North Carolina Pioneers


McCorquodale Genealogy


Daniel McCorquodale was born about 1774 near Loch Awe, Scotland. I searched all the States in this country for evidence of any McCorquodale family, and the first and only record found was for Daniel McCorquodale, who appears to have migrated to America about 1795. He was first found in Sampson County, North Carolina in 1800, and in 1810 the adjoining county of Cumberland. These counties are prominent in that Scottish emigrants brought their clans for settlement there, with thousands of acres be set aside for clans.

The McCorquodales established a certain unpopularity in 1612 when Lachlan, Duncan and John Dow McCorquodale, brothers, were known as notorious thieves of the Clan Gregor. The Clan Gregor was so entanged in politics that it was about this time that they changed their name, thus denying McGregor Clan altogether.

The McCorquodale Clan began with MacTorquil, Prince of Denmark of Argyle, and passed to Ewen MakCorquydill, Sheriff of Perth in 1430, who had a son, Ewen, Lord of Phantelan, his charter of those lands being granted in 1734. In 1495, his lands were granted to Archibald MakCorquydill, Earl of Argyll, in exchange for other lands.

Duncan McCorquodale ultimately was heir to his father's lands in Argyll. And Duncan McCorquodale was ultimately the heir to these lands, but became unpopular in his dealings with the Clan Gregor in 1612.

Duncan McCorquodale had a grandson, Archibald, who married in 1757 Anne MacCallum. According to the "Peerage and Baronetage", Archibald had a son, Hugh, who married in 1803. This means that Hugh was born about 1780, about the time of Daniel McCorquodale of Sampson Co., N. C.

The Family Record of Mrs. Betty Bennett McCorquodale Brown (see below) indicates that." two brothers and one cousin came to the United States from Scotland. The cousin settled in Florida. The two brothers settled in Alabama. One of the brothers had a child named David Duncan McCorquodale. David Duncan lived in a place called Duncans Woods near Starks, Louisiana. He donated ground for First old cemetery there and was the first one to be buried in it under an old cypress treee, North of Starks, Louisiana."

Sometime after 1810 Daniel left Cumberland County, North Carolina, removing to Washington Co., Georgia where he was found on the 1820 Census. I also found him on the Tax Digest in Washington Co. In 1825, as owning 202-1/2 acres in Dooly County, in the 14th District, Lot No. 29. Also listed on this same Tax Digest were: John R. McCorquodale (Daniel's son), and Malcolm McCorquodale, the latter owning 250 acres on C. Creek in Washington Co. (son of Daniel).

Daniel was also listed on the 1830 Washington Co. Census, however, he witnessed a deed in Dooly Co. dated 1832, along with John McCorquodale, of John Blake to Duncan McCorquodale.

I searched all of Washington, Early and Dooly County records, and only found one marriage, that of Neil McCorquodale in Early Co. to Fitney Neil on 5/22/1828. Of course, early Washington Co. Records were lost.

Children of Daniel McCorquodale:
  1. Malcolm McCorquodale, b. ca 1792? Sampson Co., N. C. and was listed on 1825 Washington Co., Ga. Tax Digest.
  2. Neil McCorquodale b. ca 1808 Sampson Co., N. C. m. Fitney Neil 5/22/1828 in Early Co., Ga. Not found in subsequent Georgia records.
  3. Daughter b. 1795-1800 Sampson Co., N. C.
  4. Daughter b. 1795-1800 Sampson Co., N. C
  5. Daughter b. 1795-1800 Sampson Co., N. C
  6. Daughter b. 1795-1800 Sampson Co., N. C.
  7. John R. McCorquodale b. 1799 Sampson Co., N. C. m. Cassandra, b. 1804. Listed on 1825 Washington Co., Ga. Tax Digest. He was a Captain in the Baker Co. Militia in 1826-1828, a Justice of the Peace in Early Co. 1835-1837; Early Co. Tax Collector 1838; Ensign in Militia, Washington Co. from 1830-1834. Listed on 1830 Early Co. Census, and 1850.

    Children:
        
    1. Reuben McCorquodale b. 1823 Washington Co., Ga. m. Sarah b. 1829. Justice of Inferior Court in Calhoun Co., Ga. 1860-1861.   
    2. Malcolm McCorquodale b. 1826 Baker Co.   
    3. Neal McCorquodale b. 1828 Baker Co., Ga. Overseer of Richard B. Hill's Plantation 1858-1860 in Early Co.   
    4. Sarah Ann McCorquodale b. 1830 Early Co., Ga.   
    5. Angus McCorquodale b. 1831 Early Co., Ga.   
    6. Elizabeth McCorquodale b. 1834 Early Co., Ga.   
    7. Mary McCorquodale b. 1836 Early Co.   
    8. William F. McCorquodale b. 1840 Early Co.   
    9. Nancy McCorquodale b. 1843 Early Co.   
    10. Casandre McCorquodale b. 1847 Early Co.

  8. David Duncan McCorquodale was born 1803 in Sampson Co., N. C., died 7/7/1855. He came to Georgia with his family after 1810 and married Lydia Chambless about 1829 in Early Co., Ga. I searched for this marriage record in Early and Dooly Co.'s, but could not locate it. The father of Lydia, Abram Chambless, was born about 1790 in Wilkes Co., Ga., but removed either to Jefferson Co., Ga. Or Leon Co., Florida with a brother, Littleton Chambless, before 1820, and did not return to Georgia until 1828 or 1829, to Early Co. Lydia had a controversial brother, John Chambless, born between 1800/1810, who left Early Co. In 1832. In fact, the entire Chambless family seems to have departed the county about the same time, possibly with Duncan McCorquodale. Lydia died 9/6/1884.

    September 12, 1831 John Chambless and others appeared in the Inferior Court of Early County on a writ of habeas corpus, which was discharged for lack of evidence.

    The family was in Louisiana by 1835 and were listed on 1850-1880 Calcasieu Parish, LA Census.

    Children:
        
    1. Sarah Jane McCorquodale b. 7/6/1830   
    2. Elizabeth McCorquodale b. 12/3/1831   
    3. Sophronia Elena McCorquodale b. 2/24/1833   
    4. Nancy McCorquodale b. 1/23/1835   
    5. Ephriam Alexander McCorquodale b. 6/16/1836 Ga. Listed on 1900 Madison Co., Texas Census, m. Amanda b. 9/1846 Alabama. Issue:
           
      1. Rufus E. McCorquodale b. 11/1878 TX.    
      2. Lee McCorquodale b. 8/1881 TX.    
      3. Amanda J. McCorquodale b. 7/1876 TX.    
      4. Daniel B. McCorquodale b. 1/1885 TX.    
      5. Laura K. McCorquodale b. 5/1890 TX.
        
    6. Harriett Caroline McCorquodale b. 2/7/1838   
    7. Martha McCorquodale b. 2/3/1841   
    8. John McCorquodale b. 5/23/1842   
    9. Malinda McCorquodale b. 5/23/1843   
    10. Josephine McCorquodale b. 4/8/1884   
    11. David Duncan McCorquodale, Jr. b. 9/14/1846, d. 3/7/1901 m. 12/5/1872 in Calcasieu Parish, LA Ida James Dunn b. 7/25/1856 Selma, Alabama d. 1937 Orange, TX. Buried Steep Hollow Cemetery, Bryan, Texas. Listed 1880 and 1900 Brazos Co., TX Census. Issue:

          William G. McCorquodale b. 10/1874 LA.
           John M. McCorquodale b. 1/1877 LA.
           Wilmer Elmer McCorquodale b. 4/10/1882 Niblett's Bluff, LA d. 1/15/1974 Orange, TX m. 6/15/1910 in Beaumont, Texas, Vinney Viola Bennett.
           Noah B. McCorquodale b. 8/1884 TX.
           Sam W. McCorquodale b. 5/1887 TX.
           H. Winfred McCorquodale b. 12/1889 TX.
           Minnie M. McCorquodale b. 3/1892 TX.
           Mary A. G. McCorquodale b. 7/1897 TX.

      l. Daniel McCorquodale b. 10/25/1848

      2. William McCorquodale b. 1/2/1851, listed on 1880 Calcasieu Parish, LA Census, as a hauler of sawyers logs m. Martishia b. 1849 LA. Issue:

           (a) Gilbert G. McCorquodale b. 1874 LA.      (b) Sarah B. McCorquodale b. 1876 LA.     (c) John D. McCorquodale b. 1878 LA.      (d) William McCorquodale b. 1880 LA.

      3. Catherine McCorquodale b. 9/4/1853
Sources: Betty Bennett McCorquodale Brown, P. O. Box 459, Orange, TX 77630.

From a letter written by L. C. McCorquodale, Mobile, Alabama:
History of the first McCorquodales in Clarke County (Alabama). I did some of this research for 45 years. Note that we have a reported wealthy branch of cousins at Kaufman and Brown Texas; descendants, they were the minor brothers of my two great grandfathers, who were brothers; Uncle Jimmy and the other young one killed a man in 1850--odd or about 1860 (they were already there; two years ago I made a present in ink of a letter written in ink showing Uncle Jimmy and his brother were already there in 1860; they had killed a man in Clarke County; one of the brothers, Uncle Allen, was murdered as he stood on his front porch in 1900 by a cousin of Jesse James. James was murdered in retaliation."

Clans, Septs and Regiments of the Scottish Highlanders, page 82 By Adam, helps to clarify the plight of the clans in Scotland so far as their emigration to America is concerned:
From 1759 to 1776 there was a constant flow of emigrants from the Highlands to North America. Between 1763 and 1775 alone it is estimated that upwards of 20,000 Highlanders left Scotland for the New World. Those of Argyllshire and its islands, of the Island of Skye, of the great part of the Long Island, of Sutherland, and part of Ross-shire, have a like connection with North Carolina, where they have formed settlements of Cross Creek...In 1782-1783 a famine in the Highlands occurred on the failure of the potato crop

Scottish Emigrants to U. S. A. by Whyle - Christian McCorquodale from Skye to Virginia in 1792. Moved to North Carolina in 1810. Married Malcolm Colquhoun.

Soldiers of the War of 1812 of N. C. by Toler, on page 96, there is a reference to Malcolm McCorquodale, as serving from Sampson Co.

From Some Pioneer History of Early County, pages 31-32:
"April Term 1832. John Chambless was convicted of cow stealing and sentenced to jail and guard placed around him prior to removing to Milledgeville. A wolf was at Chancys grist fields and all guns went there. Chambless jumped off the platform at the jail door and left for parts unknown." The evidence in the case was not established, but the court decided to take the word of his accuser, and thus he was sentenced to the penitentiary."