Elizabeth Settle

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.

The following is transcribed from papers sent to me through the mail by Christine Settle-Santos:

The Huffman line aligned with the Settles. Elizabeth Huffman Settle, wife of the first Settle riflemaker William Settle, was a Huffman before marriage. This Huffman alliance is important from a historical aspect because it is strongly indicated that the knowledge of riflemaking in the Settle family came through the Huffmans, who were accomplished iron workers in Virginia. Certainly, William Settle's knowledge in working metal came through his wife, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth Huffman Settle's link with the Virginia Huffman iron workers is proven in records in the Barren County Clerk's office, dated September 28, 1828. Elizabeth Settle, wife of William Settle (deceased) of Barren County and a daughter of Tilman Huffman (deceased) late of Culpepper Co., Virginia, appointed John Fant of Allen County as attorney to secure her share of said Tilman Huffman's estate. Thus, it is indicated that a Huffman was present in this County to teach young Felix Settle to carry on the rifle trade of his father, even though Felix was too young to have learned much at the time of his father's death.

The arrival of the Huffman family in America was brought about by a circumstance which played an important part in shaping American industry. To properly understand it, we must turn briefly through the pages of Virginia history where it is recorded that, in 1710, Governor Spatwood, then Governor of Virginia, discovered iron ore in the hills and mountains of Virginia. Having no one in his colony at that time who knew how to smelt iron ore or work iron, Governor Spatwood - visualizing the vast possibilities for America in developing that industry 0 set about to find and import men who knew how to work in iron.

In 1714, twelve families were serviced from the Nasse Siegin, Germany. They were brought to the Colony of Virginia and established at an outpost frontier in a horseshoe bend of the Ropidan River in Poloylavania Co. Here, the Colony of Germana was established, and they started building the first iron furnace in America.

In 1717, twenty other families from Germany were brough from Nassau Siegen and established in the Germana colony.

There were two brothers amongst the Germans, John and Henry Huffman, who worked (as did most of the Germans) at this iron furnace for a few years and then moved out farther from the colony, where they took out large grants of land and soon started buying cattle.

The name Huffman was adapted to English use and became Huffman. By 1750, John Huffman was a large landowner in Madison County, Virginia, while his brother Henry was the same in Culpepper County, Virginia. Both of these men had many descendants in Barren County. Henry Huffman of Culpepper County became the father of Tilman Huffman, who was the father of Elizabeth Huffman (wife of William Settle.) Her brother Charles, who settled on Cooks Creek near Old Rocky Hill, Kentucky, was one of the earliest workers in iron there. They also had Huffman cousins who came to this area.

From a letter to Salle Morris Carter from Simon DeWitt Settle:

Elizabeth Huffman Settle was a German gal (having come from that band of sturdy Germans who, in 1714, came to Virginia to establish the iron industry - first settling in Germania in Spotsylvania County and then moving up to Germantown in Fauquier County.) Elizabeth Huffman Settle, with the help of her slaves, cleared up her fine farm in Kentucky and raised all of her brood of ten to man/womanhood, and they all made good, useful citizens. The farm today is known as the Garland Page place and is still in the hands of Settle kin.

• Reference: TNG Genealogy - SmartCopy: Sep 5 2022, 19:49:36 UTC