McMullen Notes
We know that Hugh
was in Onandaga Co., NY, before coming to IL, as his son William
was born there. Major was also born in NY. In Onandaga Co., in
1830, we see a Hugh and William McMullen, who were not there
in 1820. Major named his first son William, so it is a good chance
that William was his father. In 1820, Hugh and William were in
Warren Co, with several other McMullens, including a John Sr.
In 1800, we find John McMullen alone in Washington Co., from
which Warren Co. split in 1813. The William who fought in the
War of 1812 was born in PA (before 1800), as was one of the Johns--although
one John put his residence as NY--I rather think all the Johns
there are likely to be John Sr., originally from PA, but living
in NY at the time he made his land claim. John Sr. was probably
married by 1785, so he should have been in the 1790 census, and
there are an abundance of McMullens in PA at the time, among
them were several Johns.
| McMullen |
1800 |
1820 |
1830 |
1836 |
| John Sr.
John Jr.
Hugh
William
Daniel
R. |
all were in Washington Co. (Warren Co. split
off in 1813)
|
Athol, Warren Co.
Athol, Warren Co.
Athol, Warren
Co.
Athol, Warren
Co.
Athol, Warren
Co.
Lebanon, Warren
Co. |
-----
?3rd or 12th ward, NYC?
Van Buren Twsp.,
Onandaga Co.
Cicero Twsp.,
Onanadaga Co.
?Sodus, Wayne
Co., or 17th Ward, NYC?
----- |
-----
-----
Mercer Co.,
IL
-----
-----
----- |
•In 1820, Hugh and
William were in Warren Co., NY, with other McMullens, possibly
of clan of them. John Sr. may have been the father of the clan?
•In 1830, Hugh and
William were both in Onandaga Co., NY, but not in 1820 census.
•By 1836, Hugh was
in Mercer Co., IL, along with Major. Perhaps William died before
then.
•Mercer Co. was in
a section of IL set aside by the government for veterans of
the War of 1812 for Bounty Land Warrants.
•McMullens in the Index
to War of 1812 Pension Files:
John
McMullen, rejected, Capt. Dunham’s Co. Light Infantry.
John McMullen, Navy, Gunner’s
Mate on US Frigate "President" in 1814.
William McMullen,
Navy, a marine on US Brig "Hornet in 1811-1812, born
in PA.
•McMullens who obtained
land in IL by warrant (either from their own military service,
or passed down from a father or other serviceman--they were
not able to sell their warrants until the 1850’s):
Charles McMullen (40
acres in Mercer Co., 1854)
Harvey McMullen (160 acres
in Mercer Co., 1853)--Hugh had a son by this name.
John McMullen (160
acres in Mercer Co., Nov. 29, 1817)
Major McMullen (40
acres in Mercer Co., 1852)
Daniel McMullen (160
acres in Knox Co., Feb. 2, 1818), resident of NY state.
Dennis McMullen (160
acres in Henderson Co., Nov. 5, 1817), resident of
NY state.
John McMullen (160
acres in Warren Co., Aug. 8, 1818), resident
of PA.
John McMullen (160
acres in Pike Co., Dec. 5, 1818)
•Hugh bought government
land there, but Major obtained land through a BLW--whose? He
wasn’t born until 1815. Probably his father’s warrant!
Was William his father?
•Major McMullen named
his first son William, as did his uncle (?) Hugh--first children
were generally named after grandparents.
•In 1860, Hugh’s
wife Ersula was living with Major’s family.
•In 1800 census index,
we find John, Daniel, Dennis, and James McMullen, all living
in Albany Co., NY.
•In 1790, there was
also a John McMullen in Albany and Ulster Co., NY. There were
also a number of them in PA.
My theory is that John McMullen
was born ca. 1760, married ca. 1780-85, (possibly a descendant
of one of the Scotch-Irish immigrants who came between 1700
and 1728), in PA, where sons William and Hugh (among others)
were born. He moved to Washington Co., NY, by 1800, from which
Warren Co. split in 1813, and we find them and others of the
clan (perhaps sons of John, perhaps brothers) there in Athol
through the 1820 census. Shortly after the war of 1812, several
of the McMullen clan used their bounty land warrants to claim
land in IL, but Indian unrest and difficulty of transportation
prevented them from moving their families there at that time.
William and his younger brother Hugh settled out west in Onandaga
Co. by 1830, where their children were born. William may have
died there. After the Indians were removed in 1832, Hugh moved
westward to IL, taking his brother William’s children
with him. Hugh purchased land nearby the other McMullen claims,
and in 1852, Major used his father’s warrant to make his
land claim.
Did others of the McMullen
clan who made claims (John, Daniel, Dennis, etc.) also settle
in the area at the time Hugh did? Or did they sell their land
for profit and stay in the east? John Sr. may have been dead
by then?
March 1, 2013
Polli Turner
