Sarah HAMILTON ^{4 5 6}

   Another name for Sarah was Sally.

  Noted events in her life were:

1. Census: 1810, Wayne County, Kentucky. ⁹

Household of James Lear: Presumed to be the female age 26-45

2. Census: 1820, Wayne County, Kentucky. ¹⁰

Household of James Layer: Presumed to be the female age 26-44.

3. Deed: 1821, Wayne County, Kentucky. ⁴

Dated 29 Oct 1821, Recorded 4 Apr 1822, Bk C:318. James and Sally Lair were among the grantors of land that had been owned by Charles Hamilton, Dec'd, to the Trustees of The Methodist Episcopal Church. See Events under Hannah Henry Hamilton for details of this transaction.

4. Census: 1830, Wayne County, Kentucky. ¹¹

Household of James Layer: Presumed to be the female age 50-60.

5. Tax List: 1835-1839, Wayne County, Kentucky. ¹²

1835: Lear, Sarah; 248 acres, Beaver Creek; 1 horse/mare; $380

1836: Lear, Sarah; 248 acres, Beaver Creek; 1 horse/mare; $450

1837: Lear, Sarah; 248 acres, Beaver Creek, $300; 1 horse/mare, $50; $350 total

1838: Lair, Sarah; 1 female child 5-18; 248 acres, Beaver Creek, $300; 1 horse/mare, $40; $340 total

1839: Lear, Sarah; 1 horse/mare,$50

Note: 1839 is the last appearance by Sarah on the Tax Lists of Wayne County. Also, beginning in that year the Beaver Creek acreage that was originally taxed to James, then to Sarah after James' death, is taxed to son Charles.

6. Census: 1840, Johnson County, Indiana. ¹³

Sarah Lear: 0-000110001

During either the latter part of 1839 or early part of 1840, Sarah moved to Indiana, apparently to be near her brothers and sisters and her daughter Hannah Lair Fleenor of Brown Co., IN.

7. Census: 1850, Johnson County, Indiana. ⁸

Household of Joshua Whitaker: Sarah Layer, 70, F, NC

Hannah Hamilton Whitaker was Sarah's sister.

8. Census: 1860, Brown County, Indiana. ¹⁴

See discussion of 1860 household of Jacob Fleener for remote possibility Sarah was enumerated in their household.

Sarah married Rev. James LEAR, son of William LEAR and Unknown, about 14 Feb 1801 in Garrard County, Kentucky.^{1 2 3} (Rev. James LEAR was born about 1778 in Virginia,^{15 16} died about Sep 1834 in Wayne County, Kentucky ¹⁷ and was buried in Old Bethel Cemetery (probably), Wayne County, Kentucky.)

  Marriage Notes:

The official marriage book shows Bond No. 189 and the marriage license for James Lear and Sally Hamilton were dated 14 Feb 1801, but that there was no return to evidence the date of marriage. Bondsman was John Lear. Charles and Sally Hamilton were noted to have consented to the marriage of their daughter.

The consent note reads as follows: "February 13th, 1801. This is to certify that I Charles hambleton and Hannah Hambleton [Hannah Hambleton is crossed out] of the County of Garrard and State of Cantucky do consent that James Lear of the said County and state may marry my Daughter sally hambleton." It is signed by Charles Hamilton and Salley Hamilton, the latter by her mark. It was witnessed by David Walker and John Lear. It would appear that Hannah was not present to sign the note, which explains why her name was crossed out. Sally must have signed to signify her own consent. In recording the marriage in the official marriage book, the clerk mistakenly thought Sally was the mother.

This marriage consent note contains the only signature I know of for Charles Hamilton, although it does not appear to be entirely in his handwriting. "Charles" appears to have been written by the person who penned the note and "Hamilton" appears to have been written by Charles himself. It's almost as if the clerk expected Charles to sign by his mark and had started to write his name, when Charles stopped him and added his last name in his own handwriting. As signatures go, it is not the best specimen because the edge of the paper prevented the name from being written normally. The result is "Hamilt" with "on" being written right below. ^{1 2 3}