CHAPTER TWO

The exact date of birth of BENNETT GOODRUM,  your Revolutionary War ancestor is not known.  His wife, SARAH (GARNER) GOODRUM, was born about 1763.  They began their married life in Brunswick and Greensville counties in southern Virginia.  Brunswick is the old county from which a chunk was cut off in 1791 and so became Greensville County. 

Bennett and Sarah were parents of ten children.  I have the names of seven of them but the other three are unknown.  The seven are:  (1) Nancy Mason Goodrum,  (2) Elizabeth Goodrum, (3) Patsy Goodrum,  (4) Sarah Goodrum,  (5) John J. (Jackie) Goodrum,  (6) James G. Goodrum,  and (7) Thomas Goldsmith Goodrum.

It seems that three families:  the Adams,  the Goodrum,  and the Cooksey families lived close together in southern Virginia.  They intermarried a number of times and when Kentucky was opened to settlers many of them came to Warren County, Kentucky.

It is thought that Bennett and his wife came West with his sister, Martha (Goodrum) Adams, and her husband,  Collin Adams and settled first in Sumner County, Tennessee, at least, his son John J. and daughter Patsy were both married in Sumner County.  However,  Bennett did not remain there but for a short time as he was in Warren County when he died in 1823.  He and his wife, who died on December 27, 1851, are buried on the "Kitty Cooksey Farm" near Allen Springs about 1 1/2 miles south of the Warren County line.

One of the oldest children was a daughter,  (1) Nancy Mason Goodrum, born May 29, 1781 - died October 14, 1863.  In 1803, she was married to Thomas Cooksey in Virginia.  He was a son of John Baptist Cooksey.  Now, Thomas and Nancy were left John Baptist's plantation with the understanding that they remain in Virginia as long as John Baptist's wife lived.  Therefore, Thomas and  Nancy did not get to Kentucky until  1820.  These two were the first owners of the old Cooksey Place mentioned above.  Upon their deaths, the farm was left to one of the sons, Thomas, Jr.. (born 1822 - died 1891).  Thomas Jr. married his cousin, Eliza Parmelia (Kitty) Goodrum, (born 1823 - died June 15, 1903).  After the death of Thomas, Jr., the farm was known  as,  "The Kitty Cooksey Farm".  One of the daughters, (born 1846 - died 1928), married Dr. H. C. Smith, (born 1843 - died 1910).  They were the parents of Herbert Smith of Allen Springs and present owner of the "Kitty Cooksey Farm".  His daughter,  Lucille, married Pearl Lightfoot.