Misc Record: Excerpt from Dempsey family bible written about 1889 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Transcribed and submitted to the USGW Kentucky Archives by : Dorsey Jude, Jr. "houseofjude@netzero.com" --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADITION BY MY FATHER This is a copy of a genealogical note, written by Mark Dempsey shortly before his death, which occurred on the Dempsey Farm just below Warfield, on July 31, 1889. "My paternal grandfather came from Ireland with one of his uncles when he was only four years old. I believe he was raised in Patrick County, Virginia. He married a woman by the name of Gulliver, and they had three children: William, Polly, and John. His first wife then died, and he married a woman named Meadows by whom he had two more children, Elizabeth and Mark. William Dempsey, the eldest child was a carpenter and millwright by trade. He raised a family of whom I know very little. One of his sons, Absolone, lived in Fincastle, in Botetourt County, Virginia. My brother John Dempsey, and Andrew Dempsey visited his home, and said that he was doing well. He was a preacher. I know comparatively nothing about the balance of William's family. Polly, the next eldest to William, married Joseph Miller. They had a large family, and were doing well the last time I saw them. They moved from Virginia to Licking River, Kentucky. My father, John Dempsey, was born about the year 1758, in I think, Patrick County, Virginia. He volunteered as a soldier in the Revolutionary War, when very young, left home and was absent for seven years. (I have heard him describe many incidents of the war.) My maternal grandfather's name was Solomon. I think his first name was Joseph. He was a Jew. My maternal grandmother's name was Miller. She was Dutch. I do not know where she was born. My mother was born in Philadelphia, Pa., about the year 1770. She had only one sister, and no brothers. Her father owned two ships and traded between the Dutch East India Company, and the Colonies. He went into some war at sea, and never returned. Her mother died when she was small, and she was raised by a man named Joseph Jenkins, in Botetourt County, Virginia. My father, John Dempsey, and my mother, Rachel Solomon, were married in 1788, in Botetourt County, Virginia on September 6, 1788 by Reverend Edward Crawford. William, their eldest son was born in the year 1789, Polly in 1791, Thomas in 1793, John in 1795, Joseph, Mark (No l), Jane, Rachel, Andrew, Mark, and Lewis all born averaging two years between births. I never saw a grandfather, grandmother, uncle, aunt, or cousin in my life, consequently, what little I know of my ancestors is what I heard from my father and mother. My father died on the 27th of September 1830. My mother died about 1849. I was born in Cabell County, West Virginia, (Now Logan County, West Virginia,) in Island Creek, about 200 yards above where Matt Jackson now lives, in 1812 on the 12th day of October. I lived there until I was about 20 years old. I then went to Pigeon Creek, and kept school for three months. I boarded with James Star. Then I went to the mouth of Pigeon, and kept school for 15 months, near the mouth of Big Branch, and boarded with John B. Clark. I then went to the State of Missouri for about 3 years. I kept school for the first year, and then was employed in a store for about 2 years. I went to Santa Fe, New Mexico. I took with me a small lot of goods, about $1000.00 worth." (This part was finished by Lewis Dempsey) This family history was found by me written on a scrap of paper, and left in the family Bible by my father. He had evidently made these notes intending to rewrite and continue them later on, I do so from memory as nearly as possible. Father remained in New Mexico at the capitol, Santa Fe, for one year. There was only one family there who spoke the English language at that time, so he of necessity learned the Spanish language, and also something of the Navajo Indian tongue. He would sometimes amuse us with a talk in that strange dialect, and often told us of the trip across the then Great American Desert, and of life among those wild, reckless, Spanish, Mexicans, and Indians. After a twelve month stay among them, he decided to return to his early home, which he did, after traveling through several of the Western and Northern states. He finally returned to Logan County, Virginia at the third fork of the Kentucky River where he taught school for one or two terms. He then returned to Logan County and stayed about a year with the Lawsons near the mouth of Pond Creek, Ky. on the Virginia line, teaching school and clerking in a store for John Lawson. He then engaged for one year with Benjamin Williamson, and took a stock of goods to the mouth of Ben Creek, W.Va. He decided to accept an offer, at a good salary from Williamson, who was a merchant of high standing in the Eastern Markets. Later, father wanted to go into business for himself, and Ben Williamson gave him a letter of introduction and general credit for any amount. Father went to Pittsburgh, Pa., and bought a small stock of goods with which, he opened a store near the mouth of Buck Creek, near Warfield. Some time later, he moved his store to the lower part of the Chapman farm, about two miles below Warfield. He later bought the Chapman farm about 1850. His first son, was Joseph B. Dempsey, whose mother was a Baisden, who was born March 5, 1835. He later married Lucinda Alley on June 5, 1851. Mark and Lucinda Dempsey's family consisted of two boys and six girls. The eldest, Lewis, born August 25, 1852; then Sarah Jane, born September 18, 1854; Nancy Ann, born July 5, 1857; John, born March 4, 1860; then Mary Francis, Laura Ellen, and Minerva Alice. ************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE:These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access.