Lieut. William Blackburn

William Blackburn VVeteran
Birth
1735
Virginia, USA
Death
7 Oct 1780 (aged 44–45)
Burial
Kings Mountain Battleground Cemetery
Blacksburg, Cherokee County, South Carolina, USA
Memorial ID
118933818 · View Source
Memorial
Photos 1
Flowers 14

Family Members
Parents
Archibald Blackburn
1685–1749

Spouse
Elizabeth Black Blackburn
1747–1827

Siblings
John Blackburn
1712–1755

Elizabeth Blackburn Wilson
1725–1806

Children

Mary Jane Blackburn Vance
1769–1852

Jean "Jane" Blackburn Cusick
1771–1838

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/118933818/william_blackburn

https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:William_Blackburn_%2822%29

This William is probably neither the Lt. William BLACKBURN who died at the Battle of King's Mountain nor the brother of Arthur and George as stated in many sources. More research is needed to straighten out the various Williams.

Not a known son of Archibald Blackburn

https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Archibald_Blackburn_%283%29

A 1755 grant clearly identifies brothers George (d. 1778), William (d. 1781) and Arthur (d. 1792). The wills/estate settlements of Arthur and George show them as having sisters Margaret Casey, Mary White, and Martha Rogers. No sister Elizabeth mentioned.

So it seems unlikely that that William (s/o Archibald) is one those siblings. And where Lt. William BLACKBURN, who d. 1780 at the Battle of King's Mountain, fits in is another question. If he was b. 1748 (as often said), he would be too young to be the one for the 1755 grant.

GEDCOM Note

Died 07-Oct-1780 in the Battle of King's Mountain. American Revolutionary War SAR #1325

Lieutenant William Blackburn served with Washington County Militia, Virginia Militia during the American Revolution.
William Blackburn is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A010695.

Biography

William Blackburn was born about 1734/5 in Washington County, Virginia, based on being of age in 1755. He died during the American Revolution on 7 Oct 1780 in the Battle of Kings Mountain, Cleveland, North Carolina and was buried in Kings Mountain Battleground Cemetery, Blacksburg, Cherokee Co SC.

He married Elizabeth BLACK, daughter of John BLACK and Elizabeth COLVILLE, about 1767 in Washington County, Virginia; children (surname BLACKBURN):

1. Mary (Blackburn) Vance (1769-1852) - m. Samuel Colville VANCE
2. Jane (Blackburn) Cusick (1771-1838) - b. 28 Sep 1771; d. 1 Sep 1838; m. Joseph CUSICK
3. Margaret (Blackburn) Evans (1771-) - b. c1774; m. David EVANS
4. Martha (Blackburn) Houston (1777-1825) - m. Robert HOUSTON
5. George Blackburn (1778-1778)Sarah (Blackburn) Evans (1779-1861) - m. Charles C EVANS
6. Elizabeth - b. c1800; m. John LUSK

Note: None of the sources give any sons, though George died before his father and would not be named by his estate settlement.

In 1755, Lord Fairfax granted land on Mulberry Run to "Arthur, George and William Blackburn."

On 20 Nov 1778, the court ordered that "William Blackburn Gent. be recommended to his Excellency the Governor as a fine and proper person for first lieutenant of the Militia of the County of Washington.

Letters of administration were granted to his widow Elizabeth (Black) Blackburn, her brother Capt Joseph Black, and John Blackburn on 24 Nov 1780, but final settlement was made sixteen years later. Final settlement of his will was on 20 Dec 1796 at Abingdon, Washington County, VA, naming widow Mrs. Elizabeth Blackburn, daughters Mary wife of Samuel Vance, Jean wife of Joseph Cusick, Elizabeth wife of John Lusk, Margaret wife of David Evans, and unmarried daughters Patsey and Sally.

William, Arthur, and George were called brothers by George's will recorded 18 Aug 1778 and Arthur's will recorded 20 Aug 1782. Both wills also mentioned their sister Margaret wife of William Casey and Mary White.

Alphabetical List of Officers of the Continental Army
B
Fifteenth Virginia
page 104
Blackburn, William (Va). Lieutenant of Campbell's Virginia Riflemen -; killed at King's Mountain, 7th October, 1780.

Mrs. Annie E. Webster Allison.
DAR ID Number: 73263
Born in Chicago, Ill.
Wife of George E. Allison.
Descendant of Lieut. William Blackburn, of Virginia.
Daughter of George Webster (1828-78) and Jerusha A. Jones (b. 1837), his wife, m. 1853.
Granddaughter of James Jones (1789-1859) and Eliza B. Vance (1810-47), his wife, m. 1829.
Gr-granddaughter of Samuel Vance (1778-1840) and Mary Blackburn (1779-1852), his wife, m. 1803.
Gr-gr-granddaughter of William Blackburn and Elizabeth Blackburn (1750-1800), his wife, m. 1775.
William Blackburn, served as lieutenant in Capt. Robert Craig's company, Col. William Campbell's Virginia regiment, and was killed, 1780,
at the battle of King's Mountain. He was born about 1748, in Virginia.

References

• Reference: FamilySearch Genealogy - SmartCopy: Apr 6 2022, 9:57:19 UTC
• https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:William_Blackburn_%2822%29
• Reference: WikiTree Genealogy - SmartCopy: Feb 4 2025, 0:57:48 UTC