Benjamin Stout is named by Nathan Stout, in his 1823 manuscript on the Stout Family, as the son of Jonathan Stout and Elizabeth Hixson.[1] His birth in Nov 1756 is unconfirmed. This information is attributed to a DAR file, but DAR now says that service must be proven.[2] Earlier sources attached a pension application from 1833 in Greene County, Pennsylvania to this Benjamin, but he never lived in Pennsylvania and died six years before this pension application. It seems unlikely to be Benjamin of Shelby County, Kentucky. The year of 1756 is corroborated with a tombstone which gives his date of death as 9 Jun 1827, age 71–that makes 1756.[3] He was definitely over 21 in 1782 Prince William County, Virginia tax lists. His brother, Reuben, gave his birth as 1761 in a Revolutionary War pension application.[4] If Benjamin had been in the Revolutionary War, he would have served from Prince William County, Virginia, like his brother, Reuben Stout. Reuben appears on the “Chesterfield Size Roll”[5] with other soldiers including James Hixon of Prince William County—no other Stouts are on the list.
In 1779, his father, John, (could it be his brother?) is named in petition in Prince William Co, VA. No additional records have been located. It is assumed this is a father because none of the sons of Jonathan are named. It is likely his sons were possibly still minors in 1779. There are some online sites that claim the father, John, died in Culpeper County, Virginia, but no records or proof are given. John probably died between 1779 and 1782 in Prince William County, since he does not appear on the tax lists, but a definite date and place has not been confirmed.
Benjamin Stout’s first appearance in records is on the 1782 tax lists in Prince William County.[6]
He appears on Prince William tax lists until 1807.[7] In 1807, he is listed with three additional tithes (white males 16 or older).
By 1808, he had removed his family to Shelby County, Kentucky, where other relatives were lived. On 14 October 1808, Ben purchased 165 acres of land on Brashear’s Creek from Charles Polke Sr (originally patened to Peachy Purdee).[8]
Benjamin first appears on the Shelby County, Kentucky, tax lists in 1808.[9]
In 1810, he is listed on the census with one male over 45, a female over 45, five males age 16-26, and one male and one female age 10-16.[10] (Ancestry and Familysearch index this as “Bice” Stout, but he was called Ben.)
1811 tax list, showing Benjamin owning 165 acres originally patened to Peachy Purdy.[11] In this list, Benjain has an additional two males over 21 and two males 16-21 in his household.
He is listed consistently in tax lists until his death in 1827.
In 1820 census, Benjamin has one male over 45, one female over 45, two females 16-26, and one male 18-26.[12]
Benjamin Stout died 9 June 1827 in Shelby County, Kentucky, age 71. His widow, Mary, died 18 June the same year.[13] A few probate records were created to handle his estate by administrator, Joseph H. Stout. Probate records:
Probate Book 8, p 46: Inventory, 30th July 1827: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89DP-24SP
Probate Book 8, p 88: Sale Bill, 31 July 1827, a second sale on 8 Nov 1827; recorded Dec 1827: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9DP-2473
Probate Book 8, p 253: Settlement of estate, rec. Sep 1829. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89DP-2WLS
After his death, his heirs began selling their interest in his land. In fact, two daughters, Catharine and Ann, actually sued their brother, Joseph H. Stout, as administrator of Benjamin, to force a division of the land.[14]
Son Enoch—then of Clark County, Indiana—sold his 1/11th share of the estate to John Stout.[15]
This presents that there were 11 children who inherited when Benjamin died. The other 10 children are named in a transaction where nine of them sell their interests to another brother, Joseph H. Stout.
Heirs sell land, Shelby Deed M-2, p 128[16]
The 11 children of Benjamin Stout, based on direct evidence of the deeds in Shelby County, Kentucky: Sarah Cooper, John Stout & his wife Elizabeth, Catharine Stout, Thomas Stout & his wife Patsey of Shelby County…Edmund Thurmond & his wife Elizabeth, Aaron Stout & his wife Patsey, Ann Stout of Spencer County…Simpson Stout & his wife Polly of Davis County (KY)…Johnathon Stout of Orange County (IN)…to Joseph H. Stout of Shelby County. (The eleventh heir is Enoch Stout who sold his 1/11th interest in the estate on 28 July 1827 to his brother, John Stout.)
Another deed found in Deed Book B-2, p 167, between Ann Stout to Sarah Cooper, states that the division of land was recorded in Will Book 9, page 54.[17] Unfortunately, the will book is missing or otherwise not available.
Conflicting Information
The information that a Benjamin Stout was in the Revolutionary War cannot be confirmed. Herald Stout’s book, Stout and Allied Family, gave a Greene County, PA pension, but Benjamin never lived in Green County. The pension was not attached, and it has not been located at Fold3.com, Revwarapps.org or in the Pennsylvania Revolutionary War card index.
There are issues with the Findagrave profiles linking some children to Benjamin Stout—they are not all correct. Currently (9/30/2023)
- Simpson b Jan 26 1785, d Dec 10 1851. m. Mary Miller 1819—confirmed with deed.
- Joseph Hutchinson Stout—confirmed by deed.
- Aaron m Jane Niel Stout, he died 80 years old and is buried in Selma, Delaware County. Ind. Information courtesy of InGenWeb Project. This is the wrong Aaron. Benjamin’s Aaron lived in Shelby County, Kentucky, and later moved to Vigo County, Indiana. The other Aaron (m. Jane Neel) lived in Henry and Delaware Counties. He is part of the Quaker Stouts and online trees show him as the son of Charles and Lydia Noblett Stout.
- Jonathan b Feb 3 1789, d Oct 10 1853, m. Zaruah Ackers 1817—Many, many trees list this Jonathan as the son of Benjamin and add a son, Reuben H. Stout. This is incorrect because Benjamin’s son, Jonathan, was a widower who lived in Orange Co, IN—proved by the deed. This Jonathan later married in 1842 to the widow, Jane Taylor, and died in Crawford County, Indiana in 1851. He left a will naming his son, Reuben H. Stout and mentioned 7 heirs. The Jonathan who married Zaruah Akers lived in Washington Co, IN and later died in 1853 in Clay County, IN. Deeds in Clay County partitioning his land name his children: Reuben Stout of Daviess Co, KY; Nathan; Rebecca Stout Chastain, Catharine Stout Crichfield, David Stout.
- Thomas b Mar 4 1799, d Jun 30 1872. Benjamin had a son Thomas confirmed by the deed.
The recorded children of Benjamin Stout.
The 11 heirs of Benjamin Stout are clearly and definitively named in deeds of Shelby Co, KY. If there were other children, they did not survive to inherit from Benjamin’s estate.
1. Sarah (Stout) Cooper, born between 1775-1779 possibly New Jersey, but probably in Prince William County, Virginia. She married Charles Cooper. Their family is found in the 1810 Shelby County, Kentucky census with 2 boys under 10. By 1820, two females are added to the family. Charles Cooper died 1824 in Shelby County, Kentucky. Four children were named in probate or other records—Benjamin Stout Cooper, John Cooper, Nancy Jane (later wife of Hazael Tucker) and Elizabeth “Betsy” Ann (later wife of Edmund Terrell). Joseph Stout and John Stout were guardians to the children.
2. Elizabeth (Stout) Thurmond was born about 1781 (see 1850 Spencer KY census). She married Edmund Thurmond, probably in Virginia. Edmund is on the 1807 tax list for Prince William County, Virginia. The 1820 and 1830 census records show several children in the family. Elizabeth is listed in the 1850 Spencer County, Kentucky, census as a lone female, age 69.
3. Enoch Stout was born about 1783 (based on his age , 66, listed in his death announcement in the Louisville KY papers). He married Delilah Whitaker. They lived in Indiana and eventually Jefferson County, Kentucky, where he was the superintendent for a poor house. He died in Louisville in 1849. His widow, with children and grandchildren, is listed in 1850 Shelby County, Kentucky census. He had the following known children: Sarah A. (Stout) Rager, Mary E. (Stout) Rager, and Benjamin E.W. Stout.
4. Johnathon Stout, son of Benjamin and Mary (Hutchinson) Stout, was born about 1784 (based on 1850 Crawford County, IN census). He married Nelly Sherwood, daughter of Robert and Eleanor (VanDyke) Sherwood in 1810 in Jessamine County, Kentucky. Nelly was named in her father’s will written 1829 and probated 1830. Jonathan Stout—called Jonathan Stout Senr.—purchased land from his cousins, Jonathan and Reuben Stout (sons of Reuben and Mary (VanDyke) Stout) in 1818 in Orange County. No wife is shown in the 1840 census. Jonathan moved to Crawford County, Indiana, and married the widow Jane Taylor. They are listed in the 1850 Crawford County census with her son Robert L. Taylor. Jonathan died in 1851 leaving a will naming his wife and her son, and mentioning 7 heirs, but only naming his “worthy and esteemed son Rheuben H. Stout,” and Martha Stout living with John Dougherty. (A John Dougherty married Catharine Stout, 1843, Orange County.)
5. Simpson Stout, born 26 Jan 1785 (from his tombstone, see photo at Findagrave) in Prince William County, Virginia. He married Polly Miller on 9 Jan 1819 in Shelby County, Kentucky. He moved to Daviess County, Kentucky, and was settled there when he joined his siblings to sell his father’s land in 1830. Simpson died on 10 Dec 1851.
6. Joseph H. Stout was born 26 Feb 1787 in Prince William County, Virginia. He married Polly Ashby in 1810, in Shelby County, Kentucky. Joseph is listed on the 1811 tax list, page 40, a few lines above his father, Benjamin. In 1820, Joseph is listed next to Tinson Ashby on the census. No wife is indicated, so it is probable that Polly (Ashby) Stout had died. No children are enumerated in Joseph’s household. Joseph H. Stout married Elizabeth Veech, daughter of George Veech, in 1830; she died before 1833. Joseph H. Stout married Martha Veech, sister to Elizabeth, in 1833. Joseph and daughter, Martha, are living with a son-in-law and daughter, Aaron P. and Mary (Stout) Carrothers on the 1850 Census. He died later that year.
7. John Stout, although the 1850 census of Daviess County, Kentucky lists 43 as John’s age, he was married in 1814 to his cousin, Elizabeth Stout, dau of Reuben Stout. If he were at least 21 at the time, his birth would be before 1793.
8. Aaron Stout was born about 1794 in Prince William County, Virginia. He married Martha “Patsey” Norman on 6 Jan 1818 in Shelby County, Kentucky. Aaron Stout is often listed as “Aaron Stout Jr” to differentiate him from his uncle Aaron Stout (wife of Jane Waters). Aaron Jr is often mistakenly listed as a son of Aaron Sr, but the deed for selling Benjamin Stout’s land confirms that Aaron Stout and his wife Patsey were Benjamin’s heirs. Aaron and Patsey later moved to Vigo County, Indiana.
9. Thomas Stout was born 4 Mar 1799 in Prince William County, Virignia. His birthdate is calculated from the age given on his tombstone. He married Mrs. Polly McQuaid Shackleford on Christmas Day 1821 in Shelby County, Kentucky. Census records show that he removed to Morgan County, Indiana. He died on 20 June 1872.
10. Catharine Stout was born about 1801 in Prince William County, Virginia. She is listed as a single woman in the deed where she and her siblings sell the land of Benjamin Stout. She married in 1832 to Stout Whitehead. She died on 9 March 1843 in Daviess County, Kentucky.
11. Ann Stout was also listed as a single woman in the deed selling her father’s estate. She was still single in 1834 when she sold her lot of land to her sister, Sarah Cooper. Ann’s birth is not known, but she is likely one of the two younger females listed in Benjamin’s 1820 household, age 16-26—so born between 1794 and 1804. A death date has not been determined, but she was alive in 1834 when she sold land.
[1] Stout, Nathan. History of the Stout Family, 1823. Page 24 , the family of Jonathan Stout and Elizabeth Hixon. https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/viewer/58243/?offset=0#page=1&viewer=picture&o=info&n=0&q=
[2] https://services.dar.org/public/dar_research/search_adb/?action=full&p_id=A110667
[3] https://www.bartemanuel.com/Stout-Study-p/p20.htm, note S141 citing an e-mail message with details from a cemetery.
[4] http://revwarapps.org/s14574.pdf
[5] Chesterfield Size Roll. https://revwarapps.org/b69.pdf
[6] Prince William VA Tax List, 1782 A p3, line 1. https://www.familysearch.org/search/film/007895946. Also named are Benjamin Hixon and several Hutchinsons.
[7] Prince William VA Tax List, 1807 A p15, line 26. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4X-S33S-4
[8] Shelby KY Deed I p215. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4L-Y5MV
[9] https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS3J-8QQ4
[10] 1810 Census Shelby KY page 673. “United States Census, 1810,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YY2-SP81?cc=1803765&wc=QZZC-BRQ%3A1588180103%2C1588181721%2C1588179902 : 1 December 2015), Kentucky > Shelby > Not Stated > image 29 of 47; citing NARA microfilm publication M252, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
[11] https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS3J-83LJ
[12] “United States Census, 1820,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYBS-92ST?cc=1803955&wc=3L7N-ML4%3A1586986501%2C1586985051%2C1586984616 : 16 July 2015), Kentucky > Shelby > Not Stated > image 22 of 73; citing NARA microfilm publication M33, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
[13]https://www.bartemanuel.com/Stout-Study-p/p20.htm, note S141 citing an e-mail message with details from a cemetery.
[14] Shelby Ky Order Book, 1826-1831, p169. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9PK-D9XV-6
[15] Shelby KY Deed W p68. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4G-MSRY-9
[16] Shelby KY Deed M-2, p128. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKH-W925-L
[17] Shelby KY Deed B-2, p167. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4G-M4G4-B
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