Individual Details

A very long lineage can be found online for Patrick Vance. It seems improbable.

Although databases can be found online that give exact dates for the marriage of Patrick and the births of his children, no particular sources are given and the researchers I have contacted have none, either. It would seem either there were church records or a Bible record - no records of the Falling Springs Presbyterian Church have been microfilmed that I can locate. One of the databases I found online stated that he was a member of that church which had been founded by Scotch-Irish in 1734.

Patrick Vance married Sarah Taylor, 20 May 1767.
He married Elizabeth Houston/Huston, 10 Jul 1778.
Both marriages probably took place in Pennsylvania and the records are likely there - I have found no source, however.

Patrick had at least six children by Sarah Taylor and nine by Elizabeth Houston.
There are problems with the exact dates for births of the children born to the second wife to include the following - three children, William, Aaron, & Mary are all shown as born in the year 1787 - they could have baptized in the same year, but not born. The first of these born in 1787 was born only six months after Robert was born in 1786. There was a gap of five years between Agnes & Robert so perhaps some of these shown as born in 1787 were actually older than Robert. The two youngest children Joseph & Jean/Jane are shown as born a day apart in 1794 - she is shown as born six months before Joseph in another place. Many of the children are shown as born in Franklin Co, Pennsylvania, which was not formed from Cumberland until 1784, so the children of the first wife and at least some of the second wife were born in Cumberland.



A database online states that brothers Patrick and John came to Pennsylvania from Donegal, Ireland, 1754. [I have found records of both in Chambersburg - John's family seems to have remained there] Current DNA studies show a likely kinship to a Maj. William Vance as well.

Patrick is said to have served as a private under Capts. Conrad Snyder and William Long - 1778-178. Patrick took the oath of allegiance at Carlisle, PA on 18 Sep 1777. He moved to Tennessee in 1797, settling 20 miles from Knoxville on the bank of Little River.

Another database online says that Patrick arrived in America in the mid 1700's. This researcher states that in the 1768 tax list, Patrick was shown with a 300 acres farm and two servants. He had 4 horses, 6 cows, 12 sheep.

Patrick's home in Chambersburg was built in 1773 according to an online description at the Valley Quarries, Inc. website, www.valleyquarries.com. A picture is there as well.
"The corporate headquarters, located just East of Chambersburg on Quarry Road between Rt. 30 and the Falling Spring Road, is a beautifully sited, pre-revolutionary war limestone farmhouse. Now fully renovated, the structure was built initially in 1773 by the original owner, one Patrick Vance of Donegal, Ireland."

Said to have been a Justice of the Peace, Cumberland Co PA in 1777.

Online database - no source given.
Patrick is believed to have been called to serve in the 1st Battalion of the Cumberland Co Militia in 1780 against the British and Indians. It is not clear whether he served or paid a fine in lieu of serving.

Received in email from Cheryl Parr, Vance family researcher:
Pg, 215 AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS OF FRANKLIN COUNTY PENNNSYLVANIA (Sic), Compiled By Virginia Shannon Fendrick For The Franklin CO Chapter DAR, Chambersburg, Penna., Publ By Historical Works Comm. of the Franklin CO Chapter -
John Vance- Served as a private under Capt. Conrad Synder and William Long in 1779-80-81. He attended the Military Convention in Lancaster, July 4, 1776, as a private in the 5th Battalion, Cumb. Co., Militia. He also served as Ranger on the frontier. In 1782, John Vance appears with 510 acres of land, 5 horses, 10 cattle, 2 negroes. Presumably the son, John, had in 1804, a distillery, 457 acres of land, one slave, one powder mill, one grist mill, horses and cows. John Vance, Sr., died in 1784, leaving wife, Elizabeth, and the following children: (1)John, Jr., b. 1770, d. April 17, 1834. He mar., daughter of Robert McCulloch; children: George, Isabella, Mary. (2) Rebecca Vance, b. 1769, mar. June 21,1796 to John Watson of Greene Twp. Mary Vance, mar. prior to 1793 to George McCulloch. His widow, Elizabeth, later married David Adams (probably in 1789). Penna. Arch. 5th Ser. Vol. 6, p. 87, 119, 546
&
Patrick Vance- Brother of John Vance, served as a private under Capts. Conrad Snyder and William Long, in 1778-79-80-81. His wife's name was also Elizabeth. Patrick and John Vance, brothers, emigrated from Ireland and settled in Guliford [Guilford] Twp., Oct. 8, 1754. They bought a tract of land, jointly, from William Anderson and his wife Rebecca, for 242 pounds. This land had originally belonged to the Cavens, and on May 3, 1782, Alexander Caven, one of the heirs appeared and demanded of the Vances 250 pounds for his release fo the property. This was paid him although the Vances had made payment in full under the original contract, by August 10, 1776. The first stone house in the vicinity of Stoufferstown was built by Patrick Vance in 1773. Patrick and John Vance helped to establish the Falling Spring Church. They were farmers and millers. Patrick became Justice of the Peace in 1777, and he took the Oath of Allegiance at Carlisle, Sept 18, 1777. Penna. Arch. 5th Ser. Vol. 6, p. 74, 88, 119, 538, 546. Deed Book Vol. 1 p. 232, 233. Deed Book Vol.2, p. 421. Deed Book Vol. 5, p. 423.


Franklin Co was formed in 1784 from Cumberland, PA, which had been created in 1750.
From History of Franklin Co PA, Warner Beers & Co, Chicago, 1887
Chapter VI "Franklin Co Organized"
On the 6th of September a clause was adopted ..."that the inhabitants of the new county of Franklin should have their full proportion or share of what moneys were raised for Cumberland County uses...." On the 9th of September, 1784, the bill was enacted and signed with Chambers Town as the seat of justice.
Active parties petitioning the Assembly for the new county and to fix the northern boundary at Big Spring [now Newfille] to include all of Hopewell Township included Patrick Vance.

1790 Census, Franklin Co , PA does list Patrick Vance. He had 5 males under age 16, 3 males upward of 16 in his household. The number of females is covered by a blot.

Online datase with no source:
In the mid-1790's, Patrick and family moved to Knox County in what is now Jefferson Co, Tennessee. He purchased 640 acres and lived there until he died in 1803. It is said that son David inherited this land on the Holston River.

Patrick's will was written 24 Aug 1801, Knox Co TN; filed in Court April, 1803. It lists wife Elizabeth; sons John, James, David, Patrick, William, Robert, Joseph, Samuel and daughters Sarah Campbell wife of John Campbell, Elizabeth Davis, Jane & Mary. Gave John and James, sons, 200 acres on which they settled in Jefferson Co. 150 acres including an old improvement was to be leased for use of his wife and minor children - this was also apparently in Jefferson Co and was to be reserved for son Samuel who was to pay his sister Mary $140 within one year after it fell to him. The remaining land to be sold or divided between David, Patrick, William and Robert, sons [this also appears to have been in Jefferson Co] - they paying their sisters Sarah Campbell and Elizabeth Davis each $40. Daughter Jane to receive the Negro child Silva when her mother dies. Joseph to have the land in Knox Co. Wife Elisabeth appointed Executrix with assistance of son John Vance and son in law John Campbell.
Wit: G. W. Parker, Magdalen Parker
2 Apr 1803. Elizabeth Vance qualified and empowered to take inventory, pay all just debts of Patrick Vance deceased and deliver all legacies.

Elizabeth Vance presented the Inventory of the estate of Patrick Vance to the July Session of the Knox County Court, 1803. It included slaves Phillis and Silvy, four head of horses, 22 head of cattle, 31 head of hogs, 20 head of sheep, farming tools, furnishings, etc. There were notes due the estate from Nicholas Tait Perkins, Robert Evans, John Vance, Andrew Taylor, Patrick Vance, Joseph Goodson, Henry Sterling - some of the notes were in Jefferson County and some deemed doubtful of collection were in Pennsylvania. James Davis, Robert Davis, Andrew Taylor, and James Parks were listed with accounts due.
A John Vance was listed as owing the estate $25.50, Jefferson County. And there was also a John Vance listed in Pennsylvania.

Patrick and his second wife, Elizabeth, are said to be buried at Strawberry Plains, TN, near Knoxville. An alternative grave site is said to be the Ebenezer Cemetery in Knox Co TN. I have included separate pages giving the details of Patrick and Elizabeth's children.

A descendant, Arthur Clarence Vance did family research and his papers were given to the McClung Library in Knoxville, TN. Possibly more information could be found there. The Vance Family Association published newsletters which contained information from these papers. There is a website:

I did find that there is a collection of Vance family research [probably the Vances that lived in Frederick Co] which includes many of the newsletters: Call No. 1214 THL, Stewart Bell Archives Room, Handley Regional Library, Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society, P.O. Box 58, Winchester, VA 22604.

Birth	Abt 1745	Donegal, Ireland
Marriage	20 May 1767	Pennsylvania - SARAH Taylor
Marriage	10 Jul 1778	Elizabeth Houston/Huston
Death	Bef Apr 1803	Knox County, Tennessee

Spouse	SARAH Taylor ( - 1778)
Child	Jane Vance (1768 - 1772)
Child	John Vance (1769 - 1857)
Child	DAVID Vance (1771 - 1840)
Child	Sarah Vance (1772 - 1858)
Child	James Vance (1773 - 1851)
Child	Elizabeth Vance (1775 - )

Spouse	Elizabeth Houston/Huston (1750 - 1840)
Child	Patrick Vance (1779 - )
Child	Agnes Vance (1781 - 1782)
Child	Robert Vance (1786 - 1872)
Child	William Houston Vance (1787 - 1860)
Child	Aaron Vance (1787 - 1791)
Child	Mary Vance (1787 - 1856)
Child	Samuel Vance (1792 - 1840)
Child	Joseph Vance (1794 - 1863)
Child	Jane Vance (1794 - )