The Third Generation Untangled

Because Peter Kivett was the first, and evidently the only, Kivett to settle in Randolph County, or in North Carolina, for that matter, we are able to establish with reasonable certainty that all the Kivetts who followed in Randolph County were descendants of Peter. Given the identities of the second generation Kivetts, along with the substantial evidence to be gleaned from federal censuses, Randolph County marriage bonds beginning in 1741, cemetery readings, land and court records, and records of the settlements of estates in Randolph County, we are able to ascertain the members of the third generation, all of whom were born by the close of the first decade of the 19th century.

Certain names were remarkably popular with second generation Kivetts, and in the cases of the brothers, in particular, their penchant for honoring their parents and siblings with namesakes has led to considerable confusion. In the third generation, there are no less than four Johns, four Henrys, three Peters, two Jacobs, two Jameses, three Elizabeths, three Anna Barbaras and two Rosannahs. The trick then is to establish just which third generation John, or Peter, or Anna, belonged to which second generation brother.

The search for a solution to this conundrum was begun with an attempt to substantiate the work of Kivett researcher, Austin Kivett. Though his material is mainly undocumented, research extending from early hand-written census enumerations to the world-wide web has borne out many of his conclusions and led to further data on which I have based my attempt to sort out the various Kivett progeny. I have attempted to assign each to his proper parent and to provide supportive information and reasonable deduction for my hypotheses and conclusions. But genealogy is always a "work in progress," so new evidence may come to light, and I may have erred in my postulations. I would welcome any corrections and would be grateful for documentation in support or to the contrary.

THE JOHN PUZZLE

Each of Peter Kivett's four sons named a son John. The Randolph County marriage bonds provide us with the wives of all four:

The estate records of Henry Kivett [2g] and of Jacob Kivett [2g] also inform us that John of Henry was born before 1796 and that John of Jacob was born 1800-1803. Armed with this information, we can turn to the census schedules to sort out the correct relationships. Remembering that John [2g] lived until 1843 and omitting his enumeration from our consideration, we find the following John Kivetts listed as heads of households in Randolph County before 1850:

As all but one John was single in 1810, this must be John and Charina, married in 1809 and apparently parents of an infant son.

John of Jacob
In both 1830 and 1840, "John of Barbary" is clearly identified as the son of Barbary and therefore, he must be the son of Jacob [2g]. (Jacob [2g] died in 1806, and his wife was Barbara Scotten.) The apparent discrepancy in the span of years cited for John's birth is not a considerable problem when one realizes that, depending on the date of enumeration, a person born in or about 1800 might fall in either age category. And since we know from the settlement of Jacob's estate that his son John was born after 1800-1803, the inconsistency is not unreasonable.

If we study the census for each enumeration, we can infer the following relationships:

By 1850, John of Barbary had died, and we find a Sarah Kivett listed as the head of the following household.

There seems little doubt that these enumerations represent one family and that these are indeed the children of John and Sarah Kivett. We can therefore conclude that John of Jacob is the John who married Sarah "Sally" Richardson.

John of Peter
The Randolph County marriage bonds tell us that a John Kivet [2g] married a Rosannah Kivet, and in 1849, a "Petition for the Sale of Land" identifies their children. The dates of their births are readily established through published marriage, census and cemetery records. They are:

Once again, a close look at the census enumerations allows us to decipher the following relationships:

The children listed for "John of Peter" appear to match perfectly those we know to belong to John and Rosannah Kivett. By 1840, son Leander is absent, since he married in 1834, as is brother Zimri, married in 1836, and sister Louisa, married in 1838. Indeed, with the exception of the birth range given for Rosannah, all the pieces fit neatly, and the totality of evidence indicates that John of Peter is the John who married his cousin, Rosannah Kivett.

John of John
Aside from the 1810 enumeration to which we will return, there remain three census entries which we have not yet examined:

Now, Jno A./John A. would be the John A. who died in 1844 in Randolph County. The records of the settlement of his estate name his wife Mary and list his children: Sophia, Rosanna, Siddy, Sarah (three and possibly all four married before 1850), John Zino, Warren, Merritt, Eliza Jane and Troy, all of whom are recorded as minors.

Moving ahead to the 1850 census, we find the widow, Mary Kevitt, listed as a head of household, along with the four younger children, leading us to conclude that John A. is indeed the John who married Mary Welborn.

Although there is a discrepancy in the age ranges given for John A., remember that a person born in or about 1800 might fall in either age category, depending on the date of enumeration. In fact, two readings of John A.'s tombstone provide two birth years, 1800 and 1806; the actual date may not be certain, but we can safely assume he was born at or about 1800. In the case of the minor discrepancy regarding the birth date of John's third daughter, undoubtedly she was born about 1830, and the date of enumeration moved her from one age range to the next.

So, we have reasonably assumed that John A. was born about 1800: (1) he married in 1823, supporting a probable birth date of 1800-1802; (2) his tombstone gives a birth date of 1800-1806; his wife's birth range of 1800-1810 is consistent in all three censuses. We know also that the estate records of Henry [2g] establish that his son John was born before 1796; indeed, as we shall see, John of Henry was born 11 years earlier. So it seems safe to conclude that the John who married Mary is not John of Henry [2g], and therefore, by process of elimination, John A. is the son of John [2g].

John of Henry
Finally, let us return again to the 1810 census listing. Recall that this John married Charina Amick in 1809, that the 1810 census gives a birth range for both of them of 1785-1794, and that John of Henry [2g] was born before 1796. As it happens, in 1830, John and Charina appear in the census schedules for Howard County, Missouri, and in every census enumeration thereafter until John's death in 1872. From cemetery records there, his date of birth can be established as 1785, clearly identifying him as the son of Henry [2g]. Furthermore, because we can establish that he migrated to Missouri between 1816 and 1820, we confirm that there were exactly three third-generation Johns in Randolph County in 1830 and 1840.

THE HENRY PUZZLE

Each of Peter Sr.'s four sons also named a son Henry. Marriage bonds provide us with only two betrothals, Henry Kivet and Patty Welborn in Randolph County and Henry Kivett and Agnes Goad in Posey County, Indiana. That Sally Vestal married a Henry Kivet is recorded in the back pages of her childhood schoolbook which has come down to the present. In it she notes the birthdays of her family, including her own, Henry's, and those of her older children: David (first-born, April 1818), John, David, Hannah, Henry, Jefison, George Jackson and Rebecca. From the censuses of 1840 and 1850, we discover that the fourth Henry also married a Sarah, though we do not have her maiden name. Both Henrys and their Sarahs/Sallys appear in both enumerations, and the listing of children clearly identifies Henry and Sarah [Vestal] Kivett; the fourth Henry and his wife have only two children, Jacob, apparently first-born in 1836, and Angeline.

Lastly, the records of the settlements of the estates of Henry [2g] and Jacob [2g] provide birth information for two of the Henrys: Henry's Henry was born after 1798 and Jacob's Henry was born 1800-1803.

Henry of Henry
The federal censuses for Randolph County lead to the conclusion that Henry of Henry [2g] is the Henry that married Martha "Patty" Welborn:

Henry of Peter
One of the Henrys migrated to Posey County, Indiana, where he married Agnes Goad. He appears in the census schedules there in 1820 and 1830, and Posey County cemetery records record his birth year as 1788. We have already established that he is not Henry of Henry, and he cannot be Henry of Jacob, born about 1808, so he is either Henry of John [2g] or of Peter [2g]. Now, John [2g] made his will in Randolph county in 1829 and named his son Henry as his executor. If we assume that it is unlikely that John [2g] would appoint as executor a son who has been in Indiana for the past 10 years or so, we can presume that Henry of John [2g] was living in or near Randolph County in 1829. Therefore the Henry of Peter must be the Henry who married Agnes Goad.

Henry of John
Randolph County cemetery records tell us that the Henry who married Sally Vestal was born in 1793. The foregoing has established that he is not Henry of Henry or Henry of Peter, and he cannot be Henry of Jacob, born about 1808. Therefore Henry of John must be the Henry who married Sally Vestal.

Henry of Jacob
By process of elimination, then, we know that Henry of Jacob is the Henry who married Sarah (__?__).

THE PETER PUZZLE

There are three third-generation Peters: Peter of Henry, Peter of Jacob and Peter of Peter. Once again, the estate records of Henry [2g] and Jacob [2g] provide us with birth data: Peter of Henry was born before 1785; Peter of Jacob was born before 1798. Although we know from census records that all three Peters were married, the Randolph County marriage bonds provide only two records:

Peter of Peter
One Peter migrated first to Hendricks County, Indiana, and then to Morgan County, Indiana. Census enumerations for both 1840 and 1850 establish his birth date as 1800-1801 and name his wife as Mary "Polly." Born too late, this Peter cannot be Peter of Henry or Peter of Jacob, so by default, Peter of Peter is the Peter who married Polly Wolfe.

Peter of Henry
A second Peter migrated to Posey County, Indiana, and we find him listed in both the 1820 and 1830 censuses for Black Township. The census schedules provide a birth range of 1781-1790, so this Peter must be Peter of Henry. He died in Posey County, and the settlement of is estate occurred in 1837. The following year, in March, 1838, Tabitha Kivett married Peter Bellewus. Evidently Peter's widow, this establishes that Peter of Henry is the Peter who married Tabitha Jones.

Peter of Jacob
The third Peter, then, would be Peter of Jacob. This Peter remained in Randolph County, and the census for 1830 lists him as a head of household, born 1790-1800, with a wife, born 1800-1810, and a son and a daughter, both under five years of age. His young family suggests that he was born closer to 1800, and the birth range is consistent with that provided by the estate records of Jacob [2g].

THE JACOB PUZZLE

There are but two documented Jacobs in the third generation: Jacob of Jacob [2g] and Jacob of Henry. Jacob of Jacob [2g] is named in his father's estate papers in Randolph County, NC, in May, 1819, but when the division of Jacob [2g]'s land was made in February, 1820, the son Jacob is not included. Then in May, 1820, an inventory was made of lands belonging to the estate of Jacob Kivet of Randolph County: "To the Tenth part or his share of the Undivided land of 316 acres of his Father's Jacob Kivet (Dec'd) Estate...." This indicates that Jacob of Jacob [2g] died shortly after his father, after May of 1819, and before May, 1820. He apparently never married as no wife is mentioned in his estate settlement.

Therefore, the Jacob Kivet of Posey County, IN, must be the son of Henry. And indeed, he cannot be Jacob of Jacob [2g], because Jacob of Posey County in fact died before 13 Aug 1818, the earliest record of probate.

THE JAMES PUZZLE

Likewise, there appear to be only two Jameses in the third generation of Kivet males: In 1824 the Court in Randolph County ordered James of Peter to work on the road; and a James of Henry appears in guardianship proceedings, also in Randolph County.

The guardianship proceedings establish the birth of James of Henry to be in February, 1805: "Petitioner further Showeth that he [James] arrived at Twenty one years of Age in the Month of February 1826...." (James' father Henry died in 1806 and John Scotton was guardian to several of Henry's children, including son James. When John Scotton died in 1823, James became the ward of James Scotton,  who was  one of the administrators of John Scotton's estate.)

Now, a James Kivet appears in the 1830 Hendricks County, IN, census as 30-40 years old, and again in the 1840 Morgan County, IN, census as 40-50 years. This places his birth date between 1790-1800, so he cannot be James of Henry and we can conclude that he is instead James of Peter. We can further conclude that James of Peter is the James who married Hannah Allen in 1828 in Randolph County and that both he and Hannah died before 1850, since his children are living in the households of Hannah's relatives in the 1850 Morgan County census enumeration.

This above information in turn allows us to deduce that James of Henry is the James Kivet who married Louisa Hight in 1832 in Maury County, TN. James' estate was pending in Maury County in 1835, and he left a son John. Louisa remarried a man named Read, and they subsequently immigrated to Illinois, where John served in the Union Army during the Civil War.

THE ELIZABETH PUZZLE

Three of the second generation Kivett brothers named a daughter Elizabeth: Elizabeth of John, Elizabeth of Jacob and Elizabeth of Peter. Each of them is listed with her intended in the Randolph County marriage bonds:

Elizabeth of John
By the time that John [2g] wrote his will in 1829, each of his daughters was married, and he carefully listed his daughters' married names in that document. John named this daughter Elizabeth York, so Elizabeth of John is the Elizabeth who married Crabtree York.

Elizabeth of Jacob
Among the estate papers of Jacob [2g] are documents detailing the affairs of the guardianship of his minor children. Among these is a document dated 1819 that names his daughter "Elizabeth Kivett, a minor." This Elizabeth is therefore unmarried in 1819 and cannot be the Elizabeth who married Jesse McMasters in 1817. Elizabeth of Jacob, then, is the Elizabeth who married Conrad Foust.

Elizabeth of Peter
Through the process of elimination, Elizabeth who married Jesse McMasters is Elizabeth of Peter.

THE BARBARA PUZZLE

There are also three third-generation Anna Barbaras (referred to variously as Anna, Barbara, or Anna Barbary). These are daughters of Henry, Peter and Jacob. Once again, the Randolph County marriage bonds list their spouses:

Anna Barbary of Henry
The estate papers of Henry [2g] establish a birth date of 1799-1802 for his daughter, Anna Barbary. Cemetery records for Sandy Creek Cemetery report 1800 as the date of birth for the Barbara that married Abraham Wright. Therefore Anna Barbara of Henry is the Barbara that married Abraham Wright.

Anna Barbara of Jacob
From the estate papers of Jacob [2g] we know that Anna Barbara of Jacob was born in 1809. A biography of North Carolinians published in 1919 gives a sketch of the life of Frank M. Wright, at that time a clerk of the Superior Court of Randolph County. The author wrote that "...his grandfather [was] Jacob Wright...[and Jacob's] wife was Annie Kivett, daughter of Jacob and Barbra Kivett." It is reasonable to believe that this gentleman knew who his grandfather and grandmother were and that such relatively straight-forward information was relayed accurately to his contemporaneous biographer. We can safely conclude that Anna of Jacob was the Anna who married Jacob Wright.

Barbara of Peter
By default we deduce that the Barbara who married Josiah White is Barbara of Peter.

THE ROSANNAH PUZZLE

There are two Rosannah Kivetts in the third generation: The estate records of Jacob [2g] name his daughter Rosannah, and John [2g] names his daughter Rosannah in his will. The Randolph County marriage bonds furnish their spouses:

Rosannah of John
John [2g] mentions each of his daughters by their full names in his will: Elizabeth York, Mary McDaniel, etc. Rosannah, his eldest daughter (her father married in 1793, and she is second-born in 1795), is named "Rosannah Kivett," which might suggest she is single while all her younger sisters are married. However, both Rosannahs were already married before John [2g] wrote his will in 1829, so Kivett is her married name. In fact, she married her cousin, John Kivett, in 1813, so Rosannah of John is the Rosannah who married her cousin, John G. Kivett.

Rosannah of Jacob
By default, the remaining Rosannah married Jacob Foust and is the daughter of Jacob Kivett.

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Copyright © Donna W. Martin