John Elder - Deceased 1799

John Elder

Dec  Oc 21  1799

Buried Livingston Church Cemetery, near Crittenden County line in Caldwell County, Kentucky. Tombstone photographed 15 March 2013. The cemetery is on private land.

In 1797, Livingston Presbyterian Church was organized  by the Rev. Terah Templin and a group of his followers, who had left the Lebanon, Kentucky area to settle in western Kentucky.  This church was the first church organized in what is today Caldwell County and the first church of any denomination organized in this part of Kentucky west of the Green River.[1]  In 1797, the church land was in Logan County, but, by March of that year, Christian County had been created and the church fell into Christian County. In 1799, this part of Christian County was located in the newly-created county of Livingston and, in 1809, the land was in Caldwell County. Without moving, Livingston Church and its cemetery was in four different counties.

John Elder's tombstone is the oldest in Livingston Church Cemetery.  There are a total of nine tombstones in this cemetery, four with the surname of Elder.

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[1] Littleton Groom. History of the Livingston Prebyterian Church, U.S.A.  Caldwell County, Kentucky  1797-1885 (Princeton, NJ: n.p., 1966) 1.

Published 9 May 2019, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

Tombstone Tuesday - Alvira Jackson Elder

Alvira J.

Wife of

T.S.C. Elder

Mar. 11, 1833

Nov. 5, 1906

Buried Old Marion Cemetery, Crittenden County, Kentucky. Tombstone photographed 13 August 2014.

Thomas S.C. Elder married Miss Elvira Jackson at the home of James Jackson 17 August 1859.[1] Elvira was enumerated in the household of James and Margaret Jackson in 1850.[2]

According to her obituary, Mrs. Elder died at her home about 3 miles northeast of Marion. She was a member of the Presbyterian church. Survivors were her husband, son Rufus H. Elder ; daughters, T.T. Davis of Summersville, Georgia and Miss Alvira Elder . [3]

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[1] Brenda Joyce Jerome.  Crittenden County, Kentucky Marriages Vol. 1 1842-1865 and Abstracts of Wills Book 1  1842 - 1924, (Evansville, IN: Evansville Bindery, 1990) 78.

[2] 1850 Crittenden County, Kentucky census, Dist. 1, p. 232A stamped, dwelling 311, family 311, Ancestry.com.

[3] Obituary of Alvira J. Elder, Crittenden Record-Press 9 November 1906.

Published 31 October 2017, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

Tombstone Tuesday - Samuel and Sarah Jackson

 

In

Memory of

Samuel Jackson

Born Oct. 18

1780

& Died Oct. 10

1836

 

 

 

In

Memory of

Sarah Jackson

Born Dec 22

1781

& Died May 18

1849

 

 

Samuel and Sarah Jackson are buried at Old Marion Cemetery, Marion, Crittenden County, Kentucky. Their tombstones were photographed 24 October 2012.

Samuel Jackson and Sarah Elder married 18 October 1803 Livingston County, Kentucky. They were charter members of Bethany Presbyterian Church, according to the Membership List of Bethany-Marion Presbyterian Church 1803 - 1881, compiled from the official church record book by Robert M. Wheeler.

 

Following the death of Samuel Jackson, his widow, Sarah, chose not to administer upon his estate and, in a note dated 5 December 1836,  recommended that their son, James E. be appointed administrator. 

  

Published 11 Dec 2012 by Brenda Joyce Jerome, CG, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

 

Relinquishment of Dower Rights 1858

The following example of a wife or widow relinquishing her dower rights to property formerly owned by her husband is found in Crittenden County, Kentucky Deed Book E, pages 218-219. Without this relinquishment of dower, future owners of the property could not have a clear title. Sometimes the relinquishment of dower rights occurred many years after the property was sold.

23rd January 1858: Indenture between Nancy F. Woodsides of St. Clair County, Illinois and Samuel H. Elder of Crittenden County, Kentucky. Whereas some years ago, say about the 11th day of March 1834, John Woodsides deceased then the husband of the sd. Nancy Woodsides sold a tract of land to David Stephenson, containing three[?] hundred and twenty seven acres which conveyance was made and acknowledged before the clerk about the time above mentioned and same day that David Stephenson sold a part of the land to S.H. Elder for $229. And whereas Nancy F. Woodsides did not sign sd. conveyance to Stephenson and relinquish her dower ... now to perfect Elder's title and for the consideration of one dollar, Nancy relinquishes all her right to dower in and to sd. land. [signed] Nancy F. (X her mark) Woodsides. Recorded in Crittenden County 3 February 1858.

Copyright on text and photographs
by Brenda Joyce Jerome, CG
Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog

Tombstone Tuesday - John L. and Mary M. Elder

Elder
Father
John L.
1853 - 1934

Mother
Mary M.
1870 - 1943

Buried Salem Cemetery, Salem, Livingston County, Kentucky. Tombstone photographed 18 January 2009.

John L. Elder was the son of George W. Elder and Mary Ann Leach, according to John L.'s death certificate. He died in Paducah, Kentucky 4 July 1934 at the age of 81 years, 5 months and 24 days.

Mary M. Elder, the daughter of James Cullen, was born 14 January 1870 Webster County, Kentucky and died in Paducah 3 January 1943.

Elder - McFarlan Controversy 1833

James and William Elder of Livingston County established a ferry from their land on the Kentucky shore to the ferry landing of James McFarlan on the Illinois side of the Ohio river on the 29th of January 1829. William Elder and McFarlan formed a partnership to ferry people, horses and goods from one side of the river to the other, but that partnership turned sour. The reason for the dissolution of the partnership is unknown, but by 1833, the men were neither partners nor friends.

The Elder ferry was located in that part of Livingston County that would be in Crittenden County today and the McFarlan ferry was located at what is today Elizabethtown, Hardin County, Illinois.

On the 13th of August 1833, several people, including three children of William Elder, left the Kentucky shore in a skiff belonging to their father and headed toward the Illinois side of the river. In crossing the river, they drifted some distance below the landing place and, as they approached the shore, they saw James McFarlan, who walked along the shore, keeping opposite the boat until they got near the river bank. McFarlan then stepped aboard, grabbed the chain, declared the boat his property and ordered the occupants off the boat. When William Elder’s son, James, stated they would not give up the boat, McFarlan raised the tomahawk over his head and said if they did not he would split James Elder’s skull. McFarlan stepped on shore and with the chain, drew the boat toward a place to fasten the boat. At that time, James McFarlan’s son approached the boat and declared, “Well old man. You have found a prize.” James McFarlan replied that he had, indeed, and intended to keep it. The occupants of the boat were then taken back to the Kentucky shore, but McFarlan kept the boat, which was valued at $50.

Unhappy with the treatment of his children and the confiscation of his boat, William Elder filed suit on a charge of trespass in Livingston County Circuit Court against James and John McFarlan. Depositions were taken by both sides with the defendants’ witnesses claiming William Elder had been violating McFarlan’s ferry privileges by carrying passengers from the Kentucky shore to McFarlan’s landing in Illinois. McFarlan did not deny confiscating the boat, but did deny threatening to use a tomahawk.

On the 3rd of June 1835 returned the following verdict: “We of the Jury find for the plaintiff against James McFarlan, defendant, $304 in damages and against John McFarlan, $204 in damages.” The defendants’ attorney objected, but was overruled.

Sources:
Livingston County, Kentucky Circuit Court Order Book G, pages 365, 377

Livingston County, Kentucky Circuit Court Order Book H, pages 11, 171, 175, 256, 261

Livingston County, Kentucky County Court Order Book G, page 364

Elder vs McFarlan, Livingston County, Kentucky Circuit Court Case File September 1833, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives