Do ‘bright shiny objects’ cause you to change direction with your genealogy research? That’s where I find myself right now: chasing those bright shiny objects versus working on my stated goals. So, what has me distracted? My Crawford puzzle of course!
I’ve recently been updating my research of my 3rd great grandfather, Nelson Crawford — which is one of my 2022 goals. Since Nelson bought and sold land to and from descendants of James and Martha Crawford, updating my research on that family distracted me.
Then, I recently received an email from a descendant of James and Martha Crawford telling me about a message he received from a George Douglass descendant. This connection grabbed my attention since we believe that George Douglass is the uncle of James Crawford. We had already verified that George Douglass sold Rebekah Crawford land in Garrard County, Kentucky.
Since learning more about George Douglass may help us trace our Crawford lines back to Virginia, I decided to review my Douglass notes and see what else I could dig up. Like James and Martha who migrated from Garrard County to Barren County, George Douglass also made that trek. In looking at Barren County Kentucky land records, a George Douglass purchased 300 acres of land on Beaver Creek in 1808 from Levi Hollingsworth.
Vols. B-C 1801-1813
Film 209720 DGS 7899150Image 117
Volume B page 210Hollingsworth to Douglass Deed
This Indenture made this 24th day of February in the year of
our Lord 1802 between Levi Hollingsworth of the City of
Philadelphia by Thomas Badley his attorney in fact of the
County of Fayatte and Commonwealth of Kentucky of the one part
and George Douglass of the County of Barren and Commonwealth
afrsd of the other part witnesseth that the sd Levi Hollingsworth
for and in consideration of the sum of $400 current money of
Kentucky to him in hand paid the receipt whereof is hereby
acknowledged hath granted bargained & sold and by these presents
doth grant bargain sell & confirm unto the sd George Douglass
his heirs or assigns all that tract or parcel of land situate and being
in the County of Barren on the waters of Beaver Creek containing
300 acres and bounded as follows to wit) Beginning at a red
oak & hickory and poplar John Mosby Shepherds north East
corner of his survey of 1000 acres on the sinks of Beaver Creek
N ° 390 and runing N 49 ° west 29 poles to a chestnut and hickory thence
N 45 ° E 128 poles crossing Beaver Creek at 102 poles to Hickory &
walnut standing in the edge of the Barrens thence with the Barrens
S 79 ° W 148 poles thence North 73 ° West 210 poles thence North
70 ° West 127 poles to two Sycammores and hack berry on Beaver
Creek in the edge of the Barrens thence south 186 poles to
Shepherd North west corner a red [oak] poplar and hickory thence
east with John Mosby Shepherds line 400 poles to the beginning
which was entered surveyed & pattented in the name of Levi
Hollingsworth it being within the District set apart for the
officers and soldiers of Virginia state line together
with all and singular the premises thereunto belonging
or in any wise appertaining to have & to holdpage 211
the land hereby conveyed with the appurtenances unto the sd George
Douglass his heirs and and assigns forever and the sd Levi Hollingsworth
for himself his heirs executors and administrators the afsd tract of land
and premises unto the sd George Douglass his heirs or assigns against the claim
or claims and every person or persons whatsoever doth and will warrant and forever
defend by these presents In Witness whereof the sd Levi Hollingsworth by
Thomas Bedley his attorney in fact duly authorized by power of attorney
recorded in the clerks office of the Court of appeals hath hereunto set his hand
and seal the day and date first above written.
Levi Hollingsworth (seal)
By Thomas Badly his
Attorney in factAcknowledged
in presents of
Wm ToddState of Kentucky Lexington District (to wit) as Deputy
Clerk of he Court for the District aforesaid I do hereby certify that this
indenture was this day acknowledged before me by Thomas Bradley
as attorney in fact for Levi Hollingsworth party thereto and that a
true copy thereof is entered on record in my office Given under my hand
this 24th day of February 1802
Wm Todd Dc[S.D.C]Barren County (to wit) September the 10th 1808 This Indenture form
Levi Hollingsworth by his atty Thomas Bradley to George Douglass with
the certificate thereon endorsed was proved to me in my office and at the
request of the sd George Douglass was admitted to record [?}
Test W Logan Clk
To try and understand what this parcel of land looked like, I plotted it in my Deed Mapper software.
Since Levi Hollingsworth was an original land owner, I was able to locate the survey and associated documents on the Kentucky Secretary of State Virginia and Old Kentucky Patent site. Levi Hollingsworth had an Old Kentucky patent – certificate number 1893. The 1785 survey of Levi Hollingsworth’s land looks very similar to the plot view from Deed Mapper.
In 1815, George Douglass sold 200 acres of this land to Joseph Neville.
Barren County Kentucky
Deeds, 1798-1902, 1961; indexes, 1798-1935Vols D-E 1813-1818
Film 209721 DGS 7896473Image 222 start of Volume E
1815 Douglass Geo to Joseph Nevill book E page 52 200 A Beaver Cr
Image 263
Volume E Page 52This Indenture made this twenty third day of August
one thousand eight hundred and fifteen between George
Douglass of the County of Barren & State of Kentucky
of the one part and Joseph Neville of the County & State aforesaid Witnesseth
that the said George Douglass for and in consideration
of the sum of eight hundred and twenty dollars to
him in hand paid the receipt whereof he doth hereby acknowledged
doth bargain sell alien and convey unto the said Joseph
Neville his heirs or assigns a certain tract or parcel of land
lying & being in the county of Barren & State of Kentucky
on the sinks of Beaver Creek which was entered and surveyed
in the name of Levi Hollandsworth containing two hund
red acres tot he same more or less and bounded as followeth
(to wit) Beginning at a red oak hickory and poplar cornerpage 53
to a 1000 acre survey of John Mosby Shepherd and
runneth thence north fortynine degrees west twentynine
poles to a Chestnut and hickory thence North forty five
East one hundred and twenty eight poles to a hickory
& walnut standing in the edge of the Beavers thence
South seventy nine West one hundred & forty eight
poles; thence North Seventy three West one hundred
and fifty seven poles to a gum & two Spanish oaks
thence South sixteen West seventy eight poles to a
Black oak; thence North eighty eight degrees west
one hundred and fifty poles to three black walnuts
thence South sixty two poles to a red oak poplar & hickory
thence East four hundred poles to the beginning. to have
and to hold the said tract or parcel of land with the
appurtenances unto the said Joseph Nevill his heirs or assignees
forever from me my heirs #c & from the claim of all
& every other person or persons whatsoever shall forever
warrant and in witness whereof I have hereunto set my
hand and affixed my seal the day and date above written.
George Douglass (seal)
Signed sealed & Delivered in
presence of
Teste Rougherty
Sherod BybeeBarren County Sct October the 7th 1815
This Indenture of bargain and sale from George
Douglass to Joseph Nevill was on the day of the date
hereof acknowledged before me by the said Douglass
to be his act and deed and there upon the same was
admited to record in my office Teste T W Davis DCl
Below is a plot of the 200 acres (in pink) over the tope of the original 300 acre plot.
The final 100 acres of this piece of land was sold by Samuel Douglass in1829 to Thomas Br[oa]dy. This deed is on page 390 of volume L of Barren County Deeds (FamilySearch digitized microfilm)
While these deeds do not show any connection between the Douglass family and either Crawford family, they do place George Douglass in Barren County, Kentucky where James and Martha also owned land. The Crawford land was on Marrowbone Creek. At this time, I have no idea whether the Douglass land was close to the Crawford land or whether several hills and valleys separated the two pieces of land.
Heartland Genealogy 