Person:James Clements (21)

Notes for James Clements

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Notes for James Clements:

James Clemens, who was born in New Jersey in 1734. He settled in Augusta County , Virginia, where he was for many years regarded as a man of considerable wealth. After suffering greatly through the depreciation of Continental money, here moved with his slaves to Donegal Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, whi ch was then a part of Virginia. In surveying what is known as Mason and Dixon's line half of his land 'was found to be in Virginia and the other half in Kentucky. Pennsylvania; being a free State, he was obliged to dispose of his slaves in that state.

11. JAMES CLEMENS OF WASHINGTON COUNTY (PA)

James Clemens was an uncle of Samuel Clemens, the grandfather of Mark Twain. James was bor n in New Jersey in 1734. (Hyde and Conard) He was in Loudoun County, Virginia in 1757 and in 1774 migrated to Washington County (Pa). (History of the Upper Ohio Valley, I, 572) The tombstone of his son, Jeremiah, at Danville, Kentucky, s ays that Jeremiah was born in Loudoun County, Virginia in 1763. James Clemens settled in what is now Buffalo Twp, Washington Co, Pa in 1774, according to his land application #69 for a Virginia certificate made on Dec 11-1779, entered Feb 1-1780. (Records of Ohio Co, Va) This area was claimed by Virginia until 1781, when Washington County, Pa was formed. From 1773 to 1781 Westmoreland Co, P a also claimed jurisdiction When James5 made his first settlement in 1774, he had his wife, Hannah (Walton), and children, Jeremiah 11, Christina 9, William 7, Abraham 5, Ann 3 and Ruth 1. Hannah was born about 1742. A Jeremiah Walton w as living in Dickinson Township, Washington County in 1788. In 1774 this area w as a part of Augusta Co, Va. When James Clemens sold land (Ohio Co, W Va DB I, 28) to Robert Taylor (founder of Taylorstown) on Apr 8-1775i he listed himself as James Clemens "of Augusta County". In 1776 this section became Ohio Co, Va; in 1781 Donegal Twp, Washington Co, Pa; in 1799 Buffalo Township. The Buffalo Twp area was first settled in 1772. Three persons gave that date for their Virg inia certificates. Six gave 1773. Thirteen, including James Clemens, gave 1774. Just north of the Clemens farm lived Basil Williams who had come from Leesburg, Loudoun Co, Va. Two of his Sons married Clemens daughters. Less than a year after James Clemens arrived in Buffalo, the Revolution began. By 1777 the Vir ginia militia was organized; Indians attacks were imminent. In 1778 the first Virginia taxes were levied. In 1781 the Pennsylvania militia was formed. The year 1782 was fateful. In March Miller's fort, a few miles west of the Clemens cab in was attacked. John Hupp and Jacob Miller were killed. At the end of May and the beginning of June the three oldest Clemens sons - Jeremiah 19, William 15, Abraham 13 -were likely among the 500 who marched into Ohio on the ill-fated Crawford expedition. Abraham Clemens received a pension by an act of legislature Mar 17-1838 for service in Indian wars. Jeremiah was a private under Capt Ele azer Williamson, a neighbor, in Company 2, Battalion 3. It was first under West moreland Co, then Washington Co. The service record is given in the Pennsylvania Archives (1781) III, 23, 217 & 310; v, 4, 703; VI, 2, 125. Both Jeremiah and his father, James Clemens, received depreciation pay for service in the Revolut ion in the Washington Co militia - v, 4, 394. In Sep 1782 Rice's fort, also a few miles west of the Clemens cabin, was attacked by Indians. Conrad Philabaum and his son, George, were killed. About this time the oldest Clemens daughter, Christina, age 17, was pursued by Indians, and reached safety at Wolf's fort, just east of the Clemens cabin. In the fall of 1782 the western boundary of Penn sylvania was run - a temporary line confirming that the Clemens land was in Pennsylvania. A requirement that all slaves be registered between Oct 1 and Dec 31, 1782 may have led James Clemens to dispose of his slaves, for tradition says that he brought slaves with him in 1774