Crossing Paths 2

As you are researching your ancestors do you ever find a family living in the same county as ancestors or cousins from a totally different branch of your tree? That’s been my experience recently.

Yesterday, while following up on a comment on a blog post about a reader’s potential connection to my Garrard County, Kentucky research, I stumbled upon such a situation. I discovered a reference to Osbourn Bland as one of the survivors taken prisoner at Blue Licks in the Winter 2006 issue of Kentucky ancestors.

Trowbridge, John M. “‘We Are All Slaughtered Men’: The Battle of Blue Licks,” Kentucky Ancestors. Winter 2006 Vol. 42, No. 2 p. 61.

This would place an Osburn Bland in Madison County, Kentucky a little before my Crawford line. Now this may not be my Osburn Bland, but it might be. I have tax lists showing an Osborne Bland living in Nelson county prior to 1800. Much more research will need to be done to figure out if this is the same person – or NOT.

Again, my Bland line is on my dad’s mother’s side of the tree while my Garrard/Madison County, Kentucky research is on my dad’s dad’s side of the tree, my Crawford line.

Because of this instance where one branch of my tree seems to cross paths with another branch, I decided to investigate the ‘Who Was There’ report in my genealogy software. I’ve used this report to identify people in Kansas in 1950. However, I’ve never run the report for a specific county or for a range of time or both. Thus, I decided to try this report for Kentucky prior to 1800.

Because I have a relatively large database with lots of facts, this report takes a long time to create. To help speed up the process, I created a marked group using the option to ‘select people by data fields’

Then I configured the ‘Search for Information’ to find ‘Any Fact’ with the ‘place’ containing ‘Kentucky’.

After saving the group, I can now go back to the ‘Who Was There List’ Report and use that marked group instead of ‘Everyone’ for the people to include.

The report still takes a bit of time to generate results, but it produced a 24 page report of the individuals with a fact placing them in Kentucky between 1750-1799. To narrow that down to the area of Garrard, Madison and Lincoln Counties, I created a new marked group. (Note: This uses OR between each of the statements.)

Using this new ‘AnyFact Garrard Madison Lincoln’ group, I re-created the ‘Who Was There’ Report.

This produced an 8 page report.

I thought I was finished. That was until I scanned this report and discovered it didn’t pick up Osborn Bland. After much hair pulling, consultation with others and more hair pulling, I discovered that Osborn Bland wasn’t included on the ‘Who Was There’ report because I didn’t have a birth fact and a death fact for Osborn Bland.

This discovery led me to the ‘Missing Information List’ report. To start with I selected the ‘death’ fact and set the criteria to either be missing or with a blank date. I then changed the people to include to my marked group for Garrard, Madison and Lincoln counties.

I discovered three pages of people in the marked group for Garrard, Madison and Lincoln counties that don’t have a death fact. Thus none of these people will show up on a ‘Who Was There Report’ for Garrard, Madison and Lincoln Counties.

_, Hannah-10231 Abrams, Elizabeth-10219 Adams, Jane Jean-13252 Adams, Reuben-13286 Anderson, Anne-10225 Anderson, Betsey-10224 Anderson, Isaac-10227 Anderson, James-10226 Anderson, Mary-10223 Anderson, Samuel-10228 Banta, Hendrick-16927 Brown, Aristippus-13500 Brown, Margaret-10210 Campbell, Susannah-10212 Clark, William-10383 Crawford, Anne-1447 Crawford, Archibald-10209 Crawford, Elizabeth-10380 Crawford, Elizabeth-13499 Crawford, Isaac-1454 Crawford, James-8577 Crawford, Jenny-10217 Crawford, John-1412 Crawford, John-8574 Crawford, John-10062 Crawford, John-10071 Crawford, Joseph-10211 Crawford, Milton-10218 Crawford, Molly-8579 Crawford, Oliver-10220 Crawford, Rebecca-8578 Crawford, Sarah-6761 Crawford, Sarah-10384 Crawford, William-10385 Croucher, Edward-14946 Crutcher, Absolem-14949 Crutcher, David-14951 Crutcher, Elizabeth-14948 Crutcher, Lucinda-14950 Crutcher, William-14945 Davis, Betsy-10386 Davis, Elizabeth-9980 Dooley, Henry-13306 Elder, William-5260 Ellis, Sally-10382 Estes, Delina-10221 Garrett, Ignatius-10379 Gass, John-10232 Harris, David-16730 Harris, Leah-16734 Kennedy, Elizabeth-14971 Maxwell, Bazeleel-10229 McAlester, Sarah-6762 McClary, Samuel-172 Miller, Elizabeth-13541 Miller, Jacob-13498 Montgomery, Benjamin-10206 Moore, Alexander-11622 Morrison, William M.-10478 Reed, Joseph-14024 Rolston, Andrew-10216 Seever, Annie-16797 Sellers, John Finley-5252 Sellers, Nathan-5257 Sellers, Samuel-10381 Shuck, Sally-16928 Smith, Polly-10207 Yewell, Mary-5258

Thus, I have work to do if I want this report to include everyone in the region. I will probably use FamilySearch to figure out approximate birth and death dates.

Ham Crawford Connection

A few weeks ago, the following comment was posted on my ‘About’ page.

Hello, I’m a descendant of Joseph B. Ham and Dolly Crawford of Madison County KY. Married in 1795. I am at a brick wall trying to find Dolly’s ancestry. All I have is that she listed her mother as Molly on the marriage record. I can’t find any Molly in Madison County KY at this time. Only the Mary that you write of who based on her marriage and timeline seems to be too young. Any help is appreciated.

I do have Dolly Crawford and Joseph Ham in my database. According to the book, Madison County Kentucky Marriage Records Vol. 1 1786-1822 by Bill and Kathy Vockery, they were married in Madison County in 1795.

Since I don’t have any other information on this couple, I decided to see what tax records for Madison County might reveal. Since I’ve already used these records for my CRAWFORD research, I was primarily looking for the HAM surname. However, when I found Joseph Ham, I also located known Crawford family members and associates in that year’s tax record.

Madison County Kentucky
Tax Books, 1787-1874

Tax Books, 1787-1797, 1799-1807
FamilySearch Film 8126 DGS 7834478

1787
Image 15 – ‘H’
Nil Ham

Image 30
Nil Ham

Image 40 – ‘H’
Ham Wm Wm Ham – 0 – 1 – 0 – 6 – 18

Image 55 0 1788

Image 65 – ‘H

Image 73 – 1789

Image 77
Ham William 1-1-? – 11 – left at 10/

Image 82 – ‘H’
NIL

Image 90
Mary Crawford
No Ham

Image 99 – 1790

Image 103 – ‘H’
Nil Ham

Image 111 – 1791
Image 115 – ‘H’
Ham, William – 1white- 1 Black > 16- “ – 5 horses – Stud 15
Image 124 – ‘H’
NIL – Ham

Image 129 – 1792
Image 134 – ‘H’
Hamm Drury – 1 – blank – blank – blank – 6 – 6
Image 141 – ‘H’
NIL Ham
Image 150 – ‘H’
Ham, William – 2 (or possibly 7) white > 21- dash white above 16 – 3 total blacks – 2 blacks > 16 -7 horses – 30 cattle- – – 100 Acres of Land- 1 stud – 6 rate

Image 157 – 1793
Image 163 – ‘H’
Ham Wm – 1 – dash – 4 – 2 – 8 – 31 – 100

Image 170 – 1794
Image 176 – ‘H – faded
William Ham may be on this page
May be another Ham toward bottom of page – can’t decipher first name
Image 187 – ‘H’ starts
Image 198 – ‘H’
NIL Ham

Image 206 – 1795
Image 214 – ‘H’
Nil Ham
Image 227 – H
Ham William Madison County Silver Cr 100 acres
Do do do 150 acres
Do Mason Lee Cr 1400
Image 239 – H
Image 259 – H
Ham William – 1 white over 21 – . – 5 total blacks – 3 blacks under 16 – 5 [H H) Colts & Mulres – 33 Cattle
Ham Drury – 1 white over 21 – . White over 16 under 21 – 1 total blacks – 1 blacks under 16 – 5 [H H] Colts & Mules – 8 Cattle

Image 266 – 1796
Image 271 – Edward Crawford
Image 277 – H
Ham Joseph – 1 male over 21 – 2 horses – 2 cattle (no land listed)
Ham Drury 116 – Paint Lick Madison from Elijah Kritly 1white >21 -. Above 16 under 21 – . Black above 16- 1 total blacks – 5 horses mares – 5 cattle
Image 278
Ham William – 300 acres – Silver C – Madin – G Clay & Hancock -1 white male > 21- . white males > 16 – 2 blacks > 16 – 5 total blacks – 5 horses – 33 cattle
Image 310 – H
Image 333 – Crawfords (James, William and sons) — NO Rebecca or Mary Crawford
Image 334 – Duggins / Dooley
Image 337 – H
Image 340 – Alexander Moore (Mary Crawford’s husband)

Image 353 – 1797
Image 360 – H
Image 382 – H
Image 406
Crawford Edwd
Image 410 – H
Image 412
Ham Drury – 116 acres Paint L Madn C Elijah Kurtley – 1 male > 21 – 1 total black – 6 horses
Ham William – 450 acres – Silver C Madn C – Green C Hancock – 1 male > 21, 1 male 16-21, 1 black > 16, 4 total blacks – 7 horses
Do – 700 acres – Lees Creek – Mason C – Wm Tomlin

Even though tax records do not prove relationship, they can provide some clues.

• William Ham is the first Ham family member shown on the tax list
• William Ham owned at least two parcels of land: one on Silver Creek in Madison County and one on Lees Creek in Mason County
• Drury Ham appeared on the tax list in 1792 with no land suggesting a possible relationship between William Ham and Drury Ham
• Joseph Ham appeared on the tax list in 1796 in the same assessment district as Drury Ham and William Ham also suggesting a relationship between Joseph Ham and William Ham
• In 1796, the three Ham households were not in the same assessment district as the Crawford families I’ve been researching suggesting that these two family groups did not live near each other. [My Crawford research involves William Crawford, James Crawford (wife Rebecca Anderson), James Crawford (wife Martha Knight), James Crawford (wife Sally Duggins), Mary Crawford (husband James Sellers), Sally Crawford (husband William Sellers), widow Mary Crawford and widow Rebekah Crawford.]
• There is an Edward Crawford in the same assessment district as the HAM families. [I don’t know much about this Crawford family.]

So, back to the question. Could Dolly Crawford be the daughter of Mary Crawford? Could Dolly Crawford be a sibling to my James Crawford? Yes, that is possible, but I will have to do more digging to find a connection between the two families.

Could Dolly Crawford be a sibling of the James Crawford who married Martha Knight. This is very doubtful. James and Martha were married in Lincoln County. James’ suspected siblings, Mary and Sally, were also married in Lincoln County.

Could Dolly Crawford be a daughter of James and Rebecca (Anderson) Crawford. Again this is doubtful. None of my research of this family has any records connecting the Crawford and Ham families.

Could Dolly Crawford be a daughter of William and Elizabeth Crawford. This is possible but doubtful.

Based on the tax records, I would look for a connection between Dolly Crawford and the Edward Crawford on the 1796 tax list.

Curious as to what others have concluded about Dolly Crawford, I looked at trees on Ancestry and FamilySearch. The FamilySearch tree has a Dolly Crawford [LLHZ-852] married to Joseph Ham [M76X-C5Z]. Dolly is shown as the daughter of Alexander Crawford and Molly Burris. However, there are no sources attached to Dolly, Alexander or Molly. Ancestry has over 200 trees for Dolly Crawford and Joseph Ham. I have not looked at all of them, but I looked at several that indicated they had multiple sources attached to Dolly. Those ‘multiple sources’ turned out to be multiple other Ancestry trees.

Thus, more information (documentation) is needed for the Joseph Ham family. To attack this problem, I would

• Thoroughly research all of their children.
• Locate land records for William and Drury Ham to see if they provide a clue to family relationships.
• Identify locations where Joseph Ham resided.
• Locate land records for Joseph Ham.
• Search for county histories or family genealogies that have information on the Ham family.
• Keep an open mind. The trees may all be wrong.

Disproving Same Alexander – Census Records

I’m struggling with ‘same name’ issues. Particularly in regards to Alexander Crawford. I believe there are two different Alexander Crawfords.

• Alexander Crawford who married Margaret McElwee in Lincoln County, Kentucky in 1788 and likely lived in Pulaski County, Kentucky
• Alexander Crawford, son of Rev. James Crawford of Fayette County, Kentucky and grandson of Alexander Crawford and Mary McPheeters

Other researchers disagree with me. Thus, I’m on a quest to locate documentation to hopefully resolve this issue.

Today, I’m working with census records. Since these are all pre-1850 census listings, they can’t be depended upon to prove family relations. However, they can help establish places of residency.

Using the family information for Rev. James Crawford from the book Descendants of Alexander and Mary (McPheeters) Crawford, I can determine approximate ages for the various census years.

Name	Birth Year	Death Year	Sex	Age 1810	Age 1820	Age 1830	Age 1840
Rev James Crawford	1752	1803	m
Rebecca McPheeters	1755	1830	f	55	65	75
Martha Crawford	1775	1831	f	35	45	55
Alexander Crawford	1782	1845	m	28	38	48	58
Mary Crawford	1784		f	26	36	46	56
Elizabeth Crawford	1789	1845	f	21	31	41	51
Sarah Crawford	1801	1841	f	9	19	29	39
Rebecca Crawford	1805	1830	f	5	15	25	35

Using the above chart, I can then look at the census records for Fayette County and compare the tick marks to potential family members.

In the 1810 census for Fayette County, Kentucky (where Rev. James Crawford lived), I was able to find a Rebecka Crawford as the head of household on the census with 12 total people in the household:

• Free white males 26-44: 1 – son – Alexander Crawford – age 29
• Free white females 10-15: 1 – daughter Rebecca Crawford – wrong age – she would have been 5
• Free white females 16-25: 3 – daughters Sarah age 9, Elizabeth age 21, Mary age 26
• Free white females 45 and over: 1 – Rebecca Crawford
• Number of slaves: 6
• number of household members under 16: 1
• Number of household members over 25: 2
• number of household members: 12

In the 1820 census for Fayette County, Kentucky, I was able to find Alexander Crawford listed as a 26-44 year old male head of household.

• Males 26-44 — 1 – Alexander age 38
• Females 16-25: 2 – sisters Sarah age 19 / Rebecca age 15
• Females 26-44: 2 – sister Mary age 36 / Mother Rebecca age 65
• Slaves – Males 26-44: 2
• Slaves Female under 14:5
• Slaves Female 14-25: 2
• number of persons engaged in agriculture: 3
• Free White persons over 25: 4
• total free white persons: 6
• Total Slaves: 9

Alexander Crawford again appeared as the head of household in the 1830 census for Fayette County, Kentucky.

• Males 40-49: 1- Alexander age 48
• Females 20-29: 1 – sister – Rebecca age 25
• Females 30-39: 2 – Sisters Sarah age 29, Mary age 46
• Females 70-79: 1 – Mother Rebecca age 75
• Free colored persons Females 24-35: 1
• Slaves Males 24-35: 1
• Slaves Males 36-54: 1
• Slaves Females under 10: 3
• Slaves Femlaes 10-23: 2
• Slaves Females 24-35: 2
• Free white persons 20-49: 4
• Total Free white persons: 5
• Total Slaves: 14
• Total free colored persons: 1

The 1840 census of Fayette County, Kentucky also lists Alexander Crawford as a head of household.

• Males 50-59: 1 – Alexander age 58
• Females 30-39: 1 – Sister Rebecca age 35
• Females 40-49: 1 – Sister Sarah age 39 or Mary age 56
• Free colored persons – males 36-54: 1
• Slaves males under 10: 9
• Slaves males 10-23: 2
• Slaves Males 36-54: 1
• Slaves Females under 10: 7
• Slaves Females 10-23: 2
• Slaves Females 36-54: 2
• Persons employed in agriculture: 4
• No. white persons over 20 who cannot read and write: 1
• Free white persons 20-49: 2
• Total free white persons: 3
• Total free colored persons: 1
• Total slaves; 23
• Total all persons – free white, free colored, slaves: 27

The above census records support an Alexander Crawford living in Fayette County, Kentucky between 1820 and 1840. Although there are a few discrepancies, the tick marks appear to line up with the Rev. James Crawford family structure. Thus, there is support – but not definitive proof – for the theory that the Alexander Crawford in these census records is the son of Rev. James Crawford.

If there are two separate Alexander Crawfords, then there should be a second set of census records. I used the information I had compiled on the family of Alexander Crawford of Pulaski County, Kentucky to create a similar table showing ages of the family members in the various census records.

Name	Birth Year	Death Year	Sex	Age 1810	Age 1820	Age 1830
Alexander Crawford	1767	1823 / 1838	m	43	53	63
Margaret McElwee	1766	1832	f	44	54	64
Adams Crawford	1789	1869	m	21	31	41
Andrew Crawford	1791	1878	m	19	29	39
Martha Crawford	1801		f	9	19	29
John A. Crawford	1803	1838	m	7	17	27
Shelby Crawford	1805	1870	m	5	15	25
Harrison Crawford	1808	1870	m	2	12	22

Unfortunately, the census records for Alexander Crawford in Pulaski County, Kentucky are more difficult to line up with these known family members. In the 1810 census, this could be explained if one of the sons and his family was also living in the household

• Free males under 10: 4 – ? grandsons?
• Free males 10-15: 3 – sons John, Harrison, Shelby
• Free males 16-25: 1- son Adams or Andrew
• Free males: 45 and over: 1- Alexander
• Free females under 10: 1 – unknown
• Free Females 10-15: 2 — ? granddaughters?
• Free females 10-15: 2 – unknown
• Free females 16-25: 1 – daughter Martha or wife of Adams or Andrew
• Free females 26-44: 1 – wife Margaret
• Number of household members under 16: 10
• Number of household members over 25: 2
• Number of household members: 14

The 1820 census of Pulaski County, Kentucky showing an Alexander Crawford is even more confusing. If this is the same family, then Alexander likely has at least one if not two daughters-in-law living with him along with several grandchildren.

• Free white males under 10: 2 – ? grandsons
• Free white males 10-15: 2 – ? grandsons
• Free white males 45 and over: 1 – Alexander Crawford
• Free white females under 10: 1 – ? granddaughter
• Free white females 10-15: 1 – ? granddaughter
• Free white females 16-25: 2 – daughter Martha Crawford and 1 daughter-in-law or 2 daughters-in-law
• Free white females 45 and over: 1 – Margaret McElwee Crawford
• Free white persons under 16: 6
• Free white persons over 25: 2
• total free white persons: 10
• Total all persons: 10

A search of the 1830 Pulaski County, Kentucky census for Crawford does not include an Alexander Crawford in the results.

This study of Kentucky census records does support

• an Alexander Crawford living in Fayette County, KY at the same time as an Alexander Crawford lived in Pulaski County, KY.
• the Rev. James Crawford family unit living in Fayette County under the name of Rebecka Crawford in 1810 and Alexander Crawford in 1820, 1830 and 1840.

Since the Pulaski County, Kentucky census records are hard to match up with the family unit of Alexander Crawford and Margaret McElwee, it is hard to conclude that the Alexander Crawford shown in these records is the husband of Margaret McElwee.

Thus, I need to locate more records to support my position that these are two different Alexander Crawfords.

Same Alexander?

Do you struggle with ‘same name’ issues in your genealogy research? I know that over the years I have struggled to either separate two people or prove that the records I found apply to my ancestor and not to someone else of the same name.

My newest struggle is with someone that I currently can’t even connect to my tree. I found an Alexander Crawford who married Margaret McElwee in Lincoln County, Kentucky in 1788. This marriage is one of four Crawford marriages that occurred in early Lincoln County:

• 1788 – Alexander Crawford married Margaret McElwee
• 1791 – Mary Crawford married James Sellers
• 1793 – James Crawford married Martha Knight
• 1796 – Sarah Crawford married William David Sellers

My ancestor, James Crawford married Sally Duggins in 1799 in Garrard County, Kentucky. Garrard County was formed from Lincoln County, Kentucky in 1796 — the year Sarah and William Sellers were married.

Thus, these 5 Crawford couples were married in the area of 1788 Lincoln County, Kentucky within an 11 year time period. Based on the marriage bonds and some land records, it is believed that Mary, Sarah and the James that married Martha Knight are all children of Rebekah Crawford who purchased land in Garrard County from George Douglas.

Since my ancestor, the James Crawford who married Sally Duggins, lived in the same area as the James Crawford who married Martha Knight, it is thought that they are somehow related, possibly cousins.

So that leaves Alexander Crawford. Is Alexander a sibling to Mary, James and Sarah? Or, is he possibly a sibling to my James Crawford?

In hopes of proving that Alexander Crawford is a sibling to one of these two families, I’ve done some research on Alexander. Although I haven’t done extensive research on Alexander, I have established a basic timeline for him.

Birth	abt Jan 1767	Augusta County, Colony of Virginia, British Colonial America
Tax	1789	Lincoln, Kentucky, United States
Tax	1800	Pulaski, Kentucky, United States
Residence	1810	Somerset, Pulaski, Kentucky, United States
Residence	1820	Somerset, Pulaski, Kentucky, United States
Death	7 Jul 1823	Pulaski, Pulaski, Kentucky, United States9
Burial	1823	Mount Pleasant Baptist Cemetery, Pulaski, Pulaski, Kentucky, United States

Since my goal was to figure out whether this Alexander Crawford was related to any of the other Crawford families in early Garrard County, Kentucky, I started looking at trees hoping to find someone with parents for Alexander Crawford.

And I found several trees showing Rev. James Crawford and Rebecca McPheeters as the parents of Alexander. This lineage would make the Alexander Crawford who married Margaret McElwee a grandson of Alexander Crawford and Mary McPheeters.

Although Rev. James Crawford may have been an itinerant minister, he did not live in the Garrard County area. Instead he raised his family in Fayette County. Thus, I decided to look at information about the descendants of Alexander and Mary (McPheeters) Crawford to see if the Alexander Crawford of Pulaski County was a grandson.

Thus, I turned to the book, Descendants of Alexander & Mary McPheeters Crawford: Pioneer Settlers of Augusta County, Virginia by Amanda Crawford Arbogast Forbes and Lucetta Crawford Smmis. This book identifies the children of Rev. James Crawford as

• Mary Crawford – died unmarried
• Martha Crawford (1775-1831) married Charles McPheeters
• Alexander Crawford (1782-1845)
• Elizabeth Crawford (1789-1845) married Joseph Galloway
• Sarah Crawford (1801-1841) unmarried
• Rebecca Crawford (1803-1833) unmarried

p. 205.

Also in the book is some information from the Fayette County, Kentucky will of Alexander Crawford.

p. 206.

Comparing the information I have compiled for the Alexander Crawford of Pulaski County, Kentucky with the information in the book about descendants of Alexander Crawford and Mary McPheeters, I don’t believe these two Alexander Crawfords are the same person.

However, I am basing my conclusion on one book. Since that isn’t sufficient evidence to convince others, more research is needed to support my conclusion. Perhaps in the process, I will stumble on something that leads to information connecting the Alexander Crawford of Pulaski County to the Crawfords of Garrard County.

Sources for Alexander Crawford who married Margaret McElwee:

        1. Dodd, Jordan R., Kentucky Marriages Early to 1800 (: Precision Indexing Publishers, ), p. 49.

        2. “Family Tree”, database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : viewed online November 2016), Alexander Crawford / Margaret McElwee Family; undocumented and unnamed family tree submitted by wendyhar, [contact information for private use]; Crawford Tree.

        3. Find a Grave, database and images, Find a Grave (www.findagrave.com : viewed online 3 September 2020), memorial for Alexander Crawford (1767-1823), Find a Grave Memorial no. #186274065, created by Sandra Lytch, citing Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Somerset, Pulaski County, Kentucky;, Alexander Crawford.

        4. Kentucky, Lincoln County. Tax Books, 1787-1875.  Film #DGS 007834472. Alexander Crofford, 1789 : image 104; digital images, Family Search http://www.familysearch.org : viewed online 4 September 2020.

        5. “Kentucky, Tax Lists 1799-1801,” database online, Genealogy Publishing Company, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : viewed online August 2019), Alexander Crawford.

        6. “Kentucky, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes ndex, 1810-1890,” database, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : viewed online July 2019), Alexander Crawford.

        7. 1810 U.S. Census, Pulaski County, Kentucky, population schedule, Somerset, Pulaski County, Kentucky, image 16, Crawford Alexander; digital image, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : viewed online August 2019).

        8. 1820 U.S. Census, Pulaski County, Kentucky, population schedule, Somerset, Pulaski County, Kentucky, image 7, Alexr Crawford; digital image, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : viewed online August 2019).

        9. “Family Tree,” database, Ancestry.com, Alexander Crawford / Margaret McElwee Family.

        10. Find a Grave, database and images, Find a Grave (www.findagrave.com : viewed online 3 September 2020), memorial for Alexander Crawford (1767-1823), Find a Grave Memorial no. #186274065,

        11. “Family Tree,” database, Ancestry.com, Alexander Crawford / Margaret McElwee Family.

        12. Find a Grave, database and images, Find a Grave (www.findagrave.com : viewed online 3 September 2020), memorial for Alexander Crawford (1767-1823), Find a Grave Memorial no. #186274065,

New Connection

In your genealogy research, do you have a FAN (Family Associates, Neighbors) club? If so, do you ever see a name and question whether to add him/her to your FAN club? If so, that’s how I felt about Moses Dooley.

It was like that name, Moses Dooley, kept cropping up in different places and times. My first notes for Moses Dooley are from tax records for Preble County Ohio — living in the same community as my ancestor, James Crawford (wife Sally Smith Duggins) and ‘big’ James Crawford (wife Martha Knight).

Thinking that I should find Moses Dooley in Kentucky with these same Crawford families, I looked back at my Kentucky notes and discovered that I didn’t record anything about Moses Dooley. Rechecking the tax records, I found Moses Dooley in 1794 Madison County, Kentucky — on the same page as several Crawfords. [Kentucky, Madison. Tax Books, 1787-1874. Kentucky Historical Society, Frankfort, KY. Film #8126 DGS 7834478. Crawford James, William, 1794 Tax bookx 1787-1797, 1799-1807: image 197; digital images, Family Search http://www.familysearch.org : viewed online February 2019.]

Assuming the Moses Dooley of Preble County, Ohio is the same person as the Moses Dooley of Madison County, Ky, that places Moses Dooley traveling a similar migration path as that traveled by the two James Crawford families.

A brief study of the information about Moses Dooley on the FamilySearch tree [L66r-BYH] revealed other connection points with my research:

• Moses Dooley was born in Augusta County, Virginia in 1748. Augusta County, is where my ancestor, James Crawford, is said to have been born.
• Moses Dooley died in 1822 in Preble County, Ohio. James Crawford was living in Preble County, Ohio in 1822 and died there in 1854.
• Moses Dooley’s grandson, Silas Dooley married Isabel McCracken. Isabel’s grandparents were Nathan Sellers and Sarah Finley. The Sellers family is part of my Crawford FAN club.
• Moses Dooley’s son, Abner married Nancy Douglas. Nancy is the daughter of George and Rebecca Douglas. George Douglas is believed to be the brother of Rebekah Crawford. Rebekah Crawford is believed to be the mother of Sarah Crawford (md Williiam Sellers), Mary Crawford (md. James Sellers) and James Crawford (md Martha Knight)

With all of these loose connections to my Crawford family, I decided to see what else I could learn about Moses Dooley and his family. Digging thru Google searches, I stumbled upon a biography of Reuben Dooley, son of Moses Dooley.

Not only does this biography provide a lot of detail about Reuben Dooley and his parents, but it provides details for their migration path. This path took the family from Bedford County, Virginia to Madison County, Kentucky in 1781. From there the family moved to Barren County, Kentucky and then to Preble County, Ohio.

This migration path is very similar to that of the Preble County Crawfords. Deeds place James and Martha in Barren County, Kentucky prior to moving to Preble County, Ohio. Marriage records place both James in early Kentucky. James and Martha were married in Lincoln County, Kentucky in 1793. James and Sally were married in Garrard County Kentucky in 1799. Both James are believed to have been born in Augusta County, Virginia, one in 1770 and the other in 1772.

Although I haven’t found any relationship between my Crawford line and the Dooleys, this biography provides support for the migration of the Preble County James Crawfords South onto the Marrowbone out of the Garrard County Kentucky area prior to the migration North into Preble County, Ohio.

I am glad I followed that ‘nudge’ to do more research on Moses Dooley. He is now an ‘official’ member of my Crawford FAN club.

DNA JOY!

My mind is ‘jumping up and down’ with joy this morning. Another CRAWFORD researcher contacted me this morning to let me know he had found out his haplogroup: R-Y88686. That is the SAME haplogroup as my brother.

We FINALLY have some evidence that we are related!

We both descend from James Crawford of Preble County, Ohio. His James Crawford was born in 1770 in Augusta County, Virginia and died in 1833 in Warren County, Indiana. My James was born in 1772 in Virginia and died in 1854 in Preble County, Ohio.

Both men were living in Kentucky prior to 1800. His James married Martha Knight in 1793 in Lincoln County, Kentucky. My James married Sally Duggins in 1799 in Garrard County, Kentucky. (Garrard County was formed in 1797 from Lincoln and Madison counties.)

In 1811, his James filed land entry papers showing he had made the final payment for the SW 1/4 of Section 14, Township 7 Range 2 East in Preble County, Ohio. In 1816, my James filed similar land entry papers showing he had made the final payment for the NW 1/4 of Section 14, Township 7, Range 2 East in Preble County, Ohio. Yes, they owned adjoining land.

These two families appear to have migrated together for over 100 years. Thus, we have long suspected a relationship.

Not only has our yDNA tests shown us that we need to keep looking for that relationship, but it has added a third James Crawford to the mix. This James was also in Garrard County prior to 1800. James was born in Augusta County, Virginia in 1758 and died in Jefferson County, Indiana in 1836. In 1779, this James Crawford married Rebecca Anderson Maxwell in Montgomery County, Virginia.

So that’s three members of our haplogroup:

• three James Crawfords
• all in Garrard County, Kentucky prior to 1800
• all born in Virginia – likely in early Augusta County, Virginia
• no father/son relationship between any of the three James Crawfords

The fourth member of our haplogroup descends from William Nelson Crawford. William was born in 1829 in Ohio. Little information about William has been found prior to his marriage to Julia Ann Decious in 1864 in Lassen, California. By 1877, William and Julia were living in Klickitat County, Washington. William died in Klickitat County in 1907.

This William Crawford may have been the 21 year old William Crawford listed in the household of William Crawford (son of James and Martha Crawford) on the 1850 census in Pike Township, Warren County, Indiana.

If so, that would place William Nelson Crawford in Warren County, Indiana along with James and Martha Crawford and their children and with my ancestor Nelson G. Crawford, son of James and Sally Crawford.

This new haplogroup information says these four families are related. We just need to do more digging to figure out how!

yDNA – Big News

In your genealogy research, have you ever suspected a relationship but never could find evidence to support your suspicions?

Well that’s been the case with my James Crawford research and I now have yDNA evidence to support that suspicion!

My brothers yDNA has been placed in the R-Y88686 haplogroup. My first match was to descendants of Edward Crawford of Tennessee. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to verify that our two lines resided in the same area at the same time let alone discover a family connection.

With today’s notice of a new Big Y match, I now have a match with a familiar line. The new match is a descendant of James and Rebecca (Anderson) Crawford.

The James and Rebecca Crawford family is one of several Crawford families in the Garrard County area of Kentucky prior to 1800 that I’ve been researching. Although I have been able to piece together a lot of information on these various Crawford families, I’ve never been able to find anything connecting my James Crawford who married Sally Duggins in 1799 in Garrard County, KY to any of these other families.

These DNA results not only support my suspicions but give me incentive to continue researching these various Crawford families in hopes of someday figuring out how my Crawford line connects.

These families include:

• My line: James and Sally (Smith Duggins) Crawford who migrated from Kentucky to Preble County, Ohio. Their son, Nelson Crawford, migrated from Ohio to Warren County, Indiana around 1830. Most of Nelson Crawford’s children, including my ancestor, Washington Marion Crawford, migrated from Indiana to Dodge City, Kansas.
• James Crawford and Martha Knight – James and Martha were married in 1791 in Lincoln County, KY. They owned land in Barren County, KY before migrating to Preble County, Ohio. Around 1830, James and Martha and their children migrated to Warren County, Indiana. Their grandson, Harvey Harrison Crawford, migrated to Ford County, Kansas and eventually settled in Dodge City, Kansas.
• James Crawford and Rebecca Anderson were married in 1779 in Montgomery County, Virginia. James purchased land from Thomas Kennedy along Paint Lick Creek in what was Lincoln County, Kentucky at the time. By 1811, James and Rebecca along with most of their children and families had migrated to Jefferson County in Indiana Territory. THIS IS THE LINE WITH A yDNA MATCH.
• Rebekah Crawford purchased 100 acres of land on the headwaters of Sugar and Boons Creek in 1786. She is listed as a widow on the Lincoln County tax records in 1787. Rebekah is believed to be the mother of the James Crawford who married Martha Knight along with Mary Crawford who married James Sellers and Sarah Crawford who married William Sellers. It is also believed that Rebekah was the sister of George Douglas and widow of John Crawford. More evidence is needed to prove all of these relationships.
• Mary Crawford is listed as ‘exempt’ on various tax records in Madison County, Kentucky prior to 1800. In 1791, Mary purchased 100 acres of land on Sugar Creek in what became Garrard County, Kentucky. In 1793, Mary married Alexander Moore in Madison County, KY. Alexander and Mary Moore migrated to Fleming County, Kentucky, which is where it is believed that Mary died.

Perhaps with the help of the Crawford yDNA project and other Crawford researchers, we will be able to figure out this branch of the Crawford family!

Chasing Edward

When doing your genealogy research do you sometimes feel like you are going down a rabbit hole or chasing your tail? That’s what I sometimes feel like when I research descendants of a Crawford who is not my ancestor.

So yesterday, I was chasing my tail by researching the children of Edward Crawford (1762-1826) of Overton, Tennessee. Even though I don’t have any paper research connecting my Crawford line to Edward or even to Overton County, Tennessee, there is a DNA connection. Descendants of Edward Crawford have also done a Big Y DNA test and we have been assigned the same branch of the Big Y Haplotree: R-Y88686.

When I first received these DNA results, I couldn’t find a connection between my Crawford family in Garrard County, Kentucky and Edward Crawford of Overton County, Tennessee. However, I remembered that I had found an Edward Crawford in the 1795 and 1796 tax lists for Madison County, Kentucky. Wondering whether the Edward Crawford in the tax lists of Madison County, KY is the same Edward Crawford who died in Overton County, TN.

Thus, I’ve been researching the children and grandchildren of Edward Crawford of Overton County, Tennessee — hoping to find some clue that would lead back to Kentucky. As I was finding records for Edward’s children and their family, I was comparing my findings to the Edward Crawford [LD9R-8KW] family on the FamilySearch tree. During this comparison, I discovered that other researchers believe that David Crawford [9KMN-WNK], son of Edward and Abigail (Trowbridge) Crawford was born in Clark County, Kentucky.

Wait! A child of Edward was born in Kentucky – in Clark County, Kentucky? Since none of my research had taken me to Clark County, Kentucky, I had to look it up on a map. That’s when I discovered that Clark County was on the northeast border of Madison County.

Thus, I’ve started digging into Clark County records to see what I could learn about Edward Crawford. I started by looking for marriage records involving an Edward Crawford and I found reference to a marriage bond between an Edward Crawford and an Abigail Trowbridge.

Crawford, Edward and Abigail Trowbridge; surety, Silas Trowbridge 1798 Dec 3

Besides the marriage bond  of Edward Crawford, I found information for several other Crawford family marriage bonds on page 85.

page 85
Crawford, Cassillah and George S. Miller; surety, Moses Gentry 1810 Sep10

Crawford, Ceile, and Jehu Cole; surety, Jesse Cole. Jehu Cole guardian of Ceile Crawford 1806 Sep 23

Crawford, Edward and Abigail Trowbridge; surety, Silas Trowbridge 1798 Dec 3

Crawford, John and Dolly Fourt, daughter Peter and Mary Fourt (consent); witness, THomas Hansford; surety, James Ward 1796 Jun 28 [John Andrew Crawford 1765-1851 and Dorothy FOrt 1775-1846 in RootsMagic]

Crawford, Velentine and Susan Wray; surety, Archibald Crawford, consent of Benjamin Wray; witness, George Sharp 1800 Jan 10

Not only did I find information linking the an Edward Crawford of Kentucky to the Edward Crawford of Overton, Kentucky, but I have several other Crawfords to add to my FAN club and another Kentucky county to research.
_________
George F. Doyle, Marriage Bonds of Clark County, Kentucky from the Formation of the County in 1793 to 1850: compiled from the original bonds in the office of the clerk of the Clark County Court, digital image (Winchester, Kentucky: Clark County Historical Society, 1933), page 85; digital image, FamilySearch, http://www.familysearch.org Film 183194 DGS 7896907 : viewed online 15 February 2020.

Garrard County Names

Do you use a list of FAN (Friends, Acquaintances, Neighbors) club names when researching county records for your family? If so, do you ever struggle with remembering how the members of your FAN club fit together? If so, you are not alone.

As I’m getting back into my CRAWFORD research and Garrard County, Kentucky records by reading an order book, I’ve found that I not only need a list of names, but a diagram of how they might fit together. Since I don’t own any software to easily create such a diagram, I used Microsoft Publisher and multiple text boxes to create my diagram of the CRAWFORD families in early Garrard County, Kentucky along with some associated families.

In the early tax records for the area, I have identified four CRAWFORD families with land in what becomes Garrard County: Rebekah Crawford, William Crawford, James Crawford and Mary Crawford. Based on research of these four families, their spouses and potential children, I have been able to identify contemporaries who had ties to these families. This is the generation that settled the region.

• Absalom Adams (father of Feathergill Agams)
• Feathergill Adams
• Isaac Anderson
• James Anderson
• John Anderson (father of Rebecca Anderson)
• Rebecca Anderson
• Samuel Anderson
• Samuel Campbell
• James Crawford
• John Crawford
• William Crawford
• George Douglas(s)
• Rebekah Douglas(s)
• John Gass
• John Kennedy (brother of Thomas Kennedy)
• Bazeleel Maxwell
• John McElwee
• Jacob Miller
• William Morrison
• Nathan Sellers

Since many of the potential children of the four CRAWFORD families were married in early Kentcuky, I can add their spouses to my list. This is the generation that mostly moved away from the Garrard County area.

• John Crafton
• Robert Creath
• Elizabeth Davis
• Alexander Duggins
• William Guthrie
• David Hall
• Martha Knight
• Nancy Miller (daughter of Jacob Miller)
• James Sellers (son of Nathan Sellers)
• William Sellers (son of Nathan Sellers)
• Sally Smith
• Abigail Trowbridge
• Beverly Vawter
• Lucy Vawter

As I read the court order book, I will be looking for any mention of the following surnames:

• Adams
• Anderson
• Campbell
• Crafton
• Crawford
• Creath
• Davis
• Douglas(s)
• Duggins
• Gass
• Guthrie
• Hall
• Kennedy
• Knight
• Maxwell
• McElwee
• Miller
• Morrison
• Sellers
• Smith
• Trowbridge
• Vawter

Hopefully, these court records will help me learn more about these Crawford families and their migration to Kentucky. 

Adams on Sugar Creek

Garrard County, Kentucky
Deeds 1787-1902; indexes, 1899-1960

Vol. C 1793-1796
Family Search DGS 183284 Film 008141322

Book C page 554 – image 291

This Indenture made this 6th day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety five Between Charles Bland of the County of Madison and State of Kentucky of the one part and Fethergill Adams of the state and County aforesaid of the other part witnesseth that for an inconsideration of the sum of one hundred and twenty pounds current money of the aforesaid state to him in hand paid by the said Fethergill Adams, the receipt whereof the said Charles Bland do hereby acknowledges and himself therewith fully satisfied and contented hath granted bargained sold aliened and confirmed and by these presents doth grant bargain sell alien and confirm unto the said Feathergill Adams one certain tract or parcell of land containing one hundreds and twenty six acres situate lying and being in the County of Madison and on the waters of Shugar Creek being the [apperend] of a seven hundred acre survey assigned to Walker Daniel by Green Glay and bounded as follows to wit Begining at three beech trees standing in Moses Dooley’s south and north line of his five hundred acre survey and on the west side of a small drain extending from thence south eighty one degrees east at thirty four poles crossing Jno Clarks road in all one hundred and ninety four poles to three beach trees standing in William McClures line thence

image 292 — Page 555

with his line south forty five degrees west two hundred and seventy poles to a Shugartree standing in the said Dooleys south and north line thence with sd Dooleys line north two hundred and eighteen poles to the Beginning with its appurtenances To have and to hold the said land and premises with every of its appurtenances unto the said Feathergill Adams and his heirs forever and the said Charles Bland for himself his heirs exors and admors the said tract of land and premises unto the said Feathergill Adams his heirs Exors and Admors shall and will warrante and defend against the claim of him the said Charles Bland his heirs executors and Administrators or from any other person or persons by or under him or them and against the claim of all and every other person or persons whatsoever In witness whereof the said Charles Bland for himself his heirs exors and Admors hath hereunto set his hand and affixed his seal the day and date above written.
Charles Bland (LS)
Phillis (her mark) Bland (LS)
Signed Sealed acknowledged
and delivered in presence of

At a court held for Madison County on Tuesday the 6th day of October 1795.
This Indenture was acknowledged by Charles Bland and Phillis his wife to be their act and deed she being first privately examined as the law Directs and relenquished her right of dower therein and ordered to be records.
Teste Will Irving MCC