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Joel McLemore

Male 1739 - Abt 1795  (55 years)


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  • Name Joel McLemore  [1, 2
    Born 7 Jan 1739  Albemarle Parish, Sussex County, Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 3
    Gender Male 
    Died Abt 1795  Richland County, South Carolina Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 4
    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/
    Person ID I20928  Strong Family Tree
    Last Modified 17 Aug 2014 

    Father John Macklemore,   b. Between 1698 and 1700, Albemarle Parish, Surry County, Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Abt 1767, Sussex County, Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 69 years) 
    Mother Faith ???,   b. Bef 1703, Surry County, Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Bef 1771, Sussex County, Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 68 years) 
    Married Abt 1718  Surry County, Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    • 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).
    Family ID F7449  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Elizabeth Wyche,   b. Aft 1739,   d. Aft 1795, Richland County, South Carolina Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 56 years) 
    Children 
     1. James McLemore,   b. Aft 1755, Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Abt 1796, Richland County, South Carolina Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 40 years)
     2. Sarah McLemore,   b. Aft 1766, South Carolina Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown
     3. Jesse Claiborne McLemore,   b. Aft 1771, South Carolina Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown
     4. Mary McLemore,   b. Aft 1771, South Carolina Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown
     5. Major John McLemore,   b. Abt 1776, South Carolina Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Aft 1837, South Carolina Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 62 years)
     6. Joel McLemore, Jr.,   b. Abt 1776, South Carolina Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown
    Last Modified 4 Nov 2010 
    Family ID F7452  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBorn - 7 Jan 1739 - Albemarle Parish, Sussex County, Virginia Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDied - Abt 1795 - Richland County, South Carolina Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Documents
    McLemore DNA Study Results NOVEMBER 2011  (see spreadsheet PDF at bottom of this page)
    Ancestor of m241, part of the E1b1 group (highlighted in green)
    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 (highlighted on the spreadsheet in salmon). 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 (m268) 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 seven 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 (this group is highlighted on the spreadsheet in green). 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.

    As an interesting side note, it had long been assumed that the Revolutionary War Soldier John McLemore, who lived for a time in North Carolina and died in Tennessee, was a son of Burwell MacLemore and Amy Gilliam. However, current DNA evidence indicates this could not be correct. This is because two descendants of Archibald McLemore of Knox County, TN, a son John McLemore the Revolutionary Soldier, are both part of the larger R1b1a2 cluster (highlighted in salmon). They do NOT match the DNA of Burwell?s other descendants in the E1b1 cluster. Therefore, it is evident that the John McLemore who moved to Tennessee and was the father of Archibald McLemore CAN NOT be the same John McLemore who was a son of Burwell McLemore.

    In addition to the two groups discussed above, there are three McLemore DNA volunteers who don?t match any of the McLemores in either of the first two groups, OR match each other. One of these men (highlighted in purple on the spreadsheet) is a descendant of Hiram McLemore of Lee County, VA and later Breathitt County, KY. Hiram has been speculated to be a son of John McLemore and Ruth Steelman, a grandson of Ephraim McLemore, and great grandson of the immigrant James. However, if James and Abraham Macklemore are brothers, then Hiram could not be a biological descendant of James. He would have to match the group of ten McLemore?s in the first group. Although Hiram McLemore's descendant is also part of the R1b1 Haplogroup, he is more than 10 markers removed (based on 25 markers tested) from being a match to any of the other R1b1 McLemore?s, and therefore could not share a common ancestor in a genealogically significant time period.

    The second unmatched volunteer (highlighted in blue) is a direct descendant of the McLemore family that moved from North Carolina to Jones County, GA and then onto Montgomery County, AL. He is part of the R1a haplogroup, common in many parts of Eurasia and Scandinavia. He can trace his line back through four generations of James McLemore?s to James Macklemore Jr, thought to be the son of James and Fortune. But again, if James and Abraham are brothers, then he could not be a biological descendant of James Macklemore, the immigrant.

    The third unmatched volunteer (highlighted in brown) descends from James Madison McLemore born 1861 in Louisiana and died & buried 1918 in Van Zandt County, Texas. He is thought to be a son of William Kearney McLemore b. 1825 and d. 1889, also buried in Van Zandt County, Texas. He is in the I1 haplogroup, which is the most common group in Scandinavia.

    It is currently not known why these McLemores do not yet match any other study members. It is possible that there were several founding McLemore lines, instead of just one as has been long assumed. Or another possibility could be that undisclosed adoptions have occurred through the generations of descendants of both James and/or Abraham.

    Please help us to continue to unravel these DNA mysteries by volunteering to take part in this study. Email me for more details (stxstrong@gmail.com), or you can enroll directly at this websites listed below.

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

    or here

    http://www.familytreedna.com/project-join-request.aspx?group=Morrison

    Also, if you have had your yDNA tested outside of the Morrison group, please let us know. We would be glad to add your results to the spreadsheet.

    If you have trouble viewing this spreadsheet, email me at stxstrong@gmail.com and I can send you an excel spreadsheet or PDF.


  • Sources 
    1. [S206] McLemore, James L. III ("The Early History of the McLemore Family of Virginia and the Carolinas"), Chart III (Reliability: 3).

    2. [S321] Freeman, Mark (mwfgenealogy@verizon.net) "Mostly Southern" http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=markfreeman ; Ver. 2008-09-19 17:51:13.

    3. [S206] McLemore, James L. III ("The Early History of the McLemore Family of Virginia and the Carolinas"), p 55 (Reliability: 3).

    4. [S206] McLemore, James L. III ("The Early History of the McLemore Family of Virginia and the Carolinas"), p 59 (Reliability: 3).