Three Brothers

• James and Isabel Yelton had at least five children, and possibly six or seven. These are:
  
  Charles, b. 1 Nov 1746
  James, b. 15 July 1749
  Ann, b. 18 April 1752
  Mary, b. 26 July 1755
  Amelia, b. 27 July 1755
  William b. circa 1757
  Nancy, b. circa 1759
  
  The first four are listed in the Overwharton Parish Register. William's existence and his approximate date of birth are established by his application for a Revolutionary War pension, and his testimony in support of his brother James' application. One researcher has identified Amelia, the wife of Rhodum Ellis, as a daughter of James and Isabel Yelton, although the birthdates indicate a possibility that Mary and Amelia are the same person. Another researcher has identified Nancy Yelton, b. 1759 Stafford Co., VA and who married William Hall. Based on her date and place of birth, she could be a child of James and Isabel. We have no further information on Ann or Mary, so the remainder of this article will deal with Charles, James, and William.

I. Charles Yelton

• Charles Yelton was born 1 Nov 1746 at Stafford Co, VA. He married Amelia Ellis, daughter of John Ellis and Sarah Berry, 5 Mar 1769 at Stafford County, VA. He died 2 Jul 1817 at Bourbon Co, KY.
  
  Of the three brothers, the children of Charles and Amelia (Ellis) Yelton are the easiest to identify, as we have two sources for this information. One is a letter, dated 20 December 1897, by John J. Yelton, a grandson of Charles. This letter was published in "Gosney Family Records 1740-1940 and Related Families" by Georgia Gosney Wisda. [Note: this book has been microfilmed and is available through LDS Family History Centers.] In it, Mr. Yelton identifies his grandfather, his grandfather's children and their spouses, and some of their children. Since he is talking about his aunts and uncles, most of whom lived near him, we can probably accept his testimony as accurate. Second, the E. E. Barton collection includes a transcription of Charles Yelton's family Bible, which has previously been posted to the Yelton mailing list.

Children of Charles Yelton

• John b. 27 Aug 1770 at VA (Age 79 in 1850 Campbell Co Census); m. Anna Lambert 1 Nov 1797 at Harrison Co, KY;, d. Jan 1852 at Campbell Co, KY, Codicil to will dated 5 Jan 1852; will recorded Feb, 1852
• James b. 16 Jan 1773; d. in infancy; Not included in John J. Yelton's list
• Fanny b. 17 May 1775; m. Robert Taylor 16 Feb 1809 at Pendleton Co, KY;, d. 11 Aug 1821.
• William C. b. 27 Sep 1777; m. Nancy Taylor, daughter of John Taylor, 7 Jan 1810 at Campbell Co, KY; d. 14 Aug 1840 at Pendleton Co, KY.
• Margaret b. 27 Nov 1779; m. Henry Hall 9 Nov 1826 at Bourbon Co, KY; d. circa 1845.
• Charles b. 29 Mar 1782; m. Amelia (Millie) Gosney, daughter of Benjamin Gosney and Sarah Applebee, 17 Dec 1810 at Campbell Co, KY; d. 7 Oct 1843 at Campbell Co, KY.
• Isabel b. 23 Jul 1784; m. John Gosney, son of Benjamin Gosney and Sarah Applebee, 15 Dec 1815 at Bourbon Co, KY; d. 6 Jul 1869.
• Samuel b. 12 Nov 1786; m. Polly Taylor 25 Dec 1823 at Pendleton Co, KY; d. 15 Aug 1828.
• Jesse b. 12 Oct 1789 at VA; m. Lucy Kendall circa 1820 at KY; d. 20 Jul 1871.
• Amelia (Milly) b. 2 Mar 1791; m. Samuel (or possibly Daniel) Hall 29 Mar 1820 at Bourbon Co, KY
• Nancy b. 10 Nov 1793; m. William Brown 17 Oct 1832 at Bourbon Co, KY
• Daniel b. 28 Feb 1795; m. Winifred (Winey) Honey 1 Jan 1821 at Bourbon Co, KY.

II. James Yelton

• James Yelton the Revolutionary War soldier (and son of James & Isabel) was most emphatically not the James Yelton who died in Pendleton County on 6 Sept 1838. James Yelton the Revolutionary War soldier was still living in 1840, when he appeared in the 1840 Census for Pendleton Co, KY,page 243, specifically identified as a 94 year old pensioner. He died ca. 1842, according to the records regarding the payment of his pension. Apparently he did not leave a will, nor was his death recorded by the County Court like William's was (see below).
  
  James' pension application states that he was living in Stafford Co, VA in 1775, moved to Amherst Co, VA in 1785, moved to Iredell County, NC in 1803, and to Pendleton County, KY in 1819. No marriage record has been found, but a deed made 26 Mar 1798 in Amherst Co, VA gives his wife's name as Mary (Deed Book H, p. 368).
  
  Throughout the colonial period and thereafter, the colony/commonwealth of Virginia imposed a tax on individuals and their personal property. The persons taxed are generally referred to as "tithables." In 1777, the law provided for a tax upon all tithables, generally defined as white males over the age of 21. There were a number of exceptions not here relevant. A law passed in 1783 implies that local county or parish governments had long had the power to impose a similar tax on free white males between 16 and 21. [This information is taken from the introduction to Sunlight on the Southside by Landon C. Bell.]
  
  James Yelton first appears in the personal property tax list for Amherst Co, VA in 1784, disappears until 1787, and thereafter appears each year until 1802. William Yelton, his brother, first appears in 1786 and each subsequent year until 1799. He is missing from that year's list, appears again in 1800, and is gone entirely after that.
  
  In 1792, James first appears with 2 tithables. James appears with two tithables in 1793, 1794, 1795, and 1796. In 1797, John Yelton first appears as liable for his own tax, and James again appears with 1 tithable. The same is true in 1798 and 1799. In 1800 and 1801, James again appears with 2 tithables.
  
  John Yelton was probably James' oldest son, and was born circa 1776, thus making him 16 in 1792 (when James is first shown as liable for 2 tithables), and 21 in 1797 when he first appears separately on the list as liable for his own tax. Although James' brother William was also living in Amherst County at this time, it is not likely that this John was William's son. Records relating to the settlement of William's estate in Kentucky do not mention a son John. If he had such a son, he must have died without heirs before 1834. Plus, the tax lists themselves do not show William as having a son even as old as 16 before the time that John appears on his own.
  
  James again appears with two tithables in 1800. This indicates another son born circa 1784. This second son is probably Charles. Most (though not all) of the Yeltons in North Carolina are descended from John; the Tennessee branch of the family descends largely from Charles. James and Mary probably had other children as well, but they remain unidentified.

Children of James Yelton

• John b. circa 1776 at Stafford Co, VA (As discussed above, in 1792, James Yelton first appears with two taxable white males in the personal property tax records of Amherst Co, VA. In 1797, John Yelton first appears on his own as a taxable white male over the age of 21. This would be consistent with a birth year for John of approximately 1776); d. circa 1844 at Rutherford Co, NC. John Yelton married:
  
  1. Polly Deck, daughter of Jacob Deck and Elizabeth Bender, 30 Aug 1806 at Rutherford Co, NC;
  
  2. Faraby Constant 16 Sep 1826 at Rutherford Co, NC;
• Charles Henson b. circa 1780 - 1783 (Age 70 in 1850 Census, age 77 in 1860 Census); b. 20 Jun 1784 at Stafford or Amherst Co, VA; m. Susannah Rogers, daughter of Benjamin Rogers and Susannah (--?--), 16 Aug 1805 at Amherst Co, VA; d. after 1860 at TN. [Note: The 20 June 1784 birthdate for Charles is from his family Bible, but the record was clearly made long after the fact, since the Bible in question has a publication date of 1830.]

III. William Yelton

• William Yelton s pension application, filed when he was living in Pendleton Co, KY, states that he had previously resided in Stafford Co, VA and Iredell Co, NC. Other records (the tax lists referred to above and deeds) show that he also lived in Amherst Co, VA from about 1784 through about 1800. William married Sally Mays 30 Sep 1784 at Amherst Co, VA. He died 5 Mar 1834 in Pendleton Co, KY.
  
  Some researchers state that William's wife was Elizabeth Hinson, apparently based on two affidavits that appear in James Yelton's Revolutionary War pension application. One is from William Yelton, testifying to his brother's military service. Another is from Elizabeth Hinson stating that she is James' sister-in-law and lived with his family during the war. Someone jumped to the conclusion that Elizabeth was James' sister-in-law because she was William's wife. Clearly, if that were true, her name in the affidavit would be Elizabeth Yelton, not Elizabeth Hinson. She was more likely the sister of James' wife Mary. Since we don't know if Elizabeth Hinson was married, we can't assume that Mary's maiden name was Hinson.
  
  Because William was a pensioner, his heirs at his death are listed in the Pendleton Co, Ky records (Order Book H, p225). [Note: no similar record was located for James.] They are: James Yelton, Robert Yelton, Benjamin Yelton, Nancy Yelton (md. Jonathan Cash), William Yelton Jr. deceased, leaving Alexander Yelton, William Yelton, John Yelton, Cynthiana Yelton, and Elizabeth Yelton who married Clifton Love and was deceased leaving a daughter, Amarillis Love. William Yelton (III) and John Yelton are noted as being minors, as is Amarillis Love. The actual wording of this entry is not entirely clear as to the relationship between Elizabeth Yelton and William, i.e. whether she was his daughter or granddaughter.
  
  William's will (recorded 16 May 1834 in Pendleton County, KY) does not refer to his wife, so she probably predeceased him. Based on this and census information, Sally Mays Yelton was probably born between 1760 and 1770 and died between 1830 and 1834. William's will does mention his son James and his grandchildren, Alexander, William, John, and Cythnane Yelton.

Children of William Yelton

• William, Jr. ; md. an unknown woman about 1810 (most likely in North Carolina) and was therefore probably born between 1785 and 1790, d. before 1834; Children:
  
  Alexander; This is probably the Alexander Yelton who, according to the 1850 Census for Pendleton Co, was born circa 1812 in North Carolina and married Vashti Williams about 1849. This is an assumption based on the name and his date and place of birth.
  William; he was under 21 when his grandfather died, and must therefore have been born between 1813 and 1834
  John; he was under 21 when his grandfather died, and must therefore have been born between 1813 and 1834.
  Cynthiane; b. circa 1821 in KY; married William Crofford 14 Oct 1839 in Pendleton Co, KY. They appear with their children in the 1850 Census for Pendleton Co, KY.
• James b. ca. 1785 at Amherst Co, VA; This may be the James Yelton who died in Pendleton Co, KY on 6 Sept 1838.
• Benjamin b. between 1785 and 1813; d. after 1834
• Robert b. circa 1795(?); This may be the Robert Yelton who married Catherine Castator 18 Mar 1823 in Pendleton Co, KY and settled in Shelby Co, IN between 1827 and 1834. However, there is a deed recorded in Iredell Co, NC in which Thomas Kersey, Robert Yelton, and Elizabeth Yelton his wife of Lincoln Co, KY sell land in Iredell Co on the South Yadkin River which descended lawfully to them from David Kersey. Clearly, this Robert Yelton had married Elizabeth Kersey sometime before 1815 and settled in Lincoln Co, KY. No further trace of this couple, or of David Kersey, has been found in KY. Robert Yelton appears as the head of a household in the 1820 Census for Pendleton County, KY. This household includes an adult female, who cannot be Catherine since she and Robert did not marry until 1823. A possible explanation is that Robert Yelton married Elizabeth Kersey in North Carolina. They removed to Kentucky, and she died there between 1820 and 1823, leaving Robert to marry Catherine Castator as his second wife.
• Elizabeth md. Clifton Love; d. before 1834 leaving a daughter, Amaryllis Love
• Nancy b. between 1815 and 1820, m. Jonathan Cash before 1834; d. after 1834