As soon as I saw this Power of Attorney, I knew  you would find it interesting!  We are in Franklin County, Kentucky, today, looking through old deeds, in particular in the Arnold surname.  The Arnold family were one of the first names of Franklin County – even before it was Franklin County, when it was still part of Mercer County.  They were even here in Kentucky before that, coming in the 1780’s when it was Lincoln County!  What an enormously long lineage, what fascinating history of this family – and I am good friends with one of their living descendants! 

If we travel back to the beginning, to Virginia, when it was a British colony, we find Stephen Arnold born about 1718.  He married Jane Finney in what was then Augusta County, Virginia, later Rockbridge County. 

Stephen and Jane Arnold had a goodly number of children, but those still living in 1809 and listed in this notice were James Arnold, who would die February 19, 1810, just a few months after this writing, John Arnold and Elizabeth Arnold Wilson, who lived in Franklin County.  Jane Arnold, who married James Ritchey, lived in Fayette County.  Abigail Arnold and husband Alexander Armstrong lived in Mercer County.  Sarah Arnold Gibson lived in Montgomery County.  Stephen Arnold lived in Mercer County before his death December 26, 1793.  In his will, found in Mercer, he names wife Jane, and children Stephen, John, James, Sarah, Elizabeth, Jane and Abigail.  Son Stephen must have died before this power of attorney was written.

One of the most interesting aspects of this writing is that Stephen Arnold, Sr., had held this Virginia land since 1761 – 48 years!  Stephen died in 1793, and his children kept this land for another 16 years!  Did it have significance for them?  Perhaps this was one of the first properties Stephen purchased?  304 acres was the total amount of land, with no price listed – it must have been up to David Templeton to get the best offer possible.

This just gives us an example of what might be found in a deed – information that could be very valuable to our research.  Many of the old deeds in Virginia – pre-1800 – are similar, listing one or two former owners and other information.

Read the deed!!

Stephen Arnold Family – Deeds Franklin County

Pages 470-471

Know all men by these presents that we, James Arnold, John Arnold and Elizabeth Wilson of Franklin County and James Ritchey and Jane, his wife, of the County of Fayette, and Alexander Armstrong and Abigail, his wife, of the County of Mercer, and Sarah Gibson, of the County of Montgomery, all of the State of Kentucky, heirs and representatives of Stephen Arnold, Senior, deceased, of the County of Franklin and State of Kentucky aforesaid, have this day constituted and appointed David Templeton of the County of Rockbridge and State of Virginia, to be our true and lawful attorney with full power and authority in law and equity, to make a good and sufficient conveyance in fee simple off to and for one hundred and fifty-six acres of land lying and being in the said County of Rockbridge on Elk Creek, a branch of James River, being a part of a tract of land containing two hundred and sixty acres which the said Stephen Arnold, deceased, held by patent bearing date the 11^th day of July 1761, and also forty-four acres of land lying on the south side of the aforesaid 260 acres and joining the same, being a part of an entry of one hundred and ninety acres, to the representatives of William McClure, deceased, on thus order and agreeably to a Power of Attorney from the said Stephen Arnold, deceased, to John Greenlee, bearing date the 11^th day of September in the year 1781, recorded in the County Court of Rockbridge, which power we refer you for your particular guide and vesting our said attorney with full power to act and do in all matters and things respecting the said land sold by the said Stephen, deceased, and laying out and making the said conveyance agreeably to the above mentioned power to John Greenlee as fully and perfectly as we could do if we were personally present and in bar of all claim or claims hereafter to be made by us, our heirs, executors or administrators, given under our hands and seals this thirteenth

day of May 1809

James Arnold, John Arnold, Elizabeth Wilson, Alexander Armstrong, Abigail Armstrong, Sarah Gibson, James Ritchey, Jane Ritchey [all their seals except Sarah Gibson who makes her mark.]

Witnesses present William Steele (as to the 2 and 3 seals), Robert Blackwell, Scott Brown

State of Kentucky

I, Richard W. Todd, Deputy Clerk of the General Court for the State aforesaid, being duly authorized by law to receive and admit to record deeds and other writings in said office, do hereby certify that the foregoing power of attorney was produced to me in said office on the twentieth day of August one thousand eight hundred and ten and acknowledged by John Arnold, one of the grantors and proven by him as to James Arnold, Elizabeth Wilson, Alexander Armstrong, Abigail Armstrong, Sarah Gibson, James Ritchey and Jane Ritchey, the other grantors, and on the same day was further proven by the oath of Samuel Arnold as to James Arnold, Alexander Armstrong, Abigail Armstrong, Sarah Gibson, James Ritchey and Jane Ritchey and afterwards on the thirty first day of August aforesaid was further proven by the oath of William Steele, a subscribing witness thereto, as John Arnold and Elizabeth Wilson, two of the grantors therein named that the said power of attorney together with this certificate of proof is truly recorded.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and caused the seal of said office to be affixed at Frankfort the day above written.

Richard W. Todd, D. C. G. C.