All Things Alcorn

WIll the Real John Alcorn Please Stand Up?

DNA May Prove the Robert Alcorn/Susannah Turpin Connection

I have blogged many times before about the difficulties of separating all of the Johns, James and Roberts in the Alcorn family tree. Many genealogists (not you, of course) have taken the easy way out and simply picked out the geographically-closest Alcorns or the ones with the most distinguished lineage to put on their trees. As a result, you will find all kinds of conflicting trees when you start your research.

The arguments about the parentage of my ancestor John Alcorn (1799-1897) who died in Jessamine County have been fierce. One camp says he is the son of Robert (Robin) Alcorn and Mary Elledge. The other says, no, he is the son of Robert and Susannah Turpin. 

Both have good arguments. We know that both Roberts had sons named John born in about 1800. We know that the Jessamine County John was born in what later became Gallatin County. We know that the sons of Robert and Mary Elledge all grew up in Gallatin County. But we also know that Susannah Turpin died in Gallatin County. Wills don't help, because they don't distinguish the Johns from each other.

My mother, a long-time Alcorn researcher, was in the Robert/Susannah camp. Her tree ran 1) Garrett Alcorn, son of 2) James (married to Annie Alcorn), son of 3) James (married to Sarah Hicks), son of 4) John (married to unknown, Nancy McPherson, and Elizabeth Barnett), son of 5) Robert (married to Susannah Turpin), son of 6) John Alcorn (married to Jane Breckinridge).

I have personally been trying to answer this puzzle for over 20 years. My mother worked on it at least 20 years before me. It didn't look like we would ever find the proof we needed. But that was before DNA testing.

I recently completed AncestryDNA™ testing at Ancestry.com. I did it for a lark, mainly to see my ethnicity background. What I didn't know when I took the test was that Ancestry compares your results and provides you with a list of others who have taken the test that share your DNA. The test doesn't tell you how you link up, only that you do. It does, however, provide an indication of how related you are based on how much of your DNA you have in common.

I was so excited to find more than a hundred second, third and fourth cousins. And quite a few were Alcorns. including a third cousin descended from the John in question. There were also a number of Breckinridge matches.

But the big surprise was how many Turpins, Fields and Jeffersons showed up as DNA connections. See the Alcorn-Jefferson Connection. Is this proof that John was actually the son of Susannah Turpin?

To check out the hypothesis, I ran a search of my DNA matches for Elledges, Boones and Bryans. Only a handful of connections showed up, and those were of very low probability. 

Autosomal DNA doesn't tell us how we are connected to our DNA cousins, only that we are connected. It is possible that I have a line that connects to the Turpins and Fields on some other branch, but for now, I am feeling pretty confident about the Robert/Susannah connection.

If anyone else has participated in testing and found different results, I would love to hear from you.

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Trim-a-Tree with Ashley

The Great Counterfeit Conspiracy

Last February, I posted a deed from the June 1804 Madison County, Kentucky deed book in which William Allcorn deeded all of his material possessions to his brother George (see The Mystery of William Alcorn's Debt). In the article, I asked what kind of debt could he have incurred that his own relative felt comfortable kicking him out of his home and taking all of his possessions?

Not one, but two, Alcorn researchers have come to my aid.

Lisa Anlen Engle wrote:

I can help solve this puzzle. William was found guilty of passing counterfeit money and was sentenced to hard labor in jail or penitentiary for five years. He was also in debt and I think he "sold" out to his brother, George to hide his assets. However, in the end, this didn't work and the property was sold anyway to cover William's debts. On Apr 4, 1808, a suit was filed by Richard West (Sheriff of Jessamine County in 1808) against William & George Alcorn. William was being sued for the sum of $129.88 and 5 mils with interest dating from Jan 1 1805. The suit stated no estate of William's could be found except for that which had been transferred to George. The court ordered the sale of property of George Alcorn to satisfy the suit against William with George to receive the remaining profit from the sale.

Ginnie Mitchell added the following:

Apr 6, 1804, Kentucky Gazette, p. 45. Vol. XVII, No. 929. Tuesday. Alcorn
and Irwin were arrested in Lexington for passing counterfeit money. Sep
24, 1804, Monday, William Alcorn before Federal Court at Frankfort, KY
for counterfeit bank notes. Trial continued through evening, when he was
found guilty and sent to 5 years hard labor in jail or penitentiary.
Christopher Irving was with Alcorn and was out on bond; he did not appear
in court and forfeited his recognition. Oct 18, 1804, William Alcorn of
the County of Madison to George Alcorn, of the County of Jessamine 400
acres on which William was living at the time, 19 or 20 head of cattle,
his rifle, and all his household furniture. The deed states the reason
for this action was to satisfy the demands of George Alcorn and those of
the state against him.

Apr 4, 1808, a suit by Richard West (Sheriff of Jassamine County in 1808)
against William & George Alcorn. William was being sued for the sum of
$129.88 and 5 mils with interest dating from Jan 1, 1805. The suit stated
no estate of William's could be found except for that which had been
transferred to George. The court ordered the sale of property of George
Alcorn to satisfy the suit against William with George to receive the
remaining profit from the sale.

Curious about this black sheep in our family tree, I did a little more research and discovered William Allcorn's deposition in the Thomas Jefferson Papers on the Library of Congress's American Memory site. If you'd like to learn more, be sure to check it out. 

United States Kentucky District Court, September 1805, Deposition on William Alcorn, page 1.

John Alcorn Follow Up

I  love Alcorn researchers. We may not always reach the same conclusions, but I have found that Alcorn descendents are always generous in sharing the information they've collected. And one of the most generous, and detailed researchers has to be Bob Ford. He recently sent the following information in response to the post, John Alcorn: Revolutionary War Service?, in which we looked for the elusive proof that John did, indeed, serve in the war.

Here is Bob's response:

John (and his brother James) were both in the Rev. War (and also in the French & Indian War).  Proving it to the DAR though will be difficult.  

What follows is the first part of what I have researched on both John & James Alcorn: 

John & James ALCORN/ALLCORN of VIRGINIA 

There seems to have been two ALLCORN brothers in VA in the mid-1700's.  James & John ALCORN bought property in present day Botetourt Co VA near each other on Back Creek & Looney's Mill Creek.  Back Creek flows into Looney's Mill Creek and Looney's Mill Creek flows into the James River in Botetourt Co near where Interstate Highway 81 crosses the James River.  Then they moved to present day Wythe Co VA.  Both John & James were in the French & Indian War and both were in the VA militia during the Revolutionary War. James (my gggg g/f) was probably killed at the battle of Guilford Court House, NC 15 Mar 1781 or the skirmishes leading up to the battle.  James' widow Jane (MILLS) ALCORN then married Charles HUTCHERSON in 1788 in Montgomery Co VA and they moved to Madison Co KY, probably in 1788 or 1789. 

James had children born between about 1762 and 28 Oct 1781 when Margaret Mills ALCORN was born (Margaret was born after the death of James who died in early 1781).

Only 1 of John's children, James, is known to me.  There are two others, John & George, that are possibly his sons.   James may have been born about 1770, he married in 1793;  John may have been born about 1775, George also married in 1793. 

Judge Forest Calico, a Garrard Co KY historian, had notes on ALLCORN's that were very helpful.  Judge Forrest CALICO's information came from (1) his notes on SMITH-HUTCHERSON, LDS microfilm reel # 1036315, item 15 and (2) his Garrard Co KY "Misc Families," LDS microfilm reel # 0183259.  

Deed book records also helped.  James Allcorn bought 143 acres & 37 ½ acres in Augusta (now Botetourt) Co VA, in 1768 & 1769. The 143 acres was purchased from John & Mary Mills.  James married Jane Mills, therefore John & Mary Mills may have been relatives of Jane (Mills) Allcorn.  Jinny & Jean are diminutives or forms (nicknames, etc.) of Jane.  James & Jinny Alcorn sold 180 acres (the combined 143 & 37 ½ acres above) in Botetourt Co VA in 1779.   James Alcorn received a warrant for 50 acres in Montgomery (now Wythe) Co VA on Mac's Little Run, joining own & John Miller and the Anchor & Hope plantation on or near Reed Creek & east of what is now Wytheville, VA.   Two dates show up on references to this warrant - - 1st on 09 Feb 1781 just before James was killed on or near 15 Mar 1781.  The 2nd was after his death - - 16 Sep 1782.  The above warrant was in Montgomery Co VA for service in the French & Indian War (James was in the Bedford Co VA militia in 1758).  

James brother, John Allcorn bought 120 acres in 1765, near where James later lived in Augusta (now Botetourt) Co VA.  John & his wife Jane (daughter of George & Ann (Doak) Breckenridge), sold the 120 acres in 1770. [The "VA Magazine of History & Biography," v.27, pg 157-158, has a history of the Breckenridge family of Augusta Co VA.  Alexander & Jane Breckenridge's eldest son, George, father of Jane Alcorn above, died in Wythe Co VA (Will Book 1:1)].

In 1778, John Alcorn bought 201 acres on Lucas Creek (now called Miller Creek), east of Wytheville, Montgomery (now Wythe) Co VA and near the Anchor & Hope tract above.  Now this is where deeds were especially helpful.  On 02 Sep 1782, John Allcorn, senior, sold 39 acres (of the 201 acres) on Reed Creek (Lucas Creek flows into Reed Creek) to John Alcorn, son of James Alcorn, deceased (James being the James above that was killed in the Revolutionary War in 1781).  John Miller also sold John (son of James, deceased), 44 acres on Lucas Creek on the same date.  John (son of James, deceased), sold this 83 acres (39 + 44 acres) on 06 Oct 1788.  (This is the same year that Jane, James' widow, got married and could have been when they moved to Madison Co KY as Charles Hutcherson shows up in Madison Co KY in 1789).  

John (son of James, deceased), had problems with the sale of the 83 acres.  John had 1st gone to Madison Co KY where he married Nancy Mounce, had 3 girls, divorced and went to Wilson Co TN.  He married 2nd, Prudence Hall.   The above problem with the deed helped to locate John (son of James, deceased), as living in Wilson Co TN in 1802.  Wythe Co VA Deed Book 3, pg 220, 23 Feb 1802 - - John Alcorn, clerk of the Wilson Co TN Court gave Robert Wilson, of Wythe Co VA, power of attorney to act in John's behalf on the 83 acres recorded on 03 Mar 1789.  The document not only shows where John lived in 1802, but also gives his occupation in 1802 as Wilson Co TN Court Clerk (an occupation he had for many years).  There is a follow-up similar record in Wythe Co VA Deed Book 3, pg 231, 12 Mar 1802.  Property descriptions are included.  John (son of James, deceased), lived in, raised his 2nd family in, and is buried in Wilson Co TN.  John was also a Colonel in the War of 1812.  

23 Aug 1792, John ALCORN and Jean, of Madison Co KY to John MILLER of Wythe Co VA, for 5 lbs, 161 acres on Lucasses Creek, a branch of Reed Creek.  Beginning at a locust & white thorn, on the bank of the creek, thence South 84 degrees, East 17 poles to a swamp white oak, thence N. 77, E. 72 poles to 3 white oaks, S. 23, E. 44 poles to 2 white oaks [the preceding boundary lines of the 161 acre tract bordered the 83 acres sold to John (son of James ALCORN, deceased), by John ALCORN & John MILLER (see Wythe Co VA Deed Book 3, pp 231-233 abstract below dated 12 Mar 1802)].  [161 acre boundaries continued]: N. 32, W. 112 poles to a forked Sycamore on the south side of the creek, thence down the several courses of the said creek to the beginning.  It being part of a larger tract of land granted to James MILLER in his lifetime.  Witnesses: George, James & John ALLCORN.   Signed: John ALLCORN.  Ordered to be recorded, 11 Sep 1792.  [Wythe Co VA Deed Book 1:101-102].  

Although James & his brother John ALCORN seem to have lived in only 2 locations in VA from the late 1760's on, there were 5 counties involved due to counties being formed from other counties, etc.  

Augusta Co VA was formed in 1738 from Orange Co VA and covered a vast area from the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains in VA, westward to the Mississippi River.  Botetourt Co VA was split off from Augusta Co VA in 1769 and included part within VA, part of present day WV, and all of present day KY.  (Augusta Co VA did not begin functioning as a county until 1745, so Augusta Co records from 1738 to 1745 may still have been recorded, etc., in Orange Co VA).   

John & James ALCORN lived within the boundaries of present day Botetourt Co VA, then moved to present day Wythe Co VA.  

Fincastle Co VA was split off from Botetourt Co VA in 1772 and the name "disappeared" after 4 years when Fincastle Co was split into Montgomery Co VA, Washington Co VA, and Kentucky Co VA (present day KY) in 1776.  Wythe Co VA was split off from Montgomery Co VA in 1789.  Therefore, the area that is now present day Wythe Co VA was in Augusta Co from 1738 to until 1769, Botetourt Co until 1772, Fincastle Co until 1776, and Montgomery Co until 1789.  Fincastle Co VA records have been incorporated into the Montgomery Co VA records.  

Now back to James ALLCORN's brother John.  John & Jane (BRECKENRIDGE) ALLCORN of Madison Co KY sold 161 acres in Wythe Co VA to John MILLER of Wythe Co VA.  This was the balance of the 201 acres, after selling 39 acres above to John (son of James, deceased).  A problem developed on this property also.  (Wythe Co VA Deed Book 1:101-102, 210, 295-296, 23 Aug 1792, 04 Dec 1793 & 12 Aug 1794).  John ALCORN & his wife, Jane, gave Robert BRECKENRIDGE power of attorney to act in John's behalf on the 161 acres.  Witnesses were George, James & John ALLCORN (possibly John & Jane's sons).  So John & Jane (BRECKENRIDGE) ALCORN also went to Madison Co KY.  Robert BRECKENRIDGE above was probably Jane (BRECKENRIDGE) ALCORN's brother who was living in Wythe Co VA and later died in Bath Co KY in 1814.  

12 Aug 1794, John ALCORN & Jane his wife of Madison Co KY to John MILLER of Wythe Co VA, for 170 lbs, 161 acres lying on Lucases Creek in Wythe Co VA, being a part of a survey which was granted to James MILLER by patent bearing date at Williamsburg, 20 Jun 1753.  Bounds: Beginning at a Locust & a thorn on the East side of the creek, thence South 84 degrees, East 17 poles to a swamp white oak, thence N. 77, E. 72 poles to 3 white oaks, thence S. 23, E. 44 poles to 2 white oaks, thence N. 55, E. 90 poles to 2 white oaks, thence N. 32, W. 164 poles to a white oak, thence S. 50, W. 112 poles to a forked Sycamore on the South side of the Creek, thence down the several courses of the said Creek, 94 poles to the beginning.  John ALCORN by Robert BRECKENRIDGE attorney.   Ordered to be recorded 11 Aug 1795.  [Wythe Co VA Deed Book 1:295-296].  

[Note: There are various ways that you see ALCORN spelled (usually ALCORN or ALLCORN), but one somewhat common misspelling is ALCOM (when ALCORN is handwritten, sometimes the 'rn' at the end of ALCORN looks like an 'm').  Other spellings are ALCORNE, ALLCORNE].

Bob also noted that the land bounty reference in my previous post was for service in the French and Indian War, not the Revolutionary War.

From your blog: "From the book "Robert Alcorn and his Descendents" by Lloyd Alcorn, Sr, we learn that: "Lt. John Alcorn, later Capt. John Alcorn, also owned land on Reed's Creek (along with Robert and James Alcorn), Montgomery County, Virginia, at this time (1753 to 1782).  At the court of Montgomery County, May 3, 1780, John Bethel, John Alcorn, and others were awarded 40-acre grants for six-months' service under Col. George Washington. Their lawyer representative was Patrick Henry." 

The above 40 acres (in 1780) was for service in the French & Indian War.  The bounty lands warrants for the French & Indian War were not issued until 1779 & later.  Rev. War bounty land warrants were not issued until after the Rev. War ended in 1781.  

In Memory of my Mother

I've been away from this blog for some time, not because I've given up on genealogy, but because my mother, Mildred Frances Alcorn Bunch, passed away in September. She's the one who taught me to love family, to love genealogy, to cherish the community in which I live. For awhile, looking at family stories and pictures was a painful process, and so blogging was put on hold. But I'm now at a point that I can once again see genealogy as a celebration of those I've loved.

 

Mom (Mildred Frances Alcorn Bunch) and me, back in 1959.

Mildred Frances Alcorn Bunch, 73, wife of Clyde Newton Bunch, died Thursday, Sept. 16, 2011. She was born Jan 25, 1938 in Jessamine County, Kentucky to the late Garrett and Vela Dorris Morrow Alcorn. She was a member of Wilmore Free Methodist Church and was baptized in 1956 at the Wesley Chapel Church.

She graduated from Jessamine County High School, and attended Eastern Kentucky University.

My mother was very involved in school and community activities, and was the first woman elected to hold a public office in Jessamine County, serving as a county magistrate. She had served as president of the Democratic Woman's Club, president of the Jessamine Historical Society, was on the High Bridge Park Committee, the 1998 Jessamine Bicentennial celebration committee, and was a member of the  Jessamine County Concerned Citizens group. Her employment included the Jessamine County Clerk's office and the Jessamine Times.

Survivors include daughters, Donna (Barry) Miller, Suedell (George Freitas) Lathrem , Barbara (Robert) Cooper, Brenda (Dean) Geary and Sandra (Mark) Horton; grandchildren, Timothy (Melanie) Cooper, Brandon Cooper, Samuel and Andrew Lathrem, Kristen and Grant Miller, Garrett and Matthew Woods and Tyler Horton; great grandchildren, Maranda Spickard, Dustin Cooper, Kiera Bradley, Starcia Fraley and Max Webster; a niece Frances Felden and a nephew, Carl Puckett.

She was preceded in death by a sister, Renda Ann Alcorn Puckett and her husband Carl Puckett. Services were held at Betts & West Funeral Home with Brother Leonard Fitch officiated. Burial was at Bluegrass Memorial Gardens. 

 

 

John Alcorn: Revolutionary War Service?

I recently heard from Jennifer, a fellow Alcorn researcher, who's preparing to file a DAR application based on her ancestor John Alcorn's Revolutionary War service. The problem she's running into is separating the anectdotal from the factual.

John was born 1734 in Augusta County, Virginia, and lived in Montgomery County, Virginia before moving to Kentucky in the late 1780s.

He did not file a Revolutionary pension file, though there are references in several pension files from several soldiers under Col. John Alcorn's regiment. I believe this is a different John, the one who lived in Wilson County, Tennesee.

From the book "Robert Alcorn and his Descendents" by Lloyd Alcorn, Sr, we learn that: "Lt. John Alcorn, later Capt. John Alcorn, also owned land on Reed's Creek (along with Robert and James Alcorn), Montgomery County, Virginia, at this time (1753 to 1782).  At the court of Montgomery County, May 3, 1780, John Bethel, John Alcorn, and others were awarded 40-acre grants for six-months' service under Col. George Washington. Their lawyer representative was Patrick Henry." 

I've also found several books that list John Alcorn's service, but none with actual sources and citings.

Can you help Jennifer find the documentation she needs? If you can, we'd love to hear from you.

Looking for the Parents of Jesse Alcorn, 1781-1852

Mark Alcorn, California, recently wrote that he's a descendent of Jesse Alcorn, 1781-1852, who lived in Wayne County, Kentucky. Here's Mark's lineage:

Jesse Alcorn (1781-1852)
William Russell Alcorn (1813-1862?)
Charles Alfred Alcorn (1846-1884)
George Washington Alcorn (1876-1939), Mark's great grandfather

"I am especially interested in finding out more info about the Alcorn relatives above, as well as linking Jesse to possible parents John and Jane Breckenridge Alcorn," he wrote. " A long-time researcher who spent time researching in Kentucky warned me to be slow to link anyone to Jesse (1781-1852) due to lack of evidence. I would be very curious to see if you have made connections regarding this."

The advice Mark was given is excellent advice for anyone trying to untangle the Alcorn's tangled routes, but in this case, the evidence for Jesses' parentage is fairly strong, though circumstantial.  We know from census data that there were two men named Jesse who could be John and Jane's son -- the one born in 1781 who lived in Wayne County, Kentucky, and the one born in 1806 who lived in Gallatin County.

The Wayne County Jesse married Polly Duncan on April 4, 1806. She was the daughter of George Duncan and Catherine Smiley. She was born about 1781 in North Carolina and died about 1820 in Wayne County. Jesse married Sinah Ann Jones on Jan. 28, 1824 in Wayne County. Sinah was the daughter of James Jones. She was born 1794 in Virginia and died 1864 in Wayne County. Jesse died Nov. 26, 1852, in Wayne County.

The Gallatin County Jesse married Sarah Darbro on April 16, 1830. She lived her whole life in Gallatin County, 1816-1849.  He married Phoebe Ann Mulligan, born 1810 in Kentucky,  on Oct. 26, 1849 in Gallatin County. They later moved to Greene County, Indiana.

If we can agree that Mark's ancestor must be one of these two men, then we're left with the question: Is the Wayne County Jesse the son of John and Jane Breckenridge Alcorn, or the son of Robert and Susannah Welch Alcorn?

Since we know that Robert lived in Gallatin County, that Susannah died there, and that several of their children married Darbros, it's a logical assumption that the Jesse who lived in Gallatin County is their son. That would make Jesse of Wayne County the son of John and Jane Breckinridge.

No, it's not proof, but it may be as close as we can get. If you have more information on Jesse and his descendents, we'd love to hear from you. Let's help Mark solve this puzzle.

I'll be following up with more information from Mark, along with some pictures he's contributed on my next posting.

James Alcorn, 1893-1976

James (Jimmy) Alcorn, Jr., born March 20, 1893, was the second child of James Alcorn and Anna Eliza Corman of Jessamine County, Kentucky. The March 20 date comes from his memorial book and his Social Security registration.

On his draft registration card, Jimmy lists his birthdate as April 15, 1899 and his age as 19. (For some reason, the Alcorns in this family changed their birthdates randomly. Whether they really didn't know or they felt that it wasn't anyone else's business is a matter of conjecture.) He states that his eyes were brown; his eyes were black; and that he was of medium build.

He spent most of his life in the Handy's Bend area of Jessamine County where he farmed and fished. Although I knew him all of my life and was 16 when he died, I know very little about him. Like his brothers, he was a quiet man that kept to himself. He never married. His obituary read:

From his memorial book, we learn that the service was performed by Pastor Clyde Van Valin on Feb. 26, 1976. Pall bearers were Raymond Hasty, Allen Baker, Tim Puckett, Raymond West, Ernest Drury and Carl Puckett. He was buried in the Wilmore Cemetery, Wilmore, Jessamine County, Kentucky.

Getting to Know James Alcorn, 1832-1902

James Alcorn was one of five children born to John Alcorn (1799-1877) and an unknown mother. According to the 1900 census, James was born in April of 1832 in Kentucky. His father John appears on the 1840 census with his wife and five children in Jessamine County, so it is generally accepted that James was born in Jessamine County. John had been married to his second wife, Nancy McPherson, for two years by then, so it can only be assumed that James's mother had died when James was small, only four or five years old.

Sadly, after having four children in the next four years, Nancy, too, died, leaving James motherless once more. John would remarry again, in 1846, this time to Elizabeth Hicks Barnett, who brought her own two children into the growing Alcorn brood. John and Elizabeth would have six more children over the next few decades.

It must have been a hard life growing up in rural Jessamine and Garrard counties, helping his father farm, and living in what had to have been crowded conditions.

At the age of 18, James moved out and went to work with Dr. John C. Welch. Hugh Corman, husband of Alice Alcorn, said that in later years, James would be referred to as "the old medicine man." It's presumably while living with Dr. Welch that he learned his skills.

He married Sarah Ann Hicks (1832-1910) on Dec. 21, 1852 in Jessamine County. Sarah was the daughter of John Hicks and Elizabeth Preston of Garrard County, Kentucky. They had nine children -- Sarah Jane, Martha, James, Squire, William Harrison, Sallie, George, Joseph Thomas, and Catherine. All of their children lived to adulthood, with the exception of Sallie, who died at the age of 15.

By all accounts, their's was a happy home. The lived at the mouth of the Kentucky River, where James made his living, farming and fishing. Bertha Alcorn Johns, daughter of William Harrison Alcorn,  said her grandfather made baskets to put in the river to catch fish. She recalled the day James was fishing and began to yell for Sallie to bring the plow line. He had caught a 106-pound fish, and needed the rope to bring it in.

Lillie Alcorn, daughter of James Alcorn Jr. and Anna Elizabeth Corman, said her grandfather had an orchard and a flower garden that was admired by all. Many marriages took place at the Alcorn home.

When James died, the following account appeared in the July 27, 1902 issue of the Jessamine Journal:

Mr James Alcorn, aged 72, died at his home near Hanley July 17, Friday. The deceased was a great fisherman and known to almost everybody in this section of the county.

In the same paper, but located in the Wilmore Society page, we read :

James Alcorn, about 72 years of age, died at his home Friday, July 19. Mr. Alcorn had lived on the Kentucky river almost all his life and was a great fisherman. No man knew the river from Camp Nelson to High Bridge better than Mr. Alcorn , and almost everybody that did much fishing went to him for information. His remains were buried at the Nicholasville Cemetery, Saturday .

The Mystery of William Allcorn's Debt

For me, the thrill of genealogy lies in getting to know the stories behind our ancestors and their lives. If we're lucky, we'll find a diary, a bio, or a picture that sheds light on who they were and what their characters were like. Other times, we'll find a piece of information that just opens up more questions. The following deed, found in Madison County, Kentucky is one of those pieces.

What kind of debt could William Allcorn have incurred that he had to give up everything he owned, inluding his home, furnishings, and chickens? What kind of debt could he have incurred that his own relative, George Allcorn, felt comfortable kicking him out of his home and taking all of his possessions?

From the Madison County, Kentucky deed books

Know all men by these presents that I William Allcorn of the County of Madison and State of Kentucky for and in consideration of those demands to which George Allcorn of the County of Jessamine and State has assigned against me and of five shillings to me in hand paid the receipt where of to hereby acknowledged have granted, bargained, and sold to the said George Allcorn 400 acres of land on which I reside in said County, 19 or 20 head of cattle, 1 horse, a number of hogs, all the hens in my possession, a rifle gun, and all the household furniture belonging to me at this time, and to have and to hold the said bargained and sold personal property to the said George Allcorn, his heirs forever, and I do hereby forever Warrant and defend the property of and unto the said George, his heirs I assign forever against the Claim or Claims of all persons whatsoever In Witness where of I have ... read this 28th day of June 1804.

Signed by William Alcorn, John Cobb (his mark), James Adams, John Phillips

President's Day: The Alcorn-Jefferson Connection

I've always had a particular fondness for Thomas Jefferson, our nation's third president and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. But back when I was studying American history, I never dreamed that we were first cousins (albeit, seven generations removed).

Descendents of Robert Alcorn and Susannah Turpin can claim this connection through Susannah's family line.

Susannah Turpin, daughter of William Robert Turpin and Sarah Janey Harris was born in 1777 in North Carolina, USA. She died after 1850 in Gallatin, Kentucky, USA. She married Thomas Welch on 09 Jan 1794 in Madison, Kentucky, USA, son of James S. Welch and Ann Nancy Elley. He was born before 1774. He died before 1796 in Madison, Kentucky, USA. She married Robert Alcorn on 25 May 1796 in Madison, Kentucky, USA, son of John Alcorn and Jane Breckenridge. He was born between 1765-1775 in Looney Creek, Wythe County, Virginia. He died on 26 Aug 1831 in Gallatin, Kentucky, USA. 

Susannah's father, William Robert Turpin, son of Thomas Turpin and Mary Nichols Jefferson was born on 06 Apr 1741 in Powhatan, Virginia, USA. He was one of the original settlers of Boonesborough, Kentucky. He died on 22 Nov 1830 in Henderson, Kentucky, USA. He married Sarah Janey Harris on 28 Jun 1773 in Cumberland, Virginia, USA. Sarah Janey Harris, daughter of William Harris and Elizabeth Evans was born about 1750.

Mary Nichols Jefferson, daughter of Thomas Jefferson II and Mary Field was born on 06 Apr 1718 in Henrico, Virginia, USA. She died on 08 Feb 1784 in Powhatan, Virginia, USA. She married Thomas Turpin on 04 May 1732. Thomas Turpin, son of Thomas Turpin and Obedience Branch was born on 09 May 1708 in Goochland, Virginia, USA.

Thomas Jefferson II, son of Thomas Jefferson and Mary Branch was born in 1679 in Henrico, Virginia, USA. He died on 18 Feb 1731 in Henrico, Virginia, USA. He married Mary Field on 20 Nov 1697. Mary Field, daughter of Major Peter Field and Judith Soane was born on 03 Feb 1680. She died on 13 Aug 1715 in Virginia, USA. Their son Peter is the father of President Thomas Jefferson.