Cullen Thomas was born on August 21, 1791 in Bertie County, North Carolina, the first child of James Thomas and Mary “Mollie” Stanley (Standley) Thomas. Cullen was 15 years old when he and his family crossed the Appalachian Mountains and settled into what was known then as Christian County, Kentucky, later to become Trigg County. James had acquired about 200 acres in the Donaldson Creek valley and built a cabin which became the teenage years home for Cullen.
On January 31, 1812, when Cullen was 20 years old, he made the long trek on horseback in the middle of winter to Hopkinsville. There at the county clerk’s office he obtained a marriage license. Apparently Cullen was in no hurry as it wasn’t until February 27, 1812 that he married Elizabeth Futrell, a young lady who lived next door on an adjoining farm. Elizabeth was the daughter of Thomas and Sarah Bittle Futrell who had migrated to the Donaldson Creek area from Northampton County, North Carolina. She had been born in 1790.
Cullen and Elizabeth built their own cabin on the south side of Donaldson Creek about a half mile from his father’s cabin. Over the years, Cullen expanded his land to about 1,000 acres. Cullen and Elizabeth had five children, Alfred Thomas, born in 1813; Mary Thomas, born in 1817; Peyton Thomas, born in 1820; James Thomas, born in 1826 and Emeline Thomas, born in 1828. Alfred died at the age of 19 and had no children. Mary died at the age of 8. James died at the age of 35, but he too never married and had no children. Peyton lived to the age of 70 and married Sarah Ethridge and they had 10 children. Emeline, married Thomas Allison Vinson and had three children. She died at the age of 24. Peyton and Emeline provided many descendants of the Thomas family.
On March 8, 1844 Cullen’s wife, Elizabeth died at the age of 54. The following year on August 7, 1845, Cullen married his second wife, Drucilla Carter. Drucilla was born on August 11, 1810 in Virginia. Cullen and Drucilla had two sons, William, born in 1846 and died at the of 4 and John Cullen who was born in 1851 and died at the age of 9 months.
Cullen was a farmer but he was very active in public service. He served as a justice of the peace and was the oldest justice in the county at the time of his death. A local newspaper published in Cadiz during the 1880’s had this comment on Cullen Thomas ; “He was a gentleman of considerable weight of character, very popular in his neighborhood, and as hospitable as a village landlord.”
Cullen died on June 8, 1862 at the age of 70. He was buried in the James Thomas Cemetery which was just west of his original home place on the south side of Donaldson Creek. Both of his wives, Elizabeth and Drucilla are buried nearby in the cemetery. Drucilla married William Kennedy after Cullen’s death and died on May 23, 1894.
Tombstone of Cullen Thomas
LINEAGE: (Cullen Thomas was the first child of of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)
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