Sandi just began posting a series dealing with early Barren County Court of Quarter Sessions. In the first posting was the name of Judge WAKEFIELD, one of the earliest judges. I've seen his name mentioned in other historical accounts of early Barren County history (for instance, Gorin, "Times of Long Ago" and Goode & Gardner, "Barren County Heritage"), but have never seen the mention of his first name. He is always referred to as Judge WAKEFIELD. I've recently become interested in Judge WAKEFIELD for a reason other than his capacity as a justice. Let me outline some possibly related information and ask if any of our list subscribers can confirm or expand on the WAKEFIELD name in the early Barren County context. ---------- - Judge WAKEFIELD is acknowledged as a judge in Barren County around the beginning of the 1800s. - A William WAKEFIELD was given a 200 acre federal land grant in 1805 along the east fork of Sugar Creek (later to become part of Monroe County) - Only one WAKEFIELD family is enumerated in the 1810 federal census for Barren County. Wm WAKEFIELD, males 10-15 (3), males 26-44 (1 - this is likely Wm.), females under 10 (5), females 26-44 (1 - likely wife of Wm.) - The only other Kentucky WAKEFIELDs in 1810 reside in Bardstown, about 100 miles north of Glasgow. Relationship, if any, to the Wm. WAKEFIELD of Barren County is unknown. - A William WAKEFIELD appears in the Kentucky Detached Militia during the War of 1812. He served as 2nd Major immediately under Lieutenant Colonel Gabriel Slaughter in Slaughter's Regiment between November 10, 1814 and May 10, 1816. ---------- The obvious questions I pose for comment or discussion... Is Judge WAKEFIELD of early Barren County the same William WAKEFIELD mentioned in the other records -- land grant, census, War of 1812? Are they all one in the same? The timing is correct. William WAKEFIELD does not appear in the 1820 census and I can't locate him after his military service terminates in 1816. Also, what happened to WAKEFIELD's family? The Bardstown WAKEFIELDs seem relatively stable based on the census records for 1810 and 1820. An apparently different William WAKEFIELD is in Bardstown, based on ages from the census. Would appreciate any comments on this topic. Thanx...Jim Hale