Abraham LeMaistre, my 8th great grandfather and progenitor of the Lemaster clan, was born around 1639 on the Isle of Jersey, largest island of the Channel Islands, to John and Sarah LeMaister. He came to America around 1672 as an indentured servant to John Smith and settled in what is present day Charles County, Maryland.

Abraham is described as being a farmer, planter and carpenter. All trades that have carried on to present day Lemaster generations. Who Abraham was married to cannot be proven but speculation has his wife as Elizabeth. This assumption is based on a tract of land owned by Abraham named "Betty's Delight". However, this land was patented (named) by the previous owner and in those days, the patent remained, regardless of how many times the land changed ownership.

Family tradition has it that the Lemaster's of those days were big, burly, lumberjack type men. Not having much money, they bought supplies on credit and repaid their debts with appropriate pounds of tobacco.

Abraham is listed with the National Huguenot Society as being a French Protestant. Many Huguenots fled France during the French Revolution to save themselves and their families from the guillotine. I can neither verify nor deny this claim that Abraham was indeed a Huguenot.

But I do know that LeMaistre is of French origin meaning "the master". Different variations are Lemaster, LeMaster, Lamaster, Leemaster, Lemater, Delamater and many more too numerous to mention.

My great great grandfather, Joseph Honaker Lemaster was born on June 26, 1846, six generations after Abraham. Joe, as he was called, married Mary Ann Pennington, AKA Polly, on August 6, 1867 and to this union were born eight children:

1. Jesse Lemaster b. Abt 1867 m. Elizabeth
2. Pennington
3. Jeff Lemaster b. Abt. 1868 m. Elizabeth???
4. Dock Lemaster b. March 31, 1870
5. Martha Lemaster b. 1871 m. "unknown" Curtis
6. David Lemaster b. Abt. 1877
7. John Irvin Lemaster b. Feb. 28, 1878 m. (1) Sola Williams, (2) Phoebe Moore
8. Rebecca Lemaster b. April 1880
9. Floyd Lemaster b. July 1888

   
   
   

   John Irvin Lemaster was my great grandfather. He married first in Paintsville, Johnson County, Kentucky, on July 28, 1899, to Sola Williams b. Aug. 16, 1885 , d. Aug.20, 1917. On Aug. 22, 1917, two days after his mother's death, little Smith succumbed to tuberculosis. He was one month and eleven days old. Children of John and Sola are:

   1. Sammie Lemaster b. Oct. 12, 1901 m. Stella Mae Cantrell
   2. Della Lemaster b. Dec. 28, 1902 m. Ray Cochran
   3. Jeff Lemaster b. April 14, 1905 m. Jessie" Willie" Cantrell
   4. Sarah Ann Lemaster b. Jan. 3, 1908 m. Tony Salyers
   5. Lizzie Lemaster b. Nov.13, 1910 m. Johnnie Barker
   6. Smith Lemaster b. July 11, 1917 d. Aug. 22, 1917
   John remarried around 1920 to Phoebe Moore, born June 27, 1892 , died Jan. 25, 1975. This marriage produced the following six children:
   1. Charlie Lemaster
   2. Dove Lemaster b. May 18, 1922 m. Walter
   3. Kimbleton
   4. Walter Lemaster b. June 29, 1924
   5. Vernie Lemaster b. Oct. 31, 1927
   6. Mary Lemaster b. May 16, 1930
   7. Virginia Lemaster
   John Irvin Lemaster died July 27, 1942 and was laid to rest beside Sola and Smith in the Lemaster Cemetery on top of the hill near Win Post office. This cemetery was removed by the Engineering Corps. from Huntington, West Virginia, during the Paintsville Lake Project in late 1979 and early 1980. John , Sola and Smith were reinterred in the Johnson County Memorial Cemetery at Staffordsville, Kentucky. Sammie Lemaster married on December 4, 1919, in Magoffin County, Kentucky, to Stella Mae Cantrell b. Dec.10, 1897 Stella was the daughter of Charles Wilson Cantrell and Sarah Elizabeth Conley. Sammie and Stella had eight children.
   1. Sarah Imogene Lemaster m. Fred Tenhover (name changed to Jean)
   2. Clyde Lemaster m. (3) viola Mae Corbin
   3. Sola Lemaster m. Jim Richard Meade
   4. Willis Lemaster b. March 30, 1930 d. April 2, 1930
   5. Sammie Lemaster, Jr. m. (7) Edna Brown
   6. Willie Lemaster married three times
   7. Billy Francis Lemaster m. Mary Patricia Costa
   8. Virginia Ruth Lemaster m. (2) Lacy Prater

   I did not know my grandpa Sammie, as he died when I was only four years old, but am told he was a good, kindhearted man. He worked as a blacksmith and for the railroad as well as in carpentry and farming. He enjoyed fishing in his leisure time. Grandpa Sammie passed from this world on Dec. 15, 1969 and was laid to rest on top of a hill in Tick Lick holler.

   Grandma Stella spent the rest of her years telling us she couldn't wait to be put on that hill with Grandpa. On Dec. 22, 1979, Grandma was called to join Grandpa. She was laid to rest beside her husband on a very cold, snowy Christmas day.
   
   
   

   This is just a small chart showing my LEMASTER lines. I have information on each generation shown.
   
   

   FATHER'S SIDE: John Lemaster m. Sarah? Abraham Lemaster m. Elizabeth ?? Richard Lemaster m. Martha Dennis John Lemaster, Sr. m. Ann Keith John Lemaster, Jr. m. Sarah ?? John Lemaster m. Frances Tackett John Lemaster, Jr. m. Rebecca Lemaster Joseph Honaker Lemaster m. Mary Ann Pennington John Irvin Lemaster m. Sola Williams Sammie Lemaster m. Stella Mae Cantrell Sammie Lemaster, Jr. m. Rosie Faye Adams Elizabeth Ann Lemaster m. Gregory Russell Applegate (the above is me and my husband)
   
   MOTHER'S SIDE: John Lemaster m. Sarah? Abraham Lemaster m. Elizabeth ?? Richard Lemaster m. Martha Dennis John Lemaster, Sr. m. Ann Keith John Lemaster, Jr. m. Sarah ?? Eleazor Lemaster m. Rachel Remy Richard Lemaster m. Rebecca "Bexey" Christian Rachel Lemaster m. Lilburn Estep Martha Jane Estep m. Jesse K.Gillam Rachel Anna Gillam m. John Adams Thurman K. Adams m. Esther Riggsby Rosie Faye Adams m. Sammie Lemaster, Jr. Elizabeth Ann Lemaster m. Gregory Russell Applegate (the above is me and my husband)