Thomas Lollard of England married a French lady of gentle birth from the Province of Touraine. He was knighted by King Henry V after the battle of Agincourt Oct 25, 1415. He remained in Frane, lived in Samur and changed his name to Lillard. After a skip of several generations the direct line of descent from Sir Thomas Lillard is as follows:

Jasper Lillard married a Miss Isaacs, who gave up her religion to join Jasper as a devout Huguenot. He was a wine merchant and boat line owner. Their sons were: Jean, Benjamin, Moise, Joseph and David.

After the revocation of the Edict of Nantes Oct 22, 1685, Jean and Benjamin Lillard came to America and settled in Virginia on the James River near Richmond. Benjamin was drowned soon after arrival.

Jean Anglicized his name to John Lillard and in 1700 married Mildred Jones, a relative of the Monroe family, ancestors of President James Monroe. John Lillard was born at Nantes 1668. Mildred Jones Lillard died 1720.

Tradition is that John and Mildred Lillard's only son Benjamin lived 120 years (1701 - 1821). Benjamin Lillard married Elizabeth Lightfoot in 1724. She was a cousin of "Lighthorse" Harry Lee. Of nine children born to them the eighth continues this genealogy.

John Lillard, b. 1737, d. 1801, m. in 1758 Susannah Ball, b. 1738, d 1782. She was a daughter of Samuel Ball, who was a brother of Mary Ball, the other of George Washington. A complete history of the Ball family back to 1400 is in the Newberry Library, Chicago, Ill.

John Lillard's second wife was Ann Moore Thomas, widow, and daughter of Col. Francis Moore. Capt John Lillard was a close friend of George Washington, and it is tradition that George Washington was a groomsman at his wedding with his cousin Susannah Ball.

He served as Captain of the Minute Men of Virginia during the Revolution. It is tradition that George Washington asked him to form his own company and select his own men. In 1782, he and his wife Susannah came over the Wilderness Road with twelve children, slaves, and furniture and settled at Fort Harrod, Ky., then known as the Lincoln district of Virginia. He located on a grant of land made to him by Gov Patrick Henry (Book 10 p. 254) Land Office, Frankfort, Ky. Capt John Lillard's children are named in a deed recorded in Culpepper Co., Va. (D B p.. 264). Their names are: Thomas, ELizabeth, John II, Anna Mary, Susannah, Joseph, Ephraim I, James, Patsy, Daniel, David.

Capt. John Lillard's son, Ephraim Lillard I (b. Oct 12, 1772, d. 1838) m. in 1795 Margaret Prather, b. 1777, d. 1859. (See Prather family). The children of Ephraim I and Margaret Prather Lillard were:

1. Mary Lillard, b. 1796
2. Margaret Lillard, b. 1799, m. Richard Collins
3. Elizabeth Lillard, b. 1802, m. John McClure
4. Thomas Lillard, b. 1804, m. Rachel Blackgivens
5. Stephen Lillard, I, b. 1806, d. 1807
6. Stephen Lillard II, b. 1808, m. Rosanna Huggins
7. Ellender Lillard, b. 1810, m. Dr. Lewis Witherspoon
8. Susannah Lillard, b. 1812, m. Dr. John Witherspoon
9. Martha Lillard, b. 1817, second wife of Dr. Lewis Witherspoon
10. Ephraim Lillard, II, b. 1820, d. 1901, m. Dec 22, 1842, Martha McQuiddy, b. 1819, d. 1907. Their children were:
1. Margaret Lillard, b. 1844, d. 1862
2. Mary Ellen Lillard, b. 1845
3. Thomas Erwin Lillard, b. 1847
4. Martha Florence Lillard, b. 1849
5. James Franklin Lillard, I, b. 1851, d. 1852
6. James Franklin Lillard II, b. 1852
7. Rachel Lillard, b. 1854 L
8. enora Angelina Lillard, b. 1856
9. Ephraim Lillard III, b. 1858, d. 1859
10. Ada Elizabeth Lillard and Ida Anna Lillard, twins, b. 1860
11. Ephraim Lillard IV, b. 1862 E
12. dward Lillard, b. 1863
13. Jane Perry Lillard, b. 1865

Ada ELizabeth Lillard, b. 1860, d. 1953, m. 1884, 8 William Silas Farmer, b. 1864, d 1928

Note: The original Wilderness Road mentioned herein ran from Bristol (Va and Tenn) to Cumberland Gap (Tenn and Ky), then north via what are now US 25 E and 227 to Boonesboro on Ky. River; 227 branched off at Mt. Vernon and ran to Harrodsburg, Ky. (Ft Harrod)