Barren County Connection

Have you ever questioned whether an ancestor lived in a certain place because the migration path was illogical?

Well, that is the case with our Crawford research. James Crawford and Martha Knight were married in Lincoln County, KY in 1793. James Crawford and Sally Duggins were married in Garrard County, KY in 1799. Both families migrated to Preble County, Ohio.

So when clues pointed to at least one of them being in Barren County, KY (South of Lincoln and Garrard), those clues were questioned because it seemed illogical for these couples to migrate South before migrating North to Ohio.

That gut feeling was proven incorrect when a Barren County deed was discovered. This 1821 deed was for the sale of land by a James Crawford of Preble County, Ohio. Records place both James Crawfords in Preble County, Ohio at the time. So far, no record has been found for a third James Crawford in Preble County, Ohio in 1821.

Since the deed identifies the wife of James Crawford as Martha, this deed places James and Martha owning land in Barren County, KY. Another set of deeds for the sale of land in Garrard County, KY by Rebecca Crawford and James Crawford, both of Barren County, provide additional evidence that James Crawford was in Barren County, KY (See Rebekah's Land)


Barren County Kentucky
Deed Book J page 1
Family Search Film #007899153 image 12

This Indenture made the eleventh day of December in the year of or Lord
one thousand eight hundred and twenty one between James Crawford of the
county of Preble state of Ohio of the one part and John Moorehead
of Barren County Kentucky state of the other part and
witnesseth that the said James Crawford for and in consideration
of the sum of two hundred dollars recents to the said James Craw
ford in hand paid the receipt of which is hereby acknowledge
have granted bargained aliened conveyed & confirmed & by these presents
do grant bargain sell alien convey and confirm unto the said John
Moorhead his heirs & assigns forever a certain tract of land containing
two hundred acres of the county of Barren & State of Kentucky on
the waters of Marrawbone bounded as follows to wit: beginning
at a maple & hickory running thence west 119 poles to a chestnut
& hickory thence south 179 poles to two black oaks thence east 179
poles to a popular & dogwood thence north 179 poles crossing a
branch to an ash and hicory thence west 60 poles to the beginning
to have and to hold the said granted patented & bargained premaces
with all the privileges and appurtenances to the same belonging
or in any wise apertaining in the only proper use benefit and behoof
of the said John Moorehead his heirs and assigns. and the said
James Crawford doth for himself his executors and administrators
do hereby covenant promise & grant to and with the said John Moorhead
his heirs & assigns that before the ensealing ‘ho’ the sd James
Crawford was the true sole & lawful owner of the above barga
ined premises & was lawfully seized and possessed of the
the same in his own rights and good perfect & absolute
estate of inheritance in the fee simple and had in himself good
right full powers lawful authority to grant bargain sell convey
and confirm the said bargained premises in the manner aforesaid
and that the said John Moorehead his heirs & assigns shall at
and at all times forever hereafter by force & virtue of those
presents lawfully peaceably and quietably have hold use
occupy possess & enjoy the said demises & Bargained premises
with the appertenances free & clearly acquitted exonhorated are
discharge of an all & all manners of former or other gifts [grow]
to sales incumbrances if what name or nature soever that might
in any measure or degree obstruct or make void this present
deed.
Furthermore, the said James Crawford for himself his heirs
executors & administrators doth covenant & engage the above demise
premasis to him the said John Morehead his heirs & assigns
agants the lawful claims of any person or persons whatsoever
forever hereafter to warrant secure & defend by these presents

page 2
In testimony whereof, the said James Crawford & Martha his wife has
hereunto set their hands and seal the day and year first above written
James Crawford
Martha (her mark) Crawford
Sealed and Delivered
in the presence of us
David Williamson
Nathan D Sellers
The state of Ohio Preble County SS
Before us the undersigned two of
the justices of the peace in & for the sd county came personaly James
Crawford and Martha Crawford wife of the said James Crawford
the within named grantors she bing examined separate & apart from
her said husband they acknowledge the within deed of
conveyance to be their voluntary act and deed for the use and purpose therein
mentioned In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands and
seals this 11th day of December 1822
Isaac Stephens
David Williamson

Kentucky, Barren County. Deeds. Film #007899153. James Crawford to Alexander Moorehead, 11 Dec 1821 J: 1-2; digital images, Family Search www.familysearch.org : viewed online January 2019.