Forrest-Mitchell

Dancing with the Ancestors is never an easy dance. Okay, sometimes, but more often than not, it's a series of complicated dance steps that require spot-on concentration or . . .

. . . BAM! you stumble and fall!

Okay, the BAM is more like you hit a brick wall and can't proceed any further with certainty, which is - trust me on this one - a frustrating feeling.

Such was the case with my Mitchell line. It all started with Great Grandpa Charles A. Mitchell's death certificate which listed his parents as . . . 

Mitchell and Forrest!

Oh . . . Great! Fine! Dandy! Last names only? Seriously? Can you make my life any harder Grandpop, aka Pop, Mitchell? Okay, in his defense, women are normally the record keepers of the family, and he was an only child, but . . . 

. . . a wee bit more information would have helped your grandson, that'd be me, btw, once he decided to do the whole dancing with the ancestors thing. Just sayin' . . .

But, I digress, because . . .

. . . in continuing to do research on this line, I came across 85% positive documentation that my great-grandfather's parents were Martha Forrest and William Mitchell. 

Martha was the daughter of Reverend Richard Albert Forrest and Sarah Matlock, or at least the Martha I was researching was the daughter of Reverend Richard Albert Forrest and Sarah Matlock. I just didn't have proof positive until . . .

. . . a little old thing called DNA! 

Yes, the DNA test I took with Ancestry matched me up with a 4th to 6th cousin who has a direct descent from Reverend Richard Albert Forrest. This cousin is descended through Martha's sister Rachael Caroline Forrest!

But . . .

. . . the DNA and Tree Matches confirm my theory that Reverend Richard Albert Forrest is/was my 3 x great-grandfather!! 

So, with confidence, I can now say that Charles A. Mitchell is the son of William and Martha (Forrest) Mitchell, and the grandson of Richard Albert and Sarah (Matlock) Forrest. It is also my guess that he was named after his mother's brother Charles Matlock Forrest. 

So, when dancing with the ancestors pay attention to those complicated steps!

S

The Tate House

The Tate House was a boarding house run by my great-great grandparents James Douglas (aka Dug) Tate and Mary Jane (McGregor) Tate in the late 1890s.

Tate House & Boarders

Photo Taken Between 1902 & 1915

The Tate House was located on the corner of East Main and Sparta Streets in McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee.



James Douglas & Mary Jane (McGregor) Tate

Photo Taken before 1902

After James' death in 1902, Mary Jane continued to run the boarding house along with the help of her daughter and son-in-law: Martha Ann (Tate) and Charles (aka Charley) Mitchell.

Martha (Tate) Mitchell, Mary Jane (McGregor) Tate, Charley Mitchell & Dog

Photo Taken Between 1902 & 1915

Tate House Boarders

Charley Mitchell (my great-grandfather) is seated, 2nd person from end on right.

Charley Mitchell (standing) in front of Tate House

About 1915, the Tate House was sold to the Brown family, as Mary Jane, Martha and Charley relocated to Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee. Sometime in the mid 1920s the house burnt down, and by 1926, the Brown Motel was built on the same spot.

The Tate House was originally the Tate residence, most likely the house built by John Tate and his wife Leodicia Hogg when they first settled in the Warren County area in the very early 1800s. At some point, I'll dig through microfilm to find the deeds. At some point . . .





Small World

When dancing with the ancestors, even after years of doing it, I'm still amazed that it's a small, small world after all. As anyone who reads this blog with any amount of frequency knows, on my mother's side, the smallness of the world is, well, small. On my father's side . . . well, not so much.

Okay, I thought not so much, but just found out . . . well, a wee bit smaller than I first imagined.

My paternal great-grandfather is Charles A. Mitchell. He married Martha Ann Tate, daughter of James Douglas Tate and Mary Jane McGregor. Mary Jane McGregor was the daughter of Mary "Polly" McGee and Ezekial McGregor. Mary was the daughter of Esther Clendennon and John McGee. Her brother was Clendennon McGee. Remember that name, it plays into it's a small, small world after all.

Charles Mitchell, from what I have determined, is the son of William Mitchell and Martha Forrest. No, I don't have 100% proof. What I do have is verification that the only Forrest family in Warren County, TN was that of Richard Albert Forrest and his wife Sarah Matlock and their children. Their daughter Martha married William Mitchell. Enough proof for me, at least at this point. Anyhow, Sarah Matlock died in 1827 and her husband Richard Albert Forrest married Lucy Wilcher-England, who had children from her previous marriage, one of which was her daughter Martha who married . . . Clendennon McGee.

I told you to remember that name. Oh, and Martha also divorced Clendennon! Go figure, and back in the mid-1800s! Now that was a rarity! 

So, Clendennon McGee was my 3rd great grand uncle and brother to my 3 x great grandmother on my paternal side, through my great grandmother Martha Ann Tate-Mitchell. Clendennon's wife was the daughter of Lucy Wilcher-England who married Richard Albert Forrest, my 3 x great grandfather on my paternal side, through my great grandfather's mother! Oy!

So, you see, it is a small, small world when dancing with the ancestors. You never know when your 3 times great grandfather's step-daughter will actually be your 3rd great grand aunt by marriage!

S

Obituaries/Death Notices

The more dancing with the ancestors I do, the more I learn. Go figure. Ha! Seriously, I just sort of stumble along, finding what I find, and discovering new ways to find information as I go along. Yeah, I know, I could buy a how to book about genealogy and make dancing with the ancestors a wee bit easier. I didn't, I haven't, and maybe one day I will. For now, I kind of like this stumbling along willy-nilly.

Anyhow, what I discovered recently was . . . obituaries and death notices are a great source of information.

Recently I went out to CA to visit a first cousin on my dad's side and go through old, I'm talking some of them over 100 years old, family photos, letters, and whatnot! Included in the whatnot was a bunch of death notices various relatives had saved over the years. Woo-hoo!

In reading the obituaries/death notices, I found out that my great-great grandparents were Presbyterians and that my great-grandparents were Methodist, and that my grandmother's family was Church of Christ. Talk about some religious disparity. And, my great-great grandmother's family was, at some point, Baptist. Oy! So, down the line, probably through the marriages, the religious affiliation changed somewhat. My father, the son of a Methodist father and Church of Christ mother, actually went to both churches every Sunday and, just to be a bit of an overachiever, went to the Catholic and Episcopalian churches every now and then since he had friends in those churches, and to the synagogue. 

I also learned that great Aunt Euphemia had, by 1935 when her half-sister Olive Mae died, remarried . . . for the third time. How did I learn this? Why, let me just type out a snippet of the death notice . . .

She is survived by her daughter Mrs. Martha Smith of Nashville, and six sisters, Mrs. Mary Clark and Mrs. J. F. Bridwell of Chester, PA; Mrs. J. C. Morgan of St. Louis; Mrs. C. B. Hoffman, Mrs. J. F. Mitchell and Mrs. Clara E. Smith of Nashville.

In order of appearance the sisters are . . . Mary "Mollie" Smith-Clark, Francis Ida Smith-Bridwell, Euphemia Smith-Cofer-Hock-Morgan, Octavia Smith-Hoffman, Osie Lee Smith-Mitchell (my grandmother), and Clara Smith (she never married, but the newspapers always seem to put the Mrs in front of female names). 

So, by having the death notice, I was able to figure out Aunt Euphemia's third marriage and, hopefully, that information will help me track her a bit further. Hopefully!

The death notice of my Aunt Octie (that's what I called her) husband listed his sisters. Using that information, I was able to track down his parents name, as well as who his sisters married. Woo-hoo! 

So, when dancing with the ancestors don't discount the obituaries/death notices. They can be a treasure trove of information that just might help you trace your family back a bit farther.

The Halterman Branch

As I've mentioned before, when dancing with the ancestors, you've to consider variations in spelling. With the Halterman name, I've come across quite a few variations: Halterman, Hatterman, Holderman, Holtman, Holtzman, Hallerman, Haldemand, Haldemann, Haldeman, Haldiman, and a few others. This makes research a wee bit more difficult, but . . . 

. . . this post isn't about research methods, or name variations, it's about the Halterman branch of my very extensive family tree. 

From everything I've found so far, the Haldeman (Halterman, etc.) family traces its ancestry back to Switzerland. Oh, and depending on the spelling, the name is Swiss or German. The reason for this, from what I've discovered, is that the area the family is from is right across the German border.

My 5 x paternal great-grandfather Jacob Haldeman is as far back as I've reliably traced. He is possibly the son of Peter Haldeman, and the grandson of Gaspard Haldimand (or, the German name, Caspar Haldeman). There are four theories out there about his parentage, none proven, three of which lists Peter as his father, two of which lists Gaspar as Jacob's grandfather, one of which lists a Hans Holderman as his father, and, well, I'm sure you see my dilemma at attempting to nail down a father for Jacob. So, rather than put multiple potential father's out there for Jacob, I'm just starting with him, even though the collective theory has him as the grandson of Gaspar Haldimand.

Oh, and Jacob allegedly has a brother named Christian, and potentially a third brother. As you'll see by naming patterns, this family used the same names over and over and over again. Oy!

Jacob Haldeman was born in Neufchatel Canton, Switzerland on October 7, 1722. He died in Rapho, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania on December 31, 1784.

Tombstone - Jacob Haldeman

Jacob married Maria Miller (b. December 3, 1727, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; d. September 9, 1800 in Rapho, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania), daughter of Henry Miller and Barbara Herr, about 1742. They had the following children . . .

• Christian Haldeman  - b. about 1745 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; died about 1804 in Shenandoah, Virginia.
• Jacob Haldeman - b. about 1747 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; died December 1790 in Augusta (now Rockingham) County, Virginia.
• Barbara Haldeman - b. about 1749 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; d. July 12, 1796 in Franklin County, Pennsylvania.
• John Haldeman - b. June 2, 1753 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; d. May 19, 1832 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
• Maria Haldeman - b. about 1755 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; d. about 1814 in Shenandoah, Virginia.
• Abraham Haldeman - b. about 1757 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; d. about 1798 in Elk Lick Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. 
• Elizabeth Haldeman - b. May 12, 1759 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; d. about 1814 in Shenandoah, Virginia.
• Veronica (Fronia) Haldeman - b. November 30, 1762 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; d. April 22, 1842 in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.
• Magdalena Haldeman - b. January 28, 1764 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; d. January 28, 1809 unknown.
• Anna Rose Haldeman - b. about 1764, possible twin to Magdalena, or mother got pregnant very quickly; d. August 5, 1829 in Allegheny County, Maryland.
• Peter Haldeman - b. about 1765 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; d. about 1790 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
• Susanna Haldeman - b. about 1769 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; d. unknown.

Last Will and Testament of Jacob Haldeman

In the Name of God Amen

The Twelfth Day of February in the year of our Lord One thousand Seven hundred and Eighty three. I Jacob Haldeman of Repho Township in the County of Lancaster in Pennsylvania Farmer, being old and weak of Body, but of sound and disposing Mind Memory and Understanding, calling to Mind the uncertainty of human Life and that it is ordered for all Men once to die I therefore make this my Last Will and Testament, recommending my immortal Spirit into the Hands of Immortal God who gave it and my Body to the Earth from whence it came in Hopes of a glorious Resurrection and an happy Admission into the Regions of Bliss and Immortality through the Merits of Jesus Christ my Redeemer. And as to my Worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me I give devise and Bequeath the same in the Manner following (that is to say)

First I order and direct that all my just Debts & Funeral Expences be paid and discharged out of my Estate by my Executors as soon as conveniently may be after my Decease

Item I give and bequeth unto my beloved Wife Maria my Bed and Bed Stead with all the Furniture thereto belonging standing in my Bed Chamber together also with one third Part of all my Personal Estate.

Item it is Will that my said Wife shall and may possess and carrrey on the Husbandry with my Children on this my Plantation as well as she can for and during the Time until my youngest Son Peter attains the age of Twenty one years.

Item I give and bequeth unto my son Abraham and to his Heirs and Assigns for ever One hundred and Fifty three acres and the Allowance of the Plantation or Land I now live on situate in Rapho Township which One hundred and Fifty three acres and allowance of Land my Son Abraham lives with the Buildings and Appartenanies thereunto belonging which said Tract of Land I give unto my said Son Abraham his Heirs and Assigns for ever, but subject to the Payment of such Sum of Money as the same shall be appraised at by four trusty Men appointed by my hereafter named Executors impowering the said appointed Appraisers to set and regulate the yearly Payments of said Valuation Money and my Plantation and Trait of Land so devided as aforesaid then I order and it is my Will that my said Wife shall possess and carry on the Hosbandry, with the Rest of my Children on the other Part or Remainder of my Land for and during the Time until my son Peter attains the full age of Twenty one years. And then I give and bequeath unto my said Son Peter his Heirs and Assigns for ever the other Part of my Plantation or Tract of Land where I now live containing One hundred and Eighty eight Acres be the same more or less. To be holden by him the said Peter Haldiman his Heirs and Assigns for ever. But subject to the Payments of such Sum of Money for the same as the said Tract of Land shall be valued and appraised by four trusty Persons appointed by my hereafter named Executors, and the said appointed Men shall also set and regulate the yearly Payments of the said Valuation Money.

Item it is my Will that if my Wife should not be inclined to carrey on the said Husbandry on my said Plantation in Manner aforesaid and for and during the Time until my said Son Peter attains his age as aforesaid then I order and direct that my Executors shall let and demise this my Plantation upon yearly Rent as well as they can until my Son Peter attains his age as aforesaid and then it is my further Will that my said Wife shall live and dwell in the House which I lately built in my yard with a Right to the Cellar under it as much as she has Ocation for for and during her natrial Life and my Executors shall deliver unto my said Wife during the Time until my Son Peter attains his age as aforesaid, and when my said Son has attained his age then my said two Sons Abraham and Peter shall deliver yearly and every year unto my said Wife during her natural Life the following Artukls viz. Fifteen Bushels Wheate, Ten Bushels of Rey, Five Bushels of Oats, a falled Hog to weigh at least One hundred Pounds, Sixty pounds of fat Beef, one Bushel and a half of Salt, Two pairs of new Shoes, Twenty five pounds of hackled Hemp with the Tow, Six pounds Woll, Apples, Peaches and other Fruite as much as she has Need for cooking and drying or any other wise. Two Barrels of Cyder, Five Gallons of Liequor, Four Perches of Land in the Cabage Garden, Fierwood delivered to her House as much as she has use for, and cut the same fine, and keep a Cow for her use in Foder in Winter and Summer, also give her a Horse to ride when she pleases. And it is my Will and I do hereby declare that the several Artickles, Things, Priviledges and Premises herein before given and bequeathed to my said Wife are and shall be deemed and taken to be in full and for and in Sum and Satisfaction of her Dower or Thirds and all Claims and Demands of in to and out of my Estate Real and Personal.

Item all the Rest Reside and Remainder of my Estate not herein before particklwarly given and bequithed including the said Valuation Moneys for the Lands for the Lands herein given to my two Sons Abraham and Peter and all Moneys which remains in the Hands of my Executors from the Rent or Saile of any of my Estate.

Itm I do give and devise and bequeth unto my twelve Children Christian, Jacob, Barbara, John, Maria, Abraham, Elizabeth, Fronia, Ann, Peter, Magdalena, and Susanna and to their Heirs and each of their Heirs and assigns for ever Share and Share alike, so that none of my Children shall have more than the other but be all equell Shares. And in Case of the Death of either of my Children under age unmarried and without Issue I do give and devise the Part and Share of the one so dying, to be equally divided to and between the Survivors of them their Heirs Executors Administrators.

Item it is my further Will is that in Case either of my Children has already received of me in Money or Goods more than the other then such Child or Children shall refund the same to my Estate.

Item it is my Will and I do hereby order and direct that my Son in Law Samuel Stouffer shall have no Right or Title to demand an Estate in Right of his Wife Elizabeth in any respect whatsoever in my Estate, but my Daughter shall do with the same as she shall think proper.

Item it is my further ill that my son Abraham shall have the Water for the Watering of the Meadow three Days in every Week, and my son Peter shall have the Water four Days in every Week for the Watering of his Meadow. It is my Will that the Dames on my said Son Abraham’s Land that my Son Peter and my said Son Abraham shall keep the same in sufficient Repair for the Watering of their Meadows together. And it is my Will that my Son Peter shall have the Priviledge from the upper Dam on said Abraham’s Land till it extends to the said Peter’s Land for to dig a Race six Feet broad and as deep as he thinks proper and to throw the Durt on Clay on each Side of the said Race without the Objections of him the said Abraham or any other Persons whatsoever and allow to, keep the same clean.

And lastly I do hereby nominate constitute and appoint my beloved Sons John & Jacob sole Executors of this my Last Will and Testament impowering them or the Survivor of them to give and execute proper Deeds or Titles to my said Sons Abraham and Peter for the Lands herein to them bequeathed subject to the Estate before given to my said Wife in the same during her Life, hereby declaring this and no other to be my Last Will and Testament.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my; Hand & Seal the Day and Year aforesaid.

Signed sealed published and declared by the Testator as his Last Will & Testament in the Presence of us Witnesses thereto called by him. John Shelhorn. (Signature) Christian Shelly (Signature) Jost X Brand (Signature)

Jacob Haldeman (Signature ) Seal


Lancaster County, ss. The Sixth Day of June in the Year of our Lord One thousand Seven hundred and Eighty three before me the Subscriber personally appeared John Shelhorn, Christian Shelly, and Jost Brand the Witnesses to the within Will, and on their Solemn Affirmation according to Law respectively did severally declare and say that they were present and saw and heard Jacob Haldeman the Testator within named sign seal publish pronounce and declare the within Writing as and for his Last Will and Testament, and that at the Time of the doing thereof he was of sound and disposing Mind Memory and Understanding to the best of their Knowledge Observation and Belief.

John Houbley Reg (Signature)


Be it remembered that on the Sixth Day of June in the year of our Lord One thousand Seven hundred and Eighty three, the Last Will and Testament of Jacob Haldeman late of Lancaster County yeoman deceased was proved in due Form of Law and Sitters Testamentary thereon were granted to John Haldeman and Jacob Haldeman the Executors therein named they being first duly qualified well and truly to administer the Estate of the said Deceased, and especially to exhibit a perfect Inventory thereof into the Register’s Office at Lancaster on or before the Sixth Day of July next, and to render a just account of their Administration on the said Estate in one year or when thereto lawfully required. Given under the Seal of the said Office.

John Houbley Reg (Signature)

Last Will and Testament found here:

http://www.genealogy.com/users/s/h/u/Jason-Shuff-PA/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0203.html

The above last will and testament confirms the children of Jacob Haldeman. On another note, the naming pattern - Christian, Jacob, Abraham, Barbara, Peter, John - continues with most of his children using those same names, as well as his alleged brother Christian using those names as well.

Christian Haldeman married Eve (allegedly Bradigan) (b. 1750; d. 1809). They had the following children, as named in court documents following Christian dying intestate, . . . 

• Christian Haldeman
• Elizabeth Haldeman
• Henry Haldeman
• Jacob Haldeman
• Magdalene Haldeman
• Mary Haldeman
• Peter Haldeman
• Abraham Haldeman
• Eve Haldeman
• Barbara Haldeman
• John Halterman - b. about 1791 in Virginia; d. after 1850 in White County, Tennessee

The Shenandoah Deeds Vol O and Q, also Shenandoah Will and Inventories Book F 1802-1807 The will in the book shows an account of Christian Halterman's estate.His wife and children are listed.Book O, p 454 - 7 Oct 1805

Between Christian Haltiman and _____ his wife, Jacob Haltiman and _______ his wife of Lancaster County in State of Pennsylvania, George Grandstaff junr. and Barbara his wife, Abraham Haltiman and Sarah his wife, David Ross and Mary his wife, Jacob Graibill jun. and Eve his wife, Henry Haltiman and Peggy his wife, Adam Clem and Magdalene his wife, Elizabeth Haltiman, John Haltiman & PETER Haltiman all of the State of Virginia [to] Henry Walter junr. of Shenandoah County ... consideration of ______ current money to each ... parcel of land containing seventy six acres ... lying & being in Powels big fort ... being granted to Christian Haltiman (now deceased) by Patent the 4th Oct 1800 ... the said Christian Haltiman departed this life Intestate and the tract of land descended to all his children ... Corner to Jacob Copperstone and Philip Munch ...Corner to George Hawn's late survey... Wit: none Jacob HaltermanGeorge (X) Grandstaff
Al so Bk Q, p396 - 9 Jan 1809 - more of the same and also lists Eve Haltiman as widow and relict of Christian Haltiman relinquishing her dower rights at an Indenture of Bargain and Sale. 

The above deed information confirms the children of Christian Halterman (Haldiman, Haltiman, Holtman, whatever) and Eve (allegedly Bradigan). Some research sites I have found, do not list John Halterman, our ancestor, as a child of Christian and Eve, but this last will and testament does. Woo-hoo! It’s always nice to get that last bit of confirmation which verifies information.

John Halterman married Mary Ann Sevier (b. December 9, 1792 in Carter County, Tennessee; d. after 1850 in White County, Tennessee), daughter of Abraham Sevier (brother to John Sevier, first governor of TN) and Mary Little, on November 20, 1813 in White County, Tennessee. They had the following children . . .

• Mary Halterman - b. about 1815 in White County, Tennessee; d. unknown.
• Melvert Halterman (twin) - b. April 19, 1817 in White County, Tennessee; d. before 1870 in Warren County, Tennessee.
• Melvina Halterman (twin) - b. April 19, 1817 in White County, Tennessee; d. December 7, 1880 in Quebeck, White County, Tennessee.
• John Sevier Halterman - b. November 6, 1819 in White County, Tennessee; d. June 4, 1890 in White County, Tennessee.
• Elizabeth Halterman - b. about 1825 in White County, Tennessee; d. July 1860 in Tennessee.
• Jesse Marion Halterman - b. December 21, 1828 in White County, Tennessee; d. March 3, 1874 in Bedford County, Tennessee.
• Adaline Halterman (twin) - b. July 26, 1836 in White County, Tennessee; d. after 1910 in Knox County, Tennessee.
• Emaline Halterman (twin) - b. July 26, 1836 in White County, Tennessee; d. August 5, 1923 in Warren County, Tennessee.

Note: five of the Halterman siblings married children of Endymon Baker Lane and Jane Campbell.

Emaline Halterman married Hardin Smith Lane (b. March 26, 1833 in Van Buren County, Tennessee; d. December 31, 1862 at the Battle of Murphreesboro during the Civil War, Rutherford County, Tennessee), son of Endymon Baker Lane and Jane Campbell, on December 30, 1855 in Warren County, Tennessee. They had the following children . . .

• Mary Lane - b. about 1857 in Warren County, Tennessee; d. February 12, 1945 in Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama.
• Martha Ann Lane - b. August 22, 1858 in Warren County, Tennessee; d. May 16, 1945 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee.
• Franklin Pierce Lane - b. October 10, 1860 in Warren County, Tennessee; d. November 6, 1932 in Warren County, Tennessee.
• Hardin Smith Lane Jr. - b. March 1863 (after his father's death) in Warren County, Tennessee; d. January 4, 1949 in Muleshoe, Bailey County, Texas.

After her husband's death, Emaline went on with her life, raising her children as best she could. Later in life she lived with her daughter Mary and her family; she also lived with her son Franklin Pierce and his family.

Martha Ann Lane married John Leonard Smith (b. August 16, 1849 in Warren County, Tennessee; d. January 14, 1917 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee), son of John B. Smith and Rebecca Adcock on September 24, 1882 in Warren County, Tennessee. This was her first marriage, but John's second. He had seven children by his first wife Irena Gribble: Lucy, John B. (died young), Mollie, Francis Ida, M. J. (died young), Euphemia, and Herman (died young). Martha and John had the following children . . .

• Olive Mae Smith - b. December 28, 1884 in McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee; d. November 23, 1935 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee.
• Octavia Smith - b. April 12, 1887 in McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee; d. March 1984 in Hendersonville, Sumner County, Tennessee.
• Eunice Irene Smith - b. February 20, 1889 in McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee; d. August 18, 1890 in McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee.
• Osie Lee Smith - b. December 9., 1894 in McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee; d. November 23, 1976 in Hendrsonville, Sumner County, Tennessee.
• Clara Smith - b. February 28, 1898 in Tennessee; d. March 1968 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee.

My great Aunt Clara never married. She worked at the Watuaga Sanitarium (treatment of tuberculosis) and fell in love with a patient. They were engaged to be married when he succumbed to the tuberculosis). 

Osie Lee Smith married John Francis Mitchell (b. November 3, 1884 in Warren County, Tennessee; d. May 27, 1959 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee), son of Charles A. Mitchell and Martha Tate, on June 25, 1913 in Nashville, Warren County, Tennessee. They had the following children . . .

• Mary Frances Mitchell - b. April 29, 1914 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee; d. August 23, 1996 in Hendersonville, Sumner County, Tennessee.
• Vernon Smith Mitchell - b. January 21, 1916 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee; d. September 10, 2004 in Crossville, Cumberland County, Tennessee.

Osie Lee Smith

Octavia Smith

Both Mary Frances and Vernon married and had children. Mary Frances had two, and Vernon four. Their children had children, and some of their children had children, and thus the lineage continues, even if the Halterman name, at least for my branch of the tree, died out.

The Sevier Family

Valentine Sevier is my seven times paternal great grandfather. The Sevier descent is as follows . . .

Jean/John Sevier - Mary Smith

Valentine Sevier - Joannah Goad

Abraham Sevier - Mary Little

Mary Ann Sevier - John Halterman

Emmaline Halterman - Hardin Smith Lane

Martha Lane - John Leonard Smith

Osie Lee Smith - John Francis Mitchell

Vernon Smith Mitchell - Living Sweat

Me

But, as anyone should know about dancing with the ancestors, a simple descent is only part of the story. From what I have discovered - check out this site for more information: http://www.johnsevier.com/bio_valentineimmigrant.html - Valentine Sevier was born in London, England about 1711 or 1712. He immigrated to America in 1740 along with his brother William.

Valentine Sevier married Joannah Goad (b. November 1, 1723 in North Farnham Parish, Richmond County, Virginia; died August 15, 1773 in Rockingham County, Virginia) daughter of John Goad and Catherine Jennings, sometime before 1745. After Joannah's death, he married a second time to Jemmima Young.

Children of Valentine Sevier and Joannah Goad: 

• John Sevier - born September 23, 1745 in Frederick County, Virginia; died September 24, 1815 at Fort Decatur in Tuckabatchie, AL. John was the first governor of Tennessee.
• Valentine Sevier II - born September 23, 1747 in Rockingham County, Virginia; died February 23, 1800 in Clarksville, Montgomery County, Tennessee.
• Robert Sevier - born about 1749 in Rockingham County, Virginia; died October 16, 1780 in Kings Mountain, Cleveland, North Carolina.
• Mary Polly Sevier - born about 1753 in Rockingham County, Virginia; died April 24, 1854 in Harrisonburg, Rockingham County, Virginia.
• Catherine Sevier - born about 1757 in Rockingham County, Virginia; died September 6, 1824 in Overton, Clay County, Tennessee.
• Bethenia Sevier - born 1759 in Shenandoah County, Virginia; died 1760.
• Abraham Sevier - born February 14, 1760 in Frederick, Shenandoah County, Virginia; died June 18, 1841 in Overton, Clay County, Tennessee.
• Elizabeth Sevier - born about 1762 in Rockingham County, Virginia; died February 1, 1839 in Bledsoe County, Tennessee.

Toll House Farm - built by Valentine Sevier

Two Story Structure to the Right is the Original Farmhouse

The part to the left is add-ons throughout the years.

Abraham Sevier married Mary Little (born May 14, 1770 in Augusta County, Virginia; died March 14, 1839 in Pickett County, Tennessee), daughter of Major General Little and Mary Ann Pearson, on 1784.  They had the following children . . .

• Elizabeth Sevier - born November 12, 1790 in Carter County, Tennessee; died November 21, 1805 in Carter County, Tennessee.
• Mary Ann Sevier - born December 9, 1792 in Carter County, Tennessee; died after 1850 in White County, Tennessee.
• John Sevier - born January 13, 1795 in Carter County, Tennessee; died September 2, 1795 in Carter County, Tennessee.
• Jemima Douglass Sevier - born August 27, 1796 in Carter County, Tennessee; died July 3, 1822 in Carter County, Tennessee.
• Joanna Goode Sevier - born April 13, 1799 in Carter County, Tennessee; died December 29, 1836 unknown.
• Valentine Smith Sevier - born November 20, 1801 in Carter County, Tennessee; died January 25, 1842 in Morgan County, Illinois.
• Rebecca Richards Sevier - born October 20, 1804 in Carter County, Tennessee; died July 6, 1822 unknown.
• Abraham Rutherford Sevier - born January 17, 1807 in Livingston, Overton County, Tennessee; died February 19, 1870 in Clinton, Henry County, Missouri.
• Catherine Sherrill Sevier - born Mary 17, 1809 in Carter County, Tennessee; died September 18, 1861 in Osage County, Missouri.
• Robert Barnett Sevier - born April 9, 1812 in Overton County, Tennessee; died June 12, 1828 unknown.

It appears Abraham and Mary liked to name their children after people they knew. Jemima Douglass appears to be named after Abraham's step-mother and Catherine Sherrill appears to have been named after his brother John's wife.

Mary Ann Sevier married John Halterman (born about 1791 in Virginia; died about 1850 in White County, Tennessee) on November 20, 1830 in White County, Tennessee. They had the following children . . .

• Mary Halterman - born about 1815 in White County, Tennessee; died unknown.
• Melvert Halterman (twin) - born April 19, 1817 in White/Warren County, Tennessee; died before 1870 in Warren County, Tennessee.
• Melvina Halterman (twin) - born April 18, 1817 in White/Warren County, Tennessee; died December 7, 1880 in White County, Tennessee.
• John Sevier Halterman - born November 6, 1819 in White/Warren County, Tennessee; died June 4, 1890 in White County, Tennessee.
• Elizabeth Halterman - born about 1825 in White/Warren County, Tennessee; died July 1860 in Tennessee.
• Jesse Marion Halterman - born December 21, 1828 in White County, Tennessee; died March 3, 1874 in Ballard County, Kentucky.
• Adaline Halterman (twin) - born July 26, 1836 in White/Warren County, Tennessee; died after 1910 in Knox County, Tennessee.
• Emaline Halterman (twin) - born July 26, 1836 in White/Warren County, Tennessee; died August 5, 1923 in Warren County, Tennessee.

Note: five of the Halterman children, married five of the children of Endymon Baker Lane and his wife Jane Campbell: Mary married David Campbell Lane, Melvert married Eliza Julia Lane, Elizabeth married Richard Brooks Lane, Adaline married Charles Patrick Lane, and Emaline married Hardin Smith Lane.

Emaline Halterman married Hardin Smith Lane (born March 26, 1833 in Van Buren County, Tennessee; died December 31, 1862 during the Civil War at the Battle of Murphreesboro in Murphreesboro, Tennessee), son of Endymon Baker Lane and Jane Campbell, on December 30, 1855 in Warren County, Tennessee. They had the following children . . . 

• Mary Lane - born about 1857 in Warren County, Tennessee; died February 12, 1945 in Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama.
• Martha Ann Lane - born August 22, 1858 in Warren County, Tennessee; died May 16, 1945 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee.
• Franklin Pierce Lane - born October 10, 1860 in Warren County, Tennessee; died November 6, 1932 in Warren County, Tennessee.
• Hardin Smith Lane II - born March 1862 (his mother was pregnant when his father went off to war); died January 4, 1949 in Muleshoe, Bailey County, Texas.

Some Events in Emaline's Halterman's life . . . 

• July 26, 1836 - birth
• 1850 - still living with parents and her siblings Elizabeth, Abraham, and Adaline.
• December 30, 1855 - marriage to Hardin Smith Lane
• 1870 - according to Warren County Census Records living with her four children Mary, Martha, Frank, and Hardin.
• 1880 - according to Warren County Census Records living with her children Martha, Frank, and Hardin
• 1900 - according to Warren County Census Records living with her son Frank, his wife Sallie, and their children Oliver, Soloman, John, Evan, and William.
• 1910 - according to the Warren County Census Records, living with her daughter Mary Halterman-Winnett and Francis Winnet.
• 1920 - according to Warren County Census Records, living with her daughter and son-in-law, Mary Halterman-Winnett and Frank Winnett.

Variant Spellings of Halterman = Hotlman, Hatterman, Halterman, Holtzman, among other variations. Always fun when dancing with the ancestors.

Martha Ann Lane married John Leonard Smith (born August 16, 1849 in Warren County, Tennessee; died January 14, 1917 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee), son of John B. Smith and Rebecca Adcock, on September 24, 1882. She was John's second wife. His first wife was Irena Gribble, by who John had seven children: Lucy, John B (died young), Mollie, Francis Ida, M. J. (died young), Euphemia, and Herman (died young). Martha Ann and John Leonard had the following children . . .

• Olive Mae Smith - born December 28, 1884 in McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee; died November 23, 1935 in Davidson County, Tennessee.
• Octavia Smith - born April 12, 1887 in McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee; died March 1984 in Hendersonville, Sumner County, Tennessee.
• Eunice Irene Smith - born February 20, 1889 in McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee; died August 19, 1890 in McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee.
• Osie Lee Smith - born December 9, 1894; died November 23, 1976 in Hendersonville, Sumner County, Tennessee.
• Clara Smith - born February 28, 1898 in Tennessee; died March 1968 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee.

Death Certificate: for whatever reason, my great Aunt Clara, when providing the information on her mother's death certificate, listed Martha's mother as Emaline Holtman (see variations listed above) and her father as Franklin Pierce Lane, who was actually Martha's brother. I don't know why, can't ask her, but know for a fact that Franklin was not Martha's father. 

Osie Lee Smith married John Francis Mitchell (born November 3, 1884 in Warren County, Tennessee; died May 27, 1959 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee), son of Charles A. Mitchell and Martha Ann Tate, on June 25, 1913 in Nashville, Ward 10, Davidson County, Tennessee. They had the following children . . . 

• Mary Frances Mitchell - born April 29, 1914 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee; died August 23, 1996 in Hendersonville, Sumner County, Tennessee.
• Vernon Smith Mitchell - born January 21, 1916 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee; died September 10, 2004 in Crossville, Cumberland County, Tennessee.

Osie Lee Smith-Mitchell

Vernon Smith Mitchell

Mary Frances married and had two children, and five grandchildren. Vernon married had had four children and five grandchildren.

And here ends the Sevier descent of the paternal side of my family tree. Okay, not really, but the rest of the descendants are living, so their information doesn't become public record. 

Ezekial McGregor & Mary Polly McGee

In this little bit of dancing with the ancestors, I'm going to focus on my 3 x paternal great-grandparents: Ezekial McGregor and Mary "Polly" McGee.

Ezekial is the son of William McGregor and - allegedly - Martha Stiles. He was born about 1807 in Warren County, Tennessee and died sometime before the 1870 census was taken.

Mary is the daughter of John Alexander McGee and Esther Clendennon. She was born January 11, 1799 in either Jefferson, Sevier, or Blount County, Tennessee. Her parents - my 4 x great grandparents - moved around quite a bit. Their first three children were born in the aforementioned counties, just not sure which ones; the next four were born in Kentucky, and the last two were born in Warren County, Tennessee. Whew. Mary died in March 1879 in Warren County, Tennessee.

Ezekial and Mary married around 1825/26 and had the following children ~

• Ezekial McGregor II - born about 1826 in Warren County, Tennessee and died December 16, 1861 in Warren County, Tennessee
• John Houston McGregor - born December 13, 1828 in Warren County, Tennessee; died about 1878 in Warren County, Tennessee
• William Bartlett McGregor - born July 16, 1830 in Warren County, Tennessee; died September 1, 1880 in Warren County, Tennessee
• James L. McGregor - born April 4, 1832 in Warren County, Tennessee; died October 8, 1862
• Mary Jane McGregor - born September 24, 1835 in Warren County, Tennessee. She married James Douglas Tate on January 14, 1858 in Warren County, Tennessee. They had two children: John T. Tate and Martha Ann Tate. In the early 1900s she and her husband ran a boarding house - The Tate House - in McMinnville, TN. She died October 3, 1811 in McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee.
• Richmond C. McGregor - born about 1838 in Warren County, Tennessee; died unknown

Based on Census Records, here's a bit more information about Ezekial and Mary McGregor . . .

• 1830 - living in Warren County, Tennessee with two male children - Ezekial and John Houston - under 5
• 1840 - living in Warren County, Tennessee with their children: Ezekial, John Houston, William Bartlett, James L., Mary Jane, and Richmond
• 1850 - living in Warren County, Tennessee with all of their children except Ezekial II. Mary McGee-McGregor's brother Samuel McGee and his family were living next door to them.
• 1860 - living in Warren County by themselves, their children all out on their own by now.  Mary McGee-McGregor's brother Samuel McGee and his family were living next door to them.
• 1870 - Mary McGee-McGregor is living with her son John Houston McGregor and his family in Warren County, Tennessee.

And there you have a brief glimpse into the life of Ezekial and Mary Jane McGregor - their parents, the children they had, and a brief glimpse into where they were born and lived.

The Brick Wall

When dancing with the ancestors the path is not always straight forward or, in this case, since I'm researching the past, straight backwards. Sometimes, I have to go around, or under, or over, or whatever, a brick wall or two.

What does that mean? It means getting a bit clever with my research methods.

For example, my 2 x paternal great grandmother Rebecca Adcock-Smith. I don't have a clue as to the name of her parents. Not. A. Clue!

Not one, seriously, nada, nothing, finito, zippo, n-o-t-h-i-n-g!

Here's what I know about my 2 x great grandmother . . . her first, middle, and last name, the name of her husband and children, and where she lived from about 1840 through her death, and with who she lived, and the fact, at least according to census records, that she was born in South Carolina.

So, I have some starting points. I also have the names of her children that might - possibly, a slim chance - give me a clue as to her parents names since, more often than not, names were passed down through the generations.

For example, Rebecca's mother-in-law was named Nancy. That name was passed down to a few of her granddaughters, as was the name John B. (her husband's name), and the name Riley. So, as a previous post discussed, there is a naming pattern.

The problem, I'm not sure what, if any, of her children were named after her parents, which makes researching them a bit harder.

For now, I've taken the route of looking for the name Adcock in the 1820, 1830, and 1840 Census Records. I'm then going to research each Adcock family and determine . . .

. . . if they lived in SC prior to moving to Warren County, Tennessee.



. . . if they did live in SC prior to moving to Warren County, Tennessee, did they have a daughter named Rebecca Ann.

That's my starting point people, and it may/may not lead me over, under, around and/or whatever the brick wall that exists regarding my 3 x great-grandparents.

Hopefully, I'll leap over that wall! Hopefully!

But, as you can see, it's not a direct path. I have to put the pieces of a puzzle together and hope I'm on the right trail, and that someone else before me has done some of the work.

So, when dancing with the ancestors, get creative in your search methods and know that the process that worked on one branch of the tree, probably won't work on another branch of the tree. You have to dig, dig, dig, and dig some more when dancing with the ancestors.

Rebecca Adcock- Smith: Paternal 2 x Great Grandmother

As I've been dancing with the ancestors I've hit more than one brick wall. I've previously posted about my frustration with 2 x Great Grandmamma Rebecca Ann Adcock who married John B. Smith. For a time, I thought I hit pay dirt and found her parents: William Miller and Margaret Shanks.

For a time . . .

But, alas my friends . . . sometimes the information contained in cemetery books is, well, wrong.

Such was the case with Great-Great Grandmammy Rebecca Ann . . . as I found out through correspondence with a distant PA cousin who told me that Rebecca's maiden name was Adcock.

But, I'm belabouring a point that doesn't need belabouring. Here, in this post, I'm going to paint a portrait with words about Great-Great Granny . . .

Rebecca Ann Adcock was born on December 20, 1818 in South Carolina (at least based on Census Record information which, at best, is suspect). At some point, she and her family moved to Warren County, Tennessee where she met her future husband John B. Smith.

Rebecca and John were married about 1835. This is just a guess on my part, based on the birth of their first child which occurred sometime in 1836.

Rebecca and John had the following children . . .

• Andrew Jackson (aka Bad Andy) Smith was born about 1836 in Warren County, Tennessee and died before 1868, unknown. He married Mary Jane Gribble on January 28, 1856 in Warren County, Tennessee.
• David Burdine Smith was born January 27, 1840 in Warren County, Tennessee and died December 24, 1814 in Warren County, Tennessee. He married Hannah Malury Gribble on September 9, 1848 in McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee.
• Francis Melvina Smith was born May 1840 in Warren County, Tennessee and died after 1900 in Chattanooga City, Hamilton County, Tennessee. She married Alfred P,. Gribble on November 7, 1858 in Warren County, Tennessee.
• Nancy J. Smith was born about 1843 in Warren County, Tennessee.
• John Leonard Smith was born on August 16, 1849 in Warren County, Tennessee and died January 14, 1917 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee. He married first Irena Gribble, by which he had the following children: Lucy, John B. (died young), Mollie, Francis Ida, Mary J., Euphemia, and Herman (died young). He married second Martha Lane on September 24, 1882. They had the following children: Olive Mae, Willie Octavia, Eunice Irene (died young), Osie Lee, and Clara.
• Mary Smith was born about 1853 in Warren County, Tennessee.
• Sarah Smith was born about 1856 in Warren County, Tennessee.
• Tempa (possibly Tennessee) Smith was born about 1858 in Warren County, Tennessee.
• Ardena Clementine Smith was born about 1863 in Warren County, Tennessee and died December 8, 1954 in Warren County, Tennessee. She married John C. Aldredge.

The only portrait I can truly paint with words is one based on factual evidence, i,.e., Census Records. So, based on that information . . .

• 1840 - she, her husband John B., and their children Andrew, David Burdine, and Francis Malvina are living in Warren County, Tennessee, next door to her husband's mother Nancy, and his siblings Elizabeth, Moses Riley, and Jesse.
• 1850 - she, her husband John B., and their children Andrew, David Burdine, Francis Malvina, Nancy J., and John Leonard are living in Warren County, Tennessee. There is also a Martha Hancock, age 29, living with them as well. My best guess is that this is a sister of either Rebecca or John. I haven't been able to find anything else about her, so, for now, there's just a woman named Martha living with them.
• 1860 - she, her husband John B., and their children Nancy, John, Mary, Sarah, and Tempa are living in Warren County, Tennessee. Bt this time, the older children - Andrew, David, and Francis - had married and were living on their own.
• November 29, 1869 - John B. Smith dies in Warren County, Tennessee.
• 1870 - she, her daughters Mary, Sarah, and Ardena Clementine, along with her two grandsons by her daughter Francis Melvina - John Gribble and Alfred Thomas Gribble - are living in Warren County, Tennessee.
• 1880 - she, her daughter Ardena Clementine, her daughter Francis Melvina Smith-Gribble, and Francis' two sons John B. Gribble and Alfred Thomas Gribble are living in Warren County, Tennessee.
• March 1, 1882 - Rebecca dies in Warren County, Tennessee.

And there is the brief portrait of words I can paint about my Great-Great Grandmother Rebecca Ann Adcock Smith.

One further note, on her son David Burdine's death record her maiden name is listed as Adcock on one record, and Radcock on another record. Oy!

Oh, and you might have noticed the propensity for Rebecca's children to marry Gribbles. Three of her children married Gribble siblings, and two of her children married first cousins of the Gribble siblings.

UPDATE

Since the last time I went dancing with the ancestors with 2 x Great Grandma Rebecca Adcock, I've learned a few things.

First - she is the daughter of William Adcock and Francis Ballinger. She is the granddaughter of Leonard Adcock and Jane Cantrell, and James Ballinger and Dorcas Dodson. These connections have been proven through DNA.

Second - her middle name is Frances and not Ann.

Third - the cemetery book I referenced in this post and a previous post was referencing a John Smith who married an Ann, who was the daughter of William Miller and Margaret Shanks. That John & Ann Smith were not my direct ancestors. They might be related, but it was not my 2 x Great Grandparents John B. and Rebecca F. (Adcock) Smith. Why did I think they were? Becasue, at some point, one of my distant Smith cousins took photos of the tombstones and believed they were direct ancestors. It was a simple error to make. It wasn't until I found the last will and testament of that particular John Smith that I realized there were two John Smiths, about the same age, living in Warren County, Tennessee at the same time. The children listed in his will, including a bastard son, did not match up with the known children of John B. & Rebecca (Adcock) Smith that have been proven through census records. So, a simple error made by someone doing family history, and then copied again and again and again . . . put this family historian on a false trail that was luckily proved wrong and corrected.

So, when dancing with the ancestors, do not take the work of others at face value. Prove it to yourself. Believe that it's wrong until you can prove that it is right.

The Name Game

No, not the name game as in . . . banana-fanana and all that jazz, but rather the name game as in the passing down of family names.

This is important when dancing with the ancestors. Why? Well, I'm glad you thought that question and I was able to read your mind.

Very often, there is a naming pattern, or rather a usage of common names that are passed down through the generations. Quite often, these names can provide important information.

Case in point: the Smith branch of my family tree.

My 3 x Paternal Great Grandfather was John Smith. He married Nancy - I wrote about her in a previous post. From what I've been able to find, they had at least five children, if not more, as follows: John B. Smith (my 2 x Paternal Great Grandfather), Elizabeth Smith, Moses Riley Martin Smith, Jesse Smith, and another male child who, in 1840 was between 20 and 30 years old.

As I've been digging and digging, I discovered the following . . .

John B. Smith named a daughter Nancy, a son John, and another son David Burdine.

Elizabeth named a daughter Nancy, a daughter Riley, and a son John.

Moses Riley Martin named a son John, a son Jesse, a son Riley, and a daughter Nancy.

Jesse named a son John B. and a daughter Nancy.

Have you figured out the naming pattern yet? The most common names used are Nancy and John, the names of John B., Elizabeth, Moses, and Jesse's parents. The second pattern is the name Riley which both Elizabeth and Moses used. The third pattern is the B/Burdine name.

My best guess is that the "B" in John B. Smith (2 x great grandpa) stands for Burdine. My second best guess, since Jesse named one of his sons John B., is that this is a family name passed down through the generations, which makes me suspect that my 3 x great grandpappy is actually John B. Smith.

Which brings me to my third best guess . . . that his mother was a Burdine. Okay, no proof on that end, but it gives me a jumping off point for further research, as does the name Riley.

My thought is that Nancy, wife of John, and mother of John B., Elizabeth, Moses Riley, Jesse, and at least one more male child, is most likely Riley, which gives me a further jumping off point for additional research.

So, when dancing with the ancestors pay attention to naming patterns because those patterns can provide jumping off points for further research. And, don't forget the siblings, because if I hadn't taken the time to research the siblings, I wouldn't have discovered this naming pattern, and gotten some jumpstarts for further research.

S

Nancy Smith - 3 x Paternal Great Grandmother

Dancing with the ancestors is always an interesting dance, and one in which I have to do some fancy footwork in order not to end up with two left feet. Ha!

Such is the case with my 3 x Paternal Great Grandmother Nancy (surname unknown at this point) Smith. I don't know much about her other than she was born in North Carolina around 1796 and moved with her husband and family to Warren County, Tennessee at some point, probably early 1800s.

Over the course of the last few years, I've painstakingly tried to add a bit more depth to her history. I actually printed out the 1830 and 1840 Census, painstakingly going through line by line until, in the 1840 Census Record I found a Nancy Smith - her husband John, my 3 x great granddad was deceased by this point - and, using a handy Excel spreadsheet I created, determined she was living in Warren County, Tennessee with her daughter Elizabeth, her sons Moses Riley and Jesse, and another son whose name I don't know . . . at this point. And she was living next door to her son John B. Smith and his family.

In 1850, she and Moses Riley were living with her daughter Elizabeth, who by this time had married James Monroe Webb and had a number of children! Woo-hoo!

By discovering the 1850 Census Record, and realizing that Elizabeth Webb was actually Elizabeth Smith-Webb, I was able to put another piece of the ancestor puzzle for the Smith branch in place.

Okay, I'll admit it, I was stumped as to why Nancy and Riley were living with the Webb family in 1850. I knew there had to be a reason, but my poor beleaguered brain couldn't figure it out until, later, mind going here/there/everywhere, it suddenly dawned on me that Elizabeth was most likely Nancy's daughter. So, pulled up the Ancestry app on my iPad, checked the census record and . . . voila, Elizabeth Webb is the correct age as Elizabeth Smith.

Woo-hoo!

So, when dancing with the ancestors, remember that you sometimes have to have some fancy footwork in order to complete the dance. Don't be afraid to try a different path in your search for your ancestors.

Great Great Grandma Rebecca Adcock-Smith

Sometimes when dancing with the ancestors, things get a wee bit complicated. Such is the case with my paternal great-great grandmother Rebecca Ann Adock-Smith. She married great-great granddad John Smith. No, these were not their Motel 6 names! Ha!

Anyhow, in one of the cemetery books for Warren County, Tennessee I found the cemetery records for John B. Smith and his wife (Rebecca) Ann Smith. Her parents were listed as William Miller and Margaret Shanks! Great! Fine! Dandy! Can I have a big WOO HOO?

Well, not so fast, dear readers, because, when I got in contact with on of my 1/2 great aunts (complicated story, more on that in a later post) - one of my grandmother's half-sisters - descendants, they dropped a bombshell on me. Great-Great Grandma Rebecca Ann wasn't a Miller, but an Adcock!

Say What????

Okay, I think I used a few cuss words when I found that out, but that's beside the point. I later found out that sometimes the information in the cemetery books aren't correct.

And, there's always the possibility that Rebecca's father died when she was young and her mother remarried William Miller. So, the Shanks line might be correct, but the Miller line is not.

So what's someone dancing with the ancestors to do when he doesn't have a clue as to the name of great-great grandmama's father? Well, thanks to TNGenWeb, he - well, me - prints out the 1830 Census Records that have been transcribed online, as have the 1840, and then highlights all the Adcock names that have a Female between 10 - 15 since Rebecca would have been 12 in 1840.

From that point, I'll start researching the male Adcock lines and see if I can't discover my ancestress somewhere in the mix.

So, when dancing with the ancestors, don't give up when you hit that brick wall. Figure out a way around that wall. 

S

Update ~ sometimes I'm my own worst enemy. Since some of Rebecca's children died after 1910, I have access to those death records, and on at least two of those records, her maiden name is listed as Adcock! Woo-hoo!

Pet Peeve

What's my pet peeve when dancing with the ancestors? Well, I'm glad you asked. Okay, you didn't, but . . .

. . . my pet peeve is: lack of accuracy or, as I put it, linking to ancestors that really aren't yours just because you're too freaking lazy to actual do some research to prove/disprove your ancestry!

Okay, now that I've put it out there for all (well, the few that might happen across this blog, which apparently isn't very many on a daily, heck, weekly, heck, monthly, heck, yearly basis) to see, let me expand upon my thoughtful thoughts.

Not every McGregor is descended from Rob Roy McGregor. Yes, it's nice to have a famous ancestor out there, but . . . not every McGregor is descended from Rob Roy McGregor.

I've done extensive work on my McGregor line, as have other people. My ancestor is the Old Scot Preacher, Reverend William McGregor who was born circa 1735 in Scotland. At some point, he immigrated to the New World and settled in North Carolina. He did not, as many have put out there - another inaccuracy that irritates the heck out of me - die in 1804. If he did, well, he was either a) resurrected or b) a zombie. Why? Well, there is documentation of him, and his son William Jr., being messengers at the Collins River Baptist Church in . . .1807.

So, if William was dead, then how in the heck could he be a messenger at a Baptist Church? Oh, that's right, it's not possible.

The problem: there were three William McGregors that settled in VA/NC around the same time. My ancestor settled in NC and was the pastor of the Mouth of the Uwharrie Baptist Church in Montgomery County, North Carolina. He had at least, from what I and other researchers have determined, two wives, and a number of children, including my other direct ancestor William McGregor Jr., and his twin brothers Ezekial and Willis McGregor.

As far as I, and other researchers have been able to determine, nobody knows the name of William's father, only that he came to America to preach.

So, yes, it's frustrating to me find information out there saying William's father is this/that McGregor, only to do a bit more research and find out that this/that McGregor really isn't William's father!

So, when putting your tree out for all the world to see, take a wee bit more time to prove/disprove your ancestors. Not only will you have a better tree, but you'll make the journey for other researchers dancing with the ancestors a bit easier.

Common Ancestors

I could have tilted this Interconnectedness - Part V, but decided to go with Common Ancestors instead . . . just to stay a bit fresh. Ha!

Once again, updating my grandmother's (Mary Willie Boone-Sweat) siblings, and I find where her sister Mary Alberta Boone married Aloysious Delime Boone. Hmmmm . . . 

So, being the curious individual that I am, I had to backtrace Delime Boone's ancestry to see where - not if - they had a common ancestor.

Their common ancestor is Walter (aka Watty) Boone, my 4 x great-grandfather. Now, here's where it get's a wee bit interesting . . .

The two are descended from siblings, but not full siblings, half siblings, since Walter married twice. Delime is descended through Walter's first marriage to Mildred Edelen; while Alberta is descended through Walter's second marriage to Elizabeth Hagan.

The descent goes something like this . . .

Walter Boone 

- m - 

Mildred Edelen (1st)               Elizabeth Hagan (2nd)

John M. Boone - m - Elizabeth Howard    William Henry Boone - m - Rosena Hagan

William Joshua Boone - m - Elizabeth Norris      Miles N. Boone - m - Rosa Jane Duvall

John Walter Boone - m - Josephine Bowling    Victor Ivo Boone - m - Mary Willie Watson

Now, here's where things get a bit tricky because, there is one more generation on the descent through Mildred Edelen than through Elizabeth Hagan. So, what we have now is . . .

James Franklin Boone - m - Susan Mattingly

Aloysious Delime Boone - m - Mary Alberta Boone

And, there you have it for this bit of dancing with the ancestors. A Boone married a Boone, and they do have an ancestor in common, but the cousinal relationship is a bit skewed due to the descent coming through both the first and second wife of the common ancestor, plus the addition of one generation on Delime's side.

I just love a good mystery!!!

Interconnectedness - Part IV

As has happened many times before when I've been dancing with the ancestors, I've found another shared, cousinal (yes, I know, not a word) connection and - surprise, surprise, well, not really - this connection is through the Hagan branch of my family tree. Go figure! Ha!

I have a direct descent to Enoch Hagan and Tabitha Hagan (yes, same last name) through their daughter Rosena.

When updating information on my grandmother's siblings, I found that her sister Mary Kathleen Boone married James Paul Hagan. So, being the curious minded individual that I am, I decided to trace his descent backwards until I found a common Hagan. Trust me, in my family tree, with the name Hagan, it's not hard to find a common Hagan ancestor.

In this case, I traced back to Enoch Hagan and Tabitha Hagan, my four times great grandparents. So, the dual descent goes as follows . . .

Enoch Hagan - m - Tabitha Hagan

James Hagan - m - Lucinda McKune     Rosena Hagan - m - William Henry Boone

Thomas Enoch Hagan - m - Nancy Jane    Miles Nicholas Boone - m - Rosa Jane Duvall

Joseph Virgil Hagan - m -  Mary O'Bryan   Victor Ivo Boone - m - Mary Willie Watson

James Paul Hagan - m - Mary Kathleen Boone

So, James Paul Hagan and his wife Mary Kathleen Boone, have the same great-great grandparents: Enoch Hagan and Tabitha Hagan. So their children would not only be siblings, but fourth cousins. 

So, dancing with the ancestors is never dull . . . at least in my family tree.

The Red Shoes

Dancing with the ancestors isn't solely about building a family tree, finding a skeleton or four in the family closet, or finding out the where/why a person came from. Dancing with the ancestors is also about the stories passed down from generation to generation . . . like the fact that two of my half-great aunts were murdered in Louisiana in 1947, and that a third sister living with them survived the attack, crawled under the front porch, and survived. 

But, not all stories are so dreary and depressing, some of them are quite amusing, such as the story of my mother's red shoes.

Luckily, there is not one, but three stories about my mom’s red shoes . . .

The one I remember is that when my mom, her sister, a cousin of theirs, and another friend, lived together in Louisville, Kentucky, is that my mom's sister Dorothy was famous (or infamous is perhaps the better word) for borrowing my mom’s clothes, shoes, and whatnot. Well, one night, my mom’s getting ready for a date (probably with dad, but you just never know – ha), and she can’t find her red shoes. She looks and looks and looks. No red shoes. Well, in walks Aunt Dorothy into the apartment . . . wearing mom’s red shoes, well, at least until mom made her take them off. Ha.

The second story, was sent to me by my cousin, Aunt Dorothy's son . . .

Back in the day before my mom moved to Louisville from the small town (Lebanon Junction, KY she grew up in), she commuted to work in Louisville. Well, when the cat's away, the mice will play. The cat in this case would be my mother, and the mouse would be my Aunt Dorothy. Well, the cat was at work, and the clothes and shoes in her closet were free for the taking, . . . and Aunt Dorothy took freely, and without asking permission. Anyhow, one day while my mom was at work, Aunt Dorothy borrowed the red shoes and went up to Taylor's Drug Store for a soda. My mom returned from work and noticed that her red shoes were gone. I'm taking it Aunt Dorothy was a repeat offender, and mom wasn't unaware of the borrowing going on with her shoes/clothes. Well, mom marched right up to Taylor's to get her shoes back! She did, at least, carry a pair of her sister's shoes with her to trade. She could have let her walk home barefoot. Ha.

The third story came from my double cousin (her grandmother and my grandmother were sisters, and we share a great-great grandfather on another branch of the family tree) . . .

It seems that, at some point, my mom gave some of her old things to her younger sister and a cousin to play with at a later date. The red shoes were in the mix. My mom's sister and cousin wore the red shoes around town even though they were way too big. They were at least 10 or 11 years younger than my mother (who was one of 10 kids). According to double cousin, her mom said they thought they were really grown up in those shoes. 

My double cousin's final comment about the shoes: Can you imagine so much history from a pair of shoes?

I can't, but think it's neat that the shoes Aunt Dorothy loved to borrow led quite the life afterwards. I can just see my other aunt - shoes too big - walking all around the very small town of Lebanon Junction.

Why Do I Do Genealogy?

For the family members checking out my blog lately, you're probably wondering WTH with these different posts, rather than the family specific related posts I've been doing lately when dancing with the ancestors. Well, it's because I'm an Ancestry Ace - I'm not sure that tops Cousin of the Century which is my current title within the family since I wrested that title from my cousin Kathy (ha), but - and they keep putting out blog prompts and, well, I keep responding to them here.

Never fear, more family specific posts will follow, but more likely than not, it will be after I finish the prep for our upcoming family reunion at the end of June. Too much to do, and too little time.

But, back to the main question: Why do I do genealogy?

Simply put - because it's fun. I love the mystery. I love digging deeper and deeper, looking here, there, and everywhere, in search of an elusive ancestor. I love the brick walls that, more times than not, I've been able to knock down and discover what little skeleton was hiding behind the wall. Kidding. 

Okay, maybe not so much.

Seriously, it's not just about finding out about the past - where my ancestors came from, why they settled where they did, and then migrated somewhere else - it's about putting names to the ancestors . . . which is easier to do with Census Records that list the entire family, then further back when only the heads of households were mentioned.

Still, connecting the dates, finding my way through the maze, and all that jazz associated with dancing with the ancestors, is why I do genealogy.