James and William McCorkle of Ireland & Montgomery Co., Virginia c. 1770

The information below was accumulated in my McCorkle research in Kentucky and Virginia. At first I thought that these individuals might be closely related to Samuel McCorkle Sr. of Augusta Co., VA. They are found with descendants of Samuel Sr. in several different locations. I have concluded that they were somehow related to Samuel Sr., but that their common ancestral connection occurred in Ireland before Samuel's forefather came to America circa 1700. Also, in an unsuccessful effort to shed light on the 1810 Green County, Kentucky census for an unidentified John McCorkle, I have looked for a connection between John and James. I know nothing more about this family.

In A History of Rockbridge County, Virginia, Oren Morton writes that a James McCorkle came from Ulster to Staunton, Augusta Co., Virginia in 1770 and then moved to Montgomery Co. a few years later. James also spent time in Fincastle Co., Virginia, which at one time encompassed the entire area that is now Kentucky. In 1774, James McCorkle and James Dysart were sureties for a John McCorkle in a court case. This is a very intriguing fact, but I have not been able to develop anything more about this John McCorkle. James was Montgomery County sheriff in 1778 and a trustee of Liberty Hall Academy in 1783. He had a brother William, whose daughters were Margaret, Martha and Rebecca. James died in 1794.

The will of the abovementioned James McCorkle of Montgomery Co. gave his considerable land holdings in Kentucky to his three nieces. Niece Margaret got most of 1000 acres (deed dated Aug 16 1784) on Sinking Creek, a branch of the Green River in what became Green Co., Kentucky. On Oct 10, 1803, this land was identified as "James McCorkle's thousand acre survey and now known as William Adams land". In about 1800, Samuel and John, sons of Samuel and Sarah Buchanan McCorkle, settled in this exact location.

In the transcription of the James' will (dated Feb 2, 1794; proved May, 1794 in Montgomery Co., Virginia) and subsequent proceedings, his partner of 1775, William Christian is named.  James and William co-owned a store in Dunkard’s Bottom and, in January, 1785, James was appointed the administrator of the estate of Israel Christian, the father of William. James' nieces, daughters of his deceased brother William, were the only heirs mentioned in his will.  The nieces were Margaret, wife of William Adams (married Aug 9, 1793 in Montgomery Co.), Rebecca, wife of Andrew Thompson (married May 11, 1801 in Montgomery Co.) and Martha. William's widow Martha is also mentioned.

On Feb 15, 1797, William Adams was named as an administrator of the estate of Samuel McCorkle of Green Co., KY. This Samuel is a complete mystery, but was probably the brother of James and William above. Margaret Adams was enumerated in the 1850 Taylor Co., Kentucky census as 75 years old and born in Ireland. So it would seem that James, William and Samuel came to the Colonies from Ireland about 1770 and, although most likely related, were not directly connected to Samuel Sr. of Augusta Co., VA. 

On Oct 18, 1810 a Martha McCorkle married Samuel Compton in Green Co., Kentucky. Martha's mother, Martha, gave her consent. A witness was William Adams. These were surely the same individuals mentioned in the settlement of James McCorkle's estate in Montgomery Co., Virginia.

Christian Co., Kentucky was named for William Christian. In 1764, Capt. Christian raised a company of men to help with the protection of the frontier. A James and Patrick McCorkle were part of Christian’s force. On October 7, 1774, Christian was under the command of Colonel Andrew Lewis at the Battle of Kanawha (better know to me as the Battle of Point Pleasant). Andrew, John and William McCorkle were soldiers in the Army of Colonel Lewis. Many historians consider this battle to be the beginning of the American Revolution. The first explorers and surveyors of western Kentucky were William Christian, James Davis and John Montgomery from Augusta Co., Virginia. On April 9, 1786, at age 43, William Christian died from wounds received in a skirmish with Indians. He was buried on the Oxmoor estate on Bear Grass Creek in Jefferson Co., Kentucky. This Capt. Christian was surely the same person mentioned in the will of James McCorkle of Montgomery, Co., Virginia. In 1784 and 1785 Christian sold land to James McCorkle, so it is likely that James obtained his 1000 acre parcel in Kentucky from land acquired by Christian.

To try and avoid some confusion, I will mention that another James McCorkle, son of Robert, son of Samuel and Sarah McCorkle of Augusta Co., lived in Montgomery Co., Virginia in the early 1800s.  He was in the 1810 Blacksburg, Montgomery Co. census and he also married Perlina Carty there, Jan 1, 1812. The 1820 census shows that two of their sons were born in Montgomery Co., before James followed his father Robert to Lawrence Co., Ohio.

Addendum: The above information was assembled from several sources. Since creating this page, I have read the James McCorkle biography in Early Adventures on Western Waters, Vol. 1, by F. B. & Mary B. Kegley. This sketch concerns the life of James in Montgomery Co., Virginia, but does not make the connection to Green Co., Kentucky.

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Revised Aug 13, 2007