Person:William Cannaday (3)

Bill Putnam:

"The furthest back that Bruce was able to go was to a William Cannady who listed his birth as taking place in Virginia in 1767 (from the 1850 Census). The first recorded date found for William was when he purchased 150 acres of land in Nelson County, Kentucky on June 14, 1791. Nelson County was part of Kentucky County, Virginia until 1780.

Of interest was the fact that in 1781, John Kennedy, Charles Kennedy and Henry Watson were each granted 400 acres in what is now Nelson County (part of Jefferson County in 1781). The farm young William Cannady bought was adjacent to the grant of Henry Watson, and in 1792 William married Henry's daughter, Rebecca Watson. While no tie has been proven, William was most likely related to the two Kennedy men and probably a son of one of them. The names John and Charles figure so prominently in our early Canaday history, that I guess we are related to all these families as well. Nothing firm yet, only guesses.

William remained in Nelson County until 1801 when they sold some of their lands and most likely moved. By 1810, he owned lands in Heth Township, Harrison County, Indiana. William and Rebecca and their family remain in Heth Township until the late 1820s.

Based on Census and marriage records, their children included Mary, Sally, Lawrence, James, Henry, William, Rebecca and Elizabeth. In May 1828 William and his son William junior acquired lands in Blount Township, Vermilion County, Illinois near the town of Danville in the northern part of the County. By 1830 several other members of the family moved to the area.

At the same time, our Canaday family was living in the southern part of the County near Georgetown and Ridge Farm. It was here that my confusion began. The Cannady family were Methodists while our Canadays were Quakers. This helped sort them a little better.

In 1835, William and Rebecca moved from their farm northwest of Danville to a new farm northeast of the town. By 1850, William was 83 and had deeded off his lands to several of his children and was living with his daughter, Elizabeth Simpson, as was Rebecca age 77.

That was the last listing we have for either William or Rebecca Cannady. Both had died by the 1860 census."