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Early Fulton County Area McClain Settlers
In the late 1700s and early 1800s in the Fulton and surrounding counties there were a few men born with the last name of McClain. Some of those that later lived, raised families, and are buried in nearby cemeteries of Wells Valley, Fulton County, Pennsylvania are; Joseph McClain, born in 1818; William McClain, born in 1813; and James McClain, born in 1804, and James born in 1824.
If, and how these men may be related is not known at this time. The oldest or earliest McClain to the area, which later became Wells Township, Fulton County, Pennsylvania, is a Jacob McClain. Jacob is known to have been in the area as early as 1772. He was the closest neighbor to the first white man that is credited as being the first actual settler of the area. Prior to 1770s, around 1754, the area was very hostile, and had many problems with Indian attacks. Earlier than 1772 the white men that were in the area were traders and wanderers, none of them is known to have actually settled the area.
I'm not saying that Jacob McClain is the father of any of these men who later lived in Fulton County, but he is a good candidate to have been related to any or all of them I mentioned above. Reportedly, Jacob was born in 1750 and died in 1835. He married Elizabeth Wilson in 1771.
Elizabeth Wilson was most likely the daughter of Thomas and Mary Wilson of Frederick Co., Maryland. She also had a sister, named Susannah Wilson, who married a man with the odd name of "Bigard Head", (probably nicknamed or called "Bigger Head"). He is listed in the 1790 census for Bedford Co., PA.
Elizabeth and Susannah Wilson also had a brother, William Wilson, who was born in 1755 in Bedford Co., MD. He reportedly moved to Fulton County around, or before, 1777. William served in Capt. Charles Taggart's militia company in Bedford County. He died in Fairfield Co., Ohio in 1821.
Jacob McClain lived (circa 1772) near "Wooden Bridge Creek,
near Woodcock's Mill, in an area that later became Fulton County. In 1781 he
served in Capt. Henry Rush's Company of the Bedford County Militia.
UPDATE:
Jacob McClain, mentioned above, was not the
father of John McClain born 1779. John’s father was Azariah McClain, born 1745.
Azariah was the grandfather of some of those listed in the first paragraph
above. Jacob and Azariah were brothers; Jacob was a great uncle to them.
John McClain, born 1779, is the oldest documented McClain of the McClain lineage that I'm currently most interested in. John McClain is listed as being born in Maryland. Whether or not he was the son of "the Jacob McClain", who was known to have lived in the area as early as 1772 per Alexander Alexander's report, I've yet to establish. (Read “Update” above)
I'm tracing the lineage of Robert Irvin McClain's lineage, and he is the g-g-g- grandson of John (born 1779) and Sophia McClain. John and Sophia McClain are found in the 1850 census for Todd Township, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. That same census shows James McClain's household as living next door, which includes the father of Robert Irvin McClain at age 5.
James McClain, born 1821-24 is the son of James McClain, born 1804, and the grandson of John and Sophia McClain. Some later census show James (1821-24) as being born in 1821, however the more correct year of birth I believe to be 1824. This is because his wife, Mary was also born that same year, and James's father was born in 1804. The 1824 date seems more possible because of his father being at least age 20, instead of 16 at the time of James's birth.
The 1850 census shows several of the McClain family households, all living near each other. They are all listed on the same page of the census. The household of James McClain, born 1804, is also listed on that page. The other households appear to be brothers of this James, and an uncle James born in 1824. The household containing John, born 1779, and Sophia, born 1785, appears to be the parents of all heads of the McClain households (Except James of 1824) on this census page. James, born 1824 is the grandson of John, born 1779. These are the households of the McClain families on that 1850 census page; John b: 1779; James b: 1804; Azariah b: 1806; Jesse b: 1812; Isaac b: 1816; and James b: 1824.
If Jacob McClain, that I above mentioned was living in Maryland, and later settled near Alexander Alexander by the year 1800, he could be the father of John McClain who was born in 1779. Finding documentation of such a relationship may be the biggest challenge of this research project. The 1790 census database indexes only 2 (two) “John McClain” named men living in the entire state of Pennsylvania. I'm sure there were others, but only the two are recorded in the 1790 census records.
I hope to find more about these McClain named men as my research continues.
Read this article also, Here