Notes:

According to the book "From "Wolf's Den" to Huttonville", Thomas McClure obtained "Kilcurry Farm" from the Crown in 1832, on Lot 9, 4th Line West in Chingacousy Township. The farm, and an adjacent farm on Lot 10 has remained in the McClure family descendants.

Thomas married Elizabeth MCCLURE in Ireland. Elizabeth (daughter of Samuel MCCLURE and Mary ECCLES) was born on 10 Mar 1808 in Antrim, Ireland; died on 25 Nov 1880 in Chingacousy Twp., Peel Co.. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

According to the McClure book, she was her husband's step-sister. Her father, Samuel, had married her mother, Mary Eccles, the second wife of Thomas McClure, the father of her husband Thomas McClure, Jr. To avoid this prohibited form of marriage, the McClure book assumes that Thomas Jr. and Elizabeth married before their parents' marriage.

Notes:

The birth dates of Thomas McClure and of his children were recorded in an 1805 New Testament, handed down through the McClure family. The same book recorded the birthdates of Thomas's son John McClure (known as 'Long John') and his children, of Thomas's grandson John McClure, his wife Jane Amelia Hunter, and their children.

Recommendation, quoted in "The Clan McClure: Historical Highlights" by J. Brian Gilchrist, published by McClure Clan family Executive, 2009:
"I certify that Thomas McClure was an Elder of the Presbyterian Church for the last twelve years and that he conducted himself agreeably to the solemn duties of that office, and that he and his wife were communicants, and tha his son Thomas and wife and daughter Jane were also communicants. And as they are now about to remove to America, I can safely recommend as sober, industrious and peaceful and honest, and I hope that they may enjoy the confidence and friendship of the Religious Community to which they may join." (signed) George McClelland, Minister, Presbyterian Church, Ahoghill, Ireland, May 16, 1827.

The earliest Presbyterian baptism records for Ahoghill Parish, preserved in the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland, are from 1835. The earliest preserved Church of Ireland baptisms, marriages and burials are from 1811.

The 1825 tithe applotment records for Ahoghill Parish [PRONI FIN/5/A/10] include two John McClures, and Thomas, James and William McClure in Cashelown townland, a James McClure in Dreen townland, Robert, Thomas, James and David McClure in Galgorm Parks townland, and Abraham and Thomas McClure in Kilcurry townland.

According to the earliest McClure book, Thomas died on his first night in his brother's home, immediately after arriving in Canada in 1827. According to the 2009 book, by J.B. Gilchrist, he died just before the family emigrated to Canada. The 2009 book also mentions a family tradition that the family travelled via New York in the ship "Harbinger". There is a record of a ship called "Harbinger" arriving in Quebec on 18 July, 1827, having left Belfast on 23 May.

Thomas married Jean BROWN. Jean died before 1827 in Antrim, Ireland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Samuel married Mary ECCLES about 1806 in Antrim, Ireland. Mary was born in 1782 in Antrim, Ireland; died on 15 Apr 1868 in Esquesing,Ontario; was buried in Glen Williams Cemetery, Esquesing Twp.. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

An obituary of Mary Eccles McClure appeared in the May 1, 1868 Brampton Times, written by her grandson Dr. Thomas Chisholm. It is reproduced in the book "The "Clan" McClure: Historical Highlights", by B. Gilchrist.

"An old settler gone - In memory of Mrs. McClure, who died April 15, 1868, aged 86, at the residence of her son Wm. McClure, Esq., of Esquesing.
To the Editor of the Brampton Times.
Sir, - On Friday, 17th April, Mrs. McClure, one of the first settlers of Chinguacousy, was carried to the grave, amid the lamentation of three generations of her desendants. She was born in Antrim, Ireland, in 1782. Her first husband, Samuel McClure, died in 1818, leaving her a widow with seven children, the youngest only one year old. Her second husband, Thomas McClure - no relative to the first - died in 1827, just as he was starting with Mrs. McClure and her family for Canada. The widow, however, continued the journey, and arrived in Chinguacousy, where she settled during the autumn of the same year. Her eldest son was scarcely sixteen, and small for his age, but she struggled bravely, and with God's help, successfully, against all the difficulties usually attendant upon a residence in the wilderness. All her children are living, with the exception of Jane, her youngest daughter, who died during the spring of 1850. For the last five years of her life,Mrs. McClure resided with her son William, whose wife and family gave her all the care which her age required. James and Thomas McClure, brothers to her first husband, emigrated to Canada, and died near Churchville. James' widow died near Brampton, in the year 1866, aged 86. Thomas' widow is stillliving in Chinguacousy, aged 82.
(signed) Thomas Chisholm, Esquesing, April 18, 1868."

Notes:

The existence of a John McClure as father of Thomas McClure comes from "The Clan McClure: HIstorical Highlights", by J. Brian Gilchrist, 2009. It is based on the existence of John's will, written in 1811 and probated in 1819 [No. 1821 in PRONI T2501 Connor Diocese Will and Grant Book 1818-1820], which names his sons Thomas, Andrew, Abraham and James, and his wife (whose name is not given in the will). Thomas, Andrew and Abraham were to share John's farm, with John's wife holding Thomas's portion until her death. The will notes that John was late of Castletown in the Parish of Ahoghill in County Antrim. Castletown was the old name for the present townland of Casheltown, which is in the parish of Ahoghill. John's children's data comes from the Gilchrist book.

There is a deed in the Registry of Deeds in Dublin [#380574], dated 1804 between a James Robson and his wife Elizabeth (nee McClure), John McClure and his wife Mary (nee Robson), a second John McClure and a John Dempsey. It concerned a 32-acre plot of land and buildings possesed at the time by Robson, situated in Taylorstown, a townland in the Parish of Grange of Ballyscullion (which is a western neighbour of the Parish of Ahoghill). The deed stated that when James Robson had married Elizabeth McClure 20 or more years previously, no provision of land was made for Elizabeth. Since there was apparently some relationship between Elizabeth McClure and the second John McClure, James Robson was leasing his land to that John McClure and John Dempsey, with the profits and rents going back to James Robson, and after his death, to his wife Elizabeth, then to the first John McClure and his wife Mary, and finally to their sons (the oldest of which was named as James) and daughters. The deed stated that the land was actually owned by the Earl of Masarene. The second named John McClure was said to reside in Largy, which is a townland in the Parish of Kilead.

In the Clough Presbyterian graveyard, in Ballymena, is the following gravestone of another John McClure:
"Erected to the memory of John McClure later of Drumnaglee who departed this life the 15th of March 1818 aged 58 years. Also his brother Thomas McClure who departed this life the 15th of February 1821 aged 57 years." The will for this John McClure is No. 1641 in the above PRONI reference. It names his last residence as Drumnaglee townland, Grange of Dundermot parish in County Antrim. The will names John's brothers William and Thomas and his nephew Thomas.

There were many McClure families in various parts of County Antrim, especially in the area of Ballymena and Ahoghill. A lease, dated 8 Nov., 1737, held in the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland [D929/HA12/F2/3/4] is indicative. It is a lease for 86 years, which started in 1723, for a 42-acre piece of land and buildings called Brigadee and Tinklars Island in the Manor of Kinhiltstown, alias Ballymena, from its owner, Sir Robert Adair, to William McClure, merchant. It was bounded by farms held by James Moore, Robert Smith, Mathew Herbson and John Kers. In contrast to many other leases of the time, no lives, or names of other family members were mentioned. Record D929 in PRONI, "Rental of the Ballymena Estate (property of Wm. Adair Esq.) for the year 1810", includes a tenant named John McClure, occupying land in Craigywarren. The 1864 Valuation record for Craigywarren lists an Alexander and a James McClure renting land from the Adair family.

The 1766 religious census of Ahoghill Parish, Diocese of Connor, County Antrim [at www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~casoccgs/Ahoghill.htm] lists 1055 'dissenters" (in this case Presbyterians), including eight McClures: a W. McClure, a William McClure, two Thomas McClures, James, John and Arthur McClure, and an Elizabeth McClure.

John married UNKNOWN. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Samuel married Eliza MCCRORY. Eliza died in UNKNOWN. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Information about Samuel McClure and Eliza McCrory and their descendants comes from "the "Clan" McClure: Historical Highlights", by J. B. Gilchrist (2009).