Submitted by Micah Cox
My grandfather Henry Taylor told me the story of a murder, as his father Robert Lee Taylor, the shooter, told it to him. Robert Lee Taylor had a moonshine still in VA with a partner. His partner got a woman pregnant and was forced to marry her. The partner cheated on her and abused her. My great grandfather, at the still said “Why do you treat that woman that way?” His partner drew a knife and my great grandfather shot him in the head. He put the man’s head in the still fire in an attempt to cover it up, and ran to Kentucky. He met Louisa Creech there and had a few children. He was recognized in a general store one day, and spent 10 years in prison. Governor Henry Stuart pardoned him. He went back to Louisa Creech, who he married, and had my Grandfather Henry Stewart Taylor. He named him for the governor that pardoned him, but spelled Stuart wrong.
My middle name is Stewart after my grandfather. It gets even more interesting. It turns out that Governor Henry Stuart’s wife was relation to Robert Lee Taylor. We believe the pardon was because of that relationship. He had to leave the state under the terms of the pardon. His father had wooded land that sold for $300,000. I lost out on inheritance and aristocracy apparently. At least I got this middle name. We found the pardon. One census shows Robert Lee Taylor’s address as prison. We don’t know what name he used when on the run but we suspect he may have used the last name “Couch”. It’s just a guess based on something we saw (can’t remember). I don’t know who the victim was or the woman. I would love to know.
They had a number of children, including Henry Taylor who fought in WWII.
Robert Lee Taylor was the son of John Taylor and Orpha Ann Nash.
UPDATE: I found this clipping in the Tazewell Republican, 1 April 1909.
do you know who Louisa Creechs parents were. My mother was a Creech out of Rockcastle co. KY.
Sue
Daniel Boone Creech and Cordelia Brewer
Great story
Micah , I forgot to message you about the passing of your mother. Without your Mother we [I] would have never been able to lay eyes on my great grandmother. One of your mothers legacies is that she kept and passed on [our] family history , lost to most of us and appreciated greatly ,as are you ,thank you , Debra
Daniel Boone Creech is not only an uncle on my Creech side but also on my Metcalf side. His first wife was my 2nd great Aunt, Nancy Metcalf. Daniel’s sister, Anna (Amy) Creech married James H. Metcalf, brother to Nancy. James and Anna are my 2nd great grandparents.
My grandfather and grandmother were from Mt. Vernon Ky. Rockcastle Co . Ky. Gilbert Creech, who was born in 1898 and married to Anne ( Barnett) Creech) she was born in 1901, The Barnett Cabin is at Renfro Valley KY. AT the old log village. with many other saved cabins. There’s is the one facing the parking lot, Called a barn in a previous photo, It was being used as the main visitors center, that cabin is where my Grandmother said she was born. It was owned by John Barnett. built in the late 1700’s. Gib and Anne Had 10 children, lost a baby who is buried on the same mountain where the original cabin came to renfro. from. They also had Twin daughters Mary and Martha Creech who died at birth or shortly there after. they had 5 living daughters, Bertha, Beatrice, Bessie, Sallie Mae ,Rachel Bernice, and 2 son’s James, and Ben Creech , who was the oldest, They and many other family members are Buried at Cartersville Cemetery, Anne Barnett Creech and Guilbert (Gib) Creech may possibly be related to the above families, have only begun my search. I am a Granddaughter, my mother was Rachel Bernice who lost her fight with cancer in 2014, with one remaining sibling Sallie May , who is in her 80’s and is doing well.
According to records, Gilbert was born Sept 30, 1894 in Berea, Madison Co, KY and died April 14, 1980 in Mt. Vernon, Rockcastle Co, KY. Anne was born April 21, 1901 and died August 28, 1985 both in Rockcastle Co, KY. They were married May 1, 1919. Gilbert’s parents were James Monroe Creech and Nancy Pennington. James’ parents were Henry J Creech: Birth: 1820 in Harlan County, KY, Death: 1858 in Harlan County, Kentucky and Elizabeth Kelly: Birth: 13 MAY 1820 in Harlan County, KY, Death: 1880 in Jackson County, Kentucky. Gilbert’s great grandfather is a John Creech (Careful searching, because there are many of them, think 2 or 3 in every generation), born 1795 in North Carolina. Our Creech line, starts with Richard Creech, who was the first Creech to America from Creich, Fife, Scotland in the 1600’s. He came over aboard the ship, Journeyman captained by William Carter.
I am from Harlan County and a Creech decedent. There are family cemeteries all over the county.