Hugh Colhoun I (1692 - 1753)

HUGH19 COLQUHOUN (Alexander18, William17, Robert16, Adam15, Alexander14, John13, Humphrey12, John11, Humphrey10, John9, Malcolm8, John7, Humphrey6, Robert5, Humphrey4, Ingelramus3, Robert2, Umfridus1) was the son of Alexander Colquhoun and Judith Hamilton. Hugh married at Newton-Stewart, Ardstraw, County Tyrone, Ireland in 1715, AGNES JANE MCCLEARY or MCCLARY. (U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900). The records of Augusta, Virginia show that Hugh Calhoun was a witness to a deed made to John Noble, prior to 1750. Those records also show that, during the French and Indian War, some of the settlers who lived on the New River fled from their homes and moved to Augusta, among them the Prince family, and it is highly probable that the Calhoun’s named in that history note were brothers of Patrick20 Calhoun. [Kemper, Charles E. Historical Notes From The Records Of Augusta County, Virginia, Part II. Meigs, William M. The Life of John Caldwell Calhoun, Vol. 1.]

Living at Pennsborough, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania in 1747-1750, we find Samuel Calhoun and James McTeer; in 1751, John Calhoun. In October 1764, Andrew Calhoun was appointed by the Governor to a board of justices at Cumberland County.

On 10 June 1752, Agnes Calhoun (Agnes Jane “McCleary” Calhoun) was a witness to the will of John Noble, husband of Hugh’s niece Mary Catherine Calhoun. Executors were John Noble’s brothers-in-law Patrick Calhoun and William Calhoun; and his wife Mary Catherine. The will was probated on 16 November 1752. The records, therefore, show that the foregoing members of the Calhoun family were living in Virginia by 1752. Chalkley, Lyman. Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia, 1745-1800. [Kemper, Charles E. Historical Notes From The Records Of Augusta County, Virginia, Part II.]

'"Hugh Calhoun II On 2 April 1777, Hugh Calhoun II, yeoman, and his wife Jennette of Long Cane Settlement, Ninety-Six District, sold John Ewing Colhoun, of the same place, 200 acres on a branch of the N.W. Fork of Long Canes, called Calhoun's Creek near Fort Boone, which had been granted to Hugh Colhoun in 1760 and 1768. This Hugh Colhoun, who, in 1777, lived in the same neighborhood with Patrick, William and James Calhoun, made his will on 30 November 1792, and recited that he was of "Fawny, County Tyrone, and Kingdom of Ireland, Farmer (but now in America, State of South Carolina, and Parish of Saint James's Santee, Charleston District). In his will he mentioned his wife Jane, sons John, James, William and an unnamed son, daughters Sarah and Elizabeth, and brother John. [South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine, Vol. II. Charleston, S.C., 1901]

Two Weak Links Hugh is a weak link to the ancient Colquhoun family, but we do have plenty of evidence for Hugh’s brothers and nephews, many of whom fought in the Revolutionary War. We also have evidence that ties Hugh and his wife to his brother James Patrick’s family. Where we lack physical records, we do have DNA evidence that supports the findings of many researchers. It is said that when the Calhoun family emigrated about 1733 from Northern Ireland, 142 relatives started out on the trip and 143 arrived (baby son born on the voyage to John and Catherine (Calhoun) Noble). The claim specifically mentions the birth of the Noble infant on the voyage. In addition to brothers, Hugh, Audley and Andrew, the party may have included related families of Pickens, Montgomery, Noble, Hamilton and Crockett. It is said that they landed at Providence, Rhode Island; settled first at Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Colony. The area that later became Northumberland County in 1772, was still unsettled country in 1733, becoming part of Lancaster County. The family then moved to Augusta & Wythe Counties in Virginia. Hugh later moved into Cumberland and Alleghany Counties and in 1752 his wife is listed as a witness for John Noble's will. It is rumored that Hugh Calhoun returned to Ireland to visit relatives or settle an estate and died there in 1753. Many of the Calhoun’s then moved to Abbeville, South Carolina. [Meigs, William M. The Life of John Caldwell Calhoun, Vol. 1.] Since no ship’s document has been published, much of the speculation about the voyage comes from family legends and undisclosed family mementos—diaries, Bibles and correspondence. Rev. Joseph Patrick Calhoun of Florida related statements by his grandfather, Judge John Calhoun, that “eight brothers came to America,” and that “James [Patrick] Calhoun’s father did not come to America but died in Ireland and was buried there.” Relation of Vice President John Caldwell Calhoun Family Bibles and oral histories name Hugh and his brother Andrew. Even the ancestor of Vice President John Caldwell Calhoun cannot be determined with absolute certainty. The Papers of John C. Calhoun, vol. 24, page 386, by ‎Robert Lee Meriwether and ‎Shirley B. Cook – 1959; relates “There was another branch of the family in this State, the head of which was Hugh Calhoun. I recollect him when he was a very old man, in my boyhood. I have heard my father say they were related.” The name of Hugh Calhoun occurs regularly in the writings and research about Vice President John C. Calhoun.

DNA Evidence Triangulating DNA matches place this writer in THIS family, but are we descendants of Rev. Alexander Colquhoun, or another Colquhoun? Four DNA matches at GedMatch, who claim to descend from Alexander Colquhoun, match this writer with 52% identical SNPs each, but only on one chromosome each, and at a maximum of 6.4 cM. This is reaching back 12 generations, and autosomal tests claim to reach back up to 8 generations, so it is remarkable that four individuals with the same paper family tree, would match this writer at all. This writer has multiple autosomal DNA matches at Family Tree DNA, My Heritage and at Ancestry, who indicate that they descend from Samuel Calhoun, born 1721 and assumed to be the son of Hugh Colquhoun. Other DNA matches descend from Hugh’s brother James Patrick Calhoun who married Catherine Montgomery. Additionally, many DNA matches descend from Agnes Nancy Calhoun (daughter of Samuel, the son of Hugh). These matches confirm that we share a common Colquhoun/Calhoun ancestor, but we cannot prove without a doubt who our Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) is.

Children of Hugh and Agnes (McClary) Colquhoun from [Fields, S. Helen. Register of Marriages and Baptisms Performed by Rev. John Cuthbertson, 1751-1791] will be posted to Hugh's profile, along with this narrative, if the Profile Managers agree.

Salsbery, Janice Pearson. From the Loins of Kings, and in the Company of Miners; The Ancestors of Mett Everett Blalock and Iva Lillian Ellis. Grants Pass, Oregon: Copyright © 2019, 2023 by Janice Pearson Salsbery, Pre-Publication excerpt.

Sources follow

After a lengthy search with no results I contacted someone in Ireland. While George Calhoun, s/o Hugh, spelled it Drummontolen in his will, the actual spelling is Drumatoland. You can now find it on Google Earth.

If Hugh, who died in Ireland, had a child, Moses McCarter, through a second wife, how could he be born in Lancaster, PA?

Finally, why would Agnes McCleary leave Ireland without her husband and go to Virginia where she died before him? Perhaps the Agnes who died in VA is the daughter of Hugh, not the wife?

The Ireland Project has been added as a co-manager of this historically significant profile. PMs, please continue to manage as usual.

I can find no proof of the existence of Drummontolen, Donegal! Is it near Blarney?

I cannot find any proof for the existence of Hugh Colquhoun/Calhoun.

Calhoun-276 and Colhoun-95 appear to represent the same person because: I believe this is my Grandpappy.......

William James Napoleon Otis Dewin Lillian Belle Calhoun Betty Jean Forrest ME

before Hugh is Alexander William Campbell Colhoun Robert Calhoun Adam Colhoun Sir Alexander John Sir Humphrey

Calhoun-556 and Calhoun-276 appear to represent the same person because: Dates, parents match.

Calhoun-276 and Calhoun-437 appear to represent the same person because: Same parents, same birth year, same husband. Please merge. Thanks.