Need another set of eyes on these Pulaski, KY Tarter/Turpin/Sayer/Roberts records...

Question

If anyone would be willing to provide another set of eyes on this, it would be VERY much appreciated!!

For ease of reading, primary points are in the outermost bullets, details and sources are in secondary bullets.

I was researching and attempting to confirm the parents of Dennis E. Roberts b. 1827/8 in Pulaski Co. Ky.  Here's what I ran across...

• William Roberts m. Polly Turpin 24 MAY 1827 - witnessed by Chrisley Tarter
  • "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FWRL-JXC : accessed 14 February 2018), William Roberts and Polly Turpin, 24 May 1827; citing , Pulaski, Kentucky, United States, Madison County Courthouse, Richmond; FHL microfilm 804,052.
• William Roberts shows up on the 1830 census
  • 1M - Under 5 (Dennis?) 1M - age 20-30 (William was born after 1800) 1F - Under 5 (? had to have been 5 at the time of census) 1F - age 30-40 (Polly was born before 1800)
  • "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH53-XJX : 12 August 2017), William Roberts, Pulaski, Kentucky, United States; citing 38, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 41; FHL microfilm 7,820.
• William Roberts dies in 1836 - I&A of William Roberts on 2 DEC 1836, signed by Polly Roberts, includes one account on Ephriam Tarter
  • http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/CUMBERLAND-RIVER/1997-09/0874387126
• Polly Roberts shows up on the 1840 census
  • 1M - age 10-15 (Dennis?) 1M - age 40-50 (?) 1F - age 15-20 (? had to have been 15 at the time of census)
  • "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHTP-33X : 15 August 2017), Polly Roberts, Pulaski, Pulaski, Kentucky, United States; citing p. 331, NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 122; FHL microfilm 7,831.

This is where I'm starting to get confused...
In the 1840 census (cited above), the census take appears to have written the name "Robert Sayers" then scratched it out and wrote "Polly Roberts" on the next line.  While this could have just been an error, the Polly/Sayers/Tarter connection seems like it could be much more meaningful.

• Robert Sayers married a Polly Tarter 27 NOV 1815.  John Tarter appears to be Polly's father and is related to "Chrisley Tarter" and "Ephraim Tarter" referenced in the 1827 marriage record and 1836 I&A respectively
  • "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FWRL-KR4 : accessed 14 February 2018), Robert Sayers and Polly Tarter, 27 Nov 1815; citing , Pulaski, Kentucky, United States, Madison County Courthouse, Richmond; FHL microfilm 804,052

So, is Polly Turpin Roberts... really Polly Tarter-Turpin-Sayer-Roberts?  Or are these different people that I'm confusing?

• I see a Mary Tarter married Aaron Turpin 25 JUL 1806.  Could this be where the "Turpin" came from?
  • "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:TFWRL-PQH : accessed 14 February 2018), Aaron Terpin and Mary Tarter, 25 Jul 1806; citing , Pulaski, Kentucky, United States, Madison County Courthouse, Richmond; FHL microfilm 804,052.

Would someone be willing to provide another set of eyes and let me know what they see?  Could this really be one person... Mary (Polly) Tarter-Turpin-Sayer-Roberts?  Or am I confusing information concerning multiple people.

Thanks in advance for taking the time!
Josh Roberts

Answer 1

Josh,

I do see the name "Robert Sayres" crossed out just above Polly Roberts' name on the 1840 census.  I'm not sure what to make of it, but I think it's at least a good possibility that Robert may have had a connection to Polly Roberts.  It's a clue, but you'll probably still need to find more to substantiate your speculation.

I found two other sources that I'm not sure if you had located already.  One was Dennis E. Roberts' Findagrave memorial page at https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/43471592/dennis-e-roberts, which gives his death and burial locations -- I'm not sure why there isn't a photo of his headstone, and that makes me wonder about how much to trust the information given there.  There is also an entire "Roberts Cemetery" at https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2437981/memorial-search?firstName=&lastName=Roberts&page=1#sr-85126488 , where Dennis and many Roberts family members are buried.

I also located an 1870 US census with Dennis and his wife and children on it.  It states that he was born in Kentucky.  I was hoping it would say where his parents were born, but it doesn't. It at least tells you they lived in Kentucky at the time of his birth, if the information is accurate..

"United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6Q9W-PTS?cc=1438024&wc=92K1-C6N%3A518657901%2C519293601%2C519832601 : 22 May 2014), Kentucky > Pulaski > Harison > image 15 of 44; citing NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

Dennis Roberts 1870 Male 42 White 1827-1828 Kentucky 15

Manerva Roberts 1870 Female 37 White 1832-1833 Kentucky 15

William T Roberts 1870 Male 18 White 1851-1852 Kentucky 15

James H Roberts 1870 Male 16 White 1853-1854 Kentucky 15

Julia Ann Roberts 1870 Female 15 White 1854-1855 Kentucky 15

Columbus F Roberts 1870 Male 12 White 1857-1858 Kentucky 15

Susan E Roberts 1870 Female 10 White 1859-1860 Kentucky 15

(next image on same census, continued)

Greenberg Roberts 1870 Male 6 White 1863-1864 Kentucky 16

Charity A Roberts 1870 Female 5 White 1864-1865 Kentucky 16

Mary Jane Roberts 1870 Female 3 White 1866-1867 Kentucky 16

Martha E Roberts 1870 Female 1 White 1868-1869 Kentucky 16

There is also a family of Tarters (and a Brown)  in the household immediately next to (before) the Roberts family on the census.

This doesn't help much with your question about Polly, but I hope you can find some additional clues. (Here's the link):

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6Q9W-PTS?i=14&wc=92K1-C6N%3A518657901%2C519293601%2C519832601%3Fcc%3D1438024&cc=1438024

Did you see this previous question that *may* be connected to your Polly?  https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/356956/can-anyone-help-me-with-finding-mary-polly-tarter-husband

Reba

Comments

Thanks for taking a look!  I know that Roberts Family cemetery well... it’s where many of my relatives including my grandparents are buried.

There’s just too much of a “Tarter” connection for me to overlook here.  I’ll keep searching... and have reached out to the Pulaski County historical society for help as well.  The trees on Ancestry and Familysearch are all over the place, so can’t trust those.

I took a look at the previous Polly Tarter question... it’s interesting, but usage of last name and birth year don’t quite match, so I’m still not quite sure how to unweave these records.