Echoes From The Past


By JUDY MAUPIN *- Echoes From the Past
(A Column of historical and genealogical anecdotes, stories and family notes.)
Calloway County, Ky.

The Scarborough Family

July 1981
I recently had a letter from Billie S. Loshbaugh, P.O. Box 7152, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74105 concerning the Reuben Scarborough family. She wrote:

"I read the Oct. 11, 1980 article concerning the Scarbrough family in Echoes From the Past. Enclosed Is the family of Reuben W. Scarborough who lived near Stella from 1840 to 1878. I would appreciate it If you are still doing the column If you would run this family and ask for any information that the readers have.

"I have written to Cheryl Oliver recently and offered to help her as I have a lot of the family history. The above man Is my great-grandfather. I would welcome any help I could get on this family.

"Reuben W. Scarborough, born 1818 in Tennessee, married Mahala G. Covington, born 1814 in Kentucky. They married September 21, 1840 in Logan County, Kentucky. Their children were: Frances P., born 1843, married W.F. Estes; Mildred E., born 1845; Henry M., born 1846, married Nancy J. Marcus; Morgan D., born 1848, had daughter Ada Clark who died April 17, 1909 In Calloway County; Margaret G., born 1850, married J.G. Ragsdale Oct. 7, 1875, had daughter born Sept. 29, 1876; Esker, born Oct. 1852; and Martha, born Oct. 25, 1855, married John M. Langston. (There was another child, born 1859 who married a Marcus H., but the rest illegible.)

"Reuben Scarborough and Mahala Covington lived in Calloway County about two miles from Stella for at least 40 years and maybe longer, from 1840 until 1876 when he died. She then lived with her son Morgan.

"I am trying to locate descendants of any of these eight children to see If I can find someone who knows who the father of Reuben W

. Scarborough was. I am descended from Henry M. Scarborough. Any information would be appreciated." After receiving this letter, I also had received the Stewart County History, which included quite a bit of information about the Scarborough family. I will include here the inf ormation which relates to the parents of Reuben Scarborough.

James Scarborough Jr. was the son of James and Mary Andrews Scarborough; he was born in Virginia In 1781. He married Frances DeBerry, sister of Edmond DeBerry of Montgomery County, North Carolina. He died in 1865.

A farmer, James settled in Stewart County about 1805.

Their children were:

Henry J., 1815-1868; Reuben;
John Wesley, born 1819 and died 1885;
William W., 1800-1856; Judge James
Monroe, 1823-1893; and Ma DeBerry,
1813-1886; Elizabeth, born 1810; and
Frances, born 1820.

The Stewart County book also comments that Reuben bought the land of Sarah and Reasoner Davis. It further stated that a history of Methodism in Murray showed that the Scarborough were active church members; Reuben left money in his will to a circuit rider, Reverend Dodson. The land on which Reuben and Mahala lived is near Goshen church, which was built on land donated by the family. Many family members are burled in the church cemetery. If any readers would like to add information to the Scarborough family history, please let me know. I will also be glad to pass along information about other branches of the family to anyone who is interested and who does not already have it.



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