James Kerr

101832256_135489750989 101832256_135489741327

James was born in 1726 in Ireland.¹   James' father was James Kerr and his mother was Martha Ball.  His paternal grandparents were James Kerr and <Unknown>. He had five brothers and three sisters, named John, Samuel, William, Andrew, David, Elizabeth, Eleanor and Letitia.  He was the youngest of the nine children.  He died at the age of 86 on January 5th, 1812.  He was buried in Augusta Stone Presbyterian Church, Fort Defiance, Virginia.^2 1 

• General Notes

  Also on page 7 of "Kerr's and Kin":
  
  My great grandfather, James Kerr was born 1726, and died 1812, and his wife Jane, born 1739 and died 1824.  When this James Kerr, father of John, Alexander, James, Nathaniel, Betsy, Margaret, and Jane, died January 5, 1812.
  
  
  It should be noted that among some researchers in the past, there has been some dispute with James Kerr's birthdate.  His birthdate on a DAR Application has been changed from 1726 to 1737.  It is not known on what basis or information that this is based on, but there seems to be much evidence to the contrary.  There was another James Kerr, probably son of John2 Kerr (James1) and Lucy Pickens, that was probably born in the same approximate time period, that may be confused with this James Kerr.  Little is known of this other James Kerr, except that the other James Kerr may have been the James Kerr married in 1764 (two years after this James Kerr's marriage), with no wife listed in Augusta County, Virginia records.
  
  
  Will of James Kerr:
  
  I James Kear of the County of Augusta and State of Virginia being weak in body but am of opinion I am in the full possession of reason and judgement, believe it duty I owe to my family to make my last Will and Testament. in the first place I desire all my just debts to be paid without delay secondly I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Jane Kear her bed furniture and a comfortable maintainance durring her life and to be paid over to her from time to time by my Executors, thereby to my grandson James Kear  Johnsson I give and bequeath that tract or parcel of land known by the name of the big meadow adgoining his fathers containing by estimation twenty three acres to him and his hears for ever, but it is
  to distincly understood his father John Kear is to enjoy the profits of it untill he is twenty one years of age. fourthly to each of my daughters, Elizabeth Givens, Margaret Ramsey, and Jane Leard, I give and bequeath one hundred pounds out of the first money which may be rece'd of sales of my property - fifthly to each of my grand sons which have been named for me (James Kear) I give and bequeath one hundred dollars to be put to  interest until they are twenty one years of age and then paid over to them its further
  my will and desire the plantation on which I reside and all other lands in which I am interested be sold at any time after my decease may think proper and titles made to the same by them its also my desire my negros stock and furniture be sold immediately after my decease the whole money arising from the sale of all my property I desire it to be equally devided among my sons except so much thereof as may necessary for the comfortable support of my wife which is to be retained in the hands of my Executors to this my last Will and Testament I constitute and appoint my son John Kear, Alexander Kear, and John
  Johnston my Executors Witness my hand and seal this 2nd day of December 1811.
  Teste Mathew Robertson James Kear - (Seal) John Trotter Sally Trotter
  
  At a Court held for Augusta County the 24th of February 1812. The last will and testament of James Kerr deceased being presented in court and proved by the oaths of Matthew Robertson and Sally Trotter two witnesses therto and ordered to be recorded and on the motion of John Kerr and Alexander Kerr two of the Executors named in the said will who made oath thereto and together with Andrew Allison Francis Gilkeson and Jacob Crish his securities entered into and acknowleded their bond in the penalty of
  $20.000 conditioned as the law directs certificate is granted them for obtaining a probate therof in due form Liberty is reserved for John Johnston the other Executor named in said will to join in the probate whenever he shall think fit Teste Chester Kenney C.C.
  
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  From "Brief History of Kerrs and Kin, 1730-1930", by Vincent Brown Kerr, pub, 1930, Augusta County, Virginia:
  
  My great grandfather, James Keer was born 1726, and died 1812, and his wife Jane, born 1739 and died 1824.  When this James Kerr, father of John, Alexander, James, Nathaniel, Betsy, Margaret, and Jane, died January 5, 1812, he owned about 600 acres of land, and had deeded 619 acres from 1790 to 1810, and his sons, John and Alexander), bought all of his land except twenty-three acres, which he had willed to his grandson, James Kerr (John's son), and John Kerr's division part of this land included a mill and house with about 300 acres of land on Middle River and Christian's Creek.  This land has been owned by Nathaniel Kerr (John's son) by purchase of the interest of his brothers, James, Joseph, Thomas, Amaziah, John, Alex., Hiram and sisters, Sarah and Elizabeth, and after Nathaniel Kerr died in 1888 at the age of eighty-seven, his heirs, John, Mary, Zachary, James, Sarah, Cornelia, Margaret, Harriet, and Vincent, had these 300 acres divided in seven parts and James (Kerr), Margaret, Harriet, and Vincent bought the north part, which was seventy-five acres, on Middle River and Christian's Creek.  James sold his share, and vincent sold his part to Walter Lee Kerr (a nephew).  Margaret Kerr owns the land with the old house, nearly 200 years old, built when first settlement of Kerrs on Middle River, Christian's Creek, and Meadow Run, at the union of the three streams in one, near the corner of the beginning of the Beverly survey, in forks of said branch waters of the Shenandoah River.  The above children of Col. Nathaniel Kerr (whose mother was Elizabeth Hogshead, daughter of James Hogshead), and James Patterson Revercomb, whose grandmother was Jane Patterson (kin to Bettie Patterson, who married Jerome Bonaparte), are descendants of the Kerrs, Hogsheads, Revercombs and Forrers.  The Kerrs and Hogsheads were Presbyterians, and their first church was the Old Stone Church, which they helped to build, and their women carried sand from Middle River on horseback, several miles distant, and helped the men to build this church, shich we are told was a fort, too, to flee and bar out the Indians.  My great-grandfather, James Kerr, deeded 145 acres of land to his son, John, on Big Meadows, in 1803, formerly owned by John2 Kerr (James1), from William Beverly, of 275 acres in 1752.
  
  In 1803, James Kerr deeded 145 acres of land to his son, Alexander, across the river, adjoining his old home tract of 300 acres.  James Kerr's children married as follows:  In 1792, John Kerr married Elizabeth, daughter of James Hogshead, and they had twelve children - - James, Joseph, Thomas, Amaziah, John (a deceased baby), Nathaniel, John, Sara G., Alexander, Hiram, Jane and Elizabeth.  Joseph died in 1831; aged thirty-seven.  Alexander died 1800, aged twenty-six.  Jane died 1833.  James married Nancy Thornton, 1818; Thomas married Margaret Calbreath, 1823, and James and Thomas went to Missouri.  Amaziah married Jane Rutledge, 1825, and went to Illinois.  Nathaniel married Jane P. Revercomb, 1840, and resided on the "Old Farm".  John married Eliza Jackson about 1850 and resided on Big Meadow farm.  Sara married Charles Armentrout and lived on Middle River.  Hiram married Mary Ann Robertson and lived on Middle River.  Elizabeth, unmarried, born 1813, died 1889, aged seventy-six.
  
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  Notes for JAMES KERR:
  This James Kerr was believed to be a son of John Kerr and Lucy Pickens by this and several other researchers, but after much research into Augusta County, Virginia records, appears to be a BROTHER of John Kerr, due to his birthdate of 1726, which would have been too early to have been a son of John.  This information appears to be further corroborated in a publication "Francois Benin & His Descendants & Allied Families" by Benning, 1981 (deceased), edited by Neblock.  It has the following:
  
  III-1-1. Jane (Jean) Robertson, born 1739, baptized 22 Feb., 1741, married
  James Kerr, born 1725/6, son of James Kerr, Sr.
  
  
  It seems to be further corroborated by the following momument that was erected in Augusta County, Virginia, near Stone Church.  (Source:  Brief History of Kerr's and Kin, written by Vincent Brown Kerr)
  
                    KERR MONUMENT TO ANCESTORS OF AUGUSTA COUNTY, VIRGINIA
  
                   (North Side)                                                                                (West Side)
  
                        Kerrs                                                                                         GRAND
                        Great                                                                                FATHER-MOTHER
                    Grandfather                                                                             (of 12 children)
                          and                                                                                           KERR
                         Great                                                                                   JOHN KERR
                   Grandmother                                                                          Died July 1830
                                                                                                                         his wife
                   JAMES KERR                                                                   ELIZABETH HOGSHEAD
                Died 1812, Age 86                                                                          died 1842
                                                                                                           Children         Born-Died
                        his wife                                                                       Joseph        1794-1831
                                                                                                           Sara            1805-1866
                     JANE KERR                                                                   Alex            1807-1833
                 Died 1824, Age 85                                                            Jane                  - 1833
                                                                                                           Hiram           1808-
              Children - James, John,                                                       Nathaniel     1801-1888
               Alexander, Nathaniel,                                                         John            1803-1895
               Betsy, Margaret, Jane                                                        Elizabeth      1813-1889
                                                                                                          James          1793-in Mo.
                James Kerr died 1770                                                       Thomas        1796-1845Mo.
                John Kerr died 1772                                                          Amaziah      1798-1877 Ill.
                John Kerr died 1794.
                                                                                                           These Kerr's Hope to Meet in
                     SCOTCH-IRISH                                                                 Heaven with Christ and
                                                                                                                          Saviour
             Kerr's of Augusta County, VA
                        1730-1930
  
  The Above Monument was Erected in the Old Graveyard at Stone Church, November 11, 1930.
  
  http://www.carr-genealogy.com/tree/tree13.html
  
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  REVOLUTIONARY WAR (DAR Ancestor # A065164) :
  11 Feb 1778 - Virginia, enlisted in Lt. Col. William Heth's Co., of the 3rd & 7th Regt. of Foot commanded by Lt. Col. Heth.
  
  4 June 1778 - Valley Forge, Chester, Pennsylvania. Private in Capt. Charles Flemin'gs Company, 7th Regiment of Virginia Forces, commanded by Lt. Col. Holt Richeson.
  
  1 Jan 1779 - Virginia, transferred with Lt. Col. Holt Richeson to 5th. In Capt. James Baytop's Co. of the 5th Reg. commanded by Col. William Russell.
  
  2 Dec 1811 - Will written, mentions his wife Jean and children.
  
  24 Feb 1812 - Will Probated
  
  http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSob=c&GSlh=1&GRid=101832256&

Details of James' family with Jane Robertson