Bear Family Research Starting in Menifee County, KY

[cross3]

I have recently started research on my great great grandmother, Nelia Bear, she was originally from Menifee County, Kentucky and ended up in Boyd County, Kentucky. I have always been told from the family that she was Tuckahoe Indian but have never been able to find information on this tribe. After posting on Comanche Lodge I was sent information that Tuckahoe was a slang name for eastern Siouan Indians also known as Saponi and was referred to this site.

I know that Nelia had 9 given names but I only know a few of them, Amelia Cecilia Cornelia "Nelia" Bear, she was born in 1873 and died in 1961. She married John Sanford McFarland in 1890. They had 9 children but I only have 8 of their names. All of the Bear/McFarland family is buried in the Golden Oaks Cemetary in Ashland, Kentucky. I have found out that her father was George Washington Bear born 1846 and mother was Cynthia "Anna" Lawson born 1851 supposedly all of the family was from Menifee County, KY. I have gotten as far back as finding the names of George Washington Bears mother and father which are Avery Bare born 1817 died 1862 and mother was Susannah Barker (Bare) born 1820. I have not found any information on Nelia's mother, Cynthia Lawson, due to the fact that this was her second marriage. Also told to me but I haven't found all of the history yet was that Nelia's cousins were the Younger Brothers Gang who rode with Jesse James.

If anyone has any information on this family or any other members that I am not aware of please let me know.

Thank You!
Crystal

[Bill Childs]

Welcome, Crystal,
Being from Ky, I've heard of "Tuckahoe Indians".

Your known oldest dates put them in what I refer to as "the black hole of genealogy" - 25 % of the U.S. moved between 1790 and 1820, but I'll take a shot at it and post any results in the "share genealogy" section of the forum - but no promises :)
Bill

[cross3]

Thank you, any help I can get on this subject will help.

[Bill Childs]

This doesn't solve the LAWSON riddle but here is some additional info on Nelia/Cornelia's family and some of the BEARs.

On the 1900 Menifee Co Ky census,
John S. (b.Jul 1862) and Cornelia (b.May 1874 Ky) McFarland, married 10 years, had the following 5 children:
Sarah, dau, b. Aug 1890, 10.
Mandy, dau, b. May 1892, 8.
Henry, son, b. Nov 1894, 5.
Annie, dau, b. Feb 1897, 3.
Miles, son, b. Aug 1899, 10 months.

On the 1910 Menifee Co Ky census, John and "Nelia" (listed as having had 8 children with 8 still living) McFarland had the following children living with them:
Henry, son, 15.
Annie, dau, 13.
Miles, son, 11.
Ollie, son, 9 (James O.)
William, son, 4.
Alvie, son, 2.

On the 1920 Boyd Co Ky census, the following children were living with them:
William R., son, 14.
Alva A., son, 12.
Betty L., dau, 10.
Gella M., dau, 5 (first letter is nearly illegible - "G" is 'best guess')
Della A., dau, 3.
James O., son, 17, (married)
Vickie M., dau-in-law, 16, (married - name could be "Arckie", not Vickie.)
Dolly B., dau-in-K (probably granddaughter), 7 months.

So, Nelia/Cornelia has had 11 children.

Note: In 1900 Menifee, the McFarland's are at dwelling # 101.
On the page just before this, at 88, 88 :

BEAR, Henry W., Nov 1836, 63, m'd 30 yrs, Ky, Ky, Ky.
(ditto), Cynthann, wife, Nov 1834, 65, m-30, 8/7 (children), Ky, Ky
LAWSON, Louis; may 1848, 52, widowed, Ky.
(ditto), Frank; Oct 1878, 21, Ky.

next door at 89, 89:
LAWSON, James; Dec 1873, 26, m-6, Ky.
and his family.

(The county lines changed considerably before this .... )

In 1880, Louis Lawson & son Benjamin F.(Frank) and nephew James Lawson (son of Benjamin F., b.abt.1839) lived in Morgan Co., Ky.
In 1850 Morgan Co, Louis Lawson is the son of William P. Lawson, b.abt. 1817 Ky, and Sarah, b.abt. 1818 Ky.

William P. Lawson is the son of either John (b.abt.1794 Va) or Joseph Lawson, (b.abt.1796 Va) of 1850 Morgan Co. William P. Lawson lived in 1880 Menifee Co.

I looked at the families of the 1850 and 1860 Lawsons without finding Cynthia/Anna as a Lawson in the Morgan/ Carter / et al., county group, but she has to be in that area somewhere.

Something else, Avery and Susannah Bear lived in 1850 Carter Co, District 1 (p.256A):
Avery Bear, 34, m, - , farmer, $500, Ky.
Susannah, 26, f, - , NC.
Mary A., 11, f, - , Ky.
Henry W., 9, m, - , Ky.
Lawson, 6, m, - , Ky.
Amanda, 4, f, - , Ky.
Soloman L., 1, m, - , Ky.
and had no son Geo. W., b.abt. 1846.

However, at 484, 484:
Ambrose J. Bear, 29, Ky.
Mahala, 26, Ky (nee Skaggs - m'd Sep 9, 1843 Carter Co)
Francis M.(Marion), 5 (male), Ky.
GEORGE W., 4, Ky.****
Matilda B., 7 months, Ky.
Mary, 15, Ky.

(This George W. Bear is "Washington BARE on the 1880 Elliott Co census along with a 5 yr old dau Minerva and 3 yr old son Ambrose H., and living next door is Ambrose J. and Mahala BARE of 1850 Carter Co and the census taker erred in showing Washington as the "son" of Ambrose J. (they are indicated as living in separate houses - or he erred by assigning Washington a different dwelling number - whatever.)

The oldest Bear/Bare in 1850 Carter Co., and his family:
Henry Bear, 65, b.Maryland.
Dorina, 65, b.Va.
Sarah A.K., 21, Ky.
Phebe R., 18, Ky.
Reuben C., 22, Ky (marr'd Mary MULLINS, May 26, 1850 Carter Co)
(Mullins is a well known name on this forum.)

Bear in mind that:
Boyd Co created in 1860 from Carter/Lawrence/Greenup counties.

Menifee Co created in 1869 from Powell/Wolfe/ Bath/ Morgan/ Montgomery counties.

Carter Co created in 1838 from Greenup/ Lawrence counties.

Lawrence Co created in 1822 from Floyd/ Greenup counties.

Floyd Co created 1800 from Fleming/Mason/Montgomery counties.
........
Bill

[cross3]

Bill,
Thank you so much for all of your research. I have been trying to put all of the scattered pieces together and with so many of the family members already deceased it has been getting pretty difficult. If you run across anything else that seems to fit in my puzzle please forward to me. Thanks again. This does help a great deal.

Crystal

[Bill Childs]

I forgot to point out the obvious.......
Avery & Susannah Bear named a son LAWSON, implying they were already related to LAWSONs somewhere back up the line.