Good morning, all!  Jefferson County Kentucky Will Book 1, 1783-1813, is now available at Amazon, https://a.co/d/0cy5EQ29

Kentucky County, Virginia, was formed from part of Fincastle County, Virginia, December 6, 1776, and remained as one large county until November 1, 1780, when it was divided into three counties, Fayette, Jefferson and Lincoln.  In the early days of our state these three counties housed the few settlers that were already there in 1780 and saw an influx of new people after the Revolutionary War.  The first government was at Harrodstown – later renamed Harrodsburg.  The early settlers dealt with Indian raids, and by the end of 1776 only three permanent settlements remained – Boonesborough with 22 men, Harrodsburg with 65, and St. Asaph, or Logan’s Fort, with 15.  January of 1780 was called the ‘hard winter’ – game in the forest froze, as well as cattle.  In the spring of 1780, 300 large family boats arrived at the Falls of the Ohio, and in July the town of Louisville was established.  In March of 1783 Kentucky was formed into one district of Virginia, which included the three counties.

The first will probated in Jefferson County was that of George Grundy, written September 11, 1783, and brought to the April Court in 1784.  My thoughts, where are the earlier wills?  Were they taken to Virginia?  This needs more research.

The first County Clerk of Jefferson was William Johnston, who was appointed when the county was established in 1780, followed by Stephen Ormsby, who, in 1791, hired his young cousin Worden Pope as deputy clerk.  In 1797, or thereabouts, Stephen Ormsby resigned, and Pope continued the job as county clerk until his death in 1838!

There are 137 wills in the first will book of the county, 10 of which were written by women.  12 nuncupative wills, a ‘deathbed’ will, spoken by someone facing immediate death, with at least two witnesses present, are included.  Five mentions of mills, three of stills for whiskey, three silver watches, two gold watches.  Three women gave silver teaspoons, tablespoons, or other silver pieces – and the ladies wills were usually more interesting!

Eight people, half of them women, freed slaves in their wills.    

Four people bequeathed books – ‘my small library’, my ‘library consisting of medical books, history, etc.,’ a New Testament, and one woman gave her two books – Christ Crucified: Or, the Marrow of the Gospel in 72 Sermons on Isaiah 53 by the 17th-century Scottish Presbyterian minister James Durham, and James Hervey’s famous 18th-century devotional book Meditations and Contemplations, which includes Meditations Among the Tombs.

At least eight men were involved in campaigns against the Indians.  One was the Conductor of Military Stores for the Illinois Department.

Land mentioned was on Beargrass Creek, Dutch Station, Elkhorn Creek, Russells Creek, Brashears Creek, Chenowith Run, Floyds Fork, Goose Creek, Lewis Pond, Pleasant Run and others.

Pennsylvania currency was mentioned in several wills.  I found that after the Revolutionary War, many settlers arrived in Kentucky from Pennsylvania bringing their cash with them – Pennsylvania colonial scrip and commonwealth notes.  This colony/state was historically stable, and its notes held their value and were trusted by merchants across states lines.  In the early days there was almost no local banking, this Pennsylvania currency was very welcome.

Even if you have no ancestors from Jefferson County this is an interesting read!

An alphabetical will Index follows, with page numbers included.