documenting my very southern genealogy from the plantation to the frontier
It took a pandemic lockdown, but I finally tackled my dad's Smith line a couple of weeks ago. I had traced it back his second great-grandfather a few years ago, but stopped there when confronted by an entire county full of Smiths—who all share about five given names! I knew that George Washington Smith, my … Continue reading Finally Sorting Out Smiths
Winifred Perry Darnall was my 6th great-grandmother, and wife of Joseph Darnall. Some of the slaves that were bequeathed to her by her husband in 1812 appear in her 1829 will. An estate record shows who bought them after her death.William Darnall, Elizabeth Smith, and Joseph R Darnall were all Winifred's children. The deceased Jane … Continue reading Will of Winifred Perry Darnall, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, 31 August 1929
I am still working on my Rives line, and yet more wills and estate records have popped up. Joseph Darnall was my 6th great-grandfather, born in 1741 in Culpeper County, Virginia. His daughter, Jane or Jennie Darnall, married Nathaniel Cunningham. Joseph died in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina in 1812. Joseph's wife and Jennie's mother, Winifred … Continue reading Will of Joseph Darnall, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, 12 August 1812
Nathaniel Cunningham was my 5th great-grandfather. I have actually posted his will before, however, that was transcribed from a barely legible copy in a court record. Recently, I found the original will, which is not only easier to read, but differs slightly from the copy. This version makes clear that Nathaniel effectively put his property … Continue reading Will of Nathaniel Cunningham of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, 26 Oct 1830
Slaveholding families held much of their wealth in human capital. And so, they often argued about slaves. When they did, they left court records which provide a lot of information about both themselves and the enslaved people that they were arguing about. David Neal's family is a case in point. In his will, dated 4 … Continue reading Reconstructing an Enslaved Family from Court and Probate Records
I am still unearthing more Virginia ancestors, and finally got "back to the boat" on this one. My 7th great-grandfather, David Neal, was an Irish immigrant. His daughter, Eleanor, married William McGuffey Rives. The grandchildren listed in the will are her children, William Rives, my 5g grandfather, and his sister Joanna Rives Turner. David Neal … Continue reading Will of David Neal, Amelia County, Virginia, 4 June 1775
Last week, family business took us to Blacksburg, Virginia. We had time for a little sightseeing, and decided Smithfield Plantation would be a good option in these COVID times, since the tour is mostly outside. Once I arrived, I realized that this plantation could be comparable to those of the Virginia ancestors I've recently been … Continue reading Smithfield Plantation
William Hamner, my 7th great-grandfather, lived in Albemarle County, Virginia for most, if not all, of his life. On the one hand, it's kind of fun to read a tax list and see Thomas Jefferson's name on it. Yes, that Thomas Jefferson. But on the other hand, perhaps because of this proximity to notable Americans, … Continue reading William Hamner of Albemarle County, Virginia: Fact and Fiction
I was recently delighted to find the Bible of my 6th great-grandmother, Susanna Hamner Turner, wife of Stephen Reuben Turner, at the North Carolina Digital Archives. In it, she had recorded the births of all her 12 children, along with marriages and deaths. After Susanna's death, her Bible was inherited by her son, Henley Turner, … Continue reading List of Slave Births, Stephen Turner Bible, Warren County, North Carolina, 1835-1864
On the one hand, I hit the mother lode when I started researching my paternal Rives line. These folks, unlike most others in my tree, had money and left a substantial paper trail. They were also from Virginia, which has better-preserved records than some other states. I can see I'm going to be working on … Continue reading Will of William Hamner, Albemarle County, Virginia, 25 December 1787
