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- King.GEDCOM. Electronic. Date of Import: December13, 2001.
[Bier.FTW]
[Don Maxwell .FTW]
Captain Abraham Chaplin - One of Harrod's Men
from The Harrodsburg Herald, Thur., Jul. 13, 1972, Mercer Co., KY
Abraham Chaplin was one of the Harrod Company of 1774, who came to what is now Harrodsburg(Ky) and helped to map out the town. While exploring the surrounding country from the station camp, Chaplin discovered a fork of Salt River which now bears his name - Chaplin Fork.
Abraham was descended from a respectable family who came from England to Virginia. His father was said to have been William Chaplin and his mother, Ann Foreman. There is no proof, however, of this conjectured parentage. We do have proof that Abraham Chaplin was born on the 27th day of December in 1754, in then Frederick County, now Jefferson County, Virginia. The Chaplin home farm was on the banks of the Potomac River. It was here his father died and the farm later was occupied by some of his grandchildren. When his father died, five year-old Abraham was left only about sixty pounds. His father had land sufficient for only some of his children.
Soon after the elder Chaplin died, Abraham's mother remarried. Abraham's inheritance, which was to be paid him at the age of twenty-one without interest, fell into the hands of his step-father. When Chaplin did reach the age of twenty-one, the sum was exhausted, except a "pittance and some clothes."
At the age of fifteen, Abraham Chaplin left home and lived with his sister and brother-in-law for about two years. When he was seventeen he emigrated to the "western country, Washington County, Penn. On Shurtee's Creek, near the Ohio River." With the tiny sum left from his inheritance, he settled on a tract of land in the wilderness.
Chaplin worked his land and raised a crop of corn in 1773. There were but two families within twenty miles at this time. Abraham lived in a "camp and sometimes would not see any human being for three or four weeks." Chaplin later said that he thought of the unequal division made by his father. It drove him to place himself upon "footing with his brothers and sisters to reflect on his parent for thus treating him." At this time, lands were low and might be had for the first settlers. But land was growing in value, and the sum Chaplin had been given was lessening. He was left to shift for himself.
In March of 1774, Chaplin heard that James Harrod was going down the Ohio in search of lands to settle on. When Chaplin heard that Harrod would leave withini a few days, he was falling a large black ash tree for rails to enclose his little farm. Overwhelmed by the thought of more land in a better country, "I (Chaplin) Immediately took my axe and prepared to go."
The day appointed, the group gathered on Mad River, Zane Creek, now in Ohio County. "Harrod had upward of thirty men with him - met and was joyfully received by the company." They moved off in their canoes to the Great Kanawha River, floating all night and arriving in a few days at the mouth of the Kentucky River.
In a narrative written by Captain Chaplin, he says that: "We proceeded up the Kentucky to a place known by the name of Harrod's Landing and then went out on the south side of the Kentucky in search of good land and made improvements and at the same time laid out Harrodsburg." The party stayed for some time exploring the country until "we started through the wilderness to the Holston where they were embodying to go against the Indians. Then Captain Harrod selected his men to accompany him on this campaign and I was one of the first to volunteer and a greater number also enlisted and marched to join Lewis' regiment."
Abraham Chaplin was back in Kentucky with the Harrod Company when they arrived in Harrodsburg in 1775. On Oct. 26, 1779, at a court held at Harrodsburg for adjusting disputed titles to Kentucky lands, Abraham Chaplin recovered and received a 1400 acre tract of land: "right to a settlement (400 acres) and preemption (1000 acres) tract of land lying about four miles NE from Harrodsburg on waters of Shawnee Run including a sinking spring by improvements on the said land the year 1774."
Captain Abraham Chaplin served as an officer in the Illinois Regiment under George Rogers Clark. He was one of the first trustees of the town of Harodsburg. In 1793, he was married to Elizabeth Higgins, daughter of Robert Higgins, Jr. and - - - - - Wright. It was about this time that Abraham must have started the building of a home on his 1400 acre tract. The home and graveyard being located on the present farm of Mrs. Loyd Lay on the Lexington Road, about two miles east of Harrodsburg. The family graveyard still remains and therein are buried Capt. Abraham Chaplin, his first and second wives,and some of their children. A sister of Capt. Chaplin and his brother-in-law, Captain and Mrs.(George) McCormack, are also buried there.
In a letter written by Capt. Chaplin in 1802, he says that " I am nearly done building and am much in debt." In June 1812 he closed a letter "Abrm Chaplin, Pleasant Fields". Thus, the home may have been given the name " Pleasant Fields." In Feb. 1809 he wrote: " Last year I belonged to the House of Representatives and I have begun to exercise my small talents on politics and next election for the Senate if elected will be for four years." In Aug. of 1810 he wrote: " It will surprise you especially that Benj. D. Price was at my house and all his family except one brother has turned Shaking Quakers...I am much surprised to find among them several Presbyterians, Baptist, and Methodist ministers who are very devout in their methods of worship."
In March of 1812, Capt. Chaplin wrote: " You wish to know concerning Benjamin D. Price - it will surprise you, he now lives on the Wabash in Indiana Country and has for many years, all except two or three all turned Shaking Quakers...Our last Legislature has made a law favourable to women where their husbands joined that society...I am of the opinion that the farmers of the Federal Constitution never dreamed that Religious enthusiasm would ever prompt them to less solution of the Human Race by means as population...For five years I have been in Legislative Councils, four of which in the Senate and one year in the House of Representatives and have yet one session more to serve in the Senate."
In March of 1819, Abraham Chaplin was married, for a second time, to Mrs. Hannah Moore. Capt. Chaplin died Jan. 19, 1824. He was survived by his 2nd wife, Hannah Chaplin and the following children:
Jacob Rogers Chaplin m. Elizabeth Moore, May 29, 1819.
Isaac Chaplin m. Virginia Woodson, 1812.
Indiana Chaplin m. William Robertson, 1826.
Willis S. Chaplin b. Nov. 12, 1821 - d. Aug. 12, 1853.
Francis Chaplin m. Wm. B. Harrison, 1817.
Ann M. Chaplin b. Nov. 28, 1823, m. Thos. B. Moore, 1841.
Abraham Chaplin, Jr., b. Dec. 23, 1819, m. Amelia.
The first Abraham Chaplin, Jr., son of Captain Abraham and Elizabeth Higgins Chaplin, is buried in the family graveyard - Dr. Abraham Chaplin, Jr. died Sept. 7, 1815 age 22 years. The second Abraham Chaplin, Jr. was the son of Capt. Abraham and Hannah Chaplin. Two descendents, through his son Jacob Rogers Chaplin, are Miss Wilhelma Lea of Hot Springs, Arkansas and Mr. William W. McCrary, Jr. of Lonoke, Arkansas.
Rebecca W. Conover and Alma Ray S. Ison, Co-chairs Genealogical Committee Harrodsburg Historical Society, Harrodsburg, Kentucky,1972.
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Abraham Chapline (1755-1824) served as ensign, 1778, in the 13th Virginia
regiment, which was called out to take part in the reduction of the
different posts in Illinois County and joined the Illinois regiment as
lieutenant from its first establishment, and in 1781 rose to the rank of
captain. He was born in Virginia; died in Mercer County, Ky.
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from<http://www.merceronline.com/history.htm> November 1999
The Deposition of Abraham Chapline.
This deponent being of lawful age deposeth and sayeth that he was one of the first adventurers to
Kentucky and was present when some of the first lots were laid out in the Town of Harrodsburg in the
year of 1774.
Question by Complaint: How long has it been notoriously known by the name of Harrodsburg?
Answer: As well as I recollect it went by the name of Harrod's Town as early as the year of 1775 or
1776, and perhaps sooner.
Question by the Same: Did you not claim a Lot or lots in the said Town?
Answer: I claimed an In-lot.
Question by the Same: Where in the said Town does your lot lay?
Answer: As well as I recollect I drew a lot which included a small spring and sink hole where a stone
house is not standing, claimed by Henry Palmer, which place were showed to the Surveyor today by
me.
Question by the Same: How far did the Boundary extend North, South East and West of the said
Town?
Answer: As well as I now remember the stone House eluded to above, were nearly the South
Boundary and the stone Heep were the Eastern Boundary in the year 1776 and upon the hill to the
West of Mrs. McGinty's dwelling were the Western and the Creek the Northern.
Question by the Same: What number of out lots was there laid off? the year 1777 until the year 1780?
Answer: I left Kentucky in September or October 1777 and never returned to the place until the
spring of 1780.
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