Pleasant Bailey

son of Isham Bailey Sr.

I have seen quite a few genealogists claim his first name was William but this is simply NOT the case at all.  There isn't a single source record that lists his name as William.  They must be assuming that just because he named a son William Pleasant it must also be his name but middle names were not common until the 1800's. Also, I have never seen a middle name given for any of the children of Isham Bailey Sr.

Pleasant Bailey is referenced by name for the first time in the 1802 Albemarle County Tax records as a son of Isham. Prior to that date, starting in 1795, he is just listed as "son" over the age of 16 in Isham Bailey's household, which means we can establish his birth around the year 1778.  

On February 13, 1806 in Albemarle County,  Pleasant Bailey married Judith Lankford aka Judah.  They continued to live in Albemarle county until around the year 1811 when they moved to Kanawha County, West Virginia with his father.

We really don't have many records for Pleasant. In my previous post on Isham Bailey I transcribed the census records for Pleasant Bailey and his family. He is in the 1810 Albemarle Co. census, and the 1820, 1830, and 1840 Kanawha Co. censuses.  

He appears on the personal property tax rolls of Kanawha County until 1845, he was written on the 1846 tax roll but a line is marked through his name. He was struck out because he died the previous year.

In 1825, Isham Bailey, father of Pleasant transferred a slave by deed to him. In this deed he acknowledged him as his son.

In 1825, his brother-in-law- James Hensley sold 98 1/2 acres to him on the Pocatalico River. He sold this same tract of land to John C. Thomas in 1836.

In 1836, he bought 63 acres of Land on the Pocatalico River from his brother-in-law Uriah Parish. He sold part of this same tract of land to Joseph G. Skidmore and James High on May 15, 1839 for the promise of $50. This deed went unrecorded as Pleasant only gave them a title bond and they had not paid for the land. Joseph G. Skidmore sold his interest in the title bond to James High on October 1, 1840.

On March 7, 1845 he conveyed his last deed of 2 acres on the Pocatalico River to William and Mildred Bailey. 

 He died shortly after this conveyance.

"At a Court held for Kanawha County October 1845 it was ordered that James McGown, Pleasant Lanhan, and John C. Thomas should appraise the personal estate of Pleasant Bailey dec'd"

His son-in-law John McLaughlin was the estate administrator. The estate sale was held on October 27, 1845. On July 12, 1847 the bill of Sale was presented to court.

In Chancery: Spring Term 1847 - the tract of 63 acres mentioned above was ordered divided. The parts being given to William Bailey & Elizabeth his wife (7 acres), John Bailey & Elizabeth his wife (8 acres), James Bailey & Permelia his wife (7 acres), William Bailey and Mildred nee Bailey (7 acres), Benjamin Lanham and Susan nee Bailey (7 acres), John McLaughlin and Mary nee Bailey (7 acres), and the infant children of Isham Bailey dec'd (7 acres), (Druscilla Elizabeth, Lucinda, Mary, Isham).  The remainder went to James High.

In Pleasant Bailey's estate sale was one bible which was purchased by John Bailey. What happened to it we may never know but it was likely taken to Morgan County, Indiana with John and his family when they moved there in the 1850's.

Pleasant Bailey lived his last years near near Lanham, WV. His closest neighbors in 1840 were Moses Kelly, John Slater, and William K. Bailey.  Moses Kelly and John Slater lived at Martin's Branch,  William K. Bailey lived on Doc Bailey Road in Cross Lanes. You can follow the Pocatalico River from a Bailey Drive near Martin's Branch to Doc Bailey Road in Cross Lanes.