Welcome

George "Of All" Sizemore

Section1

These are ongoing pages.
If you can add to them, or if
you see that I have made
a mistake please
let me know.
EMAIL ME

Generation 1

George "Of All" Sizemore was the oldest Sizemore
to first come to Clay County, Ky. He came from
Hawkins, Tennessee according to and interview with
his great grandson Felix Begley in theDickey Diary.
We first see him on the Tax List of 1807 and others on down the years
Then we find him on the 1810 and 1820 census
for Clay County. He is listed as over 45 years of age
on both census, the only ones he is listed on. By 1830
George has died. George is alive as is proved by court
records in 1818.  Yet he is dead by August of 1822 as is
also proved in the Clay County, court records in
reference to the "Widow Sizemore". We only have one
other form of documentation for George "Of All" Sizemore in Clay
County, Ky. and it is the Dickey Diary. This Diary gives
us some insight to the man George was and also lists some
of his family members.   The reference to George's nickname as
George "Of All" is unclear to me at this time where it actually came
from. 

George married Agnes Shepherd.  The only references we have
for her name are theDickey Diary and the Clay County, court records,
where she is referred to as the "Widow Sizemore" from 1822 to 1824
then in 1825 they called her "Aggy Sizemore"    The reference for Aggy's
Maiden name comes from the Dickey Diary (the interview of Polly North). 

Children of George "Of All" Sizemore and Aggy Shepherd as stated in Dickey Diary: 
Generation 2 

Henry

John

Ned

George Jr. 

Minny

Rhoda

Ruth

Susan

Note:  These children also show up in the Clay County Census. 

Dickey Diary Interviews
Both submitted by: Phyllis Hefelfinger

Felix T. Begley - Bull Creek - March 27, 1898
pgs. 2204-2205

       I was born March 6, 1834 in Leslie County, 
then Perry near the mouth of Cutshin. My great grandfather
 BEGLEY came from Ireland.  He was a weaver by trade. He came
 with my grandfather and is buried on Cutshin.  He had a
by-word "Damn-an-it". He spoke broken English.

       My grandmother was MINNY SIZEMORE.  She was a daughter
 of "Old GEORGE of All" SIZEMORE, who came with my grandfather,
 Wm BEGLEY from Hawkins County,Tennessee.  He had sons as 
follows: HENRY, JOHN, NED, and GEORGE; MINNY (Wm BEGLEY),
 RHODA (ROBERTS), Ruth (John JONES), Susan (BOLLING). 

         "Old GEORGE of All" was a hairy man and a prize 
fighter.  He wounded Wm TWITTY in a fight, so that he died.
SIZEMORE nursed TWITTY would cry and tell him he had nothing
against him.  All he asked of him was to fight again if he 
got well.  SIZEMORE is a Cherokee Indian name.  He is said 
to be half or more Indian.

          The SIZEMORES are very numerous in the mountains.
The SIZEMORES settled first on Middle Fork, then went to
 Clay, Floyd and other counties.  

Note by Dickey: (POLLY NORTH), 85 years old, whose mother         
 was RHODA SIZEMORE say they came from New River. J.J.D.)

MRS. POLLY NORTH, CUTSHIN 
(*LESLIE COUNTY)MARCH 27, 1898
pgs. 2205-2206

         I am 85 years old, was born in this county.  My 
father was a Wilder, my mother Rhoda Sizemore.  The first
 preacher I ever heard was Chenault, a Baptist, and he
 preached on Cutshin.  William Mattingly was the first
 school teacher.  I remember he taught when I was a child.
 My grandmother's maiden name was Aggie Shepard.  I remember
 to have heard my Grandfather Sizemore say to her 
"Dam-an-it Shepard I can't stand you much longer".  At Glade
 on Bower's Creek John Gilbert killed a wolf.  It had killed
 a two-year-old mule of his.  He rode on the pelt as long
 as he lived.  I have seen Rev. John Gilbert have to hold on
 to the fence because he had taken a dram too much.  I have
 heard him say many a time at the close of the service on
 Sunday as he would start for the door "Dear, dear me brethren
 have you any bull yearlings to sell?"  I have wove many a yard
 of cloth from nettle which grew wild.  It made white cloth.

 Note added in Diary-by John J. Dickey:
  The old lady chews tobacco.