Tombstone Tuesday - Elisha Conger

Elisha Conger

Born

Aug. 23, 1820

Died

Apr. 20, 1885

God gave - He took. He shall restore.

He doeth all things well

Buried Crooked Creek Church Cemetery, Crittenden County, Kentucky. Tombstone photographed 1 September 2010.

Elisha Conger was enumerated on the 1860 Crittenden County census with his wife and several children. He died testate and named  wife, Jane R.  Conger, grandchild Ida May Turley and her father Thomas F. Turley in his will.

Crittenden County, Kentucky Tavern Keepers 1862

In order to operate a tavern in Kentucky in the 1800s, the prospective tavern keeper and his surety, had to sign a bond to guarantee that he would "provide in said Tavern good, wholesome, cleanly lodging and diet for travelers, and stabling and provender, or pasturage, for horses or mules ... and that he will not suffer any gaming in his house, or on his premises, and will not suffer any person to tipple or drink more than is necessary in his house, or on his premises; or at any time suffer any scandalous or disorderly behavior in his house, or on his premises."

The following information on tavern keepers in 1862 has been abstracted from Crittenden County, Kentucky Tavern  Keeper Bond Book 1857 - 1893.

John Little  obtained a license to keep at tavern at Fish Trap 10 February 1862.

Jake A. Lowey obtained a license to keep a tavern at Weston 10 February 1862.

William Williams obtained a license to keep a tavern at his house 10 February 1862.

W. Wagar obtained a license to keep a tavern in Marion 14 April 1862.

J.A. Joyce obtained a license to keep a tavern at Shady Grove 14 April 1862.

John F. Crisp obtained a license to keep a tavern at Weston 14 April 1862.

John N. Flanagan obtained a license to keep a tavern at Dycusburg 9 June 1862.

J.G. Young obtained a license to keep at tavern at Fords Ferry 9 June 1862.

P. Randell obtained a license to keep a tavern at Crittenden Springs 14 July 1862.

Frank Lofink obtained a license to keep a tavern at Bells Mines 11 August 1862.

Tombstone Tuesday - John Brasher

John Brasher

Born

Apr. 21, 1797

Died

Mar. 29, 1858

Buried Koon Cemetery, Crittenden County, Kentucky. Tombstone photographed 3 November 2010.

John Brasher and Elizabeth Crouch married 25 April 1822 Livingston County, Kentucky. The 1850 Crittenden County census shows that John Brasher was born in South Carolina.



 

Caldwell Springs Baptist Church

Caldwell Springs Baptist Church, Crittenden County, Kentucky. Church photographed 3 November 2010.

Caldwell Springs Church was organized in 1844. The current building dates from about 1890. Caldwell Springs Cemetery is on the hill above the church.


Copyright on text and photographs
by Brenda Joyce Jerome, CG
Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog
http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com

Samuel A. Kingman

Copyright by Brenda Joyce Jerome, CG

May not copy without written consent

Smithland, Kentucky has been at various times the home of many prominent men. Some achieved fame as military officers and others through politics. One of the most renown former  citizens was Samuel A. Kingman, who lived in Smithland during the mid-1800s.

Kingman was born  26 June 1818 in Worthington, Massachusetts, the son of Isaiah and Lucy Kingman. He began teaching school at the age of 17 and two years later he moved to Kentucky, where he studied law.  

During the 1840s, Kingman moved to Smithland, where he soon became involved in local politics. He was permitted to practice law in Livingston County in 1844 and, in 1845, he was appointed County Attorney. The following year he was one of three commissioners appointed to advertise and let out the building of the jail. Kingman and four other prominent residents were nominated to be Trustees of the Cumberland Hospital in 1851. He also was a member of the Kentucky Legislature in 1849-50 and again in 1850-51.

In October 1852, Benjamin Barner, Joseph Watts and Samuel A. Kingman were appointed to draw a plan for the clerks' office. It is believed the office building, which sits next to the courthouse today, was constructed from the plan drawn by these men.

When David Flournoy, Livingston County Clerk, died in  December 1854, Samuel A. Kingman was appointed to serve until the next election in August 1855. With Sterling M. Barner and Tom M. Davis,  his sureties, he executed bond and promised to fulfill the duties of the office of County Clerk.

Kingman, who had married Matilda Willett in Vigo County, Indiana in 1844, moved his wife and  children to Iowa in 1857 and a year later they moved to Kansas. It was in Kansas that Kingman achieved his greatest fame. He was a member of the Wyandotte Constitutional Convention in 1859 and was elected Chief Justiceof Kansas a few years later. He also served as Kansas State Librarian.  He was President of the State Judicial Association and the Kansas State Bar Association and  Kingman County, Kansas was named in his honor.

In 1865, Kingman traveled from Atchison, Kansas to the mouth of the Little Arkansas for a meeting with the Keowa and confederate tribes, the Commanche and Apache, with the hope of a treaty resulting in greater safety on the Santa Fe trail. Kingman kept a diary of this month-long journey beginning 21 September 1865.  This  Diary can be read online.

Samuel A. Kingman died in Topeka, Kansas 9 September 1904 and was buried  at Topeka Cemetery. His wife and one daughter are buried there also.
 

Tombstone Tuesday - Frances H. Rawleigh

In Memory

of Frances H. Consort

of

Levin W. Rawleigh

A native of Virginia

Born May 17th 1818

Died March 25th 1844

 Dearest thou has left
Here thy loss we deeply feel
Yet again we hope to meet
When the day of life has fled
Thou in [two lines illegible]
By her Husband

Buried Smithland Cemetery, Smithland, Kentucky. Tombstone photographed 17 June 2010.

Frances, daughter of William and Peachea Doyle, married Levin W. Rawleigh 7 October 1841 Livingston County, Kentucky. Levin W. was born in Maryland and was a ship carpenter and farmer.  Two years after the death of Frances, Levin W. married Nancy Alsobrook, who died 10 September 1847 at the age of 21 years.   Levin W. Rawleigh moved to Paducah, where he married Eliza Smith and had several children. The death date and burial place of Levin W. Rawleigh are unknown.

Justice of the Peace and His Oath of Office

Justices of the peace in early Kentucky were usually prominent and influential men of the community and wielded a great deal of power. Collectively, they formed the county court and oversaw such cases as the granting of licenses for ferries and taverns,  appointing county officials, guardians and estate administrators, road surveyors, setting fees for ferries and also sat in judgment in cases of minor crimes.

In selecting  new justices of the peace, the county court offered  the names of two candidates, which were submitted to the Governor, who then appointed  one of the candidates.  After being chosen, the new justice of the peace was required to take the oath of office, which included promising to suppress dueling. This anti-dueling oath was established by the General Assembly by statute in 1812 and is a requirement for all officers, legislators and lawyers. The oath was later revised to state the person had never engaged in a duel. Today there is a movement to eliminate the oath against dueling.

The following entry was found among Caldwell County loose court papers in a bundle marked "Oaths." It reads as follows:

"State of Kentucky Caldwell County to wit

This day Abner Smith Came before me and produced a Commission from his Excellency The Governor of Kantucky appointing him and other Jestises of the peas for said county and and [sic] Took the oath to Seport the Constitution of The United states the oath of fidilety as well as the oath moore affectualy to Sepress Dueling as the oath of office  Given under my hand this 15th July 1816.  [signed] James Morse J.P."

 



Tombstone Tuesday - Manerva Purkins

In

Mem ory

of

Manerva

Purkins

Born july

8th . 1821

& Died May .

7th . 1843

Buried Koon Cemetery, near Frances in southern Crittenden County. Tombstone photographed 3 November 2010. This style tombstone is common in the Crittenden - Caldwell - Livingston County, Kentucky area during the 1840s.

Manerva Hamby married Adam B. Perkins 7 July 1842 Crittenden County. An infant son of Adam and Manerva was born 8 April 1843 and died 16 April 1843. He is buried beside Manerva.

 



Dycusburg Methodist Church

Dycusburg Methodist Church, Dycusburg, Crittenden County, Kentucky. Church photographed 3 November 2010.

Dycusburg Methodist Church was organized in 1857. The current building was dedicated in 1948.

BOOK SALE

Book Sale

Several genealogy books are now on sale and are ready for delivery before Christmas.

For information, see here:

Western Kentucky Genealogy Books

Administrators' Bonds - Henderson County, Kentucky 1860

An administrator of an estate was appointed by the county court shortly after the death of a person who had an estate  and who left no valid will. The appointment of the administrator was recorded in the county court minutes as well as in a separate administrators' bond book. The appointment of an administrator is a good way to determine the approximate date of death. The following entries have been extracted from Henderson County Administrator Bonds 1853-1861, located in the Henderson County clerk's office, Henderson, Kentucky.

Gabriel D. Sugg was appointed administrator of the estate of Wiley Sugg 23 January 1860.

W.G. Melton was appointed administrator of the estate of Jesse Melton 23 January 1860.

Samuel Sugg was appointed administrator of Harvey Peed's estate 8 February 1860.

John M. Shaw was appointed administrator of the estate of Joseph Grant 10 March 1860.

Lucie H. Allison was appointed administrator of William D. Allison's estate 26 March 1860.

Alexander Clayton was appointed administrator of the estate of Sallie Hicks 26 Mar 1860.

Isham Cottingham was appointed administrator of the estate of Thomas Sutton 9 April 1860.

Isham Cottingham was appointed administrator of the estate of Peter Wise 23 April 1860.

Joseph C. Allen was appointed administrator of the estate of Thomas F. Robinson 26 April 1860.

John R.Dixon was appointed administrator of Charles Dixon's estate 28 May 1860.

J.J. Melton and Hamilton A. Shelton were appointed administrators of the estate of Elisha Melton 10 July 1860.

William Catlin was appointed administrator of the estate of Lewis J. Walden 10 July 1860.

Susan Jane Melvin was appointed administrator of John Melvin's estate 23 July 1860.

W.R. Kinney was appointed administrator of the estate of Dr. A.H. Posey 23 July 1860.

Isham Cottingham was appointed administrator of the estate of C.C. Baker 23 July 1860.

James B. Lyne was appointed administrator of  William B. Abernathy's estate 14 Aug 1860.

William Kebenegh was appointed administrator of the estate of Wm. Goodson 23 October 1860.

William E. Bennett was appointed administrator of John W. Settlemire's estate 16 November 1860.

Tombstone Tuesday - J.T. and Sarah A. Crider

J.T. Crider

Nov. 4, 1851

Mar. 24, 1908

Sarah A.

His Wife

Dec. 16, 1847

June 22, 1926

Buried Rosebud Cemetery, Crittenden County, Kentucky. Tombstone photographed 15 October 2010.

James T. Crider married Miss Sarah A. Walker 20 May 1872 Crittenden County. The death certificate of Adaline Crider shows she was born 16 December 1847 and died 22 April 1926. Her parents were listed as William Walker and Polly Morgan.