Eli Bloyed

Eli Bloyed

Eli Bloyed was one of the first settlers along the west fork of the White River in what is now Washington County, Arkansas.

He was born April 25, 1786, the son of William and Keziah Barsheba Lord Bloyed, both of whom were born in Scotland.

They first settled in Maryland where their children were born. On records, it appeared they landed in Virginia as there were early Bloids living there as the name was spelled at that time by census takers. William and Keziah came to Green County, Kentucky in I 805 with the following children: Stephen, Eli, Martha, Jacob, Purnett, Barsheba, Tobias, William and Hester.

These children are all mentioned in the will of William Bloyed and also on the early marriage records of Green County, Kentucky and census records, so it has been proved.

Eli was married to Mary "Polly" Graham in Green County, Kentucky on April 27, 1806.

The following children were born to Eli and Mary, all in Kentucky except Pernetty, the youngest who was born in Izard County, Arkansas.

I. Matilda Bloyed was born July 27, 1807 and married Nathan Caughman who came to Washington County, Arkansas with the family.

They had Alfred W. who married Rachel Anderson,

Elizabeth who married William Anderson,

Mary who married Zadok Winn, William, who married Lear Mannon,

Seaborn who married Pauline Dill,

Nelson B. who was killed in Civil War,

Taylor Isaac who was also killed in Civil War,

Nancy Ann who married Thomas J. Davis.

2. Peter Bloyed was born March 8, 1809 and married Sarah Tennison and they had the following children:

William who married Delilah Lofton,

Eli who married Sarah Jane Gilbreath,

Margaret who married Giles Lofton,

Elizabeth born October 15, 1845 died unmarried,

Mary born 1847 also did not marry,

Lucinda married W. E. Shanks, second: J. C. Oldham,

Henry married Antonia Gilbreath, John married Lydia McDonald.

3. William Bloyed was born October 7, 1811 and married Cynthia Wolf.

They had the following children:

Finis born 1832,

James born July 22, 1836 married Sarah Jane Gilbreath after his cousin, Eli died,

Nancy Ann married John P. Reed,

Lucinda married William Karnes,

Martha married Lafayette Bird,

Elizabeth married Thomas McKnight.

4. Kizie Bloyed was born December 25, 1813 and married Conrad Yoes.

Their children were:

Mary Ann married Wilson Tegard,

Rosana married McTroy House,

Margaretta Jane married Alexander Anderson,

Jacob married Mary Ann Reed,

James Russell married first: Mary Elizabeth Short, second: Martha Gilstrap,

Cynthia married Jefferson Quinton.

5. Fifth child was actually Nancy Bloyed born May 10, 1816 in Green County, Kentucky and she married James Minor Winn, V on March 17, 1833.

Their children are the following:

Rachel born December 1843 married John Karnes,

Eli married Matilda McKnight,

Zadok married Mary Caughman,

Matilda married William Graham,

Marinda married Clayton Winn,

Mary married Sam Hale,

Cynthia born 1852 died unmarried,

Edmond married Magdaline Martin,

Joel married Howey Dearing,

Margaret married James Reed,

John married Mary Matilda Combs.

The Bloyed family came to Arkansas before it became a state and the family has increased and married into so many long-time Washington County families that Eli has more descendants than we even know about. There is a street named for Eli in West Fork, Arkansas, the hometown of many of the Bloyed families.

6. Pernetty Bloyed was born June 29, 1825 after they had gotten to Izard County, Arkansas. She married Joel A. Combs and they had the following children:

Twins, Caledonia and Saphronia on May 11, 1854. Caledonia married Calvin Rutherford and Saphronia married Joel Fallin,

Mary Matilda married John Winn,

Milas married Susan Reed,

Frances Elizabeth married Henry Martin.

Along with Mary, wife of Eli, came her parent Peter Graham and Nancy and many of her brothers and sisters. They also settled in the West Fork and Springdale areas of Arkansas and were from Kentucky before they came to Arkansas in the early days, but the original immigrants were from Ireland.

Eli Bloyed lived to the ripe age of 91 years, 11 months and died April 22, 1878 and is buried at West Fork, Washington County, Arkansas.

Mary was born December 5, 1788 in South Carolina and died October 16, 1861 and is also buried at West

Fork, Arkansas.

Polly seemed to be the popular nickname for Mary and that was the way she was known.

There are letters to Eli from his brothers and sisters in the Museum in Kentucky.

His own brothers and sisters did not come to Washington County with him, but kept in touch through letters which he and Mary faithfully kept.

He had to be a hardy pioneer to have survived with his family off the land and building their first log cabins and the nearest settlement at that time was at Natural Dam, Arkansas. Evidently, he got along well with the Indians who at that time lived in Washington County as he is mentioned in the books about the Cherokees by James Manford Carselowey with respect.

By: Dorothy (Byrum) Keck