William Grancer Embry
under construction; links for all children should be up by 05-15-05
about himself
Often referred to as the grandsire of Butler County Kentucky, many have looked to William "Grancer" Embry as the origination of all Embry lines in the state of Kentucky. These people are not far wrong. Few Embrys in the state descend from other lines, and as far as I have found in my research, they are all related to him, although some are in fact descendants of his siblings and first cousins.
The name "Grancer" theoretically comes from attempts of his grandchildren to say grandsire. Now he is a famous name, and a small town in Butler County is named for him.
Knowledge of his parents is vague at best because many will argue on which sets of parents are his-- all the Embrys in the region in Wake County, North Carolina were in fact related however.
In some accounts his first wife Nancy was an Indian. Her last name comes up different in different places and her true last name is not known. Duncan is my best guess and therefore the name that is listed below.
Name: William Grancer EMBRY
Sex: Male
Father: William II EMBRY (bet 1722 and 1725 - 1802)
Mother: Sarah Rachel DAVIES (1723 - )
Individual Facts
Birth: 1755 Wake, North Carolina
Death: 1840 (age 85) Butler County, Kentucky
Burial: Lawson Embry Cemetery near Brooklyn, KY
Occupation: farmer
Residences: North Carolina, Madison County, Kentucky, Garrard County, Kentucky, Butler County, Kentucky.
Marriages/Children
1. Nancy DUNCAN
Marriage: 22 Dec 1785 (age 30) Indian Territory, North Carolina
NOTE: why married after most children born?? Is this an error here??
Children:
John Wesley EMBRY (1777 - 19 Nov 1855)
Cader EMBRY (11 Dec 1778 - 24 Jan 1848)
Burrell Davis EMBRY (1780 - 1840)
Polly EMBRY (1781 - Oct 1859)
Martha D. Patsy EMBRY (1782 - 1865)
William IV EMBRY (1784 - 1865)
2. Elizabeth Ann COY
Marriage: 6 Oct 1809 (age 54) Garrard County Kentucky
(click for scanned image of record)
Children:
Lousanna Ann EMBRY (1 Jan 1816 - 1908)
Notes (Individual)
General
William "Grancer" Embry moved during the 1790's from North Carolina to that portion of Madison County, Kentucky which became northeastern Garrard County in 1797. His son John and his second wife Elizabeth moved to Jackson County, Tenn. before 1804, then to Butler County about 1836-37. During the 1825 to 1833 period Grancer and his son Isaac, William and Cader, and Cader's son Wiley moved to Butler Co., Ky. He was known as "Grancer" because that was the word his grandchildren used they attempted to refer to their Grandsire. The community of Grancer in Butler Co. was named after him.
Sources
1.Kathleen Warren. Garrard & Butler Co. marriage records
Mason Embry biography, 1885 Perrin KY History
Coy Family Book in Library at Lancaster KY
Maxine Minton, Morgantown
Betty Crabtree, FT. Lauderdale.
2.GEDCOM file imported on 8 Nov 2001.
3.Kathleen Warren.Garrard, Madison, Butler Co. marriages
Garrard and Butler Co. census records
Butler Co. Vital Statistics, Vol 44 1946, listing John Embry as son of Wm. and Nancy Embry
Mason Embry Biography, 1885 Perrin Ky History.
4.Gravestone of Individual.
5.Garrard County Kentucky marriage record.
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