Some time ago, I wrote about Samuel W. Scott, the “natural born child of Ally Scott deceased” who was living in Washington County, Kentucky when he was bound out to George Thompson to learn the trade of draper.

Washington County, Kentucky was the first county created after Kentucky attained statehood, named, of course, after George Washington.

Since Samuel was born out of wedlock and court records haven’t shed any light on the matter, I am trying to determine who the parents of Alley Scott might be.

Luckily, early Kentucky records are plentiful and, by plentiful, I mean that counties began keeping not only marriages, land and probate records early on, but they also kept YEARLY tax lists, usually from the time of county formation.

Washington County is not a burned county and its tax records begin the same year it formed – 1792! Unfortunately, the 1800 census for Kentucky didn’t survive, but there is one for 1810.

That year, Washington County had but a handful of heads of household with the Scott surname. Specifically, there were only seven and it’s likely that most, if not all, of these Scotts were related given the time period and the fact that Scott isn’t a super common surname – not rare, but not abundant either.

First, we have George Scott, a male over 45, with a female over 45, a male 16-25 and 2 males under the age of 10. George Scott could be the father of Ally Scott, who was probably somewhere between the ages of 16 and 21 (born c1776-1783) when she gave birth to Samuel W. Scott on 1 January 1797.

Second, we have John Scott, also a male over 45 with one female over 45, 2 females 16-25, one male 16-25, one female 10-15, one male 10-15, 2 males under 10 and 2 females under 10. Being over the age of 45, John could possibly be the father Ally Scott if he had older children already out of the home by 1810.

There are four Scotts in the 26-44 age bracket so of an age to be a brother to Ally Scott:

Samuel Scott had one female in the home also aged 26-44 and one female under the age of 10.

Robert Scott, aged 26-44, had one female also aged 26-44, one male 10-15, two females 10-15 and 2 females under 10.

James Scott, aged 26-44, has one female 16-25, one male 10-15, one female under 10 and one male under 10.

Richard Scott, aged 26-44, had one female 26-44, one male 16-25, one female 10-15, two males under 10 and two females under 10.

Next, I have to wonder where Samuel W. Scott was living in 1810, when he would have been 13 years old. If he was living with a Scott relative, then he would have to be living with either Robert or James, as they are the only two with a male in the 10-15 year age range. One thing to keep in mind is that all of Samuel W. Scott’s children have not been identified with the exception of one daughter, Eramanthus Elizabeth Scott, my husband’s ancestress, and Robert J. Scott, who lived with his sister and her husband, James Holland, in 1850. Could Samuel have been the nephew of Robert Scott in Washington County (and the teen in the 10-15 age range in 1810) and who named his son for the man who took him in and raised him? It is a definite possibility.

In order to find out if and how all these Scotts in 1810 might be related, I read the Washington County tax lists beginning in 1792. Up until that time, its land had been part of Nelson county, which touches its western border. I did backtrack to Nelson County, hoping that some of these Scotts – like John and George – might have been living there when Washington County formed, but their names are not found on any Nelson County tax list.

However, George Scott is found regularly in Washington County beginning with the very first tax list created in 1792. In fact, George Scott is the only Scott found there in 1792. There was one titheable over the age of 21 (himself), but there were THREE males in the 16-21 age range at home. He also had 100 acres of land, 8 horses and 22 cattle.

The 1793 list is missing, but in 1794, we have George, Robert and Richard and in 1795, George, Richard, Robert and John all appear.

By 1797, George, Robert, Richard and Absolem are listed and in 1799, we have George, Robert, Richard, James and Absolem, who later removed to Cumberland County, Kentucky.

Early Scott marriage records are intact for Washington County:

Robert married Nancy Clifton, 7 August 1795
Richard married Jane Smith, 6 May 1796
James married Martha Bowles, 2 August 1799
Hannah married James Clark, 26 August 1799
Anna married Samuel Thompson, 29 November 1804
William married Levicy Isaacs, 2 January 1807
Martha married Richard Carlile, 26 May 1807
Samuel married Jane Seaton, 8 June 1809

Two other Scotts, Mourning and Sally, also married there, in 1806 and 1809 respectively, but they have been identified as daughters of John Scott, so I will assume that information is correct for now.

Robert Scott continued to live in Washington County until the 1830 census, when he was 50-59 years old. There is a Robert Scott in Green County who is aged 60-69 and might be the same man.

Richard Scott was aged 60-69 in 1830 when he was living in Washington County. He hasn’t been found after that time. Hi son, George, born c1801, reportedly died in 1856 in Andrew County, Missouri.

James Scott was aged 26-44 in 1810 when he was living in Washington County, but hasn’t been found after that time. There is a James Scott who died intestate in Howard County, Missouri in 1832 who may be this man.

James Clark who married Hannah Scott appears to have moved to Henry County, Kentucky by 1810.

William Scott who married Levicy Isaacs removed to Howard County, Missouri and is the only person in this Scott group who lived to 1850. Howard County is also where Samuel W. Scott, son of Alley Scott, lived. William reported that he was 74 years old, so born c1776, in Virginia. From this, I believe that he was likely a son of George Scott, who then lived in Virginia at the time of the American Revolution.

Samuel Thompson who married Anna Scott lived in Washington County in 1810, but isn’t found after that time.

Samuel Scott who married Jane Seaton removed to Vanderburgh County, Indiana and died there between 1820 and 1830, as Jane was head of household in 1830. It is said that Samuel built the first house there in 1817.

Richard Carlile who married Martha Scott also removed to Vanderburgh County, Indiana, so it is likely that Martha was the sister of Samuel Scott.

There is one extremely annoying discovery I made in the land records of Washington County. George Scott sold land in 1802 and he was identified as a resident of Henry County, where some of the Scott family moved.

In March 1802, Deed Book B:563, George Scott and his wife are found in the land records, but his wife is only shown as “George Scott and __________ his wife.” Even at the time of the final recording, only George’s name was mentioned.

The tax records of Henry County include George in 1802, but state that his land was in “Clarke” County. A follow up in those counties uncovered no further information about George and George was back living in Washington County for the 1810 census.

George might be the George Scott living in Bourbon County, Kentucky in 1820, as there was no man by that name there in Washington County in 1810 and he is over 45 years old. It’s also possible that George died in Washington County between 1810 and 1820, but no probate record has been found for him.

At this point in time, I tend to believe that George Scott is the father of Allie Scott and grandfather of Samuel W. Scott. He was likely born c1745 in Virginia, but I have no idea about the county where he lived. His wife’s name is unknown but Richard appears to be his oldest son and born c1770 so George probably married about 1769.

His children were likely Richard, Robert, James, Alley, Hannah, William, Anna, Samuel and Martha, born in that order between 1770-1789.

When I have enough free time, I might venture into Virginia records to see if it is possible to pick up the trail of a George Scott, born in the 1740s who disappears from the records by 1792.

For now, though, this is the end of the Scott line.