Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

THE EARLY CAUDILLS

[1]  STEPHEN  CAUDILL  is accepted as the  progenitor  of  our
line of Caudill’s who settled in America.  He was of  Scotch
descent and born about 1680, in Scotland. He came to America
about 1700.

On  August 5, 1731, STEPHEN CAUDILL paid 20 shillings for  a
King  George II  patient for 195 acres on the North Side  of
Nottaway  River  in  Old  Surry  County,  VA  which   became
Brunswick  and  then  Lunenburg County. A  patent  to  those
people was the same as a deed is today.

He  appears on the Lunemburg County Tax list for  1752  with
son  James,  paying two tithes. Tithables are  men  who  are
elgible for military service.

Little is known about his wife other than her name was Mary.

He  followed  his  sons  to  North Carolina.
[1]  CHILDREN OF STEPHEN & MARY (_____) CAUDILL

[2]  SAMPSON  CAUDILL was born about 1717.  Nothing  more  is
known  of him or his descendants, other than Stephen  deeded
him some land in Virginpa.

[3] JAMES CAUDILL, SR. was born about 1720, in Surry  County,
VA. He married MARY YARBROUGH on 1 January 1749. He  appears
on the Lunenburg County, Va tax list in 1752.

He disappeared from Lunenburg County, VA and appeared on the
Tax List for Granville, NC in 1769 and 1771. He appeared  on
the  Rowan  County  Tax List in 1778 and  was  listed  as  a
tithable  in  Rowan  County, NC. A tithable was  a  male  of
militaty age.

In 1784, he is listed in the Wilkes County, NC census at the
age of about 60. On 2 November 1784 he bought 140 acres from
Benjamin Morgan for 50 pounds (Wilks County, NC Deed Book A-
1. Page 452). This land was on Sandy Creek, near the Fork of
Brush creek on the Middle Fork of Roaring River. The Roaring
River  splits  into three streams in the  northern  part  of
Wilkes  County,  NC. This split is south of the  Blue  Ridge
Parkway.

He was a minister  and the minutes of the Old Roaring  River
Baptist  Church  list  he and his wife as   members  in  the
1780’s to 1800’s.  He died in North Carolina and is probably
buried in Wilkes County, NC..

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Military  records  and  tax list of  the  1700’s  in  Wilkes
County,    NC  have been lost from the court  house,  but  a
General  Lenoir    obtained  from  the  recorder,  certified
copies of military   recruitment records, soldiers  payments
and  etc.  This   information is now housed at Chapel  Hill,
NC.  From these   unpublished documents and other papers, it
is  believed  but unprovern that James Caudill, Sr.  had  at
least  10 children.
[3] CHILDREN OF JAMES & MARY (YARBROUGH) CAUDILL, SR.

[4] JOHN CAUDILL was born about 1751 in Lunenburg County, Va.

[5]  JAMES  CAUDILL,  JR was born about  1753,  in  Lunenberg
County,  VA.  He  died 30 May 1840 in  Perry  (now  Letcher)
County,  KY.  It is told that it was his dying  wish  to  be
buried  on his own land which was on Rockhouse  Creek,  just
off present KY State Highway Route 7, near  Blackey, Letcher
County,  KY.  He  did  not want  his  dust  to  mingle  with
another’s   soil.  A  Kentucky  Highway  Historical   Marker
honoring this Revoluationary War Soldier has been erected on
Kentucky  Route  7,  near the cemetery where  his  grave  is
marked  with an aged stone and an American Flag flies  daily
in  his  respect.  The sign reads “James  Caudill,  born  in
Virginia  in  1753, first came to Big Cowan Creek  in  1781.
Because  of  Indians,  he  took his  family  back  to  North
Carolina.  Returning here in 1792 with his family. he  built
a cabin, stayed several years, went back to North  Carolina.
They settled here permanently in 1811. He was progentitor to
a large widespread mountain family.

He  married  MARY ADAMS who is said to be a twin  sister  of
SARAH  ADAMS  who married his brother  Stephen  Caudill.  He
served  during the Revolutionary War in the  North  Carolina
Fifth  Militia,  under Captain Samuel Johnson,  Colonel  Ben
Cleveland  and  others.  He  was  at  the  battle  of  Kings
Mountain, in SC, but was not involved in the fighting. After
the battle he and his brother Stephen guarded prisoners.

In  his  Pension  Application he gave  his  birth  place  as
Lunenburg County, VA, states he was born in 1753, and served
9 months in the Revolutationary War from Wilkes County, NC.

He and his brothers, Thomas and Matthew, left Wilkes  County
in  1789 to settle briefly in South Carolina.   Here  James,
Jr. and Thomas were included in the 1790 Pendleton District,
SC  Census.  Matthew seems to have missed the head count. It
is  believed that he was in the household of brother  Thomas
as   there  was a couple about his age  listed  in  Thomas’s
household.

The  1793 tax list shows that James, Jr. was back in  Wilkes
County, NC and Matthew was back in 1799.
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Based on available tax lists, James Jr., a Revolutionary War
veteran,  and  his  brother  Matthew,  came  to  Floyd  (now
Letcher) County, KY between 1805 and 1810.  Stephen, who was
also a Revolutationary War Soldier, remain in Wilkes  County
through the 1810  Census. However Stephen arrived later that
year  and  was one of the organizers of  the  Indian  Bottom
Baptist  Church  in 1810, and helped organize  the  Ovenfork
Baptist Church in Letcher  County, KY in 1820.

The  Indian Bottom Baptist Church is still in  existence  in
1992.  It is located just outside of Blackey, KY on Kentucky
highway  7.  It is located on a plateau on the side  of  the
hill with a narrow gravel road running up to it.  There is a
sign  on Route 7 where you go up to the church  which  reads
“Indian Bottom Baptist Church, established 1810, meets every
3rd  Saturday  and  Sunday”. At the  Saturday  meeting,  the
business of the church is conducted. Their church service is
held on Sunday. Indain Bottom was the name place before  the
name was changed to Blackey when they got a post office.

[6]  BENJAMIN  CAUIDILL  was born  about  1755  in  Lunenburg
County, VA.

[7]  THOMAS  AARON CAUDILL was born about 1757  in  Lunenburg
County, VA.

He first appeared in the public records of Wilkes County, NC
on  the tax list in 1787.  The 1790 census of the  Pendleton
District  of  SC lists him and another couple of  about  the
same  age  in the household. This couple  was  probally  his
brother Matthew and his wife, Sarah.

He  migrated to Robertson County, TN and by 1805,  was  near
Franklin, (present) Simpson County, KY, and died 5 May  1848
in Simpson County, KY. His wife’s name was MARY (_______).

[8] MATTHEW CAUDILL was born about 1760 in Lunenburg  County,
Virginia  and died in Letcher County, KY  as a result  of  a
fall off the roof of the house.

He married SARAH WEBB who was born 8 November 1788, in North
Carolina. There is a chapter on this family.

[9]  DAVID CAUDILL was born in  Lunenburg  County, VA.

[10]  STEPHEN CAUDILL was born in 1763, in Lunenburg  County,
VA.  He  died on 26 July 1839, near the mouth  of  Dry  Fork
Creek,  of the Kentucky River, about five miles  down  river
from Whitesburg, Letcher County, KY while on the way to  the
grist mill with “a turn of corn”. He is buried in the  Watty
Caudill  Cemetery near the  mouth of Dry Fork Creek  of  the
Kentucky  River,  about five miles down the  Kentucky  River
from Whitesburg, KY.

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He  married  (1) in Wilkes County, NC to  JANE  DEHART,  and
married  (2) to Sarah Adams. Sarah was born about  1779  and
died  in Perry County, KY in October, 1842.  Her father  was
Benjamin Adams.

He served three terms in the Revolutationary War.  He fought
with  his brother James, Jr. at battle at Kings Mountain  in
SC but did not see any action. He was also at the battle  at
Cowpens near Spartanburg, SC .

He  moved  from  Virginia  to North  Carolina  in  1780  and
accumulated  a great deal of land.  He brought part  of  his
family  to  Floyd  County, KY in 1810.  He was  one  of  the
founders  of the Indian Bottom Baptist Church in    1810  in
what  is  now Letcher County, KY. The Indiam  Bottom  Church
still exists and meets every third Saturday & Sunday of  the
month.  The Saturday  meeting is the business  meeting,  and
the Sunday meeting is for worship service. Indian Bottom was
the name of the location of the area until the location  was
changedd to Blackie.

His  will is recorded in 1828 in Perry County, KY,  book  B,
page  210.  He left his wife, Sarah, the farm for  her  life
time,  2 sows, 1 pig, 2 cows, 20 hogs, 6 sheep, the  farming
tools, and   household utensils.

[11]  WILLIAM  CAUDILL  was  born  about  1765  in  Lunenburg
County, VA.

[12]  JESSE CAUDILL was born about 1770 in Lunenburg  County,
VA.

[13] ABNER CAUDILL was born about 1775 in Wilkes County,  NC.
He  remained in Wilkes County, NC when his  brothers  James,
Jr.,  Thomas  and Matthew left Wilkes County about  1789  to
settle briefly in Pendleton District, SC.

He married JANE ADAMS who was born in Rowan County, NC about
1804. She was the daughter of Spencer Adams.

They  both  are  buried in the Caudill  Cemetery  below  the
Bethany  Ford Bridge on the East side of the Roaring  River.
in  Wilkes County, NC.
[5] CHILDREN OF JAMES & MARY (ADAMS) CAUDILL, JR

[14] WILLIAM C CAUDILL who was born in Wilkes County, NC  and
died  27 July 1880 in Letcher County, KY. He  married  Nancy
Craft  who was born about 1874 in NC.  She was the  daughter
of Arch and Elizabeth (Adams) Craft.

[15]  SAMPSON CAUDILL was born about 1784 in  Wilkes  County,
NC  and died about 1863 in Cedar County, MO. About  1806  he
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married  ELIZABETH ADAMS who was born in Wilkes  County,  NC
about  1791.  She  was the daughter  of  Spencer  and  Nancy
(Towson)    Adams.

[16]  HENRY CAUDILL was born about 1785 in Wilkes County,  NC
and  died  18 June 1856 in Letcher County, KY.   He  married
Phoebe Strailer who was born about 1784 in SC.

[17]  THOMAS  CAUDILL was born about 1786 in  Wilkes  County,
NC.

[18]  ABIGAIL CAUDILL was born about 1787 in  Wilkes  County,
NC and on 9 February 1785 married WILLIAM PENNINGTON who was
born about 1764.

[19]  ISHAM CAUDILL was born 2 April 1789 in  Wilkes  County,
NC  and  died 18 May 1892 in Letcher County, KY.   He  first
married in Franklin County, GA was to Elizabeth Caudill  who
is believed to be the Daughter of Benjamin Caudill, Sr.  His
second marriage was to MARY MILLER.

[20]  STEPHEN CAUDILL was born about 1793 and on 21  November
1833 he married ELIZABETH FIELDS.

[21]  SARAH ELIZABETH CAUDILL was born about 1795  in  Wilkes
County,  NC  and died at Ordinary, Elliott County,  KY.  She
married JAMES CAUDILL who was born about 1790 in GA. He died
18  July 1865 at Ordinary, Elliott County, KY. He was a  son
of  one  of  the Caudills who went to  Georgina  from  North
Carolina  in  the Great Land Lottery whereby  the  State  of
Georgia  gave  free land to North Carolinians  who  came  to
Georgia and settled.

[20] ELIZABETH CAUDILL married BENJAMIN ADAMS.

[23]  JESSE  P CAUDILL was born 24 April 1795  in  Alleghaney
County,  NC.  He  first married SARAH  ROBERTS  and  second,
BIDDIE BLEDSOE.
[7] CHILDREN OF THOMAS AARON & MARY (______) CAUDILL

[24]  WILLIAM CAUDILL was born about 1790 in SC.  He  married
(])  RACHEL  JOINES in Wilkes County, NC, in  1811.  (2)  He
married Elizabeth (_____).

[25] SARAH CAUDILL was born between 1775/1794, probally in SC
and  died  before  6  November  1848.  She  married  RICHARD
LAFFERTY  in Logan County, KY on 21 December 1807.

[26]  ELIZABETH CAUDILL was born between 1790/1800,  probally
in SC. She married RICHARD NEELY

[27] POLLY CAUDILL married JOHN WOOD
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[28]  AARON CAUDILL was born 30 April 1794 in SC and died  23
February  1837.  On  6  February  1828,  he  married  RACHEL
(_____).

[29]  MOSES CAUDILL was born 16 November 1796 in SC and  died
1  October  1855.  He married (1) POLLY STERLING WOOD  on  3
September 1818 and (2) SARAH “SALLY” POND.

[30]  THOMAS  CAUDILL was born about 1797 in SC  and  married
JANE A “JENNIE” CAUDILL on 12 December 1816 in Floyd  County
KY. They were first cousins. They settled in  the  Riceville
area  of  Johnson  County, KY.

Dallas Caudill who married Josephine “Tobe” Caudill and Lena
Caudill   who  married  William  Ellis  “Jack” Caudill   are
descendents  of this couple. They are Dallas & Lena’s  Great
Great Grand Parents.

[31] JAMES CAUDILL was born 16 September 1800 in SC and  died
12  September  1852 in Yuba, CA.  He married  NANCY  GOHEINE
PEEBLER on 5 January 1826. She was born about 1805 and  died
15 March 1889 in Watsonville, CA.

[32]  JANE  CAUDILL  was  born 13 October  1802  in  SC.  She
married in Logan County, KY on 29 Sepember 1818 to THOMAS  G
JONES.  He was born 15 November 1790 in NC.

[33]  CATHERINE CAUDILL was born 1795/1804. She married  JOHN
M JONES.

[34]  AGNES  CAUDILL  was born 31 August  1804  and  died  23
January 1880. She married OBADIAH CHISOLM, JR on 24 February
1828.

[35]  JACOB CAUDILL was born about 1811 in Logan County,  KY.
He married about 1814.
[10 A] CHILDREN OF STEPHEN & JANE (DeHART) CAUDILL

[36]  MARY  “POLLY” CAUDILL was born about 1785  and  married
ABRAHAM ADAMS.

[37]  DAVID  CAUDILL  was born about 1788  and  married  SINA
WALKER.

[38] FANNIE CAUDILL married  (_____) ADAMS.
[10B] CHILDREN OF STEPHEN & SARAH (ADAMS) CAUDILL.

[39]  HENRYETTA  CAUDILL was born about 1792 and  died  about
1850. She married GEORGE ADAMS.

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[40]  JOHN  A CAUDILL was born 1 January 1798 in NC  and  died
in May, 1873. He married RACHEL CORNETT on 20 March 1824  in
Perry County, KY.
[41]  BENJAMIN  CAUDILL  married  ABIGAIL  PENNINGTON.   They
settled  in Salyersville, Magoffin County, KY. He  has  many
descendents  in  Magoffin  County, Ky and  through  out  the
region.

[42]  ELIZABETH CAUDILL was born 18 June 1800 in NC and  died
about 11 October 1881. She married JOHN Q BROWN who was born
in 1793 an died in 1872.

[43] NANCY CAUDILL was born about 1804. She married RANDOLPH
ADAMS.

[44] EASTER CAUDILL was born about 1806. She married LEVI
ELDRIDGE.

[45]  SARAH  CAUDILL was born about 1809. She  married  MOSES
ADAMS.

[46]     LYDIA  CAUDILL  was born  about  1811.  She  married
NATHANIEL WOLEARY CORNETT.

[47]  JESSE B CAUDILL was born about 1814 in  Wilkes  County,
NC. He married (1) MARY CORNETT and (2) married “POLLY” BACK
on 4 April 1844.

[48]  WATSON “OLD WATTY” CAUDILL was born 14 March  1822  and
died 5 December 1898.  He married BETTY BRANHAM/SMITH.
[13] CHILDREN OF ABNER & JANE (ADAMS) CAUDILL

[49] MARY “POLLY” CAUDILL was born about 1806 and died  about
1850. She was  married 7 December 1827 to ELI BLACKBURN  who
was born about 1806 and died about 1900.

[50]   THOMAS  CAUDILL was born about 1810 in NC and  died  2
October  1898.  On 9 June 1838 he married  MATILDA  HOLLIWAY
who was born about 1821 in NC and died about 1898.

[51]  JANE CAUDILL was born about 1817 and died  about  1907.
She married a (______) McCrary.

[52]  MATILDA CAUDILL was born about 1825. She married  ENOCH
JOHNSON in 1845.

[53]  JESSE  CAUDILL was born about 1822 in NC. On  14  April
1842.  He married ELIZABETH WHITLEY who was born about  1819
in  NC.

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