Sandi's Puzzles

Please note: Sandi has discontinued these questions, at least for a while.

First there was Kentucky County, Virginia formed in 1776. Next, in 1780, this was divided into 3 counties in Virginia. These became Kentucky counties with our Statehood. What were the original 3 Kentucky counties and from which one of them is the area of South Central Kentucky formed?

Answer: The three original counties were Jefferson, Fayette, and Lincoln. Lincoln County included the area of South Central Kentucky.

Many states had what is known as "Cornstalk Militias" during the Civil War. Why were they so named?

Answer: The Cornstalk Militia, dating even back to the War of 1812, was when the militia trained as required by law to be ready for battle if called. Many could not afford muskets and used cornstalks as pretend weapons in training.

Kentucky is said to have 4 or 5 of these with various names. What am I describing? Redbud, Dogwood, Locust, Blackberry, Linsey-Woolsey.

Answer: These are known as "little winters" or when a cold spell or freeze occurs when the trees/plants cited are in bloom. The names vary. As an example: dogwood winter occurs when the dogwood tree is in bloom. The last one is also commonly known as "linen britches." This is when a lady hangs her linen britches on the clothes line and they are frozen!

If you were known as a mountebank, what would you be doing for a living?

Answer: This guy is a crook, a snake oil salesman, a charlatan.

What was the name of the law in effect in certain years in Kentucky that recorded births and deaths before the State began recording them yearly in 1911?

Answer: Sutton's Law

If you notice a woman buying or selling land in the earlier days of the county, what does this tell you about her? There are three possible choices.

Answer: The woman doing business in her own name could be either single (a feme sole), a widow or divorced.

In Kentucky County Clerk's offices, a clerk took down the minutes of their meetings which might include road reports, estate settlements, Revolutionary War pensions, appointments of guardians, administrators or executors and much more. What are these books called?

Answer: The County Clerk's Order Books.

You see the name John Johnson, Jr. in a record. What is his relationship to John Johnson, Sr.? Explain your answer.

Answer: Jr. and Sr. could be father and son. However, they could be cousins, uncle & nephew etc., or no relation at all. This was often used to distinguish between two people with the same name and indicating one was older and the other younger.

In many areas the term "poor school" was used. What do we call a "poor school"?

Answer: A poor school is what we today call a public school. These schools were considered inferior to private schools or tutoring.

Bonds were required to be posted when a couple was to be married. This bond was normally provided by the father, brother, close kin or friend of the groom-to-be. Who received the bond money if the marriage was successfully performed?

Answer: No money changed hands when the bond was taken. If the marriage did not go through (man was already married, a criminal, not of sound mind, backed out, etc), then the bondsman had to pay the bond money.

If one was tired of working in the 17th century, he might take time out to do a rigadoon. What was he doing?

Answer: a lively dance.

What was the term used for a person who was unable to pay the cost for his voyage to America and was sold by the captain of the ship to another person to cover the cost of the voyage? The person sold had to work for the buyer for a number of years.

Answer: Indentured slave/servant. Normally the term was seven years. The individual was not really sold, his services were.

If your father showed his occupation as a bagman, what did he do for a living? (There are two definitions, this is the honest occupation!)

Answer: A bagman was a traveling salesman.

Again, the lady of the house gives orders to her husband. This time she wants him to fetch some adam's ale. What should he bring her?

Answer: Water

What was the name of the coin that was worth two and a half dollars?

Answer: This is known as a Quarter Eagle; very few were minted.

Until the year 2010, what county in Kentucky had two official county seats? Name both seats.

Answer: Kenton county; county seats: Covington and Independence.

Wife tells husband long ago to bring home a quart. Husband checks and there's plenty of milk or beverage. What does she want him to bring home?

Answer: a quart was 3 lbs. of butter.

Where in older times would one find a silence cloth?

Answer: This was a heavy cloth put under the table cloth to protect the dishes from breaking and mute the noise.

Pioneers and early settlers did not of course have electricity. They often had to use a watching candle. What was the specific use of this candle?

Answer: A watching candle was the one used during a wake at the home. Someone sat up all night with the body to be certain they were truly deceased and to keep the flies and critters off the body.

We all know who farmers are. Who were gentleman farmers?

Answer: A gentleman farmer was a farmer who did not rely on the income from the farm to live on. He farmed for his own pleasure.

We know from early tax records that people were taxed on slaves, horses, buildings, billiards tables. But at one time they were taxed on two other items which can explain why early cabins/houses lacked these things. What were they?

Answer: Many things were taxed over the years, jewelry, 2nd story homes, hearths, pianos and many more. Two major things that were taxed were windows (primarily the glass) and closets. Although disputed by some, closets were taxed as an additional room. This is one reason most earlier homes used wardrobes or "dressers." Additionally, they didn't have that many clothes! Closets were also used as a study room or storage area.

Some of the early Americans showed that they were cat whippers. What in the world did they do?

Answer: He was a traveling shoe maker/repairer. Later also known as a cobbler.

If a farmer's family was said to have a neat house, to what were they referring?

Answer: a barn.

When in older settlement days, there were many outsetters who moved into a community. Who were they?

Answer: An outsetter is an immigrant.

Unscramble the letters below to reveal a word that will be found in many legal documents:
CEYURITS

Answer: Security. Those who provided security were known also as bondsmen.

I'm going to scramble up the letters on a short word which describes a particular type of woman and found most often in obituaries: CRITEL

Answer: Relict - a widow.

Fill in the blanks to find another genealogy related word: (A - M - - I - - R - T - -) [A blank M blank blank I blank blank R blank T blank blank] Hint: This title is often found in deeds and probate records.

Answer: ADMINISTRATOR

Fill in the blanks to reveal a common word found in genealogy research: _ R _ N _ _ R (that's blank R blank N, blank, blank, R).

Answer: GRANTOR

What was a coverlid?

Answer: Also known as a coverlet, this was a covering for a bed such as a bedspread, quilt or heavy blanket.

What is the term when a deceased person gives his grandchildren money (etc.) so that each one will inherit equally?

Answer: Per capita. Explanation: when property is distributed among grandchildren, it can be done in one of two ways. Per capita means "by the head," so grandchildren would inherit equally - each child gets a certain amount. Per stirpes means "by the steps." In this case grandchildren inherit as a family unit which divides the parents' share among their children (the deceased's grandchildren).

If you look at historic statues where heroes are riding horses, some show the horse with one front foot up; some with both feet up and some with both feet on the ground. According to tradition or urban legend, what does each signify?

Answer: 1 foot in the air, rider was injured in battle. 2 feet means killed in battle. All feet down, died of natural causes or not in battle.

In older times during a wedding ceremony, where was the wedding ring first placed on the bride's hand?

Answer: In olden times and in many countries, the ring was placed on the thumb of the left hand. During the ceremony, the ring was moved to the next finger left and continued until the ring was on what we call the ring finger.

Blush - what was a naked contract?

Answer: A naked contract was normally one that was incomplete or had errors on it.

In Kentucky there is the Circuit Court which handles specific cases brought before them, including divorces, etc. But what was the name of the court that preceded the Circuit Court? The Circuit Court replaced this court.

Answer: The county court that preceded the Circuit Court was known as the Court of Quarter Sessions.

In an old will, one might see one of two terms used: "to my wife," or "to my now wife." What was the difference?

Answer: If a will designates a then wife and a now wife, this was a protection for the now wife. He had been married before and this wife was either deceased or they were divorced. A now wife was the one he was married to at his decease. He was specifying that his present wife was to receive of his inheritance and kept the then wife, if living, from trying to get anything. He might make provisions for any children born to the then wife.

In deeds one will see the acreage of the land being sold followed by the wording "more or less." Why was this added?

Answer: Surveys were not always accurate and property line markers could have been moved or destroyed. This statement was a legal protection to the seller that the acreage shown might be a little less or more than shown.

What job did a leathersealer do in earlier times?

Answer: He inspected tanned leather to determine if it was good enough to receive a "seal of approval."

What is an "appurtenance," a term often found in land deeds?

Answer: This was anything that was part of the property and could not be removed before selling. This would include barns, mills, fences, etc.