Notes for SOLOMON KING: According to Don Vincent in "800 Missouri Families", Volume Two, Solomon King was born in Canada in 1802 and came to Missouri about 1831, locating on Spring Creek in Phelps County in 1833 according to a citation in Goodspeed, page 629. He was supposed to have been listed in the 1850 Census in Pulaski County, page 153. With one Joseph Walton, Solomon King furnished security in the 1837 Pulaski County settlement of Washington G. Walton's estate. Solomon was also said to have owned one male and one female slave. In an interview in "800 Missouri Families", Volume Three, his informant, Cecil Benson (a grandson of Solomon King) stated that "King family came down the St. Lawrence on a keelboat. They came to North - uh, upstate New York. They come down from Canada into New York." According to the Rolla Express newspaper of Rolla, Missouri on 24 Jun 1861, Solomon King of Rolla was one of some 63 men who took an Oath of Allegiance to support the Constitution of the United States. LAST WILL OF SOLOMAN KING Will Book A & B- page 95, 96 I, Solomon King of Phelps County Missouri do hereby declare the following to be my Last Will & Testament and do hereby divise & bequeath my property, personal and real as follows: I. I, give and bequeath to my wife, Perlina K. King, the sum of three hundred dollars. II. I give and bequeath to my son W.G. King the sum of one hundred dollars. Ill. I give & bequeath to Cristie A. Morse, my daughter one horse & one hundred dollars. IV. I give & bequeath to Lucinda Bates one horse and one hundred dollars. V. I give & bequeath to Cornelia B. King and Jennie A. King my minor children, all of my other property, real personal & mixed goods, money + choses in action to be equally divided between them. To John A. King, Hyram A. King, Francis M. King my sons, I give nothing. they having been heretofore provided for out of my property and to William & James King sons of Joshua King (dec.) my son) I give nothing the said Joshua having been provided for in his life time & having received his due proportion of my property. I hereby appoint Azro Emory of Phelps County my executor of this will and direct him to carry out it's provisions strictly. I further will that at my death all my property except two horses above bequeathed & given both personal & real, to be sold by my executor at the best terms possible and the proceeds of the same after the payment of all my just debts and the spicific legacies above created, be equally applied to & for the benefit of my two children CorneCornelia B. & Jennie A. King and that out of said funds they are to be properly provided for and liberally educated. We attest the above & foregoing will by subscribing our names hereto as witness in the presence of Soloman King the testator. C.C. Bland C.M. Hamill Oct. 28 1869 A.D. ========== additional ai search on July 23, 2026 At present, the father of Solomon King (born about 1802 in Canada; living after 1869) has not been identified in surviving records. There is no documented evidence that directly names his parents. If this is the Solomon King who later settled in Washington County, Arkansas, here's what can presently be established: Born: about 1802, reported simply as Canada in later U.S. census records. Alive: after 1869 (appears in records after that date). His birthplace is reported only as "Canada," which before 1867 could refer to present-day Ontario (Upper Canada/Canada West) or Quebec (Lower Canada/Canada East). Why his father is unknown Research is complicated because: Canada did not have universal civil birth registration in 1802. Identifying parents usually depends upon church baptismal registers. Without knowing: the specific province, county, township, or denomination, it is nearly impossible to distinguish among the many King families living in Canada around 1800. Most likely sources to identify his father A complete reconstruction would involve: Locating Solomon in every available U.S. census (1830-1870). Determining exactly when he immigrated from Canada. Identifying his wife and all children. Examining land, probate, tax, and church records in Arkansas. Looking for any document giving a more precise birthplace than simply "Canada." Once a locality is identified, searching the appropriate Canadian parish registers for a baptism around 1802. Possible candidates There were numerous King families in: Upper Canada (Ontario) Lower Canada (Quebec) New Brunswick Nova Scotia during the late 1700s, but no evidence currently connects Solomon to any particular King household. Any attempt to name his father now would be speculative. I can investigate this further I can perform a full genealogical reconstruction of Solomon King by tracing: every U.S. census from 1830 through 1870, Washington County, Arkansas land records, tax records, probate files, naturalization records, military records (if any), deeds, church records, newspaper references, and Canadian migration clues, to determine: his exact birthplace, immigration route, wife's identity, complete family, and, with luck, identify his father and mother through indirect evidence. This type of cluster reconstruction often succeeds even when no single record names the parents. perform a full genealogical reconstruction of Solomon King by tracing: every U.S. census from 1830 through 1870, Washington County, Arkansas land records, tax records, probate files, naturalization records, military records (if any), deeds, church records, newspaper references, and Canadian migration clues, Worked for 25s Genealogical Reconstruction of Solomon King Born: about 1801-1802, Canada Died: 7 January 1870, probably Spring Creek, Phelps County, Missouri Buried: Wayman Cemetery, Pulaski County, Missouri Principal finding The Solomon King under investigation was not a resident of Washington County, Arkansas. The available evidence identifies him as an early settler of the Spring Creek area of present-day Phelps County, Missouri, formerly part of Pulaski County. No reliable record examined so far identifies his father. The online Luginbuel family tree uses the placeholder “Father King”, which means that the compiler also lacked an established given name. It associates Solomon with Wesley Henry, Rachel, Hiram, and Isaac King as possible siblings, but the page provides no original record proving those relationships. The strongest conclusion presently possible is: Solomon King’s father remains unidentified. The proposed sibling group may be useful for cluster research but should not yet be treated as proven. 1. Identity and dates Solomon consistently appears in compiled sources as born in Canada, usually in 1801 or 1802. His gravestone memorial reports: born 17 March 1801 died 7 January 1870 buried in Wayman Cemetery, Pulaski County, Missouri. A FamilySearch profile instead gives 17 May 1801, showing that the precise month and day have been inconsistently transcribed. It also identifies Canada as his birthplace and Spring Creek, Phelps County, as his place of death. His will was written on 28 October 1869, and probate certification was issued on 15 January 1870. He therefore died between those dates; the cemetery reading of 7 January 1870 fits the probate chronology. Best-supported vital summary Event Probable conclusion Birth 1801-1802, somewhere in Canada Immigration Family tradition places his route through the St. Lawrence River and northern New York Arrival in Missouri About 1831 Settlement on Spring Creek 1833 Will 28 October 1869 Death 7 January 1870 Burial Wayman Cemetery, Pulaski County, Missouri 2. Canadian and migration clues A grandson, Cecil Benson, reportedly stated that the King family traveled down the St. Lawrence River by keelboat, entered northern or upstate New York, and then continued westward. This tradition was preserved in Don Vincent’s 800 Missouri Families. This clue is important because it suggests one of several possible origins: eastern Upper Canada, now Ontario; Lower Canada, now Quebec; a family living along the St. Lawrence corridor; or an American family temporarily residing north of the border. The account does not prove that Solomon’s parents were Canadian-born. His family may have been Loyalists, post-Revolution migrants from New England or New York, or British immigrants living in Canada for only one generation. The reported siblings listed in the Luginbuel tree are: Wesley Henry King, born about 1804; Rachel King, born about 1809; Hiram King, born about 1815; Isaac King, birth date unknown. Because of the approximately fourteen-year spread between Solomon and Hiram, this could represent a legitimate sibling group. However, no baptism, probate record, deed, or census household has yet been located proving that they shared the same parents. 3. Migration into Missouri A later history of Phelps County states that: In 1833 Solomon King established a home on Spring Creek. This places him among the early permanent settlers of the area that later became Phelps County. Compiled family notes report that he came to Missouri about 1831, two years before settling at Spring Creek. The likely migration sequence is therefore: Canada → northern New York → possibly Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, or eastern Missouri → central Missouri by about 1831 → Spring Creek by 1833. The intermediate stages remain unproved. 4. Census reconstruction 1830 census Solomon reportedly did not reach Missouri until about 1831. Therefore, he would not necessarily appear in Missouri in the 1830 census. The most important 1830 search areas are: northern New York; Ohio; Indiana; Illinois; Michigan Territory; and eastern Missouri. Because the 1830 census names only heads of households, a Solomon born about 1801 could be either: a male head aged twenty to twenty-nine; living with a young wife and children; or an unnamed son in an older King household. No unique 1830 identification has yet been proved. 1840 census By 1840, Solomon should have been enumerated in the part of Missouri then under Pulaski County jurisdiction. The later statement that he settled on Spring Creek in 1833 makes Pulaski County the primary target. A valid 1840 match should contain: a male aged approximately thirty to thirty-nine; a wife of compatible age; several children; and possibly enslaved persons, if the later report that Solomon owned one male and one female enslaved person is accurate. I did not locate a sufficiently detailed public transcription to identify his household conclusively. 1850 census The clearest compiled reference places Solomon in the 1850 Pulaski County, Missouri census, reportedly on page 153. FamilySearch also indexes him in Pulaski County in 1850. This census is the key document for reconstructing: his age; wife’s name; children still in the household; occupations; real-estate value; and the state or country of birth for each family member. The FamilySearch profile associates him with a first wife named Mary Jane “Polly” McDonald, said to have died in 1847, but that claim is drawn from a collaborative family tree rather than a cited marriage or probate record. 1860 census Phelps County was organized in 1857 from portions of surrounding counties, including territory formerly recorded in Pulaski County. The county court began operating in November 1857. Therefore, Solomon’s absence from Pulaski County in 1860 would not show that he had moved. His Spring Creek property may simply have fallen within the newly created Phelps County. A complete 1860 census entry is still needed to determine: whether Perlina was already his wife; which minor children remained at home; the value of his real and personal estate; and whether enslaved people were listed under his name in the separate slave schedule. 1870 census Solomon died on 7 January 1870, months before the official 1870 census enumeration date. He therefore should not appear as a living person in the 1870 population schedule. His widow, minor daughters, heirs, executor, or former household members may appear separately. The best searches would include: Perlina K. King; Cornelia B. King; Jennie A. King; Azro Emory, executor; and households of Solomon’s married children. 5. Marriages First probable wife Collaborative family-tree material identifies Solomon’s earlier wife as: Mary Jane “Polly” McDonald, born about 1807 and died about 1847. This identification is plausible because many of Solomon’s older children were born well before his later wife Perlina could have been their mother. Nevertheless, I have not located an original marriage record or estate document naming Mary Jane McDonald. Her surname should therefore be treated as probable but not proved. Later wife Solomon’s will explicitly names: Perlina K. King, his wife. She received a specific legacy of $300, rather than the entire estate. The will proves her identity and marriage to Solomon by October 1869, but it does not provide her maiden name. 6. Children proved or strongly supported by Solomon’s will The will is the most important original-type record presently available. It identifies the following children and descendants. Sons W. G. King Solomon left W. G. King $100. The initials may represent William G., Wesley G., or another name. The collaborative FamilySearch profile includes a William J. King, but this does not exactly match W. G. and requires verification. John A. King Named as Solomon’s son but given nothing because Solomon stated that he had already been provided for. Hyram A. King Named as a son and previously provided for. This is probably the man represented in compiled trees as Hiram Wesley King, but the middle initial and name need documentary confirmation. Francis M. King Named as a son and previously provided for. Joshua King Joshua was deceased by October 1869. Solomon called him “my son” and stated that Joshua had already received his share during his lifetime. A later memorial for Joshua’s son James states that Joshua died in October 1864. Joshua’s sons were: William King; James King. Both were expressly excluded because their father Joshua had already been provided for. Daughters Cristie A. Morse Identified as Solomon’s daughter. She received: one horse; and $100. She may be the woman called Christina or Christie in family trees. Lucinda Bates Received: one horse; and $100. The wording in the surviving transcription does not repeat “my daughter,” but her placement among the children and her legacy strongly imply that she was a daughter. Cornelia B. King A minor daughter and one of the two principal residual heirs. Jennie A. King A minor daughter and the other principal residual heir. Solomon directed that Cornelia and Jennie be properly supported and “liberally educated.” Possible additional children Collaborative trees list several additional names, including Jane, James C., Henry Clay, Eristavia, Jasper, Mary Elizabeth, and William J. King. Some may have: died before Solomon; been duplicates created by conflicting records; used middle names; or belonged to a different King family. They should not be accepted as Solomon’s children until matched to census, marriage, probate, cemetery, or deed evidence. 7. Probate and estate Solomon signed his will on 28 October 1869. He appointed Azro Emory of Phelps County as executor. The estate plan was: $300 to wife Perlina; $100 to W. G. King; horse and $100 to Cristie A. Morse; horse and $100 to Lucinda Bates; residue divided equally between minor daughters Cornelia and Jennie; no additional inheritance to John A., Hyram A., Francis M., or Joshua’s sons because those branches had already been provided for. Solomon ordered virtually all property, both real and personal, sold after his death. This provision means the complete probate packet may include: an inventory; an appraisal; a sale bill; purchaser names; notes and accounts due to the estate; land descriptions; guardian accounts for Cornelia and Jennie; executor settlements; and receipts from adult heirs. Those papers are likely to be far more informative than the recorded will alone. The probate certification dated 15 January 1870 indicates that proceedings began almost immediately after his death. 8. Land and deeds The Phelps County history establishes Solomon on Spring Creek by 1833, but I did not locate a confirmed federal patent under his name in the indexed public search results. This could mean that he: purchased land from an earlier claimant; occupied land before patent; obtained land under a spelling variation; held property jointly; or acquired title through county deeds rather than directly from the federal government. Because his will ordered his real property sold, the deed from executor Azro Emory to the purchaser should be identifiable shortly after January 1870. The most useful deed-index searches are: Pulaski County Search Solomon King as: grantee, approximately 1831-1857; grantor, approximately 1831-1857; adjoining landowner in other deeds. Phelps County Search: Solomon King as grantor or grantee, 1857-1870; Azro Emory, executor of Solomon King, 1870 onward; Perlina K. King; Cornelia B. King; Jennie A. King; adult children receiving earlier advancements. Deeds to sons made during Solomon’s lifetime may explain the statement that John, Hyram, Francis, and Joshua had already received their portions. 9. Tax records No digitized tax roll was found that could be reliably transcribed in this search. The tax sequence should be: Pulaski County personal-property and land taxes, about 1833-1857; Phelps County taxes, 1858-1869; estate or executor assessment, 1870; widow or guardian assessments after his death. Tax rolls could establish: the first year he became taxable; acreage and land location; horses, cattle, and other property; enslaved persons; transfer of land to sons; and the year his estate replaced his individual listing. Because Solomon reportedly owned one male and one female enslaved person, tax records may be especially important for confirming that claim. 10. Enslaved persons Compiled family notes state that Solomon owned one male and one female enslaved person. This must be checked against: the 1850 Missouri slave schedule; the 1860 Missouri slave schedule; Pulaski and Phelps County tax rolls; deeds involving enslaved people; Solomon’s probate inventory; and estate sale records. Slave schedules generally did not name enslaved persons, but age, sex, and color can help connect them to later records. The probate inventory or sale bill may provide names. 11. Naturalization and citizenship Solomon was born in Canada, but no naturalization record has been identified. Several explanations are possible: He naturalized in New York or another state before reaching Missouri. His father naturalized while Solomon was a minor, giving him derivative citizenship. He was born to American parents temporarily living in Canada. He never completed formal naturalization. A record survives under a spelling variation or in an early county court minute book. His ability to own land and participate in civic affairs does not by itself prove naturalization. The strongest places to search are: New York county courts along the St. Lawrence migration corridor; early Missouri circuit and county courts; Crawford County records before Pulaski County was fully organized; Pulaski County court minutes; Phelps County circuit court records after 1857. 12. Military and Civil War activity No record has been found showing that Solomon served in a military unit. He was approximately sixty years old when the Civil War began, making active combat service less likely. However, a Rolla newspaper reportedly listed Solomon King of Rolla among sixty-three men who took an oath of allegiance to the United States Constitution on or before 24 June 1861. This is significant because Phelps County was politically and militarily divided during the war. The county history notes that the Federal occupation displaced many antebellum residents and that men from the area served on both sides. The oath supports, but does not conclusively prove, Solomon’s Union loyalty. It does not establish formal military service. A complete search should include: Missouri State Militia; Enrolled Missouri Militia; Home Guard; provost marshal records; loyalty-oath registers; claims for wartime property losses; and Civil War tax assessments. 13. Newspaper references The only specific newspaper reference located is the reported item in the Rolla Express, 24 June 1861, concerning Solomon’s oath of allegiance. No obituary has been located. Because Solomon died in early January 1870, searches should target newspapers in: Rolla; St. James; Waynesville; Lebanon; Jefferson City; and St. Louis, from 7 January through February 1870. Likely notices might concern: his death; probate administration; sale of real estate; sale of livestock and household property; guardianship of his daughters; or executor notices from Azro Emory. 14. Church records No church affiliation has been proved. His burial in Wayman Cemetery may point toward a local family or church congregation, but the cemetery’s denominational history must be established independently. Useful possibilities include: Methodist Episcopal; Baptist; Christian or Disciples of Christ; Cumberland Presbyterian; and early circuit-rider records. The children’s marriages may identify ministers who served the family and lead to a specific congregation. Church records are particularly important because they might contain: Solomon’s admission or baptism; transfer letters from another state; marriage information; burial entries; or references to his Canadian origin. 15. Probable family structure Based primarily on the will, the family can be reconstructed conservatively as follows: Solomon King Born 1801-1802, Canada Died 7 January 1870, Phelps County, Missouri Probable first wife Mary Jane “Polly” McDonald - unproved by original record Later wife Perlina K. - proved by will Children proved or strongly indicated by will W. G. King John A. King Hyram A. King Francis M. King Joshua King, deceased before October 1869 Cristie A. King, married Morse Lucinda King, married Bates Cornelia B. King, minor in 1869 Jennie A. King, minor in 1869 Grandsons through Joshua William King James King 16. Father and sibling question The Luginbuel tree associates Solomon with: Wesley Henry King; Rachel King; Hiram King; Isaac King; but gives their father only as “Father King.” This is not a conclusion that Solomon’s father’s name was “Father.” It is a database placeholder for an unidentified parent. The most promising method for identifying the father is to reconstruct all four supposed siblings. Particular attention should be given to: their reported Canadian or New York birthplaces; their earliest Missouri appearances; whether they migrated together; shared neighbors and witnesses; naming patterns; deeds between them; probate sureties; and Y-DNA from direct male-line descendants. A parent could potentially be identified through the probate of one sibling, even if Solomon’s own records do not name him. Conclusion Solomon King was an early Missouri settler rather than a Washington County, Arkansas resident. He was born in Canada about 1801-1802, reportedly migrated through northern New York, came to Missouri about 1831, and settled on Spring Creek in 1833. He died on 7 January 1870 after writing a detailed will that identifies at least nine children or family branches. His father cannot presently be identified from reliable evidence. The highest-value unresolved records are: Solomon’s complete 1850 and 1860 census households; Pulaski County’s 1840 census household; Phelps County probate packet and estate sale; Pulaski and Phelps County deed indexes; 1850 and 1860 slave schedules; naturalization court minutes; guardianship files for Cornelia and Jennie; records of the proposed siblings; Canadian and northern New York church registers; Y-DNA evidence from proven male-line descendants.