Allen line: John Campbell of Madison County, Kentucky inventory

As far as I know, my ancestor John Campbell died in Madison County, Kentucky in 1806.  I believe he was dead before Lemuel Dunn married Sarah (Sally) Campbell in 1809 because Jane Garvin Campbell, John's widow, gave written permission for Sarah to be married then, even though Sarah was about 20 years old at the time.  I had found this document on FamilySearch but it was a real thrill to actually hold the original handwritten note in my hands this past week.  (Incidentally, the ink was as clear and the handwriting as legible as if it had been written 9 years ago, not 209 years ago).  I have always been puzzled as to why no will for John Campbell can be found.  I still don't know the answer to that question, but on a brief trip to Richmond, Kentucky this past week I found an inventory for him.  It answers some questions and poses a whole set of new questions, and unless I get to go back to Richmond (not likely) I don't know how many answers I will find. 


The first part to the inventory is an actual listing of John Campbell's inventory.  No land is listed and I have never found a record that he owned land, so I am going with the idea that he was either a tenant farmer or had some kind of trade, or both.  I've found several John Campbell's in early tax records but can't say which is ours for certain.  At any rate, the farm animals he had would be considered the minimum to farm.  Most of what he had was farm implements, household guns, a rifle, and a few things that may indicate he had more than the usual amount of nuts, bolts, gudgeons, and other metal items.  He had 20 kegs, listed after the rifle, and they were valued at $17.00.  Were these kegs of whiskey, or were they empty kegs that he hoped to sell, or what?  I don't yet know.  The last three items on the inventory may be revealing.  He had a bond "on" Joseph Barnett for $50, cash in hand of $135, and one bond on "Ken Hutchison in Virginia" of $52. 

Purchasing items at the sale were Schuyler Barnett, David McWilliams, Ralph Allen (several items), Jane Campbell (who purchased several items including a bed and other items necessary for housekeeping), Samuel Glasgow, James McCormack, Thomas Reid (several items), John Campbell (possibly a son), Samuel Ervine, Hugh Kilpatrick, Wiley Wood, David McAlexander, Lemuel Dunn (son-in-law) and William Brok (?).  There is no mention of what happened to the cash or the bonds. 

The inventory was signed by Jane Campbell as administratrix, and ordered recorded on the 5th day of November, 1810.

I have several questions.  Besides the question of land ownership, or at least where John lived, I would like to understand why the inventory wasn't filed until four and a half years after John died.  There were children born in 1797 and 1799, who would have been too young to have been considered an adult in 1810.  (I haven't located guardianship papers and they may, if found, hold some answers to this question). Was Jane perhaps preparing to move to Mercer County, Ky with Lemuel and Sarah Dunn and perhaps others of her family?  I would like to understand why there were at least four "bands" that were sold separately, and what the kegs represented, and whether gudgeons would have played into this in any way.  I would like to know what some of the words are in the inventory that I am not sure I am reading correctly.  I'd still like to know where John is buried, but perhaps if the FAN club (names listed above) helps me locate some of these people,  I'll have a better idea of that. 

I love to research at courthouses and I am truly grateful for the unexpected time I was able to spend there.  I have been at a dead end in researching John for quite some time and now I have clues to follow, and more thoughts to think.  I'll be working on these questions for a while yet and will update or write another blog post if I make any more breakthroughs!

The line of descent is:

John Campbell-Jane Garvin
Sarah Campbell-Lemuel Dunn
Margaret J Dunn-Archibald Allen
George R Allen-Nancy McCoy
Edward Allen-Edith Knott
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants