THE TALBOTTS
The Talbott family came from England and settled in Maryland in the 1600s. Apparently some were of influence, for an area of the state was named Talbot County in 1662. A few Talbotts were found in those early days in Virginia. A Samuel Talbott was mentioned in the Minutes of the Virginia Council and General Court, 1622-1624 as "(D)ept fr Sam: Talbott of 59" tob of wch he had lost Mr Benet's noa(t)." (Va. Mag. Hist. & Bio., Vol. XIX, #3, p. 226) Another reference in the Court of James City, January 12, 1626, is "Benjamin Drury & Samuel Talbott I desire you to goe w'th the Henry Woodward to Warosquoyacke, & to remaine w'th him there, till you heare further fro' your master Mr. Stone out of England."
A William Talbott, age fourteen, was transported from London to Virginia in August 1635 on the "Globe." (John Hotten, Original Lists of Persons of Quality, p. 120) This was quite possibly our ancestor. The Maryland Archives has a reference to a William Tawbott who apprenticed himself, for passage to America, to work in a factory making wine casks on the Island of Kent in a business belonging to Cloberry & Company of England, whose manager of shipping was Captain Henry Fleet. The Maryland Archives contains records of a long and bitter lawsuit over the ownership of Kenty Island in Chesapeake Bay. William Claiborne of Virginia claimed ownership of the island as a gift of the crown, but Lord Baltimore claimed the island as part of his Maryland holdings. This can explain why William Talbott was mentioned in both state records. George H.S. King, historian and genealogist described the struggle this way: (Register of Overwharton Parish Stafford Co., Va., 1723-1758 and Sundry Historical and Genealogical Notes)
The history of the settlement of the Northern Neck of Virginia begins in relation to Maryland rather than to Virginia.
Although the date is a bit uncertain, as early as 1644 a band of white men, hostile to, but keenly interested in Maryland, were living among the Chicocoan tribe on Coan River in the present County of Northumberland across the Potomac River from Saint Mary's.
These men were Protestants and former residents of Kent Island, Maryland, during the occupancy of Colonel William Claiborne (1600-1676) of Virginia, who had, after a bitter struggle, surrendered the island to the powerful Catholic, Lord Baltimore, in 1637.
They had settled in St. Mary's County, Maryland, but becoming involved in Ingle's Rebellion there, took refuge across the Potomac River to escape the tyranny of Governor Leonard Calvert, brother of Lord Baltimore and Governor of Maryland who was very hostile to these Protestants.
We believe that William Talbott was among these early Protestant Marylanders who fled to Northumberland County.
William Talbott was mentioned as being transported to Virginia by four different persons in their claiming land patents: Henry Fleete made his claim on August 1, 1652; Edward Cole on October 10, 1652; Toby Smith on June 10, 1657; and Lt. Col. Thomas Goodrich in 1662. (Nell Nugent, Cavaliers and Pioneers, pp. 2259, 266, 348, 397) These Williams could have been one and the same. Persons could claim 50 acres of land for each person they sponsored, and, since there was no careful accounting, occasionally the same person was claimed by more than one sponsor.
Note: One of the sponsors for William Talbott was Captain Henry Fleete. The Maryland records show that about 30 men who testified for Claiborne against Lord Baltimore fled the island and that William and John Talbot were taken off the island by Captain Fleet in the Cloberry ship to Lancaster County on the north side of the Rappahannock River in 1652. (Maryland Archives Records) Capt. Fleet then made his claim for land: (Nugent, Vol. I, p. 259)
Capt. Henry Fleete, 750 acs. Lancaster Co. 1 Aug. 1652, upon the N. side of Rappa. Riv. & S.W. of Great Rappahanock Town where the Indians are presently seated 2 miles up Fleets Cr. Trans. of 15 pers. David Seavell, Roger Moyce, John Rosler, John Bircher, Bennet Bennet, Richard Goodman, Thomas Smith, John Alewood, William Talbott, John Talbott, Richard Tufton, Chalice (or Chalcie) Foard, Henry Islea, John Beaumont, Thomas Boards.
Lancaster County was formed from Northumberland County in 1651. Old Rappa- hannock County was formed from Lancaster County in 1656. Richmond County was formed from Old Rappahannock County in 1692. Therefore, while it will appear that the Talbotts moved around a lot, they were probably in the same area all the time.
On July 23, 1665, William Talbott bought 70 acres from Jesper Griffin, "with all the priviledges of Planting Hunting Hawking or fishing." (Old Rappa. Co. Deeds &Wills, 1665-1677, pp. 48-49)
William Talbott of Old Rappahannock County received a patent for 114 acres of land adjacent to Col. Goodrich, land formerly owned by Thomas Paddison, on April 8, 1674. (Nugent, p. 147)
On March 10, 1674/5, William Talbott and John Cheney bought 500 acres on the southside of the Rappahannock River from Henry Woodnutt. (Old Rapp. DB 1672-1676, Pt. 2, p. 276)
As seen in the will below, William Talbott married Mary Sharp, daughter of John Sharp.
William Talbott wrote his will, which is recorded in Old Rappahannock Willis and Deeds, 1677-1682, pages 99-102:
In the Name of God Amen. 6th of March 1676/7. I William Talbut being sick & weak in body but of sound & perfect memory, praise be given to God for ye same, And knowing ye uncertainty of life on Earth, And being desirous to settle things doe make this my last Will & Testament. In manner & form following, that is to say, first & principly I commend my Soule to Almighty God my Creatr. assuredly believing that I shall receive full pardon & Free Remission of my Sinns And to be saved by ye petious death & merrits of my Blessed Saviour & Redeemer Christ Jesus & my body to ye Earth from whence it was taken; And touching such worldly Estate as ye be employed & bestowed as hereafter by this my Will is expressed, And first I doe Revoke renounce Frustrate & make void all Wills by me formerly made & declare this my last Will & Testament.
Impris: I will that all these Debts that I owe in Right to any manner of Person be well & truely contented & paid within convenient time after my decease
Itm. I give & bequeath unto my Sonne, Thomas Tabutt & his heires, ye one halfe of my Stock of both male & female onely ye two bigest Steeres excepted.
Itm. I give & bequeath unto my said Sonne, Thomas Tabutt & to his heires for ever two hundred acres of land wch: I had wth: my Wife, by a deed from her Father, John Sharp, deced, onely my Wife, Mary Tabutt to have share in it for her life according to Law
Itm. I give & bequeath unto my well beloved wife, Mary Tabutt, & her Heires fifty acres of land purchased of Capt. George Morris
As for all other my Chattels, horse, mares, household goods & moovables & give & bequeath unto my beloved Wife, Mary Tabutt, she paying all my Debts and doe hereby ordaine Constitute & appoint her, my said Wife, whole & sole Executrix of my last Will. As Witness my hand & Seale ye day abovesaid
Signed & sealed in ye presence of us
Henry Mandoley Wm: Tabutt
Thos. Harware
Thomas Harware attested on "5th die Junii 1678" that William Talbott was in perfect sence and memory when writing the will. The will was then recorded on January 8, 1679.
William Talbott only mentioned one son in the above will, Thomas. However, we have reason to believe that there were other children. We are interested particularly in the son William Jr.
* * *
William Talbott, Jr., we believe, was another son of William Talbott, Sr. Our first reference to him thus far is from October 1661 when Robert Hopkins, and his wife, Katherine, gave "William Talbut Junr. one Brown heifer wth swallow tayle in her right Eare & a cropp in ye left Eare & a hole in the male Catle to be for ye use of ye Father of ye sd Child during his life & after ye death of ye father both male & female to William Talbut ye younger & his said heires forever..." This gift was not recorded until August 11, 1677, after the death of William Sr. (ORCD&W 1677-1682, p. 135)
William Talbott was involved in the settling of the estate of William Moss in 1688, and in the July Court "Wm. Talbott & Katherine his Wife" were ordered to appear at the next court to give testimony. (ORCOB 1687-1689, p. 79) Some think that Katherine was first married to William Moss.
William Talbott, Jr., bought 133 1/2 acres of land at the head of Rappahannock Creek in Richmond County on October 29, 1698, from William Steward (DB 8, p. 181) Richmond County had been formed from Rappahannock County in 1692. On November 2, 1698, William Talbott was awarded 800 lbs of tobacco for a piece of linen cloth judged by the court to be the best piece presented. (COB 2, p. 345) On February 5, 1702/3, he witnessed the will of Richard White in Sittenbourne Parish.
William Talbott, Jr., died in 1713, for on May 6 "Katherine Talbot came into Court and made oath that William Talbot departed this life without making any will so far as she knows..." She was named Administrator. (OB 6, pp. 88, 91, 107) His estate was inventoried on June 3 of that year. (Wills and Inventories, 1709-1717, p. 134)
On September 2, 1719, Samuel Talbott sold to Benjamin Talbott 66 3/4 acres. This was the half the 133 1/2 acres that their father, William Talbott had bought from William Stewart. William Talbott had died "sometime since," and the land was in the possession of "their mother Katherine Mews," and was to come to said Samuel and Benjamin after the death of their mother. Edward Hinkley and Henry Ward were witnesses. (DB 1714-1720, pp. 433-434)
As seen above, after William's death, Katherine remarried, this time to John Muse. Genealogies of Virginia Families, Vol. IV, from "Tyler's Quarterly," has a fine treatment of the Muse family, by Mary West and Juliet Fauntleroy. They state the following: (p. 450)
John Mewes (1633-1723) or Muse as his name later appears spelled, married at least twice. No clue to the identity of his first wife. His last wife was Mrs. Catherine (...) Moss-Talbott; and she was the widow of Talbott when she married Mews. On Dec. 7, 1720, Catherine K (her mark) Mews gave bond as administratrix of Ann Lewis, decd. Mathes M.B. (his mark) Burroes and Saml T (his mark) Talbott were her sureties (Richmond Co. D&W B. 7, p. 538) The deposition of John Mewes, above quoted, was taken at the home of William Lewis, which leads us to think that Catherine (...) Moss-Talbott-Mewes may have been a Lewis. Mrs. Catherine Talbott and John Mews were married sometime after Nov. 16, 1698. John Mewes and his wife, Catherine, had no children, and she evidently predeceased him as she is not named in his will.
In Richmond Co., D.B. 1, p. 86, appears an undated deed by which "John Mewes, of Richmond County,, Planter & Sinyere," sold and conveyed to Arthur Notwell "one pyed cow calfe..." (signed) "John I (his mark) Mews." Immediately following, in the record, is this entry: "Know all men by these presents that I Arthur Notwell do freely & voluntarily give unto Cozin Catherine Mewes & her heirs of her body this menconed bill of sale & cow calfe with her future increase..." As the term "cousin" in early times was often used in referring to nieces and nephews it may be that Catherine Mewes was Notwell's niece.
It is believed, but not proven thus far, that the Ann Lewis mentioned above was the widow of William Lewis. Another family connection is found in the will of Richard Kemp of St. Anne's Parish in Essex County, 13 May 1714. Among the heirs was "Catherine Talburt," who was granted 600 pounds of tobacco. She was not listed as a daughter, however.
Here, then, are the two known children of William and Catherine Talbott:
1. Benjamin Talbott. More later.
2. Samuel Talbott was born about 1688 in Old Rappahannock County. On September 2, 1719, Samuel Talbott of Sittenbourne in the County of Richmond, son of William and Katherine, gave to his brother, Benjamin, all rights to a parcel of land containing sixty-six and three fourths acres at the head of Rappahannock Creek which had been purchased by his father, William, from William Stewart, provided Benjamin Talbott would have an heir. If Benjamin Talbott should die without issue lawfully begotten, the said land and premises were to be returned to the said Samuel Talbott. (COB 6, p. 91; DB 1714, pp. 433-434)
Benjamin Talbott and Hannah, his wife, produced their first born, William Talbott, before 1722; and in a deed dated 5 February 1723, Samuel Talbott for and in consideration of the sum of five shillings money of Great Britain to him in hand paid by his brother, Benjamin Talbott, gave Benjamin complete title to the one hundred and thirty-three and one-half acres of land his father William had purchased from William Stewart. (DB 1720-1733, pp. 181-184)
Samuel wrote his will and died the same year as his brother. Here is the abstract of that document from Will Book 5, page 32:
Samuel Talbert, NFP, will; 16 Dec. 1726, 1 Feb. 1726/27. Brother Benjamin, a horse, his best suit of wearing clothes, and four chairs; wife Elizabeth; executor wife; witnesses Robert Buckley and Thomas Gearing.
Samuel must have died immediately after writing his will, for he was dead eight days later when his brother, Benjamin, wrote his will. Apparently, Samuel and Elizabeth had no children.
* * *
Benjamin Talbott, son of William, probably was born about 1690. Researchers agree that he married Hannah Neale, daughter of Daniel and Ursula Presley Neale of North- umberland and Westmoreland Counties. As seen above, Benjamin had acquired all the land of his father, William. Benjamin wrote his will on December 24, 1726, eight days after his brother. Here is his will from Will Book 5, 1725-1753, page 32:
In the name of God, Amen, I, Benjamin Talbott of the Parish of Sittenbourne and the County of Richmond being very sick of body but of sound sense and memory, praise be given to God for the same do constitute and ordain this to be my last will and testament in manner and form following: Imprimes: First and Principally, I recommend my soul to Almighty God who gave it and my body to be decently interred at the descretion of my executors hereafter named. Item: I give and bequeath unto my loving wife, Hannah Talbott, a horse, and a suit of clothes, four chairs, a hand saw, broad axe and sword. I give to be equally divided between my four sons, William, Benjamin, Daniel and Samuel Talbott, all which my brother, Samuel Talbott, left me before his decease. Item: I give unto my son, William Talbott, a pair of pistols, holsters, and breastplate. Item: I give my four sons William, Benjamin, Daniel and Samuel Talbott two cows each to be delivered to them when they attain the age of twenty years and further my will is that at the death of any or either of them that their share is to go to the survivors. Item: I give to Presley Neale my yellow suit of clothes. Item: I give to my loving wife all the rest of my estate, my land and one negro woman named "Molly" and after her decease to go to my son William and in case the negro woman hath any children my will is that my three other sons have each of them one if she have so many, and if not, that my son Benjamin have the first born, Daniel the next and Samuel the last and if she have any more to go to my son William and his heirs. Item: I constitute and appoint my well beloved wife and my loving friend, Wharton Ramsdell, my whole and sole executors of this my last will and testament hereby revoking all former and other wills heretofore by me made. In testimony thereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the 24th day of December 1726.
Witnesses: Joseph Belfield Benjamin Talbott
Thomas Gearing
The will was proved on February 1, 1727. Will Book 5, page 103, includes an inventory of "Hannah Talbott's husband" on July 3, 1728.
Hannah Talbott died within the next year or so, and her estate was appraised and recorded on August 6, 1729. The inventory was recorded on October 1, 1729. (WB 5, p. 145) Her estate was valued between five and six hundred dollars, and included these items: 4 head of sheep, 4 sows, 11 shoats, 1 old feather bed and bolster, 2 old cotton sheets and bedstead, 1 old table, gorm, old chest, 1 gold ring, shirt buckle, 1 negro woman named Molle, 1 cider cask, 2 old tubs, 3 cows, 3 heifers, 1 steer and 1 bull.
Benjamin and Hannah Talbott left four boys orphaned. They were taken to Fairfax County to be raised by their uncles, the Neales.
Here, then, are the known children of Benjamin and Hannah Neale Talbott:
1. William Talbott was born in Richmond County before the above deed of February 5, 1722. He married Leanna Mason, daughter of French Mason. (For more on this line, read Martha S. Helligso's George Mason Including One Line of Descent)
2. Benjamin Talbott, Jr., was born about 1722. He married Mary Whaley. They had a daughter named Hannah Neale Talbott, further suggesting the Neale-Talbott connection. (Loudoun Co. WB C, p. 85)
3. Daniel Talbott was born about 1724. He married (1) Ann West and (2) Ann Moss.
4. Samuel Talbott. More below.
* * *
Samuel Talbott, the son of Benjamin Talbott, was born in Richmond County about 1726. As seen above, he was probably less than a year old when his father died. Then his mother died soon thereafter. He and his brothers were taken to Fairfax County and reared by his mother's brothers, the Neales.
About 1752 Samuel married Mary Magdaline Demoville, daughter of Samuel and Rose Neale Demoville of Fairfax County. Samuel Talbott's mother, Hannah Neale Talbott, and Samuel Talbott's mother-in-law, Rose Neale, were cousins.
The following deed abstracts are of interest:
On August 14, 1756, Samuel and Mary Magdaline Talbott bought 202 acres from her brother, Sampson Demoville and his wife, Betty, in Fairfax County, for 70 pounds current money. This was land Samuel Demoville devised to his son Samuel who was the father of Sampson. (DB D, p. 324)
On April 17, 1759, Samuel Talbot and Mary Magdalin his wife, sold to above tract 202 acres, one half of a 404 acre tract, to Richard Simpson for 8 pounds. (DB D p. 557)
On August 9, 1767, Samuel Talbott purchased 400 acres on Elk Licking Run in Loudoun County. (DB F) Then on January 8, 1772, he sold it. (DB I, p. 400) Finally, on May 18, 1774, Samuel Talbott of Fairfax Couty bought 300 acres in Fairfax County for 225 pounds. (Liber 1778-1783, pp. 273-276)
Samuel Talbott died at Valley Forge while fighting for George Washington in the Revolutionary War. Presley Talbott, a descendant, wrote "The Talbott Family History" and said this:
Many of the men of the same area were known to be in the Revolution, friends of the Talbotts. December 6, 1777, the British advanced on Washington's army at Whitmarsh in the suburbs of Morgantown, having left Philadelphia. On the 8th, the British advanced and were attacked by Colonel Daniel Morgan and his rifle corps and Colonel Gist and his Maryland militia. Twenty-seven in Morgan's corps were killed or wounded. On the 9th the British retreated to Philadelphia, and Washington broke up his encampment at Whitmarsh and in the midst of deep snow marched to his winter quarters at Valley Forge arriving the 19th. Samuel Talbott died there twelve days later on Tuesday, December 31, 1777.
The "D.A.R. Magazine" of March 1915, page 155, said "Samuel Talbott died on December 30, 1777, ('from exposure in war'), in Fairfax Co., Va. He married Mary Magdalene Demoville, who died July 2, 1791. Their child, DeMovil Talbott, was born July 25, 1754, in Fairfax Co., and died in 1839, in Bourbon Co., Ky."
According to the late L.V. Hagan, Jr., a descendant, Samuel was buried in the churchyard of Falls Church, Truro Parish, in Fairfax County.
On June 15, 1778, Mary Magdaline Talbott, William Payne and Thomas Langston posted a bond of two thousand pounds, "the condition of this obligation is such that if the above bound Mary, administrator of all goods, chattels and credits of Samuel Talbutt, deceased..." (Bonds 1752-1782) Samuel's estate was inventoried in 1779, and on April 28, Mary Magdalene Talbott received her dower's portion of her husband's estate. It included several Negro slaves, a black horse, one bay and colt, furniture, silver teaspoons, stone soup plates, Queens china, and other household items and livestock. (Ad. Bond Bk. 20, pp. 109-116)
Mary Magdaline wrote her will on February 7, 1791, and her will was proved in September of that year: (WB F, N 01, p. 22)
In the name of God, Amen. I Mary Magdaline Talbott, of the County of Fairfax and Parish of Truro professing a sound mind and memory do appoint and constitute this my last will and testament in the manner and form hereafter expressed. First I recommend my soul to God through the merits of his son, Jesus Christ, and well knowing that my body is but dust, and after, I desire that it may be decently (by my Executors) buried so return to what I was taken from, as to what God has been pleased to bless me with I give as follows, viz: I give and bequeath to my son, Rodham Talbott, a horse called "Lightfoot" and a featherbed and furniture belonging to it.
I give and bequeath to my loving daughter, Hannah Talbott, a Negro woman called "Peg" also two feather beds with their furniture and one bed quilt exclusive; also a cherry tree chest with drawers together with a mare called "Pink" and her riding saddle also a large looking glass and her large trunk.
I give and bequeath to my loving daughter, Catherine Johnson, one horse called "Monkey" and a bed that she is now in possession of with a quilt for a bed that she also has also furniture for that bed. I desire may be given her out of the house also her ridding saddle and a large trunk that she is in possession of together with a small trunk.
I give and bequeath to my loving daughter, Anna Talbott, one Negro boy called "Dennis" and one mare called "Fanny" and her riding saddle also two beds with their furniture and a bed quilt enclusive also one large trunk and two small ditto.
I give to my son DeMovil Talbott my large family Bible he having possessed the greatest part of his father's estate cannot expect more.
I give to my son, Samuel Talbott, forty shillings Virginia currency to be paid by my Executors hereafter mentioned as a small proof that I have not forgotten him though he is far removed from me long since.
The slaves that I hold as my dower, if I am insisted to dispose of them, I desire may be equally divided among all my children.
It is my will and desire that all the rest and residue of my estate be equally divided between my sons Rodham and Sampson and my daughters Hannah, Catherine and Anna, and lastly I do appoint my sons Demovil and Rodham Talbott Executors to this my last will and testament revoking all other wills by me heretofore made given under my hand and seal this seventh day of February 1791.
In presence of: Mary M. Talbott
John C. Hunter, Morris Fox
Thomas Sinclair, Richard Gunnell
The above will was proved on September 19, 1791, by the Executors, Demovil and Rodham Talbott. The inventory of her estate was presented to the Court on April 17, 1792. Demovil Talbott, the Executor, mentioned that Mary’s son Samuel Talbott was in Kentucky.
Here, then are the children of Samuel and Mary Magdaline Demoville Talbott:
1. Demovil Talbott was born on July 25, 1754, in Fairfax County. He married (1) Leanna Talbott, daughter of William and Leanna Mason Talbott. She was a first cousin. They had six children: French, Presley, Samuel, Ann, William and Mason. After the death of Leanna, Demovil married (2) Margaret "Peggy" Williams, daughter of George William. Demovil and Peggy had nine children: Daniel, Nancy, George, Levi, Catherine, Elizabeth, Sallie, Joshua and Sampson Demovil. They settled in Bourbon County, Kentucky. Demovil died there on April 16, 1839.
2. Samuel Talbott, Jr. More later.
3. Presley Talbott was born on April 9, 1758. He died in 1776.
4. Nancy Talbott was born on December 2, 1760. She died in 1774.
5. Jemima Talbott was born on October 15, 1762. She died young.
6. Rodham Talbott was born on February 15, 1764. He served in the Revolutionary War, enrolling in Fairfax County, and serving in theVirginia Line. The Memorial Records of Shelby County, Ohio, 1819-1975, includes this item: (p. 582) "The Talbotts came in 1818 and settled in the extreme southwestern part of Salem Twp. They owned all the land in the vicinity of the Wells Bridge. The first crossing of the Wells or Two Mile Bridge was known in 1816 as 'Rodham Talbott's Ford.'" Rodham Talbutt applied for his Revolutionary War Pension on November 8, 1850. He died on September 7, 1855, in Shelby County.
7. Sampson Talbott was born on November 27, 1767. He married (1) Cassandra Jarboe (2) Jane Kenton, and (3) Mary Kenton. He died in Miami County, Ohio.
8. Hannah Neale Talbott was born on January 11, 1770. She died in 1792.
9. Catherine Talbott was born on December 3, 1772. She married a Johnston. She died in 1793.
* * *
Samuel Talbott, Jr., was born on March 17, 1756, in Fairfax County, Virginia. He married Constantine Regan or Reagan, daughter of Michael and Rebecca Reagan in 1775; and she died, perhaps a result of childbirth, the next year. W.H. Perrin's History of Fayette County, Kentucky, includes the biographical sketch of Mrs. Elizabeth Fisher, a descendant of Samuel Talbott, and said this: "Her maiden name was Talbott, and she is a direct descendant of an English Scotch family of the name who came from Virginia to Kentucky at an early day, her great-grandfather, Samuel Talbott, settling in Clark County, between the Kentucky River and Boone's Creek. He had one son, Nicholas, whose mother died when he was but a child, and several other children by a second wife." (p. 803) Nicholas was born on November 10, 1776. Samuel's second wife was Mary O'Daniel, daughter of John and Elizabeth Moxley O'Daniel of Fairfax County. When John O'Daniel died in 1798, his will mentioned a daughter "Mary Talbert" who was "to have land in Kentucky."
As seen earlier, Samuel and Mary had moved to Kentucky before February 7, 1791, when his mother wrote her will. They settled in that part of Fayette County which would become Clark County in 1792. The "Kentucky Gazette" of Lexington published a notice about Samuel on June 22, 1793. Here is an abstract:
Samuel Talbert, Clark County 12 April 1793, living on the Kentucky River between Boon's Creek and Juit's Creek, found a mare.
A similar notice was printed a year later, on May 31, 1794.
Samuel bought 35 acres in Clark County from Dennis Bradley in 1798. (DB 3, p. 180) He bought 227 acres from Samuel Combs in 1817. (DB 13, p. 93)
Among the claims filed in the Public Record Office of London, England, was this item: "Samuel Talbot, Jr. of Fairfax. Debt with interest due 15 Sept. '98, L3.17.8. Went to Kentucky about ten years ago; had property. Inquire of J. Coffer." (p. 136)
The 1830 Clark County Census, page 89, provides the following data about Samuel Talbott and family: 1 male and 1 female 70-80 years old, 1 male and 1 female 30-40 years old, 1 female 20-30 years old, 2 males and 1 female 10-15 years old, 1 female 5-10 years old, and 2 females 0-5.
Samuel Talbott wrote his will on August 16, 1824, and it was proved on May 27, 1833:
I, Samuel Talbott of the County of Clarke and State of Kenty. living in My right Mind and Memory do make My Last Will and Testament in the manner Following - Item - I give unto my son Nicholas Talbott $1
Item - I give unto my son Daniel Talbott $1
Item - I give unto my dec'd daughter Elizabeth Carrington's two youngest children $1 each
Item - I give unto my son William Talbott $1
Item - I give unto my dec'd daughter Nancy Tinsley's children one dollar each
Item - I give unto my son Benjamin Talbott one feather bed
Item - I give unto my daughter Catherine Mc -- One Dollar.
Item - I give unto my daughter Ann Ratcliff one dollar
Item - I give unto my son John Talbott the Plantation I now live on containing 227 acres the same more or less to remain in his and in his heirs possession forever. I also give unto my son John Talbott Negro Tom. Also I gve unto my son John Talbott all house hold furniture and kitchen furniture of every description that I possess. It is my desire that my son John Talbott shall keep his mother as long as she shall live. I also give unto my son John Talbott all my money that is found in my possession and all that is or shall be due to me by bond or accounts. I also impower and authorize my son John Talbot to be Executor of this my last will and testament and to revoke all others made by me heretofore. Signed and Sealed in the year of our Lord Agust 16th 1824.
Attest Samuel Talbot
John Reed
Eliza B Reed
Sophiania Oldham
The above will, of Samuel Talbott, deceased, was produced in the May Court, 1833, by John Talbott, Executor; and witnessed by John and Eliza B. Reed.
Here, then, are the children of Samuel Talbott, by his two wives:
1. Nicholas Reagan Talbott was the only child of the first wife, Constantine Regan. More later.
2. Daniel Talbott was born in Spotsylvania County, Virginia on October 25, 1779. This is according to the late Edna Whitley of Paris, Kentucky. Daniel married Elizabeth "Betsey" Paris in Clark County on May 2, 1798. Moses Paris signed the surety bond. She was born on December 16, 1779, and died on April 7, 1825. Daniel ran the Red Lion tavern in Millersburg from 1805 for about 30 years, according to family lore. Their children were Polly, James, Ann, William, John D., Samuel, Benjamin, Sarah, Maria Louisa, Nancy Dan, Eliza and Juliet. “The Western Citizen” of Paris wrote on September 20, 1861, that Daniel Talbott, aged 80 years, died on the 17th of September, 1861.
3. Elizabeth Talbott married Jesse Benedict Carrington on September 7, 1802. This is according to Pioneer Families of Lewis County, Kentucky. They had two known children, Timothy and John Talbott Carrington. Elizabeth died in 1810 and Jesse married Margaret Esham on November 12, 1812 in Lewis County. Jesse was the first school teacher in Lewis County. Samuel Talbott noted in his will that his daughter Elizabeth was deceased, and left one dollar to each of her two youngest children.
4. William Talbott was born in May 1784, according to information provided by David L. Talbott Sr.; and married Anna Miller. He died on July 19, 1840, in Bourbon County.
5. Nancy Talbott married William Tinsley on August 19, 1814, in Clark County. Samuel Talbott signed the surety. They settled in Todd County, and Nancy died after her father wrote his will in August 1824, but before September 8, 1825, for that is when William married Frances Willis. He later married Lucy Bronaugh on October 5, 1829, in Christian County.
6. Benjamin Talbott is said to have married Mary Grimes Clay.
7. Catherine Talbott married James McKee on December 9, 1816, in Clark County.
8. Ann Talbott married Francis Ratcliffe on September 8, 1817, in Clark County. Samuel Talbott signed the surety.
9, John Talbott married Fanny Holloway in Clark County on March 7, 1812. John Holloway, the father, gave consent. John Talbott, as noted above, was Executor of his father's estate, and inherited the bulk of the estate. John died in 1838, and his estate was inventoried on March 7 of that year. (WB 9, p. 402) He was quite prosperous, owning 7 slaves and property worth $11,883.28.
* * *
Nicholas Reagan Talbott was born on November 10, 1776, according to family records. He was baptized at Falls Church, Truro Parish, in Fairfax County, Virginia. After his father's second marriage and coming to Kentucky, he lived with his grandmother Mary Magdalina de Movielle in Fairfax County until her death in 1791. Then he came to Kentucky and lived with his uncle D’Moville Talbott. Nicholas married Ariabelle "Aria" Kennedy in Bourbon County, Kentucky, on May 19, 1799. Aria was born in 1781, the daughter of John Kennedy, Jr., and Esther Stilly Kennedy. Nicholas served in the War of 1812 as a Captain. He and his wife became charter members of the Paris Baptist Church in 1820. He and Aria lived in a log house on Kennedy Creek, farmed and raised their family. In H.E. Everman's History of Bourbon County, 1785-1865, the author says this of the Talbotts: (p. 83)
"Hugh Talbott served as a trustee after 1815 and Lewis Vimont joined the small cadre in 1817. During this era the Talbotts emerged as political leaders in the Millersburgh precinct. Nicholas Talbott served on the Bourbon Court from 1811 to 1828. Daniel Talbott, a town trustee, opened one of the burgh's most popular taverns in 1809 and served customers for almost thirty years. Due to his brother's power, Daniel often served as an overseer of roads. John Talbott served as tax commissioner. Hugh Talbott served three successive terms as trustee of Millersburgh. Richard and William Talbott received ordinary licenses to keep taverns during the 1810s.
W.H. Perrin stated in his sketch, mentioned above, that Nicholas Talbott "was a farmer, also a wheelwright and shoemaker. He represented his county in the Legislature in that body in 1821. His wife's name was Aria, daughter of John Kennedy..." (p. 803)
Nicholas Talbott died on May 1, 1828. The "Paris Weekly Advertiser" carried this obituary on May 3, 1828: "Talbott, Mr. Nicholas, died Thursday morning last, an aged and respected citizen and for many years member of the Baptist Church."
On August 8, 1856, Anthony, a slave, was born to Mary, and Aria Talbott was recorded in the Birth Record as owner of the slave. This is the last reference we have of Aria. According to Edna Whitley, Aria died between January and April 1861.
Here, then, are the children of Nicholas and Aria Kennedy Talbott, according to the family Bible, cemetery and court records:
1. Sophia Talbott was born on August 29, 1800. She married William B. Morris on November 24, 1824; and died on October 29, 1833.
2. Louis Talbott was born on August 15, 1802. More later.
3. Courtney Talbott was described in the W.H. Perrin sketch, mentioned above: "Nicholas and Aria (Kennedy) Talbott had a son called Courtney, born September 3, 1804, in Bourbon County. This lad learned shoemaking from his father, all the shoes, as well as all the furniture used by the family, being made at home. Excepting only four months in school, he was also educated at home by his father, while working at the shoe bench or lathe. December 16, 1830, he married Elizabeth Harp..." This marriage is recorded in Fayette County. Courtney moved to Montgomery County, Indiana, where he died on September 11, 1867. He was featured in a biographical sketch in the History of Montgomery County, and this information was included: "His grandfather, Samuel Talbot, was born in Virginia, March 17, 1756. He married Costantine Reagan, also a native of Virginia, in 1775. Nicholas Talbot, the father of the subject of this sketch, was their only son. He removed to Kentucky while young and married Miss Aria Kennedy..." The 1850 Fayette County, Kentucky, Census gives this information: Courtney Talbott 46, Elizabeth 37, Nicholas 19, Elizabeth 17, Emily 15, Margaret 13, Rebecca 11, HH. (male) 9, Nancy 6, J.W. (male) 1, Rufus 29. According to Edna Whitley, Courtney and Elizabeth had 13 children: Nicholas Reagan Talbott, Emily, Elizabeth, John, Margaret, Rebeckah Ashurst Talbott, Henry Harpe Talbott, Aria Kennedy Talbott, Mary Nancy Talbott, Benjamin Franklin Talbott, Joseph Ware Talbott, Alice, and Daniel Webster Talbott.
4. Tibathia Talbott was born on August 21, 1806. She married Jessie Scott on September 7, 1824. They lived on the Lexington-Paris Pike, and had four children, two sons and two daughters.
5. Elizabethann Talbott was born on January 11, 1808. She died a few months later, on September 9, 1809.
6. Coleman Talbott was born on July 13, 1809. He married Duesella Bolls on April 26, 1831. According to Jennifer Gibbons, a descendant, they left Springfield, Illinois in 1855 in a wagon train west. In California they took up a Spanish land grant of 160 acres in Sonoma County. They had 10 children. Coleman died on May 10, 1896, in Bennett Valley, Sonoma.
7. Willis Talbott was born on February 8, 1811. He married Nancy McCoun, daughter of Robert and Rachel Clay McCoun, on November 26, 1840. According to Tom Talbot, a descendant, Willis and Rachel went by horseback to Hendricks County, Indiana, in February 1841. There they settled, farmed, and had eleven children. The Hendricks County “Ledger” noted the death by consumption of their eldest daughter, Aria Talbott, aged 17 years, in February 1859. It was cited in “The Western Citizen” of Paris, Kentucky, March 4, 1859.
8. Louisa Talbott was born on April 6, 1813. She died a few months later on May 18, 1814.
9. Charles Perry Talbott was born on February 23, 1815. He was a member of the Kentucky Legislature 1846-1847 and 1857-1859. He was elected sheriff in 1876. His obituary was published in the "Western Citizen" of Bourbon County on December 15, 1865: "Talbott, Charles P. aged 51, he was the fifth son of Nicholas Talbott, and Aria Kennedy. He married Rebecca Ashurst and second married Miss Elizabeth Sparks of Harrison County in 1857. Left one son and a daughter." (Edna Whitley said he married Polly G. Saddler on January 31, 1833) “The Western Citizen” noted his death from “typhoid pneumonia” on Thursday, December 7, 1865. He was aged 51. He is buried in the family graveyard, behind his house on the Clintonville Road.
10. Marie Louisa Talbott was born on July 25, 1817. She married Carlo Grimes on June 17, 1838. According to Whitley, he was her third cousin through the Kennedy line. They lived east of Winchester, and had two daughters and four sons.
11. Helena Talbott was born on July 23, 1819. She died on December 26, 1832.
12. Rufus Talbott was born on October 6, 1821. In 1850 he was living with his brother, Courtney. (See above) According to Whitley, he then lived in Illinois, but died in Indiana in an Institution for the Infirm after 1861.
13. Nancy Talbott was born on January 13, 1824. She married (1) Rev. John W. Kenney on October 29, 1846. He was born March 10, 1820; and died June 6, 1852. She married (2) Judge Jay Hall of Henry County on September 1, 1857.
14. John Talbott married F. Harris on April 27, 1836. They settled in Indiana.
* * *
Louis (or Lewis) Talbott, son of Nicholas and Aria Kennedy Talbott, was born in Bourbon County on August 15, 1802. (Whitley spelled the name Lewis, since that is the name on the tombstone. However, the family Bible spelled it Louis) He married Phoebe Muir on July 17, 1827; and they had one son, Horatio. Phoebe died and Louis then married Sarah Devine Jones, daughter of James and Salathial Schooler Jones of Bourbon County on January 26, 1832. Sarah was born on January 10, 1802. Whitley noted that Louis, who received 300 acres from his mother, Aria Kennedy Talbott, 200 acres from his wife Sarah, was one of the most prosperous citizens of Bourbon County. (See Whitley's description of the Pleasant Hill Plantation) However, he died at age 45, on April 6, 1847. The 1850 census shows the widow and the remaining family: Sarah D. Talbot, 48, born in Ky.; James W. 17; Mary Bell (Ariabelle) 14; Cassandra 12; Mary Eliza (Annie) 10; Nicholas 8, Thomas W. 4. Sarah died on September 21, 1891. She and Louis are buried in the Paris Cemetery, section C, lot 80. Here are the children by the two marriages:
1. Horatio Talbott, son of Louis and Pheobe, was born May 24, 1828. “The Western Citizen” of November 16, 1849, noted the marriage of Horatio to Nancy Kennedy on November 8, 1849. Elder J.W. Kenny officiated. The 1850 census show him as aged 22, with Nancy 21. (p. 230)
2. James William Talbott, son of Louis and Sarah, was born on May 6, 1833, and died on March 3, 1861. He is buried in the Paris Cemetery.
3. Ariabelle "Belle" F. Talbott was born on April 6, 1836. She was named for her grandmother, Aria Kennedy Talbott. She married Warren Adams Bacon, Sr., of Connecticut, on April 25, 1852. Warren (1816-1902) had come to Bourbon County as a teacher, and married one of his pupils. A well written family history was written by O. Clyde Donaldson on Warren Adams Bacon of Bourbon County, Kentucky: His Ancestors and Descendants. Their children were Sallie Louise, Sonnie Orena "Rena," Otis Temple, Clara Hulda, Lula Anna, Warren Adams Jr. and James William Bacon. Ariabelle died in 1898.
4. Molly Cassandra Talbott was born on January 17, 1838. She died on October 21, 1854, at Pleasant Hill Plantation.
5. Annie Eliza Talbott was born on March 19, 1840. She married James Thomas Hagan on February 11, 1858, in her mother's bedroom at Pleasant Hill Plantation. Her mother at the time was in bed with a broken arm, sustained when she was thrown from a horse, while carrying a basket of dishes at Friendship Baptist Church near Winchester. She died on January 14, 1934. They are the ancestors of this writer. (See this writer's work on the Hagans)
6. Nicholas Reagan Talbott was born on September 16, 1842. The "Reagan" came down the family line from Constantine Reagan, first wife of Samuel Talbott. Nicholas married Sallie Kennedy on June 11, 1863. He was a Union Soldier during the Civil War, and died on November 8, 1933, in Kansas City, Missouri.
7. Wharton Thomas Talbott was born on September 22, 1846. He married Sallie W. Ford on April 30, 1874; and died on April 28, 1928. His obituary, published on May 2 in The Kentuckian-Citizen of Paris, notes that he had been in the hemp, coal and seed business, and later the clothing business. He was a member of the Christian Church. His wife, Sally Ford Talbott, died on August 5, 1921. No children.
* * *
I am indebted to several persons for much of the above family history. (1) My late cousin, L.V. Hagan, Jr., of Clintonville, Ky. (2) Leontine Launer of Columbus, Ohio. (3) Martha Helligso of Omaha, Nebraska, who wrote George Mason Including One Line of Descent. Martha, in turn, relied heavily on Jean Whitaker, who wrote, From the Phillips Side of the Family. More recently, I received from Dave Donaldson a copy of the research of the late Edna Talbott Whitley, great granddaughter of Nicholas and Aria Kennedy Talbott. She and her mother compiled Talbott family records a number of years ago. Ruby Simonson McNeill of Napavine, Washington, has that and other valuable Talbott material. Tom Talbot of Aiken, South Carolina added to our information regarding Willis Talbott. In addition, he submitted photographs of the family quilt made by Sarah Divine Jones Talbott and the Nicholas Talbott homestead.
James G. Faulconer, 5200 Oakbrooke Drive, Kettering, OH 45440. (JFaulconer@aol.com) Updated August 19, 2005.
* * *
