| Notes |
- (Research):Grady Early on 5 Dec 2021
RE: findagrave.com/memorial/106476457/james-franklin-doughty
I am afraid that my "evidence" about James/Martha is mostly speculative/circumstantial. Suggestive, but not definitive.
So, I apologize for the following long and not very productive screed.
The short answer is: there's not much. There's a family Bible page which establishes James' birth in 1847. There's a Civil War record which places his death in 1862. That would end the James/Martha m. as well.
Here's the long answer:
The county thing is tedious. In 1776, VA created KY Co. out of his westward lands. In 1780, KY Co. was subdivided into Jefferson, Fayette, and Lincoln Cos. All of those counties were whittled away as population growth required more local governments -- justice courts. In 1799, part of what little remained of Lincoln Co. became Knox Co. In 1818, Whitley was peeled off from Knox. In 1819, another piece of Knox became Harlan, with a little exchange between Knox and Harlan in 1820. In 1825, Laurel was created, mostly from the northwestern part of Knox. 1834: Laurel gained from Knox. 1838: Knox gained from Harlan. 1867: Josh Bell created from Knox and Harlan. 1873: Josh Bell renamed to Bell. 1876: Laurel got a little piece of Whitley. 1912: Whitley contributed a bit to newly-created McCreary.
So, I figger someone could've been born, lived, and died in several different counties, whilst living in the same house the whole time.
Common names also plague us. Findagrave has 526 James Early memorials. 27 in KY. 5 in Whitley Co.
Fortunately, only one James Early in Laurel Co. And that one in the Early Cemetery in, or very near, London. That memorial puts James' birth in 1846, death in 1870. No evidence. findagrave.com/memorial/7502019/james-early
In the same cemetery are:
Inscription: Wife of James Early findagrave.com/memorial/7502023/unknown-early
Inscription: Child of James Early & Wife findagrave.com/memorial/7502027/unknown-early
I don't know if those 'inscriptions' suggest a tombstone, or are just entries from a cemetery book.
I've submitted a photo request for all three graves. Robert Malachi Adams is the official maintainer for all 3. However, he is a disabled vet, not an Early family member, so he doesn't have evidence for James' birth/death dates. The original creator of those 3 memorials was Mike who, I suspect, is one of those cemetery angels who likes to create findagrave memorials. In any event, he's not accepting messages.
So, on to the census.
1850 Laurel Co. There is a James Early 4 KY [leading, I suppose, to the 1846 dob] with parents [presumed; the 1850 census didn't record family relationships] George Early 36 KY and wife Elizabeth 25 NC, and eldest sibling Mary 12 KY.
The Laurel Co. General Marriage Index has George Early m. E. Wiggins on 18 May 1837. I presume this is Elizabeth. Mary being 12 in 1850 is consistent with a birth year ~1838, which is consistent with the 1837 m. of George/Elizabeth.
Some ancestry family trees; e.g., Early/Hutchison/Nichols and Chandler Bates say that Elizabeth Wiggins was Mary Elizabeth Wiggins.
That same General Marriage Index also has:
1857 Apr 15 George Early m. Mary Davis
1860 Dec 12 George Early m. Sarah Edwards a Dec marriage means Sarah is not with George in the 1860 census; but she is in the 1870 census for McHargue, Laurel Co. George Early 55 KY and Sarah 36 KY with George's sons Henry 21 KY and Frank 17 KY. Mistranscribed as Easly.
1893 Feb 13 George Early m. Mary E. Reynolds This is a different George Early. The m. cert. says he's 21. Rats! I was hoping that this would be another example of old Civil War veterans marrying a young girl to preserve a Civil War pension. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldest_Living_Confederate_Widow_Tells_All
1856 Kentucky Births and Christenings, 1839-1960 has an unnamed girl b. to George and Elizabeth Early in Laurel Co.
There is no 4 yo female in that 1860 census; I presume that both Elizabeth and that child d. 1856-1860.
George's 1857 m. to Mary Davis suggests that Elizabeth d. 1856, perhaps during the birth of that dau.
1860 Laurel Co. It appears that Mary, now 21, has married William Blankenship 26 VA, and that Elizabeth has died. Perhaps William moved in with George and Mary and her other siblings. George, now 45, and James, now 13, are in the same household.
Civil War. Sigh.
1870 There are lots of James Earlys, but none in Laurel Co.; indeed, none in Kentucky. Perhaps this is where James' 1870 dod arises; i.e., before the 1870 census.
familysearch.org: Lots of images of the James Early/Martha Hendrickson marriage. Middle initial is variously interpreted as I or J, depending on the transcriber.
ancestry.com: 111 trees. Sigh.
They all seems to agree that James' [now James S.] parents were George Joseph Early 1814-1893 and Elizabeth Wiggins 1817-1856.
Finally, actual evidence. The Early family tree displays a page from the family Bible of B.F. Earley, one of George's sons.
ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/28346652/person/12033533171/media/50a773cc-9e58-4b3c-a6b1-c85283f719aa?_phsrc=bBK79&usePUBJs=true
I preserve the spelling.
Early and Earley appear to be pretty much interchangeable.
Maryan Early was Borned December the 10 1838 Mary Ann Early
findagrave.com/memorial/36112209/william-j-blankenship adds the nugget that they m. 26 Mar 1856
There are 2 Mary Ann Blankenship memorials on findagrave. One puts her in the Early cem. in London;
the other puts her in Hendrix Canter cem. in Sublimity City, Laurel Co. Sublimity City appears to be
a suburb of London. Hendrix/Canter lists just 6 burials: 4 Blankenships, 1 Canter, 1 Gibson.
Two of the Blanenships are Boy and Girl, both b./d. 1882. Twin kids of William/Mary?
findagrave.com/memorial/7506108/mary-ann-blankenship d. 20 Jun 1913
findagrave.com/memorial/36112244/mary-anne-blankenship
The Gibson was Jane Gibson. Interesting story.
sentinel-echo.com/community/traces-of-laurel-blind-jane---a-spunky-irish-lass/article_fb54b2e0-80ac-591e-9624-2f4b00d39484.html
Hendrix-Canter cem. is elusive; I can't find it. Neither can findagrave. I have inquired of the Laurel County Historical society. Perhaps they know about it.
John Early was borned December the 5 1840 John Wiggins Early reinforces that mom was Elizabeth Wiggins
W. A. Early was Borned January the 29 1842 William Alston
Robert Early was Borned Nov 24 1844
James S. Early was Borned January 29 1847 Aha! This would be our James Early
Henary Early was Borned December 20 1848 Henry "Harry" Early
[Hiram Linsey Early 1851-1912 was omitted]
findagrave.com/memorial/65518982/hiram-linsey-early shot! by John A. Johnson
B.F. Early was Borned Nov 10 1853 Benjamin Franklin "Frank" Early
findagrave.com/memorial/11265676/benjamin-franklin-earley
W.H. Early was Borned October the 22 1828 Probably one of George's brothers.
Mr. General Earley and Miss Emma B. K[r?]am[ff?] [illegible] were married the 20 day of September 1905.
The 1940 census for Brazil city, Clay Co., IN, has General Earley 55 KY with dau Julia 19 IN.
The WW1 registration card for General Earley in Brazil, Clay Co., IN, has dob 1 May 1884; next of kin Mrs. Emma Earley.
The line after Julia says "misinformed". What does that mean?
U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934
familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9TYR-7J8?i=361&cc=1919699&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AKDYF-G5S
nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers-detail.htm?soldierId=3B000A99-DC7A-DF11-BF36-B8AC6F5D926A
James Earley, son of George Earley, pension application 14 May 1880. If our James d. 1870, then George must've applied for the pension. If James applied, then he d. 1880. Or this is another George/James.
James enisted in Company E, 12 Ky Inf
nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers-detail.htm?soldierId=3B000A99-DC7A-DF11-BF36-B8AC6F5D926A has
Early, James
Battle Unit Name: 12th Regiment, Kentucky Infantry
Side: Union
Company: E
Soldier's Rank In: Private
Soldier's Rank Out: Private
Alternate name: James/Earley
Film Number: M386 ROLL 8
Plaque Number:
Notes: General Note - Original filed under James/Earley
fold3.com/image/229175711?terms=james,war,us,civil,union,kentucky,earley
has an 18-page Civil War record for James Earley, Co. E, 12 Kentucky Inf.
Page 3 says this James Early "Died in Somerset [Pulaski Co., KY?] at the Hospital of Typhoid Fever Jan 19/62"
A later page has him as James Early.
The Poole-Strong family tree, on Martha's page, asserts, without evidence, that James d. 17 Mar 1864.
The Benson/Moyer/Watts/Shafer family tree asserts that Martha b. 14 Oct 1847 Harlan Co., d. 4 May 1877 Laurel Co.
It also notes the 17 Mar 1864 James/Martha m. in Laurel Co. If further asserts a child James Early b. 1863 KY, d. ?
ancestry.com/family-tree/pt/PersonMatch.aspx?tid=20698065&pid=310011529295&src=m
If James d. of typhoid fever 19 Jan 1862, then it's hard to imagine a child b. 1863. Perhaps that child was b. 1862; recall that Unknown Early "Child of ... " in the Early cem. It's also hard to imagine that this James Early m. Martha Hendrickson in 1864/5.
Bottom line: I am convinced that any family history must be labeled 'Historical Fiction'. Surely, parts are true; undoubtedly, parts are not. I often settle for plausibility in lieu of dead, solid perfect.
cheers? grady
|
- Yes, date unknown Has no ancestors and no descendants in this family tree.
1847 - 1877 (29 years)
d. 4 Apr 1877, Samuel Jones Residence, Laurel County, Kentucky, USA 
