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
Category: Genealogy
Will of William Hamner, Albemarle County, Virginia, 25 December 1787
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
Will of Stephen Reuben Turner, Warren County, North Carolina, 14 October 1799
Stephen Reuben Turner was my 6th great-grandfather, son of Terisha Turner and father of Mary Catherine Turner Rives. There are two copies of his will out there: thisĀ transcription is from a copy found in North Carolina, Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998 at Ancestry.com. I believe this version to be the more accurate because it … Continue reading Will of Stephen Reuben Turner, Warren County, North Carolina, 14 October 1799
Will of “Ancient” Terisha Turner, Amherst County, Virginia, 7 May 1793
Terisha Turner was my 7th great-grandfather. His granddaughter, Mary Catherine Turner, my 5th great-grandmother, was the wife of William McGuffey Rives. Amherst County, Virginia records are unfortunately not available online, for the most part, so I have not been able to view the original will. However, there are several transcriptions floating around on the internet. … Continue reading Will of “Ancient” Terisha Turner, Amherst County, Virginia, 7 May 1793
Records of Slavery: A Sweet Dose of Truth
The way forward does not start with the stories we white people tell ourselves.
Slaves Held by William McGuffey Rives of Warren County, North Carolina
William McGuffey Rives was my 5th great-grandfather. Born in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, he was raised on his grandfather's plantation near Petersburg, according to an 1839 letter written by his widow, Mary Catherine Turner Rives. William inherited his first slaves on 19 Dec 1786, at about age 19, from the estate of his grandfather, David Neal. … Continue reading Slaves Held by William McGuffey Rives of Warren County, North Carolina
Will of Thomas Rives of Chatham County, North Carolina, 10 June 1807
I am still digging around in Rives records. Unlike most other lines in my family, the Rives (sometimes spelled Reeves) had a fair amount of property. They could be called minor Virginia gentry. As such, a good bit of research has also been done on them already, including a 1929 book, "Reliques of the Ryves." … Continue reading Will of Thomas Rives of Chatham County, North Carolina, 10 June 1807
Slaves Held by “Captain” William Rives of Warren County, North Carolina
Slave records of "Captain" William Rives of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.
Slaveholding in the German Community: the Sarver and Harder Families of Sumner County, Tennessee
Yes, German immigrants were slaveholders, too.
Buena Vista, Tennessee School Photos
I recently visited my grandmother, who has attained a certain three-digit age which one does not discuss about a lady! We had a good time going through lots of old photos together. She was able to identify many of her classmates from her school days in the tiny community of Buena Vista, in Carroll County, … Continue reading Buena Vista, Tennessee School Photos









