David Looney (abt. 1738 - bef. 1802)

Born about 1738 in Orange County, Colony of Virginia

Husband of Mary Ann (McClellan) Looney — married about 1755 in Colony of Virginia

Descendants

Died before 25 Aug 1802 before about age 64 in Blountsville, Sullivan, Tennessee, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Greg Looney [send private message], Michael Looney [send private message], and Linda Davis [send private message]

Biography

David Looney was born in 1738 in Orange County, Virginia, the son of Robert Looney and Elizabeth (Llewellen) Looney.

He married Margaret 'Mary' McClellan/McClelland about 1755 in Virginia, daughter of John McClellan.

David died between 1 May 1801 (when he wrote his will) and 25 Aug 1802 (when his son Abraham began selling his lands) in Blountsville, Sullivan, Tennessee.^[1]

Notes for David Sr. Looney:

He was a young captain in the Colonial wars, a young major in the militia in the earliest days of the Revolution, when he served in the North Carolina Militia. His service was under the command of Colonel Isaac Shelby, who later appointed David Looney to the rank of Colonel. David served the duration of the Revolution and the fight for American Independence from Great Britain. When victory was achieved, he was awarded numerous land grants for his service to the cause of freedom. At war's end, David remained active in the militia, but he also began to take an active leadership role in the growth and development of Sullivan County, NC

He was one of the early settlers of what was to become Sullivan County, Tennessee. Col. David Looney lived on Muddy Creek, two miles above the Holston River, where he erected a blockhouse. At the time this was Washington County, Virginia, but which became Sullivan County, North Carolina and eventually, Tennessee.^[2]

The General Assembly of NC had, in October 1779, passed legislation setting up a neighboring county to Washington Co., This new county was named Sullivan County, to honor Revolutionary War hero, General John Sullivan. The Justices of the Peace in the new county, were, among several others, Isaac Shelby and David Looney. The men met on Feb. 7th, 1780 at the log home/fort of Moses Looney to organize the government of the new county.

Quoting the,SULLIVAN CO. NEWS, Vol 36, #6, dated February 7, 1980, Which was the 200th birthday of Sullivan Co, state:

"John Rhea was appointed Clerk and Nathan Clark, Sheriff. Isaac Shelby exhibited a commission from Governor Caswell, of North Carolina, dated November 19th, 1779, appointing him Colonel-Commandant, of the county. Other commissions appointed were Henry Clark, Lieutenant-Colonel, David Looney, First Major and John Shelby, Second Major, according to the documents.

In 1797 David (age about 59) was living in Sullivan County, Tennessee, USA.^[3]

"Moses and David Looney were from Virginia, where Moses had been a captain of militia as early as 1774. They perhaps resided at that time in the western part of what is now Sullivan county, Tennessee. A pass through the Clinch mountains was known as Looney's Gap at an early date.
May 3, 1774, the court of Fincastle county ordered Anthony Bledsoe to make the list of tithables in Captain Looney's company.
The organization of the first court of Sullivan county was at the house of Moses Looney in the month of February, 1780. David Looney was one of the first justices and major of the militia of the new county. He was advanced to the lieutenant-colonelcy, which office he resigned in 1781.
He was a member of the lower house of the Carolina Assembly of 1784..... Both of the Looneys were in the Franklin movement and sat in the Assembly; and David Looney was one of the first justices of the peace under the new State government.
David Looney was a delegate from Sullivan county to the convention of 1788 which was called to consider the ratification of the National Constitution.
He was in 1790 commissioned by Governor Blount a justice of the peace of his county, under the territorial form of government. In the first legislature of the State of Tennessee he represented Sullivan county."^[4]

External media links: (These may require a subscription to view)

• Looneys Fort (jpg file): http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=5cfc0e44-95e8-46ae-ac2a-8357fbf12d04&tid=80061331&pid=766
• Colonel David Looney (jpg file): http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=09d161aa-3fbc-43d9-b437-8eee8dc92102&tid=80061331&pid=766

Family

"John Vaughan son of Martin Vaughan and Ellender his wife and Elizabeth Looney daughter of David Looney and Mary his wife was married on the 16th of August 1783."^[5]

Probate

Will of David Looney^[6]
Dated: 1 May 1801
Sullivan County, Tennessee
Wife
My three sons: David, Abraham and Joseph
Grandson: Isaac Acuff Looney
David Taylor, son of Jeremiah Taylor
son-in-law: Jeremiah Taylor
Daughter: Annis, wife of Hugh Crawford
Son: Robert
Daughter: Sarah, wife of Samuel Gregg
Daughter: Elizabeth, wife of John Vaughan
Daughter: Jane, wife of Samuel Carruthers
Daughter: Mary, wife of Jeremiah Taylor
Witnesses: Alexander Greer and John Williams
Executors: son Abraham Looney, John Spurgin Esq. and wife Mary Looney

Sources

1. ↑ Death: Title: U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 Original data - Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970. Louisville, Kentucky: National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Microfilm, 508 rolls.
   Ancestry Record 2204 #499311 (accessed before 26 June 2021),
   Birth date: 1735 Birth place: Death date: 1810 Death place: Blountville, Sullivan Residence date: Residence place: United States.
2. ↑ Goodspeed Publishing Co. 1887. History of Tennessee from the earliest time to the present: together with an historical and a biographical sketch of from twenty-five to thirty counties of east Tennessee. Chicago: Goodspeed.
3. ↑ Residence: Title: Tennessee Census, 1810-91 Author: Jackson, Ron V., Accelerated Indexing Systems, comp. Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999. Original data - Compiled and digitized by Mr. Jackson and AIS from microfilmed schedules of the U.S. Federal Decennial Census, territorial/state censuses, and/or census substitutes.Orig.
   Ancestry Record 3574 #30497229 (accessed before 26 June 2021),
   Residence date: 1797 Residence place: Sullivan County, TN.
4. ↑ Williams, Samuel Cole. 1933. History of the lost state of Franklin. New York: Press of the pioneers.
5. ↑ Kentucky Historical Society. 1965. Kentucky Ancestors Vol 17 No 3 - Vaughan Family Bible. (Vaughan Bible Records are from Family Bible which belonged to Lovica Vaughan (so written inside back cover). The Bible was printed for Matthew Carey, No. 118 Market Street, Philadelphia, October 27, 1802. The Bible was found ln the attic of the home of Miss Margaret Veeder Kirk, Shelbyville, Kentucky in July 1978 and is now in the possession of Mrs. Barbara B. Llndauer, New Carrollton, MD)
6. ↑ Tilton, Leroy W. 1963. Early Looney's in America Part 7. [Place of publication not identified]: [publisher not identified].

See also:

• (information from Beverly Stevens-Looney's web page: http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/l/o/o/Beverly-K-Looney/index.html) (broken link)
• "United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG2M-DMM4 : 16 March 2018), David Looney, 1779

• Find a Grave, database and images (www.findagrave.com/memorial/13219363/david-looney : accessed 26 June 2021), memorial page for David Looney (1735–1 May 1810), Find A Grave: Memorial #13219363, citing Maguire Cemetery, Columbia, Maury County, Tennessee, USA ; Maintained by Mary Bob McClain (contributor 46546099) .