Benjamin VanHook (1768-1854), son of Samuel VanHook

(updated April 3, 2006)

(Note: Benjamin is an important ancestor for my family as he is an ancestor of multiple family lines. Both Oscar R. VanHook and Esther S. Price (my paternal grandparents) are descended from this Benjamin VanHook. The Price's are descendents of Benjamin and his first wife, while the VanHook's in my line are descendents of Benjamin and his second wife. – Herb VanHook)

Benjamin VanHook, son of Samuel VanHook, was born in North Carolina 1768 (or possibly 1771). In the 1850 Kentucky census, Benjamin's birthplace is listed as North Carolina. In a few of the records, Benjamin is listed as “Benjamin Senior” as he had a son also named Benjamin.

The 1768 birth date agrees with information shown on his tombstone. Benjamin died in July of 1854, and his tombstone states an age of 86 at the time of his death. Benjamin also appears in tax lists in early 1790 as having a tithable age of 21. However, Benjamin’s birth date is shown in his old family Bible as February 1771. This Bible was in the possession of Dr. Samuel Munson of Springfield, Illinois, in the 1930’s. Also, the 1771 date agrees with his age as approximated by census records

Benjamin’s father moved to Washington County (later Russell County), Virginia area in the 1770’s, so he spent his childhood and teen years in that area. When Benjamin reached maturity he appears in the Russell tax lists beginning in 1790. Benjamin apparently never owned any land in Virginia.

Benjamin’s father has never been proven. Clues to his connection to Samuel VanHook of Southwest Virginia are:

· Benjamin first appears in the "upper district" of Russell County, Virginia, in 1790 when he became old enough to start appearing on "personal property tax lists" (tithable lists vs. real property lists). This "upper district" (essentially the northeast half of Russell County) is where Samuel VanHook (of Southwest Virginia) had been living for about 20 years.

· Benjamin stays in Virginia until the spring of 1795 when he moves to Harrison County, Kentucky, and ends up with 50 acres on Beaver Creek, showing up in the tax lists there that summer (10 July 1795). Based on later settlements by Samuel's other children, it is believed that they were at Beaver Creek just southwest of Claysville, Kentucky, where Beaver Creek flows into the Licking River. This is in far eastern Harrison County near the Robertson County line. Samuel also appears in Kentucky on the same tax list on the same date in 1795 owning 50 acres of land in the same place.

· Two years later Samuel VanHook moves back to Russell County, Virginia, and Benjamin is now shown in Harrison County as having 100 acres on Beaver Creek.

· Most of Samuel’s other children relocated to this part of Kentucky beginning about 1799.

· Benjamin’s first child was named Samuel.

· After the death of his first wife (about 1808), Benjamin moves to Pulaski County, Kentucky, where his cousins from Virginia had relocated.

About 1791, Benjamin married Frances (surname not known) in Virginia. She was born 15 February 1773. (Family tradition says her surname was Higgins and that she was the daughter of James Higgins and Sarah Stout, and that Frances was Benjamin’s first cousin – that her father James Higgins and Benjamin’s mother Hannah (Higgins) were brother and sister – but no proof of this connection has ever been found. No Higgins family was living in Russell County, VA, during the early 1790’s. Benjamin and Frances were the parents of 9 children (their first child was born in February of 1792).

By 1795 Benjamin had moved to Harrison County, Kentucky, with his father Samuel (who moved north from Georgia about this time) and some brothers. The tax lists there show him with 50 acres of land on Beaver Creek. This was part of the land originally in the large survey of Thomas Logwood. By 1797, Benjamin’s holdings had increased to 100 acres (he picked up an additional 50 acres when his father relocated back to Russell County, Virginia. From the tax lists it appears the 100 acres he now had were possibly his original 50 acres plus Samuel’s 50 acres).

In 1803 Benjamin purchased another 200 acres, then 3 weeks later sold half of this land for a profit, leaving him with 200 acres total, all on Beaver Creek. In 1804, he bought another 100 acres on Brushy Fork, and then sold the other 100 acres he had bought in 1803, leaving him with 200 acres again. In 1805, he sold the land he bought in 1804, and then bought some land on Sycamore and Second Lick Creeks. Eventually he disposed of all land he owned in Harrison County.

By 1808 Benjamin’s first wife, Frances, had passed away, and Benjamin moved to Pulaski County, Kentucky, and bought 255 acres there on Pitmans Creek. He was a widower with 9 children ages 2 to 16 at this time. His cousins from Virginia (the families of his cousin Aaron VanHook/Jemima Russell, and Lawrence VanHook/Rachel Sargent) were relocating to Pulaski County and perhaps he wanted to be near them. He first appears in Pulaski County in the 1808 tax list on the 22nd of June.

He married Susannah Higgins on 21 October 1808 [Pulaski Co., Ky. Marriage Records, Volume 1, Page 183]. The surety on the marriage bond was Peter Higgins, Susannah’s father. Susannah was 23 years old at this time as she was born 7 March 1785, according to a deposition in the Higgins family papers. She was the daughter of Peter Higgins and Susannah Craig. (Family tradition says Susannah was the sister of Benjamin’s first wife, Frances, and also Benjamin’s first cousin. However, primary sources do not agree with this account, for Peter Higgins did not have a daughter Frances.) Benjamin and Susannah had 10 children together.

Benjamin lived on Pitmans Creek until about 1814 when he disposed of his 255 acres there. He then bought 110 acres near Flat Lick Creek (on Buck Creek) from William Sloan, and moved there. He attended the Union Church near his home (about halfway between current Shopville and Science Hill, Ky. in Pulaski County). He moved to Rockcastle County, Ky. by 1829 with his son (Henry) Thomas. In his new county, he bought 100 acres from John Chance in 1833 on Chestnut Ridge and lived there until his death 24 years later. (The early deeds of Rockcastle Co. were lost in a fire, but a large section of the county was resurveyed and Benjamin is shown owning land in this area. This 100 acres was referred to in deeds stretching into the 1900’s as the “old VanHook tract.”)

Benjamin died 27 July 1854 and was buried in the family cemetery on his farm in Rockcastle Co., Ky. Susannah died 7 June 1860 as shown on her tombstone. As she was living on June 1, she is listed in the 1860 census [14 June 1860 - Rockcastle Co., Ky. Census, Page 24] as living with her son John Lewis VanHook and his wife Mary Jane (Hunter). Her age is given as 74 years old, a widow, born in Kentucky, and blind. She is buried beside her husband in the family cemetery.

Most of the stones in this family cemetery were moved and piled in a ditch sometime between 1950 and 1980. Supposedly there are up to 40 other graves in this cemetery, but only Benjamin’s and Susannah’s stones have been found and remain readable. Benjamin’s and Susannah’s stones were recovered (by Willard and Charles Hilton, descendants of Eliza Jane VanHook, Benjamin’s daughter) and in 1981 the descendents of Benjamin erected a monument on the site of this cemetery. It is located off Chestnut Ridge Road near Long’s Branch of the Dix River. (See the description of the last property that Benjamin owned below).

Benjamin VanHook’s Bible

About 1979, I (Herb VanHook) was in the King Library (at the University of Kentucky) in the Special Collections section, and one of the workers there told me he thought there were some VanHook records in some boxes upstairs they had not yet cataloged. He located the box for me and it was Hattie Scott’s files from around the 1930’s. Miss Scott was a prominent genealogist in Kentucky during that period. She had a manila folder with correspondence and notes about half an inch thick regarding the VanHook family.

Miss Scott had corresponded with Dr. Samuel Edgar Munson of Springfield, Illinois in 1934. Dr. Munson is a descendent of Henry Thomas VanHook, son of Benjamin. Dr. Munson had Benjamin’s old family bible in his possession at the time he was corresponding with Miss Scott. Apparently he sent Miss Scott one sheet out of this bible and she made a photostatic copy of the sheet and also transcribed it. All of this was in her records. The copies (made in 1934) are virtually unreadable, but the transcription is typed and is quite clear.

Hoping that the bible was still around, I went to Springfield, Illinois, in the fall of 1985 looking for it. Dr. Samuel Munson died in 1947 and his only daughter, Mary, never married and died in 1981. His wife, Daisy North, had also died a few years ago. I talked to Dr. Munson’s lawyer, who was about 85 at that time, and through him located a distant cousin of Mary’s on her mother’s side. I talked with this cousin and his wife. They were close to Mary Munson, and were positive that she did not have the bible. I am afraid it is lost. The following is an exact duplicate of Miss Scott’s records; the notes in parenthesis are hers:

Bible data of Benjamin Van Hook, written in his own handwriting. The

original in possession of Dr. Samuel Munson, Springfield, Ill. Copied by

Hattie M. Scott, Frankfort, Kentucky from the original, Oct 20, 1934.

Benjamin Vanhook was born Feb. 1771

February the 15 1773 was born my wife Francis

February the 23 1792 was born my son Samuel

January the 16 1795 was born my daughter Hannah

October the 2 1796 was born my daughter Elizabeth

July 14 1798 was born my daughter Peggy

May the 22 1800 was born my daughter Polly

December the 23 1801 was born my son Benjamin

October the 16 1803 was born my daughter Francis

Aprile the 26 1805 was born my daughter Nancy

Aprile the 17 1806 was born my son Thomas

(Benjamin Vanhook’s wife Frances, died about this

time, for he married second 1808, Susannah Higgins)

August the 8 1809 was born my son Martin

January the 9 1811 was born my daughter Sally

January the 11 18013 was born my daughter liddy (may be Cindy)

May the 24 18016 was born my daughter ? (not legible, may

be Acsy, small letters and not plain)

July the 26 18017 was born my daughter haret (Harriet).

(Another sheet contains the children, remaining of the ten

born by the second marriage, and retained by the original owner.)

(On other side of this sheet are the following words:

“then ..... ing (mny?) is most excellent when land is gone

and money spent”

(Note: This last piece is from an old “Mother Goose” type rhyme – “When land is gone and money spent, then learning is most excellent.” This rhyme was very popular in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s and appeared on folk art samplers (needlework), etc. George Eliot used it in “The Mill on the Floss” in 1860.)

An Apocryphal Story

An old family tradition says Benjamin was captured by the Indians while a small boy in Kentucky. In Keister’s book, The Van Hook and Allied Families, page 96, is a story given by Judge Ben VanHook Smith of Somerset, Ky. about 1950 when he was ninety years old. Judge Smith is the son of Nancy VanHook and Johnathan Smith; grandson of Benjamin VanHook Jr. and Esther Gaston; great-grandson of Benjamin VanHook Sr. and Susannah Higgins. He relates:

“Samuel VanHook and first wife Hannah? were living in —. The wife and small son were trying to call the cows, she climbed a tree so that her voice would carry, and Indians sneaked up and killed her with a tomahawk. They kidnapped the boy, adopted him, and were trying to teach him to be a worthy Indian hunter. They allowed him to go out alone, and he went north then circled about and made it back to the Ohio River.”

Judge Smith claimed this boy was Benjamin VanHook Sr., his namesake. (I’m certain this story is apocryphal and based on the Samuel VanHook captured at Martin’s Station narrative in Collins' History of Kentucky.)

Children of Benjamin and Frances (Higgins) VanHook

(all born in Harrison County, Kentucky, except for Samuel, and perhaps Hannah, who was born in Virginia):

i.Samuel VanHook born 22 Feb 1792, married (1) 1 Aug 1812, Peggy Gilliland, married (2) 11 Jan 1816, Isabella Cox. Samuel died 1845.

ii.Hannah VanHook born 16 Jan 1795, married 31 May 1810, John R. Higgins. Hannah died 25 Jun 1868.

iii.Elizabeth VanHook born 2 Oct 1796, married 27 Apr 1813, Joseph Clemens. Elizabeth died 19 Apr 1862.

iv.Peggy VanHook born 14 Jul 1798, married 22 Sep 1815, Jacob Bowman.

v.Polly VanHook born 22 May 1800, married 28 Jan 1824, Dudley Tubbs.

vi.Benjamin VanHook born 23 Dec 1801, married (1) 26 Dec 1822, Esther Gaston, married (2) 22 Jul 1861, Orpha Ely, married (3) 18 Feb 1866, Rebecca Lawrence. Benjamin died 26 May 1880.

vii.Frances VanHook born 1803, married 22 May 1820, Rice Ware.

viii.Nancy VanHook born 1805, married J.H. Allbright.

ix.Henry Thomas VanHook born 11 Apr 1806, married (1) 8 Aug 1828, Priscilla Gill, married (2) 6 Dec 1830, Matilda Mann. Henry died 1847.

Children of Benjamin and Susannah (Higgins) VanHook (all born in Pulaski County, Ky.):

x.Martin VanHook born 8 Aug 1809, married Eleanor Thompson.

xi.Sarah VanHook born 9 Jan 1811, married 16 Apr 1828, Preston Reagon.

xii.Lydia VanHook born 11 Jan 1813, married 7 Feb 1828, Robert Swinney.

xiii.Rebecca VanHook born 24 May 1815.

xiv.Harriet W.J. VanHook born 26 Jul 1817, married 25 May 1854, Hyram G. Ormes. Harriet died 7 Dec 1900.

xv.Eliza Jane VanHook born 3 Sep 181, married John Edward Woodyard. Eliza died 12 Feb 1908.

xvi.James Harvey VanHook born 5 Mar 1822, married Rebecca Renfro. James died 1888.

xvii.Susan VanHook born 24 Apr 1824, died 24 Jul 1901.

xviii.John Lewis VanHook born 23 Oct 1829, married 6 May 1856, Mary Jane Hunter. John died 8 Feb 1912.

xix.Nancy VanHook born abt 1830, married 7 Jan 1851, Jonathan Smith.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Records of Benjamin VanHook (1768/71-1854)

10 Mar 1790 Russell Co., Va. Upper District Personal Property Tax Lists - Benjamin VanHook, 1 tithable over 21, 1 horse.

3 Jun 1793 Russell Co., Va. Upper District Personal Property Tax Lists - Benjamin VanHook, 1 white male over 21, 2 horses.

1794 Russell Co., Va. Upper District Personal Property Tax Lists - Benjamin VanHook, 1 white male over 21, 3 horses.

10 Jul 1795 Harrison Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benjamin VanHook, 1 white male, 2 horses, 3 cattle, 50 acres 3rd rate land on Beaver Creek.

28 Jun 1796 Harrison Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benjamin VanHook, 1 white male, 2 horses, 3 cattle, 50 acres 3rd rate land on Beaver Creek.

18 Aug 1797 Harrison Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benjamin VanHook, 1 white male older than 21, 3 horses, 100 acres 3rd rate land on Beaver Creek.

May 1799 Harrison Co., Ky. Tax Lists, page 32 - Benjamin VanHook, 1 white male older than 21, 6 horses.

4 Jun 1800 Harrison Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benjamin VanHook, 1 white male older than 21, 4 horses, 100 acres 3rd rate land on Beaver Creek (land originally surveyed for Thomas Logwood).

1800 Harrison Co., Ky. Census - Benjamin VanHook. (Reconstructed Kentucky census from 1800 tax lists.)

27 May 1801 Harrison Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benjamin VanHook, 1 white male older than 21, 4 horses, 100 acres 3rd rate land on Beaver Creek.

8 Mar 1802 Campbell Co., Ky. Marriage records – Benjamin VanHook, bondsman on marriage of Andrew Brannan to Alice Glenn (widow) – (not sure if this is same Benjamin)

25 May 1802 Harrison Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benjamin VanHook, 1 white male older than 21, 4 horses, 100 acres 3rd rate land on Beaver Creek.

1 Mar 1803 Harrison Co., Ky. Deeds, Volume 1, Page 760 - Caleb Hall and Company sold to Benjamin VanHook 2 parcels of land on Beaver Creek, each parcel is 100 acres. Sold for 40 pounds. William Winslow attorney for Hall. Recorded 1 August 1803. Witnesses: Walter Evans, William Turney, Henry Davis.

24 Mar 1803 Harrison Co., Ky. Deeds, Volume 2, Page 46 - Ben and Frances VanHook sold to John McFarland 100 acres on the Brushy Fork of Beaver Creek for 46 pounds 10 shillings. (For some reason this transaction is shown in the deed books as taking place 22 August 1785 – apparently a transcription error). Recorded 2 September 1805. This was part of land Benjamin bought from Caleb Hall and Co. 1 March 1803.

9 Apr 1803 Harrison Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benjamin VanHook, 1 white male older than 21, 5 horses, 200 acres 3rd rate land on Beaver Creek.

6 Feb 1804 Harrison Co., Ky. Deeds, Volume 2, Page 77 - Christopher McConnico sold to Benjamin VanHook 100 acres on Brushy Fork of Beaver Creek for 15 pounds. Recorded 2 April 1804.

15 Mar 1804 Harrison Co., Ky. Tax Lists. Benjamin VanHook, 1 white male older than 21, 4 horses.

4 Dec 1804 Harrison Co., Ky. Deeds, Volume 2, Page 82 - Benjamin and Frances VanHook sold to John Davis 100 acres on Beaver Creek for 30 pounds. Recorded 4 March 1805. Benjamin bought this land from Caleb Hall and Co.

4 Mar 1805 Harrison Co., Ky. Deeds, Volume 3, Page 27 - Benjamin and Frances VanHook sold to Walter Evans 96 acres 136 poles for 100 pounds. Benjamin will defend claim from Thomas Logwood and Christopher McConnico. Recorded 5 March 1805. Witnesses: Christopher McConnico, John Davis, William Rayman (Raymond). (Benjamin bought this land from Christopher McConnico 6 February 1804.)

16 Mar 1805 Harrison Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benjamin VanHook, 1 white male older than 21, 5 horses, 135 acres on Second Lick.

2 Apr 1805 Harrison Co., Ky. Deeds, Volume 2, Page 72 - Samuel and Elizabeth McIlvain sold to Benjamin VanHook 107 acres on Sycamore and Second Lick Creeks for 6 shillings. Part of a 600 acre tract purchased from Thomas Logwood. Recorded 11 November 1805. Witnesses: James Miller, John McIlvain, John Craig. Benjamin VanHook only has recourse against Thomas Logwood. Sold to McIlvain’s 6 February 1789, 600 acres at 10 shillings per acre.

11 Jul 1806 Harrison Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benjamin VanHook, 1 white male older than 21, 3 horses, 130 acres 2nd rate on Second Lick.

11 May 1807 Harrison Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benjamin VanHook, 1 white male older than 21, 5 horses, 85 acres on Second Lick.

22 Jun 1808 Pulaski Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benj’n VanHook, 255 acres 3rd rate land on Pitman Creek, 1 white male over 21, 1 white male over 16, 6 horses.

14 Jul 1809 Pulaski Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benjamin VanHook, 255 acres 3rd rate land on Pitman Creek, 1 white male over 21, 1 white male over 16, 5 horses.

Jul 1810 Pulaski Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benjamin VanHook, 255 acres on Pitman Creek, 1 white male over 21, 7 horses.

1810 Pulaski Co., Ky. Census, Page 130 - Benjamin VanHook, 1 male 26-45 (Benjamin), 1 male 16-26 (Samuel), 1 male 10-16 (Benjamin Jr.), 1 male 0-10 (Thomas), 1 female 26-45 (Susannah), 3 females 10-16 (Elizabeth, Peggy, and Polly. Hannah, the oldest daughter was married by this time to John Higgins), 2 females 0-10 (Frances, Nancy), no slaves. (Martin, the son born the previous year, is not accounted for.)

1811 Pulaski Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benjamin VanHook, 255 acres on Pitman Creek, 263 acres on Buck Creek, 1 white male over 21, 7 horses.

1812 Pulaski Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benjamin VanHook, 255 acres on Pitman Creek, 1 white male over 21, 7 horses.

1813 Pulaski Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benj’n VanHook, 255 acres on Pitman Creek, 1 white male over 21, 6 horses.

1814 Pulaski Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benj’ VanHook, 1 white male over 21, 5 horses.

1815 Pulaski Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benjamin VanHook, 100 acres on Buck Creek, 1 white male over 21, 5 horses.

12 Sep 1817 Pulaski Co., Ky. Deeds, Book 4, Page 333 - William and Esther Sloan (or Stone or Slown) sold to Benjamin Vanhook 100 acres on Buck Creek for $350. Recorded 27 April 1818.

1817 Pulaski Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benj’n VanHook, 100 acres on Buck Creek, 1 white male over 21, 4 horses.

1818 Pulaski Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benj’n VanHook, 100 acres on Buck Creek, 1 white male over 21, 4 horses.

1819 Pulaski Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benj’n VanHook, 110 acres on Buck Creek, 1 white male over 21, 3 horses.

25 Apr 1820 Pulaski Co., Ky. Deeds, Book 6, Page 525 - Benjamin and Susannah VanHook sold to Thomas Crow Jr. 85 acres on Buck Creek for $300.

1820 Pulaski Co., Ky. Census, Page 40 - Benjamin VanHook, 1 male older than 45 (Benjamin), 1 male 16-26 (Thomas?), 1 male 10-16 (Martin), 1 female 26-45 (Susannah), 1 female 16-26 (Polly), 5 females 0-10 (Sally, Lydia, Rebecca, Harriet, Eliza Jane).

1820 Pulaski Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benj’ VanHook, 100 acres on Buck Creek, 1 white male over 21, 3 horses.

1821 Pulaski Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benj’n VanHook, 110 acres on Buck Creek, 1 white male over 21, 2 horses.

1822 Pulaski Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benj’n VanHook, 85 acres on Buck Creek, 1 white male over 21, 3 horses.

1823 Pulaski Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benj’n VanHook, 85 acres on Buck Creek, 1 white male over 21, 3 horses.

1824 Pulaski Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benj’n VanHook, 85 acres on Buck Creek, 1 white male over 21, 2 horses.

1826 Pulaski Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benjamin VanHook Senr., 85 acres on Buck Creek, 1 white male over 21, 4 horses.

1827 Pulaski Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benj’n VanHook, 85 acres on Buck Creek, 1 white male over 21, 3 horses.

1828 Pulaski Co., Ky. Tax Lists - Benjamin VanHook, 85 acres on Flat Lick Creek, 1 white male over 21, 3 horses.

16 Aug 1828 Pulaski Co., Ky. Deeds, Book 7-1, Page 577 - Baptist Church of Christ at Union Meeting House appoints Benjamin VanHook as trustee.

1830 Rockcastle Co., Ky. Census, Page 91. Benjamin VanHook - 1 male 50-60 (Benjamin), 1 male 5-10 (James Harvey), 1 male under 5 (John Lewis), 1 female 40-50 (Susannah), 1 female 20-30 (?), 1 female 15-20 (Rebecca), 2 females 10-15 (Eliza Jane, Susan), 1 female under 5 (Nancy?).

28 Sep 1833 Rockcastle Co., Ky. Deeds, Book K, Page 272 - Ben Vanhook bought 100 acres from John Chance and wife.

28 Sep 1833 Rockcastle Co., Ky. Deeds, Book K, Page 272 - We sur(veyed) Ben Vanhooks 100 acres by a copy of a deed from John Chance and wife to s’d Vanhook executed 28th Sept’r 1833. Beginning at a white oak (at 46) Corner Joe Famars and in line of said Vanhook Thence with said Vanhook’s line reversed S9«E40« po’s to a white oak with a white oak and sassafras ptns; newly made con. by Processioners (at 47) Thence S25E52 po’s to a white oak with a white oak & black oak ptn’s (at 48) Thence N57E28« po’s to a poplar and dogwood. Thence... to a locust crossing Sam Potts spring branch at... N19W80 po’s to 2 Elms cor. also to Thos Vanhook. Thence with his lines N78W138 po’s to a fallen popler and double dogwood connecting cor. to Ben & Thos Vanhook & Joe Famars surveys. Thence with Famars line S9«E69 po’s to the above beginning. We processioned only the line which touch the unsold land of this survey.

The above land is where Benjamin and Susannah were buried. Their son Henry Thomas VanHook owned land adjoining it. After they died, the land passed to some of their children, the legal heirs, who transferred the property to James Harvey VanHook, one of the youngest sons

8 Sept 1835 Pulaski Co., Ky. Deeds, Book 8, Page 213 - Benjamin and Susan VanHook sold to Micajah Sutton, 25 acres for $125.

14 Sep 1850 Rockcastle Co., Ky. Census, Page 208, family 340, Northern District gives the following names and ages: Benj. VanHook, age 79, farmer, born North Carolina; Susan, 65, Ky.; Sarah Jane, 28, Ky.; James, 26, Ky.; Susanna, 25, Ky.; John, 22, Ky.

7 Aug1865 Rockcastle Co., Ky. Deeds, Book J, Page 208 - Know all men by these presents that we Benjamin Vanhook, Hannah Higgins late Hannah Vanhook, Martin Vanhook, Nancy Allbright late Nancy Vanhook, Robert Swinney & Lydia Swinney late Lydia Vanhook, Harriet Ann Ormes late Harriet Vanhook, John E. Woodyard & Jane his wife late Jane Vanhook, Susan Vanhook & John Vanhook heirs of Benjamin Vanhook Dec’d. for and in consideration of one dollar to each of us in hand & cer’t the receipt - whereas is hereby ack’d do by these presents assign and convey to James H. Vanhook all right title and interest that we have or might have in the old house & farm of our father Benjamin Vanhook Dec’d and same place where the said James Vanhook now lives lying and being in the county of Rockcastle & State of Kentucky. To have and hold the same in his own right to dispose of as he may see proper.

Given under our hands this the 7th day of August 1865.Witness:

Jane Woodyard

Green B. Parsons John E. Woodyard

James H. Woodyard John L. Vanhook

J.H. Allbright Susan Vanhook

S.W. Brown Martin Vanhook

Robert Vanhook Nancy Allbright

John R. Higgins, attest. Robert Swinney

Lydia Swinney

Benjamin Vanhook

Hannah Higgins

H.W.J. Ormes

James H. Vanhook states that the parties whose names appear to the forgoing bond was signed by them in good faith and all of their signatures thereto is genuine. Given under my hand this 5th day of Sept’r 1865.

James H. Vanhook

(Bond was filed 5 September 1865 and recorded 2 November 1865).

5 Sep 1865 Rockcastle Co., Ky. Deeds, Book J, Page 209 - This deed of conveyance and sale made and executed the 5th day of Sept’r 1865 between James H. Vanhook & Rebecca his wife of the County of Rockcastle & State of Kentucky of the 1st part & Morris J. Harris of the County of Lincoln & State afos’d of the 2nd part. Witnesseth: That the party of the 1st part for and in consideration of the sum of Eight-Hundred dollars in hand paid the receipt whereof is hereby ack’d have bargained and sold to the said Morris J. Harris a certain tract of land lying and being in the county of Rockcastle on the waters of Dick’s river known as the old Vanhook tract of land containing one hundred acres more or less and bounded as follows: Beginning at a locust about...

(signed) James H. Vanhook

Rebecca Vanhook

This 100 acres was then sold by the heirs of Morris J. Harris 29 August 1894 to Nancy E. Delaney (Rockcastle Co., Ky. Deeds book 17, page 111). Michael and Nancy Delaney sold 25 acres of this land 27 March 1905 to John Singleton (book 22, page 225). The Delaneys sold the other 75 acres 17 September 1909 to R.B. Howard (book 24, page 476). In these two deeds it is still referred to as the “old Vanhook tract”. From here the 25 acre tract was broken up further when John and Ethel Singleton sold 2 acres to Malachi Hopkins 28 May 1916 (book 33, page 30). R.B. Howard transferred his 75 acres to America Howard 27 June 1912 (book 27, page 586), and then she sold the land to Malachi Hopkins later that year, 15 October 1912 (book 30, page 172).

Eventually Malachi Hopkins ended up with most if not all of the land, along with an adjoining 56 acres that was the old Thomas Vanhook tract of land. Malachi and Lizzie his wife transferred about 165 acres of land to George and James Hopkins (their sons) on 7 September 1917 (book 35, page 181). George Hopkins transferred about 150 acres of this land to his first wife Lula 18 May 1936 (book 55, page 107). George and Lula were divorced in 1944 and he sued to get the land back. There were so many children involved that a defect in the title was introduced during this period (see book 62, page 541, and book 65, pages 26-30). Eventually this was cleared up and the land passed to Elihu Saylor on 8 February 1946 (book 65, page 29), the husband of Retha Hopkins (George’s daughter and son-in-law). Elihu and Retha transferred the land the same day (book 65, page 31) to Tony Saylor.

Tony Saylor died intestate 13 June 1947 leaving a widow, Delia Saylor, and 5 children (see affidavit of inheritance, deed book 85, page 350). They sold the land (150 acres) to D.A. and Vivian Robbins 2 February 1966 (book 98, page 155). In this deed the land is described as being bounded on the north by Mrs. John Burham, on the east by Coffey heirs and Fugate heirs, and on the south by C.H. Frith, John Singleton, and Sam Roberts. On 4 September 1980, D.A. and Vivian Robbins deeded the land containing the old Benjamin VanHook family cemetery on their property (about 1/2 acre), by gift to the VanHook trustees (Larry VanHook, Nancy VanHook Mullins, and Herbert L. VanHook). It was on this site the VanHook descendents erected a monument in 1981.