by Rocky Macy
William MASEY was born on March 6, 1790 to Robert F. MAYSEY and Mary (Unknown) in Fairfax County, Virginia. He married Mary Elizabeth “Polly” HUFF on January 9, 1813, in Breckenridge County, Kentucky. William passed away on May 20, 1853 in Breckenridge County, Kentucky.
Although some family researchers list his middle name as “Blain,” I have found nothing in the public record at this point to confirm that – other than the fact that one of his great-great grandsons was Lee Blain Macy (1924-1978).
William and Polly’s dates of birth, as well as those of all of their children, were established through notations in the family Bible of William and Polly’s son, Charles MACY, and his family. Copies and transcriptions are included in the 1998 book “Macy Family,” by one of William’s descendants, Betty TUGGLE BELL.
William MASEY was my g-g-g-grandfather.
William’s surname was spelled in a variety of manners, with “Masey” seeming to be the most common. His widow’s tombstone identifies her as the wife of “Wm. Masey.” ”At least two of his William’s sons, Charles and Jesse, spelled their surname as “Macy,” a variant which remained with their descendants.
William MASEY was a resident of Kentucky by 1812 when he enlisted as a Private in Captain William Walker’s Infantry Company of the 3rd Regiment of the Kentucky Detached Militia. Private MASEY joined the military on September 1, 1812 and was mustered out on Christmas Day of the same year. He served three months and twenty-five days at a pay rate of $6.66 per month – and received a total pay of $25.33. His name was recorded as “William Masy” on the company pay roll and the first company muster roll. On the second company muster roll his name was recorded as “William Masey.”
William married Mary Elizabeth “Polly” HUFF in Breckenridge County, Kentucky, less than a month after his discharge from the military. They spent the remainder of their lives in Breckenridge County where they had at least twelve children.
The known children of William and Polly MASEY were: Winnie Ann (born October 14, 1813), Elihu (July 15, 1815 – March 11, 1876), Lydia (November 18, 1817 - October 24, 1907), Benjamin (September 18, 1819 – September 5, 1850), Robert (February 8, 1822 – December 6, 1849), Nancy (May 31, 1824 – October 24, 1907), Daniel (February 4, 1827 – July 11, 1858), William (June 20, 1829), Charles (February 4, 1831 – February 28, 1876), Jesse (August 7, 1832 – November 9, 1921), Joshua (December 29, 1833 – after 1850), and Mary (October 6, 1836 – after 1850).
Winnie Ann married James BRUINGTON on October 12, 1833. Elihu married Martha J. BRUINGTON on October 2, 1839. Lydia married William DAVIS on September 14, 1865, when she was nearing the age of fifty. Nancy married Jas. P.R. SNIDER on April 16, 1845. Daniel married Rebecca HOOK in 1854. Charles married Mary Jane MEADOR on February 19, 1852. Jesse’s first wife was Docia MEADOWS (a sister to Mary Jane MEADOR), and after Docia’s death he married Sarah DAVIS. Mary, the youngest child in the family, married James PETTYPOOL (or possibly James POOLE) on April 9, 1858.
In the 1820 US Census (enumerated on August 7, 1820) “Wm Marsey” and his family were listed as living in Stephens Port, Breckinridge County, Kentucky. At that time there were six people residing in the household: one free white male between the ages of 26 and 44 (William), one free white female between the ages of 16 and 25 (Polly), as well as two free white males under the age of 10 (Elihu and Benjamin), and two free white females under the age of 10 (Winnie Ann and Lydia). There were no slaves listed with the household.
(Note: The community was actually “Stephensport” a village that sits along the Ohio River in Breckenridge County, Kentucky. The town was plotted in 1803 and incorporated in 1825. The town was named for Richard STEPHENS who received a very large land grant in the area (100,000 acres) for three years of service to General Washington in the Continental Army during the American Revolution.)
William was listed under the name “William Masey” in the 1830 US Census, and his address is simply stated as “Breckenridge, Kentucky.” At that time there were ten people residing in the household: one free white male between the ages of 40 and 49 (William), one free white female between the ages of 30 and 39 (Polly), two free white males between 10 and 14 (Elihu and Benjamin), one free white male between 5 and 9 (Robert), and two free white males under the age of 5 (Daniel and William). There was also one free white female between the ages of 15 and 19 (Winnie Ann), one free white female between the ages of 10-14 (Lydia), and one free white female under the age of 5 ((Nancy) in the enumeration. There were no slaves recorded with the household.
In the 1840 US Census (the last census to not list all of the household members by name), “Wm. Macy” was the head of a household living in “Breckenridge, Kentucky.” At that time there were eleven people residing in the household: one free white male between the ages of 50 and 59 (William), one free white male between the ages of 20 and 29 (Benjamin), one free white male between the ages of 15 and 19 (Robert), one freed white male between the ages of 10 and 14 (Daniel or William), one free white male between the ages of 5 and 9 (probably Charles), and two free white males under the age of 5 (Jesse and Joshua – both of whom would have actually been a little older.)
In the household of “Wm. Macy” in 1840 there was also one free white female between the ages of 40 and 48 (Polly), one free white female between the ages of 20 and 29 (Lydia), one free white female between the ages of 10 and 14 (Nancy, who was actually a bit older), and one free white female under the age of 5 (Mary).
Again there were no slaves listed in the household in 1840.
In the 1850 US Census, the enumeration where more information on household members begins to be given, “William Magsay” (age 61) is listed as the head of the household that is located in District 2, Breckenridge County, Kentucky (Dwelling #649, Family #649). That census lists his birth as occurring in Virginia around 1789 and his occupation as a farmer and states that he owned real estate valued at $800. Also listed in the household were Mary (Polly) (age 56), Lydia (30), Daniel (23), Charles (20), Jesse (18), Joshua (16), and Mary (13).
William MASEY passed away in Breckenridge County, Kentucky, on May 20, 1853. He is presumed to be buried at the Ephesus Cumberland Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Harned, Breckenridge County, Kentucky, which is where Mary (“Polly”) MASEY’s tombstone is located.
William was only sixty-three at the time of his death, but in those six decades he had witnessed a great deal of history. He was born during the first year of George Washington’s presidency, and passed away during the first year of Franklin’s Pierce’s only term in the White House. Pierce was our country’s fourteenth President. As a young man William MASEY had crossed the Appalachian Mountains and helped to settle Kentucky. He served in the War of 1812, married and raised a large family, and lived long enough to see many of his neighbors heading west to push the boundaries of the country even further.
William MASEY was a true pioneer.
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