Landrum Book 2: Amanda and Her Cousins (James Landrum)

Privately published in 2005, this book is the culmination of over 30 years of research, dozens of personal interviews and countless miles of 'side trips' in search of one more family connection. The author (my brother James A. Landrum, 1945- ) was first intrigued by the hundreds of family history sheets assembled by our mother, Blanche Haddix Landrum, and he was later honored to work on family research with a cousin, Lexington attorney Charles Landrum Jr. (see A Kentucky Family post). Taking up the torch from two such devoted historians, James has produced a thorough and detailed account of the known history of the Landrums in Kentucky, a fascinating and personal account of a Civil-war era cousin (also see Queen City Lady below), and an expansive collection of family listings that would surely make his mentors - and his ancestors - proud.The book is over 300 pages long with a soft-cover binding. It contains over 30 photographs and illustrations, is thoroughly indexed, and includes an extensive bibliography. Edited by the author's sister (me!), it is available only by direct order from the author. Descendants of the first Landrums in Kentucky - Reuben and Martha 'Patsy' Bibb Landrum - will find this book invaluable for genealogical research. Others will find it to be a unique and interesting glimpse into history.

Amanda and Her Cousins: A genealogy of the Landrum family in Kentucky is a study of the original Landrum family of Kentucky and descendants through the current generation, with a special focus on Amanda Landrum Wilson. It will be of interest to Landrum descendants and associated families in America, as well as historical and genealogical organizations and libraries. Landrum family researchers with ties to Breathitt County, Kentucky, will find this book an especially valuable resource.

The author briefly outlines the origins of the Landrum family name in Scotland and describes Scottish migrations to Ireland and America.  Hundreds of descendants of James Landrum (Scotland, mid-1600's) are listed, with a variety of biographical details and genealogical data.

The book is divided into two parts:

Part One is a detailed history pertaining to Amanda Landrum and Obed Wilson of Cincinnati. Amanda grew up in Augusta, Kentucky, where her father was a Methodist minister. She later moved to Cincinnati and worked briefly as a teacher. She was a major contributor to the original first three issues of the McGuffey Readers; in fact, the children's characters in the 1857 edition are named after her own nieces and nephews.

Amanda married Obediah J. Wilson, who became wealthy in the publishing business; their world travels and philanthropic contributions are covered in some detail. Also included is a transcription of Amanda's personal diary for the year 1861, offering her unique perspective on the Civil War and much information about her brother, a Union lieutenant who was killed in the Battle of Chickamauga.

Amanda and Obed had no children; with no direct descendants, their important legacy is in danger of being lost. Documented here by a descendant of her first cousin, Amanda would surely be pleased to know she is so honorably remembered by family.

Part Two contains many details about the first Landrums in Kentucky - the family of Martha 'Patsy' Bibb and Reuben Landrum, and hundreds of their descendants. Reuben and Patsy lived at Boonesborough for a short time (Reuben's name is inscribed on the monument to the early settlers at today's reconstructed fort), and settled in Clark County, Kentucky, in 1810-1811. Reuben’s transcribed will, photos of pages from his Bible, and a map to his homeplace and unmarked family cemetery are included.

Reuben and his family were devoted to the early Methodist church; two sons became influential circuit-riding ministers. The Reverend Reuben Washington Landrum - great-great grandfather of the author - moved to Breathitt County, Kentucky, and still has many descendants there. The Rev. William Bibb Landrum wrote a book in 1878 about his life and travels, which is available online: 

Life and Travels of William B. Landrum
by the Reverend William Bibb Landrum
Originally published by the Southern Methodist Publishing House, Nashville, in 1878. The entire text is available online, free for all to read - electronically reproduced in 2002 in the Kentucky Virtual Library's "Kentuckiana Digital Library." 

The genealogical data in Part Two will be invaluable to family researchers. Names and dates, brief biographical sketches, photographs and personal anecdotes about hundreds of Landrum descendants from all over the U.S. offer a unique glimpse of American culture.

This is the first publication by the book's author, James A. Landrum, a Kentucky native currently residing in North Carolina. Early in his research he collaborated with a cousin and fellow Landrum researcher, Charles M. Landrum Jr. - author of another Landrum genealogical work called A Kentucky Family (privately published in 1990 - out of print and very hard to find). That book contained an interesting introduction by Dr. Thomas D. Clark, Historian Laureate of Kentucky, which is reproduced in Charlie's honor in this new book, Amanda and Her Cousins. The genealogical appendix contained in A Kentucky Family was contributed directly from the family records of James A. Landrum; that data is included and expanded upon in Amanda and Her Cousins.

The book is 8.5" x 11" in size and more than 300 pages long with a soft-cover binding. It contains over 30 photographs and illustrations, is thoroughly indexed, and contains an extensive bibliography. Edited by the author's sister, Mona Landrum Proctor, it was privately published in 2005. As of March 2013, limited print copies are still available - contact this blog author. (Cost is $37.50 per book, plus $5.00 S&H.) Plans are to publish an e-book version by the end of the year - watch this space!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Alan Landrum was born July 22, 1945, the first child of Ollie James and Blanche (Haddix) Landrum - representing two prominent families of Breathitt County, Kentucky. His maternal grandfather was Arthur Haddix, son of William Washington Haddix of Lost Creek. The Haddixes were among the very first settlers of Breathitt County. James is a great-great-grandson of the Rev. Reuben Washington Landrum, a Methodist circuit-riding minister.

James attended the early grades in Breathitt County, then moved to Clark County, Kentucky; in 1963, he was a member of the last graduating class of Clark County High School (before George Rogers Clark High School opened). He was married twice before finally reuniting with his college sweetheart of thirty-eight years before at the University of Kentucky, Anne Alexander Cooley, in 1998. 

James worked thirty-one years for General Motors in Dayton, Ohio, and Rochester, New York; he was a Senior Corporate Buyer in Worldwide Purchasing at the time of his retirement. He holds a Business Administration degree in Industrial Management from the University of Dayton and belongs to several historical organizations. He is a veteran, a Shriner and a Kentucky Colonel. [ED.NOTE: James passed away on October 28, 2013; please direct any correspondence to this blog author (his sister, Mona). 

 

A CHART OF DESCENT

William Lendrum
d. Scotland

James Lendrum
b. Aberdeenshire, Scotland, ca. 1659
m. Rachel Ramsay in Ireland

James Lendrum
b. Essex Co., Va., 1703

The Rev. Francis Lendrum Sr.
b. Essex Co., Va., 9/19/1739

Reuben Landrum
b. Fluvanna Co., Va., 5/31/1777

The Rev. Reuben Washington Landrum
b. 3/15/1811, Clark Co., Ky. 

Reuben Samuel Landrum
b. 6/10/1837, Breathitt Co., Ky. 

Albert Sidney Landrum
b. 1/9/1880, Breathitt Co., Ky. 

Ollie James Landrum
b. 7/8/1912, Breathitt Co., Ky. 

James Alan Landrum
b. 7/22/1945, Richmond, Ky.