Working Hypothesis
Documented line of Young's from Buffalo Creek in early Augusta Co, VA (Southern part of the Irish-Scot Settlement there)
Brothers James and William Young came to an area "on both sides of Cedar Creek, waters of Clinch River" in Fincastle Co, VA which became Washington Co, VA in 1776 - the jump off point for settlers thru the Cumberland Gap and on to Cumberland Co, KY.
Other brothers and father Robert later went on to Washington Co, TN
This James Young formed the first company "on the Fincastle frontier" in July 1776 at Riddle's Fort to attack the Indians which the Brits had encouraged to attack frontier settlers. He was killed 20 miles out from the Fort by the Indians and his brother took command of the company, which was eventually commanded by Capt. John Shelby.
http://www.virginiaroom.org/digital/file/5272
James died after the birth of our James, Robert, and Thomas, but also died young, so there is very little of a paper trail to him.
Older notes see son Thomas...
possible sister - Sarah Young b~1768/1770 of Cumberland Co, KY who married Martin Baker ~1789. Martin Baker b.1749 Hanover, lived in Chesterfield and Shenandoah Valley, VA. Family:
FATHER: Martin Baker b. 1749 , Hanover, Virginia; d. 1805 , Cumberland, Kentucky; PARENTS: John Baker, Sr. & Elizabeth
MOTHER: Sarah Unknown (Probably Sarah Young)
1. Polly Baker m. Charles Gay [2/124/11]
.....A. Children 1-? Gay
2. Sarah Baker m. 16-Feb-1804 Joshua Brooks [2/124/12]
3. Barbara Baker
4. Hanna Baker
5. Rhonda Baker m. 14-Mar-1806 Ben Haggard [2/124/15]
.....A. Children 1-4 Haggard
6. Ann Young Baker
?. Obediah Baker d. Aug-1839 , Cumberland, Kentucky; m. 1796/7 , Chesterfield, Virginia; Elizabeth Bowman
.....A. Children 1-7 Baker
7. Mercy (Mary) Baker m. 17-Nov-1815 A. Fairbush
http://www.verhulsts.com/hollyshome/main/deF124_1.html
p. 348
All these children except Ann married In Virginia before coming to Cumberland County. A brief history of them is here given, the five sons all coming in 1805, John being 55 years and William, 41, according to their Revolutionary War records.
Martin Baker, first son of John, Sr., and Sarah, married Sarah Young and to them were born seven children (will 1806): Barbara, Hannah, Rhoda, Ann Young, Mercy, Obediah, and John W. Baker. For this John W. Baker see Cheek Tree, and for the daughters see the various trees. Obediah Baker married Elizabeth Bowman. Obediah Baker was a mechanic and carpenter of note. Two brick buildings are standing and in good repair testify to his workmanship. One is near the gap on Allens Creek owned by Caleb Day, with date 1814; the other is on Little Renox Creek owned by Charley Keen. Elizabeth was a woman of religious conviction and keen mentality. She organized a congregation near her home and set the men to working on a church building, 1815, which resulted in the establishment of Sugar Grove Church. To Obediah and Elizabeth were born: John M., A. L., Elizabeth (Cheatham), Sarah (Carter), Polly (Jones), Jane (Hutchinson), Sally Ann (Allen). Among the descendants of Obediah and Elizabeth !
were, M. O. Allen, Circuit Judge Wallace W. Jones, Judge - P. Sandidge of the 7th Judicial District, and Prescott Sandidge, Attorney and Commissioner of the Court of Appeals, Kentucky
John, Thomas, William, and James came on carts and pack horses in 1805 and stopped in "First Night Hollow" on Big Renox Creek. John was a very conscientious man, and having studied the new Declaration of Independence in its teachings that "all men are created equal" resolved to carry it into practice, so before he migrated to Cumberland County he decided to liberate his 12 slaves on Christmas Day before their 21st birthday, On Christmas Day, 1790, he set free, Bob, Dan, Grace, Ann, and Barbara. Then Tom in 1793, Sally in 1796, Betty and Patsy in 1802, and the other three he brought along to assist in the clearing and planting of a mill for grinding. All of these went free, 1811. John had married Elizabeth Cobb in Chesterfield County and to them were born three children: James, Benjamin, and Elizabeth Cobb Baker, born in 1808. For her descendants see Cheek Tree.
William Baker, the third brother who came to the county in 1805, was the father of Eleazer Clay Baker who married Sarah Martin Alexander, 1831, and whose son Hershell Clay Baker (see chapter on Outstanding Men), married Dolly Lysle and became the parents of --ler, Lysle, Sallie, Alexander, Nettie, Mamie, and H. C., Jr. Most
these families lived around Columbia, Kentucky.
James Baker, the other pioneer brother who came in 1805, became the progenitor of the Bakerton Bakers. His sons, James, Jr., and Joseph, married Alexanders. James married Sally Alexander in 1822 and Joseph married Ann Clark Alexander, daughter of Joseph and Nancy (Bouldin) Alexander. Their children were Alex Baker, James. Clay, Alice. Fayette, Tyler, Kate who married Candor Williams,
p. 349
Sarah Ann (1832-94) married Owen Cheatham and had Sally E. Cheatham (1852-99), married John Wesley Williams (1827-88), and to them were born a son Hooker and daughter Hattie M. Williams who married Kent Sandidge and reared Kent, Jr., Wesley, and Clay Sandidge.
Judith Baker, daughter of John, Sr., and sister to the five pioneer brothers, married Wilson Cary in Virginia, 1793, and followed her brothers to Cumberland County, settling in the southern part of the county, and became the progenitors of the whole Cary family. Mary, her sister married — Hopper and left descendants in the county; Sarah Baker married Archelaus Chalkley and also left offspring; Elizabeth married Thomas Gregory and left descendants; one daughter Margaret married Newby Hancock, 1812.
Thomas Baker, born 1784, brother of the other boys, married Ann Elliott and to them-Ann P., who married Peter Sublett in Virginia; Martha who married Mr. Ryan of Texas; Phoebe who married Richard Cheatham, Pike County, Ill; Thomas who went to Oregon, 1835; Samuel who married Judith Robertson; Solomon who married Jane Paxton, who was a relative to Mark Twain, and to them was born Dr. Thomas E. who was the father of Richard, Asa, Finis, and Mrs. George Brockman; James (of Thomas) married Nancy Robison, second a Grisby; Matthew (1805) married Susan Baker, then Julia Dice.
Solomon's second wife was Nancy Elliott. He was born in 1803, died 1861. This Thomas, like his brothers, fought in the Revolutionary War. His offspring still live around Crocus, where they first settled and were a thriving class of people.
"The History of Cumberland County" by J.W. Wells
http://newsarch.rootsweb.com/th/read/SANDIDGE/2006-03/1141367314
[ Renox Creek is where the Young brothers lived ]
Some suggest another sister, Jane Young (~1760-1820) who married Joseph Haynes in Rockingham Co, VA. She seems to belong to a different family however , d/o John Young and Agnes Elizabeth Davis of Augusta Co, VA.
DNA analysis of shared segments between distant Young cousins, descendants of the 3 Young brothers, shows several descendants of Squire Boone (1696-1765) sharing the same segments. Over 170 descendants of Squire Boone match 3 Young cousins. A John Lamond Young married a granddaughter of Squire Boone.