Thomas King was an early pioneer of Webster County, Kentucky. The family left North Carolina and traveled over land in a covered wagon: Tom, his first wife Jemima (Cozart) King and three children. He purchased, cleared the land and built a log home as well as log barns.
A History Of A Pioneer Citizen

For more about this family, please see memorial for Jemima (Cozart) King, Thomas' 1st wife.

The writer of A History Of A Pioneer Citizen January 1977, was Thomas King's youngest daughter from his second family of eight children. This is his life in the words of Myrtle Belle (King) Marks (1897-1995), written when she was age 79. This contributor received a copy of this narrative when visiting her about 1984 in Sebree, Webster Co., Kentucky. Two pages, typewritten, have been transcribed below as she wrote them.

History Of A Pioneer Citizen
By Myrtle (King) Marks
Thomas King was born in Orange County North Carolina year Sept. 17th 1826. He married Jemima Cozort at a young age. He his wife and three children left North Carolina about the year of 1852, traveled to Kentucky in a covered wagon. They stopped in Hopkins County, Ky. and lived there for a short while then moved on to Webster Co., Ky. There they settled and made a homestead on over 200 acres of land five miles west of Sebree. This land is now owned by Lloyd Pinkston and the Tim Meinschein heirs.

He cleared the land built his home a big log house which was built by his own hands out of popular logs. He hued and fit together logs size 18x8 inches and put them together mostly by pegs and some square spike nails.

To this union three more children were born. Then the Civil war broke out the year 1860 and ended 1865 between these years Thomas King was drafted into the armed services. When time came for him to leave his oldest son J.W. King volunteered to go in his place. The army demanded and took the best horse he had. J. W. King was in the army at Gettysburg, Pa national civil war fought by General Ulysses S. Grant and General Robert E. Lee he never returned home. He died Jan. 19th 1865 with pneumonia fever brought on by exposure and was buried in the soldiers cemetery at Gettysburg, Pa. J. W. Kings mother Jemima King died in 1877.

The year 1852 when Thomas King left North Carolina he left behind a widowed mother which was a full blooded Cherokee Indian married to his father who was a white man.

He also left behind two old maid sisters still at home, this was all the family he had. Later on one winter got so cold and bad a blizzard came and they couldn't get out of the house to get wood to burn, people burned wood for fuel in those days, so they burned all their furniture trying to keep warm then frooze to death at last.

In the year Oct 18th 1877 Thomas King again married this time Mary L. Shelton to this union eight children were born, four boys and four girls. Mother died August 17th 1902 at the age of Forty One years. Father was left with six children at home to raise the youngest was only four years old, which is the writer of this history.

Only two children living at this writing. Father lived in the same log house that he built about the year of 1854 and raised his family there. This house stood until 1959 then it was torn down by the owner Lloyd Pickston and a new modern brick home built in the same place. One of the log barns my father built is still standing.

My father died June 15th 1909 at the age of eighty two years and nine months old. Death was caused by a bowel infection. He was active and worked up until he got sick and died. He was a hard working talented carpenter, black smith and farmer. He stood six feet tall and weighted around two hundred pounds, had black hair and greyish brown eyes.
They don't make them like my daddy any more.

This is written by his youngest child and
daughter,
Myrtle King Marks
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Some family researchers give Thomas a middle name of "Washington," but this contributor has been unable to verify this is the same individual for Thomas King of this profile. Looking for a verifiable record please.

Another note as research continues: The following PARENTS have been assigned to this Thomas King by family researchers: "Thomas C King (TCK) married Sarah G. Parker." Current review of available records have not made a connection.
1) This memorial Thomas King indicates he was born in Orange County, North Carolina.
TCK's family were residing in Bertie County, North Carolina.
2) TCK (will 21 June 1827) in probate records of 1828, Bertie Co., North Carolina, provided GUARDIANS for his youngest children in his estate shown at FamilySearch.org. [url: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VH6F-Z6J ]
This memorial Thomas King would have been about age 2 so would have needed a guardian, IF a child of TCK. Could not locate information showing such.

Another researcher gives his name as "Thomas J. King," stating it was recorded on the son Grover's death certificate. The informant for Grover's death certificate was Grover's wife, Katie H. King, or Tom's daughter-in-law. Thomas King and 1st wife Jemima DID have a son Thomas J. King, so perhaps some confusion when providing the father-in-law's name. There is no known record giving this name elsewhere, that could be located.

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There is a patriot, James W. King at Find-A-Grave ID 37875949 that could be the oldest child of Thomas King and 1st wife Jemima Cozart, that died in service of the Civil War. Based on the name; location Kentucky; "horse taken from the father (above narrative)" [believe for cavalry] and death date provided is close to that cited in the narrative [story of death is different].
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WILL PROBATED / Image attached here.
Thomas King's will dated 03 July 1903, Webster Co., Kentucky was signed with "his mark."
WILL presented in March 1910 Webster County, Kentucky open court ... probate dated 21 March 1910.

Thomas King names 13 of his 14 children in his 1903 WILL:
*The oldest, James W. King (1846-1865), is named in several family census records; he died in the Civil War [see note above regarding patriot]. See Jemima (Cozart) King memorial for the census transcriptions.
The first 5 children were by Jemima Cozart. The numbers 6-13 were children of Mary Louise Shelton. Interesting to note that Tom's daughter Texana was age 15 when he married his second wife, also age 15, but trned 16 shortly after they married.

1-Betsey Ann Burton [Elizabeth Ann "Betty" King Burton]
2-Mary Thomas Melton
3-Miriah Francis Burton [aka Mariah Frances King Burton]
4-Thomas J. King
5-Texana Marshall [aka Margaret Texel "Texana" King; Marshall is error (married name was MELTON)]
*******************
6-Robert Lee King
7-Joseph Hamilton King
8-Bedford Forest King
9-Lilly Bell King
10-Grover Cleveland King
11-Louisa C. King [Louisa Catherine King "Lula"]
12-Rosana King
13-Myrtle B. King
Source: Will & Probate from: County Clerk's Office, Webster Co., KY. County, Dixon, KY 42409 in Nov. 1986 // GJOT.
Also online at Ancestry.com accessed 06 Jan 2024, GA: Original data: Kentucky County, District and Probate Courts (Webster County); Probate Place: Webster, Kentucky. Ancestry.com "Kentucky, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1774-1989 [database on-line]."

RE: Dicy King.
Informational only; this is not proven.
In 1850 census (see Jemima Cozart King profile) Dicy is age 08, so born about 1842. Thomas King & Jemima Cozart married in 1846. It's probable that Dicy is a relative of the family rather than a child.
*IF Thomas King born in Sept 1826 and Dicy's profile gives birth as Sept 1837, then Thomas would have been age 11 at the time of her birth. IF Dicy birth given as 1842 from 1850 census, then Thomas age 16 at her birth.