Who Are We?

The question I always asked myself, Who Are we? Where did we come from?
I was hoping to find that we Elders came to America during the great migration of the late 1800's. I was wrong. We Elders were here before the Revolution.

John Elder, My 8th great grandfather was born 1650 in Lancashire, England.

His son, William,  also born in England was the first I found here in America.
 His son, also a William, was the first American born.

William Elder, Born 1707 in Goodwill, Maryland.

William was born a Catholic.  The old colonial law given men unrestricted liberty to worship according to conscience, were abrogated in Maryland, and Catholics were forbidden to build or occupy structures for religious services.  William Elder built his home with a parlor chapel where the Catholic residents of the area could worship.

"Born in the year 1707 aged and departed April 22,1776 and awaits the resurrection of the just. May they rest in peace amen"

His son, Guy I. Elder, was born in 1731. Guy fought in the Revolutionary War for the freedom of his fellow Americans yet the 1800 census shows that Guy owned 3 slaves.

His son, William Elder, was born in 1757.  
William was born prior to the Revolution and became a noted orator advancing the cause of the American Revolution. He fought in the War as a Corporal in the Flying Camp Militia. William married Ann McAtee and the family moved to Nelson Co., Virginia which the following year became Washington County, Kentucky. On 25 Sep 1812, William and Ann were living in Breckenridge Co., Kentucky. In Breckenridge Co., Williams home served as a Church Station for the Catholics of the area until the erection of St. Theresa's. 

His son, Yet another William, Was  born in 1786 in Kentucky.

His Son, Charles Coomes Elder was born in 1839 in Kentucky.

Charles served in the 
9th Kentucky Cavalry Regiment. Charles spent the rest of his years as a farmer in Breckinridge Co. Kentucky.
He died in 1909 and was laid to rest at            
Saint Romuald Cemetery in Hardinburg Kentucky.


His Son, My Great Grandfather, John William Elder was born 1864 in Cloverport, Kentucky.
John was also a farmer. He married Mary Effie Walker in 1886.
John died in 1958.


His son, My Grandfather, Paul Elder was born in 1899.
Paul was a farmer at one time as shown by his World War I Draft Registration.

  Later census records show that he worked as a laborer in a tobacco house in 1920 and in a toy factory in 1930.



Paul married Celestine Sadonia Gedling in 1922. Paul passed away 16 Jan 1950.