John Alloway Strange, Sr

A Patriot of the American Revolution for VIRGINIA.   DAR Ancestor # A202286

His ancestry is unknown. See the discussion below.

Biography

John Alloway Strange was born on February 15, 1727.

John married Mildred Ann (Barnett) Strange. Together they had the following children:

1. George Strange;
2. Sally Maria Alloway Strange;
3. Col. Gideon Alloway Strange;
4. William Claiborne Alloway Strange.

John married Ann (Mitchell) Strange on May 3, 1742 in Albemarle Co, Virginia?. Together they had the following children:

1. Archelaus Strange;
2. Mary Alloway (Strange) Bell;
3. Rebecca Alloway (Strange) Sanders;
4. Martha (Strange) Chambers;
5. John Alloway Strange;
6. Abraham Alloway-Strange;
7. Abner Strange;
8. Frances Alloway (Strange) Bowles.

He died on October 2, 1811 in Fluvanna County, Virginia, United States and was buried after October 2, 1811 in Oak Hill Cemetery.

• http://www.familysearch.org/library/books/idurl/1/522407

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He was a planter. His birth date is known from a bible record made by one of his sons, but his birthplace is not known.

According to John Mayer's book on the Alloway Stranges, 2nd edition, p. 24, he served in the Revolution in the 5th Virginia Regiment.

He was a plantation owner with most of his property located at Oak Hill, Albemarle County, Virginia. John first appears at Albemarle County, Virginia, and later at Fluvanna County which was formed from Albemarle in 1777. He owned over 3,000 acres. This area was the frontier. Homes were made of logs. The principal crop was tobacco, cultivated by slaves. In 1767 he was one of the executors of the estate of his brother-in-law Thomas Mitchell. In December 1779 he had a patent for 200 acres on Ballenger Creek. His first wife died about 1781 and in 1782 he re-married. Also in 1782 he bought another 200 acres in Fluvanna County. The census of that year shows six whites and 11 blacks in his household. In 1786 he was one of the executors of his father-in-law, John Barnett's, will. He appears on the 1787 tax list of Fluvanna County, along with an Abner Alloway who was probably his son of that name. In 1778 he had been a Vestryman of the Established Church, but seems to have become a Baptist after the disestablishment of the Anglican Church in 1789. On 3 July 1795 John A. Strange and his son-in-law Benjamin Bowles were elected Deacons of Lyles Baptist Church in Fluvanna County, Virginia, and his name appears in their records as a frequent contributor.

John A. Strange made his own will on 7 June 1810, and it was proved 28 October 1811. His will gave 600 acres, including the plantation house and other houses and mills on the same tract, to his widow Mildred until her death or remarriage and then to his son Gideon. He gave a house and lot in Bernardsburg to his grandson Jesse. He gave to an Elizabeth Bragg, who was living in his household, a horse and saddle and confirmed a previous gift of a featherbed and furniture, all to be delivered to her when she turned 21 or married. Because John was executor for his son-in-law Samuel Bell and had advanced his grandson John Bell his share of Samuel's estate, he required that his grandson waive any further claims for the Samuel Bell estate and provide title to a slave, Judy, which Alloway had purchased from the estate. Finally John Alloway gave the slave Judy to his widow. Except for these provisions, the estate was to be divided according to law. His heirs are listed in Deed Bk. 6 O.S., Palmyra, Fluvanna County, Virginia, 15 Oct 1813, pp. 491- 495.

His children moved west in the late 1700s, some using the name Alloway and some using the name Alloway-Strange. Records pertaining to John and his descendants are found under both names.

Ancestry

His ancestry unknown. Lineage expert John R. Mayer thought he was probably descended from a Devonshire family:

"There was a large population of persons named Strange, Strang, Stronge, and Strong in Devon, and we have many reasons to believe that these Dumnonians were the predecessors of Strange of Virginia, and Alloway Strange of Virginia." (Mayer, 1997)

He is generally believed to have been a grandson of Edmund Alloway-Strange, and often speculated as a son of Abner Alloway Strange.

His father might have been Edmund Alloway Strange 3d, or he might have been son of Abner Alloway-Strange.

Another theory is that he belonged to the Alloway family living at North Farnham Parish, Virginia. They were probably probably descended from John Alloway who came from Bristol to Virginia between 1663 and 1679. This John might have been an adoptive son of Abraham and Ann Alloway.

Known Slaves

• Judy, purchased from the estate of his son-in-law Samuel Bell

Sources

• Findgrave.com: John Alloway Strange.
• https://www.bernethy-eby-scribner.com/getperson.php?personID=I52007...
• Hendricks, Steven. "Re: Edmund Alloway Strange" at Genealogy.com, posted June 25, 2004 ("Credible proof of a connection before John Alloway remains elusive")
• Mayer, John R. "Devolvements Strange" at STRONG-L@rootsweb.com, posted July 6, 1997.
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Strange-1198
• https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~donegalstrongs/genealogy/dnaresults...