The Stuff That We Are Made Of
By Jeannette Holland Austin
The stuff that we are made of literally flows through our veins. Our DNA is a blueprint of ourselves which may be traced back in time to our ancestors. And we are a mixture of many individuals who played their roles in history. Siblings born of the same parents possess features from a variety of ancestors, and the dosage is not equal. Although it is quite interesting to discover the origin of our features, statue, and personality traits while viewing old photographs (everyone should do this), the more interesting aspect of it is the decisions made in the face of adversity. No generation escapes troubles, for all are tested. We share many common elements of those past lives, viz: war, religious beliefs, immigration, marriages, divorce, death and so on. And our trials of today run a pretty close parallel to those of the past. After it is all done, scholars write a history of those days. Owing to the difficult times of our ancestors, how did they stack up? Everyone's history is not written by the scholar. Yet, the ancestors left their story for us to tell. It is in the records (census, county court houses, pensions, bibles, cemeteries, etc.) During troubling times, the memories of their era is somewhat consoling, especially when we know that they stood among the righteous, exhibited bravery in the wars, and had a strong belief in freedom. Yes, this country was founded upon that one belief. Freedom! I found some old letters of one of my great-grandfathers and discovered that he was overtaken by a deep sadness when he left his family during the Civil War. In this way, I understood that same sadness existed during my own unhappy moments. As one traces the families further back in time, the old last wills and testaments display a virtual reality of those days. We can almost put ourselves there, in the shoes of our kin. There are many questions concerning the migrations and lifestyles of our ancestors. And the answers are there, but require a great diligence and patience. And might I say, time? During this era, genealogy research is very much improved, however, as more records are added to the internet. Virginia Pioneers is processing more old wills and estates, and I must say, the answers are in the details.
The final question is: "How will we stack up?"
Bourbon County, Kentucky Wills, Estates, Deeds
Some of the most beautiful country in America is in Paris, Kentucky. In 1780 the district of Kentucky belonged to three counties in Virginia, viz: Fayette, Jefferson and Lincoln. Old Bourbon County was formed in 1786 from Fayette and Bourbon Counties, Virginia, and originally comprised 34 northeastern counties of Kentucky. When the new State of Kentucky was created in 1792, Bourbon became a county. The land itself was given by Fayette County, Virginia, and was named after the French House of Bourbon in honor of the assistance which France gave to America during the Revolutionary War. The courthouse was destroyed by fire in 1872 and again in1901, resulting in the loss of county records. Whiskey, made from corn had a distinctive flavor and became a popular drink termed Bourbon whiskey as opposed to rye whiskey. The whiskey barrels were marked Old Bourbon when they were shipped downriver from the local port on the Ohio River. The port from where the whiskey was shipped was called Limestone, now Maysville, and was located in Bourbon County until the borders were redrawn in 1789 and it became Mason County. The county seat is Paris, Kentucky.
Bourbon County Probate Records available to members of Kentucky Pioneers
Images of Wills, Inventories, Estates, Book A, 1786 to 1799
Allen, James Allen, James S. Allison, Charles Andrews, Jacob Armstrong, James Beasman, John Bell, Robert Black, John Boseman, John Britely, William Brown, Alexander Brown, James Brussher, James Burton, John | Castleberry, Moses Clark, Andrew M. Clifford, Robert Collins, Elijah Congleton, John Cook, William Curry, James
Douglas, John Dowden, Thomas Duffiel, Robert Dunlap, John Evans, William Fincher, John Foler, James Franklin, Robert Furnace, Jacob
Galloway, William Gilbert, Barney Glasgow, John Gosney, William Gregg, John Gregg, John Hayden, Nehemiah Henderson, Alexander Hinkead, Joseph Hinkson, John Homan, Ebenezer Humble, Conrad
Jackson, John Jacoby, Ferdinand Jacoby, Francis Jameson, Samuel Jolly, David Jones, John Jones, Thomas Kellar, Isaac Kinkaid, David Kuykendall, Henry
Ladd, Samuel Lail, George Lair, Mathias Lamme, Robert Lamy, William Laughlin, James Lee, Donald Leonard, Catherine Levens,Ann Lynes, Edmond
Mauck, George McCann, John McClanahan, William McClure, Andrew McClure, William McConnel, Archibald McCullough, George McMillions, James McMullen, John McNay, Agnes McNay, John McNickle, Arthur Methany, Thomas Mitts, Adam Monroy, William Moon or Moore, Jacob Moore, Thomas Moren, Jane Morrin, James Morrison, John Moses, James
Nesbit, Jeremiah Nesbitt, Samuel Norris, James Ogle, Benjamin Palmer, John Patton, William Payne, Joseph Peyton, Timothy Phillips, Jenkin Price, George
Reading, George Redman, George Reeder, Thomas Ritchey, Philip Ritchey, William Ruddle, Joseph Sampson, Richard Sconce, Thomas Scones, John Scott, James Scott, John Shanks, Christian Shawhan, Daniel Smith, James M. Smith, John Sneltzer, Peter Strand, James Strother, Thomas
Tamiper, Samuel Tate, John Thomas, James Thompson, Joseph Thumon, Joshua Tucker, Edward Underwood, Reubin Veasing, John Wallace, Andrew Waller, Edward Ward, Isaac Warson, James Webb, James Wells, Benjamin West, John Whittledge, John Wickerham, John Wilson, David Wilson, John Winn, Owen Wood, John Worth, John Young, Samuel
Images of Wills, Inventories, Estates, Book B, 1798 to 1805
Alexander, J. | Alkire, Harmonius | Anderson, George | Baseman, John | Black, James | Boush, James | Boyd, William | Breckenridge, Alexander | Brown, Abel | Burns, Andrew
Clarke, Robert | Clarkson, John | Cogswell, Joseph | Couchman, Andrew | Craig, Thomas | Crouch, Mary | Douglass, James | Douglass, Samuel | Douglass, Samuel | Dudley, James | Duncan, Joseph | Edminston, Robert | Edwards, Haden
Farr, Frederick | Fearn, John | Ferguson, John | Ferguson, Peter | Field, Ann | Furnish, Mary | Galloway, William | Ganey, William | Godman, Jeremiah | Griffith, Amos | Griffith, M. | Griffith, William | Grigsby, Frances | Grimes, Stephen | Grubs, Elizabeth | Grubbs, William
Hamilton, Thomas | Hamilton, William | Hayden, Nehemiah | Hendricks, David | Hendricks, Peter| Hendrix, Absalom | Hornback, Simon | Huffstutter, Allerick | Huffstutter, Mariah | Jacobs, John | Jacoby, Henry | Jennifer, John Joseph | Kennebrook, John | Kennedy, Joseph | Kenney, David | Kirkpatrick, John
Lair, Elizabeth | Lair, Mathias | Leer, Daniel | Marney, Robert | Martin, George | Maxwell, John | Maxwell, Samuel | McClanahan, William | McClelland, William | McClintock, Daniel | McDaniel, Enos McNay, Joseph McShain, Edward Metheny, Daniel Miller, Bernard | Mitchell, John | Mitchell, William | Moore, Thomas | Moss, Thomas | Mountjoy, Alvin
Neale, Benjamin | Nelson, Charles | Nesbit, Jeremiah | Nesbit, J. | Parks, John | Patton, William | Payne, Joseph | Phillips, Elijah | Phillips, William | Pryor, Mary | Pury, Robert | Quick, James
Rawlings, Joshua | Reeder, Thomas | Ross, Henry | Ruddell, Archibald | Ruddle, John | Rule, Sarah | Sammon, John | Sandford, Reubin | Shrout, Peter | Slater, Samuel | Smith, Jacob Smith, John | Smith, Thomas | Stevenson, George | Stokes, John
Tallett, John | Thomas, James | Thornhill, John | Todd, Samuel | Trimble, David | Tucker, Edward | Tucker, Jonathan | Turner, Jesse | Wallace, Margaret | Ward, Benjamin | Webb, William E. | Welch, Michael | Whaley, James| Williams, James | Williams, John | Williams, S. | Young, Benjamin
Images of Wills, Inventories, Estates, Book C, 1805 to 1809
Alexander, James | Alexaner, Wilson | Ayres, Matilda | Barns, John | Barr, D. | Baseman, John | Beckett, Robert | Bell, James | Beshan, John | Bevins, Charles | Black, A. | Black, Alexander | Black, Martha | Bowen, John | Bowles, David | Bramblett, Reuben | Brown, A. | Call, Daniel
Camp, Cussenbury | Campbell, Hugh | Champ, C. | Champ, Thomas | Clarkson, Agnes | Clarkson, J.| Courchman, Andrew | Craig, John | Davidson, William | Dawson, Samuel | Dougherty, Alexander | Dudley, James | Dudley, John | Duncan, Joseph | Duncan, Sarah
Finch, Samuel | Friend, Andrew | Fugate, Edward | Fulton, James | Futner, Jesse | Garrard, George | Griffith, Amos | Griffith, William | Grimes, Sally | Guillion, William
Hall, Isaac W. | Hall, John | Hall, M. | Hamilton, Thomas | Hicklin, Thomas | Hillis, William Jr. | Hitt, Jesse | Huffman, Dr. | Hughes, Ralph | Hutsell, Michael | Jacobs, John | Jacobs, Matilda | Jones, John | Keith, George | Kelly, Nancy | Kemp, Reuben | Kennedy orphans | Kenny, David
Lasay, Adam | Law, Elizabeth | Lee, Jacob | Lee, James | Lighter, Henry | Ligon, John | Lydick, Andrew | Lyon, John | Martin, David | Martin, Dr. | Matheny, Daniel | McClanahan, Thomas | McClelland, William | McClintock, Daniel | McClure, Andrew, Rev. | Miller, Bernard | Miller, Henry | Mitchell, Alexander | Mitchell, William | Moore, M.
Neely, Henry | Nelson, C. | Nesbitt, William | Parker, Thomas | Payne, Joseph | Pight, Jacob | Poos, Nicholas | Porter, Edward | Pritzman, John | Puttin, James
Riley, Levin | Robinett, Joseph | Robinett, Samuel| Rogers orphan | Rollins, John | Rollins, Joshua| Rowe, John| Rule, Sarah | Ryman, Elias | Sandford, Reubin | Sandford, Samuel | Schraub, Peter | Sconce, Robert | Scott, John | Scott, William | Self, Vincent | Shurer, John | Smith, Elizabeth | Smith, Thomas | Smith, Thomas Jr. | Springer, William | Spurgin, George Strother, Joseph
Timberlake, Richard | Torman, John | Underwood, Francis | Weakland, Bowles | Wentland, Charles | Wheeler, Ruth | Wright, Thomas | Wright, William O. | Yocum, F.
Images of Wills, Inventories, Estates, Book D, 1809 to 1814 Allen, Mary | Ammon, Thomas | Ashbrook, Aaron | Ayers, Daniel
Bagby, William | Baird, James | Baird, John | Benson, William | Berryman, John E. | Bevan, Rachel | Bournough, George | Breckinridge, Alexander | Bowles, David | Bowles, Joseph | Bridges, John | Brown, Beverley | Browning, William | Burner, George
Call, Daniel | Callis, William | Carter, Heber | Case, Joseph | Champ, John | Champ, Thomas | Clarke, John | Clay, Samuel | Cleveland, George | Colp, John C. | Congleton, John Congleton, William | Crester, William | Cropper, Levi
Davidson, William | Dickey, David | Drummond, Mary | Elliott, Archibald | Field, John Jr. | Fight, John | Finch, Samuel | Fishback, Jesse | Fisher, Thomas
Garrard, Daniel | Gillner, Abraham | Graves, Richard | Grimes, Stephen | Grooms or Green, William
Hall, Isaac W. | Harmon, Peter | Henderson, Jesse | Hibler, William Sr. | Hicklin, Thomas | Hill, William | Hoddington, William | Hornback, Daniel Hughes, James
Jenkins, William | Johnson, William | Jones, Charles | Jones, John | Jones, Thomas Sr. | Kincaid, George | Kirby, Thomas
Leary, Dennis | Longmore, Hugh | Love, John S. | McClanahan, Thomas | McClanahan, William | McClelland, William | McClure, James Sr. | McConnell, William | McCoy, John | McMillan, John | Miller, George | Moore, Benjamin | Morris, Morris | Mountjoy, George
Nasson, James | Neal, William | Neale, Benjamin | Owings, John Cockney
Parish, Nathaniel | Parish, William | Parker, Thomas | Payne, George | Pilcher, John | Porter, Edward | Porter, John | Poston, Elijah | Pryor, Joseph | Pullen, Jedediah
Rankin, Reuben | Ravenscraft, John | Redman, George | Rice, John | Rich, Philip | Riffle, Peter | Robinett, James | Robinett, John | Robinett, Joseph | Robinett, Samuel | Rogers, Ezekiel | Ruddell, Isaac | Rudy, Henry | Ruddell, Archibald | Rule, John
Sanders, Henry | Sham, Jonathan E. | Smith, Robert | Smith, Thomas | Smith, Weathers | Sparkes, Thomas | Sparks, Thomas | Spears, Christian | Spurgin, George | Spurgin, Zephaniah
Thornton, Charles Taliaferro | Tillett, John | Timberlake, Jesse | Todd, John Sr. | Trester, William | Trotter, Joseph | Tucker, Alexander | Tull, Isaac
Wasson, J. | Watson, Charles | Webb, Nancy (now Kelly), estate of William Webb | Weddington, William | Whaley, James | Wheeler, Ruth | White, Jesse | White, John | White, Robert | Williams, Charles | Williams, Jesse | Wilson, George | Wilson, Mary
Images of Wills, Inventories, Estates, Book E, 1814 to 1816
Alkier, Harmonius | Allen, Samuel | Alty, Emanuel | Ammon, Thomas | Ayres, Daniel | Barbee, Joseph | Barlow, Tomplin | Bett, John | Bett, Patsy | Brown, Alexander| Browning, Joshua | Buckhanon, William
Clark, Ann | Clark, John | Clay, John | Cochran, Andrew | Collins, Josiah | Conn, Thomas | Crump, Sherwood | Culton, Robert | Curl, John
Darrowsmith, Richard | Davidson, William | Dazey, Jonathan | Dickerson, Serratt | Dillon, Samuel | Donnell, James | Dougherty, Levi | Dugal, James | Duncan, Catharine| Eales, John | Edmonds, Rebecca | Edwards, Daden
Ferguson, John | Fields, Reuben | Fisher, Thomas | Fisher, William | Forman, William | Frester, William | Garrard, Daniel | George, Reuben | Gist, Thomas | Grimes, Aron | Grimes, James | Grimes, Jane | Grimes, Stephen
Hale, Robert | Hamey, Selby | Hayden, Lot |Henderson, Jesse | Henry, James Jr. | Hildreth, John | Hopkins, John | Hughes, James | Jones, William | Kendrick, Lewis | Kenny, James | Lavary, John
Martin, David | McClellan, William | McClure, James | McConnell, Martha | Moore, Benjamin | Moore, John |Norton, John
Parish, William | Phelp, John Sr. | Pilcher, John | Piper, William | Presley, William | Purcell, William | Purdy, Robert | Ross, Clement | Ruby, Henry | Ruddell, Elizabeth Scone, John | Scone, Robert | Scott, Samuel | Sledd, Thomas | Solomon, man of color | Sparks, John | Stewart, Richard | Sudrith, William | Swiney, John | Trimble, George | Trimble, Isaac | Tucker, Alexander |Tull, Isaac | West, Alvin |Whaley, Daniel | White, Susanna | Wilson, M. | Wright, Joseph | Wright, Thomas
Images of Wills, Inventories, Estates, Book F, 1816 to 1821Chamberson, Silas | Cunningham, J. | Hardesty, Benjamin | Kirkpatrick, Joseph | Parks, James | Patton, Margaret | Timmerman, Philip | Wallen, John
Miscellaneous Images of Wills and Estates 1795 to 1805
Alexander, James | Alkire, Harmonius |Anderson, George Baseman, John |Black, James |Boyd, William |Brush, James |Burns, Andrew
Clarke, Robert |Clarkson, John |Cogswell, Joseph, Dr. |Cook, John |Couchman, Andrew |Craig, Thomas |Crouch, Mary |
Dasey, Thomas | Douglas, Samuel | Dudley, James | Duncan, Joseph | Edminston, Robert | Edwards, Haden |
Fearn, John |Ferguson, John | Field, Anna | Forqueran, Peter Sr. | Furnish, Mary
Godman, Jeremiah | Gosney, William | Griffith, Amos | Griffith, William | Griffith, Manassa | Grimes, Stephen | Grubbs, Elizabeth, Mrs.
Hall, Caleb | Hambleton, William | Hamilton, Thomas | Hand, Elizabeth | Hayden, Nehemiah | Hendricks, Daniel | Hendricks, Peter | Higgins, Joshua | Hinkson, John | Hornback, Simon | Huffstuter, Allerick | Hutsel, Gabriel
Jacobs, John | Jacoby, Henry | Jenifer, Joseph | Jennifer, John | Johnston, Benjamin
Kennedy, Joseph | Kinnebrook John | Kirkpatrick, John | Laile, George | Lair, Elizabeth | Lair, Mathias | Lear, Daniel
Marney, Robert | Matheny, Daniel | Martin, George | Maxwell, John | McClanahan, Jemima | McClanahan, William | McClintock, Daniel | McDaniel, Eneas | McMullen, John | McNay, Joseph | McShaine, William | Millen, Bernard | Mitchell, John | Moore, Thomas | Moss, Thomas
Neal, Benjamin | Nelson, Charles | Nesbit, Jeremiah | Newell, Stephen | Parks, John | Patton, William | Payne, Joseph | Phillips, Elijah | Pryor, Mary | Pury, Robert
Quiet, James | Quiet, John | Rawlins, Joshua | Reeder, Thomas | Reynolds, Thomas | Ross, Henry | Ruddle, Archibald | Ruddle, John | Rule, Sarah
Sanford, Reuben | Slater, Samuel | Smith, John | Smith, Thomas | Stephenson, George | Stevenson, George | Stokes, John | Strother, Thomas | Strout, Peter | Summers, John
Talbott, John | Tarr, Frederick | Thomas, James | Thornhill, John | Todd, Edward | Todd, Samuel | Trimble, David | Tucker, Edward | Tucker, Jonathan | Turner, Jesse
Ward, Benjamin | Webb, William | Welch, Michael | Whaley, James | Williams, John | Worle, Atwell | Young, Benjamin
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Pictured is land near Ewing, Kentucky and the railroad yard. Russell County was formed on December 14, 1825 from portions of Adair, Cumberland and Wayne counties. It was named after Colonel William Russell. Some deeds are loosely added to the first will book.
Previously, head coverings were sewn with beaver fur sent to England for
working up, and then returned in the shape of hats to be sold or
bartered. But the Kentuckian explorer trapped beaver and other animals
for fur and used it to craft necessitities required in the wilderness
home. History of Virginia in the Seventeenth Century by Philip Alexander
Bruce.
Bell
County was formed in 1867 from parts of Knox and Harlan Counties and
was annexed from Knox County in 1872. It was named after Joshua Fry Bell
("Josh Bell"). The Wilderness Road was built through Bell County
during the 1790s.There were court house fires in 1914 and again in 1918
and a flood in 1976 during which occurrences the records were destroyed.
The records listed below are those which survived.
Barren County was established in 1798 from land provided by Green County and Warren Counties. Six courthouses have served the county throughout its history, the first built of logs. It was settled by the Scotch-Irish and the county seat is named Glasgow (after Glasgow, Scotland).
Wayne County was formed December 13, 1800 from Pulaski and Cumberland Counties. It was named after General "Mad Anthony" Wayne, a hero of the American Revolutionary War as well as the Northwest Indian War. It was his victory at the Battle of Fallen Timbers which ended the Indian threat against Kentucky settlers. The Americans lost 33 soldiers during this battle, while the Indians lost twice as many with a retreat to the British-built fort of Miamis on the Maumee River. Wayne County fought for the Confederates during the War Between the States and in 1861, the Confederate Government of Kentucky passed an Act to rename Wayne County to Zollicoffer County in honor of Felix Zollicoffer who died at the Battle of Mill Springs.