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James Irvin Revolutionary War Pension File W2117 - South Carolina
Husband of Rebecca Hardin Irvin

The original record for these Revolutionary War pension files is in the National Archives & Records Administration in Washington, D.C.

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Posted by Diane Hardin Norton, dhnorton@comcast.net

Information about James Irvin family at bottom of this page.

Although not proven by documentation as far as I know, I believe Rebecca (Hardin) Irvin to have been a daughter of Jonathan Hardin - Diane Hardin Norton

Beatrix B. Ramey of Lattimore, North Carolina (Cleveland County) in 1982 sent me the following information on the James Irvin family:
James Irvin's tombstone states that he died May 15, 1845, aged 82 years, 2 months. He is buried in the family cemetery across the road from his old homeplace. The house is near Crest Jr. High School in Cleveland County, N.C. James Irvin built the house c.1785 and lived there until his death. In 1850 the family sold the house to Street Hamrick and it became known as the Hamrick homeplace. The house is listed on the National Register as the Irvin-Hamrick house. [Reference the Natl. Register site on the Irvin-Hamrick Log House, http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/shelby/irv.htm]

I have a book, Bridges To the Past, Volumes I and II, 1969-1978 that consists of articles that were published in a column ("Bridges to the Past") of a local newspaper in Forest City (Rutherford County), North Carolina. In 1970 the authors--Hedy Hughes Newton and Roy Brooks--ran an article on James Irvin.

Bridges to the Past, Volume I, by Roy Brooks & Mrs. Ernest Newton (Originally published in Forest City This Week), pp. 52-53:

July 29, 1970
A Few Words about the Late James Irvin
A Local Soldier in the Revolution

JAMES IRVIN
James Irvin was born in Chatham County, North Carolina in the year 1765. He enlisted in the South Carolina State Troops in May 1781 at the age of 16 years and 2 months. At this time, he was living in the District of 96, South Carolina and enlisted in the Company commanded by Captain Jesse Johnston, in the Regiment commanded by Colonel Samuel Hammond. This regiment was part of General Pickens’ Army with whom Private James Irvin marched to “the high hills of Santee,” and later to White Hall, South Carolina, where he was stationed for a short time. He later “marched about from one place to another in South Carolina” under the command of General Green, and was in the Battle of Eutah Springs in September 1781.
It was during this Battle that he received three wounds, and was taken prisoner by the British. As soon as he recovered from his wounds, he was discharged by the British upon his parole, and after reporting back to his company, was granted permission by Captain Johnston to go home subject to being called back when he had fully recovered. By the time his wounds had healed sufficiently for further duty, his 6-months term of enlistment had expired, and he did not return to duty.
He was married in Lincoln County, N.C. to Rebecca Hardin, “sometime in the year 1795.” (A statement from the Clerk of Court of Lincoln County is in his pension file, which states that no record could be found of his marriage in that county. But since the Clerk had been asked to search for the marriage bond, it is assumed that the applicant had given that county as his place of marriage.)
The pension file also contains “the original Family Record of James Irvin and Rebecca Irvin,” listing the following children with their dates of birth:
(1) Susannah, May 15, 1797
(2) Isaac James, Mar. 5, 1800
(3) Abram Collins, Oct. 4, 1801
(4) Rachel, Dec. 18, 1803
(5) John Young, Apr. 5, 1806
(6) Pastsey, May 23, 1808
(7) James Wiley, Aug. 17, 1810
(8) Hannah, May 11, 1813
(9) Ancil Jackson, Oct. 2, 1815
(10) Elizabeth Martin, Aug. 24, 1819.
James Irvin died at his home in Cleveland County, N.C., on May 16, 1845.
(The foregoing data was extracted from the application for pension filed Oct. 24, 1832 in Rutherford County, N.C., and the widow’s application for pension filed February 14, 1849 in Cleveland County, N.C. File #W-2117 National Archives).
James Irvin’s Last Will and Testament was filed for probate in the Cleveland County court at the August 1845 term. In his will, he directs that the executors “make sound, safe, and sure provision for the comfortable maintenance and support of my dear wife, Rebecca Irvin,” and further that all of his real and personal estate be sold and the proceeds divided equally “amongst my nine children and one granddaughter (namely): Sarah Workman; Susannah Irvin; Abraham C. Irvin; Rachael Early; Patsy Webb; James W. Irvin; Hannah Hardin; Ancil J. Irvin; Betsey Mason; and my granddaughter, Margaret Susannah Irvin, daughter of John Irvin, deceased.” Executors were Abraham C. Irvin and James W. Irvin and the will was witnessed by Elijah Eskridge, and C. C. Durham. (Cleveland County Will Box A, page 42.)
It will be noted that there is a difference in the listing of the children in the pension application and the will, i.e., Isaac James Irvin listed in the family record in the pension file is not mentioned in the Will; and, the Will mentions daughter Sarah Workman, who is not listed in the family record in the pension file. We have not attempted to check this out by additional research, but anyone interested in this family could find a logical explanation with only a little further research.

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