[stewart download.FTW]
Notes for RICHARD WEST:
I. BIRTH AND EARLY YEARS
Richard West is the second youngest child of Unknown West and Isabel. Born 1764 near Louisa County, Virginia, Richard's early life has long been a mystery. After the sudden deaths of his parents, he was raised in the home of an aunt, Lucy Fike, in Orange County, North Carolina. Records reveal he spent much time with his younger brother Amos West and his friends, James and George Herndon (Giulvezan 15). Judging from his interaction with the Herndons, a prominent Virginia family, one could assume he lived close to Amos in Virginia (Rickman Letter Abstracts).
II. THE JOURNEY TO TENNESSEE AND KENTUCKY
Richard, along with Amos West and the Herndon family, made the overland trip to Kentucky between 1787 and 1789 (Giulvezan 15). Joy Ikelman believes Leonard West may have accompanied his brothers:
Leonard West left North Carolina for "the west" after his military service. His pension application indicates he left North Carolina about 1797, but it could be anywhere from 1785 to 1797. Leonard and his brother Amos may have come to Tennessee together prior to 1791.
One does find that "in the fall of 1792" Richard and Amos West "temporarily settled near Mr. Maulding's Spring." This was of course in Logan County, KY. (Giulvezan 15). According to J. J. Jepson, Richard apparently married on the trail or before leaving North Carolina (Giulvezan 3). Logan County records show his wife as Susanna (Smith Correspondence 1998):
LOGAN COUNTY, KENTUCKY: DEED BOOK E
Page 243 Indenture 3 Mar 1818 RICHARD WEST and SUSANNA WEST, one part, and JOHN WEST, other part (evidently child of Grantors), $4.00 pd and love & affection from a parent to a child, tract on Red river, being 40 acres, part of 2 tracts patented to sd Richard. Wit: JAMES WEST, JAMES STEEL.
Page 244 Indenture 23 Mar 1818 RICHARD WEST and wife SUSANNA WEST, one part, and JOHN WEST, other part, $6.00 pd, and for love of child, 300 acres, being part of 2 tracts patented to sd Richard, bineg on S side of Red river. Wit: As above. (Smith Correspondence 1998)
III. LIFE IN KENTUCKY
In 1795, Richard opened a mill on Spring Creek (Ikelman 15). Researchers have found little more than this. The later years of his life are just as vague as the beginning. Zoe Humphreys Smith, a devoted West researcher, discovered that Richard had two children, Richard Jr. and John:
LOGAN COUNTY, KENTUCKY: DEED BOOK D
Page 361 Indenture 11 April 1815 RICHARD WEST, Senr., one part, and RICHARD WEST, Junr., other part, for natural love and affection for his son, and for $13.00 pd, 250 acres on Red River, it being part of the following tracts, namely one of 200 acres surv for WILLIAM WEST, one of 148 acres patented to RICHARD WEST, the other 140 acres surv for sd West. Wit: JOHN WEST, JAMES VAUGHAN, JAMES NEELY.
LOGAN COUNTY, KENTUCKY: DEED BOOK E
WILLIAM BAKER, other part, $1600 pd. 250 acres on Red river, being part of 3 tracts deeded by his father RICHARD WEST, Senr. to said Richard West, Jr., beg cor of 200 acre sur made in name of Page 157 Indenture 7 Oct 1816 RICHARD WEST, Junior and wife MARGARET WEST, one part and WILLIAM WEST, tr also adj line of THOMAS HILL, and being mostly on N bank of sd river. (Correspondence 1998)
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, Richard
Acres: 148
Book: 2
Page: 40
Date Survey: 8- 2-1796
County: Logan
Watercourse: Fur 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, Richard
Acres: 200
Book: 2
Page: 38
Date Survey: 10- 2-1799
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, Richard
Acres: 140
Book: 16
Page: 171
Date Survey: 7- 6-1804
County: Logan
Watercourse: Red R