As Henry's children grew into adulthood, they married, moved out and settled on their own.  Some of them possessed the wanderlust inherent in the Kerley genes.  Henry’s son, Lewis, appears to have been the first of his children to leave the Burke County area.  Lewis moved out to Wayne County, Tennessee, sometime between 1823 and 1825 (per the census record listings for his kids’ birthplaces).  He  may have accompanied his in-laws, the Simmons, on this journey.  And, in the early 1830’s, the patriarch of this clan, a very old Burke County Henry and three of his other sons (Daniel, James and Daniel) followed Lewis to Wayne County.  Burke County Henry died there in Wayne County, Tennessee, a few years later in 1836. 

Only two of Henry’s sons, John and Aaron, appear to have stayed in Burke County throughout their lives.  One son, Benjamin, died in Burke County at a fairly young age.  And, the last son, William, appears to have moved to Indiana.  

Daniel4 (Henry3, Henry2,William1).  Daniel was born on June 27, 1781, (see Henry Kerley Bible Record) in Burke County, North Carolina and spent the first 50 years of his life there.  As the eldest son of this family, he found himself acting as the bondsman for the marriages of some of his younger siblings.  He did this for his brother, William, on November 15, 1811, and another brother, Henry, ten years later on February 7, 1821.   

Based on census records, it appears that Daniel got married in Burke County, NC, around 1805 and then started having his family.  By 1820 he had two boys less than 10 years old and one boy between 10 and 16.  None of these boys was still at home when the census taker came around in 1830 in Wayne Co. TN, but another son appears to have born between 1820 and 1825 and was still at home then.  We know that one of these boys was named Osborn (born in 1811), but do not know the name of any of the other three boys.  So, Daniel's sons were born around 1809, 1811 (Osborn), 1815 and the early 1820's. 

In 1815, when he was 34 years old, Daniel finally became a property owner.  He bought 150 acres "on the waters of Linville River on Henry Earnest's branch beginning on Henry Kerley's old line."  See,  The North Carolina Land Grant Files, 1693 - 1960.   These 150 acres were adjacent to his father's land, and in fact, included part of his father's land.  This grant specified that it included "the 50 acres of land patented by the state to Henry Kerley."  So, it looks like Daniel decided to set out on his own and began an independent life on a farm next door to his dad.  Daniel must have done pretty well because, 12 years later (on January 30, 1827) he was able to add another 100 acres to his holdings there on the Linville Creek/River.  

(Note that there are records of two other land grants issued to a Daniel Kerley (on December 19, 1820 (120 acres) and December 4, 1838 (41 acres).  Both of these grants dealt with property on the waters of the Little River.   I suspect that these two transactions probably do not refer to this Daniel (i.e. Burke County Henry's son), but to an entirely different Daniel.   First of all, the Little River in Burke County is about 30 miles south-east of the Linville area where Burke County Henry and his family settled.  It would have been strange for one guy to own separate tracts of land so far apart.  Morevoer, the second of these transaction (December 4, 1838, took place at a time after Daniel and his family had already moved out of Burke County.

.In the early 1830's, Daniel, his father, Henry and two of his brothers, decided that they had had enough of Burke County.  They packed up and relocated their families to Wayne County, TN.  (Daniel's brother, Lewis, had moved out there a few years earlier).  Daniel's son, Osborn, sold 178 acres of land to a fellow anamed Daniel Roderick on Dec 27, 1832.  (Had Daniel transferred ownership of some of his holdings to his son?  Possibly.  I could not fird any records of Osborn puchasing land on his own.)  In any event, Osborn sold this land at almost the same time that his grandfather, Henry, sold his land.  So, Burke County Henry and clan bailed out of Burke Countyin early 1833. 

Daniel finalized the purchase of 141 acres in Wayne County on October 24, 1836.  (Grant # 26,736). It is doubtful that the same Daniel would, on one hand, be buying land in southwestern Tennessee at the same time he was buying land in western North Carolina.  That's why I believe that the references to land transactions on the Little River involve a separate Daniel.  See 3rd Generation: Larkin-Daniel -- son of Henry).

Things did not apparently work on there in southwest Tennessee.  Daniel decided to move on.  In Sept. and October, 1847, he started selling off his land in Wayne County.  There are records of him selling off three different tracts of land.  Apparently, things looked better in Illinois because by 1850 Daniel (and his brother, Lewis) and their families were living in central Illinois (Johnson County).  We can trace Daniel's movements in the census records.  He shows up first in the 1820 and 1830 Burke County, NC censuses.  Then he starts showing up in Wayne County, Tennessee.  See the 1836 and 1838 Wayne County, TN tax lists and the 1840 Wayne County census.  His listing in the 1850 Johnson County, Illinois, census as Daniel Curby is our last record of him.  He died sometime in 1851 in Johnson County, Illinois. 

Daniel is one of those rare Kerleys who left a will.  See Daniel Kerley Will  He left parts of his estate to two sons: Woodson West (presumably his wife’s son from a previous marriage) and Osborne (born 1811) in Burke County, NC).  Osborne also was living a few farms away from Daniel's farm in the 1850 Johnson County, Ill census.  We simply do not know what happened to Daniel's other sons.  Did they pre-decease Daniel?  Did they have a falling out with their father who then left them out of his will?  Who knows?

(It is possible that this Daniel is the father of the James Curley in Wayne County, TN.  See discussion at 3rd Generation: Larkin-Daniel -- son of Henry).  But, I doubt that for several reasons.  (1) the 1820 Burke county listing for this Daniel does not reflect any kids born before 1804 (and we know that James was born in 1799), (2) Daniel’s will makes no mention of James, and (3) although not impossible, Daniel would have been extremely young to be starting a family in 1799.  He would have only been 17 or 18.   So, for these reasons, I conclude that this Daniel is not the Daniel referred to in William Garrett Kerley’s pension application.  Note, however, a possible contrary theory.  The 1799 James Kerley was named James Willis Kerley.  The 1781 Daniel (the one we are talking about here) had a kid named Osborn and Osborn in turn had a kid named Willis.  The Willis connection is hard to ignore, but until I find more evidence I am ascribing this Willis link as coincidence.) 

William4  (Henry3, Henry2,William1).   William was born on July 13, 1783, (see Henry Kerley Bible Record) in Burke County, NC.  In 1811, when he was about 28 years old, he married a woman named Polly Walters in Burke County, NC.  William shows up in the 1820 Burke County census, (as William Carely) and is listed as having five children (3 boys and 2 girls) who were born between 1810 and 1820.  He is still living there in Burke County in 1830.

Like his father and most of his brothers, William does not show up in the 1840 Burke County census.  He, like them, appears to have given up on life in North Carolina and, sometime between 1830 and 1840 (when he was in his early 50's), decided to seek greener pastures elsewhere.  Although I am not positive, it appears that he relocated to Indiana.  There is a listing in the 1840 Lagrange County, Indiana, census for a William Kerlee who fits this William’s age, and whose children could fit reasonably into the numbers set out in the 1820 and 1830 Burke County censuses.  As they settled in in Indiana, somehow the spelling of their name changed to Kerlee.

Based on the 1820 and 1830 censuses, we can determine that William had 9 children: 3 boys and one girl born between 1815 and 1820; one girl born in 1820, two more girls born between 1820 and 1825, and finally two girls born between 1825 and 1830.  We have virtually no concrete information about the names and fates of any of the girls, but there is a little information about two of the boys.  I suspect that two sons were named Henry and Joseph.  Both of these guys are listed (as Kerlees) in the 1850 Lawrence County, Indiana, census.  Henry was born in 1815 in North Carolina and Joseph was born in 1817 in NC.  Those birth dates are consistent with the census records and with our theory that their father, William, did not leave NC until the 1830's.

Henry and Joseph did not stay in Indiana very long.  They moved to Illinois.  There are Illinois land purchase records showing that Joseph bought land in Illinois in 1851 and Henry is listed in the Clay County, Illinois records in 1860 and 1870.  Joseph is listed in neighboring Richland county in 1860.  Also note that a Mary Kerley and a Flora Kerley were living right next to Henry in 1870 in Clay County.  Could this be Henry’s mother (Polly was often used as a nickname for Mary) and William did have a daughter born in 1824.  (If this was Polly Walters and her birth date is correct, then she would have been only 16 when she married William in 1811).

We have no record of where William died or where he was buried.

Further evidence linking this Indiana family to Burke County is the fact that another one of William’s nephews was born in Indiana in the early 1830’s.  (That was Henry Kerley, son of William’s brother, Henry).  Thus it is possible that as the Kerleys left Burke County, they traveled through Indiana and stopped there for a while.  William decided to try and make of go things there, but his dad, Henry, and a couple of his brothers (Daniel and Henry) decided to move on to Wayne County, TN where his brother Lewis had settled earlier. 

Levinah4 (Henry3, Henry2,William1).  Levinah was born on April 12, 1785 (see Henry Kerley Bible Record) and was the first daughter of Henry and Sarah.  She moved to Wayne County, TN, with her father and a few of her brothers in the mid-1830's, and she shows up in the 1840 Wayne County census (age b/w 50 and 60).  I assume she died there in Wayne County.. 

James4 (Henry3, Henry2,William1).  James was born on March 26, 1787 (see Henry Kerley Bible Record).  He is not with the rest of the family in the 1820 Burke County census, even though his younger brother, Lewis, is listed there.  He apparently relocated from Burke County to Wayne County TN with his father and some of his brothers and his sister, Lavinah, in the mid-1830's because he appears in the 1840 Wayne County census.  He, Daniel and Lavinah are living close to each other.  There is a rather large group of young Kerleys (9 kids under 20, 5 of them under 10 years old) in his household.  I am not sure that these were his children.  He was 53 in 1840, kind of old to have that many young kids at that time, but who knows?  This census listing is the only record we have of this particular guy.

Lewis4 (Henry3, Henry2,William1).  Lewis is probably the best-documented member of this family, and he is the member of this family with the most wanderlust.  He paved the way for two major relocations of a large portion of this family.  Lewis was born on December 8, 1788 (see Henry Kerley Bible Record) and, at age 28, he married Polly Simmons in Burke County, NC on April 24, 1816.  It is interesting to note that his first child, Thomas T. L, was born only 3 months later (on July 19, 1816).  It looks like Lewis impregnated Polly before they were married, and possibly was forced to get married by Polly's family.

While living in Burke County, NC, Lewis and Polly had 4 more children:  Cinthia L (Feb. 7, 1818 - Dec. 12, 1876), Aaron G. (December 22, 1819 - Aug. 21 1891), Cinia D. (Dec. 30, 1831), and Miles Austin.  After the birth of Miles Austin, on August 3, 1823, Lewis and Polly decided to move out of North Carolina.  They relocated to Tennessee.  Lewis was thus the first member of this big family to leave Burke County, where his father and his siblings were living.  He was living in somewhere in TN (probably Giles County) by late 1825 because that's where his sixth child, Henry C. was born on Nov. 21, 1825.

Lewis had two more kids while living there in Giles County: Daniel W. (Sept. 28, 1827) and Sally C. (Aug. 13, 1829)  But, by 1830, he had moved over to nearby Wayne County, TN.  He appears in the 1830 Wayne County, Tenn. census.  He and his 8 children are all listed there.  (Thomas Simmons, probably Polly's father, is also listed in this census, not too far from where Lewis and Polly were living.  Plus, there are a lot of other members of the Simmons clan living here at this time.  I suspect that Lewis traveled with the Simmons clan in making the move from North Carolina to Tennessee).  Lewis also appears in the 1836 and 1838 Wayne County tax listings.  Lewis and Polly finished their family while living there in Wayne County.  There is a record of him purchasing 55 acres of land in November of 1837 on Big Buffalo River in Wayne County.  (Grant # 26,914).  I am not sure where in Wayne County Lewis was living before he bought these 55 acres.  They had their final four children there: John W. on April 29, 1831; Sarah in 1832; Peter James on Aug 11, 1833; and Mary Jane on June 11, 1837.  Like so many of these first few Kerley families in America, Lewis and Polly had a large family.  They had a total of 12 kids.

Lewis apparently did not like Wayne County, TN, very much because by 1840 he had relocated to Johnson County, Illinois.  Lewis and various members of his family appear in the 1840, 1850 and 1860 Johnson County, Illinois censuses.  Lewis is reported to have died in 1864 and is buried in Old Rock Springs Cemetery in Johnson County, Illinois. 

Elizabeth4 (Henry3, Henry2,William1).  Born August 15, 1791.   We know very little about Elizabeth.  The only thing we have for her is a marriage record for Elizabeth to William Brooks in Burke County on April 29, 1817.   She apparently died sometime before 1870 in Dawsonville, Lumpkin Co., Georgia.

Benjamin4 (Henry3, Henry2,William1).  Born Dec. 16, 1793.  He is listed in the Henry Kerley Bible as having died in Burke County when he was only 10 years old. 

John4 (Henry3, Henry2,William1).  John was born April 16, 1796.  Basically, he stayed in Burke County all of his life.  He is listed in both the 1830 and 1840 Burke county censuses.  Unlike most of his siblings, he appears to have had a very small family.  He had two girls (one born 1820 - 1825, the other born between 1835 - 1840) and one boy (born between 1830 and 1835). (could this be the Richard listed in the 1860 census for Buncombe County N. C. ?)  Since no older woman is listed in the 1840 census, it is possible that his wife died (in childbirth?) before 1840.  In any event, despite extensive efforts I have been unable to find any evidence of him after 1840. 

Henry4 (Henry3, Henry2,William1).  Henry was born on December 5, 1798.  Based on his 1830 census listing in Burke County, it appears that Henry married sometime around 1820 and started having his family shortly thereafter.  He had 5 kids between 1820 and 1830.  By 1840 he had moved to Wayne County and he shows up in the 1840 census for that county.  There is a record of him purchasing 22 acres there in 1836 (grant # 26,737 - the grant immediately after the one issued to his brother, Danial.  See above)  He (or his father, Henry) purchased 49 more acres in Wayne County on Jan. 31st, 1838 (Grant # 26, 959).

Henry’s wife was named Sarah.  It seems that fellows named Henry Kerley had things for women named Sarah.  Henry's parents and grandparents were both Henry and Sarah.  So, this particular Henry was the third consecutive Henry in a row to find a wife named Sarah.  (Just to make matters even more confusing there are records of another Henry Kerley marrying a Sarah Staggs in Wayne County around this time. This Henry, however, was the son of James Curley who was the son of Daniel. She died in Arkansas).

Things apparently did not work out for any of the Kerleys in Wayne County, because like all of the other Kerleys who moved there in the 1830’s, Henry moved out fairly quickly.  By 1850 Henry was living in Macoupin County, Illinois, and he shows up in the census for that county. (Note that Macoupin County is in Western Illinois, not that far from Brown County where my line of Kerleys settled). 

Henry died on January 30, 1853, in Macoupin County.  He apparently died rather suddenly as the result of an intense illness.  The suddenness of his illness apparently prevented him from executing a will.  He died intestate and thus the disposition of his estate was entrusted to an administrator appointed by the state. 

He is one of the few early Kerleys whose probate records are available.  These records are fascinating reading.  They show basically all of the outstanding expenses that Henry and his family incurred in the year or so before his death.  These expenses are reflected in actual copies of books of accounts maintained by various merchants with whom Henry and his family transacted business.  They show him and his family buying many of the essentials of life in the 1850’s and the costs of those items (like shoes, tobacco, whiskey, coffee, salt, molasses, pans, boots, etc.).  It is interesting to try and determine the nature of the business from the claims submitted.  Some are rather obvious such as from the doctor who was treating Henry just before his death and the equivalent of a modern liquor store who sold Henry a lot of booze.  Others appear to be general store merchants or grocers. 

The probate records then list virtually everything that Henry owned.  This, too, provides a fascinating insight into daily life in the 1850’s.  It appears that although Henry was by no means a prosperous farmer, he and is family appeared to be fairly comfortable.  They appear to have been mildly successful farmers on the Illinois prairie. 

The probate records then describe the various payments that the administrator made to Henry’s creditors, the sale of his belongings and then the ultimate division of his property to his wife and payment of shares of his estate to his children.  Children getting shares included: Henry and Lewis, and three minors who were represented by guardians (Thomas, Mary and Sarah).  All in all, the probate records are very interesting reading. 

Note that Henry could write - he executed several notes that were submitted as claims in the probate proceedings.  Sarah could not write - she put her mark on the list of her personal, separate property that she received during the settlement.  His son, Henry, could write as evidenced by his signature on one of these documents. 

Note that it appears that one of his sons (John) had pre-deceased him, and that Henry was executor of his son’s estate.  Also note that it took a little over two years for everything associated with this estate to be finally wound up. 

One cryptic reference in these documents to a Jeff Kerley. No idea who he is. 

Aaron4 (Henry3, Henry2,William1).  Aaron was born on April 17, 1800.  (see Henry Kerley Bible Record)  He is one of the more well-documented members of this clan.  He basically lived all of his life in Burke County, NC.  His children are fairly well-documented. Some information on this faily can be found at: http://50megs.com/gscomman/pafg85.htm#1944

From the Kerley-Warlick Genealogy and Family History 1600-1992 Compiled by Harriet Elizabeth Jones Davis page 9 written by Alonzo Commodore Kerley

"When I was a small child, just old enough to pay attention to conversations, my Grandma Kerley (Rebecca Alexander Kerley) was past eighty. Like most people of that age, her mind drifted back to incidents of the distant past.  Some of these were very interesting to us children, and one especially stands out in my memory. 

It was about my great grandfather, Henry Kerley, her father-in-law.  Henry Kerley lived on the Linville River in Burke County during the Revolutionary War and served in the Battle of Kings Mountain in 1780.  His children grew up there, and one by one the older boys went 'out west' to Tennessee.  Only the younger children were still at home. Aaron Kerley born in 1800 was the youngest child.  His mother died when he was in his middle teens and a year or so later his father 'began looking around' as Grandma expressed it.  He selected a lady of the neighborhood for his spouse.  That didn't suit Aaron one bit, he put up a howl with no soft pedals. 

The howl stopped the affair for a while.  When young Aaron was approaching his eighteenth year his father, Henry Kerley, informed the young man that he was going to marry that woman.  Aaron objected.  Henry Kerley sold his farm, bundled up some household necessities, and left for Waynesboro, Tenn., near the Alabama line. He never returned to Burke County. 

One day in 1836 a message came from Waynesboro saying Henry Kerley could live only a short time.  This was before the days of railroads, and dirt roads were bad.  But Aaron Kerley saddled his horse, threw on his saddlebags, kissed Grandma and the four children goodbye, and set out for Waynesboro.  It was over five-hundred miles.  From his home he had to cross the Blue Ridge, the Great Smokies, the East Tennessee valley, the Cumberland, and that long stretch from Sparta, Tennessee to Waynesboro. 

Henry Kerley died there in 1837.  Eventually, Grandpa started on his return trip.  In those days a man would ride for many miles in some sections without meeting another person.  When travelers did meet they always stopped, exchanged information about the roads, tavern, and matters in general. 

On his way back in middle Tennessee he met another traveler.  Grandpa asked the man whether there was a tavern near where he could spend the night.  This traveler told him there was no tavern for many miles but that a Mr. Commodore Rogers lived a few miles ahead, in a commodious home, and that Mr. Rogers might take care of him.  My understanding is that Mr. Rogers lived in or near Bell Buckle in Bedford County. 

When Grandpa arrived at the Rogers' home he inquired about spending the night.  Mr. Rogers invited him in and treated him with genuine hospitality.  It was so pleasant he did not continue on his journey for two days.  On leaving, Grandpa asked Mr. Rogers what he owed for his board and lodging. "Young Man," Mr. Rogers replied, "your bill is nothing, absolutely nothing.  If ever you pass this way again be sure to stop and spend a week or two with me." "Well Mr. Rogers," Grandpa said, "I have been entertained royally, and I am going to make you a promise. If I ever have another boy baby I certainly shall name him Commodore in honor of you." 

Eventually Aaron arrived at home, having been gone exactly six months.  On May 2, 1841, at the home of Aaron and Rebecca Kerley, there were born twins -- two boys!  Grandma said, "Aaron, we shall name this boy Robert Vance, and this other one we shall name after my father Samuel Alexander." 

"Wait a minute!" Aaron answered. "What about my promise made to Commodore Rogers?  You can have the Samuel all right, but Commodore has got to be stuck on there too. We'll just call him Samuel Commodore Kerley."  And they did.  He lived for nearly sixty-four years and was never called Samuel in his life.  Very few people knew he bore that name.  But everybody knew him as Mr. Commodore Kerley." 

(Harriet Davis added-The name Commodore was passed down through three generations. Samuel Commodore Kerley named one of his sons Alonzo Commodore Kerley, and he named one of his sons Robert Commodore Kerley.  Samuel Commodore Kerley's daughter Lula Kerley Elliott named a son Kerley Commodore Elliott.) 

Will of Aaron Kerley 1875

 I Aaron Kerley of the County of Burk and State of North Carolina do make this my last Will and Testament Revoking all former Wills and Testaments First I will that all my just debts to be paid out of my Estate Second to Clinton Dobson husband of my deceased daughter Rowan Matilda Dobson I will and bequeth the sum of twenty five cents to be paid to said Clinton Dobson by me Executor Third to Samantha Kerlee and heirs bestow and heirs of Robert Vance Kerley I will and bequeath the sum of Twenty five cents to said Samantha by me executors Fourth to my beloved Children Theodore Quillan Sarah Jane and Samuel Comodore Kerley I will and bequeath the whole residence of my estate both real and personal to be equally divided among them one third part to Theodore Quillan Kerley one third part to my daughter Sarah Jane Roderick one third part to Samuel Comadore Kerley. The above bequests are not to take affect until after the death of my beloved wife Rebecca Kerley to whom I will and bequeath my whole Estate both real and personal during her natural life or widowhood I appoint my beloved son Samuel Commador Kerley Sidney Roderick Executors to this my will Sworn under my hand this 27 February 1875 Witness Thos. Parkes his L.M. English Aaron Kerley mark.