Family Group Sheet
NameJohn A. Black
Birth1831, Virginia or Kentucky
Death1899, Rowan Co., Kentucky
BurialBlack-Trent Cemetery, Trent Ridge, Rowan Co., Ky
Other spousesRebecca Epperhart
Marriageaft 1870, Kentucky
SpouseMartha Ann Riddle, GGG Grandmother
Birth14 Aug 1839, Bath Co., Kentucky
Deathaft 1910, Rowan Co., Kentucky
BurialBlack-Trent Cemetery, Trent Ridge, Rowan Co., Ky
FatherJohn William Riddle (~1808->1887)
MotherMary Adeline Myers (1810->1887)
Other spousesWilliam M. Day
Children
1 MWilliam ("Willie") Black, Half GGG Uncle
BirthJan 1873/1875, Rowan Co., Kentucky
Death8 Nov 1929, Rowan Co., Kentucky
SpouseLetha Jane Conn
2 FMartha Ann Black, Half GGG Aunt
Birth6 Jul 1877, Rowan Co., Kentucky
Death18 Apr 1949, Rowan Co., Kentucky
SpouseJulius Caesar Trent
3 FLouisa Black, Half GGG Aunt
BirthApr 1880, Rowan Co., Kentucky
Deathbef 1900, Rowan Co., Kentucky
4 MLeander [Clark] Black (Stepchild of father (child of mother)), GGG Uncle
Birth8 Apr 1867, Rowan Co., Kentucky
Death20 Jan 1938, Rowan Co., Kentucky
SpouseElizabeth ("Lizzie") Petitt , GG Aunt
5 FMary America [Clark] Black (Stepchild of father (child of mother)), GGG Aunt
BirthJan 1870, Rowan Co., Kentucky
SpouseJohn Robert Kegley
Notes for John A. Black
Double stone in Black-Trent cemetery on Trent Ridge says "John A Black 1831 - : Martha A Ridle Black 1840 - " (The death dates were never filled in. John must have died between 1890, when he was in the tax rolls, and 1900, when Martha was listed in the census as a widow. The date of 1899 is from Dewie Black, but I don’t know his source for it.)
According to John's great-grandson Omer Trent (grandson of Julius Trent and Martha Ann Black), who said he heard it from his grandmother, John A. Black was not a particularly nice fellow. He supposedly dabbled in black magic and could change at will into any shape he chose. Omer says that John was killed by his youngest son Willie while in the shape of a big black dog chasing Willie's mare. Apparently John wanted the mare and Willie didn't want to let him have it, so he made a silver bullet out of a coin to shoot the big dog that chased the mare. After he shot the dog it changed back into its human form, John Black, and died a pretty gruesome death three to five days later.
It sure would be interesting to know if there is any grain of truth in the above story. Such as, did John Black really died of a gunshot wound, and was he really shot by Willie, perhaps accidentally?
According to John's great-grandson Omer Trent (grandson of Julius Trent and Martha Ann Black), who said he heard it from his grandmother, John A. Black was not a particularly nice fellow. He supposedly dabbled in black magic and could change at will into any shape he chose. Omer says that John was killed by his youngest son Willie while in the shape of a big black dog chasing Willie's mare. Apparently John wanted the mare and Willie didn't want to let him have it, so he made a silver bullet out of a coin to shoot the big dog that chased the mare. After he shot the dog it changed back into its human form, John Black, and died a pretty gruesome death three to five days later.
It sure would be interesting to know if there is any grain of truth in the above story. Such as, did John Black really died of a gunshot wound, and was he really shot by Willie, perhaps accidentally?
Census
1850 census of Morgan Co., Ky, enumerated 31 Aug, lists on p. 85 as family #546:
William L. Black, 31, farmer, b. Ky; Margarett, 26, b. Ky; Susan, 6, b. Ky; Mary, 4, b. Ky; Nancy, 1, b. Ky; John, 19, b. Va; Jane Adkins, 48, b. Ky.
John may be an older brother of William.
1860 census of Rowan Co., KY, (June 10) lists this family on p. 6, #41:
J. A. Black, 29, b. Va; Rebecca, 25, KY; William, 5, KY; Christina, 3; KY, Margaret A., 1, KY.
1870 Census of Rowan Co., KY, Christy Creek precinct, page 4, taken June 9, lists this household as:
John Black: 38, Martha Clark: 29, Sarah Clark: 10, Samuel Clark: 8, Leander Clark: 3, Mary Clark: 4 mo., b. Jan. All born in Kentucky. (The next household is that of Pressie Petitt and Martha's twin Mary Susan Riddle. Two pages previous is a family headed by Rebecca Black, see her notes, so John was not widowed, but recently separated.)
1880 census of Rowan Co., KY, Christy Creek precinct, lists as family #418:
John A. Black, 48; Martha, 40; Samuel, 18; Leander, 12; America, 8; William, 5; Martha, 3; Louisa, 6/12, b. April. All born in Ky.
Neighboring households were Samuel Clark (at #417) and Preston Pettit (at #419). "America" in this census may be the same person as Mary in the 1870 census. Even though the age is 2 years off, the identification seems probable, since Mary doesn't appear elsewhere in this census. (Another possibility is that America daughter of Samuel Clark was listed twice in this census, once with her own family as age 9, and once with her cousins who lived next door. Howard Crose, Mary’s great-grandson through her daughter Ida Bell who married John Kegley, prefers this hypothesis, since according to the family she was never referred to as America. But that would leave the question of “where was Mary [Clark] Black?”.)
1885 tax rolls of Rowan Co. lists on p. 3:
John Black, 118 acres, neighbor Press Peditt, 1 m over 21, no children 6-20. (other categories of people not enumerated)
William L. Black, 31, farmer, b. Ky; Margarett, 26, b. Ky; Susan, 6, b. Ky; Mary, 4, b. Ky; Nancy, 1, b. Ky; John, 19, b. Va; Jane Adkins, 48, b. Ky.
John may be an older brother of William.
1860 census of Rowan Co., KY, (June 10) lists this family on p. 6, #41:
J. A. Black, 29, b. Va; Rebecca, 25, KY; William, 5, KY; Christina, 3; KY, Margaret A., 1, KY.
1870 Census of Rowan Co., KY, Christy Creek precinct, page 4, taken June 9, lists this household as:
John Black: 38, Martha Clark: 29, Sarah Clark: 10, Samuel Clark: 8, Leander Clark: 3, Mary Clark: 4 mo., b. Jan. All born in Kentucky. (The next household is that of Pressie Petitt and Martha's twin Mary Susan Riddle. Two pages previous is a family headed by Rebecca Black, see her notes, so John was not widowed, but recently separated.)
1880 census of Rowan Co., KY, Christy Creek precinct, lists as family #418:
John A. Black, 48; Martha, 40; Samuel, 18; Leander, 12; America, 8; William, 5; Martha, 3; Louisa, 6/12, b. April. All born in Ky.
Neighboring households were Samuel Clark (at #417) and Preston Pettit (at #419). "America" in this census may be the same person as Mary in the 1870 census. Even though the age is 2 years off, the identification seems probable, since Mary doesn't appear elsewhere in this census. (Another possibility is that America daughter of Samuel Clark was listed twice in this census, once with her own family as age 9, and once with her cousins who lived next door. Howard Crose, Mary’s great-grandson through her daughter Ida Bell who married John Kegley, prefers this hypothesis, since according to the family she was never referred to as America. But that would leave the question of “where was Mary [Clark] Black?”.)
1885 tax rolls of Rowan Co. lists on p. 3:
John Black, 118 acres, neighbor Press Peditt, 1 m over 21, no children 6-20. (other categories of people not enumerated)
Notes for Martha Ann Riddle
Jesse Petitt bible record1 gives 14 Aug 1839 for the birthdates of Martha Riddle and Mary Susan Riddle.
Double stone in Black-Trent cemetery on Trent Ridge says "John A Black 1831 - : Martha A Ridle Black 1840 - " (The death dates were never filled in.)
Double stone in Black-Trent cemetery on Trent Ridge says "John A Black 1831 - : Martha A Ridle Black 1840 - " (The death dates were never filled in.)
Census
1900 census of Rowan Co., Ky, records with the family of Willie Black:
Martha Black, mother, widow, b. Aug 40, age 59.
1910 census of Rowan Co., Hoggtown precinct, enumerated 22 April, records on p. 6B as family #99:
Brown, Andrew, 69; Martha, 70; married 3 years, third marriage for both, Martha mother of 7 children, 4 living; Black, Sarah B., granddaughter, 14; Adkins, Roscoe, servant, 14.
Sarah B. Black is the daughter of Willie Black and Letha Conn, so she is really a step-granddaughter to Andrew Brown, but the enumerator left off "step" a lot. Thus, Martha must be Martha Ann Riddle, Willie's mother, since Sarah's other grandmother, Letha's mother, was named Angeline. The age and number of childen are right, of whom 4 - Leander, Mary, Willie, and Martha Ann - were living in 1910. The marriage was probably in Elliott Co., because there is no marriage record for Andrew Brown in Rowan Co. in 1906-1908. (It would be the fourth marriage for Martha, but she probably didn't count the one to William Day that only lasted a week.)
I could not find a death certificate for a Martha Brown of the right age. Andrew Brown reportedly died in Indiana; perhaps Martha did too? Either that or she died before death recording began in 1911.
Martha Black, mother, widow, b. Aug 40, age 59.
1910 census of Rowan Co., Hoggtown precinct, enumerated 22 April, records on p. 6B as family #99:
Brown, Andrew, 69; Martha, 70; married 3 years, third marriage for both, Martha mother of 7 children, 4 living; Black, Sarah B., granddaughter, 14; Adkins, Roscoe, servant, 14.
Sarah B. Black is the daughter of Willie Black and Letha Conn, so she is really a step-granddaughter to Andrew Brown, but the enumerator left off "step" a lot. Thus, Martha must be Martha Ann Riddle, Willie's mother, since Sarah's other grandmother, Letha's mother, was named Angeline. The age and number of childen are right, of whom 4 - Leander, Mary, Willie, and Martha Ann - were living in 1910. The marriage was probably in Elliott Co., because there is no marriage record for Andrew Brown in Rowan Co. in 1906-1908. (It would be the fourth marriage for Martha, but she probably didn't count the one to William Day that only lasted a week.)
I could not find a death certificate for a Martha Brown of the right age. Andrew Brown reportedly died in Indiana; perhaps Martha did too? Either that or she died before death recording began in 1911.
