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

Boonesborough Connection

Do you ever attempt to connect a genealogy line to a major historical event? I’m sure most genealogists with families in the United States have tried to connect ancestors to military records related to any of our major wars. 
With my early Kentucky research, one of my goals is to figure out when they arrived in Kentucky. Thus, I checked the list of “Early Settlers of Boonesborough” for my Crawford families and did not find them listed. 

As I’ve dug into these Crawford families, I’ve started looking at other family ties. One of those ties is to the John Anderson family. John’s daughter, Rebecca, was married to James Crawford. Since I couldn’t find documentation of James’ arrival, I started looking for information for the arrival of Rebecca’s siblings. 
Thanks to a 1798 Madison County Kentucky deed, Rebecca’s father was identified as John Anderson and her siblings as the following:

• Samuel Campbell and Mary his wife
• Bez’l Maxwell and Margret his wife
• James Crawford and Rebecca his wife
• James Anderson and Hannah his wife
• John Gass and Anne his wife
• William M. Morris and Betsey his wife
• Isaac Anderson
• Samuel Anderson

Since Bazeleel Maxwell appears in many of the same records as James Crawford, I decided to try and learn more about this Anderson family. 
This took me back to Boonesborough — where I found several Anderson family members on The Fort Boonesbourough Monument:

• Anderson, James – 1775
• Anderson, Jemima
• Anderson, John – 1780
• Anderson, Mary – married Captain John Kennedy
• Anderson, Nicholas

Besides the Anderson children, I found several of the spouses:

• Gass. John – 1775 — s/o Capt. David Gass
• Morris, William
• Campbell, Samuel

Based on the names in the deed and the names at Boonesborough, it looks like John Anderson and several of his daughters were in Boonesborough. Missing from Boonesborough are sons Isaac and Samuel and daughters, Margret and Rebecca.
Since Rebecca Anderson was married to a sibling of Bazaleel Maxwell prior to her marriage to James Crawford, there is a strong family connection between Bazaleel Maxwell and James Crawford. Thus, I’ve been looking for Maxwell families when looking for my Crawford families. 
Thus, I found Bazaleel Maxwell listed on the tax list for Montgomery County, Virginia in 1782. (Kegley, Mary B., compiler and editor. Tax List of Montgomery County, Virginia, 1782. Roanoke, VA: Copy Cat, 1974.) 

Several Crawford families are also listed on this 1782 tax list, including Edward, James, a reference to the estate of John Crawford and Robert Crawford. 

So far, I don’t have anything to prove that the James Crawford in the 1782 tax list is the James Crawford who married Rebecca Anderson. However, the fact that a James Crawford and a Bazaleel Maxwell are both listed on the 1782 tax lists is incentive to continue researching the Crawford family in Montgomery County, Virginia prior to 1786 when James Crawford purchased land in Kentucky.

Possible Distant Cousins

Have you tested your DNA? If so, have you been able to break through a brick wall using your DNA results?
My main purpose for testing my DNA was to learn more about my Crawford ancestry. Since I already have identified my 4th great grandfather on my Crawford line, I was hoping to identify his siblings and parents via DNA. So far, my results have not helped me get thru that brick wall.
However, there is one DNA test that has puzzled me for quite some time. This is the sole test that shows up when I search my matches for ancestors born in Garrard County, Kentucky: i******. I share 23 cM across 2 segments with i****** and one of my brothers shares 24 cM across 2 segments with i******.
When I looked at shared matches with i******, I found two other matches that appear to have the same common ancestors: Isaac Crawford and Nancy Miller. In looking at matches shared with these two other matches, I discovered a fourth match who descends from a different Garrard County family.

I believe Isaac Crawford is the son of James Crawford and Rebecca Anderson. However, the trees for the I, D and J matches either don’t go back that far or have a different father for Isaac.
Based on my research of the records of Madison, Lincoln and Garrard Counties in Kentucky, I am theorizing that my ancestor James Crawford (md. Sally Duggins)  is somehow related to the other Crawford families in that area prior to 1800: Rebecca Crawford, Mary Crawford, James Crawford (md Rebecca Anderson) and/or William Crawford. It is believed that James (md Rebecca Anderson) and William are brothers and that Rebecca is the widow of a third brother. Because of the ages, my current theory is that my ancestor, James (md Sally Duggins) is the nephew of James (md Rebecca Anderson) and William Crawford. Thus, I would be a 7th cousin to I, D, and J IF Isaac is the son of James and Rebecca Crawford and IF my theory about the uncle/nephew relationship is correct.
To figure out whether these DNA shared matches support my being a 7th cousin to I, D, and J, I looked at the Shared Centimorgan Project to see if the amount of shared DNA was within the range for 7th cousins. Since one of my brothers doesn’t share any DNA with any of these individuals, our range of shared DNA is none to 34 cM. According to the shared cM project, we could share anywhere from 0 to 57 cM and be 7th cousins.

Thus, we are within the range to be 7th cousins. 
This does NOT prove that we are both related to James Crawford and Rebecca Anderson. We could easily be related on some other line that my bias is preventing me from recognizing. However, it does support the possibility of a relationship. Thus, I will continue researching the families of James and Rebecca Crawford as well as the families of William, Rebecca and Mary Crawford.