I can trace my mother's lineage back to John Claypool who married Ruth Wiggins and they are buried in Walnut Corner Cemetery, just north of Danville, Illinois in Vermilion County.

John and Ruth are my 2nd great grandparents.

When John and Ruth got married, Jesse Claypoole gave authorization for John to be married (he wasn't "of age" yet).

However, Jesse's title was not father, but rather, "guardian."

Things get a little murky for me at this point. I've been told that it is probable that Jesse was actually John's grandfather, and the son of Jonathan Claypoole, Jesse's son.

And, having read Jesse's will in which he makes provision for the heirs of his son Jonathon, but does not name those particular heirs, I can see where such an idea came about.

BTW, I've also been told that it was John who dropped the trailing "e" from Claypoole when he moved from Kentucky to Vermilion County, Illinois.

I have 2 basic questions to begin with:

a) Is there any documentation that would substantiate Jesse being John's grandfather?

b) How did Jesse get to Bath County, Kentucky and where should I go to trace his family's beginnings?

I'm thinking that Jesse would have been born in the mid to late 1700's, since John died in 1858 at age 45 and 5 months (according to his weather beaten tombstone at Walnut Corners)

My grandfather was Andrew Burton Claypool. I was just elected president for the Birt Claypool Family Reunion, so I need to see if I can get some of this buttoned down for presentation.

John Claypool was my 2nd Great Grandfather. Jesse Claypoole most likely my 4th Great Grandfather.

Thanks for reading and for any help that comes this way

Joe Hittle
skadj@yahoo.com
www.hittle.info