KING families in 1700s - 1820s (2024)

Hello: I am trying to find the history and parents of my William KING of southwest Virginia, born 1779.I have come across a Sarah LESTER, born 1779, of the same area, who married a William KING. There are many links with her parents and my William KING lines - I have put all I know about them below. Help!!Is this my William KING?
Main lines are: LESTER -- ARTHUR -- HORTON -- WHITT -- KING

My GGG Grandfather was William KING. We know many facts about him from many records, including dates from his tombstone in Tennessee, articles in "Old Time Tazewell" (book), TN census records, Scott County, VA 1820 census, and family papers, but we can't find his parents! We do know
that he was born July 10, 1779. However, as with many families, we have a conflict as to where - either Virginia or Delaware.

My Grandfather KING always said his ancestors were from Scotland - two KING brothers (Scotch-Irish) came to England - were given a choice of jail or coming to the New World (1600s), came as indentured servants for 7 years, and settled in Virgina. However, from there we lose track of
them. We have several KING relatives who said there were KING brothers in Virginia and in what is now West Virginia, in the middle to late 1700s. NOTE: We have many, many KING cousins (some who have never met - recently connected by research) who ALL have the story of our KING ancestors with Native American - Cherokee kin - from Tennesee/Virginia/West Virginia (1600s-1700s) - marrying an Indian Princess.

The next "date" we have on our William KING is a marriage record from Carter County, Tennessee - August 19, 1803 - he married Sarah GARNER. However, we have also found this Sarah referred to as: Sarah HAMMER and Sarah McCLELLAN !! Talk about confusing! To have these different names, we have thought she may have been married BEFORE she married our
William - having kept her married name - GARNER or HAMMER or McCLELLAN. But we don't know her maiden name or any other husband names. This leaves the door open for many options - including that of her being the Sarah LESTER (b. 1779
Montgomery County, VA) who married a William KING in the area where our William was living at that time. (More on that later.)

To make things more confusing - these counties of southwest Virginia were changing names from the late 1700s on:

Carter County TN was formed from Washington County VA in 1796.
Lee County, VA borders Carter County, TN.
Lee county, VA was formed in 1793 from Russell County, VA.
Russell was formed in 1786 from Washington County.
Russell also contained Botetourt, Fincastle, and Washington from 1769-1785.
Washington County was formed in 1777 when Fincastle county was abolished.
Lee County borders Scott County, VA.
Scott was formed in 1814 from Lee, Russell & Washington counties.
Note: Montgomery County is near these counties - families passed through on their way
to Russell, Washington, and Scott.

To make a long story short - ALL of these counties are part of my KING history from the late 1700s till the time my William KING moved to Claiborne County, TN (from then Scott
County, VA) in the late 1820s. Remember, he was still in Scott County on the 1820 census.

This means my William KING and wife Sarah __________? were probably living in one of these close counties in the late 1700s - to be married in Carter County in 1803, and to have a household and children on the census by 1820 Scott County, Virginia! They could have come from either Russell or Washington county, VA - 1700s. Families were moving into
these areas from the 1770s on - I strongly believe my William KING was living in -- Washington > Russell > Scott at some time period from 1779 till the late 1820s.

Now, for Sarah, wife of my William KING.
We have dates - but not a definite birth PLACE
b. 24 AUG 1781 (possibly North Carolina or Virginia)
d. 30 MAR 1862 Claiborne County, TN

First - if this Sarah were realted to a GARNER family - there were GARNER families close by:

Garner, Obediah (tax list) 1799 Grainger County, TN
Garner, Brill M. (tax list) (1814) Washington County, VA
Garner, Griffin G. (tax list) (1814) Washington County, VA
William GARDNER - on the 1820 Scott County, VA census
Elizabeth GARDNER - on the 1820 census Scott County, VA census
Kiziah GARDNER - marriage list 1815-1830 Scott County
Reuben GARDNER - marriage list 1815-1830 Scott County
Hiram GARDNER - marriage list 1815-1830 Scott County

We can't find connections to Sarah for any of these.

Next, if this Sarah were in some way related to a HAMMER - the only HAMMER connection to a KING name is a George HAMMER, born 1763 near Philadelphia. He was a Rev War Vet from Frederick, Maryland in 1781 and died in Indiana in 1834. This George is probably the same George that is
listed as the administrator of a Andreas (Andrew) Hammer's & a Andrew King's probates in Frederick, MD in the early 1790's.

Note: There were families who moved from Maryland to Washington County, VA in the 1770-1790s. And, this is the first KING name next to a HAMMER name, but I can't find
any HAMMER names in southwest Virginia in the early 1800s! Also, I can't link this Andreas (Andrew) KING to my William.

Third - I can't find any McCLELLAN families in that area at all. I have no exact source for this Sarah McCLELLAN name with my KING.

KING names I need to connect with LESTER & ARTHUR & other KING folks in this area of Virginia:

-----There was a Martha KING and a John KING on the 1787 Russell County tax list and on land records
-----Joseph KING on the Russell County land records
-----Robert KING on the Russell County land records-----
By 1820, there were two John KING families in Scott County.
One was a John KING (b. before 1775, living alone).
The other was a John KING (b. before 1775, with a wife and 5 children)

-----On this same list was a John HORTON. He was the father of Travis HORTON -
Travis' daughter married a son of my William KING. This Travis HORTON's wife was the daughter of Alexander Abner LESTER and Martha Patsy ARTHUR. This is my first definite connection to the LESTER line. (more on that later)

-----On the Montgomery County tax list of 1782:
George KING, John KING, William KING

-----On the Washington County tax list of 1806:
William KING and Thomas KING

Again, to add to the confusion of the name William KING - there was another William KING in Washington County this same time - the William KING who came to America in 1769 from Ireland. He bought and ran the King's Saltworks - was one of the richest men in the county - died in 1808.
When I first starting reading the land deeds in Washington County - and kept seeing the name WILLIAM KING - my heart jumped! I thought at last - my William!! But no - I
suppose most of these land deeds and grants were to the William KING of the saltworks - who lived at Abingdon.
At this point, I don't know which deeds are my William's and which belong to this other William!

(From "The King Family of Virginia & El Monte, CA")
http://www.geocities.com/heartland/pointe/9126/king.htmlhttp://www.geocities.com/heartland/pointe/9126/king.html
"...According to early Census records, there are few King
families in Washington County. Many of these King families appear to be related to the prominent and wealthy Irish merchant, William King of Abington who left a million dollar
estate upon his death in 1808. William King was married to a Mary Trigg; however, King's will proves that he left no issue. William's estate went to his brother James and
sister, along with an allowance to his half-siblings Hannah Allen and Samuel King. This half-brother Samuel King died in 1811 leaving issue, but records found so far indicate only sons William, James, and Thomas." Read more on this website - interesting!

Now - is it possible my William KING, born 1779, who married a Sarah (with many last names!) could be THE William KING who married Sarah LESTER???? There are so many wonderful connections --

----- This Sarah LESTER was born about 1779 in Montgomery County, VA. Her parents were Alexander Abner LESTER and Martha Patsy ARTHUR. The "Cox and Kin" book gives the history of the LESTER line - but mentions no death date or children for Sarah LESTER. It only lists her marrying a William KING.

----- Alexander Lester and Martha ARTHUR-LESTER had two children and possibly a third (Sarah) who link with my William KING.

First, Hannah LESTER (1773-1856) married twice - her 2nd husband was Edmund WHITT. Their son Abijah WHITT, had a daughter - Rebecca Ann WHITT. Rebecca WHITT married Francis Marion KING - who was the son of Elias KING. Elias was the
first-born son of my William KING.

Second, Alexander Abner Lester and Martha ARTHUR had a daughter named Rebecca Arthur LESTER. She married Travis HORTON. (see above for mention of his name) -- This Travis HORTON and Rebecca LESTER had a daughter named Isabel HORTON. She married Elias KING. This Elias KING was the first-born son of my William KING.

Third, if this Sarah LESTER married my William KING, their birth dates fit - both being born in 1779. Next, their families were living in the same area - along with the WHITTs and HORTONs. (Remember, the WHITTs and HORTONs and LESTERs definitely connect with my KINGs.)

Next, it was not uncommon for first cousins to marry long ago - which would have been the case with Isabel HORTON marrying Elias KING. This would have meant William KING's son Elias - by Sarah LESTER, and Rebecca LESTER's daughter Isabel - would have been 1st cousins? (Do I have this right?)

Next, there were so few KING families in this part of Virginia at the time Sarah LESTER married a William KING - and one of them is NOT my William (he is the Saltworks King)
- if this William KING Sarah LESTER married is NOT my William KING - then who is he?

If we could connect the other KING names in the area - the Martha KING (who owned land in her name "Martha KING"), Thomas, Robert, Joseph, the two John KINGs --

Another quote from the "El Monte" paper:

".....there are several other King families that show up in
Washington County records before William's (Saltwork's) arrival, by evidence of tax records. Very few of these households are shown on the first two Census records, [re:
First U.S. Census; Washington Co, VA]. On the other side of the border in Tennessee there are several King families, especially in Hawkins County, though most of the records of
that county were lost to fire."

Last - but very important - the parents of Martha Patsy ARTHUR were Gabriel ARTHUR and Hannah Rebecca "Nikitie" (a Cherokee Indian princess). If this Sarah LESTER really did marry my William KING -- this would prove -- once and for all - the Cherokee Indian connection in our KING family!

I have put my William KING's line below - I would love to hear from any of you about my theory - and possible connection.

Thank you.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>My King Family <<<<<<<<<<<<<<

William King born July 10, 1779 Delaware or Virginia ??
died Sept 27, 1865 Claiborne County, TN
Both buried in Claiborne County, TN

My William King married Sarah (HAMMER? GARNER? GARDNER? McCLELLAN?) in
Carter County, TN on August 19, 1803.
She was born August 24, 1781 - but we are not sure where - possibly Virginia or North
Carolina. Sarah died March 30, 1862. We don't know who her parents were.
I found the following GARDNER names in Scott County in 1820. I wonder if they are
related to my Sarah?

William GARDNER - on the 1820 census
Elizabeth GARDNER - on the 1820 census
Kiziah GARDNER - on a marriage list 1815-1830
Reuben GARDNER - on a marriage list 1815-1830
Hiram GARDNER - on a marriage list 1815-1830

NOTE: There is a Sarah LESTER who married a William KING in the same area of
southwest Virginia about the same time - but we don't know if this is our Sarah.

1. Sarah "Sally" LESTER was the daughter of Abner Alexander LESTER. She was born
ca 1779 - Montgomery or Lunenburg county - not sure. She married a William KING.

2. Sarah LESTER's sister was Rebecca Arthur LESTER, born 1780, Montgomery
County, VA. She married Travis HORTON.
They had a daughter named Isabel - born 1809 in Russell County, VA. Isabel married
Elias KING.

3. This Elias KING was a son of my William KING. HOWEVER --- my William KING (b.
1779) married a Sarah.

There is a William KING family on the 1820 Scott County, VA census, with children's
birth years that match the family. (There are also two other KING families living in Scott
County in 1820 -- both John KING households. Could these be brothers of my William?)

Parts of Scott County were in Washington and Russell counties before that date. I have
found many land deeds, grants, and sales for a William KING in Washington County and
Russell County from 1795-1802. (All from the Saltworks KING?) But there are other
KING names in the same area in the same time period: Joseph, Martha, Robert, and
Thomas -
but I don't know how they fit with my William.

There are also two John King families in the 1820 Scott County census.

There was also an Elijah KING as a witness to a deed on 9 DEC 1800 in Lee County,
VA. Is he part of my KING line - a brother to my William?

Also, there was an Anne KING who married a Henry BOLDMAN in 1830 in Scott
County. Could she be related to my William's family?

Back to my William:
William and Sarah moved to Claiborne County, TN around 1830.
William and Sarah had 11 children:

...........................................................

> 1. Elias KING
b. June 9, 1806 Virginia (Russell or Scott)
d. Sept 1867 Whitt Cemetery, Carter County, Kentucky
m. Isabel HORTON

Children:
Francis Marion KING m. Rebecca Ann WHITT
Sabra (Sabery) KING m. Samuel MOBLEY
Joseph Newton KING m. Verlina GREEN
Elkana KING
Samuel Houston KING m. Elizabeth MOBLEY
Van Buren KING m. Nancy J. COUNTS
Calous Calla KING m. James ELLIOTT
Sarah B. KING m. Robert Letcher ROSE
Lauretta KING m. Charles KITCHEN
Jasper KING
Caroline KING
Julian J. KING
Cana KING ?

> 2. Rosa Ozina W.(Rosie) KING
b. Oct 16, 1810 West Virginia? North Carolina?
d. Aug 30, 1888 Claiborne Ct, TN
m. (1st) _________ CARRINGER
(2nd) Rev. Nathan HOBBS

> 3. Elcana David KING
b. 21 FEB 1814 North Carolina
d. 4 MAY 1900 Union County, TN
m. Mary FLANARY

Children: James M, Lucinda, Hiram, William, Amanda, Labourn,
John Cox (m. Amanda GOFORTH), Thomas, Nathan, Elkana,JR

> 4. Hiram C. KING
b. 1815 or 1816 Virginia
d. abt 1880 TN
m. (1st) Elizabeth NEIL (NEAL)
(2nd) Emily BALES

Children: Floyd, Henry M Jr, Elbert C, Joseph F, Melvin C,
Alice (m. CARR), Martha Ozina (m. CADLE),
Maggie (m. KING), Mary A, Rufus, Ollie M, Bent

> 5. Jennie Margaret KING
b. June 13, 1818 Claiborne Co. TN
d. June 14, 1898 Claiborne Co. TN
m. Robert (Robin) RITCHIE

Children: Taylor O. KING m. Martha E. BISHOP
Sallie KING m. Archiles Bales KESTERSON

> 6. David A. KING
b. about 1820 Virginia
d. about 1873 __________?
m. Susan FLETCHER

David was a Methodist Preacher - he was known as Reverend David
King. He married Suzanne FLETCHER about 1847. (They are my Grt-Grt
Grandparents.) Their son - Willie Fletcher KING married Martha
Elizabeth LAWS.

Children of the Rev. David King & Susan Fletcher:

Elizabeth King
Wesley King m. Elizabeth Harrell (Herrell)
Nathan H.(M.) King m. Samintha Meyers
Mary Evelyn King m. William Preston Goin
Sarah Rebecca King m. George W. Gose
Rhoda Jane King m. Frank Hollingsworth
James (Jim Monroe) King m. Mary E. Minton, Mariah Ford
Willie Fletcher King m. Martha Elizabeth Laws (My Great-Grandparents)
Abraham King
Emma King m. ________ Drummonds?
Margaret King

> 7. Elihu E. King
b. Dec 22, 1824 Virginia?
d. Jan 30, 1898 Tazewell, TN (Cedar Fork)
m. (1st) Elizabeth BUIS
(2nd) Susan HUNTER

Children:
Calas R. KING m. James A. KIBERT
Orlena KING
Margaret R. KING m. Charles W. SCOTT
Sabina E. KING m. Henry F. WILLIAMS
William A. KING m. Maggie HAYES
Robert R. KING m. Elizabeth CAYLOR
Taylor R. KING m. Albira BALDWIN
Joseph W. KING m. Margaret R. KING
Benton KING m. Corna ______?

> 8. Emily (Emilie) Minnie KING
b. 22 DEC 1824 Virginia?
d. 30 JAN 1898 Claiborne Co. TN

Emily never married - she is a twin to Elihu.

> 9. Lucinda KING
b. abt 1828
m. Thomas MOORE
Lucinda and Thomas Moore moved to Virginia

> 10. John KING
No information

> 11. Amy (Mary Ann)
b. 10 NOV 1826
d. 27 JUN 1904 Tazewell, TN

Mary Ann is listed on several sources as a daughter
of William King and Sarah Garner, but other researchers
have her being married to a KING, then to William BOWMAN.
We have yet to find out exactly who she is.

==========================================================

THE LESTER FAMILY - from many sources, including the book "COX & KIN"

Alexander Abner LESTER
b. 8 AUG 1754 Lunenburg County, VA
d. JUL 1833 Williamson County, TN
FATHER: Bryant LESTER
MOTHER: Sarah WINBUSH

Martha Patsy ARTHUR
b. 1755 Montgomery County (now in West VA)
d. before 1840
FATHER: Gabriel ARTHUR
MOTHER Hannah Rebecca "Nikitie" (Cherokee Indian)

Martha married Alexander LESTER about 1772.

Children:

1. Hannah LESTER (1773-1856)
---m. 1st Jeremiah SKAGGS
---m. 2nd Edmund WHITT (in Russell County, VA 1801)
---NOTE: Their son Abijah WHITT married Nancy BOGGS.
Their daughter Rebecca Ann WHITT married Francis Marion KING. This Francis Marion
KING was the son of Elias KING
(b. 1806). Elias KING was William KING's (b. 1779) son.

2. James LESTER m. Mary ELSWICK

3. William Calvin LESTER m. Rebecca Rachel SKAGGS

4. Martha "Patsy" LESTER m. John DRAKE

5. Sarah "Sally" LESTER m. William KING (not proven if this is my William KING)

6. Rebecca Arthur LESTER m. Travis HORTON
---NOTE: Their daughter Isabel HORTON married Elias KING.
Elias KING was the son of William KING (b. 1779).
(see above - WHITT info for Hannah LESTER)
7. John LESTER m. Polly TERRY

• James and Martha King

  Roger Miller 5/07/03

  • Re: James and Martha King

    Becky 6/15/04

• Re: KING families in 1700s - 1820s Southwest Virginia

  Debbie Wilcox 3/23/03

• Re: KING families in 1700s - 1820s Southwest Virginia

  KORINA KING 1/06/03

• Re: KING families in 1700s - 1820s Southwest Virginia

  Diana Gonzales 4/15/02

  • Re: KING families in 1700s - 1820s Southwest Virginia

    Nancy Clayton 5/14/02

  • Re: KING families in 1700s - 1820s Southwest Virginia

    donna redmon 8/17/02

    • Re: KING families in 1700s - 1820s Southwest Virginia

      Diana Gonzales 8/17/02

      • Re: KING families in 1700s - 1820s Southwest Virginia

        donna redmon 8/20/02

• Re: KING families in 1700s - 1820s Southwest Virginia

  David Ruppert 4/08/02

  • Re: KING families in 1700s - 1820s Southwest Virginia

    Nancy Clayton 4/08/02

    • Re: KING families in 1700s - 1820s Southwest Virginia

      Harry Ziegler 7/05/02

      • Re: KING families in 1700s - 1820s Southwest Virginia

        Vikky Anders 9/03/02

      • Re: KING families in 1700s - 1820s Southwest Virginia

        Nancy Clayton 7/05/02