Spurlins of Christian County, Kentucky

Early settlers

WikiTree has a profile for a William Spurlin, born about 1758 in North Carolina, who died about 1818 in Christian County, Kentucky. Its only listed source is an "SAR Database," meaning the Sons of the American Revolution.^[1] Other WikiTree profiles place a Mary Susan Spurlin (1780–1827), born in Orange County, North Carolina, and a Polly Spurlin (1800–1829), born and died in Christian County, in the county during the same years.^[2][3] These user-contributed profiles give few primary sources, and the family links between them are not shown.

William Henry Perrin's 1884 history Counties of Christian and Trigg, Kentucky names a John Spurlin among the early pioneers of the Mount Vernon, Wilson, Fruit Hill and Stewart precincts. The passage first describes five Meacham brothers, who came "from one of the Carolinas" around the start of the nineteenth century, and then lists John Spurlin among others who "were also among the early pioneers." It does not say where he came from.^[4] A Find a Grave memorial for a John Spurlin (1780–1851), whose burial place is unknown, names his wives as Sinah Meacham and Rebecca Utley and his sons as James, Archabald (so spelled), Noel, Andrew and Benjamin.^[5] He is a different man from the Ashe County, North Carolina, pioneer of the same dates profiled in John Spurlin (1780–1851).

Pioneer families and preachers

In 1907 the Hopkinsville Kentuckian described John and Rebecca (Utley) Spurlin as members of "two pioneer families of Kentucky." Their son, Rev. James Utley Spurlin, was born in the county's Bluff Spring district in 1824.^[6] The paper names several of his descendants who were Baptist ministers in the region, among them Rev. John H. Spurlin of Sturgis and Rev. Lindson Spurlin of Hopkinsville.^[6] Its list of the churches James had preached to includes Pleasant Hill, Macedonia and Sinking Fork in Christian County. It says he had preached at Sinking Fork without interruption for 40 years and made his home near that church.^[6] See James Utley Spurlin.

Perrin's 1884 history records Spurlins among the Baptist pastors of both counties. In Christian County it lists James Spurlin among past pastors of Pleasant Hill church, and "Revs. Spurlin" among the pastors of New Macedonia and Rock Bridge churches.^[4] In Trigg County, Rev. J. H. Spurlin was called to Oak Grove Baptist Church in 1876 and was still its regular supply in 1884, by which time its membership had grown to 130. He is also listed among the pastors of the Baptist churches at Canton and Hurricane, and James Spurlin was then preacher in charge at Cerulean Missionary Baptist Church.^[4]

Rev. James Utley Spurlin died on Saturday, 30 October 1909, at the home of his son Monroe Spurlin near Sinking Fork in Christian County. The Hopkinsville Kentuckian called him the oldest Baptist minister in that part of Kentucky.^[7] The paper said he had married about 1,000 couples, and that in many neighbourhoods Spurlin had become a given name for men named after him. It also named his son Rev. John H. Spurlin and his grandson Rev. Lindsay Spurlin (spelled Lindson in 1907), "who resides in this city," which shows the family still in the county into the twentieth century.^[8][6]

Spurlin Cemetery and family graves

Christian County has a Spurlin Cemetery. Find a Grave gives no coordinates for it but quotes directions from Cemetery Records of Christian Co. KY that lead north from Hopkinsville by Highways 107, 189 and 1914. It lists 21 memorials, five of them Spurlins.^[9] Among them is Noel W. Spurlin (10 July 1827 – 17 September 1894), described as the son of John and Rebecca (Utley) Spurlin.^[10] Rev. James Utley Spurlin is buried at Sinking Fork Baptist Church Cemetery.^[11] See also Spurlin cemeteries.