Carson in VA

The Carson Family

From Washington County, Virginia
To Rockcastle County, Kentucky
To Jellico, Tennessee
To Davie, Broward County, Florida

Carson Land in Kentucky

David Carson was born about 1741 (not documented) and died about 1803. He lived and worked as a surveyor in and around Abingdon, Washington County, Virginia. He was active in religious affairs, community affairs, and the military.

About 1765, he married Elizabeth Dysart (sister of Col. James D. Dysart?) who was born about 1745.

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Two sons of David Carson (William and David, Jr) and James Dysart first appear on the Lincoln County, Kentucky tax list in 1803 (in the area that would later be Rockcastle County).

In 1804, David Carson's sons William, Joseph, and David Jr, are listed on the Lincoln County, Kentucky tax list (in the area that would later be Rockcastle County).

In 1804, Joseph Carson (b. 1777) bought property from Joshua Wilson, who had bought it from Valentine Harmon. In 1806, David Carson, Jr. is shown in the tax list with some of Samuel Ayres' land. Around the same time James Dysart bought adjoining land from James Knox.

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Samuel Carson, born September 19, 1783 in Washington County, Virginia, (son of David Carson, the Washington County deputy surveyor, and brother of Joseph Carson, born 1777) also relocated to Rockcastle County, Kentucky on land adjoining the land owned by Johnson Dysart, the son of James Dysart.

Patent #: 01294 Grantee: Carson, Samuel
Grant Book & Pg: 4 168 Acreage: 105
County: Rockcastle WaterCourse: Skeggs Cr.
Survey Name: Carson, Samuel
Survey Date: 12/15/1838
Grant Date: 09/20/1839

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Jeff Renner, webmaster for the Rockcastle KY Gen Website and the author of "Three Springs and a Wilderness Station" (story of early Mount Vernon, Rockcastle County and Stephen Langford, his family, and his business partners: Valentine Harmon and William Henderson), provided this information and a map showing land tracts located in the area south of Mt Vernon, Rockcastle County, Kentucky.

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Notes on:

“Three Springs and a Wilderness Station – A pre-history of Mt Vernon, Kentucky, 1780-1811” by Jeff Renner

David Sowder and Benjamin Bethurum were in Lincoln County by 1792. Sowder may have lived on the headwaters of Skeggs Creek. Sowders were among the first settling families in what became Rockcastle County. [Note: Michael Sowder, the grandfather of Lewis Sowder (who on March 07, 1855 married Ellen Thompson, daughter of James Micajah Thompson and Lucinda Henderson), was probably a brother of David Sowder.] (Chapter 2)

In 1807, Stephen Langford married (second) Lois Mullins (daughter of Henry Mullins and Mary Terry). Stephen and Lois had a son named Henry S Langford. (Chapter 2)

James Knox, one of the leaders of the long hunters, never lived in Rockcastle County, but owned land there. He sold some of this land to fellow long hunter James Dysart. (Chapter 4)

Stephen Langford, Valentine Harmon, and William Henderson, Jr. had serious disagreement about the purchase of land around Langford’s Station and this led to a series of court cases. Some of the persons to give a deposition were William Carson, Joshua Wilson, and John Colyer. [Note: William Carson was the son of Washington County, Virginia Deputy Surveyor David Carson and son-in-law of James Dysart. William Carson’s brother, Joseph Carson, bought land from Joshua Wilson, who had purchased it from Valentine Harmon.] (Chapter 6)

Valentine Harmon died in 1808. James and Samuel Dysart were part of the group appointed to make the estate appraisal. [Note: Samuel Dysart was the son of James Dysart.] (Chapter 7)

The heirs continued the court cases about the property. In one case William Carson was appointed the temporary legal guardian for Stephen Langford’s heirs. (Chapter 7)

In 1807, Stephen Langford sold property on the Rockcastle River below present-day Livingston to Isaiah Bull. [Note: This is either the father or the brother of the Mary Bull who married Solomon Griffin on Jan 25, 1797 in Washington County, Virginia. Isaiah Bull, Sr. and Isaiah Bull, Jr. were both on the 1804 tax list for Washington County, Virginia.] This property later belonged to Uriah Gresham. (Chapter 8)

John Dysart [Note: son of James Dysart] was part of a group appointed to survey the property in question. (Chapter 8)

A portion of the Langford estate (21 acres south of Mt Vernon) was transferred in an 1864 deed from William and Ann Newcum to William A. Brooks. [Note: William A. Brooks on May 17, 1859 in Stanford, Lincoln County, Kentucky married Sarah Elizabeth Carson, daughter of Judge John Evans Carson and Marcinda Winford Fish.] (Chapter 8)

The 1811 tax records show that among the first lot owners in the town of Mt Vernon were William Carson and James Dysart. (Chapter 9)

The 1814 tax records show Joseph Carson [Note: brother of William Carson] and Samuel Dysart [Note: son of James Dysart] as lot owners in the town of Mt Vernon. (Chapter 9)

A tavern called “brick tavern” and “old burnt tavern” was on Lot # 42 in the town of Mt Vernon (currently Cox Hardware and the northern end of Church Street). Ashley Owens sold this lot in 1866 to James Joplin. Ashley Owens had purchased it from William A Brooks, who also owned Lot # 1 and the Langford Lot. [Note: Ashley Owens and Angeline Mullins were the parents of Sarah Frances Owens who married William David Griffin. Angeline Mullins was the great granddaughter of Henry Mullins and Mary Terry.] (Chapter 10)

Stephen Langford died in 1811. His wife Lois died about 1831. Lois (Mullins) Langford left about 75 acres and five town lots to her son Henry S Langford. In 1936 Henry S Langford, at age 28, was elected to the Kentucky Legislature. He married Nancy Carson. [Note: Nancy Carson was the daughter of Charles Campbell Carson and Elizabeth Dysart, and was the granddaughter of Washington County, Virginia Deputy Surveyor David Carson and Long Hunter James Dysart.] In 1840, Henry S Langford was killed by Jonathan Davidson. Nancy Carson’s brother, William Campbell Carson, was appointed administrator of the estate. (Epilogue)

End Notes for page 13 in Chapter 2 contains an error. It states that the David Carson who lived in Rockcastle County fought in the Battle of Kings Mountain. [Note: The David Carson who relocated to Rockcastle County, Kentucky was the son of the Washington County, Virginia Deputy Surveyor David Carson who fought at the Battle of Kings Mountain.]

End Notes for page 69 in Chapter 10: “…John Evans, who was one of the first settlers in the far southern Skeggs Creek area around 1804.” [Note: Joseph Carson and his wife Mary Evans (daughter of a John Evans) relocated from Washington County, Virginia to the Skeggs Creek area around 1804.]

End Notes for page 75 in the Epilogue: Valentine Harmon had received a 400-acre near the head of the Dry Fork, which he sold to Joseph Wilson. [Note: Is this the land that Joshua Wilson sold to Joseph Carson?]

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