I share information with you today about Randolph Yarbrough, my 4th great-grandfather. Randolph was born about 1756, I believe in Virginia, but nothing positive on his birthplace. He married Mary Bailey March 28, 1781, in Halifax County, North Carolina. We have this information from her deposition for a pension.
According to the family he served in Halifax under Captain Powell, where he was wounded in May of 1781, a rather nasty wound that entered ‘just under his left nipple and lodged against his spine.’ After a recovery time he again entered service under Captain Kidd. This gentleman is interesting to me since I have that last name in my genealogy – Arena Kidd married Tillotson Ross.
Randolph Yarbrough was in Kentucky in the very early years. From the court records of Lincoln County ,we find a case where John Ramey is Plaintiff and Randolph Yarbrough, defendant, dated July 1791.
His daughter Mary ‘Polly’ Yarbrough married John Murphy in Garrard County July 19, 1796 (they are my 3rd great-grandparents). Randolph was bondsman.
Randolph died in Fleming County in 1805. His will lists his children and wife.
Will of Randolph Yarbrough
Fleming County Wills, Page 87
In the name of God, amen. I, being in a low state of health and bodily strength, and this being my last Will and Testament, I with out of my personal estate to be decently buried. I bequeath to my loving wife Mary Yarbrough all the personal property now in my possession for her to raise the children or so long as they can agree together and if they do not agree according to my will the children to be bound to good trades and further I leave William Hopkins for my Executor, and if my family cannot agree together and live without suffering, the estate to be sold at public auction. And further I bequeath to my loving children Polly Murphy, Thomas Yarbrough, Sary Blackburn, Levi Yarbrough, Randle Yarbrough, John Yarbrough, James Yarbrough, William Yarbrough, Mary Yarbrough, Nancy Yarbrough, this estate to be equally divided to the above mentioned children after the young ones is raised. This being my last Will and Testament, July 22, 1804.
Randle Yarbrough
In the presence of A. Thompson, John Wanan, James Yarbrough, Cornelius Chosen
Fleming County Court, October Term 1805
The foregoing last Will and Testament of Randolph Yarbrough, deceased, was produced in Court and proved by the oaths of John Wanan and Cornelius Chosen, two of the subscribing witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded.
Joshua Stockton, Clerk
Randolph Yarbrough did not live long enough to receive a pension for his services during the Revolutionary War. His wife did try to apply, but her petition was denied since there was no record of their marriage in Halifax, North Carolina. They married during the war – I’m sure there were many marriages that were not registered at that time. Mary Yarbrough was eighty-one years when she made her sworn statement on July 8, 1839, giving her a birthdate of approximately 1758. Randolph and Mary’s son, Thomas Yarbrough, tried in 1854 to receive the pension due his father, but was again denied.
The interesting portions of the following papers include depositions from Nancy Boyd and Lucy Boyd, Mary Yarbrough’s sisters. William Boyd is also mentioned, a brother-in-law.
State of Kentucky, Bath County
On this 8th day of July, 1839, personally appeared before the County Court of said county, Mary Yarbrough, a resident of said county, aged eighty one years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress July 4, 1836. That she was married to Randolph Yarbrough, who was a regular soldier in the War of the Revolution, that he served in Caption Powell’s company until wounded at Halifax in North Carolina in May 1781, and after his recovery from the wound thence received he enlisted for twelve months under Captain Kidd, and served his term of one year as a regular soldier under the said Captain Kidd, that he served the whole time in Halifax, North Carolina. After the war was over, she, with her husband, removed to Kentucky.
She further declares that she was married to said Randolph Yarbrough on the 28th day of March 1781, and that her husband, the said Randolph Yarbrough, died on the 27th day of July 1804, and that she hat remained a widow ever since, as will more fully appear by references to the proof hereto annexed. Sworn to and subscribed on the day and year above written, before this Court.
Mary Yarbrough, her mark
At the same time and place personally appeared William Boyd, who being sworn according to law, deposeth and saith that he is well acquainted with the said Mary Yarbrough, who is the sister of said deponent’s wife. That he knew also her husband, the said Randolph Yarbrough, deceased, who died the 27th day of July 1804. That he believes from
information that the said Randolph Yarbrough was a Revolutionary soldier; that he was wounded at Halifax whilst in the service. That the information obtained was from the said Randolph Yarbrough himself, and others, to wit: Robert Bailey, William House and John Bailey – also I was informed by the said Randolph Yarbrough that he received a wound at Halifax in North Carolina and that after he recovered of said wound, he enlisted under Captain Kidd for one year, which service or term he served. And I do moreover state that I have seen the scar, representing a bullet shot, that entered his right side and came out near the spine.
And further this deponent saith not.
William Body, his mark
At same time and place personally appeared Nancy Boyd, who being sworn according to law, deposeth and saith that the above named Mary Yarbrough was the wife of Randolph Yarbrough, that said Mary Yarbrough was married to the said Randolph Yarbrough on the 28th day of March 1781, and that said Randolph Yarbrough died on the 27th day of July 1804, and that Mary has remained a widow ever since, and that she, the deponent, is sister to the said Mary Yarbrough, and ever understood from Randolph Yarbrough and many others, that the said Randolph Yarbrough was a regular soldier in the Revolutionary War, and was shot by the British at Halifax in North Carolina. The ball entering his side, scraping through his body and coming out near the spine, that she has often seen the scar and has never heard it contradicted. And further this deponent saith not.
Nancy Boyd
At same time and place personally appeared Lucy Boyd, who being sworn according to law, deposeth and saith that the above named Mary Yarbrough, was the wife of Randolph Yarbrough, that the said Mary Yarbrough was married to the said
Randolph Yarbrough on the 28th day of Mary 1781, and that the said Randolph Yarbrough died the 27th day of July 1804, and that the said Mary Yarbrough hath remained a widow ever since, and that she, the deponent, is sister to the said Mary Yarbrough, and ever understood that the said Randolph Yarbrough was a regular soldier at the time he was married to my sister Mary Yarbrough, and that he was shot by the British at Halifax in North Carolina, though she never saw the scar, but has often heard Randolph Yarbrough speak of his services in the Revolutionary War, and others, and has never heard it disputed or contradicted by one. And further this deponent saith not.
Lucy Boyd, her mark
State of Kentucky, Bath County Court
The foregoing acclamation of Mary Yarbrough for the purpose of obtaining a pension as the widow of Randolph Yarbrough as a Revolutionary soldier, together with the affidavits of William Boyd, Nancy Boyd and Lucy Boyd, were produced and severally sworn to in open Court and ordered to be certified and it is further ordered to be certified that it appears to the satisfaction of the Court that said Mary Yarbrough, William Boyd, Nancy Boyd and Lucy Boyd are persons of credit.
In testimony whereof I, William M. Sudduth, Clerk of the Bath County Court, have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal of office at Owingsville in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty nine, on the 8th day of July of said year.
William M. Sudduth, Clerk by Benajah A. Webb, Deputy Clerk
I, E. R. Turnbull, Clerk of the County Court of Brunswick in the State of Virginia, do hereby certify that I have carefully examined the records and files of my office and can find no evidence of the marriage of Randolph Yarbrough to Mary Bailey. E. R. Turnbull, March 6, 1854
I believe Mary Bailey Yarbrough says the marriage took place in North Carolina. But, this gives evidence that the Yarbrough’s were from Virginia!
State of Kentucky, Morgan County Court
On this 27th day of April 1852 personally appeared before me Caleb D. May, an acting Justice of the Peace within and for the county and state aforesaid, Thomas Yarbrough, aged sixty-seven years, a resident of Morgan County in the State of Kentucky, who first being duly sworn according to law doth upon his oath make the following declaration, that he is a son of Mary Yarbrough, deceased, late of the same county and state, formerly of Bath County in same state, who was the widow of Randolph Yarbrough, deceased, of Fleming County in the state of Kentucky and formerly a soldier in the [blank] line in the army of the Revolution. That his father, the said Randolph Yarbrough, always told him that he enlisted in [blank] county in the State of North Carolina about the ? of ? for ? in the company commanded by Captain Powell and he thinks the regiment commanded by Col. William Linton, and that he, the said Randolph Yarbrough, was wounded at the battle in the town of Halifax when it was taken by the British, by an ounce ball which entered his body immediately under the left nipple and lodged against his backbone, which disabled him from service until after his time had expired under Captain Powell. And that after he got entirely well he again listed at Halifax in North Carolina to serve during the war under Captain Kidd, Col. Linton and served until the close of the war.
And was discharged, but he does not recollect of hearing his father state where at. States that he has often heard his father, the said Randolph Yarbrough, deceased, and his mother, the said Mary Yarbrough, deceased, telling of his services in the different campaigns and that his mother, the said Mary Yarbrough, deceased, was in the country when Halifax was taken by the British and that the British surgeon cut the ball out of his father’s back and dressed the wound and that his mother came in afterwards and stayed with him until he got well. That his mother and his father was married during the war, that he at the time, before the Battle of Halifax, that his parents lived in Halifax when it was taken. That they must have been married about the year 178? As he is the oldest child and now sixty-seven years old and from the earliest of his recollection they lived peaceably together as husband and wife and was always reputed as such and that his father, the said Randolph Yarbrough, died in Fleming County in the State of Kentucky about eighteen hundred and ten and that his mother, the said Mary Yarbrough, died in Morgan County in the State of Kentucky on the ? day of February 1849 without ever drawing anything for the Revolutionary services of her husband, the said Randolph Yarbrough, deceased, and that she remained his widow until her death as above stated, and that his mother, the said Mary Yarbrough, has hitherto made
Application and to the testimony on file and to the records of said North Carolina Troops, he refers for evidence in support of his application. That there are three children living now, Thomas Yarbrough, age 67, William Yarbrough, age 50, and Lucy Tanner, age ?, that he makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining the amount of pension due in consideration of his father’s services aforesaid.
Thomas Yarbrough, his mark
Robert K. Graves, Louisa May
Subscribed and sworn to before me the day and year above written
Caleb B. May, Justice of the Peace, Morgan County, Kentucky
And I, the Justice Subscribed Magistrate, do hereby certify that Thomas Yarbrough, the above affiant, is personally known to me and known to be a man of high respectability unto all of whose statements the fullest faith and credit should be given in testimony whereof I hereunto subscribe my name and affix my seal of office this 27th day of April 1852.
Caleb D. May, Justice of the Peace, Morgan County, Kentucky
Categories: Family Stories
