The GARRISON Family

-Garrison Family Tax Lists

Garrison Family in America:

It's clear through autosomal DNA testing, that either Peter, David or Joseph Garrison was married to a woman from the Alexander family, or a woman whose mother was from the Alexander family.

Generation 1: Peter Garrison & Sarah NN
Generation 2: David Garrison Sr. & Mary NN
Generation 3: Joseph Garrison & Sarah NN
Generation 4: NN Garrison & Edward Costilow

Published Biographies & Genealogies:

-A history of the descendants of David Garrison, Sr. of Mecklenburg County, N.C., by Cornelia Garrison Husband. View at FamilySearch.

• "JOHN GARRISON and JOSEPH GARRISON, the two oldest sons of DAVID GARRISON, SR. and brothers to DAVID GARRISON, JR., came to Mecklenburg County, N.C. with their father and the rest of the family around 1760. About 1794, perhaps earlier, JOHN and JOSEPH GARRISON, together with their families, other kinsmen, and friends moved to Allen County, Ky. (then part of Warren County, Ky.) from Mecklenburg County, N.C."

• "JOHN GARRISON and JOSEPH GARRISON were named in DAVID GARRISON'S will. JOHN and his brother, DAVID, JR. were named as executors of their father's will. This will was dated Jan. 1, 1779."

• "So far, we have found no records, deeds, or other legal transactions in Mecklenburg County or Cabarrus County in which a JOHN or a JOSEPH GARRISON are named that could be either of these two. However, there are many records with names and dates found in Tennessee and Kentucky that seem to indicate that they are the JOHN and JOSEPH GARRISON, sons of DAVID GARRISON, SR. of Mecklenburg County, N. C. DAVID GARRISON, SR. is thought to have died around 1790, and their mother had been dead for several years. (She is not mentioned in David's will made in 1779.) Their sister, SUSANNAH LAVINIA GARRISON BALCH, and her husband, REV. JAMES BALCH, had already moved to Eastern Tennessee, later moved into Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois.) Also, either traveling with them or preceding them were Dr. James R. Alexander and his wife, Dorcas, who was a GARRISON before her marriage to Dr. Alexander. Dr. Alexander was a kinsman of ESTHER ALEXANDER GARRISON, wife of SAMUEL GARRISON, and DORCAS was a relative to SAMUEL GARRISON. The BALCHES mus: have moved to Eastern Tennessee sometime after the birth of their first child, Amos Prido Balch, who was born in 1775. He was the only one of their children born in North Carolina. The next seven of their children were born in Eastern Tennessee and the last three of their children were born in Russellville, Ky. after 1800. From the record kept by SAMUEL GARRISON and his wife, ESTHER ALEXANDER GARRISON, daughter of Hezekiah Alexander of Mecklenburg County, N. C., many interesting things are noted. SAMUEL GARRISON was the son of JOHN GARRISON. They have recorded that their last three children: Calvin Alexander Garrison, B. April 1, 1800; Esther Alexander Garrison, B. Feb. 22, 1802; Cynthia Wilson Garrison, B. April 19, 1804; were born and baptized on Bays Fork Creek, Warren County, Ky. by the Rev. James Balch. Undoubtedly the BALCHS, GARRISONS, ALEXANDERS and others from N. C. were living close to each other in Warren County, Ky."

• "SAMUEL GARRISON, together with his father, JOHN, and all of his family, and one of his brothers, JOSEPH, and his family, moved to Allen County, Kentucky (then part of Warren County, Ky.) around 1794. Here the family acquired considerable land and became active in frontier, political, and civic life. Some members of the Alexander family of Mecklenburg County came to Warren County with them, others of that family settled in nearby counties across the state line in Tennessee."

• "Cliff's Second Census of Kentucky, 1800, based on tax list, indicates that Isaac, ,Jonathan, Mark, Samuel, and John Garrison, Sr., were tax payers in Warren County, Kentucky in 1800: in addition, Joseph, Arthur, James, and John Garrison, Jr., were also tax payers there in 1800."

-Descendants of the Garrison families of York County, South Carolina and Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, by Max Perry. View at FamilySearch.

• "The Garrison family history is entwined with that of the earliest settlers of Mecklenburg County: the Spratts, Polks, Erwins, Alexanders, Knoxs, Moores, Elliotts, Whites and others."

• "David Garrison, the oldest of Peter Garrison's children, settled in the area of Mecklenburg that later became the Cabarrus County line. David and his wife Mary remained here until the 1790's when their two oldest sons, John and Joseph, with their families and other relatives and friends, made another mass migration to Western North Carolina to an area which later became the state of Tennessee. Later they moved on into Kentucky, Illinois, and other western states. David Garrison, Sr. and David, Jr. did not go west with the family. They stated in the Mallard Creek area where their wills are on record in Mecklenburg County. David Garrison, Sr. died ca 1789, David, Jr. ca. 1810."

• "The earliest record for John Garrison and his wife Hannah is January 4, 1767, when he received a tract of 400 acres on Sugar Creek. John sold this land to William Sawyer of Londonderry Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on July 1, 1771. William Sawyer sold this land to his son, James Sawyer, on December 13, 1774. In 1779 John Garrison sold his holdings on Mallard Creek containing 180 acres with the mill to William and Benjamin Alexander. This tract was purchased in 1769 from Nathaniel Johnson. In September 1779 John Garrison sold for 1200 pounds lots on the north side of Tryon Street in the town of Charlotte containing one and a half acres. The deed stated this land had been sold to John Garrison from Thomas Polk. John Garrison moved to York District, South Carolina."

The Kentucky Land Grants, by Willard Rouse Jillson, Sc.D.; view on FamilySearch:

Grants South of Green River, 1797-1866; page 316

Grantee Acres Book Page Date Survey County Watercourse

Castilo Matthew 120 10 216 27 Oct 1807 Wayne Meadow Cr

Costly Wm* 150 15 522 25 Feb 1807 Christian Donelson Fk
Costly Wm* 100 21 413 4 Feb 1799 Christian Blue Lick Cr

Garrison Samuel** 200 6 204 24 Aug 1799 Warren W Fk Bays Cr
Garrison Mark 200 21 187 28 Aug 1799 Warren W Fk Bays Cr
Garrison Hezakiah 200 22 369 31 Aug 1799 Warren Mays Fk
Garrison Jno M 200 27 159 8 Mar 1800 Warren Bays Fk
Garrison Samuel 140 6 390 14 Jul 1800 Warren Bays Fk
Garrison Benj 68 24 118 5 Nov 1804 Barren Green R
Garrison Thos 310 19 505 9 Sep 1807 Christian W & Elk Fks
Garrison Geo 200 14 60 8 Oct 1807 Barren None
Garrison Samuel 260 19 363 18 Feb 1815 Warren None
Garrison Samuel 140 18 476 21 Mar 1815 Warren Bays & Trammel Fks
Garrison Jonathan 100 18 478 27 Nov 1815 Allen Bays Fk
Garrison Samuel 180 18 477 2 Dec 1815 Allen Bays Fk
Garrison Mark 200 20 102 5 Dec 1816 Allen Bays Fk
Garrison Benj 50 24 66 8 Jan 1818 Barren None
Garrison Mark 100 29 40 11 Apr 1818 Allen None
Garrison Samuel 155 24 84 8 May 1818 Allen Trammel & Bays Fk

SOURCE [Castilo]: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9DX-DZCP
SOURCE [Costly]: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9DX-DZHR
SOURCE [Garrison]: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99DX-DZWC

*NOTE [6 Mar 2026]: Within the tax lists for Christian County, Kentucky appeared two individual men: William Costlow/Costollo and William Costly. These land grants do not pertain to our William Costlow/Costollo. 

**NOTE: There is a court record requiring 12 individuals from Warren County, Kentucky to "ascertain what damages the erection 

1810 Federal Census - Warren County, Kentucky

John Holder

• 1 Male under 10

• 1 Male 16-26

• 1 Female 16-26

NOTE: Appears on the same page as Ed. Costilow. Is Jesse Holder within this household (2 Males 16-26)?

• 3 Males under 10

• 2 Males 16-26

• 1 Male 26-45

• 2 Females under 10

• 1 Female 10-15

• 1 Female 16-26

• 1 Female 26-45

SOURCE: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YY2-SGG5