The Jude family has deep roots in eastern Kentucky and western West Virginia. The family was found in Martin County, Kentucky as early as 1800, not long after the founding of the state. The family migrated to Kentucky from Virginia.
Throughout the 1800s the family went by two different surnames, Fredrick and Jude. Many family members used the names interchangeably. For a full discussion on the surname variations please click here.
John Frederick Jude is the oldest sourced and researched ancestor of the Jude family line. His son, Nathan Fredrick Jude is the progenitor of this Jude family, and through Nathan’s son Andrew Jackson Frederick Jude, my husband Ronald Gene Jude descends.
Nathan Jude was born Nathan Frederick, the son of John Fredrick and his wife Patty Boner [Bonyer].[1] He was born between 1829 and 1831 in Pike County, Kentucky.[2] He died 7 November 1918 in Martin County, Kentucky. Nathan first married Mary “Polly” Blankenship on 7 Sep 1848 in Pike County, Kentucky.[3] Mary was born about 1830 in Pike County, Kentucky to unknown parents.[4] She apparently died between 1852 and early 1854.[5] He then married Mourning Rutherford on 12 Jun 1854 in Martin County, Kentucky when Mourning was seventeen.[6] Mourning was born in about 1837 in Madison County, Indiana, daughter of Edmond Wyatt and Priscilla Rutherford, and died on 15 April 1912 in Martin County, Kentucky.[7]
Andrew Jackson Fredrick Jude was born on 2 Mar 1862 in Martin County, Kentucky.[8] He died on 31 Jan 1944 in Martin County, Kentucky.[9] He first married Elizabeth Stepp in late 1880 or 1881. She was born about 1863 in Kentucky and died sometime during 1889.[10] He married second, Mary Parsley who was born in 1875 in West Virginia.[11] Jack and Mary married on 21 Mar 1889.[12] Mary died sometime after 1940.[13]
[1] Commonwealth of Kentucky, State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Death Certificate, File Number 41156, Nathan Jude, 7 Nov 1918, digital image, FamilySearch.org, (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N988-Y4C : accessed 22 Mar 2020). This death record identifies Nathan’s father as John Jude and mother as Pattie Boner.
[2] No birth record has been found for Nathan. Birth date is based on numerous records including: 1860 United States Federal Census, Floyd Co, KY, Prestonsburg, population schedule, p. 54, dwelling 327, family 327, Nathan Frederick, digital image, FamilySearch.org, (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZB3-72W : accessed 21 Mar 2020); from The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm publication series M653, Roll 367, Family History Library (FHL) film 803367, image 154. And 1870 United States Federal Census, Floyd Co KY, Prestonsburg, population schedule, p. 19, dwelling 125, family 122, Nathan Frederick, digital image, FamilySearch.org, (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXW9-63L : accessed 21 Mar 2020,) NARA Series M593, Roll 461, FHL film 545960, image 19; and 1880 United States Federal Census, Martin County, KY, Precinct 5, population schedule, enumeration dist. 65, p. 10, dwelling 80, family 81, Nathan Fredrick, digital image, FamilySearch.org, (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCZX-X6N : accessed 22 Mar 2020,) NARA microfilm publication T9, Roll 432, FHL film 005160692, image 8. Also see Marriage record in Ref note 7.
[3] Mr. Jude, “maynard1724 — The Maynard Family from England<br>to the Tug Valley of Central Appalachia<br>and its connections to the Jude Family”, updated 17 Apr 2019, RootsWeb, Individual Page for Mary Blankenship, (https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/185742/I0284/marypolly-blankenship/individual : accessed 16 Oct 2020), Tree Id: 185742. Mary Blankenship appears in numerous unsourced online trees as the first wife of Nathan Frederick Jude. Details about her in this narrative are from the referenced unsourced online tree hosted on RootsWeb and owned by Dorsey Jude Jr. In her son John’s birth record Mary Blankenship is listed as his mother, see Ref Note 16.
[4] 1850 U.S. Federal Census, Pike County, Kentucky, population schedule, pg 934 dwelling 480, family 480, Nathan Fredrick, digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8054/images/4192507_00071 : accessed on 23 Oct 2020.) Mary Blankenship’s specific birthdate is unclear. In this 1850 census she appears at age nineteen living in a two-person household with Nathan Frederick. This would place her birth circa 1831. Many online trees show Mary as the daughter of Obediah Blankenship or Hiram Blankenship. The 1840 Floyd County, Kentucky U.S. Federal census entry for an Obediah Blankinship does not show a child circa age 10 in the household. The 1840 Logan County, Virginia U.S. Federal Census shows a Hiram Blankenship with a young daughter in the correct age category. In addition, the 1850 census shows Mary and Nathan on the same page as a Hiram Blankenship. Since she named her son Hiram this is a possibility. No other research was conducted in the time allowed.
[5] Mary’s son Hiram was likely born in 1852. (see narrative on pages 3-4.) Leaving the time between his birth and Nathan’s second marriage on June 1854 as the period in which Mary died.
[6] Pike County Kentucky, County Marriage Records, 1822-1871, Nathaniel Fredrick and Marining Rutherfod, Marriage Record Book 4, Pages 34-35, digital image, FamilySearch.org, (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FWY1-K9C : accessed on 21 Mar 2020); FHL 004263473, image 317. Mourning’s name in her marriage record is written over and not clear. Marining represents the best attempt to transcribe the name. This marriage record records her age as 17, placing her birth in approx. 1837. Mourning’s parents as listed on the marriage certificate are Edmund Wiatt and Pricilla Rutherford.
[7] Commonwealth of Kentucky, State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Death Certificate, File Number 18617, Mourning Jude, 15 Apr 1912, digital image, FamilySearch.org, (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NSV8-DPV : accessed 22 Mar 2020).
[8] Commonwealth of Kentucky, State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Death Certificate, File Number 14641, Jack Jude, 31 Jan 1944, digital image, Ancestry.com, (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/1222/KYVR_7020656-1652 : accessed 25 Mar 2020) ; FHL film 7020656, image 1652.
[9] Commonwealth of Kentucky, Death certificate, Jack Jude.
[10] 1870 United States Federal Census, Johnson County Kentucky, Rockcastle, population schedule, p. 7, dwelling 43, family 43, Elias Stepp family (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7163/images/4269328_00381: accessed 23 Oct 2020.) Little is known about Elizabeth Stepp, called Lizzie by her descendants. Personal notes made by the author and registered in personal Family Tree Maker software: According to her grandson Jack Jude, [interview conducted circa 1989] “Elizabeth was “old preacher Steps daughter” and she “died when her children were little.” Death is estimated based on the birthdate of her son Nathan and Jack’s remarriage to second wife Mary.
[11] 1940 US Federal Census, Martin County, Kentucky, Pilgrim, Magisterial District 4, p. 3B, Enumeration District 80-6, family 42, Ancestry, (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2442/images/M-T0627-01339-00640 : accessed 25 Oct 2020), image 8. Date estimated based on last time she appears in the census.
[12] Martin County Kentucky, Marriage Register, Jackson Fredrick and Mary Parsley, Entry #309, 19 Mar 1889, p. 302, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/61372/images/TH-1971-28934-3776-48 ; accessed 24 Oct 2020).
[13] 1940 US Federal Census, Martin County, Kentucky, Pilgrim, Magisterial District 4, p. 3B, Enumeration District 80-6, family 42, Ancestry.
Jude Family Research Services 