Most of the time when I write a post I start with a man’s name.  Men were the dominant sex in the early days of our country, women taking a little more time to have the rights that men enjoy – voting, buying property, working away from home, etc.  Sometimes it is just nice to see things from a woman’s point of view, even in years gone by.

My search took me to Calloway County, Kentucky, to a small cemetery Ritchey and I visited in March of 2019 on our trip to western Kentucky – Asbury Cemetery.  This cemetery is supposed to be haunted, many citizens of the county having experienced eerie happenings while visiting this cemetery.  Even our waitress said she would never visit and we probably shouldn’t go.  Naturally it didn’t stop us. To read more about this haunted cemetery visit Unusual Sights.

Looking through my photos today I came upon that of the gravestone of Lucy Cerilda Spann Scott, 1861-1937.  From the 1870 census for Calloway County, Lucy is living with her parents and siblings:

• Spann, James Carson      53 farmer TN
• Spann, Sarah                    47               KY
• Spann, Martha                 20
• Spann, Sarah J.                  17
• Spann, Susan                     15
• Spann, Harriett                  14                TN
• Spann, Almira                    12
• Spann, Rella                        10 f
• Spann, Lucy                          8
• Spann, Ann E.                       6
• Spann, James                       4
• Spann, Eliza J.                    6/12

Two more children were born in the next 10 years – Richard H., born 1872, and Charles Henry, born 1875.

Lucy C. Spann married John Perry Scott about 1891 – the 1900 census says they were married 9 years in 1900.  Lucy has given birth to four children, three have survived.  The census is as follows:

• Scott, John P.                   42 farmer
• Scott, Lucy                        39
• Scott, Walter H.              15
• Scott, Lloyd E.                  12
• Scott, James H.                 8
• Scott, Virginia L.                3
• Scott, Timothy M.            1

Check the ages of the older sons – Lucy could not be their mother; evidently these are sons by a former marriage. 

John Perry Scott was the son of John Perry Scott, Sr., and Eveline C. Rhea.  In the 1860 census for Calloway County, we find the following:

• Scott, John P.                   40 farmer TN
• Scott, Eveline                  36  KY
• Scott, Martha J.              10                           married Joel Henderson Mathis
• Scott, W. J.                         8 m
• Scott, Nancy                      6
• Scott, John P.                     3
• Robert M.                           1

A daughter Mary was born in 1865.

John Perry Scott’s first wife was Martha Ellen McCallon.  She died in November 1889.

John Perry Scott’s father died March 19, 1892. 

Will of John Perry Scott, Sr.

Will Book D, Pages 78-79

State of Kentucky, Calloway County.

In the name of God, amen.

I, John P. Scott, of the county and state aforesaid, calling to mind the uncertainty of life and being desirous of arranging all my earthly matters and disposing of such worldly goods as God has blessed me with, being now sick but of sound mind and disposing memory, I now make and ordain the following as my last will and testament in words and figures as follows, to wit:

First.  That all my just debts and funeral expenses be paid after my death.

Second.  I give and bequeath unto my daughter, Mary A. Robertson, my young mule.

Third.  I desire that all my perishable property be sold and after just debts and funeral expenses are paid that out of the balance that five dollars be paid to each of my four several grandchildren, viz:  Cordelia Jones, nee Mathis, Oliver and Denton Mathis [these three children of oldest daughter Martha J. Scott Mathis, deceased by 1892] and Landy Hargrove, and the balance, if any be, equally divided between my four children W. J. Scott, J. P. Scott, R. M. Scott and Mary A. Robertson.

Fourth.  I give and bequeath to my several children, namely, W. J. Scott, J. P. Scott, R. M. Scott and Mary A. Robertson, my homestead tract of land consisting of eighty acres, also twenty acres that comes with homestead on south west corner to be equally divided between them.

Fifth.  I hereby appoint S. D. Broach as my executor to carry out this my last will and testament, hereby revoking all other wills heretofore made.

Given under my hand this February 11, 1892.

                            J. P. Scott, Sr.

Attest, N. A. Hurt, R. P. Anderson, G. M. Holland

State of Kentucky, Calloway County,

I, Galen Miller, Clerk of the Calloway County Court, do certify that the foregoing instrument of writing purporting to be the last will and testament of J. P. Scott, Sr., deceased, was at a regular term of said court held in and for said county on the 28^th day of March 1892, produced in open court and proven by the oath of N. A. Hurt, one of the subscribing witnesses thereto, who testified to the signatures of R. P. Anderson and G. M. Holland, the other like subscribing witnesses thereto, to be the act and deed, last will and testament of J. P. Scott, deceased.  Whereupon the same was ordered to be filed and recorded.  In testimony of which and that the same stands truly recorded in my office I hereunto set my hand this 6^th day of April 1892.

Galen Miller, Clerk

John Perry Scott died June 27, 1901, at the young age of 43, just a few years after his father’s decease. 

By 1910 Lucy lived with her four children.  The older children of John have married and are living on heir own.  In 1920 only the youngest, Timothy, lives with her.  And in 1930, at the age of 69, Lucy lives with her daughter Virginia and son-in-law Audie Pea. 

Lucy Cerilda Spann Scott died May 31, 1937, and was buried next to her husband in Asbury Cemetery.