Married in Guilford County, NC, in 1778,
presumed buried here, see photo which says:
• "Old Cummings Cemetery, Boyd Bend near Loudin, is now completely destroyed.
Some of the old Cummings family were buried here. Source: Johnny Cox, Sr."
--by Denise 2013

Note: Headstone photo posted here names children of John Reagan and Nancy Findley buried in Jay Conatser Cemetery, Fentress County, Tennessee; not the children of John and Nancy (Turner) Cummins in Whitley County, Kentucky. John Cummins is said to have died years before any of these children were born. This marker is in Tennessee.
--by Wes (47141587) 7-27-24.

On Find A Grave.

The image referred to is the large gravestone back with a list John’s and Nancy’s children.

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There is a 1770 North Carolina, Craven County, no township listed, early census for a John Cummings.

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Alternative birthdate 1761.

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In 1810 living in Knox, Kentucky.

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Vivs Laliberte email August 15, 2025:
Here's the contents of the .md file.
They clearly made an error, if you plat out the land as the gave it there are hundreds of feet between the supposed beginning and end, the boundary lines cross over themselves (which can't happen, you would have a nomans land where they crossed, among other problems) and the land entry only covers about 94 acres. With the change to 150 instead of 50 on that one leg of the boundary, we get something that DOES close (within 4 poles, which given wilderness and river terrain, and only using whole degrees for angles, and whole "poles" for the sides, is very near to perfect!. Remember that they had to follow the "meanders" of the river, and dodge around trees and boulders, so being off a bit at the end is normal! But not by dozens of poles/hundreds of feet.)
Anyway, unfortunately the original grant cannot be found. It was ether lost, destroyed, or misfiled. That stinks because it was SO early (1798) in KY history, that it likely said where in VA (or NC) these folks came from.

Anyway, I am STILL trying to trace everyone back into VA/NC.
Margaret was supposedly born in NC and William in VA. Their first 2 sons say born in VA, suggesting she likely came north vs William going South. Since Cummins is a MUCH less common name, it's somewhat easier to try to track John Cummins than William Johnson.

Also, William came of age only a year or maybe 5 before he came to KY. That means he would not have been in many records in VA. (Yearly tax records from age of 21, unless he owned land earlier, which would be unusual.)
But I am still looking.
Unfortunately there are a lotof Johnson/Johnston in VA. (A lot of early records in KY use the name Johnston, and the folk were illiterate except for the clerks recording things, so they wrote what they heard. This suggests the surname may well have been Johnston in VA, transitioning to Johnson in KY.
Anywho, I'm still working.

# Land Grant Transcription - John Cummins

## Document Details
**Document type**: Land Grant/Patent
**Page**: 102
**Grantee**: John Cummins
**Acreage**: 150 acres
**County**: Lincoln (later became Whitley County)
**Survey Date**: March 10, 1799
**Patent Date**: January 10, 1818
**Governor**: Isaac Shelby

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**Marginal Notes:**
102
Jno Cummins
150
Lincoln
Extd to Saml Cox
20th June 1814

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Isaac Shelby Esq Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky to all to whom these presents shall come greeting Know ye that by virtue and in consideration of a Certificate from Number 157 granted by the Commissioners on 1782 agreeably to an act of assembly for Encouraging and granting land within the same, there is granted by the said Commonwealth unto John Cummins a certain tract or parcel of land containing one hundred and fifty acres by survey bearing date the tenth day of March 1799 lying and being in the County of Lincoln on Cumberland River and bounded as follows to wit Beginning at 2 lynn trees standing in a bent of said river on the bank thence up the same with the meanders towit North thirty five West thirty eight North fifty five West one hundred and twenty poles to two lynns and a beech on the river bank thence South Nineteen West one hundred and fifty poles to a stake thence South thirty nine East fifty poles to two lynn and a hickory on the river bank thence up the river with the meanders thereof North 30 East eighty poles North twenty East ninety two poles to the Beginning With its appurtenances to have and to hold the said tract or parcel of land with its appurtenances
to the said John Cummins and his heirs forever In testimony whereof the said Isaac Shelby Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky hath here unto set his hand and caused the seal of the said Commonwealth to be affixed at Frankfort on the tenth day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight hundred and Eighteen and of the Commonwealth the twenty sixth

By the Governor Isaac Shelby
Martin D Hardin Secy

---

## ADDENDUM: Boundary Description Error Analysis

### Identified Error
**Location**: Line containing "South thirty nine East fifty poles"
**Error**: The distance "fifty poles" should read "one hundred and fifty poles"

### Evidence for Correction
1. **Survey Closure**: With "fifty poles," the boundary does not close properly and creates self-intersecting lines
2. **Acreage Discrepancy**: With "fifty poles," the tract measures only ~95 acres, not the specified 150 acres
3. **Corrected Results**: With "one hundred and fifty poles," the survey closes within 4 poles (excellent for period surveying) and yields approximately 150 acres

### Corrected Metes and Bounds
Beginning at two linn trees standing in a bend of the river on the bank;
thence up the river with the meanders thereof, N 35° W 38 poles;
thence still up the river, N 55° W 120 poles to two linns and a beech on the river bank;
thence S 19° W 150 poles to a stake;
**thence S 39° E 150 poles to a cherry tree and hickory on the bank of the river;** *(corrected distance)*
thence up the river with the meanders thereof, N 30° E 80 poles;
thence N 20° E 92 poles to the beginning.

### Historical Context
This type of transcription error was common in 18th and early 19th century land patents, where "50" and "150" could easily be confused in handwritten documents. The corrected boundary description creates a logical river-bounded tract consistent with typical Kentucky land grants of the period.

### Cross-Reference
This corrected boundary description matches the 1828 deed from John Cummins' heirs to William Johnson (recorded on pages 423-424), confirming the accuracy of the correction.

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Married in Guilford County, NC, in 1778,
presumed buried here, see photo which says:
• "Old Cummings Cemetery, Boyd Bend near Loudin, is now completely destroyed.
Some of the old Cummings family were buried here. Source: Johnny Cox, Sr."
--by Denise 2013

Note: Headstone photo posted here names children of John Reagan and Nancy Findley buried in Jay Conatser Cemetery, Fentress County, Tennessee; not the children of John and Nancy (Turner) Cummins in Whitley County, Kentucky. John Cummins is said to have died years before any of these children were born. This marker is in Tennessee.
--by Wes (47141587) 7-27-24. [the photograph which this refers to is of the back of a gravestone which is often said to be John Charles Cummings and Nancy Turner’s stone, but is not.]

On Find A Grave.

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Nancy's parents are said to be Henry and Ann (MNU) Turner.
Married in Guilford, North Carolina in 1778, to John C Cummins, also presumed to be buried in the Old Cummins cemetery mentioned in the other photo. There are no remaining grave markers in this cemetery.

The 2008 family photo incorrectly posted in 2020 is for the children of John and Nancy Findley Reagan, buried in Jay Conatser Cemetery in Fentress County, Tennessee, not of the children of John and Nancy Turner Cummins in Whitley County, Kentucky. John Cummins is said to have died years before any of these children were born. That marker is in Tennessee and should not be posted to this grave.

James Cummins is her son.

Rachel Gatliff is her daughter.

Elizabeth Cummings Tye is her daughter.

From Find A Grave.

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Name in father Henry’s will is Nancy Kimborough Turner.

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Problem birth date of 18 Mar 1764, makes her too young to have had Rachel before she turned 12. Possibly a previous wife for John Charles Cummings?

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Alternative death date Jan 22, 1843.444,666

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A Nancy Turner married a James Kinbro 27 Dec 1787 Caswell, North Carolina.

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