Harrison County, WV: Deeds and Court Records of L. McCan Family ********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ********************************************************************** Submitter: Dorothy McCan-Phillips Lawrence McCAN and Family - Deeds and Court Documents These excerpts are from the Deed Books of Harrison County , later Lewis County and excerpted from the notebook of Joseph KELLOG. 1787: A suit was brought by Lawrence McCAN against Joseph SCOTT. The suit was decided by a Jury in Lawrence's favor, judgement given in the sum of 2 pounds, 13 shillings and an order for sale. 1797: February 20th: A Deed dated April 19th and 29th 1790. For 60 pounds Lawrence McCAN abtained a tract of land on the west side of the West Fork River, containing 194 acres, adjoining the land Thomas HUGHES now lives on, and part on the tract Elias HUGHES now occupies, together with two lots in Hughestown, on a lot containing 5 acres and the other 1 acre. (Harrison County Deed Book No. 1, pp 500,501). This land was part of a tract of 3.37 acres on the West Fork River which Elias HUGHES had surveyed on March 1, 1785 by virtue of a certificate of settlement in 1776. (Harrison County Deed Book 1, p 225.) On part of this tract Elias HUGHES laid out a town plot and sold lots to his friends and neighbors. The town never came to anything however. On Land Tax records which began only in 1796, Lawrence is taxed on this property of 200 acres, which was given an assesment value of 44 pounds, 1 shilling, and 3 pence. Another mention of a suit involving Lawrence McCAN was April 16, 1799, when the suit he brought against Hedgeman TRIPLETT was dismissed at his request. Lawrence's name appears among the signers of a petition from Harrison County in the Virginia Assembly, dated December 22, 1803, asking for the formation of a new County. The signers were mostly people living there on the West Fork and Hacker's Creek. The petition were not acted upon favorably until 1817 when Lewis County was formed. 1799: March 8th, Lawrence McCAN and his wife Mary and son Patrick McCAN and Hannah his wife, sell to John CONRAD for 100 dollars a parcel of land on the West Fork River, containing 7 1/4 acres next to land of said CONRAD. Proved and recorded in January Court 1800. (Deed Book 4) 1799: September 13th - Lawrence McCAN and his wife Mary sell to John CONRAD for 60 pounds a parcel of land on the West Fork River, and the west side of the West Fork River containing 48 acres adjoining other land of said McCan, of said CONRAD, and John NEALY 1787: July 21, Lawrence McCAN's signature appears in a marriage bond of his son Patrick McCAN, when he wrote a note of permission for him to marry along with the bond. It appears as: July 12, 1787 (original spelling) Clark of harrison to John HAYMOND Jr., this is to request you to ..........unreadable my son Patrick and hanner JOHNSTON ............unreadable good and this shall be your warrant to ........ ......... to which we have set our hands and seals. Lawrence McCAN (his signature) Test. Daniel McCan John McCan 1814: March 25th, Lawrence McCAN and wife Mary and Patrick McCAN and his wife Hannah (JOHNSTON), sell to Adam ALKIRE for 150 dollars land on the West Fork River, 39 acres; "being a part of tract formerly patented to Elias HUGHES", next to the land of Manuel ALKIRE and Isaac HUGHES. Signed by Lawrence McCAN, and Mary makes her mark. The witnesses were Daniel McCAN and Peter BUSH Proven and recorded August 30, 1814 (Deed Book No. 12, pg 59. (It seemed that Lawrence McCan was still living until some time in 1814. ) 1814: April 20th, Lawrence McCAN and wife Mary sell to Manuel ALKIRE, for 500 dollars, 100 acres pf land "more or less" on the West Fork River. Lawrence makes his mark, and Mary signs it (apparently). Proven and recorded April 20th 1814. Deed Book No 12 pg 114. This land was described as adjoining the lands of John BAILEY, Adam ALKIRE, and land claimed by Elijah ELSWORTH. Daniel McCAN, oldest son of Lawrence McCAN said to be born about 1763, perhaps much earlier than that. He appears in the Personal Tax Lists 1787. However he is still in the home of Lawrence and Mary McCan. They apparently lived there together on the mouth of McCAN'S RUN even after the sons, John and Patrick were married. Daniel first appears by himself as head of family in 1803, In the years 1806 to 1812, inclusive, he is called "Constable" and marked exempt from taxes. In the census of 1810 in Harrison County, he shows a family of 2 males over 45 years of age or over, and 1 female of similar age. (The extra male is probably Patrick and the female, his wife Hannah) 1789: March 17th, appears the following: Daniel McCAN came into Court and proved by William RADCLIFF Sr., "that he, said McCAN, had lost a part of the end of his nose in a fray by the bite of a man. (Court Minute Book No. 1, pg 376) . Possibly Daniel McCAN's pugnacious, or courageous nature made him a fit candidate for the office of Constable. On October 21, 1805, Daniel was appointed as Constable. He came into Court, entered into Bond, and was sworn into office (Minute Book 7, pg 19). He was regularly appointed as such until 1813. On April 17, 1804, he was appointed "Road Surveyor" in place of Phillip COX. (Book 6, pg 92.) 1789. May 22: In the Courthouse at Clarksburg is a petition to the Court from Daniel McCAN stating that he, the assignee of Patrick McCAN, assignee in turn of Charles HARRY, had owing to him the sum of 3 pounds from William SHAW, Thomas SHAW and Patrick MAGONAGLE, as shown by "note in hand". The original note was from these men to Joel LOWTHER and was dated March 3, 1788. They promised to deliver to him before April 15th next, one good cow and calf. On the back of the note are the various assignments that from LOWTHER to Charles HARRY, and that from HARRY to Patrick McCAN, and then dated May 20th 1789, from Patrick to Daniel McCAN. 1791: November 23: Daniel had a long and drawn out suit against Elias (or Ellis) HUGHES as shown by the Court Minute Books. Daniel McCAN versus Ellis HUGHES, on complaint of Plaintiff, the Defendant is bound in the sum of 40 pounds, and sureties David SLEETH and Sotha HICKMAN in the sum of 20 pounds each, for said Ellis HUGHES keeping the peace towards said McCAN unto next March Court. (Minute Book No. 1, pg 566). 1793: March 20th, Daniel McCAN vs. Ellis HUGHES - Parties came into Court and agreed their suit in words to wit: "Defendant agrees to pay all Plaintiff's Clerk's costs but 12 shllings, 6 pence, which Plaintiff has paid for the year 1701. Plaintiff to pay attorney's fees and all costs of his own witnesses. Judgement given. (Book 2, pg 25) About 1797: Daniel McCAN'S name appears in connection with the estate of David BENNETT, who died apparently about 1807. In the list of Jacob BUMGARDNER, the executor of the estate, at the sale of this estate in 1814, was one for Daniel McCAN, who bought a "Red steer" for $7.50, and Patrick McCAN who bought a "White-backed steer" for $6.00, and another one for $6.13. Evidently they took the livestock in payment of their notes. In the inventory of the estate of Hezekiah DAVISSON, dated October 1794, there is included a long list of debts. "from the Day Book" Daniel owed one pound, 2 shillings & 3 pence. (Harrison County Will Book 1, pg 59) In the Spring of 1814, the McCAN property on the West Fork was deeded over to Adam and Manuel ALKIRE. Perhaps in exchange for the property on McCan's Run, Deed, dated August 26, 1814 from Emanuel ALKIRE and wife Sarah to Daniel McCAN for 280 dollars for 100 acres on Freeman's Creek. Acknowledged and recorded Aug 30, 1814 (Harrison County Deed Book No. 12. pg 113). This same 100 acres is now listed as on "Leading Creek" on the Lewis County list. Leading Creek is a branch of Freeman's Creek and is farther west in Lewis County than the West Fork Central Valley. Damiel died in 1819, about the same time as his mother Mary. End Dorothy McCann-Phillips *********************************************************************