Week 1: My First Blog Post

I’ve been thinking about starting a blog for a while now. Mostly to share my genealogical discoveries with my family, but also to vent, maybe cause someone to smile or chuckle, and to generally amuse myself. 

I was inspired by Amy Johnson Crow’s “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks” challenge and thought it was time to get off my duff and do this! #52Ancestors

It will likely take me a while to find my “voice,” so bear with me on this journey.

The first ancestor I want to write about is my husband’s elusive 3rd great-grandfather, DAVID BATY. He may have been born in Kentucky. Likely born some time before 1787. And his parents names are lost to history (for now). He first shows up on ANY record when he marries Elizabeth Pickerill in 1808 in Mason County, Kentucky (Mason County is situated on the Ohio River). Where he was before that moment is anyone’s guess. OF COURSE, the 1790 and 1800 census records for Kentucky were burned (isn’t that always the way?). One can use the fabulous Kentucky tax records as a sort-of census “substitute,” but they don’t help in this case as David isn’t in them either until 1808. However, an Andrew “Beatty” is in the tax records in Mason in 1807 with 2 males (between 16 and 21) living with him. [Don’t fuss over the spelling of the name as many people those days were illiterate and couldn’t even write their own name, much less spell it.] So, this begs the question: was Andrew related to David? Was he David’s father, uncle, grandfather, or other male relative? Right now, I haven’t a clue, but you can be sure I WILL find out!

FYI, David was also a soldier in the War of 1812 serving in Colonel William Key’s Regiment of the Ohio Militia.