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The Martin Darland family gathered at the family home in Tablow (Washington County) for a photograph. From left, are: Front row, Mandie (Johny's wife) with daughter Lillian; Edgar holding daughter Mabel; Arzelia with Evie, and husband Martin Darland; Daniel Durr, Ernest Kyler, Drucie holding Lillie; Willie, Stella, Dessie and Ethel. Back row, Johny, Elmer (Edgar's wife); twins Bertha and Myrtie; Sarah, Nannie, Ada with husband Willie, and Clarence Darland. (July 7, 2012) |
Three Durr brothers came from Virginia to Kentucky in the early 1800s and settled near Sharpsville in Washington County.
The Durrs paid 50 cents per acre for 2,000 acres of land that was in the Chaplin River bottom, along the hills covered in large timber and in hills and valleys.
Edith Durr Reed of Danville said one of the brothers was her fourth great-grandfather. Reed descends from the Durr family of Germany and Darland family of Holland, who lived in Washington and Mercer counties.
“The Durrs were of German descent,” she said. “They were not real tall, were dark-skinned, with blue eyes and dark brown hair. They were industrious, hard working people who managed money well.”
Reed said the oldest Darland in the family records was Lambert Darland, who is referred to as the “first Lambert.” He was born in 1639 and died in 1720.
The Darlands also lived where the land joins the Chaplin River. Reed is not sure if they lived in Washington or Mercer County. She said across the river from Cornishville was in Washington County because that was where Elizabeth Ann Derringer lived before she married Lambert Darland. She was born in South Carolina, according to census records.
Reed's grandparents were William Juitt Durr and Susie Dennis. They had 10 children.
William Durr was the son of James T. Durr and VirJane Shewmaker. His grandparents were Jacob M. Durr and Polly Robertson.
Susie Dennis Durr was the daughter of Isaac “Ike” Dennis and Mary Brown, who had seven children. Isaac was first married to Mary's sister, Elizabeth; they had three children before she died.
Reed is the daughter of Fred M. Durr and Evie Pearl Darland and has two brothers, Willard and Cornell.
Evie was the daughter of Martin Darland and Arzelie Perkins.
Reed said they had 12 children, including a set of twins.
Arzelie was the youngest child of Mike Perkins. Her mother died when she was young and she did not remember her mother's name. After the death of of their mother, the children were divided.
Martin's parents were Lambert Darland and Elizabeth Ann Derringer. They had five children.
Lambert's father was Garriott Darland, who married an English woman.
Lived in Cornishville
Reed grew up in the Cornishville area. She and Roy J. Reed, whom she met in high school, were married Aug. 3, 1940.
They purchased a farm owned by his grandfather, James Reed after he died in 1945. They lived there until Roy died. She sold the farm and moved to Danville to be near their daughter, Royetta Gayle.
She looks forward to going back to Cornishville on Sundays to attend services at Cornishville Christian Church and see friends.
“I've always like where I live and the people around are nice,” she said.
“It's good going back to Cornishville to church and remembering the land it sits on was bought from Ludwell Cornish in 1951,'” she said.
Cornishville was named for George Dogget Cornish, one of its earliest settlers. It seems he built his house below where the mill used to be, near the big spring called Cornish Spring,” Reed said.
Cornishville lies in a horseshoe bend of the Chaplin River, nine miles west of Harrodsburg, despite many changes due to change in times, age and decay. Both churches are still active and have been continuously since they were established.
“Lightning struck and burned the Baptist Church and the congregation built a new facility in the same place. The congregation had services in another building while the new church was under construction. I hope our churches will be there and be active for many years to come,” she said.
