John Sharp Jr (1745 - 1823)

Born 30 Aug 1745 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Laughlin) Sharp — married 21 Mar 1774 in Hanover, York, Pennsylvania

Descendants

Died 1 Dec 1823 at age 78 in Sullivan, Tennessee, United States

Battle of King's Mountain

Biography

Ensign John Sharp Jr served with Sullivan County Regiment, North Carolina Militia during the American Revolution.

John Sharp Jr is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A102957.

John Sharp Jr is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor.
NSSAR Ancestor #: 287798
Rank: Private

John was born on 30 August 1745 in Lancaster County, Province of Pennsylvania, the fourth of ten known children and the second of four sons of John (Sr.) and Jane Hamilton Sharp.

About 21 March 1774, when he was in his late twenties, John married Elizabeth Laughlin in Hanover, York County, Pennsylvania, and they had eight known children, all of whom were daughters:

1. Ann (Sharp) Longacre
2. Clarissa (Sharp) Cowan
3. Margaret (Sharp) Craig
4. Jane (Sharp) McConkey
5. Elizabeth (Sharp) King
6. Sarah (Sharpe) McChesney
7. Marianna (Sharp) Pemberton
8. Melissa (Sharp) McConnell

John was an ensign in Capt Pemberton’s Company at King’s Mountain

A captain under Sevier in the 1780 campaign.

19 Sept 1782 – Deputy Surveyor of Wash[ington] Co –

John had several flour mills.

He lived 29 miles from Nashville 22 June 1795, but had left by Sept 16, 1800.

Michaux [?] spent night with him 22 June 1795 & again on 23 Jan 1796.

Duke of Orleans (Louis Phillipe) visited Maj[?] Benj. Sharp May 1797.^[1]

: On 1 December 1823, when he was seventy-eight, John died of unknown causes, in Sullivan County, Tennessee

Peggy Craig, daughter of John Sharp Jr., and her husband, George W. Craig, are listed in his will dated June 2, 1823 and filled in Sullivan County, Tennessee. Record found in Tennessee, County District Wills and Probate Records, Sullivan County, Wills, Vol. 1-2, 1779-2008, pages 404-413.

Ensign John Sharp, Jr. was born August 30, 1745, in Pennsylvania and died on December 1, 1823, in Sullivan County, Tennessee. John served as an officer during the American Revolutionary war, under the command of Captain Pemberton, at the Battle of King's Mountain. John married Elizabeth Laughlin.^[2]

Applications for membership in the Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution have been made by descendants of his daughters: Elizabeth Sharp, who married David King; Clarissa Sharp, who married James Cowen; Jane Sharp, who married John McConky; (Sara?) Sallie Sharp, who married Thomas McChesney; Margaret Sharp, who married George W. Craig; Marianna Sharp, who married Benjamin Pemberton; and Anna Sharp, who married Ireson Longacre. DAR records indicate that clarification is needed to determine whether patriot's daughter Anna was married previously to a Mr. McKinsey and also if Ireson Longacre was married to two women named Anna.

Researcher's Notes

In 1845, diarist Samuel Hervey Laughlin wrote: "Elizabeth [Laughlin], my grandfathers' sister, married John Sharp of Sullivan, Co. Tennessee. They were married early after or about the time of the removals of the families from Pennsylvania. He was a soldier of the Revolution, fought at Kings Mountain, and was with my grandfather, John Duncan (properly Dunkin), a member of the Convention of North Carolina for ratifying the Constitution of the United States in 1788. The place where they then lived, was at that day, believed to be in what is now, and which then included all East Tennessee, Washington Co. Tennessee, then North Carolina. By an honorable life of frugality and industry as a farmer, he made a large fortune. His wife, who died before him, was deranged for some years before her death. He had a number of daughters--Sally, married to Thomas McChesney of Washington, Va. now both dead; Ann, married to Dreron Longacre of Sullivan Co., Tenn., both alive and surrounded by a numerous family of married and prosperous children; Margaret, married to the late Col. George W. Craig of Knox Co. Ky.; Marianne, married to Thomas McConnel of Washington Co. Va. now dead though her husband survives and is married again; Clarrissa, married to Mr. Cowan, of Sullivan Co. Tenn, who is, I believe also dead. He had no sons."

Burial place: Green Spring Cemetery, Green Spring, Washington County, Virginia.

Occupation: had several flour mills, situated on Reedy Creek, probably located west of Abingdon, Washington County, Virginia. He and T. King were among first settlers of that area (south of Chilhowie?), 1774, Washington County, Virginia.

Military: Ensign In Capt Pemberton's Co., North Carolina Rangers, at Battle of Kings Mountain, 07 Oct 1780, Kings Mountain, NC, now York County, South Carolina.

Alternate Death: 01 Dec 1823, Sullivan County, Tennessee.

Marriage

Elizabeth Laughlin, about 1772, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

1. Jane Sharp
2. Elizabeth Sharp
3. Sarah "Sallie" Sharpe
4. Marianna Sharp
5. Melissa Sharp
6. Ann Sharp
7. Margaret Sharp
8. Clarissa Sharp

Siblings:

1. Eleanor Sharp
2. Thomas Sharp
3. Mary Sharp
4. Anne Sharp
5. Sarah Sharp
6. Susan Ann Sharp
7. John Sharp
8. Elizabeth Sharp
9. Benjamin Sharp

Further information

In the middle decades of the 1900s, Gordon Aronhime of Southwest Virginia, traveled in the area and, using 3" x 5" notecards,took notes on will books, deed books, etc., and read and took notes from several history compilations (that relied heavily on similar sources). These were later deposited at the Library of Virginia in Richmond, where they have been digitized and put on line.

For a larger view and a transcription of the image below, click here.

Aronhime card for John Sharp Jr

Gravestone for John Sharp, Jr., 1745-1823

From Findagrave.com

John Sharp[, Jr.]

Birth: 30 Aug 1745; Death: 1 Dec 1823; Burial: Green Spring Cemetery, Green Spring, Washington County, Virginia. Memorial #: 52628488.

Bio: This grave is for John Sharp Jr. which is how he is referenced by the DAR. Ancestor number A102957. He secondly married a Sarah Anderson. Their son was named John Anderson Sharp with the middle name coming from his mother's line.

Family Members: Spouse: Elizabeth Laughlin Sharp (1748-1825); Children: Elizabeth Sharp King (1775-1826)^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ Aronhime card.
2. ↑ Heitman, Hist Reg of Officers of the Cont Army During the War of the Rev, p491; Draper, King's Mountain & its Heroes, p579.
3. ↑ Tom Whitehurst (47250352), "'John Sharp[, Jr.," Findagrave.com. Record added 20 May 2010. URL: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52628488/john-sharp. Accessed 15 January 2018.

See also:

• Bridgforth, Allan Cabaniss, comp. McConnell Genealogy. (Self-published, c1965; Typescript, mimeographed.)

• Aronhime, Gordon, comp., Gordon Aronhime Papers—Southwest Virginia Card File (Holston-Clinch River area) URL: http://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/guides/aronhime/ Accessed by Prickett-120 21:30, 14 August 2017 (EDT).

• Sharp Family Genforum #4568 Title: Migration from Lancaster, PA to East Tennessee Author: Hersch, Jane Publication: #4568 05 Jan 2003 Date: 20060524

• Sharp Family Genforum #4220 Title: Migration from Lancaster, PA to East Tennessee Author: sharp, a <disallowed email removed> Publication: #4220 11 June 2002 Date: 20060607

• Scott, Wealtha Chaplin. McConnell Memorabilia (Versailles, MO: W.C. Scott, ©1981, Printed by Fay Printing, Springfield MO). 646 pp: ill 29 cm.

• Whitehurst, Tom (47250352). "John Sharp," Findagrave.com. Record added 20 May 2010. URL: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52628488/john-sharp. Accessed 15 January 2018.

• Tennessee, County District Wills and Probate Records, Sullivan County, Wills, Vol. 1-2, 1779-2008, pages 404-413. (Will of John Sharp Jr. dated June 2, 1823)

• Revolutionary War Soldiers for NC and SC, Data provided by the website Carolana. (accessed 2 Jun 2022)

Acknowledgments

• WikiTree profile Sharp-1164 was created through the import of McChesney_Susan Berry m Abram McConnell.ged on Oct 16, 2012 by Patricia Hickin.