documenting my very southern genealogy from the plantation to the frontier
Turning to my 4th great-grandfather, James Simpson (abt 1794-1850), I wasn't expecting to find anything especially interesting. I thought this would be yet another profile of a hardscrabble southern farmer. But then this popped up: From Houston County, Georgia court records at Family Search. It appearing to the court that Doctor Thomas W. Bale did … Continue reading James Simpson’s Surprising Life and Strange Death
My 3rd great grandfather, James J Williams (1835-aft 1880), had a very common name. So common that there were at least two other "James J Williams" and even more "James Williams" in the same area of Georgia! For that reason, I was never entirely sure about his parentage, though I did have a feeling about … Continue reading James J Williams, who’s your daddy?
I ran some Goodman names through Family Search's full text search and was able to answer one or two important questions! But at the same time, another discovery cast more doubt on what was already a shaky branch on the tree. I knew for sure that my 3g grandfather was Timothy Goodman (1825-1906). My 2g … Continue reading Sorting Out Goodmans
My 5th great-grandmother, generally known as Thamer Halle, is presumed by many online sources to have come from either Germany or France, specifically Alsace-Lorraine. This appears to be based entirely on family oral history, and I have never been able to find any evidence for it. She's been a brick wall for some time. Recently, … Continue reading Tamer Hall Sarver
I think I have exhausted available resources on my favorite brickwall ancestor for the moment. I also find it's a good idea to step back once in a while, work on something else, and see what comes up in the meantime. However, I've discovered a few more details over the last few weeks that I … Continue reading Bits and Pieces on Miles Bembry
In researching my brickwall ancestor and 5th great-grandfather, Miles Bembry (1766-1838), I have been researching his FAN (Friend Associate Neighbor) club in depth for some time. However, recently, I consulted with a professional genealogist, and this caused me to realize that I needed to be more systematic in my research and develop more visual aids … Continue reading Miles Bembry as Plantation Overseer
For the last few weeks, I have been working on Miles Bembry's FAN club in an attempt to finally topple that Bembry brickwall. I've gathered a ton of information! But I am starting to confuse myself by now, and so I think I need to take a step back to properly organize and summarize it … Continue reading Nansemond Connections
John Glosson (1802 - aft. 1880) was my 4th great-grandfather and had been a brick wall forever. I knew that he was born in North Carolina, and had tentatively placed him as a John "Glisson" in Duplin county just because the household matched. But I was never convinced, and a couple of weeks ago I … Continue reading Another Brick Wall Falls: John Glosson of Chatham County, North Carolina
After researching Lydia Collings Uptigrove to the extent that was possible, I turned to Elijah Uptigrove, her husband. In the process of researching him, I unearthed some interesting history! First, the working theory As I outlined earlier, it seems clear that the Collings and Uptigroves were acquainted with each other in Albemarle County, Virginia, prior … Continue reading Do Unto Others: the Op den Graeff Connection
Still working on identifying women in my family history! Every one turns out to be quite a project. About three weeks ago I began to research Lydia, my 4th great-grandmother and the wife of Elijah Uptigrove. She was born about 1795 in Virginia, per her census entries, and died after 1880 in Carroll County, Tennessee. … Continue reading The Mystery of Lydia Collings Uptigrove
A Long Way to Tennessee 