Sam Cornett
Dr. John J. Dickey Diary, Fleming County, Ky. Recorded in the 1870's and
beyond. Reprinted in Kentucky Explorer, Volume 11, No.10, April, 1997,
p. 80. By permission. Perry County.
(By D. Y. Lyttle).
Sam Cornett, the progenitor of the people of that name in the mountains came from Scott County, Virginia to Harlan County, Kentucky, and removed from there to Line Fork in Perry County. Also General Lige Combs, the progenitor of the large family of Combses, could neither read nor write, but was a man of great intellect and force of character. He owned a great deal of land in Perry County. His son, Jesse, was the first clerk in Perry County. General, when asked by a woman in Frankfort how old he was, replied, "Madam, I have lived long enough to eat 500 bushels of hominy."
Lyttle Cornett
Scott-VA Harlan-KY Frankfort-Franklin-KY
http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/perry/cornett.s.txt
History of Kentucky, The Blue Grass State. Volume III Illustrated. The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, Chicago – Louisville, 1928
William Cornett is a scion of one of the old and prominent families of south-eastern Kentucky and is the popular and efficient sheriff of Perry county. He was born December 21, 1888, in Whitesburg, this state, and is a son of Joseph E. and Polly Ann (Wells) Cornett. He was reared on the homestead in Letcher county and received his early instruction in the rural schools of that locality. When fifteen years of age he accompanied his parents on their journey to Perry county, and his studies included the high school at Hazard.
Mr. Cornett was engaged in teaching in Perry county for five years and in 1912 entered the employ of Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company. He was a freight clerk at Hazard for a year and in 1913 was made agent for the road in Viper, Perry county. He acted in that capacity until 1925, when he was elected sheriff of Perry county for a term of four years, and took office January 1, 1926. He discharges his duties with characteristic thoroughness and fidelity, and his courage, honesty and ability have made his work highly satisfactory.
Mr. Cornett was married August 15, 1910, to Miss Lucinda Brashear, a daughter of James and Elizabeth (Pratt) Brashear, of Viper. To Mr. and Mrs. Cornett were born eight children, but their son, William, Jr., is deceased. The others are: Anna, Elizabeth, Daisy, Elma, Joseph, J. Sampson and Wallace E. Mr. Cornett belongs to the Rotary Club and is also a Mason. He gives his political allegiance to the republican party and during 1924-25 was a member of the Hazard board of education. His loyalty and public spirit have been demonstrated by actual achievements for the general good, and his worth as a citizen is uniformly conceded.