Notes for: Elizabeth (or Sarah) Bodine
Elizabeth could be the daughter of John and Catherine Bodine. She may be the one who married Asher Pullen. It is uncertain.
Her brother, John Bodine, names a Samuel Evans as his "brother" in his will. My only guess so far about that is that Samuel Evans must have, at some time, married this sister, Elizabeth/Sarah Bodine. I'm not sure how Asher Pullen fits in all this. Some undocumented information on the Internet lists Samuel Evans as the husband of John Bodine's daughter, Mary Bodine. That may well be incorrect.
Pullen
The Bodines, Pullens, McMakins, and Skinners, as well as the Van Deventers were families who had ties with each other in the New Jersey, Delaware area, as well as in Loudoun County, Virginia. As will be seen by the will of Charles Pullen, marriages in Virginia made these associations quite definite. To a great degree these ties continued in Kentucky.
Charles Pullen left a will dated 15 Aug. 1796 in Loudoun Co., Va., (Will Book F, p. 332) in which he names the following children:
1. William Pullen, eldest son.
2. Robert Pullen, second son.
3. Asher Pullen, youngest son. [Moved to Kentucky.]
and daughters
4. Elizabeth Bodine. [Moved to Kentucky.]
5. Mary Swart.
6. Rhody Schlacht.
7. Catharine Ritaker.
8. Peggy Skinner. [Moved to Kentucky.]
9. Zilpah McMakin. [Moved to Kentucky.]
A number of Charles Pullen's descendants came to Kentucky. Margaret (Peggy) was the wife of Isaac Skinner, who had descendants in the Kentucky counties of Nelson (including many Fosters) and Bullitt. As will be seen above, Zilpah married William McMakin, who came to Nelson Co., and Elizabeth married Isaac Bodine and came with him to Nelson County. Their brother Asher is also on the records of Nelson County and left descendants there. He may have married a daughter of Jacob Bodine. Members of his family were named as "connections" by Catherine Bodine, sister of John, in her Nelson County will. His daughter Elizabeth Pullen (who received all of Catherine Bodine's personal possessions and shared equally in the remainder of her estate) married Richard Johns(t)on in Nelson County, Kentucky, and they had, among others, a son Richard Bodine Johnston. See under Bodine for possible descendants of Asher Pullen.
From: Keith Josef Adkins [keithjosef at usa.net]
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2007
Subject: ASHER PULLEN
David. Hello.
I was scouring the website for info on Asher Pullen and voila! I found YOU.
I'm not sure if you know this story: but my gr-gr-gr-gr-grandmother, Charity Palmer Southgate, lived with Asher Pullen and his family between say 1808 and 1822. She was the illegitimate mulatto daughter of a Patsy Palmer of Loudoun County, VA. In order to avoid family scandal, two year old Charity was sent by her grandfather James Palmer to live with Asher and his family [apparently their families were close [or possibly related]. And apparently Charity had quite a decent life with the Pullens until her cousin Phillip Palmer from Loudoun County arrived and sold her into slavery at the age of 16. [Phillip was apparently a greedy money-seeker]. This was an illegal action and Charity knew it: She knew any child born of a white woman was legally free by law. Charity spent the next 20 years in the courts fighting for her freedom until she finally got it.
Charity was living in Falmouth, KY at the time of her freedom and had married Allen Southgate, a free man of color. They had several children.
It's quite a fascinating story.
I'm wondering if you have records of Charity being present with Asher and his family. I'm looking for anything that would describe her or her life with Asher.
Respectfully,
Keith J. Adkins