Thomas Kennedy’s will, which I posted a couple of days ago, named his heirs. However, his children didn’t all remain in Bourbon County, Kentucky. Thanks to his youngest child Jesse it is possible to identify some of Thomas Kennedy’s grandchildren.

Four of Thomas’s children married and left descendants:

1. Thomas, born 24 March 1773, Virginia; died 1857, Crawford County, Illinois; married Elizabeth Eaton, 7 August 1793, Bourbon County, Kentucky.
2. James, born c1774, Virginia; died between 18 May and 24 August 1835, when he wrote his will and when it was recorded in Lawrence County, Indiana County Court; married (1)? and  (2) Matilda Browning, , 11 January 1810, Clark County, Kentucky. Matilda died between the 1840 and 1850 censuses, probably Lawrence County, Indiana.
3. Nancy, born February 1778, Virginia; died after 10 December 1816; married Ephraim Holland, 21 May 1794, Bourbon County, Kentucky. Ephraim died in 1814, Scott County, Kentucky.

Thomas’s children with Rachel:

1. Jesse, born 11 August 1787; died 3 April 1863, Bourbon County, Kentucky; married Polly Waugh, 5 March 1814, Bourbon County, Kentucky

Let’s begin with Thomas Kennedy, born 24 March 1773, probably Fauquier County, Virginia. He married Elizabeth Eaton, 7 August 1793, Bourbon County, Kentucky. Thomas was a Baptist preacher who moved his family to Crawford County, Illinois around 1810 or 1811. Jesse Kennedy said Thomas and Elizabeth had sixteen children, about half of whom grew to adulthood.

Children:

1. Nancy, born c1795 (aged 65 in 1860 census living with her son Thomas’s family), Kentucky; died between 1860-1870, probably Jasper County, Illinois; married James Miller, 8 September 8125, Crawford County, Illinois.
2. Joseph, born 2 February 1795 (undocumented), Kentucky; died 22 March 1854, Anderson County, Texas; married Abigail Parker, 10 February 1825, Crawford County, Illinois.  His gravestone is modern with no documentation. They had five children.
3. Margaret, born c1801, Kentucky; married John Smith, 7 March 1822, Crawford County, Illinois. Margaret likely died about 1843, as John Smith married (2) Sarah Hix, 24 December 1843, Crawford County, Illinois. It appears that Margaret had at least two children, Stephen, born c1833 and Elizabeth, born 1836. It’s possible that others were married and out of the home by 1850.
4. Stephen, born c1803, Kentucky; died 5 January 1846, Crawford County, Illinois as noted in probate administration; said to have married Rebecca Wolfe and had five children, but I can’t find any marriage record or his family in 1850. Stephen was a Baptist preacher like his father.
5. Thomas, born 2 February 1807, Kentucky; died 25 December 1869, Marion County, Illinois; married Joicy Hicks, 22 September 1829, Crawford County, Illinois. They had nine children.
6. Mary, born 21 March 1810, in Illinois per the 1850 census; died 4 June 1854, Crawford County, Illinois; married John Miller, 20 December 1825. Online information shows them to have 16 children, but I haven’t verified the count!
7. Jesse, born c1812; died after 1860 census of Clay County, Illinois; married Elizabeth Kent, 15 March 1833, Crawford County, Illinois. They had five children.
8. Achsah, born 19 November 1814, Illinois; died 29 December 1876, Crawford County, Illinois; married probably (1) Wiley Partling, 7 January 1834 (Record shows he married “Axey Kennedy.” (2) James Parker, 25 July 1839 (3) Samuel J. Gould, 7 December 1848, all in Crawford County, Illinois. Achsah had at least two daughters with James Parker and three more daughters with Samuel Gould. Her parents, Thomas and Elizabeth, lived with the family in 1850.

Next, we have James Kennedy, born c1774, probably Fauquier County, Virginia; died between 18 May 1835 and 24 August 1835, the dates he wrote his will and when it was recorded. He appears to have married twice, given the age gap among his children. He married (1) Unknown, before 1806 (2) Matilda Browning, 11 January 1810, Clark County, Kentucky. Matilda was head of household in 1840, but gone in 1850. She was born 1790-1800, but likely closer to 1790 given her marriage date.

There is one male child along with four female children in the 1830 household with James, unidentified. One of the girls was Matilda, born c1831.  In 1850, William, James, Merchant and Matilda were in one household. They lived next door to Elias’s family.

Children with first wife (enumerated in James Kennedy’s home in 1820, Crawford County, Illinois):

1. Female, born 1806-1810; died after 1820
2. Female, born 1806-1810; died after 1820
3. Male, born 1806-1810; died after 1820
4. Male, born 1806-1810; died after 1820

Children with Matilda Browning (enumerated in James Kennedy’s home in 1830, Lawrence County, Indiana):

1. Susan A., born c1811, Kentucky; married James R. Critchlow, 16 June 1831, Lawrence County, Indiana. James Critchlow returned to Oldham County, Kentucky by 5 May 1834, when he married Sarah Boulware. It appears Susan died not many years after her marriage and I have found no evidence that she had any surviving children. James is found on Oldham County tax lists until 1844 and has not been located in the 1850 census.
2. Elias Patterson, born 21 September 1811/13, Kentucky; died 5 July 1881, Martin County, Indiana; married (1) Nancy Critchlow, 11 April 1834, Lawrence County, Indiana (2) Mary Kelsey, 15 February 1838, Lawrence County, Indiana. Will written 19 February 1880, proved 12 July 1881, Martin County, Indiana.
3. Male, born 1810-1820; died after 1830, not at home in 1840
4. Female, born 1820-1825; died after 1830, not at home in 1840
5. Female, born 1820-1825; died after 1830, not at hom in 1840
6.  William F., born c1823, Indiana; married Diana Strawn, 12 April 1855, Lawrence County, Indiana
7. Merchant M., born c1825, Indiana; unmarried in 1863 Civil War registration; not found after that time. He lived with sister Matilda’s family in 1860. No further record.
8. Female, born 1826-1830; died after 1830, not at home in 1840
9. Female, born 1826-1830; died after 1830, not at home in 1840
10. James M., born c1829, Indiana;
11. Matilda Frances, born c1831, Indiana; died after 1860; married (1) George W. Geiger/Gyger, 10 June 1852, Floyd County, Indiana

The last of Thomas Kennedy’s children with Ann Locker was daughter Nancy Kennedy, born February 1778, probably Fauquier County, Virginia. According to Jesse Kennedy, who knew her, she died not many years after her husband. She married Ephraim Holland, 21 May 1794, Bourbon County, Kentucky. He died in 1814.

There is a male, born 1795-1804 and a female born in the same age range in Nancy’s home in 1820. It could either be son James with his wife Annie, who returned to Kentucky to help out for a while or Abigail who married Henry Brown.

There were also two females over 45 in the 1820 home. One would be Nancy, the other unknown.

Information on part of this family is quite sketchy. Nancy Holland first appears on the tax rolls of Scott County in 1815, which makes sense as her husband Ephraim died in 1814. She appears on those lists until 1820, when she is shown with 57 acres of land.  Jesse Kennedy’s statement that she died in Boone County, if accurate, means she likely removed from Scott County in 1820 or 1821.

Unfortunately, there is no land deed showing that she sold her land, but in 1822, her son, Thomas Kennedy Holland, is taxed for 57 acres. I have read the appropriate tax lists in Boone County and find no evidence of any Hollands appearing on them in the 1820s.

Montgomery Holland, born c1809, would have been too young to appear on them, so if the family spent any length of time in Boone County, it would be with the one or two (probably married) daughters who Jesse believes also migrated to Cincinnati, Ohio.

Unfortunately, Scott County has had some paper disasters and marriage records before 1837 are lost. Therefore, unless descendants of those daughters work their way backwards in time and find the connection to Scott County, Kentucky, they will be lost forever to time.

Children:

1. James Madison, born c1795, probably Fayette County, Kentucky, as his parents lived there in 1796; died after 1860, probably Sullivan County, Missouri; married (1) Annie Thompson, 27 November 1818, Howard County, Missouri (2) Sarah Hutchinson, 28 October 1832, Howard County, Kentucky. James’s birth year varies by record. In n 1850 and 1860, it is given as 1791 and 1793. However, Scott County tax lists show Nancy with no males over 21 until 1817, so his birth in late 1795 or early 1796 is more likely. He was the only male in the family who would have been over 21 at that time. James himself never appears in the Scott County rolls.
2. Abigail, born c1796, Kentucky; reportedly married Henry E. Brown. The Brown household is found in Scott County, Kentucky in 1820, but no marriage record has been found.
3. Thomas Kennedy, born 2 January 1798, Kentucky; died 10 April 1856, Scott County, Kentucky of consumption; married Sarah Anne Stone, per children’s death certificates. Thomas was a merchant.
4. Mary, born c1802, Kentucky; living with Montgomery’s family in Cincinnati in 1850. She is the land owner, but with no relationship stated, she could be a sister-in-law. There was a Mary C. Holland, aged 49 who was interred on the same day as Montgomery. I think they were moved from other graves to a large family plot. It looks like she died on 17 January 1857.
5. George W., born 1801-1810; No further record. Was he George William and did he go by William?
6. Montgomery, born c1809, Kentucky; died 9 July 1867, Cincinnati, Hamilton, Ohio but buried in family plot at Spring Grove Cemetery on 28 April 1891 with Mary C. Holland buried the same day. She was born 17 January 1857. ; married Martha Meyers (per son Milton’s 1922 death certificate), c1832.
7. Daughter, born c1801-1810
8. Son, born 1810-1820
9. Daughter, born 1810-1820

The only child of Thomas and Rachel who married was Jesse Kennedy, born 11 August 1787 and died 3 April 1863. He married (1) Mary Waugh, 5 March 1814, Bourbon County, Kentucky.Polly was born 11 May 1788 and died 22 January 1837. Her gravestone is in the Kennedy family cemetery. (2) Polly Kennedy, 1 February 1838, Bourbon County, Kentucky.

Given the details Jesse shared about his family, the members of his 1820 household can be readily identified.

There are a male and female, both over 45, who would be his parents, Thomas and Rachel. One male 26-44 would be his handicapped brother, John. Jesse would be the second male 26-44 and the female in that age range would be wife, Mary.

There is a female, aged 10-15, whose identity is unknown. Then there are three males under the age of ten, which most likely would be his three sons. The family lived in North Middletown, Bourbon County.

Some say that George and Joseph were also sons of Jesse. It’s possible, but I found no clear documentation linking them to this family. Jesse didn’t leave a will when he died.

Children:

1. Thomas, born c1815, Bourbon County, Kentucky; died after 1880; married Sarah Kennedy, 19 March 1839, Bourbon County, Kentucky.
2. Franklin, born 3 November 1817, Bourbon County, Kentucky; died 18 February 1890, Bourbon County, Kentucky; unmarried.
3. Jesse Green, born 1 April 1819, Bourbon County, Kentucky; died 6 January 1904, Lafayette County, Missouri; married Julia Kennedy, 3 December 1840, Bourbon County, Kentucky.
4. Son, born 1816-1820, Bourbon County, Kentucky
5. Washington G., born 22 November 1821, Bourbon County, Kentucky; died 17 June 1899, Cass County, Missouri;  married Sarah Amos, 15 June 1858, Jackson County, Missouri;
6. William Wallace, born 30 November 1824, Bourbon County, Kentucky; died 8 July 1905, Cass County, Missouri; married Nancy A. Branham, 13 October 1852, Bourbon County, Kentucky.
7. James Edwin, born 5 April 1826; died 15 October 1836, Bourbon County, Kentucky
8. Son, born 1826-1830
9. Mary Mariah, born 27 March 1828; died 2 February 1871, Bourbon County, Kentucky; married John Bedford Kennedy, November 1845, Bourbon County, Kentucky.

Perhaps new clues will emerge that will fill in more information on the currently unidentified children of several of these Kennedys. If you are descended from this family – and there are many descendants out there – please leave a comment.

Puttering around online browsing for family history records is always a fun past time. However, it’s a lot more fun when you hit the MOTHERLODE, which is what happened to me while researching the family of Thomas Kennedy of Bourbon County, Kentucky.

A hit came up for Thomas Kennedy in Bourbon County that turned out to be a website that covered the history of early Bourbon County families.

Jesse Kennedy, Thomas’s youngest child, is everyone’s dream ancestor. I am sure now that he is the one who had his father’s gravestone made to include so many details about his family’s origins.

Why am I so sure? Because Jesse Kennedy took the time to write down all of his family’s history, back to his grandparents and included information about each of his half-siblings! This is a family who lived in places where vital records are lacking.

Bourbon County, KY Family Records & Histories is a fabulous website if you have ancestors in Bourbon County. It is where I found a transcription of the family history paper written by Jesse Kennedy.

Jesse told the story of his grandfather, John Kennedy, being taken as a young boy from Ireland and sent into servitude in Maryland. He knew the names of his father’s half- and full siblings. He accounted for all of his father’s children by two marriages, with the exception of his own younger sister, Rachel, who died in 1791.

Jesse further gave some birth, marriage and death dates, maiden names, spouses and information about where family members had moved. A genealogist couldn’t ask for anything more!

This family narrative was written in August 1850 when Jesse Kennedy would have been about 63 years old. Yes, it is possible that his memory could have been a bit faulty, but, so far, I’ve been able to find a number of documents that back up his information.

There are a few details which might just have to be accepted at face value, like the marriage date in 1772 for his father and Ann Locker, his first wife, because the marriage was likely in Virginia and no county record has yet been located. You know how it is with those burned counties in Virginia!

Here then is an expanded genealogy of Thomas Kennedy, with many thanks to Jesse Kennedy!

John Kennedy, born Ireland, probably about 1700-1710, was kidnapped when he was about 6-7 years old, along with several other boys and shipped off to Maryland, where he was indentured.

John Kennedy married twice. The name of his first wife is unknown, but she gave birth to two sons, Francis and Daniel. His second wife, Elizabeth and said to be Owen/Owens, a Welsh redheaded young lady, was the mother of his other children. Jesse Kennedy stated that she married (2) Robert Darr

John Kennedy died  probably not long before 21 November 1753, when his will was enter in will in Maryland Prerogative Court Wills 29:11. Note: He named no daughters, but Jesse says that he had one daughter, Elizabeth, with his second wife.

In the Name of God Amen. I John Kennedy of Frederick County and province of Maryland being sick and weak of body, but of perfect mind and memory, Blessed be God for the same, do make and appoint this my Last Will and Testament in manner and form following.

Imprimis. I give and bequeath my Soul to God who gave it me and my body to be buried in a decent manner at the discretion of my Executrix hereafter to be named.