APPENDIX ll

THE HUFFMAN FAMILY OF ROCKY HILL

As stated earlier, the main focus of this manuscript concerns the three sons of Henrich Hoffman, the 1743 immigrant from Seigen, Germany, and all of their descendants. These brothers left Virginia and settled in southern Barren County, Kentucky between 1797 and 1804. However, there was another group of Huffmans who settled in the western part of the county around the old town of Rocky Hill. This family descended from Hans Henrich Hoffman, who was born in Bockseifen, Germany and immigrated to Culpeper County, Virginia with his wife, Margaret Heuttenhen, in 1734. (See Germanna Record No. 5, p 365-371) The Rocky Hill Huffmans are not related to the subject family of this report, but since they lived in Barren County at approximately the same time, it may help to prevent confusion if we briefly discuss these early settlers.

The earliest of this line of Huffmans to appear in Barren County seems to have been Elizabeth Huffman, a daughter of Tillman Huffman (1735-1826). She married William Settle about 1790 in Culpeper County, Virginia, and they moved to the western part of Barren County, Kentucky. William Settle purchased land out of a military grant belonging to Henry Vowles and helped to establish the town of Rocky Hill in 1798. He was the first of the famous Settle rifle makers, but he died prematurely of smallpox in 1808. His wife, Elizabeth, escaped the epidemic and remained on the farm to raise their ten children.

In 1821, Charles Huffman, a brother of Elizabeth Huffman Settle and the eldest son of Tillman Huffman, moved to Barren County from Culpeper County, Virginia. He settled on Cook’s Creek near Rocky Hill. Although his wife and several of his children accompanied him to Kentucky, at least one son, Thomas, remained in Virginia. On August 25, 1827 Charles Huffman of Barren County, Kentucky appointed his son, Thomas Huffman of Culpeper County, Virginia, as his attorney to collect what was due him from the estate of his father, Tillman, who was then deceased. At least two sons and a daughter did come with Charles and his wife to Rocky Hill, Kentucky. Gavin Huffman (1802-1863) married Sarah Elizabeth Button in Barren County in 1832, and they had seven children. Burkett Huffman (b.1804) married Evelina Settle in 1826, and they had at least five children. In the 1850 U.S. Census for Barren County, a sister, Mary “Polly” Huffman, age 50, is shown living in the same household with Burkett Huffman. Of course there may have been other children as well, but since this family is not related to the subjects of this report, no further work has been done.