James WEST
Birth:
1756
Prob. Hanover/ Louisa County, Virginia
Death:
1811
Logan, Kentucky
Marriage:
9 Feb 1808
Logan, Kentucky
Father:
Mother:
Notes:
[stewart download.FTW]
Notes for JAMES WEST:
I. BIRTH AND EARLY YEARS
James West, born 1756, is the second oldest child among the six West siblings.
His exact place of birth is unknown, yet the consensus among researchers is the location was either Granville County, North Carolina or Virginia (Beauvais Correspondence 1998). Like his younger brother Richard West, the early years of his life are largely undocumented. After the deaths of his parents he and his brother William, being of sufficient age, braved the world as young adults and began lives of their own. The remaining children were cared for by their loving aunt, Lucy Fike.
After the outbreak of the American Revolution, James enlisted in the Engineer Corp (Giulvezan 2). The actual regiment or colony for which he served is unknown. It is conceivable, however, that he fought in the Virginia or North Carolina armies.
II. A PIONEERING SPIRIT
From the few records discovered, one can infer that James West was a skilled surveyor and frontiersman. In 1780 he was commissioned to help survey Walker's Line, the Virginia/North Carolina border, and was among the earliest group of land surveyors on the western fontier (Giulvezan 2). He was presumably a colleague of Isaac Bledsoe, an eminent Tennessee explorer. Evidence of his expeditions West formerly existed on old beech tree near Logan County, Kentucky. Rev. Edward Coffman records:
A large beech tree about three feet in diameter was standing on the banks of the Red River, near Adairville, with many names cut on it. Apparently, most of the names were illegible by that time, but on a nearby tree were cut the names of James West, Isaac Bledsoe, 3-11-1780." This was still standing in 1859. (Ikelman 13).
Shortly after 1780, James became the first of this West family to settle along the Red River in present-day Logan County and Simpson County, Kentucky (Ikelman 13). These early times were filled with great turbulence as Indian raids and skirmishes were frequent in this area. James undoubtedly faced many hardships. Simply traveling in this area could be dangerous, one's only refuge being the scattered forts on the Tennessee/Kentucky border (Ikelman 5). James
later received a land patent to purchase land on Wolsey's Creek, August 31, 1799. On February 9, 1808, he was married to his only recorded wife, Susanna Morgan, a probable relative of Phoebe Morgan, Leonard West's wife (Beauvais Correspondence 1998).
III. THE FINAL YEARS OF JAMES WEST
According to some beliefs James is said to have fathered a Matthew West and an unidentified James West. In the 1810 Census, all other Wests listed have been acounted for except for the aforementioned names (Ikelman 13). If they are truly his sons, than it is higly plausable that Susanna was his second wife and the children were born unto the first. It is equally likely that Matthew is an unlisted brother of James, for as early as 1810 he owned property in Logan County (Smith Correspondence 1998).
LOGAN COUNTY, KENTUCKY WILL BK. A, p. 223
Logan County Sect. March Term 1812
Agreeable to the order of the worshipful county court of Logan appointing us companies to settle with Susanna West Adm of James West dec'd - we make the following report - that said Susanna is entitled to a credit for - Eight dollars 25 cents paid William Edward as per his deed? rendered - also for the sum of two dollars and 83 cents ?? paid an account of a note given her by James West and William West - also for the sum of Fifty dollars paid Lucy Fike an account of a note given her by James West and Matthew West - making in the whole sixty one dollars and 8 cents - given under our hands and seals this 16th day of March 1812.
Richard Wilson?
Robert Ewing
Logan County Sect. March Term 1812
THE KENTUCKY LAND GRANTS by William Rouse Jollson, Published by Folson
Club Publications, Louisville, Kentucky - 1925
THE KENTUCKY LAND GRANTS
Volume 1
Part 1
CHAPTER IV GRANTS SOUTH OF GREEN RIVER (1797-1866)
THE COUNTIES OF KENTUCKY
page 430
Grantee: West, James
Acres: 100
Book: 1
Page: 486
Date Survey: 8- 2-1796
County: Logan
Watercourse: N Fk Red R
THE KENTUCKY LAND GRANTS
Volume 1
Part 1
CHAPTER IV GRANTS SOUTH OF GREEN RIVER (1797-1866)
THE COUNTIES OF KENTUCKY
page 430
Grantee: West, James
Acres: 50
Book: 9
Page: 400
Date Survey: 5-30-1804
County: Logan
Watercourse: N Fk Red R
THE KENTUCKY LAND GRANTS
Volume 1
Part 1
CHAPTER IV GRANTS SOUTH OF GREEN RIVER (1797-1866)
THE COUNTIES OF KENTUCKY
page 430
Grantee: West, James
Acres: 100
Book: 9
Page: 401
Date Survey: 7-10-1804
County: Logan
Watercourse: N Fk Red R
THE KENTUCKY LAND GRANTS
Volume 1
Part 1
CHAPTER IV GRANTS SOUTH OF GREEN RIVER (1797-1866)
THE COUNTIES OF KENTUCKY
page 430
Grantee: West, James
Acres: 400
Book: 11
Page: 194
Date Survey: 3- 1-1810
County: Logan
Watercourse: Red R
THE KENTUCKY LAND GRANTS
Volume 1
Part 1
CHAPTER VI KENTUCKY LAND WARRANTS (1816-1873)
THE COUNTIES OF KENTUCKY
page 763
Grantee: West, James
Acres: 11
Book: D
Page: 120
Date Survey: 2-24-1818
County: Logan
Watercourse: Red R
THE KENTUCKY LAND GRANTS
Volume 1
Part 1
CHAPTER IV GRANTS SOUTH OF GREEN RIVER (1797-1866)
THE COUNTIES OF KENTUCKY
page 431
Grantee: West, James
Acres: 100
Book: 27
Page: 350
Date Survey: 10-19-1826
County: Logan
Watercourse: N Fk Red R
Blocked
Birth:
Father:
Blocked
Mother:
Blocked
Children
Marriage
No Children Recorded
FamilyCentral Network
James West - Blocked
James West
was born at Prob. Hanover/ Louisa County, Virginia 1756.
His parents were Mr. West and Mrs. Isabel West.
He married Blocked 9 Feb 1808 at Logan, Kentucky .
James West died 1811 at Logan, Kentucky .