Selethia and Piety Bridges -- Twin Pioneer Sisters

Selethia and Piety Bridges were two of the seven children of Drury Bridges and Charity Cohoon Bridges.  The twin sisters were born November 16, 1790 in North Carolina prior to their family’s departure to western Kentucky. Selethia and Piety, along with their older sister, Jemima and their brother William migrated along with their parents from their plantation home in the Tyancoca Swamp community of Edgecombe County, North Carolina to their new home in the area now known as Maple Grove, in Trigg County, Kentucky.  Another son, Orren Dates Bridges, died before his parents left for Kentucky.  The two youngest children of Drury and Charity, Elizabeth Josephine and Mary, were born in Kentucky and later, along with William, married into the Thomas family.

Piety Bridges married Noah Brunk in Christian County, Kentucky on June 3, 1813, with Dudley Williams as the officiating minister. She and her husband had five daughters, Lucinda, Elizabeth, Jennie, Priscilla and Martha.  Although each of the five daughters were married, Gilbert Bridges stated in his 1968 research of Piety’s daughters that there was minimal information on their families available  and that he “deemed it unfeasible to undertake tracing these families any further.”  Piety and Noah Brunk are both buried in a cemetery in McCracken County near Paducah, Kentucky.

Selethia Bridges became the second wife of Joel Futrell on November 9, 1813.  Joel was born on November 29, 1802, the son of Shadrach and Charlotte Johnson Futrell, who had also migrated from North Carolina.  Selethia and Joel had no children.  Selethia died on December 9, 1879 and was buried adjacent to her parents in the Drury Bridges Cemetery in the Maple Grove community.  Selethia was the only child of Drury and Charity to be buried in the same cemetery as their parents.  Joel died after 1880 and is buried somewhere on Donaldson Creek, also in an unmarked grave.

For over 119 years since her death, Selethia rested in an unmarked grave next to her parents.  During that time, members from seven generations of Drury and Charity descendants were interred near her.  In 1998 as a result of a special fund drive, funds were raised to purchase a marker for Selethia which was finally erected to mark her final resting place.  

A note, likely written by Perry Thomas, states ”Soletha Futrell, daughter of Drewry and Charity Bridges, was born in North Carolina on Nov 26, 1790,  She profest religion and was baptised in 1814 – was a member of the United Baptist Church – departed this life the 9th of December 1879.  She died in the triumph of living faith in Jesus Christ. Aged 89 years and 13 days.”    

  
THE LINEAGE:

(Selethia and Piety Bridges are daughters of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)