Recently, we discovered that one of Michael McDowell’s daughters was unknown, and he had three sons attributed to him that weren’t his children.

A chancery suit file from Hancock County, TN included a deposition from Michael’s son, John McDowell that was chocked full of wonderful information. I just wish he had told us who his mother was, but I digress.

That wasn’t all though. There was even more unexpected information buried in that file.

Michael’s Granddaughter – Margaret Herrell

Michael McDowell sold a significant amount of his land before his death, including two acres of land at the mouth of 4 Mile Creek to his granddaughter, Margaret Herrell, who was married to Anson Martin at the time. It’s unclear why he only sold two acres of land at the mouth of the creek. Did they construct a mill, perhaps? Two acres is not nearly enough to farm.

Two acres is about 208 feet by 416 feet, or the size of about two football fields. Of course a log cabin and barn would have been built there too.

We don’t know the shape of their two acres, but it would have been about this much land at this location, with the Powell River at right.

Anson and Margaret were married about 1828, but Anson died about 1845. In the 1850 census, Margaret, age 38, is enumerated with her 8 children in Hancock County, TN, next door to her parents who lived adjacent to Michael McDowell, her grandfather. Of course, next door probably didn’t mean literally. It probably meant that no other houses had been built between those homesteads. Next door could have been up the path along the river and around the bend, or even across the river. In fact, we know positively that Michael did live across the Powell River on Slanting Misery. Trust me, it was aptly named.

At one point a swinging rope bridge existed across the river at McDowell Shoals where the islands remain, today. I’m sure that swinging bridge was preferable to fording the river, especially since there was only one possible location and only when the water was low.

Regardless, I’d have stayed on shore. It’s a LONG way down. I can feel that bridge creak and swing, just sitting here. (Shudders!)

Margaret probably walked it unafraid. Maybe even helped to construct it.

This survey shows the various bends in the Powell River. McDowell Bend is located right next to Harrell Bend. The river snaked its way between the mountains on either side.

The 1850 Census

In the 1850 census, Margaret’s neighbor, Joseph Bolton was living with his first wife, Polly Tankersley who would pass away shortly thereafter, probably not long after June 1850.

Based on the birth date of Margaret and Joseph’s first child, it appears that were married by late 1850. Both had small children to raise, he had 7 and she had 9 that we know of, and the couple had likely known each other for the decade since Joseph and his wife, Mary, arrived from Virginia and became Margaret and Anson’s neighbors.

Joseph and Margaret’s first child together, Mary, was born in September of 1851 and their second and final child, named Joseph Bolton after his father arrived two years later.

In April of 1861, Margaret Herrell Bolton and John McDowell, her uncle, both gave depositions about Michael McDowell’s land.

Transcription of Margaret Herrell Bolton’s Deposition

John McDowell he say is 71 years of age and witness for the defendant taken upon notice on the 6^th day of April 1861 at my house in the presence of the plaintiff and defendant William McDowel on a entry that he made. He made sugar for many years on it and rails. Michael McDowell made one entry he got his fire wood of it and maid rails of it.

Note – sugar would be referring to maple sugar, and rails would be referencing fence rails.

Margret Bolton witness for the defendant age fifty years. I know they made sugar up in that bent. She made sugar thair two years or more. She says that she got wood of that hill. Anson Martin made rails their.

The said witness being duly sworn to their age.

Margaret’s Signature

I was very excited to see Margaret’s signature, even if it is an ”X.” It’s still her mark, made by her own hand, as she touched this paper, 162 years ago. Other than her DNA that runs in the veins of some of her descendants, it’s the only tangible thing left of her on this earth.

Margaret, Margret or however her name was spelled probably would be shocked that a great-granddaughter, or anyone for that matter, would be looking at this document more than a century and a half later.

It appears that both John and Margaret both had to sign to attest their ages.

I can close my eyes and picture Margaret, at 50, and her uncle, sitting side by side as they gave their testimony to the clerk of court who was writing what they said as best he could. I’d bet her hair was graying and she might have pinned it up on her head so it wouldn’t look disheveled.

In the deposition, it says it is taken “at my house,” but I can’t tell if that mean’s John McDowell’s house or William McNiel’s house, or something else. The deposition is difficult to follow in terms of who is talking. Sometimes William quotes them, and sometimes he talks about what they said.

I wonder if Joseph Bolton hitched up the wagon with a team of horses, picked up John McDowell, and rode to town with Margaret and John. Did they visit William McNiel’s house in Sneedville, or did they simply visit one of the McNiel family homes, much closer to McDowell Bend. Probably down by or even at the old Walker homestead.

The McNiel families lived right across the road from the Walkers, up on the side of Powell Mountain. It would have been a good half-way point.

William McNiel was the only McNiel to live in town, but he surely visited his relatives from time to time and may still have owned family land.

This old cabin is gone now of course, but this old McNiel cabin reportedly belonged to William McNiel’s father, although I have doubts that it’s that old. Back in 1860, it would have been a mansion though, compared to a one room log cabin.

John McDowell and Margaret Harrell Bolton’s depositions were hand-written by William McNiel. I’d wager that was what happened. Everybody probably crowded round the kitchen table, such as it was, someplace nearby. Town was a really long way to go for an old man in his 70s bouncing around in a wagon with no shocks on those mountain roads. That trip would have taken a couple days each way – so better to meet closer to where everyone lived.

A Peek into Margaret’s Life

In her deposition, Margaret told about making “sugar, two years herself.”

Sugar means maple syrup which can only be made from sugar maple trees or their cousins, the black or red maple. Tennessee isn’t known for making maple syrup and is the southernmost part of the US range where sugar maples grow and that is cold enough in the winter.

This means that Margaret would have inserted taps into the maple trees just when the weather began to warm.

She would have hung buckets on the taps, allowing the maple sap to drain into the buckets for collection. Maples must be mature, at least 40 years of age, in order to produce sap, and can be tapped until they are about 100 years old. This means that these maples would have been original growth trees on Michael’s land.

The buckets of sap would have been taken home, probably by horse-drawn wagon, then boiled for hours to days in a “sugar shack,” or perhaps out in the open or under a lean-to, into maple syrup.

The Native people made maple syrup by making V shaped notches in trees and inserting reeds to drain the sap into “sugar buckets,” which is probably how the early settlers learned how to do the same.

Maple syrup and honey were the only ways to sweeten food. It takes about 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of maple syrup, or three buckets to a pint. Roughly four maple trees will yield enough sap for a gallon of syrup over the 6-8 weeks that the sap flows in the spring.

Maple syrup was a scarce and cherished commodity.

After gathering gallons of sap, it was brought back and boiled in large cauldrons over an open fire for days until it was thick. The sap had to boiled until it was “just right.” If you didn’t boil it long enough, it would be watery and spoil, and if you boiled it too long, it crystalized into sugar. If you boil it too rapidly, or too slowly, it affects the flavor and texture. If making maple syrup is beginning to sound like a form of food art, you’d be correct. Today, modern measurement equipment allows batches to be boiled accurately and consistently, but Margaret didn’t have any tools – just her own experience and what she was taught by her parents and probably Michael McDowell himself.

You can see a video of sugar-making today in Tennessee, here. It was much more difficult and labor intensive in Margaret’s day. No tractors or modern equipment.

Margaret’s Life with Anson Martin and Joseph Bolton

We know that between 1828 and 1845 when Anson died, they harvested wood and made rails for split-rail fences that would surround their homestead. Those fences would have functioned to keep animals inside, and perhaps to keep some animals out as well.

It’s interesting to note that in the 1850 agricultural census, Joseph Bolton (red underscore at top), who is still married to Mary Tankersley, only has 10 improved acres and 50 unimproved. He had one horse. Farmers worked the land and raised crops, both for food and to sell, by hand using rudimentary horse or oxen-drawn plows and such. The land on “Slating Misery” and that neighborhood earned its name. Farming that rock-strewn soil on those steep hillsides was anything but easy.

Margaret Herrell Martin (red underscore at bottom), a widow, on the other hand had 30 improved acres and 55 unimproved. It’s clear that she and Anson are not restricted to the two acres they purchased from Michael McDowell in 1833. Maybe that was the seed land for their farm.

By 1850, Margaret owned 3 horses, 3 milk cows, 3 other cattle, 4 pigs and 2 sheep – so clearly plenty of animals that needed to be confined within a fence or barn. We always think of the “poor” widow, but in this case, Margaret seems to be better off than her “soon-to-be” husband, Joseph Bolton.

However, after combining their assets and 16 children, they would have had 4 horses, 5 milk cows, 3 other cattle, 14 hogs and 17 sheep living on a total of 40 improved acres and 105 unimproved acres. I don’t know this, but I’d guess that the smaller of their two homes became the “starter home” for their children who were newlyweds. In fact, Margaret’s oldest child, Evaline, married Alexander Calvin Busic sometime in 1851 or early 1852, not long after her mother married Joseph Bolton. Evaline’s first child was born in December of 1852, just 15 months after her mother’s first child with Joseph Bolton.

Seasons

And so it was on the land across the Powell River from Slanting Misery. The seasons came and went, the sugar ran and didn’t. Babies were born and many died. Families dug graves. Time for grief was short. Too much to do.

The fields were plowed and seeds sewn. Moonshine making followed the fall harvest and butchering season in a mountainous region far from the courthouse were lawlessness and white lightning became an art form.

The passes and valleys along the Powell River were and are steep and treacherous.

Powel River had to be forded, at least once if not twice to get to the McDowell and Herrell lands.

It was a LONG way down to that river. Margaret came from hardy stock who figured out how to make a life, and a living here.

Nobody bothered those tough-as-nails people up on 4 Mile Creek, at McDowell Shoals. Nosiree.

Mostly, they kept to themselves and married their neighbors. Deeds were passed hand to hand for generations.

Life was hardscrabble. People still live in some of those remade one-room cabins where entire families lived together. Children were raised, women wove fabric, made everyone’s clothes, cooked outside and washed in the river. During the all-too-often wars that took the men away, the womenfolk did it all, in addition to defending the homestead. Life was tough and people died young.

Those widows plowed fields, split firewood, and built rail fences, not to mention preparing the ingredients, cooking, making treats like maple syrup, and looking after children. And they did just fine on their own, thank you. I’d not advise poking around on their land or into their business. Just sayin’.

Margaret may not have been able to sign her name, or even know how to spell it, but she had many far more useful skills. Somehow, she managed to feed a passel of kids on just 30 acres of land for years, and maybe helped her neighbor, Joseph, to boot, when his wife was ill. Their decision to join forces and families was probably the best solution for everyone concerned. I’m certainly glad they did. Their youngest child is my great-grandfather, Joseph B. “Dode” Bolton who married the neighbor gal, Margaret Claxton, who lived in the next bend over on the Powell River.

Margaret Herrell Bolton was very clearly a force to be reckoned with. A pioneer woman in every sense and spirit of the word.

____________________________________________________________

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Genealogy Research

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My wonderful cousin, Tom, found something that doesn’t relate to his family, but certainly relates to mine. Thank goodness he remembered that Michael McDowell is my ancestor.

Tom found this because John McDowell was married to Nancy Busick, a family he is researching.

This 1861 chancery suit in Hancock County, TN was related to land title and begins, here.

William Overton claims that he purchased 97 acres of land from William McDowell on March 20, 1846, but that McDowell did not have clear title to the land. Michael McDowell, the father of William McDowell had grants from the state of Tennessee for a portion of the land sold to Overton; specifically, a grant for 15 acres and one for 25 acres.

Three acres had previously been purchased of Michael McDowell and Overton says he paid Michael McDowell for those acres. That portion is not in dispute.

Overton claims that William McDowell never had title to the rest of the land that was previously owned by Michael McDowell, except as one of the heirs of Michael, his father. The suit complaint stated that Michael, who “died a good many years ago leaving a number of legitimate heirs so that William McDowell’s interest therein was only an undivided portion. He never had any conveyance from his father for the land.”

According to Overton’s court filing regarding the balance of the land, “William McDowell had once made an entry but never claimed the same out of the office and never procured the grant. Some time since William McDowell died, William Franklin McDowell is his executor and brought suit against complainant for the balance of the purchase price.” Overton had stopped paying the note to William McDowell because he didn’t have clear title. Thank goodness for title companies today.

Several depositions were included that indicate that this land had been in dispute for some time already and that the local court had failed to provide the hoped-for relief. Unfortunately, Hancock County’s records have burned, twice. It’s nothing short of amazing that the chancery records survived.

Here’s a transcription of the pages that Tom found, downloaded and sent along to me. This is not the entire suit.

Transcription

In chancery at Sneedville. [Sneedville is the county seat of Hancock Count, TN.]

William D. Overton vs William F. McDowell

The deposition of John McDowell, a witness on behalf of respondent taken upon notice before me on the 17^th day of August 1861 in presence of complainant and respondent’s agent.

The said John McDowell aged about 78 years being duly sworn deposes as follows.

Question 1 by respondent: Mr. McDowell please state how many children Michael McDowell had and also give the name of each child.

Answer: There was 8. Ned McDowell, Michael McDowell, John McDowell, Dolly Herrald, Lute McDowell, Nancy McDowell, William McDowell and Sally McDowell.

Question 2: State where Ned McDowell died and whether or not he left children and how many.

Answer: I think it has been about two years. He left some children but I don’t know how many. When he was out here last he had six children.

Question 3: State how long Michael McDowell Jr. has been dead, whether his children are dead or still living and whether his children left any descendants.

Answer: I can’t tell, but I think it has been 30 odd years and the last account I had from his children they were all dead, but don’t know that it is so. I don’t know whether his children left any descendants or not.

Question 4: Please state if you are the John McDowell you speak of as being one of the children of Michael McDowell Sr. and state your age.

Answer: I am and my age is about 78 years.

Question 5: State whether Dolly Herrold formerly Dolly McDowell is yet alive, how old she is, and state when her husband died. State when she was married to Mr. Harrell?

Answer: She is yet alive, she is about 75 or 6. I cannot tell when her husband died, but I supposed two years next October. The time of her marriage I can’t tell.

Question 6: State whether Lute McDowell is now dead and how long he has been dead, and state also whether he has left any children, giving the number, names and ages.

Answer: I understood he was dead but don’t know it to be true. He had children but I don’t know how many. They had a Syntha, William and John. The rest of their names I don’t know, nor none of their ages.

Question 7: State how long Nancy Bradford, formerly Nancy McDowell has been dead, when she was married to Bradford. State how many children she left and give the names and ages of each.

Answer: I cannot tell, she has been dead a good many years. Don’t recollect what time she was married. I know one of their children’s names, Michael. Don’t know the number nor their ages.

Question 8: State when Sally McDowell died and state whether she was ever married or had children.

Answer: I can’t say how long. She was never married nor had any children.

Question 9: State if the William McDowell mentioned in the pleading in this case as being the testator of William F. McDowell is the same person you speak of as being the son of Michael McDowell Sr. State when he died.

Answer: He is the son of Michael McDowell Sr. He died 3 or 4 years ago.

The depositions are hand-written by William McNiel.

The Survey

One additional item of interest in the chancery suit packet is the survey made in 1867 to sort this mess out.

Today, the aerial of this land looks like this.

The red pin is the McDowell family cemetery where many family members are buried, including John who testified in the deposition.

I cropped and rotated the survey so north is up.

The lands in dispute are the surveys that include the dotted lines. Michael owned more acreage than this during his lifetime, including most of the land in Slanting Misery. Son John obviously wound up owning the cemetery land.

Additionally, John had applied for his own grant in 1825 that included the tip of Slanting Misery adjacent his earlier grant.

Ironically, I have no idea of the outcome of this lawsuit. It was not contained in the packet, which is not unusual. For me, the important part was the historical information in the depositions.

How Does This Information Stack Up?

This was a bit surprising, because there are children of Michael listed that I didn’t know about, and also children who I was fairly certain existed, with names, that John doesn’t list.

I wrote about Michael here, here and here.

I wrote about his wife, Isabel, whose surname is unknown, here.

Let’s compare information.

John’s Deposition	Information I Had (Incomplete)
Ned McDowell died circa 1859 – at least 6 children	Edward McDowell 1773-1858 Pulaski Co., KY – 12 children
Michael McDowell Jr. died before 1830, children decd by 1861	Michael McDowell born before 1774 – 3 children
John McDowell – gave deposition	John McDowell May 10, 1783 – Nov 17, 1877, 11 children
Dolly McDowell Herrald – born 1785/86 – living in 1861, husband died c 1859	Mary McDowell 1785-aft 1872 married William Harrell – 6 children
Lute McDowell – believe dead, had more than 3 children, remembers Syntha, William, John	Luke McDowell 1791/2-1879 Dekalb Co., TN – 5 children
Nancy McDowell – deceased several years, multiple children but only one name recalled – Michael	Nancy McDowell c 1795-1850/60 DeKalb Co., TN married Thomas Bradford – 8 children
William McDowell – died 1857-1858, at least one son William Franklin McDowell	William McDowell 1795-1857/8 Hancock Co. TN – 1 known child
Sally McDowell – never married, no children
	James McDowell – born circa 1779 – died circa 1831 Pulaski Co., KY
	Nathan S. McDowell born 1797 – no known children
	Elizabeth Caroline McDowell born 1789 married John Boyle in 1822 in Wilkes County, NC

I’m presuming here that Ned and Edward are the same person.

James McDowell is found in Wilkes County, NC, in 1801 and a James is found with Edward in Pulaski County, KY in 1820. The James who witnessed the deed in 1801 would have been born in 1779 or earlier. He may or may not have had any connection to Michael.

In 1820, that James is too old to be a son of Edward, so I have no idea who he is or how he connects. These may be two different men. It makes me wonder if perhaps Michael was raising other McDowell children, like maybe nephews. Clearly, John knew without question who his siblings were.

Michael McDowell granted a deed to “W” McDowell and “S” McDowell in 1833 “for love.” No one knew about Sally whose name was probably Sarah before this deposition, and since Nathan’s middle initial was S., it was widely accepted that the “S” who received the land was Nathan. This deposition has caused me to reevaluate that assumption, and at this point, I believe that the “S” was Sally and the “W” was William. Michael, who would have been 86 years old in 1833, was trying to take care of his children, and in particular, his daughter who had never married and would have been about 44 years old. Sally was apparently deceased by 1850 because she is not recorded in the census.

There is no other connection between Nathan and Michael, so it’s certainly possible that Nathan was a descendant of the “other” McDowell Family out of Virginia. He may have circumstantially wound up in Claiborne County.

There is also a John P. McDowell that is associated with Michael McDowell who was born about 1802. It’s unlikely that he belonged to Michael and Isabel, especially since we know that John McDowell is Michael’s son, but he could have been another nephew or a grandson.

I believe Elizabeth Caroline McDowell who married John Boyle in 1822 was simply misattributed as Michael’s child based on the Wilkes County connection. Michael McDowell was not living in Wilkes County in 1822, so it’s very unlikely that his daughter would be marrying there a dozen years after he left. It’s possible that Elizabeth Caroline is somehow connected to the James McDowell in Wilkes County.

Thanks to this deposition, we know which children were Michael’s and which were not.

Commentary

I’m rather stunned that John gave an approximate age of 78, twice, and not an exact age. Did he not recall? I do realize that ages were much less specific in that time and place. Perhaps people didn’t celebrate birthdays within families. A few months earlier in April 1861, John gave his age as 71 and signed as to his age.

John’s not alone though, because I’ve seen people giving approximate ages for themselves, and, like John, different ages at different times in historical documents. Not much was written down back then. If they didn’t have a family Bible, or it burned, those dates were probably not recorded anyplace and they relied on the “best of their recollection.”

I’m even more surprised that John didn’t know if his siblings were deceased. This also means that my ancestor, Mary McDowell Harrell, whom John called Dolly, also wouldn’t have known for sure if her siblings were deceased. I had presumed that a letter would have been written when someone’s child, or sibling, died, and that everyone back home would have quickly shared the news when the letter arrived. This makes me wonder why that didn’t happen.

In a deposition for Mary McDowell Harrell in 1872, when he says that he is 90 years old, John stated that he was at her wedding in Wilkes County, NC. He gave an approximate marriage date for her of 1809 based on the fact that they left Wilkes County (for Claiborne) in 1810 and they were married about a year before that departure. He didn’t mention that in the 1861 deposition.

We do know that Ned, who was actually Edward, came back to visit according to John. That trip, from Pulaski Co., KY, would have been about 120 miles, so about a 6-day journey each way on horseback. He clearly wouldn’t have returned home often, and it’s unlikely that his family came along, especially given that his wife was not from the Claiborne/Hancock County region. A wagon trip would have taken even longer.

I’m surprised that John only knew the names of four of his nieces and nephews – one of Nancy’s sons who was named after Michael McDowell, and three of Lute’s children, whose name was actually Luke.

I’m guessing that John did know the names of Mary’s children because she and her husband William Harrell were neighbors to Michael McDowell and therefore to her brother John, and William McDowell’s land as well.

Unfortunately, John was not asked about William McDowell’s children. It was probably assumed that topic was taken care of since Overton had sued William’s son.

Based on the census and where John McDowell is buried, in the McDowell family cemetery on Michael’s land, it appears that John lived on at least part of Michael’s original land.

It’s ironic that we only have the name of one of William McDowell’s children, William Franklin McDowell, the man who was suing to collect the balance of the money for the land that his father, William, apparently sold but did not have title to.

Obviously, Mary McDowell’s nickname was Dolly, but never have I seen it recorded as such anyplace. Normally the nickname for Mary is Polly, but unless John was wrong or misunderstood, hers was Dolly. Clearly, in the intervening years since her death in 1859, her descendants living a hundred years later didn’t know her name. The last of her great-grandchildren’s generation was dying by the mid-1900s and many families had moved away. My grandmother died in Chicago in 1955.

I don’t think there was anyone who knew any stories about Mary/Dolly or her life, or even the names of ancestors three or four generations back in time. We found her through genealogical records, not oral or written history. I began doing genealogy in the 1970s and there was no one who knew anything about those people or generations that far back. Not even the nickname the family called her. Ironic that I’ve been calling her Mary as long as I’ve known about her, but her nickname, and the name she was called every day was very clearly Dolly. I can’t help but wonder if she’s breathing a sigh of relief someplace that we finally know her by her everyday familiar name. Or maybe she’s still frustrated because it was actually Polly.

The existence of Michael’s daughter, Sally McDowell was a surprise too. Before the age of detailed census records listing the names of every family member, the only hint as to the existence of a child who never married and never lived on their own would have been a mystery hash-mark entry in the 1790-1840 census for an unknown child, or perhaps a will. Michael had no will and while William McDowell was appointed as his estate administrator, no inventory was ever filed in court. Clearly something was very strange about Michael’s estate and the fact that the court failed to oversee the process. Perhaps this fell between the cracks when Hancock County separated from Claiborne, but that process didn’t begin for another couple years.

Sally is clearly gone by 1850 and I can’t locate her with any of her three local siblings in 1840, so she may well have been deceased by that point in time.

In the 1800 census, Michael McDowell has three daughters which accounts for all three female siblings that John named.

In the 1790 census, Michael has 4 males under 16, so born between 1774 and 1790. In 1800, he has only two boys under 10 who would not have been born in 1790. What happened to the rest of those boys on the 1790 census? We know from later records that at least 3 of 4 didn’t die. We know for sure that Edward, Michael and John were born in the 1780s. Luke and William were both born in the 1790s. That still leaves one missing son born in the 1780s, which we thought was James – but all of the boys born in the 1780s are missing in the 1790 census. No wonder genealogists are so chronically confused.

Additional Records

For those researching the John McDowell family, additional records can be found in the following references:

• Coleman vs John McDowell – land 1888 & 1890

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QN-J875?i=17&cat=1104143

• John McDowell – debt 1888

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QN-J8W3?i=28&cat=1104143

• John McDowell vs G. B. Short et al 1878 and 1880, answer, order, estate
• John McDowell vs Josiah Ramsay 1890 debt

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QN-J895?i=51&cat=1104143

• Catherine Short vs John McDowell 1881, 1882, 1888 civil suit and land

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QN-J835?i=67&cat=1104143

____________________________________________________________

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DNA Purchases and Free Uploads

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My Book

• DNA for Native American Genealogy – by Roberta Estes, for those ordering the e-book from anyplace, or paperback within the United States
• DNA for Native American Genealogy – for those ordering the paperback outside the US

Genealogy Books

• Genealogical.com – Lots of wonderful genealogy research books

Genealogy Research

• Legacy Tree Genealogists – Professional genealogy research

Joel Cook was the father of Sarah Cook who was born about 1775. She married James Lee Clarkson in 1799 in Russell County, VA.

That was the easy part, or comparatively easy.

Joel, it turns out, is quite the mystery man.

Mysterious in that we don’t know where he came from, nor where he went. In fact, we only have about 10 years’ worth of information about Joel Cook, and beyond that, he simply dissolves into the mist.

I don’t like to publish ancestor articles until I have what I think is a “full story.” I’m making an exception with Joel Cook because I’m hoping that someone, someplace can help flesh out this story. There’s power in collaboration!

We are probably looking for Joel Cook’s family in Virginia. We know his daughter says she was born in Virginia in 1775, but Joel could have been anyplace before that. There are a lot of Cook men in North Carolina, and the name Clayton Cook, a man closely associated with Joel, is found there. It’s not the same Clayton Cook, but the name is distinctive. After 1805, we’re probably looking for Joel Cook in Kentucky.

However, nothing, but nothing, about Joel is certain. In fact, I think his middle name is “Uncertain.”

Joel’s First Appearance

Joel Cook first appears in the Russell County, Virginia records in 1795. He was clearly an adult in 1775 when his daughter was born, so he would have been living someplace in the 1790 census. But where?

Utilizing Binn’s Genealogy master list for the Virginia reconstructed 1790 census reveals no Joel Cook, nor a Clayton Cook who is often found with Joel. In 1850, Sarah reports that she was born in Virginia, so it makes sense to look in Virginia in 1790, although there’s nothing that precludes Joel from moving to North Carolina or elsewhere after Sarah’s birth and before arriving in Russell County.

There is a Joel Cook in Bertie County, NC in 1790, but no Clayton which is a pretty distinctive name. Joel does have 3 males under 16, so it’s possible that Clayton could fall in this family group. However, Joel in Bertie married Bellison Floyd in 1784 and continued living in North Carolina through 1805, which eliminates him as our Joel.

Early Russell County, Virginia

Russell County was on the wild, unsettled and dangerous side of the frontier line. A petition was submitted to form Russell County in 1785 by about 300 petitioners, but no Cook was yet living in Russell County at that time.

The petition of sundry inhabitants of Clinch River, Moccasin Creek, Powells Valley, and others, citizens of Washington County humbly represent that your petitioners are situated from the line of Montgomery as it crosses near the source of the Clinch River, down the same eight miles; thence to the extreme settlements of Powells Valley forty more.

The greatest portion of your petitioners have to travel from twenty five miles and some eighty or an hundred; moreover are generally interrupted by Clinch Mountain and the north branch of the Holstein River; the former affording very difficult passes; the latter much danger and difficulty in crossing it in spring and after considerable rains; continuous to its southern bank, a chain of hills almost as difficult as Clinch Mountain; so that great difficulty arises to your Petitioners not only in attending Courts, but Courts Martial. And from the extent of schism between our small settlements make it exceedingly difficult to arrange companies without subjecting some to travel 15 and 20 miles to private mustery. There are two difficulties in the militia law that principally affect your Petitioners. There are evils small indeed to the feelings we constantly undergo when obliged to leave our helpless families exposed at so very great distances to obey the laws of our country. And however evident the danger may appear to us will not certainly on our failure of duty plead our excuse. Circumstance alone is sufficient to claim the human respect of the Legislature to remove the grievance. We therefore pray your Honorable House will take our case into consideration and divide the county. We further pray a line may be fixed along Clinch Mountain to the Carolina line; or with the line at present dividing the county into two regiments to the aforesaid Carolina line; then with the said line to Cumberland Mountain including that existing county between Cumberland Mountain and Montgomery line and Clinch Mountain, or the aforesaid regimental line for the new county and southeast of the said Clinch Mountain remain Washington County; and we your Petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray.

Forts and Stations lined the Wilderness road through western Virginia to the Cumberland Gap.

The first mention of a Cook occurred in relation to the Indian incursions.

From the unpublished manuscript, Indian Atrocities Along the Clinch, Powell and Holston Rivers, page 39.

From Draper Mss 2 DD 193, is a copy of the pension statement of William Barron, State of Tennessee, Washington County:…on this 23 January 18__, William Barron, aged 78 years…That while living in Montgomery Co., VA he was drafted as he believes in the fall of 17__ and entered the service under Sergeant John Brooley and served about one month. That he again enlisted or volunteered in the company commanded by Sergeant Alexander Neeley (Draper appends a handwritten note “perhaps Alexander Neely) under whom he served between two and three months in guarding the Lead Mines of Montgomery County. That he again enlisted under Lt. Frederick Edwards and served three months under Captain (John) Stevens (at Long Island). That after remaining at Long Island, a few days, an express came to Col. Preston (who was also at Long Island) from Rye Cove Fort on Clinch requesting assistance as the Indians had made some incursions in that quarter and killed a few of the inhabitants. That Captain Stevens Company marched to their assistance affiant being one of them. That after remaining a few days at the Rye Cove Fort intelligence was received that Mr. Cooke, who had been sent out as a spy, had been killed by the Indians that affiant with the balance of Stevens company spent a few days in scouring Powells Valley with the view of discovering the Indians, but failing in this, they buried Cooke and returned to the fort. (Data courtesy of Gordon Aronhim, Bristol, VA)

Who was that Cook man? Cook is not exactly an unusual surname, but neither is it Smith.

In the 1780s and 1790s, many deaths occurred as a result of white settlers settling on land claimed by the Indians.

The Musick Family

Joel Cook settled near the Musick Family, along Musick Spring Branch.

David Musick lived on a farm in the Big A Mountain section in 1792, near present-day Honaker, with his wife, Annie McKinney, and their four children.

His home had been once previously burned, which damaged his gun. On August 12, 1792, David’s sons were surprised by Indians when going for firewood, but made it back to the house. Unable to defend the homestead due to the warped gun, the Indians broke in, killed and scalped David, and kidnapped his wife and children. The Shawnee set out with their captives for the Ohio Valley, on foot.

Thirty miles and three nights later, a posse of settlers caught up with the party and rescued Mrs. Musick and the children, including the babe in arms.

The last Indian incursion in this part of Virginia occurred in April 1794 near Yokum Station in neighboring Lee County, but of course, the people didn’t know it was the last incursion at that time.

It was here, on the dangerous frontier, near the Musick home, that Joel Cook, for some reason long lost to time, chose to settle in 1795.

Joel’s Arrival

We learned about Joel Cook from his daughter, Sarah, in her War of 1812 application for pension and bounty land after her husband, James Claxton or Clarkson perished. James, born in 1775, died in 1815 during the War of 1812, but Sarah’s depositions that provided her father’s name and details of her marriage to James were filed in 1851, many years after James’s death.

Joel Cook was in Russell County by about 1795, although he may have arrived earlier. He was closely associated with Clayton Cook who is believed to be his son. Whether Clayton was his son or another family member, it’s clear that those two men were closely associated.

We believe that Clayton eventually went on to live in Kentucky near Salyersville in present-day Magoffin County.

Please note my “weasel words of uncertainty,” such as “believe.” There’s frustratingly little proven about these connections.

Joel’s Family

There is only one proven child of Joel Cook (the elder), daughter Sarah Cook, born about 1775, who married James Clarkson (Claxton) in 1799 in Russell County. From her 1851 widow’s pension application, we know when and where she was married, and who was present.

A second child is probably Clayton Cook who reportedly went to Floyd Co., KY about the same time Joel Sr. disappears from the records. Clayton eventually settled near Salyersville, Kentucky. Clayton and Joel could be brothers, father and son or some other relationship. It’s likely, given that they witnessed documents together that they were somehow related.

Based on the age of Sarah alone, Joel Sr. is believed to have been born before 1755, but he could have been born significantly earlier. Sarah was born about 1775, married in 1799 with her first child born in 1800. Men in Virginia during that time very rarely married before age 25 and more likely 30, so Joel was probably born in 1750 or earlier.

If Clayton is also Joel’s son, which is certainly feasible, he is on his own by 1794 or so, so probably age 25 or 30 by then, born 1764-1769, pushing his father’s birth to before 1745. I think this is a more likely scenario. One piece of conflicting information is that the Clayton Cook found in Kentucky wasn’t born until about 1777, which means that this Clayton, on his own in 1795 would have had to have been born before 1777. This is just one of about a million frustratingly conflicting tidbits.

Are these two different Clayton Cooks, or is the information incorrect?

We do know that Joel Cook Sr. was living in Russell Co. because Sarah was married at his house.

George Cook and John Cook, also found early in Russell Co., could be related, but we have nothing except their names on the tax list to potentially connect them to Joel Sr.

The 1794 Magoffin County, KY Settlement Attempt

It’s possible that Joel Cook attempted to settle in present-day Magoffin County, Kentucky in 1794. Several settlers from South Carolina, including Clayton Cook, were reported to have settled at Prater’s Fort, only to have been repelled by Indians. They returned in 1800, trying once again.

It’s uncertain if this is the same Clayton Cook as the Clayton Cook found in Russell County with Joel Cook. I have also seen no documentation that the Clayton Cook who attempted to settle in Kentucky in 1794 was actually from South Carolina. It’s possible that the other settlers were, but he was not.

Earliest Land and Court Records and Tax Lists

Lack of records is our biggest impediment in our search for Joel Cook, both in Virginia and Kentucky.

Please note that marriage, birth and death records don’t begin in Russell County until 1853, will and probate books do not exist before 1803 and tax lists are sporadic. Court and land records begin in 1786 and 1787, respectively. No census before 1810. I have created a timeline using all available records related to all early Cook records in Russell County.

• In 1795, 18 acres to Joel Cook from the WPA book, assignee of Daniel Wilson, on Swords Creek.
• Joel Cook, grantee, assignee of David Nelson, Russell Co., warrant 13687 issued Aug 3, 1782, 18 acres on the S side of Clinch River, surveyed July 1, 1795.
• In 1796, Joel and Alexander Cook were on the tax list. Alexander Cook never appears again.
• In 1797-1799, both Joel and Clayton Cook were on the tax list.
• Page 156 – December 31, 1798 between Moses Damron, Jr. of Fleming Co., KY and John Tollet of Wythe Co…300 ac granted to John Bredon by patent dated December 17, 1792…on Clinch River…Beginning…corner to John Bredons settlement right…by the ford of the River…to the mouth of a gap of a ridge…through the gap…by Weavers Creek…Signed: Moses Damron & Sarah Damron. Witnesses: John Stinson, C. Holliday, Abraham Musick, Martin Honaker & Joel Cook
• Court Notes 5 – June 25, 1799 – Henry Smith vs. Joel Cook, debt
• Court Notes p.23 – Sept 24, 1799 – Joel Cook member of Jury Comm. vs. John Osborne
• Court Notes p.26 – September 25, 1799 – Henry Smith vs. Joel Cook, debt dismissed
• Court Notes p. 35 – November 26, 1799 – Walter Preston vs Jeremiah Patrick Jr, dept, Joel Cook undertakes for the defendant.
• Court Notes p.36 – November 26, 1799 – Henry Smith vs. Joel Cook, debt, Jeremiah Patrick, Jr. undertakes for the def.
• 346 – Joel Cook – March 25, 1799 – 100 ac – part Treasury Warrant 12364 – on the north side of the north fork of Clinch River – at the mouth of Musicks Spring Branch – corner John Wilson.

Note – I surely wish I could locate Musick’s Spring Branch, today.

• 346 – March 25, 1799 – Joel Cook – 50 ac – part Treasury Warrant 2320 – on the south side of the Stone Mountain.
• 1799 – Court Notes p. 436 Martin Honaker vs Clayton Cook, petition and summons, dismissed. There is a town named Honaker today.
• 17 – January 25, 1800 – Henry Bowen – 500 ac – part of Treasury Warrant 2320 dated November 18, 1797 – on both sides of the north fork of Clinch River – on the bank of said fork in a line of Fowlers Orphans Tract – by the side of a path – corner to a 50 ac tract of Joel Cook – corner to Richard Colier
• Court Notes p.50 – March 25, 1800 – Daniel Collins vs. Joel Cook, petition & summons
• Court Notes p.51 – March 25, 1800 – Jeremiah Patrick, assignee vs. Clayton Cook, petition & summons
• Court Notes p.62 – June 24, 1800 – Joel Cook member of Jury, Comm. vs. Benj. Harris
• Court Notes p.63 – June 24, 1800 – Indenture between Moses Damron & Sarah to John Tallet “oath of Joel Cook”
• Page 148 – October 28, 1800 – between James Connard and Joel Cook…50 ac on the north side of the upper north fork of Clinch River…Beginning…in a Valley on the south side of the Stony Mountain…Signed: James Kinnard. No witnesses.
• Page 149 – October 28, 1800 between James Kinnard and Solomon Ward for “…150 ac… on both sides of the north fork of Clinch River … Beginning on the north side of a Cedar Clift … to the mouth of a cove … to the top of the River Hill … at the mouth of a branch then crossing the river … at the foot of Kents Ridge then crossing the River …” Signed: James Kinnard & Molley Kinnard. Witnesses: Joel Cook, John Watson & Claton Cook.

Kent’s Ridge is the ridge running on the south side of the Clinch River but parallel to Stone Mountain.

• Page 151 – October 28, 1800 between Joel Cook and Henry Smith…18 ac, part of a survey dated July 4, 1795..on the south side of Clinch River…Beginning…along the River Bend…Signed: Joel Cook. No witnesses.
• Court Notes p.91 – October 28, 1800 – Indenture James Kinnard to Joel Cook
• Court Notes p 91 – Indenture Joel Cook to Henry Smith
• In 1801, Clayton, Joel and John Cook are all on the tax list.

• A petition signed on December 17, 1801 includes the names of both Clayton and Joel Cook, adjacent, along with several of the neighboring landowners. The petition references the incursions of savages, then a road that has been opened in Russell and Lee Counties, except for 10 or 12 miles which the petitioners who live near the border with Kentucky request to be opened.
• 36 – November 24, 1801 – Andrew Hebourn – 4300 ac – part of Treasury Warrant 1856 dated March 18, 1796 – on the north side of the north fork of Clinch River and on the east side of Swords Creek, including the Stone Mountain – corner to Joel Cook – corner to Henry Bowen – corner to another tract of Hebourn – corner to Patrick Kindrick – corner to a tract of land granted to Josiah Fugate – corner to Fugate & Harry Smith – corner to Jesse Evans – corner to Evans and Richard Smith surveys #1 & 5 of 10,000 ac – corner to Richard Smiths survey of 7223 3/4 ac – corner to Jeremiah Patrick – corner to Harris Wilson – corner to Jeremiah Patrick, Jr. – corner to Patrick Kindrick, Jr. – corner to John Wilson – corner to Wilson & Joel Cook – opposite the mouth of a branch in a survey made for Elexious Musick – in a valley.

Please note that while I found the transcribed surveys, I would love to locate the actual drawn surveys which would allow me to pinpoint this land much more accurately. Assistance is welcome.

• Elexious Musick (1788-1874) was the son of David Musick who died in the massacre. He is buried in the Musick Cemetery, just above Fullers. An earlier Elexious Musick (1718-1798), born in Spotsylvania County, VA died in 1798 in Russell County and was a member of the same Musick family.
• Joel Cook, grantee, Dec. 11, 1801 – warrant 2320, issued Nov. 18, 1797 – Russell Co. – 50 acres on the S side of the ____ Stones Mountain adjoining his own land (note – see also Cooke it says)
• Joel Cook, grantee, Dec. 12, 1801 – warrant 12364 May 18, 1782, Russell Co., 100 acres on the N side of the N fork of Clinch River beginning at the mouth of Musick’s Spring Branch.
• Page 573 – April 6, 1802 – between Solomon Ward & Susannah and William McCormack for “… 150 ac on the north fork of Clinch River … Beginning … at the mouth of a cave … crossing said branch joining James Kinnard & John Wilson … to the mouth of the branch … to Abednego Whites line …” Signed: Solomon Ward & Susanna Ward. Witnesses: George Kindrick, Clayton Cook, Joel Cook.
• Page 342 – October 26, 1802 between James Connard and Joel Cook…on the waters of the north fork of Clinch River…50 ac…adjoining the tract of land of Connard…Beginning in the road and crossing the road…Signed: James Cannard & Mary Cannard. No witnesses.
• Court Notes p. 227 – October 26, 1802 – Two indentures from James Canard and Mary, 1 to James Nesbet and 1 to Joel Cook, recorded.
• Court Notes p. 227 – October 26, 1802 – Indenture from Solomon Ward & Susanna to William McCormick, oath of Joel Cook, continued for further proof.
• Court Notes p. 229 – October 26, 1802 – George Cook exempted from paying levies & poor rates on account of age & infirmities.

This means George was probably over age 45 and could have been over age 55 or 60. If George was 45, he was born in 1757ish. He was probably more likely born before 1750. The other possibility is that he was disabled, referenced as “infirm.” Of course, we don’t know if he’s connected to Joel.

• 1802 – Joel Cook, Clayton Cook, George Cook, and John Cook on tax list. This is the first mention of John Cook.
• 1803 – Joel Cook, Clayton Cook, John Cook, James Cook on tax list. I never find James again.
• 1803 – 3 Nov., Thomas Cook of Russell Co VA sold 150 ac of land to Thomas Stanley of Iredell co NC originally granted to Henry Cook.
• Page 450 – March 6, 1803 between Harris Wilson and Richard Wilson…on the waters of the north fork of Clinch River…100 ac, part of a survey of 350 ac granted by patent dated September 23, 1789…Beginning…crossing a branch above Nathaniel Barnetts improvement…a conditional line between Richard & John Wilson…Signed: Harris Wilson. Witnesses: Andrew Shorbridge, C. Holliday, Joel Cook
• Page 452 – March 6, 1803 between Harris Willson and John Willson…, part of a survey of 350 ac granted to Harris Willson by patent dated September 23, 1789 on the waters of the north fork of Clinch River…100 ac…Beginning at the foot of the Stony Mountain…Signed: Harris Willson. Witnesses: C. Holliday, Joel Cook, Andrew Shortridge
• Court Notes p.260 – July 26, 1803 – Joel Cook, surveyor of road in place of Harry Smith.
• Court Notes p. 262 – August 23, 1803 – Indenture from Harris Wilson by oath of Joel Cook.
• 1803 – Patrick Kindrick will September 10, 1803, beneficiaries children William, Jane Lock, Frances Ritchie, Patrick, Rachel Johnson, George; others, Molly Horton, Isabel Horton; executors, none named but George Kendrick appointed by the court; witnesses Harry Smith, Travis Kendall, Joel Cook, probated June 4, 1805, page 87
• 1804 – Thomas Cook, Clayton Cook, Joel Cook, and John Cook on tax list. Thomas Cook is never mentioned again.
• Court Notes p.332 – August 28, 1804 – 2 Indentures, Joel Cook & Aley to Abednego White
• Court Notes p.332 – August 28, 1804 – Indenture from Sol. Ward & Susanna to Wm. McCormick, oath of Clayton Cook
• Page 571 – August 28, 1804 – between Joel Cook & Elisy and Abednego White…on the south side of the Stone Mountain…50 ac by survey dated March 25, 1799…Beginning corner to said Cook…near a spring…to the top of the Brushy Ridge…Signed: Joel Cook & Ailey Cook. No witnesses.
• Page 572 – August 28, 1804 between Joel Cook and Abednego White…on the waters of the north fork of Clinch River…50 ac….Beginning on the top of the Brushy Ridge…on the south side of the Stony Mountain…crossing the valley…Signed: Joel Cook & Ailey Cook. No witnesses.
• Court Notes p. 349 – October 23, 1804 – Court expenses, Clayton Cook for killing one old wolf
• In 1805 Joel Cook witnessed a will for Patrick Kerchick or Kerchill.
• Page 626 – July 29, 1805 – between Joel Cook & Alice and James Canard…100 ac on the north side of the north fork of Clinch River…Beginning at the mouth of Musicks Spring branch…corner of John Wilsons tract of land…Signed: Joel Cook & Alice Cook. No witnesses
• Page 627 – August 6, 1805 between Joel Cook & Alice and Abednego White…on the north side of the north fork of Clinch River…50 ac…Beginning corner of John Youngs tract by the side of the road…near the mouth of a wet-weather spring …Signed: Joel Cook & Alse Cook. No witnesses
• Court Notes – August 6, 1805 – Two Indentures from Joel Cook and Alice, 1 to James Cannard and 1 to Abednigo White, recorded

Joel Cook has sold the last of his land by August 1805. He had probably moved on at this point.

However, in 1809, we find Joel and John on the tax list once again. This is believed to be the younger Joel, possibly either a son of the older Joel or the son of John Cook.

• 1809-1811 – Joel and John Cook on tax list
• 1812 – Joel Cook on tax list and sporadically through 1820
• 1812 – James Cook placed under good behavior bond
• 92 – August 19, 1816 – James Taylor – 330 ac – part Treasury Warrant 11962 dated May 10, 1782 – on both sides of the north fork of Clinch River – corner to a big survey of Andrew Hebourn – corner to John Wilson – corner to Hebourn, James Madison & Harris Wilson – on the west side of a gap – corner to Joel Cook – at the mouth of Musicks spring branch – corner to Abednego White – corner to Henry Bowen.

This is clearly the description of Joel Cook’s original land and involved James Taylor who witnessed the marriage of Sarah Cook. This description does not mean that Joel still lived on this land.

Joel’s Land

The Virginia Archives includes a 1937 record for Joel Cook’s land in their Historical Inventory Project. Apparently, his land included an old Indian campground on the Clinch River where spears and other relics emerged and were plowed up for decades. In 1937, it was owned by Sam Hale.

The challenge is that the road directions are given with some road numbers that have been replaced over time.

On this old map that shows the county road numbers, I was able to confirm the location. Virginia Route 82 is now 67.

How Much Land Did Joel Own?

According to the various land records, Joel owned either 250 or 300 acres. One entry may have been recorded twice as it appears to be very similar. We are very fortunate because these descriptions of Joel’s land that include his neighbors allow us to place his land relatively accurately.

Based on the 1937 historical information, there are only two locations where you can turn left and drive along the Clinch River.

The first is Gardner Road, in green, and the second is Kent Ridge Road, in red which is on the south side of the river, as described in the original land grant and survey.

There are only two locations where there is a valley on the south side of Stone Mountain and a road where Joel could own land on both sides of Clinch River. We also know this is on the east side of Sword’s Creek, which narrows the site to the land with the red arrows.

Stone Mountain is directly north of the red arrows, and east of Swords Creek Road.

It would help immensely if we knew the names of the small creeks to locate Musick’s Spring Branch, but we don’t. Those small branches aren’t labeled, at least not that I can find today.

The most likely location for Joel’s land is at the intersection of Clark’s Valley Road just east of Swords Creek Road for maybe 1000 feet. It’s the only location where the Clinch River is close enough to the road to fulfill the various location criteria, although given that Joel owned at least four pieces of land, he could have owned land in both the green and red locations.

Since Joel Cook had more than one land grant, we can use the locations described in his other grants to assist our search.

TopoZone shows Stone Mountain and the Clinch River, right at the intersection of Sword’s Creek Road.

Based on the descriptions of Joel’s land, we find:

• Swords Creek
• North side of the north fork of Clinch River at Musick’s Spring Branch
• South side of Stone Mountain
• North side of the upper north fork of Clinch River…Beginning…in a Valley on the south side of the Stony Mountain
• South side of Clinch River…Beginning…along the River Bend
• North side of the north fork of Clinch River and on the east side of Swords Creek, including the Stone Mountain – corner to Joel Cook
• South side of Stone Mountain joining his own land
• N side of the N fork of Clinch River beginning at the mouth of Musick’s Spring Branch
• Waters of the north fork of Clinch River…50 ac…adjoining the tract of land of Connard…Beginning in the road and crossing the road
• south side of the Stone Mountain…50 ac by survey dated March 25, 1799…Beginning corner to said Cook…near a spring…to the top of the Brushy Ridge
• North side of north fork of Clinch, beginning at mouth of Musick’s Spring Branch
• North fork of Clinch River…50 ac….Beginning on the top of the Brushy Ridge…on the south side of the Stony Mountain…crossing the valley
• North side of the north fork of Clinch River…50 ac…Beginning corner of John Youngs tract by the side of the road…near the mouth of a wet-weather spring
• On the west side of a gap – corner to Joel Cook – at the mouth of Musicks spring branch

Above and below, the intersection of Swords Creek and Clarks Valley Road. This appears to be the only location that includes both a road in the valley, and the Clinch River, that’s east of Sword’s Creek and at the base of Stone Mountain. Kent’s Ridge is also mentioned, and Kent’s Ridge Road is shown on the south side of the Clinch River. This section of road is about 1500 feet west to east, or about one third of a mile. Joel owned significantly more than this, but very likely included this land along the road to the river.

The intersection of Swords Creek Road and Clarks Valley Road is shown above. Joel Cook’s land is found here, but I don’t know the exact location. Based on our several hints, I suspect that Joel’s land is just to the right (east) of that intersection. Gardner Road is just to the left of that mining operation.

The Russell County, VA Surveyor’s Books are available at a Family History Center or Library, so I’ve added these surveys to my research list for February.

Today, the railroad runs along the Clinch river between the road and the river.

Using Google Street View, I “drove” down Clark’s Valley Road heading east from the intersection with Swords Creek.

Clarks Valley road looking at Stone Mountain. Joel’s land was strikingly beautiful and is still very remote and unspoiled today.

Visiting Joel

I visited Russell County in 2009 and located the portion I believe to be Joel’s land on the Clinch River, near Sword’s Creek, according to the various deeds.

In this region, you can’t traverse the smaller roads using Google Street View, which is most of what’s there, so I’m very glad I visited in person.

These pictures that follow may or may not be Joel’s exact land, but it’s close.

The Clinch River area in Russell County is still quite rugged. Much of the mountain area is used for mining today.

It’s interesting that there was a swinging bridge crossing the Clinch on Joel’s land. I have to wonder if this was the location.

Moving On – Someplace

 In 1805, Joel Cook sold his land and moved on, someplace. That million-dollar question is where?

Joel Cook, Cla(y)ton Cook and James Claxton (Clarkson) are found throughout the first part of the Russell County, VA court book in a normal way, meaning the swearing of signing of deeds, witnessing for people, road work, etc.  However, the last entries we find for Joel are in 1805 when he sells his land and after that, there is nothing for Joel. At least not for this Joel.

Clayton Cook, if this is the same Clayton, was supposed to have returned to Magoffin County, KY (then Floyd Co.) again in 1800. However, we find Clayton in Russell County in 1801, 1802, 1803, and 1804. The records could be “off,” or it could be two separate Clayton Cooks. If it’s two Claytons, then were did the Russell County Clayton, and a few months later, Joel, go?

It’s worth mentioning that there is a Clayton Cook in Granville County, NC in 1800, age 26-44, but he appears to have stayed in North Carolina during and after this time.

It’s difficult to know whether this Russell County Clayton Cook is the same Clayton who was reportedly in Magoffin County, KY. The Original Clayton Cook who supposedly attempted to settle in 1794 before Indians pushed the party of settlers back was reportedly from South Carolina. There’s no documentation for the SC location that I’m aware of.

I do know that according to the Cook DNA project there is a Cook line from Anson County, NC that descends from a Clayton Cook born around 1720 in VA, and a separate Cook line from Russell County, VA.

The line for John Cook born in 1804 in Russell Co., VA does not match the above line.

These are very clearly not the same family lines.

I searched my Family Finder matches for Cook males fitting the description of any of these people, with no luck.

We first find Joel Cook on the Russell County tax lists in 1796, which would make sense because his land was surveyed in 1795 and he probably moved onto it at that time. Clayton Cook is on the same list in 1797, so likely has a home of his own and one could surmise is at least 21, so born about 1776ish or earlier.

In 1802 we find a Joel, Clayton, George and John Cook on the tax list, although I don’t know if they are in the same district or not. Unfortunately, the tax lists are woefully incomplete for this timeframe. Note the John born in 1804 was probably the son of John Cook, by process of elimination based on what we know about the other Russell County Cook men. George Cook was elderly, Joel was in his 50s or 60s too, Clayton was young but moved on and would not have left an infant son. That only leaves John as a candidate to be the father of the John born in 1804.

In 1799 (with 2 polls meaning he paid tax on 2 men) we find a William Hullum. The Hullum, Hellom, family is somehow connected to Sarah Cook as she is the estate executor in 1820 in Claiborne County, TN for a William Hellom. Living with her in the 1850 census, John Hellom, a 70 old man, just five years younger than Sarah, is labeled as an idiot.

In 1810 in Russell County, VA we find George, Joel and John Cook, plus William Hullum. This is probably the younger Joel, not Joel Sr.

Joel Cook, Sr. began selling his land in 1801, sold the last of it in August 1805 and disappeared from the records. He had to live someplace and earn a living somehow. Clayton Cook was last found in Russell County in October 1804.

I couldn’t keep the various Joel Cook’s straight, so I created a table and numbered the Joels. Documentation is provided below, followed by the table.

Joel Cook the Elder (#1)

Joel the elder, father of Sarah Cook, had to be born prior to 1755, probably in VA Sarah was born in VA in 1775, which tells us that’s where Joel was in 1775 too, someplace.

If Clayton Cook was born about 1767, and if Joel is indeed his father as well, then Joel the elder was likely born before 1742. Joel the elder disappears from Russell Co. VA in 1805, when he would have been about 60 years old, and we do not find him again.

However, there are some Joel Cooks. Are any of these men possibly the Joel Cook who left Russell County in 1805 or his descendants?

Joel’s Birth

Before we go searching for Joel, what do we actually know unquestionably about his age and birth year?

We know that by 1795, he was living in Russell County and transacting business for land. However, he had been living elsewhere, because his daughter, Sarah, was born in 1774 or 1775.

The youngest Joel could have been was to have been born 21 years or so before his daughter, if she was his eldest child.

In that case, Joel would have been born no later than 1754, and much more likely before 1750, assuming Sarah was his eldest.

If Sarah was his youngest child by his first wife, Joel might have been born as early as 1730.

For purposes of this search, we are looking for a man born in 1754 or earlier.

Let’s start with Russell County, VA, itself.

Russell County Census

By 1820, the older Joel is not found in Russell County. I suspect the entire family moved in 1805 or so, Clayton Cook to Kentucky, James Lee Clarkson and his wife Sarah Cook to Claiborne County, TN.In the War of 1812, a young Henry Cook died, a drummer and fifer, typically a boy between 12 and 15, died in the unit along with Sarah’s husband.

In 1817, the Claiborne Co., TN court shows the State vs Henry Cook alias Hulins. He pled guilty. The word “alias” was often used in early court records to denote a man who was born outside of wedlock. His legal name could have been his mother’s surname, but if he was using his father’s surname without his father legally recognizing him in court, the word “alias” would have been used. The Cook and Helloms family were somehow connected.

In the 1820 census in Russell County, we show:

• Joel aged 26-45 so born 1775-1794. He has 1 young son, 1 young daughter and possibly an older daughter. This is possibly the son of Joel Sr. or perhaps John Cook. There is no will or estate for Joel Sr. or Jr. that I have been able to find.

This younger Joel Cook found in Russell County after the elder Joel sells his land and leaves is Joel Cook #2.

In 1830, the Russell County census shows quite a few Cook families. But where were they in 1820?

Henry and Jacob are side by side

• Henry – 20002 10001 (he is age 20-30)
• Jacob – 00201 age 20-30 and one female 50-60
• Elizabeth – 0011 0010001 (Elizabeth appears to be 40-50)
• Joel – 0110001 10111 (he is age 40-50 so born 1780-1790 – so clearly not the father of Sarah)
• John – Male 20-30 and female 15-20

In 1840 we find:

• Henry
• Shelton
• Anderson
• Jacob
• Solomon

By 1850 there is:

• Anderson Cook age 32 farmer born Russell Co wife Priscilla 28
• Jacob Cook 42 (born 1808) born in Russell Co.
• Henry Cook (Polly 45) age 42 (born 1808) farmer born in Russell Co. Va.
• James Cook (Polly 24) age 24 farmer born Russell Co.
• John Cook (Hannah 38) age 46 (born 1804) farmer born in Russell Co. (have child Sarah age 6.5)

The only men living in Russell County in the 1808 timeframe that were of child-bearing age were John who appears on the tax list in 1801, and Joel #2 who appears on the 1809 tax list.

In 1860 we find:

• Joseph 26
• William 31
• Henry 32
• Polly Hannah 56

In 1880 Jacob Cook born in 1808 says his parents were born in VA and W. VA.

The Younger Joel Cook (#2) in Russell County, VA

Joel Cook #2, is the Joel Cook found in Russell Co. in the 1820 census (age 26 to 45) and the 1830 census (age 40-50). He appears to have been born between 1780 and 1790 and is probably the man who married Elizabeth Ring. He is not on the 1826 and later tax lists but is on the 1830 census. All other Cooks are gone or were missed in 1820. In 1830 Joel appears to have either a younger wife (20-30) or possibly a second wife or older daughter. He is on the 1831 tax list, but not on the 1840 census. This family is found in Dickensonville district which is about 28 miles southwest of Sword’s Creek where our Joel Cook lived.

In 1848 a Joel Cook is indicted for assault with Jesse Cook. He has probably the same 4 counts recorded in 1849 and 1850 as well. He is not on the census in Russell Co in 1850. Is this one or two different Joel Cooks? What happened to him, who was his father, and where did he go?

Joel Cook (#2) and Elizabeth Ring – The younger Joel Cook in Russell County married Elizabeth Ring sometime before 1823, the date of Elizabeth’s father’s will. By 1820, they had two children.

A researcher shows a son Joel, with no further information, and one researcher shows a daughter Rachel who is born in 1823, married in 1838 in Carter Co., KY to Andrew Stuart, and who subsequently had children and died in Carter County. This may imply that is where Joel Cook and Elizabeth Ring also settled, given that their daughter married there in 1838. If this is the Joel Cook who died in Carter County in 1854, his father’s name was George Cook.

Given the lack of and spotty documentation, perhaps this would be a good place to start. The Joel Cook who married Elizabeth Ring could well be the Joel with a second wife and family living in Carter County in 1850. He could also be the Joel who was living in Russell Co in 1820 and 1830.

Russell County Virginia Law Order Book No. 7 page 47 March 6, 1823 – It is ordered to be certified to the War Department of the United States that it is satisfactory proven to this court that Rachel Ring is the widow and relict of Stephen Ring deceased late a private in the Army of the United States, that she resides in this county and is unmarried.

Russell County Law Order Bk. 7, pg 47 on 6 Mar 1823 Rachel Ring proven widow of Stephen Ring, “Elizabeth … who hath intermarried with Joel Cook” proven as daughter of Stephen Ring.

Russell County Virginia Law Order Book No. 7 page 233 November 2, 1824

“It is satisfactorily proven to this court by the testimony of Andr. Caldwell and Stephen Gose, Junr. two credible witnesses that Elizabeth Cook who hath intermarried with Joel Cook, Thomas Ring, Delilah Keith who intermarried with William Keith, Jesse Ring, Lavina Ring, Mahala Barty who intermarried with Jesse Barty and Nancy Ring are the sons and daughters and all the sons and daughters and heirs at law of Stephen Ring late a private and who died in the Army of the United States in the late war with Great Britain.”

We find a Joel Cook in Carter County on the 1839 tax list, so some Joel Cook is there by then. What we don’t know for sure is if he’s the same Joel Cook that married Elizabeth Ring.

Where is Joel Cook Sr.?

The 1810 Russell County, VA census is lost, but Joel Sr. sold his land in 1805 so probably isn’t there in 1810 anyway.

The 1820 census shows us these possibilities for Joel Cook Sr, assuming he is still living at that time.

• Sumner Co. Tn – Joel Cook 1 male 16-26, 1 26-45 (born 1775 or earler), 1 over 45, 1 female under 10, 2 10-16, 1 over 45, 3 people engaged in agriculture. This Joel is later eliminated because this man came from Bertie County, NC and was living there when our Joel’s daughter, Sarah, was born in Virginia in 1775. This Joel married Bellison Floyd on March 26, 1784 in Bertie County, then married again in Bertie County on May 9, 1797 to Patience Brassell during the time when Joel the Elder was living in Russell County. The Joel in Sumner County did have a daughter, Sarah, but she wasn’t born until 1808.
• Isle of Wight Co., VA – this Joel is age 26 to 45 in 1820 and 40-50 in 1830 so too young. Isle of Wight proved to be a red herring and this Joel is not a candidate.
• Union, Ross Co., Ohio 1 male 10-16, 1 male over 45, 1 female 16-26, 1 female over 45 and 1 person engaged in agriculture.

This person is enumerated beside Isaac Cook, age 45 and up, with 2 males 10-16, 1 16-18, 3 females under 10, one 10-16, 1 26-45. If Joel is Isaac’s father, and we don’t know that he is, then Joel has to be 65 or older, so born 1765 or earlier. The name Isaac has not been seen before in this family.

The History of Ross County, Ohio states that Isaac Cook is a descendant of Henry Cook who came to Plymouth, Massachusetts. No Joel is mentioned, but a son, Joe is. I believe this family can be eliminated as our Joel.

• Owingsville, Bath Co., KY – Joel Cook, age 45 or older (so born before 1775) with 2 males under 10, 1 female under 10, 1 female 10-16, 1 female 26-45 – This is probably not our elder Joel unless he remarried to a younger wife, which is not unheard of. This is not the younger Joel Cook from Russell County because he’s listed in the Russell County census in 1820.

The 1830 census shows us the following for older Joel’s:

• Morgan Co. KY – Joel age 60-70 (1760-1770) with a younger woman, 30-40, probably a daughter or daughter in law, with younger children, 2 males under 5, 1 10-15, 2 females 5-10 and 2 15-50. This is probably Joel Cook #3.
• Gasconade Co. Missouri – Joel B. Cook age 60-70 (born 1760-1770), wife same age, also a couple age 30-40 and younger children. This man is 70-80 in 1840 but dead by 1850. Our Joel never goes by Joel B., and a later man, probably his son, Joel Burton Cook was born in New Jersey. I am eliminating this man from consideration.
• Cook – Bath Co., KY listed twice, once with David Young and once with Jonathan Burns – not old enough. Is this the younger Joel?

None of these man can be Joel the elder, and this analysis has eliminated all Joels except the Bath and Morgan County, KY men for Joel #2 and Joel #3, Joels appearing in the next generation.

More (and More) Joels

The two volume “Pioneer Families of Eastern and Southeastern Kentucky” focuses on early adventurers and explorers, pioneers in the region that originally included the counties of Floyd (1799), Knox (1799), Greenup (1803) and Clay (1806), as formed by the General Assembly of Kentucky. Many of the early Russell County, VA families are also found in these early Kentucky counties, including the Honaker family. The crossroads town in Russell County closest to Joel’s land is named Honaker. Joel Cook is mentioned several times.

Clayton Cook is found among the 550 families on the tax list in 1810, but no other Cook family is listed.

Joel Cook #3 is the Joel who died in Carter Co., KY in 1854. He was born in 1767 in Virginia, and may be the son of the George Cook who was indeed elderly (or infirm, or both) in about 1800 in Russell County, VA. There are so many questions.

• Is this the Joel who was the ordained minister in 1817 in Floyd Co., Kentucky?
• Is that the same Joel in Bath County in 1820 over age 45 (so born before 1775)? Morgan County was established in 1822 from Floyd and Bath. If so, he is not the younger Joel in Russell County, who is there in both 1820 and 1830.
• Is he the Joel who is in Morgan County in 1830 age 60-70 (born 1770-1780) with a younger wife (or older daughter,) age 30-40 and either her children from a former marriage or a blended family with new children of his own? The older kids listed in the 1820 census would be gone by 1830.
• Joel Cook, the minister is mentioned in the Pioneer Families book several times. Is this the Joel who died in 1854 in Carter Co. KY?

The 1854 death certificate of Joel Cook is the source for the following: Cook, Joel (born about 1767) aged 87; d. Aug. 3, 1854; born in Virginia; died in Carter Co., Kentucky. Parent: Father: George Cook. In Russell County, George Cook was exempted from paying levies & poor rates on account of age & infirmities.

Prior to his death, some Joel Cook appeared in the 1820 census (Bath Co.), the 1830 census (Morgan Co.) and the 1850 census (Carter Co.).

By 1839 a Joel is on the tax list of Carter County. Carter was formed in 1838 from Greenup and Lawrence Counties.

In 1850, Joel Cook in Carter Co. is age 83 and born in VA which puts his birth in 1767. He dies in 1854 and his death certificate say his father is George. This Joel Cook was married to Euda Patrick, daughter of Jeremiah Patrick who once lived in Russell VA. Jeremiah’s will was probated in January 1824 in Bath KY. Joel Cook is listed in 1820 in Bath Co., KY census, and Morgan Co., KY in 1830. A portion of Bath in 1820 abutted what would become Morgan, and eventually Carter. This is probably the Joel in Bath County in 1820, but that means he’s not the Joel that married Elizabeth Ring and was living in Russell County in 1820.

By 1850, it’s very clear that our Joel #1 would have been deceased. I was hoping to find some proven family members, or records. Something to connect with our Joel, wife Alice and daughter, Sarah, with other people.

In Carter County on the 1850 census there is a Joel Cook McKinney, age 59 (same as the head of household, Daniel McKinney), that appears to be Joel Cook. The McKinney ditto mark may be incorrect. Researcher Maureen states that Daniel McKinney was from Russell County, VA. In 1860 Joel is in Lewis County & gives his state of birth as TN. In 1870 Joel is in the household of John Dickenson, grandson of Archelous Dickenson of Russell County, VA, and in this census he gives his state of birth as TN. John Dickenson married Sarah Francis Cook on January 10, 1865 in Carter County, KY and Maureen believes her to be the younger Joel Cook’s daughter or granddaughter.

1853 – John S. Cook died on March 6, 1853 at age 25 in Carter KY. Parents listed as Joel & Ealdy Cook. Born Morgan Co. KY 1828. John is living with Joel in 1850, so this pretty much confirms that this Joel is the Joel in Morgan Co. in 1830. However, that means he can’t be the Joel who married Elizabeth Ring because that Joel was still living in Russell County in 1830.

The Bath, Morgan and Carter County Joels, meaning #4 and #5, seem to be one and the same.

1856 – Angelina Cook died on 12 Dec. in Carter County, KY age 15 (born 1841), parents names given as Joel & Elizabeth Cook. Note that in 1850 Angelina Cook is living in Carter County but with John Haney, age 63, two Elizabeth Haney’s, age 28 and 17, one baby Sarah Haney age 1 and then Angelina 8 and Martha A. Cook age 5. This points to a different Joel Cook, not the Joel married to Ealdy, perhaps Joel #2.

John Haney married Elizabeth Cook in 1843. Elizabeth was likely the older sibling of Angelina.

Are these females the children of the Joel Cook who died in 1854? If so, his wife was Elizabeth and she was deceased by 1850. That Joel was 83 in 1850, so born in 1767,

The Elizabeth Cook, wife of John Haney, who was 27 years old in the 1850 census, so born about 1823 in Kentucky, is clearly not Elizabeth Ring, but she could have been the daughter of Joel Cook and Elizabeth Ring, meaning Angelina’s sister. The challenge with this is that Elizabeth claims to have been born in KY in 1823 and the Joel Cook married to Elizabeth Ring was still in Russell County in both 1820 and 1830.

It appears that we have multiple generations of Joel Cooks. All of them confusing.

1850 and Later

By 1850, it’s very clear that our Joel #1 would have been deceased. I was hoping to find some proven family members, or records. Something to connect with our Joel, wife Alice and daughter, Sarah with other family members.

In Carter County on the 1850 census there is a Joel Cook McKinney, age 59 (same as the head of household, Daniel McKinney), that may actually be Joel Cook, and the McKinney ditto may be incorrect.

If so, this man may be the Joel (b KY) age 69 in Lewis County in 1860 with wife Eliza and daughter Louisa age 10, although I feel this is unlikely as Louisa is stated as age 10, not age 9 and in 1850 this man was living with another family.

In the 1870 census, we find Joel Cook in Carter Co., with the Dickison family, age 70, so born about 1800 born in TN. It’s very unlikely that any of these 3 men are the Russell Co. Joel Cook of 1820/30.

In 1871 Joel Cook of Carter County applies for a War of 1812 pension stating that he was drafted in Knoxville. The unit in which he was drafted was from primarily Greene, Sullivan, Washington, Carter, and Hawkins Counties, not Virginia.

The researcher who found this data proposed that this is the Joel that is the father of Sarah, but that’s impossible. Sarah was born in 1775 and all of these Joels were born after her.

The Joel Chart

Groupings are color coded, but open to correction based on additional research. Earliest appearance is shown in red. Highlights in the first row for family clusters.

Year	Joel #1 elder – Russell Co.	Clayton Cook – Floyd Co. (records < 1808 burned)	Joel #3 Floyd Co, KY	Joel #2 – the Younger in Russell Co. m Elizabeth Ring	Joel #4 Carter County, KY	Joel #5 Bath & Morgan Co., KY	Joel #6 the Younger in Carter Co. KY	Joel #7 Lewis Co., KY
Birth	Before 1754, probably before 1750, possibly as early as 1730	Abt 1767-1777	Before 1800	1780-1790	1767 VA father George	Before 1775, prob 1760-1770	Born TN 1799/1800	Born TN 1791
1795	Russell Co., VA land
1799	Sarah Cook married James Claxton
1805	Sells last of  land Russell Co., VA
1808		Road work order
1809				Tax list
				Tax list
1810		26-44 1765-1784		Tax list
1810		tax list – only Cook
1817			ordained minister
1820 census		26-45 1775-1794		16-45 b 1775-1794		Bath >45 bef 1775
1823				Husband of Elizabeth Ring – father’s will
1830 census		50-60 1770-1780		40-50 1780-1790		Morgan 60-70, 1760-1770, also Bath Co. J. Cook but younger *2
1831		In Hamilton Co., IN
1839					Tax list
1840		Hamilton Co., Indiana
1848				Assault *5
1850		LaClede Co., MO age 73
1854					Died, father George
1856					Angeline dies father Joel mother Elizabeth
1860								Age 69 b 1791
1870							B 1800 with Dickison family
1871							1812 pension app drafted Knoxville *4
Comment				*1	*3

*1 Joel’s daughter reported by researchers to have daughter Rachel born in 1823 married in 1838 in Carter Co., KY to Andrew Stuart.

*2 Morgan Co. formed from Floyd and Bath in 1822.

*3 Carter County formed in 1838 from Greenup and Lawrence.

*4 Knoxville unit in which he was drafted was from primarily Greene, Sullivan, Washington, Carter, and Hawkins Counties

*5 Probably a different Joel.

The Joel Cook Chart Analysis and Discussion

Fortunately, or unfortunately, this chart helped a bit, but not enough.

• Joel #1 is the Joel we are seeking, of course – meaning him or his descendants. He’s clearly associated with Clayton Cook who disappears from Russell Co., VA and is believed to be the Clayton who appears in Floyd Co., KY. There are no other good candidates for Clayton.
• We can set aside Joel #6 and #7 because they are later generations.
• That leaves us with Clayton Cook and Joel #3 who is also found in Floyd Co., KY.
• Joel #3, associated with Clayton, is the man who is the minister, recorded such in 1817.
• Joel #3 is NOT the same man as Joel #2, the younger Joel who is living in Russell County in 1820, because they are both on the 1820 census in different locations. They are in the same age bracket.
• There is also a Joel #5, born before 1775, found in Bath County, KY in 1820, so he is not Joel #2 (who is in Russell County) but may be the Joel #3 (who is in Floyd in 1817.) In 1830, he’s in Morgan County.
• Some researchers lump Joel #2, Joel #3 and Joel #5 together as one person, but that’s impossible based on the census and the fact that Joel #3 was ordained and recorded in Floyd County in 1817, but Joel #2 is still living in Russell County in both 1820 and 1830.
• Joel #2, the younger man in Russell County, and Joel #4 who died in 1854 and gave his father’s name as George could be the man from Russell County, EXCEPT, we linked Joel #4 and #5 as the same man and Joel @ and #4 are both in different location in the 1820 census.
• The connection between George Cook and Joel #1 in Russell County remains unclear, if there is a relationship.
• However, it appears that Joel #4 from Carter County was living in Morgan County in the 1820s, which introduced another quandary, because it means that Joel #2 and #4 cannot be the same person.

In summary (yea, I know, too late:)

1. Clayton Cook and Joel Cook #1 are associated in Russell County, VA.
2. Clayton Cook is associated with Joel #3 in Kentucky. The presumption (dangerous word) is that this is the same Clayton that was found in Russell County, VA.
3. I have no idea who Joel #5 is, but he’s not Joel #2 and he’s the same age as Clayton Cook, so he’s clearly not Clayton’s son. He’s probably not the man ordained in 1817.
4. Joel #4 and Joel #5 appear to be the same Joel who was born in 1767 in Virginia to George Cook.
5. Joel #2 and #4 cannot be the same person if Joel #4 is the same as Joel #5 who was living in Morgan County in 1830 because Joel #2 was living in Russell County in1830.

If you’re scratching your head and thinking to yourself, “what a mess,” I’d certainly concur. I feel like every time I find a sliver of evidence it calls into question or disproves something else that was previously believed to be “proven.”

I’m hoping that by reading the following information that other researchers may have more information than I do, and might be able to piece something together, or have relevant DNA matches.

Floyd Co., KY Extracted Data

Floyd Co. KY records prior to 1808 burned. Floyd County probate records begin in 1812. If Joel Cook from Russell County, VA went with Clayton to Floyd or Magoffin County, KY, around 1805, and died before 1812, we find no record of him.

Magoffin County was created from this portion of Floyd County in 1860.

Annals of Floyd Co., KY – 1800-1826

• Page 12 – June 4, 1811 – Indenture by William Winslow etc to Mason Williams and Jacob Henry in consideration of $150 in horse flesh for 300 acres of land on Licking River. Attest: William Prater, Claton Cook, Jacob Cook and Elizabeth Stone
• 13 – June 4, 1811 – Indenture by William Winslow to Clayton Cook and Samuel Hanna in the amount of $150 in horse flesh for 120 acres land on Burning Fork of Licking River. Attest: William Williams, William Prater, Ezekiel Stone
• 13 – Dec. 18, 1811 – Indenture between Samuel Hannah and Claton Cook, Hannah selling his interest in 120 acres of land on the Burning Fork of Licking River, Witness: Joseph Hannah, Ebenezer Hannah, William Prater and Mason Williams
• 50 – October 1808 – Court close levy, payment made to Clayton Cook and a long list of others.
• 56 – Clayton Cook appt surveyor of the road from where the road stricks the last fork of Middle Creek to John Williams to replace the said Williams who resigned.
• 58 –Oct. 1809 – Ordered Clayton Cook and his hands help James Cope open his road.
• 74 – May 28, 1811 – Archibald Prater appt surveyor of the road from where the road from the Floyd Courthouse strickes the last fork of Middle Creek to John Williams to replace Clayton Cook who resigned.
• 104 – July 3, 1815 – Clayton Cook appt surveyor of the road from the Burning Spring to John Williams. Also on Sept 25, 1815, Jeremiah Patrick was subpoenaed to show cause why he failed to give their list of taxable property.
• 115 – May 19, 1817 – Joel Cook produced credentials of his ordination in the Methodist Episcopal Church.
• 180 – June 21, 1819 – William Patrick Sr is appt to administrator of the estate of Jeremiah Patrick, decd. Isaac Williams, Clayton Cook, William Carter and Lewis Power are appt to appraise said estate.
• 210 – August 1823 – Clayton Cook appt surveyor of the road from the Morgan County line to Kezee’s Mill. Daniel Gullet is assistant.
• 226 – May 22, 1826 – Danie Clark appt surveyor in place of Clayton Cook who resigned.
• 229 – Aug. 28, 1826 – On the motion of Christopher Gullett, ordered that Clayton Cook, Daniel Clark, James Cook and William Cook view and mark the best way for a road around said Gullett’s farm.
• 244 – July 20, 1822 – Indenture from Thomas Patrick to John Cook in the amount of $70 for a tract of land on Burning Fork of Licking Creek.
• 249 – June 24, 1824 – Indenture from Mason Williams of Morgan Co, Ky to Daniel Clark of Floyd Co for $200 for 60 acre tract on the waters of Licking Creek. Attest: John Williams and Clayton Cook. I also noticed that on April 27, 1824 Jeremiah Patrick sold 50 acres on Licking River to Samuel Regen for $285.

The Patrick and Kenard families are the same as had been neighbors in Russell County.

• 256 – December 7, 1820 – bond by Samuel Kenard and Daniel Gullett for marriage shortly to be had between Samuel Kenard and Joanna Cook. To the clerk of Floyd Co. This will authorize you to give marriage lisons for my son Samuel Kennard and Joanna Cook as I am willing to the mach. Given under my hand this 5^th of December 1812. signed James Kennard.  Marriage date is given as Dec. 10, 1820.
• 288 – Bond dated April 28 1826 by James Cook and James Lacey for a marriage shortly to be had between James Cook and Ealy Ann Lacy. Marriage date is given as April 28, 1826.

County Court Records 1821-1835 Court Records

• 36 – June 1822 – On the motion of Elijah Prater ordered that Clayton Cook, William Prator, Christopher Gullett, Isaac Adams view road up the State Road Fork to intersect the road leading to Keezees mill.

• 111 – Daniel Clark appt surveyor of the road from the 22-mile Branch to the forks of the road near the head of the State Road Fork and that he call on the hands of Clayton Cook and Price Baily to assist him to keep the same road in repair according to law 15 and 9 feet.
• 118 – On motion of C. Gullet ordered that Cook, ? Clark, James Cook and William Cook being first sworn do view and mark a way for a road around his land and report to court according to law.
• 245 – 1830 or 1831 – Ord that Elizabeth Cook be subpoenaed to appear before the next county court to show cause if any she can or hath to say why her Stephen, Jesse and Eliza shall not be bound out as the law directs.
• 246 – Elizabeth Cook continued

County Court Records 1835-1847

 105 – 1838 – Commonwealth against Solomon Cook, deft, vagrancy, the def appeared in open court in discharge of his recognizance entered into herein who was craved in custody of the sheriff and being demanded of him whether he was guilty or not guilty.  He stands charged as stated and says he is in no wise guilty thereof and there upon came a jury (names omitted) who say the defendant is not guilty and the def is discharged.

1856-1860

No Cooks

County Court Records 1865-1873

• 176 – 1868 – Solomon Cook be exonerated from the payment of county levy in the future on account of age and infirmity.
• 160 – William Cook, Judge in 1871 and forward, did not extract his entries

County Court Records 1873-1880

• 214 – 1876 special term – Commonwealth of KY against Solomon Cook on a charge of lunacy and jurors impaneled (names omitted) and an attorney appointed to defend for said lunatic…we the jury find the def to be on unsound mind, that he is a lunatic, has lost his mind within the last 6 months, cause not known, was born in Pike Co., KY and has resided in this county 9 or 10 years, owns no estate, parents dead, 3 children living, wife has no estate, Solomon is a pauper, he is vicious and dangerous and uncontrollable and should be transported to the asylum, but not alone. (Part of the last part is half cut off, page 215.)

Note he was age 30 in the 1870 census.

• 338 – 1879 – Ordered that Thomas Hopkins, Samuel H. Isaacs and Harvy Johnson be appt as reviewers to review a new road beginning at the house of Miles Hall on Right Beaver thence up the same by way of John Henry Cook’s and across the mountain to intersect with the proposed new county road being made by Pike County.

County Records 1897 – 1901

• 81 – 1898 – George W. Cook in dist 6 stands charged upon the assessors books with personal property amounting to the sum of $247….said Cook has left the county and left no property.
• 83 – 1898 – N. Cook in dist 6 stands improperly charged upon assessors book for the year 1898 with 35 acres land valued and $77…said Cook is not the owner of any land.

Floyd Co. Marriages 1800-1850

• George W. Cook married Ealiann Lacy April 28, 1826
• William Cook m Sally Prater March 22, 1829
• Samuel Kennard m Joanna Cook Dec 10, 1820 by William Coffee (see file #499) (she age 30-40 in 1840 census, found among the Patrick’s, probably the daughter of Clayton)
• James Randall m Elizabeth Cook 18, 1859

Deaths 1852-1859

No Cooks

Rev Soldiers

No Cooks

1810 taxpayers – heads of household

Clayton Cook – no other Cooks

Cemetery book is only indexed by cemetery. I did not search those.

Index to Survey Books A, B, C and D

• Clayton Cook, book A, p 459, 50 acres on Licking River in 1825
• Pierce Cook, book B, p 278, 200 acres on Dry Creek, 1881
• Soloman Cook, book B, page 82, 100 acres, Dry Creek, 1869
• William Cook, book B, page 145, 70 acres on Dry Creek, 1872

Floyd County, KY Census:

1820

• Clayton Cook 1 male under 10, 2 10-16, 1 16-18, 2 16-26, 1 26-45 (born 1775-1794), 5 females under 10, 1 10-16, 1 26-45 (page 7)
• Henry Cook – 1 male under 10, 1 26-45 (born 1775-1794), 1 female 16-26 (page 20)

1830

• Clayton Cook – 1 male 10-15, 1 50-60, 1 female 5-10, 2 10-15, 2 15-20, 1 50-60 (he was born 1770-1780, she was probably born about 1777 given the age of the youngest child, so he is probably older than her so closer to the 1770 than the 1780) (page 27)
• William Cook lives next door – 1 male under 5, 1 20-30, 1 female 20-30 (likely the son of Clayton) (William Cook married Sally Prater in 1829.)
• An Elizabeth Cook lives in Prestonburg, 1 male 5-10, 1 10-15, 1 female under 5, 1 15-20, 1 30-40. We know from the court case three of her children’s names.

1840

• Sally Cook, 1 male under 5, 1 female under 5, 2 5-10, 1 30-40 (page 35) This is the same group of Cooks because she is among the Praters and Patricks where the Clayton group was previously. She is likely a young widow of one of Clayton’s boys. William Cook married Sally Prater in 1829 and this is likely her.
• The only Clayton Cook in 1840 of the age to potentially be this Clayton is found in Clay, Hamilton, County, Indiana and is age 60-69, so born in 1780-1790.

Tracking Clayton Cook

Clayton Cook is quite relevant to Joel Cook, so let’s track Clayton forward in time.

• November 19, 1831, Clayton Cook entered a tract in Deerfield Township, Hamilton County, Indiana: The East Half of the Northeast Quarter of Section 9, Township 17 North, Range 3 East, containing 80 acres.
• Clayton Cook obtained a land grant for 80 acres in Hamilton County, Indiana in 1834 and for 40 acres in Marion County, Indiana in 1837. This Clayton’s daughter, Sally Cook married Fieldon Clark in Marion County, Indiana on August 8, 1833.
• Hamilton County, Clay Township, Indiana history states that Clayton Cook arrived about 1832 as well as the following people; John Pierce, Elias Harvey, Abraham Jacob, William Jessup, William Hawkins, Jacob Cook, Stephen Hinshaw, Jonas Hoover, Eli Johnson, David Smith, Micajah Elston, Robert Ellis, James Sanders, John Essex, Joshua Wright, Owen Williams, Nathaniel Webber, Henry Davis, Daniel Smith and Absalom Harold.
• January 19, 1836 Rec. November 8, 1836Book “E” page 230: Clayton Cook conveys to James Cook: A part of the East half of the North East quarter of section number Nine in Township number seventeen north of range three east Beginning a‑ stake on the line dividing section nine and ten where there is two white oak witness trees thence north on said line dividing section nine and four thence west sixty nine poles thence South Eighty poles then East thirty six poles thence south fourteen poles thence east forty six poles thence North fourteen poles to the place of beginning containing forty acres more or less. SIGNED: Clayton Cook, Anna Cook. ACKN0WLEDGED: Clayton Cook and Anna Cook, she being ex­amined separate and apart from her said husband, before Y. Carey Davis, seat, a Justice of the Peace in and for Hamilton County, Indiana.
• In 1850, a Clayton Cook, age 73, so born in 1777 in Virginia is found in Laclede, Missouri, with a 42-year-old female, Virginia.

WikiTree provides a relatively complete bio for Clayton, here, along with a Find-a-Grave entry, here. Unfortunately, no Clayton Cook descendants are listed as having taken DNA tests at WikiTree.

Are there multiple Clayton Cooks who are intermingled and actually not related?

Do these men descend from one Clayton Cook, born about 1720 in Hanover County, Virginia, the son of Abraham Cook and Martha Clayton? Here’s a great discussion of what is and is not known of this early lineage, and here as well.

Assembling the Pieces

Considering their proximity to each other in Russell Co. combined with the proximity of Joel Cook and Clayton (or Claton) Cook in Floyd County, it’s likely that this Clayton Cook is the same Clayton found in Russell County, and that this Joel in Floyd County is somehow related to Clayton – probably a son. I wish we had more evidence.

The Joel in 1817 who was ordained as a minister is clearly not the elder Joel, but he could easily have been a son of Clayton. Unfortunately, we have no record of what ultimately happened to this Joel.

However, there is a connection between the minister Joel and Russell County, VA. The Montgomery family was found in Russell County in 1799 and also migrated to Floyd County, KY. We find:

I Joel Cook minister of Gospel in the Methodist church do hereby certify that I this day solemnized the Rites of Matrimony between Joseph Montgomery and Matildah Howard agreeable to the ceremonies od said church given under my hand the 29th of Oct 1817.

Kentucky Historical Marker No. 202 in Magoffin County, KY, near the Salyersville City limits states the following:

Archibald Prater, John Williams, Ebenezer Hanna, Clayton Cook and others attempted to settle here in 1794 but were driven out by Indians. They returned in 1800 and settled Licking Station.

If indeed Clayton arrived on the frontier in 1794, he would have been born prior to 1774.

Salyersville was originally called Licking Station and Prater’s Branch is located maybe half a mile east. Henry Scalf, in Kentucky’s Last Frontier, page 120, states that the settlement attempt was made somewhat earlier in time and states that:

“wandering bands of Indians forced them either to retreat back to Virginia or plunge deeper into Kentucky. They decided on the latter.”

This doesn’t say anything about Russell County, but it might well explain why Joel and Clayton both appear in Russell County, VA in 1795, and then a few years later again back in Floyd County, with some families of the same surnames of their neighbors in Russell County before 1808 when the first records appear.

Floyd County records in the Annals of Floyd Co 1800-1826, record court payments to Clayton Cook and various appointments as surveyor for road work beginning in 1808. Claton Cook and Jacob Cook witnessed a deed for 300 acres of land on Licking River in June 1811. Given that Jacob was likely related to Clayton, he had to have been born wherever Clayton came from, because Jacob would have been at least 16, and likely 21 to witness a deed.

In 1810, Clayton is listed in Floyd Co., KY as between 26 and 44 with 7 children and a female 16-25. In 1820, he’s still between 26 and 45 and now has 12 children and a female 26-45. I’m guessing they are both around 45, but if so, Clayton would have been born about 1775. In 1830, Clayton is in Floyd Co. and is age 50-59, so born 1770-1780.

The question is, who is this Joel in Kentucky and how is he related to Clayton. The Joel in Floyd County clearly is not Joel, the father of Sarah who married James Claxton in 1799 in Russell County, VA. And our Joel is not the Joel found in Russell County in 1820 or so.

What happened to our Joel and is he the father of Clayton who went to Kentucky, and then on to Indiana, then Missouri?

Did our Joel the elder die in eastern Kentucky, living near Clayton before 1808 when the Floyd County records begin? Maybe buried along the trail? Or did he go someplace else entirely and perhaps live with a child?

Where did our Joel come from before arriving in Russell County? The fact that the Y DNA lines for different Cook lineages that seemingly “should” be related, aren’t, given the name of Clayton and geographic proximity of Russell County is both confusing and frustrating. Clayton Cook is a very uncommon name.

The family descending from Abraham Cook through son Clayton in early Virginia is one haplogroup, and the later John Cook (born 1804) descendants in Russell County descent from a completely different Cook line.

It’s certainly possible that we have two (or more) distinct Cook families in Russell County. It’s also possible that these lines began as one, but then had a genetic fork in the Russell County group.

Autosomal DNA

Customers can search their DNA matches at Ancestry, MyHeritage and FamilyTreeDNA by Ancestral surname, but not by ancestor. Cook is a fairly common surname, but having the ability to search for either Joel Cook or Clayton Cook would narrow those matches to only those that are potentially significant.

Unfortunately, that’s not an option.

While I clearly wouldn’t match all of Joel’s descendants, I should match some of them. Joel is my 5th great-grandfather, or 7 generations back in time, and I match several people through his daughter, Sarah.

Brick Wall Standing Firm

As of today, we are still firmly brick-walled with Joel Cook in in Russell County, Virginia who disappeared from the records in 1805. I feel like this is more like an infinity knot than a brick wall – no matter where you pull on a string, it only gets tighter. Will Joel ever give up his secrets?

Given that Joel seems to be connected to Clayton Cook who we think is the same Clayton Cook that went to Floyd County, KY, and on to both Indiana and Missouri – I’d love to make contact with any descendants. Also, I’d love to connect with any descendants of the various Joels in Kentucky. Maybe, eventually, multiple relevant autosomal DNA matches will reveal something resembling an answer.

If you descend from any of these Cook families and have DNA tested at any of the vendors, please check and see if I’m on your match list, or anyone with the ancestral surname of Clarkson or Claxton that descends from Sarah Cook and James Lee Clarkson/Claxton. I’d be oh so grateful.

If you’re descended from these lines, please do reach out.

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My Book

• DNA for Native American Genealogy – by Roberta Estes, for those ordering the e-book from anyplace, or paperback within the United States
• DNA for Native American Genealogy – for those ordering the paperback outside the US

Genealogy Books

• Genealogical.com – Lots of wonderful genealogy research books

Genealogy Research

• Legacy Tree Genealogists – Professional genealogy research

On January 28^th, 1986, a bright, sunny Florida morning, the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after launch, killing all 7 crew members aboard. Later, we learned that their deaths probably occurred instantaneously or within seconds after the explosion ripped the capsule apart, but we didn’t know that at the time. Thank goodness they didn’t suffer and may have been blessedly unconscious, unaware of what was happening.

In the US, many people still listened to and watched the shuttle launches. This launch, in particular, was more widely viewed because teacher Crista McAuliffe was among the crew members. The launch feed was piped into many classrooms, including to Crista’s own students who had been celebrating and cheering wildly, then fell into stunned silence.

Newspapers.com shared this image today.

Most people who are old enough to recall remember exactly what they were doing that day.

I was driving on Interstate 96 in Michigan, on the way to the Hewlett Packard office where I worked. I was listening to the launch on the radio, as I did most space launches, given that I was then and remain a space geek. This launch, this time, though, was different.

Something was wrong. Very wrong.

Of course, I couldn’t see the images in the car, but I can still hear the newscaster’s voice and recall vividly where I was on the expressway. I knew I was only about 10 minutes from the office.

I clung to every word along the way. The newscaster didn’t tell us outright that the Challenger had exploded, but simply that there was something wrong, and there had been a “major malfunction,” followed by complete and utter silence. That NEVER happens on air. Never. I turned the radio up, but it was still eerily silent.

After what seemed like the longest minute or two ever, he simply said that the “vehicle had exploded.” We know now that he was listening to mission control and was probaby trying to digest what he was hearing, and weighing exactly what to say, knowing he had to say something.

He spoke dryly in very measured tones of “recovery and contingency procedures,” and then that they had “impact in the water.” You could tell he was well-trained, but the lack of urgency, panic and shock in his voice allowed us to be hopeful that it wasn’t as bad as the situation suggested.

Remember, I was in a vehicle and couldn’t see anything. I was shocked and numb. Tears began to slip down my cheeks, but I couldn’t cry because I had to drive. I needed to get to that television and see what was transpiring. Maybe I was misunderstanding.

I wanted to believe that the capsule had simply fallen into the ocean and the crew would be picked up. Maybe it was just the booster and the capsule itself was alright. Maybe.

This launch had been previously delayed. I already had a bad feeling about it. I wanted to be wrong.

You can view the NASA video here. It’s still very difficult for me to watch.

When I arrived at the office about 10 minutes later, everyone was clustered tightly around the single small television on the premises, in dead silence. Many were crying.

By this time, more commentary had emerged. I have no idea who was speaking, but the explosion and pieces cascading in graceful smokey arched contrails into the ocean was replaying. I was horrified. When I saw all those separate pieces, I realized what we were watching.

I knew that Crista’s parents and children were in the stands watching, along with the families of the other astronauts. Nothing prepares you to watch that, even though everyone knew space travel held inherent risk.

Given that a school teacher was allowed to join the crew, we believed that perhaps space travel had become safter and one day, more civilians would join those ranks.

The difference between this disaster and others is that in an instant, it was burned with a branding iron into the collective consciousness of an entire set of generations.

We witnessed it, then again and again on replay, and it was shockingly horrible. Most of us remember vividly where we were at the time.

Many were confused at first. We didn’t believe or maybe understand what we saw. We were in collective shock. No, no, this couldn’t possibly be real.

Slowly, as the day wore on, our worst fears were realized and we understood that we had witnessed the deaths of 7 incredibly brave people in the clear, blue sky above Cape Kennedy.

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

This was never supposed to happen.

High Flight

The poem High Flight was written by John Gillespie Magee, Jr. in 1941, but was quickly associated with the Challenger accident when then-President Reagan spoke some of these legendary words to a shocked and grieving nation in his public address to the country in lieu of the previously planned State-of-the-Union. His speech still makes me cry – it was and is incredibly inspirational, as is “High Flight.”

“Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds –
and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of –
wheeled and soared and swung high in the sunlit silence.
Hovering there I’ve chased the shouting wind along
and flung my eager craft through footless halls of air.

“Up, up the long delirious burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace,
where never lark, or even eagle, flew;
and, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod
the high untrespassed sanctity of space,
put out my hand and touched the face of God.”

High Flight is carved on the back of the Challenger Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery where the co-mingled cremated remains of the crew were laid to rest that May.

For years, I had a copy of High Flight magneted to my filing cabinet, the words brought me comfort, honoring the pioneering spirit of those brave souls, along with others less famous and often forgotten.

Dave’s Departure

Twenty-six years later, on the same day in 2012, about the same time, my brother Dave slipped his bonds of earth too.

Not long before, Dave took this picture through the windshield of his big rig in the mountains someplace out west, probably on his last run. I always think of him, “there,” in that light. I think of them “there” too.

This day and date are forever seared into my memory. Those two events are now forever linked by a common day in terms of grief and disbelief, but also because of bravery, inspiration, admiration and love.

Share Your Memories?

What are your memories of the Challenger explosion? Have you shared them with your family members? Where were you? How did it affect you?

_____________________________________________________________

Follow DNAexplain on Facebook, here or follow me on Twitter, here.

Share the Love!

You’re always welcome to forward articles or links to friends and share on social media.

If you haven’t already subscribed (it’s free,) you can receive an email whenever I publish by clicking the “follow” button on the main blog page, here.

You Can Help Keep This Blog Free

I receive a small contribution when you click on some of the links to vendors in my articles. This does NOT increase the price you pay but helps me to keep the lights on and this informational blog free for everyone. Please click on the links in the articles or to the vendors below if you are purchasing products or DNA testing.

Thank you so much.

DNA Purchases and Free Uploads

• FamilyTreeDNA – Y, mitochondrial and autosomal DNA testing
• MyHeritage DNA – Autosomal DNA test
• MyHeritage FREE DNA file upload – Upload your DNA file from other vendors free
• AncestryDNA – Autosomal DNA test
• 23andMe Ancestry – Autosomal DNA only, no Health
• 23andMe Ancestry Plus Health

Genealogy Products and Services

• MyHeritage FREE Tree Builder – Genealogy software for your computer
• MyHeritage Subscription with Free Trial
• Legacy Family Tree Webinars – Genealogy and DNA classes, subscription-based, some free
• Legacy Family Tree Software – Genealogy software for your computer
• Newspapers.com – Search newspapers for your ancestors
• NewspaperArchive – Search different newspapers for your ancestors

My Book

• DNA for Native American Genealogy – by Roberta Estes, for those ordering the e-book from anyplace, or paperback within the United States
• DNA for Native American Genealogy – for those ordering the paperback outside the US

Genealogy Books

• Genealogical.com – Lots of wonderful genealogy research books

Genealogy Research

• Legacy Tree Genealogists – Professional genealogy research

Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing this holiday season, I wish you light, much joy and cheer.

Perhaps your heart is singing because you’re with family you haven’t seen in three years now.

Or, maybe you’re making new memories, with new friends, someplace different.

Or perhaps you flew the coop and you’re not “staying home” at all.

Maybe you’re not visiting someone else either.

Perhaps you’re gathering someplace new, making memories you never imagined possible, penning a brand-spanking-new chapter.

Far, far from home.

Maybe the old surroundings were just too painful.

Because a loved one slipped away. Remember them as their most beautiful selves – inside and out.

Take them with you in your soul. They are part of you and your new journey, guiding and protecting you along the way.

Life has changed a lot in the past few years, months and even weeks. There is more than one kind of death.

Maybe your life is in complete disarray, down to bare bones and seriously “under construction.” Nothing in its place or where it belongs, wherever that might be.

Maybe you feel like this chapter will never end.

I’m so with you on this one, but sooner-or-later, it will. Perhaps one day, you will even laugh at this adventure, “the good old days,” once it’s a distant memory of course.

Maybe you feel like you just can’t face tomorrow, or don’t want to. I’ve had those “I just want to stay in bed” days recently.

Too many of them.

But then, I glance up and I’m reminded of the simple beauty there just for the viewing. An envoy sent by Mother Nature.

Hi baby!

I’m holding you in the light and wishing you warm and sunny days. Basking in beauty

The fog and grey does lift and gives way to the glorious sunshine.

Sometimes sunshine is delivered in the form of a flower.

Or a few.

Or “furever” puppy love when you’ve rescued someone in desperate, life-threatening need.

Morning comes, even from the longest and darkest of nights. Just ask Savoy. He may be blind and can only use three legs now, but he feels love deeply and says that love and friendship arrives when you’ve given up and least expect it – in surprise packages.

Like, you, for instance.

Lighting the way for another illuminates the path for you too.

Sometimes small things are the biggest and mean so much – arriving just when you need them.

Sometimes the past just has to stay there. Cut those binding anchor ropes and float free.

Perhaps you need to light up your life with something new. Someplace new.

Dive right in and keep moving forward.

I know it sounds like a bird-brained idea, but let your imagination take flight.

May you embark on a grand new adventure.

And perhaps gain a new and different perspective along the way.

Sometimes, releasing, giving away, downsizing and beginning anew is actually gaining, not reducing.

Perspectives change. Maybe your “things” are seeds for another.

May your waters be calm, and your smiles reflect glorious happiness.

May new memories weave their way into the fiber of the old as you paddle your way through life’s currents.

May you decorate your life in unconventional ways.

Even if the familiar is completely gone. Sometimes we just have to seize the moment and redecorate our own lives.

Take a deep breath. Refresh and renew.

If old traditions are painful, leave them behind and make a new one.

Even if you need to be incognito.

Don’t displace your sense of humor😊

Wherever life has taken you, and wherever you find yourself, I wish you safe journey, safe harbour and smiles as you savor the path along the way.

Even if the trip has has been long and you’ve had to wait awhile.

Don’t worry though, because I’m sure Santa can always find you.

May your ancestors visit or at least send a message, share their wisdom and sustain you this holiday season.

And maybe, if you’ve been very, VERY good, they’ll even tell you who their parents were!

WHAT????

Oh wait, wait – sorry – I think maybe Santa drifted off and fell asleep again.

Their names are John Smith and Mary, last name unknown, but probably Jones, at least I think that’s what it says. There you go!

😊

Your ancestors, John and Mary, followed their path, from who-knows-where to some county where all the records burned.

For all we don’t know about them, we know that eventually, they begat the people who begat the people who begat you. All those tiny, seemingly unimportant choices made a HUGE difference.

You descend from a long line of dreamers and adventurers, on that journey of life through the land called Unknown.

May your life be blessed so that you, in turn, can make a difference. Opportunities exist at nearly every turn.

Light a candle. Change the darkness.

Fulfillment isn’t about what we get, but what we have the privilege to contribute, the differences we make in the lives of others.

When you have taken that final step on your winding and uncertain path and are ready to walk on, may you look back upon your footprints and reflect upon a very long and cluttered trail, strewn with all of differences that you made.

Happy Holidays

Let’s begin this journey by disproving Hugh Benson’s birth.

He might have been the Hugh Benson born on September 5, 1653 to William Benson in Yorkshire. The timeframe fits, and so does the location for Catholics.

Transcribed; “Hugh Benson, sone to Wm. Benson, the 4 of September.” The year, “53” is recorded at right.

This record is attached to many trees, but it’s incorrect. How do we know that?

Further digging in this church’s records reveals that this child, Hugh Benson, was buried on November 7, 1653, so this is NOT our Hugh Benson unless he came back to life.

And no, there were not multiple Hugh Bensons born to William Benson in this same church, at least not that are indexed.

This is a reminder about getting excited and failing to check further. A name and place does not a match make, no matter how much we want that to be the case. I ws very disappointed, to put it mildly.

There are other Hugh Bensons born about this time in England, but we don’t know which one, if any of those, is ours.

Arrival

The first record we can attribute to our Hugh Benson is his arrival in Maryland which would have taken between two and four months onboard a ship, assuming nothing went wrong.

We know Hugh Benson was transported into the colony of Maryland on February 16, 1671 by Thomas Notley. He was apparently one of 53 “adventurers” and was free by 1682. The fact that Notley describes them as “adventurers” tells us that they weren’t convicts, political prisoners, petty thieves, or perhaps even common indentured servants. Researcher Kent Walker believes that this shipload of men were handpicked by the Catholic gentry because they were known and trusted.

Many ships arrived at St. Clement’s Island at the entrance of St. Clement’s Bay, as did the first settlers in 1634. Blackistone Lighthouse marks the location, along with a cross, today marks the location in the St. Clement’s Island State Park.

While we don’t know the name of the ship that transported Hugh, the St. Mary’s Historic District created a full-sized working replica of the Dove, above, the smaller of two ships that arrived in March of 1634 with settlers, Jesuit missionaries, and indentured servants to establish what would become Maryland. The Calvert family was fulfilling their dream of establishing a safe haven for Catholics who were persecuted in England beginning in the mid-1500s during the rule of Henry VIII. Life as a Catholic became increasingly dangerous in the 17^th and 18^th centuries.

The larger ships looked something like this replica in Amsterdam

Confined on these ships for weeks, mostly below deck, sleeping like cordwood in rows of hammocks, passengers would have been anything but comfortable. I tried a hammock, and not only could I not get in, I barely got out. Let’s just say there was a lot of laughter.

I’m not even going to mention personal hygiene on these ships, because there wasn’t any.

If you were lucky, the water wasn’t contaminated, lasted the length of the voyage, and the food didn’t rot or become spoiled on the way.

Danger loomed everyplace.

The ships, the masts, something going wrong, weather, dysentery, typhoid, falling or being washed overboard, not to mention issues like chronic seasickness.

One had to really, REALLY want to make this journey, or maybe have no choice in the matter.

Some died, some traveled once and never again, but others make a life on the sea.

Thomas Notley, the man who transported Hugh Benson, was a Catholic planter, merchant, and attorney in St. Mary’s County. He was active as a Burgess beginning not long after his arrival in 1662. He lived in St. Clements Hundred, and in St. Mary’s City.

In 1663, Notley purchased 500 acres from Thomas Gerrard and then added another 1800 acres. He built Notley Hall, a manor about 2-3 miles south of what is today, Maddox, Maryland. This may well have been where Hugh Benson spent at least part, if not all of his indenture.

The archives of Maryland report that their council meetings on August 6, 1676 and January 1678 were held at Manahowick’s Neck, meaning Notley’s Manor. Hugh was likely there in 1676, as indentured servants weren’t generally freed for 7 years. During a full council meeting, Notley probably had all of his servants and enslaved people at the location where many people were gathered. Notley would have needed prodigious amounts of food, lodging, and personal services for his many guests.

You can get an idea of what this area looked like by viewing the photos from the Lower Notley Hall Farm event facility, here.

Notley died testate in 1679, with no children. In his estate, he had “11 male slaves, 8 female slaves, 2 male servants, 1 female servant, 10 undetermined slaves, 5 undetermined servants.”

Hugh Benson may have been one of those servants, depending on the length of time he had to serve for his transportation. The normal length of indentured servitude was 7 years, so he might have been freed in 1678. The length of time could have been more or less depending on the contract or specific circumstances.

Dr. Carr summarized her findings about Hugh in her work and reflects that Hugh was free by 1682.

What’s somewhat confusing is Hugh’s marriage and wife, Catherine, whose birth surname is unknown.

It wasn’t common practice for indentured men to marry before arrival. Indentured people generally weren’t allowed to marry during their servitude, either.

However, we know that Hugh had at least two children with his wife, Catherine, before his death in 1687.

Mary Benson was born to Hugh Benson and Catherine sometime after his 1671 immigration, probably between 1673 and 1680, in St. Clement’s Hundred.

It’s thanks to records relating to that daughter, Mary, that we know as much about Hugh Benson as we do.

St. Clement’s Hundred was defined as St. Clements Island and 5 miles into the mainland. St. Clements is where Thomas Notley lived as well as the colonial capital at St. Mary’s City.

This inset from a 1685 map shows the Pamunkey Indian land, Portabaco, Clements Bay and St. Clements Island, and then St. Marys City. Zachia Swamp, spelled Zachkia and noted by its Native name of Pamgayo played a huge role in the lives of the next generation of settlers.

What was going on at that time in Maryland, based on the few existing St. Clements manorial records?

September 1670 – We prsent That the Lord of the Mannor (Thomas Gerard) hath not provided a paire of Stocks, pillory, and Cucking Stoole. Ordered that these Instrumts of Justice be provided by the next Court by a generall contribution throughout the Manor

“Instruments of Justice”

Stocks and pillories were both installed in the public square.

Stocks, as opposed to the pillory, only restrained the legs, and while seated. Stocks were used as both punishment as well as restraint while the accused was awaiting trial. Often people were sentenced to more than a day confined in the stocks, so they would have to soil themselves.

Since part of the point was humiliation, passerbys were encouraged to do whatever came to mind. Fiendish boys would often remove the shoes of the person in the stocks and tickle their feet. Trash and other objects were thrown, and whipping occurred, sometimes to the bottoms of the bare feet.

These stocks remain in Belstone in Dartmoor, England, as a historical marker. Notice that there is no backrest.

A pillory restrains the hands and head while the victim is standing.

Here’s me in a replica pillory in Williamsburg.

Traditional pillories were often elevated on a platform for spectator sport and designed as a torture device. I couldn’t find any historical images that weren’t nauseating and I’m not going to describe what else was done to pilloried people. Humans can be unbelievably cruel and take such perverse pleasure in inflicting cruelty upon others, and watching. I’m amazed what crowds can be convinced to go along with sometimes.

I might be smiling in this photo, but trust me, no one who was there for more than about 5 minutes would have been smiling. If you relaxed your legs, you effectively hung yourself.

What offenses got you sentenced to time in the pillory in colonial America? Public intoxication, blasphemy, fortune telling, arson, and if you were enslaved, escaping or attempting to. The pillory was also a method of disabling someone while others abused, tortured, or murdered, them.

The third “instrument of justice,” the cuckolding stool was used to dunk offenders, primarily women, who were deemed disorderly or “too scoldy,” as indicated by this 1615 ballad:

Then was the Scold herself,
In a wheelbarrow brought,
Stripped naked to the smock,
As in that case she ought:
Neats tongues about her neck
Were hung in open show;
And thus unto the cucking stool
This famous scold did go.

Sadly, many women were immersed for so long that they drown. And yes, people watched for sport.

Eventually, dunking, with or without benefit of a chair, was a test for witchcraft. If you didn’t drown, you were deemed to be in league with the devil, and you were then killed. If you’re thinking to yourself that there was no “win” here, you’d be exactly right.

Yes, unfortunately, there were witchcraft trials in Maryland. Moll Dyer, who died about 1697, was reportedly chased from her home by local townspeople in the winter of 1697 in Leonard’s Town, Maryland, after being accused of witchcraft. It’s thought that Moll was actually a healer, but a flu epidemic during the winter of 1697 led to her being an easy mark for people looking for a scapegoat.

Moll was found a few days later, dead, frozen to a stone, now named the Moll Dyer’s rock. The rock was rediscovered and transported to the courthouse square several years ago.

You could be a Catholic in Maryland, but don’t even think about being a healer or, Heaven forbid, being “scoldy” or talking back to your husband. So, I wonder if scolding people for not going to church was acceptable. And what about scoldy men?

I think if I lived in early Maryland, I might just get dunked for even asking those questions out loud.

Everyday Life

Reading the transcribed documents in the Maryland archives is quite interesting, not just for witches, but to understand the drumbeat of everyday life.

For example, an October 28, 1672 list of residents, leaseholders, and freeholders shows within St. Clement’s Manor shows Thomas Notley, but not Hugh Benson, which of course, means that Hugh was a servant.

Citizens were mentioned or reprimanded for a variety of offenses in St. Clement’s Hundred, including

• keeping a tippling house
• a man’s dogs injuring another man’s hogs
• creating an affray and shedding blood
• annoying another by keeping hogs, a mare and foal
• selling drink without a license at unlawful rates
• reporting a stray horse
• not showing up for court
• unlawfully cutting timber
• killing a hogg but not sharing with the “lord of the manor”

The next peek we get into the life of Hugh Benson is in 1682, nearly a dozen years after his arrival, when his unnamed daughter is mentioned in the will of Collins Mackenzie.

The Maryland Calendar of wills provides us with this tantalizing tidbit.

Who was Collins Mackenzie, and why did he leave something to the unnamed daughter of Hugh Benson? That daughter had to be quite young. Is there a relationship with either Hugh or his wife, Catherine?

Whatever he left Benson’s daughter had to be tangible, because in Collin’s estate payments, nothing was paid to either Benson or Trench, which, it turns out, was actually James French who was also transported by Notley and indentured to Luke Gardiner on St. Clement’s Island.

There’s Richard Gardner, spelled elsewhere as Gardiner, again.

Because Mackenzie didn’t name a daughter, this also suggests that Hugh Benson only had one daughter, but since it was a nuncupative (spoken) will, he could simply have been very ill and near death.

If that unnamed daughter is Mary Benson, and we have to assume it is, she married Bowling Speake (of Charles County, MD) sometime in the early 1790s and they purchased land from the Gardiner family. How are these families interlaced?

According to a 1741 lawsuit, Richard Gardiner sold land to Hugh Benson of St. Mary’s County, MD, sometime after 1681.

Your Committee further find that the said Richard Crackborne by his Deed bearing date the 17th day of November 1681 did Bargain and Sell the said Tract of Land to Richard Gardiner of Saint Marys County in Fee Your Committee also find that Richard Gardiner and Elizabeth his Wife of St. Marys County aforesaid did Convey to Hugh Benson of the same County Planter 100 Acres Part of the said Tract in Fee [p. 273]

The following paragraph states the location.

Your Committee likewise find that Mary Speake is the reputed Daughter and Heiress at Law of Hugh Benson and that she intermarried (as it is said) with Bowling Speak of Charles County and that the said Bowling Speak and the said Mary his Wife, by their deed Bearing date the 31st of March 1739 did Convey the said Parcell of Land unto the Petitioner Thomas [Spalding] in Fee All which deeds appear to Your Committee to be duly Executed Your Committee further find by the Information of W James Swann a Member of your House that the Land called Crackbornes Purchase mentioned by the Petitioners to be Granted is of greater Value than that Part of the Land the Petitioners pray to be enabled to dispose of called Seamour Town or known by the name of Leonards Town.

Leonard’s Town, now Leonardtown, was part way between Notley Hall and St Mary’s City, so located just about perfectly. Given that Hugh Benson was Thomas Notley’s servant, he probably traveled this route many times between Notley Hall, the docks at Colton’s Point at St. Clement, and St. Mary’s City on behalf of his master. That path runs right through the center of Leondard’s Town. Perhaps Hugh spent the night there on his journey which would have been too distant for one day.

Leonardtown remains small, with quite a bit of land remaining undeveloped.

Leonardtown is charming and quaint today, with its old jail, now serving as a museum and visitor center still standing beside the courthouse. The original jail was apparently across the street.

The cannon in the garden outside is from the original ship, the Ark, one of two that transported the first settlers to Maryland in 1634.

The early bayside settlements like Leonard’s Town were ports, with towns established dockside to enable loading, unloading, and transacting business.

Hugh Benson was a planter, meaning a farmer in the vernacular of the day.

Historical St. Mary’s City has reconstructed a typical 17th-century planter’s house based on their findings in more than 200 archaeological digs. The home of Hugh and his family probably looked very much like this, with an outside kitchen.

Or, if Hugh was a little more well-do-do, perhaps he built a home with fireplaces, 4 rooms, and two partial stories like 1700s-era St. Mary’s Manor West.

Or, maybe their home looked more like Resurrection Manor, built as early as 1660, but now demolished. Library of Congress photos, here.

This internal photo was taken after Resurrection Manor had survived for nearly 300 years. Fireplaces heated homes which were quite small by comparison to today’s structures. Many, if not most, residences had outside kitchens, but Katherine may have cooked in a fireplace like this, with a grate, cauldron and pothooks, especially in the winter.

A period actor playing the role of Leonard Calvert at the colonial statehouse in St. Mary’s City gives us a glimpse into how the people Hugh interacted with would have dressed.

Hugh, of course, was probably dressed in much less opulent attire.

When in St. Mary’s on business for or with Thomas Notley, Hugh may well have worshipped in the Catholic Church built in 1667, reconstructed today.

The original settlers purchased land from the Piscataway Indians with whom they lived and traded peacefully for many years. The Indians befriended and helped the early colonists, being eager to learn more about their advanced methods and metal tools, like guns which made hunting much easier.

I found listings for three Testamentary Proceedings involving Hugh Benson although I have not examined the folios:

• 1682 – St. Mary’s Liber 12B, folio 309
• 1687 – St. Mary’s Liber 13, folio 514 (his estate filed)
• 1687 – St. Mary’s Liber 14, folio 43

Hugh Benson died in 1687 as a relatively young man, under 40, and probably suddenly, given that he had no will. What happened? Was there an accident?

On August 19, 1687, Katherine renounced administration of his estate to Richard Gardiner, who died not long thereafter in England. Gardiner was a fellow Catholic and Burgess.

In Gardiner’s estate proceedings, payment for a debt was received from Hugh Benson. Of course, that could have been an old debt, or given that the settlement was in 1696, that Hugh Benson could have been Hugh’s son.

The second to last mention of Hugh Benson was in 1694, although it could have been retrospectively:

Act for payment and assessing the publick charges of this province Acts of 1694 ch 32: Tobacco is paid: to Hugh Benson two hundred and Seaventy

There is a Hugh Benson who died in Stafford County, VA, unmarried, in November of 1699. There appear to be two Hugh Bensons in Stafford County during this time, as one was noted as a runaway from the service of John Doxsey in 1702.

Hugh Benson leaves us with several mysteries.

Katherine, then a widow, had at least one small child, Mary, to raise, and possibly more.

Katherine Remarries

Catherine or Katherine, widow of Hugh Benson, must have married Thomas Cooper, born around 1650, almost immediately after Hugh’s death. She would have been about 35 years old.

She had at least two more children with Cooper and possibly three.

Katherine was deceased 28 years later, by 1715, when Thomas Cooper made his will. She wasn’t named, and Thomas left all of his property to sons Thomas and Richard Cooper, both real and personal, jointly and equally.

Seems pretty straightforward, right?

Well, this is where things get complicated.

Who are Thomas Spalding and Catherine?

Thomas Cooper, Jr. appears to have been the oldest child. He married Mary Riley about 1712-1713, so he would probably have been born in the 1680s.

When Thomas Cooper Jr. died in 1722, he left, “To cousin — Cooper, 310 A. of “Crackbourn’s Purchase,” now owned with bro. Richard.” Also, “To dau. Katherine, personalty and all lands except dwell. plan. — during life of wife; at her decease, to pass to dau. afsd. She dying without issue, to cousin Thomas and hrs.” I think that 310acres should be 210 acres, but that’s not relevant to this discussion.

Is the Catherine married to Thomas Spalding the daughter of Thomas Cooper Jr., meaning the granddaughter of Hugh Benson’s wife, Katherine? It certainly appears so.  Note the mention, above of Crackbourn’s Purchase.

Catherine Cooper and Thomas Spalding appear to own the original 200 acres (or 210 acres) of Crackbourn’s Purchase in 1741.

By the Committee appointed to enquire into the Facts contained in the Petition of Thomas Spalding and Catherine his Wife June the 6. 1741

Your Committee find on Inspecting the Papers of the Petitioners that the Land called Crackbornes Purchase containing 200 Acres was Granted on the 24th day of October Anno Domini 1659 unto Richard Crackborne Assignee of Walter Peak and Peter Mills Assignees of Paul Simpson in Fee. Your Committee further find that the said Richard Crackborne by his Deed bearing date the 17th day of November 1681 did Bargain and Sell the said Tract of Land to Richard Gardiner of Saint Marys County in Fee Your Committee also find that Richard Gardiner and Elizabeth his Wife of St Marys County aforesaid did Convey to Hugh Benson of the same County Planter 100 Acres Part of the said Tract in Fee [p. 273] Your Committee likewise find that Mary Speake is the reputed Daughter and Heiress at Law of Hugh Benson and that she intermarried (as it is said) with Bowling Speak of Charles County and that the said Bowling Speak and the said Mary his Wife, by their deed Bearing date the 31st of March 1739 did Convey the said Parcell of Land unto the Petitioner Thomas in Fee All which deeds appear to Your Committee to be duly Executed Your Committee further find by the Information of W James Swann a Member of your House that the Land called Crackbornes Purchase mentioned by the Petitioners to be Granted is of greater Value than that Part of the Land the Petitioners pray to be enabled to dispose of called Seamour Town or known by the name of Leonards Town.

Does this suggest that Hugh’s widow, Catherine married her neighbor, Thomas Cooper, who literally lived next door on Crackborne’s Purchase? Meaning that Crackborne’s Purchase, divided at one time into two pieces, has now been reunited?

It certainly looks that way.

Catherine’s daughter Mary Benson who married Bowling Speak sold that tract of land to Catherine’s granddaughter, Katherine, through her deceased son, Thomas Cooper Jr.

Did you get that? It was a mouthful. I had to draw this out, above.

The St. Francis Xavier Cemetery

This also suggests quite strongly that Hugh Benson, Catherine, Thomas Cooper, and probably Thomas Cooper Jr. are all buried together here in the original St. Francis Xavier Cemetery on Newtowne Neck Road, where the original Catholic church was located.

Hugh Benson and Katherine’s daughter, Mary Benson, was born around 1675. Given that Hugh didn’t die until 1687, they assuredly had at least 6 more children, if not more. Those children would have been laid to rest here too, hopefully near their parents’ eternal watch.

The Chesapeake was never far away.

The cemetery is only 400 or 500 feet from the Bay, on either side, bordered by Saint Clements Bay to the left, and Breton Bay to the right. The present-day church, which, along with the restored manor house, originally dated from 1731, is about half a mile south.

The Chesapeake, her moods, her ports, estuaries, swamps and swamp-fevers shaped the lives of the immigrant, Hugh Benson and his wife, Catherine.

The brave and hearty souls who pulled up stakes and left the known for the unknown set the stage for the next many generations of descendants.

Life in Leonard’s Town

My friend, Maree found luscious details in the book, Origins of Clements-Spalding and Allied Families of Maryland and Kentucky.

In this excerpt, we verify that Thomas Spalding married Catharine Cooper, the child of Thomas Cooper, and by inference, his wife Catherine, who was the widow of Hugh Benson.

Thomas Cooper had willed his entire estate to his daughter, Catherine, named for her mother, of course.

However, Catherine Cooper wasn’t her mother’s only child or her only daughter. Mary Benson was Catherine Cooper’s half-sister, the child of Hugh Benson and Catherine. Mary Benson married Bowling Speake, and she too had to convey her portion of Crackburn’s Purchase.

Crackburn was where the mill was located, and where the town of Leonard’s Town, now Leonardtown, was laid out, which ties back to the 1739 deed where Bowling and Mary conveyed that land to Thomas Spalding, of course.

That 1741 court action literally says, “…Part of the Land the Petitioners pray to be enabled to dispose of called Seamour Town or known by the name of Leonards Town.” Mary Benson and her husband Bowling Speake had owned part of what would become Leonard’s Town, thanks to her father, Hugh Benson, who obtained that land about 1681ish.

The history of Leonardtown tells us that Leonard’s Town, an important port, began in the 1650s as “Newtown” or “Newtown Hundred,” but began being called Leonard’s Town shortly thereafter in honor of Leonard Calvert.

In the early years, “court” was held in various private homes in the area, one of which was possibly Hugh Benson’s, given that he owned part of the town.

In 1708, twenty-one years after Hugh Benson died, but seven years before Catherine’s second husband, Thomas Cooper died, a designated courthouse was ordered to be established, and Leonard’s Town was renamed Seymour Town in honor of the then-current governor of Maryland. However, two decades later, in 1728, the name reverted, and Leonard’s Town became the location of official business within the colony. Unfortunately, the St. Mary’s County courthouse burned in 1831, destroying the valuable records within, which is why the paucity of records today. No deeds, no marriage records, nothing.

In 1708, the Mayor of St. Mary’s City also ordered that 50 acres of land at the head of Britton’s Bay be divided into 100 lots, including one for the courthouse. This officially became Seymour Town, then Leonardtown and appears to be, at least in part, the land occupied and mentioned in the Bowling Speake and Mary Benson Speake 1739 deed to Thomas Spalding and Catherine.

Thank goodness that transaction was referred for evaluation because otherwise, we would never have known any of this.

A walking tour of Leonardtown is available, here.

Of course, I can’t discern acreage from this map, but we can see the courthouse location in the center of town. The courthouse was supposed to be on one lot, and lots would have been about half an acre each.

The mill mentioned would have probably been located on Town Run.

Or maybe the mill was on McIntosh Run literally on the other border of Leonardtown.

A small branch runs right through the western side of Leonardtown.

McIntosh Run is where McIntosh Park is located today. I’m guessing it’s a park because it floods. With the original deeds burned in that courthouse fire, there’s no way of really knowing exactly which land Hugh Benson owned.

William Spalding’s 1741 will, he left to his son, Benedict, a tenement of land called Mill Land on which my Water Mill stands.” He also left his “Watermill” to his wife and sons with a lot of land in Leonard’s Town. Judging from this, the mill was someplace within the town limits.

It was here, someplace here, that Hugh Benson lived with Catherine. Their 100 acres was twice the size of the town, and probably somehow abutted it, including part of the town itself.

Given that Hugh was noted as being from St. Clements, I suspect that his land might have been between Breton Bay, meaning Leonardtown, and Saint Clements Bay. We know they attended church just north of Newtowne Neck State Park.

It looks like present-day Maryland 243, Newtowne Neck Road, was the road out of Leonardtown, white, bordered in red above, to the west, so let’s take a drive. It’s 3 miles to Compton and 5 miles to the end of the road.

At one point, just outside town, the road runs right alongside McIntosh Run and crosses a branch.

Most of this area remains heavily treed, swampy, or both, but Society Hill Road splits off of Newtowne Road about halfway to Compton, and you can see the Bay from the end of the road there.

Hugh and Katherine would have glimpsed the bay every time they traveled this road to church.

Higher, farmable land is polka-dotted along the way, carved out of the woodlands.

Generally, the road, in the center of the peninsula, or “neck” as it’s called in the local vernacular, is the highest elevation.

It’s clear why the economy here was focused on trade and ports, not agriculture except for occasional corn fields, a rare orchard, and interspersed patches of tobacco. Animals, mostly hogs, grazed freely in the woodlands.

No matter where you were, the saltwater bay was never far away.

Fresh, non-brackish water had to be at a premium. Settlers needed to be far enough inland to live on a freshwater stream, and not in a swamp, but still close to the port.

There were probably few good options, and the best locations would have been snatched up first by the wealthy proprietors. It’s no wonder that mortality was so high. Yet, this was the land of opportunity, better than the oppression in England if you were Catholic or another “non-conformist” religion.

The Remaining Questions

Of course, there are many questions that remain, but a few stand out.

• Did Hugh and Catherine Benson have two children, Mary and Hugh? Is the Hugh Benson mentioned in 1694 and 1696 their son, Hugh? If so, he would have had to have been born before 1673, which is just after Hugh Benson immigrated and while he was still an indentured servant.

That’s possible, especially if he arrived married, but it’s unlikely. Is there more to this story?

• Are either of the two Hugh Bensons in Virginia the son of Hugh and Catherine? If so, what happened to that child’s land holding given that Hugh died intestate? Why wasn’t a guardian appointed for the child or children? Or did those records burn in the 1831 fire? Was his land relinquished before or when/if he died in Virginia?
• Did Catherine have more than one surviving child with Thomas Cooper?
• According to Thomas Cooper’s will, he had two sons, Thomas Cooper (Jr.) and Richard Cooper. Was Richard also the son of Catherine, or was Thomas married previously? I don’t see anything to indicate that Thomas Cooper Sr. had a previous marriage.

Dr. Carr estimates Richard Cooper’s birth at 1693.

• Did Catherine, Hugh Benson’s widow, and Thomas Cooper have a third child, a daughter named Elizabeth who married James Wheatley? If so, it appears that Wheatley died relatively young and they had no children, unless Elizabeth remarried and disappeared from the records.

If Elizabeth Cooper who married James Wheatley was Katherine’s daughter, are there any descendants living today through all females to the current generation, which can be male? Those living people carry Catherine’s mitochondrial DNA. If that’s you, please reach out. I have a free DNA testing scholarship for you.

If you have answers, any information, or descend from Elizabeth Cooper and James Wheatley, I’d certainly love to hear from you!

Oh yes, and there’s one last burning question. Who was Catherine, wife of Hugh Benson and Thomas Cooper?

_____________________________________________________________

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It’s been a year. What a year.

Three years actually.

First, I hope you’re able to gather with family this Thanksgiving, and if not, I hope it’s by your choice.

For the past two holiday seasons, many families didn’t gather. Some did and paid a horrific price.

My immediate family didn’t gather, but groups of my more distant family did, and not everyone survived.

Aside from Covid, a word I shudder to even utter, time took its toll too.

So has the increasing hatefulness and vitrol at play in the US, and perhaps in other places too, which has irrecoverably fractured families.

Additionally, lots of people moved. I’ve actually been shocked how many, especially given that we spent months in the grip of pandemic that killed 6.6 million worldwide and over a million in the US, disabling millions more. Moving was difficult and more challenging than ever given the circumstances – yet more than 15 million households moved in the US alone according to address forwarding orders submitted to the USPS.

On the flip side, home office freed up many people who would not have previously been able to relocate.

Just looking at a handful of my colleagues, of a group of 6 people who work together regularly, four people moved, three across the country, and one person moved across the country twice.

Change

Thanksgiving and holidays have changed for many, and maybe most, families.

Those who’ve moved will need to create new traditions and memories in new surroundings.

No more “over the river and through the woods,” because either grandma doesn’t live there anymore, or many of those chairs at that table are now empty.

There are four forever-empty chairs at my table, and yes, it has been a struggle – and that’s an understatement. If you’re struggling with this situation, regardless of why those places are vacant, let me share some thoughts and suggestions that might help. I welcome yours as well.

• We can’t go back in time.
• Enjoy and cherish the current moments, because they will be memories as soon as they are over.
• Family is who we make it.
• Empty chairs cause tears because the people who filled them enriched our lives. We were fortunate to have had them for however long.
• Having loved deeply means grieving equally as deeply.
• Grief is part of life. (Yea, that sucks!)
• If your chairs are empty because of betrayal or divisiveness, understand that death occurs in many ways.
• Anger is part of grief. It’s OK.
• Time helps.

Sometimes when you’re in so much pain, it’s really difficult to do big things, or anything, so here are some tiny first steps.

“At Least…”

If you’re struggling to be grateful, try flipping that equation and begin a few statements with “At least…”.

• I don’t have cancer.
• I’m not disabled.
• I don’t live in Ukraine.
• My power isn’t out.
• I don’t have 3 feet of snow.

What are you glad that you aren’t? With a little creativity, this could really make you laugh.

“At least I don’t have green ink on my face anymore.”

Your turn!

For a touch of humor, let your phone autofill the words after “At least.”

It’s the Little Things

Sometimes little things make such a big difference.

• Someone helped me lift a heavy thing.
• I love my cat/dog so much.
• That baby at the store smiled at me and melted my heart.
• My family member, even though they aren’t here, is healthy and happy wherever they are on life’s adventure.
• I really enjoy watching the birds at the feeder (or fill in the blank.)
• I’m looking forward to…
• That sunset (or…) is really beautiful.
• I love <favorite musician> singing <favorite song>

Might be a good time to queue up a few YouTube videos and songs and really listen to the lyrics, or simply close your eyes and cherish soothing voices. Maybe have a good cry, but not tears without end. You are not alone.

Let me repeat that.

You are not alone.

Peach Pie

Empty chairs are difficult and painful anytime, especially those “remembrance” days and holidays when the people who once sat there aren’t physically present. Past memories are a mixed blessing.

So wonderful that we have those memories. So heartbreaking at the same time. Sometimes we grieve lost possibilities and potential too – a future that never happened.

Other times, those memories transport their spirits to our heart and they slip in through the darkness.

Sometimes just looking at a peach pie near Thanksgiving makes me cry. But it also makes me laugh remembering Mom’s peach pie antics.

Mom loved peach pie. She became so frail in her last years that she really couldn’t handle days worth of prep for Thanksgiving, although she still desperately wanted to. We found a smorgasbord restaurant that served a wonderful Thanksgiving meal and created a “new” tradition, even though it wasn’t to last long.

On that final Thanksgiving, although of course we didn’t know it was, we arrived at our reservation time.

They seated us at a lovely table with a white tablecloth, set in a traditional, festive way. Mom spied the dessert table. Others of the family headed for the hot food line, but not Mom. Nope, Mom headed directly for dessert.

Hey, when you’re in your 80s, you can eat dessert first.

My brother asked her if she wanted “food’? She slipped right past him and made a beeline for the dessert table. Why waste time on anything else??!

Mom loved desserts, but especially chocolate and peach pie. We took this picture a month later during our last Christmas celebration together.

That Thanksgiving dessert table was full of luscious treats, all served and ready on individual plates, but there were only two slices of peach pie left.

Mom found both of them, retrieved them like buried treasure, and began making her way back through the maze of tables and people, carrying one plate in each hand.

Jim was afraid she’d fall, as she wasn’t terribly steady, so he had gone along to “assist” this tiny but mighty woman who wanted nothing to do with assistance. He tried to carry one of those plates with pie, but she was having none of that.

She sat back down at the table as everyone else arrived with plates piled high with Thanksgiving goodness. Not Mom. She had scored two pieces of peach pie and was happy as a clam with her trophies, beaming like a Cheshire cat.

Jim’s eyes started twinkling, and he reached his fork out to take a bite of the end of Mom’s peach pie.

She threatened to stab him, playfully, with her fork, and exclaimed in her shaky voice, “Don’t you dare.”

We all laughed. I don’t remember if she ever did eat any turkey, but I surely do remember laughing together and the peach pie.

And yes, she did eat both pieces.

Today, Jim and I shared that story with two unsuspecting “victims” who visited to help with something at the house. We all wound up sitting around the table together, eating peach pie, using Mom’s silverware, and laughing out loud. Those chairs weren’t vacant anymore. They were filled with smiles and laughter, seeded by Mom all these years later. Yes, she was with us.

You know, it’s hard to laugh and cry at the same time.

Trust me, we all really needed that. There are empty chairs at all of our tables this year.

I hope you can find a way to fill your heart, maybe around those tears.

Coping Strategies

Let me share with you what I’m doing this week.

• The father of a local family that I met a few months ago has experienced a devastating medical issue. We made food because they can’t be visiting the hospital and preparing food at the same time. They are already in a difficult situation from an accident not even two years ago. I can help them, and I am.
• We invited someone to join us who has recently moved and has no local family. I think we’re adding to the family, actually.
• Instead of cooking in a house that’s, ummm, a disaster right now (don’t ask), we are supporting a local business by purchasing a “heat it up” Thanksgiving turkey meal.
• We are choosing to make “lemonade” out of the situation by having a picnic with paper plates on a folding table, maybe outside. Also, did I mention peach pie?
• I am working with someone to help with their fragile family member.
• I assisted a cousin with a thorny genealogy challenge. Quick and easy for me but made a huge difference to them.
• I submitted a friend’s photos to the new MyHeritage AI tool. They love them and it made them smile. Not just because the photos were wonderful, but because someone cared.

The theme here is that we feel better when we do things for others. It’s not about what “I’m” doing, it’s about doing something beneficial.

There was an old parable growing up on the farm about what to do when things are really crummy, and you’re feeling really sorry for yourself. Dad was not having that. Go over to the other side of the tracks, he said, where they have less than you do, and do something for someone over there. You’ll feel better for a multitude of reasons.

What Can You Do?

I can think of a few ideas, but I’m sure you can think of more.

• What about a food bank or soup kitchen?
• Maybe clean out a closet and donate to a shelter. That’s win-win.
• Volunteer your time at a local animal shelter or rescue facility. They often need in-home fosters too.
• Find a way to help someone feel valued or safe.
• Visit people at nursing homes, specifically those with no family. Dementia patients may not realize you’re not family. To them, their family came to visit, and they will be overjoyed. (I view this as paying it forward or maybe karmic insurance.)

I’m Grateful For…

Looking past the immediate challenges and taking my focus off of empty chairs, I am so incredibly grateful for:

• Special friends who help me by digging into really difficult challenges.
• My sisters-of-heart who are always there. When blood family has walked away, they haven’t.
• My quilt-sisters.
• My wonderful “adopted” family around the world. You know who you are and every one of you is smiling now😊
• My cousins who have become my family of choice.
• My friends who have joined me, or maybe I joined them, side by side, proverbially walking together for awhile on our journeys.
• Seeing a smile on the face of someone who hasn’t seen me for awhile.
• Seeing someone I haven’t seen for awhile. (I can’t wait for RootsTech.)
• Hugs, and people to hug.
• Feeling joy and laughter.
• For those who reach out and have reached out to help me so that I can, in turn, help others too.
• Those who kicked my butt and told me I could. (I might not have been, ahem (clears throat), appropriately grateful in the moment.)

Love is Infinite 

While those chairs will never be filled with the same people again, they don’t have to remain empty either. Neither do our hearts.

• Share
• Notice need and step up
• Listen to music that speaks directly to your heart, lifts you up and makes you smile
• Volunteer
• Raise someone up
• Find your ancestors and celebrate their culture and traditions – Lucia: Light in the Darkness
• Adopt or foster a pet, maybe an older one who has little other chance. They will enrich your life beyond measure, and you are all they have.
• Love
• Watch the magnificence of the sky
• Be the light
• Sing

You see, those chairs aren’t empty, they’re musical – filled by a continuum of love, from the past into the future.

Beings will fill those voids, and love will envelope you, wherever you are in your life’s journey. They are not gone, they are just a different, transformational, form of energy, and you are the sacred steward.

Happy Thanksgiving