James Keaton ²

   Another name for James was Jim.

  General Notes:

From The Keaton Family by A. A. Hopkins:

In 1795, James Keaton helpd secure the marriage bond for William Ballard the third and Mary Snow. The bond was secured in Albermarle County, Virginia. Some sources say that James Keaton came from Orange County, Virginia. It's possible he may have also lived in Albermarle County before moving to Monroe County, WV.

James Keaton, the Ancestor and founder of the Keaton Family in Monroe, Mercer, Summers and other parts of Southern WEST Virginia. He was probably a descendant of the James Keaton who settled in Lancaster County, VA in 1652.

James was born 1745 (1759 is more likely the right date) Presumably in Orange County, Va. It is certain that James moved from Orange County to Indian Creek in present day Monroe County in 1790.

James married Ankley Ballard, the d/o William Ballard in 1767 at the age of 22 It seems that James Keaton acquired a considerable tract of good land in the Indian Creek community on a stream called Buzzard's Run, which passed to his son, Johnson Keaton (Deeds show that much of this land also went to his son, William Keaton) James Keaton died 1808 at the age of 63 (This is clearly wrong as James was alive in the 1810 census of Monroe. He died after 1820 when he deeded some land to his son, William.)

Mr Hopkins continues: James was most certainly buried in the old Keaton cemetery located on Buzzard's Run (Today this is called Cook's Run) He was probably the first person buried in this cemetery. The writer (Mr. Hopkins) was unable to make out the name and full date of his death. He could make out the name Keaton and the date but nothing else. The balance of the inscription on the marker, which was common sandstone was almost illegible because of the effects of the elements of over 150 years.

James was a property holder in Monroe in 1799 and a voter in 1800. So far as is known, James Keaton never saw any service in any of the wars which the United States took part. (This is also incorrect - James served in the Revolutionary War) James Keaton, and his wife, Ankley Ballard, became the parents of quite a large family of two sons, Johnson and William, and 9 daughters; Lucy, Elizabeth, Jean Betsy, Milly, Polly, Margaret and two others whose names we do not have.

James married Ankey Ballard, daughter of Philip Ballard and Ann Nancy Johnson, on 17 Aug 1777 in Orange Co, Virginia.^{1 2} (Ankey Ballard was born in 1760 in Orange Co, Virginia,^{1 3} died on 4 May 1842 in Monroe Co, Virginia (Now WV) ^{1 3} and was buried in Keaton Cemetery, Cook's Run, Monroe Co, WV.)