William Randolph Mayfield and his wife Sarah Amanda Davis ca. 1900.

Mayfield Family Genealogy

Tombstone of Micajah Mayfield (1748-1838), Revolutionary War Veteran.

James Mayfield (1791 - 1849) of Casey County KY and Pulaski County MO

James Mayfield was born in 1791, probably in Greenville County SC, and died August 1849 in LaClede County MO. He married Mary Johnson about 1816. She was born in TN, and died before 1849 in MO. James, the father of William Randolph Mayfield (1834-1914), was raised in Casey County, Kentucky. However, in about the year 1838, he and his wife removed to the Gasconade River valley of Pulaski County, Missouri; this area is now part of LaClede County. James was the first Mayfield known to have settled in that area.

James Mayfield's Service in the War of 1812:

James served in the War of 1812 as a Private in Captain Jesse Coffee's Company of Kentucky Mounted Volunteer Militia , in the regiment commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Davenport. [Source - Kentucky Historical Society, Frankfort KY, Microfilm Box 1140.]

Presence in the Tax Lists of Casey County KY:

The tax lists of Casey County KY show James Mayfield for the first time in 1815. The last time he appears is in the list for the year 1835.

LAND ACQUISITIONS IN CASEY COUNTY KY:

James Mayfield acquired 50 acres of land on the north side of Green River, in Casey County KY, by assignment from a certain William King on 11 January 1822. James obtained the patent (title) to this land from the State of KY on 21 July 1822. Click on the thumbnails on the right for images of the land survey and assignment documents.

By indenture, dated 4 September 1826, James also acquired a small 10-acre tract of land adjacent to his own land, from a certain Abraham Breeding, the land "lying and being in Casey County on the north side of Green River on a ridge between Millers Creek and Dawsons Creek ... " It should be noted that a brother of James Mayfield, Randolph Mayfield, Jr., married a certain Polly Breeding in Casey County KY in 1826.

Land Survey

Land Assignment

Removal to Illinois and Missouri:

In about 1836, James Mayfield and his family left Kentucky and emigrated, first to Illinois, and then, in about 1838 or 1839, to Pulaski County, Missouri.

Land Transactions of James Mayfield in Pulaski County MO:

In 1839, James Mayfield surveyed and/or patented several tracts of land in Pulaski County MO as follows:

1839 Survey - 160 acres - Pulaski County - later this land was assigned to Jesse Duncan who patented the land in 1844 - Certificate #2811.

1842 Survey - 40.63 acres - Pulaski County - patented by James Mayfield in 1849 - Certificate # 28554.

1847 Survey - 44.51 acres - Pulaski County - patented by James Mayfield, Jr. (son of James, Sr.) in 1853 - Certificate # 32900.

1849 - Laclede County was formed out of a portion of Pulaski County and James Mayfield's land fell within the bounds of the new county.

Three Extracts from Laclede County Histories re James Mayfield:

1) The following is an extract from "The History of Laclede County, Missouri" (published 1979) by Lois Roper Beard, page 397:

James Mayfield and family emigrated from Casey County, Kentucky in 1828 [sic], and settled on a Gasconade River bottom farm about two miles northwest of Hazel Green. There were seven children born of this marriage - Lucy who married John Mosier; Nancy (Susie) who married Will Wair; Annie who married Bert Wisdom; Frankie who married Wilson; John E. who married Mary Hendrix; James B. whom married twice but their names are not known and William Randolph married Sarah Amanda Davis.

Based upon my own independent research, I believe that there are several errors in the above account. James Mayfield and family arrived in MO in about 1838 not 1828. Also, James and his wife had eight children; in addition to the seven children named above, there was one additional child - Sarah Mayfield. According to the 1850 Federal Census for Laclede County MO, Sarah was born in1826; she apparently died unmarried before 1860.]

2) The following is an excerpt from "Nyberg's History of Laclede County, Missouri" (published 1926), page 18:

The second company of settlers that came to this section was made up of George W. and Robert Davis, W. H. Smith, Elisha Northrip, F. B. Fugate, Joseph Lane, James Mayfield, John Paradise, John Mizer, J. W. Harrison, A. Story, F. W. Pearcy, H. W. Traylor and others, who settled in the rich valley of Bear Creek.

3) The following is an extract from the "History of Laclede, Camden, Dallas, Webster, Wright, Texas, Pulaski, Phelps and Dent Counties," published in 1889 by The Goodspeed Publishing Co., page 734:

William R, Mayfield, a retired farmer, was born in Casey County, Ky., April 2, 1834, and is the son of James and Mary (Johnson) Mayfield, natives of Kentucky and Tennessee, respectively. The father was a farmer by occupation, was a soldier in the Mexican War [sic], and he and his wife were earnest workers in the Christian Church. They moved from Kentucky to Illinois, and later to Missouri, locating in Gasconade Township, Laclede County. Here the mother died, and here the father followed her to the grave in 1853 [sic]. They were the parents of eight children, all of whom lived to be grown ...

I seriously doubt that James served in the Mexican War of 1846-1848. However, James did serve in the War of 1812 (see below). Also, the 1853 date of death for James is in error; he died in 1849 (see the Missouri Mortality Census cited below).

James Mayfield Listed in the Missouri Mortality Census of 1850:

The vital information re James Mayfield (1791-1849) is from the 1850 Mortality Census for MO. Per the census, James died in Aug 1849 at the age of 58, thus his year of birth would be 1791.

The Mortality Census identifies James as having been born in Virginia. I presume this information was provided by one of his children, most probably by his eldest son, James B. Mayfield. I have often wondered if the place of birth is correct. I am virtually certain that James Mayfield Sr.'s father was Randolph Mayfield of Casey County KY and Lincoln County TN, The 1790 census for SC indicates that Randolph was then living in Greenville County SC. The next firm information I have is that Randolph was living in Lincoln County KY by 1797 - KY having been made a state separate from Virginia in 1792. If James was born in 1791, as indicated by the Mortality Census, then he probably was born in South Carolina.

Children of James Mayfield and Mary Johnson:

1. Frances (Franky) A. Mayfield was born 1817 in Kentucky. She married Israel Wilson in about 1840. He was born 1803, and died in about 1859 in LaClede County MO.

2. Lucy Mayfield was born 1819 in KY, and died 1878 in LaClede County MO. She married John Mosier about 1855 in LaClede County MO. He was born 1816 in TN.

3. Annie Mayfield was born about 1823. She married Bert Wisdom.

4. Sarah Mayfield was born about 1826 in KY.

5. James B. Mayfield was born 03 March 1828 in KY, and died 06 October 1896 in LaClede County MO. He married (1) Margaret Jane Piercy. She was born 19 April 1830, and died 13 October 1872 in LaClede County MO. He married (2) Martha E. Davis. She was born 01 June 1840, and died 01 December 1909 in LaClede County MO.

6. John E. Mayfield was born 18 October 1830 in KY, and died 10 February 1872 in LaClede County MO. He married Mary E. Hendrix. She was born 06 February 1839, and died 22 November 1905 in LaClede County MO.

7. William Randolph Mayfield was born 02 April 1834 in Casey County KY, and died 10 May 1914 in LaClede County MO. He married Sarah Amanda Davis 13 April 1854 in LaClede County MO, daughter of George Davis and Elizabeth Watt. She was born 23 January 1839, and died 13 March 1909 in LaClede County MO.

8. Susanna Mayfield was born in 1836 in KY. She married William H. Wair; who was born in 1827.