William Jesse Cornett (1761 - 1836)

Born Apr 1761 in Henrico, Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Rhoda (Gilliam) Cornett — married 7 May 1790 in Washington County, Virginia

Husband of Mary Ann (Everage) Cornett — married Apr 1796 in Sullivan, Tennessee, United States

Descendants

Died 26 Nov 1836 at age 75 in Cornettsville, Perry, Kentucky, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Walter Fiedler [send private message], Ron Gragg [send private message], Polly Sizemore [send private message], and Evelyn Resler [send private message]

Native Virginian

William Cornett was a Virginia colonist.

William Cornett migrated from Virginia to Kentucky.

Biography

He was born in April 1761 in Henrico County, Virginia and was the son of Mary (Jesse) and John Canute Cornett.

William "Billy" Jesse Cornett first married on 07 May 1787 in Washington County, Virginia to Rhoda Gilliam or Gilam ^{[1] [2] [3]} (1772-1796) and they had five children.

His wife Rhoda had a friend, Mary Everage (1770-1852) ^[3] that would assist her with housework for many years. ^[4] Prior to her death, Rhoda suggested that he remarry to Mary Everage which he did about 1801 in Sullivan County, Tennessee.

William "Billy" Jesse Cornett married secondly in April 1796 in Sullivan, Tennessee, USA to Mary Ann Everage.

By 1830 he had moved from Virginia to Perry County, Kentucky.

He passed away on 26 Nov 1836 ^[5] and was buried at Cornett Cemetery in Cornettsville, Perry County, Kentucky, USA. ^{[2] [6] [7] [8]}

Children

1. Archibald Cornett, b: 12 Jan 1789
2. Elizabeth Cornett, b: c1793 VA
3. Lucy (Cornett) Eversole, b: 12 Jan 1796; d: 1861
4. Elizabeth (Cornett) Campbell (1792-1865)
5. William Jefferson Cornett (1792-1870)
6. John Cornett (1794-1854)
7. Robert Bustard Cornett, b: Jan 1798 VA; d: 1870
8. Margaret Cornett, b: c1799; d: 1799
9. Mary "Polly" Cornett, b: 1800; d: 1820
10. Ann "Nancy" (Cornett) Combs, b: 24 Dec 1803; d: 1881
11. Roger Cornett, b: 06 Jan 1805; d: 1885
12. Rachel (Cornett) Caudill, b: 10 Feb 1807; d: 1887
13. Samuel Cornett, b: 04 Mar 1809
14. Nathaniel Wollery Cornett, b: 02 Apr 1811; d: 1889
15. Joseph Enoch Cornett, b: 28 Apr 1814 Perry Co, KY; d: 1891.

Census

• 1810 USA Census of Henrico County, Virginia; on FamilySearch & on ancestry.com & with photo attached here; citing FHL#0181429; roll#69; p1004; image#260; for Jesse Cornett @45+ with wife @45+ & 1 slave.

• 1820/Aug/07 USA Census of Henrico County, Virginia; citing NARA# M33_132; image#187; p212; for Jesse Cornett @45+ with wife @45+ & 1 male slave @45+.

• 1830 USA Census of Perry County, Kentucky; on FamilySearch & on ancestry.com & with photo attached here; citing FHL#7819; NARA#M19; roll#40; p345; for William J. Cornett @30-39 with wife @30-39 & 1F@15-19 & 1M@10-14 & 1F@10-14 & 2M@5-9 & 1F@5-9 & 1F@<5.

Military

Private William Cornett served with Virginia Militia during the American Revolution.

William Cornett is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A026152.

The following is information when his family applied for a tombstone and pension applications. According to records of the United States Pension Bureau William served one year in two Virginia regiments in actual war service.

According to family he was a drummer in his first enlistment and a Private soldier in the next one.

He was wounded but whether in the American Revolutionary War ^{[9] [10] [11]} or the Indian Wars is unknown. He took part in several Indian fights. One was in Tennessee and the other one was in Kentucky and it is very probable he was shot when he took part in the Battle of King's Mountain on 07 Oct 1780.

Extract #1

"I have 360 pages of info on John Cornett of Henrico county VA and his six sons. He was married first to Mary Jesse, the mother of his sons. Their marriage record is in the Episcopal Church there. His second wife was Elizabeth Bacon Mosby, and they married when he was 65 years old. No children by her, of course. John died 1776 in Elk Creek, VA but his stone has never been found. I'm missing a lot of information on Nathaniel and Roger, but have extensive information on James, David, William Jesse and John Samuel Cornett. Would like to correspons with others in this line with information, and trade information with you. I would rather write letters than communicate with you here. My address is: Jim Cornett P.O. Box 336 Burnside, KY 42519" ^[12]

Extract #2

"In several places, many Cornett researchers have stated that Elizabeth Bacon Mosby is the mother of John Cornett's six sons. This is not true. He married her late in life, and she was 65 when they married. She had one son by her first marriage, and he was not a Cornett. John Cornett's first wife was Mary Jesse, and their marriage bond is in the records of the St John's Episcopal Church in Richmond, VA. (NO, I don't have a copy of it, but I have seen it.) I now have over 428 typewritten pages of information on this Cornett family, and will exchange information with anyone. I will be publishing three books on the genealogies of three of the sons of John and Mary Cornett in the next year." ^[13]

Extract #3

William Cornett was the son of John Cornett. William was born in Henrico County,Virginia in 1761. While he was living in Virginia, he enlisted in the Revolutionary War and served six months in Capt. Anthony Winston's company. He also served as a private in Captain Saunder's company, in Col. Patterson's Virginia Regiment. He received his pension in 1833.

"In the year 1796, William Cornett and a friend, Gideon Ison, came from Virginia to Kentucky on a hunting trip. They had heard tales from other hunters that there were lots of game in Kentucky. Cornett and Ison decided to come and see what was beyond the mountains. They were a little fearful, because there were still roving bands of Indians in Kentucky. ^[14]

"William and Gideon gathered their equipment, which consisted of flintlock rifles, hunting knives, powder, bullets, flints, axes, skillets, and food. They loaded all the equipment and food on packhorses and set out for the "Happy Hunting Ground," "Kaintuck," or the "Dark and Bloody Ground" as Kentucky was first called.

"After several days of travel, they came to Perry County, Kentucky. There they found 20 or more acres of level land covered with fine timber and signs of plenty game. They decided to set up camp. Early the next morning, Cornett and Ison rose and enthused about the new country. After breakfast, they decided to look for bear and deer. They hitched their horses to leatherwood bushes near the campsite. One hunter went up the creek, and the other went down the creek. Ison, after traveling for while, came upon a smouldering fire. He was certain that Indians had camped there the previous night. He felt the danger of being scalped, so he retraced his steps back to his horse. He thought of Cornett being out there somewhere. He went back to camp and waited for Cornett and night to come.

"As the shadows of night came and the first sight of stars began to shine, he mounted his horse, and took one last look for Cornett. To his surprise, he saw his companion coming toward him some distance away, so Ison dismounted and hitched his horse and acted as if he had been waiting for Cornett to return.

"William Cornett came into camp carrying a deer on his back, which he had killed. Soon after Cornett came into camp, he began to prepare the deer for supper. Ison stood by and watched, not having much to say. After awhile Cornett broke the silence by asking Ison, "Why were you on your horse awhile ago?" Ison knew then that Cornett had seen him on his horse ready to leave camp. Then he began to tell Cornett about the fire he had found, and how, when Cornett hadn't returned to camp, he imagined that the Indians had killed him. Then Cornett told Ison that he had seen an Indian stick his head over a log, and that he pretended not to see the Indian. After traveling a short distance, he looked back to see if the Indian were chasing him, and he saw the Indian running in the opposite direction.

"The hunters did not sleep that night for fear of the Indians. They packed their supplies and was ready to leave camp at the daybreak the next morning. They mounted their horses as soon as it was light and headed back to Virginia ..."

Sources

1. ↑ Virginia, Marriages 1785-1940 on FamilySearch; citing FHL#34389; p61
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} http://www.cornettcorner.com/book.htm
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} https://sproton.net/genealogy/cornett.html
4. ↑ "Genealogy of William Cornett" by J. D. Cornett; "William Cornett's and Mary Everage's Courtship"; p41-44
5. ↑ http://person.ancestry.com/tree/13087444/person/619983789/facts
6. ↑ US Headstone Applications for U.S. Military Veterans; for William Cornett, d: 26 Nov 1836; buried: Cornettsville, Kentucky, USA
7. ↑ https://www.wikitree.com/photo/jpg/Cornett-510-8
8. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #51664329 for William "Billie" Jesse Cornett, b: Apr 1761; d: 26 Nov 1836; buried: Cornett Cemetery, Cornettsville, Perry County, Kentucky, USA
9. ↑ Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications 1889-1970 compiled by National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution in Louisville, Kentucky; SAR Membership #43119; application: 22 Aug 1929; role: ancestor; for William Cornett, b: Apr 1761 Henrico County, Virginia; d: 26 Nov 1836 Perry, Kentucky; spouse: Mary (Everage) Cornett; child: Robert Bustard Cornett
10. ↑ https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=2204&h=525156&ssrc=pt&tid=43554103&pid=12674150148&usePUB=true
11. ↑ https://www.wikitree.com/photo/jpg/Cornett-510-11
12. ↑ Posting about John Cornett and his six sons
13. ↑ Posting about Elizabeth Bacon Mosby
14. ↑ "Cornett" by Curtis C. Cornett of Fort Wayne, IN & published in "The Kentucky Explorer" May 2008

• DAR Patriot Ancestor #A026152

• Pension application W6723 (pdf), transcribed by Max Bostic & posted by Southern Campaigns American Revolution Pension Statements & Rosters

• "The Heirs of William Cornett, 1815 Scott County, Virginia" by Dann M. Norton Genealogical Services in 2018

• Courtship of WIlliam "Billie" Cornett & Mary Everage

• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LCJR-TQ4

• https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VHZ4-PFV

• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LH58-YD5

• http://yeahpot.com/cornett/william1.html

• http://person.ancestry.com/tree/9086312/person/24007541146/facts

• https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/947954/person/24658677509/facts?_phsrc=LDZ2844&_phstart=successSource

• https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/6912892/person/-599098615/facts

• https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/115503722/person/202160698067/facts

• https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=60214&h=393603&ssrc=pt&tid=947954&pid=24658677509&usePUB=true

• Ancestry.com Family Tree

Acknowledgements

• Cornett-192 was created by Evelyn (Frye) Resler
• Cornett-510 was created on 02 Feb 2016 by Ron Gragg
• Cornett-890 was created in Aug 2018 by Larry Maggard