May, 2004 was a sad time for all of us to lose our wonderful friend Susan Darnell Robertson. She was a peach, as they say, and her gentle, loving ways affected us all in a positive way - we miss her so very much. None of us has had occasion to take over this genealogy till now; so the website has not been updated in some time. If you find this website and have any changes or updates - please let me know by email and I will do my best to correct it quickly. It will take some time since I am waiting to receive some materials and computer updates in order to allow any changes to this website. I will leave everything as she had it for the rest of this Introductory section:
The Darnell family research began about 1926 when my mother, Ermina Jett Darnell, decided to organize the family history of her beloved husband, Dr. Matthew Cotton Darnell. She compiled a book showing the lineage of the families of Darnell, Randolph, Railey, Whittington, Wishart, Littleton, Long, Harris, Cotton, Samuel, Sublette, Jett, Coleman, Cole, Hubbard, Swetnam, Sutton, Mills, Daniel, Taylor, and Blanton. The book title is simply, "The Ancestor Book". Mother spent many happy hours doing the research at the Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort, interviewing people who knew facts she needed, and visiting cemeteries to confirm dates. She is the author of several books including "Forks of Elkhorn Church" and "Filling the Chinks", about local history and genealogy. She also painted the coat of arms of the

Darnell’s.

Looking back, I can see I was a little jealous of the time she spent pursuing this hobby, and I stubbornly would have no part in it. My wonderful cousin, Hallie Darnell Martin, continued the compilation and fine-tuning of the handwritten reams of names, without the aid of a computer. Hallie inspired cousin Randy Schulkers, a new genealogical aspirant, who did subsequent collaboration and study at the Virginia Historical Society libraries. He entered the collected data on a computer program that was presented to the whole family at a Darnell family reunion in 1993. The printed data sheets completely covered all the spacious walls of the Cynthiana church hall, and family members were able to correct and make additions. I was not able to attend that reunion, but the glowing reports from those who did made me realize I had missed something important and exciting. The spark had ignited a flame.
When we got a computer I couldn't wait to contact Cousin Randy. What a smart move that was for an 80-year-old great-grandmother. He knew everything about computers and genealogy and was most generous in sharing his knowledge and so very patient and helpful as I tried to absorb it all. He is my co-author in this endeavor, and I cannot thank him enough. I would have given up long ago without his expertise. He and his wife came to visit us in Lexington a couple of years ago. He writes, "We had a few days to corroborate our data and share books, notes, rumors and blatant Darnell tall-tales. We even took a driving exploration day trip and found the old Darnell cabin site where we met old Judge Watts who showed us the very site and remembered some "true" Darnell stories. We visited grave sites and other spots that added fuel to our genealogy determination." It was a magical time, and Mother must have been there in spirit, because this genealogy flame began to burn higher. So, Mother, this one is for you...finally, Susan.

Darnell history is filled with famous ancestry from SCHULKERS, the family of the famous author of Seckatary Hawkins novels in the 1920's to RAILEY, the family of Sir Walter Raleigh, and RANDOLPH, a prominent American family of Virginia, which produced wealthy provincial officials and planters, a Colonial Knight, the first president of the Continental Congress, a U.S. Attorney general and a Secretary of state, three Governors of Virginia, and a Confederate secretary of war. Thomas Jefferson, John Marshall, and Robert E. Lee were Randolph descendants. Pocahontas and John Rolfe were ancestors. The family reached the peak of its power and wealth in the Revolutionary era, entered a period of gradual decline climaxed by the Civil War, and in the late 19th and early 20th centuries regained a degree of fame in such diverse fields as religion, literature, and engineering.

The Darnell Family, from Ermina Jett Darnell's notes read. "The story begins, as all romantic stories should, with a picture of a marvelous old castle, 'Langdon Hall, which stands on a lonely hill in Caithness overlooking the firths and moors of Northern Scotland, which was the ancient seat of the Darnell family, descended from Lord Douglas Darnell I.' This is from a Hearst Sunday supplement, but worth investigating, especially since there is a ghost involved. The earliest authentic history I find is in 'Lincolnshire Pedigrees' beginning with Sir Arthur Darnell, Kent, and continuing through six generations to Sir Thomas Darnell, who was made a Baronet in 1621, and died before 1638. This Sir Thomas was the one who was imprisioned, with others, for refusing to lend money to King Charles I, according to Charles Dickens in A Child's History of England. Then there was a John Darnall, of Hertfordshire, who died about 1604. The Maryland Historical Magazine says, 'John Darnall's origin is uncertain. He certainly was not of the Lincolnshire family which produced Sir Thomas Darnell, since his son, Henry Darnall, of London, was given a grant of arms in 1650 which entirely differed from those of the well known Lincolnshsire family, and are said by Burke in his General Armory to be quartered with those of the Darnells of Thornley, Durham.'
Our John was supposed to be the ancestor of one Lady Baltimore, and of Colonel Henry Darnall, Lord Baltimore's land agent, and his brother, John, who came to Maryland about 1660... Colonel Henry and his wife, Mary Hatton, had 5 children...The early Darnell histories are full of their glories, so I shall not enumerate them, except to say that the books speak of 'the dashing Colonel Henry', 'the beautiful Darnall women', and tell of one family in which there were three girls so beautiful that they were called 'The Three American Graces'. Mary, the 15-year-old daughter of Col. Henry, married Charles Carroll, and they had these three special daughters. Poplar Hill, the old Darnall homestead in Prince George County, MD, built in 1735, is still standing, and is full of romantic interest, including a ghost - a lady in purple who walks the halls, in a gown of bygone days. As they say in those parts - everybody tries to claim descent from Colonel Henry, and many are the barnacles attached thereto."

The Darnell Coat of Arms is inscribed, "Deus Nobiscum" = "God is With Us". The Randolph Coat of Arms is inscribed, "Nil Admirari" and = "Fari Quae Sentiat" "Wonder at nothing...Speak what you feel".
Darnell history is filled with famous ancestry from SCHULKERS, the family of the famous author of Seckatary Hawkins novels in the 1920's to RAILEY, the family of Sir Walter Raleigh, and RANDOLPH, a prominent American family of Virginia, which produced wealthy provincial officials and planters, a Colonial Knight, the first president of the Continental Congress, a U.S. Attorney general and a Secretary of state, three Governors of Virginia, and a Confederate secretary of war. Thomas Jefferson, John Marshall, and Robert E. Lee were Randolph descendants. Pocahontus and John Rolfe were ancestors. The family reached the peak of its power and wealth in the Revolutionary era, entered a period of gradual decline climaxed by the Civil War, and in the late 19th and early 20th centuries regained a degree of fame in such diverse fields as religion, literature, and engineering. Further study will reveal the link to Robert The Bruce of Scotland.