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ANCESTORS
Pendleton
Kilgore

Rev JOHN PENDLETON 1782?-1861
JEMIMA KILGORE 1794-1868
Married about 1810 Russell County, VA

John & Jemima (Kilgore)Pendleton
Old Pendleton Cemetery, North of Farmersville
Collin County, Texas

Compiler: Donald Earl McKinney, Jr

Rev John Pendleton was born between 1782/1792 & was the son of Benjamin Pendleton, a Revolutionary War veteran who left Amherst County Virginia during the 1780’s and settled in southwest Virginia along the Clinch River of what is now Scott County. The Pendleton ancestors originally came from Norwich, England and settled in Virginia during the 1660's.

Benjamin married Frances Carter who was killed in 1791 during an indian attack at Mocassin Gap near the Clinch River. He is believed to have married his wife’s sister Sarah Carter a few months later. Frances & Sarah Carter were daughters of Peter & Judith (Norris) Carter who also came from the Amherst County, VA area, settlling in the Clinch River area at same time as the Pendleton family.

John Pendleton's actual birth year is not known & it is not clear if John was the son of Frances or Sarah. His tombstone reads 1782, however, other records state 1792. John married Jemima Kilgore about 1810. Jemima was the daughter of William & Virginia (Osborne) Kilgore, a neighboring family on the Clinch River. Jemima’s grandparents, Robert & Winney (Clayton) Kilgore were pioneer settlers in that area of southwest Virginia. Robert was a Revolutionary War veteran of Scotch-Irish ancestry.

John Pendleton was a Methodist minister and farmer in that area of Virginia, but decided to move his family to northeast Texas, near Farmersville, Collin County. This was in 1858 & their overland trip by wagon train took about 64 days, passing through the states of Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas & probably Indian Territory. Several of their children made the trip with them. Jemima's sister, Jane (Kilgore) Bickley, the widow of William Bickley, also made the trip with several of her children.

John Pendleton died on their place in 11 October 1861 just a few months after the beginning of the Civil War. Jemima died 28 May 1868 and was buried next to her husband in the Pendleton family cemetery.
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From "Scott County, Virginia and its people 1814-1991" article submitted by Maxine Pendleton Sanders: "Rev. John Pendleton, a descendant of William and Elizabeth Tinsley Pendleton of Amherst County, Virginia, was born the son of Benjamin Pendleton- - - -As a farmer and Methodist Minister, Rev. John spent many years in that part of Lee, Russell and Scott Counties uniting in marriage many of the early Virginia settlers during the early 1800's. - - - -In 1858, Rev. John and his son John Craig- - - -and with other members of the family moved to Collin County, Texas. - - - -In a letter to Thomas Horton (1859), Rev. John described the new country as bountiful. "If I were young and back in Virginia and know what I know now about Texas, I could not be kept there." In his letters, Rev. John described his arrival in Texas as like "John in the Isle of Patmos. Almost banished from friends and no meeting houses." But he was invited to speak in homes schools, and the Masonic Hall in Farmersville, preaching every Sunday in Farmersville, Rev. John died Oct 11, 1861."
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(Letter from Rev John Pendleton to Thomas Horton of Scott County VA)
"Collin County June the 3rd 1859
Dear Brother Thos Horton I Sit down this evening to drop you a few lines to let you know that we are all well and well pleased with the country hoping these few lines will find you and family enjoying the Same like blessings. I would have written to you before but did not know where to direct my letter until I rcd a letter from James Duncan which informed me you were in the Cove. I will try to give you a description of Collin Co as fare as I have Sean for beauty and Soil it cannot be beat on earth the Prairies lies high and just rolling enough to drain the water off between the branches of the Sabine. The Prairies is about 1/2 mile wide and on the branches timber enough to answer the demands of the country. These branches run up the divide between the Sabine and Trinity rivers and some of them is from 1/2 mil to 50 miles in longth. These Prairies are covered with grass that looks like a wheat field with numerous heards of cattle and deer. Some times can be Sean twenty in a gang. The Prairies at this Season of the yar is over Spread with flowers of every tint and hue. The land is all take up in Collin Co. but a plenty for Sale. I know of three four hundred acre tracks it is said can be had for $2.00 per acre on half timber and the other half Prairie land and a great many other tracks that can be had for $2.50 per acre. If you intend to move to this Country the Sooner you come the better it will be for you as land is rising verry fast. There is a 350 acre track joins me that has got a good double house orchard and about 45 acres in cultivation that can be had for $3000.00. I think this will be a great Season for people to move to Texas as there was planty of wheat made and a good looking chance for corn. If I was young and back in Virginia and know what I now know about Texas I could not be kept there. I would beg my passage to Texas. My opinion is that Collin Co. is a great deal healthier a place than the Rye Cove. The water does not lie on the ground and the Springs and wells is not fed by Stagnated water. There is always a pleasant air stirring on the Prairies though verry Sultry in the timber. Our wheat harvest is over here and the people is generally done laying by their corn and better looking corn I never saw grow out of the ground. Please tell Mr. Robert F. Dorton that he could do much better in this country than in Va. as good wagonmaking can do well here. I will not bring my letter to a close as I want to write a few lines to Brother Harry Carter. Please write as Soon as this comes to hand and let me know how you are getting along. To Thos Horton. John Pendleton"

(Letter from Rev John Pendleton to his first cousin Harry Carter of Scott Co VA)
"Collin County Texas June the 3d 1859
Dar Brother and Sister in Christ I take this opportunity to drop you a few lines to let you know that we are all well and well satisfied with the country hoping these few lines may find you enjoying the same like blessings. I have had better health since I left Va for the same length of time than I have had for many years. I should like verry much to see you once more in the flesh but I never expect to see you until the judgment of the great day but hope in God to see you in that better world where parting will be no more. I have often thought of you and drempt of seeing you, & how glad I was. I often think of being at your house and seeing old Harry smile when I slept in and the many good dishes of coffee my dear Sister Polly has dished out to me and the happy Seasons we have had togeather but now more than a thousand miles apart.
A word now to Sister Polly in regard to her beautiful flowers in her garden. Her garden is nothing in comparrison to our Prairies for beauty. They are covered the bloom from the large rose down to the little pink. When the Seed gets ripe I will Send you Some of the beauties of Texas. When you get these linesI want you to write to me and let me know how you are geting along. When I got to Texas I felt like John did in the isle of Patmus almost banished from friends no meeting houses. An old Baptist Sister invited me to preach at her house. My first sermon was from Paul to the Romans the first chapter and the 15 and 16 verses. I have since bin preaching in a School House near Farmersville and in the Masonic Hall in Farmersville. We have Missionary Baptist and old side Baptist and Methodist. The presiding Elder here is James Belamy that used to be with us at Copper Creek in the time of that big revival. I have not heard a Shout in Texas except Mary Pendleton. Tell old Brother Tommy Carter that I had the pleasure of spending one night in talking with old Robt Gibson and saw Matha Moss and passed by Charles Nelson but did not know it until I had passed his house. Matha Moss is independent of this world he clears about $60.00 per day from his saw mill and gris mill Gibson had not heard any thing of Elijah Caretr for three or four years. I must conclud my letter Write when this comes to hand.
To Harry and Polly Carter. John Pendleton"

Children of John & Jemima (Kilgore) Pendleton:

Child 1: Malinda PENDLETON
Born: 21 Dec 1810 Russell Co VA/Died: 10 Sep 1861 Farmersville(Collin) TX
Married: Daniel Price

Child 2: William Gaines PENDLETON
Born: Abt 1813 Scott Co VA/Died: 11 May 1875 Farmersville(Collin) TX
Married: Charlotte COUPLAND(1)//Rhoda Day CHANDLER(2)

Child 3: Hiram Kilgore PENDLETON
Born: Abt 1815 Scott Co VA/Died: 1 Nov 1888 Rye Cove(Scott) VA
Married: Eliza Jane RICHMOND

Child 4: Ira Dunlap PENDLETON
Born: 1818 Scott Co VA/Died: Abt 1887 Owsley Co KY
Married: Phoebe FLANNERY

Child 5: Isaac Newton PENDLETON
Born: Abt 1819 Scott Co VA/Died: Abt 1883 Jack Co TX
Married: MARY (1)//Lucy SHIFFLETT (2)

Child 6: Jane PENDLETON
Born: Abt 1820 Scott Co VA/Died: 1879 Scott Co VA
Married: John DUNCAN

Child 7::John Craig PENDLETON
Born: 27 Jul 1826 Scott Co VA/Died: 22 Dec 1910 Farmersville(Collin) TX
Married: Martha Ann ASBURY

Child 8: Eliza PENDLETON
Born: Abt 1829 Scott Co VA/Died: 27 Feb 1897 Gainesville(Cooke) TX
Married: Monroe LEGG (1)//Elijah W. HENDRIX (2)

Child 9: Andrew Jackson PENDLETON
Born: Abt 1831 Scott Co VA/Died: Unknown
Married: Sallie TAYLOR

Child 10: Allison Osborne PENDLETON
Born: 25 Oct 1832 Scott Co VA/Died: 10 Oct 1914 Pidcoke(Coryell) TX
Married: Rebecca LAWSON

Child 11: SARAH ELIZABETH PENDLETON
Born: Abt 1837 Scott Co VA
Married: ANDREW J. “Jack” GAYLOR 12 Sep 1867 Collin Co TX
Died: 26 Dec 1886 Lander (Fremont) Wyo
Buried: Borners Garden, Sinks Canyon, Lander, Wyo

Child 11: Minerva Jemima PENDLETON
Born: 11 Sep 1839 Scott Co VA/Died: 1 Mar 1907 Wolfe City(Hunt) TX
Married: Levi HOWELL (1)//Joseph R. BUCHANAN (2)

Child 12: Melvin C. PENDLETON
Born: Abt 1840 Scott Co VA/Died: Unknown
Married: Mary E. DAVIS (1)//Narcissa Margaret BRUMMETT (2)
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I am very grateful to the following "distant cousins" whose records, photographs, stories & oral traditions, along with my own, helped us all gain a better understanding of our family heritage:

The late Jim Phillips of Dallas TX (A Pendleton descendant & researcher who provided the letters written by Rev Pendleton)

Rita Roose of Farmersville, TX (A Kilgore descendant & researcher)