Blog Query: Sarah R. Howard

Below was in a comment on a blog post here and am hoping some of the readers may be able to help Sharon out.

From: Sharon Ellis sharonellis@yahoo.com

Russ,

My Sarah R. Howard was born around 1794 in Scott County, Kentucky, which is where Georgetown, Ky is located, outside of Lexington. She married Lyman Merriman and moved with him to central Illinois, where they are buried.

Because the Scott Co. courthouse burned twice in the 1800s, there are not many records. When I’ve googled “Howard” + Scott County KY”, the only Howard I’ve found is John Howard, John B. Howard, and John Bazel Howard.

John was listed as John B. Howard and John Bazel Howard on two early Scott Co Ky censuses. I think it was 1800 and 1820. He witnessed a will of a MD native (who was part of the Catholic immigration into that part of Ky) around 1808 or 1810 as “John Howard”, if I remember correctly.

I didn’t know if “Bazel” was a misspelling of Basil, or if it was a family name associated with the Howard family that was given to him as his middle name. Are you familiar with any Bazel family members who may have married into either the MD or VA Howard families? I’ve found people in MD with the Bazel surname and probably need to research the Bazel family to see if I find any intermarriage with the Howards.

My assumptions, which could be wrong, are that John Bazel Howard immigrated to Ky with part of the 65 or so Catholic families from MD who agreed to settle in Kentucky. Part settled in Nelson Co Ky below Louisville, and part of the group who didn’t like Nelson Co settled instead in Scott Co, outside of Lexington.

I assume that Sarah R Howard was John Bazel Howard’s daughter. I have no record of him moving to central Illinois, when Sarah “Sally” left Scott Co. with her husband and his family. in the early 1830s. I did once find a John B. Howard in Butler Co., Ky, (I think around 1840 or so). Butler Co is 150 mi. southwest of Scott Co. I didn’t see an age for that John B Howard.

I’m hoping this will ring a bell, or that you will eventually stumble across something in all your Howard research that might provide a clue or two. Would love to see your Howard ancestors and their dates/locations listed, sometime.

Thanks,
Sharon Ellis