Administrators of the estate

Source: Google Books, page 205.

Tuesday's post referenced the Enoch Holsclaw House in the National Register of Historic Places. Another search uncovered an act passed by the Kentucky General Assembly in February 1839 allowing Enoch Holsclaw and Charles Holsclaw to bring a sale of real estate and personal property to cover the debts of Harmon A. Stidger, who had died intestate in 1838. A bit more digging revealed that Harmon Stidger had married Narcissa Holsclaw, a sister of Enoch and Charles Holsclaw, on 15 May 1834 in Spencer County.

Stidger died on 1 November 1838, leaving his wife Narcissa to care for their two young children, Felix Grundy Stidger and John Harmon Stidger. Brothers Enoch and Charles stepped in to help the family. Enoch bought the home in a commissioner's sale, and it stayed in his possession until 1882. I will have a separate post on the home, as it exists today on the National Register of Historic Places. Felix Grundy Stidger's story also involves a separate, lengthy post. We are lucky to have his autobiography, recounting his story as a spy during the Civil War.

Back to the estate of Harmon Stidger, an inventory and appraisement of his estate appears in the Spencer County probate records from December 1838. It looks like he may have been a tailor, as his estate included various types of fabric (cotton, silk, flannel, jaconet, cambrick, among others). He also had 30 bottles of wine and brandy, along with kegs and corks, so perhaps he made his own wine.

FamilySearch, Image 409 of 652.

The sale of the estate contains some interesting names, including Benjamin Holsclaw Sr, father of Enoch, Charles and Narcissa. A representative section of entries from the estate sale is below.

Source: FamilySearch. Image 476 of 652.

Enoch and Charles completed administration of the estate in May 1840. My next post will cover the house acquired by Enoch for his sister Narcissa and family.

Estate of Enoch Holsclaw

When my 4th-great-grandfather Enoch Holsclaw passed in August 1889, his estate was administered in Spencer County, Kentucky by David Black and my 3rd-great-grandfather Guilford Dudley Read.

Source: Ancestry. Kentucky Wills & Probate Records.

FamilySearch has scans of the Spencer County probate files, and I was able to find more documents on Enoch Holsclaw's estate. Will Book K includes an inventory and sale of his personal property. This provides some insight into the property of a carpenter in 1880s Kentucky, and it also provides a reference to a conveyance from Enoch Holsclaw to his daughter Ellen in Deed Book J, page 291.

Source: FamilySearch. Kentucky Probate Records.

In the National Register of Historic Places

Yesterday's post identified the marriage entry for my 3rd-great-grandparents, Guilford Dudley Read and Ellen Holsclaw from September 1863 in the Kentucky County Marriage records on Ancestry. The record states they were married at the home of Ellen's father, Enoch Holsclaw in Taylorsville, Spencer County. I have not spent much time researching the family of my 4th-great-grandparents, Enoch Holsclaw and Priscilla McKinley, but a Google search has uncovered some fascinating information in the National Register of Historic Places.

Source: National Park Service, viewed 24 Jan 2017.

Enoch and Priscilla were married on 19 August 1828 in Spencer County, Kentucky. They settled in Taylorsville and raised a large family. Enoch was a carpenter and built his home around 1830. The family can be seen in the 1850 and 1860 US Census below.

Source: 1850 US Census, Spencer County, Kentucky.

Source: 1860 US Census, Spencer County, Kentucky.

The family appears again in the 1870 and 1880 US Census. Priscilla McKinley Holsclaw died in 1872.

Source: 1870 US Census, Spencer County, Kentucky.

Source: 1880 US Census, Spencer County, Kentucky.

Enoch Holsclaw died in August 1889 in Spencer County. His home in Taylorsville was passed down, and shows up in files on the Taylorsville Historic District. In a submission with the National Register of Historic Places, shown above, the Enoch Holsclaw House is listed as one of the oldest homes in the city. On a map of the town, the Holsclaw house appears in a plot of land near a bend where the Salt River joins Brashears Creek.

Source: National Park Service. Taylorsville, Kentucky.

The description of Taylorsville and its historic significance is interesting, but Holsclaw also shows up in references to his more famous nephew, Civil War spy Felix Grundy Stidger. I will have much more on his story to follow.

Louisville Courier-Journal, 16 May 2016.

New finds from Kentucky Marriage Records

Ancestry. Kentucky, County Marriages. 107 of 443.

I am taking a brief break from the research on the Du Trieux family and their arrival from Amsterdam while waiting on research from the Association of Philippe Du Trieux Descendants. In the meantime, Ancestry has added images on Kentucky County Marriages from 1783-1965. I do not recall seeing these before, so I will take some time to look back at these for the Kentucky ancestors in my tree.

A quick look has already revealed a few marriage bonds that I have not previously viewed. The first image above shows a marriage bond between my 3rd-great-grandparents Robert Jackson Wheatley and Melissa Catherine Grinstead, dated 14 September 1860. This record misspells Robert's name as "Whitney". It also look like it includes his signature on the document. The next entry shows they were married on 15 September 1860 in Bowling Green, Warren County, Kentucky.

Source: Ancestry. Kentucky, County Marriages. Image 126 of 228.

After Melissa died sometime before 1864, Robert married Martha T. Hays. Their marriage bond from 11 March 1872 is very useful, and includes Robert's signature as "Robert J. Whitley". He would later go by the older family spelling Wheatley after moving to Texas.

Source: Ancestry. Kentucky, County Marriages. Image 119 of 653.

Another record new to me is a marriage entry for my 3rd-great-grandparents Guilford Dudley Read and Ellen Holtzclaw (or Holsclaw), dated 7 and 9 September 1863 in Spencer County, Kentucky. The record shows that Guilford and Ellen were married at the home of her father, Enoch Holsclaw, in Taylorsville, Spencer County.

Source: Ancestry. Kentucky, County Marriages. Image 327 of 601.

More to follow.

A march with history

Yesterday my wife, sister, daughter and many friends and neighbors joined over 1 million others in Washington DC for the Women's March. Other friends and colleagues marched in Los Angeles, London, Indianapolis, Denver, Boston and places far and wide, making their voices heard. For our daughter, this was her first protest. It will be a long four years. Those who marched and supported from afar are determined to challenge this administration, hold them to account, and vote them out at the next opportunity.

Photo by L. Jones. Washington DC, 21 Jan 2017.