes.]
KERR – Upper Long Cane Families, by Bob Thompson
According to A. Maxim Coppage, ROCKBRIDGE CO., VA,
NOTEBOOK (Utica, KY: McDowell, 1982), p. 35, the Kerr family is
found prior to 1722 in Donegal twp., Lancaster Co., PA, along with the
McClures, who moved with the Kerrs to Augusta Co., VA. (This
information was originally in an article by George West Diehl entitled
"Rockbridge Notebook," published in the NEWS-GAZETTE of
Lexington, VA).
Richard K. MacMaster, DONEGAL PRESBYTERIANS (Morgantown,
PA: Masthof, 1995), says that John and Malcolm Ker and David McClure
appear for the first time on the 1724 Donegal assessment list (p. 8).
According to MacMaster, most of the first settlers of this community were
from the Laggan (lowland) area of east Donegal, whose presbytery, the
Laggan Presbytery, supplied the Donegal church with its first ministry.
The Kerrs may have come to VA from Paxtang/Paxton twp. in Lancaster
Co., PA. Accompanying them to VA were the Pickens family. According
to E.A. Sharp, PICKENS FAMILIES OF THE SOUTH, p. 3, in 1735,
inhabitants of Chester and Lancaster Co. signed a petition for a road from
John Harris' ferry to Edw'd Kennison Plantation in the Great Valley,
which was delivered by E. Shippen and J. Harris, 21 May 21 1735. The
petition was signed by John and Andrew Pickens, John, James, and David
Kerr, and others.
According to Sharp, these families appear in Orange (later Augusta) Co.,
VA, prior to 1740. The Pickens family appear by 1741 in records of the
Old Stone (Presbyterian) church 8 miles north of Staunton; the Kerrs also
appear in records of this church, as well as in the records of the Tinkling
Springs church. The Stone Church was founded in 1740 at present Ft.
Defiance, VA, and is the oldest Presbyterian church in continuous use in
VA. Both the Stone Church and the Tinkling Springs church were
established by the congregation of the Triple Forks of the Shenandoah in
1740, both being served by Rev. John Craig.
Howard McKnight Wilson, TINKLING SPRING: HEADWATER OF
FREEDOM (Fishersville, VA, 1954), p. 11, says that the Kerr family has a
strong tradition that it came to Augusta Co. prior to John Lewis (citing
Vincent Brown Kerr, BRIEF HISTORY OF KERRS AND KIN, 1730 TO
1930 [Staunton, VA: 1930], p. 3). Wilson notes that the Kerrs were part of
the Donegal Presbyterian Society on the Susquehana River in PA. Wilson
notes (p. 12) that the Kerrs settled at a choice spot at the juncture ofCITATION: RootsWeb WorldConnect Project, RootsWeb's WorldConnect Project:
Upper Long Canes Families, information submitted January 22, 2006 by Bob
Thompson . [Author cites sources of this information in
his notes.]
Christian's Creek, Long Meadow Run, and Middle River, probably around
1730. A log home built by the Kerrs, still standing in 1954, was at the
beginning point of a survey made in 1736 for the Beverley Manor lands
out of which all settlers of the area obtained their titles. Wilson also notes
that James Kerr took a leadership role in the earliest records of the
Tinkling Spring church and county organizations (p. 12).
Orange Co., VA, WB 2, 66-7, has a will for a James Ker of Augusta Co.,
18 Apr. 1745, pr. 22 Aug. The will mentions brothers David and Hugh
Ker, Charles Lewis, son of Col. John Lewis, Wm., son of Wm. Hutchison,
Elinor, wife of George Hutchison, Margaret Spear, Margaret Pickens,
Wm. Henderson, Gabriel Home, and David Craig. It was wit. by Andrew
Russell and Wm. Lewis. Note: in 1761, Andrew Russell wit. deed of John
and Lucy Kerr to John Allison. Note, too, the Pickens reference.
Is this Andrew Russell the man with wife Florence Henderson, and son
Andrew (b. abt. 1740) who m. Eliz. Mitchell?
Note that John Kerr who m. Lucy Pickens was in Orange Co., VA, by
1740.
Jim Veregge's descendancy chart for JK has the following notes:" James
Kerr, d. 1770 in Augusta County, Virginia. Unfortunately, the only child
named in his Administration Papers was his son, John, who was named
co-administrator of his estate. Circumstantial evidence exists to support
William, Andrew, Samuel, Elizabeth, James and David as other children
of James, there may be other, yet unproven children. More research is
necessary. He and his family migrated from Scotland to Pennsylvania
before 1728-1730, when his sons were married, probably in
Chester/Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (Lancaster was formed in 1729
from part of Chester County). Many researchers believe that this Kerr
family came from Paxton Township, in Chesler/Lancaster County,
Pennsylvania, but concrete evidence has not been located at this time. In
1738/9, he purchased land in the Orange/Augusta County, Virginia area,
where they migrated with several other prominent Scotch families
(Buchanan, Steele, Pickens, Anderson, Allison, Campbell, Robertson and
Hays just to name a few)."
B.F. Kegley, VA FRONTIER (Roanoke: Southwest VA Hist. Soc., 1938),
lists James Kerr among the first settlers of Beverley Manor whose title
deeds are recorded in Orange Co. (p. 41). This notes that JK had a grant
for 473 acres (see Orange DB I, p. 3). Kegley notes that many of the first
settlers were actually in Augusta from 1732, but no deeds were recorded
before Feb. 1738. Maps of the northeastern section of Beverley's ManorCITATION: RootsWeb WorldConnect Project, RootsWeb's WorldConnect Project:
Upper Long Canes Families, information submitted January 22, 2006 by Bob
Thompson . [Author cites sources of this information in
his notes.]
show this tract on a stream that appears to be called Meadows Run, which
empties into Cathey's River. The land is south of the bend in Cathey's
River on which JK's son John settled.
The following notes are from Jim Veregge's descendancy chart for JK:
"James Kerr was one of the first settlers of Augusta County, Virginia, and
built a large log house on Middle River between 1738-1740. This house,
was used as an early meeting and court-house for the newly formed county
of Augusta (formed in 1738-1745). This house was a rather large house,
needed to house his large family that recently arrived from Pennsylvania.
It is depicted and discussed in detail in the book 'Kerrs and Kin, 1730-
1930,' by Vincent Brown Kerr, published 1930 in Staunton, Virginia.
This house is also pictured and described in Old Homes of Augusta
County, The Pioneer Home of the Kerr Family, by Gladys B. Clem, Ninth
of Landmark Series, pp. 53-56.
Also from 'Kerrs and Kin,' pg. 8: 'The first Kerr who settled in the Valley
of Virginia must have been James Kerr, who died in 1770, and his eldest
son, John administered on his estate, and James Kerr, my great
grandfather, must have been a son of the first James and brother of John,
who had two sons, William and James, and a daughter Elizabeth McClure,
and John, Samuel, William and Andrew Kerr all owned land on Middle
River, and all had children baptized by Rev. John Craig from 1740-1749,
and their land adjoined on Middle River from New Hope to Stone Church,
and are the same family. Thus, James Kerr appears to be the progenitor of
several sons that were in early Augusta County, Virginia records.'"
According to Jim Veregge, "The family of James Kerr were members of
Tinkling Spring Presbyterian Church, the first church formed in Augusta
County, Virginia, near present day Staunton, Virginia. (Source: 'The
Tinkling Spring: Headwater of Freedom,' by Howard McKnight Wilson,
pub. 1954).
[Notes of W.D. Lindsey: JK is among the subscribers to the 14 Aug. 1741
petition to James Patton and others to build a Presbyterian meeting house
at Tinkling Spring in Augusta Co., VA--the original list is photocopied in
the LDS system, film 1490915.]
The Apr. 1808 deposition of Benjamin Stuart in the case of Beverly vs.
Hutchison in Augusta Co., VA, states that the land in question was lived
on by Wm. and Andrew Carr 65 years ago (i.e., 1743). Benjamin Stuart
was 72 in 1808. An Alexander Stuart testified that about 1742, when he
was a small boy, his father came into the neighborhood of the land andCITATION: RootsWeb WorldConnect Project, RootsWeb's WorldConnect Project:
Upper Long Canes Families, information submitted January 22, 2006 by Bob
Thompson . [Author cites sources of this information in
his notes.]
settled there. The two Carr,m both sons of JK, it appears, were living on
the land at the time (Augusta Judgments Apr. 1808, L-Z; Chalkley 2, 39).
10 Feb. 1745/6: Daniel Griffiths committed by JK for stealing a horse
from Edward Franklin of Orange, acquitted, Augusta Co., VA (Chalkley).
23 May 1745, James Kerr was made an overseer of the road between the
mountains above Thompson's ford and Tinkling Spring in Orange (later
Augusta) Co., VA (see VA FRONTIER, p. 143).
30 Oct. 1745, JK is on list of first magistrates in Augusta Co., VA, along
with son Andrew and son-in-law John Pickens (Joseph A. Waddell,
ANNALS OF AUGUSTA CO., VA, FROM 1726 TO 1871 [Bridgewater,
VA: C.J. Carrier, 1958], p. 52). Note that this would be a different man
than the one of the 1745 will above.
7 March 1747: Thomas Stevenson and David Edmiston processioned for
John Kerr & JK--the John is evidently son of this JK (Chalkley, per notes
of Jim Veregge).
21 May 1747, JK presented to the Augusta Co. grand jury for breach of
Sabbath (ibid.).
23 June 1748: JK, 400 Acres between his son William's land and Beverly
Manor (ibid.).
A James Carr had a grant in Dec. 1749 on Broad Creek, branch of the
Buffalo, 325 acres, in Augusta Co. He sold this on 12 Feb. 1751 to John
Beatty (Augusta DB 3, 325).
18 May 1750: James Patton, Gentleman, to JK, late of Lancaster Co PA,
474 acres, Augusta Co., VA (Chalkley, per notes of Jim Veregge).
A 27 Aug. 1751 deed of John Robinson to Wm. Kerr mentions that the
land adj. JK in Augusta--see file of Wm., son of JK. This JK could be
either father or son.
20 May 1752: Elizabeth Perkins and sons George and Wm. Skillern bound
to peace towards James Carr, Augusta (Chalkley, per notes of Jim
Veregge).
Oct. 1753: Additional members of executive committee in Augusta
include JK (ibid.). Note that this could be his son.CITATION: RootsWeb WorldConnect Project, RootsWeb's WorldConnect Project:
Upper Long Canes Families, information submitted January 22, 2006 by Bob
Thompson . [Author cites sources of this information in
his notes.]
1755: Samuel Given processioned for James Carr, for John Carr, for
Andrew Carr, Augusta (ibid.).
Appears in Augusta delinquent tax book, 1755 (ibid.).
Who is the James Kerr who appears in Augusta Co., VA, court records on
26 Apr. 1760, p. 328, in suit of
Samuel Bell vs. JK, of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania; John Hind, and
Edward Rutledge.--Bond by defendants, 26th April, 1760 (ibid.). Note that
John Hind m. Jean/Jane, d/o John Kerr and Lucy Pickens, and Edward
Rutledge appears in many records involving the Kerr family of Augusta--
see file of John Kerr. On 17 Feb. 1760 Samuel Bell and Margaret, sold to
James Kerr, blacksmith, apparently all then of Augusta Co., 300 Acres at
mouth of Christian's Creek on Middle River (ibid.). See file of John Kerr,
son of James, for a 1759 sale of land at the mouth of Christian's Creek by
John Kerr.
Augusta Co. ct. records for 17 Feb. 1761 show JK with hog and cow mark
and horse brand recorded (ibid.).
Wit. 19 May 1761 deed of son John (unless this is JK, son of James) to
Wm. Mathers, Augusta Co., VA (ibid.).
The case of Samuel Bell vs. James Kerr continued into 1762: Augusta Co.
ct. records for Feb. 1762 show Samuel Bell vs. James Kerr, of
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania; John Hind, and
Edward Rutledge.--Bond by defendants, 26th April, 1760. Also, Feb.
1762, James Kerr vs. Bell. James Kerr in Cumberland Co, PA (ibid.).
Augusta Co., VA, deeds, 17 May 1764: JK to William Robertson, 3 tracts
on Long Meadow of Middle Creek (ibid.).
Augusta ct. records, Aug. 1764: Kerr vs. Bell & Hamilton.--James Kerr, of
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Bond, 1760, conditioned to sell land
on Christian's Creek by Bell & Hamilton to Kerr (ibid.).
Jim Veregge's notes, citing Chalkley, say that an appeal to admr. the estate
of JK was made in Augusta Co. ct. on 20 March 1770 by John Kerr, eldest
son. Bond was given by John on 23 March 1770.
Augusta Fee Bk. for 1771, p. 109, shows a James Kerr either with land in
PA or residing in PA and holding land in Augusta (Chalkley 2, 407). Note
that the date seems to indicate that this is another James, unless this is an
estate record in the year following JK's death.CITATION: RootsWeb WorldConnect Project, RootsWeb's WorldConnect Project:
Upper Long Canes Families, information submitted January 22, 2006 by Bob
Thompson . [Author cites sources of this information in
his notes.]
Donnell MacClure Owings, "Ancestry of the Children of Andrew
McClure of Montgomery Co., KY," REGISTER OF KY HIST. SOC. 36
(Oct. 1938), 345-52 (in GENEALOGIES OF KY FAMILIES [Baltimore:
Geneal. Publ. Co., 1981], vol. 1, pp. 735-43, refers to JK as "the Civilizer
of the Border," one of the original panel of magistrates for Augusta Co.
On 18 Dec. 2001, Bobbie (Spring?) (BSprin502@aol.com) posted
information to the Kerr discussion group on the Internet at rootsweb.com,
about a Kerr family of Greenock, Scotland, and Ballymena, Co. Antrim,
Ireland. These Kerrs descend from a David Kerr, b. 1645, Greenock, m.
Salina, 1670. Their son David was b. 1670 in Greenock, and in 1698/9, m.
Jean Boyd in Ballymena, Co. Antrim, Ireland. This couple had son
Andres, b. 1708 at Ballymena, d. 1772, Abbeville Co., SC. He was in
Augusta Co., VA, in the 1750s.
Marriage 1 UNNAMED
• Married:
Children
1. Andrew Kerr
2. Letitia Kerr
3. James Kerr
4. David Kerr
5. John KERR b: BET. 1705 - 1712
6. Elizabeth Kerr b: BET. 1707 - 1717
7. Samuel Kerr b: BET. 1715 - 1725
8. William Kerr b: BET. 1716 - 1723
9. Eleanor Kerr b: ABT 1720
Sources:
1. Type: Gedcom File
Title: Kerr gedcom from William Lindsey
Date: 6 Feb 2002You can also read
