Re: California, MO Appersons

This caught my eye because California, Cooper Co., MO is pretty near my own Apperson folks in Pisgah.

According to the _Apperson Family in America_ Lilburn B. Apperson of California, MO wrote a letter regarding his grandfather Doctor Alexander Apperson explaining that he was named "Doctor" because he was the seventh son of a seventh son and this was the custom of the time.

Doctor was the 7th son of William and Elizabeth Kerr Apperson. He was born in Surry Co., NC on March 28, 1792 according to the Bible of his parents. His gravestone, however, shows the date of March 16, 1791.

About 1807 Doctor and his older brothers, John, Peter and Francis (my ancestor) left NC by wagon train via Overton Co., TN (where they dropped off a runaway child at his mother's house). In 1810 they were in Cumberland Co., KY - John & Francis are listed on the 1810 census and Doctor is thought to be living with John. They went back to Overton, TN and settled near Elijah Mitchel, father of John's wife Cely. There Doctor married Mary Ruth "Polly" Mitchell. James Milton Apperson was born in TN, January 21, 1816. The brothers and their families then returned to KY where they stayed until 1819 when they struck off for MO where they purchased land near Pisgah, MO. They were charter members of the Pisgah Baptist Church. Doctor later bought land near California, MO and that is where he and Polly died and were buried at the Old Cemetary at California, MO.

There were nine children. Your folks were descended from James Milton "Milton" Apperson and Elizabeth Permelia "Melia" Nowlin, Lilburn Boggs Apperson being their 9th and last child.

I'm getting tired of typing! Please write me and we'll work out how to get you further info.