Many events happened in this immediate and general area for our family. Hales Mill was established in the small creek  across the river now, in the 1750's or so. The Hale land developers, were among the early settlers on what was the frontier in those days. The ford was also established, although I don't know if it was run by the Hale family or not. 

To the south on the other side of river down a couple of miles is where the Nichols farms were where Keziah grew up. In the later years of the 1700's the first bridge was constructed. 

While many Hales moved on to other places by the 1790's when Keziah was born, some still lived on land just to the west of here. In between was the prosperous Hook plantation and store. Millie Smith (who married Armstead Burgess) grew up just to the north, and her aunt married into the Hook and Preston family. Bowker Preston was a cousin, he partnered with the Hooks, and Holland families in the business. Millies mother was Ann Preston probably related too, but not yet discovered. Bowker of course comes from the Bowker Smith connection of our two minister gggggfathers. 

So you can see that several of our root families were in this little burg that other than being the home of Booker T.. Washington to the west, is only notable due to the Hale and Hook families (and not very notable at that). While Armstead and his brothers formidable years were close to here, unfortunately the recent murders are probably the most important event ever. 

It will be a grizzly reminder of an area where our people lived for at least 85 years.

I was reviewing some old research done by Sherrie Boone, and discovered a note that I forgot about, or was too involved with the other children to followup with. 

Lets review for context. Keziah was taken to the John Nichols family to grow up as she was abandoned by her mother Mary Burgess in 1790. After she grew up and presentably on her own she bore Armstead in 1810 at the age of 20 or 21. 

She later had two more boys:

Armsetad July 1810  Father was a Hale (or Haile)
Sperril July 4,  1820  Different father unknown in 2016
Oliver              1824   Different father from the other two, unknown in 2016

Sherie states that she found this statement in the court records of Bedford County. 

*Bk 18, 1822, June ct “Archibald Nichols who was recognized to appear here this day on the charge of being the father of a bastard child begotten on the body of Keziah Burgess--called and failed to appear This therefore ordered that the said default be recorded.”Bedford Co VA ob 18, p 254

This puts a new sibling Keziah Jr. right in between her two brothers Oliver and Sperrill. And of course is now, four known children. 

Sherrie also states that she think this may be a female. She checked the Nichols DNA and the other two testers of the two brothers, that do not match the Nichols DNA. The John Nichols DNA is also represented as well as a son Archibald. However other relatives (probably John's brothers), also have son's names Archibald; a total of three. 

John Nichols died in 1803 at 83, just 3 to 5 years after Keziah was released from indentured servitude.  

When we look at the Nichols children we find at least eight children starting with Flayl in 1747 to Jessie in 1767. 

This would make the youngest child 33 years old in 1790 when Keziah at about 1 year old was bound to the Nichols. John was 70 and his wife Martha was 60 then. 

It seems like an advanced age to raise another child (although they certianly were experienced!) However according to John NIchols will, at lease two sons had farms given to them adjacent to the homestead. In addition, two domestic slaves were willed to Marta in 1803, So they may have had domestic help when Keziah was young too. 

At least three sons including Archibald are on land owned by John and adjacent to the home place, when Keziah was with them. This land was given to them or sold cheaply in the will.

Sherrie also has researched all the Archibalds. Her notes are below. 

"And Ron to clarify, there are 4 Nichols families  in Bedford same time and place, I suspect they were all brothers. 1.) John, to whom Keziah & James were bound did have a son Archibald. But 2.) George and 3.) William also had sons "Archibald". 4.) Bazdel, did not have a son named Archibald. 1820 tax list for Bedford shows all 3 Archibalds.

 
1.) John's son Arch appears to be older, marries:

Nov. 25, 1779; Archibald Nichols & Sarah Woolington; John Payne, Surety.

 
2.) George's son Arch is a bit younger, marries:

Dec. 10, 1792; Archibald Nichols & Judith Hatcher, dt Richard; Ward Hatcher, Surety; Married by John Ayers, Dec. 20, 1792

 Arch is admin for her estate 1823..... and he's in the neighborhood...

 
3.) William's son Arch is also younger, marries:

Jan. 1, 1819; Archibald Nichols & Polly Updike; Daniel Black, Surety; Consent of Amon and Hannah Updike; Married by William Leftwich, Jan. 10, 1819.

note they live a bit to east, Just married I doubt he's the Arch.
Sherrie."

So it is established that the Archibalds are from the mid twenties to the the mid forties in 1822. Keziah was herself, thirty two or thirty three, with one young son (Sperril) living with her at the time. Armstead was bound to a Hollihan in about 1807 and was probably still there until 1820 or 1822. Sherrie is right, it is unlikely that the younger Arch would be with Keziah unless she was a prostitute. So that leaves John's son or Williams son. 

What does this mean overall to the narrative we have now?
 
Keziah may have been supported by a Hale while Armstead was young. The Hales were prosperous, married and generally respected, so this would have been a quiet affair. For some reason, Keziah released Armstead at about seven, so I'm thinking she lost support or work. 

She survives somehow then gets pregnant again in 1820 with Sperril and then '22 and '24. we know that all are back together by 1835 or 1836 when they went to Kentucky, so her baby in 1822 probably died young or was given up for adoption never to be seen again. 

The big question then remains, what did she do from 1820 until 1835? 
With four children now, each with different fathers, it becomes more clear that she was a loose woman, a prostitute (following 1807) or an extremely unlucky woman with four marriages, none recorded. This is very doubtful, leaving the first two options. 

Clearly Keziah had a jaded life from early 1800's until at least 1824 and perhaps until she went to Kentucky. I believe the evidence points to informal prostitution at the minimum, if not a "professional" participant to survive this difficult situation with children in those days.

A special thanks to Sherrie Boone genealogist, for all her work on the Burgess Family! 

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For several decades family genealogists have been stopped in the year 1790 when Keziah Burgess was bonded to Jno Nichols, in Bedford County Kentucky. The mystery continues with another two bondings of a James Burgess, and James McDaniel’s, son of Mary Burgess within a few years of Keziah’s bonding. Researchers have made a connection with Keziah and her three sons again in 1840 in the Kentucky Census, revealing yet another relationship who was also bonded; her son Armstead Burgess in 1817, who was 7 or 8 at the time.   Bonding in the early days was similar to slavery; by 1790 it was used to pay a debt or to raise an orphan. Freedom did come after a period of several years, or when the child reached adulthood. Naturally it can be a devastating experience; one that would surely stay with a person for life.  This website is dedicated to the discovery of Keziah Burgess. Who was she, how did she live and provide for her three sons?  Why was she bonded out and who was her family? This site will take you through the odyssey of that discovery, and in a strange way, remember someone who otherwise was unknown, someone who was undoubtedly at the bottom of the social strata. Yet she and her boys did win their freedom and her family did eventually have a chance at American prosperity.