The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-12-25
A FAMILY OF TWELVE THOU
SAND.
And They All Live in a Single Coun-
ty in Kentucky.
From the ST. Louis Republic.

From the ST. Louis Republic.
With hardly any exception. every resi-
dent Of Letcher. a little county IN Eastern
! kentucky. is related. directly or indirectly,
to the Webb family which makes that
family without doubt the most alkabie
one in the United States. There are SIX
survivip" children of Ben amin Webb, the
ORIGINAL settler. and their immediate de-
scendants are legion They are as follows
Aunt Lefty. aged eighty, VIII" has eighty
grandchildren. fifty great grandchildren
and an even dozen great great -@randchl-
dren.
Aunt Polly. eighty-two years OF age,
who has eight living children, seventy
Grandchildren. forty great -grandchlI-
drcn. and almost half as many great great
grandchildren She married very early III
life. and her husband was killed in the war
Jason. who is but seventy eight years ct
are is proud Of the iart that his descend
ants ontnumher any of his brothers or
sister. I'm the same house where he NOW
ii,r.-bnit more than sixty years a-"-
he hr-um housekeeping. and there were
uinr;rcn children born 90 him. Sixteen "t
thr;u are still living. He has one hundred
and fifty grandchildren eighty "reat GRAND
,hilIrr;i. and sixty great great ,2rahlrhli-
,lrcu all ii whom live within zen mile Ut
the, old gentleman.
tnrlt. Miles has seen the SHOWS "t Sey-
/ .uty-fivc winters, but is still able TO ride
over thc mountains to visit his best girl
! hi. sister-in-law. bv the way. For five
wears Imcle Miles has been Il wld"wcr
and he * thinking Seriousl y OF again mar
rying. He has fourteen children. all mar
ried and having large families. He Cannot
tell the exact number. but merely est
males them. \ reasonable estimate. he
SAYS. Gives him 100 grandchildren. sew
cnty-five treat grandchildren and forty
.rcat great grandchildren
AUNT Sally. though seventy three years
Of are. is known as worker. Her hus-
band. ared >eventv-cight is still living.
They have thirteen children. eighty grand
children. sixty great grandchildren. and
twenty great great grandchildren
Uncle Wiley is the boy OF the family
He is seventy one and has been wldower
for seven wears. He has eleven children.
.ixty-fve grandchildren, thirty great
grandchildren. and the old gentleman very
much regrets the fact that his descendants
do not extend to the fifth generation. lie
is thinkin" seriously of marrying again and
Is very wealthy.
Within the vicinity where these old PEG
,lr live there are about 500 Of their de
>.cndani>. and of the l., 900 population "t
the county. it is said the degree of con-
saun,,inity can be traced easily enough It"
prove them ill relatives Of each other.
The way in which all the inhabitants
came 10 be related. either directly on midi
rectlv. to the Webb family. is AZ follows :
The first settler in that district WAS Benia
min Webb. a man with prolific family.
who moved 10 the wildS Of kentuck Y from
Ashe county. North Carolina. about 1889
or 100. Soon after. three tamlle>-the
Crafts. .Adam>eS and ialhrookes->ettled
near Webb. and members Of the latter :
family married into each Of the three new
families. and their progeny ntcrman1ed.
Aunt Polly is as Spry as a @lrl and
thinks n"thin" of titteen-mIle walk
She often takes LONG rides alone over the
mountains ON visit to relatives. y few
wears AGO Jason took his first ride in a train.
Auin" to Tennessee and the innovation IN
his life is still source Of pleasure to the
old man But two of them-.DaS"n and
Wilev-ever saw Il car.
Aunt Sally because Of the long illness
of her husband for years managed the
farm. and it was an ordinary sight to see
her on her way to the mill with bushel
of corn ON her shoulder. The father OF
these old people Benjamin Webb, was a
first cousin to the noted pioneer. Daniel
Boone. lie was an eccentric character,
and at the siege Of Yorktown he was
wounded as it was thought. fatally. lie
was thrown among the wounded. but after
MANY months he recovered.
As might be imagined. the little county
is small kingdom. over which the elder
Webbs are political monarchs. Should a
Webb aspire to an office. the result Is
easily foretold. There undoubtedly Is not
another such state of affairs existing in any
locality in the country.