Biography of George M. Bedford

George M. Bedford, farmer and stock raiser; P. O. Paris. The Bedford family are of English origin; they trace their ancestry to one Thomas Bedford, of Charlotte County, in the Old Dominion; he was a large landowner, and of the families who ranked high in social position; he was twice married; first to Mary Coleman, by whom he had three children: Charles, Margaret and Jane, all of whom remained in Virginia; his second marriage was to Miss Spencer, who bore him six sons and five daughters, the sons were Thomas, Benjamin, John, Stephen, Littleberry and Archie; the daughters were: Nancy, who married a Mosely; Patsey, a man by the name of Fuquia; Susan, a Walk; Patsey, a Crenshaw; Mary, a Hamlet; the first one of the Bedford name came to Kentucky was Benjamin, who was born Dec. 23, 1762, and emigrated first to Madison County about 1787, and raised one crop; came to this county in 1789, and located in the southern part of Paris Precinct; his wife was Tabitha Clay, born Nov. 15, 1761; the father of the above was Littleberry Bedford, who was born in Charlotte County, Va., Jan. 1, 1769; he married Mattie Clay, born in Virginia, Sept. 8, 1772; she bore thirteen children; the eldest was Thomas, who was born Oct. 26, 1790, and was killed in the war of 1812; the others in order of birth are: Henry, born Oct. 26, 1792, and married Patsey Dawson; Elizabeth, born Dec. 7, 1794; she married Capt. Wash. Kennedy; William was born Dec. 7, 1796; Littleberry, born July 30, 1798; he married Sicily Rollins; Capt. John was born July 26, 1800, and married Sallie King; Augustin Volney, born Aug. 17, 1802, and Franklin P., born May 14, 1805; he married Henrietta Clay; Benjamin C., born Aug. 17, 1807, and married Caroline Moran, afterward Ann M. Garrard; Patsy, born Nov. 26, 1809, who was the wife of William Green Clay; Archibald M., born Feb. 25, 1812, and married Elizabeth H. Bedford; Edwin G., born Aug. 27, 1814, who married first to Margaret Gerrard, then Lucy Degraftenreed; George M., who name heads this page, is the youngest of the number; he was born May 19, 1817; who at the age of sixteen started in life upon his own account, having nothing to begin with, save his hands and a willing heart; Nov. 4, 1840, he married Mary A. Bedford, who was born in this precinct Sept. 22, 1824, daughter of Benjamin F., who was a son of Benjamin, the pioneer; after Mr. Bedford’s (George M.) marriage he farmed on rented land; in the fall of 1845, he located on the farm he now owns, where he has since (except two years), spent in Paris; has been among the prominent breeders of short-horn cattle and Cotswold sheep; he has 1,400 acres of land, all self-acquired; his father died Aug. 7, 1829; mother, March 2, 1864, in her ninety-second year; religiously, Mr. Bedford is not a member of any sect or denomination; he has five children: Mary E., Julia K., Maria V., George M., Jr., and Benjamin F., Jr.

Source: Perrin, William Henry. History of Bourbon, Scott, Harrison and Nicholas Counties, Kentucky. Chicago: O. L. Baskin & Co., 1882.

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