| Notes |
- The family tradition is, that three brothers left Ireland together. One of them stopped in England, and the other two came to America. General Kavanaugh who commanded Queen Victoria's army in India, had a like family tradition, his paternal ancestor having settled in England, while two of that ancestor's brothers went to America. The General belonged to the same original stock (see Life and Times of Kavanaugh, by Redford). The two brothers who came to America were Charles Kavanaugh and Philemon Kavanaugh, who were sons of Philemon Kavanaugh, and it is firmly believed that their father Philemon, also came. Their immgiration was about 1705. The said Charles Kavanaugh held the title to forty thousand acres of land in what was then Essex County, Virginia. The tract extended westward and above the Beverly line up Muddy Run to Judge Field's mills across by Poor Town to Gibson's mills on Mountain Run, a portion of which he bequeathed to his daughter Mildred and has never been out of the Yancey family, and is this day owned by Benjamin M. Yancey, a great grand-son of Lewis Davis Yancey and his wife, the said Mildred Kavanaugh and by their great, great grandson, James WilliamYancey, the latter's place "Arlington." And upon this vast estate the two brothers Charle s and Philemon Kavanaugh settled in 1710. This land was doubtless a grant from the Crown of England. Although the title was vested in the said Charles, his brother, Philemon had an equitable undivided moiety thereof, at least he thought he had, reasoning from the wording of a clause or item in his will made in 1764, namely:
"My will and desire is, that one "moyaty" of that land whereon my brother, Charles Kavanaugh lives, be sold by my executors, and that my said brother make lawful deed to the purchaser for the same, and the other "moyaty." Remaining I give my right thereof to my said brother, to him and his heirs forever."
Conclusive evidence that the testator, Philemon, considered that he owned half of the land, and had a right to dispose of same, and that his brother Charles was entitled to the other half, and that he recognized the fact that the title was in his brother Charles, who was requested by the will to pass the title by deed to the purchaser the half testator desired to be sold.
Orange County was cut out of Spotsylvania in 1734, and Spotsylvania was carved out of Essex, and in 1748, Culpeper County out of Orange, the Kavanaugh settlement and possessions being thereby thrown into the County of Culpeper, which was named in honor of Thomas Lord Culpeper, Governor of the Colony of Virginia, 1680-1683.
Not being sufficiently advised, the statement is not made positive that Philemon Kavanaugh, senior, the father of the two brothers, Charles and Philemon came to America, but the belief that he did is based upon the facts disclosed by the Court Records of Culpeper County, extracts from which are herein after presented from said records it appears that said Charles Kavanaugh, for years prior to 1750, was executor of the estate of Philemon Kavanaugh, deceased, (his father) and the will was most probably probated in the Court of one of the other Counties named, as formed prior to the formation of the County of Culpeper. An examination of the records of the Courts of those several Counties would doubtless reveal the truth of the mattter. Would Philemon Kavanaugh, senior, have lived and died testate in Ireland, or some foreign land in his day and time, when there were no railroads, no telegraphic and telephonic communications, and when it took a month to cross the ocean, and appointed a son residing in far away America, executor of his estate? One would think not. He certainly was a resident of America at the time of his demise, and perhaps, it was by the terms of his will that the title to that large landed estate was vested in his eldest son Charles.
For some reason or other, said Charles Kavanaugh did not hold the position of executor, to the end, but prior to 1750, was supplanted as such, by the appointment by the Court, of Thomas Slaughter and W. Green as administrators de-bonis non, of Philemon Kavanaugh, senior, in his room and stead, which office they held for a time, and in 1750, they made a settlement before commissioners of the Court of their accounts, and were succeeded by James Pendleton, who in 1759 , made a settlement before commissioners, Robert Green and Gabriel Jones of his accounts.
It seems that it was many years from the death of Philemon Kavanaugh, senior, before his estate was finally settled. Said Charles Kavanaugh had a wife, but who she was is in the dark, and he raised if not more, one child, a daughter.
Philemon jr. married Sarah and came to what became Culpeper Co., Virginia in about 1705 from Ireland. He is said to have been the co-holder of a 40,000 acre land grant in Culpeper Co. He deeded a portion of this land to his daughter Winifred in 1731. It was this land that later became the Yancey Estate of "Arlington" (not Gen. Lee's Arlington, the National Cemetery).
On 4 September 1724 - John Bryan deeded 150 acres to Philemon Kavanaugh of St. George Parish. Henry Willis deeded 3277 acres of land to Philemon Kavanaugh. On August 3 1731 Philemon Cavanaugh deeded to his daughter Winifred and her husband Lewis Davis Yancey 800 acres. This would seem to indicate that Winifred & Lewis Davis married by 1731. On 2, April 4 1732 Philemon Kavanaugh deeded to Elizabeth Yancey, daughter of Winifred & Lewis Davis Yancey 100 acres. (This was probably given to Elizabeth at her birth, she being the first child of Winifred). On June 5 1734. Philemon Kavanaugh deeded 400 acres to daughter Elizabeth Conner & husband John Conner. Land to be divided between first two sons. This would seem to indicate that Elizabeth & John Conner married in 1734.
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Most reports concerning the family record the marriage date of Philemon Kavanaugh and Sarah Williams as about 1711 but it would seem that this date is only an estimate based on estimated birth dates of some of the oldest children of Philemon. When it is understood that Philemon may have had two wives it would seem plausible that Sarah was the second wife and that they were married at a much later date. Sarah was the daughter of William and Jael (Harrison) Williams. Jael & William were probably married about 1693. William Williams died in 1711 and his wife remarried one Richard Johnson who died in 1726. Jael (Harrison) Williams Johnson died in 1733 - in her will she mentions Philemon Kavanaugh, Sarah Kavanaugh, and Jael Kavanaugh. Many researchers (erroneously?) assume that the Sarah mentioned was a granddaughter of Jael (but correctly probably refers to her daughter - wife of Philemon Kavanaugh)
In 1736 Philemon Cavanaugh, Thos Jones, John Grant and John Parks made oath that they were [immediately ???] imported from Great Britain or Ireland into this country and that this is the first of their proving their importation in order to obtain right to land which right they severally in court assigned over to Lewis Davis Yancey.
The will of this Philemon Kavanaugh is dated April 1743 and was probated in August of 1744 in Orange County, Virginia. Executors were wife, Sarah and son Charles and son-in-law Thomas Covington. The Will mentions:
wife - Sarah Cavanaugh
son, Charles Cavanaugh (the eldest son)
daughter, Winifred Yancey (wife of Lewis Davis Yancey)
daughter, Elizabeth Conner (wife of John Conner)
daughter, Jael Covington (wife of Thomas Covington)
the following children who were under-age (21?) order as named (by age? )Ellinor Cavanaugh
Elizabeth Cavanaugh
Anne (Anna?) Cavanaugh
Philemon Cavanaugh
Sarah Cavanaugh
Mary Cavanaugh
The will states that each child would receive their share of the estate as they arrived at lawful age or they married.
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NOTES:
1. It would seem that it took quite some time to legally settle the estate of Philemon. Apparently the oldest son Charles, claimed most or all of the estate that was not specifically bequeathed to the other children. It would seem that Philemon Jr. contested this and demanded one half of what Charles was claiming. It was quite some time after Philemon Sr's death that the estate was settled.
2. Contrary to many reports, all evidence would indicate that this is the Immigrant Philemon Cavanaugh who came to America about 1705 (with a brother Charles?? who later returned to France??). Various reports record them as sons of one Sir Morgan (or Morogh) Kavanaugh & Mary Eustace of Ireland - but current researchers now doubt this theory.
3. Court Record - Culpeper Co., Virginia - 1752. James Pendleton was guardian of Philemon, Anna, Mary, and Sarah and children of Philemon Kavanaugh.
4. After an analysis of this family one would tend to believe that Philemon Kavanaugh Sr. may possibly have been married twice, the wife named in his will being his 2nd and mother of only his younger under-age children.
5. Many reports record Philemon Kavanaugh as having an estate of 40,000 acres in Virginia. This is quite doubtful - and will and deed records would indicate that his estate was more something like 4,000 acres.
6. The wife of Philemon Kavanaugh II. is reported to have been Sarah (Ann?) Williams, the daughter of William Williams and Jael Harrison. Sarah Williams Kavanaugh is to have remarried a Mr. Richard Covington sometime about 1750.
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Concerning the children of Philemon II:
Charles Kavanaugh
is to have married one Ann Covington (many reports record Coleman) and moved to Madison County, Kentucky at an early date. He had many children.
Winifred Kavanaugh
married Lewis Davis Yancey about 1730. They settled in that area that later became Culpeper County and had ten children.
Jael Kavanaugh
had married a Thomas Covington by 1743 (being mentioned in the will of her father Philemon Sr. ) They had various children. But according to various reports and based on deed records Jael is to have died by 1747 when Thomas remarried her sister Elizabeth Kavanaugh.
Philemon Kavanaugh III
it would seem, married soon after his father's death a lady by the name of Ann Cave. He died in 1764 leaving a will in Culpeper County. He had at least three children.
Eleanor Kavanaugh
married Edward Stubblefield. She is mentioned in his probate records of Culpeper County in 1750. It is apparent that they had not been married long and both were relatively young - one report records a daughter Ann Stubblefield. Records show that she shortly remarried a Thomas Brown and it is recorded that they had a daughter named Eleanor Brown.
Elizabeth Kavanaugh
(mistakenly referred to as Elizabeth Anna on some records) record her as the second wife of Thomas Covington who had married her sister Jael. Thomas & Elizabeth are to have been married about 1747 and had one daughter Sarah Covington.
Anna Kavanaugh
It would seem that this is the same Anna Kavanaugh who married Adam Woods and had various children. The birth date that is associated with the wife of is usualy recorded as 29 MAR 1748, it would seem that this date must be in error, however, and was probably actually a few years earlier.
Mary Kavanaugh
There is a record of one Alex Inglis having married a Mary Kavanaugh and having a child named Jean who was born 4 March 1760 in Virginia. This is recorded on the famous Douglas Register.
Sarah Kavanaugh
There are various records of one Sarah Kavanaugh who married a Mr. Charles Duncan in 1763 (as his 2nd wife). They settled in Madison County, Kentucky where she is to have died in 1824. Her tombstone is to have indicated that she was born in 1742, and most people have cited this without any further proof. It would now seem that this relationship to Charles Duncan is very questionable. Various researchers now record the wife of Charles Duncan as one Sarah Browning and court records recently found appear to indicate that the husband of this Sarah Kavanaugh was oneFrancis Strother.
Williams Kavanaugh Sr.
who was born in 1744. records him as a posthumous son of Philemon Kavanaugh Sr. (having been born after his fathers death) and carrying his mother's maiden name as his given name. He married one Mary Harrison and their descendants lived in Kentucky.
Frances/FrancisKavanaugh
is another possible child of Philemon Kavanaugh Sr is one who married William Covington IV (son of William & Ann Coleman Covington). Although this researcher has yet to see any original primary documents which prove or even imply this relationship - various family records indicate that the wife of William Covington was a Kavanaugh and most descendants record her as a child of one of the Philemon Kavanaughs [Sr. or Jr] - (although from the estimated marriage date of Philemon Jr. it would seem she could have not been his daughter). It should be noted that the Kavanaugh-Covington connections are many. Thomas Covington (apparently a brother of William IV) married first Jael Kavanaugh and second Elizabeth Kavanaugh, sisters and daughters of Philemon Kavanaugh Sr. A sister of Thomas & William Covington was one Ann Covington who many researchers beleive was the wife of Charles Kavanaugh (son of Philemon Kavanaugh Sr.). William and Frances Kavanaugh Covington are also to have been the parents of one Robert Covington who married Mary Duncan (supposedly the daughter of Charles Duncan & Sarah Kavanaugh (daughter of Philemon Sr). It should be noted that Frances Kavnaugh is NOT mentioned in the will of Philemon Sr (or Jr) and this researcher knows of no deed records that may have implied some relationship. The name of Frances Kavanaugh is not recorded on the guardian ship records, as are the names of the other documented children of Philemon Kavanugh Sr.
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Davis Uriah I | Born 1707
Abt 1669 - 1743 (~ 74 years)