Garrard County Kentucky - 1st Install

Well, I’m back from our quick trip to Garrard County, Kentucky where our Leisure family spent many years. I gleaned some new and interesting information as well as confirming other data while searching the files and records found in the local library, the historical society, and the courthouse in Lancaster. There is too much to tell about in one post so as I organize and review everything, I try to pass along the most interesting (to me) and pertinent data to you in small bits.

We spent many hours in the land records. My goal was to find Joseph’s deeds and I think I did find his first purchase; at least it is the oldest deed recorded in Garrard County for him. Because the land in Kentucky was recorded by metes and bounds it’s a bit difficult (again for me) to determine exactly where things are located. To give you an idea, the land description as best I can decipher goes like this:

Garrard County Deed Book G, pages 124, 125
Tyrus Harris to Joseph Leasure for $225.00 – 46 ½ acres
Land Description:
…on the waters of Sugar Creek…bounded as follows {to wit}
Beginning at a white oak and dogwood on Adams line thence N 90 poles to a buckeye and Ironwood on a branch thence up the same with it meander N80 ^o East 16 poles, S60 ^o East 55 poles, South 50 ^o East 26 poles, South 87 ^o East 34 to two white walnuts at the mouth of a small branch thence up the same S17 ^o East 18 poles to a buckeye and white walnut on said branch thence division line made by T Harris and Mr. Adams, S62 ^o W36 poles to a hickory thence said line S70 ^o W47 poles to a buck thence W42 poles to the Beginning.

As far as I can tell that looks something like this:

Our Nathan also purchased land which I’ll share with you another time.

Another interesting find was the 2^nd marriage of Elizabeth Montgomery who was our Joseph’s second wife and how she protected her inheritance from her new husband. Joseph died in 1838 and his will was very specific; Elizabeth remarried in 1842 but not before she put all the land and personal property in trust!

More later, Becky