County of the Month: Madison County, Kentucky

In March of 1775, the Transylvania Company, under the leadership of Judge Richard Henderson and scout Daniel Boone, purchased a huge land tract that encompassed northern, central, and western Kentucky, from the Cherokee Indians at Sycamore Shoals on the Watauga River, in North Carolina. By May, the Transylvania colony and its capital - Boonesborough, located in Madison County - were formally established. However, the Virginia legislature, at that time the ruling force for Kentucky County, acted to nullify the company's right to the Kentucky lands by declaring that the titles purchased were invalid.

In 1779, a group of settlers petitioned the Virginia legislature for a charter to establish a town at Boonesborough. Shortly afterwards, a warehouse was built, and tobacco storage and inspection brought economic development to the area. In 1785, Madison County became the seventh county formed in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. It was named in honor of Virginia statesman and delegate to the Constitutional Convention James Madison, who eventually became President of the United States (1809-1817). Milford served as the county seat until 1798, when Virginia-born Revolutionary War veteran Col. John Miller donated fifty acres on Town Fork of Dreaming Creek. The town Richmond, named in honor of Miller's city of birth, was created by the legislature in 1798 and became the county seat.

Small communities also developed, such as Paint Lick (named for Indian signs painted on trees along creek banks and around the nearby salt lick), Union City, Crooksville, Kingston, Valley View, Baldwin and Kirksville. The small rural village of Bybee was settled in 1809 by a family of potters interested in the clay deposits found there. Berea, named for a biblical city, was established by Northern abolitionist, John G. Fee as a site for an interracial co-educational school, which focused upon equality of all women and men from "all nations and climes."

Source: Kentucky Encyclopedia

 

Madison County Trivia

The Clay Family

One of the most influential citizens in Madison County's early history was that of General Green Clay (2nd cousin to Henry Clay), who held many political offices, served in the Kentucky legislature, and led a troop of volunteers in the War of 1812. Clay used his political power to develop a vast empire that included 40,000 acres of Madison County farmland, gristmills, distilleries, taverns, tobacco, slaves, ferries, a tollroad, a resort and two large warehouses.

Cassius Clay, son of Green Clay, known as a staunch and outspoken abolitionist, gained fame for being attacked by Samuel M. Brown, reputed to be a hired assassin, who shot at Clay and in turn was severely wounded by Clay's bowie knife (a weapon that became part of Clay's colorful legend in Kentucky). Charged with mayhem, Clay was defended by Henry Clay and John Speed Smith and was acquitted on grounds of self-defense. Also as part of his abolitionist activities, C. Clay corresponded with abolitionist John G. Fee, invited him to Madison County, donated a ten-acre tract of land, and encouraged Fee to begin the church-school community that became Berea College.

Laura Clay, one of the most prominent women of Kentucky and suffrage leader, was born in 1849 at the White Hall estate, the Clay family's estate near Richmond, Kentucky. Raised into a highly political family, Laura was surrounded by the political activism of her father Cassius and grandfather, Green. As an officer in both the Women's Christian Temperance Union and the Kentucky Federation of Women's Clubs , Clay persuaded the groups to join the Kentucky Equal Rights Association in advocating additional benefits for women and children at the turn of the century. Her efforts secured legislation that provided for a women's dormitory at the University of Kentucky, established juvenile courts and detention homes, and raised the age of consent from twelve to sixteen years.

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Family History and Madison County Research Resources

Below are some resources for genealogists and researchers interested in the Madison County area.

County Clerk records

• Agency history
• Articles of incorporation books (indexed) – 1903-2002
• Administrator’s bonds books (indexed) – 1830-1977
• Committee’s bonds books (indexed) – 1956-1977
• Executor’s bonds books – 1830-1921
• List of executors and administrators book – 1859-1871
• Guardian’s bonds books (indexed) – 1839-1910, 1919-1936, and 1966-1977
• List of guardian’s book – 1852-1897
• Guardian report book – 1871-1897
• Trustee’s bonds book (indexed) – 1870-1926 and 1964-1977
• Constable bonds books (indexed) – 1853-1921
• Justice of the peace bonds books (indexed) – 1879-1947
• Minister’s bonds books – 1879-1927
• Sheriff’s bonds book (indexed) – 1893-1932
• Tavern keeper’s bonds book (indexed) – 1852-1898
• General cross index to deeds – 1787-1943
• General index to deeds – grantee – 1787-1971
• General index to deeds – grantor – 1787-1971
• General index to deeds, mortgages, etc. – 1971-1985
• Deed books – 1787-2002
• Land entries – 1780-1894
• Nonresident lands register – 1887-1902
• Reports of commissioners’ of division of land – 1880-1922
• Registers of candidates for nomination in primary election – 1912-1921 and 1927-1949
• Voter registration books – 1924-1935
• Indenture of apprenticeship bonds book (indexed) – 1866-1916
• Inventory, appraisement and sale bill books (indexed) – 1875-1978
• General cross indexes to marriages – 1787-1983
• Marriage bond books – 1786-1799, 1804-1830, and 1834-1866
• Marriage books (indexed) – 1855-2002
• Marriage books “colored” (indexed) – 1866-1872, 1875-1918, and 1920-1940
• Marriage registers “colored” – 1882-1914
• Marriage returns – 1792-1877
• Freedmen’s declaration of marriage (indexed) – 1866-1909
• Mechanics liens (indexed) – 1874-1917
• Medical registers (indexed) – 1888-1960
• Miscellaneous books – 1919-2002
• General cross indexes to mortgages – 1907-1971
• Mortgage books – 1875-2002
• Order books (indexed) – 1786-1977
• County Judge/Executive order books (indexed) – 1978-1993
• General index to real estate conveyances – grantee – 1989-1993
• General index to real estate conveyances – grantor – 1989-1993
• Record of encumbrance on real estate book – 1931-1944
• General indexes to recorded instruments – 1994-2000
• General index to recorded instruments – grantee – 1986-1989
• General index to recorded instruments – grantor – 1986-1989
• Road orders book (indexed) – 1845-1938
• General index to settlements – 1905-1984
• Administrator’s and executor’s settlement books (indexed) – 1875-1982
• Guardian’s settlement books (indexed) – 1875-1980
• Tax assessment books – 1787-1797, 1799-1809, 1811-1831, 1833-1837, 1841-1847, 1849-1855, 1861, 1864, 1867-1874, 1882, 1884, and 1886-1927
• Veteran’s discharge books (indexed) – 1918-1992
• Revolutionary War soldiers application for pension – 1817-1822
• General index to wills – 1787-1991
• Will books (indexed) – 1787-2002

Circuit Court records

• Agency history
• Guardian’s bonds book (indexed) – 1873-1875
• General index to civil and criminal cases – 1866-1977
• General index to civil and criminal cases – defendant – 1803-1865
• General index to civil and criminal cases – plaintiff – 1803-1865
• General indexes to civil cases – defendant – 1961-1965
• General indexes to civil cases – plaintiff – 1961-1965
• General index to criminal cases – 1966-1981
• Case files – 1790-1866
• Civil case files – 1866-1977
• Criminal case files – 1783-1836 and 1857-1977
• Master Commissioner’s reports books – 1912-1964
• Master Commissioner’s report books – financial (indexed) – 1884-1972
• Coroner’s inquests – 1802-1882
• Lunacy inquest books (indexed) – 1911-1970
• Idiot order book (indexed) – 1893-1925
• Judgment books (indexed) – 1851-1974
• Criminal judgment books (indexed) – 1874-1941
• Judgment by default books (indexed) – 1863-1882 and 1894-1928
• Judgment from inferior courts books (indexed) – 1866-1949 and 1956
• Order books (indexed) – 1805-1881
• Civil order books (indexed) – 1881-1977
• Criminal order books (indexed) – 1880-1977

Court of Common Pleas records

• General index to civil cases – defendant – 1849-1923
• General index to civil cases – plaintiff – 1832-1923
• Judgment book (indexed) – 1874-1892
• Judgment by default book (indexed) – 1874-1892
• Civil order books (indexed) – 1874-1892

Court of Quarter Sessions records

• General index to civil and criminal cases – defendant – 1789-1802
• General index to civil and criminal cases – plaintiff – 1789-1802
• Case files – 1789-1802
• Order books (indexed) – 1792-1804

Quarterly Court records

• Judgment book – 1884-1886
• Order books (indexed) – 1854-1867, 1871-1883, 1891-1935, 1951-1954, and 1973-1977
• Criminal order book (indexed) – 1942-1948

Fiscal Court records

• Minute books – 1898-1957
• Order books (indexed) – 1894-1990