James McChesney, Sr. married his first cousin (parents unknown), "Sarah Patterson in Northern Ireland." Widowed, he is believed to have married (second to) widow Sarah Crawford Crawford (the widow of Robert Crawford, died 1780, the son of Sarah's uncle). Seeking documentation.

His government issue gravestone lists his death date as 1816, though I understand the church records noted he died in 1814.

With his first wife Sarah Patterson, they had McChesney children:

Samuel, 22 Jun 1753, (Susanah D Berry), below

James Jr. (died before Mar 1813), below

Hugh,

Robert, 14 Nov 1768 in Co. Armagh (Elizabeth Johnston), below

Adam, died 1812, below

Isabella A. "Ebby," 1774 (Jno Sharp, Jr., mar 1796), below

Mary "Polly," 1776 (Wm Steele), below

James settled just "west of Brownsburg." He purchased 253 acres on Moffetts Creek, from Thomas and Esther Berry in (then) Augusta Co., Virginia on 15 Aug 1775 (delivered or paid off in 1789). He paid ‎£200 plus the 5 shillings initially. Augusta Co. Deed Book 21, page 71.

James McChesney was a Private in the Virginia Militia during the Revolutionary War. He was also a church elder at Old Providence Presbyterian, in 1776 and a church trustee in 1793.

After his first wife died, he married widow Sarah Crawford Crawford. She was the daughter of Patrick Crawford and Sally Willson of Ulster and was the widow of Robert Crawford (son of Alexander Crawford and Mary McPheeters). Robert died in the King's Mountain, North Carolina battle, in 1780.

Together with his second wife widow Sarah Crawford Crawford, they had 8 more known McChesney children:

George, "1774- bef 20 Jan 1789"

Mary, abt 1776 (Wm Steele), below

Betsy Anna, abt 1779 (Robt Hunter, marr 1799), below

Martha Patsy (Jno Patton Montgomery),

Sarah "Sally," (Mrs. Moffett in James Jr.'s will)

Nancy, (unmarried sister in James Jr.'s will)

Margaret, (unmarried sister in James Jr.'s will)

Rebecca Crawford, 24 Jun 1794 (Jas Enfield Berry), below

Did he marry a 3rd time to Charlotte Berry, 43 years younger or was it more likely his son, James, Jr.? Documentation needed. Did he have another child at age 73? Charlotte was not listed in the Family Record and Biography by Leander James McCormick (1819-1900), published in 1896, Chicago, p 363. Only the first two wifes above were included.

On 17 Oct 1780, Augusta County Court Records, Order Book # XVII, in Augusta County, Virginia, James McChesney was appointed road surveyor from where Thomas Mines now lives.

Virginia Publick Claims - Augusta County, by Janice L. Abercrombie and Richard Slatten, Athens, GA, Iberian Press, 1991, Augusta Co. Lists I, etc.

James McChesney, 1 beef @ £1000, p 12, Feb-June 1781

James McChesny, 1 beef, p 14, last date Oct 1781

James McChesnay, 428 pounds flour,@ £214., p 23, Aug 1780

James McChisney, for 1 horse, £10, p 4 (1780 or 1783)

These contributions are for the Revolutionary War efforts plus his efforts as an Augusta County appointed road surveyor. It made him a candidate for D.A.R. His DAR Ancestor # is A074884.

To confuse matters, the WPA report #ROC 338, made by J W McClung on 16 Feb 1937 was on the old home of a James McChesney, believed built "about 1750." Deed Book A, p 456. It's a two story brick home. It includes a photo from 1937, on the Library of Virginia site, with this report. It has 10 large and 8 small rooms with a tall chimney at either end. Since this James didn't arrive until 1770, it is either not the same James, or this data is not entirely correct. James sold it in 1784 to James Sproul and others, then to Ezra G. Huffman in 1874. According to the Brownsburg Museum, it was known as Huffman's Store from about 1936 to the 1980's.

It was believed the first recorded building was built in about 1829, but due to a restoration in the 1998-99 (Glen Wilson), it is now believed instead, that it was built in the 1780's, with a log addition made in the 1820's. This revised date, 1780, is most probable to be the same James as above, whereas the 1750 date, was not. The most interesting description to me was that it "has never been changed from its original condition in the least. It is in a remarkable state of preservation and the workmanship and materials used in the construction must have been of the best." I've never seen this in the many WPA home surveys I've read.

Rockbridge County Deed Book A, page 324, dated 2 Oct 1781, Indenture from Benjamin and Mary Blackburn to James McChesney for £300 for a parcel in "Bordon's"(sic) Tract of 283 acres.

1784, James Sproul purchases 283 acres in Rockbridge County from James McChesney. The following year it is noted in the Tax Alterations list that James Sproul's Augusta Co land (300 acres although purchase of only 273 acres has been noted) had been transferred from James Sproul to James McChesney, suggesting a land exchange between Sproul and McChesney."

Rockridge County Deed Book A, page 456, 3 Aug 1784. Indenture between James McChesney and Sara his wife of Augusta Co and James Sprowl of Rockbridge Co. for £300 convey parcel of 283 in Rockbridge County and in Bordon's Tract. Delivered James Sprowl 1795.

1791 Augusta Co., Virginia Chancery case in Jas McChesney vs John Keys/Keyes that began in about 1785, p 5 of 18. Robert McChesney, Junr (meaning younger of 2 around), the son of Jas McChesney. See PHOTO on right of document.

Rockridge County Deed Book A, page 707, dated 13 Nov 1787, John Nealson of Rockbridge Co to James McChesney of Augusta Co in consideration of £30, parcel of 100 ac in Rockbridge Co.

Rockridge County Deed Book B, page 126, dated 6 April 1790, Samuel McChesney to James McChesney. Settlement agreement of goods including horses, cattle, furniture, a negro, and crops in land, for £381.16.6 owed to James.

In 1791, his NEIGHBORS' deed says: "On February 14, 1791, Samuel McCutchan, Sr. sold to Samuel Jr. one hundred and fifty acres of land for thirty pounds "being part of plantation whereon the said McCutchan lives on in Augusta County part of Bordens Tract and on the head waters of Middle River Bounded as follows…thence S 6 1?2? E 153 poles to a ches(t)nut oak & 2 Spanish oaks S 76? W 144 poles to a hic(k)ory JAMES McCHESNEYS corner N 34? W 147 poles to the Beginning…"Deed Book 27, p. 94, Augusta Co., Virginia"

1796--August 19, Jno. Sharp and Jno. McDowell, surety. Jno. Sharp and Ebby McChesney, daughter of James McChesney. Adam McChesney testified that his sister, Ebby, is over 21. Per Lyman Chalkley's Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia Extracted from the Original Court Records of Augusta County; Vol. 2, page 321. Ebby was AKA Isabelle.

Will Book 11, page 168, dated 12th December, 1811. Adam McChesney's will: To daughter, Jane Eliza McChesney; brother, James (Plantation his father bought of Wm. Rhea), brother, Robert; sister, Sally (now Sally Moffett), the legacy she fell heir to by her grandfather's (Patrick Crawford's) will; father and family to live on the land for life; brother Robert's son, Adam McChesney. Executors, brothers Robert and James. Teste: John and Rebecca McChesney, Henry Miller. Proved, 29th October, 1812. Robert qualifies. In Lyman Chalkley's Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia Extracted from the Original Court Records of Augusta County; Vol. 3, page 238:

On 15 May 2010, about 130 members of the Virginia Society of the Sons of America, the Society of the War of 1812 plus the Sons of the American Revolution from 13 chapters gathered at the Old Providence Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church to honor the veterans of both wars. They presented and mounted a commemorative bronze plaque honoring 23 men and 1 woman including Private James McChesney, Private John McChesney and Sargeant William McChesney (who served in the 2 wars). Photo of the brass plaque is posted herein.

DAR Genealogical Research Database lists:

MCCHESNEY, JAMES Ancestor #: A074884

XXX Notice: DATA IN THE CORRECTION FILE (WHY?)

Service: VIRGINIA Rank(s): CIVIL SERVICE, PATRIOTIC SERVICE

Birth: CIRCA 1730 IRELAND; Death: 3- -1814 AUGUSTA CO VA

Service Source: CHALKLEY, CHRONICLES OF THE SCOTCH-IRISH SETTLEMENT IN Virginia, Vol 1, P 217; ABERCROMBIE & SLATTEN, VA REV PUB CLAIMS, VOL 1, P 88

Service Description: 1) APPOINTED ROAD SURVEYOR, AUGUSTA CO, 1780; RENDERED MATERIAL AID, 1783

County: AUGUSTA CO - State: VIRGINIA

1) MARY PATTERSON

Created: 2002-03-27 23:17:13.16, Updated: 2021-05-11 11:29:02.907, By: 2) SARAH CRAWFORD

Created: 2002-03-27 23:17:13.16, Updated: 2021-05-11 11:29:02.97, By: 3) CHARLOTTE BERRY (note she has not been updated)

The names of his parents are unknown as yet. Click on his siblings on Findagrave.com to take you to their sites:

Susanna McChesney Hall

Robert McChesney

Only his 20th century government issue military marker is here.

"In 1770 the McChesney's; James, Hugh, Robert, Susannah (Mrs. Patrick Hall) and Martha, along with the Hall's; Patrick (married Susannah McC), William and Jane (married Robert McC); and also some Patterson's immigrated to Virginia, from County Armagh, Northern Ireland." (According to Oren F. Morton's A History of Rockbridge County, Virginia. and in the 1964 McChesney's of Virginia, no author listed.) It's unknown how long they were in beautiful County Armagh.

After making several additions to this site with newer data, saved it, yet very little of it was saved 4/18. This happens too often now. VERY FRUSTRATING.

Bio researched and written by LSP