Name British, possibly based on location and meaning "Farm paying a penny in rent".

Arms: Or, five fusils conjoined in fesse azure.

Crest: A mountain cat, passant, guarded, proper.

Motto Vincit amor patrial.

History

In England, the name Pennington appears first in the 13th century with Gamel de Pennington and goes down through the ages with the family as part of the gentry and some knighted.

There was a Micajah Pennington of Wilkes County, North Carolina who provided public services in the Revolution for Capt. Enoch Osburn's Co., Fincastle and Montgomery County, VA. He was the son of Isaac Pennington, and was born on 28 Apr 1743 in England and died in 1810 in NC. He may be related to our progenitor.

Our family history begins with William Pennington of North Carolina. He was born on November 3, 1765 and died in 1844 in Webbville, Lawrence Co., KY. He married Abigail Caudill of Wilkes County, North Carolina on February 9, 1795. She was born on March 27, 1867 to James Caudill and Mary Adams.

William and Abigail moved around a bit, first to South Carolina where their first two children were born in 1786 and 1789. In 1790 they had returned to North Carolina and were listed on the Pitt County census (strangely, since only the head of the household was supposed to be listed).

They next moved the family to Lee County Virginia where seven children were born between 1792 and 1806. They had land on the Powell River. In 1809 they moved to Knox County, Kentucky where their last three children were born between 1809 and 1816.

William sold his land in Virginia in 1811, and acquired title to land on Poor Fork. In 1820 Harlan County was formed an included their lands and he paid taxes there from 1821 to 1831.

He sold his land on Poor Fork and moved to Dry Creek and Little Sandy in Lawrence County in 1832. He remained there until his death, when he was living with his daughter, Elizabeth Webb, in 1844. He is buried in Webbville with most of his children. Abigail died in Webbville also and is buried in the Webb Cemetery there.

William's daughter, Abigail Pennington, was born on May 9, 1803 in Lee Co., VA. She married Benjamin Caudill on September 15, 1820. He was the son of Stephen Caudill and Sarah Adams (both our kin). Benjamin was born in 1799 in Wilkes Co., North Carolina. Benjamin an Abigail settled in what is now Magoffin County in the Salyersville. They had 13 children between 1822 and 1846.

Elizabeth Caudill was born to Benjamin and Abagail in 1833. She married Noah May of the Salyersville area, while her sister married his cousin, Campbell May. Noah joined the Union and died shortly after his enlistment in 1864. Elizabeth remained a widow and died in Salyersville. Noah and Elizabeth had eight children. Their son Campbell begat Noah who left the Magoffin area and went to teach at Berea College and the University of Kentucky. His daughter, Edith Rebecca May is my mother.

Some Direct Descendants of William Pennington

.. +Abigail Caudill Abt. 1770 - Abt. 1872

. 2 Mary Pennington 1786 - Abt. 1872

. 2 Abel Pennington 1789 -

. 2 Rebecca Pennington 1794 -

. 2 John W. Pennington 1796 -

. 2 James W. Pennington 1799 -

. 2 William Pennington 1801 - 1801

. 2 [1] Abigail Pennington 1803 - 1887

..... +Unknown McFarland

. *2nd Husband of [1] Abigail Pennington:

..... +Benjamin Caudill 1799 - Abt. 1850

.... 3 William Jackson Caudill 1822 -

.... 3 Stephen Caudill 1823 -

.... 3 Ester Caudill Bef. 1825 - 1919

.... 3 Elizabeth Caudill 1833 - 1915

........ +Noah May 1831 - 1864

....... 4 Jane May

....... 4 Campbell J. May 1851 -

........... +Rebecca E. Adams 1852 -

.......... 5 Noah May 1876 - 1944

.............. +Sarah Elizabeth Cornett 1876 - 1966

............. 6 Anna Elizabeth May 1910 -

............. 6 Earl Campbell May 1906 - 1989

............. 6 Edith Rebecca May 1914 - 1982

................. +James Sutherd Carroll 1913 - 1989

................. 7 Judith Ann Carroll 1945 - 1988

................. 7 Mark Carroll 1949 -

..................... +Zetta Lyons 1948 -

................. 7 Sister Carroll 1952 -

.......... 5 Frank May 1879 - 1966

.......... 5 Fred C. May 1881 - 1947

.......... 5 Harry May 1884 - 1938

.......... 5 James May 1888 - 1963

.......... 5 David May 1891 - 1956

....... 4 James Benjamin May, Sr. 1853 - 1892

....... 4 Wallace Bailey May 1855 - 1927

....... 4 Rhoda May 1857 - 1940

....... 4 John C. Mason May 1860 - 1929

....... 4 Lydia Margaret May 1863 - 1895

....... 4 Infant Son May 1862 - 1862

.... 3 Abel Caudill 1827 -

.... 3 Rachel Francis Caudill 1845 -

.... 3 Sarah Caudill 1828 - 1890

.... 3 Rebecca Caudill 1830 -

.... 3 Nancy Jane Caudill 1837 - Abt. 1913

.... 3 Mary Caudill 1837 -

.... 3 Lydia Caudill 1839 -

.... 3 Benjamin Caudill 1841 - 1864

.... 3 John Reid Caudill 1846 - 1916

. 2 William Nelson Pennington 1806 - 1862

. 2 Alford Pennington 1809 - 1890

. 2 Elijah Pennington 1812 - 1878

. 2 Elisha Pennington 1814 - 1851

. 2 Elizabeth Pennington 1792 - 1848

Updated 9:21 PM 1/27/2013
Mark S. Carroll