Cornelius Best (abt. 1763 - 1835)

Born about 1763 in Lehigh, Northampton, PA

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Unknown) Best — married [date unknown] in Tattnall, Georgia, United States

Descendants

Died 1835 at about age 72 in Bullitt Co., KY

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Biography

Cornelius was born In Northampton County, Pennsylvania about 1760-1762 ^[1]

He fought in the Revolutionary War from 1778-1782. He served with the Joseph Beckett Ranger Company on the Pennsylvania frontier, and was listed with the Westmoreland County Militia April 10, 1782. He married Elizabeth about 1780.

In 1782, he moved to Hardy County, Virginia, and sometime between 1790 and 1792, he moved his family to a farm in Bullitt County, Kentucky. Cornelius never owned slaves. However, his daughter Charity married John Thaxton and the two of them were listed in the 1810 census as owning 10 slaves.

Cornelius was living in Shepherdsville, Bullitt, Kentucky, United States in 1820^[2]

Cornelius died sometime after 1835 in Bullitt County, Kentucky. I do not know when Elizabeth died. The two of them are buried in Bullitt County, Kentucky.

Cornelius was born in 1760. Cornelius Best ... He passed away after 1835.^[3]

Research Notes

There seems to be some contention over this parentage:

One pedigree file says he was the son of James Best and Anna Bailey (born Richardson). His father James being born on October 16 1698, in All Saints, Wakefield, Yorkshire, England. His mother Anna being born on May 11 1710, in Billerica, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.^[4]. While another says he was a son of Johan Wilhelm /Best/ Jr. and Anna Catherine /Hawk/ born 1762 in Lehigh Twp., Northampton Co., PA, and died 1835 in Bullitt Co., KY.^[5]. Another says he was Cornelius Best (1763-1835), the son of Wilhelm and Anna Catherine Dorr Best^[6]. The latter suggests he fought in the revolutionary war and after that married a woman named Elizabeth. "they moved to Kentucky. Kentucky Tax records of 1790, also called the “First Census” after the loss by fire and flood of most official Federal Census records, show Cornelius as living in Nelson County, KY. Kentucky Census records for 1810 ^[7]list Cornelius in Bullitt County, in the “45 years of age and over” column, with three sons between the ages of 10 and 16 and one son between 16 and 26. In 1820^[8] he has one son, age 16-18 and 2 sons between 16-26. Besides his wife, there were 2 females between the ages of 27 and 45."

Sources

1. ↑ father -Johan Wilhelm Best mentioning Cornelius - Find A Grave, database and images (findagrave.com : accessed 10 December 2018), memorial page for Johan Wilhelm Best, III (1733–1823), Find A Grave: Memorial #8271877, citing Saint Paul's Union Cemetery, Beaver City, Clarion County, Pennsylvania, USA ; Maintained by Mona Anderson (contributor 46620248) .
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1820," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHLR-7DY : accessed 18 August 2020), Cornelius Bess, Shepherdsville, Bullitt, Kentucky, United States; citing p. 190, NARA microfilm publication M33, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 18; FHL microfilm 186,178.
3. ↑ A source for this information is needed.
4. ↑ Cornelius Best [1]
5. ↑ Rootsweb discussion
6. ↑ A history of the Bess Family [2]
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1810," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH2T-4FY : accessed 20 August 2020), Cornelius Best, Bullitt, Kentucky, United States; citing p. 345, NARA microfilm publication M252 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 5; FHL microfilm .
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1820," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHLR-7DY : accessed 20 August 2020), Cornelius Bess, Shepherdsville, Bullitt, Kentucky, United States; citing p. 190, NARA microfilm publication M33, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 18; FHL microfilm 186,178.

• LeGro Family member photo
• All from Max Bess with the help of George Bess
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