This page is for sources of information and also for explaining the reasoning behind certain choices. In writing this web site I have had to make choices about where to place people, what information to include and what to reject. I don't claim to be the final authority on anything. I merely want to present what I believe to the best of my knowledge. Since I want the data here presented to be as accurate as possible I have chosen to present opposing viewpoints, alternate possibilities, and allow you as the reader to decide what to believe or at least to be aware when something is uncertain so that you can do further research.

There are instances where I just don't know yet about the accuracy of a certain piece of information and I have chosen to share that uncertainty with you rather than to give you false information. For this reason I am hoping that everyone will read the references when one is indicated for a particular name.
 
 

1) Certain Asher researchers say that Dillion Asher Jr. died at the age of sixteen. This they say is a traditional family story. And they state the fact that Dillion Jr. was not mentioned in his father's will although he was supposedly his father's "favorite." The confusion comes in because there have been many Dillion Ashers in the history of Eastern Kentucky. In the first Clay county census there were two, one of whom owned slaves, the other was our Dillion the toll gate keeper. In the second Clay county census there were three Dillion Ashers. One of whom was called Dillion Asher Jr. and he was listed right next to our Dillion Asher. If this Dillion Jr. was Dillion's son and not his nephew (which is also a possibility) then he didn't die at age 16. If he was a nephew then the term "Jr." was used differently then than it is now. Dillion did have a son named Dillion Jr. When he was born and when he died is something I don't know the answer to yet.

In 1830 Dillion Jr. was already the head of his own household, and in the 1840 Clay county census he is listed again with some of Dillion's children listed next to him. It is possible that he died prior to Dillion Sr. possibly between 1840 and 1844 since he doesn't appear again in the 1850 census.

Census information for Dillion Jr. is: 1820 census: 2 m under 10, himself and wife were between 16 and 26. 1830 census: 3 m under 5, 2 m 5-10, 1 m 10-15, 1 f 5-10, himself and wife between 30 and 40. 1840 census: 2 m 10-15, 3 m 15-20, 1 m 20-30, 1 f under 5, 1 f 5-10, himself and wife between 40 and 50.
 

2) The Fee family information was taken from a book called "A History of the Fee Family" by Col Ralph A. Pearson. I have much more extensive information than I have included here about other lines, and stories about this line. The book was created as a work in progress and as it evolved more information became available and earlier information became understood to be incorrect. I have tried to give the most correct information, but the book is confusing and I may have made errors. I have not researched this line myself and can only vouch for Lavinia Fee on downward.  The Fee family is decended from a Scottish Clan which originated on an island off the coast of Western Scotland.  This next link will take you away from this website.  Clan Macphie
 

3) The following information transmitted to me by Christine McCormick <mac5@erols.com> It is a copy of the will of John Asher Jr. of Culpeper Co. VA. Let me make it clear (again) for those of you who have only read the reference section that there is no direct proof (as of yet) that we descend from this John Asher Jr. John Asher Jr. had two son's named William. His father, John Sr. also had a son named William. As time goes on I have become more convinced that John Jr. was more likely a brother to William Asher (father of William Asher who married Peggy Blevins) rather than his father. There are several possibilities here. There is a branch of the Asher family who migrated into western Kentucky who claim to descend from a William Asher and Anna Bartlett. They believe that John Jr's son was their ancestor. If this is true, then our William could not be the same individual. There is also evidence that there was a William, son of William Asher living in the area of the Holstein River.

This is the Will of John Asher Jr:

"Will Book D, Culpeper CO. VA;pg 217-8 & St. Mark Parish. Probated Jun 18, 1798. In the name of God, Amen. I John Asher of the county of Culpeper and Parish of St Mark, being of sound mind and memory and calling to mind the uncertainty of this life do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following:

"First and principally, I commend my soul to Almighty God. As to my worldly goods, it hath pleased God to bestow on me, I give and bequeath in the following manner:

"I lend unto my beloved wife Elizabeth, 100 acres of the land whereon I now live to be so laid out at the south end of my tract. It shall include my personal dwelling house. One negro boy named Bartlett, one horse, 2 cattle (of the average value of my others), 1/2 my present stock of hogs for the support of my 5 youngest children. 2 beds and furniture and the remainder of household goods, except the balance of my beds, for and during her widowhood or natural life and at her decease to be disposed of by my executors as is hereafter directed for the disposition of my other property.

"I give and bequeath unto my son William Asher's heirs my best wishes for their happiness and prosperity and no more, he having received in his lifetime an equivalent to my other children's portion of what I now possess.

"I give and bequeath unto my children hereafter named, viz: Mary BRANDON; Sarah TRUSSELL; Susannah TRUSSELL; Rachel KENNARD; Mildred BRYAN; Nelly Asher's son, Waller ASHER; Charles ASHER; Letty BRYAN; Nancy MITCHELL; Frances ASHER; John ASHER; William ASHER; (by my second wife) Elizabeth ASHER, Rebecca ASHER; and Nerraway ASHER and their heirs forever all my estate both real and personal to be equally divided amongst them, their heirs and assigns as soon as may conveniently be after my decease (except that part of my estate lent to my wife) which is to be disposd of in like manner at her death.

"Lastly, I do hereby constitute and appoint my trusty friends George KENARD, Ruben PORCH and Mitchell PORCH and my son Charles ASHER, executors to this my last will and testament, hereby revoking and disannuling all former will or wills by me made. In testimony of the above I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 28th day of Sep in the year of our Lord 1796. Signed, sealed and acknowledged John Asher in the presence of R. LATHAM, Jr, James FARRIOTT, Thomas CHISHAM. Probated and recorded Jun 18, 1798 in Culpeper Co. VA

"This last will and testament of John Asher, decd, was exhibited to the court by Rueben Porch Mitchell, 2 of the executors therein named and was proved by the oaths of Robert LATHAM Jr, James GARRIOTT, and Thos CHISHAM, witnesses thereto, and ordered to be recorded. And on the motion of the said executors certificate is granted them for obtaining probate thereof in due form, they having made oath thereto and given bond and security according to law. George KENNARD, the other executor named in said will came into court and refused to take upon himself the burthen of the execution thereof. test: John Jameson, court clerk.

"In obedience to an order of the county court of Culpeper bearing date, the __ day of 1798, we the subscribers therein named have this day appraised and hereto annexed a true and perfect inventory of all goods and chattles of John Asher, decd, which presented to us,, Viz:

"Negro Hannah $50

Negro Harry $250 about 16 years of age

Negro Sally $200 about 14 years of age

Negro Bartlett $200 about 12 years of age

Negro Jinny $133 about 10 years of age

Negro Thomas $150 about 8 years of age

Negro Mildred $100 about 5 years of age

Negro Armistead $60 about 1 year

"Bay mare with a lazed face, about 7 years old $40

Bay mare with her Sorrell Cold (very old) $20

Black cow with white back & face & her calf $16.66 2/3 cents

Brindled cow & calf $20

Black cow w/o horns & yearling and bell $20

Red pied cow & yearling $16.66 2/3 cents

Brown Cow $13.33 1/3

6 sheep $16

"1 bed bedstead & furniture $20

1 bed bedstead & furniture $25

1 bed bedstead & furniture $10

1 blue chest $3

1 plain chest $1

1 pine table & 1 walnut $1

1 old chest 50 cents

one mare's saddle $5

3 narrow axes $3

1 cooper's axe $1

5 culling hoes $1.66 2/3

1 frace .50

2 augers .08 1/3 cts

1 wedge .05

2 ploughs, stocks & clevis irons $3.00

1 cross cut saw $1

1 hand saw .50

1 jool adze .75

1 bell .50

"1 loom $3.00

1 slay .50

1 cotton wheel 2.00

1 pewter dish, 6 plates, 2 carow 5.00

1 iron poll & dutch oven 2.00

1 iron ladle, spoon & griddle 1.00

2 flat irons .50

"Total 1,384.75

"Witnessed our hands this 13th day of July in the year of our Lord 1798 Rt. LATHAM, Jr; Robert B. LONG, John WALLIS At a court continued and held for Culpeper Co. the 17th day of July 1798

"This inventory of the estate of John Asher, decd, was returned into court and ordered to be recorded. Recorded in Will Book D; pg 221-222 Culpeper Co. VA"

Another Asher researcher sent me some data he had collected from various sources regarding the John Asher's of Culpeper. The data is somewhat confusing because there is no mention of Jr. or Sr , so one must guess which John is being referred to. But among those records was a christening record of a William born in the early 1700s, also a Dianna (I believe that was her name) born to John Asher. Also in these records was evidence that John Asher Jr. was not always a slave owner, but obtained the slaves within his household as payment of a debt owed him by a neighbor. The timing of that payment indicated to me that Hannah's younger children were born within John Asher Jr.'s household and therefore may have been named by him. The name "Bartlett" is significant because of Anna Bartlett mentioned earlier. The name "Armistead" is also significant. Within our branch of the Blevins family there are many with the first name of "Armistead" indicating that perhaps they were named for a family member, (or perhaps a local hero). The naming of the young slave "Armistead" indicates to me that perhaps there is a connection between John Asher Jr, and William and Peggy Blevins Asher, although what that connection is, remains uncertain.

4)Information on the Sizemore family was sent to me by Kenneth Maggard kam@randomc.com Any mistakes in the data entry are strictly my own :)

5) Information about the Bowling family was taken from Ruth Lewis and John Sullivan RLTJPS@aol.com I take credit for data entry mistakes.

6)Information regarding the Knuckles family was submitted to me by Gloria Knuckles Compton

7)Information for page 42 (part of it) was submitted by Don Knuckles dknuckles@knuckles.net, rest was from the census record of Harlan Co. 1850

8) The information about Jenny Asher was found at (off-site link) http://home1.gte.net/tj46405/fam00001.htm I have no proof other than circumstantial evidence that this is a daughter of William Asher and Peggy Blevins. Because of where she was married (in Grainger County Tenn) and because of the dates involved, I don't see how she could be anyone else's daughter. William and Peggy lived near Bean Station which is located in Grainger Co. Tenn, and William is reported to have died in the Holston River which runs right through the heart of that area. I had never heard of Jane or Jenny Asher before speaking with Barry Collett, but if this information is true this ties the Colletts in with the Ashers separately from when Dillion mated with the Collett sisters (pages 5 and 6).

9) Information on the Clinton Brice family and descendants was submitted to me by Cindy Brice and linked into my family by information transmitted to me in 1974 by my Aunt Velvie Asher Johnson as I sat on her front porch and took notes about my cousins and kin. I was eighteen years old at the time.

10) Email of John P. Sullivan dated Mar 8, 1999 "Sherry, Date of marriage between Arrah & Pharris was 1 MAY 1815; Data of EMILY Roberts: born 1839-d.1895 at Weatherford,Texas Married __,__,___, William Martin Lewis born 1834 Perry Co.(now Leslie Co.)at Hyden, KY. Died 1916 Weatherford,Texas. They are both buried in FONDREN Cem. at Weatherford,TX They have 11 children. Wm.Martin Lewis and Emily traveled to Texas with James(Rebel Jim)Lewis III [his father) in Conastoga Wagons in summer of 1865. His mother was Nancy McIntosh 1811KY first born dau. of Roderick McIntosh 1775 Scotland-1879 Hyden, Ky. (Leslie Co.)age 104 plus days. Nancy died after 2 months of Malaria and is buried in the 'old' original Authon,Texas Cem.Wm.Martin Lewis was the first to marry and join the Confederate Army. He spent most of the war captured and in the Chicago prison of the Union army. ALL their children were born in Texas. Several children and their family are buried in the prestigious Union Hill Cem., 5 miles North of Mineral Springs,TX.
John in CA

11) Information on this family and their descendants was sent to me by Sandy Posten ibew145tonyp@webtv.net (Tony & Sandy Posten)

12) Information about Pharris Roberts (his parents names) came from Jess Wilson of Kentucky with the proviso "so I have been led to believe."

13) Much (though not all) of this page was taken from a sheet put together by Mary Rose Asher Travillian who is a descendant of John Asher son of William and Peggy Blevins Asher. The sheet contains known errors, so I cannot vouch for the accuracy of all of her data.

14) Information for page 69 taken from Leslie census 1880 and from information supplied by Louise Bain (ABain39123@aol.com) whose husband descended from Dillion Asher and Hettie Helton. (page 70 also)

15) Information regarding Henry Asher family was submitted to me by Wanda O'Bryan cacjac@futureone.com,

16)Years ago I received in the mail from my Aunt Johnnie a photocopy of part of a book on the Asher family. I don't know who put the book together, although I believe that it was someone from the TJ Asher family. In it was mentioned a Samuel Lane who married Sallie Asher. I recently received the information regarding Samuel and Sallie's descendants from Sondra J. Ellis Spangler (sarand@wesnet.com) who says that "a lot of the information I have on Samuel B. Lane and Sarah "Sallie" Asher was passed down from family members. They felt sure that John Lee Lane's parents were Samuel B. Lane and Sarah. They also felt the middle initial B. for Samuel was for a surname Begley. I do not have any document stating that John Lee Lane is the son of Samuel B. and Sarah "Sallie" Asher Lane. I have included the sources of circumstantial evidence that leads me to believe that the family stories are correct. The difficult part is that there were two John Lanes in the area where Samuel B. was living. I would love to prove that John named in Samuel's Will is my John Lee Lane who moved to Pulaski County, Kentucky before Samuel B. died."

17) Margaret's maiden name was Knuckles as seen by this off site website link.

18) The Last Will of Dillian Asher - Deceased

"I, Dillian Asher, of Clay County, State of Kentucky, knowing the uncertainty of life, and being desirous of making a distribution of my estate, amongst my children (some of whom are illigitmate) upon equitable and just principles, deeming myself under obligations to provide for all entertaining their feeling, I do hereby make this my last will and testiment. That my body be
decently buried and my funeral expenses paid. All my just debts which are few, to be paid. It is my will and desire that my lawful wife at the time of my decease, shall have one third of my real estate during her natural life and such part of my personal estate as is allowed by and after this request. It is my wish and desire that all the residue of my property whether real or personal, be
equally and justly divided between the following persons, who are my children; towit, William B. Asher, Orrah Roberts, Robert Asher, John Asher, Peggy Farmer, Elizabeth Asher, they being the children of my lawful wife, and also I make the following named children of Sally Davis my equal heirs, believing them to be my children, Polly Amis, Wilkerson Asher, Jackson Asher, James Farmer Asher, Chester Asher, and it is further my will and desire that all the above named persons who may be of age at the time of my decease, may have if they choose to take it, whatever portion of the personal property that may be coming to them at valuation, and the residue of the property sold and its proceeds divided equally amongst the children who are not of
age, but it is understood all the parts are to be equal.

I do appoint George Stivers and James Love executors to this, my last will in full confidence that they will do equal justice to all my children, and carry into effect its true intent and meaning.

In testimony whereof I have hereinto set my hand and seal this 8th day of November - 1830. Dillian Asher.

C. W. White
R. Russell

Signed and sealed in our presence.

State of Kentucky
Clay County Sct.

I, William Woodcock, Clerk of the County Court aforesaid, certify that the foregoing, purported to be the last will and testament of Dillian Asher, dec'd, was produced to the Court at this October term thereof - 1844, and proved by Richard Russell, one of the subscribing witnesses thereto, which was ordered to be recorded, whereupon the same, together with the
foregoing certificate have been duly admitted to record in my office.

Given under my hand this 28th day of December, 1844.

Att. William Woodcock, Clk."

19) Information regarding the Brocks and Blantons was obtained from the following website (http://edenfield.org/dbase/dbase11/atc00010.htm#4 ) and from correspondance with various people. I haven't done the research myself, am not sure how well verified the data is, and do not guarantee its accuracy.

20) Some of this information (primarily dates and spouses) was obtained from an email by Kelly Blizzard Kellygirl3398@mpinet.net she says that her sources are "Harlan Connections", "1850 Harlan Census" and "1870 Bell Census." Other parts were from my own research through various census records. Information about the parents of the Slushers (Phillip, John and William, John Gilbert and their wives) came from data given to me by Danny Johnson mdjohnson@kih.net

21) Information regarding the Morgan and Napier families was shared with me by Astor Johnson. My thanks to him for his collection.

22) Cousin Barry Collett asked me recently where I believed Dillion Asher was born. He was trying to use the 1880 census information given by Dillion's children as evidence, but each child told a different story. I did a little research and sent Barry to a couple of different web sites This first one Pittsylvania County Titheables list mentions many family names that those of us doing research in eastern Kentucky have become familiar with: the Bowlin(g)s, the Blevins, the Roberts, the Beans, the Greens. There are even a few "Dillen" familiies that make me pause and wonder if our Dillion might have been named for one of them. Also there are some "Colley" families. Might this be a different spelling for the family now called "Collett?" Within this list is found one "William Ashart" listed in close proximity to the Blevins families including one Dillion Blevins. This list in Pittsylvania County was made in the year 1767. Our Dillion Asher wasn't born until 1777, ten years later. Somewhere between this time, William Asher migrated to an area now located in Tennessee, which was originally called the "Wautagua settlements" later became part of North Carolina (Washington County) and even later splitting into many different counties of Tennessee. Goodspeed's History of Washington County Tennessee In this second link our William Asher is mentioned as having served on the first grand jury at Charles Robertson's home in the year 1778. Dillion would have been one year old at this time, so my conclusion is that depending on when the family migrated to the area around the Holstein River (where William later drowned) that would determine where Dillion was born. My conclusion was that he was born in what is now Tennessee and was then called the "Wautagua Association".

23) Jesse Brice is our mystery man. Many hours have been spent trying to uncover more information about him. He seems to have been an illegetimate son of Dicy Taylor, who his father was we don't know (but are anxious to learn). He took the name Brice sometime in adulthood, and there is a family of Brices in the area of Tennessee (Hawkins county) where he was stated for one census record that he was born. To learn more of this family go to the following link: Jessie Brice research this is a document that my two second cousins and I wrote.