• General Notes

  [316552.ftw]
  
  Kiff
  
       Our connection to the Kiff family seems to be a thin
  thread from a distant past, but research has revealed a
  very real connection that has prevailed until the present
  day.  I have dozens of relatives named Richard after my
  Great-Grandfather Richard Powell.  From the stories my
  father and his cousins told about their Grandfather, I know
  he was loved and respected by his many descendants.  I now
  know Richard Powell was named for his Grandfather Richard
  Kiff.
       Rose Walters, a Great-Granddaughter of Richard Kiff ,
  remembers stories her mother Nellie Powell Bunch told about
  the Kiff family.  Rose writes; The Kiff and Newsom families
  came together from England.  They evidently stayed together
  because Richard married a Newsom.  Their children were
  Sarah Elizabeth Kiff, born in North Carolina, 1828 and Mary
  Kiff born 1830.  When Sarah and Mary were small, their
  mother died. Richard then married Charlotte and soon after
  they took a small girl to raise.
       The first record we have that we know is our Richard
  Kiff is the 1840 Davies County, Indiana census, page 34.
  By 1850 Richard was in Schuyler County, Missouri.  House #
  112 shows Richard Kiff, age 52, farmer, born North
  Carolina, his wife Charlotte, age 55, born North Carolina,
  and Lucy age 17, born Indiana.  House # 113 is John Powell,
  age 22, farmer, born Kentucky, his wife Sarah (Kiff), age
  22, North Carolina, and Matilda age 10 months, Missouri.
       Sarah Kiff married John Powell October 23, 1848 in
  Schuyler County. Mary Kiff married Jackson Kimbrel May 6,
  1849.  Mary Kiff Kimbrel must have died shortly after her
  marriage because Jackson Kimbrel married Catherine Melvin
  in 1851.  Lucy C. Kiff married James Brassfield July 13,
  1856.
       Richard Kiff's wife Charlotte must have died also
  because on December 22, 1853 he married Pheba Ash in
  Schuyler County.  We believe Pheba Ash was a widow with
  children still at home when she and Richard married.
  Jonathan Ash and Samuel Ash are names in Schuyler County
  records that could be related to Pheba.
       Richard Kiff's name appears on the Schuyler County
  land records several times, but the land is always in Sec.
  33, TWP 67, Range 15.  In 1855 he bought 40 acres from
  Jonathan Ash.   His last land record in Schuyler County is
  dated February 24, 1858 when he sold 40 acres to Thomas
  Lake.
       I can not find a 1860 census listing for Richard Kiff
  in either Missouri or Arkansas.  John and Sarah Powell are
  listed on the Schuyler County census for this year.  Rose
  Walters tells us Richard Kiff and John Powell left Missouri
  to homestead on the White River in Arkansas in 1860.  I can
  find no record of John or Sarah Powell in Arkansas.
       The 1870 census Washington County, Arkansas, West Fork
  Township lists house # 95 Richard Kiff, age 75, personal
  property value $200, born North Carolina with Pheba age 60
  born Missouri and E?? Ash, female age 17, born Missouri.
       Richard Kiff filed homestead no. 387 at the Harrison,
  Arkansas land office on December 20, 1871.  He received
  final Certificate No. 2041 on this land July 14, 1877.  The
  land is described as containing 40 acres in Section 36, TWP
  15, Range 29 (West Fork Township).  He states he made
  settlement on the land on December 23, 1871, he is head of
  a family with a wife and one child and he has "Built a
  house, stable and corn crib, planted out apple and peach
  orchards and some plum trees."  Eventhough the homestead
  papers say he settled here in 1871, he could have been
  living here soon after he sold his Missouri land.
       Richard Kiff and family should be on the 1880
  Washington County, Arkansas census but I have searched the
  index and the micro film of that census without finding his
  name.  The 1880 census listing is a valuable record because
  this was the first time census takers asked where
  individual's parents were born.  This record could tell us
  if Richard was a first generation American, if we could
  find it.
       We know Richard Kiff was living in 1880 because
  Washington County Deed book I 2 page 286 records a quit
  claim deed dated February 14, 1882 from Richard Kiff to Ira
  Collins for the 40 acres Richard homesteaded.  I am not
  sure what Ira Collins' relationship was to the Kiff family,
  but I believe he married Eliza Ash, Richard's
  step-daughter.  I found a marriage record dated August 8,
  1872 for John Collins and Eliza J. Ash. The 1880 Washington
  County census White River Township lists Ira Collins age 29
  with wife Louisa age 29 born in Missouri, her parents both
  born in Indiana.  The 1900 census shows Ira Collins age 49
  with wife Lizzie J. age 44 born in Missouri, parents born
  in Indiana.  The deed states Ira Collins will have title to
  the 40 acres after  Richard Kiff's death and in return Ira
  will provide for Richard the remainder of his life.  Pheba
  Kiff is not mentioned.  The December 24, 1883 tax record
  for Ira Collins includes 80 acres in 36, 15, 29, the same
  section Richard Kiff owned. This may mean Richard had died
  by 1883.
       Nellie Powell told her children she visited her
  grandfather at his White River homestead when she was a
  young child.  Nellie was born in 1885.  If this story is
  correct, Richard Kiff lived well into the 1880s. Rose
  Walters thinks he lived until 1912.  He would have been
  over 100 years old then.
       The 1882 deed is our last record of Richard Kiff.  He
  had already lived close to 90 years by that time.  He was
  born in the North Carolina hills less than two decades
  after the birth of our nation.  He lived in the wilds of
  Indiana and Missouri before striking out to homestead on
  the White River when he was past the age of 60.
  Reguardless of his death date, all the Richards in our
  family can be assured they are named for Richard Kiff, a
  true American pioneer.[576008.ftw]
  
  Kiff Our connection to the Kiff family seems to be a thin thread from a distant past, but research has revealed a very real connection that has prevailed unti l the present day.  I have dozens of relatives named Richard after my Great-Gra ndfather Richard Powell.  From the stories my father and his cousins told about their Grandfather, I know he was loved and respected by his many descendants. I now know Richard Powell was named for his Grandfather Richard Kiff. Rose Wal ters, a Great-Granddaughter of Richard Kiff , remembers stories her mother Nell ie Powell Bunch told about the Kiff family.  Rose writes; The Kiff and Newsom f amilies came together from England.  They evidently stayed together because Ric hard married a Newsom.  Their children were Sarah Elizabeth Kiff, born in North Carolina, 1828 and Mary Kiff born 1830.  When Sarah and Mary were small, their mother died. Richard then married Charlotte and soon after they took a small g irl to raise. The first record we have that we know is our Richard Kiff is the 1840 Davies County, Indiana census, page 34.  By 1850 Richard was in Schuyler C ounty, Missouri.  House # 112 shows Richard Kiff, age 52, farmer, born North Ca rolina, his wife Charlotte, age 55, born North Carolina, and Lucy age 17, born Indiana.  House # 113 is John Powell, age 22, farmer, born Kentucky, his wife S arah (Kiff), age 22, North Carolina, and Matilda age 10 months, Missouri. Sarah Kiff married John Powell October 23, 1848 in Schuyler County. Mary Kiff marrie d Jackson Kimbrel May 6, 1849.  Mary Kiff Kimbrel must have died shortly after her marriage because Jackson Kimbrel married Catherine Melvin in 1851.  Lucy C. Kiff married James Brassfield July 13, 1856. Richard Kiff's wife Charlotte mus t have died also because on December 22, 1853 he married Pheba Ash in Schuyler County.  We believe Pheba Ash was a widow with children still at home when she and Richard married.  Jonathan Ash and Samuel Ash are names in Schuyler County records that could be related to Pheba. Richard Kiff's name appears on the Schu yler County land records several times, but the land is always in Sec. 33, TWP 67, Range 15.  In 1855 he bought 40 acres from Jonathan Ash.   His last land re cord in Schuyler County is dated February 24, 1858 when he sold 40 acres to Tho mas Lake. I can not find a 1860 census listing for Richard Kiff in either Misso uri or Arkansas.  John and Sarah Powell are listed on the Schuyler County censu s for this year.  Rose Walters tells us Richard Kiff and John Powell left Misso uri to homestead on the White River in Arkansas in 1860.  I can find no record of John or Sarah Powell in Arkansas. The 1870 census Washington County, Arkansa s, West Fork Township lists house # 95 Richard Kiff, age 75, personal property value $200, born North Carolina with Pheba age 60 born Missouri and E?? Ash, fe male age 17, born Missouri. Richard Kiff filed homestead no. 387 at the Harriso n, Arkansas land office on December 20, 1871.  He received final Certificate No . 2041 on this land July 14, 1877.  The land is described as containing 40 acre s in Section 36, TWP 15, Range 29 (West Fork Township).  He states he made sett lement on the land on December 23, 1871, he is head of a family with a wife and one child and he has "Built a house, stable and corn crib, planted out apple a nd peach orchards and some plum trees."  Eventhough the homestead papers say he settled here in 1871, he could have been living here soon after he sold his Mi ssouri land. Richard Kiff and family should be on the 1880 Washington County, A rkansas census but I have searched the index and the micro film of that census without finding his name.  The 1880 census listing is a valuable record because this was the first time census takers asked where individual's parents were bo rn.  This record could tell us if Richard was a first generation American, if w e could find it. We know Richard Kiff was living in 1880 because Washington Cou nty Deed book I 2 page 286 records a quit claim d

Details of Sarah's family with John L. POWELL

Details of Sarah's family with John POWELL