This message appeared recently on the Germanna Colonies rootsweb: Message: 3 Date: Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:26:17 -0400 From: "William and Julia Wallace" <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [GERMANNA] References to Some Residents of the First Colony of Germanna To: [email protected] Message-ID: [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) Do you have any more information on Nancy Kelly? I have a friend at the Garrard Historical Soc. looking for information on the Kelly family. I have been no help. They lived near the "Germannans". I have the maps somewhere that Fred Simpson published. J.W. (Julie) Wallace Response: For Germanna Researchers - some of the migration trails of some descendants of early Germanna colonists. This information is far from adequate, as researching females is difficult. The Kemper Family genealogy has been digitized and is on HeritageQuest, available at many public libraries which subscribe to this genealogical database. (Search term in Books: Kemper) Here are some sketchy notes on Nancy Kelly Kemper of Garrard Co., KY. She was the widow of George Nimrod Kemper (d. Aug 1820 in KY) of that county. He in turn was one of the sons of John Kemper, the elder of Garrard Co., Dicks River area. Mercer Co. was on the other side of the River. (That is where many Kemper-Holtzclaw marriages took place.) There were two John Kempers in early Garrard Co., one being married to Sarah Rosser [my ancestor] and the other, believed to be younger man, married to Judith Burdette [variant spellings]. The Kempers and the Rossers were believed to have been of Fauquier Co., VA. Preparer: E.W. Wallace Edited 1/99; edited 12/07 Tax lists added Mar 2008 NANCY KELLY. Wife and widow of George Nimrod Kemper of Garrard Co., KY. She appears in the 1820 census of Garrard Co., KY, p. 565 (or on HeritageQuest, M33, Roll 21, Page 131). Living at home at that time were three young sons and one daughter. Nancy was under age 45. Geroge Niimrod Kemper died August 1920, according to the Kemper Family Genealogy. Deduction: She was widowed before she was age 45. In her household she had two sons under age 10 and one under 16. There was one daughter 10-16. There were no slaves. If the census was taken by neighborhoods, it seems that two Holsclaw families lived nearby: Jacob Holsclaw, who had a relatively large household, and John Holsclaw with four young sons under age 10. Several Holtzclaws married into the Kemper family, but the relationships of these Kempers to Nancy's deceased husband are unknown. At least one John Kelly appears in the 1820 census of Garrard Co., and he seemingly is an older man but with a number of females of varying ages in his home. (Kemper Genealogy says he died 1834.) On page 136 a John Kelly, about age 45, appears in the 1820 census for Garrard Co., KY A number of Kelleys and Kelly males appeared on tax lists of Kentucky in 1789 and 1790, but it is difficult to say at this time whether any of these men may have been the father of Nancy Kelly. (See note at bottom.) The 1795 tax lists of Kentucky list these Kelly males in counties adjoining Garrard Co., KY: Kelley, Amaniel - Madison Kelley, William - Bourbon Kelly, Daniel - Mercer Kelly, Jacob - Mercer Kelly, John - Fayette Kelly, Joseph - Woodford Kelly, Samuel - Madison Kelly, Samuel - Mercer Kelly, Timothy - Mercer Kelly, William - Bourbon Source: TLC Genealogy, The 1795 Census of Kentucky [Miami Beach, FL: TLC Genealogy, 1991], p. 96 Note: My recollection from the Kemper Family Genealogy [my names for it--the title is slightly more elegant] is that her parents were John and Elizabeth Kelly. Probably they came from Fauquier Co. or possibly Culpeper Co. VA My further comments: I would highly recommend that the researcher peruse, if at all possible, the works about early Kentucky of Michael L. Cook and his wife Betty Cummings Cook, particularly the books having to do with Kentucky Court of Appeals. There are some wonderful depositions which the Cooks transcribed. These books are probably at Eastern Kentucky U. in Richmond, KY, not far from Garrard Co. Also, there are some Cook transcriptions of records of the early counties in Kentucky. Jillson's books on land grants in Kentucky may be helpful. At one time there was a CD-ROM of these books about land grants, very searchable. An afterthought: According to the *1795 Census of Kentucky*, cited above, Richard Rosser, believed to be brother of Mrs. John Kemper the elder [nee Sarah Rosser] was listed in that 1795 tax list as of Fayette Co. I stumbled upon a transcribed Rev. War pension claim of Richard Rosser in an old tattered booklet [typewritten and then mimeographed] found at my local Family History Center. The title included the name *Old Crab Orchard*. John Kemper gave a deposition/affidavit (?) to the effect that Richard Rosser had been his messmate in Benjamin Harrison's company [in the Revolution]. I made the leap of faith that Rosser was Kemper's brother-in-law. (This is why we genealogists have to study neighborhoods!!!) As far as my research has gone, Kemper did not apply for a Rev. war pension. A lot of conjecture here, but no proof. That is the way when we research our female ancestors, alas! Unless she had a child out of wedlock!!! E.W.Wallace Two Kelley males were in Madison Co., KY [adjacent to Garrard Co.] in 1789: Immanuel and Stephen. (It is believed that Garrard Co. was formed from Madison Co., but this needs to be confirmed). **************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL Home. 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