John
Alcorn
Born in Wyeth County, Virginia
Ancestors 
Son of William Alcorn
and Mary Margaret McCreary
Brother of
James Alcorn
Husband of
Jane (Breckenridge) Alcorn
— married
6 Jun 1766 in Augusta Co,Virginia
Descendants 
Father of
George Alcorn, John Breckenridge Alcorn, Sarah (Alcorn) Redman, James Breckenridge Alcorn, Robert Alcorn and Jesse Wilson Alcorn
Died
at about age 59
in Fayette, Kentucky, United States
Profile last modified
| Created 1 Feb 2011
This page has been accessed 1,213 times.
Contents |
Biography
John was born in 1745 in Wyeth County, Virginia He passed away in 1804, in Fayette County, Kentucky.
Research Notes
This profile was incorrectly linked to parents James Alcorn (abt.1700-1761) and Mary Ann (Stines) Alcorn (1714-abt.1763), who will be removed.
The following was written by Lloyd C. Alcorn: [citation needed]
Lt. John Alcorn, later Capt. John Alcorn, also owned land on Reed's Creek, Montgomery County, Virginia, at this time (1753 to 1782). At the court of Montgomery County, May 3, 1780, John Bethel, John Alcorn, and others were awarded 40-acre grants for six-months' service under Col. George Washington. Their lawyer representative was Patrick Henry. A Sam Crockett, later, was sheriff of Montgomery County, 1781; and Lt. James Alcorn was sworn in as his deputy before the Montgomery County Court, 1781.
James Alcorn also owned land in Montgomery County on Looney's Creek and Reed's Creek. John and James Alcorn were long residents of Montgomery County, their records going back to 1755 and 1758 and continuing until James's death in 1781 and to John's migration to Kentucky, Madison and Garrard Counties, in 1788. John helped form Garrard County, Kentucky, from Madison County in 1796. He was a Court Justice for Garrard County. These two Alcorns were, I believe, brothers of Robert Alcorn.
Before I continue with the history of Robert and Mary, I feel compelled to include more history of John Alcorn in this narrative of the life and times of Robert Alcorn. It is my belief that the simultaneous migration of John Alcorn of Virginia and Robert Alcorn of Fairfield County, South Carolina, to the territory of Kentucky in 1788 was planned by them.
John Alcorn actively participated in the affairs of Montgomery County, Virginia, for more than ten years, from 1770 to 1782. John was born about 1734, perhaps in Virginia; his activities were being recorded in 1758 when he reported an Indian raid on his home. John was a soldier in the First Virginia Regiment during the Cherokee expedition in 1760. His activities as a land dealer, a soldier, and in the county civic operations were recorded in Fincastle, Botetourt, and Montgomery counties of southwest Virginia.
John married Jane Breckenridge, daughter of George Breckenridge and Ann Doakes about 1769. Jane was born about 1751. The Botetourt County records show John Alcorn and his wife, Jane, bought 120 acres of land on Looney's Creek on May the Second 1770 for £50. The records of May 5, 1773, show that the Court of Fincastle County, Virginia, assigned John Alcorn and others to assess the feasibility of building a proposed road in Fincastle County.
John took the oath of Ensign in the Virginia militia on May 5, 1778. He was assigned to Captain John Montgomery's company. This took place in the Court of Montgomery County, Virginia. On December 1, 1778 John Alcorn bought 201 acres of land in Montgomery County. John's name appeared on the docket of the grand jurors of Montgomery County on November 2, 1779. On May 3, 1780, John Alcorn, John Bethel, and others were awarded 40 acres each in the Montgomery County Court for army service under Colonel George Washington. The claimants were represented before the court by Patrick Henry.
On September 2, 1782, John Alcorn Sr., sold 39 acres of land on Reed's Creek, Montgomery County, Virginia, to John Alcorn, the son of James Alcorn. On the same day John, the son of James, bought 44 acres on Reed's Creek from John Mills, his grandfather.
According to the annals of South West Virginia, John Alcorn was certified as a lieutenant of the Virginia militia on November 28 1786. John moved his family to Madison County Kentucky about 1788. He was listed as a taxpayer of Madison County in 1789. In 1793 John gave Robert Breckenridge, his brother-in-law, power of attorney to dispose of property for him in Wythe County, Virginia. I believe this transaction was made to settle the estate of George Breckenridge.
The children of John and Jane were, I believe, John Jr.; George; Robert; and two or three daughters whom I have been unable to identify. The records list many Alcorn girls as having married from 1789 to 1799 in Mercer, Madison, Garrard, and Lincoln Counties, and it is hard to say whose children they were. John Jr. was born about 1770. He was shown as a taxpayer in Madison County in 1800. I think he moved to Mason County by 1810, and then to Jefferson County Indiana by 1820.
The Kentucky census of 1800 shows a Robert Alcorn as head of a family in Mercer County, a Robert Alcorn as head of a family in Garrard County, and a Robert Alcorn as head of a family in Jessamine County. I believe that the Robert in Garrard County was the son of John Alcorn Sr., that the Robert Alcorn in Mercer County was the son of Robert Alcorn Sr., who died in 1797, and that the Robert in Jessamine County could have been he son of William, George, or James.
The Kentucky census of 1800 also shows a George Alcorn in Madison County, and the 1810 census of Madison County shows a George Alcorn, a wife, and eight children. This George, I believe, was the son of John Alcorn Sr., and was probably named for his grandfather, George Breckenridge. The 1800 census of Kentucky also shows a George Alcorn in Jessamine County as head of a family, and a George Alcorn in Pulaski County. One of these, I believe to be the George Alcorn who was born in Pee Dee, North Carolina in 1760; the other perhaps was his son.
The same census shows a James Alcorn as head of a family in Anderson County and a James Alcorn in Mercer County as head of a family. The James Alcorn in Mercer County was probably the son of Robert Alcorn Sr. The 1800 census shows a Thomas Alcorn in Madison County, and a William Alcorn as heads of families. William and Thomas, I believe were the sons of Robert Alcorn Sr.
John Alcorn Sr. was active in the formation of Garrard County in 1796, and was appointed a Justice of the County at the time.
Sources
See also:
- Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/70714604/john-alcorn : accessed 22 February 2022), memorial page for John Alcorn (1745–1804), Find A Grave: Memorial #70714604, ; Maintained by imagal49 (contributor 47223808) Burial Details Unknown. No Burial Details or gravestone
- Source: S181 Title: Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.; Repository: #R1 NOTEThis information comes from 1 or more individual Ancestry Family Tree files. This source citation points you to a current version of those files. Note: The owners of these tree files may have removed or changed information since this source citation was created.
- Repository: R1 Name: Ancestry.com Address: http://www.Ancestry.com E-Mail Address: Phone Number:
Acknowledgements
- WikiTree profile Alcorn-519 created through the import of Mary Catherine Hiss Family Tree_2012-11-18.ged on Nov 20, 2012 by Jim Lofgren
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Rejected matches › John Alcorn
Featured National Park champion connections: John is 11 degrees from Theodore Roosevelt, 19 degrees from Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger, 15 degrees from George Catlin, 12 degrees from Marjory Douglas, 18 degrees from Sueko Embrey, 15 degrees from George Grinnell, 25 degrees from Anton Kröller, 17 degrees from Stephen Mather, 21 degrees from Kara McKean, 15 degrees from John Muir, 16 degrees from Victoria Hanover and 23 degrees from Charles Young on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
I also added a Research Notes section with the 'linked parents' that probably came in with a merge at some time. The parents have now been unlinked, but they are documented by being in the Research Notes, so hopefully, they won't be added again.
edited by Linda (Carruth) Peterson
The 1761 Will of James ALCORN of Middleton Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania (Will Book A:88-89 - - Image 63) was written on 09 Jun 1761 and proven on 05 Aug 1761. In the Will, James appoints his wife, Mary, and "my ONLY son James" to be executors of his last Will and Testament. Thus, James only had one son. Also, James gave his eldest daughter Katherine the wife of David STEELE the sum of five shillings Pennsylvania currency and no more. He gave to his second daughter Victoria and her husband William RANKIN the sum of five shillings money as aforesaid and no more. He gave to his third daughter Sarah and her husband Hugh McCORMICK the sum of five shillings Pennsylvania currency and no more. (All throughout the Will the surname ALCORN is spelled ALCORAN). (Google: James ALCORN 1761 Will) for an abstract of James Will.
On 13 Oct 1758, James ALCORN senior, yeoman, and Mary his wife of Middleton Township, Cumberland Co., PA sold to Hugh McCORMICK, yeoman, and Sarah his wife (James ALCORN’s daughter) of Paxton Township, Lancaster (now Dauphin) Co., PA one half of a tract of land in Middleton Township that James & Mary lived on. Recorded: 29 Jan 1760. [Cumberland Co., PA Deed Book 2A:65-66.]
On 20 Aug 1759, James ALCORN senior, yeoman, of Middleton Township, Cumberland Co., PA sold to James ALCORN junior, yeoman, the other half of the tract of land in Middleton Township that James & Mary lived on. James Sr. reserved 5 acres of clear meadow land and 5 acres of wood land rent free for himself & his wife Mary during their lifetime with the land then owned outright to James Jr. after both have passed away. [Cumberland Co., PA Deed Book 2A:59.]
On 03 Oct 1763, James ALCORN, yeoman, and Catharine his wife of Middleton Township, Cumberland Co., PA sold to Henry COWAN, yeoman, the same land above that James ALCORN senior, of Middleton Township, Cumberland Co., PA sold to James ALCORN junior on 20 Aug 1759 [Cumberland Co., PA Deed Book 2A:224-226.]
Thus the wife of James ALCORN junior of Middleton Township, Cumberland Co., PA was named Catharine (not Mary).
Furthermore James ALCORN & Mary STINES' son James had 3 children according to Mary's 1762 Cumberland County, PA Will (Will Book A:102-103 - - Images 70 & 71). Mary's Will gives her son James children as Robert, Mary and Jane; thus the 3 children were born prior to 1763. Mary’s Will was written 11 Feb 1762 and proven 20 Feb 1763. (Google: Mary ALCORN 1763 Will) for an abstract of Mary’s Will. - - - - - - - - - - The James ALCORN, who married Jane MILLS, and who lived in Bedford, Augusta (now Botetourt), and Montgomery (now Wythe) counties, Virginia in the 1700's, and who died in 1781 was NOT born in Nancy, Pulaski County, Kentucky (in 1720, 1727, 1728, 1730, 1731 or 1740 – depending on which family history he’s in).
A minimal amount of research would figure that out. Kentucky was a vast wilderness in the early 1700's, one of the first excursions into what is now KY was led by Dr. Thomas WALKER who explored the eastern part of KY as early as 1750. Prior to that the only white persons might have been fur trappers or Indian traders. The first permanent settlement in KY was at Harrodsburg in 1774. Boonesboro was founded the following year by Daniel BOONE. Pulaski County wasn’t formed until 1799