Two days ago, I meandered through some of the sparse early records for Lewis Peavler #1. Today’s journey will be a little bit easier because Lewis Peavler #2 and his wife, Catherine Head both died sometime after the 1850 census was taken, when they were living in Knox County, Kentucky.
Yesterday, the Peavler story began, at least where I could pick it up, in the northern most peak of Virginia in Frederick County. The family migrated in southwesterly direction down into Dunmore/Shenandoah County and then finally into Rockingham County, where Lewis #1 apparently died.
However, the next generation continued its travels down to the area where Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee all meet. This was the wild frontier at the turn of the 19th century.
This map is a perfect representation of how difficult it was to determine where one was living back then. The next generation of Peavlers have been associated with Scott County, Virginia, Knox County, Kentucky and Sullivan County, Tennessee. Those counties are roughly where the red arrows are pointing. You can see that, geographically, they are all very close together.
Lewis Peavler and his wife, Catherine, who some believe was Catherine Bull, were enumerated in the 1850 census of Knox County, Kentucky. Unfortunately, they were living alone.
Lewis’s age was reported as 73, giving a birth year of about 1777. Catherine was three years younger so born about 1780. Neither is found in 1860 and it is likely that both died during the 1850s decade.
Lewis’s exact whereabouts haven’t been determined, but it is very likely that he was living in the VA-KY-TN area about 1800. He and Catherine married about 1799. He hasn’t been found in any census from 1800 through 1830.
Proposed Children:
Margaret, born c1802; married Abraham Eakin, 7 January 1830, Scott County, Virginia. He reportedly died the same year.
William, born c1804, in Tennessee per the 1880 census. He is a huge mystery. There is a newlywed William Peavler in the 1830 census of Scott County, Virginia, but William isn’t again found until he is a widower in the 1880 census. He is living with his son, Lewis, and family. Son Lewis was born about 1854 in Kentucky, but he hasn’t been found in earlier censuses, either.
Lewis, born c1805, in Tennessee per the 1850 census. He married Catherine Head, c1828, probably in Scott County, Virginia. This is Lewis #3. He will be discussed in detail in tomorrow’s post. Both died after the 1880 census.
Christopher, born 12 August 1807 in Virginia or Kentucky; died 8 April 1889, Linn County, Missouri. He married Anna Head, c1830, probably in Scott County, Virginia.
John, born c1813, Virginia. He is not found in any other census after 1850. The last record of him is in 1853 when he received a land grant of 40 acres on Little Clear Creek on 17 March 1853. He married Mary Bull, c1838, probably in Knox County, Kentucky.
Michael, born c1815, Virginia. He married Sarah Bull, c1835, probably in Knox County, Kentucky. They later lived in Linn County, Missouri and Michael reportedly died there in 1869.
The family of Lewis Peavler #2 isn’t much less of a mystery than that of Lewis #1. Much more is known about the family of Lewis #3 because his family is mostly intact for the 1850 census. His story will be told tomorrow.