The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1918-02-28

arrived from Ireland and bound for
1.-THE far West"
Among this group was raw young
Irishman named jeremiah Gault.
While acting as interpreter for this
young foreigner a friendship was
born between the two boys, which
lasted throughout their lives.
A few families from Virginia were
also in the party. One gentleman
named William Lewis, was driving
through accompanied by his wife and
daughter and a good supply Of gen.
eral equipment for pioneer home.
Crossing the Allegheny Mountains,
the party arrived on the banks Of a
river, much swelled by recent rains.
With the aid of the young ship car
penter, RATS were hastily constructed
and the crossing made. The raft Of
Mr.. Lewis, however, being overload
ed came to pieces in the middle of the
stream. A team of oxen were washed
away and drowned and Mr.. Lewis
would have been drowned also but for
the timely aid of the lad Gault.
Young Gault also offered Mr.. Lewis
the use of his own OK team for the
remainder Of the journey to the Ohio
River, where they all expected to en-
mark upon fiat boats. The gratitude
Of Mr.. Lewis was unbounded and
within few months he consented to
bestow the hand of his daughter, Bet
ty upon the valiant Irishman.
The party arrived at Limestone
(now Maysville) in the summer of
1886. They were met there by one
Major Charles Pelham, grandson of
Peter Pelham, who came to Boston
from Chichester, England, about 1880.
The great Lord Worth was a member
Of this family. And this is the fam
lily of which the romantic tradition is
told of the marriage of Penelope Pei
ham to Gov Bellingham of Boston, in
the absence in the colony Of any other
official qualified to perform the mar
riage ceremony, Governor performed
it himself.
Maj. Charles Pelham had received
from the U. S. Government quite a
grant of land in Mason county Tor
what Is now Mason county, In return
for services rendered during the Rev.
olutlon.
He piloted the new corners to some
desirable places and Lewis and Gault
soon located near what Is now Wash
ington, KY, but the young ship car
penter was wonderfully attracted by
the magnificent forests of oaks,
naples, beeches, hickories and pop
lars, which extended down to the very
edge of Cabin Creek. The possibili-
ties of this location for a boat builder
so thrilled him that he closed with
Maj Pelham for 200 acres here.
The friendship begun at this time
between Pelham, Gaults and Degmans
have never been broken and son Of
jeremiah Gault, John, married a
daughter of Peter Degman, Susan, in
1926 The widely-scattered children,
of the late Walla Gault, two of whom
live in Maysville, are direct descend
ants Of these two Irish lads who came
West together.
During the fall of 1886, Degman
! stayed with Lewis and Gault, and
helped them to get ready for the first
winter in Kentucky. The next sum-
mer they in turn, helped him in the
same way. Though every moment was
precious that first autumn and no
time must be lost, the pioneers were
glad to avail themselves to a chance
to attend religious services, in the
home of Thomas Stephenson, who
lived 21k miles West Of Washington.
Two distinguished visitors were
present in this home at the time.
They we're Rev. BENJAMIN Ogden and
Rev. James Haw. the first regular
itinerant preachers in the West. These
men at this meeting, organized the
second Methodist Church in Kentucky
and the first North of the Kentucky
river, 1855.
Probably the first resident Meth
odist preacher in Mason county was
Judge Thomas Scott who preached
there In 1894.
The Limestone circuit was assign
ed to Samuel Tucker In 1880 and In
1898 Rev. BENJAMIN Northcott, faith