Born: ca. 1710
Died: May 25, 1795 in Mercer Co., Kentucky
2) (--?--) Flanigan ca. 1787 in Kentucky
The date that Michael Goodnight and his family first set foot in Mecklenburg County, Province of North Carolina is not known, but we do know that he was there on May 3, 1764, because on that date, he and his father-in-law Christopher Landys, purchased 190 acres for 65 pounds from James and Ruth McClain. The location was described as being on Three Mile Creek, being a branch of the Rocky River. Mecklenburg County was then two years old, having been cut off from Anson County in 1762. As was often the case, the deed was not recorded until the property was sold. Then, this deed was proved in the October term of Court 1774 by Martin Phifer, Esq. a subscribing witness thereto.
For years, we searched and searched trying to identify the parents of Mary Landers/Landis
without success until recently when we received records from Robert McAlear of Nice, CA. He wrote:"Christopher Landess died in 1771 and his estate was inventoried and entered in the October Court Session of 1771. (Mecklenburg County Estates 1762-1929, NC State Archives). Among the buyers at the estate sale were:
John Landis/Landish, Henry Landis/Landish, widow Landis/Landish, Christian Goodnight, Michael Goodnight, Eve Landish
. . . The first two children of Michael and Mary, probably Margaret and Elizabeth, may have been born in Virginia, we have no birth dates for them. However, the marriage dates of Margaret in 1782 and Elizabeth in 1783 would indicate that they were probably born about 1763 and 1764. John the eldest son, was born in North Carolina, May 1, 1765 as was Jacob, Abraham, Rachel, Sarah and Isaac the youngest was born in Kentucky.
. . . Michael's 190 acre farm was near the present town of Concord on Three Mile Creek, a branch of Rocky River in the middle of a German settlement located in the extreme limits of the old county with numerous intervening streams and scarcely any roads. The people spoke a different language and nearly all of their trade and travel was in other directions, to Salisbury on the north, Cross-creek (now Fayetteville) on the east, and Cheraw Hills and Camden, South Carolina to the south . . .
A grandson of Michael's [Thomas Goodnight] wrote in 1884, "My grandfather and grandmother both spoke German, in fact, they could speak very poor English. My father, when a boy, could speak German, but gave it up, and when I knew him, he only spoke English." . . .
Where Michael and his family lived during the period 1774-1779 has not been determined. John Phifer had a home and land of his own and may have rented the 190 acres to Michael until he left the state and headed toward Kentucky.
George & Catherine Goodnight owned 100 acres near Michael's land in North Carolina. No record of its purchase could be found, but they sold it to Leonard Barbrick on August 14, 1779. This may have been the year that both the families of Michael and George migrated to Kentucky. If they did travel together they did not stay together. Michael and his family were forted (lived) at Harlan's Station; George and his family went to Ruddell's Station northeast of the present city of Lexington. At the time the county was Fayette; the area is now Bourbon County . . .
Preemption Warrant #531 was issued to Michael Goodnight for 400 shares of land in Lincoln County, Kentucky, April 28, 1781. Michael did not have long to enjoy the fruits of his labors. On a return trip from North Carolina, he and his son John, were no more than a few miles (a half days journey) from their home at Harlan's Station when Michael was killed by hostile Indians. Because so many lives were lost in the early days of the settlement of Kentucky from Indian attacks, the area became known as that "dark and bloody ground." Both Michael and George were two of the participants who contributed their blood. Michael's youngest child, Isaac, was born at Harlan's Station on the first day of January, 1782, just five months after the death of his father. Mary was left alone with nine children, her eldest son,John was only sixteen years old when his father died. . .
One item [in Michael's probate] of particular interest was the £5 paid to a woman by the administratrix, explanation of which was: "Mercer Court. Patrick Doran made oath before me a Justice for sd County that Mary Flannagan paid Mary Airs five pounds for curing John Goodnight of wound he received of the Indians in 1785." (Noe: Michael's land was in Mercer County after Lincoln County was divided in 1785. Deeds for the same parcel of land after 1842, will be found in Danville, county seat of Boyle County.)
From Mary's signature on Court papers, we know that she married a man by the name of Flannigan before March 26, 1788. Life on the frontier was difficult, even more so for a widow with children who had no man to "fend" for her. The given name of her husband was not noted in any of the records, but we suspect that it was Dominick. At Harrodsburg, Mercer County Court, February 1790 the estate of Dominick Flannigan, deceased, was recorded.
On the eleventh day of December 1792, Mary signed the consent form for the marriage of her daughter to Jacob Young.
Mary may have died in the spring of 1794, as in that year, Michael's land was divided between three of his sons, Jacob, Henry and Abraham. Christian and his wife, Catarina in North Carolina signed deeds giving them clearance of title. Jacob received 167 acres, Henry 147 acres and Abraham 105 acres. (this makes a total of 419 acres instead of 400. Where did the other 19 acres come from?) All deeds were recorded in Mercer County, Kentucky. How this division was made remains unclear. No mention of John or Isaac was made in the settlement. Did they receive some other compensation?
[Jones, Veda & Mabel Stevenson. William Moore Goodnight of Johnson County, Missouri 1874-1951, Historical Publications, 1983.]
1774, May 20 - Mecklenberg Co., NC - Mary and Michael Goodnight sold 190 acres of land to John Pfifer.
1781 - moved to Kentucky with family
1783, May 21 - Inventory & appraisement of Michael's estate were entered into probate:
14 horses, 22 head of cattle, 9 hoggs & piggs, raw cow hide, household effects, a parcell of books, etc. Appraisers were George Caldwell & George Harlan. Total value £165:14.
1792, Dec. 11 - Mary, as Mary Flannagan gave permission for daughter Rachel to marry:
Know all men by these presents that we Jacob Young & Abraham Goodnight are held and firmly bound unto Isaac Shelby, Esquire, Governor of Kentucky in the sum of fifty pounds current money to payment whereof will and truly be made unto the said Governor or his successors. We bind ourselves, our heirs, Executors and Adm'ors &c. jointly and severally firmly by these presents. Sealed with our seals and dated this 11th day of Dec. 1792.
The condition of the above obligation is such that whereas there is a marriage shortly intended to be solemnized between the above bound Jacob Young and Rachel Goodnight now if there by any lawful reason to obstruct the said marriage then this obligation to be void else to remain in full force.
Sealed and delivered in the presence of Jacob [is X mark] Young {seal}, Abraham Goodnight {seal}
"I do hereby certify that my daughter Rachel Goodnight is 21 years of age and I am willing for Jacob Young to wed with him[sic]." 11th day of Dec 1792, Mary Flannagan {seal}, Joseph Ayres and Abraham Goodnight witnesses.
No comments:
Post a Comment