documenting my very southern genealogy from the plantation to the frontier
While browsing through Wayne County estate files to sort out Dickinsons, I ran across several records naming enslaved people. Though these are not my direct ancestors, from here on out, I've decided to post any slaveholding records I find that might be helpful to other researchers. Isaac Dickinson (or Dickerson) was the son of John … Continue reading Slaves Held by Isaac Dickinson, Wayne County, North Carolina
John Dickinson was my 7th great-grandfather. He was a "Gentleman Planter" in colonial Northampton County, North Carolina. This is another line of my family that may go back to early Quakers. There was certainly a Quaker John Dickinson who married a Rebekah Powell in 1724 in Talbot County, Maryland. Many online trees trace my John … Continue reading Will of John Dickinson, 4 February 1742, Northampton County, North Carolina
Working my way back through Dickinsons, I came to Daniel Dickinson, my 6th great-grandfather, who died about 1779 in Wayne County. Like his son, David, he seems to have died unexpectedly without leaving a will. His estate file contains a letter, however, naming his heirs. As most of Daniel's wealth was held in the form … Continue reading Slaves Held by Daniel Dickinson, Wayne County, North Carolina
David Dickinson, father of John Dickerson, was born in North Carolina, some time before 1753. After really a LOT of sorting out of Wayne County, NC Dickinsons, I have concluded that he was most likely the son of Daniel Dickinson and grandson of John Dickinson, "Gentleman Planter" of Northampton County, NC. David Dickinson died, without … Continue reading David Dickinson’s Very Unpleasant Demise
I recently discovered that Edward Hood was my 6th great-grandfather. I don't know all that much about him yet. I do know that he was born before 1740, died about 1811 in Wayne County, NC, and owned several hundred acres along Black Creek, just south of the present-day city of Wilson, NC. One of Edward … Continue reading Will of Edward Hood, 22 July 1807, Wayne County, North Carolina
Years ago, I had traced my maternal Dickerson lineage back to my 4th great-grandfather, a John Dickerson who lived in Benton and Carroll counties, Tennessee. I knew that he was from North Carolina, and I figured he was very likely the John "Dickinson" on the 1820 and 1830 censuses in Wayne County. The name, age, … Continue reading Another Brick Wall Down: John Dickerson, North Carolina to Tennessee
(Note: this post has been updated from a previous version) Joseph Townsend was my 6th great-grandfather. He was born in Virginia, and is likely the Joseph Townsend found on the 1810 census in Frederick County, Virginia. By 1814, he had moved to Overton County, Tennessee where he was granted 55 acres on the Roaring River. … Continue reading Will of Joseph Townsend, Carroll County, Tennessee, 25 August 1843
My Cole line produced a lot of descendants, but not a whole lot of records. They were not especially well-off, and so land and property transactions were few and far between. They weren't equipped to leave behind their own records either: at least four generations of Coles up to my second great-grandfather signed their names … Continue reading Will of John Cole, Wake County, North Carolina, 3 August 1803
The Butlers of Carroll County, Tennessee were a long-lived and exceptionally prolific clan. They were also fond of repeating names, making sorting Butlers almost as difficult as sorting Dickens. "My" Thomas Butler lived near at least three other Thomas Butlers, two in Carroll County and one more for good measure in neighboring Madison County. There … Continue reading Thomas Butler, 1792-1866
George Griggs was my 10th great-grandfather, and takes the line "back to the boat." He was from the village of Lavendon, in Buckinghamshire, England. George, his wife Alice Siptharpe (or Sipthorpe) and their children emigrated to the American colonies as part of the Great Migration of Puritans that took place from 1630-1635. They traveled with … Continue reading Will of George Griggs, Boston, Massachusetts, 4 May 1655
