Dear Fellow King Researchers� I got so many requests that I thought this would be easier� Hope this helps somebody, and if it does, be sure to remember me - either in your will or while digging up the "King Family" (golly, I used to love that television show�) GENERAL JOHN EDWARDS KING, OF KENTUCKY A Sketch by His Great Granddaughter, Goode King Feldhauser, of St. Paul, MN. Published before 1929 (Sorry had a friend helping me and she forgot to write down the title of the book�will see if I can find it again the next time I go to the Library. - Pam) General John Edwards KING was born in Stafford county, Virginia, Dec. 21, 1757, was the son of William KING, Clerk of the Court and Justice of Stafford Co. 1742-1760, and his wife, Elizabeth EDWARDS, daughter of John EDWARDS and his wife, Jane ARRINGTON, of Westmoreland county, Virginia. Jan ARRINGTON's mother was Elizabeth MONROE, b. 1674, daughter of Captain Andrew MONROE and his wife, Eleanor SPENCE. Elizabeth MONROE (Capt. Andrew) married Thomas ARRINGTON of Westmoreland Co. who died 1715. General John Edwards KING's grandfather was William Alfred KING, of Stafford County, who married Sophia BURGESS, and William Alfred KING was the son of William KING, who left a will dated 1702, whose wife was Judith PEYTON. John Edwards KING, when but nineteen years of age, fought with his brothers, Jack, William, Valentine and Nimrod, as a private in the Stafford County Militia, 3rd Virginia Regiment, in the Revolutionary War, and all were discharged from the camp at Valley Forge, Feb 16, 1776, "to return to their homes in Stafford county." Probably on account of the disturbances which the war brought about in eastern Virginia, there was a heavy immigration westward about the year 1780. Settlements began to spring up all over the area of good lands, and there was a general exodus towards Augusta County and that vicinity. Justice William KING, having died, his widow, Elizabeth Edwards KING, decided to sell her plantation and accompany her children to Augusta County. She was at that time about sixty years of age, and was still living in 1790, when she is mentioned in the will of her son Valentine KING. They did not remain long in Augusta County, for the Kentucky records show them living in Kentucky a few years later. All of the sons fought at King's Mountain, serving under Col. Isaac SHELBY, and though John Edwards KING was but twenty-three years old, he "displayed so much daring and initiative in action as to call forth the praise of his general." Elizabeth Edwards KING's children were: 1. Philip, b. at Brooke, the King plantation at Dumfies, Virginia, who went to Cumberland Co. Va. in early manhood. 2. John KING, b Dec 1, 1740, who married Mary Hampton, (of Wade Hampton Family,) who fought at Valley Forge, received land for his services in Jefferson Co. Ky., and died in Fairfax Co. Va. His sons inherited their father's land, and all of them took up their residence in Kentucky, became men of prominence and left large families. The third son was Edmund KING, who went to Pittsylvania when a very young man and married twice. The fourth child was William KING, born Feb 22, 1745, married to Stafford Co. Lettice Bland. This William KING was a Member of the Convention of 1792 which formed the first constitution of Kentucky. He was a Representative and Elector of the Senate of 1792 from his home, Nelson County, Ky. under the First Constitution. He fought at Valley Forge and at King's Mountain (See Draper's King's Mountain and its Heroes) and for his services he received 1782 acres in Jefferson county. The fifth child of Elizabeth Edwards King, was Withers KING, " born at Brooke", Stafford Co. August 20, 1741. He married in Stafford Co. 1761-2, Sarah____________, who signed a deed with her husband for sale of land to Hayden EDWARDS. She is said to have been Sarah ALEXANDER, which is probably correct as she named her first son, Alexander KING. He also received land for Revolutionary services and there is a Treasury Warrant for land issued Oct. 15, 1779, signed by Patrick HENRY to Withers KING, on record in Frankfort, KY. Withers KING died in Nelson County in 1818, leaving a will. He had twelve children and on of his grandchildren was Yelverton Peyton King, born 1796. The sixth child of Justice William KING and his wife, Elizabeth EDWARDS, was Valentine KING, b 1747, received land in Jefferson Co., Ky. for Revolutionary services, also in Fayette Co. proved April 13, 1790, which mentions "my beloved mother" Elizabeth Edwards KING, and his brothers and sisters. He never married. The Seventh child of Elizabeth Edward KING was Nimrod KING, b in Stafford Co. Nov 29, 1750. There is a record that he served in the Revolution in a S.A. R. Volume; but the writer of this article knows nothing else about him save the Overwharton Parish record of his birth. The Eighth child was Robert KING, born 1752. The ninth child was George KING, b. 1754, who early in life went with his uncle Thomas KING to Louisa and Henry County. He married Mary Smith, Step-daughter of Ballinger WADE, and for his Revolutionary services had land in Cumberland County. The tenth child was Elizabeth KING, b 1755, who married an OWEN. The eleventh child was John Edwards KING, of whom later, and the twelfth child was Thomas KING, b 1759. Much has been said of General John Edwards KING in Kentucky histories. The Filson Club published his life, with portrait, a copy of which appears with this article; Micah TAUL in his Memoirs, speaks of his friend John Edwards KING in highest terms; Allen's History of Kentucky, and other Kentucky histories; &c.&c. Mr. Samuel M. DUNCAN, a distinguished citizen of Nicholasville, KY. thus wrote in a personal letter addressed to Mr. William Alexander, of Burksville, KY., a great grandson of John E. KING. "My father knew General KING intimately and stated to me that he was a man to be feared and loved. No man stood higher in the esteem of Gov. Shelby than John Edwards KING. He was a military genius and an excellent tactician." He built a large residence on his land which comprise about two thousand acres, near Burksville, Ky., to which he gave the name "Melmont", and here he loved to gather his friends together. He had a custom of giving a yearly feast at Melmont, a feast which lasted several days at a time. When the great KING coach, with servants in mulberry livery, lumbered almost continuously on the rough roads, the residents of Burksville would say " the General is entertaining." Milton KING, a son of General KING, who moved to Paducah, KY. took with him that old KING coach, the steps of which folded up out of the way of deep mud, and the writer on her childhood, used to play in it with her sisters. When, in 1798, Burksville was established as the county seat of Cumberland Co. Ky, John Edwards KING received the appointment of clerk of both the county and circuit courts, and at the ninth presidential election, he was voted one of the electors for Kentucky and cast his vote for his relative, James MONROE. "In the War of 1812," quoting Micah TAUL in his Memoirs, "The 5th Reg. Commanded by Col. William RENNICK, of Barren, constituted one brigade, commanded by my friend General John E. KING. Major James W. TAYLOR, who later moved to Tennessee, was his aide." John Edwards KING was twice married. His first wife was Sarah CLIFTON, daughter of Brudette CLIFTON and his wife Rebecca KENNER. She died at "Melmont" in 1815, leaving a large family, and he married some years later, Ellen Jefferson, by whom he had no children. He left a will dated May 13, 1828, signed by Joel OWSLEY, Harold P. SAUFLEY, Granville BOWMAN, Burdette Clifton PILE, P. SIMMERSON and Joe Chrisman." His son, Milton KING, succeeded his father as circuit and county clerk, and held the position until the adoption of the constitutions of 1850. The Filson Club Papers give the life of General KING and state "He was a man of imposing presence and courtly manners, and exercised great influence in the section in which he lived." The picture, which appears, is a photograph from an old painting now in the possession of a descendant. He was buried at his home " Melmont" and over his grave is a slab with the following inscription: "In memory of Major-General John Edwards KING, born Dec 21, 1757, died May 13, 1828." His children were Edwards KING, b 1792, married Sarah Lewis, who was the widow Dryden; 2. Valentine KING, b 1794, lived in Louisiana, married his cousin Nancy KING; 3. William KING, b 1796, d 1819, married Emily Wakefield; 4. Milton KING, b 1799, married Susan Wiles, a famous Kentucky beauty; 5. Sophia KING, b 1808, married Charles BURTON; 6. Elizabeth KING, b 1804, married Col. George TOBIN, a colonel in War 1812; 7. Alfred KING, b 1806, married (1)Nancy HAGGARD, and (2) Ellen Christian DANIEL; 8. Sarah KING, b 1810, untraced. Of these, Milton KING and his wife, Susan WILES, were the parents of John Quincy Adams KING, born May 26, 1825, married 1854, his cousin Leann Sophia Burgess KING, lived in Paducah, KY where they reared a family of five daughters. Collins HISTORY of Kentucky speaks of him: "Member of the House of Representatives from Cumberland Co. 1840-49. In 1852 he was in the Senate from McCracken Co. Ky and 1855 to 1863. In 1857 he was Speaker of the House, and in the same year he was acting Lieutenant Governor, and during the illness of Gov. MOREHEAD, he was sworn in as Governor of the state. John Q.A. KING was a college man, and was gifted as an orator. He practiced law in Pacucha, KY and many sons of Kentucky who have gone down in the history of their state, had studied law under him. In 1877, he was called to Colorado to take charge of the celebrated Vigil and St Vrain Spanish Land Grant case which comprised valuable tracts of land in southern Colorado, and upon which lay the town of Trinidad and coal and coke lands worth many millions of dollars. John Q.A. KING won this great case over his opponent, the great Ben. BUTLER, which was afterwards called "Ben. BUTLER's Waterloo." John Q.A. KING die of pneumonia after an illness of but a few days,--- the first illness he had ever known, and is buried in Riverside Cemetery, Denver, Colorado. His children were: 1. Mary Elizabeth KING, married Dr. John Gaunt BROOKS of Paducah. 2.Nancy Susan KING, married Mr. Robert BAGNELL, of St. Louis. 3. Ellen KING, married (1) Mr. Robious WHITE, and (2) Mr. William PRAKWINKEL. 4. Leann Quincy KING, married Roderick GURLEY, of Denver, Colorado. 5. Goode KING, married (1)Charles Fred HAYWARD, of Denver, and (2) Edward FELDHAUSER, of St. Paul, Minn. 6. Zeta KING, died at age of two years, in Denver. Alfred King, son of Gen. John Edwards KING, died May 9th, 1872. By his first wife Nancy HAGGARD, he had seven children, one of whom was Leann Sophia Burgess KING, who married her cousin John Q.A. KING. By his (2) wife, Ellen Christian DANILE (sic), Alfred KING had among others, Judge William Wodson KING, of San Antonio, Texas. At the time of the Mexican War, Alfred KING organized a battalion at Opolouses, La., but he treaty of Guadalupe Hidalga was signed before they could get into active service. He was Colonel of his forces. Mrs. FELDHAUSER (nee Goode KING) is writing the history of the KINGs of the Southern States. She began this work some ten years ago with the intention of collecting data of the Stafford County KING branches. She had the assistance of such men as George Austin MORRISON, attorney, of New York City, J. L. GOODIN, Historian of Maryland and Delaware, and others who had made a study of the KING branches. She ahs traveled through Virginia, Kentucky and other southern states in quest of unpublished KING official records, and her files contain thousands of KING data. She would like to hear from KING descendants who are interested, for her book now embraces KINGS of all southern states as most of the branches connect with the parent stem at some point. She is also collecting data of the CLIFTON family, HAMPTON, COTTON and MOUNTJOY. CORRECTION The May 1929, number of the Register carried an article "General John Edwards KING," by Mrs. Goode KING FELDHAUSER, of St. Paul. The following letter calls attention to an error in the article. As the letter contains interesting historical data we print it in full: Nov 9, 1929 My dear Mrs. FELDHAUSER: In your recent article on General John Edwards KING, mention was made of his second wife as "Ellen." This, according to the marriage records in Frankfort, is incorrect, for her name, instead of "Ellen" was Priscilla. She was married previous to her marriage to Gen'l KING, at least twice, having children by each of those marriages. The first record that I have of her is in Woodford County, KY as the "widow Jefferson," renting land from the heirs of Bartlett SEARCY, May 1814. Of her Jefferson children there is recorded the marriage of her daughter Delilah Anne Jefferson to Bennett P. Settle in Frankfort, Aug 10, 1816, with written consent of her mother, Pricilla SETTLE. At this time who was widow of Thomas SETTLE, father of Bennett. P. SETTLE, her step-son marrying her daughter. Thomas SETTLE's will is recorded in Frankfort in May 1816, and the only child of the union of Priscilla and Thomas SETTLE was not born until July 1816, this child, Mary Anne Thomas SETTLE married John BUTLER of Jessamine Co. KY 1834. The marriage bond of Priscilla Jefferson and Thomas SETTLE was in Woodford co. Ky. Aug 1814. Tradition in the family says Priscilla married a near relative of President Thomas Jefferson, in the early 1790's, in Georgetown, which is now a part of Washington D.C. The name of the Jefferson husband is not known to me, but it is thought tat his name was John. Anyone having an data about his line, is cordial invited to write me I am particularly interested in the discovery of who Priscilla's people were. Mrs. Margaret SCRUGGS CARRUTH REMEMBER: this was written before 1929, so no doubt these ladies are long deceased. I do not have any further info��tried to copy spelling as is. Hope this helps Pam