SIZEMORE

Tyron court records show that George was an active member of his community. In January 1772, for instance, he was George All and Aggie settled in what is now Leslie County, owning most of the land opposite the town site of Hyden. This helped administrate the construction of a road “from William Davis on Catheys Creek the nearest and best way to the province land was later owned by son John (Rockhouse) and wife, Nancy who built the first home in this section now known as Hyden. In Line into the Charles Town market road.”

1842 John sold the property to James Lewis.

In July 1774 there are records in Tyron County showing a court dispute between George Sizemore and William Gilbert.

According to the official Leslie County, Kentucky website: “Hyden, Kentucky, the seat of Leslie county, was founded in The transcript does not make it plain what the dispute was over, although three years earlier Gilbert had tried to earn the right to 1878 and named for state Senator John Hyden (1814 - 1883), then state senator from Clay County and one of the commissioners William Shepherd’s estate over Sizemore. The dispute resulted in Gilbert acquitting Edward Sizemore of a sum acquired against appointed to establish Leslie County. The first settlers to live on the land at the mouth of Rockhouse Creek on the Middle Fork of George.

the Kentucky River, where the town of Hyden is located, was the Sizemore family. John Sizemore, sold the land to the John Lewis Court records further that, in October 1774 the court ordered that Sizemore appear before them to “make final settlement of Family. The land was later donated to the county and Hyden was founded there on the site of John Lewis’ farm. Hyden is served his doings respecting the said estate [of William Shepherd].”

by US 421, KY 80, and the Daniel Boone Parkway. The Hyden post office opened in 1879 with Leander Crawford as Postmaster.”

January 1776 Tyron county records show that George Sizemore was a slave owner, who sold “one Negro man Dated the 26

Cleary George and Aggie were fascinating characters and well known by everyone in the area. Free spirits, tough and

Day of August 1775” to William Gilbert.

resourceful, maybe even a bit on the wild side. George was a prize fighter, and killed William Twitty in a fight.

In July 1778 the Tyron county, NC court records show that there was a case entitled “William Gilbert vs. George Sizemore, George tended the man tearfully telling him it was not personal that he had nothing against him.

George Winters & Jno Morris”. There is no dication as to the details of this judgment. However, it was about this time that George George was known to be a large hairy man.

moved to Kentucky. This dispute may have had something to do with him moving. It seems very clear throughout all documents About the same time, in another section of Kentucky, the Cherokee Indians had captured a white girl. They had carried her that there was constant animosity between William Gilbert and George.

off to their camp. An Indian Chief fell in love with the girl and took her into his teepee and she became his wife. She didn’t stay In Kentucky Sizemore first appears on the Clay county Tax List of 1807 and then on other tax lists on down the years.

with the Indian Chief long. Her brothers made pursuit after the Indians. They sneaked into the camp, got her and took her back to Sizemore can be seen on the 1810 and 1820 censuses for Clay County. He is listed as over 45 years of age on both census, her own people, but she carried a child of the Indian Chief. When her child was born, he was named George All Sizemore. When the only ones he is listed on.

he grew up he married Aggie Cornett, the Indian girl who was captured as the Sizemores and others came into Leslie County.

George Sizemore was dead by August of 1822 as is proved in the Clay County, court records in reference to the “Widow

Nicknames:

“Chief of All”, “Of All”, “All”, “George “All” Sizemore”

Sizemore”.

Birthdate:

circa 1754

In the late 1800s Reverend John Dickey interviewed elderly people in southeastern Kentucky. The resulting published work Birthplace:

Halifax, Virginia

is the “Dickey Diaries.” Several of the interviewed referred George and Aggie Sizemore. Those excerpts are as follows: Death:

Died July 13, 1822 in Clay, Kentucky, United States

Occupation:

prize fighter, Landowner

INTERVIEW WITH FELIX BEGLEY

Father: b: 1751 in Wilkes County, North Carolina

Page 2204: “I was born March 6, 1834 in Leslie County, then Perry near the mouth of Cutshin. My great grandfather and father Mother: b: 1755 in Cherokee Nation, North Carolina

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 Marriage 1 b: 21 JUL 1782 in North Carolina

‘damn-an-it’. He spoke broken English. My grandmother was Minny Sizemore. She was a daughter of “Old George Of All”

• Married: 1808

Sizemore, who came with my grandfather, William Begley from Hawkins County, Tennessee. He had sons as follows: - Henry, John, Ned, and George: Minny, Rhoda, Ruth, Susan. “Old George of All” was a hairy man and a prizefighter. He wounded Children

William Twitty in a fight, so that he died. Sizemore nursed Twitty, would cry and tell him he had nothing against him. All he 12.

b: 15 FEB 1808 in Tennessee

asked of him was to fight him again if he got well. Sizemore is a Cherokee Indian name. He is said to be half or more Indian. The Marriage 2 b: 1780 in North Carolina

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

• Married: 1797

Counties.”