Notes:

Came to Canada in 1825, according to the first (1954) McClure book by T.A. McClure. Rest of family came in 1827. Settled on lot 11, 3d line, 4th concession, Chingacousy Twp. He was known as "Long John McClure".

John McClure was known as "Long John". The community where he settled came to be known as Mount Pleasant, according to an article in the November 2017 issue of Peel Kinections, a publication of the Halton-Peel branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society. Mount Pleasant was located at the crossroads of Sideroad 10 (now Brovaird Drive) and 3d Line in Chingacousy Township. Long John McClure purchased the property on the northwest corner of the intersection in 1829 from a John Peeler. He donated a portion of his property to the establishment of a Presbyterian church.

Early assessment rolls show John McClure as owning 2 horse, 2 oxen, 3 milk cows and 3 horned cattle.

John married Sarah SCOTT on 23 Jan 1832 in Toronto Twp., Peel County, Ontario. Sarah (daughter of James SCOTT) was born on 2 May 1806 in Ireland; died on 7 Oct 1872. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

According to the article about Mount Pleasant in the Halton-Peel newsletter of November 2017, Sarah Scott died as a result of being thrown from a buggy.

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]

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]