A blank pedigree chart may be scary for new researchers. Many beginning genealogists find it easier to present their Kentucky family history when there is an example available. Some may not consider that a Kentucky ancestor might have already written the family history and presented it in a nicely bound book.
Where do you find these genealogies by surname? Google it, of course!
All kidding aside, Google Books contains the world's most comprehensive index of full-text books. You can search their collection for your surname or your Kentucky ancestor. You might be surprised when your Kentucky family member appears in a book, magazine, or pamphlet. Many of us have found ancestors within these pages, perhaps in an organization list, advertising their business, or as a defendant in a court case.
Finding the Early Families of Kentucky
We did a larger search to find any genealogy books where a Kentuckian or Kentucky was cited. Google did not disappoint. Over eighty books were returned when we did the search in the summer of 2021. [The list is organized by surname below.] These books contain useful information on researching Kentucky's past through family history records, such as census data, birth/death certificates and military service records among others.
In the Genealogy of the Eliot Family book, which was published around 1854, Benjamin Eliot’s daughter, Mary, married the Honorable John J. Crittenden of Kentucky. He later became one of Kentucky’s governors.
Extracted from the Eliot Family book.
Another book, The Seldens of Virginia and Allied Families, provides an entire chapter about the Breckenridge family. Robert Breckenridge had two sons who served in the Revolutionary War and later settled in Louisville, KY. Other family members settled in Bath and Bourbon Counties.
No genealogy listing from Kentucky would be complete without adding a book about The Boone Family. Many Kentuckians claim a blood line to Daniel Boone, who is considered a father of the Kentucky wilderness. Hazel Atterbury Spraker compiled this book in 1922.
In the Preface, she notes that the family line had not been documented prior to her book. She has a long thank you list, which is always nice to see from a researcher. She covers the family through the Civil War and beyond. It is an excellent example of family history.
Reviewing the Family History Examples
Considering many of these books were written before Ancestry or the like was available, these books are rich with information and Kentucky ancestor life stories.
Many of the genealogist explain how they collected the information, the sources, and some include pictures or documents. Many relied on interviews with family members as a source.
Each of us know the considerable work that goes into this research! If you are writing your family history, then you should review several of the books to understand what information was suggested. Plus it is fun to see how proud these authors are!
Listing Genealogies with Kentucky Last Names
The following list contains the surname that is the subject of the book, the year published, and a link to the book title. As far as we know, the books are in the public domain and free to use.
Surname |
Publish Year |
Genealogy Resource |
---|
Alison, Allison |
1893 |
The History of the Alison, Or Allison Family in Europe and America |
Bishop |
2009 |
Pike County Kentucky Bishop Family Genealogical Timeline |
Boone |
1922 |
A Genealogical History of the Descendants of George and Mary Boone, who Came to America in |
Bowman |
1912 |
Bowman Genealogy: Fragmentary Annals of a Branch of the Bowman Family |
Bromwell |
1910 |
The Bromwell Genealogy |
Buford |
1903 |
A Genealogy of the Buford Family in America |
Buford |
1924 |
History and Genealogy of the Buford Family in America |
Calvin |
1945 |
The Calvin Families: Origin and History of the American Calvins, with a Partial Genealogy |
Carlock |
1929 |
History of the Carlock Family and Adventures of Pioneers |
Chenoweth |
1925 |
History of the Chenoweth Family, Beginning 449 AD |
Child |
1881 |
Genealogy of the Child, Childs and Childe Families |
Clay, Cecil |
2009 |
Kentucky Clay: Eleven Generations of a Southern Dynasty |
Cleveland |
1899 |
The Genealogy of the Cleveland and Cleaveland Families |
Cloyd |
1912 |
Genealogy of the Cloyd, Basye and Tapp Families in America |
Coombs |
???? |
Coombs Family History: A surprising and exciting journey |
Dameron-Damron |
1953 |
The Dameron-Damron Genealogy |
Denny |
1886 |
Genealogy of the Denny Family in England and America |
Dodson, Dotson, Lucas, Pyles, Rochester, Allied |
1959 |
Genealogy of the Dodson (Dotson), Lucas, Pyles, Rochester, and Allied Family |
Duke |
1909 |
A Genealogy of the Duke-Shepherd-Van Metre Family |
Dunlevy |
1901 |
A Genealogical History of the Dunlevy Family |
Eliot |
1663 |
Genealogy of the Eliot Family |
Fairbanks |
1897 |
Genealogy of the Fairbanks Family in America, 1633-1897 |
Keyes, North, Cruzen |
1914 |
Genealogy and History of the Related Keyes, North and Cruzen |
Ficklin |
1912 |
A Genealogical History of the Ficklin Family |
Field |
1901 |
Field Genealogy; Being the Record of All the Field Family in America, Whose Ancestors Were in this Country Prior to 1700
|
Fishback |
1914 |
Genealogy of the Fishback Family in America |
Floyd |
1912 |
Biographical Genealogies of the Virginia-Kentucky Floyd |
Foote |
1907 |
Foote Family |
Fouts |
2000 |
Fouts Family of Indiana |
Frisian |
1893 |
A Frisian Family: The Banta Genealogy |
Gowdy |
1919 |
A Family History Comprising the Surnames of Gade and the Variant Forms |
Graffenried |
1925 |
History of the de Graffenried Family from 1191 AD to 1925 |
Harris |
1914 |
Harris Genealogy |
Henry |
1915 |
Henry Genealogy: The Descendants of Samuel Henry of Hadley, Mass |
Holtzclaw |
1936 |
The Genealogy of the Holtzclaw Family, 1540-1935 |
Hord |
1898 |
Genealogy of the Hord Family |
Horton |
1922 |
Family History Compiled by Lucy Henderson Horton |
Hudson-Mohawk |
1911 |
Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs |
Hume |
1903 |
History of the Hume Family |
Jennings |
1899 |
A Genealogical History of the Jennings Families in England |
Jepson |
1917 |
A History & Genealogy of the Descendants of John Jepson |
Kauffman |
1940 |
A Genealogy and History of the Kauffman-Coffman Families of North America, 1584-1937 |
Keene |
1923 |
Keene Family History and Genealogy |
Kemper |
1899 |
Genealogy of the Kemper Family in the United States |
Kuykendall |
1919 |
History of the Kuykendall Family Since Its Settlement in Dutch New York |
Lawrence |
1847 |
A Genealogical Memoir of the Family of John Lawrence |
Lewis |
1893 |
Genealogy of the Lewis Family in America |
Lincoln |
1923 |
History of the Lincoln Family: An Account of the Descendants of Samuel Lincoln |
Loughry |
1924 |
A Brief Genealogy of the Loughry Family of Pennsylvania |
Loveland |
1894 |
Genealogy of the Loveland Family in the United States of America |
Marshall |
1885 |
The Marshall Family |
Marshall, Green, Huddleston, Armistead, Taylor, Pickett |
1911 |
The Marshall Family |
Maxwell, Allen, Bachiler |
1916 |
Maxwell History and Genealogy: Including the Allied Families |
McNary |
1907 |
McNary Family with Trees and History- Page 21 |
Meriwether |
1892 |
The Meriwether and Their Connections: A Family Record |
Millers, Simmons |
1993 |
The Miller and Simmons Families: Genealogy and History |
Mitchell |
1885 |
The Genealogy of the Mitchell Family of Martinsville, Indiana |
Monnett |
1911 |
Monnett Family Genealogy: An Emphasis of a Noble Huguenot Heritage |
Montgomery |
1863 |
A Genealogical History of the Family of Montgomery |
Pelton |
1892 |
Genealogy of the Pelton Family in America |
Pomeroy |
1958 |
History and Genealogy of the Pomeroy Family and Collateral Lines, England, Ireland, America; Comprising the Ancestors and Descendants of George Pomeroy of Pennsylvania |
Prentice/Prentiss |
1883 |
The History and Genealogy of the Prentice, Or Prentiss Family, in New England, Etc., from 1631-1883 |
Rice |
1900 |
Genealogical and Historical Notes on Culpeper County, Virginia |
Ricks |
1908 |
History and Genealogy of the Ricks Family of America |
Riggs |
1901 |
Genealogy of the Riggs Family |
Semple |
1888 |
Genealogical History of the Family Semple from 1214-1888 |
Scripps |
1903 |
A Genealogical History of the Scripps Family and Its Various Forms |
Scruggs, Briscoe, Dial, Dunklin, Leake, Price |
1912 |
Scruggs Genealogy: With a Brief History of the Allied Families Briscoe, Dial, Dunklin, Leake and Price |
Seaton |
1906 |
The Seaton Family, with Genealogy and Biographies |
Snyder, Schneider |
1910 |
History of the Family of Snyder (Schneider) (Snider) |
Tennant |
1915 |
Genealogy of the Tennant Family |
Trowbridge |
1908 |
The Trowbridge Genealogy: History of the Trowbridge Family |
Tuley |
1906 |
The Tuley Family Memoirs |
Tyrrell, Terrell |
1909 |
Further Genealogical Notes on the Tyrrell-Terrell Family |
Washington |
1900 |
Genealogy of the Washington Family |
Wheeler |
1914 |
The Genealogical and Encyclopedic History of the Wheeler Family |
Whittelsey |
1898 |
Genealogy of the Whittelsey-Whittlesey Family |
Williams |
1847 |
The Genealogy and History of the Family of Williams |
Witherspoon |
1910 |
Genealogy of the Witherspoon Family |
Woodsons |
1915 |
Historical Genealogy of the Woodsons and Their Connections |
Yale |
1850 |
The Yale Family: Or the Descendants of David Yale |
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