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Early Pioneers of Knott County If any of you have NAMES you want added here please send them to Suzanne
Surnames of Local Interest . |
| ADAMS, Jesse - T here were several Jesse's ADAMS and sometimes there was a middle names such as John Jesse ADAMS. |
| ADAMS, John - came from NC to Floyd, later a part of Knott and settled near Pinetop called Adamstown then, mentioned in early 1808-1818 court claims. |
| AMBURGEY, John - b. 1758, Culpepper, VA, father was John AMBURGERY, Sr. German grandfather was Conrad AMBURGEY died in 1742. 1775 John Jr. moved to Surry, NC, fought in Rev War there, married Elizabeth HAMONS b. 1759 died 1857, had 12 children, in 1814 moved to Castlewood, VA, in 1826 moved to Carr's Fork then in Perry Co. now a part of Knott, died in 1831 and now buried in a tomb marked unknown in the Carr Creek Memorial Cemetery because their markers had long ago deteriorated. |
| BOLEN, John - came from Hancock Co., TN about the mid 1850s. Settled in what is now Rock Fork in Knott Co., KY. Married Levisa GIBSON. Both as well as many descendants buried on Rock Fork near Knott-Floyd Co. Line. |
| BOWLING, Jesse - early Perry Co., KY settler, minister, married many couples in early 1800's. Died about 1830 in Breathitt Co., KY. |
| CAUDILL, Stephen - Early Letcher Co., KY settler, many of his descendants now live all over Eastern KY |
| CLARKE, George - pioneer educator throughout KY came to Hindman to practice law in 1887 but seeing the need for education established Buckner Academy, where many of Knott's future leaders, teachers and upstanding citizens got their education's. |
| COMBS, Josiah H. - student of Professor Clark and later a noted writer. Known locally for his research in the COMBS family genealogy and book on the COMBS family. |
| CORNETT, Nathaniel W. - son of William, married Lydia CAUDILL, daughter of Stephen, settled on Big Branch, walked to Ark and brought back two pecan nuts, planted them and two pecan trees grew beside his house and just recently cut down. Also a tale of him and a wagon load of gold that is told by some of his descendants. |
| CORNETT, Samuel - settled near what is now Hindman, (Cornett's Mill) KY about 1792. Mentioned in early 1808-1818 court claims. A brother to William. |
| CORNETT, William - early Perry Co. KY settler, arrived about 1792, many of his descendants moved to Knott Co. |
| DUKE, Peyton - early Knott doctor, owned much of Hindman. Served in Confederate Army during Civil War. |
| GIBSON, Archibald - Early Floyd Co., KY settler, later in Perry Co. Mentioned several times in 1808-1817 court claims. Lived on Carrs Fork, which later became a part of Knott. |
| HALE, John - early settler in Letcher, now Knott, born 1788, buried Wolf Pen Gap, mentioned in early Floyd Co. court claims, 1808-1819. |
| HALL - The HALL family of Kentucky is of English Descent. The first HALL arrived on the Yadkin River about 1765. A son was born on the ocean en route whom the family knows as John HALL, Sr., John, Jr. was born July 15, 1776 and his mother was Polly HASH. In 1805, the family moved to Ashe County, NC and later to Powell Valley, Lee County, VA where John HALL, Sr. died in 1826. John Jr. married Elizabeth WHISMAN, who was born June 20, 1800. This John Jr., and Elizabeth were the parents of P. W. HALL who came to Perry County. Previous to his coming, a cousin, Ezekial HALL, had moved from Lee County, VA to Harlan County, and from there to Perry County, where P. W. visited him. When P. W. returned to Virginia, he was known to be outspoken in his dislike of Kentucky. In the meantime, John HALL, Jr. had died and his widow with her children, one of whom was P. W. moved to Harlan County, and later (about 1838) into Perry County. Here P. W. HALL acquired his first land in a "swap." His family records show that he traded a "rifle gun" for 400 acres of land on Mason's Creek. Later he bought land on the Middle Fork of Mason's Creek closer to the mouth of Carr Creek. The old log house built by P.W. three miles up Mason's Creek still stands (as of 1950), the floors of which were whip sawed. P. W. HALL became a prominent citizen of Perry County. He was a surveyor, an early lawyer, and he dealt in large tracts of land and timber. Many of the court records in the Perry County Court House are in his handwriting. P. W. HALL was born May 27, 1823 in Lee County, VA. He married Elizabeth BRANSON, daughter of Leonard BRANSON, a Revolutionary veteran - by John HALL. |
| HALL, Talt - hanged in VA for murders he committed there but killed many in Knott Co. before running to VA. See article on him in 1996 "Kentucky Explorer." |
| HAYES, John - b. abt 1797, married Elizabeth ANDERSON in Floyd on March 10, 1815, lived at Lackey, was father of Capt Anderson HAYS, and many other descendants that still live in Knott Co. |
| Hollidays--Collection of Holliday Families and information |
| HOLLIDAY, John - settled in Perry Co. in 1823 from Floyd Co., KY, owned 5000 acres in the 1840's, was a son of William, married Allie JUSTICE, see on John for a direct shot to his Bibliography, many of his descendants live in Perry and Knott Co. |
| HOLLIDAY, William - Early Floyd Co., KY Settler from Russell Co., VA, |
| JOHNSTON, Thomas - came from Wilkes Co., NC on the Yadkin River with two brothers Patrick and Wiliam to then Floyd Co., KY and then part of Perry and now part of Knott Co. KY. Patrick settled on Rockhouse in now Letcher Co., KY and Thomas and his wife Adelphia CARTER settled near the mouth of Breedings Creek on Carrs Fork. The old log house was still standing and in 1951 a descendant, Patrick JOHNSON, son of Fielden and grandson of George Washington JOHNSON was living in it. Since then it has been moved to "Rainbow Hollow" on KY 160. For many years it was used as a tavern. It is perhaps the oldest one in Eastern KY. Delphia CARTER JOHNSON was the only teacher around. The Perry County History book said that Thomas JOHNSON died at his home in 1828 but the tax list shows it more like 1823 and was buried on a farm nearby. Some years (1834) after his death, his widow married Simeon JUSTICE (a Rev. War Soldier) who weighted 400 pounds and had a special chair for himself large enough to hold two people and is today used as a love seat last owned by the family of Jethro AMBURGERY. Rev. Simeon JOHNSON had performed many weddings for the JOHNSON family. The first brick house in Perry was built by Thomas JOHNSON, son of George Washington JOHNSON and grandson of the first Thomas JOHNSON, around 1879 near Chavies. The JOHNSTONs was of Scotch-English descent. The children of Thomas and Delphia are: 1. George Washington JOHNSON 2. William 3. Artie 4.Fanny |
| JONES, Clabe - b. Feb 14, 1826, on Arnold Fork of Beaver Creek, father was John JONES who was born and reared in Hawkins Co. TN. Mother was Rebecca ARNOLD who was born in Tazewell Co., VA. He was famous for his involvement in local feuds that claimed over 100 lives, was a Union soldier, died and buried in Hazard, KY. |
| JUSTICE, John - was an early Floyd settler and brother of Simeon JUSTICE. Several other John JUSTICEs in Floyd also, served in Rev. War in NC line as a fifer. |
| JUSTICE, Simeon - organized many churches in our area in the early 1800's, helped found Indian Bottom in Letcher and Stone Coal in Floyd, served in Rev War with brother John in NC line, was a drummer, mentioned many times in 1808-1819 Floyd Co. court claims as a jury member and defendant in lawsuits with Joseph FORD, finally winning the court cases. |
| LOYD, Alice - In early 1900's founded Alice Loyd College as it is known today but then as Caney Creek Community Center. |
| MARTIN, George - reared in Floyd but moved to Knott on Troublesome Creek in 1883, many descendants living in Knott now, one of whom founded the Martin Department Stores. Died and buried in Scoville in Owsley Co. in 1925. Served in Union Army during the Civil War. First wife was Caroline FRAZIER and second was Ester CORNETT and she buried by his side. |
| PIGMON, James Madison - first sheriff of Knott Co. |
| PIGMAN, Leonard - married Patience THOMPSON in NC. He was in the Rev. War. and moved to Knott Co., KY. He is the father of all Knott Co. PIGMANs. - submitted by Lona WARD GIBSON |
| ROGERS, William - Early Floyd Co. KY settler, later a part of Perry, in Perry tax list on Carrs Fork, later a part of Knott Co. |
| SMITH, Hilliard H. - Knott businessman in early 1900's. Was a state senator, heirs own much of the mineral in Troublesome area today. Contributed to genealogy studies of various surnames and some work is in state archives. |
| SMITH, Richard - was an early settler and minister of Perry Co., KY in the late 1700's and early 1800's. Buried at the mouth of Pigeon Roast on Troublesome Creek at Ary, KY. |
| SMITH, Bad Tom - b. 1859, son of Mary KELLY and Richard SMITH, 1870 began stealing, 1887 kills Joe HURT, later kills Shade COMBS, hanged in Breathitt June 28, 1895 after killing Dr. RADER. See article on him in 1995 "Kentucky Explorer." |
| STEWARD, Ambrose - married Jane HOLLIDAY, was Knott's first surveyor. |
| STEWARD, Jasper - early doctor in Knott - father of Ambrose and others. |
| THOMAS, Greenberry (Thomson) - was an early settler before 1850. He married Celthany F. SEXTON in Letcher Co., KY. He was the first school teacher in Knott Co., KY, or at least that is handed down through the family. Roscoe THOMAS, he mentions in the book about his father Green getting his permit to teach school in Knott Co., KY. Greenberry married under the name of THOMSON, as his sister Mary Ann Harriet Susan did (she married David TYREE of Letcher Co., KY, but the rest of his brothers and sisters married under the name of THOMAS. According to a Cherokee Indian claim that was made in 1906 in Boyd Co., KY. by Green's sister Dicy THOMAS SEXTON (who married Riley SEXTON, son of Moses and Theny SEXTON) she states her parents were James THOMAS and Lucy PROCTOR from Ashe Co., NC. Their marriage record has been found in Granville Co., NC, and James married under the name of THOMAS and THOMPSON. - Lona WARD GIBSON has researched this family and believes that the Cherokee Indian blood was from the PROCTORS, because a lot of them were on the "Trail of Tears march out west, and had full blooded Indian names. She went through 46000 names on Miller Quion Indian rolls to find all of this information. - submitted by Lona WARD GIBSON |
| WALKER, John |