Family Group Sheet
NameThomas M. “Bad Tom” Baker
Birth22 Oct 1860, Owsley Co., Kentucky
Death10 Jun 1899, Clay Co., Kentucky
BurialBoston Gap Cemetery, Manchester, Clay Co., Kentucky
Other spousesMary Emily Lyttle
Marriage22 Aug 1878, Clay Co., Kentucky
Divorcebef 1880, Clay Co., Kentucky
SpouseEliza Allen
Birth27 Oct or Nov 1858, Manchester, Clay Co., Kentucky
Death1 Aug 1936, Hamilton, Butler Co., Ohio
BurialGreenwood Cemetery, Hamilton, Butler Co., Ohio
Other spousesJacob Rogers
Children
Birth9 Nov 1878, Manchester, Clay Co., Kentucky
Death4 May 1940, Knoxville, Knox Co., Tennessee
SpouseFred Brock
Notes for Thomas M. “Bad Tom” Baker
Dates of birth and death are from his gravestone.
There is a note posted anonymously on 29 Apr 2012 on his FindaGrave memorial that relates “Tom Baker was a Clay County local clan leader in the Baker - Howard feud. Once Tom Baker was sitting outside his door step when a would be assassin shot and narrowly missed Tom. The bullet became lodged in the wall near the door. Shortly afterwards Tom and his sons retaliated by ambushing 3 men of the Howard family. This event lead to an escalation of feud violent retaliations between the Baker and Howard families. Tom was not all bad. He did give his support to the establishment of one of the first schools established in the Manchester area off of Goose Creek. Tom Baker was murdered while in the company of state militia for his protection by an unknown assassin who entered the county sheriff's house when the sheriff was not home and used the sheriff's rifle for the assassination.”
Tom’s parents were George Washington “Baldy” Baker (20 Feb 1837 - 7 Apr 1898) and Rachel Strong (20 Feb 1837 - 9 June 1886), who are also buried in Boston Gap Cemetery. (The dates of birth and death are from their FindaGrave memorials. The same birth date for husband and wife seems like it might represent an incomplete copy-paste edit.)
The memorial for Tom’s father also includes this note posted anonymously the same day: “George W. Baker was Clay County attorney. He was murdered in revenge by Jim Howard after his son, Tom Baker lead an ambush that killed Wilson Howard and Burch Stores and wounded Ballard Howard, Jim's father. It was said that Jim Howard shot George Baker 25 times. Each shot was aimed so as to avoid killing George Baker. George was made to die by slowly bleeding to death and made to suffer being shot repeatedly according to the story.”
There are several longer accounts of the Baker-Howard feud (including newspaper articles) posted online, including:
http://yesteryearsnews.wordpress.com/2009/07/20/baker-howard-feud/
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~bloodhound/feudsofclaycoky.html
http://oneidakentucky.homestead.com/history.html
Jim Howard also shot and killed William Goebel, governor of Kentucky, on 3 Feb 1900. (Howard was tried and convicted three times, the first two convictions overturned on appeal and a retrial ordered each time. The third conviction was not overturned but he was pardoned in 1908 by Gov. Augustus Willson.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Goebel
There is a note posted anonymously on 29 Apr 2012 on his FindaGrave memorial that relates “Tom Baker was a Clay County local clan leader in the Baker - Howard feud. Once Tom Baker was sitting outside his door step when a would be assassin shot and narrowly missed Tom. The bullet became lodged in the wall near the door. Shortly afterwards Tom and his sons retaliated by ambushing 3 men of the Howard family. This event lead to an escalation of feud violent retaliations between the Baker and Howard families. Tom was not all bad. He did give his support to the establishment of one of the first schools established in the Manchester area off of Goose Creek. Tom Baker was murdered while in the company of state militia for his protection by an unknown assassin who entered the county sheriff's house when the sheriff was not home and used the sheriff's rifle for the assassination.”
Tom’s parents were George Washington “Baldy” Baker (20 Feb 1837 - 7 Apr 1898) and Rachel Strong (20 Feb 1837 - 9 June 1886), who are also buried in Boston Gap Cemetery. (The dates of birth and death are from their FindaGrave memorials. The same birth date for husband and wife seems like it might represent an incomplete copy-paste edit.)
The memorial for Tom’s father also includes this note posted anonymously the same day: “George W. Baker was Clay County attorney. He was murdered in revenge by Jim Howard after his son, Tom Baker lead an ambush that killed Wilson Howard and Burch Stores and wounded Ballard Howard, Jim's father. It was said that Jim Howard shot George Baker 25 times. Each shot was aimed so as to avoid killing George Baker. George was made to die by slowly bleeding to death and made to suffer being shot repeatedly according to the story.”
There are several longer accounts of the Baker-Howard feud (including newspaper articles) posted online, including:
http://yesteryearsnews.wordpress.com/2009/07/20/baker-howard-feud/
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~bloodhound/feudsofclaycoky.html
http://oneidakentucky.homestead.com/history.html
Jim Howard also shot and killed William Goebel, governor of Kentucky, on 3 Feb 1900. (Howard was tried and convicted three times, the first two convictions overturned on appeal and a retrial ordered each time. The third conviction was not overturned but he was pardoned in 1908 by Gov. Augustus Willson.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Goebel
Census
1880 census of Clay Co., Ky, Bull Skin precinct, enumerated 14 June, lists on p. 27 as family #223/224:
Baker, George, 43, farmer; Rachel, 43, wife; Thomas, 19, son; Allen, 16, son; Anderson, 14, son; Wiley, 13, son; Gardner, son, 11; Ibby, 9, dau; Howard, son, 8; Emily, 6, dau; Abner, 5, son; Sarah, 3, dau. All born Ky Ky Ky. Strong, Alexander, 73, b. Ky Va Va, father-in-law, doctor; John, 13, brother-in-law, b. Ky Va Ky.
There are two other Baker families on the page: John Baker age 28 with wife Sarah age 19 at #216/217, and Daniel Baker age 19 with wife Ibby age 17 at #218/219.
Baker, George, 43, farmer; Rachel, 43, wife; Thomas, 19, son; Allen, 16, son; Anderson, 14, son; Wiley, 13, son; Gardner, son, 11; Ibby, 9, dau; Howard, son, 8; Emily, 6, dau; Abner, 5, son; Sarah, 3, dau. All born Ky Ky Ky. Strong, Alexander, 73, b. Ky Va Va, father-in-law, doctor; John, 13, brother-in-law, b. Ky Va Ky.
There are two other Baker families on the page: John Baker age 28 with wife Sarah age 19 at #216/217, and Daniel Baker age 19 with wife Ibby age 17 at #218/219.
Notes for Eliza Allen
Clay Co., Ky birth records lists Eliza Allen born 27 Oct 1858, father James G. Allen, mother’s maiden name Easter McCollum.
It is possible that the month of birth was recorded incorrectly, since the 1900 census and her death certificate both say she was born in November.
Her death certificate records Mrs. Eliza Rogers, age 79 years 8 months 4 days, born 27 Nov 1856 in Manchester, Kentucky, died 1 Aug 1936 in Hamilton, Butler Co., Ohio, residence 232 North 4th St, married, wife of Jacob Rogers, father Rev. J. G. Allen, mother’s maiden name Ester McCollum, both born in Manchester, Ky, cause of death cerebral hemorrhage, informant Walter Rogers, same address, burial in Greenwood Cem.
It is possible that the month of birth was recorded incorrectly, since the 1900 census and her death certificate both say she was born in November.
Her death certificate records Mrs. Eliza Rogers, age 79 years 8 months 4 days, born 27 Nov 1856 in Manchester, Kentucky, died 1 Aug 1936 in Hamilton, Butler Co., Ohio, residence 232 North 4th St, married, wife of Jacob Rogers, father Rev. J. G. Allen, mother’s maiden name Ester McCollum, both born in Manchester, Ky, cause of death cerebral hemorrhage, informant Walter Rogers, same address, burial in Greenwood Cem.
Census
1860 census of Clay Co., Ky, Manchester P.O., enumerated 2 July, lists on p. 106 as family #669:
James G. Allen, 21, farmer; Esther, 24; Mary J., 3; Eliza, 1. William Bishop, 30, farm labor. All born in Clay Co., Ky. (This is one of those precincts where the enumerator recorded the county for everyone born in Ky.)
1870 census of Clay Co., Ky, precinct 3, enumerated 13 July, lists on p. 11 as family #81:
Allen, James, 32, farmer; Ester, 35; Marry, 14; Lizie, 12; Sallie, 10; Ibby, 8; Sophy, 6; Lucy, 4. All born in Kentucky.
The preceding household is headed by Ester’s parents, recorded as George McCollam age 59 and wife Sallie age 55. The next two households are also Allens, Adrisson age 40 with wife Easter age 30, and Jobe age 35 with wife Nancy age 24. The preceding page contains four Allen families.
1880 census of Clay Co., Ky, Bull Skin precinct, enumerated 15 June, lists on p. 28 as family #228/229:
McCollum, George, 68, b. Ky S.C. N.C., farmer; Allen, Liza, 20, granddau, b. Ky Ky Ky; Sarah, 64, wife, b. Ky Ga Ky; Baker, S. Jane, 1, b. Ky Ga Ky.
The baby should be recorded as Mary Jane, not S. Jane, and her father’s birth place should be Kentucky.
The next two households are headed by Burly McCollumn age 23 with wife Tabitha age 24, and David McCollumn age 43 with wife Nancy A. age 30.
James G. Allen, 21, farmer; Esther, 24; Mary J., 3; Eliza, 1. William Bishop, 30, farm labor. All born in Clay Co., Ky. (This is one of those precincts where the enumerator recorded the county for everyone born in Ky.)
1870 census of Clay Co., Ky, precinct 3, enumerated 13 July, lists on p. 11 as family #81:
Allen, James, 32, farmer; Ester, 35; Marry, 14; Lizie, 12; Sallie, 10; Ibby, 8; Sophy, 6; Lucy, 4. All born in Kentucky.
The preceding household is headed by Ester’s parents, recorded as George McCollam age 59 and wife Sallie age 55. The next two households are also Allens, Adrisson age 40 with wife Easter age 30, and Jobe age 35 with wife Nancy age 24. The preceding page contains four Allen families.
1880 census of Clay Co., Ky, Bull Skin precinct, enumerated 15 June, lists on p. 28 as family #228/229:
McCollum, George, 68, b. Ky S.C. N.C., farmer; Allen, Liza, 20, granddau, b. Ky Ky Ky; Sarah, 64, wife, b. Ky Ga Ky; Baker, S. Jane, 1, b. Ky Ga Ky.
The baby should be recorded as Mary Jane, not S. Jane, and her father’s birth place should be Kentucky.
The next two households are headed by Burly McCollumn age 23 with wife Tabitha age 24, and David McCollumn age 43 with wife Nancy A. age 30.
Notes for Thomas M. “Bad Tom” & Eliza (Family)
Clay Co., Ky marriage report for 1878 lists the marriage on 22 Aug 1878 of Thomas Baker, age 18, born in Owsley Co., father born in Clay Co., mother born in Owsley Co., to Eliza Allen, age 20, born in and both parents born in Clay Co., both spouses residents of Clay Co.
Their marriage apparently ended in an early divorce, because by 1880 Thomas and Eliza were both recorded as single, Thomas with his parents, and Eliza and their baby with her mother’s parents. Eliza had returned to using her maiden name.
I have no relationship to either Thomas or Eliza, nor any of their descendants. This family (as well Thomas and Eliza’s second marriages) are in my database because Eliza’s second husband Jacob Rogers was the second husband of my 2C4R Isabelle Brown, whose first husband John Tom Pettit was my 1C3R. Whenever I include a person who had multiple marriages, I like to include family groups for all their marriages, if possible. (Mainly because lots of people find the families on my web site by searching on the name of one of the spouses, and I don’t want to leave the impression that the marriage shown was the only one if it wasn’t.)
Their marriage apparently ended in an early divorce, because by 1880 Thomas and Eliza were both recorded as single, Thomas with his parents, and Eliza and their baby with her mother’s parents. Eliza had returned to using her maiden name.
I have no relationship to either Thomas or Eliza, nor any of their descendants. This family (as well Thomas and Eliza’s second marriages) are in my database because Eliza’s second husband Jacob Rogers was the second husband of my 2C4R Isabelle Brown, whose first husband John Tom Pettit was my 1C3R. Whenever I include a person who had multiple marriages, I like to include family groups for all their marriages, if possible. (Mainly because lots of people find the families on my web site by searching on the name of one of the spouses, and I don’t want to leave the impression that the marriage shown was the only one if it wasn’t.)
