James Curry (1752 - 1834)

Born 29 Jan 1752 in Co. Antrim, Ireland

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Magdalene (Burns) Curry — married 20 Nov 1784 in Staunton, Virginia, United States

Descendants

Died 5 Jul 1834 at age 82 in Jerome Township, Union, Ohio, United States

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Biography

DAR Patriot Ancestor.See http://emembership.dar.org/DAR/DAR_Research/search_adb/?action=full&p_id=A028763.

There is a fascinating and detailed account of Col. Curry's life written in the "History of Union County, Ohio". The following is a condensed summary of the family.

James was born near Belfast, Ireland, first born son of James Curry, a prosperous farmer of County Antrim. They were Irish Presbyterians, and James in early childhood was marked for the holy calling. When he was 10, his family embarked at Belfast for America on board the ship "Good Return" in 1762. They were accompanied by a large colony, including several brothers of his father and their families and other relatives. This trip was fifteen weeks duration and there was much disease, starvation, and death, including the four youngest Curry children. Upon arrival, most of the family left for Virginia; one of the brothers went to Pennsylvania. James and his parents soon after landing at Philadelphia went to Staunton in Augusta county, Virginia. After settling in Virginia, four children were born to James Curry and Rebecca (Warwick) Curry: Susan, Rebecca, Polly, and John. After the close of the Revolutionary War, James and Rebecca and family moved to Paris, KY, where James died at an advanced age.

There is extensive information about James' military career in the "History of Union County" beginning with his enlistment at age 22 as a private at Staunton. He fought in the famous Battle of Mount Pleasant, where the Kanawha enters the Ohio River. James was wounded during this battle, which ended his fighting for the time, and he returned home. Later, at age 24, after recovering from his injury, he enrolled again, and was named Lieutenant in the Eighth Virginia regiment, Continental Establishment. He was later commissioned Captain in the Fourth Virginia. He was at the Battle of Brandywine, 11 Sept., 1777 and the Battle of Germantown, 4 Oct. 1777. (The previous information is only a small fraction of the detailed military history in the book). James continued with the army and served winters as a recruiting officer at Staunton and summers in the field.

On October 5, 1797 he and his family moved to the territory of Ohio, in which the state of Virginia had reserved an immense tract of land for the soldiers of the American Revolution. They started in a great wagon driven by five horses over the mountains of Virginia. Reaching Morganstown on the Monongahela River he embarked on a flat-boat and made the remainder of the journey down that stream and the Ohio to the confines to the territory of his destination by water. This voyage was six months long and very challenging because of rivers full of ice and floating trees. Eventually, they reached what was afterwards known as High Bank Prairie, Ross County, landing April 1, 1798.

Sources

• Find a Grave, database and images (www.findagrave.com/memorial/43012515/james-curry : accessed 11 July 2021), memorial page for James Curry (29 Jan 1752–5 Jul 1834), Find A Grave: Memorial #43012515, citing Oakdale Cemetery, Marysville, Union County, Ohio, USA ; Maintained by C/R Mitton (contributor 46818994).

• United States Census, 1830

• "History of Union County, Ohio". Chicago: W. H. Beers, 1883. pp. 294-305.

• WikiTree profile Curry-521 created through the import of Cheney 21 Feb 2012.ged on Feb 21, 2012 by Deborah Mayes.