George McLaughlin
Contributed by Bob Scott
Surname: MCLAUGHLIN, BUCHANAN, SPURGEON, KAYE, WHITLOCKE,
GIBBONS, WISE, ROBINSON, MITCHELL, BRIAN
George McLAUGHLIN, 29 Dec. 1773-5 April 1846, was a pioneer farmer in Ripley and Jefferson Cos., who married into the well-known Buchanan family. He married Martha BUCHANAN 1780-16 Nov. 1833 (died in her 53rd year.) Both were buried in the family cemetery in Brown Township, very near the Jefferson County line. Their stones were removed to Buchanan Cemetery in Brown Township across the road from the site of Buchanans Station between 1972 and 1984.
Their marriage record has not been found, but a 1910 interview with their nephew George Buchanan refers to Uncle George McLaughlin, and cousin, William McLaughlin. DAR records call her Hettie or Harriet, while some other histories say Rebecca. The name on the tombstone is Martha, while one Bourbon Co., Ky. deed clearly calls her Martha E. McLaughlin. There are no records for Harriet or Rebecca McLaughlin in either Ripley or Jefferson Co.
George, if the same, first appears in Bourbon Co., in the will of his father, James McLaughlin, written 14 March 1791. George was named as James' executor.
George and Martha's names appear on a deed dated 21 March 1817 in Bourbon Co. when they sold 2.5 acres on Houston's Creek to Ovid Boone, who sold them the same amount of land the same day, apparently a swap. This is important because a deed from John and Mary Grant of Woodford Co. to James McLaughlin of Bourbon Co. on 18 Jan. 1791 for 8 acres mentions Ovid Boone as owning neighboring land.
Their next movements are varied if judged by marriage records. If marriages were performed in the county of the bride's residence, the McLaughlins moved from Bourbon Co., to Louisville, to Bourbon to Louisville and back to Bourbon in the 1820s. Moreover, one or two McLaughlin children may have been married in Hamilton Co., Ohio, judging from births in those families. These movements have not been explained.
Back in Bourbon Co., the McLaughlins sold 70 acres 2 rods, 27 poles of land on the North Elkhorn to John Kerr for $837 on 5 April 1830. Martha is listed as Martha E. on the deed dated 1 Nov. 1830 when they sold 1.5 acres on Huston's Creek to the heirs on John Beatty. George had already purchased his first 160 acres of land in Jefferson Co. on 27 April 1830 in Section 3 Twp. 5N Range 11E, land bordering two brothers-in-law George Benefiel and Wilson Buchanan. He added 270 acres in three more purchases in Ripley Co.
In 1845, George served as executor for son James' estate in Ripley Co., but this action was cut short by his own death. George's estate was probated in Ripley, with heirs listed, but most of the settlement came through deeds in Jefferson Co. in the 1850s.
1. WILLIAM B. MCLAUGHLIN 1797/98 (age 62, 1850 census)-1868. He probably died a few days before 11 Nov. 1868 when Henry McLaughlin was named administrator of his estate in Ripley Co. William m. 16 Jan. 1822 in Bourbon Co., Ky., Sarah Spurgeon. She lived ca 1801-18 June 1863, (d. age 62), buried McLaughlin Cem. Her stone has been removed to the Buchanan family Cem. After his family moved to Indiana, William lived in Shelby Twp., Jefferson Co., where he is listed in the censuses.
2. SARAH MCLAUGHLIN b. 1798/99 She m. ___________ Wise and lived 1850 Brown Twp. Her three children are all listed as born in Ohio.
3. REBECCA MCLAUGHLIN 1801/02-after 1883 She m. 24 May 1832 in Ripley Co., Joshua Buchanan ca. 1802-1880/1882. They lived 1850-1880 in Brown Twp. in Ripley Co. census. On 4 Jan. 1883 Rebecca petitioned to have her share of her husband's estate set off to her with no probate.
4. MARY MCLAUGHLIN, born 1802/03 She m. 19 Dec. 1823 in Jefferson Co., Ky., George Whitlocke Jr., who died by Sept. 3, 1832. She m. 2nd 27 April 1836 in Jefferson Co., Ky., William D. Whitlocke.
5. RACHEL C. MCLAUGHLIN b. 1803/04 She m. 22 July 1820 in Jefferson Co., Ky., Frederick Kaye b. 1795/96. They lived in Louisville in 1850.
6. NANCY MCLAUGHLIN 1804/05-after 16 June 1870, born in Kentucky. She probably died in Winona Co., Minn. where she lived in 1870. She m. John Benedict Wise b. 1802/03 in Maryland, died by 1 Sept. 1853 when his estate was settled in Ripley Co.
7. MARTHA MCLAUGHLIN b. ca 1808 died by 1846. She m. 13 Sept. 1828 in Bourbon Co., Ky., Hiram Gibbons.
8. MELINDA MCLAUGHLIN 11 Jan. 1816-26 Apr. 1879, buried Olive Branch Cem., Jefferson Co. She m. 1st 25 June 1833 in Ripley Co., Russell Briar or Brian. She married Henry Kaye on 12 Jan. 1835 in Jefferson Co., Ky. He lived 1840 Jefferson Co., Ind. They lived 1850 Shelby Twp., Jefferson Co. She lived 1870 Madison Twp. in the household next to brother, John.
9. GEORGE WASHINGTON MCLAUGHLIN b. 1816/17 He m. 2 June 1844 in Jefferson Co., Ind., Rachel Mitchell. They lived 1850 Shelby Twp., Jefferson Co.; 1860 Neoga Precinct, Cumberland Co., Ill. He is listed 1870 in Shelby Co., Ill.
10. JAMES MCLAUGHLIN, birth date unknown died 1845 Ripley Co., Ind. He m. Constance ___________ b. 1817/18. His widow married John Stewart in 1851 in Ripley Co. Stewart died by 22 March 1864.
11. JOHN MCLAUGHLIN 15 Mar. 1823-30 Aug. 1893 Born in Kentucky, he m. 12 Oct. 1848 in Ripley Co., Susannah Robinson. He lived in Jefferson Co. until about 1878 when he moved to Sprague, Mo., where he died.
Copyright 1999 by Robert W. Scott