Gen. William Irvine
1741 - 1804 (62 years)
1758 - 1823 (65 years)
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Name William Irvine [1, 2, 3, 4] Prefix Gen. Birth 3 Nov 1741 Ireland 
Gender Male Military Service He was a Brigadier General of troops in Pennsylvania. See his entry in the American National Biography; his papers are at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa, where he was a founding trustee. Death 29 Jul 1804 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Notes - This is the ancestor of William McLellan Fayssoux who fought in the Revolution. He was "son of John, of royal descent." See his entry in the American National Biography; his papers are at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa, where he was a founding trustee.
According to Irvineclan.com,
"We learn from several sources that he was born in co. Fermanagh – near Enniskillen – 3 Nov., 1741; that he died in Philadelphia, Pa. 29 July, 1804; that in 1772 he married Ann Callender (b. 8 Feb., 1758, d. 15 Oct, 1823) in Carlisle, Pa., a daughter of Capt. Robert. Callender, and that 11 children issued from this broadcast throughout the nation – many having participate, and a few given their lives in the War 1812, Indian uprisings, Mexican War, The Alamo, Civil War, Spanish American War, and World Wars I and II.
"At the time of the marriage Robert Callender was a hunter and trapper and Indian fighter, was a survivor of Braddock's Defeat. Later he was a Revolutionary soldier, promoted to Captain in action – and after hostilities ceased returned to hunting and trapping but finally to fur trading on a sizable scale. Of his wife Mary Scull nothing has come to light.
"His education was in Enniskillen Public Schools and by tutor followed by studying medicine by the preceptor system under the famous Dr. Cleghorn of Dublin – wherein the teacher would finally vouch for the adequacy of knowledge of the pupil. Following this was a trick in the British Navy of undiscovered length during the Seven Years War (the hostilities against France ranging from 1756-63) as Ship's Surgeon on a Man-o-War. Such service could not have been to his liking for we find that by 1764 he was establishing a medical practice in Carlisle, Pa. It is naturally assumed the events leading to the American Revolution interfered with his professional life, and that his many involvement's during and after the War were so numerous and varied that doubts exits this work was ever resumed.
"Official accounts miss the time of the General's removal to N.W. Pennsylvania but undoubtedly this occurred shortly after his exploratory commission in 1785 to the ‘western wilderness' – wherein he evolved the concept that the State of Penn. should acquire a Northwest Triangle of territory and thus become a seaport State, the northern boundary being Lake Erie. Hence, perhaps only 4 of the 11 children were born in Carlisle.
"A present day historian – Mrs. Albigence Waldo Jones, 129 Brighton Rd. N.E., Atlanta, Ga. (a great grand-daughter of Gen'l William's 8th child Rebecca Armstrong de Rosenthal nee Irvine and Dr. Peter Simons Fayssoux of Charleston, S.C.) – a Vassar graduate and most meticulous recorder – has stated that no family tradition exists concerning the General's parentage nor ancestry – that among his collection of letters there is no mention of Ireland – that his father was James, a prominent physician of Enniskillen. Contradicting this letter is a statement made by her great grandmother that the father's name was John – but both attest to an Andrew and a Mathew.
"A humorous comment occurs in one of the General's letters. Derogatory to the native Irishman, he says, "The Irish faired poorly against us in the War" and " German is worth 2 Irishman and will prove a better bargain at that." Evidently the General did not consider himself as Irish – taking pride in his Scotch ancestry. In fact in his day the term "Scotch-Irish" hadn't appeared, and the many apparently well-to-do Scotchman who had removed to North Ireland were skipping back and forth frequently enough to regard themselves still as Scotch. Records show, too, that many of these transplants and their early offspring – during their various revisits to Scotland used the "Irving" spelling while there and reverted to Irvine on returning back to their new homes." [1, 5]
Person ID I3107 Last Modified 23 Mar 2025
Spouse / Partner Ann Callender
b. 8 Feb 1758
d. 15 Oct 1823 (Age 65 years)Marriage 1772 Carlisle, Cumberland Co., Pennsylvania 
Children5 sons and 6 daughters Family ID F2136 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 23 Mar 2025
- This is the ancestor of William McLellan Fayssoux who fought in the Revolution. He was "son of John, of royal descent." See his entry in the American National Biography; his papers are at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa, where he was a founding trustee.
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Event Map 
Birth - 3 Nov 1741 - Ireland 
Marriage - 1772 - Carlisle, Cumberland Co., Pennsylvania 
Death - 29 Jul 1804 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania = Link to Google Earth Pin Legend 
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Histories 
The Revolutionary War This page collects the people on this site who served in the Revolutionary War. Some are militia; some served in the Line troops. It includes both loyalists and patriots. There may well be others on the tree who should be included. Some could use more secure evidence: genealogical histories often say that someone "fought in the Revolution," but this can be family legend rather than fact.
Sources are cited under each person's page. War and Pension records can be found on line at the National Archives. Genealogies can be ordered from the DAR and the SAR, but their lists only include those whom people have used to join, not all veterans.
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Reference Pitard, D. "Gen. William Irvine". Genealogy at Pitard.net. https://ancestors.pitard.net/getperson.php?personID=I3107&tree=1sttree (accessed March 24, 2025).
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