The "GOODRUM PAPERS"
Written by Mildred Ackerman Jent - 1968
CHAPTER TWO
The exact date of birth of BENNETT
GOODRUM, your Revolutionary War ancestor is not known. His wife, SARAH
(GARNER) GOODRUM, was born about 1763. They began their married life in
Brunswick and Greensville counties in southern Virginia. Brunswick is the old
county from which a chunk was cut off in 1791 and so became Greensville County.
Bennett and Sarah were parents of ten children. I have the names of seven of
them but the other three are unknown. The seven are: (1) Nancy Mason Goodrum,
(2) Elizabeth Goodrum, (3) Patsy Goodrum, (4) Sarah Goodrum, (5) John J.
(Jackie) Goodrum, (6) James G. Goodrum, and (7) Thomas Goldsmith Goodrum.
It seems that three families: the Adams, the Goodrum, and the Cooksey
families lived close together in southern Virginia. They intermarried a number
of times and when Kentucky was opened to settlers many of them came to Warren
County, Kentucky.
It is thought that Bennett and his wife came West with his sister, Martha (Goodrum)
Adams, and her husband, Collin Adams and settled first in Sumner County,
Tennessee, at least, his son John J. and daughter Patsy were both married in
Sumner County. However, Bennett did not remain there but for a short time as
he was in Warren County when he died in 1823. He and his wife, who died on
December 27, 1851, are buried on the "Kitty Cooksey Farm" near Allen Springs
about 1 1/2 miles south of the Warren County line.
One of the oldest children was a daughter, (1) Nancy Mason Goodrum, born May
29, 1781 - died October 14, 1863. In 1803, she was married to Thomas Cooksey in
Virginia. He was a son of John Baptist Cooksey. Now, Thomas and Nancy were
left John Baptist's plantation with the understanding that they remain in
Virginia as long as John Baptist's wife lived. Therefore, Thomas and Nancy did
not get to Kentucky until 1820. These two were the first owners of the old
Cooksey Place mentioned above. Upon their deaths, the farm was left to one of
the sons, Thomas, Jr.. (born 1822 - died 1891). Thomas Jr. married his cousin,
Eliza Parmelia (Kitty) Goodrum, (born 1823 - died June 15, 1903). After the
death of Thomas, Jr., the farm was known as, "The Kitty Cooksey Farm". One of
the daughters, (born 1846 - died 1928), married Dr. H. C. Smith, (born 1843 -
died 1910). They were the parents of Herbert Smith of Allen Springs and present
owner of the "Kitty Cooksey Farm". His daughter, Lucille, married Pearl Lightfoot.
Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five |
Chapter Six | Chapter Seven | Chapter Eight | Chapter Nine | Chapter Ten |