Joseph Edwards (abt. 1785 - abt. 1864)

Born about 1785 in Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Malinda (McIllhaney) Edwards — married about 1805 in Kentucky, United States

Descendants

Died about Feb 1864 at about age 79 in Flemingsburg, Fleming, Kentucky, United States [uncertain]

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Biography

Joseph was born about 1785. Joseph Edwards ... He passed away about 1861. ^[1]

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"Joseph Edwards (6), the son of Arthur Edwards (0) and his wife, Ann Turley, was born circa 1785 in Virginia, most likely in Franklin County (age 65 on the 1850 census). When just a youth he moved with his parents to Davidson County, Tennessee. About the year 1803, Joseph moved north to Montgomery County, Kentucky, presumably to work on the arm of his uncle Leonard Turley. Leonard owned 250 acres of land on Flat Creek in Montgomery County and an additional parcel of land in Bath County, northeast of Montgomery County. Joseph was listed on the tax records of Montgomery County in 1803 as a free white male with one horse. He was taxed intermittently from 1803 through the year 1809, not on real property, but on a horse. Beginning with the year 1814, Joseph was taxed in Bath County with four horses. In 1816 he was taxed for 100 acres on Flat Creek in Bath County. His name was continuously on the Bath County tax records until 1847, the last tax book preserved. By that time he had taxable property if 235 acres on Flat Ceek, 12 negro slaves and 14 horses. Flat Creek was located in northern Bath County, Kentucky, near the small village of Bethel.

About the year 1805, Joseph married Malina McIlhaney in Kentucky. She was born circa 1791 in South Carolina, most likely in Spartanburg County, the daughter of James McIlhaney.

Sometime following their marriage, Joseph Edwards and his new bride Malinda McIlhaney went to live on one of the parcels of farmland, a 176 acre piece, near the town of Bethel in Bath County, Kentucky, owned by Malinda's father James McIlhaney. While they lived there Joseph and Malinda and their children had the use of the negro slaves and other buildings and equipment belonging to the property. Following the decease of Malinda's father, the tax burden on the property inherited by Malinda fell upon the shoulders of Joseph Edwards, and he was listed in the tax books of Bath County.

During the 1850's, Joseph and Malinda moved a few miles northeast of Bath County into Fleming County, Kentucky, where they were listed in the second district of that county near Flemingsburg on the 1860 census. It appears that the area where they lived was in the Allison Creek area, just a mile or so southeast of the town of Flemingsburg. Malinda died 5 February 1862 in Fleming County. The division of Malinda's estate, being the land and negroes inherited from her father, Col. James McIlhaney, proved to be the source of a lengthy legal struggle between her children and heirs. Court litigation concerning the distribution of that property, contained in the court case Sanford vs Edwards, lasted for over 10 years in the Fleming County Circuit Court. Joseph Edwards died circa February 1864 in Fleming County. It is recorded that his funeral clothes were purchased 27 February 1864. His small estate was administered by his son John C. Edwards and his son-in-law Augustus Sanford. It is conjectured that both Joseph and Malinda were buried in the old Brick Union graveyard at the north end of Allison Creek Road near Flemingsburg, Kentucky."

Sources

1. ↑ First-hand information as remembered by Philip Edwards, Sunday, January 25, 2015. Replace this citation if there is another source.

From "Arthur Edwards and His Descendents", pub. 1991 by Anthony J. Christensen, p. 8.3: