HISTORY OF KENTUCKY AND KENTUCKIANS, E. Polk Johnson, three volumes, Lewis Publishing Co., New York & Chicago, 1912. Common version, Vol. III, pp. 1197-98. [Jefferson County] BENJAMIN HALEY POINDEXTER--The lineage of the subject of this review, who is secretary of the Southern National Life Insurance Company of Louisville, bespeaks long and prominent identification with the annals of American history, many representatives of the name showing that intrinsic loyalty and patriotism which led them to take an active part in the great conflict between the states, and others figuring conspicuously in the great questions of the day as represented in political warfare. Mr. Poindexter has an exceptionally fine ancestry, which is always a good beginning for any one, and a slight diversion in order to place a short sketch before the reader will not prove uninteresting and will show the stock from which Mr. Poindexter came and demonstrate some of the characteristics which often descent from one generation to another. The Poindexters are of French Huguenot stock, who left France upon the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, going thence to the Isle of Jersey, where some of the family still live, thence coming to the new world, settling in Louisa county, Virginia. Among the members of the family to become prominent in the United States are: United States Senator Poindexter, from Mississippi, who was born in Louisa county, Virginia; Colonel John A. Poindexter (an uncle of Benjamin H.), who served as a colonel in the war with Mexico under his personal friend, General Price, and who went to Missouri upon the breaking out of the war between the states to join General Price, and fought all through the war in Southern army as a colonel on General Price's staff, dying a few years after the war closed. He became prominent in Missouri politics and at the time of his death was a prospective candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor. The Hon. Miles Poindexter, at present a member of Congress from the state of Washington and an "Insurgent" candidate for the United States Senate, is a cousin to our subject. All the Poindexters still bear the French Huguenot type of features and many characteristics, thus showing the strong and persistent personality of the progenitors. So far as the record at hand shows the original Virginia Poindexter settler was John, the father of David, and the grandfather of our subject, and the original Kentucky settler, David Poindexter, was born in Louisa county, Virginia, and there married Elizabeth Watts, of the old Virginia family of that name. Coming to Kentucky, he settled in Stamping Ground, where he lived the remainder of his days. He was engaged in the tanning business at Stamping Ground for many years, and also owned an interest in a Louisville tannery. The father of our subject is Richard Mentor Johnson Poindexter, who was born on the old homestead at Stamping Ground on June 30, 1833, and is still living. He was engaged in merchandising at Stamping Ground for many years, but for ten years has been retired from active business. He married Martha Jane Haley, who was born in Fayette county, Kentucky, the daughter of Benjamin Haley, a native of Kentucky, born of Virginia parents. Her brother, the Rev. T. P. Haley, has for many years been a minister of the Christian church, was at one time pastor of the Broadway Christian church at Louisville, was pastor of a St. Louis, Missouri, church and is now honorary pastor of Haley's Memorial Christian church, named on his honor, at Kansas City, Missouri. He married Mary McGarvey, sister to the Rev. McGarvey, for many years president of the Bible College at Lexington, Kentucky. Another brother of Mrs. Poindexter's, the Rev. Henry H. Haley, deceased, was a leading minister of the Christian Church. Benjamin H. Poindexter was reared on the old Poindexter homestead at Stamping Ground, Scott county. He received his education at Georgetown (Kentucky) College and in 1878 went to Missouri, where for five years he was engaged in lead mining, and where he still holds important mining interests. Returning to Kentucky, he settled in Hawesville, where in 1890 he was elected county clerk of Hancock county, serving five years. During that period he organized the Bank of Lewisport, remaining the cashier of the same for five years. He then organized and was one of the incorporators of the Mechanic's Bank and Trust Company of Owensboro, becoming cashier of the institution and so continued until 1908, when he resigned to accept the secretaryship of the Southern National Life Insurance Company and removed to Louisville. Mr. Poindexter married Emma Mason Barron, who was born in Owensboro, Kentucky, the daughter of Thomas Mason Barron and the great-great-granddaughter of George Mason of Gunston Hall, Virginia, the adjoining plantation to Mt. Vernon, Washington estate, on the Potomac. He was the author of the Virginia Bill of Rights, and was conspicuous in the framing of the American Constitution. He received grants from Virginia for large tracts of Kentucky lands, and a tract of ten thousand acres lying in Daviess county was among them. The warrant for these lands is still held by the family, and while much of the land has passed into other hands the Mason claim is still valid and no deed has ever been, or can be made, to them without consent of the Mason heirs. Upon this tract of Daviess county land, Thomas Mason Barron settled at an early date, coming from Virginia and bringing his family and stores, making the entire trip in carriages. Mrs. Poindexter, through her descent from George Mason, is a member of the Daughters of the Revolution, in which she is active, having been twice a delegate to the national meetings and served on different committees. Mr. Poindexter takes an active interest in the Masonic Order and is a member of the Owensboro Loges, No. 303, F. & A. M., Owensboro Chapter, R.A.M., Owensboro Commandery, K.T., and Kosair Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. In person, in talents and in character Mr. Poindexter is a worthy of his race, and he has attained to distinction in various lines of life, which is indicative of great mental breadth and superior business qualifications. Poindexter Price Haley Watts McGarvey Barron Mason = Stamping_Ground-Scott-KY Lexington-Fayette-KY Georgetown-Scott-KY Hawesville-Hancock-KY Owensboro-Daviess-KY Louisa-VA MS MO France http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/jefferson/poindexter.bh.txt