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by Mrs. Dayton Royse
Richard Elliott who came to Kentucky about 1793 and settled in the area then Clark County, has been mentioned in numberous publications, including Early Families of Eastern & Southern Kentucky, by William C. Kozee, 1961; Historical Southern Families, John B. Boddie, Vol. 8, 1964; and History of Kentucky, S. J. Clarke, 1928, Val. 4. Most of these articles have dealt with his descendants who have some "claim to fame", such as Judge John Milton Elliott who was assassinated at Frankfort, KY in 1879 and for whom Elliott County, KY was named, and Mrs. Mary Elliott Flanary, who was elected in 1931 to represent Boyd County in the Kentucky Legislature, the first woman legislator south of the Mason-Dixon line. In 1920, Mrs. Flanary became a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (#155929) on the Revolutionary service of Richard Elliott, a colonel in the Virginia State Line who served three years or more and was with General Washington at the Siege of Yorktown. I do not know how his identity was established, but I suggest that there might be some confusion with a contemporary Richard Elliott who was a captain and later a colonel of Brunswick County, VA, militia and who died about 196 in Charlotte Co., VA...owned much land and records are well documented.
Very little documented material has been published regarding the life of Richard Elliott in the articles which I have consulted. I hope to add data based on courthouse records, tax lists, census records, etc., from which it may be possible to authenicate this Elliott line.
It is said that Richard Elliott was born 1736 or 1737 on the ocean en route to America, a son of John Elliott who resided in Fincastle, Donegal County, North Ireland, prior to his removal to America. I have found nothing to prove or disprove these statements.
Although the Chalkley records of Augusta County, VA contain many early court records of persons known to be connected with Richard Elliott, the first reference to him appears in the estate settlement of Robert Graham, deceased, filed 21 May 1772 by Ralph Lafferty, the administrator, which included a notation of a payment by the estate in August 1766 to Mathew Wilson and Richard Ellet. (Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia: Extracted from the Original Court Records of Augusta County, 1745-1800, Lyman Chalkley, 1912, Vol 3, p. 124.) Ralph Lafferty, an early settler in Augusta County, was married first to a Miss Steele; on 20 November 1764, he married Jane (Hicklin) Graham, widow of Robert Graham. Ralph's sister, Ann Lafferty, was married first to James Stewart, born in Ulster, Ireland, 1719-1723; they were neighbors of Ralph Lafferty in the Cowpasture area of Augusta County (present Bath Co., VA) by 1742. James Stewart was killed by the Indians in September 1757, and his widow, Ann, married in 1763 Thomas Armstrong, widower, who died in 1776, survived by wife Ann. (A Study of Some Stewart and Allied Families, William C. Stewart, Kentucky Historical Register, 1963, Vol. 61, pp 78 & 169. The James Stewart Family of Early Augusta Co., VA and Descendants, 1740-1960, Florence S. Dickerson, 1966.)
Richard Elliott married a daughter of James and Ann (Lafferty) Stewart of Augusta County. Her first name has been given as Mary in several accounts; but I suggest that she was named Catherine. Richard Elliott was taxed in Montgomery County, Ky in 1799, in which year his death is said to have occurred; for two male tithes, 21 or over, and 3 hroses; In 1800 and 1801, a Richard Elliott, probably a son, was taxed for one horse; in 1802, Katey Elliott was taxed for two horses and Richard Elliott for one horse; in 1803, Richard was taxed for six horses; in 1804 and 1805 for two horses; in 1806, Richard is not listed, but Catharine Elliott was taxed for two horses. Neither appears again on tax lists for following years. (Microfilm of Montgomery County, KY, Tax Books, 1797-1812). My second reason for suggesting the name Catherine, is the Morgan County, KY death record of James S. Elliott, dated 26 May 1857, which gave his age as 87, birthplace as Randolph County, (W)VA, and his parents as Richard and Catherine Elliott. (Microfile of Morgan County Deaths, Kentucky Vital Statistics, Kentucky Historical Society Library, Frankfort, KY.)
James Stewart, Jr., son of James and Ann (Lafferty) Stewart, was born about 1744, being aged 18 when he chose his uncle, John Hamilton, as guardian, 17 February 1762. (Chalkley ), He married 20 August 1766 Isabelle Foster of Augusta County (Stewart Family, Dickerson), and moved about 1772 to a farm on Stewart's Run of Tygart's Valley River, branch of the Monongahela River (present Randolph County, WVA), where he was killed by Indians while engaged with the militia. His widow, Isabel, was appointed administratrix, 18 August 1772, with Henry Cresswell and John Elliott as securities on her bond. (Ibid, 3:124) An appraisal of the estate in 1772 listed "notes of, viz: Richard Elliott, Jas. Schoolcraft, Daniel McLean (by the road), Patt. Hamilton by road, by a privat balance of Ginsang, by Ralph Stewart (Ibid 3:140).
Ralph Stewart, borther of James Jr., was born 1747 in the Cowpasture, married first about 1767 or 1768 Mary Elliott, sister of Richard, and second Mary Clay of Montgomery County, Virginia, marriage bond dated 25 June 1788, with Richard Elliott named in the bond.