"The Larkin Liles Saga" Part Two

 Henry (Jay-Bird) Liles, in contrast to his brother, Larkin, seemed to be a jovial and happy person.  Several versions are given as to how he got the name Jay-Bird.  A descendant tells us that he had protruding heel bones., which during the summer months, when all the boys went barefoot, the other boys said looked like a jay bird’s foot and began calling him Jay-Bird for  a nickname.  Another descendant says that a favorite ditty which he was constantly singing had words to the effect: “A Jaybird sat on a swinging limb; I cocked my bow and split his shin.”

This most happy fellow lived to be almost one hundred years old and was buried on the top of a high hill near the church building at Armstrong.  The cemetery is known as The Armstrong Cemetery.  Amos Howard has erected a stone to his memory, but the dates of his birth and death are lost to oblivion.  We again wish to reiterate that Larkin Liles was not known as Jay-Bird, but was a brother.

So far as documentary evidence shows and information handed down by members of the family, Larkie Liles apparently lived a normal and carefree life, devoid of any trouble.  His greatest passion was hunting and the woods on Kinniconick at that time abounded in all kinds of game, including bears and deer and wild turkeys.  Among his hunting companions was the high sheriff of Lewis County, William B. (Red Buck) Parker.

Older residents will remember the “hunter’s home” just outside of Vanceburg on old Highway 10.  As a young man, Parker, who was a native of Mason County, built this hunting lodge overlooking the salt licks and where he was joined by many famous hunters.  He was a frequent visitor to the Larkin Liles home and like his host was not above enjoying the festive bowl before a      roaring fire upon their return from a long hunt; and there sprang up between the two men a warm friendship which lasted until their deaths.

Larkin Liles’ reputation for sterling honesty was well known.  Descendants say that he hated a liar worse than any other fault.  The phrase, “his word is his bond” was proverbial with him, and none knew it better than the high sheriff.

But, it was evidently written in the stars that he was not to continue this peaceful existence.  On May 21, 1836, Larkin Liles came to Vanceburg and proceeded to the tavern which was operated, according to some people, by one James Redden, while others say it was operated by James Carr.  This tavern stood on the river bank at the food of Main Street, where the present building known as the Old Mill stands (1962).  The site of the tavern itself long ago slipped into the river, but there is yet in use a well of excellent water, which was in the back yard of the old tavern.

While in the tavern, Liles became involved in a controversy with one Edward Campbell, and being ordered off the premises by the landlord, a rough-and-tumble, bite-and-gouge fight ensued.  The writer was shown the spot by A.H. Parker, father of Atty Harvey Parker, Jr., who in turn was shown it by his father, Seth Parker, a former Lewis County Sheriff, and a witness to the fight.  It was what is now the middle of Main Street, just in front of where the old well is today.

"The Larkin Liles Saga" Part One - The Introduction

Written by W.C. Dugan, William M. Talley, and Amos Howard. Published in the Vanceburg 175^th Birthday Souvenir Publication, June, 1972. 

 In the last one hundred years there have been several printed versions of the Larkin Liles saga.  We are again trying to bring this interesting story to the public, differentiating which is fact and which is tradition.

The first information we have been able to find on the Liles family is that they are of French-Hugenots descent and seemed to have settled in North Carolina, where a great many of the French-Hugenots settled when arriving from France.  In checking the 1790 census of North Carolina, we find seven Liles families living there at that time.  There were also several families of Lyles and Lisles.

Information handed down to Amos Howard, whose mother was Rebecca Liles, was that about the year 1800, which was seven years before Lewis County was made a county, that one Henry Liles, Sr., emigrated from the state of North Carolina to Lewis County.  We do not know the name of Henry Liles’ wife, but some of the descendents state that they have heard from older relatives that she was of Indian descent.

Henry Liles, Sr., lived but a short time after his arrival.  He is buried in the Arkanall Cemetery, eleven miles south of Vanceburg on KY 59, close to the bank of Kinniconick.  Henry Liles, Sr., left four sons and two daughters, Henry (who was nick-named Jay-Bird), Larkin, William T., James, Harriett, and Elizabeth.  The Liles descendents differ as to whether those were blood daughters of Henry Liles, Sr., or adopted daughters, raised by him.  Others have been told by their forebearers that William T. Liles was not a Liles, but was a young man who traveled with the family as they came from North Carolina to Kentucky and took their name.  It was nothing unusual in the old days for a young man to join himself to a party traveling to other places and after having lived with them began to be referred to by the rest of the community as one of the family and addressed by the family name.

In former published stories Larkin Liles has been referred to as “Jay-Bird” Liles, but this is completely erroneous.  This nick-name belongs to Henry Liles, Jr., the brother of Larkin.

Henry (Jay-Bird) Liles, Jr., married Elizabeth Burris, Jan.7, 1824 in Lewis County, and settled on Spy Run, later moving to Leatherbelly Branch of Kinniconick.

Larkin Liles married Mary (Polly) Plummer, daughter of Nelson Plummer, Jan. 31, 1829 in Lewis County.  This set of Plummers were not the Lewis County Plummers who came from the vicinity of Mt. Carmel in Fleming County.  Nelson Plummer’s family was of the group that settled around Plummers Landing and Plummers Mills in Fleming County.  Contrary to other published stories, Larkin Liles and Mary (Polly) Plummer had no children.  They settled on a farm opposite the mouth of Straight Fork on Kinniconick, known as the Uncle Bud Cooper place, now (1962) owned by Lloyd Kiser.

William T. Liles married Mary Johnson, August 28, 1829, in Lewis County, and settled near the mouth of Quick’s Run on a farm known as the old Buck Stalcup place, now owned by the Love family.

Tradition says that James Liles stopped over on the Kentucky River near Winchester, and never came to what is now Lewis County. One of the family informs us that one of his descendants, Harvey Liles, is still (1962) living in Winchester, Kentucky.

One of the girls mentioned heretofore, Harriett, married John W. McKinney.  She is buried in the old abandoned graveyard beside the Tannery Church of Christ, which used to be the Tannery Schoolhouse.  Her gravestone shows that she died August 25, 1861, at the age of 68, which would make her date of birth the year of 1793.  The late magistrate John McKinney, and his son Orville McKinney, are descendants.

The other girl, Elizabeth, according to Amos Howard, married W.M. O’Connell.  She was buried in a private cemetery along the side of Town Branch, a short distance above where the Kinney Road now (1962) crosses.  We understand that a few years ago, that the graveyard was accidentally “bull-dozed” over inasmuch as there were no monuments in it, and completely grown over.

We will now take up the children of Henry (Jay-Bird) Liles.  He had four sons: John M., (born Nov. 22, 1834, died Mar. 17, 1914), who married Edith Stone (born Nov. 23, 1842, died 1920); Basil Liles (born Mar. 10, 1825, died Marc. 16, 1907); married Nancy Lewis (who died Mar. 15, 1901, age 69); Henry Liles, (born Apr. 19, 1828, died Apr. 27, 1906); married Survilla Ann McDaniel, (born Mar. 4, 1834, died Oct. 19, 1889); James Liles, who married Rebecca Stafford Goodwin.  John M. and wife are buried at the Stone Cemetery, Basil and wife are buried at the Maddy Graveyard near Red Brush, and Henry Liles and wife are buried in the Liles Cemetery near Camp Dix.

The children of John M. and Edith Stone Liles were (1) Willim, who died young; (2) James (“Jim Tweezer”) who married Nora Hampton Murphy; (3) John Basil (called B.) died about the age of 25; (4) Robert, who married Cora Morgan; (5)Granville, who married Belle Morgan, ( 6) Elizabeth, who married Preston Rayburn; (7) Clorinda, who married first, Bartley Kilgalin, and second, Wyatt Cooper, (8) Abigail, who married Thomas Cooper.

The children of Basil and Nancy Lewis Liles were: (1) Columbus, who married Rosetta Maddy; (2) James Nicholas (born May 19, 1854, died Mar. 15, 1891) who married Louella Berry, daughter of Dr. Berry at Quincy; (3) Pete Liles, who married first, Lizzie Bruce, and second Mary Howard; (4) Mary who married Henry Sullivan; (5)Edward E. born July 23, 1862, died Jan. 19, 1875, and is buried beside the Tannery Church; (6) Sophia who married a Mr. Lewis; (7) John Mayes, (8)Ananias, who many will remember as being a school teacher, and William Henry, born 1852, married Jeanette McCalley, and died 1925.  His nickname was  “Bill Hen.”

The children of Henry and Survilla McDaniels Liles were:  (1) William Thomas, who married Laura Lewis; (2) Wadsworth, who married Mintie Blankenship; (3 and 4) twins James Houston, who married Lela Chafin, and George, who married Lucy Horsley; (5) Rev. John Martin, who married Weaver C ooper, daughter of Joe Cooper; (6)Mary, who married W.H. Blankenship; (7) Rebecca, who married James B. Howard, the parents of Amos Howard whose efforts have helped make this manuscript possible; (8) Josie who married William Vergne; (9) Nancy Elizabeth, who married Josiah Goodwin, (10) a son, Basil, died young, (11) and a daughter, who died young.

James Liles, who married Rebecca Stafford Goodwin, had no children.