Rebecca McClung

• Not a known daughter of Andrew Stewart of Irry, 7th Baron Castle Stewart.
• Sister of Archibald Stuart

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Rebecca Stuart

• Birth: Between 1706 and 1710 - seen as Galloway, Scotland
• Christening: 1710 - Londonderry, Ireland
• Death: (perhaps) 13 Jun 1781 (aged 70–71) - Rockbridge County, Virginia, USA
• Burial Details: probably the family farm

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Biography

(Updated 11 January 2024)

Rebecca Stuart is seen with a birth between 1706 and 1710 in Galloway, Scotland. According to Church records, she was christened in Londonberry, Ireland, in 1710. {W.H. Egle's N&Q}. She died in Rockbridge County, Virginia on 13 June 1781, and was probably buried there on the family farm.

She married in 1726 to John McClung, a son of John McClung. He was born 1706 perhaps in Coleraine, County Londonderry, Ireland, and died on 6 Feb 1787 at about age 81 in Rockbridge County, Virginia, United States.

Their marriage bond (dated August 22, 1726 (digital image) was posted in the Presbyterian Church of a small Scotch-Irish settlement (now Pequea, PA) near Chickies Creek that had been founded in 1724 (Source-book 'Early Stuart Family Immigrants in America'). Her brother, Archibald Stuart, signed the bond.

i-2 JOHN McCLUNG, h. probably in Ireland, d. about
1788, in Rockbridgc Co., Va., at an advanced age. He emi-
grated from Ireland to Penna.; thence to Rockbridge Co., Va.
Ile was a farmer and owned 278 acres of land in Rockbridge
Co., Va., in what was known as tite "Forks." He sold this
farm to his son Edward on Apr. 23, 1783. When he sold his
farm a neighbor asked him what he proposed to do now. He
replied in a jocular manner: "I propose to live like a gentle-
manand have all the whiskey I want to drink." Even ministers
of the gospel drank whiskey freely in those days. He owned
a still-house valued at £ioo. He m. Rebecca Stuart who Was
related to Hon. Alexander Hugh Holmes Stuart, of Staunton,
Va., who was Scrctary ofState in President Franklin Pierce's
Cabinet. John McClung survived his wife several years, and
resided with his daughter, Nancy Moore during the latter
years of his life.

Disputed origins

Evidence needed to support Rebecca Stuart as daughter of Andrew Stewart of Irry, 7th Baron Castle Stewart and his wife, Eleanor Dallway. There is no Rebecca or Archibald listed in his estate papers in 1715. See (Geni discussion (2024)); (Geni discussion (2019)); < Wikitree profile comments >.

McClung family

John McClung, Sr., and family came from Pennsylvania to Rockbridge Co. in the 1740s. He bought 279 acres of land in Augusta Co. from William Ward of SC on 6-20-1769, 249 of which were part of Benjamin Bordon's tract and 30 acres were part of an entry of King's land adjoining same (Augusta Co. DB 15,388). This land is between Fairfield and South River on Route 707.

Archibald Stuart was a neighbor to William McClung in Augusta County in 1773.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/McClung-174 cites The McClung Genealogy: A Genealogical and Biographical Record of the McClung Family …(1904), Page 139 < GoogleBooks >:

From the McClung genealogy, prepared by Rev. William Mc-Clung and published by the McClung Printing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., we learn that the McClungs of Greenbrier county are descended from John McClung, born probably in Ireland, and died in Rockbridge county, Virginia, at an advanced age in 1788. His father's name was John McClung also, it was thought, and that he was a cousin of James William and Hugh McClung, who settled in about 1740.

John McClung was a farmer and owned 278 acres of land in Rockbridge county in what was known as the "Forks." He also owned a still house valued at £100. He married Rebecca Stuart, who was related to Hon. Alexander Hugh Holmes Stuart. of Staunton, Va., who was secretary of state. in President Franklin Pierce's cabinet. All sons except John, Jr. settled in Greenbrier Co., WV.

John McClung survived his wife several years but in poor health.

He sold this farm to his son Edward on April 23, 1783. When he sold his farm a neighbor asked him what he proposed to do now. He replied in a jocular manner, "I propose to live like a gentleman and have all the whiskey I want to drink." Even ministers of the gospel drank whiskey freely in those days.

His late residence was with his daughter, Nancy Moore, of Lexington in Rockbridge County, Virginia.

Children

From https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~wvpioneers/genealogy/mcclungsofvirg...

From court testimony, We know the (last) wife of John McClung died in 1781. The following information on the children of John is based on records, but some of the dates are estimated. … If you are a member of Ancestry, you can < view my tree >. Check in the Gallery Section for documentation. With this lawsuit and other information, it is believed the children of John and his wife (or wives) were:

1. John "John Bath" McClung (1733-1830) married Sarah McCutcheon (1756 - 1846)
2. William "Grandfather Billy" McClung (1738-1833) married Abigail Carpenter (1746-1820)
3. Thomas McClung (1740-1784) married Nancy Black (1748-1799)
4. James McClung (1742-1790) married Nancy Dickinson (1752-1790)
5. Joseph "Sinking Creek Joe" McClung (1744 - ?) married Margaret Bell (1731-1806)
6. Samuel McClung (1744-1806) married Rebecca Bourland (1750-1825)
7. Nancy McClung (1748 - 1841) married William Moore (1748-1841)
8. Charles McClung (1748 - 1793) died unmarried
9. Edward McClung (1756 - 1793) married Letitia Black (1766-1849)
10. Janette "Jenny" McClung (1762 - 1804) married David Moore (1764 -1826)

Family note: DNA testing (2015) suggests Rebecca Stuart was the mother of all the children. Other sources suggest John McClung first married Janet Thompson (Abt 1708 - 1743) and was the mother of the first 6 children.

References

• McClung, Rev. William. The McClung Genealogy: A Genealogical and Biographical Record of the McClung Family from the Time of their Emigration to the Year 1904 (McClung Printing Company, Pittsburgh, PA, 1904). < Archive.Org >; < GoogleBooks >; < digital image >
• "Thomas McClung and Nancy Black Family Tree Records" published in 2017, compiled by the Greenbrier McClungs Historical Archives Association.
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/148196195/rebecca-mcclung [dead link]
• http://johnmcclungandrebeccastuart.webstarts.com/contact.html cites “Early Stuart Families in America,” Page 24 (book image also attached) and marriage bond dated 22 August 1726 for Rebecca Stuart, signed by her brother Archibald (also attached)
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Stuart-1256 (her brother Archibald’s biography)
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Stuart-1001 (DNA studies)
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/McClung-174
• “The Greenbrier McClungs” https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~rootsr/genealogy/138.htm
• “ 1796 lawsuit in Rockbridge County, Virginia” (heirs of John McClung) http://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/case_detail.asp?CFN=015-1810-157
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/192504799/rebecca-mcclung
• https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Rebecca_Stuart_%285%29 Rebecca was related to the Hon. Alexander Hugh Holmes Stuart, who was Secretary of State in President Franklin Pierce's cabinet. He was Rebecca's brother Archibald's grandson (Source-The McClung Genealogy). “In 2015 DNA testing done on the descendants of Rebecca Stuart and John McClung proved that Rebecca was the mother of John McClung's children.”
• https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Janet_Thompson_%288%29 cites
  • Emmick, David J. Defending the Wilderness. (2007). Page 6. < GoogleBooks > John McClung was born in Ireland and died in 1706 [sic] in Rockbridge County, Virginia. He was married first to Janet Thompson who died in 1743. Their children were John, James, William, Joseph and Captain Samuel. John married Rebecca Stuart after Janet's death. Their children were Thomas, Janett, Edward, Charles and Mary. The sons all settled in Greenbrier except John Jr. Daughters Nancy and Janet also stayed in Rockbridge County. [- this date is obviously in error, more likely a year of birth. John McClung died in 1787 in Greenbrier County, Virginia [later West Virginia].]
• “Early McClung Families in Virginia and West Virginia.” https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~wvpioneers/genealogy/mcclungsofvirg...
• Richmond, Nancy. John McClung and Rebecca Stuart: Colonial Pioneers. (Createspace Independent Publishing Platform [a self-publishing platform], 2016) < GoogleBooks description > page 121. DNA profile for Rebecca Stuart shows that the children of John McClung Sr. carry her Mitochondrial, X and Y genes.
• McClung Bible (document attached)