In 1787 George Charles (Ger) and Christian Michael were married in Salisbury District, Rowan County, North Carolina.

Later research in the Orange Co., NC records disclose a power of attorney from George Charles of Russell Co., VA to Joseph Gibson of Guilford Co., NC to collect his part of the estate of "my father, Michael Charles, lately deceased of Orange Co., NC" dated July 22, 1813. Michael was mentioned as among Nicholite settlers from Maryland to Guilford Co., NC by Kenneth Carroll in his book about the Nicholites. Michael was naturalized in Rowan Co., NC in 1763, being of German birth.

In the 1790 census of Rowan Co., he and Christean had one son. The next record of George that has been found is in the 1810 census of Russell Co., VA, when he had a family consisting of four boys and a girl. In the 1820 census of Russell Co., he and his family are still there. Michael Charles, with a wife and two children, is living there also. Neither of the two families appear in the 1830 census of Russell Co.

In the section of Floyd Co., KY that later became Pike Co., Sally Charles, daughter of George, was married in 1818 to Harrison Harper. In 1820, Peggy Charles was married to John King and John Charles was married to Nancy Thompson. They were daughters and son of George Charles. Later census records list North Carolina as John's place of birth and Virginia as Nancy's. Pike County marriage records show that during the next few years, George Charles, Jr., David, Frederick, and Caty Charles were married. George Charles is named as father of all four. The first record of Michael in Pike County is in the 1828 tax list. George, Jr., is not on the Pike County tax list after 1826. He and his family are on the 1830 census of Russell County. In 1835, George Charles, Sr., married Charlotta Chaney, who was born in Russell Co., VA. Evidently Christean, his first wife, had died and this was a second marriage.

According to Pike County tax records, George, Sr. and his son, Frederick, remained on Raccoon Creek. But Michael, John and David established homes on Peter Creek. No record of children of John has been found though he was married twice. His will, filed 20 March 1870 in Pike County, does not mention any children but leaves his property to his second wife, Elizabeth, her daughter Keziah, and to George Charles, son of David Charles.

In the 1830 census of Pike County, Michael and his wife Elizabeth, had two sons and four daughters, no names given. The 1840 census of Pike County is not available to the writer at this time, but the 1850 census lists and gives names of five daughters only. Margaret married Richard Daniels on 28 October 1842; Pricey married William Coleman 19 June 1855; Elizabeth married Elijah Dotson 19 May 1853; Mary married Sam Jurley 7 May 1860, and Nancy married Keenis Morris 2 March 1865 - all in Pike County. There is a Pike County record of the death of David Charles, age 30, on 15 January 1857, naming Michael and Elizabeth as parents. Identification of their other son has not been made. It is possible that he married and established a home in some other area than Pike Co., KY, or Buchanan Co., VA.

David Charles married Sarah Cline on 8 December 1823 in Pike County and made their home in the Hurley section of Buchanan Co. Their children were: John, who married Sally McCoy; Moses, who married 1st Sally Hurley and 2nd Florence Coleman; George, married twice; Betty Stacy being his second wife; Frederick (Fed) married Martha Hurley; Mary married James Davis 9 January 1845; Nancy married Sam Kennedy 26 March 1846; Betsy Jane married Preacher Conley Blankenship; Peggy, who married Mose Mounts, lived in West Virginia and was killed by a train near War Eagle. David, Jr., married 1st Delilah Blankenship 4 March 1855 and 2nd Margaret Reed 4 August 1910; Moses, Frederick and David, Jr., are the only heads of household listed by the name of Charles int he 1860 census of Buchanan County.

David and Delilah's children were: Rebecca, who married Robert Hurley; Adam married Polly Jane Justus; Hiram married Mary Davis; Armedia married Epson Stacy; Arinda married Henry Stacy; Nancy married Ellis Stacy; Rosetta married Ellis Justus; Sarah (Sally) married Harrison Justus and Betty married Harrison Davis; Margaret (Peggy) married Asbury (Tom) Hurley. Two other children, Clarinda, twin of Arinda, and George, died in infancy.

Moses and his first wife, Sarah Hurley, were parents of the following children: Celia, who married Mahlon Francis; Harvey George who married 1st Peggy Charles, soon divorced, and 2nd Minnie Scott; Jonathan married Lena Coleman; Victoria married Larkin Justus; Clara married James Robinson Hurley; Causby married Joseph Preece; John Sherman married Lorena Justus; Mary married William Walker; Thomas married Sarah Elizabeth Dawson. Moses and his second wife, Florence Coleman, were parents of four children: Tilda, who married Clark Hylton, now lives near Jacksonville, FL; Ernest married Caroline Taylor; Lundy married Telia Taylor, sister of Caroline; Moses B. (Shack) who was married twice. His first wife was Martha Norman and his second wife was Lena McCoy.

Frederick and his wife Martha were parents of eight children: Cecilia (Sissy) born ca 1855, married Wes Griffey; Sarah, born ca 1858, married George W. Estep; Elizabeth, born ca 1860, married Jasper Canady; Armedia married George Lewis Allen; Polly married John C. McCoy; George Washington married Lydia Lester; Frederick, Jr., and Jonathan (Bud) married sisters, Leandra and Cora Hurley.

Frederick (son of George, Sr.) and his wife Elizabeth McColley, were parents of eleven children. Andrew Jackson, who married Eliza Ramey in Pike County in 1856, was the fifth son. They lived on Raccoon Creek in Pike County until 1870, when they and their eight children moved to Buchanan County, where five more children were born to them. Eliza had inherited land on the right fork of Rock Lick Creek from her parents, Pricy Elswick and James Madison Ramey, Sr., which became their home for many years, and later was known as Jack's Creek.

At the time Andy and Eliza moved to Buchanan Co., their children were as follows: Pricy, age 14; Greenville, age 12; David, age 10; Jack (Andrew Jackson, Jr.), age 8; twin, James Madison and Grederick, age 5 named for their grandfathers; John (Bud), age 3; Paris, age 1. The other five children born in Buchanan Co. were: Mary Gusta, Miles, Arminda Alifair (Sissy), Florence and Vicy Caroline.

As the large family matured, their father acquired substantial real estate, consisting of mountain farm and timber land with mineral rights. He operated a large general merchandise store near the mouth of Rock Lick Creek for many years and this was continued by his son, Green and his family. After most of the children were married, Andy and Eliza returned to Pike County, locating on a fertile farm at Millard, about ten miles from Pikeville.

Pricy Charles married John L. Elswick, son of Henderson and Catherine Looney Elswick. They built a home and lived for several years on Grassy Creek near Breaks Interstate Park, then sold it and went to Montana. They did not like living there so came back to Wurtland, near Ashland, KY. There they lived the remainder of their lives.

Greenville, or Green as he was known, married Jane Belcher, daughter of John S. and Mary Polly Elswick Belcher. They lived at the forks of Rock Lick Creek, where he operated the store established by his father, and acquired extensive real estate, consisting of virgin timber and coal lands, both in Buchanan Co. and West Virginia. After his family reached maturity, he and Jane moved to Pikeville, KY, where they spent the remainder of their lives. They are buried in the family cemetery at Millard.

David Montville married Nancy, daughter of Thompson and Sarah Hackney Elswick, and made their home on Rock Lick Creek. They acquired a sizeable estate of timber and coal lands, some owned jointly with his brother, Green. Their children were: Arthur, James, Stella, Ellis, Eliza, Albert, Mae, Hester and Dixie. During their later years, David and Nancy moved to Grundy, where they died and are buried.

Andrew Jackson, Jr., (Jack or J. C.) married Mary Jane, daughter of Miles and Vicy McClanahan Elswick. They lived for several years on Jack's Creek, but later bought the John Wesley Elswick property opposite the mouth of Conaway Creek where they built a home and established a small general merchandise store. Over the years, Jack bought mountain farm land as his brothers did, eventually owning several thousand acres of valuable coal and timber lands. Their children were: Cosby, Callie, Florence, Alice, an unnamed infant girl, Vicy, Rudolph, Louise, Maud, John, Clell, Hassel, Ethel and Opal. When it became known that the railroad would be constructed so close to their home, Jack and Mary Jane moved to Elkhorn City, KY, where they bought a home and had business interests. They are buried in the family cemetery at Millard, KY.

The twin son, Frederick, died during his first year but James, the other twin grew into manhood and married Rose Witten, member of the prominent Witten family, who were early settlers of Tazewell County. Jim served a term as sheriff of Buchanan County, during which he had the grave responsibility of carrying out a public hanging of a convicted murderer. Afterwards, for many years he was connected with the lumber industry, both in Virginia and North Carolina. He and Rose spent their later years in Gate City and are buried in that area. Their adopted daughter, Jean, and her family live in Kingsport, TN.

John Wallace, or Bud as he was called, married Florence Lambert and lived in the Rock Lick area until he was killed in an altercation on election day when about thirty years old. They were parents of two daughters, Mae and Pearl.

Paris, the seventh son, married Amanda Hibbitts and lived in Grundy. He had an important part in the development of the lumber industry in this area. He and Amanda were parents of five children: Mamie, Trixie, Fay, Mildred and Jack.

Gusta, the second daughter, after seven sons, married Thompson Elswick, brother of Mary Jane, wife of her brother Jack. They lived at the mouth of Rock Lick Creek where they operated a large store and later the post office. Their children were: Kenis, James, Elmer, Rose, Bud and Ethel.

Miles, the youngest son, married Hester Ann Waldron and lived in Grundy. He was a lumberman and well known for his work in that industry. Their children were: Llewellyn, Beulah, Ron Keith, Mavis, Miles, Jr., Roger and Doris. He and Hester are buried at Grundy.

Arminda Alifair, or Sissy as she was known, married Alex Ratliff and for many years lived on Rock Lick Creek near A. J. Charles' old home place. Later they moved to Elkhorn City, KY, where they owned and operated a general merchandise store for many years. Their children were: Clyde, Fern, Mavis and Homer. They are buried in the family cemetery at Millard, KY.

Eliza Florence married Luther Damron of Pike Co., KY, and lived on the Charles farm at Millard until her death in 1974. Luther had preceded her in death a few years earlier. They had two daughters: Gladys and Hazel, who married and reared their families on the home place at Millard and still live there.

Vicy Caroline died September 12, 1876, at the age of two years.

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