LOIS ASHERST

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THE STORY AS I KNOW IT

Lois Asher was born November 6, 1792 in Surrey County, North Carolina. Her parents were William Asherst and Mary McChesney. This information is from a biography of William Asher, born 1762, Halifax County, VA by Kitty Gessner and Gregory Watson. It was found at the Caldwell County, KY library.  The bio is 7 pages long.  With census and deed records it tracks the family as they first made their home in Augusta Va., his service during the Revolution and their move to Surry County NC where Lois was born, then on to Pendleton county SC by 1797. In 1807 William Asherst settled on 400 acres in Hopkins County Ky through a Land Grant.  Lois was then 15 years of age.  The story continues .....

We have a copy of a document by William W. Blackburn, written April 17, 1900 in Princeton Kentucky. He writes about his family. He states that the Asher family moved to Hopkins County Kentucky when his mother was five(fifteen) years old. "He lived there a few years and moved to this then Livingston County and located on Donaldson Creek near where Farmersville is located. He said his father, Zebulon was born in NC and moved with his family to Tenn. and lived their until 1814 when they moved to Livingston County on Donaldson Creek He completes by saying "he was the only son of parents against whom I never heard aught." That part of Livingston county became Caldwell County.

Lois married Zebulon Blackburn in Caldwell County on August 30, 1815. Gateway to the Jackson Purchase, by Eurie Pearl and Wilford Neel  has a chapter on Caldwell County and original Marriage Bonds with Parental Consent.  pg 111.  Security for the bond was held by David Baird, Consent to the marriage by William Ashurst.

 Both Zebulon Blackburn and William Asher were active in Donaldson Baptist Church, organized in 1823. William Asher donated the land for the church. Zebulon was Church Clerk from 1846 to1854. His son, William W Blackburn replaced him and served until 1865.

Lois and Zebulon had at least seven children:
1. Mary M. Blackburn, born 1816 wed Wiley E. Calvert
2. Sarah A.F. Blackburn, born 1818 wed Thomas Jones. She died 1847
3. Adelia Jane Blackburn, born 1821 wed Robert B. Patterson
4. William Washington Blackburn, born 1823 wed 1st Catherine Street, 2nd Martha M. Traylor
5. Nancy M. Blackburn, born about 1827 wed George R. McDowell
6. Elizabeth A. Blackburn, born 1829 died 1852
7. Lois Blackburn Jr., born 1831, died 1847

Births above are from the Caldwell County Cemetery Book. Marriages are listed in the Caldwell County Marriage Book. All birth date and marriages are listed in Blackburn Family History. Copies can be found at the Caldwell Library.

The 1850 Caldwell County Census confirms some names, dates and adds to family picture.

Zebulon Blackburn age 56
Lois Blackburn age 57
Nancy Blackburn age 22
Elizabeth A. age 19
Sarah A. F. Jones age 6 the children of Sarah and Thomas Jones
Mary J. T. Jones age 10.    Did Thomas die also?

Wiley E. Calvert age 38
Mary M Calvert age 34
Nathaniel Calvert age 33 must be Wiley’s brother
Sarah L. Calvert age 1

William W. Blackburn age 26
Katherine S. Blackburn age 27
Nancy E. Blackburn age 1
Katherine Street age 61 – mother-in-law

Lydia & Robert Patterson and Nancy .& George R. McDowell are not in the list.  Both of these families were on the 1870 Census in Franklin Illinois.  However, Nancy was not there.  The youngest child on the census was 4 years old.  So she must have died between 1866 and 1870.  So another young women died probably before she was 40. 

The Caldwell County 1860 Census Roll M654_359, page 134 gives us the family living in Farmersville
Zebulon Blackburn     age 67
Louisa Blackburn        age 68
Mary Jones                 age 18
Sarah Blackburn         age 14
J.T. Kent                     age 14

So some more puzzles,  Did Zebulon and Lois adopt Sarah Jones - so now shes Sarah Blackburn?  and who is J.T. Kent.

It seems a medical puzzle why 3, and then Nancy, of the 6 daughters died between the ages 23 – 29?   Type 1 diabetes was in the family in the 20th century.  Maybe back then.

Zebulon Blackburn died in Dec. 1863. Lois Asher Blackburn died just a few months later in Feb. 1864.They are both buried in Morse Cemetery near Farmersville KY.  and can be found on Find a Grave with all the dates given. . 

 

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Date created: 1/15/2001
Date edited 1/7/2016
Date edited 8/11/2016
Date edited 8/20/2019
Date edited 6/21/2024