Surname Saturday: ECKLES. Who was Charles Eckles, wagonmaker of Georgetown, Kentucky?

My father's middle name was Eckles, the maiden name of his great grandmother. Working back from him leads to the seemingly enigmatic Charles:

James Eckles McClintock
Annie Tarlton Nichols
Moses Eckles Nichols
Nancy Boyd Eckles
Charles Eckles, ca. 1788 - 1867

Many genealogists researching Eckles lines have encountered Charles Eckles, a wagonmaker in Georgetown, Scott County, Kentucky. None seem to have identified his origins or other connections. He had four wives and two daughters. He does not seem to have any other children. His mother lived with him in Georgetown into an old age. They were very involved in the Presbyterian Church there. He was interviewed by John Dabney Shane, a Presbyterian minister from Cincinnati. The interview is now in the Draper Manuscripts (Charles Eccles, CC Kentucky Papers, Vol. 17, Shane Papers, Vol. 14, p. 5).

Charles first married in neighboring Fayette County and there are a number of tantalizing records there for him and others of this surname (and spelling variations.) It seems likely that they are his relatives.


Scrapbook page by scrap-genie