Philip Jacob Irion was born in Lichtenau Germany to Philip and Mary Catherine Kautz. He was educated in Strasburg, France. He married Barbara Heylar in France, in July of 1751. They had four sons. Served as assistant to his father, and then replaced him with title Secretary of Commerce under the Prince of Baden Durlach. Grew dissatisfied and emigrated to the Netherlands, then to England and then to America. Barbara had died in 1761.
Philip came to Virginia about 1764 with at least two sons born in Germany, Johann Ludwig Theodor and Heinrich. His property was near where Smith Creek empties into the Dan River, about two miles from the Mayo River intersection. He possibly operated a ferry on the Dan River. Philip married Sarah Poindexter in Culpeper County, Virginia on August 12, 1765. They had ten children. Philip died in Williamson County, Tennessee in July of 1815. The record of Phillip Jacob Irion's estate is in Williamson County, Tennessee, the inventory dated in the July Session of the County Court. The documents name his legatees: Frederick Witt, George Anderson, Ann P., John P., Sarah C., Frances A. (White), Elizabeth, and Robert A. Irion. The estate was distributed to his heirs in August 1815. Shortly after, his wife Sarah Irion also died, and the estate inventoried for her, with final documentation in October 1815. His son, Frederick Witt, died about December 1815, and his estate documents are recorded in the January Session of 1816, all in Williamson County.
