A. FACTS KNOWN ABOUT JANE CORNWELL WHO DIED IN MASON COUNTY KY AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

1. JANE CORNWELL was married to a Charles Cornwell and they had the following known children: Nimrod, Mathew, and Elizabeth. Source: Mercer Co., KY, Order Book 1793-1801 Page 502 – 27 October 1800. Moses Neal appointed guardian to Matthew Cornwell, Nimrod Cornwell and Elizabeth Cornwell orphans of Charles Cornwell deceased. (Note: this document does not say that Charles Cornwell died in 1800, only that he was deceased by 1800.) Together with David Williams his security their bonding penalty of 200 pounds. Absent David Knox Esq.

2. In Prince William County, the Charles Cornwell who married Jane Howison dated his will February 27, 1797. The will was presented for probate by his widow Jane on 3 July 1797. On 5 September 1797 John Groves Sr. And John Groves Jr. posted $300 guardianship bond for Elizabeth Cornwell, Orphan. Source: Frederick County, Virginia, Wills & Administrations.

It appears to me that the time frame of these events makes it possible that this Elizabeth Cornwell, Orphan, was the daughter of Charles Cornwell who died in 1797. Although Elizabeth, Nimrod, and Mathew were not listed in the will of Charles Cornwell Younger died 1797 the timing is perfect for the children who appeared in Mercer County Kentucky with their mother Jane Cornwell to have been the children of Charles Cornwell of Prince William County.

The most troubling aspect of this theory is that Charles Cornwell did not provide for Nimrod, Elizabeth, and Mathew in his will dated 1797, as might be expected if Charles was the father of these children. Perhaps Charles gave money to the Howisons for the welfare of these children before his death. This would have been one way to avoid tying up the estate in the future in a probate contest. Another theory is that Charles may have assumed that Jane would provide for these children with the property left to her in his will.

3. Jane Cornwell, widow of Charles Cornwell, appears on the Prince William County Personal Property Tax List in 1797, 1798 and 1799. In 1797 and 1798, Jane is listed as having no males 16+ living in her household. In 1799, Jane is listed as having 3 males 16+ living in her household. This means that these 3 males were born in 1783 or before. Of these three males, I believe that one of these children was Nimrod and the other two males may have been older sons who had traveled from Kentucky to take their mother and her young children to Mason County, Kentucky. After the 1799 listing, Jane disappears from the Prince William County tax rolls.


4. NIMROD CORNWELL and BETSEY CORNWELL As stated above, in 1800 Nimrod Cornwell, son of Jane, was young enough that Moses Neal was appointed his guardian. Yet, in 1805, Nimrod Cornwell was old enough to give his consent for Mr. John Ransdale (Ransdell) to marry Betsey Cornwell to whom Nimrod was now the guardian. If Nimrod was a son of Jane Cornwell of Prince William County and if he was born in 1783 as indicated on the Prince William County personal property tax list, then Nimrod would have been 17 years old in 1800 and 22 years old in 1805. These ages coincide perfectly with the idea that Nimrod was young enough to need a guardian in 1800 yet old enough to be his sisters guardian in 1805. If this is correct, Jane would have been approximately 27 years old when she gave birth to Nimrod.

5. MATTHEW CORNWELL Two coffins were charged to the estate of Jane Cornwell. This was reflected in the accounts of Landy Calvert filed Feb. 13 1804. I believe that Jane died first and then Matthew died shortly thereafter. The Washington County, KY Court Order Book 2, 1800-1804 shows that Emmer Stalcup was paid seven pounds for taking care of Matthew Cornwell, after which time there is no further record of Matthew. Because there are no other records of Matthew, because his mother’s estate paid for his care, and because two coffins were charged to the estate, it makes sense that Jane died first, then Matthew died later as a result of an illness or injury from which he did not recover.

6. LANDON CALVERT was the executor of the estate of Jane Cornwell who died in Mason Co., KY. Landon Calvert, son of William and Hannah Calvert, was born in Prince William County, Va., March 17, 1764, and died in Lewis County, Ky., Jan. 2, 1809. He married, Jan. 30, 1787, Anne Wood Howison (who was born June 8, 1766, and died Dec. 28, 1845), daughter of Stephen Howison (who died Feb. 1, 1815) and his wife, Mary Brooke (who died Oct. 14, 1808), daughter of John Brooke. Will Book Nov. 21, 1818 - May 1, 1815, Will of Stephen Howison mentions sons: John, Samuel, Robert, James, Alexander and Stephen and daughters Ann Wood Calvert, Sarah Anne Trone and Mary Ann Howison. Maryland Genealogies, Vol. 1, George Calvert & Descendants p. 242.

Because of the distance between Mason County Kentucky and Mercer County Kentucky, a seven day trip in 1800, it makes sense for Landon Calvert to have been the administrator of Jane Cornwell’s estate only if he was related to Jane Cornwell. If Landon Calvert was not a relative, surely an executor living much closer to Jane’s children in Mercer County would have been chosen to administer her estate. Accordingly, I believe that Jane Cornwell was nee Jane Howison and was related to Landon Calvert through Landon’s wife, Anne Wood Howison Calvert. Importantly, Stephen Howison Sr. and Stephen Howison Jr., witnessed the will of Charles Cornwell died 1797.

7. MOSES NEAL was appointed guardian to Matthew, Nimrod, and Elizabeth Cornwell, orphans of Elizabeth Cornwell of Mercer County, KY. MOSES NEALE bc 1770-1775 Virginia d. February 4, 1847 Allen Co., KY m. Lucy Cornwell 8 October 1808 Warren Co., KY, daughter of Daniel Cornwell bc 1765 - 1826 and his wife Maryann. Daniel Cornwell was the son of Peter Cornwell and Sarah Bolling. Source: Ancestry.com entry; Internet chart Re: Descendants of Johannes Amick and Dorothea Rotter.

8. ZEAL CALVERT was paid 16.6 (currency) for two coffins in settling the estate of Jane Cornwell of Mercer County, KY. Zeal Calvert was born 1758 in Prince William County, Virginia, and died in Mason Co., KY.” Zealy Calvert, together with Ezekial, George, John and Reuben Calvert, served in the 3rd Virginia Regiment, Revolutionary War, 1778 - 1781. Source: Maryland Marriages and Genealogies, 1634-1820

In 1790, Zealy Calvert was shown on the Prince William County, Virginia, tax list as living below Cedar Run. Zeal Calvert married Mary Ewell in 1780. Source: U.S./International Marriage Records, 1340-1980. Jesse Ewell witnessed the will of Charles Cornwell, Sr. In 1779.

9. JESSE CALVERT was paid cash in the administration of the estate of Jane Cornwell. (Cash paid to Jesse Calvert 14.6). Jesse Calvert was the son of Obediah Calvert, Sr., b. 1740, Prince William County, VA. Source: William and Mary Quarterly: 2nd Serv. Vol. 20, No. 3, p. 417. On Jan. 5, 1803, the estate of Jesse Calvert, decd., was appraised by James Howison, Alexander Howison and Obed Calvert, Jr. Source: The Nebraska and Midwest Genealogical Record Vol X.

10. THOMAS ESSEX is listed in the estate papers of Jane Cornwell of Mercer County Kentucky as making a seven day journey to Mason County, KY to settle with Landon Calvert the administrator of the estate. Seven days journey to the Salt Works on the Ohio. From cash received from Landon Calvert 110.0. The settlement seems to have been completed in 1807. In 1805, Thomas Essex was a witness to the consent of Nimrod Cornwell for Betsey Cornwell to marry Mr. John Ransdale.

Thomas Essex is more difficult to identify but I believe that he was the Thomas Essex born c. 1785 in KY died after 1860 in Lewis KY, married Nancy Pell d/o John Pell and Nancy Harrison, d/o John Harrison of Loudoun Co., VA, s/o Cuthbert Harrison. It appears that Nancy Harrison is from the Harrison family of Prince William County. The 1741 land grant of Charles Cornwell b. 1700 - 1779 was adjacent to the land of Burdet Harrison alias Calvert.

11. JOHN HUNGATE - Nimrod Cornwell married Nancy Hungate, whose brother, John Hungate 1796-1860, entered land in Orange County Indiana in 1839 in Township 1-N 1-E. This land was located in the middle of a tight little circle with Peter Cornwell (1780-1842 m. Elizabeth Arterburn), entered land 1834, and related families of Mason Burgess, entered land 1835-1838, and Aaron Burgess entered land 1841. Source: Family Maps of Orange County, Indiana by Gregory A. Boyd, J.D., 2005.

IN SUMMARY, This is my theory and I would welcome any comments. As always, theories are not facts but in genealogy, I do believe that some dots must be connected in order to construct an entire picture.