Nathaniel Brown Russell was born on April 17, 1804 in Nelson County, Kentucky to parents Samuel and Sarah Brown Russell. His father had immigrated from Ireland to Nelson County, possibly with siblings or cousins, but little is known about the family before Samuel. Nathaniel was the fourth of eight children in his family, and he spent his younger life in Nelson County. On February 7, 1826, against the wishes of her father, Nathaniel married Margaret Cain. In writings about his grandfather, Charles Russell Garr says that the young couple "ran off and got married" and Margaret's father never forgave either of them. The reason Mr. Cain was so opposed to this union is unknown. Regardless, Nathaniel and Margaret were able to build a good life in Nelson County. Nathaniel acquired wealth quickly, beginning with $2000 he may have inherited from his father, and used the money to purchase a slave named Lum. From there, he continued to acquire wealth and land in Nelson County. Six of Nathaniel and Margaret's seven children, including Kazia Russell Garr, were born in Nelson County, but in 1838, Nathaniel took his family and moved to Spencer County, Kentucky. Here he acquired land near the Plum Creek Presbyterian Church, and his land would eventually include a farm near Wilsonville and Finchville that straddled the Spencer/Shelby County line, with the house located in Spencer County and the barn in Shelby. Charles believed that the close proximity to the Presbyterian Church was part of the motivation to purchase this land, as Nathaniel was a devout Presbyterian, and attended that church with his children.
In 1840, tragedy struck the family with the death of Margaret Cain Russell. Nathaniel married again in 1841, this time to Susan Davis. They had a daughter named Fannie, whose picture can be seen on the Russell page. This was unfortunately not the end of the unhappiness for the family as from 1846 to 1853, the family would lose daughters Sarah Ann, Mary, and Nancy, son James, and Nathaniel's second wife Susan. All their deaths came from tuberculosis, often called consumption at that time. This disease was highly contagious, and cases of it infecting an entire family are not unheard of, as living in close proximity increased the chance of transmission. It is also possible that the family had a genetic predisposition to tuberculosis, which means that the disease could not be inherited, but increased susceptibility to it could be. The death of Fannie in 1862 at the young age of 20 was likely from tuberculosis as well, though we have no definitive proof of this.
Shortly after the death of his second wife, in December 1852, Nathaniel married for the third and final time to Elizabeth Garr Walker Hoke. Elizabeth was actually a relative of the other Garrs on the tree, descending from the same German immigrants. Her grandfather Nicholas Garr was a brother Jacob Garr, husband of Susanna Garr, the mother of Benjamin Louis Garr. This made Elizabeth and Benjamin second cousins. It is quite possible that this is how Kazia, Nathaniel's daughter, came to know Benjamin Garr, the man she married in in 1856, but no documentation about this is available.
From 1838 until his death on September 6, 1877, Nathaniel was a resident of Spencer County. He made his living as a farmer, and had a talent with animals, keeping a variety of livestock. He came to be well respected in the area, and was often called in to settle disputes between neighbors. His grandson described as a "natural diplomat" and as proof of this called up an example from the Civil War. Nathaniel himself was a Union supporter, but two of his son-in-laws, including Benjamin, were ardent Southern supporters. Despite their differing opinions, their was no break in the family, and other southern supporters in the area actually called on him to help retrieve their horses when they were stolen by Union forces. Beyond this, he was frequently asked to help settle wills in his neighborhood. Charles also remembers him as a man devoted to his family and church. He was a long time member of the Plum Creek Presbyterian Church, and he is buried in the original church graveyard. He also loved his family, especially the children, inviting his grandchildren to visit often.
Documents
This gallery includes two letters written by Charles Russell Garr about his grandfather Nathaniel Russell. They are undated. Also included are transcriptions of these letters done by Betty Headley Garr. She believed the letters were becoming fragile, and his handwriting was difficult to read, so she transcribed and typed them for future generations.
This gallery contains an essay written by Charles Russell Garr about his grandfather Nathaniel Russell. It was originally written on a prescription pad from a Flemingsburg pharmacy. As with the letters Charles wrote about Nathaniel, Betty Headley Garr also transcribed this writing, and those transcriptions are included as well.