“ It takes two men to make one brother.”    – Israel Zangwill

One of the first items of information that we found on the Kimbroughs of Todd County, Kentucky was the will of Meredith Kimbrough, 1794 – 1831. Meredith and his wife, Sarah “Sally” Garth Gaines were married in 1817 in Albemarle County, Virginia soon after the marriage of Thomas Winston Kimbrough and Sally’s sister Susan Garth Gaines. They had no children that survived and Meredith is buried in the Kimbrough Family Cemetery in Hadensville.

Meredith’s will contained some interesting clues to the family of origin of T.W.K., our oldest known ancestor to date.

Transcription:  <As to my worldly substance I will and positively ordain that all my just debts be paid it is my desire that my beloved wife, Sally Kimbrough, be and remain in quit and peaseble (sic) possession of the whole of my estate personal and real after the pament (sic) of my just debts for her > benefit during her mortal life or widowhood at the death of my wife I will to my brother’s children out of my estate as follows:

To Meredith G. Kimbrough, son of Thos. W. Kimbrough five hundred dollars.

To William L. Kimbrough, son as aforesaid one hundred dollars

To Meredith Kimbrough son of William Kimbrough one hundred dollars

To James Kimbrough, son of Nelson Kimbrough, one hundred dollars

To Thomas Kimbrough, son of James Kimbrough, one hundred dollars

I will that the balance of my estate be equally divided among by Brother Thos. W. Kimbrough’s children. I appoint my brother Thos. W. Kimbrough, my executor and will that what I have left to my Brother’s children remain in the hands of my executor until they become of Lawful age.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the 25th day of June 1831.

Signed: Meredith D. Kimbrough

<Todd County, KY, Will Book C, pages 182 & 183>

So, this tells us that at the time of the writing of this will, Thomas had at least 4 brothers, two sons, and  three nephews. Brothers generally means sons of the same mother or father or both, but to complicate matters, can mean a close associate. We are going on the assumption that these named brothers are blood relations as we have so few clues.

 

Meredith appears to have been quite close to Thomas – they married sisters and Thomas and Susan sold property in Virginia to Meredith for $1. It is believed that Meredith and Sally moved to Kentucky to be near Thomas and Susan, perhaps because he knew he was dying. It is not known how long Sally outlived Meredith.