Kentucky: A History of the State, Battle, Perrin, & Kniffin, ed. 8-B, 1887
Breathitt County

HON. HARRISON COCKRILL was born in Breathitt County, Ky., June 18, 1826.
His father was Simon Cockrill, a native of Virginia, who settled in
Breathitt County, Ky., when a young man.  He followed farming and
stock-dealing extensively all his life, and was for many years looked upon
as one of the leading men of eastern Kentucky.  He was the father of twelve
children, the most of whom grew to manhood and womanhood.  He gave them all
a fair education and a good start in the world.  Having accumulated
considerable money and property during his lifetime, he died in good
circumstances.  He was a man of good moral character, beloved by all who
knew him, and the name of Simon Cockrill is justly entitled to a place in
history as one of the pioneers and settlers of the territory now known as
Kentucky.  He was an enterprising man, was of powerful physique and of
superior intellect, and did much to build up his country.  Harrison
Cockrill, the fifth child in the family of twelve, was reared and educated
in his native county.  He entered into politics when quite young, as a
Democrat, and was elected county court clerk of Breathitt County, serving in
that capacity for a number of years.  He was subsequently elected county
judge, serving some time.  He moved to Estill County in 1858, and settled on
a farm about eight miles east of Irvin, where for a few years he devoted his
entire time to agricultural pursuits.  He was a member of the State Senate
two different terms, and in 1874 moved to Irvine.  In 1875 he made an active
race for Congress from the Ninth District, but was defeated by a small
majority.  He was a very popular man, both socially and politically, and was
a great favorite with all who knew him.  He was a liberal contributor to all
church and charitable institutions, and a friend to the poor and needy.  In
1848 he married Miss Fannie Sewell, a daughter of Thomas and Joana (Turner)
Sewell.  Thomas Sewell was well known in Eastern Kentucky for many years as
a trader; he was also engaged in merchandising in several of the mountain
towns.  He had four children, three sons and one daughter, Mrs. Fannie
Cockrill, the only one now living.  Thomas Sewell was born in 1798, and
lived to be eighty-four years old.  He began life very poor, leaving his
father's home in Virginia when a mere boy.  His first occupation was that of
selling merchandise.  He carried his goods over the country on his back.
The country being sparsely settled, and it being a long distance to the
towns, this method was a great accommodation to the first settlers.  At this
employment he made money, and afterwards came to Kentucky, where he did
business on a larger scale, exchanging his merchandise for furs and ginseng,
in which the country abounded.  He was a man of untiring energy, prompt in
all his business engagements, and honest in all his dealings with men.
These characteristics insured him success in all his enterprises, and he
amassed a considerable fortune before his death, which occurred in 1882.  He
was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and his home was a resting
place for the weary itinerant preacher.  He did business successively in
Breathitt, Lee, Estill and Fayette Counties, in each of which he owned
property.  He died at Clay's Ferry, in Fayette County, in 1882, in his
eighty-fourth year.  His remains lie in the cemetery at Lexington, Ky.  To
Mr. And Mrs. Cockrill were born eight children, six of whom are still
living, viz: Mary J., Flora, Isabella, Fannie, Horace B. and Harrison, who
rank among the best citizens of their community.  For many years before his
death, which occurred April 22, 1876, Mr. Cockrill was a member of the F. &
A.M.

Cockrill Sewell Turner
=
VA Estill-KY Lee-KY Fayette-KY

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/breathitt/cockrill.h.txt