****************************************NOTE*****************************************
THE PHOTO SHOWN ON THE LEFT IS.....NOT.....THE BURIAL MARKER FOR KIRBY K ING, although sometimes mistakenly shown as such. This is NOT the headstone for Kirby.
The headstone pictured is a military marker for William "Billy" King (1752-1840) with a regular headstone on the other side. This William King (unrelated, common name) was a Revolutionary War soldier who was born in Middleton, Dauphin Co., Pennsylvania, died in Holston Valley, Sullivan Co., Tennessee, and is buried in Green Springs, Washington Co., Virginia. The counties of Sullivan (TN) and Washington (VA) are about 35 miles apart today. There is NO known official documentation that shows William King with the additional middle given name of Kirby and NO known official documentation that shows Kirby King with the additional given name of William.
The William King that Kirby King (my 5G-GF) is often confused with was the son of Edward King (1720-1790) and Elizabeth Nichols (1728-1808). William was married to Elizabeth Sharp (1749-1829) and had several children. One of them, Isaac Newton King, eventually migrated to Whitley Co., KY. Please note that Kirby King and Issac Newton King are not known to have been unrelated.
Unfortunately, these two men, Kirby King and William King, along with their families, are often mistakenly combined. Research shows that they had different wives and different children. They were from two different and unrelated King family lines . Again, Kirby King & William King were .....NOT.....the same man as currently shown in numerous King family trees. Consequently, this memorial for Kirby King is................. ....................................................NOT A DUPLICATE.
Before beginning to read this memorial, please realize that few family trees are 100% correct. If you see anything wrong in this memorial or if you a have something to add to it please contact me with that information & provide your source and/or documentation. Thanks.
____________________________________________________________________________
********************************Memorial for Kirby King********************************
The year and location of Kirby King's birth is somewhat uncertain. Most believe him to have been born about 1752-55 (1753 ?), in the British Province of North Carolina, which at that time was a British colony. He is thought to have been born in an area of Edgecombe County which had been formed in 1841 from a portion of Bertie County. Most likely, Kirby was born in that part of Edgecombe County that become Halifax County in 1759, just a few years after his birth.
The spelling of Kirby's given name was dependent upon the person writing it. In those days spelling was quite fluid with most names were spelled as they sounded. Kirby and his wife, Uroth, are thought to have been illiterate (defined as unable to read & write). While his given name was usually spelled as Kirby or Kerbie it was often spelled other ways as it sounded to the writer (Kirbie, Kerby, Kurby, Kurbie, Curby, Curbie, etc.).
There are some who believe that Kirby's first given name was William. Possible, but it should be noted that there is currently no known "official" documentation to support this additional given name. Also, there are some who mistakenly believe that Kirby King (1752/55-1795/96, born in NC) and William "Billy" King (1852-1840, born in PA) were the same men. Not so. See the explanatory NOTE above.
The two King individuals (Kirby & William) were not related, from two unrelated King lines. Apparently, years ago some well meaning genealogist gave Kirby the additional given name of "William" in order to connect the two families. Unfortunately, this mistake has been copied many times since. Definitely two different individuals. It should be noted that William was a very common given name in that day, especially among parents of English or Scottish ancestry. In addition, the surname of King was also quite common.
There were lots of William Kings.
Kirby's father is thought by many to have been the son of Richard King (abt 1700?-abt 1782?), born in Surry Co., Virginia. In 1983, I had the opportunity to spend some time with Emby Luster King (1905-1987). Emby, who died over 25 years ago, had lived all of his life in the Kingtown area of McCreary County and knew his family line well. His county was formally part of Whitley Co. when McCreary Co. was created in 1912.
Emby, a forth great-grandson of Kirby King, told me that the earliest King in his family that he "had heard of" was a Richard King who had lived in North Carolina in the Halifax area. Emby said that this Richard King had a son (Kirby King) who had migrated from NC to the present day Tennessee area (then NC's Western Territory) and later a grandson (Thomas Murray King) who had migrated from NE TN to KY. He said the old timers knew very little about Richard & knew nothing about Richard's wife, not even her name.
Halifax Co. (then part of the British Province of North Carolina) was formed in 1759 just a few years after Kirby's birth (1752-55?). As an adult, Richard's son (Kirby), immigrated from Haliax Co. (est. 1859), North Carolina to Tennessee (then NC's Western Territory). Emby, then78, had obviously been told of the Halifax connection by his father (Rev. Burel King) and/or his GF (Emby King Sr.) and/or possibly other older relatives.
It was a real pleasure to meet (1983) cousin Emby and his wife, Beatrice Leona Chitwood (1907-1994). Despite being an "unknown" relative they were very nice to me. Emby said that he had been told that Richard's son (Kirby King) "...had come from Halifax, NC to Tennessee" and that his son, Thomas Murray King, eventually "...came over the mountains from Tennessee to Kentucky using a wagon pulled by a team of oxen (slower but stronger that horses), walking along side of them with a prod". A prod was a long stick, usually sharpened, that was used to "prod" oxen in order to keep them doing what their master needed for them to do.
Emby and I talked for quite some time. He then had his oldest son, Elmon King (1925-2008), take me to the Duncan Cemetery in McCreary County where Thomas Murray King (1790-1880) and his wife, Mary Rebecca "Polly" (Cox) King (1800-1881) are buried. Thomas and Polly, who once owned the land (then owned by 4G-GS Emby L. King), still have markers that were very readable.
Emby then had his son take me to the old old house site where my grandparents (Thomas Luster King & Minnie Gooch) had lived in before moving to Parksville, Boyle Co., KY in 1916. He said that the little wooden house had been "torched" (vandalism) just a few weeks prior to my visit. Emby had lived near them (walking distance) as a youngster and knew my grandfather. Emby then set up a meeting with another cousin, Pete Stephens (1924-2009), and gave me directions to his home (just inside Tennessee) and to the Stephens Cemetery where my great-grandparents, Jackson King (1842-1919) and Polly Stephens (1845-1910), are buried.
As mentioned earlier, a number of family trees confuse Kirby King (bet 1752/55-1795/96) with William "Billy" King (1752-1840), a son of Edward King (1720-1790) and Elizabeth Nichols (1728-1806). William was married to Elizabeth Sharp (1749-1829). This is a different King family that, again, is thought not to be related. William "Billy" King was born in Dauphin Co., PA and was a Revolutionary War soldier. He died in Sullivan Co., TN and is buried in Green Spring Cemetery in Green Spring, Washington Co., Virginia.
Currently, there is no known document that shows the above William King's middle given name (if he had one) to have been Kirby. The name of "Kirby" was probably just added to William and has been copied many times by family tree researchers.
Some believe Kirby's ancestors to have come to America from England. Very possible. However, the before mentioned and now deceased Emby Luster King, said that he had been told that the first King (Richard King ?) was of Scot-Irish ancestry. Family lore? Maybe. Emby's daughter, Brenda (also now deceased), and herself a competent genealogist, told me years later that she had heard her father say the same thing several times over the years.
The Scot-Irish were actually Scots who had moved to Ireland due to English persecution and who had eventually immigrated to America. Understandably, they they had a great dislike for the British at that time. The Scot-Irish played a big part in the early settlement of the United States and at one time made up one-seventh of America's population. Many of them fought in the American Revolution again the English. The King family names of Richard, Kirby, Burwell and William, while English in origin, can also be found in Scotland. Had Kirby King's ancestors moved from England to Scotland and then on to Ireland? Certainly possible, but currently unknown.
We know that the family of Kirby King definitely originated in Europe, however, tracing the family's ancestry there is rather difficult. The name surname "King" was quite common in both England and Scotland. Also, given Biblical names such as Peter, James, John, Andrew, Thomas, Matthew, etc., as well as Mary, Elizabeth, Martha, etc., were very common given names in those days. Consequently, there is much conjecture (speculation, assumptions, theories, etc.) as to his parentage and ancestry. What we think we know for sure is that Kirby's ancestry was either English and/or Scot/Irish.
Around 1777-78 (?), Kirby married Uroth Murray (1752/55?-abt 1806), probably in Rowan Co., NC. Thought to have been born in Baltimore Co., Maryland, Uroth was the daughter of Thomas Murray Sr. (1725-1805) and Henrietta Maria Jones (1828-abt 1760). Uroth Murray was of definite Scottish descent.
Kirby's wife's unusual given name is sometimes spelled Ureth, Urith, Urath and Urouth. It was usually spelled as sounded to the writer and it's origin & meaning is unknown. Spelling in those days was quite fluid. Since it is thought that neither she, her husband Kirby, or her parents could read or write there may have been no real "correct" way to spell her name as any spelling of the name would have been dependent upon the writer. While her name was spelled Uroth in her handwritten father's will, it should be noted that Uroth's father signed the will with his mark ("T"). Apparently, Uroth's father (Thomas Murray0, could not read/write either. Consequently, spelling of "Uroth" in his will, while possibly correct, was actually written by the writer of the will, not her father.
As mentioned earlier, Kirby's mother, Uroth, was of definite Scottish ancestry. Her GG-grandfather, James Murray (1665-1794), had come to America (Baltimore, British Province of Maryland) from Scotland in 1676 when he was about 10-12 years of age. Surprisingly, he did not make the long voyage across the Atlantic Ocean with his parents, but with a unrelated (?) gentleman by the name of Nathaniel Heathcote. Most likely, James was to be Nathaniel's apprentice or possibly his indentured servant for several years. Orphaned? Possible.
Both of Uroth's parents, Thomas Sr. and Henrietta, were born in Baltimore Co., British Province of Maryland and married there. Uroth's mother, Henrietta, died in Baltimore County around the age of 32. Her burial site is currently unknown. Uroth is thought to have been only 5-8 years old at the time of her mother's death.
Following the death of his first wife, Uroth's father remarried. This time he married Margaret Jones (1723-abt 1780), also in Baltimore County . She was the older (by 5 years) half-sister of Thomas' first wife, Henrietta. Thomas was 36 , Margaret 38. She died in Baltimore County around the age of 55. Her burial site is also unknown.
In the mid-1780s, Uroth's twice widowed father (now about 60), moved with friends and/or members of the Murray clan to Washington County in North Carolina's Western Territory. The area they migrated to is now part of NE Tennessee (Washington Co.). Thomas died there in 1805 near the present day community of Sinking Creek and is thought to have been buried there on his farm.
Kirby and Uroth either moved with Uroth's father to Washington Co., NC (now Tennessee) in the mid-1780s or followed them to the area shortly thereafter. There were some King families already in Washington County, however, Kirby is not known to have been related to any of them. Kirby's family had nothing to do with the town of Kingston, King College, etc. Again, King was a rather common surname.
Kirby and Uroth are thought to have been married about 17 years and may have have had seven or more children, all born in Washington County. They were Burwell King (1780-bet 1850/60), William King (1785-1841/50?), Thomas Murray "Tom" King (1790-1880), John T. King (1791- ?), Nancy Ann King (1792-1861), Elizabeth King (1794- ?) and Polly King (1795- ?). Since there are two 5 year gaps between some of Kirby and Uroth's offspring, there may have been 2-5 other unknown children who died in infancy or who did not survive childhood.
Almost nothing is known about three of their known children: John, Elizabeth and Polly (Mary?). There appears to be no written records in regard to these three individuals. This raises the question as to whether they died very young or whether they were actually children of Kirby and Uroth. It is currently not known where these names came from.
Kirby and Uroth are thought to have married about 1777-78. Burwell is shown as their first known child (abt 1780). Burwell is often spelled Burel, Burrel, Burell, Burrell, Burl, etc. Again, spelled as sounded. William was their second son, named after his father IF Kirby's first given name was actually William. Unknown. Their third known son, Thomas Murray "Tom" King, my 4G-GF, was definitely named after Uroth's father, Thomas Murray, Sr. As mentioned earlier, there are two five year gaps in the birth years of Kirby and Uroth's offspring. Was there an unknown first son (Richard Jr. ?) who was named after Kirby's father and/or a daughter who also died young who was named after Uroth or her mother? Possible, but currently unknown.
Uroth's son, Tom, married (abt 1814) Mary Rebecca "Polly" Cox, the daughter of a Washington County neighbor. She was quite young, around 14. Tom was 24. They soon (abt 1815 ?) migrated from Washington Co., TN to the present day Capuchin area of NW Campbell Co. (now in NE Scott Co.), TN. Around 1819 (some think as late as 1826), Thomas migrated again, this time to the Marsh Creek area of lower Whitley Co. (now in McCreary Co.), KY, where he became the patriarch of the King family in that county.
Again, it is interesting to note that Thomas Murray King named his first son, William T. (Thomas ?) King (1815-1877). It is unknown if that son was named after his father and/or his maternal grandfather. About 25 years later, William T. King, named his first known son, Joshua William King (1837-1894). Again, it is unknown if that son was named after his father, grandfather and/or paternal great-grandfather. As noted earlier, William was a very common name in those days, especially with those of English or Scottish ancestry.
It is also interesting to note that Kirby's daughter, Nancy Ann King (1792-1861), who married Matthew Douglas (1781-1845) in 1812 in Washington Co., TN, had a son named Kirby King Douglas (1819-1889), apparently named after her father, Kirby King. It was not uncommon in those days to use the mother's surname as a given middle name and to name the first male child and the first female child after the grandparents. Nancy's 3rd known son was named William Aaron Douglas (1821-1900). Named after her father or oldest brother?
By 1860, Kirby King Douglas , s/o Nancy (King) Douglas, was living in Whitley Co. (now McCreary Co., as of 1912), KY, close to his uncle, Thomas Murray "Tom" King (his mother's brother), and was the owner/operator of a mill on Paunch Creek. When he died in 1889, he was buried in the Troxell Cemetery (aka Otter Creek Cemetery), located next to the Otter Creek Baptist Church (now First Otter Creek Baptist Church), about 2-3 miles from where his uncle, Thomas, was living (with son Elisha) when he had died in 1880.
Kirby King is thought to have died in Washington Co., TN in 1795/96 about the age of 40-43 (?). Some believe that he was killed while fighting Indians. Possible, but there does not seem to be any documentation to support this story. Possibly family lore. There are recorded land purchases that he made in 1791 and 1794 in Washington County. He also supposedly had daughters (Elizabeth King & Polly King) born about 1794 and 1795. However, as mentioned earlier, nothing is known about them.
Kirby is thought to have been buried (1795/96) on Thomas Murray's large farm, where his father-in-law, Thomas Murray Sr. (1805), and wife, Uroth (1806?), would eventually be buried. The land has been sold and divided many times in the past 200+ years and their exact burial sites are no longer known.
In 1796, Uroth is shown as the landowner so apparently Kirby was deceased by this time. After his death, his wife, Uroth, was left with at least four children (possibly 5 to 7), ages 3-15, to raise. There is no record of her marrying again or having left Washington Co., TN. In 1805, about 9-10 years after her husband's death, she was referred to as "Uroth King" in her father's will (written 1802, proven 1805). Uroth was apparently still widowed as there is no husband is mentioned in that will as with her sisters.
In raising her children as a widow, Uroth, probably had assistance from some members of her family, especially her father (financial?), who lived nearby. Oldest son, Burwell, 15 at the time of his father's death, would have been the "man of the house" and apparently was a big help to her to Uroth for several years. He did not marry until 1804 (abt age 24) and is thought to have not moved to Claiborne Co., TN until several years later (1813/14). The area of Claiborne County that he settled in, near Sneedville, became part of Hancock County, TN when it was formed in 1844.
By 1818, three of the four children (William, Thomas & Nancy) of Kirby and Uroth who are known to have reached adulthood were married and had migrated to Campbell Co., TN. Oldest son, Burwell, who married about 1804, was then living in Claiborne County (later part of Hancock Co.). About 1819, Kirby's son, Thomas, moved from Campbell Co., TN to the Marsh Creek area of lower Whitley Co., KY (now McCreary Co., KY.) and later moved to the area near the present day community of Kingtown in McCreary. Siblings, William & Nancy, stayed in Campbell Co., TN and lived the rest of their lives there.
It is thought that Uroth died sometime not long after May 1805, possibly as early as 1806. She too, was buried on what was then the Murray family farm near Sinking Creek near the present day community of Gray in Washington Co., TN, close to her husband (Kirby) and father (Thomas). Thomas' will left the farm to his grandson/namesake, Thomas Murray (1789-1852), son of Thomas's son, Shadrack Murray (1765-1841). He later sold it (between 1815-19) and moved to Madison Co., TN.
Kirby, his wife, Uroth, and her father, Thomas, probably had only field stones to mark their graves. There may also have been a few other now unknown burials. Over two centuries have since passed and the land has been sold and divided many times. Their grave sites are no longer marked and the little family cemetery has been destroyed.
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Information in this memorial for Kirby King, as well as that in regard to his wife, family members, ancestors and descendants, is thought to be correct. This memorial is revised/corrected, however, as new information becomes available.
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****************************************NOTE*****************************************
THE PHOTO SHOWN ON THE LEFT IS.....NOT.....THE BURIAL MARKER FOR KIRBY K ING, although sometimes mistakenly shown as such. This is NOT the headstone for Kirby.
The headstone pictured is a military marker for William "Billy" King (1752-1840) with a regular headstone on the other side. This William King (unrelated, common name) was a Revolutionary War soldier who was born in Middleton, Dauphin Co., Pennsylvania, died in Holston Valley, Sullivan Co., Tennessee, and is buried in Green Springs, Washington Co., Virginia. The counties of Sullivan (TN) and Washington (VA) are about 35 miles apart today. There is NO known official documentation that shows William King with the additional middle given name of Kirby and NO known official documentation that shows Kirby King with the additional given name of William.
The William King that Kirby King (my 5G-GF) is often confused with was the son of Edward King (1720-1790) and Elizabeth Nichols (1728-1808). William was married to Elizabeth Sharp (1749-1829) and had several children. One of them, Isaac Newton King, eventually migrated to Whitley Co., KY. Please note that Kirby King and Issac Newton King are not known to have been unrelated.
Unfortunately, these two men, Kirby King and William King, along with their families, are often mistakenly combined. Research shows that they had different wives and different children. They were from two different and unrelated King family lines . Again, Kirby King & William King were .....NOT.....the same man as currently shown in numerous King family trees. Consequently, this memorial for Kirby King is................. ....................................................NOT A DUPLICATE.
Before beginning to read this memorial, please realize that few family trees are 100% correct. If you see anything wrong in this memorial or if you a have something to add to it please contact me with that information & provide your source and/or documentation. Thanks.
____________________________________________________________________________
********************************Memorial for Kirby King********************************
The year and location of Kirby King's birth is somewhat uncertain. Most believe him to have been born about 1752-55 (1753 ?), in the British Province of North Carolina, which at that time was a British colony. He is thought to have been born in an area of Edgecombe County which had been formed in 1841 from a portion of Bertie County. Most likely, Kirby was born in that part of Edgecombe County that become Halifax County in 1759, just a few years after his birth.
The spelling of Kirby's given name was dependent upon the person writing it. In those days spelling was quite fluid with most names were spelled as they sounded. Kirby and his wife, Uroth, are thought to have been illiterate (defined as unable to read & write). While his given name was usually spelled as Kirby or Kerbie it was often spelled other ways as it sounded to the writer (Kirbie, Kerby, Kurby, Kurbie, Curby, Curbie, etc.).
There are some who believe that Kirby's first given name was William. Possible, but it should be noted that there is currently no known "official" documentation to support this additional given name. Also, there are some who mistakenly believe that Kirby King (1752/55-1795/96, born in NC) and William "Billy" King (1852-1840, born in PA) were the same men. Not so. See the explanatory NOTE above.
The two King individuals (Kirby & William) were not related, from two unrelated King lines. Apparently, years ago some well meaning genealogist gave Kirby the additional given name of "William" in order to connect the two families. Unfortunately, this mistake has been copied many times since. Definitely two different individuals. It should be noted that William was a very common given name in that day, especially among parents of English or Scottish ancestry. In addition, the surname of King was also quite common.
There were lots of William Kings.
Kirby's father is thought by many to have been the son of Richard King (abt 1700?-abt 1782?), born in Surry Co., Virginia. In 1983, I had the opportunity to spend some time with Emby Luster King (1905-1987). Emby, who died over 25 years ago, had lived all of his life in the Kingtown area of McCreary County and knew his family line well. His county was formally part of Whitley Co. when McCreary Co. was created in 1912.
Emby, a forth great-grandson of Kirby King, told me that the earliest King in his family that he "had heard of" was a Richard King who had lived in North Carolina in the Halifax area. Emby said that this Richard King had a son (Kirby King) who had migrated from NC to the present day Tennessee area (then NC's Western Territory) and later a grandson (Thomas Murray King) who had migrated from NE TN to KY. He said the old timers knew very little about Richard & knew nothing about Richard's wife, not even her name.
Halifax Co. (then part of the British Province of North Carolina) was formed in 1759 just a few years after Kirby's birth (1752-55?). As an adult, Richard's son (Kirby), immigrated from Haliax Co. (est. 1859), North Carolina to Tennessee (then NC's Western Territory). Emby, then78, had obviously been told of the Halifax connection by his father (Rev. Burel King) and/or his GF (Emby King Sr.) and/or possibly other older relatives.
It was a real pleasure to meet (1983) cousin Emby and his wife, Beatrice Leona Chitwood (1907-1994). Despite being an "unknown" relative they were very nice to me. Emby said that he had been told that Richard's son (Kirby King) "...had come from Halifax, NC to Tennessee" and that his son, Thomas Murray King, eventually "...came over the mountains from Tennessee to Kentucky using a wagon pulled by a team of oxen (slower but stronger that horses), walking along side of them with a prod". A prod was a long stick, usually sharpened, that was used to "prod" oxen in order to keep them doing what their master needed for them to do.
Emby and I talked for quite some time. He then had his oldest son, Elmon King (1925-2008), take me to the Duncan Cemetery in McCreary County where Thomas Murray King (1790-1880) and his wife, Mary Rebecca "Polly" (Cox) King (1800-1881) are buried. Thomas and Polly, who once owned the land (then owned by 4G-GS Emby L. King), still have markers that were very readable.
Emby then had his son take me to the old old house site where my grandparents (Thomas Luster King & Minnie Gooch) had lived in before moving to Parksville, Boyle Co., KY in 1916. He said that the little wooden house had been "torched" (vandalism) just a few weeks prior to my visit. Emby had lived near them (walking distance) as a youngster and knew my grandfather. Emby then set up a meeting with another cousin, Pete Stephens (1924-2009), and gave me directions to his home (just inside Tennessee) and to the Stephens Cemetery where my great-grandparents, Jackson King (1842-1919) and Polly Stephens (1845-1910), are buried.
As mentioned earlier, a number of family trees confuse Kirby King (bet 1752/55-1795/96) with William "Billy" King (1752-1840), a son of Edward King (1720-1790) and Elizabeth Nichols (1728-1806). William was married to Elizabeth Sharp (1749-1829). This is a different King family that, again, is thought not to be related. William "Billy" King was born in Dauphin Co., PA and was a Revolutionary War soldier. He died in Sullivan Co., TN and is buried in Green Spring Cemetery in Green Spring, Washington Co., Virginia.
Currently, there is no known document that shows the above William King's middle given name (if he had one) to have been Kirby. The name of "Kirby" was probably just added to William and has been copied many times by family tree researchers.
Some believe Kirby's ancestors to have come to America from England. Very possible. However, the before mentioned and now deceased Emby Luster King, said that he had been told that the first King (Richard King ?) was of Scot-Irish ancestry. Family lore? Maybe. Emby's daughter, Brenda (also now deceased), and herself a competent genealogist, told me years later that she had heard her father say the same thing several times over the years.
The Scot-Irish were actually Scots who had moved to Ireland due to English persecution and who had eventually immigrated to America. Understandably, they they had a great dislike for the British at that time. The Scot-Irish played a big part in the early settlement of the United States and at one time made up one-seventh of America's population. Many of them fought in the American Revolution again the English. The King family names of Richard, Kirby, Burwell and William, while English in origin, can also be found in Scotland. Had Kirby King's ancestors moved from England to Scotland and then on to Ireland? Certainly possible, but currently unknown.
We know that the family of Kirby King definitely originated in Europe, however, tracing the family's ancestry there is rather difficult. The name surname "King" was quite common in both England and Scotland. Also, given Biblical names such as Peter, James, John, Andrew, Thomas, Matthew, etc., as well as Mary, Elizabeth, Martha, etc., were very common given names in those days. Consequently, there is much conjecture (speculation, assumptions, theories, etc.) as to his parentage and ancestry. What we think we know for sure is that Kirby's ancestry was either English and/or Scot/Irish.
Around 1777-78 (?), Kirby married Uroth Murray (1752/55?-abt 1806), probably in Rowan Co., NC. Thought to have been born in Baltimore Co., Maryland, Uroth was the daughter of Thomas Murray Sr. (1725-1805) and Henrietta Maria Jones (1828-abt 1760). Uroth Murray was of definite Scottish descent.
Kirby's wife's unusual given name is sometimes spelled Ureth, Urith, Urath and Urouth. It was usually spelled as sounded to the writer and it's origin & meaning is unknown. Spelling in those days was quite fluid. Since it is thought that neither she, her husband Kirby, or her parents could read or write there may have been no real "correct" way to spell her name as any spelling of the name would have been dependent upon the writer. While her name was spelled Uroth in her handwritten father's will, it should be noted that Uroth's father signed the will with his mark ("T"). Apparently, Uroth's father (Thomas Murray0, could not read/write either. Consequently, spelling of "Uroth" in his will, while possibly correct, was actually written by the writer of the will, not her father.
As mentioned earlier, Kirby's mother, Uroth, was of definite Scottish ancestry. Her GG-grandfather, James Murray (1665-1794), had come to America (Baltimore, British Province of Maryland) from Scotland in 1676 when he was about 10-12 years of age. Surprisingly, he did not make the long voyage across the Atlantic Ocean with his parents, but with a unrelated (?) gentleman by the name of Nathaniel Heathcote. Most likely, James was to be Nathaniel's apprentice or possibly his indentured servant for several years. Orphaned? Possible.
Both of Uroth's parents, Thomas Sr. and Henrietta, were born in Baltimore Co., British Province of Maryland and married there. Uroth's mother, Henrietta, died in Baltimore County around the age of 32. Her burial site is currently unknown. Uroth is thought to have been only 5-8 years old at the time of her mother's death.
Following the death of his first wife, Uroth's father remarried. This time he married Margaret Jones (1723-abt 1780), also in Baltimore County . She was the older (by 5 years) half-sister of Thomas' first wife, Henrietta. Thomas was 36 , Margaret 38. She died in Baltimore County around the age of 55. Her burial site is also unknown.
In the mid-1780s, Uroth's twice widowed father (now about 60), moved with friends and/or members of the Murray clan to Washington County in North Carolina's Western Territory. The area they migrated to is now part of NE Tennessee (Washington Co.). Thomas died there in 1805 near the present day community of Sinking Creek and is thought to have been buried there on his farm.
Kirby and Uroth either moved with Uroth's father to Washington Co., NC (now Tennessee) in the mid-1780s or followed them to the area shortly thereafter. There were some King families already in Washington County, however, Kirby is not known to have been related to any of them. Kirby's family had nothing to do with the town of Kingston, King College, etc. Again, King was a rather common surname.
Kirby and Uroth are thought to have been married about 17 years and may have have had seven or more children, all born in Washington County. They were Burwell King (1780-bet 1850/60), William King (1785-1841/50?), Thomas Murray "Tom" King (1790-1880), John T. King (1791- ?), Nancy Ann King (1792-1861), Elizabeth King (1794- ?) and Polly King (1795- ?). Since there are two 5 year gaps between some of Kirby and Uroth's offspring, there may have been 2-5 other unknown children who died in infancy or who did not survive childhood.
Almost nothing is known about three of their known children: John, Elizabeth and Polly (Mary?). There appears to be no written records in regard to these three individuals. This raises the question as to whether they died very young or whether they were actually children of Kirby and Uroth. It is currently not known where these names came from.
Kirby and Uroth are thought to have married about 1777-78. Burwell is shown as their first known child (abt 1780). Burwell is often spelled Burel, Burrel, Burell, Burrell, Burl, etc. Again, spelled as sounded. William was their second son, named after his father IF Kirby's first given name was actually William. Unknown. Their third known son, Thomas Murray "Tom" King, my 4G-GF, was definitely named after Uroth's father, Thomas Murray, Sr. As mentioned earlier, there are two five year gaps in the birth years of Kirby and Uroth's offspring. Was there an unknown first son (Richard Jr. ?) who was named after Kirby's father and/or a daughter who also died young who was named after Uroth or her mother? Possible, but currently unknown.
Uroth's son, Tom, married (abt 1814) Mary Rebecca "Polly" Cox, the daughter of a Washington County neighbor. She was quite young, around 14. Tom was 24. They soon (abt 1815 ?) migrated from Washington Co., TN to the present day Capuchin area of NW Campbell Co. (now in NE Scott Co.), TN. Around 1819 (some think as late as 1826), Thomas migrated again, this time to the Marsh Creek area of lower Whitley Co. (now in McCreary Co.), KY, where he became the patriarch of the King family in that county.
Again, it is interesting to note that Thomas Murray King named his first son, William T. (Thomas ?) King (1815-1877). It is unknown if that son was named after his father and/or his maternal grandfather. About 25 years later, William T. King, named his first known son, Joshua William King (1837-1894). Again, it is unknown if that son was named after his father, grandfather and/or paternal great-grandfather. As noted earlier, William was a very common name in those days, especially with those of English or Scottish ancestry.
It is also interesting to note that Kirby's daughter, Nancy Ann King (1792-1861), who married Matthew Douglas (1781-1845) in 1812 in Washington Co., TN, had a son named Kirby King Douglas (1819-1889), apparently named after her father, Kirby King. It was not uncommon in those days to use the mother's surname as a given middle name and to name the first male child and the first female child after the grandparents. Nancy's 3rd known son was named William Aaron Douglas (1821-1900). Named after her father or oldest brother?
By 1860, Kirby King Douglas , s/o Nancy (King) Douglas, was living in Whitley Co. (now McCreary Co., as of 1912), KY, close to his uncle, Thomas Murray "Tom" King (his mother's brother), and was the owner/operator of a mill on Paunch Creek. When he died in 1889, he was buried in the Troxell Cemetery (aka Otter Creek Cemetery), located next to the Otter Creek Baptist Church (now First Otter Creek Baptist Church), about 2-3 miles from where his uncle, Thomas, was living (with son Elisha) when he had died in 1880.
Kirby King is thought to have died in Washington Co., TN in 1795/96 about the age of 40-43 (?). Some believe that he was killed while fighting Indians. Possible, but there does not seem to be any documentation to support this story. Possibly family lore. There are recorded land purchases that he made in 1791 and 1794 in Washington County. He also supposedly had daughters (Elizabeth King & Polly King) born about 1794 and 1795. However, as mentioned earlier, nothing is known about them.
Kirby is thought to have been buried (1795/96) on Thomas Murray's large farm, where his father-in-law, Thomas Murray Sr. (1805), and wife, Uroth (1806?), would eventually be buried. The land has been sold and divided many times in the past 200+ years and their exact burial sites are no longer known.
In 1796, Uroth is shown as the landowner so apparently Kirby was deceased by this time. After his death, his wife, Uroth, was left with at least four children (possibly 5 to 7), ages 3-15, to raise. There is no record of her marrying again or having left Washington Co., TN. In 1805, about 9-10 years after her husband's death, she was referred to as "Uroth King" in her father's will (written 1802, proven 1805). Uroth was apparently still widowed as there is no husband is mentioned in that will as with her sisters.
In raising her children as a widow, Uroth, probably had assistance from some members of her family, especially her father (financial?), who lived nearby. Oldest son, Burwell, 15 at the time of his father's death, would have been the "man of the house" and apparently was a big help to her to Uroth for several years. He did not marry until 1804 (abt age 24) and is thought to have not moved to Claiborne Co., TN until several years later (1813/14). The area of Claiborne County that he settled in, near Sneedville, became part of Hancock County, TN when it was formed in 1844.
By 1818, three of the four children (William, Thomas & Nancy) of Kirby and Uroth who are known to have reached adulthood were married and had migrated to Campbell Co., TN. Oldest son, Burwell, who married about 1804, was then living in Claiborne County (later part of Hancock Co.). About 1819, Kirby's son, Thomas, moved from Campbell Co., TN to the Marsh Creek area of lower Whitley Co., KY (now McCreary Co., KY.) and later moved to the area near the present day community of Kingtown in McCreary. Siblings, William & Nancy, stayed in Campbell Co., TN and lived the rest of their lives there.
It is thought that Uroth died sometime not long after May 1805, possibly as early as 1806. She too, was buried on what was then the Murray family farm near Sinking Creek near the present day community of Gray in Washington Co., TN, close to her husband (Kirby) and father (Thomas). Thomas' will left the farm to his grandson/namesake, Thomas Murray (1789-1852), son of Thomas's son, Shadrack Murray (1765-1841). He later sold it (between 1815-19) and moved to Madison Co., TN.
Kirby, his wife, Uroth, and her father, Thomas, probably had only field stones to mark their graves. There may also have been a few other now unknown burials. Over two centuries have since passed and the land has been sold and divided many times. Their grave sites are no longer marked and the little family cemetery has been destroyed.
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Information in this memorial for Kirby King, as well as that in regard to his wife, family members, ancestors and descendants, is thought to be correct. This memorial is revised/corrected, however, as new information becomes available.
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