documenting my very southern genealogy from the plantation to the frontier
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
Elias Bryan was the brother of my 6th great-grandfather, Needham Bryan. I found a transcription of his lengthy will online a while ago. Recently, I dug up the original will at Family Search and polished up the transcription. The will is interesting in that Elias provided unusually generously to his daughters. He also stipulates that … Continue reading Will of Elias Bryan of Edgecombe County, North Carolina, 25 July 1821
Richard Dicken wasn't considered trustworthy by his father in law. Apparently, he had his reasons.
Benjamin Dicken was my 6th great grandfather. His granddaughter, Martha "Patsey" Dicken married Thomas Bembry. I have had a dickens of a time researching this family for the past couple of weeks! The first problem was that the Dicken family (they were apparently literate, and consistently spelled it with no "s") properties straddled Fishing Creek, … Continue reading Will of Benjamin Dicken of Halifax County, North Carolina, 24 Nov 1790
Catharine Walton Harris was the wife of Nathan Harris I, and my 7th great-grandmother. She outlived her husband by nearly 20 years, to about age 90. Like him, she took a very personal interest in her estate, and like him, she had no compunction about selling her "negroes," including several children. But, interestingly, she made … Continue reading Will of Catharine Walton Harris of Greensville County, Virginia, 23 April 1810
Nathan Harris I was my 7th great-grandfather. He was born about 1712 and died about 1793 in Greensville County, Virginia. Like his son, Nathan II, he was very specific in his wishes. The will does not list all of his children: he had three additional children that have been documented in various sources, for a … Continue reading Will of Nathan Harris of Greensville County, Virginia, 13 April 1793
I've recently uncovered several wills relating to the Harris family, Thomas Bembry's in-laws. They seem to have been a pretty hard-nosed lot, being very specific about property in their wills and selling enslaved people without thinking twice about it. I had known for some time that the second Nathan Harris' will had resulted in a … Continue reading Will of Nathan Harris of Edgecombe County, North Carolina, 30 November 1809
My DNA profile is mostly predictable. I am 99 percent European. But there were two little surprises in the mix. According to 23andMe, I have .06 percent South Asian (India, Pakistan, etc.) DNA, and .04 percent West African DNA. My parents recently tested as well, offering a great opportunity to sort out what came from … Continue reading The Other One Percent
Thinking about all the women who came before us on international women's day.
Establishing my 3rd great-grandmothers parentage, while learning about eldercare arrangements in times past.
A Long Way to Tennessee 