MCCLENAHAN FAMILY

by James R.McClenahan

The family name has been spelled many ways down through the years. Foreign names are often misspelled due to unfamiliarity by record keepers, and often just spelled phonetically. Many of the old ancestors could not read or write, so they could not spell their own names. I have discovered the name spelled as: McClenahan, McClanahan, M'clenahan, M'Clanahan, McClenachan, McClanachan, McClennahan, McClannahan, McLennahan, McLenahan, McLanahan, and McClenaghan. Some of the old Scottish versions of the spelling in the 1500's and early 1600's were: M'Clannochane, M'Clennoquhen or M'Clonachstoune. The prefix Mac, M'c and McC were interchangeable, and all meant "son of". The family names MacClanachan and MacLenahan are names recognized by the Association as derivatives of and/or alternative spellings of the surname MacLennan. Clan MacLennan is one of the minor Highland clans and along with the Macraes were staunch supporters of Clan Mackenzie from Kintail in Wester Ross and Cromarty County, Scotland. The name McClanahan is also common in Ayrshire in the lowlands.

John MCCLENAHAN

John MCCLENAHAN was a Merchant in Scotland. He was probably born around 1650. He married Agnes MCCHUBBIT (or MCCUBBIN) and they moved to Ulster, Northern Ireland, probably Antrim Co. Robert MCCLENACHAN Sr. and his brother, Elijah, were born in Ireland. Robert was born in 1698 according to Mormon Church records. His wife, Sarah BRECKENRIDGE was born in 1702 according to the same records. Robert and Sarah's first son, Alexander, was born in Ireland in about 1724. The Scots were having religious problems and a mass migration to the American colonies started in the early 1700's. These people were called "Scotch-Irish" because they were originally of Scottish blood, but lived and had children in Ireland for close to 50 years before migrating to America. A large group headed by the CHRISTIAN family included the BRECKENRIDGES, CUNNINGHAMS, MONTGOMERYS, PRESTONS, STUARTS, LEWIS' AND POAGES, all left together between 1725 and 1735, and came to Philadelphia. From there they scattered through the colonies, but the majority migrated together to the Shenandoah Valley and Augusta County, Virginia, which was populated predominantly by Ulster Scots.

Robert MCCLENACHAN Sr.

Robert Sr. and Elijah MCCLENACHAN went toAugusta County, Virginia and were among the early pioneers of that county along with many of the BRECKENRIDGES, CUNNINGHAMS, LEWIS', STUARTS, MONTGOMERYS and POAGES. Robert Sr. and his wife Sarah received a number of land grants from the BEVERLY Land Grant Tract and settled in Staunton, Augusta Co. VA.

Robert was very active in Augusta Co. In 1743 he received a license to open an "Ordinary", which is defined as a public house where food is served to the public. The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography", Oct. 1899, describes "his log cabin hostelry was across the street from the courthouse. We may imagine the scene in the dining room on a court day. The dinner table was spread in this big room, and was composed of several split logs put together, and guests sat on benches constructed in like manner. The food was brought to the table in pewter or wooden platters and consisted probably of beef, certainly pork and venison, and possibly of bear meat; with cabbage, potatoes, and turnips, one or all. If Colonel LEWIS's mill was then grinding, corn dodgers were supplied for bread, otherwise there was only hominy; no knives or forks were furnished, but each guest whipped out his jack knife and helped himself as best he could, fingers being freely used. The charge for the meal, as fixed by the court, was 12 1/2 cents, coffee was not known, but liquors of several kinds were at hand, and at surprisingly low prices, according to the established rates--rum$1.30 per gallon, whiskey $1.00 per gallon, and claret 83 1/2 cents per quart, whatever else the people did without, they managed by some means to obtain liquors; such is the native depravity of man! But as far as we know, intemperance was not prevalent." Robert Sr. was in Capt. John CHRISTIAN's company of Augusta Co., militia in 1742. He was Sheriff of the county about 1765. Appeared at a vestry meeting as Attorney-in-fact for Rev. John JONES, Rector. Aug. 1761, Robert convicted of selling liquor without a license. Oct. 8, 1771, verdict returned against Robert (at age 73) for Trespass and Assault and Battery. Cost 50 shillings. Robert bought and sold many parcels of land in and around Staunton, Virginia. He and his wife Sarah BRECKENRIDGE had seven children. Alexander, Agnes, Letitia, Jane, Robert Jr., William, and John.

Robert Sr. died in 1791 in Augusta Co. Virginia.

Robert MCCLENACHAN Jr.

Robert MCCLENACHAN Jr. was born 19 April 1747. He was christened in April 1747. In 1769 Robert Jr. and three others formed the first permanent settlement in Greenbrier Co., West Virginia. Botetourt County was formed from Augusta Co., Virginia in 1769. Greenbrier Co was formed in 1777. It was still Virginia then until West Virginia broke away from Virginia, near the start of the Civil war, in 1863. Robert Jr. formed a company of volunteers from Botetourt Co, and was a Captain in William FLEMING's Regiment in 1774. Robert Jr. married a Catherine MADISON, daughter of Ensign Humphrey MADISON, who was killed in a battle with Indians at Fort Dinwiddie which was near present day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Catherine's grandfather, was a cousin to the father of President James MADISON who was the 4th President of the United States. Robert Jr. in a couple of different references, was a trained physician and on the Medical Board. In 1774 the militias were called out to battle the federation of the Five great Indian Tribes. The British had been supplying and encouraging the Indians to attack the colonists to keep them occupied and preventing them from breaking away from Britain. The Indians were lead by a great chief named Cornstalk and another named Logan. Logan had other significance to our family and will be discussed later. A large battle took place at Point Pleasant, at the junction of the Great Kanahwa River with the Ohio River, in what is now West Virginia, on 10 Oct. 1774. Capt. Robert MCCLENACHAN was killed in the battle. This battle has been officially recognized as the First Battle of the Revolutionary War, 6 months before the Battle at Lexington and Concord in April 1775. Robert Jr. and Catherine had 2 children, Robert (III), and John.

John MCCLENAHAN

John MCCLENAHAN was born about Dec. 1774. Nothing is known about his early life. In his grandfather's (Robert Sr.) will in 1791, Robert and John, grandsons, sons of his deceased son Robert Jr., are to inherit all his Kentucky Lands. This land was either 1000 or 1800 acres, located in Shelby County, Kentucky, on the banks of the Kentucy River, near Brashears and Bullskin Creeks. Records show that Robert Sr. bought this land in 1785. The records in Kentucky also show that John sold 100 acres of land 12 Aug,1796, for 60 pounds, good and lawful money of the state of Kentucky. The next record of John is a marriage record translated from the original French document recording the mariages of non-Catholics living in the District of Ste. Genevieve, Upper Louisana Territory. This is now Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri. "May 23, 1797, John MCCLENAHAN, son of Robert MCCLENAHAN and Catherine MADISON, native of Virginia married to Lydia BURNS daughter of Michael BURNS and Mary SPICER natives of this parish." There are many records in Ste. Genevieve Co. of John. He lived in Jackson Township near the town of Punjaub. This was changed to Lawrenceton in about 1880. He also owned part interest in a sawmill on Fourche du Clue, a branch of Establishment Creek. John was constantly being summoned into Justice of the Peace court for non-payment of debts ranging anywhere from $8.90 to about $700. In 1833 he was appointed Justice of the Peace for Jackson Township by Missouri Governor, Daniel Dunklin. He served as a Justice of the Peace until his death in 1847. His wife probably preceded him in death, but so far no records of where John and Lydia are buried have been discovered. John died without leaving a will and there is a record of application on file for Administration of the estate by a lawyer. John and Lydia had 6 children. Mary Ann, James, John Jr., Madison, Michael and Spicer. There are still many descendants of Madison MCCLENAHAN living in Jefferson and Ste. Genevieve Co. James had a family disagreement with Madison, and changed the spelling of his name to MCCLANAHAN. James was married to Susan PEYTON and their descendants are living in California, and possibly Arizona. Susan died in 1834, and James married Matilda MANNING in 1842. They moved with three children to Texas in 1857, and he reportedly died about 1875. No further record of them have been found. Michael's descendants are living in California and Kansas. They too have changed the spelling of their last name to MCCLANAHAN. Spicer, until recently appeared on only three records. A marriage record to Sarah CARLISLE in 1846, the 1850 Census of Jackson Township, Ste. Genevieve County, and a land record in Jefferson Co. about 1837. He had completely disappeared after the 1850 census record. In 1998 he was discovered living and working on a farm in Hopkins County, Texas in 1870 and 1880. Earlier this year a descendant living in Washington State made contact and supplied information Spicer was living with his wife and two sons in Fannin County, Texas, in 1860.

John Burns Jr. still has descendants living in Bonne Terre, Mo., Illinois, Texas, Michigan , Oregon, and California that we are aware of. Hopefully we will discover others.

John Burns MCCLENAHAN Jr.

John Jr. was born in Ste. Genevieve County about 1815. He was the only one in our direct line who could not read or write. Schooling in what was then a wilderness in Missouri was often hard to come by, and many who farmed did not find the necessity or desire to learn. The few documents he had to sign he marked by an "X" and witnessed by another person. The record shows that he married a Sarah A. CUNNINGHAM on 27 July 1837. Sarah's family has been traced all the way back to James CUNNINGHAM, who was born about 1756 in Augusta Co., Virginia. He also served in the Revolutionary War and his proven descendants are qualified for membership in the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution. John had a farm in Jackson township near Lawrenceton where he grew a few crops along with pigs, cows and a horse or two. There is a record of the legal description and a plat map showing the location of the property, and the parts he sold to his son Francis Marion. Sometime between 1876 and 1880, he moved his family to Bonne Terre, St. Francois Co. MO,. He was listed on the 1880 census as being a farmer. He died prior to April 1907 when his son Francis M. MCCLENAHAN was appointed administrator of his estate which consisted of 5 lots in the Settletown area of Bonne Terre. Have no record of Sarah's death or burial. She may be buried in one of the CUNNINGHAM family cemeteries in St. Francois Co. Records of where John is buried have not been found yet either. John and Sarah had about 9 children: Francis Marion, Isaac J., John A., James V., William H., Elizabeth, Edward C., Lucinda Caroline and Sarah L. Family tradition says a pair of brothers (sons of John Jr.) fought on opposite sides during the Civil War, ended up bitter enemies, and never spoke to each other again. John A. was on the 1890 Census of Union Veterans. I have since discovered Francis Marion "Frank" and his brother Isaac J. "Ike" had enlisted in the Confederate forces at Fredericktown, in Madison County.

Francis Marion MCCLENAHAN

Francis Marion, or "Frank" as he was known, was born in Ste. Genevieve Co., 24 July 1838. He married Lucilla Newton ANDERSON 16 Nov. 1856. She was called "Lucy". My father only knew of her as "Granny." Frank must have sold his land in Ste. Genevieve Co. and moved with his father, John Jr., to Bonne Terre about the same time. Frank went to work at the lead mines which had developed into a very large industry in St. Francois Co. Not a whole lot is known about Frank and Lucy. No one living hardly remembers anything about them, and few records have been uncovered so far. Lucy died in 1915 of kidney failure. Frank died in 1921, also of kidney failure. He must have been a big man, because I have been told that they had to build a special casket for him because he was too tall for a regular one. Frank and Lucy are buried in the old Bonne Terre City Cemetery. The graves are unmarked. The family was probably too poor to buy headstones back then. There is a record of their burial and a map of the cemetery with the location of their gravesites at the Boyer & Son Funeral Home in Bonne Terre,. MO. Frank and Lucy had 7 children: John W., Laura, Frank H., James R., Elizabeth, George W., and Ida.

James Robert MCCLENAHAN

James was born 19 Dec.1866 In Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri. He moved to St. Francois County between 1870 and 1876, because he was on the 1870 census in St. Genevieve County, and 1876 Special Census in St. Francois County. He went to work at the Lead mines also. On 1 July 1894 he married Emma Florence STEINMETZ, whose father had been born in Prussia. He worked down in the mines as a loader until he had an accident in the early 1920's. Some rock fell on his head and he was unable to work anymore. He and his wife lived just down the street two short blocks from where I lived, and I remember Grandma MCCLENAHAN always did all her baking for the week on Tuesday or Wednesday mornings. I would go down to her house and she'd always have a fresh hot biscuit or a couple of slices of fresh hot bread with homemade butter on it, and usually a cookie or two. Once in awhile Grandpa MCCLENAHAN would walk up and take me over to the old saw-mill a block behind my house, where they made barrel staves out of old hickory logs. We'd watch them for hours. My grandpa always held my hand

because my mother told him to not let me get near the machinery. I must have been 5 or 6 years old at the time. He died at home in 1942 of cancer. Grandma sold the big old house and moved to St. Louis and lived with her daughter, Hilda, until she died in 1952. James and Emma had 8 children. Hildagarde, Albert, Bernard (died age 3) Mary Patricia, Robert James, Herbert Joseph, Anthony (died at childbirth) and Lillian. All of the children are dead except Robert James. Descendants live in Missouri, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas, California, Illinois and Michigan.

Robert James MCCLENAHAN

Living

James Robert MCCLENAHAN

Living

Keith Allen MCCLENAHAN

Living

DEREK JEFFERS MCCLENAHAN

Living

© Copyright, 2000. James R. McClenahan All rights reserved. All material contained in McClenahan & Allied Families is provided for the free use of individuals researching their family history, provided they do not publish the material to any medium, electronic or non-electronic, without the written permission of me or the copyright holder. Any commercial use is strictly prohibited, including publication in any medium, electronic or non-electronic, including commercial databases.