I LINCOLN ROOM UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY MEMORIAL the Class of 1901 founded by HARLAN HOYT HORNER and HENRIETTA CALHOUN HORNER THE3 MNCOIdN A SHELTER FOR CABIN IN WHICH MR. LINCOLN'S PARENTS WERE MARRIED On Grounds of PIONEER MEMORIAL STATE PARK Harrodsburg, Ky. LINCOLN The Man of Destiny 3 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign http://archive.org/details/lincolnmarriagetOOhutt Arranged and Copyrighted 1931 by D. M. Hutton Harrodsburg, Ky. ^■i f ■1 ****? ^SKlT ■ ; v* 2- ~ LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE Dedicated June 12, 1931 By the Honorable William Nuckles Doak United States Secretary of Labor Washington, D. C. LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE Tablet on the East Transept MiuuixsjMasaASJzxsjwujL^^ THE LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE Erected for the preservation of the historic cabin in which the parents of President Abraham Lincoln were married. Presented to THE COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY in memory of THE REVEREND MARION CROSLEY and M. ADELIA SWIFT CROSLEY by their daughter MRS. EDMUND BURKE BALL of Muncie, Indiana Dedicated by THE HONORABLE WILLIAM NUCKLES DOAK United States Secretary of Labor June 12, 1931. JCTTtVTOTi^TOIgTTlY^ Tablet on the West Transept ISJL&UJUJLSJJlJU S &SJttJ^^ THE LINCOLN MARRIAGE CABIN In this historic cabin, Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks were married June 12, 1806, by the Reverend Jesse Head. The Marriage Bond, signed by Thomas Lincoln and Richard Berry and witnessed by John H. Parrott, dated June 10, 1806, and the Minister's Return of Marriage are lodged in the records of the Washington County Court at Springfield, Kentucky. The Reverend Jesse Head, who performed the marriage ceremony, lived in Harrodsburg and is buried here. He was a regular ordained Minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church. This cabin was the first home of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks. It was known in pioneer days as the Richard Berry cabin and was located at Beechland, Washington County, Kentucky. Richard Berry was the uncle and guardian of Nancy Hanks. The cabin was presented in 1911, by its owners, William A. Clements, of Springfield, Kentucky, and Walter L. Clements, of South Bend, Indiana, to the Harrodsburg Historical Society. The title is now vested in perpetuity in the name of the Com- monwealth of Kentucky. Placed June 12, 1931. ajmmci TrrmTOTi?^^ LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE Tablet on the East Transept THOMAS LINCOLN 1776 1851 Born during Revolutionary days in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, he saw the end of the Revolution in Kentucky. A westward-moving pioneer, he lived thirty-four years in Ken- tucky, fourteen in Indiana and twenty-one in Illinois. When a mere child he saw his father killed by an Indian. Growing up "a wandering laboring boy," he became a man of modest substance, living always upon his own land. He was skilled with carpenter's tools as well as with axe and rifle. His log cabin homes and their simple furnishings were made mostly by his own hands. Devout Christian — representative citizen — he served well as militiaman, patrolman, juryman, road supervisor, church trus- tee — a typical American pioneer of his day. Powerful physique, unflinching courage, tender heart, droll humor, temperate habits, sterling honesty — these were legacies of this worthy pioneer father of his illustrious son. Tablet on the West Transept srsx!xaCTixixix?xia2xrjc^^ NANCY HANKS 1784 1818 Born in the backwoods of Virginia, reared midst the pri- meval forests of Kentucky, died in the wilderness of Indiana. Yet through these obscure years of toil and hardship, she ful- filled a deathless destiny. Mother of Abraham Lincoln, six- teenth President of the United States. Gentle, industrious, patient and courageous, her short and simple life epitomizes the heroic virtues of pioneer women; her name will ever be an inspiration to the motherhood of every land. Frail of body, she gave to humanity the most colossal figure of modern times. Untutored herself, she planted within his youthful breast a love of learning. Despite her narrow environ- ment, she endowed her son with a breadth of vision that saved the Union and made a people free. "God bless my mother," said Abraham Lincoln; "All that I am or ever hope to be I owe to her." WirCTfflwrrwryTrrai»rrere^^ If Mr. Lincoln Could Have Known ! It is far more important to American ideals that we can today point to the cabin in which Lincoln's parents were married than where he was born or died. Information about the marriage of his parents, denied to him during his life is now the common knowledge of all who would know the truth. The rearing of the Lincoln Marriage Temple on the grounds of Pioneer Memorial State Park by a good wo- man, gives to the tongne of calumny, silence and to the marriage altar, a greater reverence and sanctity. Had Mr. Lincoln possessed a copy of the marriage bond and the minister's certificate of marriage returns, as shown in this book, his sad life would not have been quite so bitter. Though the ugly head of scandal asserted his parents lived not in the honorable estate of wedlock, he believed they did and cherished the memory of a sainted mother and noble father. The purpose of this volume is to present the indis- putable facts that have been collected concerning the mar- riage of Mr. Lincoln's parents. The sources of informa- tion are many and accredited. They are court records in which are shown the marriage bond and the minister's re- turns, the witnesses present at the marriage and state- ments of relatives of the family. To these are added a most valuable historic paper prepared for the Harrods- burg Historical Society by Mr. James L. Isenberg. A copy of the Marriage Ritual of the Methodist Church of the period, furnished by the Reverend Doctor W. E. Ar- nold, Historian for the Kentucky Conference. The min- ister was required to give the ritual as worded, but in blessing and exhortation might amplify a paragraph. A citation of the legal statutes under which marriage was permitted to be performed in 1806, with an interesting analysis of the law and a comparison drawn between the drastic law of that day and the more flexible one of this day, is given by Editor Max Charleston, Fellow of Oxford LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE University and a Barrister at Law. A short extract from the life of The Man Who Married Lincoln's Parents, by Dr. W. E. Barton, is given; and a descriptive poem of Rev. Jesse Head, by Mr. Henry Cleveland Wood, is produced. There is an interesting tabloid sketch of Lincoln's life, taken from the magazine, k4 Life With the Lincoln," pub- lished at Fort Wayne, Ind. The architecture of the Lin- coln Marriage Temple is described by its designer, Mr. Frederick L. Morgan, architect, of the firm of Nevin, Mor- gan and Kolbrook, of Louisville, Kentucky. Mr. Morgan is an architect of national renown and is a man of rare taste and has built into this structure in a most agreeable manner choice motifs in colonial architecture. His con- ception of an atmosphere for the cabin led him to furnish a church as being the most appropriate. For the church is the strongest link between man and wife and God, their creator and preserver. To Honorable Ross Lockridge, historian, of Bloom- ington, Indiana, was given the duty to write the wording for the Thomas Lincoln tablet on the east transept. It contains a concise history of one hundred and forty-six words of the father of Abraham Lincoln. To Honorable William H. Townsend, of Lexington, Kentucky, was assigned the duty to prepare the wording to go on the Nancy Hanks tablet on the west transept. The gifted writer and author of the book, "Lincoln and His Wife's Home Town," has produced a classic to her memory. In close connection and forming a part of the Lincoln Marriage Temple Shrine, will be the Lincolnian Room lo- cated in the Mansion Museum in the Park, opposite the Temple and to the left of the gateway. The State Park Commission, through Mrs. James Darnell, Executive Sec- retary and Director of Parks, is sensitive to the many historic memories around Harrodsburg in connection with the Lincoln family and is preparing this room in order that it may be a place of unusual interest. A Lincolnian Library will be established so that students of Lincoln, wdien visiting this historic city, may study here. Contributions of books by Lincoln authors, will be appreciated. 10 LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE Here artists and admirers of Lincoln may present pic- tures or sculptured pieces of art. The Lincolnian Room gives to Harrodsbiirg the dis- tinction of having the only Lincoln Treasure Room in the Commonwealth. THE LINCOLN MARRIAGE CABIN The Lincoln Marriage Temple shelters a plain log cabin, the like of which is becoming scarce. But it is not just a log cabin, being protected as an interesting relic of the pioneer period, it is a cabin held as a memorial to Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks because they made their marriage vows in it. It will be a shrine to be cher- ished for all time by those who hold sacred the marriage ties. The cabin is a single-room, hewed-log structure, nine logs high, rock and mud chinked; with a puncheon floor, clapboard roof, fastened down with w r ooden pegs; stone fire-place topped with a low stick chimney well daubed with clay. The entrance is a puncheon door hung LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE 11 on wooden hinges and held closed by a wooden latch "with the latch string hanging out." Two windows with small pane sash admit light. These openings are further protected by thin puncheon board shutters. A large slab resting on two stout pegs serves as a mantel- piece . The room measures inside, fifteen feet two inches by sixteen feet two inches, and is eight feet from floor boards which formed the floor, no doubt, for Nancy's loft room, and became her bridal chamber when she married the man of her choice — Tom Lincoln. THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE TEMPLE By FREDERICK L. MORGAN, Louisville, Ky. In designing the building to shelter the historic cabin in which Abraham Lincoln's father and mother were mar- ried, it was decided to make it as near as possible a typical example of the early brick churches in Kentucky. The plan suggests the shape of the cross with the cabin placed directly under the crossing. Old hand-made brick, laid in Flemish bond were used in building the walls. The front entrance is an accurate reproduction of a door found frequently on work of this nature in the early part of the 19th century. On the door is an old English lock with brass knob and coat of arms. The fluted pilasters, mould- ed architrave and dental courses all contribute to its charm and air of welcome. The roof is covered with asbestos slate which was developed to reproduce the aged and weather-w^orn ap- pearance of old wooden shingles. At the same time they have all the advantages of fire resistance, insulating value and permanence. Above the roof is a graceful tow T er com- posed of a square base, octagonal belfry and a steep crown- ing spire with gilded weather vane. Inside the walls are natural brick and the ceiling is of wood with oak beams wdiich harmonize with the primitive cabin. The windows have uneven antique glass slightly colored with rose and amber which in the sunlight pro- duce a soft, rich glow thru the room. In the rear w T all is a Palladium window under which will stand a pine pulpit to be used for marriages. The floor is covered with random stone similar to the walk leading to the entrance. LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF ILLWO* 12 LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE EXTRACTS FROM MINUTE BOOK The following items from the minute book of the Harrodsburg Historical Society concerning the Lincoln Cabin, was furnished by Mrs. D. M. Hutton, Secretary of the Society: May, 1911: "Mr. N. L. Curry announced a gift to the Society, from Mr. W. A. Clements, of Beechland, Washington County, of logs which are in the cabin in which Lincoln's parents were married." July, 1911: "Mr. W. A. Clements was elected to honorary membership, in view of the fact of his gift of the cabin to the Society." Same Meeting: "Motion prevailed that money from the treasury be used in bringing the logs to Harrodsburg. Mr. N. L. Curry, Dr. C. B. Van- Arsdall and Rev. M. V. P. Yeaman were appointed a committee to have logs moved." September, 1911: "Motion prevailed to raise funds for the purpose of erecting the Lincoln Cabin at Harrodsburg." Same Meeting: "Mr. Curry reported a man would move the logs to Harrodsburg if we would give him one or two ; and requested that his proposition be presented to the Society. Motion was made to give one log to the person moving them. Motion lost. November, 1911: "Mr. (W. W.) Stephenson reported that three loads of logs had been brought from Washington county* and placed on the grounds belonging to the Harrodsburg Historical Society." January, 1912: "Mr. (W. W. ) Stephenson announced that the Lincoln Cabin logs had been brought to Harrodsburg at a cost of $17.00, whereupon Miss Martha Stephenson moved that a committee be appointed to care for the logs. Motion carried and Mr. Stephenson appointed Mr. N. L. Curry and Dr. C. B. VanArsdall a committee on same." May, 1912: "Committee reported that Lincoln logs had been moved to Mr. Lee Smock's lumber yard for safe keeping. They were safely housed under one of the buildings." May, 1913: "Committee reported that $261.00 had been spent in re- erecting cabin on Harrodsburg Historical Society's ground, on Old Fort Hill." November, 1914: "Motion prevailed that Miss Martha Stephenson at- tend to arranging for a bronze plate with names of contributors to the cabin fund on it. A further motion prevailed that the names of those only donating $25.00 be placed on the tablet." November, 1915: "Miss Mary Stephenson reported the Lincoln Cabin tablet received, and the Society accepted the report." March, 1916: "Dr. VanArsdall, as auditor on the Lincoln Cabin Fund, made a report." March, 1916: "Motion prevailed that members of the Society take turn about, monthly, looking after the Lincoln Cabin. The Misses Stephenson were assigned the first month." Thereafter, nearly every minute of the Society's meetings contained some reference to the cabin, such as repairing chimney, putting on Yale lock, ar- arranging obstacle in chimney to prevent boys from going down it, and creosoting logs to preserve them. Much discussion as to means to provide shelter for the cabin, building stile over fence to permit people to visit cabin, and many other duties. At one time Mr. H. C. Wood interested Mr. Henry Ford in the cabin and he offered to pay for a fence around it, but Olmsted Brothers developed plans looking to a shelter, and it's removal to another point on the grounds, and Mr. Ford's offer was dropped. Aside from re- corded minutes, much time has been spent by the Society in planning for the cabin's security from decay, and some two years ago Mr. James L. Isen- berg, in behalf of the Society, appealed to Hon. Ross Lockridge, historian of Bloomington, Indiana, to use his kindly offices in finding a person who would be able and willing to preserve the cabin in a suitable building. He did this with pleasure and the generous gift of Mrs. Edmund Burke Ball, of Muncie, Indiana, was made for Lincoln Marriage Temple. LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE 13 THE MARRIAGE OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S PARENTS AND THE HISTORIC RICHARD BERRY CABIN (A paper prepared by James L. Isenberg for the Harrodsburg Historical Society). "God bless my mother, said Abraham Lincoln; "all that I am or hope to be, I owe to my mother." "My earliest recollection of my mother is sitting at her feet with my sister, drinking in the tales and legends that were read and related to us." To him on her death bed she said, "I am going away from you, Abraham, and I shall not return. I know you will be a good boy, that you will be kind to Sarah and your father. . I want you to live as I have taught you, and love your Heavenly Father " If the immortal Lincoln could testify as to the most sacred tribute paid to him, he would verily say that the "Lincoln Marriage Temple" in Pioneer Memorial State Park at Harrodsburg, erected to preserve the historic cabin in which his parents w T ere married, stands pre-emi- nent. To posterity, this one-room cabin, with its sacred traditions, together with the Marriage Bond and Return of Marriage of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks, which are lodged in the records of the Washington County Court at Springfield, Ky., gives evidence that Abraham Lin- coln's parents were united in holy wedlock, and that he came of an ancestry of which he had no reason to be ashamed. Today, in solemn awe, we pronounce a good name, and in its deathless splendor — leave it shining on. THOMAS LINCOLN AND NANCY HANKS' MARRIAGE Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks were married on June 12, 1806, by the Reverend Jesse Head, in the Rich- ard Berry cabin at Beechland, Washington, County, Ken- tucky. Richard Berry, Senior, who owned the cabin in which the parents of Abraham Lincoln were married, was the 14 LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE guardian and uncle of Nancy Hanks. Richard Berry was in Kentucky as early as 1780. He married Rachel Ship- ley and lived on the six-hundred-acre farm on Beech Fork in Washington County, Kentucky, where the Lincoln Marriage Cabin originally stood. The Reverend Jesse Head, who married Thomas Lin- coln and Nancy Hanks, lived and is buried in Harrods- burg. He was a regularly ordained minister of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, and was ordained a deacon by Bishop Asbury in 1805. The Marriage Bond of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks, dated June 10, 180f>, and signed by Richard Berry and witnessed by John H. Parrot t, and also the Return of Marriage, filed by the Reverend Jesse Head, which in- cludes the list of marriages solemnized by him between April 28, 1806 and April 22, 1807, are to be found in the records of the Washington County, Kentucky, Clerk's Office at Springfield. A photostatic reproduction of these original documents in actual size is filed in the records of the Filson Club at Louisville, Kentucky. STATEMENT OF A MASSACHUSETTS WOMAN (I) About four years before the publication of the finding of the Marriage Bond and Return, a letter was published in the Louisville Courier of February 20, 1874 (page 3, col. 6). This letter was written by Mrs. C. S. H. Vawter, who was the granddaughter of Sarah Shipley Mitchell. Sarah Shipley Mitchell was a cousin of Nancy Hanks. She was also a niece of Richard Berry, Senior, and descendants of her family also state that Sarah Ship- ley Mitchell, who was married to John Thompson, w T as also married in this historic cabin. The following is an exact copy of Mrs. C. S. H. Vawter 's letter, as appears in the Louisville Courier of February 20, 1874: A short time since, by chance, there fell into my hands an Evening Journal, containing a letter from a collector of the Louis- ville Commercial, in which it was hinted that there had existed doubts in the public mind, as to the marriage of Mr. Lincoln's father and mother. In the year of 1859, I went to Springfield, Ky., to teach and was in that neighborhood when we received notice of the nomination for the Presidency. On the announcement of the name of the can- didate, all were on the "qui vive" to know who the stranger was, so LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE 15 unexpectedly launched upon a perilous sea. A farmer remarked that "he should not be surprised if he were the son of Thomas Lin- coln and Nancy Hanks, who were married at the home of Uncle Frank Berry. (The old house is still standing). In a short time this supposition of the farmer was confirmed by the announcement of the father's name. A few days after, I visited an aged lady by the name of Litsey, who interested me very much by giving a description of the wed- ding of the father and mother of the new candidate, she having been a friend of the bride and was present at. the marriage. (II) In 1866 after the liberation of four million slaves had made the name of Abraham Lincoln memorable, I was again in the neighborhood and visited the old house in which were celebrated the nuptial rites above referred to. Its surroundings are among the most picturesque in Kentucky. The Beech Fork, a small river in wonderful meandering, flows near and is lost to view in a semi-circular amphitheater of hills. While surveying the grandeur of the surrounding landscape, I called it not strange that inspiration had fallen upon the mother of him who should be known as the liberator of the Nineteenth Century. The official record of this marriage will probably be found in Springfield. The newly united pair left this country soon after mar- riage. As I remember the story of Nancy Hanks, it ran thus: "Her father and mother were Virginians and died when she was young; her mother's name before marriage was Shipley, and she is known to have had two sisters, one of whom married a man by the name of Berry and the other Robert Mitchell, who came to Kentucky about the year 1789. While on the journey this family was set upon by Indians, and Mrs. Mitchell wounded and her only daughter, Sarah, a child of eleven years, was captured and borne away by the Modocs of the wilderness. Mr. Mitchell bore the dying wife to Crab Orchard, and he, like Abraham of old, purchased that renowned spot for burial place of his wife. After the last sad rites, he mounted his horse, accompanied by his friend, General Adair, and went in search of his daughter, but was drowned in Dix river, while attempting to cross. The sons of this father and mother scattered to different parts of the State. One of them, Daniel, settled in Washington county on the Beech Fork, a few miles from Springfield, and near two cousins, Frank and Ned Berry. To these cousins came Nancy Hanks, whom they welcomed to their house, for the legend is "Her cheerful dis- position and active habits were a dower to these pioneers." Soon after "Mad Anthony" Wayne's treaty with the Indians in 1794 and 1795, the lost cousin was returned to her friends. The returned captive lived at the house of her brother and Nancy Hanks at the home of her cousin, Frank Berry. These two girls were soon as intimate as sisters. Sarah Mitchell was the pupil of Nancy in learning to spin flax, the latter being an adept in that now lost art. It was the custom of those days to have spinning parties, on which occasions the wheels of the ladies were carried to the house designated, to which the competitors came, distaff in hand, ready for the work of the day. At the given hour, the wheels were put in motion and the filmy fibsr took the form of firmly lengthened strand, in their mystic hands. Tradition says that Nancy bore the palm; her spools yielded the finest and longest thread. 16 LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE Mr. Lincoln was not an exception to the rule for great men, which requires that their mothers should be talented. Thomas Lincoln came, it is believed, into this neighborhood to visit his brother, Mordecai, who lived near Major Berry, and he learned of the skill of Nancy. As Ulysses, he was ambitious and became the husband of Nancy, whose thread of gold has been woven by the hand and pen of Abraham into the warp and woof of the National Constitution. Sarah Mitchell became the wife of a Virginian and mother of an influential family. She was a mother of a high order of talent, and retained until death the greatest veneration for the memory of her cousin, whose name she gave to one of her daughters. Modesty has laid the impress of silence upon these relatives of r. noble woman, but when the Voice of Calumny has presumed to sully her name, they hurl the accusation to the ground and pro- claim her the beautiful character they had learned to love, long before they knew to her had been born an honorable son. One who learned from sainted lips to admire her grand- mother's cousin. — C. S. H. C. THE FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE MARRIAGE RECORD (III) In the Massachusetts Historic Genealogical Society in Boston, there was found an editorial clipping from the Boston Journal of Monday, January 27, 1879, re- ferring to an article in the New York Tribune of the pre- ceding Saturday, and containing the following statements: It has long been a disputed point whether the parents of Abra- ham Lincoln were ever married; and in a "Life of Lincoln," pub- lished by Ward H. Lamon in 1872, it was intended to show that, owing to their extreme poverty, the parents of Lincoln never were legally married, as, according to the laws of the State of Kentucky, it would have been necessary to file a bond to guard the State against an over-supply of paupers. Much other matter bearing on the same part was also intended to be included in the book, and the Lincoln family desired to have it suppressed. The family and its most intimate friends were positive that there was not the least ground for a charge of illegitimacy against Lincoln. Accordingly, Judge David Davis and Leonard Swett, a prominent lawyer living in Illinois, who had been a firm friend of Lincoln, exerted themselves successfully to have much of this matter suppressed. Lamon, how- ever, stated in the book that no record of the marriage could be found, and represented Lincoln as very reluctant to talk about his parents and their early life. The New York Tribune of Saturday says, however', that while in Kentucky last fall ex-Secretary Bristow met a lawyer of high reputation, R. J. Browne. Mr. Browne lives in Springfield, Washington county, Kentucky, is a man of wealth, a Republican, and one who takes great pride in guarding the memory of the dead President. He heard of the reports referred to above, LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE 17 and caused a diligent search to be made for the record of the mar- raige of Lincoln's parents. The search was successful, and Mr. Browne mentioned the fact to Mr. Bristow, who urged him to make the result public in order to remove the doubt in the minds of many on the subject. Mr. Browne promised to send copies of the bond and certificate to General Bristow, and recently he did so. (IV) The letter which Honorable R. J. Browne sent to General B. H. Bristow, of New York City, enclosing documents of the marriage of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks, reads as follows: Springfield, Ky., Dec. 16, 1878. Dear Sir: When I saw you last in Louisville, I promised to send you a copy of the record of President Lincoln's father's marriage. I now send it to you. The record ought forever to silence the charge of the President's illegitimacy. I have talked with men of the high- est veracity who have told me that they attended the wedding. With a sincere wish, etc., I am, Truly yours, R. J. BROWNE. In the Century Magazine of November, 188H, Volume XXXIII, No. One, appears an article written by John Gr. Nicolay and John Hay, private Secretaries to President Lincoln, entitled Abraham Lincoln: A History. This article gives a splendid description of the life of Lincoln and the marriage of his parents. A copy of the Marriage Bond is printed, and also a photographic copy of Return of Marriage, as written by the Reverend Jesse Head. It states that these documents w T ere discovered through the efforts of W. F. Booker, Esquire, of Spring- field, Kentucky, and that the fac-siinile is the first ever published. This article is illustrated by a photograph of the Lincoln Marriage Cabin, occupied at that time by H. F. Reed, and by a photograph of the Reverend Jesse Head, which was taken after his silhouette by Rudolph Boccossini, which was then in the possession of R. T. ])urret, Esquire, of Louisville. (V) An account of the finding of these documents is described in a letter of Honorable W. F. Booker, Clerk of the Washington County, Kentucky, Court, to Mr. D. L. Burgers, of Richmond, Virginia. 18 LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE DESCRIPTION OF THE FINDING OF MARRIAGE BONDS Springfield, Ky M December 31, 1901. Mr. D. M. Burgers, Richmond, Va. Dear Sir: Yours of the 22nd inst, at hand. In regard to the local tra- dition as to Abraham Lincoln's ancestry I can only give you hear- say statements, together with record evidence of my office. Some twenty years ago one R. M. Thompson, a highly respected citizen of our county, and who was a relative of Nancy Hanks, the mother of President Lincoln, had a son in the Internal Revenue service stationed in Larue county, and there he was told that Abra- ham Lincoln was an illegitimate and that the first history of Abra- ham Lincoln, written by one Herndon, stated the same fact. Mr. R. M. Thompson came to me and said that Mr. James Thomp- son had told him that he and Mr. William Hardesty, who was living at the time, were both present at the marriage of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks in a cabin now standing about 6 miles from Springfield, and asked me if I would try to find the minister's return of their marriage. I told him that if he would give me something near the date of marriage I would try, there being no index to marriage register that far back. He said that Mr. James Thompson had told him they were married in 1806. I then turned to an old bundle of marriage bonds of that date and found where Thomas Lincoln had given bond and taken out license to marry Nancy Hanks on the 10th day of June, 1806, with Richard Berry, guardian of Nancy Hanks, surety on the bond. Mr. R. M. Thompson remarked: "That shows the license was issued. Now, if you can find the minis- ter's return of the marriage, that will settle it." I then turned to the marriage register and by reading page by page found the minis- ter's return showing that he married Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks on the 12th day of June, 1806, which certificate is now on file in my office. I had it published and it was copied in a great many papers in the East and I received a number of letters from all parts of the United States asking if the certificate with my signature at- tached was genuine. The records show that the Lincolns were large land owners in this county, but under the old English laws of primogeniture, which the Virginia laws copied from the English laws and Kentucky took from Virginia, the oldest male child inherited the realty, which said realty fell to Mordecai Lincoln, the oldest male child, and brother of Thomas Lincoln, the father of Abraham Lincoln, which left the said Thomas Lincoln in rather destitute circumstances. Now I will tell you what happened at the commencement of the war of rebellion. My uncle, Hon. Paul J. Booker, was on the streets of our town and some of the hot-headed young men of the town were talking and said they would not live under the regime of Abe Lincoln and were going to join the company of soldiers then being organized. My uncle, who was quite an old man, remarked: "Gentlemen, I don't know anything about Abraham Lincoln, but if he is half as good a man as his uncle, Mordecai Lincoln, with whom I served in the Legislature of Kentucky, this country need have no fears." LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE 19 The grandfather of Abraham Lincoln was named Abraham and he was killed by the Indians in this county, the last man killed by Indians in the state of Kentucky (so said), and a beautiful powder horn and buckskin bullet pouch was taken from his person with his name engraved on the horn. This horn and pouch were given to the Hon. R. J. Browne, of this county (now dead), by Mr. Wil- liam Hardesty. Mr. Browne gave the same to the Museum at Louis- ville, Ky., where they now remain. These statements were made by William Hardesty who knew Abraham Lincoln's father and mother well, who was present at the marriage and who lived to be a very old man, but unfortunately a sworn statement of these facts was never taken. I hope that I have given you the character of information you asked. Respectfully, W. F. BOOKER, Clerk Washington County Court. AFFIDAVITS RELATIVE TO THE MARRIAGE (VI) On April 13, 1891, R, M. Thompson, of Spring- field, Kentucky, a nephew of James Thompson, made an affidavit to the effect that his uncle, James Thompson, as a boy, attended the marriage ceremony of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks in the Richard Berry cabin at Beech- land, Washington County, Kentucky, June 12, 1806. The original affidavit is in the possession of Mr. Robert Noe, Clerk of the Washington County Circuit Court at Spring- field, Kentucky. The affidavit signed by Mr. R, M. Thompson is in the handwriting of Honorable John W. Lewis, who was the first Republican Congressman from the Fourth Congressional District in Kentucky, being elected in 1894. R. M. Thompson was a highly respected citizen of Washington county, and at one time was Post- master at Springfield. His two sons, Andrew and Jack Thompson, both were County Judges of Washington county. (VII) On Nov. 7, 1919, Wm. T. Hardesty, of Wash- ington county, made a deposition, in the present of Judge W. A. Waters and County Attorney Joseph Polin, of Springfield, attested by Miss Olive Walker, Examiner for Washington County, Kentucky, to the effect that he was the son of William Hardesty, and that he had often heard his father remark that he personally knew Thomas Lin- coln and Nancy Hanks and that he remembered distinctly, as a small boy, slipping away from home and going to the 20 LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE wedding in 1806, when they were married by the Reverend Jesse Head in the small log cabin which stood on the East side of the Litsey and Valley Hill pike at a point just North of the mill race near Poortown. The spring near the roadside has been called the Lincoln Spring since his earliest . recollection. Pie further states that this cabin was the first home of the newly-married couple, Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks. William T. Hardesty was a farmer and a highly respected citizen of Washington county. On March 20, 1882, Dr. Christopher Columbus Gra- ham, who was the proprietor of the famous Graham ♦Springs Hotel in ante-bellum days, made an affidavit that he was present at the marriage of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks in Washington county, and that they were married by the Reverend Jesse Head. On January 10, 1930, Mr. Henry Cleveland Wood, of Harrodsburg, Ken- tucky, made an affidavit substantiating the facts relative to Dr. Christopher Columbus Graham's statement. Mr. Wood states that on March 10, 1882, Dr. Graham was a visitor at his home, and that Dr. Graham told him that he witnessed the marriage ceremony of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks in the Berry cabin at Beechland, Washing- ton County, Kentucky. Mr. Wood fixes clearly the date of Dr. Graham's visit to his home by the fact that Dr. Graham autographed his name in Mr. Wood's album, and the date of the visit is also written in Dr. Graham's hand- writing. Dr. Graham, who lived to be over one hundred years of age, was in his ninety-eighth year when he visited Mr. Wood. Dr. Graham was personally acquainted with Daniel Boone, James Harrod, and many other Kentucky pioneers. Another interesting account of the marriage of Thom- as Lincoln and Nancy Hanks and the traditions connected with the Richard Berry cabin is given in the Memoirs of the late Honorable W. C. McChord, of Springfield, who was a prominent attorney of that city, and at one time was a member of the Kentucky Legislature, a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1891, and a member of the Commission who revised the Kentucky Statutes in 1893. It is known that Mr. McChord personally knew LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE 21 Mrs, Mary Cheser, the wife of Peter Cheser, who lived in Washington Comity, Kentucky, and that information re- garding- the marriage of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks was given him by her. Mrs. Cheser, whose moth- er's maiden name was Mary Bird, claimed she was the daughter of Mordecai Lincoln, who w T as the nephew of Thomas Lincoln, the father of Abraham Lincoln. Mrs. Cheser was therefore the second-cousin of President Abra- ham Lincoln. On January 9, 1930, Airs. Mary Catherine Cheser, of Willisburg, Washington County, Kentucky, made an affi- davit, witnessed by Mr. F. H. Ash, of Willisburg, Ken- tucky, to the effect that she w T as the daughter of Morde- cai Lincoln, who was the son of Mordecai Lincoln, Sr., the brother of Thomas Lincoln, who was the father of the late President Abraham Lincoln. She further states that her mother's maiden name was Mary' Bird, and that her mother was born and reared near Beeehland in Washing- ton County. Kentucky, and when she was about twenty years old, the mother went to Pike County, Indiana, to make her home. Mrs. Cheser was about twenty years of age when her mother died, and was also living at that time with her parents in Indiana. In March, 1874, Mrs. Cheser left Indiana and came to Kentucky to make her home, and it was here that she met and married Peter Cheser, her present husband. She states that after their marriage, on June 21, 1874, they made their home in this locality, and have lived in close proximity ever since. Being closely related to the Lincoln family, all the facts relative to Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks naturally made a very strong and lasting impres- sion on her mind. She had often heard her father on many occasions refer to the marriage of Abraham Lin- coln's parents, which occurred in the Richard Berry cabin, located at Beeehland, Washington County, Kentucky, and that she had further heard these matters frequently dis- cussed by the old people of Washington County, and the fact of their marriage and their having lived in said cabin was never questioned or doubted by anyone. On November 23rd, 1912, Mr. T. W. Bottom, who was born in Mercer County, Kentucky, in July, 1832, near the 22 LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE line between the comities of Washington and Mercer, made affidavit in the presence of the late Honorable W. W. Stephenson, of Harrodsbnrg, Ky., a prominent attor- ney and an accredited historian, and a former State Sena- tor of Kentucky, to the effect that he was a brother-in-law of Dr. J. R. Tewmey, who was a surgeon in the Civil War and located in the hospital at Washington, D. C, and that Dr. J. R .Tewmey was a great friend of President Abra- ham Lincoln. Mr. Bottom further stated that either in the year of 1863 or 1864, as he remembered, his brother-in-law, Dr. J. R. Tewmey, wrote to him to go to Beechland, Wash- ington County, Kentucky, and buy five gallons of tree mo- lasses for him, which he desired to present to his friend, President Abraham Lincoln, as coming from his old home at Beechland, Washington County, Kentucky. Mr. Bot- tom stated that he went to Beechland and purchased the five gallons of tree molasses as directed and shipped same to Dr. J. R. Tewmey. While on the visit to Beechland, he made inquiry and talked with a number of the citizens of the neighborhood, in regard to Abraham Lincoln and the home of his par- ents and with one accord they pointed out to him the Richard Berry cabin, as the cabin in which the parents of President Abraham Lincoln were married by the Rever- end Jesse Head and that the people of this locality were proud of the connection that the parents of the distin- guished President were married there and lived in that community. Mr. Bottom describes walking through the country, a distance of a mile and one-half or two miles, to reach the cabin and when he mentioned the object of his visit, he was shown through the cabin. He states that the cabin, at that time, had two rooms with a chimney in the middle, two doors, and stood as it appeared in the picture in the Century Magazine, on page eighteen, which he had exam- ined. (The second room referred to in Mr. Bottom's af- fidavit, was annexed to the original cabin, years after this was built). Mr. Bottom further stated that he was well acquaint- ed in Washington county and that his son-in-law T , J. H. LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE 23 Martin, operated a store at Beechland, near the historic cabin in which Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks were married by the Reverend Jesse Head, and that on occa- sion of many visits to his son-in-law he had heard the mat- ter of Abraham Lincoln's parents' marriage discussed and that there never was any doubt expressed by anyone, as to the Richard Berry cabin in which they were mar- ried and went to housekeeping*. T. W. Bottom, in early life, was a preacher and serv- ed in three congregations in Washington county. He also served in the Civil War, first as a Lieutenant, then Cap- tian and later was promoted to Major of his Battalion. WEDDING GUESTS AND INFARE From affidavits we learn a partial list of the wedding guests, which includes the following: Mr. and Mrs. Richard Berry, James Thompson, William Hardesty, Dr. Christopher Columbus Graham, Felix Grundy, Sarah Shipley Mitchell. Mrs. John Springer, who was Elizabeth Ingram, and married by the Reverend Jesse Head, June 17, 1806. Her name appears just above the name of Nancy Hanks in the minister's Return of Marriages. Mrs. Springer, after her mar- riage, lived for many years in Harrodsburg. Mrs. Litsey, referred to in Mrs. Vawter's letter. Although we have no authentic evidence, it is probable that the following relatives were also present: Nancy Hanks, the aunt of the bride; Thomas and Betty Sparrow, Jesse and Polly Friend, Mr. and Mrs. Levi Hall, *Mr. and Mrs. Henry Sparrow. (VIII) Dr. Christopher Columbus Graham gives the following description of the infare: We had bear-meat (that you can eat the grease of, and it will not rise like other fats); venison; wild turkey and ducks, eggs, wild and tame (so common that you could buy them at two bits a bush- el) ; maple sugar, swung on a string, to bite off for coffee or whisky; syrup in big gourds; peach-and-honey; a sheep that the two families barbecued whole over coals of wood burned in a pit, and covered with green boughs to keep the juices in; and a race for the whisky bottle. The sheep cost the most, and corn was early raised in what is now Boyle county, at the Isaac Shelby place. I don't know who stamped in the first peach-seed, but they grew before the apples. Our table was of the puncheons cut from solid logs, and on the next day they were the floor of the new cabin. LINCOLN MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION (IX) An association of citizens of Springfield, Ken- tucky, organized a company known as the Lincoln Memo- rial Company, with headquarters at 923 W. Market street, Louisville, Kentucky, for the purpose of establishing a 24 LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE historic shrine at Beechland, to preserve the cabin in which President Lincoln's parents were married, with its sacred traditions. Those known to have been originally identified in this movement were W. F. Booker, Judge W. E. Selecman and A. D. Miller. This, however, is not a complete list of the organizers. The Lincoln Memorial Company published a combi- nation picture including a splendid likeness taken from life of President Abraham Lincoln, the Richard Berry Cabin, a fac-simile of the Marriage Bond, a fac-simile of the Return of Marriage filed by the Reverend Jesse Head, and the Certificate of the Clerk of Washington County as to the genuineness of the above documents. It was by the sale of this combination picture that the Association planned to raise funds. An original combination picture, as published by the Association, is now on exhibition in the office of the Clerk of the Washington Circuit Court in Springfield, Kentucky. The exact date of the organization of this company is not definitely known, but that it existed prior to Feb- ruary lb, 190'!), is evidenced by the fact that in a personal letter of that date, which Mr. Henry Cleveland Wood, of Harrodsburg, Kentucky, received from the Honorable W. E. Selecman, a prominent attorney and former County Judge of Washington County, Kentucky, reference is made to the Lincoln Memorial Company, and a printed pamphlet issued by the Company, setting forth historic facts and other particulars, is enclosed. In the text of this circular, the Richard Berry Cabin is definitely fixed and located. REMOVAL OF THE CABIN (X) In the year of 1911, this historic cabin was presented to the Harrodsburg Historical Society by its owners, Mr. W. A. Clements and his son, Walter L. Clem- ents, of Springfield, Kentucky. The preservation of the Marriage Cabin is largely due to the efforts of Mr. N. L. Curry, of Harrodsburg, Kentucky, who secured from Mr. Clements consent to re- move the cabin to Harrodsburg and to present same to the Harrodsburg Historical Society for preservation. LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE 25 Through the co-operation of the following public- spirited citizens of Harrodsburg, a fund was raised to finance the removal of the cabin to a parcel of ground ad- joining the Pioneer Cemetery, which was given by Miss Irene Moore, a member of the Harrodsburg Historical Society: At the time the cabin was brought to Harrodsburg in 1911, the following were members: Mrs. Sue C. Beardsley Mr. N. L. Curry Mr. Henry Gibbs Dr. W. P. Harvey Editor D. M. Hutton Prof. H. H. Nichols Editor T. Sanders Orr Miss Evelyn Price Editor J. G. Pulliam Rev. W. H. Smith Miss Martha Stephenson Hon. W. W. Stephenson Miss Mary Stephenson Dr. C. B. VanArsdall Mr. H. C. Wood Rev. M. V. P. Yeaman Mr. James L. Isenberg- Mrs. J. T. Cunningham Honorary Members Mr. C. D. Thompson Miss Irene Moore Dr. Mead Moore Mr. W. A. Clements Members in 1931: Mr. Ben C. Allin Mr. Bush W. Allin Mr. Curtis Allin Dr. W. E. Arnold Mrs. Sue C. Beardsley Mrs. Cecil Brown Mr. Cecil Brown Mrs. F. D. Curry Editor Max Charleston Mr. J. T. Cooke Miss Lucile Sharp Dr. C. B. VanArsdall Prof. W. M. Wesley Miss Neva Williams Mr. H. C. Wood Mrs. H. C. Wood Honorary Members Miss Irene Moore Mr. W. A. Clements Mrs. J. T. Cunningham Judge C. A. Hardin Mrs. C. A. Hardin Editor D. M. Hutton Mrs. D. M. Hutton Mr. James L. Isenberg Dr. G. L. .Johnson Mr. B. F. Norfleet Mrs. James H. Spilman Mrs. Ella Sweeney After the cabin was removed to Harrodsburg under the auspices of the Harrodsburg Historical Society and under the immediate supervision of the late Honorable ^Y. W. Stephenson and Mr. N. L. Curry, it was re-erected on the above mentioned parcel of ground, which is now included in Pioneer Memorial State Park. To the former owners of the cabin, Mr. W. A. Clem- ents, of Springfield, Kentucky, and Honorable Walter L. Clements, of South Bend, Indiana, to the faithful mem- bers of the Harrodsburg Historical Society, and to Mrs. Edmund Burke Ball, a distinguished and patriotic In- diana woman, who has provided funds for the erection of a shelter, credit for the preservation of this sacred shrine is given. THE LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE The Lincoln Marriage Temple, which shelters the historic cabin in which the parents of Abraham Lincoln were married, is the gift of Mrs. Edmund Burke Ball, of 26 LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE Muneie, Indiana, to the Commonwealth of Kentucky, in memory of her parents, the Reverend Marion Crosley and M. Adelia Swift Crosley. The contribution of Mrs. Ball was secured through the efforts of Honorable Ross F. Lockridge, of Blooming- ton, Indiana, and James L. Isenberg, Director of the Ken- tucky Pioneer Memorial Association. On occasion of Mr. Lockridge 's visits to Harrodsburg, he became inter- ested in this historic cabin and its traditions, and inter- ested Mrs. Ball in its preservation. The efforts of the members of the Kentucky State Park Commission, Governor Flem D. Sampson, Dean Thomas P. Cooper, Dr. Willard Rouse Jillson, and Mrs. James Darnell, and the efforts of the Executive Commit- tee of the Kentucky Pioneer Memorial Association, Dr. C. B. VanArsdall, Mrs. George W. Edwards, Mr. D. M. Hutton, Mr. Henry Cleveland Wood, Mr. B. F. Norfleet, Mr. W. N. Brown, Dr. G. L. Johnson, Mrs. Cecil Brown, Mr. N. L. Curry and Mr. James L. Isenberg, are recog- nized as potent factors in the accomplishment of this splendid undertaking. The Lincoln Marriage Temple, built in the form of a cross, is designed after old Lulbegrud Church, which was erected in Kentucky 1799. The twelve angles of the cross were emblematic of the twelve apostles. The pulpit stood where the cabin now stands, in the center of the church, so that the minister could be easily heard from all sides. The plans and specifications of the Lincoln Marriage Temple were prepared by Messrs. Nevin, Morgan and Kolbrook, Architects, of Louisville, and their friendly co- operation is gratefully acknowledged. DEDICATION OF TEMPLE The dedication of the Lincoln Marriage Temple was celebrated June 12, 1931, the One Hundred and Twenty- fifth Anniversary of the Marriage of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks. The Temple is Dedicated to Marriage ; within its Sa- cred walls has been placed the Holy Bible — the Guardian of the Sanctity of the Home. LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE 27 REFERENCES (I) Original paper Louisville Courier, February 20, 1874, Louisville Free public Library, Louisville, Kentucky. Lincoln's Parentage and Childhood, by Louis A. Warren, Pgs. 64-65. (II) Affidavit of Mrs. W. D. Carrithers, of Louisville, Kentucky. Mrs. Carrithers is a grand-daughter of the late Robert Mitchell Thompson, who was a nephew of James Thompson, who witnessed the marriage ceremony of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks. Mrs. C. S. H. Vawter was a niece of Robert Mitchell Thompson, and a relative of Mrs. Carrithers, who visited her in Indianapolis. Mrs. Carrithers states that on many occasions refer- ence was made to the marriage of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks in the Richard Berry Cabin, and the name of the owner was correctly known to Mrs. Vawter. Reference to "Frank" Berry in Mrs. Vawter's letter is an error. (III) Paternity of Abraham Lincoln, by William E. Barton, Pg. 328. (IV) Paternity of Abraham Lincoln, by William E. Barton, Pg. 332. (V) W. F. Booker was Clerk of the Washington County Court, Spring- field, Kentucky, for forty-four years. His Deputy Clerk was Mr. Robert Noe. The D. M. Burgess letter of December 31, 1901, was dictated by Mr. Booker and typed by Mr. Robert Noe. This letter is now in the possession of Mr. Noe, who is the present Circuit Court Clerk of Washington County, Kentucky. It was presented to him after the death of Mrs. Euphemia B. Booker, who died in January, 1928, at the age of eighty-four. (VI) Photostatic copies of all affidavits relative to the Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks marriage are lodged in the records of the Filson Club, Louisville, Kentucky. Paternity of Abraham Lincoln, by William E. Barton, Pgs. 337, 372, 373, 374, 375. (VII) Honorable Joseph Polin, who witnessed the deposition, is the son of the late John O. Polin, who was the owner of a portion of the original six hundred acres patented in the name of Richard Berry, Sr., and has given affidavit that his father's property joins the original farm known as the Lincoln Farm, upon which was located the Richard Berry Cabin, in which Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks were married in 1806, and upon which is located a spring known as the "Lincoln Spring." (VIII) Dr. Christopher Columbus Graham's affidavit and statement, Paternity of Abraham Lincoln, by William E. Barton, Pg. 342. (IX) Lincoln Memorial Company. Affidavits of Honorable Robert Noe, Mr. Henry Cleveland Wood, and photostatic copies of Judge W. E. Selecman's letter and pamphlet referred to — Filson Club, Louisville, Kentucky. (X) Minute Books of the Harrodsburg Historical Society and affidavit of Mr. N. L. Curry — Filson Club, Louisville, Ky. MRS. HENRY SPARROW (*) Mrs. Henry Sparrow was the mother of Nancy Hanks. A photo- graphic copy of the Marriage bond of Henry Sparrow and Lucy Hanks, dated April 26, 1790, discovered at Harrodsburg, Kentucky, by the Misses Mary A. and Martha Stephenson, appears on Pgs. 44-45 in William E. Bar- ton' book, "The Women Lincoln Loved." Henry Sparrow came of a good family. There were Sparrows in the House of Burgesses in early days, and some were officers in Colonial Militia. Henry Sparrow was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and served in the Campaign at Yorktown and was pres- ent when Lord Cornwallis surrendered. Nancy Hanks also lived in Harrods- burg and Mercer county prior to and between the years of 1802-1805. She was employed as a seamstress mostly, and was known for her neatness, intelligence, and high character. LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE THOMAS LINCOLN'S MARRIAGE BOND ?u3 / ,,.4> ; u J. I -q >r* ^,,» A // / StfJt* A> ,*'<■*, A /< r-f Yrt; r. *3 ,,^> „« /^A.^,^>^^- % > <* 4< //U A "+**f*t — > A /<, /,.,% '''^4 *«***** .'_ i nWh _j PHOTOSTAT OF BOND Record in Washington County Court House at Springfield, Kentucky. The following- is the wording of the bond : "Know all men by these presents, that we, Thomas Lincoln and Richard Berry, tire held and firmly bound unto his Excellency, the Governor of Kentucky, in the just and full sum of fifty pounds, current money, to the payment of which, well and truly to be made to the said Governor an his successors, we bind ourselves, our heirs, etc., jointly and severally, firmly by these presents, sealed with our seals, and dated this 10th day of June, 1806. The condition of the above obligation is such that, whereas there is a marriage shortly intended between the above bound Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks, for which a license has been issued. Now, if there be no lawful cause to obstruct the said marriage, then this obligation to be void, else to remain in full force and virtue in law. "Thomas Lincoln. (Seal.) "Richard Berry. (Seal.) "Witness, John H. Parrott." LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE 29 THE MINISTER'S MARRIAGE RETURNS ^c'^y Ob i,„L*AjX»7 '\^. A jui £&. ** ^^^^^-^ pass « ^' ^r~/Z 9&?**- >& ^: %£~ *** #7 4 i ; ^~ PHOTOSTAT OF RETURNS Record in Washington County Court House at Springfield, Kentucky. "Washington County, set. : "I do hereby certify that the following is a true list of marriages solemnized by me, the subscriber, since the 2 8th day of April, 1806, until the date hereof. June 26, 1806, joined together in the holy state of matrimony, agreeable to the rites of the M. E. C, Morris Berry and Peggy Sims; November 27, 1806, David Mize and Hannah Peter; March 24, 1807, Charles Ridge and Anna Davis; March 24, 1807, John Head and Sallie Clark; March 27, 1807, Benj. Clark and Polly Head; January 14, 1807, Edward Pile and Rosannah McMahon ; December 23, 1806, Silas Cham- berlain and Betsy West; June 17, 1806, John Springer and Elizabeth Ingram; June 12, 180(5, Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks; September 23, 1806, John C and Hannah White; October 2, 1806, Anthony Lytsey and Kesiah Pirtle ; October 23rd, Aaron Hardin and Hannah B ; April 5th, 1807, Daniel Payne and Christiana Pierce; July 24th, 1806, Benj. Clark and Polly Clark; May, 1806, Hugh Hoskins and Betsey Dyer; September 25th, 1806, John Graham and Catherine Jones. Given under my hand this 2 2nd day of April, 1807. "Jesse Head, D. M. E. C." 30 LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE KENTUCKY LAWS REGARDING MARRIAGE By Editor MAX CHARLESTON, Harrodsburg, Ky. The marriages of the period were solemnized accord- ing to certain very strict rules which permitted of no loop- hole or evasion of any kind whatsoever. The law on the subject was of the most stringent kind and heavy penal- ties were imposed for any infractions. It is interesting to know that the marriage law then in vogue was based on a law of Henry VIII, promulgated in the year 1540 (32 Henry VIII Chap. 38) and although it w T as repealed by a Statute of Edward VI and by one of Phillip and Mary, the repealing acts were never in force in Virginia and never displaced the law of Henry's reign. At the outset the clerk had to watch his step, as it were, in carrying out the preliminary arrangements, and we find that however much trouble he may have had in any particular case, he w T as not entitled to charge more than one dollar for granting a marriage license. This rule was embodied in a special statute which seems to have been rendered necessary according to the preamble by reason of certain abuses of which the Legislature did not approve, but which were lucrative enough to the parties that took advantage of them. As for the license itself, it could only be issued accord- ing to well defined rules contained in Section 8 of the Statute entitled "An Act for regulating the solemniza- tion of Marriages, approved February 3, 1798 (LittelPs Laws of Kentucky, Vol. 2, 1798-1801)*. The section read in part as follows: "Every license for marriage shall be issued by the Clerk of the court of that County wherein the feme usually resides in the manner following, that is to say, the clerk shall take bond with good surety for the sum of fifty pounds current money payable to the gov- LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE 31 ernor for the time being and his successors for the use of the Commonwealth, with condition that there is no lawful cause to obstruct the marriage for which the license shall be desired, and every clerk failing therein shall forfeit and pay fifty pounds current money * * * and if any coun- ty clerk shall in any other manner issue or certify any marriage license * * * every person so offending shall be imprisoned one whole year without bail or mainprize, and shall forfeit and pay five hundred pounds current money recoverable in any court of record within this Common- wealth.' ' Ministers, too, received due and adequate attention from the Legislature. Section 1 'of the Statute last men- tioned provides: "Be it enacted by the General Assem- bly that no minister shall celebrate the rites of marriage between persons or join them together as man and wife without lawful license, and if any minister shall celebrate the rites of matrimony or join any persons in marriage without lawful license as by this Act required, he shall for every offense be imprisoned one whole year without bail or mainprize, and shall also forfeit and pay five hun- dred pounds current money. * * *" Section 2 goes on to say: "It shall and may be law- ful for any ordained minister of the gospel in regular communion with any society of Christians and every such minister is hereby authorized to solemnize the rites of matrimony according to the forms and customs of the church to which he belongs between any persons within this State who shall produce a marriage license pursuant to the directions of this Act ; directed to any authorized minister of the gospel. Provided always that every such minister shall first produce credentials of his ordination and also of his being in regular communion with the Christian Society of which he is reputed a member to the Court of the county in which he resides, shall take the oath of allegiance to this Commonwealth, and enter into bond with two or more sufficient securities in the sum of five hundred pounds current money payable to the Gov- ernor for the time being and his successors conditioned for the true and legal performance of this trust, where- upon such court is hereby required to grant such minister 32 LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE a testimonial in the following form * * V The Statute authorized magistrates on certain condi- tions to perform the marriage ceremony and then goes on to make provision for proof of the marriage performed in accordance with its requirements. Section 6 provides that a register of all marriages must be kept and then it stipu- lates: "That a certificate of every marriage hereafter solemnized, signed by the minister celebrating the same * * shall be by such minister or clerk (as the case may be) transmitted to the clerk of the county wherein the mar- riage is so solemnized within twelve months thereafter, to be entered on record by the clerk in a book by him to be kept for that purpose which shall be evidence of such marriage. Section 7 winds up the matter by providing that: "Every minister or clerk of a congregation (as the case may be) failing to transmit such certificate to the clerk of the Court in due time, shall forfeit and pay the sum of twenty pounds current money and if the clerk of any county shall fail to record such certificate, he shall forfeit and pay the like sum of twenty pounds to be recovered with costs of suit by the informer in any Court of record." The solemnization of any old-time marriage, there- fore, was no haphazard thing, but one carefully regulated by law, which one may truly say never was more drastic in the whole history of the State. LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE 33 RITUAL USED AT MARRIAGE OF LINCOLN'S PARENTS SECTION III The Form of Solemnization of Matrimony At the day and time appointed for Solemnization of Matrimony, the Persons to be married, standing together, the Man on the Right hand and the Woman on the Left, the Minister shall say, Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here, in the sight of Clod, and in the presence of these witnesses, to join together this man and this woman in holy Matrimony : which is an honourable estate, instituted of God in the time of man's innocency, signifying unto us the mystical union that is betwixt Christ and his Church; which holy estate Christ adorned and beautified with his presence, and first miracle that he wrought in Cana of Galilee, and is commended of St. Paul to be honourable among all men; and therefore is not by any to be enterprised or taken in hand unadvisedly, but reverently, discreetly, advisedly, and in the fear of God. Into which holy estate these two persons present come now to be joined. Therefore if any can shew any just cause why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter for ever hold his peace. And also speaking unto the persons that are to be married, he shall say, I require and charge you both (as you will answer at the dreadful day of judgment, when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed) that if either of you know any impediment why you may not be lawfully joined together in matrimony, you do now confess it. For be ye w T ell as- sured, that so many as are coupled together otherwise than God's word doth allow, are not joined together by God, neither is their matrimony lawful. If no impediment be alledged, then shall the Minister say unto the Man, Thomas, wilt thou have this woman to thy wedded Wife, to live together after God's ordinance, in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honour and keep her, in sickness and in health; and for- 34 LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE saking all other, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live? The Man shall answer, I will. Then shall the Minister say unto the Woman, Nancy, wilt thou have this man to thy wedded hus- band, to live together after God's ordinance, in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou obey him, serve him, love, honour, and keep him, in sickness and in health; and forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live ? The woman shall answer, I will. Then the Minister shall cause the Man with his Right Hand to take the Woman by her Right Hand, and to say after him as followeth: I, Thomas Lincoln, take thee, Nancy Hanks, to be my wedded Wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my faith. Then shall they loose their hands, and the Woman with her Right Hand tak- ing the Man by his Right Hand shall likewise say after the Minister: I, Nancy Hanks, take thee, Thomas Lincoln, to be my wedded Husband, to have and to hold, from this day for- ward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sick- ness and in health, to love, cherish, and to obey, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I give thee my faith. Then shall the Minister say, Let us pray. O eternal God, Creator and Preserver of all mankind, Giver of all Spiritual grace, the Author of everlasting life; send thy blessing upon these thy servants, this Man and this Woman, whom we bless in thy Name; that as Isaac and Rebecca lived faithfully together, so these persons may surely perform and keep the vow and covenant be- twixt them made, and may ever remain in perfect love and peace together, and live according to thy laws, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE 35 Then shall the Minister join their right hands together, and say, Those whom God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. Forasmuch as Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks have consented together in holy wedlock, and have wit- nessed the same before God and this company, and there- to have pledged their faith either to other, and have de- clared the same by joining of hands; I pronounce that they are man and wife together, In the name of the Fath- er, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. And the Minister shall add this Blessing: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, bless, preserve and keep you; the Lord mercifully with his favor look upon you, and so fill you with all spiritual benediction and grace, that ye may so live together in this life, that in the world to come ye may have life ever- lasting. Amen. Then the Minister shall say, Our Father who are in heaven, hallowed be tlry Name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven: Give us this day our daily bread; And for- give us our trespasses, as we forgive them that tres- pass against us; And lead us not into temptation; But de- liver us from evil. Amen. Then the Minister shall say, O God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, bless this man and this woman, and sow the seed of eternal life in their hearts, that whatsoever in thy holy Word they shall profitably learn, they may in deed fulfil the same. Look, O Lord, mercifully upon them from heaven, and bless them. And as thou didst send thy blessing upon Abraham and Sarah, to their great comfort ; so vouchsafe to send thy blessing upon this man and woman ; that they, obeying thy will, and alw T ays being in safety under thy protection, may abide in thy love unto their lives end, through Jesus Christ our Lord. — Amen. O God, who by thy mighty power hast made all things of nothing, who also (after other things set in or- der) didst appoint that out of man (created after thine own image and similitude) woman should take her begin- 36 LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE mng; and knitting them together, didst teach that it should never be lawful to put asunder those whom thou by Matrimony hadst made one; O God, who hast conse- crated the state of Matrimony to such an excellent mys- tery, that in it is signified and represented the spiritual marriage and unity betwixt Christ and his Church: Look mercifully upon this man and this woman; that both this man may love his wife, according to thy Word (as Christ did love his Spouse the Church, wdio gave himself for it; loving and cherishing it, even as his own flesh) and also that this woman may be loving and amiable, faithful and obedient to her husband; and in all quietness, sobriety, and peace, be a follower of holy and godly matrons. O Lord, bless them both, and grant them to inherit thy ever- lasting kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. — Amen. Then shall the Minister say, Almighty God, who at the beginning did create our first parents, Adam and Eve, and did sanctify and join them together in marriage, pour upon you the riches of his grace, sanctify and bless you, that ye may please him both in body and soul, and live together in holy love unto your lives end. — Amen. COMMENT The foregoing marriage ceremony is taken from a very old copy of the Methodist Discipline, and is the rit- ual that was in use in 180(5, when Jesse Head, the Method- ist Local Deacon, officiated in the marriage of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks. Methodist preachers were much more punctilious about using the regular ritual of the Church then than they are now. It is almost certain that the foregoing is the ceremony used by Jesse Head. Under the law of the Methodist Church, a local preacher, after having been licensed four years, was eligible to ordi- nation, and Jesse Head was ordained a Deacon by Bishop Francis Asbury, on October 2, 1805. W. E. ARNOLD, Pastor Harrodsburg Methodist Church. LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE 37 THE MAN WHO MARRIED LINCOLN'S PARENTS REV. JESSE HEAD Extracts from address by Dr. W. E. Barton on "The Man Who Married Lincoln's Parents." Jesse Head, son of William Edward Head, was born June 10, 1768, in Frederick County, Maryland. On April 10, 1768, was born in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, Jane Ramsey, to whom he was married January 9. 1789. About 1795, he migrated from Maryland to Kentucky and made his home on Road Run, not far from the Lincolns and Berrys. On October 2, 1805, he was ordained a deacon in the Metbodist Episcopal Church, by Bishop Francis Asbury. He preached the Word on Sundays. He performed numerous marriages. He was Justice of the Peace, and conducted his court in the strictest observance of law and order. He took up civic duties, and was chairman of the board of trustees, while living at Springfield, and after moving to Harrodsburg, occupied the same position, on numerous occasions. He was known as an abolitionist and freely advocated the freeing of slaves. For a livelihood, he was a cabinet maker and at one time, with a son, published a newspaper. He died March 22, 184 2, and was buried with Masonic honors. His grave is in Spring Hill Cemetery, Harrodsburg, Ky. 38 LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE REV. JESSE HEAD Deacon Methodist Episcopal Church (Read by the author at the dedication of the Head Monument in Spring Hill Cemetery, Harrodsburg, Ky., November 2, 1922). He was a man, Grod-f earing and austere, Bold in denunciation of all wrong", And fearless when he battled for the right. He worked in wood on week days at his bench, But on the Sabbath rode and preached the Word, Seeking to bring all sinners unto Christ. Within the counties where he worked and lived, He entered largely in the people's lives, Was one of them, shared joys and sorrows, too. Young couples wed — the groom in suit of jeans, His blushing bride in home-made cap and gown; Perchance the couple rode the selfsame nag. He little dreamed — this earnest man of God — When he united in the holy bonds Of matrimony these tw T o simple lives, Tom Lincoln and his sweetheart, Nancy Hanks, In that rude cabin built of native logs On Beech Fork waters in the long ago — That from this lowly union there would spring A modern Moses to a captive race; A just man, fashioned in heroic mind— Of Hero's stuff — a fearless President — Emancipator — yet a Martyr, too— Abraham Lincoln — Man of Destiny. — Henrv Cleveland Wood. LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE 39 FROM THE LOG CABIN TO THE WHITE HOUSE An obscure cabin in the wilderness of Kentucky and the White House in Washington represent the antipodes of American life. The story of the boy, Abe Lincoln, who became Pres- ident of the United States is gripping and colorful. It is recited as an example for inspiration to the youth of America. No boy ever endured more hardships in trying to gain knowledge than this lad. Beginning life in the backwoods of Kentucky, he made every obstacle in his path to emi- nence a stepping stone to mount higher and higher. And thus is proven the greatness of our government whose institutions make it possible for the humblest, thru merit, to become the mightiest. OPPORTUNITY Master of human destinies am I! Fame, love and fortune on my footsteps wait, Cities and fields I walk; I penetrate Deserts and seas remote, and passing by Hovel, and mart, and palace — soon or late, I knock unbidden once at every gate! — John James Ingalls. UNCOLNS CABIN 40 LINCOLN MARRIAGE TEMPLE LINCOLN, THE TIRELESS TOILER Railsplitter. — Lincoln began his task of railsplitting at the early age of eight and continued off and on until his twenty-third year. At one time he earned a suit of clothes, yard by yard, splitting rails for a neighbor. At another time he was under contract to split three thousand rails for a neighbor. Farmer. — Like most other pioneers, Lin- coln came in contact with much farm work all of the early part of his life. His father had at one time a 348 1-2-acre farm in Kentucky, and other farms and claims at various times as well. When the family moved to Indiana, Abe had to turn out and help his father with the planting, the harvesting, and all the odd jobs necessary about a farm. In Illinois, Thomas Lincoln and Abe raised a crop of corn the same season they arrived there. Boatman. — When he was sixteen, Abe was a ferryman at an Ohio River landing. He ran the boat across Anderson Creek, near iits mouth, where it empties into the Ohio. As his skill in handling a boat grew, one of the neighbors suggested that Lin- coln accompany his son on a business trip down the Mississippi. This was when he was nineteen, in April, 18 28. The trip was made on a fiatboat. His second trip down to New Orleans was made after the family had moved to Illinois. This time he made the trip for Denton Offutt. Carpenter. — Like most of the other pio- neers, Abe was forced to be a carpenter of sorts. A "rough" carpenter, to be sure, but the log cabins he helped build kept out the summer rains and the storms of winter. Neither was it a small feat of carpentry to have built, even with the help of two other men, a fiatboat large enough and durable enough to make the perilous trip down the Mississippi river to New Orleans. Sexton. — The Pigeon Baptist Church, an old log church standing about a quarter of a mile from the grave of Nancy Hanks in Spencer County, Indiana, was visited in 1866 by Caleb Obenshaim who discovered in a crevice between two of the upper logs an old faded memorandum book that had seen much use. He found the entry Dr. to 1 broom Dr. 1-2 doz. tallow candles Abe Lincoln, Sexton. Storekeeper. — Many and varied were his experiences as a clerk and later as part owner of a store himself. It was while he was a storekeeper that Lincoln incurred one of the most discouraging handicaps of his life. He was left with a bankrupt business and eleven hundred dollars worth of debts — a huge sum in that day. How- ever, instead of evading the responsibili- ties, he set to work and paid back his creditors after first going to them and tell- ing them that if they would let him alone he would give them all he could earn over his living, as fast as he could earn it. He said later that this debt was the greatest obstacle he had ever had in his life. Postmaster. — L i n c o 1 n was appointed postmaster of New Salem, Illinois, in 1833. This was his first recognition by the gen- eral public, and the fact that his own poliitical faith was not in harmony with the administration then in power must have assured him that he had gained the good-will of all his neighbors. He was prompt in quarterly payments, and kept the post-office money separate from his other money, by keeping it in an old blue sock. Upon being told that he "might as well have used this money as to have had it tied up in an old stock- ing," he replied: "I never use money that does not belong to me." Soldier. — Lincoln was a volunteer in the Black Hawk war at the age of twenty- three, and was elected captain of his company, most of the members of which were husky, rough young fellows from the neighborhood of New Salem. He stated that this surprise appointment gave him more pleasure than any which he had since had. Surveyor. — John Calhoun, county sur- veyor of Sangamon County in 1833 and 1834, offered Lincoln the job of deputy surveyor and helped him to procure a textbook on the subject. Lincoln sought out his friend, Mentor Graham, the school teacher, and was assisted greatly in mas- tering the text. He conquered the sub- ject after six weeks of studying so tire- lessly that his friends became alarmed over his tired and haggard appearance. He was assigned all the territory in the northwest part of the county and did his first work of record in January, 1834. Lawyer. — The period of Lincoln's great- est law activity lay between 1850 and 1860, the most successful part of this pe- riod being immediately after his return from Congress. He went at law with greater earnestness then, believing himself through with politics. He won many cases with his humorous stories and anecdotes, explaining thus to a friend: "They're eas- ier for common folks to recollect." In his Illinois law days he rode the Ju- dicial Circuit almost constantly, often bor- rowing a horse or hiring a seat in a wagon that was going through. His office was always rather shabbily kept. His accounts and case notes were not well systematized, either, and one Lin- coln collection has an odd bundle with an inscription in Lincoln's handwriting: "If you can't find it anywhere else look in here." Politician. — Though he was defeated the first time he ran for the Illinois legisla- ture, he was elected for four terms straight after that, then declined re-elec- tion. Although defeated in his first campaign for a seat in Congress in 18 43, he did not give up, but in his succeeding years of law practice ever kept an eye on the national phase of politics, with the result that he was elected to Congress in 1846 where he served one term in the lower house. He did not re-enter as a candidate. — Life With the Lincoln.