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Facts and Events
Disputed Parentage
Some researchers have claimed Mary Kerr was a daughter of James Kerr -(1700-1800) of Orange County, North Carolina and an unknown first wife before his marriage to Rowena Speer, but there are NO records to support a prior marriage for that James Kerr.
Records DO show, including a Tree on [FamilySearch] that this Mary Kerr [it calls her "Mary Farry Kerr"], was a daughter of James Kerr (1700-1748) and Mary Daff (b. 1706) of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She is named as "Mrs. Dougan" in the Revolutionary War Pension Affidavit of her nephew, Samuel Kerr, son of Mary's younger brother, Nathaniel Kerr. The Will of James Kerr, written in 1748, names Mary and Nathaniel [among others] as his children.
In addition, Margaret (Graham) Kerr, wife of Nathaniel Kerr, made the following two statements in her affidavit in the Revolutionary War Pension application for her husband's Revolutionary War Pension:
- That Major Thomas Dugan and Col. James Dugan were brothers, and nephews of my Deceased husband.
- Nathaniel Kerr, whom I afterwards married, was then boarding with Col. Edward Sharp, a brother in law of mine, and continued to board there, when not in the service of his country, till the year 1785, when we were married. We settled at a place about 2 miles from Col. Collier's; and also, within a few miles of Col. James & Major Thomas Dougan's, who were nephews of my husband. I was intimately acquainted with the Collier & Dougan family; for being relations & connections of ours, we kept up a friendly intercourse with them by visits &c.
Note: Col. James Dougan and Maj. Thomas Dougan are both sons of Mary Kerr, proving that Nathaniel Kerr was Mary's younger sibling,
Also, Mary Kerr's father James Kerr of Lancaster County, PA clearly names Mary and her younger sibling Nathaniel in his 1748 will in Lancaster County, PA.
References
- FamilySearch Family Tree.
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From Revolutionary Pension Affidavit of Samuel Kerr, nephew of Mary Kerr:
I now sit down to answer yours of inquiry respecting my father's military services in the war of the revolution &c. I will begin answering your inquiries respecting myself. I am the oldest son of six children which my father Nathaniel Kerr had by my mother Margaret Kerr. I believe I am now in the 58th year of my age and was born in Randolph County in this State and lived there until my seventh or eighth year when my father with his family removed to Guilford County where he lived the remainder of his life & believe my parents were married in 1785. I recollect to have heard my mother say they were married in September some 15 or 16 months before my birth which by reference to the family record you will find (I believe) took place on the 20th of January 1787. I believe my father settled himself in Randolph County near Bell's Mill several years before the commencement of the Revolutionary War. I have heard father say his Trunk was burnt with Mrs. Dougan's house by the notorious Fanning near the close of the war & I believe his papers with it to the best of my recollection father died in February 1826 before the passage of the Act in favor of the Militia who served in the revolution. My mother understanding that an act had been passed in favor of widows whose husbands had served in the war of the Revolution prevailed with me to go to Randolph County in quest of evidence of my father's military services. On my arrival there which was some four or five [years?] ago I found all his companions in arms were dead except one and he (Daniel Merrill,3 a pensioner) said he & father had served one campaign of about three months together, that they were messmates & lay the greater part of the time near Salisbury in the State that father then served as Wagon or forage master he believed my father had performed a good deal of service in the Army but that was the only time they had served in company together & then went to see John Graham4 (a pensioner) of Davidson County he said he, that is Graham, served in the Cavalry under Colonel Davie. That once or twice in the head went into the camp of the militia he had seen my father in the Army that he believed he was a commissioned officer he believed and Ensign but I do not recollect that his said in whose company or Regiment. I've then went to see Sherwood Kenneday5 of Davidson County a pensioner also. He said that he himself had served a campaign of five months a great part of the time in the state of Georgia under Colonel [no name stated] that he knew my father he had seen him in service different times during that campaign that father was a commissioned officer he believed an Ensign he could not tell to whose company or Regiment he belonged he knew he did not belong to the same with himself – having understood that it was absolutely necessary to prove in whose company & Regiment father had served in order to get a pension & failing to procure such evidence I returned home. My mother not knowing of any recorded evidence of father's services ceased to prosecute her claims. As to father's sayings of his services in the State of Georgia I distinctly recollect of his saying he suffered extremely for the want of water as they were marched through some parts of that State I think I have heard him say he was in Augusta & perhaps where we crossed the Savannah River I have heard him say he was lying sick in camp scarcely able to get out of his tent at the time of Stono Battle in South Carolina that he heard the firing of the Guns & had he not been sick supposed he should have been in the Battle. I have heard mentioned several places in North & South Carolina he had passed while in the Army. I have heard speak of Charlotte, Rugeley's Mills, Camden, Pine Tree, Ninety Six, crossing the Saluda & Broad Rivers, of the Army lying at or near the Bacon's Bridge. I have heard him speak of a Tour down the Pedee [River], one or two tours in the neighborhood of Raft Swamp & one up to the mountain's (perhaps to Rutherford County) I do not distinctly recollect of his saying he served under Colonel Collier & Dugan but I have heard him speak of serving with them and in such a way as to make me believe he served under them. The same statement will apply to Generals Greene, Moultrie, Lincoln & Butler. I would just further state I was one of my father's Executors. In settling up his estate I only took charge of such papers as were considered valuable & were kept by father in a small truck. A parcel of old papers & account books &c I believe were left with Mother. I believe she has forgotten what she done with them when she quit housekeeping. The above statements are true to the best of my knowledge & belief.
Sworn to & subscribed this the 19th of July 1845 before me.
S/ Samuel Kerr
- Wikitree.com.
Mary (Kerr) Dougan (1726 - 1824)
Mary (Kerr) Dougan is a daughter of James Kerr who left a will in Paxton Township, Lancaster County, PA, dated 19 May 1748 (Will Book J-I, p. 116), and mentioned children: John, Joseph, William, Mary, James and Nathaniel. Joseph Kerr's will in Randolph County, NC, Courthouse, Estate Office, Will Book I, second will in the book, signed 23 Jan. 1779, and witnessed by John Collier, mentions his sister, Mary Dougan. Several other records connect these Kerrs to Mary (Kerr) Dougan's family.
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Kerr-2295
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