THE OLDEST LARUE HOME NOW STANDING. "Bloomfleld," in Clarke Co., Va., built by Jacob LaRue (I.) in 1775. In the gable end is a dressed stone with inscription "Jacob and Mary 1775". Six Generations of LaRues 'And Allied Families: Containing Sketch of Isaac LaRue, Senior, who died in Frederick County, Virginia, in 1795, and some account of his Amer­ ican Ancestors and Three Generations of his Descendants and Families who were connected by Intermarriage, among others, CARMAN, HODGEN, HELM, BUZAN, RUST, MCDONALD, CASTLEMAN, WALTERS, ALEXANDER, MEDLEY, MCMAHON, VERTREES, KEITH, WINTERSMITH, CLAY, NEILL, GRAN­ THAM, VANMETER AND ENLOW; Copies of Six Old Wills and Other Old Documents; Va­ rious Incidents connected with the Settlement of the Nolynn Valley in Kentucky; also, a Chapter on the LaRue Family and the Child Abraham Lincoln. By OTIS M. MATHER, of Hodgenville, LaRue County, Kentucky Attorney at Law; LL. M. (George Washington University, Washington, D. C); Vice President of Kentucky State Bar Association; Member of Filson Club, Louisville. Ky. CHART AND ILLUSTRATIONS HODGENVILLE, KENTUCKY 192 1 Press of C. T. Dearing Printing Company, Inc., Louisville, Kentucky. INSCRIPTION. To the Memory of Sarah Jane LaRue Castleman (Born October 9,1808, died February 22, 1904), who for more than twenty years was the sole survivor of all the fifty-seven grand­ children of Isaac LaRue, Senior, and in whose retentive mind was preserved for the present generation much of the history of the colo­ nial family whose branches are traced herein, this little volume is inscribed by her grandson, the Author. CHART—THE FAMILY OF ISAAC LARUE. SENIOR. 1. Abraham LaRue, grandfather. Immigrant, about 1680, D. 1712. a 2. Peter LaRue, lather, (16SS-17S3). 3. Isaac LaRue, Senior, 1712-179S) wife, Phebe Carman. CHILDREN. IV V VI VII I II III Elizabeth Mary Sarah Rebecca VIII IX X Jacob John Isaac LaRue Carman Hodgen Helm Samuel James Jabez 13 4 6 6 6 12 1 1 4 0 GRAND-CHILDREN. John Rebecca John Isaac Caleb Marg-aret Margaret Phebe Samuel Helm Vertrees Clay Neill A. 0 9 X 8 3 7 12 12 8 Phebe Squire Joseph Abraham Isaac Phebe John B. Buz an LaRue B. 8 9 9 X X (I. G.I 3 Hannah Phebe Phebe Lambert Joshua Isaac Phebe Rust LaRue Alexander Grantham C. 4 (I.I) X X X __8 6 Isaac Margaret Jabez Jacob James Sarah Clarissa Walters LaRue Vanmeter D. 2 13 X 7 X (I. P.) 1 Mary Squire Phebe Nancy (?) John McDonald Medley B. 9 X 3 X IS William Elizabeth Sarah Peggy (?) Rebecca McMahon Cly Keith P. 13 X 1 X 11 Jacob Elizabeth Wintersmith G. 9 4 Samuel Mary H. 6 0 James Samuel I. 4 8 Deidamia Jacob Hodgen K. (VI. E.) 4 Morgan J. James L. 14 X Sarah Jane Jabez Castleman M. 8 0 Jesse N. 7 NOTE—Fieur's under names indicate number of children of persons named above. Letter X indicates number of children is unknown, Where O Pi key numbers appear under names children are shown under persons to whom the key number applies. P CD FOREWORD. This book, including the introductory chapter as it appears herein, was written in the summer of 1920. It was put aside, and until inquiries in regard to the LaRue family thereafter began to come to the writer requiring long letters in reply, no plans for printing or publication were made. Toward the close of February, 1921, circulars setting out the scope of the work were sent to LaRue descendants whose addresses were known to the author. Responses have entirely removed doubt as to whether the demand would be sufficient to justify publication. Another result of sending out the prospectus has been a deluge of new materials, from which much has been added. The author is under obligations to many persons for friendly assistance in the preparation of this work. He cannot name all, but he is under special obligations to the following: Mrs. Emily Cumings Ellis, of Summit, New Jersey. Mr. M. H. Dubbs, of St. Louis, Mo. Prof. A. L. Keith, of Northfield, Minn. Mr. Will W. Henton, of Canton, Mo. Mr. Francis Gorbin LaRue, of Rippon, West Virginia. Miss Fannie LaRue, of Summit Point, West Virginia. ' Mrs. Laura Wiechelman, of Effingham, 111. Mr. Jacob LaRue, of Etna, 111. Mr. Samuel D. Caldwell, of Cave City, Ky. Dr. Will S. Hodgen, of Lebanon, Ky. Miss Anna Asper, of Chicago, 111. Mr. Archie R. Arnette. of Berryville, Va. Mr. A. C. Hodgen. of RusselMlle, Ky. Mrs. Margaret A. Faris, of Kansas City, Kan. Mrs. Josephus Hopwood, Milligan College, Tenn. Mrs. Rose Cornforth, Shelbyville, Tenn. Mr. Henry A. LaRue. Columbus, Kansas. Mrs. Isa Hodgen Watson, of Santa Cruz, California. Mrs. Delia Hayden, of Indianapolis, Intl. Mrs. Letitia Ransdell, of St. Louis, Mo. Miss Gertrude Finley, of New Bloomfield, Mo. Mrs. Louise A. Shane, Eldon, Iowa. Miss Mayme LaRue, Franklin, Ky. Mrs. Laura Hayes, Bardstown, Ky. Mr. A. E. LaRue, Russell, Iowa. Mr. H. C. LaRue, Chariton, Iowa. Hon. H. Clay Howard, Paris, Ky. V FOREWORD With the exception of the four first named, all these are direct descendants of Isaac LaRue, Sr. Others who have given assistance are mentioned in the sections to which they have specially contributed. Needless to say, many of the author's more immediate relatives, of the families of Jacob LaRue (I.) and John LaRue (II.), have afforded him access to family records and have given him much helpful information. The writer has also been greatly assisted by use of the valuable private library of Mr. R. C. Ballard Thruston, of Louisville, and the library of the Filson Club, for which he is under obligations to Mr. Thrustoii and to his Secretary, Miss Kinkead. But for the aid which has thus been freely given, this work could not have been prepared. The author claims credit and is ready to take the blame only for the plan and arrangement, not for the substance, of this book. Many of his correspondents have had different ideas as to what it should be—some desiring that much more space be given to the unsupported, if not mythical, tales of the fortunes and titles of the LaRues in France, others urging' the apparently impossible task of including all the LaRue families who came to America, still others suggesting that the book show all the de­ scendants of Isaac LaRue, Sr., down to the present day. The author, aware of his limitations, has taken a middle ground, and has undertaken only to satisfy the reasonable expectations of the reader of his title page. His one chief regret is that in the limited space allotted he has been unable to give scarcely more than a bare recital of dates in connection with the names of worthy men and women whose lives deserve much more extended notice. In a few instances, where materials have been available, details of the movement of certain families have been shown. These are given as fair illustrations of the general trend of the LaRue descendants westward. The supplementary list of some of the living descendants of the various branches, with their present addresses, was an afterthought. Many of these addresses were obtained after the prospectus was sent out. The key numbers used in the book in connection with the descendants of Isaac LaRue, Sr., may be readily understood from the explanation given in the introductory chapter and from the chart which appears on page IV. Further explanation of terms hardly seems necessary. Few abbreviations are used. "B," of course, stands for born, and "D" for died. This book is intended primarily for LaRue descendants, not for general circulation. In the ordinary acceptation of the word, VI FOREWORD it is'not published. This is a limited edition, printed for the author. He is having twice as many copies printed as have already been subscribed for, in order to meet future demand. In all probability the edition will be exhausted within a short time. While it lasts, copies in cloth binding may be had from the author at $3.00 each, postpaid. A few copies have been bound in limp leather, for which price will be $5.50 each. The author of this book will endeavor to answer any question relating to this branch of the. LaRue family, on receipt of inquiry, with self-addressed and stamped return envelope. Hodgenville, Ky. April 11, 1921. VII CONTENTS Page CHART—THE FAMILY OF ISAAC LARUE, SENIOR iv FOREWORD v INTRODUCTORY 1 THE LARUES IN AMERICA (By M; H. Dubbs) 5 AMERICAN ANCESTORS OF ISAAC LARUE, SENIOR: Various forms of the word LaRue; Abraham LaRue, Immigrant, about 16S0; Statement of Isaac LaRue, Senior; Genealogy by Davis, author of History of Bucks Co., Pa.; Peter LaRue; Traditions of the LaRues in France; "Aunt Fontaine"; Abra­ ham and Peter LaRue in New York and New Jersey; Peter LaRue's death in Frederick Co., Va.; the wife of Peter LaRue; the children of Peter LaRue; the children of Peter LaRue's sons, Abraham and Jacob 10 DESCENDANTS OF ABRAHAM LARUE, BROTHER OF ISAAC LARUE, SENIOR 19 WILL OF PETER LARUE 22 THE CARMAN FAMILY 23 ISAAC LARUE, SENIOR: Born in New Jersey, 1712; his marriage to Phebe Carman; re­ moval to Frederick Co.. Va.; his home on Long Marsh; he "raises horses"; he votes for George Washington in 1758; he acquires lands in various parts of Va.; he purchases 21,000 acres on the Kanawha River; he enters land in Kentucky in 1770: Squire Boone locates lands for the LaRues; copy of an old deed of Isaac LaRue, Sr.; his death in 1795; death of his wid­ ow, Phebe Carman: families on Long Marsh in 1782; the ten children of Isaac LaRue, Sr 26 COPY OF CONTRACT FOR PURCHASE OF LAND BY ISAAC LARUE, SENIOR (1743) 35 WILL OF ISAAC LARUE, SENIOR 35 (Note explanation of key numbers, on page 3, and chart on pan-e IV, for descendants of Isaac LaRue, Sr., named below.) I.—JACOB LARUE: His marriage to Mary Frost; his home in Va.; he enters 18,000 acres of land in Jefferson Co., Kentucky; he purchases lands on Nolynn; moves to Kentucky in 1798; death of Mary Frost LaRue; Jacob LaRue's second marriage, to Jane Morgan; his death; his thirteen children 37 DEED FROM JACOB LARUE (I.) TO JAMES LARUE (IX.) 42 WILL OF JACOB LARUE (I.) j 44 I.