| Notes |
- The following is a biography of Peter, which comes from his Find A Grave memorial. The memorial was created by Find A Grave member Keith Sylwestrzuck. Whether he wrote the biography is unknown.
"PETER JANVIER, second child of Thomas, II and Susannah Janvier, was born Pierre Janvier. He Anglicized the name to Peter January at the time of the American Revolution. He was born in 1725, probably in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and died in Versailles, Kentucky in 1789. Peter and Deborah McMahon (originally listed as McMichan, but later records show McMahon) were married on April 2, 1753, Rocky Springs Society, Cumberland Co. Pa. by Rev.John Cuthbertson.
There has been much confusion over Peter January, as there were two Peter January`s living in the Lexington, Ky. area at the same time. Over the years as more information and documentation have been obtained we have tried to keep the records straight by calling our ancestor Peter Versailles January and the other one Peter Lexington January.
Peter Versailles January and his wife, Deborah lived in the part of Fayette Co. Kentucky that became Woodford County in 1789. Rev. John Cuthbertson baptized his children at their home or at the home of friends when he came through. Peter's will is the first one recorded in Woodford Co., Ky. Will Book 1 Pg.l. Evidently Peter did not own is home in Woodford Co. His Son-in-law, William McConnell held the mortgage on his land in 1787.
Peter is listed in George Rogers Clark And His Men Military Records, 1778-1784 as working on the new Fort in Lexington in April of 1781. Peter and his four sons, James Martin, Ephriam P., Samuel, and John all fought in the American Revolutionary War. A certified record by Hattie M. Scott, Frankfort, Ky. dated April 14, 1930 states: Peter January, born 1725, was an Ensign. 4th Batt., Phil. Dist., April 15, 1780 (Vol 2, page 305, Ser.6, Pa. State Archives; also Vol I, page 613, Ser. 5; Vol. II, page 349, Ser. 6).
Peter's will dated 1787 mentions his wife Deborah and their then living children. Their children were: Sarah 1754; James Martin 1756; Ephriam P. 1759 Hannah 1762; Samuel 1765; John Irwin 1767; and Deborah 1771.
The last gap in our knowledge about Peter and Deborah has been their burial site. After Peter, Ephraim, and James Martin moved to Kentucky in about 1780, Ephriam "pre-empted" 1000 acres of land in Jessamine County. On this land a Log Meeting House (Presbyterian) was built, which later burned. In 1803-1804 a stone church was built, the Ebenezer Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church to replace the Log Meeting House and in 1806 Ephriam and his wife Sarah deeded the site of one acre to the church and it no longer was part of their farm. Since Ephriam and Sarah are buried in the Ebenezer Churchyard Cemetery and there is two unmarked graves beside their burial place, we have assumed that these are the graves of Peter and Deborah. Peter died in 1789, thus he was buried there when the church was a Log Meeting house. Deborah died about 1759-1760. On Sunday, September 9, 1990, the descendants of his four sons placed a marker on the graves of Peter and Deborah."
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1725 - 1789 (64 years)
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