documenting my very southern genealogy from the plantation to the frontier
A couple of days ago, I heard about a website called Archive Grid on a podcast. As usual when I find a new archive, I ran a quick search for "Bembry," because I can be pretty sure whatever comes up will relate to my family in some way. To my surprise, a letter from personal … Continue reading Maybe He Just Needed Killin’
A few months ago, I learned that Thomas Taylor was my 5th great grandfather. I recently returned to researching that line. It was a bit of a brick wall at first, because I could not find primary sources for multiple online claims that he was the "Colonel Thomas Taylor" who was a Revolutionary soldier in … Continue reading The Curious Case of Colonel Thomas Taylor
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
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
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
While digging around for Dicken deeds I ran across a deed from my 5th great-grandfather, Miles Bembry to James H Smith that I had somehow overlooked. It turned out to be an important part of the tangled tale of Kenneth Bembry, slippery politician, bits and pieces of which I have accumulated over the years, often … Continue reading More Bembry Shenanigans
So, as it turns out, Richard Dicken, my 5th great-grandfather was not quite as dead as I thought he was by 1819. And there's a moral to that story! I had assumed for years that since Richard Dicken's estate was found in Edgecombe county probate files that he must in fact be dead. Furthermore Thomas … Continue reading Richard Dicken: Not Quite Dead Yet
Richard Dicken wasn't considered trustworthy by his father in law. Apparently, he had his reasons.
John Bembry, oldest son of Miles Bembry, was a colorful character. In 1831 he stabbed a cousin, Littleton Bryan, to death, apparently over some kind of property dispute. Wanted notices were were posted all over Georgia and Florida by Littleton's father, Moses Bryan, who offered a substantial reward for his capture. However, there is no … Continue reading John Bembry: the Plot Thickens
Recently, I wrote about how Kenneth apprenticed a free boy of color named William Williams. Well, of course I had to find out more about his mother, Fanny Williams! Which led me into an entirely new (for me) area of genealogy: that of "free people of color" in the antebellum South. Fanny Williams deeded her … Continue reading Kenneth Bembry’s “Colored” Children?
A Long Way to Tennessee 