There is a viable project in the works which enables long distance, and
local, researchers to overcome brick walls and provide added documentation to
confirm lineage. This is the KY Vitals Project, and anyone who is not involved
should consider devoting a few minutes per week to assisting in imaging,
transcribing, or proofing the information.
Until recently I had no access physically to early Death Certificates in KY
- other than the KY Vitals Project, or a request to the KY Library. After
moving back to KY, I thought I would be hibernating in front of the microfilm
machines at the KY Library and engulfing myself into Allen Co documents, and
burning up the roads to Nashville, Carthage TN and Lafayette TN. That hasn't
happened. New Years Eve and Day, when everything was closed, I was able to
do follow up on a nephew's inquiry about his father's lineage via the KY
Vitals Project.
When possible, I try to research any collateral lines of the person I am
searching - brother's, sisters, inlaws, etc. So I jumped on
WorldConnect.com to
see if there was a posting that would give me an indication I may have had 2
men with the same name and age (William RENFRO) mixed up. I was startled to
see one posting for William Renfro, wife JUDITH (no surname), daughter the
same as I was searching, where the oldest daughter was given the middle name of
KIRBY -an unusual middle name and a non-existent surname for Hart Co KY. I
promptly sent an email to the poster requesting information on the origination
of Sarah Kirby Renfro Cook's middle name.
This was odd because in my mother's ancestry, Henry KIRBY died abt 1833
Smith Co TN, and in his will left JUDITH KIRBY RENFRO's share to her children.
I, and others, have always read this document as meaning she was deceased -
but the will does not specifically use the word Deceased as occurs in most
other wills when a generation is skipped in the division of estate.
While waiting for a reply from the WorldConnect user, I delved into a more
detailed study of the census records, information posted on the Hart Co KY
website, Barren Co KY website,
Ancestry.com, etc.
1. W.H.L. Renfro was b. in TN - Henry Kirby had Renfro neighbors in
Pittsylvania Co VA and both family's migrated to Union Co SC before moving into TN
&
KY.
2. Judith Renfro was b.abt 1793 VA - as was Henry Kirby's Judith.
3. W.H.L & Judith Renfro's oldest 3 children were born in AL - where at
least one of Henry's Kirby's son's had migrated.
4. Henry Kirby's daughter-in-law was Nancy 'Ann' Brown Kirby, who's father
and siblings settled in Hardin, Hart & Larue Co KY. Frederick Brown named
daughter Ann KIRBY in his 1812 Hardin Co KY will - again an unusual name for that
county.
It would not be too much of a stretch to conclude that the Renfro's followed
their "connected by marriage" relatives from VA to SC to TN, and then into
KY. There were just too many coincidence's adding up.
After finally determining the married names of Sarah Kirby Renfro Cook's
(her family migrated to MO) sisters, I navigated the KY Vitals Project. All the
Renfro brothers were deceased before 1911, the year KY began keeping Death
Certificates. But all 3 of Sarah's sisters died in Hart Co KY between
1913-1916 - and the combination of the 3 verified the name of the mother as JUDITH
KIRBY.
I am still waiting for information from Sarah Kirby Renfro Cook's descendant
for additional verification, and need to look for more records, but all
indications are this is the correct person. But without the KY Vitals Project we
would probably still be looking for, or ignoring, Henry Kirby's daughter
Judith Renfro.
Moral to the story:
It pays to research your ancestral collateral lines - in this case my
brother-in-law is most likely a 6th cousin to my mother.
Many thanks to Shari and Sherry and all the volunteers who support the KY
Vitals Project.
Sharon Tabor
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