In part, Mercer Family Research by Don Mercer, 1985:
About 1800 the widow and children of Shadrach Mercer moved from Greene County, North Carolina to Madison County, Kentucky. Source of information-D.A.R. Magazine Vol. #70 page 878.
She was married three times. Her second husband was John W. Folks and her third husband was Jephania Harrison.
Rhoda Price Mercer, the widow of Shadrach, married the widower John W. Folks of Greene County, North Carolina; he is found there in the 1800 Census.
Rhoda and John Folks left North Carolina some time after 1800 and settled in Madison County, Kentucky. Most of Rhoda and Shadrach’s children went with them. David Mercer appears on the 1810/11 tax lists in Madison County, Hosea and Martin in 1813 and Silas in 1814. These dates coincide fairly well with the sons reaching their 21st birthdays (the point at which they were eligible to pay taxes). Martin Mercer is an exception, he apparently lived for a while in Tennessee before joining his mother in Madison County.
Hosea Mercer remained in Madison County and appears on the 1820 and 1830 census records there. The remainder of the family moved to Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, in late 1817 or early 1818.
The children of Rhoda and Shadrach are proven by the following documents. The first is from Muhlenberg County Court Minutes, Book 2A, p.336, July 1820:
“On motion of Isiah Vick it is ordered that a dedimus be awarded to John S. Eaves and Edmund Watkins, Esquires for purpose of taking the privy examination of Rhody Vick and Susannah Vick, heirs of Shadrach, deceased, to certain instruments of writing therein expressed and report thereof accordingly.”
Book 2A, page 264 of the Muhlenberg County Court Minutes, dated 1820, refers to a “report of a commission to take the acknowledgement of David Mercer and others from them to David Sarborough…” This relates to the following minutes taken from the same book, page 365, dated October 2, 1820:
“Report of acknowledgement of a conveyance from Shadrach Mercer’s heirs to David Sarborough.”
A final document is taken from Muhlenberg County Deed Book 6, page 277, dated March 4, 1826: ” indenture between Rhoda Folks, part of the first-part and Stephen Vick (her son-in-law) and heirs of Dorcas Moore, late Dorcas Mercer, Rhoda Vick, Elizabeth Martin, wife of Samuel Martin. The said Rhoda Folks for love and Affection she bears her children and grandsons convey title of her dower to 100 acres of land patented to John Folks, my late husband, also 1 sorrel mare now in possession of my son David Mercer-all to be equally divided among my children and grandchildren-estate to be settled in fall.”
Rhoda Mercer Folks completed the above settlement of her property prior to her third marriage to Zephania Harrison in Muhlenberg County on March 30, 1826 (Muhlenberg County Marriage Book #1, p .65, Certificate #764).
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