John Rodgers Kennison 1750-1820

John Rodgers Kennison 1750-1820 My 5th great-grandfather

John Rodgers Kennison was born about 1750 in Virginia.  He was reportedly the son of Joseph Kennison. He married Sarah (last name not known) in about 1768. Their first child, Absalom, was born in Virginia around 1769.  My 4th great-grandmother, Hannah, was born about 1770, followed by Sarah “Sallie,” born about 1775. 

The 1780’s produced more children and more information about John himself. In about 1780, son John Jr. was born. 

In 1783, in the Jefferson County Court, John Kennison was a plaintiff in a lawsuit against John Fooks & others, described as “as tenants.” This places him in Jefferson County before Kentucky statehood (1792).  John Fooks was likely a frontier settler or squatter living on land claimed by John Kennison in 1783, named in court only because he was physically in possession of the disputed tract.

In about 1784, a daughter, Amelia, was born to John and Sarah Kennison. Daughter Temperance was born around 1787, and another daughter, Elizabeth, was born in 1788.

In April 1788, in Jefferson County, Richard McMahan sold 150 acres on Pond Creek to John Kennison. This was the beginning of John Kennison’s many land transactions over the years.

In 1788, another daughter, named Nancy, was born.

On the 3rd of August 3, 1789, in Jefferson County (still Virginia), a Marriage bond was filed for Groom: James Ferrel and Bride: Hannah Kennison, daughter of John Kennison.  Bondsman was John Kennison (her father). Hannah Kennison Ferrel was my 4th great-grandmother.

Around 1790, changes were still happening with the family. Two more sons were born to John and Sarah: Stephen W. and Joseph Kennison. Their oldest son, Absolum, also married Margaret Berne around 1790.

John  Kennison was listed on the 1791 Jefferson County Tax List, as did his son, Absalom Kennison, confirming he and his family were still living in Jefferson County, Kentucky.

In June of 1792, in Jefferson County, another marriage bond was filed: Groom: Stephen Peter and Bride: Elizabeth Adams with Bondsman: John Kennison

In June of 1794, in Jefferson County, Abner Field & wife Jenny sold 99 acres to John Kennison. And in September of 1795, a deed from John Kennison to Thomas Guille was proved by three witnesses. Two years later (1796), John Kennison & wife sold the 150 acres (from 1788) to Joseph Brooks.

John’s oldest son, Absalom, and his family moved to Perry County, Missouri around 1797.

Sadly, in 1799, John’s daughter Hannah Kennison Ferrel died, leaving her husband with four young boys. Her husband remarried in 1800 in Ohio, so they may have been living there at the time of her death. The family moved to Vigo County, Indiana soon afterward.

The 1800s began with more marriages, more grandchildren, and increased legal activity for the John Kennison family. By 1800, John and  Sarah had seven grandchildren. Temperance Kennison married George Rice, and Amelia Kennison married John Riley Plasters, both in 1802 in Jefferson County.

On 11 August 1806, George Rice & Temperance Kennison Rice sold land to John Kennison.  Even though the Kennisons lived in Jefferson County, the land purchased in 1806 was in Washington County, Kentucky, on Cartwright’s Creek. Witnesses include Stephen Kennison and John Kennison Jr

John Kennison Jr. married Rebecca Cristin May in 1808 in Bullitt County, Kentucky.  In 1815, daughter Nancy Kennison married Elijah Cochran.

There were some family losses in the next few years. John and Sarah’s eldest son, Absalom Kennison, died in 1816 in Perry County, Missouri, at the age of about forty-seven. He left a wife, Sarah, and seven or eight children. His exact date of death is unknown at this time. John’s daughter Sarah Kennison Adams died before 1820. She left a husband and one son. Then in December of 1820, John Kennison Sr. died. He was seventy years old.

In January of 1821, John Kennison’s probate was opened. His Widow was Sarah Kennison, and the Administrator was Elijah Cochran (his son-in-law).

The court notes: “Sarah Kennison, widow of said John deceased, having relinquished her right to administer on the estate…”. This means: Sarah could have been the administrator, but she declined and allowed the court to appoint someone else. Then the court ordered: James W. Thornberry, David B. Phillips, John Jones, and Samuel Churchill, or any three of them, after being sworn, to appraise the slaves (if any) and personal estate of John Kennison, deceased, and make report to the court. This is the official appointment of the appraisers. The bond amount ($1,500) shows the estate was substantial. This was a large bond for 1821.

Later that year, John and Sarah’s daughter, Elizabeth “Betsey, married William Givens

In March of 1823, the final settlement of John Kennison’s estate began. The settlement stated: “$707.58 includes the widow’s dower and is due the widow and the heirs…”. So, widow (Sarah Kennison) received her one‑third dower. The remaining two‑thirds was divided among the children. The estate was substantial. Gross value: $853.15. This was a large estate for 1823.

Some background: John Kennison died intestate (without a will). At his death, he owned a 100‑acre tract on Mill Creek, in the “Settlement,” adjoining: This is the same land conveyed to him by Allen Field on 10 June 1794, recorded 1 October 1794. John Kennison left seven living children at his death. 

John had 31 known grandchildren when he died. He had lost two daughters and one son before his death.

John Ferrel 1800-1833 My Searching for Descendants

                                                         John Ferrel 1800-1833

My 3rd great grand-uncle

 [son of James Ferrel 1770-1822]

John Ferrel was born about 1800. He was the son of James Ferrel. It is unclear whether his mother was Hannah Kennison or Rosanna Ray. James was living in Jefferson County, Kentucky in 1799, and married Rosanna in July of 1800 in Hamilton County, Ohio. James Ferrel had 3 known children with Hannah ( who he married in 1789 in Jefferson County, Kentucky): Andrew, Samuel, and James Jr. My assumption is that if John Ferrel was born before 1801, he would have been Hannah’s son. If he was born a few months or more after his father’s marriage to Rosanna, then he would have been her son.

In the 1820 Vigo County, Indiana Census, John was listed as living alone at age 19-25. His household is between his oldest brother, Andrew, and his father, James Ferrel. 

On 26 February 1822, John Ferrel married Rebecca Noblet in Vigo County, Indiana.  His father, James, died that year. 

I have not been able to locate an 1830 Census for John Ferrel. He and Rebecca had a daughter, Anna, born about 1831 in Indiana, and a son, Thomas, born about 1833 in Illinois.

John Ferrel appears to have died about 1833. His wife, Rebecca, married James Cox on 15 September 1834 in Crawford County, Illinois. In 1830, James Cox was listed with a wife and 2 young girls. Rebecca and James had 4 children: Deborah, Mary, James Jessie, and Joseph. The children of John Ferrel and Rebecca carried the Cox name throughout their lives.

I was only able to find that John Ferrel had any children with Rebecca by finding her marriage to James Cox and noting that Anna and Thomas Cox were born before he married Rebecca.  I have not found when Rebecca died, only that she is buried in Randolph Cemetery in Crawford County, Illinois

So now to get to the real reason why I did this search. Most importantly, I learned that John Ferrel did have children. 

Anna Ferrel/Cox married John Thomas Musgrave on 14 April 1863.  She was 32 years old, and he was 57 years old.  At the time they married, John Musgrave had four children aged 22, 19, 17, and 15. John Musgrave died in 1870. It appears that they did not have children together.

The 1870 Census shows Anna Musgrave, age 39, with her stepson Thomas Musgrave, age 21, and Debory Cox, age 51.

The last I knew of Anna was that she was still alive in 1877, when the following deed was recorded in court.  It shows Anna giving her stepson Thomas 36 acres.

22 May 1877  Deed Shows:  The deed begins: “Grantor Anna Musgrave of the County of Crawford and State of Illinois…”

The grantee is Thomas J. Musgrave. The deed conveys land to: “Thomas J. Musgrave his heirs and assigns…”

The land: 36 acres in Section 36, Township 8N, Range 14W-“A part of the South West Quarter of the South West Quarter of Section 36… containing thirty‑six acres, more or less…”

Anna waives her homestead rights “hereby releasing and waiving all rights under and by virtue of the Homestead Exemption laws…”

Witnesses include Potter Pastlemart, J.P.

And that is the last I know of Anna Ferrel, daughter of John Ferrel.

Now onto John Ferrel’s son Thomas Ferrel:

Thomas Ferrel was born on 22 August 1833 in Illinois. That means that the family had moved from Indiana. His father, John Ferrel, died the same year.  The following year, 1834, his mother, Rebecca, remarried. She married James Cox. I have not found any record of James Cox adopting Anna and Thomas, so I assume he didn’t. Like Anna, Thomas also went by Cox for his last name.

In 1850, Thomas was 16 years old and living with his mother and stepfather, along with his sister Anna, and his four half-siblings. He was working the farm with his stepfather.

Thomas married 3 times. The first was in 1858 when he married Margaret Calvert. They had 5 children: James William, born 1860; John W., born 1862; Joseph Martin, born 1864; Mary Jane, born 1865; and Rachel Rebecca, born 1867. 

 In 1870, Thomas and Margaret’s son John W.died in 1863. The census was taken on 20 July 1870. Margaret, Thomas’s wife died in November of 1870, leaving him with 4 young children.

Thomas remarried in 1872 to Nancy Todd, who had been widowed in December of 1870.  It appears that she raised her husband’s nephew, Edward Todd, who appeared in the 1870 and 1880 Censuses with her.  Nancy died in 1893.

Thomas married for the 3rd time in 1898 to Mary E Prior. 

Thomas died 16 December 1903. He was 70 years old.

5 July 1905

Jasper County Probate Court — Estate of Thomas Cox  Final Report & Discharge of Administrator: July Term, 5 July 1905

Isaiah Stewart, administrator of the estate of Thomas Cox, deceased, appears in court and: Files his final report-Petitions to be discharged from further duty. The court: The report is approved and confirmed in all respects.The court orders that the remaining personal property listed in the final report be vested in the heirs at law, who may take possession of it wherever found.

Remaining Assets: 1 stack of hay — appraised at $12.00-1 “ent twater” (likely entwater or entwatter — possibly a small implement or tool) — appraised at $0.40-1 cider mill — appraised at $0.15. These items were not sold earlier and now pass directly to the heirs.

Any uncollected debts owed to Thomas Cox are now vested in the heirs, who may sue to recover them.

The administrator is ordered to pay: A. Seventh-Class Claim (Heirs’ Joint Claim)-To be paid jointly to: Joseph M. Cox-James W. Cox-Mary Tipton-;Rachel R. Jones; Amount: $101.34  To Mary E. Cox, widow: $64.90 — her 5th class claim-$18.80 — her distributive share of the 7th class claim. This is in addition to the $526.30 she already received for her homestead + dower in January 1905.

This officially closes the estate.

This means the full heir set is: Widow-Mary E. Cox; Children / Heirs: William Cox (appears earlier but not in this final distribution — likely already compensated or not part of the 7th class claim)-Mollie J. Tipton-Martin Cox (appears earlier but not in this final distribution — likely no claim)-Rachel R. Jones-Joseph M. Cox-James W. Cox. This confirms six heirs, not four.

Confirms the estate was insolvent: Only a few small items remained, All heirs received only claim payments, not property, The land had already been sold to pay debts. Confirms the widow’s full compensation: Homestead + dower: $526.30-5th class claim: $64.90-Share of 7th class claim: $18.80-Total: $610.00+

I have found great satisfaction in finding the descendants of John Ferrel. I have been trying to do this for many, many years!! I hope that he is proud of his family!