Ambrose Gaunt married Sarah Vaughan on May 26,1787 in Facquier co, Virginia according to Early Virginia Marriages - Crozier 975.5 v2c 1980
John and Martin Gant appear on the Berkeley county Virginia Tax list “B” 5/12/1787
Gant, John Self 0 0 2 6 7
Gant, Martin Self 0 0 0 0 0
James Gaunt appears on the Berkeley county Virginia Tax list “A” 4/16/1787
Gaunt, James Self 1 0 0 0 0 - (not tithable, probably under 21)
John Gaunt appears on the Berkeley county Virginia Tax list 6/13/1787
Gaunt, John Self 2 11 10 14 40

Archibald Gant (1789-1854)7
Descendants of Archibald Gant and Ancestors of Rebecca Kinkead
William Cooper Weaks 1944

Born in Virginia, February 12, 1789; names of parents unknown. Though family tradition says he was born in Spotsylvania county, Virginia, there is no court record of a family by this name in Spotsylvania County between the dates of his birth, and the date of his arrival in Kentucky. The only proof we have for his birth in Virginia is contained in his death certificate, which is on file in the Kentucky historical society at Frankfort, Kentucky. Unfortunately, this entry does not show the name of the county of birth, or the names of his parents.

The first definite record of Archibald Gant appears in deed book D, page 319, in Christian county, Kentucky, showing a purchase of business property in the town of Hopkinsville, Kentucky on January 1, 1817. An examination of the poll tax lists of all counties in Kentucky which are on file in the Kentucky historical society of Frankfort, between the years 1808 and 1817, do not disclose the name of Archibald Gant and I believe we are safe in concluding that he came to Hopkinsville from outside the state.

The old Gant homestead on 13th and main streets still stands. A part of the house is said to have been built in 1804, the front being added in 1848. Archibald Gant purchased this property on April 1, 1824. The original log included the ground from 14th to 12th streets, fronting on Main Street,, going back to the river. The Gant homestead remained in the family until September 24, 1913 when it was sold by Archie Stewart Gant, a grandson.

Archibald Gant was a Hatter by trade, making hats of the tall "Beaver Type" from rabbit skins with long hair turned outside. The hats were made to order and sold at $10.00 each and it is said, many of these lasted a man for his lifetime. The name of "Gant, the Hatter", was known throughout the Green River district of Kentucky.

He later engaged in the mercantile business with H.L. Kinkead, his brother-in-law, as "Kinkead and Gant". This was before the time of railroads and most of their goods, as well as the farm produce was handled by wagon to the town of canton, which is located on the Cumberland river. From Canton the traffic was by boat to the Ohio and north to Louisville, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Ohio and Pittsburgh, PA., or south to New Orleans. The first railroad did not reach Hopkinsville until 1869.

On June 17,1819, he was married to Mrs. Rebecca (Kinkead) Guynn, the widow of John Guynn(1785-1817) and the daughter of Lovey Dictum and Guy Kinkead, sr., (1779-1818). She was born in Woodford county, Kentucky, June 13, 1801, and in January 1813, moved with her parents to Christian county, Kentucky, where she married John Guynn in 1816. One child was born to this first marriage, Mary Guynn, who was first married to Wallace Dupuy, May 1, 1834; and second married to Robert S. McReynolds, June 15, 1841. Two children were born to Mary Guynn’s second marriage, Ella R. McReynolds, who married John T. Rabbeth, January 15, 1850, and Emma McReynolds, who married John Phelps, November 14, 1866.

Archibald Gant, sr., was a member of the First Masonic Lodge in Hopkinsville, which was chartered in 1816, and became dormant during the Morgan excitement, surrendering its charter in 1834. He became a charter member of Hopkinsville Lodge #37, which was revived under dispensation February 22, 1840 and chartered in September of that year.

Both Archibald Gant and his wife Rebecca (Kinkead) Gant were members of the Presbyterian Church at Hopkinsville. Rebecca (Kinkead) Gant and her parents are thought to have been among the charter members although the first records of the church cannot be located to confirm this.

Archibald Gant, sr. died December 18, 1854, at St. Joseph’s infirmary in Louisville, Kentucky, where he had gone for treatment. Rebecca (Kinkead) Gant, died May 1, 1874 at Hopkinsville, Kentucky and both are buried in Riverside cemetery, Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

Listed in 1850 census index under “Lant”.

WILL BOOK  "P" , PAGE  111

NAME: ARCHIBALD  GANT                          WILL
DATE:  JUNE 9 , 1854                PROBATED:  JAN. 5 , 1856
HEIRS: WIDOW - REBECCA GANT
            DAUGHTERS: EMILY JARRETT - MARGARET  W.  GANT
                      JANE ELLEN GANT  -  CORNELIA GANT
             REBECCA COPE (wife of DR. Salem Cope)
            SONS:  JOSEPH  K.  GANT - HENRY  C.  GANT
                     ARCHIBALD GANT - MILTON GANT
EXECUTORS:   JOSEPH  K.  GANT and HENRY  C. GANT and
                       ( widow ) REBECCA  GANT
WITNESSES:  JAMES  S. PHELPS - JAMES  O.  ELLIS
           JOHN  S.  McGOWAN - D.S. HAYS

Census
1840 Gant, Archibald KY CHRISTIAN CO. HOPKINSVILLE 186 1840 0021110100000-2200010000000-000000-000000-100100-131000-0140000

1830 Gant, Archibald KY CHRISTIAN CO. HOPKINSVILLE 002 1830
2002201000000-1020100000000-020000-111000



THE KENTUCKY LAND GRANTS
Volume 1
Part 1
CHAPTER II VIRGINIA GRANTS (1782-1792)
THE COUNTIES of KENTUCKY
page 54
Grantee: Gant, Thos
Acres: 500
Book: 1
Page: 627
Date Survey: 2- 2-1781
County: Lincoln
Watercourse: Town Fk Salt R

A History of Christian County Kentucky from Oxcart to Airplane221
by Charles Mayfield Meacham
printed by Marshall & Bruce co. Nashville, Tennessee 1930

Archibald Gant was born in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, February 12, 1789, and was one of the very early settlers of Hopkinsville. The exact time of his coming here, from Virginia, is not known; county deed books show that he purchased property here in 1816. Mr. Gant was a "hatter," and in those days hats were all made to order, no one carried them in stock. The hats were made of skins, with the fur on them, and sold for quite a good price, ten dollars or more. Afterwards, he became one of the successful merchants, and was a leader in civic affairs of the town for many years.
The old Gant homestead, on Thirteenth and Main Street, still stands, a part of the house is said to have been built in 1804, the front being added in 1848. Mr. Gant was married June 17, 1819, to Rebecca Kinkead (Guynn), born in Woodford County, Kentucky, in 1801. Mr. and Mrs. Gant had quite a large family, a number of their children made their homes in Hopkinsville. Their daughters were Mrs. G. W. Jarrett and Mrs. Salem Cope, of Paducah; Mrs. James C. Glass, Mrs. James M. Glass and Mrs. James A. Wallace, of Hopkinsville. The eldest son was Joseph Kinkead Gant, born May 2, 1827, who, at eighteen years of age went into business with his father, and after his death, continued as a merchant for years. In after years, he went into the tobacco business, and was one of the prominent tobacco men of this county. The firm of Gant & Jesup was in Hopkinsville. Later he was a commission merchant, and owned and operated the large warehouse which covered the square on Ninth Street, now known as "Peace Park." Joseph K. Gant married Miss Elizabeth V. Crabb, of Elkton, Ky. The children of this family were: Mrs. L. V. Rawlings, J. C. Gant, Mrs. Nat Gaither, J. K. Gant, Jr., Ella M. and Mrs. F. M. Stites. Mr. Gant died June 2, 1882.
The two younger sons of Archibald Gant, Henry C. and Milton Gant, were associated for years in the dry goods business here. Milton Gant, born May 1, 1845, married Miss Mary Campbell, they moved to Owensboro many years ago, and remained there till his death. His three sons, Campbell, Milton d. and Archie Stuart Gant, are business men of that city. Henry C. Gant was born February 3, 1830. This union was blessed by four children, of whom only Archie S. Gant survives. James T., Rebecca Love and Harry C., were the others, all of whom died young. Mr. Gant was president of the Bank of Hopkinsville for a number of years before his death. Archie S. Gant was born in Hopkinsville, April 4, 1870. He attended, first, Mrs. McKenzie’s private schools, then the city schools, and finished his education at South Kentucky College. He began his business career as a salesman in a dry goods dtore, but in 1904 accepted a position in the Bank of Hopkinsville, of which E. P. Campbell and later his father was president, and has remained with the institution ever since. Mr. Gant was married March 30, 1906, to Miss Maude Baker, and they have one daughter, Miss Elizabeth Gant. Mr. Gant is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and is affiliated with the Democratic party. Until just a few years ago, when he built a handsome new home on Virginia Street, he lived in the original Gant home, which had sheltered three generations.

Perrin pp. 2019
Among the early tradsmen, some of whom afterward became the most prosperous merchants, were Daniel Safferance, Archibald Gant, Jeremiah Foster, Benjamin York, M. T. Carnahan, Jefferson Bailey, John Wilcoxson, etc. ... Archibald Gant was the first hatter in Hopkinsville. Hats were then made to order by men brought up to the trade, and a merchant thought as little of buying a stock of hats with his other goods as he would think now of keeping in stock railroad locomotives. Mr. Gant made a fortune in the hat business, and “Gant, the hatter,” became known throughout the Green River country. He made hats of rabbit skins, with fur on them an inch long, sold them for $10 apiece (the hats, not the rabbit-skins), and one would last a man his life-time. In fact, the leader of the advertising troupe for the “Great Indian Remedy” was, upon a recent visit to Hopkinsville, supposed to be wearing one of them, still in an excellent state of preservation. Mr. Gant bought a farm in the county for which he gave $5,000, and it is said paid the whole sum in hats, or in money made from their sale.

Perrin pp. 2049
The old citizens of to-day might apostrophise somewhat afther this fashion:
“The postoffice, to, is wonderful now,
with its lock-boxes and that;
Why, I can remember just how
Brown carried the thing in his hat.”
Postmaster Gen. Gowan would require a gross or two of Mr. Gant’s hats in which to stow the mail that passes through the Hopkinsville postoffice now in a single day.

This is a reposting just for information. In 1992 I received a letter from
the Library at the University of Cambridge in England identifying a Doctoral
dissertation I had inquired about.
The dissertation was entitled "The Gant family in England, 1066-1191" and
was submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (apparently in History)
in the University of Cambridge in January 1973 by now-Dr. Mary Ralston
ABBOTT (whose current whereabouts remain unknown to me). The Cambridge
University reference is Ph.D.8486.
The letter stated that a microfilm of it had been made for the British
Lending Library so that it should be available to University libraries in
the USA from BLL through the Inter-Library Loans system. The BLL reference
is D10098/74.
I have seen the above microfilm and the dissertation "... concerns the
English line of the Gant family from the arrival of Gilbert I, a Fleming, in
or soon after 1066 to the death of the fifth lord of the fee, Gilbert's
grandson Robert, in 1191" (and on through Gilbert V. who died in 1298).
It is of the quality that one would expect from a dissertation at
Cambridge University and has numerous citations, though many of them are in
Latin. A series of simplified pedigree charts is included.
Unfortunately, I have seen NO solid chain of evidence spanning the 350 or
so years from the death of Gilbert V. until the GENT/GANT(T)/GAUNT
immigrants to the USA started arriving.

<bengantt@hal-pc.org>

My dear cousin and others who may be descendants of John Gant (ca.
1713-1783) of North Carolina:

At least in the case of our surname of Gant, records cited in the book
"John Gant of Colonial Virginia and North Carolina" written and published
in January 2001 by Ben Gantt, Joseph Gantt and me prove beyond reasonable
doubt that our surname was spelled as Gent rather than Gant. Further, that
such surname was sometimes spelled phonetically as Jent. The change in our
surname from Gent to Gant first occurred when John Gent applied for a
patent of 200 acres of land in Edgecombe Co., NC in 1739 in his proper name
but was granted to him in the name of John Gant. The only "hypothetical
guessing" involved in this matter was my guess that John was reluctant to
re-establish his surname as Gent for fear he would not have proper title to
this homestead.

The primary records that prove the surname of our John Gant was Gent
consist of records in the eighteenth century in both Virginia and North
Carolina. They are (1) the purchase of 300 acres of land in Isle of Wight
Co., VA in 1717 by a John Gent; (2) the will of this John Gent dated in
1727 in which he bequeathed his 300 acres of land in equal shares to his
eldest son, Thomas, and his youngest son, John; (3) the account current of
the estate of John Jent (sp.) of Isle of Wight Co., VA in 1733 due to death
of one of his sons; and (3) the sale in 1744 of 300 acres of land in Isle
of Wight Co., VA by John Gent of Edgecombe Co., NC.

The land described in the indentures covering the purchase by John Gent of
Isle of Wight Co., VA in 1717 and the sale by John Gent of Edgecombe Co.,
NC in 1744 was identical. I have copies of both indentures and the land in
each was described as:

"Beginning at a Red Oak standing upon the Nottoway River bank a corner tree
and so running along a line of markt trees on an East Course to a Sweet Gum
standing a Branch a line tree of the Pattent and so said line to a markt
Hickory a corner tree and then along a line of markt trees a West Course to
a Holly standing upon a Branch said River a corner tree and then down said
River to the first station."

The above records prove that the surviving son of John Gent of Isle of
Wight Co., VA was the John Gent of Edgecombe Co., NC since he sold off the
family land in 1744. Further, that he was the John Gant who had applied for
a patent of land in Edgecombe Co., NC in 1739 in the name of John Gent.
Further proof that the John Gant of Edgecombe Co., NC who sold the land in
Isle of Wight Co., VA was the John Gant who appeared in the records of
Granville Co., NC in 1746 and later years was presented to me by Helen F.
M. Leary, a noted certified genealogist, whom I hired to assist me in
proving that the father of John Gant of NC was John Gent of VA. In her
research, she examined the above documents in VA and indentures signed by
John Gant in Granville Co., NC in 1746 and later years (note that Granville
was formed from Edgecombe in 1746). She also examined the marks made by
John Gent on the above indenture in 1744 in VA and the marks made by John
Gant on indentures in Granville Co.,. NC. Such marks were the letter "J"
(for John) which was made in the form of a "I" with 2 or 3 lines drawn
across it (this was in accordance with the custom in those times). This
mark was sometimes made in an upright position and sometimes in a
horizontal position.

Based on her examination of the above documents and other research into the
records of VA and NC, she concluded that "There is a complete chain of
evidence showing that the client's ancestor John Gant/Gent/etc. was in
Edgecombe from ca. 1738 until Granville was formed in 1746, and in
Granville thereafter. There is no evidence on which to base a conclusion
that another man of the same name came to Edgecombe from somewhere in 1744
just in time to execute a deed fro sale of land in Isle of Wight,
disappearing immediately for parts unknown. One must conclude it was the
client's ancestor who executed the 1744 Isle of Wight deed".

I will post the above information in GANT-L@rootsweb.com and hope you will
now agree that our surname was originally Gent.

Cliff Gant

Early FAUQUIER County, VA, Marriage Bonds 1759-1854 by Chappellear/Gott 1965
page 45 GANT, Ambrose & Vaughan, Sarah 26 May 1787, dtr of Cornelius

-Caroline County Court 14th of August 1788 (p. 437 Caroline County Order Book, 1787-1789 by Sparacio, 1999)-
AMBROSE GAUNT, REUBEN GAUNT, SALLY GAUNT now SALLY SCANDLAND and JOHN WEBSTER, Surviving Obligers of WILLIAM GAUNT and JOHN WEBSTER, Complainants against RICHARD DIXON Executor of JOHN GAUNT, deceased, Defendant In Chancery The Commissioners appointed to settle as well the administration of JOSEPH and SARAH GAUNT, deceased, by JOHN GAUNT, deceased, as the distributive share of the Complainants of each Estate, having made their Report, it is therefore decreed and ordered that the Complainant, JOHN WEBSTER, do pay to the Defendant, RICHARD DIXON, the sum of thirty three pounds, two shillings and eight pence one fifth of a penny, the balance due from WILLIAM GAUNT, deceased, that SALLY SCANDLAND, formerly SALLY GAUNT, do pay to the Defendant the sum of seven pounds, seven shillings and seven pence and one fifth of a penny, and that AMBROSE GAUNT also pay the Defendant the sum of one pound, nineteen shillings with Interest after the rate of five percentum per annum on the several sums of money from the first day of January one thousand seven hundred and eighty five til paid; And Complainant, REUBEN GAUNT, the sum of eight pounds and eleven pence, to the Children of THOMAS GAUNT, deceased, the sum of eight pounds and eleven pence and to JOSEPH GAUNT, the like sum; to ADAM BEAZLEY in right of his Wife, LUCY, late LUCY GAUNT, the sum of six pounds, nineteen shillings and eleven pence to THOMAS BAUGHAN in right of his Wife ELIZABETH, late ELIZABETH GAUNT, the sum of eight pounds and eleven pence. that the Complainants pay the costs of the suit at Law and that the Defendant pay to the Complainants their costs in this suit