John Patrick McMullan (1740 - 1817)

Born 1740 in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland

Ancestors

Husband of Theodocia (Beasley) Dula — married before 1769 (to about 1790) in Orange, Virginia

Descendants

Died 16 Dec 1817 at about age 77 in Elbert County, Georgia, United States of America

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John McMullan served with Virginia Line during the American Revolution.

Biography

From The Descendants of John McMullan in North Carolina

John McMullan (generation 1), the progenitor of our family in this country, was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1740. In 1760 he emigrated to America and settled in the Colony of Virginia, making his home in that part of Orange County which subsequently was included in Greene County. In 1769 he married Theodosia Beasley, daughter of James Beasley of Orange County. After her death, he married Elizabeth Stowers.

John McMullan served in the American Army during the Revolutionary War as a private in Captain William Johnson’s Company of the 11th Virginia Regiment of Foot, under General Daniel Morgan. After the war he settled at Swift Run Gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains upon a tract of land, 600 acres, sold or granted to him by the Commonwealth of Virginia 1796.

In 1797 he sold his property in Orange County and in December of the same year removed to the State of Georgia, settling in Elbert (now Hart) County near the present town of Hartwell. With him went all of his children except two, James and Mary, issue by his first wife.

John McMullan died at the old homestead in Elbert County, Georgia, in December 1817. He was buried about two miles from Sardis church. The postonium [?] at Sardis was built by the Sardis McMullan’s as a memorial to him. As evidence of the affection and respect which his descendents have displayed toward the founder of their family, the following item is quoted from the Hartwell (Ga.) Sun, 1900:

“The children of Sinclair McMullan, deceased, and other near relatives, greatly aided by Judge F. M. McMullan (married Aunt Virginia) of Virginia, have recently erected in this county, in the old family burying ground on the brow of the hill near the residence of Blackstone L. Richardson, a beautiful granite monument to the memory of John McMullan, deceased, who was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1740, and emigrated to Virginia in 1760, where he lived until he moved part of his family to Elbert County, Georgia, in the fall of 1797. He raised 15 children, ten sons and five daughters, all of whom married and lived prosperously to old age and died leaving numerous descendents – now scattered in most of the states of the Union, and today numbering five thousand persons.

Nearly every honorable vocation has been represented by a member of this great family and it is pretty generally true that whatever they undertook, success would follow. Many have risen to high and honorable station: quite a number being prominent in the ministry, some being distinguished lawyers, some being scientific farmers, and others who have labored in other fields have been equally successful.

John McMullan was a man of many noble traits which were a rich inheritance for his children: strong features, positive convictions, keen intellectual insight, lofty moral ideals, and tireless energy are natural endowments which characterize the family.

This monument, though erected more than eighty years after the death of that distinguished Virginia Soldier of the Revolution, is a lasting and fitting tribute to his memory.”

Family

1st. MARRIAGE:

John McMullan married first Theodosia Beasley, daughter of James Beasley, who settled at Swift Run Gap in Orange county (now Greene) in 1740. James Beasley died in December 1798. His will, recorded in Orange Courthouse, names his wife, Ann Beasley and the following children: James, Charles, John, Ednum, William, Sarah, Ann (Jones), Theodosia (McMullan), Elizabeth (Watts), Mildred (Neal) and Caty (Paul).

John and Theodosia Beasley McMullan had five children, all but two of whom, James and Mary, moved to Georgia in 1779 with their father.

• James McMullan, born 1770, died June 6, 1842
• Patrick McMullan, born March 5, 1771, died October 30, 1836
• John McMullan
• Catherine McMullan
• Mary McMullan

The couple "divorced", either legally or practically.

2nd. MARRIAGE:

By his second wife, Elizabeth Stowers, also of Orange county, John McMullan had the following children:

• Neal McMullan
• Jeremiah McMullan
• Lewis McMullan
• Felding McMullan
• Thomas McMullan
• Sinclair McMullan
• Daniel McMullan
• Nancy McMullan
• Elizabeth *McMullan
• Lavinea McMullan.

All of John McMullan’s fifteen children lived to maturity and reared large families. From James and Mary, who remained in Virginia after their father’s removal to Georgia, descended the branches of the family who have settled mainly in Virginia, North Carolina, and Indiana.

Death

John died in Elbert County, Georgia and is buried at the McMullen Family Cemetery (Find A Grave: Memorial #24881481).

His will^[1] was recorded on 6 January 1818 in Elbert County, GA, and his estate was probated beginning on the 14th of January. Listed in the will is his wife "Elizabeth McMullan (Alias Elizabeth Stowers)," to whom is leaves 100 acres with a house and plantation.

His will mentions the following enslaved persons:

• Cato, man
• Sarah, woman
• Milly, woman

Military

He served in the Revolutionary War in the 11th VA Regiment. He then married Elizabeth Stowers and had 10 more children. He resided near Swift Run Creek in Orange Co., VA, until Dec. 1797. He received a land grant for military service and moved to Elbert Co., GA, to take advantage of it. This land is now in Hart Co. Some 80 years after his death, some descendants had a new monument erected for him which is still present today.

John McMullen is listed as A078359 on NSDAR Patriot Index at DAR website.

John McMullen is listed in DAR Partiotic Index Centennial Edition Part II on page 1981 as having served as Pvt. from VA, and in Index to Rev. War Service Records Vol. III: L-R on page 1834 as serving as Pvt in 7th VA Reg., (this is also known as 11th VA Reg).

He served in 1777 as an Infantry Pvt. in Captain William Johnson's Company, 11th Virginia Regiment, under Col. Daniel Morgan. The February 1778 pay roll shows John McMullin in the company of Lt. Lamme of the 10th Virginia Regiment, commanded by Major Samueal Hawes. This 10th company was renamed the 6th, but then the 14th became the 10th, and care must be taken when reading these records to avoid error.

A footnote on the pay card and muster card states that this company was designated at various times as Capt. David Laird's and Lt. Nathan Lamme's Company. For the first time, in March of 1778, we find a location given on the muster card and lists John as being in the hospital It states that Lt. Nathan Lamme's Company was at Valley Forge (PA).

John also is listed on two more muster cards April and May 1778 as being at Valley Forge but is out of the hospital at this time.(National Archives - Compiled Military Service Records of Revolutionary War Soldiers. Virginia: 6th Regiment Mc-My).

Thus, our John McMullen, soldier of the American Revolution, was a soldier with George Washington at Valley Forge during that terrible winter, although he is listed as in the hospital one month. The hospital at that time most likely was a tent and thus he would have suffered as greatly as any soldier in Pennsylvania during that terrible winter. Some say that he attained the rank of Lt. The fact that John McMullen was at Valley Forge with General George Washington for three months, has been confirmed by The Society of Descendants of Washington's Army at Valley Forge, Ancestor's page M -R.

Sources

1. ↑ "Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RFH-R56?cc=1999178&wc=9SYR-L29%3A267655201%2C268040801 : 20 May 2014), Elbert > Estates 1790-1900 McIntosh, William-McMullan, John V. > image 481 of 510; citing Houston County Probate Court Judge, Georgia.

• THE MCMULLANS IN NC. Posted 24 Mar 2013 by eggerhouse. North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000. Stories, Memories & Histories
• U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970
• Find A Grave: Memorial #24881481
• Profile page on Family Search