The Kentucky Land Grants, Vol. 1, Ch. X. Grants In The County Court Orders (1836-1924), lists on p. 1548, a grant of 200 acres on the North Fork of Triplett in Rowan Co. to Absalom McLurg, original grant in Book 115, p. 434, surveyed on 11 Sep 1890.

His death certificate records Absalom McClurg, age 86 years 5 months 15 days, born 1 July 1854 in Ky, died 16 Dec 1940 in Washington township, Lawrence Co., Ohio, residence Eifort, Ohio, married, husband of Mary McClurg, retired farmer, father Josiah McClurg, mother’s maiden name Hannah Evans, both born in Ky, cause of death coronary thrombosis, informant Allie McClurg, Fire Brick, Ohio, burial in S. Webster Cem.

The mother’s maiden name is probably incorrect. I have not found a birth record for Absalom, but the birth records of his sisters Albina and Amanda, one born in 1852 and the other in 1856, both give their mother’s maiden name as Hannah Enix (or a variant spelling.)

Identification of Martha Jane Pettit as the first wife of Absalom McClurg is based on the birth record of their oldest daughter; see her notes for details.

1880 census of Rowan Co., Ky, Pine Grove precinct, enumerated 1 June, lists on p. 32 as family #237/259:
Mclerg, Abslom, 26, farmer; Jane, 23, wife; Cyrus, 6, son; Cordelia, 4, dau; Sallie, 2, dau. All born Ky Ky Ky.

The daughter Mary J. born in March 1876, from Rowan Co. birth records, should have been 4 in June 1880. Either the age for Cordelia is wrong and Mary died young, or they changed their minds about her name and Cordelia and Mary are the same person. I lean towards the latter; the McClurgs seem to go for multiple names - Sally got renamed to Serena, Cordelia appears as Elizabeth in 1900, and in the 1910 census, one of Absalom’s brother Lemuel McClurg’s daughters had six given names and one of his sons had five.

1900 census of Rowan Co., Ky, Pine Grove precinct, enumerated 6 June, lists on p. 4B as family #616:
McClurg, Absalom, 28, b. July 1854, farmer; Martha J., wife, 46, b. March 1854, married 28 years, mother of 9 children, 8 living; Elizabeth, dau, 24, b. Apr 1876; C. A., son, 27, b. Mar 1873; Cyrena, dau, 21, b. June 1878; G. C., son, 15, b. July 1884; Viola, dau, 12, b. Feb 1888; A. W., son, 10, b. Jan 1890; Mabel, dau, 7, b. Dec 1892; Lillie, dau, 4, b. Feb 1896. All born Ky Ky Ky.

1910 census of Rowan Co., Ky, Pine Grove precinct, enumerated 12 May, lists on p. 15A as family #260/263:
McClurg, Absolem, 55, 2nd marriage, laborer at odd jobs; Mary, wife, 40, 1st marriage, married 3 years, mother of 1 child, 1 living; Serena, dau, 32, single; Viola, dau, 22; Mabel, dau, 17; Lily, dau, 14; Allie, son, 20; Lulie, dau, 2; Annie, granddau, 2/12. The father’s birthplace field for Annie says “illegal birth”, for all others the birthplace is listed as Ky Ky Ky.

Lillie was also listed in Lewis Co. with Cordelia, as sister-in-law.

For later census records, see notes for Absalom’s second marriage, to Mary Coffey.