HARVEY ELSWORTH BURNS CONLEY, son of JOHN CONLEY and MARGARET BLAIR, was born November 24, 1861 in Johnson County, Kentucky, died December 2, 1946 in Hager Hill, Johnson County, Kentucky, and was buried in Hager Hill, Johnson County, Kentucky. He married (1) REBECCA JANE PRESTON about 1882. She was born in November of 1861 in Kentucky, and died before 1930. He married (2) PHOEBE JANE (unknown last name), about 1928. She was born about 1871 in Kentucky.
Notes: Information on this family can be found on page 325 of "The Conley Clan of Eastern Kentucky," published and sold by The Magoffin County Historical Society.
Although there is no real proof, Rebecca Preston was probably the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Castle Preston. They can be found in the 1860 census, a year before Rebecca was born, but in 1870 Elizabeth is found - apparently widowed - living with one of her daughters in the home of a Fred Murry family, and her other children are found scattered around, living with different families. Rebecca is found living in the home of a Samuel S. Murray family. In 1880 Rebecca can be found living with her sister, Nancy. Information on that Thomas and Elizabeth Castle Preston and their family will be included here.
According to Kentucky marriage record transcripts, Thomas Preston (widower, age 52, b. Floyd County) married Elizabeth Castle (single, age 32, b. Floyd County) on August 17, 1856 in Johnson County.
According to Kentucky birth records, Nancy Jane Preston was born July 24, 1857 in Johnson County to Thomas Preston and Elizabeth Castle.
According to Kentucky birth records, Matilda Preston was born July 25, 1858 in Johnson County to Thomas Preston and Elizabeth Castle.
According to Kentucky birth records, Paterick H. Preston was born November 9, 1859 in Johnson County to Thos Preston and Elizabeth Castle.
According to Kentucky birth records, Harvy B. Conley was born November 24, 1861 in Johnson County to John Conly (b. Floyd County) and Margaret Blare (b. Virginia).
According to his death certificate, Harvey Elsworth Burns Conley died December 2, 1946 in Hager Hill from a cerebral hemorrhage due to hypertensive cardiovascular disease. Also on this certificate, his birthplace is listed as Kentucky, his birth date as November 24, 1867, his age as 85 years 11 months 8 days, his marital status as married, his wife as Phoebe Jane Conley, his occupation as farmer, his parents as John Conley (b. Kentucky) and Margarette Blair (b. Kentucky), the informant as Alice Arms of Hager Hill, Kentucky, and the burial place as Hager Hill.
According to his obituary, Burns Conley (age 85), a well known resident of Hager Hill, died December 3, 1946 at home in Hager Hill. He was survived by his wife and 3 children. (Taken from the obituary page of the The Johnson County Historical & Genealogical Society's Web site.)
On page 62 of the 1860 census for Johnson County, Kentucky (dated June 27, 1860), Thomas Preston is listed as the head of the household for house #397, he's a farmer, born in Kentucky, and he's 55 years old. Also listed are Elizabeth (born in Kentucky, age 36), Isaac (born in Kentucky, age 11), Nancy (born in Kentucky, age 5), Matilda J. (born in Kentucky, age 2), and Patrick H. (born in Kentucky, age 8 months).
On page 7 of the 1870 census for Hoods Fork in Johnson County, Kentucky (dated July 27, 1870), Elizabeth Preston is found living with her daughter in the home of a Murry family. Fredrick Murry [Murray] is listed as the head of the household for house #47, he's a farmer, born in Kentucky, and he's 30 years old. Also listed are Polly (born in Kentucky, age 23), Washington L. (born in Kentucky, age 5), Jerry B. (born in Kentucky, age 3), Henry J. (born in December of 1870 in Kentucky, age 5 months), Elizabeth Preston (housework, born in Kentucky, age 47), and Tilda J. Preston (born in Kentucky, age 12).
On page 16 of the 1870 census for Toms Creek in Johnson County, Kentucky (dated August 20, 1870), Saml S. Murray is listed as the head of the household for house #108, he's a farmer, born in Kentucky, and he's 26 years old. Also listed are Jane (born in Kentucky, age 22), Rhoderick (born in Kentucky, age 3), and Rebecca Preston (born in Kentucky, age 9). The scan of this page is hard to read, so the the transcripts were also used.
On page 28 of the 1870 census for Paintsville in Johnson County, Kentucky (dated July 23, 1870), Rebecca Preston's sister and brother are found living with an Alley family. Robert Alley is listed as the head of the household for house #185, he's a farmer, born in Virginia, and he's 49 years old. Also listed are Rebecca (born in Virginia, age 52), Nancy A. (born in Kentucky, age 16), Patrick F. Preston (born in Kentucky, age 10), and Nancy J. Preston (born in Kentucky, age 12).
On page 28 of the 1880 census for District 45 (Barnetts Creek) in Johnson County, Kentucky (dated June 17, 1880), Rebecca can be found living in the home of her sister. Elbert S. Combs is listed as the head of the household for house #173, he's a farmer, born in Tennessee, parents born in Tennessee, and he's 23 years old. Also listed are Nancy J. (wife, born in Kentucky, parents born in Kentucky, age 22), Calvin (son, born in Kentucky, age 1), William (son, born in January of 1880 in Kentucky, age 4 months), and Rebecca Preston (sister-in-law, single, born in Kentucky, parents born in Kentucky, age 19).
On page 30 of the 1900 census for District 38 (Paintsville) in Johnson County, Kentucky (dated June 13, 1900), Burns Conley is listed as the head of the household for house #249, he's a farmer, born in November of 1861 in Kentucky, parents born in Kentucky, married for 17 years, and he's 38 years old [hard to read]. Also listed are [unreadable name] (wife, born in November of 1861 in Kentucky, parents born in Kentucky, married for 17 years, she's given birth to 10 children and 5 are still living, age 38), [unreadable name] (daughter, born in September of 1883 in Kentucky [hard to read], age 16), Maru (daughter, born in [month unreadable] of 1885 in Kentucky, age 14), Mary (daughter, born in April of 1889 in Kentucky, age 11), Monroe (son, born in November of 1890 in Kentucky, age 9), and Smith (son, born in October of 1896 in Kentucky, age 3).
On page 30 of the 1910 census for District 65 (Paintsville) in Johnson County, Kentucky (dated May 2, 1910), Burns Conley is listed as the head of the household for house #225, he's a farmer, born in Kentucky, parents born in Kentucky, 1st marriage, married for 19 years, and he's 49 years old. Also listed are Rebecca (wife, born in Kentucky, parents born in Kentucky, 1st marriage, she's given birth to 11 children and 5 are still living, age 49), Alice (daughter, divorced, born in Kentucky, she's given birth to 1 child and that child is still living, age 21), Irvin (son, born in Kentucky, age 19), Smith (son, born in Kentucky, age 14), and Allie Hall (granddaughter, born in Kentucky, parents born in Kentucky, age 1 year 3 months).
On page 34 of the 1920 census for District 29 (Paintsville) in Johnson County, Kentucky (dated January 19, 1920), Burns Conley is listed as the head of the household for house #338, he's a blacksmith, born in Kentucky, parents born in Kentucky, and he's 58 years old. Also listed is Rebecca Jane (wife, born in Kentucky, parents born in Kentucky, age 58).
On page 29 of the 1930 census for District 58-4 (Magisterial District No. 1) in Johnson County, Kentucky (dated April 17, 1930), Burns Conley is listed as the head of the household for house #257, he's a farmer, born in Kentucky, parents born in Kentucky, first married at age 68, and he's 69 years old. Also listed is Feba J. (wife, born in Kentucky, parents born in Kentucky, first married at 57, age 59).
The children of BURNS CONLEY and REBECCA PRESTON are:
- MARGARET "MAGGIE" CONLEY, b. September 17, 1883, Kentucky, d. February 1976, Camargo, Douglas County, Illinois, m. DAVID LEONARD KESTNER.
- MARTHA JANE CONLEY, b. 1885, Kentucky, d. February 2, 1934, Hager Hill, Johnson County, Kentucky, buried in Hager Hill, Johnson County, Kentucky, m. JILSON PATRICK BLAIR.
- MARY ALICE CONLEY, b. April 1, 1889, Hager Hill, Johnson County, Kentucky, d. April 21, 1961, Van Lear, Johnson County, Kentucky, buried in East Point, Johnson County, Kentucky, met (1) WATT BLAIR, m. (2) DAN ARMS.
- ERVIN MONROE CONLEY, b. November 11, 1890, Hager Hill, Johnson County, Kentucky, d. December 3, 1965, Johnson County, Kentucky, buried in Hager Hill, Johnson County, Kentucky, m. MINNIE BURCHWELL.
- SMITH W. CONLEY, b. October 15, 1895, Hager Hill, Johnson County, Kentucky, d. January 1968, Warsaw, Kosciusko County, Indiana, m. AMANDA M. BURCHWELL.