Adam Torrence Sr. (1732-June 20, 1780) was the owner of Torrence's Tavern in

Rowan County, North Carolina Rowan County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of North Carolina that was formed in 1753, as part of the British Province of North Carolina. It was originally a vast territory with unlimited western boundaries, but its size w ...

before 1780. He was a soldier in the

Mecklenburg County Regiment The Mecklenburg County Regiment was authorized on May 31, 1775 by the Province of North Carolina Congress. From November 7, 1779 until the 3rd Quarter of 1780, it was called the 1st Mecklenburg County Regiment when a 2nd Mecklenburg County Regime ...

, North Carolina militia and killed at the

Battle of Ramsour's Mill The Battle of Ramsour's Mill took place on June 20, 1780 in present-day Lincolnton, North Carolina, during the British campaign to gain control of the southern colonies in the American Revolutionary War. The number of fighters on each side of th ...

Lincoln County, North Carolina Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 86,810. Its county seat is Lincolnton. Lincoln County is included in the Charlotte-Concord- Gastonia, NC- SC Metropolitan Statist ...

during the American Revolution. After his death, his wife, Ann (Bonar) Torrence was managing the tavern when the

Battle of Torrence's Tavern The Battle of Torrence's Tavern (also referred to as the Skirmish at Torrence's Tavern or the Battle at Tarrant's Tavern) was a minor engagement of the American Revolutionary War that took place in what was the western portion of Rowan County, ...

took place nearby.Transcript of ''Revolutionary War Pension of Adam Torrence Jr.'' by William Graves;

Family

Torrence's Tavern Historical Marker Dec 2012

Adam was the son of Hugh Torrence and Sarah Marjory (Cunningham) Torrence of Londonderry, Ireland. His parents migrated to Pennsylvania in the 1700s, where Adam married Ann Bonar. Adam and Ann moved to Rowan County, North Carolina before the American Revolution. They had the following children: Hugh Torrence, Adam Torrence Jr., George Torrence, Barnabas Torrence, Elizabeth (Torrence) McKnight, Alexander Torrence and Margaret Torrence. They owned a tavern in Rowan County (currently Iredell County near Mount Mourne), Province of North Carolina. Hugh Torrence became the first Sheriff of Iredell County.

Revolutionary War Service

Both Adam Torrence Sr. and his son, Adam Torrence Jr. were members of the Mecklenburg County Regiment under Captain James Houston. Adam was killed at the

and his son, Adam Jr. was wounded at the battle. His son stated in his pension application: "at the Battle of Ramsour's Lincoln County where I saw my Father fall on the field of Battle being shot dead through the head by a ball & a few moments afterwards I was shot in the hip & which hurt me all my life since." The Battle of Torrence's TavernAlso referred to as Tarrant's Tavern was fought on February 1, 1781 near Torrence's Tavern. It was the only major battle or skirmish to be fought during the Revolutionary War in what became Iredell County in 1788.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Torrence, Adam North Carolina militiamen in the American Revolution People from Rowan County, North Carolina 18th-century births Year of birth uncertain 1780 deaths