Genealogical Information
Provided by Estill County Historical Society
Godfrey Newton was born December 23, 1839 in the part of Estill County which became Lee County in 1870. He was the fourth child of at least fourteen born to Allen B. and Rachel Isaacs Newton. He marries Polly Ann Stewart at Eli Stewart’s house on March 5, 1868. He was 6 feet tall, blue eyed, dark complected and black headed.
He enrolled in Company C, 8th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, on the 23rd of September 1861 under Captain John Wilson. He contacted measles at Irvine in the fall of 1861. On rejoining his regiment at Lebanon, Kentucky he contracted chronic diarrhea, probably from drinking bad water. He was discharged at Chattanooga, Tennessee on the 17th of November 1864.
After his discharge he lived at Why Not, and Heidelberg, Ky. He continued to suffer from chronic diarrhea along with disease of the heart, kidneys, and lungs, and other ailments. He was the father of David Newton who served as County Judge of Estill County from 1914-1917. ECH&GS member Mrs. Barbara Newton Welch is a descendant of Mr. Newton. Godfrey died on the 21st of October, 1917, and is buried in the Beatty cemetery at Yellow Rock, Ky.
Some other children of Godfrey and Mary(Polly), were John, Susanah, Eli, Allen, and Cassius.