Hi Kat,

These Hezekiah Cooksey postings remind me of research I did many years ago in connection with both our Barnes and Masons of Greensville Co. VA.

I have the following William D. Mason in Amherst Co. VA where Miles Cooksey moved his family and these notes. If you might know of this Mason line and ancestry, believe me I would really appreciate your assistance.

Miles Cooksey m. 1789 Elizabeth Lanier who was born 1769 and they had Susan S. Cooksey born 1790. Elizabeth Lanier died before 1793 and Miles married 2nd Susanna Lanier born 1773 and they had Elizabeth Cooksey born 1794. Miles Cooksey and Elizabeth Lanier's daughter Susan S. Cooksey married William D. Mason 3-10-1810 in Amherst, VA.

Thomas Lanier, grandfather of Susan and Elizabeth Cooksey, died 1798. At this time, Susan and Elizabeth were small children. I have not researched the land records for Thomas Lanier but I would imagine Miles Cooksey would have been custodian of these lands and probably sold the land when he moved to Amherst. This is only conjecture but research should show if Thomas Lanier had a trust or something for his granddaughters.

Tax records of Amherst Co. VA:
1809 Miles Cooksey, John Mason, William Mason
1810 Miles Cooksey, John Mason, William Mason
1811 Miles Cooksey, John Mason
1812 Miles Cooksey, John Mason

I believe William D. Mason had already moved to Warren, KY before Miles Cooksey. I just know this is where I found William Mason's name on the 1850 Warren, KY Census and Susan had died. He was 66 born in VA. That would be about 1784. His son John M. Mason was born 3-26-1812. I believe this really means something to the John Mason in Amherst and could be William D's father. I wonder if the M. stands for Miles. Then John M. named his first son William H. Mason which I believe the H. stands for Hezekiah. Brother of Miles. Then John M. Mason named his first daughter Susan E. I'm sure this is for his mother. John M. Mason ended up in Washington Co., AR.

Then regarding the Cooksey and Rideout surname they are also in my lines:

Benjamin Rideout married Elizabeth Cooksey 26 Nov 1816 Brunswick Co. VA. Their daughter Martha Ann Rideout married William H. Barnes 20 Jan 1834 Greensville Co. VA. William H. Barnes a son of John Barnes and Elizabeth Bass of Greensville. William H. Barnes also a nephew of my second great grandmother Elizabeth "Lizza" Barnes that married Henry Mason, son of Christopher Mason and Sarah Chappell.)

Also, Walter Cooksey married Lucy Bass 03 Feb 1797 Greensville Co. and Lucy was a sister to Elizabeth Bass that married John Barnes 24 Aug 1803 with Jacob Payne Surety. Jacob Payne married Susanna Browder, widow of Ingram Collier. Ingram a son of Moses Collier and Ann Nancy Blanks. Nancy a sister to Susanna Blanks that married John Barnes. John and Susanna Barnes were the parents of John Barnes that married Elizabeth Bass. Then Henry Payne married Martha Barnes 22 Dec 1837 Greensville and George C. Barnes, son of John and Elizabeth Barnes, was Surety.

William Barnes and Martha Ann Rideout were parents of Hezekiah W. Barnes that married Susan Olive Rideout 21 Dec 1865 Greensville Co. Susan a daughter of David Rideout and Olive D.Saunders. Should also note that William Barnes' sister Lucy Barnes married William B. Saunders 11 Dec 1837 Greensville Co.

I don't know if anything in the above is new to this list. I would love to know further regarding the William D. Mason who married Susan Cooksey and if this William D. Mason was descended of Capt. John Mason the Elder of Sussex Co. VA.
Sincerely,
Carolyn Mason Anderson