This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the MAY 8, 2014 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.

            We enjoyed a nice visit with our friend John Holbrook this past week and this time he brought with him his daughter Cindy as she is researching her family history.  The surnames she is researching are Holbrook, Walters, Alsept and Dunn. 

            Her paternal grandfather was Eugene Holbrook (1901-1983), he had a first name but was known mostly by his middle name, Eugene.  He was the son of Leander Holbrook (b.1852 Breathitt Co. KY d. 8 Apr 1875 Breathitt Co. KY) and Luanna Margaret Walters. 

            Leander was a son of John Wesley Holbrook (b.1821-d. 1837) and Lavisa Miller. 

John Wesley was a son of John Henry Holbrook and Susannah Back.  Lavisa was a daughter of Stephen Crockett Miller and Henrietta Hardin. 

The genealogy of Stephen Crockett Miller is found in our Miller family book.  He was born in 1780 NC and died in 1834 Breathitt Co. KY.  His wife Henrietta was born in 1790 also in NC and died in 1846. 

The Back family is well chronicled in the Back/Bach family book by Custer, Kenneth and Troy Back along with Dexter Dixon.  The late David Risner helped with contributing a great deal of his research for that book.  CD’s of this book can be ordered from Back/Bach Genealogical Society, 4638 Highway 7 South, Blackey, KY 41804.

            Susannah, wife of John Henry Holbrook, was known by the nickname “Sukie”.  She was born in 1804 Russell Co. VA. John H. Holbrook was born in Wilkes County, NC to Randolph Holbrook and Elizabeth Adams.  He and Susannah were married in Floyd County, KY in 1820.  They lived on Hunting Creek, present day Bays, Breathitt Co. KY. 

            Susannah was a daughter of John Back and Catherine Robinson.  John Back was the oldest child of Henry and Elizabeth Back.  John’s wife Catherine was born in 1790 in Tennessee and her parent’s names are not yet known. 

            Cindy’s paternal grandmother was Peggy Alsept b. 1901, dau of Henry C. Alsept and Celia Margaret Dunn.  Henry was a son of Robert (Patrick) Alsept and Jane “Jinsy” Risner.  Celia was a daughter of Asa Dunn and Margaret Alsept. 

            Robert was a son of Henry Patrick and Elizabeth “Betty” Alsept.  Jane or Jinsy was a daughter of Michael Risner and Sarah Howard.

An interesting fact about Robert is his service in the Civil War.  He volunteered 27 Sep 1863 at Prestonsburg, KY to serve for 12 months.  He was age 35 at the time and he and Jinsy had five children.  He was in the Battle of Ivy Point here in Salyersville and was captured and taken to a prison in City Point, VA.  He contracted smallpox during his imprisonment but survived to be reunited with his family after his 12 months of service were completed.

            On his Civil War pension application Robert gave his birth date and reported he was born at or near the Meadows of Licking River, Floyd Co. KY.  He also wrote, “If you are going to increase my claim, please do so while I am living and in time of need.”

Robert was born 14 Sep 1828 and died 15 Nov 1921, age 92 years and 9 months.  He and his wife are buried in the Alsept Cemetery on Cow Creek in Magoffin Co. KY.  He has a military stone but it is said his wife’s grave is unmarked. 

            Celia’s father Asa Dunn was an early teacher in Magoffin County.  He was the son of John B. Dunn and Nancy Smith.  His wife Margaret Alsept appears to be a daughter of Henry Patrick and Elizabeth “Betsy” Alsept.

             The late Omar J. Stephens filed a good history of the Stephens family with our historical society several years ago.  He believed that his branch of the Stephens family came out of Wise County, VA and he recorded several stories of his ancestor George Stephens’ travels to our area of the country.  Some of his material appears in our 1988 and 1989 quarterly Journals.

            George met Elizabeth “Betsy” Alsept and they later married or lived together.  Betsy had been raised by a Howard family who brought her with them when they moved from Tennessee to the area known as “The Meadows” of the Licking River, around present-day Royalton, KY.  Betsy had two children who were born in the late 1820’s; Robert Alsept and Margaret Alsept whose father was Henry Patrick. 

            George and Betsy together had two sons William Stephens b. 1840 d.1921 (married Nancy Jane Gullett) and Elijah Stephens b. 1843 d. 1921 (married Rebecca Jane Dunn).

            Much work remains to be done with Cindy’s family genealogy.  It is a very interesting family line and touches a great many families in our area.  Perhaps there are some readers who can fill in some facts and family history stories to supplement what we have here.  If so, please write us at Box 222, Salyersville, KY 41465 or email [email protected] and we will pass the info on to Cindy.