The Newsome Family
This Newsome information taken from my mamaw's book "The Stewart Roberts Book".
The first Federal Census of the U.S. was taken in 1790. At that time, Kentucky was a part of Virginia and all of eastern Kentucky was in Mason County. In 1799, Mason County, Virginia, was split and a part of it be- came Floyd County. This area was a part ofFloyd County until Pike County, Kentucky was formed in 1821. The first federal population Census for Pike County was not taken until 1830. John and George Newsom(e) were brothers who settled in the state of North Carolina. Harrison, the son of George Newsome, was bom in North Carolina in 1775. He married Peggy Lowe (b. 1780) in North Carolina in 1798. They had six sons and six daughters; five sons and two daughters were bom in North Carolina. Their children were: Polly B. (ca. 1800 in NC), Hartwell (ca. 1803 in NC), a boy (1805), Henry (1807), a giri (1810), Fredric (1812), Harrison Jr. (1815), Dav- enport (1816 in KY), a girl (1818), a girl (1820), a girl (1822), a girl (1826). In 1815 or early 1816, Harrison Newsome received a government land grant and brought his family to Floyd County, Kentucky. Harrison's land grant covered a large section of land on Shelby Creek near what is now Virgie, Kentucky, a large section of Little Robinson Creek and a large section of land on Caney Creek. A few Indian families were living on the land covered by Harrison's land grant. He paid the Indians money, dogs, guns and trinkets until they agreed to give up their claim on the land. The Indians left on good terms. The small Indian cemetery on the Caney Creek land was respected and cared for by the Newsome families. Harrison's sons all married within the state of Kentucky as follows: Henry Newsome married Martha "Patsey" Branham (1815) in 1831. Hartwell married Sallie Tolley in 1831. Fredric married Anzie Hall in 1835. Harrison Jr. married Mary Hall in 1834. Davenport married Marinda Bryant in 1831. Harrison Newsome was a farmer and raised live- stock. Before the land could be tilled, he had to cut and clear the timber. The timber was then sawed into logs to build the house and other buildings such as barns, cribs, etc. needed on the farm. Timber was also used for fencing pastures, for fuel to heat the home and for cooking.
As his children married, Harrison gave each one a farm. When Henry Newsome married Martha "Patsey" Branham, Harrison gave him the Caney Creek section of land. It was here that Henry and Martha built their house and raised their family. The children of Henry and Martha are: Elizabeth (1832), Wilson (1834), David (1836), Washington (1839), Peggy (1841), Usiey (1844), Henry (1847) and Mary Polly (1849). David Newsome fought in the Civil War. He was stationed at Louisa, Kentucky. While he was in the service, a neighbor brought him the news that his father had died. In those days, the only means of communication was by foot or horseback. Although his army officer sent him home with another soldier to accompany him, his father was already buried. While he was home, he found out that his mother was very ill. He spent the night but had to leave for camp the next day While in the army, David spent several weeks in the hospital with typhoid fever. After the war, David Newsome married Dicey Roberts (b. 1846, the sister of Daniel Roberts) in 1865. Their children were Melvina "Viney" (Sept. 22, 1866), John Henry (Sept 26, 1868), Daniel (Oct. 21, 1870), Alafair (Dec. 26, 1872), Mary Alice (May 19, 1875), George Washington (May 23,1877), Peter "Pete" (Dec. 25,1879), Wilson (Jan. 6,1882), Usiey (May 16,1884), Nannie "Nan" (June 15, 1886), Belle (Dec. 24, 1888) and Dollie (1892). Continuing his father's custom, Henry gave David a large farm on Caney Creek when he married. Here, David built a huge log house with a full-length porch on both sides. His barn was built with two rows of stalls and a broad hallway in the center of the ground floor. The second floor was used to store fodder for the stock. David also built a large log smokehouse for curing and storing meat and two large cribs to store corn. David and his family raised almost everything they needed, including corn, beans, potatoes, cotton, wheat and tobacco. They cooked in a fireplace, using large iron kettles, iron skillets and a dutch oven. They planted a large orchard of apples and peaches. The apples were used fresh during the season and were peeled, sliced and dried in a big kiln for the winter. Peaches, berries and apples were made into preserves, put in gallon and half gallon crock jars and sealed by pasting layers of paper over them. Green beans were ; strung with heavy thread, hung and dried. Snap beans were shelled and stored in large barrels. To store food for the winter, they dug holes in the ground, lined them with boards and straw and placed apples, turnips, pota- toes and cabbage in them. They raised cane, ground it in the cane mill and made molasses. The family also had a j water mill, where they ground corn into meal, wheat for flour and chop for the livestock. They also ground meal for the whole neighborhood using a little square box to measure the amount. Dicey, David's wife, had a loom and wheel and spun wool into yam thread. She then wove the thread into blankets, bedspreads and linsey (a material used for clothing). She spun the cotton into thread and then made cloth for clothing, etc. They raised geese and ducks for feathers to make feather beds and pillows. David raised all kinds of stock and gave each of his children a calf, colt, pig or lamb to feed and care for. Sometimes, buyers came through the country to pur- chase stock from the farmers. David let each child keep the money from his own animal so by the time he grew up, each child had saved a few hundred dollars. David Newsome was one of the first to own a cook stove. Afraid to put it in the house because of the danger of fire, he built a log stove house about fifty feet from the house. The kitchen table, chairs, a long bench, a cup- board and a dish safe were taken out to the stove house. They used the cook stove and ate out in the stove house for several years. Then an agent came through the country selling the "Home Comfort Range." David bought one of these and built a new kitchen and dining room only a few feet from the house. The old stove house was then used for a smoke house to store canned food, dried vegetables, wal- nuts, etc. Before there was a bank in Pikeville, the family kept their money in the loft of the log house. The medicine shelf was a secret stairway and a panel of the ceiling was a hidden opening. The shelves were used for steps. They would slip out the panel and go into the loft. David often loaned money to his friends and neighbors. David Newsome was a brilliant man. People often came to him for advice, which he freely gave. One inci- dent bears retelling: One day a neighbor came in. He said, "Well, Uncle Dave, I've come to you for advice." David said. "Well, what is it?" "I killed a man last night and I want your advice about what to do." David said, "Son, you're too late. If you had asked me yesterday, I would have told you not to do it." Dicey Roberts Newsome died in 1917 and David Newsome died in 1918. The Newsomes were strong in mind and body; they met challenges and overcame them. They were all raised by the same principles: Trust in God. Always be truthful. Be honest with yourself and your fellow man. Be a friend to all. Set your goals high. Meet every task with a determination to win. David and Dicey's daughter, Alafair Newsome, married James Madison Jackson Damron in 1899. They had two children, Tolby J. (1900) and Henry Alvin (1902). Tolby married Eva Roberts May 15, 1922. Alvin married Flora Branham James M. Jackson Damron died in 1928. Tolby Damron and Eva Roberts Damron lived in Pike County, Kentucky until 1943, when they moved to Chillicothe, Ohio. Alafair died in Chillicothe in 1945. Alvin died in 1980. Tolby died March 10, 1987 and Eva died December 22, 1990. Flora is still living in Waverly, Ohio.
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