James McClain (1770 - 1854)

Born 1 May 1770 in Brownsville, Washington, Province of Pennsylvania [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Jane (Brenton) McClain — married 25 May 1792 in Mercer Co., KY

Descendants

Died 26 Jan 1854 at age 83 in Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana, United States [uncertain]

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Biography

James McClain was born on May 1, 1770 and died on January 26, 1854. He is buried in the Mount Zion Cemetery in Marion County, Indiana. James's last name is spelled "Mcleaine" on his gravestone. Most of James's children used McLain as their last name.^[1]

On May 25, 1792, James married Mary Brenton in Mercer County, Kentucky.^[2]

[page 521]"The roll referred to shows that in the year 1829 only nine persons, residents in Franklin township, were assessed on lands, while those who paid the poll tax, but were assessed on no real estate, were thirty-nine in number, named as follows, viz.: ... James McLain. James B. McLain."... [page 524] "James McLain came from Kentucky in 1828, and settled on Little Buck Creek, on one hundred and sixty acres of land which he purchased a year or two after his settlement. He erected a horse-mill, which cracked corn for the neighboring farmers for a number of years. After his death his sons James B. and John came in possession of his lands, John having the north half, and James B. the south. The latter removed West and sold his farm here, which is now occupied by Mrs. Wolcott. John McLain died in 1872. His son John now lives on the farm. Another son, Moses G., served in the Seventieth Indiana Volunteer Regiment in the war of the Rebellion, losing a hand in the service. He is now clerk of Marion County." ... [page 531] "The Mount Zion Methodist Episcopal Church was organized as a class in the year 1832, at the house of James McLain, with about fifteen members, principally the families of McLain and Perkins. In 1836 they built a log meeting-house on James McLain's land, and this was used as a house of worship till about 1853, when they erected a frame building, in which they continued to hold their services for about twenty years, when the church organization ceased to exist." ... [page 589] ... "The stones were afterwards sold to James McLain, who added a grist mill to his saw-mill on Buck Creek, about one hundred yards east of the Perry Township line in Franklin Township. This enterprise also failed for lack of water, and he sold the stones to Benjamin McFarland, who already had a saw-mill (built in 1827) on Lick Creek ..."^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ Find a Grave; https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/129517223/james-mcleaine
2. ↑ "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954," database with images, (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V5Z6-4M4 : 16 January 2021), James McClane and Mary Brenton, 21 May 1792; citing Marriage, Mercer, Kentucky, United States, various county clerks and county courts, Kentucky; FHL microfilm 191,840.
3. ↑ History of Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana. By B. R. Sulgrove. Philadelphia, L. H. Everts & Co. 1884. Pages 521, 524, 531, and 589; https://archive.org/stream/historyofindiana00sulgrich#page/520/mode/2up

• Living next to son-in-law, James Pool: "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHPC-G63 : 24 August 2017), James Mclaine, Franklin, Marion, Indiana, United States; citing 221, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 28; FHL microfilm 7,717.

• "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHBK-6RQ : 7 September 2017), James Mclain, Franklin Township, Marion, Indiana, United States; citing p. 285, NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 88; FHL microfilm 7,727.

• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHJR-V2V : 12 April 2016), James Mclaine, Franklin, Marion, Indiana, United States; citing family 157, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).