John Slaven (abt. 1722 - 1803)

Born about 1722 in Ireland

Descendants

Died 1803 at about age 81 in Highland County, Virginia

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Biography

Alot of the below information is wrong. Here are the FACTS about John.

On July 15, 1746 he signed up with Capt. John Shannon to fight in King George's War. His name was spelled SLEVAN, he was 24, from Ireland & was a weaver. NOTE-Nowhere does it say he was from County Tyrone. He was 24 so he was born either in 1722 or 1723.

I do think this military record is his because he was in Delaware where his future wife Elizabeth Stuart lived. Sometime before 1750 he married Elizabeth Stuart.

They had 10 children-Comfort. William. Elizabeth. Naomi. John. Isaiah. Reuben. Daniel. Stuart. Henry.

In 1767 John served in the Virginia colonial militia under Capt Benjamin Harrison where his name appears four times on a list of deliquent soldiers. From the book-Virginia's Colonial Soldiers by Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck. The link to it is below. It's at Ancestry.com The Virginia militia was an armed force composed of all citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia capable of bearing arms.

"JOHN SLAVEN & John Wairing to appear at next court martial to show why they did not appear at the general muster on April 16, 1767."

"John Shanklan, etc JOHN SLEVAN, etc to appear at next court martial to show why they did not appear at a private muster on June 27, 1767."

"William Hagans, etc JOHN SLEVAN, ect to appear at next court to show why they did not appear at a private muster on January 1, 1768."

"John Shanklan, etc JOHN SLAVEN, etc fined for not appearing at 1 private muster on June 27, 1767."

In 1777 John bought land in Augusta County, Virginia. Name John Slaven Date 15 Nov 1777 Location Augusta Co., VA Property On Jackson's River; corner Robert Dinwiddie.

In 1787 John is living in Augusta County, Virginia. He appears on the 1787 Virginia Personal Property Tax List along with his sons-William, John, Reuben & Isaiah. He's called John Sr & has 6 horses & 15 cattle. NOTE-On the same page living in Stafford Co Virginia is listed a Jesse Slaven. I wonder if Jesse is a relative?

In 1789 they were living in Augusta County, Virginia where they had 130 acres of land in both of their names. Name John Slaven Date 1789 Location Augusta Co., VA Property 130 acres on Back Creek of Greenbrier River, corner Jacob Warrick. Remarks Surveyed, 9 Jun 1780. Description Grantor Remarks Surveyed, 9 Jun 1780. Description Grantor's Wife

He made his Will on July 18, 1802 & it was probated on July 4, 1803. He left 120 acres to his son STUART. NOTE-notice the spelling. His mother's last name was STUART.

NOTE-He made his mark on the Will instead of signing it which indicates he couldn't read or write so I hardly think he went to college in Dublin as some of his descendants claimed. When a man went to college in the 1600/1700's he would have been from a rich family & learned to read & write in Latin.

THERE'S NO PROOF THAT HE ATTENDED COLLEGE, WAS KIDNAPPED, MADE BULLETS FOR THE WAR, THAT HE WAS A PRESBYTERIAN & LIVED IN PHILLY OR NEW YORK.

NOTE-JOHN DIDN'T SERVE IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. HIS SON JOHN DID. SON JOHN LIVED IN POCAHONTAS AREA. MOST OF THE BELOW COMBINE UNTRUTHS AND CONFLATE THE TWO JOHNS. THE DAR RECORDS ARE WRONG. REGARDING THE BIBLE MADE IN SCOTLAND PLEASE SEE MY REMARKS ON JOHN'S WIFE ELIZABETH STUART. IT WAS PRINTED IN SCOTLAND BUT SHE WAS BORN IN DELAWARE.

Education: Attended college in Dublin Ireland. Immigration: 1740 (family stories say he was kidnapped by a ships captain, along with friends from school) Military service 1: 31 Oct 1747, Discharged Provincial Service Muster Roll of Company. Military service 2: Made bullets for the Occupation: Weaver. Religion: Presbyterian. Residence 1: 1777, Bath County, Virginia (now Highland County, Virginia). Residence 2: Meadow Dale near Monterey, Virginia.

Following information per: http://harger.org/b176.htm#P3598 John SLAVEN had his estate probated in July 1703 in Meadowdale, Highland Co., Va.. He was born in 1723 in County Tyrone, Ulster, Ireland. John came to the New World in 1740 at the age of seventeen. John was a weaver, hunter and trapper in Philadelphia PA. In 1746 he became a Soldier in the Kings Army, then a Farmer. He was in the Revolutionary War. As a Farmer in the Pocahontas area he was remembered in a History Article by Jessie Beard Powell, Published in the Pocahontas Times, 3/27/1980. " John Slaven, the Irishman, built his first cabin on Cheat Mountain and by patient and remarkable muscular power carved from the wilderness large tracts of land shown on some early maps as the "Slaven Plantations". He served in the military on 15 July 1746 in Sussex, Delaware. John Slaven first served in King George II Army commanded by Captain John Shannon and was lislted as 24 yrs old. And was Discharged by July 1747 as records state this date as the last time payment was made. John later took up the cause of his new country by joining the regular army and was pensioned two different times as a Revolutionary War Veteran. 8-13-1819 thru 5-1-1820 at $96.00 per year and at $80.00 dollars per year from 3-4-1831 to his death (as per a statement from Pocahontas County contained in "Soldiery in West Virginia"). He served in the 8th Virginia Regiment, Continental line for two years; 10-10-1776 to 10-10-1778. John was re-drafted and subsequently served another tour as detailed in the following legal documents recorded with the National Archives; National Archives Pension File S-6110 Contained in the files it is noted John was under the command of Captain Michael Bowyer, Col. James Wood, General Scotts Brigade. Also mentioned are the 17th and 12th Virginia Regiments. Among the Battles mentioned are; Brandywine, Germantown, and other Skirmishes. John's sons also served in the Revolutionary War, as well, his sons and grandsons also served in the War of 1812. John and his wife were munitions workers while their sons were in the Army.and Furnished 275 pounds of beef, and was paid in the Augusta County court of public claims, 1782 - 1785. Page 34

He died on 18 July 1802 at the age of 79 in Meadowdale, Highland Co., Va. John signed a will on 18 July 1802 in Bath Co., Va." In the name of God Amen: I John Slavens of the County of bath and State of Virginia, Being in perfect health of body and of perfect mind and memory thanks be given unto God, Calling unto mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men about to die, do make and ordain this my last will and testament: That is to say principally and first of all, I give and recommend my soul into the hand of almighty god that gave it, and my body I recommend to the earth, to be buried in decent Christian burial at the descretion of my executors nothing doubting but at the general resurrection, I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of god and as touching such worldly estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless me in this life, I give devise and depose of the same in the following manner and form, First I give and bequeath to Comfort my oldest daughter five shillings, and to William five, and to Elizabeth five, and to Naomah five, and to John five, and to Isaih five, and to Ruben five, and to Daniel five. I bequeath to my son Stuart one hundred and twenty acres more or less beginning at the back mountain and running between the old meadow and his plow land and from thence to the corner whare he supposed to divide it, and I give and bequeth unto my son Henry one hundred and twenty acres more of less being the remainder of the land, and I give to my son John whom I likewise constitute make and ordain the sole executor of this my last will and testament, all and singular my lands messuages and tenements by him freely to be possesseth and enjoyed. And I do hereby utterly dissallow, revoke and disannul all and in every other former testaments, wills, legacies, bequests and executors by me in anywise before named, willed and bequeathed. Ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this eighteenth day of July, one thousand eight hundred and two. Signed, Sealed, published, Pronounced and declared by the said John Slaven as his last will and testament in the presence of us who in his presants and in the presance of each other have hereunto subscribed our names.

Thomas Galford James Petijohn John Higgins

From the F.L. Slavens 1972 history of the Slavens Family:

John Slavin was born in County Tyrone, Ulster, Ireland in 1723 and came to America, landing in New York City in 1740 at the age of 17 yers. It is thought that John's father and probably two brothers came with him. He died in 1802 at his home " Meadowdale" in the Meadowdale Communtiy near Vanderpool in Highland County, Virginia.

He was of the Presbyterian faith and by trade, in Ireland, a weaver. John obtained work in Philadelphia as a weaver. He moved from there to Rockingham County, VA and settled on Cooks Creek near Clinton, not far from Staunton, VA in what is now August County, VA. He later moved to Bath County, VA, now called Highland, in 1777, near what is now Monterey, VA.

Highland County was formed in 1847 from Pendleton County and Bath County and given its name from its mountains.Tthere was a range of mountains to the West (the Alleghanies) that no one would ever cross. John Slavin and family were the third family to pass through the gap. John Slavin's descendants still own and live on land in the Meadowdale Communty near Vanderpool, VA, where he built the home known as "Meadowdale" in 1777. A part of this land is from an original grant from the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1783 and is signed by Beverly Randoph, Governor. The foundation lines of the first log home , about one mile north of the home "Meadowdale" can still be traced (as of 1972). John Slavin married Elizabeth Stuart in Staunton, VA, in 1748. The grave of John Slavin and Elizabeth (Betty) Stuart Slavin are marked with a granite marker. The marker was placed there as a memorial by Gen Thomas Slavens in 1938. A large ash tree has grown up since his burial and the foot stone is imbedded in its roots. There are four headstones close by and down the mountain, westward, about one hundred feet are two other headstones. the inscriptions cannot be read.

John Slavin was a pioneer, founder and patriot. He enlisted July 15, 1746 in Sussex County, Delaware, in King George's War. (Delaware Military Archives, Vol I page 5, published by the Public Archives Comission of Delaware, by Authority , 1911.) Company of Foot, commanded by Captain John Shannon. His age was listed as 24, birth place, Tyrone County, Ireland, and occupation, weaver. He signed his name John Slevin. His Will is in the Circuit Court at Warm Springs, Bath County, Virginia. It is dated July 18, 1802. His name is spelled John Slaven and John Slavens. He made bullets and gun powder for the Revolutionary War. He also made lime, charcoal and melted iron ore.

The John Slavin family bible brought from Scotland is still in the hands of his descendants. The bible was handed down through his son Stewart Slaven, to Rueben, to Stuart Crawford Slaven, to Howard Hull Slaven. A daughter of Howard Hull Slaven , a Mrs. Rogers [ d. 1976 ] had the bible in 1962. The bible was brought to this county by Elizabeth (Betty) Stuart and her father Daniel Stewart. (note: no explanation is given in the F.L. Slavens booklet to why her father spells his name Stewart, and all other family members spell it Stuart. )

Research Notes

In 1990, I visited Nellie Slavens in Monterey, VA. She was kind enough to show me the various sites of the Slavens family and introduce me to descedants still living there. We visited the site of the log home, but it was barely visable. The grave site was inaccessable the time of year that I visited, but I was given pictures. Also, Nellie gave me copies of a newspaper article about the relative still living in the "Meadowdale" home.

In 1997, Nellie sent me an extensive update of the F.L. Slavens book. She had included many copies of Highland County court documents. In the "New Highland Co., VA, History", the descendants of John's sons Reuben and Henry are quoted as saying "that John was an Irish gentleman's son, and was attending college in Dublin. John's father had been in Liverpool and on his way home stopped for a visit. John, his father, and several of his college friends were walking on the quay one day when they saw a ship from the Colonies. The Captain asked the boys if they would like to come aboard, and John's father gave his permission. When they were aboard, the Captain gave orders to sail to the open sea! When the ship arrived in New York, the Captain produced forged papers and tried to hold the boys three more years, but John and one friend escaped. John found work as a weaver in Philadelphia, shortly followed by enlisting July 15, 1746 in Sussex County, Delaware in King George's l l war. ( See Delaware Military Archives, Vol. 1, page 5 ), published by the Public Archives Commission of Delaware, by Authority, 1911.) this makes all female descendants of John Slaven eligible to join the Colonial Dames.

John spelled his name as Slavens. All of his children but one dropped the final "s", and some spelled it as Slavin. In the book "Vital Records of Highland County Virginia", it is stated that he enlisted in July15, 1746, in Sussex Co., Delaware, in King George II's War. That book also references a family bible, printed in 1746 in Edinburg, that gives detailed data on John and Elizabeth's children. It also notes that John's will is in Will Book #1, pps. 261-262, Bath County, VA. This information has been used to update the information previously used in this compilation. By 1748 he was in Augusta Co.,VA, at Cook's Creek, near Clinton (Staunton vicinity). Then they the settled at "Meadowdale" in what is now the town of the same name in Highland Co., on land that was part of the original grant from King George III in 1820 A note by the author of the Slaven history in the Highland County History states that she possesses that original grant, which was given to her by her grandfather, Howard Hull Slaven. I have chosen to refer to the first two Johns as Sr. and Jr. in order to assure there is no confusion in their histories. There are other Johns among their descendants, who I refer to as John I and John II. My first information on the Slaven history came from two letters to my mother, Lilian Wooddell Weaver, in which two relatives exchanged information with her. A list of John, Sr., John, Jr., and William descendants is given in a letter from Rae Somerville Swing. A list of Henry Slaven descendants is given in a Gladys Worthington letter, but she skipped from John Sr. to John Jr's. children, which is a common problem when there is no ready way to distinguish between ancestors with the same name.

Subsequent information used in this compilation came from the Price "Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County", the John Slaven entry in the 1981 Pocahontas County history, and the research of James E. Wooddell. In the DAR Patriot Index for 1966, John's birth date is given as 1725, death as 7/18/1802. His wife is given as Elizabeth Stuart, his rank as Pvt. VA.

Per Morton's Pendleton County history, when another part of Bath County was added to Pendleton in 1796, the new boundary went "...thence a straight line to the lower end of John Slavin's plantation on the Greenbrier River, ..." A portion of Pendleton County that included the Slaven land was made part of the new Highland County in 1847.

Sources

WAR RECORD PG 5- https://archivesfiles.delaware.gov/ebooks/Military_Records_Vol_1.pdf

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/48434/images/VAColonialSoldiers-007344-337?treeid=&personid=&queryId=d8fc24af-b340-4f06-a5ff-6a1c180f7798&usePUB=true&_phsrc=ljx38440&_phstart=successSource&pId=343002&rcstate=VAColonialSoldiers-007436-429%3A512%2C1565%2C611%2C1584%3B621%2C1565%2C711%2C1587%3B512%2C1591%2C611%2C1611%3B622%2C1592%2C711%2C1615%3B111%2C1727%2C177%2C1747%3B620%2C1732%2C709%2C1755%3B236%2C1813%2C326%2C1836%3B544%2C1816%2C609%2C1835%3B619%2C1845%2C708%2C1865%3B235%2C1924%2C325%2C1946%3B602%2C1927%2C692%2C1950%3B602%2C1983%2C690%2C2007%3B974%2C2016%2C1039%2C2038%3B601%2C2068%2C691%2C2091%3B214%2C161%2C303%2C184%3B554%2C253%2C619%2C273%3B1060%2C229%2C1151%2C256%3B1077%2C289%2C1167%2C315%3B1078%2C318%2C1167%2C343%3B122%2C395%2C187%2C415%3B986%2C375%2C1051%2C398%3B614%2C485%2C703%2C508%3B662%2C537%2C752%2C560%3B646%2C564%2C736%2C587%3B120%2C697%2C186%2C717%3B552%2C812%2C617%2C832%3B117%2C1034%2C184%2C1053%3B608%2C1150%2C698%2C1173%3B626%2C1179%2C715%2C1202%3B548%2C1373%2C613%2C1391%3B114

SON JOHN'S WAR RECORD- https://revwarapps.org/s6110.pdf

1787 Virginia Tax List https://www.slavens.net/courthouse/1787_va_tax.htm