| Notes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
found at http://boards.ancestry.com/localities.northam.usa.states.kentucky.counties.hopkins/2271/mb.ashx
The Mark Laffoon Family, Part 1
LaVelda R. Faull (View posts)
Posted: 16 Feb 1999 12:00PM GMT
Classification: Biography
Surnames: Laffoon, Hardin, Sisk, Bourland, Allen, Wallace, Fox, Wright, Hall, Gillespie, Garason, Dowell, McClure, Davis, Timmons, Stokes, Orton, Malin
Mark Laffoon is a many times great-uncle of mine, as I am descended through Mark's sister, Cynthia (Laffoon) Fox. I was curious about Mark Laffoon and went to Hopkins County, Kentucky and Graves County, Kentucky to find out more about him. I hope this information is of use to others. In this account, mention is made of the possibility that Mark's wife, Sarah, was a Sisk or a Bourland. I tend to lean towards the Sisk family. See what you think.
THE MARK LAFFOON FAMILY by LaVelda R. Faull
Mark Laffoon was born ca 1775-80 either in Lunenburg Co., Virginia or Surry County, North Carolina to William and Sarah (Hardin??) Laffoon. Sarah was William's first wife and many believe she was a Hardin, although no definite proof has been found. No proof of Mark's middle name has been found either, although some researchers have written it as "Mark Hardin Laffoon". This may have begun because of the fact that in later generations there was a Mark Hardin Laffoon who was a Confederate Pensioner from Hopkins County, Kentucky. Mark's grandparents were Matthew and Mary Laffoon Sr. of Lunenburg and Brunswick Counties, Virginia. Proof of William Laffoon's father was located in court records.
It is this researcher's belief that Mark Laffoon married Sarah Sisk or Bourland, most probably in Pendleton District, South Carolina where his father had moved from Surry Co., NC. There is good evidence that she was one or the other, but which has not been conclusively proven. It is believed that Mark and Sarah Laffoon and Mark's brother, Rutherford Laffoon, moved to Hopkins County, KY from South Carolina in approximately 1802 with the Sisk, Fox, and Bourland families. Mark's father, William Laffoon, did not move to Hopkins County until approximately 1815. Mark obtained 400 acres of land through a certificate from Henderson Co., KY (now Hopkins county) (Land Warrant Book 1 p 85, Feb Court 1806 in Henderson County). This land was on Craborchard Fork of Drakes Creek (see Deed board for this warrant and survey).
Mark Laffoon died young in 1807 in Hopkins County, Kentucky. It is possible that he was killed by Robert Orr or at least he may have had something to do with his death as Sarah Sisk had to testify at his trial as did Barnabas Sisk, who became the guardian of Mark's children. This record is as follows:
Hopkins Co., Order Book 1-A, 23 Nov 1807
The Court proceeded to lay the County levy as
followeth:
To George Goodwin for guarding Robert Orr per order
Hopkins Co. Court....5.25
To Barnabas Sisk, witness against same 1 day..0.34
To Sarah Laffoon, witness against same 1 day..0.34
Mark's will was dated 13 May 1806 and was recorded in July of 1807 in Hopkins County Circuit Court (Will Book 1 page 24 - Inventory and Appraisal of estate dated Nov Court 1809, p. 25). The will reads "First, I recommend my soul to God,....Secondly, I give and bequeath to my wife Sally Laffoon all of my household goods, my lands and perishable property during the term of her widowhood, unless the children should come of age or marry in the time of her widowhood, then the property to be equally divided, and she to have thirds, or if she should marry then the property to be divided and she the third, and I do hereby appoint, constitute and ordain my trusty friends John and Ebenezer Bourland my executors, and I do hereby disown all wills or bequeaths whatsoever....Signed Mark (X) Laffoon. Teste: Noah Fox, Rutherford Laffoon. Noah Fox was his brother-in-law. Mark's inventory consisted of one bay mare and colt, five head of cattle, nineteen head of hogs, some farming equipment, household furniture, and several pewter dishes.
Gordon's "History of Hopkins County, Kentucky" abstracts several court records regarding Mark Laffoon's property,
p. 106 "Ebenezer Bourland and James Allen came into court and made oath that Mark Laffoon in his lifetime held a title bond on Benjamin Wallace for 150 acres on Flat Creek on which he had resided. Said land had descended to his children, the youngest of whom would be five months old on the 25th day of June 1807".
The Hopkins County, Ky 1807 Tax List shows that Mark and Sarah Laffoon had 450 acres when he died:
"Sarah Laffoon, 200 acres, Green River, Surveyed
in her name, 1 black, 5 horses
"Sarah Laffoon, 250 acres, Pond River, entered in
name of William Wallace".
Also the following was recorded on the 1807 Tax List
"David Wright, 350 acres, Pond River, Entered in
the name of Mark Laffoon" (It is still unclear
how David Wright obtained this property)
In 1815, Mark Laffoon's land was surveyed for his heirs (Surveyors Book 1 p 90) This land consisted of 400 acres in Hopkins County on Craborchard Fork of Drake's Creek adjoining Caleb Hall. It was surveyed by John Gordon, S.H.C., and chaincarriers were Barnabas Sisk and Asa Sisk.
After Mark's death, Barnabas Sisk became the guardian of his children as will be shown later. Barnabas Sisk was born ca 1769 and appears to have been the son of Timothy Sisk Sr. of Culpepper County, Virginia. He was close to the family of Thomas Sisk who may have been his brother. Thomas Sisk lived in Shenandoah (Dunmore) County, Virginia for a time near the Fox and Loving families. These families moved to Wilkes Co., NC and lived near the Surry Co. line. Barnabas Sisk lived on a plantation there owned by John Bourland as proven by deed (Wilkes Co., NC Deed Book I p 293-4, 21 oct 1793). The Fox, Sisk, and Bourland families lived in close proximity as indicated by the following deed:
Wilkes Co., NC
James and Elizabeth Fox to Richard Dowell, 80 lbs,
440 acres, Three Forks of Swan Creek, beginning at
the foot of the mountain adjoining Henry Burrows,
Timothy Sisk Jr, Timothy Sisk Sr. Wit: Ebenezer
Bourland, Barnbas Sisk, Timothy Sisk.
The question remains as to whether Barnabas Sisk was related to John Bourland. The connection between Barnabas Sisk and Sarah Laffoon may have been through the Bourland family, or Sarah may have been Barnabas' sister. The answer has not yet been found.
Swan Creek lay on the border of Wilkes Co., NC and Surry Co., NC where the Laffoon family lived before moving to Pendleton District, South Carolina with the Fox, Sisk, and Bourland families.
Approximately two years after Mark Laffoon's death, Sarah married a second time to Stephen Timmons on 12 Sept 1809 on Hopkins County, Kentucky. The 1810 census for Stephen Timmons shows that there were in his household 2 males age 10-16, 2 males 26-45, 1 female under 10, 4 females 10-16, 2 females 16-26, 1 female 26-45 (Sarah) and one female plus 45. His will was dated 18 June 1813(Will Book 1 p 108-9 and was probated August 1813. His will mentions his wife Sarah, Samuel (Sic - should be Sinnett) Laffoon, Sintha Laffoon, and Mark Laffoon. It states "the balance to be divided between my first wife's children...also I give to my two children Telitha and Dosha Timmons equal to my first wife's children.." Telitha and Dosha were his children by Sarah. The person who abstracted this will wrote Sinnett's name as Samuel and also indicated that the Laffoons were "grandchildren" when in actuality they were "stepchildren".
Hopkins County, Kentucky Court Records for 4 Dec 1819
Stephen Timmons, Dec'd. Settlement of Accounts of Administrator: George Timmons and Administratrix Sarah Timmons. Paid: Thomas G. Davis, E. M. Brank, and Barnabas Sisk.
It is interesting that in the above will Sarah was still listed as "Sarah Timmons" because on 12 January 1818 she married for the third time to Benjamin Stokes of Hopkins County, KY. They were married by A. Ashby, J.P. Benjamin Stokes (and Sarah) are found on the 1820 Hopkins Co., ky census. However, by 1830 they had moved to Graves Co., KY and were listed on that census.
In Hopkins Co., KY, Benjamin Stokes owned land on Deer Creek, part of which was entered in the name of "Catherine Stokes" who appears to have been his mother (her will was probated in Feb of 1819).
Mark Laffoon died in 1807 in Hopkins County, Kentucky.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
S Butler and S Hibbs Family History Our Family's Journey Through Time
Abt 1780 - 1807 (27 years)
