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Six Marriages at Roley, Adair County, at Christmas Time, 1896

By Mike Watson

The following article appeared in local newspapers in early 1897. Newspapers were the greatest news medium of the day and often picked up and reprinted stories of interest from near and far. This interesting Adair County item made its way into hundreds of papers from coast to coast.

A Matrimonial Mix-up--Six Weddings of Special Interest in One Little Town--News of a most extraordinary matrimonial mix-up, involving six couples, comes from the little town of Roley, in Adair County, Ky. The six weddings all occurred on the same day--three in the morning and three in the afternoon. In the morning O.S. Dunbar and Nora Tucker, Robert Hood and Minnie McWhorter, W.R. Hopkins and Ada McWhorter, were married. In this trio the McWhorters were sisters and Miss Tucker was their aunt.

After the triple ceremony, the three couples went to the home of "Uncle Bob" Tucker, father and grandfather of the brides, to be entertained. In the afternoon there were three other weddings within an hour of each other at the homes of the respective brides. There were a number of singular features connected with all six of the weddings. Every couple is now closely related to "Uncle Bob" Tucker, one of the leading men of this county. Out of the six couples, before the wedding, he had a daughter and a son, three granddaughters, a niece and a nephew.

There were in the group a brother and sisters, two sisters, two brothers, three cousins, two uncles, an aunt, four nieces and two nephews, and yet no one of the twelve candidates married anyone related to him or herself.


Another singular feature is that out of the twelve individuals, before the weddings, there were two by the name of Hopkins, two Dunbars, two Chelfs, two Tuckers, two McWhorters, one Pendleton and one Hood. After the ceremonies had been pronounced, the result was that the Dunbars and Hopkins had each increased two, the Pendletons, Chelfs and McWhorters had been exterminated, the Hoods had gained one and the Tuckers have been fortunate enough to hold their ground. --The Daily Herald, Brownsville, TX, 3 February 1897--copied from the Boston Sun

All six of the marriage licenses for the couples mentioned in the preceding article were procured at Columbia from the Adair County Court Clerk. The couples, and some particulars, follow:
  • J. Robert Todd, age 26, born Adair County, medical doctor, to Miss Minnie McWhorter, 19, born Adair, daughter of C.V. and Eliza McWhorter, of Casey Creek, to be married at Christian Church at Casey Creek; married 22 December 1896 by Z.T. Williams at "Rolly" witnessed by J.W. Beard and John Wolford.

  • William R. Hopkins, age 31, born Rockingham County, VA, mechanic, to Miss Ada McWhorter, 21, born Adair, to marry at Christian Church at Casey Creek; married 22 December 1896 by Z.T. Williams at "Rolly", witnessed by Virgie Beard and W.B. Hendrickson.

  • Dr. Orlando S. Dunbar, age 32, born Adair County, dentist, to Miss [Carrie] Nora Tucker, 20, born Adair, to be married at Christian Church at Casey Creek; married 22 December 1896 by Z.T. Williams at "Rolly", witnessed by Jack Beard and Willie Russell.

  • Cyrus W. Dunbar, age 23, born Adair County, farming, to Miss Maud Pendleton, 18, born Adair, daughter of J.H. Pendleton, to marry at Knifley; married 22 December 1896 by R.A. Hovious at J.M. Pendleton's, witnessed by Harlan Watson, Stella Williams, and others.

  • C.M. Hopkins, age 26, born Rockingham County, VA, carpenter, to Miss Allie Chelf, 17, born Adair, her guardian--W.P. Chelf--consented; married 22 December 1896 by Z.T. Williams at William Chelf's, witnessed by George Beard and Zack Beard.

  • Robert B. Tucker, age [25], born Adair County, farming, to Miss Laura Chelf, 21, born Adair, to marry at bride's residence; married 22 December 1896 by Z.T. Williams at William Chelf's, witnessed by Logan Knifley and George Beard.



This story was posted on 2020-09-08 08:02:54
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