Jesse LEAR ²

  Research Notes:

I have included known Events involving Garrard Co., KY. Events after Jesse moved from Garrard are limited to census records. Debra Wiley has much more documented information about Jesse and his family. Anyone who is a descendant of Jesse would benefit immensely from contacting Debra. No one, I repeat no one, knows more about our Lears than Debra. She has been researching this family since she was a child and although her profession has forced her to the sidelines in recent years, she can still carry on a dialog about the Lears and Lairs of Garrard County as though they were her immediate family.

Note that for several of Jesse's and Elizabeth's children, the date of death is given in reference to 1872. This is because of the 1872 deed dividing Jesse's estate. Those who received shares are listed as dying after 1872 if no other date of death information is available. Those whose heirs received shares, or who did not share at all, are recorded as dying before 1872.
²

  Birth Notes:

Debra Wiley's records show two possible dates of birth: first, 14 Apr 1787, the source being a compilation of Rockcastle Co., KY cemetery records by Bonham and Hiatt; and second, 16 Sep 1787, the source being the family bible of Peter Cooper Lear.

  Death Notes:

Again, Debra shows alternative dates of death, with 1872 being from the aforementioned family bible and 1873 being from the aforementioned cemetery records.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Deed: 1806, Garrard County, Kentucky. ³

Dated 20 Oct 1806, Recorded 4 Apr 1807; Vol. C:257
John Lear to Jesse Lear, 50 pounds for 50 acres on waters of Back Ck. Adj. to Stout Brinzen's Spring Branch. Witnesses: George Simpson, William Lear and George Lear.

2. Tax List: 1807-1808, Garrard County, Kentucky. ⁴

1807 (7 Aug): Jesse Lair; 50 acres, water source Back C.; previously entered, surveyed and issued to J Craig; 1 white male 21+.

1808 (4 Jun): Jesse Lair; 50 acres, water source Back; 1 white male 21+; 2 mares/horses.

3. Deed: 1809, Garrard County, Kentucky. ³

Dated 16 Jan 1809, Recorded 22 Jun 1809, Vol. C:418
Jesse Lear and Betsey his wife to Benjamin Wyle, $200 for 50 acres on waters of Back Ck. Adj. to Stout Brinson's Spring Branch. Witnesses: Johnathan Finnels, William Wyle and David Lear.

[No further Garrard County records until 1814]

4. Census: 1810, Jessamine County, Kentucky. ⁵

Jesse Lear: 00100-10100

[No other records of Jessamine Co. have been researched.]

5. Tax List: 1814-1820, Garrard County, Kentucky. ⁴

1814: Jesse Lair; 87 acres, water source Back; 1 white male 21+; 2 mares/horses; $582 total value.

1815: Jesse Lair; 87 acres, water source Back; 1 white male 21+; 0 Blacks 16+, 3 total; 6 mares/horses; $583 total value.

1816: Jesse Lair; same.

1817: Jesse Lair; same.

1818: Jesse Lair; same.

1819: Jesse Lear; same.

1820: Jesse Lair; 87 acres, water source P. Lick; 1 white male 21+; 3 mares/horses; $1040 total value.

6. Census: 1820, Garrard County, Kentucky. ⁶

Jesse Lair: 310110-11010

7. Tax List: 1821-1824, Garrard County, Kentucky. ⁴

1821: Jesse Lair; same and also 39 acres, water source Sugar; 1 white male 21+; 3 mares/horses; $1397 total value.

1822: Jesse Lear; 127 acres, water source Sugar; 1 white male 21+; 4 mares/horses; $1290 total value.

1823: Jesse Lair; 127 acres.

1824: Jesse Lair; 124 acres, water source Sugar; 1 white male 21+; 3 mares/horses; $1440 total value.

[This is the end of the Garrard Tax List records transcribed by Debra Wiley.]

8. Deed: 1821, Garrard County, Kentucky. ⁷

Dated 19 Jun 1821, Recorded 19 Jun 1821; Vol. H:21
W. Jennings, Commissioner, Garrard County, per sale ordered in case of Joseph Dyer, guardian of infant heirs of John Loyd vs. all heirs of John Loyd, to Jesse Lair, $630 for 97 acres on waters of Sugar Ck. Adjoins land of Elijah Williams, James McFagion, Thomas Scott and Jesse Lair. Grant subject to dower rights of Hannah Loyd, widow, until death.

9. Deed: 1829, Garrard County, Kentucky. ⁷

Dated 17 Nov 1829, Recorded 18 Nov 1829. Vol. J:639
Jesse Lear and wife Betsey to John Alberson, $1175 for 165 1/2 acres on waters of Sugar Ck & Long Branch -- corner of Joshua Wiley. Grant subject to dower rights of Hannah Loyd.

10. Census: 1830, Garrard County, Kentucky. ⁸

Jesse Lair: 2221001-0010101

11. Deed: 1834, Garrard County, Kentucky. ⁹

Dated 18 Sep 1834, Recorded 18 Sep 1834, Vol. L:320
Jesse Lear and wife Elizabeth of Lincoln County to Johnothan O Bryant of Lincoln County, $106 for 50 acres on Sugar Ck. Adjacent to Henry Ware, Wm Clarke, John Bryant and Joseph T. Brown. Where Berry Scruggs now lives.

12. Deed: 1834, Garrard County, Kentucky. ⁹

Dated 19 Sep 1834, Recorded 19 Sep 1834, Vol. L:321
Jesse Lear and wife Elizabeth of Lincoln County to Elijah Williams of Garrard County, $187 for 27 1/2 acres on Sugar Ck. Bounded by Bryant, mouth of Mrs. Taylor on Spring Branch and McFadden's line.

[This deed, executed when Jesse and Elizabeth lived in Lincoln County, marks the end of their involvement in Garrard County. See Marriage Note for discussion that the grantee, Elijah Williams, may have been her father.]

13. Census: 1840, Lincoln County, Kentucky. ¹⁰

Jesse Lear: 112200001-00001001

14. Census: 1850, Rockcastle County, Kentucky. ¹¹

Dwelling 218, Family 218
Jesse Lair, 64, M, Farmer, $3000, VA
Elizabeth, 60, F, VA
Mason, 28, M, Farmer, KY
Wesley, 26, M, Farmer, KY
Robert, 22, M, House Carpenter, KY

15. Census: 1860, Rockcastle County, Kentucky. ¹²

Dwelling 524, Family 512
Jesse Lair, 74, M, Farmer, $7000/$700, VA
Elizabeth Lair, 70, F, VA
John Pierce, 22, M, Farmer, KY
Hesikeah Lair, 8, M, KY
Jesse H. Lair, 7, M, KY

16. Census: 1870, Rockcastle County, Kentucky. ¹³

Dwelling 168, Family 167
Lair, Jessee, 84, M, W, Farmer, $6000/$1000, VA
Lair, Hezekiah, 17, M, W, works on farm, KY
Lair, Angeline, 20, F, W, domestic servant, KY

Jesse married Elizabeth BROWN on 30 Jul 1806 in Garrard County, Kentucky.² (Elizabeth BROWN was born about 1790 in Virginia,² died on 21 Jun 1869 in Rockcastle County, Kentucky ² and was buried in John Moses Lear's Cemetery, Rockcastle County, Kentucky ².)

  Marriage Notes:

Jesse's consent note, dated 30 Jul 1806, was signed by William Lear, his father, and witnessed by Moses Lear, his brother. It says, "here by I certify that I am well pleased that my son Jesse and Elizabeth Brown should bejoind to gathe in wedlock".

[Many descendants list Jesse's full name as Jesse Moses Lear and even go further and suggest he is the Moses Lear in William's will and in other records. There is no known evidence to support this version of his name, so its origin is unknown. Perhaps this version of his name came about because of a misreading of Jesse's consent note. "Test", which signifies the person whose name follows was an attesting witness to the document, may have been read as "Jesse", so that the signature below that of William Lear was read as Jesse Moses Lear. Something to think about.]

Elizabeth's consent note, dated 30 Jul 1806, was signed by Elijah Williams and witnessed by Thomas Brown and either Clisha or Elisha H. Brown. It says, "I hereby certify that Elizabeth Brown is at liberty to marry Jesse Lear." Thomas Brown was the bondsman. Although Annie Walker Burns, a compiler of Garrard Co., KY marriages from 1796-1851 [FHL Film No. 851,646], and also the official log of marriage bonds for Garrard Co., KY [FHL 183,256], both identify Elizabeth's father as Elijah Williams, it appears he was her step-father. Per Elaine Gilmore <tnegilmore@lycos.com>, a Williams researcher, there is a Garrard Co., KY marriage record dated 23 Jul 1801 for Elijah Williams and Polly Brown. Thomas and Clisha/Elisha H. Brown were probably her brothers. [Note that the word "widow" was later entered after Elizabeth's name in the official log, which was probably some researcher's misguided attempt to explain why Elizabeth's surname was Brown instead of Williams.] ¹⁴

Jesse next married Amelia C. in 1870-1872.² (Amelia C. died after 1877 ².)