CORRECTING A MAJOR ERROR

I've been noticing over the years, discrepancies in the wife and children of my great great great grandfather, Francis Montfort Jr [1784-1867]. Since I can prove the errors are wrong, here is my blog entry to answer it. Way too many sites are giving Francis as the husband of Margaret Banta, daughter of Cornelius Banta and his children as John, Henry, and Leah. I am not sure where these folks are getting this information., but it is incorrect. These are the children of Margaret/Peggy Banta who married Jacob Montfort in 1805 Henry County, KY, younger brother of Francis Jr. I have corresponded with Elsa Banta who wrote the Banta Pioneers and Allied Families with my proof of an error in the book and she has been very kind to consider and accept my proof and sources. In her book, on page 145, she has Francis married to Polly Banta which is correct but listed as their children are Anna, Leah, Rachel and Rebecca. These are the younger sisters of Polly Banta Montfort. This is proven by the will of their father, John Banta and the Shaker records. Francis and Polly had three children, John [1803], Charity [1805] and David W. [1806]. The last was born 8 1/2 months after Francis and Polly joined the Shakers. She sent me a list of all the libraries where her book was donated and I spent a month getting the new information sent...a few came back and one of these days I'll find the time to get new corrected addresses and they'll go out again. Since there are many descendants from both Jacob and Francis, it's not a good idea to perpetuate the error any longer. This is one way to make the correction, another is to put the information in various sites online that accept information..i.e. Genforum. So bear with me kin and friends. If anyone is confused or wants more information....just give me an email...glad to answer, set straight...even argue..like a stubborn Dutchman...when I'm right, I'm right....you have only to check with Indiana Dept of Revenue....they were wrong and I proved it. I can really dig in my heels when I KNOW I'm right.



Jacob Montfort 1787-1864/1870

I am not sure where the information is coming from that lists his date of death as 1824, but I can track him to 1864 and his date of death between that year and the 1870 census of Indiana where he is no longer listed.

Jacob was born in Mercer County, Kentucky on February 8, 1787 after his parents and older siblings had moved there from York County, Pennsylvania. His parents were Francis Sr and Geertje/Charity Banta Montfort and his maternal grandfather was the man called Father Hendrick, Hendrick Banta 3rd, leader of the Low Dutch Colony. There were seven siblings older than him, Rachel, Catherine, Marya, Charity, Henry, John Calvin and Francis Jr. All were born in York County, PA. A younger sister, Sarah, would be born in Mercer County, Kentucky in 1789, completing the family of nine children.

On the fourth of February 1805, a license for marriage was filed in Henry County, Kentucky for Jacob Montfort to Margaret/Peggy Banta, daughter of Cornelius Banta and Mary Magdalene Durie Schuck Banta. Many online sites give his wife as Polly Banta but this is incorrect. His elder brother, Francis Jr was married to Polly Banta with their license filed in Shelby County, Kentucky in May of 1802. Polly was the daughter of John and Polly Riker Banta. Francis Jr is also listed as father of John, Henry and Leah Montfort, known children of Jacob and Margaret/Peggy Banta Montfort, from records of the Shakers of Pleasant Hill, KY.
In a typical case of family's intermarrying within the Low Dutch Colony, John and Cornelius Banta were half brothers of Charity Banta Montfort. Charity was the youngest of six children born to Hendrick Banta 3rd and his first wife, Rachel Brower. John and Cornelius were from the second marriage of Hendrick Banta 3rd and Antie Demarest Banta. Antie and Rachel were cousins through the Demarest lineage.

Jacob and his wife, Margaret, would have three children, sons John born December 13, 1805 and Henry born November 24, 1807, both in Henry County, Kentucky. John was named for his paternal grandfather, Jan Monfoort and Henry was named after his maternal grandfather, Hendrick Banta 3rd. A third child would be born November 25, 1809 at Shakertown at Pleasant Hill in Mercer County, Kentucky. She would be named Leah after her great grandmother, Leah Demarest Demarest, who had been killed at the Long Run Massacre in September 1781. And yes, her maiden name was Demarest.

Jacob and Margaret had joined the Shaker religious society in June of 1809 with the two sons and the expected baby that would be called Love by the Shakers. In joining they would be one of many of the Low Dutch Colony that would “go to the Shakers” in the early 1800's and most of those who joined were related to them in those early years. Charity Banta Montfort and her youngest daughter, Sarah, had joined in August of 1805. Francis Montfort Jr and his wife, Polly Banta Montfort joined with two children, John [1803] and Charity [1805] and a third born after they joined in March of 1806. This last child would be called David W. Montfort. An older sister, Rachel who had married John Voris, had joined with her large family in 1810.
Serving as elder at several of the family houses at Shakertown, Jacob was a trusted member of the society. His expulsion in October of 1836 thus came as a surprise when found written in a Shaker journal. Along with him, a young lady, Nancy Lineback/Lyneback was also sent out of the village at the same time. She was born November 8, 1805 and was the age of his two sons by Margaret. Her pregnancy could no longer be concealed and the father of the expected baby was revealed. Of all the rules one can break as a Shaker this was the worst. The Shakers as a rule were very forgiving of transgressions but this was against the backbone of the society's beliefs......celibacy.

The date of the child's birth is not known but must have been sometime after the first of the year of 1837. It was a girl and her name is not known, but she is no longer listed after the 1840 census.

Jacob had filed for divorce from his first wife, Margaret/Peggy Banta Montfort and it was granted in February of 1837. Kentucky law at that time granted divorces if one party of the marriage was a Shaker and would not leave the society. The divorce can be found in records of the Kentucky General Assembly for the year 1837, as that body had the authority to grant divorces. Within the same month he was married to Nancy. They would have a son about 1841, named Jacob and no other children.

Margaret/Peggy Banta Montfort remained a Shaker till her death August 23, 1874 and is buried in the cemetery at Shakertown at Pleasant Hill, Kentucky. Their daughter, Leah/Love died November 25, 1882, her 73rd birthday and is also buried at the Shaker cemetery at Pleasant Hill.

Their sons, John and Henry, both left the society in 1827 and 1828. John disappears and nothing more is known of him. Henry left the society in 1828 and made his way north to Indiana where he marries Mrs. Susan Lewis Samples in Madison on October 25, 1828. They would have four children, Susannah [Davis], Louisa [Spink], Cornelius B. and Robert H. There are descendants of at least two of these children.

Jacob, his new wife, Nancy and family moved north to Indiana and lived near his son, Henry, for a time. They are listed in the 1840 census of Jefferson County, Indiana with a male between 50-60., a female between 30-40, and a female child under the age of five. By August of 1850, the family had moved west to Harrison County, Indiana where they are found living in Blue River Township. Jacob is a farmer, age 63, born in KY. Nancy is 44, born in North Carolina and no daughter is listed. A son, Jacob, age 9 is listed as having been born in Indiana. They are still living in this same area in the 1860 census.

March of 1864 is the last known date Jacob Sr is still living. He signs a paper for the girl his son is going to marry stating she is “of lawful age to marry, being acquainted with her since her birth.,” Jacob Montfort Jr marries Martha Edmonson in Washington County, IN March 14th , 1864. The entire letter he wrote to present to the court allowing his son to marry is as follows: “Jacob is 23 and could marry anyone he pleased, and he wishes to marry Martha Edmison, a girl with no mother or father living. I hereby certify Martha is of lawful age to marry, being acquainted with her since birth. She is 21 years of age and her relations are willing.” The letter was dated March 11, 1864 and signed by Jacob Montfort.. By 1870, Jacob Sr is no longer found listed in census records for Harrison County, IN and indications are he had deceased by this time. The marriage is found in Book G, page 349, Washington County, IN Marriages 1844-1877 found in the archives of the Indiana History Room of the New Albany-Floyd County Public Library, New Albany, Indiana.

Nancy is listed for the last time in the 1880 census for Harrison County, IN, living alone in Blue River Township.

Jacob Jr and his wife, Martha would have at least known 6 children, Elizabeth [1867]. Ulysses Grant [1870], Eliza [1872], Martin [1874], and John [1876] , and Nancy [1879-80] before they disappear from records. It is possible one or more of the girls married although no records appear in records at Harrison County, IN. Like their parents, they could have married in Washington County, IN as it was nearer to their farm but no records have yet been found.
Sources include the original Shaker journals found at the Filson Historical Society in Louisvlle, KY as well as the three rolls of microfilm by the Harrodsburg Historical Society of Harrodsburg, KY from originals they have in their archives. The University of Kentucky at Lexington, Kentucky has some journals from Pleasant Hill Shaker Society on microfilm in their archives, as does the Western Kentucky University Library archives that deal with the South Union Shaker Village near Bowling Green , Kentucky. Their journals at WKU include many references to the early days of the society at Pleasant Hill. Western Reserve Historical Society of Cleveland, Ohio and the archives at Shakertown at Pleasant Hill, Kentucky have also been used for sources.
The courthouses of Shelby, Henry, Mercer, Anderson, Jefferson Counties in Kentucky as well as those in Jefferson, Harrison and Switzerland Counties in Indiana for birth and marriage as well as divorce records.

Libraries utilized include the National SAR Library in Louisville, Kentucky; Louisville Free Public Library, Louisville, Kentucky; Lawrenceburg, KY Library; Shelby County, KY Library at Shelbyville, KY; New Albany-Floyd County Public Library in New Albany, IN; Jefferson County/Madison Public Library at Madison, IN; Filson Historical Society library in Louisville, KY; Harrodsburg Historical Society library at Harrodsburg,KY; my own personal collection of Shaker material in my library. Also the Henry County Historical Society in New Castle, Kentucky.

Barbara Whiteside
8/30/2008

Hot Days in Hoosier Land

I just received this picture of the Hendrick Banta 3rd cabin near Conewago, York County, Pennsylvania from my cousin Paul Gibbs. He lives near the site and found the cabin in relatively good condition this summer and gave permission to share on my blog. It sure seems large enough to house the 13 children Hendrick Banta 3rd had by Antie Demarest and 8 grandchildren they raised following the deaths of their parents and some of the children from Hendricks first marriage to Rachel Brower. I suspect the addition in the back of the house is not original to the home. I am looking forward to the Gathering of Dutch Cousins in the Conewago area in 2011 so I can visit the old homestead personally.

There is a new face in our family, a new baby born to a descendant of Francis and Polly Banta Montfort through their son, John. William Russell Montfort was born in Louisville, KY in late July this year and am so pleased to see both the family name and the next generation carried on.

I am currently updating my website at rootsweb with new information, data, sources and stories as I know them. Soon I am going to add to my MONTFORT FAMILY website at tripod as well. Its time to get it going again. One thing at a time though....add to this blog today, then try to complete the rootsweb site and then start adding chapters to the big site at tripod. It can happen.

Also preparing for the gathering of Dutch Cousins next year at Harrodsburg, KY with collecting things for two silent auction baskets....one is a Dutch theme, the other will have a Shaker theme to it. With my cousin, Diana, we need to start planning something for the day at Shakertown. Many of our Dutch cousins have visited there but till recently knew little of the Low Dutch connection to the Shakers. Since we have direct connections to both, we want to share, teach and show off the most tranquil spot in the state of Kentucky.

Summer is half gone and about now with all this heat and humidity in the lower Ohio River Valley...we start thinking cold.......then about February we are hoping to see the middle of summer again.....cannot please us in this part of southern Indiana at all.

My main goal for todays entry is to share the new photo of the Banta cabin in Pennsylvania. I will probably add it to my tripod site later on too.

My youngest granddaughter will be seven in Sept and loves ghost stories. She has hinted strongly that she wants to spend the night at Shakertown in the room that was her 5th gt grandfathers when he was a resident and member of the Shakers. I think she hopes Grandpa Francis will knock on the door as happened last year when my cousin and I stayed there. I only know we were the only people staying in the three story East House and knew the sounds made by the creaking floor when folks walked through...knew the sounds the front doors made as they opened and closed and there was NO one near our door when we opened after hearing three distinct taps on it. We had a creaky floor right in front of our room.....not a sound was heard but the three taps. Gwynn is sure Grandpa Francis will come see her when she stays there.

Thats all today from hazy, hot, humid southern Indiana.....

Barbara Whiteside

My Kentucky Montforts

I thought I'd start writing about my familys arrival in Kentucky. The Montforts were part of the Low Dutch Colony and closely connected to the leader of the colony, Hendrick Banta 3rd. Francis Montfort Sr [1746-1825] married the youngest daughter of Hendrick Banta and his first wife, Rachel Brower before 1768 when their first child was born. Geertje Banta Montfort was more well known by the name Charity. There are several variations on the spelling of her Dutch name but I choose Geertje as it seems to be the one most used by sources I trust. Charity was born the third of November 1749 in Hackensack, New Jersey. Shortly after her birth her mother died, more than likely from complications of giving birth to her sixth and last child.

Francis Sr was the son of Jan Monfoort and his wife, Kniertje Marston Monfoort and named for his maternal grandfather Frans Marston. The family goes back to the arrival in 1624 of the first ship of settlers sent by the Dutch West Indies Company to the new world. Most likely this first family, Jan and Jacqueline Moreau Monfoort, went up the Hudson River to Fort Orange for a time before moving back to the tip of Manhattan Island at the Nieuw Amsterdam settlement. They were one of only two families documented by name on the EENDRACHT when it set sail from Amsterdam in late January of 1624, arriving in late March of that same year. By the time Francis was born, he was the sixth generation of this family in America.

The Monfoort family farm in the Conewago Colony in York County, PA belonging to Francis was called Walnut Bottom which makes you think the farm must have been abundant with walnut trees. His father in law, Hendrick Banta 3rd called his farm Loss and Gain and you can only imagine why he chose that name.

When Hendrick Banta 3rd made the decision to move westward it was probably due to infringement of other ethnic groups around them in PA. that threatened the Dutch need to maintain their religion, culture, education, farming methods and language. Even though the Revolutionary War was still waging and land in Kentucky was still under threat of Indian attack, it still drew Banta to seek out land for a Dutch settlement where their culture could be preserved and where their children would not be tempted to leave their inherited beliefs.

In 1780 from Fort Pitt, Banta led a group down the Ohio River to what is now Jefferson County/Louisville, Kentucky. His brother in law took another group of Low Dutch from what is now West Virginia through the Cumberland Gap and northward to Mercer County, KY. The two groups planned to join forces there. The Indians had other ideas and many obstacles were placed in their way until the joint venture failed and each set up a Low Dutch Colony where they were...one in Mercer County and the other straddling the county lines of Shelby and Henry Counties in Kentucky.

Francis and Charity were not in this first group but probably came in the spring of 1785 or early 1786. A son, Francis Jr was born in 1784 and records show he was born in York County, PA. The next child, a son Jacob, is recorded as having been born in Mercer County, KY in Feb 1787. On the journey they brought with them their young children, Rachel, Catherine, Henry, Marya, Charity, John Calvin, and Francis Jr. It is not clear whether this family ventured down the Ohio River or took the route through the Cumberland Gap. I favor the route coming through the Cumberland Gap since the youngest children were born in Mercer County. Arriving in Jefferson County and along the Ohio River route was hazardous for moving back and forth from the Louisville area to Mercer County at the time, especially with very young children. In addition to Jacob being born in Mercer County, Kentucky, another daughter arrived in 1789 and was also born in Mercer County.

It is not clear when Francis decided to move to the Low Dutch Colony in Shelby/Henry County but most likely chose to move there because it was near Charity's father and stepmother. The Montfort family made the move to Pleasureville by 1792 when Francis starts appearing in the minutes of the Low Dutch Company Minute Book[now found in the archives of the Filson Historical Society of Louisville, KY].

I've had the good fortune to hold in my hands the minute book held by my 4th and 5th great grandfathers over 200 years ago. The feeling of touching something they held in their hands is emotional and satisfying...a chance to touch a part of your family.

I'll stop here and continue with the Shakers coming to Kentucky and how that involved so many of my direct ancestors.

Barbara Whiteside
10 June 2008

The Second Sat in May...

is upon us and I'll be glad when it's done and gone. The big race at Churchill Downs is late afternoon on May 3rd and by Sunday we locals are hoping the hoopla is finished, the celebs have gone home and the gas prices have gone down from the current $3.75-$3.89 range that had been with us for about two weeks now. We rank right up there with California on gas prices it seems.

My goal to put together the descendants of the Montforts that came to Kentucky with the Low Dutch Colony is proceeding quite well. Now to make the charts to show each and every one that I've managed to locate. That is going to take some time and patience and hope I've got the patience to finish it. I am working now on the line of John Calvin, son of Francis Sr and Charity Banta Montfort....his line has proven to be very prolific and challenging.

I have found descendants for a cousin living now in Florida, David Quinn. I found in him the same off the wall sense of humor as some other Montforts I have had the privilege to meet. I had first learned about David when I stopped at the Jefferson County Historical Building in Madison, IN and found a letter of inquiry about his ancestor, Henry Monfort, son of Jacob and Margaret/Peggy Banta Monfort. I shot off a letter as soon as I returned home and was sad when it was returned a week later. When I got an email from him about 4 months ago.....you can imagine my surprise. A very fast reply got us started on his line of the family and I hope we get to meet at the next gathering of our Dutch cousins.

Tom Wylie is another cousin..and have been able to give him his Montfort family and start a friendship with him and his wife, Joanie. He and Joanie came to the Dutch cousins gathering in 2007 and it was great to get to put a face with a name finally.

I am working with Craig Montfort to figure out which of the Montforts is his. I have an idea it goes back to one in Ohio, based on the naming pattern used for the children of Jacobus and Leah Banta Monfoort. Montforts directly connected with Hendrick Banta 3rd, ALWAYS have a son named for the patriarch of the Low Dutch who came into Kentucky and this pattern follows for Jacobus Montfort and his wife, Leah Banta, daughter of Hendrick Banta 3rd. This Jacobus was the son of Peter and Margrietje Haff Monfoort and a brother to my Jan [Kniertje Marston] Monfoort. I am hoping Craig and I can come to an agreement and find proof that I am correct.

The next Gathering of Dutch Cousins has been set for the last weekend in Sept of 2009, at Harrodsburg, KY with one day at Shakertown about 7 miles away. More details will be coming as plans are set and I will post them here on my blog. Diana Davis and I are planning the event at Shakertown and so much of it we want to show off as our direct ancestor was one of the first of the Shakers to join the religious society in 1805 and early 1806.

It looks like we may be in for a bumpy ride later today, weatherwise..just hoping the storms die down by the time they reach us here in Kentuckiana. Cousins out west of us have had a hard time with tornadoes, straight line wind damage, hail and heavy rain and hope to hear all are okay. I see me writing several messages later today to make sure of that.

Barbara Whiteside

Dreary Day in Southern Indiana

It's about time I added to the blog after quite a long absence. Today is so nasty outside, a good time to stay in and catch up. We had snow last night..maybe 3 or 4 inches and today freezing rain...had ice built up early this a.m., amounting to about half an inch. Cold tonight, which doesn't bode well for early morning traveling on Wed.

We have had Christmas, the New Year, several birthdays including my 65th, anniversary [number 46], a wedding to attend and now not a thing for awhile.

My goal is to find descendants from each of the children of Francis and Charity Banta Montfort, nine children in all with only one never marrying. So far I have managed to bring down Francis Jr, Jacob, John Calvin, and Rachel [though it needs a bit more research], and with the help of Judy Cassidy just this week managed to work out a good portion of Henry's line. I have a couple of people to tap for the descendants of Katherine Montfort Voris but wish I could find more about Charity who married Cornelius Luyster and Marya who married Stephen Terhune. I suspect one or both may have moved to Indiana territory with a group of others of the Low Dutch Colony. Sarah or Sallie is the only one of the nine not to have married. She joined the Shakers in Aug 1805 with her mother and moved to Pleasant Hill where she died in 1823 in her 34th year.

I think I have it fixed where folks can log on to comment...or hopefully it worked. If anyone is working on the lines of Cornelius and Charity Montfort Luyster or Stephen and Marya Montfort Terhune I hope they might get in touch with me....to exchange information.

New Years resolution? Add more often to the blog, write at least one or two more chapters to my website on the Montforts [http://bar-b-k.tripod.com
THE MONTFORT FAMILY: A NARRATIVE] and who knows??? write a book??? It can happen!!!

Barbara Whiteside

Getting the Christmas Spirit.

Very slowly, here it is the 16th and I finally found the Christmas wreathe but little else. Trying to prepare for the holidays is getting in the way of writing on the blog, reading, crocheting and the weather is little help. We escaped the more severe of the snow and ice that went through Central Indiana but it is cold and blustery and not conducive to shopping for the gifts I still need to buy. Our cards are made but my goal of getting them out by the 15th is a pipe dream as they are more likely going to the post office on the 17th or 18th. One of these years I will make good the threat to send them in late March....that is either avoiding the rush for the next season or just a fit of picque about the hustle and bustle right before the holidays.



I received from a Montfort cousin some copies of pictures of her older ancestors and am struck by their similarity to ones of my lines. She also sent me a good copy of the Vories/Montfort book that I was glad to get for my collection.



I was commenting on the gathering of the cousins in KY in late Sept.....and must add the visit to the grave of the grandfather of Pres Abraham Lincoln, with the OLD spelling of the name, Linkhorn, on the marker. The grandfather for whom he was named, was killed by Indians in 1786 just east of present day Louisville, KY. The Lincoln family had married into the family of Daniel Boone a few generations before both moved to KY. The site is near the Long Run Massacre and there is where my Leah Demarest met her fate at the hands of a marauding band of Indians in 1781. I cannot begin to imagine the fear she had when the group of settlers she was traveling with, were set upon in mid September.

Communing with Grandpa Francis

Marker for the grave of Charity Banta Montfort in the cemetery at Pleasant Hill, Shakertown, Mercer County, Kentucky

taken by her great great great great granddaughter, Barbara Whiteside 2007

On Sunday, the last day of the gathering, and following services at Old Mud Meeting House and the dedication of fifteen Rev War markers at the cemetery there, Diana and I left for Shakertown. A short drive out of Harrodsburg, we managed to get the room we wanted in the East Family House for two nights. We believe this may have been the room that our Grandpa Francis lived in his last twenty plus years as a Shaker and from where he was taken for burial in the Shaker Cemetery in Jan of 1867.

The food in the Trustees House is always good and plentiful......and the rooms are comfortable with reproduction Shaker furniture. We love the quiet of the Shaker village, it is such a tranquil place, more so when it is dark. Lit by street lamps and the lights in the buildings, it is so peaceful to walk down the old Hwy 68 as the old Shakers did in their heyday.

We visited with Mrs. Larrie Curry at the offices of Shakertown where she made a copy of the survery map of the old Shaker cemetery and gave permission to go inside the wooden gate. One section is the original section and where you will find most of the remaining stones of the Shakers buried there. The center section is nearly bare of stones which had been taken over the years to use as foundations for barns and houses. A few newer stones might be found in the section nearest to the new Hwy 68. Grandpa Francis is most certainly buried in the center section and no stone will ever be located for him.

The Shakers seem to have buried in chronological order and after death it didn't matter if females were buried next to males. Using the map and a book that has dates of deaths recorded, we were able to piece together those Shakers buried between 1811 to 1830 and hoped we might learn at least where the grave for Grandma Charity Banta Montfort might be located. Grandma Charity died in Dec 1828. I walked right to a marker with a very clear M on it and feeling the letter in front of it, found the shape of a C. But to be sure, I did a rubbing and it confirmed what we found....C. M. The Shakers only used initials on gravestones as they did not believe anything else was necessary...you are dead, your soul is not there, only a shell. The most important part of the deceased has gone to Heaven to sit next to Mother Ann. Laying out a chart with dates of death by year, then by month and date of death it was easy to figure that the grave marked on the survey map and the marker we located is that of Charity Montfort. It appears in the right area if they buried in chronological order and the time frame for her death. AND she is also the only one in that time frame to have the initals C.M.

Charity was the dauaghter of Hendrick Banta 3rd and his first wife, Rachel Brower. Her given name was Geertje but was always known as Charity by the family. She was born shortly before her mother's death in December of 1749 in New Jersey. Sometime before 1768 she was married to Francis Montfort, son of Jan and Knierte Marston Monfoort of York County, PA. It seems likely they were married in York County, but no record of their marriage has been found to date.

They would have nine children, Rachel [Voris], Katherine [Voris], Marya [Terhune], Charity [Luyster], Henry [Catherine Montfort of Ohio], John Calvin [Nancy Agnes Mitchell and Ruth Gess], Francis Jr [Polly Banta], Jacob [Margaret/Peggy Banta and Nancy Lineback] and Sarah [never married.]

In February 1805, Charity and her husband Francis Montfort Sr, attended the first recognized meeting of the Shakers religious society in Kentucky at the farm of her half brother, John Banta. His farm adjoined the farm belonging to Francis and Charity in Henry County, Kentucky at Pleasureville. Charity would make the decision to join the society with her youngest daughter, Sarah and in August of 1805, they became among the first of the Shakers in Kentucky.

She left behind her husband of thirty seven years to live life as a celibate Shaker. Francis was not happy being left by his wife and when writing his will in 1825 pointedly left her out of it, though he named all nine of their children, including the four who joined her at Pleasant Hill, the Shaker community in Mercer County, KY. However he left those four children who had become Shakers, the land he owned in Indiana, perhaps to make it difficult if not impossible for them to deed it over to the Shaker Society.

Finding the marker for the grave of Charity was a real find for Diana and myself. It was not what we expected so it was so much more rewarding to us. The marker is shown above .

What a weekend; new Montfort cousins, finding the original two hundred acres of Francis Montfort Sr, seeing where Grandma Leah Demarest lost her life during the Indian attack at Long Run Massacre, finding the marker for Grandma Charity.

Barbara Whiteside