Malinda Rousey, 1799-1851

226 years ago this Valentine’s Day, one of my 4th Great Grandmothers was born.  Malinda Rousey was born in Amherst County, Virginia, on Feb. 14, 1799.  Her parents were Leonard and Elizabeth (Goode) Rousey.  Her father died when Malinda was around 10 years old, and her mother remarried.  She was one of 6 known children born to her parents.  And she had 3 known half-siblings from her mother’s second marriage.

Virginia map showing location of Amherst County

It’s not absolutely certain when the family moved from Virginia to Kentucky, but Malinda would have likely been a toddler at the time (probably between 1800-1803). According to Google, the trek from Amherst County VA to Lincoln County KY is about a 7 hour drive.  Now take that and imagine doing it in wagons, on horseback and on foot… through the mountains, exposed to weather, wildlife and Native Americans.  We can’t even fathom what their experience was like.  No matter, they made it to Kentucky and settled in on land that Leonard had purchased.  In fact, in my research on Malinda, I discovered that some of her father’s original land tract is STILL owned by Rousey descendants.  Malinda’s brother Jordan’s line still lives there and owns the land.  Today the area is a wide spot in the road called Butchertown.

Kentucky map showing location of Lincoln County

When Malinda was 15 years old, she married Edmund Russell (age 28), on March 10, 1814. They would build their life in Lincoln County, Kentucky, and have a large family of 9 known children. That far back, the census records don’t state occupations, and in the 1850 census (the first to have a column for that), Edmund wasn’t working. I would guess they were farmers. In some of the early census records, many of the Russell’s close neighbors were slave owners, however the Russell family was not.

1850 census showing Edmund and Malinda Russell

Malinda died fairly young in 1851, at the age of 52.  Her husband Edmund died 8 years later.  They are buried in the McCormack Church Cemetery, in Lincoln County.  We descend from their daughter Mary Jane Russell, who married John Miles.  Mary would eventually make her way to Hardin County, Illinois, with her second husband.

Sketch of a pioneer log cabin

Some interesting tidbits…  Lincoln County, KY, was on the Wilderness Road.  From 1775-1810, it’s estimated that 300,000 people travelled that road as they moved West.  When the National Road opened in 1818, travel declined on the Wilderness Road.  By 1840, use of the Wilderness Road had almost ceased.

Wilderness Road map

The town of Crab Orchard in Lincoln County…Malinda and her young family are listed on the census there in 1820.  In the late 1820’s, mineral springs were discovered there and a resort was opened.  It was in operation for over 100 years.

Distances and history perspectives… Malinda and her family lived about 40 miles from Daniel Boone’s Fort Boonesboro.  Daniel moved to Louisiana, about the same time that the Rousey’s moved to Kentucky.  Going in the other direction, the Rousey’s lived about 80 miles from Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace.  Malinda was about 10 years old when Lincoln was born.

In researching the Rousey family in Kentucky, I stumbled upon some stories of one of Malinda and Edmund’s children, Martin Russell.  I have flagged him for a future post… seems he was quite the collector of family artifacts and random things… and he liked to talk about them!