Annotated Bullitt County 1850 Census

We continue the Bullitt County 1850 census written by Mrs. W. V. Mathis, Wallace A. McKay and W. C. Barrickman. Betty Darnell shared this in The Pioneer News in October 1992.

These records have been briefly compared to images of the census pages, and occasional additions or corrections have been made. Those changes we consider significant are noted with red print. Also, the census dwelling house number and family number according to visitation has been added, like this: [1/1].

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18 August 1950

Pope Family Lineage

Dr. Thomas GERARD. "chirurgeon," who came to Maryland in 1638, was the first one of the surgical and medical profession to settle in that colony. The latter years of his life were passed in Virginia. Dr. GERARD and his wife, Susanna SNOW, (he was married more than once), were the parents of Frances GERARD. She married Nathaniel POPE I and their daughter, Ann POPE, married in 1660 to John WASHINGTON (1627-1677). They were the great-grandparents of General George WASHINGTON.

Nathaniel and Frances POPE's son, Nathaniel II, married Mary SISSONS, parents of Nathaniel POPE III. He married Jane Brown, and their son Warden POPE Sr. married Hester NEITHERDON. Their children (propably there were others), were Jane, William, and Benjamin Sr.

Very early in the settlement of Kentucky, perhaps in 1779 or 1780, William POPE with his family, his sister Jane, and his brother, Benj. POPE Sr. with his wife Bartheleon FOOTE and their children: Benjamin Jr., Nathaniel IV, Warden Jr., Geroge, Susan, and Francis POPE, left Virginia, traveling overland across the Allegheny Mountains to Pittsburgh, and then by flatboats down the Ohio River to the "Falls." They settled at the mouth of Beargrass Creek, and built the first house at Louisville, outside of the stockades. William and Ben POPE had both served as Captains in the Revolution, and received from Virginia land- grants in Jefferson County for the military service. At that period Jefferson included Oldham, Shelby and Nelson counties, where the land-grants were located.

Wm. POPE remained at Louisville, but Ben Sr., looking for a healthier location, journeyed with his family down the Ohio to the "Salt Lick" River, thence up that stream to "Brashear's Fort," on land once owned by Dr. Samuel McKAY and later by Tom COCHRANE. Here he established a ferry across Salt River for travellers to and from Bardstown.

In 1787 Ben POPE Jr. purchased 450 acres on the South side of Salt River opposite Fort Brashear, and for more than 150 years it has been the ancestral home of the Bullitt County POPEs. In 1809 Ben POPE Jr. married Margaret YEWELL, who like Ben, was born in Virginia. In 1807 Margaret's brother, Jeremiah, married Ben Jr.'s sister, Susanna POPE. After her death, he married Dicey WILHOITE, his cousin, and went to Daviess County to live. Margaret and Jeremiah YEWELL's parents were James YEWELL, born in Virginia in 1755, son of DAVID YOWELL (the original spelling) and Ann or Nancy Shirley, born 1759, a daughter of James and Judith GARRIOTT SHIRLEY of Virginia.

James YEWELL emigrated to Kentucky before 1800, and settled in Jefferson County. Several of his sons and daughters later lived in Nelson, while others located in Daviess County.

Ben and Margaret POPE were the parents of: (1) James Yewell POPE (1817-1912), married 1840 Martha Beckwith SAUNDERS: (2) Nancy, married Joseph CHRISLER; (3) Julia, married Henry THOMAS; (4) Jane, married Allan YEWELL; (5) Margaret, married Alexander SUMMERS; (6) Mary, James ARNOLD; (7) Emily, married Humphrey SIMMONS.

[963/963] The census of 1850 lists James Yewell POPE 33 farmer, Martha 26 (daughter of Joseph and Susan Beckwith SAUNDERS), Susan 9, Ben. F. 7, Patsy A., 4, Joseph H. ("Hamilton," married Emma LANCASTER) 2; Margaret 68 (James Y. POPE's mother); Julia THOMAS 36 (James Y.'s sister, wife of Henry THOMAS. Later children of James Y. and Martha POPE: (5) a son who died in infancy; (6) Mary Ella; married Worth BOSLEY; (7) George, died at age 14; (8) Joe, died 1882; (9) Henry, killed in 1911 in railroad accident; (10) Sallie, married John FORGASON; (11) Mary V., married John P. HEGAN; (12) James, married Ella SWEENEY; (13) Bert, died 1949, married Mary L. BUCKMAN.

James Y. POPE lived to be 95 years of age; a niece, Margaret CHRISLR MOORE, of Daviess County, celebrated her 100th birthday in 1927; his daughter, Sue, was 89 at the time of her death; her sister, Patsey Ann, was 94; their brother Ben was 98; and Bert, youngest of the family, was 80 at his death in October 1949.

Census record:

[914/914] Henry McCULLOUGH 27 saddler, Susan F. 22, George W. 3; Alexander RAYMOND 27 saddler.

[918/918] Henry JONES 57 farmer (married 1829), Barbara (ASH) 35, Mary 17, John 15, William 13, Nicholas 7, Mary 4.

[919/919] James MAHONEY 27 laborer, Elizabeth 18 (daughter of Henry JONES.)

[920/920] A. M. CARNES 24 fanmaker; T. M. FARER 26 fanmaker; Wm. F. VARNER 23 fanmaker; William HENDRIX 23 fanmaker.

[921/921] John J. ASH 45 farmer (married 1825), Ann (CONNELL) 43, Harden J. 27, Christine 25, Sarah 17, James 15, Lucy 11, Henry 13, William 9, Louis 7, Smith 5; Sarah CONNELL 83 (mother of Ann).

[922/922] John STICKELLS 43 farmer (married 1832), Sarah (RICKETTS) 37, Mary 16, Elizabeth 13, Benjamin 6.

[923/923] William MURPHY 20, Lydia 20, Sallie 1. (In 1853 Wm. MURPHY married (2) Courtney COLMESNEIL, daughter of J.D. COLMESNEIL).

[924/924] Joel HASH 40, Lucinda 34, Sallie 11, Arch 10, James 7.

[958/958] Wesley PHELPS 36 constable, Ann 38, Laura 15, Chas. B. 14, Cora 11. (Wesley PHELPS was County Judge of Bullitt, 1870- 1873, and again in 1886-89).

[960/960] J.D. COLMESNEIL 64, Courtney 41, Frederica 19, Courtney 15 (married Wm. MURPHEY), James 11, Charles 7, Will 3, Blanche 5 months; John COLMESNEIL 33 (probably brother of J.D.)

[961/961] Joseph MILLER 54 farmer, Jane 58, Jospeh 21, Margaret 18, Jane 14, Rebecca 5.

[962/962] Thomas PHELPS 33 farmer (married 1835), Nancy F. (ROGERS) 33.

[965/965] Henry C. THOMAS 42 sheriff (son of Francis W. and Sarah CRIST THOMAS; married Julia POPE in 1833), Curran P. 15. (They also had a daughter Julia. Henry THOMAS married (2) Margaret LEE.)

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This project is presented here with the kind permission of Betty Darnell, and The Pioneer News.

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