The first members of our family to go to the State of Kentucky was James and Elizabeth Bobbitt who were originally from Pittsylvania County Virginia and Randolph and Nancy Bobbitt who were originally from Bedford County, Virginia. Both went to Kentucky in the late 1700's and about the same year. We claim that James Bobbitt was the first to settle in Kentucky and all the evidence seems to support this theory. James Bobbitt settled in Pulaski County and Randolph Bobbitt settled in Campbell County. The two Bobbitt gentlemen were first cousins but it is doubtful that either knew the whereabouts of the other. Bobbitt families from North Carolina settled early in the 1800's in the counties of Christian and Warren. The census of 1810 records Bobbitt families in Campbell, Christian, Pulaski, and Warren Counties. The 1820 census most of which is missing records families in Christian and Pulaski counties. The 1830 census records Bobbitt families in Campbell, Christian, Fleming, Lewis, Pulaski, and Trigg counties. The 1840 census had families in Boone, Butler, Garrard, Grant, Christian, Kenton, Hopkins, Pulaski, and Wayne.
The census that means the most to the study of our Bobbitt families is the 1850 census. It was the first census to state the full name of each family member, their exact age, and the state each was born in. After careful searching of each county and many of the published indexes to the 1850 census we find families in the following counties. Barron, Boone, Butler, Christian, Greenup, Henderson, Hopkins, Jefferson, Kenton, Lincoln, Livingston, Oldham, Pulaski, Trigg, Washington, and Wayne.
Family # 514, counted September 14, 1850
William Bobbitt was working for David Phillpott as a saddler and took care of his horses. William was born in Kentucky. He married Catharine Branstetter and is counted with his family in the 1860 census of Metcalfe County. For the record the census of 1860 of this family is as follows:
Metcalf County 1860, East Fork.
