William Crawford Will

Arkansas Wills and Probate Records, 1818-1998
Ancestry.com

Image 124
Page 103

William Crawford's Will

Pope County State of Arkansas

Feb 8th 1855

Edward Crawford Deed

Is Edward Crawford of Overton, Tennessee a brother to James Crawford of Preble County, Ohio? Is he the same Edward Crawford shown in the 1896 tax list for Garrard County, KY. To answer either of these questions, I need to learn more about Edward Crawford of Overton County, Tennessee. Since I'm looking for a source tying two locations together, I'm starting with deeds.

Edward Crawford of Overton County, Tennessee purchased land in 1807 from Thomas Dillen.

Overton County, Tennessee
Deeds

Deeds, V. A-C 1801-1813
FamilySearch Film 981131 DGS 7903546


Crawford Edward (grantee) from Thomas Dillon Book B page 13

In Column: Original Book B page 14 &c

Thomas Dillen
To Deed 300 acres on
waters of Obed’s river
Edward Crawford

Revisiting Tax Lists

Do you ever find yourself retracing your research steps because you learn about a new family connection? Yep, that's me. I'm going back thru the early tax lists for Madison County, KY.

I wrote about my journey with suspected CRAWFORD family members in my January 2019 post, Tax Man Cometh. At the time, I mentioned finding Edward Crawford in a different taxing district from the other Crawfords. I didn't pursue Edward for several reasons. Since he wasn't shown as a land owner, I wouldn't find any deeds for him. I also didn't have any information tying Edward to any of the other Crawfords in those early tax records.

Now, I have yDNA evidence showing a relationship to Edward Crawford of Overton, Tennessee. From what I've been able to learn about this Edward Crawford, his birthplace is thought to be Pennsylvania or Virginia.

I have NO evidence that the Edward Crawford in the Madison County tax lists is the same Edward Crawford who died in Overton County, Tennessee. I also currently have NO evidence that they are not the same person.

Thus, I'm going to revisit the tax lists to see if I can learn anything more about the Edward Crawford of Madison County, Kentucky.

As mentioned in my previous post, I found several Crawfords listed in these Madison County, KY tax lists.

• Mary Crawford (found 1787-1792)
• James Crawford (found 1787-1796)
• William Crawford (found (1787-1796)
• James Crawford - appears in 1792
• Alexander Crawford - appears in 1792
• John Crawford - appears in 1795
• William Crawford Jr - appears in 1795
• Edward Crawford -- appears in 1795 -  under a different commissioner's list

Edward is the only Crawford who appears on the 1797 tax list. Edward is also listed on the 1799 tax list but has not been found after that date.

Since the first wife of Edward Crawford of Overton, TN was named Mary Gentry, I also looked for any GENTRY families on these Madison County, KY tax lists. I found several GENTRY families with most owning land. 

Madison County, Kentucky 

Tax Books, 1787-1874

Tax books 1787-1797, 1799-1807

Film 8126

DGS 7834478

Image 206

Madison County 1795

Image 210 

Crawford James - 1 male >21; 5 horses; 17 cattle; 146 acres

Image 211

Crawford John - 1 male > 21, 2 horses, 6 cattle

Crawford William Jr - 1 male > 21; 2 horses; 6 cattle

Crawford William Sr - 1 male > 21; 1 male 16-21; 12 horses; 28 cattle; 180 acres

Image 212

Duggins, William - 1 male > 21; 2 horses; 8 cattle

Duggins, Daniel - 1 male >21

Image 218

Moore Alexander - 1 male >21; 3 horses; 3 cattle

Image 218, 219, 220 - No William McClure, George Miller or Nancy Miller

Image 257

Crawford Edward - 1 male >21, 2 horses; 3 cattle

Image 258 - 1795

May 13 Gentry, Richard - 1 male > 21 - 0 male > 16 - 6 total blacks - 2 blacks under 16 - 5 horses - 40 cattle

Gentry, Robert - 1 male > 21, 2 total blacks - 1 black > 16 - 3 horses - 35 cattle

Gentry, David - 1 male > 21, 4 horses - 14 cattle

Left Turn

Have you ever come across a new piece of information that sends your genealogy research in a totally different direction? I'm sure you have as most of us encounter this from time to time.

Yesterday, I received such a piece of information. This wasn't a document but a DNA result - a yDNA result. Apparently, my Crawford line is its own branch with my closest Crawford match being a descendant of Edward Crawford of Overton, Tennessee.

So, one of my new goals is to try and determine how this Edward Crawford might fit in with all of my James Crawford research. With only five Edwards in my database it is a relatively unusual name. Unfortunately, Alexander and Mary (McPheeters) Crawford had a son named Edward. Thus, there will be confusion in online trees as to the parents of Edward.

In looking back thru my Kentucky research notes, I do have some data placing an Edward Crawford in Madison County, Kentucky during the time period of my James Crawford research.

In 1795, Edward Crawford was listed on the tax records for Madison County, Kentucky as a male over 21 with 2 horses and 3 cattle. 

Sub-Clustering

I just watched Blaine Bettinger's video, Sub-Clustering Shared Matches. As I was following the video, I was also trying to do this with my brother's DNA matches.

The match I started with is listed on my match page as a second cousin. In reality, she is a first cousin once removed. Our common ancestors are Judson Crawford and Josie Hammond.

Her shared match list contained 157 matches. I marked them all with a yellow dot labeled: ICW EB.

Clues from a Letter

Do you ever re-look at a document and discover a new clue? That was my experience when a 4th cousin sent me a copy of a letter - a letter that I think I've seen before.

Dodge City, Kansas, March 29, 1907

Dear nephew (William Clay Crawford)

Your ????? to hand. I am glad to hear from you. Your Grandfather
Crawford lived to be 56. Died with colic. Your Grandmother died
about the same age with typhoid. From your Great Grandfather
Crawford lived until the age of 72 and died with sunstroke. our
Great Grandmother Crawford lived 78-don't remember what caused here
death. Your Grandparents were born in Ohio and died in Warren
County, Indiana (W. Lebanon?). Your Great Grandparents moved from
Kentucky and died in southern Ohio. Your Great Great grandparents
came from Scotland and are buried in Kentucky not far from
Lexington. You are of strong hearty people and ought to live to
be an old man with proper care of your health. I am in only
tolerable health myself. I am muscular paralysis. Will stop off
and see you and family and next time I am through if possible.
Kindly regards to your family

From you affectionate uncle.
J.. H. Crawford
(James H. Crawford)