Deed: Frizzell to Kennedy Recorded in Butler Co KY(1855)

I located a deed of James M Frizzell and his wife Mary using FamilySearch's full text search.  James and Mary are my 3rd Great Grandparents thru my paternal grandmother, Pearl Gray Jakes Cooke's ancestry.

Abstract Summary

• Date of deed: 21 May 1855

• Grantors: James M. Frizzell and his wife Mary Frizzell, formerly Mary Kennedy, of Calloway County, Kentucky.

• Grantee: Joseph H. Kennedy of Wilson County, Tennessee.

• Consideration: $50.

• Land location: Butler County, Kentucky (formerly Logan County), on the east side of Muddy River, a place called “the round about.”

• Acreage: 200 acres (per 1797 survey).

• Original title: Survey dated 8 July 1797; Certificate No. 321; patent from the Commonwealth of Kentucky to Anne Kennedy dated 15 May 1798.

• Interest conveyed: One undivided fourth part of the 200-acre tract. The patent to Anne Kennedy (1798) predates this deed by 57 years.

• Basis of Mary’s title: The one-fourth interest came to Mary Frizzell (formerly Mary Kennedy) as one of the children and legal heirs at law of Anne Kennedy. Mary’s inheritance could have occurred long before 1855; the deed does not state when Anne Kennedy died

• Warranty: General warranty against all claims.

• Dower: Mary was examined separately and relinquished her right of dower. The land remained in undivided heirship for a substantial period before Mary conveyed her share.

Notes & Takeaways

• Mary Frizzell was an heir of Anne Kennedy.
  The deed explicitly states that the one-fourth undivided interest descended to Mary as one of the children and legal heirs of Anne Kennedy.

• Anne Kennedy was the original patentee.
  The land was surveyed in 1797 and patented to Anne Kennedy in 1798.

• The tract remained undivided among heirs.
  Mary owned an undivided one-fourth interest, meaning the 200 acres had not been partitioned. She owned a one-quarter share in the whole tract rather than a physically separated 50 acres. This makes me think that Joseph H Kennedy could be a nephew who is buying out the other heirs. 

• There were at least four heirs.
  Since Mary’s share is described as one undivided fourth, that implies the land was divided by inheritance interest into four equal shares.

• Joseph H. Kennedy acquired Mary’s inherited share.
  He purchased her entire undivided one-fourth interest for $50.

• James M. Frizzell’s role.
  As Mary’s husband, he joined in the conveyance, which was legally required. Mary was separately examined to confirm she acted voluntarily and relinquished dower.

• Geographic note.
  The deed was executed in Calloway County, Kentucky, but recorded in Butler County, where the land lay. The grantee resided in Wilson County, Tennessee.

Further research is needed in the KY land records.  Kentucky Genealogical Society has a great article called  "Beginner’s Guide to Researching Kentucky Land Grants" that will be very helpful in understanding where to look for records. 

I also need to research Joseph H Kennedy to see how he connects to Mary. It would seem given his interest in the land, that he must be a family member, but that is not proved at this point.  This is the first document I have found that mentions Mary's mother, Ann.  I believe her father is Henry Hugh Frizzell, but have not yet located a marriage for them.

Source:

Butler County, Kentucky, Deed Book H: 74–75, James M. Frizzell and wife Mary to Joseph H. Kennedy, 21 May 1855; imaged in Butler County Deed Books, 1818–1866; digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSLX-V9S8-V : accessed 27 Feb 2026), IGN 8193604, image 401 of 590; citing Butler County Clerk’s Office, Morgantown.

Disclaimer:  I used ChatGPT to help pull together the list of facts which I edited to include my thoughts and I made corrections to a number of errors made by ChatGPT.

A Closer Look at the Death Records of Fredrick S. Cook (1905–1933)

Image created using ChatGPT
to colorize and correct Fredrick's 
Yearbook photo from
University of Chicago(1929)

Abstract from Fredrick S Cook's Death Certificate

State of Illinois
Standard Certificate of Death
Registered No. 17778
Place of Death County of Cook, City of Chicago
6842 Harper Ave 43rd Ward
Registration Dist. .No. 3104

Length of residence in city or town where death occurred: 28 yrs

Full Name: Fredrick S Cook
Residence 6842 Harper Ave
Sex: Male
Race: White
Marital Status: Single
Date of Birth: July 2 1905
Age 28 yrs 0 months 0 days

Occupation: Librarian
Industry in which work was done: University of Mich.
Date Deceased last worked at this occupation: Oct 4 1931
Birthplace: Chicago Ill.

Father's Name: Jefferson G. Cook
Father's Birthplace: Eagleville, Ten.

Mother's Maiden Name: Sarah Seat
Mother's Birthplace:  Lebanon, Ten.

Informant J G. Cook 6842 Harper Ave
Place of Burial: Triune, Williamson County, Tenn.
Date of Burial: July 4, 1933
Undertaker: Harry A Barbour
Business:  Barbour & Gustin
Address: 4141 Cott. Gr Ave Drexel 0510

Has decedent ever served in military or naval service of US? No.

Date of Death: July 2 1933
Attended by Physician April 6 1933 - July 2 1933.
Last ween alive by physician July 2, 1933 10:15pm
Principle Cause of Death: Septic Endocarditis
Onset April 6, 1933
Contributory causes: Cerebral Embolism June 19 1933
No operation performed
No autopsy

Code:  91a(International Cause of Death--seems to be using International List of Causes of Death, Revision 3 -1920)
What Test confirmed diagnosis? Physical Laboratory Examination
Was disease any way related to occupation of deceased? No
Signed: John C Dupral M D
4715 Ellis Ave
Date July 3 1933 Telephone Oakwood 0003

Notes:  Fredrick S. Cook, my 2nd cousin once removed, died on his 28th birthday. He was born in Chicago on July 2, 1905 His death certificate contains much more information than most of the other death records I've encountered over my 30+ years of research. Perhaps that is because his father is the informant.  Fredrick worked as a librarian at the University of Michigan, though his last day of work there was recorded as October 4, 1931 according to the information given by his father.. It seems likely he had returned to the family home in Chicago before he became ill.  I had trouble with the name of the Undertaker's business but was able to find it listed in a newspaper of the area in which he lived to verify using the address.

The principal cause of death was septic endocarditis, a serious infection of the heart's inner lining, with onset recorded on that same date. A contributory cause was cerebral embolism, dated June 19, 1933, a complication in which infected material from the heart can break away and block blood vessels in the brain. The doctor last saw Fredrick alive at 10:15 PM on July 2nd, which implies that he was likely present as Fredrick took his last breath.. The diagnosis was confirmed by physical and laboratory examination. No surgery was performed and no autopsy was conducted. Also noted that Fredrick's occupation was not a contributing factor in his death.  This was at the time when antibiotics were not yet used to treat infections.  If this had happened a few years later he may not have had the same fate.

Transcription of Fredrick's Death Notice

Fred Cooke 

College Grove, Tenn., July 4.-(Spl.) --J. T. and J. L. Seat of College Grove have received word here of the death of their nephew., Fred Cook, 28, of Chicago, which occurred in that city on Sunday night after a brief illness. 

Mr. Cook also is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Cook, and a sister, Miss Louise Cook of Chicago. 

The body arrived in Nashville Tuesday morning and was taken to' Triune Methodist church on Monday afternoon at 2 o'clock, where funeral services were held. Burial was in the Triune cemetery..

Notes: 

Fredrick's maternal uncles are mentioned in his death notice as well as his surviving sister.  It's worth noting that his surname is spelled Cooke in the obit but it is not unusual to see Cook with an added E.  My own name has the E but most of my ancestors prior to my father's birth in 1930 did not have the E on any of their documents with minimal exceptions.  Standardized spelling for surnames was not a thing until the time of Social Security here in the US and that was about 2 or 4 years out from his death date. 

Further Research Opportunities:

• Fredrick's University of Michigan Connection
• The Gap Between Fredrick Leaving Work and His Death
• Triune Methodist Church Records

Since Fredrick died single at 28, and there's no known evidence of children, the only documented line through which Jefferson Gideon Cook and Sarah Seat Cook's DNA would descend is through their daughter Sarah Louise Cook Kester. Any DNA matches that appear to connect to this family almost certainly descend through Louise and her Kester descendants unless future research turns up an unacknowledged child fathered by Fredrick, which is always a possibility worth keeping in mind when unexpected DNA matches appear that don't fit the known Kester line.  Jefferson G Cook had several siblings but this family seemed to like to keep the family size small and some never had children.  This may explain why their isn't a branch for Jefferson Gideon Cook Jr.'s father among my descendants of Wm Clifford Cook & Elizabeth Putman Cook.  

Sources
"Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1948", State of Illinois, Standard Certificate of Death, # 17778, Fredrick S. Cook(DOD: 2 July 1933); image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99GF-W5FB : accessed 18 Feb 2026), IGN 4153220, Image 308 of 2865.

"Fred Cooke"(death notice), The Tennessean, 5 July 1933, p 4; images, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-frederick-s-cook-son-of/77309359/ : accessed February 19, 2026), clip page for Frederick S Cook- son of Mr & Mrs Jefferson Gideon Cook Jr. by user rmbeckman.  

Four William Harrisons and their land records(Bedford Co. TN Dist.9)

I am currently working through the grants, deeds, and land records for William Harrison in Bedford County, Tennessee, focusing on the period 1812–1833. This is not an easy task, largely because four men named William Harrison appear as heads of household within just three pages of one another in the 1830 U.S. Federal Census for Bedford County.

I can confidently identify two of these men. On page 83, the enumerations include my fourth great-grandfather, William Harrison, as well as his son, William Harrison, who appears in a younger age category. The remaining two William Harrisons, however, are more difficult to separate. All four households are clustered along the Alexander Creek waterway, share overlapping neighbors, and are located in District 9, which provides little help in distinguishing them.

1830 US Federal Census

From my spreadsheet of the
1830 US Federal Census of Bedford Co. TN
Sorted on the Surname Harrison

The four William Harrisons enumerated in Bedford County in 1830 appear as follows:

Page 81: William Harrison, age 40–49, neighboring Tyre Harrison (b. 1780-1789)

Page 82: William Harrison, age 50–59 (b. 1770-1779)

Page 83: William Harrison, age 20–29 (my third great-granduncle b. 1808)

Page 83: William Harrison, age 80–89 (my fourth great-grandfather b. 1750 )

Additional men of the same name appear in neighboring counties. Just north of Bedford County, a William H. Harrison (age 20–29) is enumerated in Rutherford County, Tennessee. To the west, Williamson County includes two William Harrisons (ages 30–39 and 40–49), as well as a William P. Harrison (age 40–49).

1820 US Federal Census

Stepping back to the 1820 US Federal Census for Bedford County TN shows there is only one Wm Harrison as head of household.  His son William is still living within his household at this point.  The two William Harrisons and William P. Harrison are already established in Williamson County in 1820.

William H. Harrison does not appear in the 1820 Rutherford County census, suggesting that he was likely still residing in his parents’ household at that time. In later years, this William H. Harrison interacted with the Culverhouse and Primrose families and is on the 1836 and 1837 Bedford County District 9 Tax List. This is important to note since in later years Thomas Culverhouse married Nancy Harrison Hight, the widowed daughter of William Harrison (my fourth great-grandfather). It is unclear how or if this William H Harrison is connected to my Harrison line.

Interestingly enough, there are NO William Harrison head of households in the 1840 US Federal Census for District 9 of Bedford County TN.  The elder William Harrison died in 1833 and his son was dead before 1851 and possibly before 1840 unless he moved off to another area. I have written notes following each of the land record citations on anything I thought could help to distinguish which Wm Harrison was involved in each record.

Officers Ordered to New Orleans(Oct 29th 1814)

The Clarion and Tennessee State Gazette, November 1, 1814, p 3,Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-clarion-and-tennessee-state-gazette/191243030/ : accessed February 13, 2026).

Transcribed as published complete with misspellings 

Will of John William Manier- Marshall Co TN(1843)

Abstract of the Will of John William Manier / Manire

My 4th Great Grandfather

Marshall Co TN Wills

To daughter, Elizabeth Bennett

Negroes--Mary?(woman) Narcissa(girl) Jack(boy)

other items:  desk, bedstead, bed and furniture.

To son, John:

Negroes--Bob and Syntha

other items--Bed(which I now lie on), cupboard and one wooden clock

The land(whereon I now live) if he will move and live on it or if not to sell with proceeds split among heirs.

To lawful heirs of son, Lemuel:

Negroes--Jenny and her children(Sam, Mary and Edmond)

other items--2 plain beds and one sugar chest

To son, Thomas' daughter Nancy Freeman:

Negroes--Angeline(girl) and Henderson(boy)

other items--2 plain beds & furniture and one bureau

Written:  31st March 1843
John W Manier

Proved:  April 1844

Test:
Jas Williams
J F Ferguson
M D Wilson

From his Will  --11 Enslaved

Adult Females: Syntha, Mary, & Jenny (3)

Adult Males: Bob (1)

Children female: Narcissa, Mary, Angeline (3)

Children males:  Jack, Sam, Edmond, Henderson  (4)

Enslaved From 1840 Census entry of John W Manier of Marshall Co TN.

Males- Under 10  3  

Males- 24 thru 35     1  (Likely Bob)

Females- Under 10   1  

Females- 10 thru 23  2  

Females- 24 thru 35  2  

Sources:

1840 US Federal Census, Marshall County Tennessee, p 186, John W Manier household; images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YYL-9RMT accessed: 28 Jan 2026), IGN 5154903,image 377 of 814. 

Marshall County Tennessee Wills Vol. A-C 1835-1855, Vol A, p 72; images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S7WF-S22V-Q9 : accessed 28 January 2026), IGN 4776400, image 61 of 765.

George & Kate Solifelt's Divorce-Dauphin Co. Penn.(1869)

I found a Proclamation in Divorce to George T Solifelt several years back but I've finally found a newspaper personal that shows it was granted to his wife listed as Catherine A Solifelt. The Proclamation was published in the newspaper on December 9th  of 1868.  

Information from the proclamation

"Whereas Catharine A Solifelt, by her next friend David Pruner, plaintiff, did on the 23d day of June 1868, prefer  her petition to the Judges of our Court of Common Pleas of the County of Dauphin, praying for the causes therein set forth, that she might be divorced from the bonds of matrimony entered into with Gorge T. Solifelt:"

This was before the Honorable John J Pearson, President of our said Court at Harrisburg on the 27th of November, A.D. 1868

Below is my transcription of the newspaper personal which tells about the outcome of the case.

Image created using ChatGPT

Personal

Catharine A Solifelt vs. George T. Solifelt.--No. 223, August Term, 1868--Divorce--February 4, 1868--On motion of F.K. Boas, attorney for libellant, Court decree a Divorce in the above stated case, and order George T. Solifelt to pay the costs. Feb61t*

[Note: I believe there is an error in the February 4, 1868 date(above) and that it should be 1869.]

You can find out more about the lives of George Solifelt & Kate by searching on the name, SOLIFELT on the blog's search function in the upper left corner.

Sources:
"Personal Catharine A Solifelt vs George T. Solifelt," Harrisburg Telegraph(PA), 6 Feb 1869, p 2, c 7; digital images, Newspapers.com(https://www.newspapers.com/article/harrisburg-telegraph-divorce-catharine-a/189501437/: accessed 21 Jan 2026).

"Proclamation in Divorce to George T Solifelt," Harrisburg Telegraph, December 9, 1868, p 3, c 7; digital images, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/harrisburg-telegraph-proclamation-in-div/96980881/ : accessed January 21, 2026).