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William Huff (abt. 1768 - bef. 1853)

William Huff aka Hoff
Born about in Loudoun, Virginiamap [uncertain]
Ancestors ancestors
Son of and
Brother of , , , , , , , , and
Husband of — married 10 Feb 1791 in Franklin, Virginia, United Statesmap
Descendants descendants
Father of , , , , , , , , , , and
Died before before about age 85 in Clinton, Kentucky, United Statesmap [uncertain]
Problems/Questions Profile manager: Barbara Bartlett Huff private message [send private message]
Profile last modified | Created 30 Dec 2010
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Contents

Biography

William Huff was a son of Philip Huff and Rachel (Unknown) Huff. Despite what may have appeared on some people's personal family trees (likely due to simply "copycatting" from other's family trees, and the copying being repeated over and over again), there was no middle name or initial, and no primary source of authoritative record yet identified where William used "Sr." as a suffix.

William's estimated year of birth is 1768, based on William's next older brother, Daniel Huff, having been born in about 1766 and William's next younger brother, Philip Huff, estimated to have been born in about 1771. William's year of birth estimate was slightly adjusted from previous estimates of 1765 or 1766, due to the more recently found 1853 sworn testimony of William's next older brother, Daniel, which placed Daniel's year of birth at about 1766.[1]

According to the 1850 census, William was born in Virginia. There is only this one source to document his place of birth. No other documentation has surfaced as to a more specific county or location in Virginia. The claim of many family trees has been that William was born in Rocky Mount, Franklin County, Virginia. This is highly unlikely, and probably merely the product of "copycat genealogy." One compelling reason that Rocky Mount as the attributed place of birth is inaccurate, is that Franklin County, Virginia, did not even exist when William was born, since Franklin County was not created until 1786.

William was probably born in eastern Virginia (rather than southwest Virginia), in or near Loudoun County, Virginia, where his birth family are documented to have been during the early 1770s time period and one might suspect, during the previous decade as well. William's birth family would have located to southwest Virginia after William's birth. Additionally, the family located not to what later became Franklin County, but to what became Montgomery County, which was formed in 1777 from Fincastle County, which in turn had been taken from Botetourt County. The more specific area in Montgomery County where this Huff family located became a part of Floyd County when that county was formed in 1831. Despite William having been married in Franklin County--no doubt the county of his wife's family, where there were a number of Miller families--William's Huff family never lived in Franklin County.

Factors supporting Loudoun County, Virginia, as William's place of birth include:

1) William's father, recorded as Philip Hoff, appeared on the Loudoun County, Virginia, 1771 Tithable List.[2]
2) The death record of William's younger sister, Elcey Huff (aka Ailsie or Ailsy) indicated that she was born in Loudoun County, Virginia, on 3 Jul 1776.

However, since William's birth year was about 1768 and thus prior to the 1771 Loudoun County Tithable List and sister Elcey's birth, it remains possible that William was born elsewhere in Virginia.[3]

This Huff family located from Loudoun County, Virginia, to southwest Virginia, some time between 1776 (birth of Elcey in Loudoun County) and 1780 (when Philip Huff supplied flour for the Revolutionary War cause, his reimbursement being recorded as paid from what was then Botetourt County). Philip was a miller and apparently well enough established with an operational mill in the locale to have supplied a quantity of flour.

William's parents, Philip and Rachel Huff, had located the family to southwest Virginia, to an area that nowadays is in Floyd County.[4] At the time of their arrival in southwest Virginia, the county jurisdiction was Montgomery County, which had been founded in 1772. Whether of not the family located earlier to nearby Botetourt County (founded in 1770)--where the Revolutionary War reimbursement was noted as paid, is unclear--an earlier location in Botetourt County has not yet been investigated. It is also possible that Botetourt County may have served as a central reimbursement location.

The area where this Huff family resided can be seen in sources under a number of names: near Bent Mountain, or simply Bent Mountain[5] or the head of Little River. More recently, the location is a part of the Copper Hill community of Floyd County, Virginia.

There were other Huff families or individuals in the same vicinity during the late 1700s early period of settlement of the area, either as settlers or apparently relatively briefly in the area. While it cannot be assumed that all of them were necessarily related, some descendants have had Y-DNA testing done and a number show a genetic relationship in the same Y-DNA haplogroup Q-M242.[6] While genetic relationships appear evident, exactly what those relationships may have been as related to this Huff family, have not as yet become evident.

On 2 Feb 1791, William took out a marriage bond in Franklin County, Virginia, to wed Lydia Miller, with Samuel Wilson serving as surety. Lydia's father was specified as Thomas Miller.[7] The marriage occurred 10 Feb 1791, with Isaac Rentfro officiating.[8] The date of William and Lydia's marriage was 10 Feb 1791 and the minister was Isaac Rentfro. Rev. Isaac Rentfro was a Baptist minister in Montgomery County, Virginia, from about 1788 to 1798.[9][10] Rev. Rentfro moved to Kentucky in 1798 and lived near Harmon's Lick, in southwestern Garrard County, Kentucky, near the Lincoln County border.

It is not certain when the young couple left southwest Virginia to settle in Kentucky. It was sometime after the 1793 (approximately) birth of their daughter, Elizabeth, and prior to 1799 when William was recorded as having land in Kentucky. Note that on 1 Jun 1792, Kentucky became a state, but earlier had been part of the State of Virginia. The Huff brothers--Daniel, Philip and William--were early settlers in the area. According to the 1799 list, Daniel had 200 acres and William 100 acres, both on Spring Creek.[11]

In other land transactions, William Huff purchased a 200 acre tract from Stephen Robinson, for which he received a patent from the state in 1809. He also patented John Robinson's farm when the latter moved to Tennessee. In 1814, he sold 112 acres to Robert Cross and 87 1/2 acres to Gibbons Cross. He bought 100 acres from Preston Back on Smith Creek the next year.[12]

William was suspected to have died before 1853, possibly in Clinton County, Kentucky, although where these suspicions originated is not now known. Further investigation is needed.

Children

Children appear to have included:

  1. Elizabeth HUFF (c 1793 VA - 1875 Clinton Co, KY) md James HARPER.
  2. William HUFF [Jr], was he the same William Huff as William M Huff Jr. (6 Apr 1799 – 3 Oct 1874) https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/memories/LCR3-MMN (c 1799 Kentucky - ??? possibly Morgan Co, MO) likely md in Cumberland Co, KY to Emily "Millie" CAMPBELL (1800 Cumberland Co, KY - 15 Jul 1879 Morgan Co, MO), dau of Benjamin A. CAMPBELL and Chloe (FARIS) CAMPBELL. Their children included: James M. HUFF; John HUFF; Samantha HUFF; Matilda A. HUFF; Vianna J. HUFF; Emily HUFF; George Perry HUFF; and possibly others. They were early settlers in MO.[13]
  3. David HUFF (c 1798? - ) (assumed son of William about whom not much has been located other that he was old enough to claim an 1822 land grant in Cumberland Co. David was thought to have been born after Lewis but the land grant information would seem to put this order of birth in doubt. In 1828, David HUFF appointed Wylie HUFF, apparent son of John HUFF, to sell land he owned in Monroe County, Indiana.
  4. Enathus HUFF (c 1800? - ), previously shown spelled as Euthless, although neither seems to be a name to be found in records (assumed son of William, was old enough to claim a 50 acre land grant on 27 Dec 1821 on Spring Creek in Cumberland County, Kentucky.[14] He was thought to have been born after Lewis but the land grant information would seem to put this order of birth in doubt. No further info.
  5. Thomas HUFF (c 1801? - ) (thought to have been younger than Lewis ) not identifiable unless possibly he moved to Indiana, where there were several Kentucky-born Thomas HUFF individuals enumerated in the 1850 census.
  6. Zilpha "Zilphy" HUFF (15 Apr 1802 Cumberland Co, KY - 19 Mar 1883 Clinton County, Kentucky). She married William R. FERGUSON. They were the parents of Champ FERGUSON (notorious Civil War guerilla leader who was hung in 1865), and at least four other children.
  7. Daniel HUFF (c 1804 KY - poss. d Overton Co, TN) may be the Daniel HUFF or HUEF who md Rebecca ??? (c 1807 KY - ) and lived in KY and TN, though other evidence indicates this Daniel was son of Daniel, brother to William. This Daniel, whoever his father, had ch William HUFF; Nathaniel HUFF; Abigail HUFF; Nancy C. HUFF; James A. HUFF; and probably others. One Daniel Huff (more probably this Daniel's uncle), along with this Daniel's uncle John, in 1828 appointed Wylie HUFF, son this Daniel's uncle John HUFF, to sell land he owned in Monroe Co, IN.
  8. Sarah HUFF (20 Aug 1806 KY - 1892 KY) md Abner BEATY. There were at least 6 BEATY ch. Some records show a Sarah HUFF md Thomas STOCKTON.
  9. Lewis HUFF (c 1809 KY - ) md his first cousin Didama HUFF, daughter of John HUFF, and lived in Clinton Co, where their ch were: Andrew J. HUFF; William H. HUFF; and Brazilia HUFF. Daniel HUFF [Sr] was enumerated with this family in 1850.
  10. Abner HUFF (assumed son of William) (thought to have been born after Lewis ) was on Cumberland Co census for 1820 and Hart Co, KY for 1830. Two ch may have been: Jane HUFF and Pleasant HUFF.
  11. Pleasant H. HUFF (c 1812 Cumberland County, KY - 1856 Clinton Co, KY) md Sarah "Sally" PICKENS (Mar 1817 KY - 26 Feb 1902 Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory) and lived in Clinton Co. Ch incl William M. HUFF; Cornelius HUFF (c 1837); Charles Pearson HUFF; Thomas HUFF; Mary HUFF; Betty HUFF; Pleasant M. HUFF; and Allen R. HUFF.

Additional possibilities or unplaced HUFF children:

  1. ?? Harrison HUFF (1807 KY - ) was listed with the family of William and Maranda (PHARIS) Huff, son of Daniel and Rebecca, shown above. He could have been a son of William and Lydia, but more likely a son of Daniel, Sr, brother to William.
  2. ?? Cornelius HUFF ( ). One Corneliu s Huff on 4 March 1868 in Clinton County, Kentucky, married Polly Ann Smith. Witnesses: C.D. Gray and J.S. Bow.[15] The Cornelius (c 1837 - 1890) who married Polly was a son of Pleassant H. Huff.
  3. ?? Dau HUFF (c 1792 VA - d. young, bur in old section of what became the Albany, KY, Cem), but could alternatively, have been a child of Daniel HUFF or another HUFF.

Census & Tax Data

  • 1799 Cumberland County, Kentucky tax list[16]
Daniel Huff, Philip Huff, William Huff
  • 1810 Burkesville Township, Cumberland County, Kentucky[17]
Wm Huff 12010/20210
Free White Persons - Males - Under 10: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 15: 2
Free White Persons - Males - 26 thru 44: 1
Free White Persons - Females - Under 10: 2
Free White Persons - Females - 16 thru 25: 2
Free White Persons - Females - 26 thru 44: 1
Number of Household Members Under 16: 5
Number of Household Members Over 25: 2
Number of Household Members: 9
  • 1820 Paoli, Cumberland County, Kentucky (Paoli became a part of present-day Albany, Clinton County, Kentucky)[18] Note: Also on the page: William Huff Jun'r (as the next entry); Samuel Huff and Daniel Huff (at page 18). Jemima Huff (but not Philip) was also enumerated in Paoli in 1820 (at page 3).
William Huff Sen'r
Free White Persons - Males - Under 10: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 15: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 16 thru 18: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 16 thru 25: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 45 and over: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 15: 2
Free White Persons - Females - 45 and over: 1
Slaves - Males - 14 thru 25: 1
Number of Persons - Engaged in Agriculture: 2
Free White Persons - Under 16: 4
Free White Persons - Over 25: 2
Total Free White Persons: 7
Total Slaves: 1
Total All Persons - White, Slaves, Colored, Other: 8
  • 1830: South of Cumberland River, Cumberland County, Kentucky[19] Note: Daniel Huff and Joshua Huff were enumerated on the same page.
Free White Persons - Males - 15 thru 19: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 60 thru 69: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 15 thru 19: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29: 2
Free White Persons - Females - 50 thru 59: 1
Free White Persons - Under 20: 2
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49: 2
Total Free White Persons: 6
Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored): 6
  • 1840: Clinton County, Kentucky[20]
Free White Persons - Males - 70 thru 79: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 60 thru 69: 1
White Persons over 20 Who Cannot Read and Write: 1
Total Free White Persons: 2
Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves: Free White Persons - Males - 70 thru 79: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 60 thru 69: 1
No. White Persons over 20 Who Cannot Read and Write: 1
Total Free White Persons: 2
Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves: 2

Sources

  1. ↑ See Daniel Huff to view Daniel's sworn testimony. Source note: The affidavit transcriptions were included in a post dated 2/10/1998 to the VAFRANKL rootsweb mailing list by J. Gerald Miller, citing it as having been supplied to him by another person. The original source--where a published or original record might be seen--has not as yet been identified or examined by this writer. Clinton County, Kentucky court records or the State Library of Kentucky or Tennessee might be suspected as possible repositories. If anyone knows or can check, please advise or do so!
  2. ↑ STILL NEEDS TO BE LOCATED & VIEWED: "Loudon sic] County, Virginia, 1771 Tithable List," by Pollyanna Creekmore, a compilation of articles published in various issues of vols. 16 and 17 (1972-1973) of the Virginia Genealogist. Philip Hoff, page 417. Other related individuals also appear on this list, viz.: Benjamin Hoff; Joshua Wilson; and Cornelius Reed. This source, the Virginia Genealogist, may be available at FHL; a digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS (membership required); and may be held by various public and other libraries.
  3. ↑ Note that some some family trees represent that William was born in southwest Virginia, in Rocky Mount, Franklin County, Virginia. This can be discounted since the family had not yet located to southwest Virginia at the time of William's birth, and Franklin County, Virginia, did not even exist at the time since it was not formed until 1785. This Huff family never lived in Franklin County or on land that became Franklin County. Rocky Mount, Franklin County, Virginia. William's alleged place of birth as occurring in Franklin County appears to have been a past guess by a family searcher, with that guess getting copied onto a number of other family trees.
  4. ↑ Floyd County, Virginia, had been a part of several other county jurisdictions prior to the formation of Floyd on 15 Jan 1831, when the General Assembly of Virginia passed an act creating Floyd County from a portion of Montgomery County.
  5. ↑ referring to the actual mountain range, not the later-named community called Bent Mountain of Roanoke County, which is some miles away and was populated later, after the Civil War
  6. ↑ FamilyTreeDNA Group Projects: Hough--"The Hough/Huff/Hoff/Haugh surname project is open to Houghs all over the world, no matter how you spell it." https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/hough or project-search at https://www.familytreedna.com/group-project-search
  7. ↑ Marriage bonds of Franklin County, Virginia, 1786-1858, transcribed from the original records, annotated and alphabetically arranged by Marshall Wingfield. Memphis, Tennessee : West Tennessee Historical Society, c1939; Berryville, Virginia : Virginia Book Co., 1967. https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/viewer/476146/?offset=0#page=123&viewer=picture&o=&n=0&q=, page 123: Wm. Huff (Hoff) and Lydda Miller, dau Thos., Feb. 2, 1791. Sur. Samuel Wilson.
  8. ↑ "Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940", database, FamilySearch. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9XF-VXYK?i=79, Image 80, no. 1999. Note: William Hoff to Lydia Miller. The marriage bond was dated 2 Feb 1791 with Samuel Wilson as surety. Samuel Wilson got a marriage bond the same day, with William Hoff as surety.
  9. ↑ A Baptist congregation was formed on the North Fork of the Roanoke in the late eighteenth century by Rev. James Mathews and was headed by Isaac Rentfro until 1798. Excerpt from United States Department of the Interior National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places, Multiple Property Documentation Form. Montgomery County, Virginia, 2 Sep 1989. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/64500684_text
  10. ↑ A History of the Rise and Progress of the Baptists in Virginia, by Robert Baylor Semple. Richmond : Published by the author, 1810. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015012345446&view=1up&seq=1. page 268, The North Fork of the Roanoke congregation was part of the New River Association, which was formed from the Strawberry Association, and became a separate association in 1793.
  11. ↑ Early Times in Clinton County [Kentucky], by Jack Ferguson. vol. I, p. 124.
  12. ↑ Source unable to be checked or verifiy this, but apparently noted by Jack Ferguson, from an unpublished work, "Philip Hoff of Cumberland County, Kentucky," by Robert Huff, 1972?, a hand-written book. It seems that a few copies were photocopied but that almost no one has actually seen a copy. Huff-3661 has volunteered to transcribe this if a copy is ever identified and made available for transcription.
  13. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDZX-P5T : 22 December 2020), William Huff, Buffalo Township, Morgan, Missouri, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
  14. ↑ The Kentucky land grants; a systematic index to all of the land grants recorded in the state Land office at Frankfort, Kentucky, 1782-1924, by Willard Rouse Jillson. Louisville, Ky., The Standard printing company, incorporated, 1925. page 597. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=inu.30000011374059&view=1up&seq=619&skin=2021&q1=Huff
  15. ↑ "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2ZM-8J3T : 22 July 2021), Cornelius Huff and Polly Ann Smith, 4 Mar 1868; citing Marriage, Clinton, Kentucky, United States, various county clerks and county courts, Kentucky; FHL microfilm 800,854.
  16. ↑ Kentucky, U.S., Tax Lists, 1799-1801. "Second Census" of Kentucky 1800. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/3720/images/gpc_secondcensusky-0159?pId=13767
  17. ↑ "United States Census, 1810," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH2S-TW5 : accessed 23 May 2022), Wm Huff, Burksville, Cumberland, Kentucky, United States; citing p. 183, NARA microfilm publication M252 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 9; FHL microfilm 181,354.
  18. ↑ "United States Census, 1820," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHLH-C8Y : accessed 25 May 2022), William Huffson, Cumberland, Kentucky, United States; citing p. , NARA microfilm publication , (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll ; FHL microfilm .
  19. ↑ "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHPL-YNG : 20 February 2021), William Huff, South of Cumberland River, Cumberland, Kentucky, United States; citing 117, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 35; FHL microfilm 7,814.
  20. ↑ "United States Census, 1840", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHYP-R3W : Wed Oct 04 02:53:34 UTC 2023), Entry for William Huff, 1840.
  • Max Huff, "WILLIAM AND LYDIA HUFF OF VA AND KY", 8 Apr 1995
  • Early times in Clinton County [Kentucky], by Jack Ferguson. [Albany? Ky.] : J. Ferguson, 2004-

Acknowledgments

  • This person was created through the import of Shortened files.ged on 30 December 2010.




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