Ann Kennedy Wilson Pogue Lindsay McGinty - 4 times Widowed
Ann Kennedy
1735 - 1815
(Mother of Robert Pogue, builder of Fort Amanda)
A history professor at Ohio State once asked our class "Why do you think there is so little written about women in history?" When noone answered he said said something I've never forgotten, "Because men wrote the books."
In my book "Fort Amanda - A Historical Redress," I made every effort to identify what I call "the other half of the team;" the spouses parents and children of the men associated with the Fort Amanda story. I also made every effort to identify the maiden names of the spouses to aid in genealogical research.
Because of the lack of printed information about the soldier's family members, I have to rely on letters, diaries, census records etc. to tell their stories. Sadly the information is scarce however I hope what I have been able to find will be of interest and respectful of their contributions to our cherished history of Fort Amanda. It's a start.
(Yes, that was Robert Pogue's mothers name at the time of her death in 1815)
Evidence suggests that Ann Kennedy was born around 1735 in Ireland. When she and her family came to the U.S. is currently unknown. The family originally settled along the Holston River in Virginia.
In 1759 Ann Kennedy married a man named John Wilson. Their first child, Martha, was born on January 20, 1760. Martha died 3 years later and John, Ann's husband died a short time later.
In 1763 Ann married William Pogue. Together they had 6 children;
1. Elizabeth (Sept. 4, 1764)
2. Robert (Oct. 6, 1766)
3. Joseph (May 8, 1770)
4. Martha (1772)
5. Mary (May 10, 1775)
6. Ann - born in Kentucky (Aug. 12, 1777)
The Pogue family moved from the Holston River area to Kentucky and arrived in Boonesborough, Kentucky in September 1775. People moving west normally traveled in groups for a number of reasons, (family friends, security, support). The Pogue's traveled with a Colonel Joseph Lindsay, John Harvey Stagner, their families and several other young men. While living at Boonesborough the Pogue's became friends with Daniel Boone.
Daniel Boone
One of the things Ann Pogue brought with her to her new home was her spinning wheel, the first ever brought into Kentucky.
A typical 18th century spinning wheel
In February the following year (1776), Pogue and his wife moved two miles to the northeast of Ft. Harrod (Harrodsburg, Ky). where they cleared ground and started raising corn. On Aug. 12, 1777 the Pogue's last child was born and named for mother, Ann.
In September 1778, while hunting with a group of men near Danville Kentucky, 10 miles south of Harrodsburg, Pogue was shot 3 times by Indians and died on Sept. 4th,1778. One of the men in the hunting party gathered up Pogue's watch and rifle and gave them to Pogue's 12 year old son Robert.
In my book "Fort Amanda - A Historical Redress," I made every effort to identify what I call "the other half of the team;" the spouses parents and children of the men associated with the Fort Amanda story. I also made every effort to identify the maiden names of the spouses to aid in genealogical research.
Because of the lack of printed information about the soldier's family members, I have to rely on letters, diaries, census records etc. to tell their stories. Sadly the information is scarce however I hope what I have been able to find will be of interest and respectful of their contributions to our cherished history of Fort Amanda. It's a start.
Ann Kennedy Wilson Pogue Lindsay McGinty
(Yes, that was Robert Pogue's mothers name at the time of her death in 1815)
Evidence suggests that Ann Kennedy was born around 1735 in Ireland. When she and her family came to the U.S. is currently unknown. The family originally settled along the Holston River in Virginia.
In 1759 Ann Kennedy married a man named John Wilson. Their first child, Martha, was born on January 20, 1760. Martha died 3 years later and John, Ann's husband died a short time later.
In 1763 Ann married William Pogue. Together they had 6 children;
1. Elizabeth (Sept. 4, 1764)
2. Robert (Oct. 6, 1766)
3. Joseph (May 8, 1770)
4. Martha (1772)
5. Mary (May 10, 1775)
6. Ann - born in Kentucky (Aug. 12, 1777)
The Pogue family moved from the Holston River area to Kentucky and arrived in Boonesborough, Kentucky in September 1775. People moving west normally traveled in groups for a number of reasons, (family friends, security, support). The Pogue's traveled with a Colonel Joseph Lindsay, John Harvey Stagner, their families and several other young men. While living at Boonesborough the Pogue's became friends with Daniel Boone.
Daniel Boone
One of the things Ann Pogue brought with her to her new home was her spinning wheel, the first ever brought into Kentucky.
A typical 18th century spinning wheel
In February the following year (1776), Pogue and his wife moved two miles to the northeast of Ft. Harrod (Harrodsburg, Ky). where they cleared ground and started raising corn. On Aug. 12, 1777 the Pogue's last child was born and named for mother, Ann.
In September 1778, while hunting with a group of men near Danville Kentucky, 10 miles south of Harrodsburg, Pogue was shot 3 times by Indians and died on Sept. 4th,1778. One of the men in the hunting party gathered up Pogue's watch and rifle and gave them to Pogue's 12 year old son Robert.
The following Spring (1779) Ann married Joseph Lindsay, one of the men in the party they had traveled to the area with. Lindsay was the commissary for General George Rogers Clark's army that was stationed at Louisville, Ky. He kept a commissary store at Fort Harrod as well as at other stations. A commissary was basically a general store where settlers could buy anything from needles and thread to gunpowder and whiskey. Lindsay was a major supplier of buffalo meet for Clark's army.
This is what the southeast corner of the Fort Amanda enclosure may have looked like
This is what the southeast corner of the Fort Amanda enclosure may have looked like
Ann Loses another Husband - Battle at Blue Lick
Meanwhile the Revolutionary War was still in full swing. The British and the Indians were doing everything they could to discourage settlers from moving into Kentucky. On August 19, 1782, on a hill next to the Licking River in what is now Robertson County, a force of 50 British rangers and 300 Indians ambushed and routed 182 Kentucky militiamen killing 64 including Joseph Lindsay (Ann's 3rd husband). Lindsay had borrowed the rifle given to Robert and it was lost in the battle. The Battle at Blue Lick was the last battle of the Revolutionary War fought in Kentucky. Later that same year (1782), 16 year old Robert joined Clark's army as a private soldier.
In 178? Ann married once again, this time to a man named James McGinty. McGinty died in 1806. Ann was born in 1735 so she was 71 at that point and assuming her husband was approx. the same age, he too may have been in his 70s. and likely died of natural causes.
1815: Ann Kennedy Wilson Pogue Lindsay McGinty died at Fort Harrod on Nov. 11, 1815 at the age of 75 having outlived 4 husbands. She is buried in the forts cemetery.
The Pogue family wasn't just an ordinary pioneer family who moved into Kentucky nor was Ann Kennedy Wilson Pogue Lindsay McGinty just an ordinary pioneer woman. Ann Kennedy was a brave pioneer woman, a mother of 6, a business woman a wife who outlived 4 husbands and the person credited with bringing the first spinning wheel into Kentucky. No, there was nothing "ordinary" about Robert Pogue's mother. She was a very special lady.
In 178? Ann married once again, this time to a man named James McGinty. McGinty died in 1806. Ann was born in 1735 so she was 71 at that point and assuming her husband was approx. the same age, he too may have been in his 70s. and likely died of natural causes.
1815: Ann Kennedy Wilson Pogue Lindsay McGinty died at Fort Harrod on Nov. 11, 1815 at the age of 75 having outlived 4 husbands. She is buried in the forts cemetery.
The Mother of Fort Amanda's Builder
Ann Kennedy, Wilson, Pogue, Lindsay, McGinte
1735 -1815
The Pogue family wasn't just an ordinary pioneer family who moved into Kentucky nor was Ann Kennedy Wilson Pogue Lindsay McGinty just an ordinary pioneer woman. Ann Kennedy was a brave pioneer woman, a mother of 6, a business woman a wife who outlived 4 husbands and the person credited with bringing the first spinning wheel into Kentucky. No, there was nothing "ordinary" about Robert Pogue's mother. She was a very special lady.