While we know a little about MALINDA’S mother, we know virtually nothing about her father and earlier generations. I invite everyone to use the "Masters Ancestors" page as a forum to share our findings and speculations. Perhaps by working together we can find our missing Ancestors.

Malinda's Mother & Siblings

We know from records in Mason Co, Kentucky that MALINDA’S mother was "MARY MILLS, formerly MARY MASTERS" (see Mason Co, KY Deedbooks). Those same records state that MARY MILLS died around 1804, and that four daughters and one son shared in her estate. Those named were:

1- NATHAN MASTERS of Ohio Co, Virginia, an area which later became Marshall Co, West Virginia.
2- Wife of JEREMIAH RIGGS, of Pike Run Twp, Washington Co, Pennsylvania, and mother of WILLIAM and SAMUEL RIGGS. An abstract of JEREMIAH’S WILL, dated 1830, names wife MARY.
3- Wife of JOHN RIGGS, probably of either Mason Co, Kentucky or Lewis Co, Kentucky. Her name may be Chloe.
4- Wife of THOMAS McGINNIS, of Mason Co, KY. Some have her name as Mary Ann.
5- Wife of GEORGE MEFFORD, of Mason Co, KY, who we know to be MALINDA MASTERS.

There are records of another possible son, LOT MASTERS, who served in the Revolutionary War in Washington Co, Pennsylvania in the same company with GEORGE MEFFORD. Also serving from this area were THOMAS MILLS, who went to Kentucky with GEORGE MEFFORD in 1783, and some RIGGS'. LOT MASTERS was killed by Indians in 1790 near Mefford's Station in Mason Co, Kentucky, as recorded in the History of Kentucky.

Cousin Cliff Dullea has found records of a Petition for a New State, sent from Washington Co, PA in 1776. Among the many signatures on the document were those of: LOT MASTERS, NATHAN MASTERS, GEORGE MEFFORD SR., GEORGE MEFFORD, JOHN MEFFORD, JEREMIAH RIGGS, JOHN RIGGS, JOHN RIGGS Jr., WILLIAM RIGGS, EDMUND RIGGS, DON RIGGS, as well as JACOB, JOHN, SAMUEL, and WILLIAM VEACH [Robert Masters mentioned below is the son of William Masters Sr. and Mary Veatch].

At present, it seems that the only lead we have to the identity of MARY’S first husband, and father of the children, comes from son NATHAN MASTERS. We know that NATHAN was residing in Ohio Co, Virginia at the time of his mother's death in 1804.

Ohio Co, Virginia was the parent county for six present day counties: Harrison County (1784), Brooke County (1796), Tyler County (1814), Marshall County (1835) and Ohio County, West Virginia were all part of the original Ohio Co, Virginia.

According to the History of the Pan-Handle, West Virginia, by J.H. Newton, et al, 1990, NATHAN MASTERS lived in a part of Ohio Co, Virginia that became Marshall County in 1835, specifically in the Clay District on what is known as Roberts' ridge:

"The following were among the first settlers of what is now Marshall county: NATHAN MASTERS settled on what is known as Roberts' ridge, in 1777. JOHN RIGGS and JAMES RIGGS, settled the same year a short distance from NATHAN MASTERS." p361

"Clay District Early Settlers: Probably NATHAN MASTERS was as early a settler in this district as any. It is claimed he came out early in 1777. The same year came JOHN and JAMES RIGGS, and JAMES FREEMAN. BENJAMIN FISH settled in 1790. The BAKERS, McLAINS and ROBERTS were also among the earliest settlers." p410

We have located NATHAN MASTERS and family in the U.S. Census records for Virginia, in Ohio County for the years 1810 and 1820. In 1830, NATHAN no longer appears but a CLOE MASTERS does. This leads to the speculation that NATHAN had died between 1820 and 1830, and that CLOE MASTERS was his wife. In the 1810 enumeration there is also a younger family headed by LOT MASTERS, who is of an age to be NATHAN’S son.

In the book, Masters Family History, published 1989, Jack Masters counts among the four sons of ROBERT MASTERS (1715-1770) and wife MARY, a NATHAN MASTERS who was born in Frederick Co, Maryland, and died in Marshall Co, West Virginia (for more info, go to Jack Masters Homepage). Information received from Carol Collins on this family has the same children and other info, but also gives April 1744 as NATHAN’S birthdate.

Brenda Bova's MASTERS Family webpage states that Robert's wife was MARY WILLSON, born 1725 in Prince George County, MD:

"3 ii. Robert Masters was born in Prince George County, Maryland 1715. Robert died Oct 1770 in Frederick County, Maryland. He married Mary Willson in Maryland, 1744. Mary was born 1725 in Prince George County, Maryland. Mary died after 1773 in Maryland."

The above statement that "Mary died after 1773 in Maryland," seems to suggest that the last record for Mary known to the researchers of the Robert Masters family was in 1773 in Maryland, and that details of her life after that, including the date and location of her death, were unknown to them.

We have information from cousin Ed Riggs, descendant of Mary Masters and Jeremiah Riggs of Washington Co, PA, that Mary and Jeremiah were married in Frederick County, Maryland. The marriage is believed to have been in 1773.

There seems to be a discrepancy in the place of death of the Nathan Masters recorded in Masters Family History, however it is merely a technicality stemming from changes in placenames. West Virginia didn't come into existence until the 1860's and NATHAN MASTERS would have been over 115 years old by that time, so it is improbable that he died there. In actuality, he probably died in Ohio Co, Virginia, if his death occured at or near his home and sometime before 1835; or Marshall Co, Virginia if after 1835. In either case, his death would have occured in an area that is presently known as Marshall Co, West Virginia. Although it is only a technicality, it could be a bit misleading for research.

Is Nathan Masters of Ohio Co, Virginia, son of Mary Masters Mills, the same man as the Nathan Masters said to have died in Marshall Co, West Virginia, and son of Robert and Mary Masters? We can speculate, but unfortunately, so far we have no proof.

Jack Masters has graciously sent copies of information from his book and discussed the question in correspondance, but so far there appears to be no supporting evidence that Nathan is the son of Robert and Mary Masters of Prince George's and Frederick Counties, Maryland; the claim is yet unproven.

We haven't yet seen records of Nathan's will, death or burial, and the records may be in Virginia or in West Virginia. Other earlier records of Nathan and his family might even be found in Pennsylvania considering the border dispute between Virginia and Pennsylvania colonies and the fact that Nathan served in the Pennsylvania Militia during the Revolutionary War.

The Riggs Family of Maryland, by John Beverly Riggs, 1939, lists the family of James and Mary Riggs of Prince George's and Frederick Counties, Maryland. Four sons were named:

1. James Riggs, who in Frederick Co, Maryland, in 1756 signed his name, "James Rigs Juner."
2. John Riggs, born in 1740, married Catherine Boyer, and secondly, Cloe. He died in 1827 and was is buried in the Flaugher Burying Grounds in Adams Co, Ohio (directly across the Ohio River from Mason Co, Kentucky).
3. Greenberry Riggs (?)
4. Jeremiah Riggs (?)

We don't know for certain if these are the same James, John and Jeremiah Riggs that are related to our Masters family, but if they are, it would add some weight to the theory that Mary Mills, who died in Mason Co, Kentucky in 1804 is the same Mary who married Robert Masters ca 1744 in Prince George's Co, Maryland.

Such a theory might suggest that our Masters and Riggs families originally came from Prince George's and Frederick Co, Maryland, and following the death of Robert Masters in 1770, moved west together into Washington Co, Pennsylvania and Ohio Co, Virginia, which are adjacent, during the early days of the Rev War, and eventually moved farther west, into Kentucky, after the conclusion of the war.

We still don't know for certain where or when Mary Masters married Mr. Mills (some have suggested Jacob Mills). I looked through an incomplete set of the early marriage records from Mason Co, KY but didn't find either of them. Maybe the marriage was in Washington Co, PA, where the family stopped for awhile, or perhaps Maryland. If Mary was the widow of Robert Masters, the marriage to Mills would have been after 1770.

The substitute census of Kentucky, drawn from tax lists, has Jacob, Edward and Thomas Mills in 1790, and Edward, John and Thomas Mills, but not Jacob in 1800. Perhaps he died before 1800. Does anyone have anything further on Jacob?

We also don't know where or when most of the children were married. Nor have we found burial records or tombstone inscriptions for most of them. Perhaps finding some of these records will provide more clues. Anybody seen any of these records?

So far, the most promising lead is the family of Robert Masters (1715-1770), son of William Masters Sr. and Mary Veatch, but we have to keep in mind that the only clue linking these families is the statement that Robert had a son Nathan who died in Marshall Co, WV. Since the source for this statement is not presently known, we cannot determine at this time whether or not it is true without primary evidence. should only be considered clues for subsequent research.

Here is info on the family of MARY MILLS, formerly MARY MASTERS, and her known children, placed side-by-side with the family of ROBERT MASTERS and MARY WILLSON MASTERS and their known children. Is it possible that these are the same families?

A sidenote on names: Malinda Masters & George Mefford had 13 children, eight boys and five girls. One of the five daughters is named Mary, but none of the eight sons were named Robert. I thought it possible that if Malinda's father was Robert Masters, one of those eight boys would be named Robert, but none were [of known descendants, our ancestor, Joshua Mefford, named his youngest son Robert, and brother Nathan Mefford's son Caleb W. Mefford named his youngest son Robert]. I thought this odd, until I checked the known children of Robert's three sons, William, Notley and Hillery.

Between them they had 27 children, 19 boys and 8 girls. Of these 27, only William named a daughter Mary, and only Hillery named a son Robert.

Perhaps someone has additional information to either support or refute this theory, or perhaps there are other promising Masters lines to investigate.

There is a Richard Masters in the early census records of Mason Co, Kentucky, who was about the same age as Malinda and her siblings. He also shows up as the bondsman for the marriages of some younger Masters in that county, maybe his children. Some sources indicate that he came from New Jersey. So far, we have found no links to him in Mason County, nor any records in New Jersey. Anybody know of this man and his family?