SUSANNAH “SUSAN” AND PLEASANT MCCOY, UNKNOWN, WILLIAM HUTSON, FRANCIS COLLINS

Susannah (Susan), the oldest girl was born in 1849. She was very interesting. She had four illegitimate children. First was a daughter named Victoria in 1873. Pleasant McCoy her first cousin was the father. Victoria died the next year. Then in the 1880 census Susan is single and living with two more illegitimate daughters Wilda (1875) and Rosa (1879) next door (in 1880 geographical terms) to John and Mahala. I do not know who the father was. However, when I was in Kentucky I found several court case that sheds some light on Susan’s life.

August Court 1876
Commonwealth of Kentucky Susan Priest Against Henry Beckelhammer
Charge Bastardy

Ordered that this cause be ? Ordered that Court be adjucated until ? The Commonwealth for the case of Susan Priest Plff & Henry Beckelhammer Deft Charge Bastardy The parties appeared by their attys and there upon came a Jury viz Christy Patton, A. J. Conly, R. M. Stephens, John P Mead, Daniel J. Kearns, A. G. Hamilton, Evan Jones, Andy Cassaday, ? Hall, John Layne, W. W. Morgan who was duly sworn to try the case in there being no evidence offered by either party the Jury returned the following verdict. We of the Jury find for the defendant. John W. Layne one of the jury it is therefore adjudged by the Court that the defendant be discharged to which judgment the attorney for the Plff except and ? an appeal to the Floyd Circuit Court which is granted.

Why didn’t Susan present any evidence? Was Henry Beckelhammer Wilda’s Father. Was he also Rosa’s Father? Who was Henry Beckelhammer?

In the 1880 Census Henry Beckelhammer is married with 5 children living next to Thomas James and Disa James and 10 houses from Susan and her two daughters Wildie and Rosa. Henry Beckelhammer continues to show up in the Priest family records. He is a witness to Peninah’s will. He and George W. are appointed by the county to survey for a road from the Johns Creek area where they lived to Pikeville.

Then in 1882 she has a son named Martin Van Buren Priest by William Hutson.

The next Susan shows up is in 1895 when all the children (except George) sue Francis Collins and George for illegally cutting timber off the family homestead. In the court documents it states that “The plaintiff Susannah Collins says that while she and defendant (Francis Collins) are husband and wife, that they are now and have been for some time living separate and apart and that the timber hereafter mentioned was cut and hauled, and consequently the waste committed on the premise, without her knowledge, permission, or consent, either express or implied that defendant is lazy indolent and a drunkard; that he neglected and abused her while she tried to live with him previous to their separation, and since their separation he refuses to provide her, with food, clothing & necessaries for her maintenance, support, and comfort, and therefore, she asks that her rights in this controversy be protected. ”

In the affidavit of Minerva Priest regarding her Mother’s Civil War Widow’s application she lists where all the children are in 1898. She lists Susan as “Susan Collins, 49 years of age, Thomas, Floyd Co., Ky.” However, I don’t think she is living with Francis Collins at the time and Thomas is very close to where the Priest homestead was.

Susan is not in the 1900 census for Pike or Floyd counties and in 1905 her daughters sell her portion of her the family homestead to Martin Priest (who I think in Mary Jane’s son John M. – look under his write-up for more information about this transaction), so I think she died sometime between 1898 and 1905.

I just have a feeling that Susan had a very sad life.

Wilda Priest was born in 1877. In the 1920 census she lists her Father as being born in Virginia. In the 1930 census she lists him as being from Kentucky, so I wonder how much she knew about her Father. The 1930 census also lists her as being 18 at her first marriage to W. G. Wells. She was born in 1877 so she was originally married in 1895. She was married to W. G. Wells at least until 1905 because that is who signs the documents with her when she and Rosa sold the property to Martin Priest. Her next marriage is to an unknown Gose. The Gose family shows up in the records of Floyd County living close to the Priests. Garnet Crider remembers her Mother taking her and her brothers over to West Virginia to visit an Aunt Wilda in West Virginia, but she lost touch. She also remembers playing with her cousin Ruby and that her husband was a judge. Census records show that Wilda had two children. Was one a Wells and the other a Gose?

Wilda eventually married Dan Jones in Wayne, West Virginia a 1909 because they are living there with Ruby in the 1910 census. Dan Jones was an increasingly successful businessman. In 1920 his occupation is listed as a retail merchant in a feed store and by 1930 he owns a Chevrolet Auto Dealership. The value of his home in the 1930 census was $10,000 – quite a bit more than his neighbors. Garnet Crider also remembers Wilda and her husband also owned a grocery store.

I am very excited. Recently I was in Labam visiting Guy Priest and his son Gerald. Guy is the great grandson of John Monroe Elliot Priest. He had a trunk of pictures from his grandfather Abner Priest and great uncle Charlie Priest. In this trunk was a photo of Wilda Priest and Dan Jones. So, this picture is proof that the Kentucky Priests must have been in contact with the Arkansas Priests. This is especially exciting since my Grandmother didn’t know anything about the Kentucky Priests so I thought that the Arkansas Priests that had moved to Washington had lost all contact with the Kentucky Priests. This is new information. The above picture was probably taken in the 1930’s. The picture is on a postcard and most importantly there is no stamp or address on the picture. I wonder how the picture got to Washington.

Rosa Priest, born in 1879, married James Hampton February 23, 1899 in Floyd County Kentucky and had three children: Maud, Tom and Allie Odessa. Rosa and Tom have a confusing history. In the 1910 Census she and Allie are living with David McCoy in Martin County, Ky Upper Wolf Creek with an occupation of servant, and I can’t find Tom in the 1910 census. In 1910 census Rosa is listed as having been married for 11 years and having had 4 children of which 3 are alive. In the 1920 census in January when the census was taken in West Virginia, Allie is shown as living with her aunt Wildie Priest Jones in Wayne County, West Virginia. Later in the year during the summer Tom Hampton and daughter Allie are shown as visiting Sam and Allifair Priest Crider (Minerva’s daughter) in Boyd County, and I can’t find Rosa in the 1920 census. In 1925 she and Tom Hampton sell their portion of what I presume is her inheritance to Martin Priest so they are together. Very confusing.

I think Maud married an unknown Goble and had a son Chester. She then married an unknown Franklin and died in Pikesville in 1986. At the time of Maud’s death in 1986 Allie lived in Williamson, West Virginia and Tom was deceased.

I have recently been in contact with one of Allie’s descendants. Allie was born March 2, 1907 and married William Hale. He was from Williamson, West Virginia. They had two sons: William (May 24, 1927) born in Floyd County and John born August 11, 1932. I am hoping to get more on this family.

Martin Van Buren Priest, born June 1, 1882 lived in the John’s Creek area most of his life. Garnet Crider Ewing remembers Martin coming to visit her Mother Allifair Priest Crider in Boyd County with his uncle U.S. Grant Priest when he was in town. Martin died at McCombs, Pike County in 1972. He is buried in the Taylor Cemetery in McCombs, Pike County. Martin married Ellen Sherman in 1904.

In August 1905 Martin bought his sister’s share of Susan’s inheritance for $50. So I figure Susan died sometime shortly before August 1905. He sold his share almost immediately to Minerva for half of $55.00 in October 1889 just two months after her father died.

“This deed of conveyance made and entered into this 7th day of August 1905 between Wilda Wells her husband W. G. Wells, Rose Hampton her husband James Hampton part of the first part and Martin Priest Party of the second part. Witnesseth: that the said part of the first part for and in consideration of the sum of twenty five dollars each on in hand do hereby sell and convey to the part of the second part his heirs and assigns the following described property to-wit. Two tracts of land in Floyd County Ky. and bounded as follows: Beginning on Wolfe Branch sweet gum and beech N 17 E 110 poles to two beeches N 75 E 80 poles to two chestnut oaks on top of ridge at the head of Cow ford S 86 E 40 poles to three forded chestnut oaks on a high know; S 35 E 40 poles to a chestnut oak. Same course 40 poles to stakes, S 74 W 200 poles to beginning. The second survey beginning on the Kitnar branch a fork of Brushy Creek on the left hand side of said branch on the point of a ridge on beech and a black oak N 10 W 34 poles to a chestnut oak. N 28 W 6 poles a chestnut oak a corner to a former survey make in the name said Priest N 33 W 40 poles to a chestnut oak at the head of Cow fork on top of the ridge N 40 E 100 poles to a stake N 85E 70 poles to a stake N 34 W 184 poles to beginning. The undersigned convey their interest to said tract of land. These are tracts of land patented in the name of John E. Priest and is deed by same of the heirs and is record in Deed Book W Page 83. To have and to hold the same together with all the appurtenances thereunto belonging unto the part of the second part heirs and assigns forever and the said part of the first part hereby covenants with the said part of the second part that they will warrant the title to the property hereby conveyed unto the said party of the second part and their heirs and assigns forever. A lien is retained upon the property hereby conveyed as security for the payment of the said unpaid purchase money. In testimony whereof the party of the first part hath hereunto subscribed their name the day and year aforesaid.

/s/ Wildie Wells
/s/ W. G. Wells
/s/ Rosa Hampton
his
James x Hampton
Mark
Witness Wm Scalf
It was signed in Pike County

For whatever reason Martin didn’t hold onto the property for too long. In the Floyd County Court March 26, 1908

This Deed of conveyance made and entered into this 18th day of Feby 1908 between Martin Priest and Ellen Priest his wife and Minerva Priest parties of the first part and Colonel Blackburn party of the second part.

Witnesseth: that said parties of the first part for and in consideration of the sum of seventy five dollars as follows: thirty five dollars to be paid in stock and five dollars in cash down in hand and the remainder forty dollars to be paid on the 20th Sept.1908 and secured by note of even date does hereby sell and convey to the party of the second part, heirs and assigns the following described property to-wit: A certain tact of land lying and being in Floyd County Kentucky and situated on Kit Nor Branch a tributary of Brush Fork of Johns Creek and bounded as follows, to-wit: Beginning at a beech and black oak on center of point on the lower side of the road. Thence up the center of the point to a rock corner marked with a X X. Thence up the point with its center to a pine and rock corner. Thence up the point with the center of same to the top of the knob at the Martin Co. line. Thence back up the center of the ridge with the Martin Co. line to two chestnuts on the top of a knob. Then with the center of ridge down to the center of the Cow fork gap. Then in a southwesterly course around the hill on the lower side of the road to the center of the point on which this line began at a beech and black oak. This is a part of land patented to John E. Priest and is of record in the Floyd Co. Court and found in Deed book 20 page 83 from deed to Martin Priest & of record in Floyd Co. record in deed book 21 and at page 151 of same. To have and to hold the same together with all the appurtenances thereunto belonging unto the party of the second part and his heirs and assigns forever, and said part of the first part hereby covenants with the said party of the second part that they will warrant the title to the property hereby conveyed unto the said part of the second part and his heirs and assigns forever. A lien is retained upon the property hereby conveyed as security for the payment of said unpaid purchase money. In testimony whereof, the part of the first part hath hereunto subscribed her name the day and year aforesaid.

His
Martin x Priest
Mark
Ellen Priest
[note Martin and Ellen signed the documents in Pike County]

It is interesting that after all the lawsuits and selling of property between the children of John Priest, John “Colonel” and Sarah Blackburn are the one who finally ended up with all the family homestead. Sarah was the daughter of Sarah James and William McCoy who were John Priest’s relatives and neighbors for many years.

Maybe the reason John sold his share of the homestead is that in March of 1908 he and his wife had triplets: John, Luke and Tilda in Kentucky according to the 1910 census. They then had Garfield in January of 1909 again in Kentucky. One of the triplets John Priest married Anna Unknown in 1926 and in the 1930 census they were living in Williamson, Mingo County West Virginia. He was a machinist and they had two children Kenneth and William both born in West Virginia. His brother Luke is also living with him. I don’t know what happened to John Sr., and Ellen or two of their children Tilda or Garfield. They just disappear.