Guinn Bess Page (1854 - 1942)

Born 5 Jul 1854 in Kentucky

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah Margaret Martin — married 18 Jun 1878 in Adair, Kentucky

Descendants

Died 25 Feb 1942 at age 87 in Sparksville, Adair County, Kentucky

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Susannah Rolfes [send private message] and Melissa Rowan [send private message]

Biography

Guin (Guinn, Gwin, Gwinn) Bess Page was born on 5 July, 1854, in Kentucky, to Willis Page and "Nina" (Pernia) Reed Page (parents names are per his death certificate:^[1] . (Alternative birth of August, 1855 is found on several censuses.)

According to his daughter Maudie’s marriage license ^[2] and his daughter Lillie’s death certificate ^[3], his middle name was actually Bess, rather than Benjamin, as one might guess; according to a family tree compiled by Cordell Brown in the 1970s, his name was actually Labestos Page. I suspect that Bess (sometimes written as Best) may have been short for Labestos. I believe that, early in life, he went by Bess, but, later in life, he went by Guinn, which sounded too much like Ben, so was sometimes written that way.

He shows up as Guin B. or Guinn B. on some censuses and other legal documents, and as Bess on others, and as Gwin or Gwinn (with or without his middle initial) on still others.

His surname sometimes shows up erroneously as Gage or Paige.

There is no birth record under the name Guinn Bess Page, however, the day after his birth date, there are two birth records for Andrew Best Page. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FWJ5-QBD and https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FWVV-18N (Andrew's birth also appears in Sutton records in the collection for Adair County, Allen County, and Anderson County. Kenton County Public Library call number F353.59 K372v v.1.)

Guinn and Andrew were either twins, because they were born one day apart, or they were the same person, and somehow Guinn's birth record shows his name as Andrew by mistake. They do have practically the same middle name, which could either be evidence of their being twins, or of a mistake in his birth record. There is no birth record for Guinn, but there are two for Andrew (however, it isn't unusual for there to be 2 birth records for one individual in this era, duplicate records from two different collections). Without further evidence of Andrew's existence, it is safe to say that his birth records are correct for Guinn.

His father was born in Virginia, and his mother was born in Kentucky.

He had several brothers and sisters:

Martha W. Page b. 29 May 1850 in Kentucky (d. 6 July 6 1930 in Adair County, Kentucky);

Possibly a twin, Andrew Best Page, born 6 Jul 1854;

Lousarah or Lou Sarah Page, born 12 Aug 1856 (d. 30 June 1940 in Sparksville, Adair County, Kentucky);

Samuel Willis Page, born 17 May 1858;

Eliza Jane Page b. 18 Jun.1872, Adair County, Kentucky (d. 6 Aug. 1947 Columbia, Adair County, Kentucky);

Albert Page born abt. 1860 in Adair County, Kentucky;

Frank Wolford Page born 3 Feb 1862 in Adair County, Kentucky (d. 9 Jun 1959 in Adair County, Kentucky);

George B. Page born abt. 1864 in Adair County, Kentucky;

Druca A. or Drucy A. Page (probably Drucilia), born 5 Oct 1866 in Adair County, Kentucky (d. 05 Jun 1947 in Adair County, Kentucky);

(there is also a 38-year-old Lucy listed on the 1910 census as their daughter, along with 40-year-old Lousarah, but Lucy is probably Drucy; Drucy was actually 44 in 1910, and Lousarah was actually 54, so either the two women lied about their ages, or the census taker made a mistake).

Gwinn B. Page married Patrie Ann Stotts on 29 Mar 1875 in Adair County, Kentucky. ( https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9SQ-199H?mode=g&i=362&cc=1804888 ; https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F49B-MZN )

He remarried Sarah Margaret Martin 18 Jun 1878 in Adair County, Kentucky.

Their children were:
Lillie V. b. Apr. 26, 1879 (d. 20 Feb 1952 in Harmony, Adair County, Kentucky);
William Emery "Willie" b. 26, 1881 in Sparksville, Adair County, Kentucky (d. 12 Dec. 1961 in Lubbock, Lubbock County Texas,);
E.W. b. 1882;
Maude “Maudie” L. b.17 Apr 1885 in Adair Co, Kentucky (d. 19 Jan 1967 in Fayette, Kentucky);
Willis Elbert. b. 18 Oct. 1892 in Adair County, Kentucky (d. 30 Aug 1950 in Adair County, Kentucky, USA).
Noah E. b. 12 Sep. 1896 (d. 7 Apr. 1971 Adair County, Kentucky);
Nash born 1897;
Ruel D. b. 1 Jun 1900 (d. 4 April 1997 in Adair County, Kentucky).
All born in Kentucky (with the possible exception of Nash). There may be additional children born after 1897.
The list of children comes from a combination of census, marriage, death, and birth records (with some middle names and dates taken from headstones).

He lived with his parents and siblings in Adair County, Kentucky in 1860: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZBM-H2W

He lived with his parents and siblings in Adair County, Kentucky in 1870: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MX7F-YR9

(The 1880 census needs to be added.)

He lived with his wife, Sarah, and all of his children except for Lillie in Justice Precinct 1 (all northwest of r.r. excl. Stephenville city), Erath, Texas (per the 1900 census): (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3LB-1N6 ).

He lived in Fisher, Texas in 1910 with his wife, Sarah and three of their children: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2MJ-3X4

He lived in Adair County, Kentucky, by 1920, with his wife, Sarah: ( https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MH2C-JHX ).

(The 1930 census needs to be added.)

Sarah died 2 Jan 1933.

On 14 Mar 1934, he remarried Myrtie Brock in Adair County, Kentucky. She was the daughter of Effriam Scott.

He lived in Adair County, Kentucky in 1940, with his wife, Bertha. 1940 census: ( https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K75G-5F5 ).

He died 25 Feb 1942 in Sparksville, Adair County, Kentucky, and is buried in Antioch Cemetery, Sparksville, Adair County, Kentucky.

His headstone can be viewed here: https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=13745714

Speculations about his name:

Guin is French for the city of Düdingen, Switzerland.

Guin, Guinn, Gwin, and Gwinn are various spellings of a Welsh and Gaelic boys' name.

Guin is also an Irish surname; women sometimes named one of their sons after their maiden name, and it could become a first name that is passed down.

Labestos may be a Finnish name.

Labascus is an unincorporated community in Casey County, Kentucky, which borders Adair County. According to, "Kentucky Place Names," by Robert Rennick:

"Labascus, Casey County, on KY 501 six miles south of Liberty, an extinct post office, was named for its first postmaster, Labascus J. Minton. The post office was in service intermittently from November 7, 1882 until it closed in 1954.”

Perhaps the Page family knew Labascus Minton or someone else in his family, and the middle name Labestos was intended to be Labascus.

Pajari is an Eastern Finnish surname that may have been anglicized to Page.

Determining the right spelling is probably impossible. His birth record shows Andrew Best Page; the 1860 census has him as Best Page; the 1870 and 1900 censuses have him as Gwinn B; the 1900 and 1940 censuses have Guinn B; the 1900 census has Guin B; Kentucky Vital Record Indexes has him as Geinn B Page; his first marriage has him as Gwin B and Gwinn B, and all other documents have him either as G. B. or Bess.

Marriage of Willie: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4MF-7PJ
Marriage of Nash: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4MF-8JH
Marriage of E.W.: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKJM-B2M8

First marriage: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9SQ-199H?mode=g&i=362&cc=1804888 ; https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F49B-MZN )

Second marriage:

• https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4W6-CQV?from=lynx1&treeref=L2WX-7FH

• https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V5PF-S1V

• https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V5PF-S1D

Third marriage: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKJM-BTNZ

Death certificate of Guinn Bess Page: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N919-QYX

Kentucky Vital Record Indexes, 1911-1999 death record: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKHB-LQ45

Origin of the name Labascus: https://www.caseynews.net/content/wells-learning-how-labascus-got-its-name

Sources

1. ↑ https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N919-QY6
2. ↑ ( https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKJM-129F )
3. ↑ https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NSR3-XX5

• "Find a Grave," database with images, (Find A Grave: Memorial #13745714 : accessed 29 October 2022), Memorial page for Guinn la Bestos “Uncle Bess” Page (5 Jul 1854-25 Feb 1942), citing Antioch Cemetery, Sparksville, Adair County, Kentucky, USA; Maintained by Chester Campbell (contributor 47146998).