Source: BIOGRAPHIES - LAYSON, William M., Bourbon County, Kentucky
Sources 1. Perrin, pp. 512-513
Bob Francis <darby@@nemr.net>
The biographies are taken primarily from William Perrin's "The History of Bourbon,
Scott, Harrison and Nicholas Counties, Kentucky" and E. Polk Johnson's "The
History of Kentucky and Kentuckians," Vol. III.
Many Bourbon County, Kentucky, researchers have pointed out mistakes and they
are notated.
Name: William M. LAYSON
_________________________________________
Birth: May 6, 1844
Father: Zedekiah M. LAYSON (1811-1903)
Mother: Margaret H. MILLER (-1851)
Spouses
_________________________________________
1: Maggie ORR
Father: Benjamin Grayson ORR
Marriage: January 25, 1870
Children: Charles B. (1871-); Zed Clark (1875-)
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WILLIAM. LAYSON, Jr., [5] farmer; P. O. Millersburg; son of Zed M., born May 11, 1811, in Bourbon County, to Isaac and Mary (Moore) Layson; she of John Moore and a Miss Black, natives, the former of Delaware, the latter of Maryland; came to Fayette County about 1788. Isaac Layson, son of John and Margaret (Martin) Layson, located near where Paris now stands, before the first house was built at that place. Isaac had eight children: Wm., Zed M., Margaret A. Moore, John M., Robert W., America (Moore) Ardery and Isaac Z.; the four oldest are still living. The grandparents of our subject were natives of Bourbon County. The father of our subject was twice married; first to Margaret H. Miller, daughter of William Miller, he a son of Major John; by this marriage there were two sons; one of them, Wm. M., born May 6, 1844; his first wife died Dec. 18, 1851. In 1854, he married Sarah W. Varnon, daughter of Benjamin and Sally Varnon; by this marriage there were five children, all living: Margaret H., Edward V., Laura R., Martha M. and Eugenia B.; second wife deceased in 1871. On the 27th day of April, the subject of this sketch left home for the Confederacy, determined to join the Southern army; afterward joined a party of twenty men, camped on the night of the 5th near Hazel Green; on the following morning, his eighteenth birthday, they were attacked by a party of home guards; finally reached Marshall's command in Virginia, where all of the company enlisted except William and two companions who went to Corinth, Miss., intending to enlist there, but by the advice of friends went to Chattanooga, Tenn., where they joined Morgan's Command, serving two years, engaging in many hard-fought battles, some of which were: Gallatin, Snowhill, Woodbury, Greasy Creek, Green River Bridge, and Augusta; was taken prisoner by the Federals, sent to Louisville, where he remained until Nov. 8, 1863, when, taking the oath was released and returned home, engaging in farming and stock trading in the South. Jan. 25, 1870, was married to Mrs. Maggie (Orr) Morehead, daughter of B. G. Orr, a prominent officer of Nicholas County, where he died; she a granddaughter of John Orr, who served in the war of 1812 under Col. Johnson. They have had four children, two of whom died in one night of scarlet fever; those living are Charles B., born March 31, 1871; Zed Clark, Dec. 29, 1875. They are members of the Presbyterian Church.
They had the following children:
i.Charles B. Born on March 31, 1871.
ii.Zed Clark. Born on December 29, 1875.