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Descendants of Revolutionary War soldiers John, James & Edward Demasters

4. James² Demasters (Demasters(?)¹) was born 1763 in Amherst Co, VA (Source: (1) James B. DeMasters (1960) Kansas City Chapter of The Sons of the American Revolution (1776) have accepted his research as authentic., (2) Pearce, Alice June.), and died 10 Mar 1836 in Lexington Township, Lafayette Co, MO (Source: Hartman, Gerald Ross.). He married Mary ___ 1785 in VA (Source: (1) Revolutionary War Pension Application, (2) Pearce, Alice June.).

Notes for James Demasters:
From: Abstracts of Revolutionary War Pension Files: DeMASTERS, James (as Demasters), Mary, R2861, SC & VA Line, sol appl 8 Aug 1832 Lafayette Cty MO aged 69 a res of Lexington Twnshp MO, sol lived in Amherst Cty VA at enl, sol's son Foster DeMasters made aff'dt in 1852 Ray Cty MO aged 59, wid appl 17 Sep 1839 Ray Cty MO, sol & wid had m in 1785 & sol d 10 Mar 1836, wid stated in 1839 that her oldest son (not named) was age 55.

General Affidavit
STATE OF MISSOURI
County of JACKSON

JAMES B. DeMASTERS of lawful age, being first duly sworn, deposes and says: The following genealogical research is true and accurate: James DeMasters, born 1763, died March 10, 1836

1. From the National Archives & Record Service, Washington, DC, File no. R2861, dated October 4, 1960, we have a sworn affidavit from this person, stating that he was born in 1763 in Virginia and served in the Revolutionary War.

2. Book entitled "Revolutionary Soldiers Buried in Missouri." copyrighted 1966, by Mrs. Hale Houts, page 70, James DeMasters is listed together with his sons. His son Elijah DeMasters is listed.

3. In the Probate Court Records at Warrensburg, Missouri, Box no. two, are Probate Records for James DeMasters, deceased March 10, 1836. Elijah DeMasters signed for $50.00 from the Estate of James DeMasters, dated February 13, 1840

4. U. S. Government Census, Carroll County, Missouri, November 14, 1850, page 45, Entry no. 604

Elijah DeMasters age 50 male Farmer Born Tenn (1800)
Nancy DeMasters age 41 female " Kentucky
James T. DeMasters age 12 male " Missouri
John F. DeMasters age 10 male " Missouri
Richard B. DeMasters age 8 male " Missouri
Andrew C. DeMasters age 4 male " Missouri
Erastus D. DeMasters age 2 male " Missouri
Alexander R. DeMasters age 3/12 male " Missouri
Moses C. DeMasters age 6 male " Missouri

The above material proves this line: James DeMasters, born 1763, Elijah DeMasters, born 1800, Richard B. DeMasters, born 1842

Signed James B. DeMasters, 916 Walnut, Kansas City, Missouri 64106

And further the deponent saith not.

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN TO before me, this 12 day of March, A.D. 1984
JOAN MATTOX, NOTARY PUBLIC STATE OF MISSOURI, PLATTE CO., MY COMMISSION EXPIRES JUNE 15, 1984

THE DESCENDANTS OF JAMES DeMASTERS BORN 1763

The state capitol building for Missouri is located in Jefferson City, on the bank of the Missouri River. This beautiful building contains many items of historical interest. On a bronze plaque commanding immediate attention as you enter this edifice is the following:

In Memory of the Revolutionary Soldiers buried in Missouri. "They offered their lives that their Country might be free".

Erected 1918 by the Kansas City Chapter of the DAR.

I counted approximately 366 names; among them was JAMES De MASTERS.

So far my findings have taken me back to John DeMasters, born in 1754 in Amherst (later Nelson) County, Virginia. He had at least two brothers, Edward and James. John and Edward lived their entire lives in Virginia. James DeMasters came to Missouri about 1816. Missouri was then just a Territory. Most of the pioneers came by boats or rafts down the Ohio River to the Mississippi River and then up the Missouri River. James probably landed at Lexington, Missouri. He died March 10, 1836 at age 73. His Probate records are in the Court House at Warrensburg, Missouri. The most valuable item of his estate was a young Negro boy named Henry. Henry was sold for $600.00.

James enlisted in the Army of the United States at the age of 16 in the year 1779. He served in the third New Virginia Regiment of the Virginia Line. He was attached to General Lincoln's Brigade. In 1780 he was taken prisoner at Charleston, South Carolina. In 1781 he escaped and joined General Marion. General Marion is one of the most colorful heroes of the Revolutionary War. His nickname was "Swamp Fox." The British found him unbeatable.

In 1781 James was discharged by General Greene. He returned to Amherst County, Virginia. He married in 1785 to a girl named Mary. I believe the following to be their sons; Jesse, John, Elijah and Foster. Foster DeMasters in a sworn statement before an open court said that he was the lawful son and child of Mary and James DeMasters.

MY FAMILY TREE: James DeMasters b. 1763, Foster DeMasters b. 1793 (HIS BROTHER IS ELIJAH DEMASTERS, BORN 1800), James Samuel DeMasters b. 1832, Benjamin B. DeMasters b. 1871, James Stanley DeMasters b. 1895, James Benjamin DeMasters b. 1920 (my brother: John Allan DeMasters Born 1924); And my three sons: Robert James DeMasters b. 1946, Stephen Alan DeMasters b. 1947, Thomas Eugene DeMasters b. 1957.

The Kansas City Chapter of The Sons of the American Revolution (1776) have accepted my research as authentic. The DeMasters Heritage can now be known and preserved for our children.

(signed): James B. DeMasters (December 1, 1960)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1881 History of Johnson Co., Mo (Johnson county was formed from part of Lafayette in 1834) P.213: James Demasters in long list of "earliest inhabitants." (Jackie Campbell)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
James Demasters b. 174? in Virginia Rank: Priv.
ref: Historical reg. of Virginians in the Rev., soldiers, sailors and
marines, 1775-1783. Ed. By John H. Gwathmey. Richmond, Va 1938. (13,
872p.): 219
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Amherst County, Virginia Personal Property Tax List 1787
Charged with tax "List A"

Dimasters, James, Sr.
0 0 0 2 2

0=White males above 16 & under 21
0=Blacks above 16
0=Blacks under 16
2=Horses, mares, colts & mules
2=Cattle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Johnson County, Missouri, Wills and Estates, 1835-1839:

James Demastus: Died Intestate; (ADM) William Horn and Jesse Demastus; (APT)
May 14, 1836; (S) Robert Dellornow and Rich. Hencock; Heirs are Widow Mary
Demastus, and children Jesse, John, Anderson, Elijah (all of Johnson County),
Foster (of Kentucky), James Gray (of Jackson County, Missouri, and Joseph
Tribble (of Lafayette County, Missouri).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From Revolutionary War Pension Lists, Rejected or Suspended Applications for
Rev. War, Claims of Missouri Resident, 1850:
Name: Demaster, Mary, widow of James
Residence: Richmond, Ray
Reasons for suspension: Service admitted-marriage not proved

Revolutionary War Pension Lists, Pension Rolls of 1835, Volume IV, Missouri:
Name and counties: James Demaster, Lafayette
Rank: Private
Annual Allowance: $80.00
Sums Rec'd: $240.00
Description of Service: Virg. cont'l
When placed on pension Roll: May 2, 1833
Commencement of Pension: March 4, 1831
Age: 71

(Jackie Campbell)

More About James Demasters:
Interesting Fact: 1779, Rev. War-Captured, Battle of Charleston
Military service: 1780, Pvt, VA Line-Captured, Battle of Charleston

Children of James Demasters and Mary ___ are:

+	26	i.		Jesse³ DeMasters, born 1786.
	27	ii.		John Anderson DeMasters, born Abt. 1788 (Source: Sandy & Tony Demasters, "Electronic," "abt 1788."); died Bef. 1881.

Notes for John Anderson DeMasters:
1881 History of Johnson Co., Mo (Johnson county was formed from part of Lafayette in 1834) P.575: "Anderson Demasters came here from Tennessee in 1832, and is now dead:, in the list of early Chilhowee Township settlers. (Jackie Campbell)

1881 History of Lafayette Co. MO - P.496: February 1822: John Demasters appointed road overseer for the 6th road district.

1881 History of Johnson Co., Mo (Johnson county was formed from part of
Lafayette in 1834) P.251: John Demasters in 1836 deliquent tax list
(Jackie Campbell)

+	28	iii.	Foster DeMasters, born 1793 in Amherst County, VA; died Bef. 14 Oct 1882 in Tulare Co, CA.
+	29	iv.	Elijah DeMasters, born Abt. 1795 in TN; died 1852 - 1892.
	30	v.	Jane Demasters. She married Joseph S. Tribble 3 Nov 1822 in Lafayette Co, MO (Source: (1) "Three Centuries Of Demastus" pub. by Three Centuries, Denver, CO-Their source: Demasters family records., (2) Campbell, Jackie, "Electronic," Marriage Index: Selected Counties of AR, CA, IA, LA, MN, MO, OR (FTM CD).).

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