Grandfather Nall’s great-great-grandfather, Martin Nalle, immigrated to Virginia from England in 1701, perhaps as an indentured servant, and was the ancestor to almost every Nall/Nalle/Naul/Nalls person in this country. This family is predominately a Southern one, with the normal migration patterns from the colonial states to the midwest and west. They mirror the history of this country and make for an interesting study. Most of the Nalls have been farmers.

Grandfather was the father of sixteen children by three separate wives. He and all three of his wives were born in Virginia but died in Lewis Co., Missouri.

This family has been very well researched by many different American researchers. We are related to Vice President Dan Quayle through the Nall line, and it is through Grandfather’s maternal grandmother, Nancy Winifred Yancey, that we are related to George Bush and alsothrough her that we are descended from the kings of Ireland.
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Jeptha D. Nall, who for six or seven years has been confined to his room by a protracted sickness, died at his home four miles southeast of Monticello, on Friday, June
17th, 1898.

The deceased was born in Frankfort county, Kentucky, in 1817, and was past 80 years old. The funeral service was conducted on Saturday, June 18, by Eld. Geo. C. Kell, after which the body was laid away in the family burying ground on the farm not far from the residence.

Mr. Nall was three times married, his last wife, who survives him, being a Blair, and a sister of Mrs. James G. Blair. Four children, Mrs. Routt, John, Jeptha and Benjamin Nall survive him and to them and the aged widow the hearty sympathy of numerous friends is extended.

He had been a devout member of the Baptist church for more than fifty years and lived an honorable and upright life. Many are the friends whom he leaves behind.
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Jeptha Dudley Nall was born near the historic Elk Horn, in Franklin county, Kentucky, Aug. 4, 1817. He imigrated to Missouri and located near Palmyra, with his parents, Martin and Lucy Nall in 1829, coming by way of St. Louis, which was at that time but a small trading post. In 1830 his father moved to this then unorganized territory, and located on a tract of land 4½ miles southeast of Monticello. But few settlers lived in this section at that time, and the broad prairies were the feeding grounds of herds of wild deer; the primitive forests were the homes of the bear, panther, wolf and wild turkey, while the nomandic red man smoked the pip of luxurious indolence around the wigwan fire. Amid these frontier scenes, your Nall the the battle of life.

There were no public schools in those days and he obtained the greater part of his education by the light of a "hickory bark" torch at night, after his day's work was done.

In 1832, owing to anticipated trouble with the Indians, his father and himself assisted by Coleman Ammerman, D. W. Overton, Silas Reddish, Daniel Easley and a few other neighbors built a block house on the south bank of Bear branch, a small stream running through the Nall farm. In this "fort" the few settlers gathered their families for protection from the savages should they make a hostile demonstration.

During these exciting times, the subject of this sketch, though only 15 years of age, shouldered his Kentucky rifle and bravely took his place in battle line to help defend his mother, sisters and neighbors, from an attack by Indians. Happily the incident passed without trouble. Later he was corporal in Capt. James Richardson's company of volunteers enlisted for the Black Hawk war. When he was 18 years of age, his father died, leaving the care of his widowed mother and his sisters to him; though young in years, he faithfully acted a son and brother's part.

In 1843, he married Miss Mary J. Able seven children blessed his union. On November 1853 his wife died, and in August, 1854, he married Mrs. Vida Fisher, one heir blessed this union; in March, 1857, death called his wife away, and on Sept. 20, 1857, he was married to Miss Elizabeth Blair. They were parents of seven children, his widow and five children, John L., Jeptha P. and Ben F. Nall and Mrs. Rose M. McDaniels, and Mrs. Anna Routt survive him, and are among Lewis county's best citizens.

Mr. Nall was converted and Baptized into the fellowship of Gilead Baptist church by Rev. James Lillard 50 years ago and has lived a consistent Christian life ever since. He was an affectionate husband, an indulgent father and a friend to the poor and needy. Sadly shall we miss this venerable old patriarch, who battled in the front ranks, braved the dangers and endured the hardships of that gallant band of early pioneers of this country. His battle of life was a success, and he never laid down the implements of labor, until by reason of extreme old age his decrepid and palsied hands refused to do their daily toil. During his long and active life, his loyalty to the captain of his salvation never wavered, whom he humbly served for the last fifty years of his life.

For nearly five years he had been entirely helpless, but his faithful wife and dutiful children attended him with tenderest care. On Friday, at 4 p. m., on June 17, 1898, the summons came and the weary old veteran fell asleep, aged 80 years, 10 months and 13 days.

On Saturday, June 18, a large concourse of relatives and friends assembled at the late home of the deceased and after touching funeral services conducted by Rev. G. B. Neil, all that was mortal of Jeptha D. Nall was tenderly laid to rest in the family cemetery on the old home place.

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Our Nall Forefathers
The progenitor of the Nall family in the United States was Martin Nalle, who was born in England sometime between 1675 and 1680. He was in the United States by 1702, when he married Mary Jane Aldin, who was born in Middlesex Co., VA, 21 August 1681. Mary Jane was descended from an old English family, the de Honiwoods, whose ancestry can be traced back to the 13th century in Co. Kent, England.

Martin and Mary Jane's son Martin II was born about 1707, in Tappahannock, VA, and married Isabelle about 1730, in Essex Co. Martin and Isabelle both died in Essex Co., in 1788.

Martin and Isabelle's son Martin III was born in Orange Co., VA, about 1736, and fought in the Revolutionary War. He married Winifred Yancey in Culpeper Co., about 1766. Four Yancey brothers, Charles, William, Joel, and Robert, had emigrated together from Wales in the 17th century and settled in the James River region and prospered. They traveled with William Berkeley who later became governor of Virginia. One of them became Winifred's paternal grandfather. Winifred's maternal grandfather was Philemon Kavanaugh, whose ancestry can be traced back to the 11th century and the kings of Ireland. King Dermot MacMurrough, who died in Dublin in 1072, was a direct ancestor of Winifred Yancey. King Dermot lived at Ferns Castle in Co. Wexford, Ireland, much of which is still intact. He was the 47th Christian king of Leinster and reigned from 1006-1014, and upon the death of Brian Boru, he became the 177th Milesian monarch of Ireland. It is said that when he became supreme monarch, it was amid much opposition because he was of the Clan of the Strangers, who had come to Ireland from Greece in the 2nd century.

Martin and Winifred had migrated to Kentucky, where their son Martin IV married Lucy N. Finnell. Martin and Lucy migrated to Missouri and located near Palmyra, with their children in 1829, coming by way of St. Louis, which was at the time but a small trading post. In 1830, they moved to the then unorganized territory of Lewis Co., MO, and located in a tract of land 4½ miles southeast of Monticello, and they are buried in Nall Cemetery at Ewing, MO.

Martin and Lucy's son Jeptha Dudley Nall married Mary Jane Abell whose parents had also migrated from Kentucky. Mary Jane was probably descended from the early Abells of Maryland, who were originally Catholic but who changed their religious affiliation for political expediency. During the Blackhawk War, Jeptha served as a Corporal in Captain James Richardson's company of volunteers. Jeptha and Mary Jane resided in Lewis Co., MO, and here they farmed and raised their children.

It is through our Nall line that we can claim kinship with former Vice President Dan Quayle.
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According to Carole Gregory, Mary Jane Aldin was the granddaughter of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins, both were passengers on the Mayflower that landed in 1620. This is not what my records show.