Same Man - Different Name

“The following petition for change of name was filed Monday, February 7^th (1881) in Henderson County Court:  W.H. Miller, Petitioner:  Your petitioner respectfully represents that his name is W.H. Miller, that he is 38 years of age;  was born in Breckenridge County, Ky and is a citizen of Henderson County and has been a citizen of this county since 1863;  that he has no relatives living by the name of Miller;  that he has many relatives in different parts of the state named Clark;  that he desires to visit them and locate among them;  that he and his relatives desire his name changed to Clark;  wherefore your petitioner prays for the order of the Court changing his name from W.H. Miller to Lucien Simeon Clark …

“Thereupon the following order was made and recorded:  This day appeared W.H. Miller and filed his petition … from which it appears Miller is over 21 years of age, a citizen of this county, and desires his name changed from W.H. Miller to Lucien Simeon Clark.

“Mr. Lucien Simeon Clark may now be called the late Mr. W.H. Miller.  He is not dead but liveth, going out into the world the same man, but under a new name.”[1]

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[1] “Name Change,” Henderson Semi-Weekly Reporter, 11 February 1881.

Published 28 May 2020, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

Kentucky State and County Officials 1916

Sometimes we forget that city and state directories may contain valuable information of our ancestors. The following information comes from Kentucky Directory for the Use of Court, State and County Officials and General Assembly of the State of Kentucky by Frank K. Kavanaugh, 1916. This book is available on Google Books and was accessed 6 March 2017

Confederate Pension Commissioner

Stone, Hon. William Johnson, son of Leasil and Nancy (Killen) Stone, was born in Caldwell, now Lyon County, Ky 26 Jun 1841. Enlisted in Confederate Army 20 Jun 1861. Was wounded, resulting in the loss of his right leg, 12 Jun 1864, at Cynthiana, Ky. Captured and remained a prisoner until close of the war and released on parole 16 May 1865. Married Miss Cornelia Woodyard of Cynthia, Ky 29 Oct 1867, who died 28 Oct 1906. Married again 10 Mar 1909 to Mrs. Elizabeth H. Chambers, of Morganfield, Ky. Represented Caldwell and Lyon Counties in the Legislature of 1867, and in 1875 he represented Marshall and Lyon, and was elected Speaker of the House for that term. Advocated the establishment of a Bureau of Agriculture for the State, and appointed a committee on agriculture favorable to that idea; drew the bill that was enacted into law creating the present Bureau of Agriculture. Again represented Marshall and Lyon Counties in the Legislature of 1883. Elected to represent the First Congressional district of Kentucky in the U.S. Congress in 1884, and re-elected fourth time to the same position. In Dec 1889, he introduced into any legislative assembly providing for the dissolution of Trusts. Candidate for the Democratic nomination for Governor of the State in 1899. Appointed Examiner of Confederate applications for pensions 12 Mar 1912. Farmer by occupation.  [p. 185]

Short Sketches – Members of the General Assembly

Senate

Glenn, Hon. Selden R. (D.), Eddyville, Kentucky. Son of Wm. P. and Celia M. Glenn. Born Lyon County 3 Nov 1877. Married Athleen Malloy 6 Dec 1898. Banker and farmer; member Baptist Church, Mason and Red Men. Mayor of Eddyville. Elected to represent Third Senatorial Dist., Nov 1911 and re-elected 2 Nov 1915. [p. 205]

Porter, Hon. J.F. (D.), Dixon, Kentucky. Born Smith County, Tennessee 23 Apr 1863. Moved to Kentucky at age 8. Son of D.S. and N.E. Porter. Farmer and teacher. Elected to House of Representatives Aug 1890. Elected County Court Clerk 1897. Married Miss Sudie Duncan 1897. Elected to State Senate 1901. Member of Board of Education 1907 and 1909. Elected to Senate from Fourth Dist. Nov 1913. [p. 208]

Salmon, R.M. (D.), Ilsley. Born Christian County 23 Jan 1857. Son of James J. and Mariann Salmon. Lived on a farm and taught school until 22 years of age. Has been operating coal mines in Hopkins County for 30 years. Married Miss Mollie Rash at Madisonville in 1883. Elected Senator from Hopkins and Christian Counties in 1911-13.  [p. 209]

Thompson, Hon. J. Mack (D.), Sturgis, Kentucky. Son of A.L.M. and Mary E. Thompson. Born Union County, Kentucky 3 Aug 1867. Graduated from Law Dept of Cumberland University, Lebanon, Tenn. Lawyer and engaged in insurance and farmer. Has been City Judge and Major of Sturgis. Member of Presbyterian church, Mason and K. of P. Married Miss Minnie J. Wallace 15 Nov 1893. Elected to Senate 2 Nov 1915.  [p. 210]

Representatives

Bailey, Hon. H.F.S. (D.), Madisonville, Kentucky, son of H.L. and Beatrice Bailey. Born Hopkins County 5 Jan 1877. Teacher in early life. Practicing attorney for past 10 years.  Was City Attorney of Madisonville and County Attorney of Hopkins County. Member Christian Church, I.O.O.F, B.P.O.E. and Owls. Single. Elected Representative 2 Nov 1915.  [p. 212]

Harvey, Hon. William Beverly (D.), Dixon, Ky., son of J.H. and Sallie Herrin Harvey. Born Webster County 31 Aug 1883.  Educated common schools of the county, Dixon High School, Poole’s Academy. Single. Was County Court Clerk from 1910 until elected Representative Nov 1913 and re-elected 2 Nov 1915. Member Baptist Church, Mason, K. of P., and M.W. o f A. [p. 218]

Jones, Hon. William H. (R.), Princeton, Ky. Son of John and Lucyndia Jones. Born Caldwell County, Ky 23 Dec 1841. Married Miss Maggie E. Fryer 20 Dec 1876. Farmer all his life. Ex-Federal soldier. Elder in Presbyterian church. Mason. Served in House of Representatives 1902, 1904, 1906 and 1908. Elected again 2 Nov 1915 to represent Caldwell County in 1916 session of the Legislature. [p. 220]

Lilly, Hon. J.E. (D.), Morganfield, Ky. Son of William N. and Ellen Clark Lilly. Born Nelson County, KY 3 Mar 1850. Was Circuit Clerk of his county for 12 years and County Judge for four years. Member of Roman Catholic church, and Knights of Columbus. Married Miss Martha M. Parsons, 13 Jan 1875. Elected Representative from Union County 2 Nov 1915.  [p. 221]

Stone, Hon. Edward D. (R.), Marion, Ky. Son of T.D. and M.M. Stone. Born Crittenden County 26 Oct 1884. Educated at Cumberland University. Lawyer and farmer. Single. Member of Methodist Episcopal church South. Elected Representative Nov 1913. Re-elected 2 Nov 1915. [p. 227]

House – Chief Officers

Wickers, Hon. William Oscar (D.), Frances, Ky. Assistant Clerk of House of Representatives. Born Crittenden County 1 Apr 1997. Teacher and farmer. Married Miss Nora Tabor 1902. Member of Masonic Fraternity and W.O.W.  Elected Assistant Clerk 1910, 1912, 1914, and re-elected 1916.  [p. 230]

Published 21 May 2020, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

Tombstone Order for Elizabeth Newcom 1791 - 1853

A good source of death information is a tombstone order, which is usually found with claims against the estate of the decedent.  Some counties have a few of these orders and other counties have none, but maybe,  just maybe, you will be lucky and find one for your ancestor. Several years ago, I came across quite a few in Crittenden County for burials in the 1850s and 1860s. Most can be found in my book, Crittenden County Notes, published 1993. 

One of the tombstone orders found  was for Elizabeth Newcom, the wife of William Newcom.  They came from North Carolina and stopped  in Tennessee before continuing North to the Bellls Mines area near what is today the Crittenden-Union County line. There are two known cemeteries in this area and one of them  may be where Elizabeth and William Newcom are buried. They are the Rutherford Cemetery and the Black-Newcom Cemetery, across the road from each other on Highway 365 near the Tradewater River. 

Below is the order for a tombstone for Elizabeth Newcom, who appears on the 1850 Crittenden County census with William Newcome [sic] as head of household.[1] He was age 63 and Elizabeth was age 57.  Her age is slightly off on the census.

The tombstone was ordered from M.A. Lawrence of Evansville, Indiana on 21 November 1857. This was more than four years after Elizabeth’s death. Order ed was one set of Marble Grave Stones, the head stone   was about 4 feet high and 10 inches wide. The footstone was one-third the width of the head stone. Engraved on the head stone was the following:  Elizabeth Newcom      Born Mar. 3, 1791     Died July 21, 1853.  Verse: “ Sleep Mother dear and take your rest;  God called you home he thought it best;  Twas hard indeed to part with thee; But Christ's strong arm supported me”

The tombstone was to be delivered in care of Lamb & Co at Caseyville as soon as convenient at a cost of $20.38 payable 6 months from  date. The post office where to it was to be sent was Bells Mines, Crittenden County. The person ordering the tombstone was Wm. D. Newcom. 

This tombstone does not exist today. Without this tombstone order we would not know the birth and death dates for Elizabeth Newcom. 

Click on tombstone order for an enlarged view.

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[1] 1850 Crittenden County, Kentucky census, Dist. 2, Roll 197, p. 256A. Household of William and Elizabeth Newcome.

Published 14 May 2020, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

Emancipation of Shadrick 1861

Slaves in Kentucky were set free either by petition to the county court or by the last will and testament of the slave owner.  The following slave emancipation can be found in Caldwell County, Kentucky Court Order Book J, page 207. Note the date of the document: 26 April 1861, just 14 days after the first shot of the Civil War was fired at Fort Sumpter.  Was Nancy fulfilling a promise of emancipation to Shadrack/Shadrick or did she have a hunch of what the future would hold?

Nancy Early had married Winfrey Bond the 13^th of February 1810 in Caldwell County. Giving permission for the marriage was Nancy Early’s mother, Sarah Nichols. [1] When Winfrey Bond wrote his will, he left several slaves, including Shadrack [sic] to his wife. [2] At some point, the slave Shadrick/Shadrack must have gone to Texas. Nancy Early Bond appears on the 1860 Caldwell County census and is listed as “Governess of Family.” She was age 65.[3]  Nancy died between 2 May 1860, when her will was written, and 19 May 1862, when it was recorded.[4]  Shadrick's whereabouts after Nancy's will was written have not been located.

"Friday April 26th 1861
At a county court, begun and held at the Court house in the Town of Princeton in the County of Caldwell and State of Kentucky on Friday the 26th day of April 1861.  Present J.N. Turner Judge

This day Mrs. Nancy Bond, who is now the owner of a certain Negro man a slave by the name of Shadrick, now of the State of Texas, and who desires to emancipate said Slave, came into open Court, and executed bond payable to the commonwealth of Kentucky with F W Urey her Security, covenanting that said Slave Shadrick (who is about Sixty Six years of age of rather light dark complexion weighs about 160 pounds, and is about five feet 8 inches high) shall within ninety days, from this time be beyond the limits of this state, and that he shall then forever [illegible] and in his residence in, and will, within the time named remove from this State, and now the said Shadrick is hereby declared to be free and emancipated from Slavery by said Nancy Bond, and the clerk of this Court is hereby directed to issue to him a copy of this order, under the  seal of said Court, to be properly certified &c.

Ordered that Court now adjourn   J.N. Turner, P J"

 Click for an enlarged view

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[1] Brenda Joyce Jerome. Caldwell County, Kentucky Marriages 1809-1832 (Evansville, IN: Evansville Bindery, 1996), 4.

[2] Caldwell County, Kentucky Will Book B, p. 40, Last Will and Testament of Winfrey Bond, recorded 21 March 1842.

[3] 1860 Caldwell County, Kentucky census, Long Pond, p. 2. Born North Carolina. If she was age 65 in 1860 and married in 1810, she must have been born about 1795 and was age 15 when she married.

[4] Caldwell County, Kentucky Will Book B, p. 211, Last Will and Testament of Nancy Bond, recorded 19 May 1862.

Published 7 May 2020, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog,  http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/