Rev. Thomas Hansford

Thomas Hansford was born in Orange County VA, Apri 10, 1758, in a family of 8 children. His parents were William Jr. Hansford (1727-1779) and Mary Sarah Hyde Hansford (1729-1779.) He married Margaret Beattie (1762-1861) before 1788 when the marriage was recorded by the Virginia Colonial Abstracts, where there's even a complaint that the dates were not accurate.  Since the Hansford newly weds had their first child in 1784, it's likely that they were married before that time.  Their child's birth or baptism (Thomas Jr.) was recorded in the Charles Parish Registry of York County, VA on Sept. 14, 1784. They had one more son (William) in Virginia in 1790, then the next child, (Jane) was born in 1792 in Crab Orchard, Lincoln County, KY.
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Migration from Virginia to Kentucky

Background of the history of Kentucky and its geography:
The state of Virginia included land to the west of the Appalachian Mountains (supposedly to the Mississippi River) and there was a county established called Kentucky County, Virginia in 1776, effective 1777. 

Map of Kentucky 1784

In November 1780, Virginia divided Kentucky County into three: Fayette, Jefferson, and Lincoln counties.

In January 1781, Governor Thomas Jefferson appointed George Rogers Clark as brigadier general, a special position created for an expedition against British and Native Americans at Detroit, but this never materialized, because of lack of money and soldiers. As a general, Clark was the highest-ranking militia officer in Kentucky and supervised the work of the three Kentucky County colonels.

The westernmost part of Kentucky, west of the Tennessee River, was recognized as hunting grounds belonging to the Chickasaw by the 1786 Treaty of Hopewell, and remained so until they sold it to the U.S. in 1818, albeit under pressure. This region is still sometimes known as the Jackson Purchase in reference to President Andrew Jackson of the period.

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Several factors contributed to the desire of the residents of Kentucky to separate from Virginia. First, traveling to the state capital was long and dangerous. Second, offensive use of local militia against Indian raids required authorization from the governor of Virginia. Last, Virginia refused to recognize the importance of trade along the Mississippi River to Kentucky's economy. It forbade trade with the Spanish colony of New Orleans, which controlled the mouth of the Mississippi, but this was important to Kentucky communities.

The magnitude of these problems increased with the rapid growth of population in Kentucky, leading Colonel Benjamin Logan to call a constitutional convention in Danville in 1784. Over the next several years, nine more conventions were held. During one, General James Wilkinson proposed secession from both Virginia and the United States to become a ward of Spain, but the idea was defeated.

In 1788, Virginia granted its consent to Kentucky's statehood in the form of two enabling acts. The second and operative act required that the Confederation Congress admit Kentucky into the Union by July 4, 1788. A Committee of the Whole reported that Kentucky be so admitted, and on July 3, the full Congress took up the question of Kentucky statehood. Unfortunately, one day earlier, Congress had learned of New Hampshire's all-important ninth ratification of the proposed Constitution, thus establishing it as the new framework of governance for the United States. In light of this development, Congress thought that it would be "unadvisable" to admit Kentucky into the Union, as it could do so "under the Articles of Confederation" only, but not "under the Constitution"

Kentucky's final push for statehood, now under the Federal Constitution, officially began with a convention, again held at Danville, in April 1792. There delegates drafted Kentucky's first Constitution and submitted it to the United States Congress. On June 1, 1792, Kentucky was admitted into the Union as the fifteenth state.

From Wikipedia: Kentucky History

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"Somerset (KY) was first settled in 1798 by Thomas Hansford and received its name from Somerset County, New Jersey, where some of the settlers once lived. Somerset became the county seat of Pulaski County in 1802 and was incorporated as a city in 1887. ...Somerset is also near Cumberland Falls and the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area; its tourism industries are, in part, due to its scenic and varied landscape. 

Source: Wikipedia

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Waterfall and creek possibly on Thomas Hansford early land

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A significant incident is recorded that places Rev. Thomas Hansford in the early county of Pulaski Kentucky, when the second Kentucky governor James Garrard, Esq. took the oath of his office.

"The courts of Quarter Sessions for said county shall be held on the fourth Tuesday in the months July, October, January, and March in every year, and the court of said county shall be held on the fourth Tuesday in every month in which the courts of Quarter Sessions are not hereby directed to be held.

"The justices to be named in the commission of the peace for said county of Pulaski, shall meet at the house of Thomas Hansford upon the first court day after the said division shall take place; and having taken the oath prescribed by law, and a sheriff begin (being) legally qualified to act, shall then proceed to fix upon a place to hold courts in said county, in such place as shall, deemed the most central and convenient to the people, and then after the county court shall proceed to erect the public buildings at such place; and until such buildings are completed the court of Quarter Sessions and county court may adjourn to such place or places as they may severally think proper.''

"The first record of this county court, according to Pulaski court record. was:

" 'At the house of Thomas Hansford, in the county of Pulaski on Tuesday, the 25th of June, 1799, a commission of the peace from his excellency James Garrard, Esquire, governor of the commonwealth aforesaid, where upon the said Samuel Gilmore, Esq., took the oath of office and the oath to support the constitution of the United States, who, then afterward administered the said oath to the other justices.'

From   http://kykinfolk.com/pulaski/History2.htm
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And...

Thomas Hansford ... was born in Virginia, near Abington. He was married to Miss Margaret Beatty, and they immigrated to Lincoln County, Ky., when it was a wilderness. They reared a family of ten children, of whom the only survivors, Margaret (Stevenson) and Lucinda (Stevenson), are living in Harrodsburg. 

Thomas Hansford was a farmer and a minister of the Baptist Church the early part of his life. He and his wife died and are buried in Lincoln County. The Hanford family are purely of English origin and there is but the one family in Kentucky. 

From: #10524: Kentucky Genealogy and Biography Volume V, Battle-Perrin-Kniffin, Mercer Co. NO DATE GIVEN FOR PUBLICATION


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Find-a-Grave describes his life in this way:

THOMAS HANSFORD, the first pastor of the sinking Creek Baptist church, was an early settler in Pulaski county.

HANSFORD STATION --

Thomas Hansford, a Baptist preacher, built his station in the fall of 1792, half way between Fort's and Troutman's, about where a Mr. McIlvain lived when Shane interviewed Wade. After the sack of Morgan's Hansford stockaded his place but soon evacuated it and moved to Clark and never returned. However, his station was settled again in the fall.

He went into the constitution of Flat Lick church the 4th Saturday in January, 1799. On the 8th of June of the same year he went into the constitution of Sinking Creek, and became its pastor. After remaining in this position a number of years, he moved to Wayne county, and became pastor of the church of Monticello. In his old age he imagined himself slighted and neglected by some of the younger brethren in this church. Earnest efforts were made to remove his grievances, but all in vain. He still insisted that he was illy treated, and, as a dernier resort to obtain satisfaction, joined the Campbellites. He was a plain, illiterate old preacher of excellent character. Among the early settlers of Pulaski and the southern part of Lincoln county he was held in high esteem, and accomplished much good in laying the foundation of the early churches of that region. Under his preaching, the famous Jeremiah Vardeman was reclaimed from his backsliding, and brought into the ministry. He was the first moderator of Cumberland River Association, and filled that position several years at a later period.

Source: Melanie Clare and http://baptisthistoryhomepage.com/spencer.ky.bap.v1.chp23.html

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Margaret and Rev. Thomas Hansford had 9 children. They all lived long enough to marry, and most of them had children. 

Margaret and Rev. Thomas share the same headstone over their graves. They are buried in Crab Orchard Cemetery, Lincoln County, Ky.

There is a microfilm record of a Thomas Hansford serving in the War of 1812. It could have been his son...since Rev. Thomas would have been 54 in 1812. His son Thomas would have been 28.

Name

Thomas Hansford

Company

STAPLETON CRUTCHFIELD'S DETACHMENT, VIRGINIA MILITIA.

Rank - Induction

PRIVATE

Rank - Discharge

PRIVATE

Roll Box

91

Microfilm Publication

M602