Tom McCabe's Genealogy 2025

After Lexington KY was founded a city government was created. Henry McDonald was one of five Trustees of Lexington elected on March 21, 1781.

These records from Augusta Co Va refer to the estate record of Henry McDonald's father Francis and his brother Samuel:

From Chalkey's book, "Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish in Virginia", Vol 3.

Will Book 3 Augusta Co Va Page 57.--19th July, 1761. Francis Donnally's will--Wife, Sarah (and the child she now bears); six sons, Samuel, Henry, Francis, William, John, James; daughter, Mary. Executors, wife, Wm. Ledgerwood, James Callison. Teste: John Berryhill, David Scott, Alex. McFeeters, Archibald Armstrong. Proved. 18th August, 1761, by McFeeters and Armstrong. Executors qualify, with Thomas Meek and Hugh Martin. Sarah's mark X.

Francis' name must have been McDonald as these records indicate.

Page 143.--15th November, 1761. Francis McDonald's estate, appraised by Saml. Downey, Thos. Teat, Thos. Brown.

1772 Henry McDonald is administrator of his brother Samuel's estate.

Page 170. 18th Sept, 1779 . Henry McDonald and Martha, Francis McDonald and Margaret, Hugh Martin and Mary, John and James McDonald, to William Allen, in Beverely Manor on Christian's Creek, Teste: John Graham, James Brattain, Adam and John Bratton, James Fulton.

These records show that Henry McDonald of the Highlands region (Augusta,Highland,Botecourt) was in Capt Lockridge's unit in Dunmore's War.

Dunmore’ War was a conflict between the Colony of Virginia and the Native Americans of the Ohio Valley. Following increased raids and attacks on frontiersmen in this region, the Royal Governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore, organized a large force of militia and marched to Fort Pitt arriving at the end of August 1774. Dunmore also ordered Colonel Andrew Lewis, commander of the southwestern Virginia militia, to raise an army in the south and meet Dunmore’s force along the Ohio River. Lewis formed militia companies from Augusta, Bedford, Botetourt, Culpeper, Dunmore, Fincastle, and Kentucky counties. After Colonel Lewis’ victory at the Battle of Point Pleasant, Dunmore successfully negotiated a peace treaty with the Delaware, Mingo, and Shawnee chiefs that prevented them from settling or hunting south of the Ohio River.

The names in the fellow soldiers in these records clearly indicate that this Henry McDonald is from the Bullpasture/Cowpaster region.

Evidently Francis McDonald lost his gun during the campaign.

From Abstracts of Wills of Augusta Co, VA by Chalkley, Deed Book No 21 of Augusta Co VA " 18th Sept, 1779. Henry McDonald and Martha...." in a sale of Beverley Manor on Christian's Creek.

Taken from "History of Lexington Kentucky: ..." by George W. Ranck.

(My Note: The McDonald brothers and related Martin families left Augusta Co Va circa 1780, moving to the Lexington neighborhood, according to Hugh Martin's DAR biography.)

1781. FIRST LOT OWNERS.

On the 26th of December, 1781,* the trustees of Lexing- ton station adopted a plan for the town, and the lots defined in it were disposed of by them to the inhabitants, who " were required to pay a proportionable part of the money neces- sary to build the public houses and expenses arising toward good order and regularity in the town."

The names of those who secured lots at that time are recorded as follows in "the Trustees' Book:" James Master- son, William McDonald, Henry McDonald, .... Francis McDonald, ... Hugh Martin, ..., John McDonald, ... Hugh McDonald, ... John Martin, ... John M. McDonald, ... , William Martin, James McDonald, ....

( Probable McDonalds/Martins from Highlands of Va)

*City Records.

BUILDERS OF LEXINGTON FORT Many of Whom Were Later Residents of Bourbon County. Ref.-Ill Historical Collection-George Rogers Clark Papers, p. 521-Commonwealth of Virginia April 13, 1781 for expenditures for work on the Fort at Lexington.

John Morrison David Mitchell Levi Todd .... Francis McDurmed Francis McDurmed, Jr. John Borrance Henry McDonald Robt. Stanhope ....

"The History of Pioneer Lexington, 1779-1806" , Charles R. Staples with a Foreword by Thomas D. Clark, 1939, 1996.

Page 11: The trustees' book under the date of March 26, 1781 shows: "The inhabitants of the Town of Lexington, met to choose trustees for the said town, when the following persons were chose: to wit: Levi Todd, Robert Patterson, David Mitchell, Henry McDonald, Michael Warnock."

Pages 4-6:

"John Wymore and his family arrived in Lexington in the fall of 1779. He carried in his hunting bag the first pig brought to Lexington. 'In the spring of 1781, he with James Watson and Henry McDonald were hauling timber from a hill (now the site of Central Christian Church at Walnut and Short Streets), when a alarm of "Indians" was given. These men retreated towards the fort, but when they reached what is now and Short Streets, Wymore was shot by an Indian. McDonald took refuge behind a wild cherry tree growing where the Court House now stands and shot the Indian as he stooped over to scalp Wymore. The alarm reached the fort and headed by James Masterson, a brother-in-law of Wymore's relief came immediately."

The Tax List for Fayette Co KY had the following men:

Hugh Hicklin Francis McDaniel Henry McDaniel John McDaniel Hugh McDaniel Hugh Martin (Henry's Brother-in-law)

(All were recent arrivals from Augusta VA area.)

Also known as McDaniel or McDonnell.

The following information makes it very certain that Henry McDonald of early Lexington is the same man who came from Augusta VA in 1779 with others from the county, including his McDonald brothers and his brother-in-law Hugh Martin. Henry's second wife Sarah survived him and moved with her children to Indiana about 1820.

THE HISTORY OF WALNUT HILL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (FAYETTE COUNTY, KENTUCKY) By Rev Robert Stuart Sanders, DD

Kentucky Historical Society Frankfort, Ky 1956

This church is in a suburb of modern Lexington KY.

Various member of Henry's family and relatives are mentioned in passages in the book. These are some:

1. pg 12. 1801. “The two betsy McDonals & Sally Martin professed to be in doubts … nervous fits 2 of them imprudently climbed up on the stand.” “Joseph Martin’s family and James McDonals, Francis McDonals &c held society& out of 40, 19 fell down, … Martins and McDonals fell in the Meeting house on Monday.”

2. pg 14 . “Hugh Martin trembled and fell.” “Billy Martin, Sally Martin, and James Martin all fell and seemed joyful and Old Mrs. Martin seemed much more revived ..”

(List of Members Taken from List in Shane Collection, Presbyterian Historical Library, Philadelphia)

3. pg 18. June 1787. Levi Todd, Jane Todd, Henry McDonald, Sarah McDonald,… (I think this is Henry’s Mother - Sarah Hodge McDonald. Henry's first wife Martha died about this same time.) June 1788. Samuel Martin, Mary Martin,
4. pg 19. June 1792. John McDonald Sept 23, 1792 Sarah Heckling, Cane-Ridge (I think this is Sarah Heckling, Henry McDonalds future second wife.)
5. pg 20. July 1801. Since admitted at different Sacraments. Betsy McDonald at Pleasant Point; Patsy McDonald (Lexington).
6. page 22, Subscription of Robert Stuart’s Salary in Walnut Hill 1803 Henry McDonald 3 Dollars
7. page 23, Mentioned in minutes, “May 1819, Sarah McDaniel removed Apr 1820 “ (Sarah-widow of Henry and her family were moving to Indiana at this time.)

Bourbon Co marriages on familysearch.org has this information about Henry and Sally's marriage taken from original Kentucky records.

Henry McDonald Sarah Hicklen 28 Dept 1793 Bourbon co. Her father's name was Hugh.

Some Information about Rebecca's parents come from the the notes of R Byron Bird, who wrote NEESE NOTES, which was published in 1979. The information is not in the book but in his vast collection of data on Turley, Hicklin and McNabb families.

Tax List 1800: Henry McDaniel Fayette Co Tax Date: 11/7/1800

Henry McDonald lived close to Daniel Boone's relative in Fayette Co.

Hugh Hicklin's will of 1811 in Bath County referred to Henry McDaniel of Fayette Co KY.

Fayette Co KY Will Book D Page 3 25 APR 1816 


Henry McDonald 
Sarah, his wife 
Children: 
1. Sally Sanders 
2. Polly Martin 
3. Betsy Knox 
4. William McDonald 
5. Patsy Cartmill 
6. Henry McDonald 
7. Ann Cartmill 
8. Jane Hicklin 
9. John McDonald 
10.Eliza McDonald 
11.Margaret McDonald 
12.Rebecca McDonald

The signature on this will, was spelled McDonnell. But 
someone else could have signed for him. In the actual body of the will the 
children were listed as McDonald. Several plantantions around him were named. One is Bullock Plantation. His will was witnessed by Samuel 
McDonald and James McDonald.