Hi all-- The subject of the Masons in West Ky. brings to mind a situation in my own family. For years, I couldn't figure out why two branches of my family seemed to split--Both were members of the Knob Creek Church of Christ outside of Dukedom, Ky. In the early 1800s, the Paynes suddenly moved to the Birch Tree, Mo., area and the Foys stayed in the Dukedom area. There also was a split in the church at the same time. I assumed it was because of a dispute over slavery. After much digging, I got a copy of the history of the Knob Creek Church of Christ and discovered that the split in my family and the split in the church was actually over a dispute over whether to allow Masons into the church. It seems inconceivable today--Masons are so much a part of American life now--but during that era the Masons were considered something of which to be afraid, for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, my great-great-great-grandmother got caught in the middle of our family dispute--she was Sina Payne, and she married Richard Foy. Because of the family and church split, her natural family moved to Missouri and she stayed with the Foys in WKy. because of her marriage into the family. Shannon McFarlin Paris, TN.

I've heard that before. My Taylors, Walkers, Olives and Hainlines were also members of Knob Creek C of C. Just curious: which faction moved away - the pro-Mason or anti-Mason? To my knowledge all my family stayed in the Dukedom area at this time, although some moved to the Randolph Co, AR area in the late 1800's and were members of the Glaze Creek C of C. They came back to WKY in time for the 1900 census, so I don't know if this was a split or just part of farmers looking for better land. Are copies of the Knob Creek history available? R Ellis Austin, TX ----- Original Message ----- From: "Shannon McFarlin" <shannonmcfarlin@hotmail.com> To: <KYJacksonPurchase-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, November 27, 2005 10:03 AM Subject: RE:masons in wky > Hi all-- > The subject of the Masons in West Ky. brings to mind a situation in my own > family. > For years, I couldn't figure out why two branches of my family seemed to > split--Both were members of the Knob Creek Church of Christ outside of > Dukedom, Ky. > In the early 1800s, the Paynes suddenly moved to the Birch Tree, Mo., area > and the Foys stayed in the Dukedom area. There also was a split in the > church at the same time. I assumed it was because of a dispute over slavery. > After much digging, I got a copy of the history of the Knob Creek Church of > Christ and discovered that the split in my family and the split in the > church was actually over a dispute over whether to allow Masons into the > church. > It seems inconceivable today--Masons are so much a part of American life > now--but during that era the Masons were considered something of which to be > afraid, for a variety of reasons. > Unfortunately, my great-great-great-grandmother got caught in the middle of > our family dispute--she was Sina Payne, and she married Richard Foy. Because > of the family and church split, her natural family moved to Missouri and she > stayed with the Foys in WKy. because of her marriage into the family. > > Shannon McFarlin > Paris, TN. > > ______________________________ >