THE HENRY E.
KERR FAMILY
by Dan Speer
Henry E. Kerr is born on July 24, 1773 in Craven County, Camden District, South Carolina. He is the son of John Kerr, b. abt. 1740 in PA or NC and Ruth (?) b. abt. 1750. They have at least eight (8) children, Henry E., John M., Hugh, Mary, Margaret, Sophiah, Easther, Ruth. John Kerr dies abt. 1817 in York County and Ruth bef. 1810. It is thought that John Kerr is the son of John Kerr b. abt. 1710 in N.Ireland and died bef. 1790 in York Co. SC.
Henry Kerr married Mary Price abt. 1792 and the Kerr family is found in the 1800, and 1810 York Co. census. The 1800 census indicates: 2 male children under the age of 10. No other children are indicated. The 1810 census shows two male children to age 16, one male under 10 and one female child under 10. (Lucinda d.o.b. 1804).
The 1820 census is somewhat less clear, with one male child under 10, one 10-16, and two 16-18. On the female side there is one between the age of 16-26. Mary Price Kerr died in 1818 and the 1820 census seems to indicate that Henry has remarried and strarted his second family. Henry Kerr’s second wife was Mary Ford.
The children of Henry and Mary Price Kerr.
-William Price Kerr,b, April 6, 1799 in SC, Married Mary Catherine Higginbotham on August
1, 1820 and moved to Texas in 1838.
-Francis Bradley Kerr b. February 27, 1801 in SC. Married Ann Reid Neal on January 5, 1826
and moved to Dancyville, Haywood Co. TN.
Lucinda (Ruth?) Kerr, b. August 3, 1804 in SC. Married Ulysses McKenzie about 1820. The 1830 census show them living in Giles County. By 1840 the family is living in Henderson County in Scotts Hill area.
Isaac Price Kerr, b. abt 1808-1810. An 1868 Court record shows Isaac living in Mississippi.
Esther Price Kerr, b. 1812 and dies in 1818, is buried in Giles County on the original family property.
Henry Kerr marries Mary Ford in 18__, Mary is born in 1796 and the daughter of James Ford who settled in Giles County in 1807. James Ford operated a ferry on the Elk River at the mouth of Ford’s creek.
The children of Henry and Mary Ford Kerr
-James H. Kerr
-Nancy A. Kerr Ezell
-John W. Kerr
Henry Kerr dies¹ November 30, 1864 at his residence and is buried in the Price/Kerr family cemetery on the original land granted to the Prices.
Upon Henry Kerr’s death two wills were discovered
leading to a lawsuit being filed August 4, 1868. The case, Wm. S Ezell and others Vs Wm.
P. Kerr and others, is recorded in Chancery Court Book U page 32 to 41. Henry Kerr’s
will was recorded in January 7, 1857. During the Civil War Union soldiers destroyed many
of the records in the CourtHouse including the Will of Henry Kerr. Two different will
appear, the first dated March 5, 1856 and the second April 15, 1856. The Court ruled the
April 15, 1856 Will refer to as "Exhibit H K"
¹BURIAL LOCATION OF HENRY E. AND MARY PRICE KERR
They are both buried on the original 1,000 acres deeded to Mary’s father Isaac.
The cemetery had no name and is not listed in the Giles County Cemetery books. I found it about 3 years ago and named it the Price-Kerr Cemetery and reported its location to the Giles County Old Records Office. It is not in good shape, cow damage.
Mary died around 1817 or so and is buried next to their
daughter . Mary’s brother James(?) is also buried there. Henry is also there, but his
second wife Mary Ford is about 9 miles away (apparently family problems.)
Mary’s brothers, James, William and John Price were some of the first settlers of
Giles County. They founded the first settlement, Lower Elkton or Elkville. This settlement
no longer exists and was at the mouth of Richland Creek and the Elk River.
Dan Speer
WE GREATLY
APPRECIATE THE KERR FAMILY RESEARCH
PROVIDED BY DAN SPEER ~ 3-GREAT-GRANDSON OF HENRY
E. & MARY PRICE KERR