Descendants of Nathaniel Woleary Cornett

Researched and submitted by Betty Schimpf

Generation No. 1

1. NATHANIEL WOLEARY5 CORNETT (WILLIAM JESSE4, JOHN CANUTE3, EARL2 CORNET, ERIN1) was born April 02, 1811 in Bull Creek (Clay County), Kentucky, and died January 12, 1889 in Big Branch of Troublesome Creek, Knott County, Kentucky. He married LYDIA CAUDILL August 26, 1834 in Perry County, Kentucky, daughter of STEPHEN CAUDILL and SARAH ADAMS. She was born July 19, 1816 in Perry County, Kentucky, and died February 1860 in Perry County (now Knott County), Kentucky.

Notes for NATHANIEL WOLEARY CORNETT:

Nathaniel Woleary Cornett settled on Big Branch of Troublesome Creek, Perry County, Ky., which became Knott County in 1884.

From KNOTT COUNTY HISTORY & FAMILIES 1884-1994

In 1780, all land in Perry, Knott, Letcher, Leslie, Breathitt, and Owsley Counties of Kentucky was set aside for soldiers who served in the American Revolutionary War. To obtain this land, a surveyor was needed to lay out the plot and then other persons (usually some of the family) signed it.

From 1839 to 1872, Nathaniel Woleary Cornett received land grants for 900 acres in Letcher County and 2,160 acres in Perry County (now Knott County). Some of the names of the signers and surveyors on the grants were: Solomon Everage, Nathaniel Collins, John and William Walker, Campbell Pigman, George W. Calhoun, L. A. Duff, William V. Luck, Jackson Combs, and J. G. Combs. Nathaniel signed his name with a mark (x).

Another method of obtaining land was to receive a grant from the Govenor. Govenor Crittenden gave Nathaniel Woleary Cornett 50 acres.

At one time, Nathaniel W. Cornett sold 500 acres to his brother, Joseph E. Cornett for $150.00.

Nathaniel Woleary Cornett, at one time, walked and hunted his way to Arkansas and took a homestead on 1500 acres of land. He returned to Kentucky and tried to persuade his wife to go to Arkansas with him and she refused. He turned in his claim to the land. The city of Little Rock, Arkansas now stands on a part of this land. On his way back from Arkansas, he picked up two pecan seeds and planted them on his land in Kentucky where two great pecan trees now stands at the mouth of Big Branch, Knott County, Ky. (Trees were cut down in approximately 1995).

Children of NATHANIEL CORNETT and LYDIA CAUDILL are:

i. JOSEPH E.6 CORNETT, b. March 07, 1836, Big Branch of Troublesome Creek, Perry County, Kentucky; d. August 01, 1917, Big Branch of Troublesome Creek, Knott County, Kentucky; m. SUSANA CAUDILL, August 1858, Perry County, Kentucky; b. March 06, 1841, Letcher County, Kentucky; d. December 04, 1899, Big Branch of Troulesome Creek, Knott County, Kentucky.

ii. RACHEL CORNETT, b. January 13, 1838, Perry Co., Kentucky; d. January 06, 1924; m. JEPTHA D. 'JEP' CALHOUN, 1873, Breathitt County, Kentucky; b. July 21, 1836, Perry County, Kentucky; d. November 10, 1890, Civil War veteran..

iii. WATSON CORNETT, b. 1839, Big Branch of Troublesome Creek, Perry County, Kentucky; d. Abt. 1863, Died in the Civil War as a Confederate soldier..

iv. SARAH 'SALLIE' CORNETT, MIDWIFE, b. June 17, 1840, Perry County, Kentucky; d. October 04, 1936, Big Branch of Troublesome, Knott County, Kentucky.; m. GEORGE SIMPSON; b. Abt. 1845, Kentucky; d. Bef. 1880.

v. MARY CORNETT, b. February 10, 1844, Perry County, Kentucky; d. Aft. 1920, Knott County, Kentucky; m. SILAS E. BOGGS, December 27, 1866, Home of N. W. Cornett by Elder Samuel Combs; b. August 03, 1845, Perry County, Kentucky; d. May 09, 1921, Knott County, Kentucky.

vi. ROGER V. CORNETT, b. February 06, 1846, Perry Co, Kentucky; d. December 15, 1931, Knott Co., Kentucky; m. (1) NANCY MAGGARD, Abt. 1870; b. December 18, 1850, Letcher County, Kentucky; d. December 18, 1887; m. (2) LOUISE MULLINS, November 10, 1892, Knott County, Kentucky; b. November 16, 1869, Wolfe County, Kentucky; d. February 07, 1953, Knott County, Kentucky at the home of Alton Everage..

vii. NANCY CORNETT, b. July 19, 1848, Perry County, Kentucky; d. February 1927, Big Branch of Troublesome, Knott County, Kentucky; m. GREEN HOLLIDAY, May 10, 1881, Perry County, Kentucky; b. August 03, 1859, Perry County, Kentucky; d. May 05, 1922, Big Branch of Troublesome, Knott County, Kentucky.

viii. POLLY ANN CORNETT, b. January 31, 1852, Perry County, Kentucky; d. February 15, 1947, Knott County, Kentucky; m. (1) SHADRACK 'BLINKY SHADE' COMBS, January 26, 1872; b. March 03, 1835; d. July 21, 1888, Troublesome Creek, Knott County, Kentucky; m. (2) BALLARD SHADRICK 'SHADE' SMITH, August 13, 1891, Knott Co., Ky. No Children born to this union.; b. July 15, 1845, Perry County, Kentucky; d. March 28, 1930, Perry County, Kentucky.

ix. WILLIAM BENTON CORNETT, b. 1854, Big Branch of Troublesome Creek, Perry County, Ky.; d. Bef. 1887, Big Branch of Troublesome Creek, Knott County, Ky.; m. POLLY ANN 'POP' DAVIDSON, January 13, 1880, Perry County, Ky.; b. 1858, Perry County, Kentucky; d. February 04, 1940, Carrie, Kentucky at the home of her son, Andrew Cornett..

x. EASTER CORNETT, b. April 15, 1856, Big Branch of Troublesome Creek, Perry County, Ky.; d. August 26, 1938, Turin, (Owsley County), Kentucky; m. GEORGE W. MARTIN, December 16, 1897, Boonville, Owsley County, Kentucky; b. March 1839, Beaver, Floyd Co., Kentucky; d. January 25, 1925, Scoville (Owsley County), Kentucky.

xi. ROBERT S. 'ROBIN' CORNETT, b. March 03, 1857, Big Branch of Troublesome, Perry County, Kentucky; d. March 30, 1913, Big Branch of Troublesome, Knott County, Kentucky.; m. (1) CAROLINE JUSTICE, Abt. 1877; b. June 06, 1856; d. January 15, 1886, Big Branch of Hindman, Knott County, Ky.; m. (2) SUSAN SMITH, August 15, 1888, Knott County, Kentucky (Marriage Book I); b. June 24, 1866, Perry County, Kentucky; d. April 07, 1949, Big Branch, Knott County, Kentucky.