History of Mercer County Kentucky United States of America

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John Kincaid, representative, was born in Mercer county, Ky., Feb. 15, 1791; son of Capt. James and Sarah (Wilson) Kincaid; grandson of Capt. John and Margaret (Lockhart) Kincaid, and a descendant of the "Lairds of Kincaid," Stirlingshire, Scotland. The first Kincaid in America probably settled in Virginia in 1707. Captain John was born in the North of Ireland, and his wife, Margaret Lockhart, was born in Scotland, the daughter of a Presbyterian minister. Capt. James Kincaid was a soldier in the war of the American Revolution and his wife was a niece of James Wilson, the signer, and justice of the U.S. supreme court. John Kincaid was attorney for the commonwealth of Kentucky; a representative in the state legislature from Lincoln county in 1819, 1836, and 1837; a representative in the 21st congress, 1829-31; presidential elector, 1845; a Henry Clay Whig and an advocate of internal improvements, especially of a post road through the state of Kentucky. He served repeatedly as judge by special appointments. He was married to Mary Garnett, daughter of Maj. Thomas and Mary (Garnett) Waggener of Culpeper county, Va., and granddaughter of Robert and Mary (Towles) Garnett. He died at "Bellevue," Sumner Co., Tenn., Feb. 7, 1873.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Milton Jamison Durham, representative, was born in Mercer county, Ky., May 16, 1824; son of Benjamin and Margaret Durham, and grandson of John and Mary (Hurley) Durham. He was graduated from the Indiana Asbury university in 1844, received his A.M. degree in 1847, and in 1850 was graduated from the Louisville law school. He practised law in Danville, Ky., and was a circuit judge, 1861-62. He represented his district in the 43d, 44th and 45th congresses, 1873-79. He was first comptroller of the treasury of the United States 1886-89, under appointment of President Cleveland, resuming his law practice in Louisville, Ky., at the end of his term of office and afterward removing to Lexington, Ky., where he continued in practice.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Speed Smith Fry, soldier, was born in Mercer county, Ky., Sept. 9, 1817; son of Thomas Walker and Betsy (Smith) Fry; grandson of Joshua and Peachy (Walker) Fry; great-grandson of Col. John and???(Adams) Fry, and great, great-grandson of Col. Joshua and Mary (Micou) Hill Fry. He attended the Centre college of Kentucky for a short time, and was graduated from Wabash college, Ind., in 1840. He was admitted to the bar in 1843. He served throughout the Mexican war at the head of the 2d Kentucky volunteer infantry, which he had organized. In 1857 he was made judge of Boyle county, Ky., and served until the outbreak of the civil war when he organized and became colonel of the 4th Kentucky regiment, U.S. volunteers. He was promoted brigadier-general of volunteers, March 21, 1862, and served as such until the close of the war. He was a supervisor of internal revenues, 1869-72. He died in Louisville. Ky., Aug. 1, 1892.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Robert Breckinridge McAfee, lawyer, was born in Mercer county, Ky., in February, 1784; son of Robert and Anna (McCoun) McAfee, and grandson of James McCoun, who came from Ireland in 1742 and married Margaret Walker in 1744. Robert McAfee was one of three brothers who went to Kentucky from Botetourt county, Va., in 1773, and were the first pioneers after Boone. He attended Transylvania university and conducted a farm and practised law in Mercer county, Ky., 1805-12. He was successively private, sergeant, ensign, and captain in the northwestern army, 1812-14; served in Col. Richard M. Johnson's regiment, first as quartermaster in the relief of Fort Wayne, and as captain at the battle of the Thames, Oct. 5, 1813. He was a representative in the Kentucky legislature, 1810-15 and 1819; a senator, 1821-24, and lieutenant-governor of Kentucky, 1824-28. He was again a representative in the state legislature, 1831-82, and was a delegate to the Democratic national convention at Baltimore, Md., May 21, 1832. He was charg? d'affaires at Bogota, Colombia, South America, 1833-37, and senator in the Kentucky legislature, 1841-45. He was married to Mary, daughter of James Cardwell. He was a member of the Royal Antiquarian society of Denmark, and an honorary member of the Kentucky Historical society. His private journal contained data of the early history of Kentucky and he is the author of .a History of the War of 1812 (1816). He died in Mercer county, Ky., March 12, 1849.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Mercer County Kentucky

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