Person:James Morton (43)

James Morton was the son of Benjamine Morton and Lavinia (Viney) Anderson, who settled in Madison Co. KY around 1800. Many children of this ancestor are found on land records and lists of marriages show the names of brothers and sisters, some in Woodford and neighboring counties.

James is first found on records in Shelby Co. KY as a tax payer about 1810, shortly aftr being married in Madison Co. KY to Duranda Quinn. Shelby Co. KY was formed 1792 from Jefferson Co. (Louisville). Jefferson Co. was formed 1780 from Kentucky Co. VA. Madison Co. was formed 1786 from Lincoln Co. KY and Lincoln Co. was formed from 1780 from Kentucky Co. VA. By 1790 three original counties were divided into nine: Mason, Bourbo, Woodford, Fayette, Madison, Jefferson, Mercer, Nelson, and Lincold. Kentucky became the 15th stte in 1792. Thus our ancestors Morton and Quinn joined the Laughlin, Githen, and Trimble pioneers who settled the west after the Revolutionary War.

Today, Shelby Co. is bisected by Interstate 64 between Louisville and Frankfort, the state capitol. The area that our James Morton settles is just south of Highway 64 on KY 53 to 714, Beech Creek Road.

There is a cemetery where Beech Creek Baptist Church once stood. It was abandoned for many years and burned in 1944. The Historical Society of Shelby County has surviving records of many churches and cemeteries, and the County Courthouse has set up an "Old Records Department". Researchers of both have been most helpful on our search in Shelby County KY.

FACT: Benjamine Morton Type: Father Source: Source:

FACT: Lavinia Anderson Type: Mother Source: Source:

FACT: L7B7-Z8S Type: FamilySearch ID

1. ↑ Laughlin/Trimble Book page Morton 1.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Laughlin/Trimble Book page Morton 6.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Laughlin/Trimble Book page Morton 10.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6} Laughlin/Trimble Book page Morton 5.
5. ↑ Laughlin/Trimble Book page Morton 3.
6. ↑ James Morton #214
7. ↑ James Morton #118
8. ↑ Does not show James Morton, but some of his children are listed
9. ↑ #165
   Morton James 1 male 50/60
   1 male 30/4
   1 male 20/30
   1 male 15/20
   1 male 10/15
   1 male 5/10
   1 female 60/70
   1 female 15/20 (Frances?)
10. ↑ James Morton left a will, file #17 pages 143/4. His estate was not settled until Duranda died 1851. Son Hyram B. Morton was appointed Guardian for the minor children of Cornelia and later for youngest brother Robert T., who died in 1853. The estate was finalized in April 1859. These papers are on record at the courthouse in Shelbyville KY.
    
    James Morton's Will lists all his children, but we (Laughlins) are not sure if they are in order of birth.