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James Will DAY b. 1 FEB 1911 m. Bertha WILLIAMS b.10 March 1916 d/o Liddy?
> Belle TURNER m. Bill WILLIAMS
> Mourning/Mona LEDFORD m. Edmon DAY 29 Mar 1871-22 Mar 1927
> Mary Jane Napier LEDFORD m. Leander LEDFORD
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> Edmon DAY s/o Baity DAY and Louise (Howard)DAY
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> Any information is appreciated.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Sherry
>
Welcome Sherry,
I have DAY out of northern West Virginia; WILLIAMS out of Greenbrier & Nicholas Co. West Virginia; HOWARD out of Harlan Co. Kentucky; and LUNSFORD out of Floyd Co. Kentucky
Other connecting names are Collins, Spencer, Bennett, Roark, Brock, and Slone.
Brenda
Welcome to the forum.
Clay co, NC is the first place I found Ledfords, instead of Lunsfords, but they are living with and marrying families which migrated from Person/Granville, NC
A sample c&p from Clay co marriage bonds:
LEDFORD, A.B. 30 SHEARER, H.C. 16 21 Aug 1887 T.J. Martin, M. G.
LEDFORD, C.W. 30 PRICE, Lilly 24 08 Aug 1899 John T. Stover, M. G.
LEDFORD, Curtis 21 LEDFORD, Ann 18 26 Feb 1899 S.M. Anderson, J. P.
LEDFORD, Fowler 23 McCLURE, Maud 16 07 May 1899 J.S. Brooks, Meth. Elder
LEDFORD, G.W. 21 ROBINSON, M.M. 21 29 Dec 1898 T.C. Canup, Bapt. Min.
LEDFORD, H.C. 21 COWART, Addie 21 04 Aug 1892 W.H. Hogsed, J. P.
LEDFORD, J.D. 33 LOYD, Sophronia 24 16 Oct 1892 G.T. Cheek, J. P.
LEDFORD, James 19 TURNER, Ella 17 20 Oct 1888 W.H. Barker, M. G.
LEDFORD, James 21 ANDERSON, Anna E. 22 22 Feb 1895 J.C. Burrell, M. G.
LEDFORD, Jesse 30 MATTIESON, Lou 24 22 Nov 1896 W.B. Martin, J. P.
LEDFORD, M.J. 39 ROBERTS, Mary A. 38 02 Feb 1888 J.S. Brooks, M. G.
LEDFORD, M.T. 24 LEDFORD, Mary 21 01 Mar 1899 W.M. Anderson, J. P.
LEDFORD, Marshall D.21 SETSER, Lillie 20 Mar 1896 M.H. Barker, M. G.
LEDFORD, Mc. M. 21 LEDFORD, Albertine 20 22 Sep 1892 G.T. Cheek, J. P.
LEDFORD, Norm 29 PHILLIPS, Triener? 18 26 May 1900 J.A. Chambers, J. P.
LEDFORD, Robert 21 MOSS, Margaret J. 21 25 Sep 1887 N.N. Rogers, J. P.
LEDFORD, Stanhope 24 LANCE, Callie 22 30 Dec 1894 R.G. Ketron, M. G.
LEDFORD, Taylor 22 GOSS, Martha 21 08 Jul 1888 N.N. Rogers, J. P.
LEDFORD, Thad 50 ANDERSON, Rilla 40 29 Dec 1898 W.M. Anderson, J. P.
LEDFORD, Vinson 20 MOSS, Anna 18 06 Mar 1898 J.A. Davenport, J. P.
LEDFORD, W.E. 25 LEDFORD, Mrs. Mary 40 10 Jul 1898 W.T. Robinson, J. P.
LEDFORD, W.S. 25 AUBERRY, Joannah 20 23 Feb 1893 M.T.F. Bodenhamer, J. P.
LEDFORD, Wilburn 25 BROWN, Bettie 20 23 Nov 1899 W.M. Anderson, J. P.
LEDFORD, Wm. F. 33 SMITH, S.M. 18 30 Dec 1892 W.H. Hogsed, J. P.
LEDFORD, Z.B. 22 MATHERSON, Dora 17 20 Aug 1899 J.T. Stover, M. G.
All of these individuals came out of Harlan county Kentucky right now. Migrated from VA and NC I am told.
sherry
Sherry,
I found Bill and Bell Williams in 1930 Harlan Co, Ages Twp, both 48 yrs old and both marr’d at age 18, but haven’t been able to locate them yet in 1920.
Your 1st post appears to be a list of several lines? I’m not sure.
Bill
Sherry,
I’ve found all the people on your list in Harlan Co except for Belle Turner’s parents, b.around 1880. What info are you looking for?
Bill
Hello Bill,
You seem to be a very busy individual. I am looking for information on Belle Turner and who her parents may have been. I am trying to trace Edmon Days parents also. Everyone had to come from somewhere. People just didn’t spring from the earth in Harlan County.
First off I am trying to prove/disprove Native American Ancestory.
Second if these individuals were not Native American I would like to know what their ethnicity was. You see I often get comments made about my “features” and because I was adopted I am in sort of an identity crisis. I have been called names like WOP, JAP, SAVAGE. I have had individuals to tell me to “go home and ask your daddy how many horses he will take for you”. That really bothers me. It may not bother me if I knew my ethnic origins. Thus the DNA test and genealogy.
I also have two WILLIAMS lines and would like to know if they were related.
I really do thank you for working on this.
Sherry
All of these surnames have Native counterparts. I don’t know that these specific lines are Native or even if it can be proven except by inference, but your lines do go back into NC and Va as you’ve heard. While all of the people below were listed as “White”, race was a pretty subjective thing in that area, too.
On the other issue, it would be somewhat UNusual if some, or many of your ancestors were NOT cousins, whether you are of Native descent or not. Whole groups of interrelated families tended to move together and intermarry again over time.
So, break out your blank family tree chart and write this down 🙂
From census records:
1930 Harlan Co., Ky census, Ages Twp, pg.79A:
Williams, Bill; Coal Miner; m, W, 48, m18, Ky, Ky, Ky.
…………., Bell; wife, f, W, 48, m18, Ky, Ky, Ky.
…………., James; son, 23, divorced; Coal Miner, Ky, Ky, Ky.
…………., Lawrence; son, 17, Coal Miner, Ky, Ky, Ky.
…………., Bertha; dau; 14, Ky, Ky, Ky.
…………., Fred; son, 12, Ky, Ky, Ky.
(Bill & Bell were both marr’d at 18 yrs old and they and both their fathers and mothers were born in Ky. With the apparent “gaps” in the children’s ages, I’d assume there were others, either out on their own by then or died young.)
Bertha Williams, b.1916, was the dau of Bill (William) and Bell (Turner? haven’t found her before this) Williams per the 1930 census. There is no other Bertha Williams there in 1930 or 1920 Harlan census and Bill Williams was born in Harlan Co. (In 1880, there are only 18 Williams people indexed for that county’s census.)
Bill (William) Williams, b. abt. 1879 (not 1882) Ky, is the son of Bennett Williams, b. abt. 1854 Ky, and Jane _?_, b. abt. 1856 Ky, who lived in Harlan Co per that 1880 census. (In 1880 Harlan, Louisa Howard, b. abt. 1866 Ky, dau of Lucy Howard, b.abt. 1840 KY & divorced at that time, was their next door neighbor.)
Bennett Williams was the son of Elijah Williams, b.abt.1829 Tenn and Delila _?_, b.abt. 1835 Ky, and are on the 1860 Harlan Census. Jane and Delila’s maiden names weren’t found.
Elijah was the son of James Williams, b.abt. 1794 NC and Susan _?_, b.abt. 1794 “Unknown”, and were on the 1850 Owsley Co., Ky Census.
Edmon Day can only be Edmon H. (per 1900 Harlan census), (“Henderson”) Day, b. abt. 1874 Ky, son of “Baity” Day, b. abt. 1842 Ky, and Sarah _?_, b. abt. 1835 Ky.
(On the 1900 Harlan census, he’s Edmon H. Day, b. Mar 1871 Ky, whose wife is Morning, b. Dec. 1878, on the 1900 Harlan census (they also had a dau Bertha but she was born Dec 1894).
On the 1880 Harlan census, there is no “Edmon” of any spelling variation, and the only one that fits is “Henderson Day”, son of Baity Day, b. 1842 Ky, and Sarah, b. abt. 1835, Ky.
Baity & Sarah’s parents were also born in Ky per that 1880 census.
Any of these wives could be a second wife – no guarantees.
The only “Mourning”, “Morning” (etc.) Ledford, on the 1880 Harlan census is the 1 yr old dau of Leander Ledford, b. abt. 1845 Ky, and Jane _?_, b. abt. 1848 Ky. Leander & Jane’s parents were also born in Ky, per that census. Leander & Jane Ledford’s next door neighbor was GREEN NAPER, 38, b. (abt. 1842) Ky.
Bill
Hi Sherry,
I, too, have DAYs that married into my JONES family, but they were in Greene County, Ohio (and before that Virginia).
Have you searched through the old posts? There are quite a bit of DAYs mentioned. I came across one post that also has DAYs from Harlan County, Kentucky. It’s at:
http://www.saponitown.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=896
Stacey
Thanks, I had forgotten about that one.
Morning Ledford (who m’d Edmon Day) had an older brother Aley Ledford, b.abt.1873. I’ll have to see if their father Leander Ledford was connected to the earlier Day/Ledford families.
I have to commend you guys. All of the lists that I am on and I get the most help here. Thats great!!!
Bill, I am impressed. If Aley Ledford is related to the Aley Ledford that John Egerton refers to in his book, Generations, then I have a some information. Egertons book says that an Aley Ledord b. abt 1808 was the first Ledford to bring the name into Kentucky from North Carolina.
The only reference to DAYs in Egertons book says that a DAY family moved into the neighborhood (cranks creek, KY) and they were “obviously of a mixed race”.
It also says, “A feud had started in our end of the county in about 1884 when Charlie Cawood and John DAY got into an arugument and Cawood shot DAY and killed him. Wilson Howard took up with the Day Feudists and the Turner boys joined with the Cawoods, and their batttles continued off and on for years.”
Thus the Howard-Turner feud that is so well known.
What do you think Bill? Do you think theirs any connection?
Sherry
Yes.
Mourning (also “Morning”) Ledford’s parents (1880 Harlan census, pg. 521C) were Leander Ledford, b.abt. 1845, and Jane (“Mary Jane Napier”, dau of Robert & Mourning Napier).
Leander, b.abt. 1845, is the son (1850 Harlan Census, pg. 28B & 29A) of Aley Ledford, b.abt. 1819, and Jane, b.abt. 1823; who on that census, lived next door to Aley Ledford, b.abt.1789 NC, and wife Elizabeth, b.abt. 1791 Va. In the elder Aley Ledford’s household are the only 2 DAYs in 1850 Harlan Co – William Day, 16, and Newton Day, 14.
Put LEDFORD into this forum’s “search” function to bring up the story that they were Aley Ledford’s children with Nancy Day (?).
Anyway, John and Ira Day, from Lee Co., Va., show up on the 1860 Harlan census and the earlier William & Newton Day become “LEDFORDS”, as I recall.
SS-5
Will DAY
Currently Living in Dayhoit, KY
Business Name- Elcomb Coal Company
Age at last B-Day- 27
Birth Date: 1 Feb 1911
Place of Birth: Cranks Creek, KY
Fathers Full Name: Edward Day
Mothers Full Name: Mona Napier
Date Signed: Oct 18, 1938
Mona Napier is also known as Mourning Ledford. I don’t know why she had two names but family members say it was because she was Native American. She was supposedly born on a reservation. However, I have found no proof of that and I don’t know why they would say that.
The oldest living child of Will Day says that the “story” has that they were actually Ledfords and not Days. They say that their father a “ledford man” was killed in an accident and they were raised by Days. Truth to this story unknown. When I asked about ethnicity they said they were “Black Dutch”, “Black Irish”. Or so their father told them.
The oldest Aley Ledford that you mentioned is the one that Egertons book is talking about. Egerton said that he could find no trace of Aley Ledford. Aley Ledfords son Burnam Ledford said in the book that Aley Ledford was born in 1808. The book also refers to Betsy aka Elizabeth as Aleys wife. I do believe that you have the correct information my friend.
I am just a little confused with the “stories” here. I don’t know what to make of any of it or where to look. However, I do know that Mourning aka Mona Napier did have a child by the name of James William Day that was born on 1 Feb 1911. I believe this to be my biological grandfather. After reviewing the information I don’t see how Morning could have been Native American.
It seems as if you are doing most of the work my friend. Egertons book says that the Ledord family, “included no one who was rich or poor, no racial or ethnic monorities, few catholics or Jews, or democrats.”
Mourning Napier d/o Mary Jane Napier and Leander Ledford
Mary Jane Napier d/0 Mourning Noe and Robert Napier
Mourning Noe d/o David Noe and Mourning Harris
If we haven’t found Native American roots by now I don’t think any are there.
Sherry
The stories are just “stories”, they weren’t perfect people and neither were anyone else’s.
1) I haven’t looked for James William Day, yet.
2) You’re thinking that any Indian would be apparent by 1850?
These surnames go back another 100+ yrs before they lived as non-assimilated Indians in Va & NC.
3) “That” Aley Ledford’s wife WAS Elizabeth (common nickname “Betsy”).
4) I think at least 4 of the 5 surnames you’re researching were related before they came to Ky.
5) 1860 Harlan Co., Ky Census; 9 July; pg. 65;
411, 411, David Turner, 57, Tenn (probably b.Ky & his father b.Tn)
…….and family
412, 412, John W. Howard, 40, Ky.
…….and family
414, 414, Robert Turner, 36, Ky.
…….and family, and living with them, and no one’s surprised,
Nathan Harris, 67, m, Va.
6) You’ve barely scratched the surface, don’t give up so soon or you’ll never know 🙂
7) Your TURNERs were where you are when Harlan Co was “Indian Land” before 1819. Even found John Day on the 1810 Knox Co Tax List (Harlan Co was created from Knox Co in 1819 when the Jackson Purchase Treaty was finalized.
You’ll have to go back about 3 to 4 more generations before David Turner and John Day, to discover these Indians and they will still have English names.
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