Person:Moses Karnes (2)

Watchers
m. 13 Mar 1759
  1. Mary Magdelena 'Polly' CarnBef 1761 - Abt 1830
  2. Jacob KarnesAbt 1763 -
  3. George KarnesAbt 1763 - Abt 1835
  4. Adam Kerns1766 - 1844
  5. Abraham Kerns1768 - 1820
  6. Michael Kerns1770 - 1847
  7. Barbara KarnesAbt 1771 -
  8. Job KarnesAbt 1772 -
  9. Thomas Kerns1772 - 1845
  10. Elizabeth KarnesAbt 1774 - Abt 1822
  11. Hannah KarnesBet 1774 & 1776 -
  12. Susannah KarnesAbt 1779 - Abt 1835
  13. John Karnes1781 - 1836
  14. Catherine Kerns1782 -
  15. Moses Karnes1783 - 1851
  16. Reuben Karnes1784 - 1835
  • HMoses Karnes1783 - 1851
  • WSarah CraigAbt 1785 -
m. 16 Jan 1806
Facts and Events
Name Moses Karnes
Gender Male
Birth? 1783 Bedford County, Virginia
Marriage 16 Jan 1806 Bedford County, Virginiato Sarah Craig
Death? 1851 Russell County, Kentucky

Information on Moses Karnes

The AF has his birth year 1789. Chris Kerns has it 1783.

The Bedford County Marriage Bonds have: Jan. 14, 1806; Moses Karnes, (or Kerns), s Michael & Sarah Craigg, daug hter of William; William Craig, Surety.

William is almost surely Sarah's father or older brother, which gives u s another spelling for Sarah's surname.

F. Landis Weaver writes:

Moses Kerns was born in 1783 in Bedford County, Virginia. He appeared o n the census in 1810 in Bedford County, Virginia (older woman living in h ousehold in 1810 & 1820). He appeared on the census in 1830 in Bedford C ounty, Virginia. There is an older woman (his mother?) living with him. S he was 90-100 years old. He died in 1851 in Russell County, Kentucky (D eed Book F, page 305 & 1850 Census). He was probably buried in Russell C ounty, Kentucky (Possibly in Kearnes Cemetery).

Moses Kerns appeared on the 1850 Census of Russell County, Kentucky as a ge 67, a Farmer who was born in Virginia. At that time, he was living w ith four children: Manerva, aged 30, Clerisa, aged 25, James, aged 23, a nd Sally, aged 21; all born in Virginia. This seems to confirm a few ot her records and reports that he remained in Bedford County, Virginia un til the mid-1830's, and then moved to Russell County, Kentucky. It also c onfirms his birth-year as about 1783.

Moses married Sarah Craigg (daughter of William) in Bedford County on 1 4 Jan 1806. Moses appears in Bedford County on the 1810, 1820 and 1830 C ensus records. He appears in Russell County, Kentucky on the 1840 Censu s records. A woman who was Sarah's age appears with Moses on all of tho se records. In 1810 they are shown with 2 daughters. In 1820 they are s hown with 2 sons and 3 daughters. In 1830 they are shown with 4 sons an d 4 daughters. Four of their children are named above. A Russell County D eed (Book F, page 305) has been found which names two more sons as Will iam and Charles T. Kerns. The deed was written 22 Jan 1855 for Charles T . Kerns of Tarrant County, Texas, to sell his inheritance rights for 1/ 10th part of the Moses Kerns Estate, and his rights in the Estate of Wi lliam Kerns, who was a deceased son of Moses. The deed mentions a 207-a cre tract of land on Greasy Creek that was willed by Michael Kerns to M oses Kerns, and an adjoining 100-acre tract that William purchased. Thi s deed seems to confirm that Moses & Sarah had 10 children. It also rev eals that Moses never sold his inherited 1/3rd part of his father's lan d in Kentucky, even though he continued to live in Bedford County, Virg inia until the mid-1830's.

No record has ever been found to show that Moses Kerns bought any land i n Bedford County, Virginia. However, there is some mention of him as a n eighbor in other deeds, which shows that he was living on the west side o f the Peaks Road (now Hwy.43), about 1/2 to 3/4 mile north of the Kelso M ill intersection. This was probably a 100-acre tract that his father (M ichael Karnes Sr.) had purchased in 1790 from Thomas Logwood (Book 8, p age 279). That tract was formerly the southwestern portion of the 400-a cre tract that had been purchased by George Karnes Sr. (Michael Sr's br other) in 1764. George Karnes Jr. had sold it to Thomas Logwood in 1786 ( Book 7, page 707). Michael Karnes Sr. had bought it back, and since it j oined his original 165-acre tract, it's quite likely that it had become p art of the so-called "mansion-tract" that Michael Karnes Sr. had mentio ned in his will of 1803. Although the exact division and disposal of th e Michael Karnes Sr. "mansion tract" has not been determined, there is a v ery good possibility that Moses Kerns continued to live on a portion of t hat land until after 1830. If the proper Probate records are ever found , it may be possible to prove that.

This discussion of land records has led to the theory that Elizabeth Ka rnes (widow of Michael Karnes Sr.) may have retained "dower" rights to t hat 100-acre tract, and that she lived with her son Moses until after 1 830. Other records indicate that this theory has a great deal of merit. T he Census records of 1810-30 show that a much older woman was living in t he household of Moses & Sarah. The 1830 Census showed her age to be bet ween 90 and 100 years. This seems to fit perfectly with Elizabeth Karne s's roughly calculated birth-year of about 1740. The Deed records of Ru ssell County, Kentucky provide another important clue. In 1836, Barbara o f Bedford County and Hannah of Knoxville filed their Power-of-Attorneys ( Book C pages 52 & 53) to have their lawyer collect any inheritance from t he estate of their father Michael, and their mother Elizabeth.

Such legal action to collect a fair share of the assets from a recently d eceased widow were common; but why would Barbara, who lived in Bedford C ounty, file a Power-of-Attorney in Russell County, Kentucky? If Elizabe th had been living with Moses & Sarah, who moved to Russell County, Ken tucky after 1830, the filing there makes sense. In most cases, a deceas ed persons probate activity occurred in the County where they died. So t he most likely explanation is that Moses & Sarah moved to Russell Count y, Kentucky with Elizabeth, and then she died there. It wouldn't have b een easy to transport a woman who was over 90 years old to Russell Coun ty, Kentucky in those days. But most of Elizabeth's children and grandc hildren lived there, and she may have made her mind up to try to see th em one last time. (It's always been hard to stop any Karnes folks who h ad their minds made up on something!) Another explanation might be that E lizabeth actually died in Bedford County, Virginia., but Moses & Sarah m oved to Russell County, Kentucky, and took some of Elizabeth's personal p roperty with them. Until better records are found, we only have a theor y. But the records we've already found seem to work together towards th at possibility.