Seven Daughters

 In his Will, John Lester of Lawrence County left everything to his wife Mary and upon her death to be divided amongst his seven daughters, Nancy Lester, Anna Lester, Dorches Lester, Hanah Lester, Margret Lester, Susanna Lester, and Jane Lester, “except what my daughter Margret received of Samuel Parr for taking care of a child that I allow her to have to herself.” He appointed Joseph Baird as Executor and signed the document with his mark on August 20, 1822. William and Mariah Stockwell signed with their marks as witnesses. The will was probated February 1823. Lawrence County Will Book A

Editor’s note: You just have to love a man who has seven daughters….and none of them married. Although the Lawrence County records show that Hannah married John Johnston August 13, 1827, there are no marriage records for the other girls. And wasn’t John just grand about letting his daughter Margaret keep the money she received, instead of adding it to his estate and then dividing it up among her sisters? But why did she receive money from Samuel Parr? For taking care of a child according to her father’s Will. Whose child? Was she the babysitter or …something more?

An earlier blog noted that Samuel Parr was a carpenter and house builder living in Knox County in the early 1800’s. He is believed to have helped build the Knox County Courthouse. He ran for Knox County Coroner in 1816 and Sheriff in 1818, but withdrew from that race because of family troubles. Sam was expelled from the Masonic Lodge for ungentlemanly and un- Masonic- like conduct in 1817 according to an article in the VINCENNES WESTERN SUN but then reinstated a year later.

Just so the record is clear, I am not saying anything un- gentlemanly occurred between Samuel Parr and Margret Lester. History is silent but for the strange wording in her father’s Will.