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Facts and Events
Benjamin Blackburn was one of the Early Settlers of Augusta County, Virginia
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Records in Augusta County, VA
From Chalkley’s Augusta County Records:
- Page 485.--23d October, 1765. William Lockridge and Agness ( ) to Jno. Wier, £131, 266 acres in Borden's tract; corner Beard, Wm. Moore's line; corner Alexander's land, McCanlees line. Teste: Benj. ( ) Blackburn, Samuel ( ) Wier, Robert Alexander, Thos. Bowyer, William Crow, David Stewart. Delivered: Robert Steel, 15th March, 1813, by order of John Wier. (Note: John Weir was Samuel Blackburn's son-on-law).
Timeline for Benjamin Blackburn
- 1724 Arrival in America - Virginia
- 1742 Residence in Winchester, Frederick Co, Virginia
- 1753 Property - The first authentic date for Benjamin Blackburn is in 1753 when he received a grant from from Lord Fairfax to 181 acres on Mulberry Run in Frederick County, VA.
- 1755 Military - Braddocks Defeat, French and Indian War, Pennsylvania - Tradition also says that Benjamin Blackburn was with Washington's forces at Braddock's defeat. his tradition has passed from Nancy Blackburn Carson, a grandaughter of Benjamin Blackburn. Furthermore, this Benjamin is referred to as General Blackburn in the "Annuals of the American Pulpit" in a sketch therein of his grandson, the Reverend Gideon Blackburn. It may be that this was a complimentary title bestowed upon him because of his military services against the French and Indians or perhaps the writer of the sketched confused him with his son, the General Samuel Blackburn, who served with distinction in the Revolutionary War. That he was in the conflict is also born out by the record in Vol. III of Hening's Statutes that he was one of the men from Frederick County, Winchester, VA, who each received 11 pounds and 2 shillings for their services.
- 1784 Benjamin followed his sons John, Robert, and Archibald down into the Wautauga Country, Wautauga County, North Carolina, where his sons had migrated about 1773.
- 05 Feb 1785 - Benjamin Blackburn purchased for 150 pounds, 200 acres in Washington County, North Carolina lying on both sides of Onion Branch and the East Branch of Little Limestone Creek. This tract is located about 1 mile south of Washington College, which in that day was conducted by the Rev. Samuel Doak under the name of Martin Academy. (Samuel Doak - see Wikipedia).
Notes for Benjamin Blackburn
- From The Benjamin Blackburn Family by W.A. Challaconmbe
Tradition says that the family of Benjamin Blackburn was of Scottish-Irish extraction and came to America from Ireland about 1724. Where they landed, where they first settled, the exact time of arrival, and on what ship they came is unknown at this time. Benjamin Blackburn came to America with his parents, his brothers: John, Will, and Samuel, and other relatives. Since the Blackburns were friends and neighbors of the Mathews family in Winchester VA and Dandridge TN, and Mrs Annilu B Odil (1942) says she found a record of one Alexander Mathews in Isle of Wight County, Virginia in 1695, in Deed Book #1and also mentions a John Blackburn in the same county - we are inclined to believe the Blackburns landed in Norfolk, VA about 1724, then moved up to Chester County, Pennsylvania, then to Winchester, VA in 1742.
- Tradition also says that Benjamin Blackburn was with Washington's forces at Braddock's defeat. This tradition has passed from Nancy Blackburn Carson, a grandaughter of Benjamin Blackburn. Furthermore, this Benjamin is referred to as General Blackburn in the "Annuals of the American Pulpit" in a sketch therein of his grandson, the Reverend Gideon Blackburn. It may be that this was a complimentary title bestowed upon him because of his military services against the French and Indians or perhaps the writer of the sketched confused him with his son, the General Samuel Blackburn, who served with distinction in the Revolutionary War. That he was in the conflict is also born out by the record in Vol. III of Hening's Statutes that he was one of the men from Frederick County, Winchester, VA, who each received 11 pounds and 2 shillings for their services. Mrs Clifford Long, now deceased, of Mt Pleasant TN stated that she was a decendant of Ambrose Blackburn, and that Ambrose and Benjamin were brothers and both were present at Braddock's Defeat. The writer has never found anything to substantiate this relationship escept the fact that their grandchildren, who lived in Maury County, TN called each other cousin and when in 1855 a number of the family of Ambrose Blackburn moved to Texas they were accompanied by a number of the family of Edward Rose Blackburn, a grandson of Benjamin.
- The first authentic date for Benjamin Blackburn is in 1753 when he received a grant from from Lord Fairfax to 181 acres on Mulberry Run in Frederick County, VA.
- Benjamin and Mary were probably married in Chester or Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
- From "The Benjamin Blackburn Family" by W.A. Challacombe , pg. 32 : "Benjamin and Mary seemed to have come to Frederick County, Virginia about 1742, then on down to the neighborhood of Steeles's Tavern in 1770. They lived near Providence Presbyterian Church and were neighbors to the McCormicks (of reaper fame) and the Steele Family. Then in 1784 Benjamin followed his sons John, Robert, and Archibald down into the Wautauga Country where his sons had migrated about 1773.
- On Feb 5, 1784, Benjamin Blackburn purchased for 150 pounds, 200 acres in Washington County, NC lying on both sides of Onion Branch and the East Branch of Little Limestone Creek. This tract is located about 1 mile south of Washington College, which in that day was conducted by the Rev. Samuel Doak under the name of Martin Academy.
- Last Will and Tesatament, Appendix 2
- Benjamin was the grandfather of Dr. Gideon Henry Blackburn, founder of Blackburn College in Ill and minister of the Great Awakening. GHB established the First Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, AL.
- Poll for Frederick County, Virginia taken 24 Jul 1758 -
- for Geo Washington
- Samuel Blackburn
- Andw Blackburn
- for Col Martin
- Ben Blackburn
- Andw Blackburn
- Samuel Blackburn
- for Mr. West
- Ben Blackburn
References
- Margaret Blackburn White. Becoming White: My Family's Experience As Slave Holders - and Why It Still Matters. (AuthorHouse , 03/17/2009).
- William Buell Sprague. Annuals of the American Pulpit: Commemorative Notices of Distinguished American Clergymen of Various Denominations, From the Early Settlement of the Country to the Close of the Year Eighteen Hundred and Fifty-Five. With Historical Introductions. (New York: Robert Carter & Brothers, 1858)
Vol.4 , 1858.
Gideon Blackburn spent most of his time with his grandfather General Blackburn until he was about 12 when General Blackburn died. He then went to live with his maternal uncle Gideon Ritchie.
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