Are You My Cousin? is moving!
I am moving my blog over from Blogger to Wordpress. I have researched (and researched) all the things that need to be done to move a blog. But just like in a real move, headaches are inevitable.
So.....
If you experience any difficulties accessing Are You My Cousin? in the next few days, be patient with me. I'll get things sorted out in a timely manner. ( I hope!)
I'm now ready to press the Magic Button.
(Yes, Wordpress really has one.)
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Travel Tuesday - Boston
Look where we have been!
Visiting New England is always a treat for this southern girl. Beautiful weather and low(er) humidity equals good hair days!
No genealogy here, but I did soak in a lot of history.
And treats!
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| Ogunquit, ME |
Boston. Concord. Salem. Ogunquit, Maine.
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| View form Fort Sewell in Marblehead, MA |
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| Mac and Cheese at Quincy Market in Boston |
Visiting New England is always a treat for this southern girl. Beautiful weather and low(er) humidity equals good hair days!
No genealogy here, but I did soak in a lot of history.
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| Statue of Paul Revere |
(I had fun playing with the settings on my phone's camera.)
And treats!
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| Cannoli from the North End in Boston |
Monday, July 30, 2012
A Step Up?
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| Marblehead, MA Harbor |
Walking along the historic streets (and cemeteries) in New England towns such as Concord and Salem, Massachusetts is a treat for someone who loves history.
I have no ancestors from New England, but I am still fascinated by those who walked these streets 400 years in the past.
Walking through these towns with teens has a way of keeping my genealogy and history interests in perspective.
I was admiring a lovely old building in Salem, MA when DD informed me the building was a home for "Aged Women".
DD: "Just for you, Mom." (She said with a grin.)
Me: "What!"
DD: "Well, it's a step up from when we dropped you off in the cemetery this morning!"
Ouch! That hurt! :)
Monday, July 23, 2012
Jonah Graduates Junior High
I found this graduation announcement tucked in among various letters and postcards of my great grandmother Esther Richardson Talbott.
Having recently connected with an Elliott cousin, I discovered that Esther and her mother Harriet Elliott Richardson interacted frequently with the Elliott side of the family. I have also been gaining a new understanding and perspective of the people and places mentioned in the Esther and Harriett's letters.
Here is one such example:
Jonah Elliott was the son of Elias Elie Elliott and Novella King Owen. He was born in 1904 and in 1922 he celebrated his graduation from Buffalo Springs Junior High School.
Graduation invitations have not changed much since 1922. They still consist of a printed invitation with a signature card. Jonah's signature card is a thin piece of paper. I would like to think that this is Jonah's original signature - something all genealogists and family historians seek out.
Likely (hopefully!) it is Jonah's signature.
But I'm a mom of teenagers.
I cannot imagine that 18 year boys liked sitting down to fill out invitations anymore then than now. Jonah's signature might be his mother Novella's handwriting.
What do you think?
Jonah's handwriting or his mother's?
I love the size of the Jonah's graduation class! Six! No room to hide from the teacher here.
Friday, July 20, 2012
A Great Read!
I love to read.
I come from a family who likes to read.
My great grandmother (Winnie Haley Carr) used to churn butter with one hand and hold a book in the other! While I haven't churned butter while reading, I have stirred a pot.....
This summer I picked up a copy of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. (This book is the summer reading book for East Carolina University.) It is an extraordinary story of a woman whose cells were taken during a medical procedure without her knowledge in 1951. These cells became known as the Hela cells and became the basis for many medical research advances including the polio vaccine, gene mapping and even cloning.
The science is fascinating. The issues of medical ethics, rascism and family dynamics gave me much to ponder. Sometimes the reading was difficult. Life for Henrietta and that of her family was never easy.
I think the most intriguing aspect of the book is that it appealed to me as a genealogist. Rebecca Skloot used many of the same genealogical research techniques I as genealogist use in order to uncover the story of Henrietta and that of her family. She interviewed experts in the medical field. She interviewed members of Henrietta's family including her extended family. She researched the time and place where Henrietta grew up. She visited the Lack home place in Clover, VA.
She was persistent. Because of her persistence, Henrietta's story is known.
While not a "genealogy" book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks has a place in my genealogy library.
I come from a family who likes to read.
My great grandmother (Winnie Haley Carr) used to churn butter with one hand and hold a book in the other! While I haven't churned butter while reading, I have stirred a pot.....
This summer I picked up a copy of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. (This book is the summer reading book for East Carolina University.) It is an extraordinary story of a woman whose cells were taken during a medical procedure without her knowledge in 1951. These cells became known as the Hela cells and became the basis for many medical research advances including the polio vaccine, gene mapping and even cloning.
The science is fascinating. The issues of medical ethics, rascism and family dynamics gave me much to ponder. Sometimes the reading was difficult. Life for Henrietta and that of her family was never easy.
I think the most intriguing aspect of the book is that it appealed to me as a genealogist. Rebecca Skloot used many of the same genealogical research techniques I as genealogist use in order to uncover the story of Henrietta and that of her family. She interviewed experts in the medical field. She interviewed members of Henrietta's family including her extended family. She researched the time and place where Henrietta grew up. She visited the Lack home place in Clover, VA.
She was persistent. Because of her persistence, Henrietta's story is known.
While not a "genealogy" book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks has a place in my genealogy library.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Travel Tuesday - The National Zoo
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| Tiger, National Zoological Park, Washington, D.C. |
Another popular place visited by my family is the National Zoo in Washington, DC. These vintage postcards are from a vacation in the 1950's, but could just as easily be from today. The National Zoo was a favorite destination for my family a few years ago!
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| Elephant, National Zoological Park, Washington, D.C. |
Friday, July 13, 2012
Accident or Something More Sinister?
Answering a recent query on Ancestry.com has led to some remarkable discoveries in my Elliott family line. My new found information also brought clarity to some of the letters and postcards written to and from Harriett Elliott Richardson - my GG grandmother.
For instance, this letter from Cynthia (Elliott) Barnett of Cluster Springs, VA to her sister Harriett (Elliott) Richardson of Mecklenburg County, VA:
In the 31 Jan 1913 letter Cynthia (she signed her name Sis) tells her sister that "Sam was killed". Cynthia states there are questions surrounding the circumstances of Sam's death and if it was indeed an accident or actually murder. He is buried at Black Walnut Baptist Church and Elie was the only family member able to travel quickly enough to attend.
I had read this letter before, but had no reference point in which to place the people mentioned. After corresponding these past few weeks with a Barnett/Elliott descendant, I can share Cynthia's full story of Sam.
Sam was Sam Barnett of Cluster Springs, VA. He was the husband of Cynthia Elliott and brother-in-law of Harriett Richardson. Sam supposedly died when he was hit by a train and he was found on the train tracks. Suspicions abounded and an inquest was held. One of the questions addressed involved whether Sam was killed at the train tracks by the train or elsewhere and them moved to the train tracks. Sam was a sheriff's deputy who had broken up a number of stills in the county. Apparently that made him a few enemies. John Talbott testified that just prior to the incident he had seen Sam and he was intoxicated, but too much so. Shortly thereafter, John Talbott testified he heard the accident. The inquest proved inconclusive at least in the minds of many. Cynthia was left with no real closure in the incident.
Elie who was the only family to travel to the funeral was Elie Elias Elliott, Cynthia and Harriet's brother. Until now I had thought Elie was a woman and not a man. Lesson learned. One should never make assumptions in genealogy.
Did you notice the name of the person testifying at the inquest - John Talbott? One of my GGG grandfathers.
Was Sam's death the result of an accident or something more sinister? What do you think?
For instance, this letter from Cynthia (Elliott) Barnett of Cluster Springs, VA to her sister Harriett (Elliott) Richardson of Mecklenburg County, VA:
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| First page of letter from Cynthia Barnett to Harriet Richardson |
In the 31 Jan 1913 letter Cynthia (she signed her name Sis) tells her sister that "Sam was killed". Cynthia states there are questions surrounding the circumstances of Sam's death and if it was indeed an accident or actually murder. He is buried at Black Walnut Baptist Church and Elie was the only family member able to travel quickly enough to attend.
I had read this letter before, but had no reference point in which to place the people mentioned. After corresponding these past few weeks with a Barnett/Elliott descendant, I can share Cynthia's full story of Sam.
Sam was Sam Barnett of Cluster Springs, VA. He was the husband of Cynthia Elliott and brother-in-law of Harriett Richardson. Sam supposedly died when he was hit by a train and he was found on the train tracks. Suspicions abounded and an inquest was held. One of the questions addressed involved whether Sam was killed at the train tracks by the train or elsewhere and them moved to the train tracks. Sam was a sheriff's deputy who had broken up a number of stills in the county. Apparently that made him a few enemies. John Talbott testified that just prior to the incident he had seen Sam and he was intoxicated, but too much so. Shortly thereafter, John Talbott testified he heard the accident. The inquest proved inconclusive at least in the minds of many. Cynthia was left with no real closure in the incident.
Elie who was the only family to travel to the funeral was Elie Elias Elliott, Cynthia and Harriet's brother. Until now I had thought Elie was a woman and not a man. Lesson learned. One should never make assumptions in genealogy.
Did you notice the name of the person testifying at the inquest - John Talbott? One of my GGG grandfathers.
Was Sam's death the result of an accident or something more sinister? What do you think?
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Oral History Is So Much Fun!
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| Me (Lisa), Grandmom, and Aunt Nancy |
In search of more family stories led me on another visit to my paternal grandmother. While she may not want me to tell you her age, let's just say she's 90 (cough!) +.
I have interviewed my grandmother a number of times. Each time more memories seem to emerge and new details around old stories come to light.
So, what did I learn?
- Important clues to the possible identities in an "unknown" photograph.
- More about the relationship and close interactions between my Elliott (Barnett) and Talbott ancestors.
- Information and clues about my GG grandfather's (Will Haley's) brother John Haley.
- Young cousins can earn enough money worming tobacco to pay for gas money to go see their first airplane!
- Four generations spending time together is worth all the travel!
As I sort through and evaluate all the new clues I gained, I will keep you updated on my Halifax County, VA ancestors.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Travel Tuesday - Vintage Grandfather Mountain Postcard
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| Mile High Swinging Bridge on Grandfather Mountain- Western North Carolina |
Ahh... the cool of the mountains would be refreshing on these 100 degree summer days!
Friday, July 6, 2012
Did John Seagroves Lie?
Did John Seagroves lie on his Revolutionary War pension application?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
John Seagroves (Seagraves) of Surry County (and Granville County, NC before that) was closely associated with John White of Surry County. (John White was my GGGG grandfather.) A fellow genealogist (Hi, Jack!) and I have found ourselves researching John Seagroves to hopefully learn more about our John White. As often happens, we have found some inconsistencies John Seagroves' story.
In 1818, John Seagroves applied for his Revolutionary War pension. He served in the Revolutionary War for 2 years in the 6th NC Regiment out of Granville County, NC. In his application, John stated that he was essentially destitute and had incurred debts. John stated he was a hatter and unable to perform that work due to an unnamed infirmity.
Here is where things get a little tricky.
1814 - John Seagroves was living in Surry County, NC close to William Tucker.
1817 - John Seagroves applied for a land grant in Surry County, NC of 300 acres adjoining Ezekiel Wilmoth and William Tucker and William Smith on or near Little Fishing River.
1818 - John Seagroves applied for his Revolutionary War pension and testified he was destitute.
1819 (Feb 5) - John was awarded a military pension of $8 per month to be paid in arrears from Sep 1818.
1819 (Dec) - The land grant is issued to John Seagroves. A note on the back indicates John Seagroves paid for the land in full. Unfortunately, the price per acre of land is not listed on the document.
Did John have money hidden away to pay for the land? After all, he testified a year earlier that he was destitute and unable to work.
By Dec of 1819, John would have collected about $144 from his pension. Would this have been enough to take care of his debts and pay for his land as well?
Quite possibly. If this is the case, then John Seagroves did not lie on his pension application. He likely started the land grant process and the pension application process in hopes of obtaining the money to purchase the land.
John Seagroves continued to live on the land until his death on 26 Jan 1833. John Seagroves left his land to John White, my GGGG grandfather.
Maybe.
Maybe not.
John Seagroves (Seagraves) of Surry County (and Granville County, NC before that) was closely associated with John White of Surry County. (John White was my GGGG grandfather.) A fellow genealogist (Hi, Jack!) and I have found ourselves researching John Seagroves to hopefully learn more about our John White. As often happens, we have found some inconsistencies John Seagroves' story.
In 1818, John Seagroves applied for his Revolutionary War pension. He served in the Revolutionary War for 2 years in the 6th NC Regiment out of Granville County, NC. In his application, John stated that he was essentially destitute and had incurred debts. John stated he was a hatter and unable to perform that work due to an unnamed infirmity.
Here is where things get a little tricky.
1814 - John Seagroves was living in Surry County, NC close to William Tucker.
1817 - John Seagroves applied for a land grant in Surry County, NC of 300 acres adjoining Ezekiel Wilmoth and William Tucker and William Smith on or near Little Fishing River.
1818 - John Seagroves applied for his Revolutionary War pension and testified he was destitute.
1819 (Feb 5) - John was awarded a military pension of $8 per month to be paid in arrears from Sep 1818.
1819 (Dec) - The land grant is issued to John Seagroves. A note on the back indicates John Seagroves paid for the land in full. Unfortunately, the price per acre of land is not listed on the document.
Did John have money hidden away to pay for the land? After all, he testified a year earlier that he was destitute and unable to work.
By Dec of 1819, John would have collected about $144 from his pension. Would this have been enough to take care of his debts and pay for his land as well?
Quite possibly. If this is the case, then John Seagroves did not lie on his pension application. He likely started the land grant process and the pension application process in hopes of obtaining the money to purchase the land.
John Seagroves continued to live on the land until his death on 26 Jan 1833. John Seagroves left his land to John White, my GGGG grandfather.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Travel Tuesday - The Great Smoky Mountains
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| Swinging Bridge, Great Smoky Mountains National Park |
These 100 degree days also leave one longing for the cooler temperatures of the NC mountains. The mountains were a popular spot for the vacationers in my family.
The Smoky Mountain National Park straddles the NC and TN border close to Gatlinburg, TN and Cherokee, NC. The Smoky Mountains continues to be a popular vacation spot. With gorgeous scenery, hiking, wildlife viewing,... there is something for everyone.
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| Fairy Cave - Tuckaleechee Caverns - "In The Smokies" |
These postcards are from the 1950's. I love the colors from the older postcards.
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| Stopped for Inspection by Native Black Bears, Great Smoky Mountains National Park |
I have seen a bear in the Smoky National Park, fortunately, not this close. The black bear I saw was up in a tree. Once he started down, all the tourists left!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Who Did Bossy Court?
Last June I ran a series of posts on the many suitors of my great grandmother Esther Lee Richardson titled the Courtship of Esther. Now it is time to give attention to the female interests of Bossy Talbott, the man who eventually won Esther's hand in marriage.
Bossy's lists of girlfriends is, well, short. I only know of three. I do not even know the names off all the young women, but I do have their photographs or letters. These first two young women seemed to want to make sure Bossy had their photographs.
This young woman wrote a note on the back of her photo for someone to "give to BHT". Unfortunately, her name is missing. The photograph is very small and looks to have been cut from a strip of photographs one gets in a photo booth.
This second young woman seems to have cut herself out of a larger photograph. On the back she has written "to BHT with my love". Again, no signature and no identity (and no doubt as to her feelings).
These are the only two "girlfriends" of Bossy's that have come to light in the period from before his marriage to Esther in Nov 1915.
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| Boss Henry "Bossy" Talbott Birth Name: Johnnie Hodias Talbott |
This young woman wrote a note on the back of her photo for someone to "give to BHT". Unfortunately, her name is missing. The photograph is very small and looks to have been cut from a strip of photographs one gets in a photo booth.
This second young woman seems to have cut herself out of a larger photograph. On the back she has written "to BHT with my love". Again, no signature and no identity (and no doubt as to her feelings).
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| To B.H.T. with my love |
These are the only two "girlfriends" of Bossy's that have come to light in the period from before his marriage to Esther in Nov 1915.
After his wife's death in Jan 1923, Bossy never re-married. His granddaughter remembers Bossy saying there would never be another woman like Esther. Bossy did have correspondence with a lady friend around 1930. Several letters have been found among his letters and papers. Her name was Virgie D. In August of 1930, Bossy made plans to meet Virgie at her friend Maude's house on Light St. in South Boston. Virgie expressed her surprise that Bossy has invited her on a date. How long the couple "dated" is not known, but eventually the relationship ran its course. Unfortunately, I have not been able to determine her last name.
Friday, June 22, 2012
More Elliotts Arrive By E-mail
The Genealogy Happy Dance continues!
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| L to R (front) Cynthia Elliott, Campbell Barnett, Samuel Barnett (back) Edward Scott Barnett, Marion Barnett |
More Elliotts have arrived in my inbox! Or in this case, Barnetts.
This is a photograph of Cynthia Elliott (1869-1950) and Samuel Currie Barnett with their children Campbell "Cam" Barnett (b. 23 Nov 1900), Edward Scott Barnett (b. 8 Oct 1887), and Marion Barnett (b. 19 Apr 1893). Both Cynthia and Samuel are buried at the Black Walnut Baptist Church in Cluster Springs, VA. Cynthia is the oldest of two daughters born to Elias Elliott and Panthea Overby. Cynthia is the sister to my GG grandmother Harriet "Hattie" Elliott.
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| Cynthia Elliott (seated) and Harriet Elliott |
The resemblance between the two women is striking. I wonder what their mother looked like.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Elias Arrived By E-Mail
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| Elias Elliott and His Second Wife Susan Wilkerson |
Meet Elias Elliott, my GGG grandfather.
Harriett Ann Elliott was my GG grandmother and the mother of Esther Lee Richardson. Harriett was the fifth child and youngest daughter of Elias Elliott and Panthea Overby. The family lived in the Mecklenburg County and Halifax County areas of Virginia and intermarried with my Talbott line.
I have done only basic research on my Elliott line and most of that research has revolved around Harriet Ann Elliott and the Richardson family. Recently through a query on Ancestry.com, an Elliott cousin and I communicated. Information and photographs were exchanged.
Elias Elliott then arrived in my inbox.
The Genealogy Happy Dance ensued.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Research Updates
I thought I would update my cousins and fellow researchers where I am in my research. I have been a little quiet in posting my research mostly because I am involved in "community" research. In some cases I have "lost" my ancestor's trail and am currently researching all those associated with my ancestor. It is time consuming and tedious at times, but I really like this type of research. I feel like I truly learn how those in a community interacted with each other. Of course, I find a lot of collateral ancestors this way as well. Keep reading. Things should become clearer (I hope.).
Howard Family Line (Wake, Moore, Lee NC Counties): This family line is solid back to James Harward of Wake County and King and Queen County, VA before that. Since K and Q County is a burned county, no records exist from the time that James lived there as as young child in the 1760's. I'm still hoping that records from areas of the country that the family and neighbors migrated to will surface and shed light on the earlier generations in this line. This line will likely need to join a DNA project to determine which Howard/Harward line is ours.
Haley (Halifax and Charlotte Counties, VA): My Haley family research certainly challenges me to find new ways over, around and/or through this genealogical brick wall! My current research takes this family line back to Jesse Haley who was born ~1803 in Virginia - likely in Halifax or Charlotte County. Honestly, I'm stuck when it comes to Jesse. I have turned to researching all those with whom he associated. Interestingly, he did not seem to associate with many other Haleys - at least not in the records. To learn more about Jesse and hopefully his parentage, I am researching William Cardwell (Jesse's friend) and the Brackett Owen family (Jesse's in-laws and possible blood relations.)
There is another aspect to my Haley family research that I am enjoying immensely. Sharing stories and identifying photographs with my Haley cousins gives depth to the stories of our generations past. I never even knew most of these cousins before I started my research.
Isn't that what genealogy is about?
White (Surry, Rockingham, Caswell, Granville Counties): Ahh.....another "brick wall" family. Let's just say that researching a man by the name of John White in North Carolina (or any other state) is not an easy task. Now that that's been said, another White family researcher and I have made and continue to make great strides in tracing this line back. We are confident of this line back to John White who arrived in Surry County, NC sometime in the 1810's or 1820's. We are fairly certain John White is the son of Cagebeth [Cadbreth, Cajabeth] White Rockingham and Granville Counties, NC. Like the Haley family line, the White family line requires researching the associates, neighbors, and even in-laws to get to the next generation back. This is a line of research I will definitely be posting more about this summer.
Howard Family Line (Wake, Moore, Lee NC Counties): This family line is solid back to James Harward of Wake County and King and Queen County, VA before that. Since K and Q County is a burned county, no records exist from the time that James lived there as as young child in the 1760's. I'm still hoping that records from areas of the country that the family and neighbors migrated to will surface and shed light on the earlier generations in this line. This line will likely need to join a DNA project to determine which Howard/Harward line is ours.
Haley (Halifax and Charlotte Counties, VA): My Haley family research certainly challenges me to find new ways over, around and/or through this genealogical brick wall! My current research takes this family line back to Jesse Haley who was born ~1803 in Virginia - likely in Halifax or Charlotte County. Honestly, I'm stuck when it comes to Jesse. I have turned to researching all those with whom he associated. Interestingly, he did not seem to associate with many other Haleys - at least not in the records. To learn more about Jesse and hopefully his parentage, I am researching William Cardwell (Jesse's friend) and the Brackett Owen family (Jesse's in-laws and possible blood relations.)
There is another aspect to my Haley family research that I am enjoying immensely. Sharing stories and identifying photographs with my Haley cousins gives depth to the stories of our generations past. I never even knew most of these cousins before I started my research.
Isn't that what genealogy is about?
White (Surry, Rockingham, Caswell, Granville Counties): Ahh.....another "brick wall" family. Let's just say that researching a man by the name of John White in North Carolina (or any other state) is not an easy task. Now that that's been said, another White family researcher and I have made and continue to make great strides in tracing this line back. We are confident of this line back to John White who arrived in Surry County, NC sometime in the 1810's or 1820's. We are fairly certain John White is the son of Cagebeth [Cadbreth, Cajabeth] White Rockingham and Granville Counties, NC. Like the Haley family line, the White family line requires researching the associates, neighbors, and even in-laws to get to the next generation back. This is a line of research I will definitely be posting more about this summer.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Graduation Season
In the midst of the graduation season, I thought it might be fun to share this...
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| 1935 High School Diploma for Cecil Clara White of Dobson, NC |
....my grandmother's high school diploma!
School certificates and records can provide a lot of family history information. See my post Back To School to learn how I have used school records to "fill in" my ancestors' lives.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Wordless Wednesday - A Long Cold Walk
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| A long cold walk to milk the cows! (Talbott farm on Old Cluster Springs Road) |
Monday, June 11, 2012
How Much Was Jesse's Property Worth?
Jesse Haley died in the summer of 1869. His estate included 79 3/4 acres of land in Halifax County, VA that was sold at auction in 1870 to the highest bidder. His son Stephen C. "Cas" Haley was the highest bidder paying $3.20 per acre or a total of $255.52.
Dick Eastman recently shared a link to S Morgan Friedman's inflation calculator. I decided to see just how much Stephen C Haley paid for his father's land at auction in terms of today's money. (Well, at 2010 which is the latest the inflation calculator goes.)
Stephen C Haley would have paid the equivalent of $54.49 per acre and a total of $4345.58 on the land in 2010. Very interesting!
Dick Eastman recently shared a link to S Morgan Friedman's inflation calculator. I decided to see just how much Stephen C Haley paid for his father's land at auction in terms of today's money. (Well, at 2010 which is the latest the inflation calculator goes.)
Stephen C Haley would have paid the equivalent of $54.49 per acre and a total of $4345.58 on the land in 2010. Very interesting!
Friday, June 8, 2012
Recognize This House?
This photograph of a house was found among numerous Talbott family related photographs. I do not know who lived in the house or what its significance is in our family history.
I am hoping one of you might recognize it. I suspect the house is located in Pittsylvania County or Halifax County, VA. It may have significance to the Talbott, Richardson or Elliott families in these areas.
Or not.
I am open to suggestions or thoughts you might have.
I am hoping one of you might recognize it. I suspect the house is located in Pittsylvania County or Halifax County, VA. It may have significance to the Talbott, Richardson or Elliott families in these areas.
Or not.
I am open to suggestions or thoughts you might have.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Your Ancestor Might Be In My Closet
A researcher recently contacted me after reading about a Farson ancestor on my blog. Nannie Lee Farson was the best friend of my great grandmother Esther Lee Richardson Talbott.
Apparently I have his ancestor in my closet!
I was able to forward him a photo of Esther and Nannie Lee together taken in the late 1910's or early 1920's. I was able to forward letters written in Nannie's own hand that included her original signature. He was able to identify more of the friends and associates listed in the letters, thus, filling in more of Esther's life.
This fun exchange with a fellow researcher got me thinking.
If his ancestor is in my closet, whose closet are my ancestors in?
If you have ancestors in the Virginia counties of Halifax, Pittsylvania and Charlotte, I just might have your ancestors in my closet, too. Esther's letters are often filled with news and location of her friends and cousins. You never know. Yours might be among them.
***I posted about the friendship between my great grandmother Esther Lee Richardson Talbott and Nannie Lee Farson recently.
Apparently I have his ancestor in my closet!
I was able to forward him a photo of Esther and Nannie Lee together taken in the late 1910's or early 1920's. I was able to forward letters written in Nannie's own hand that included her original signature. He was able to identify more of the friends and associates listed in the letters, thus, filling in more of Esther's life.
This fun exchange with a fellow researcher got me thinking.
If his ancestor is in my closet, whose closet are my ancestors in?
If you have ancestors in the Virginia counties of Halifax, Pittsylvania and Charlotte, I just might have your ancestors in my closet, too. Esther's letters are often filled with news and location of her friends and cousins. You never know. Yours might be among them.
***I posted about the friendship between my great grandmother Esther Lee Richardson Talbott and Nannie Lee Farson recently.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
New Feature at Esther's Place
Don't worry. I will continue posting about my genealogy research and adventures here at Are You My Cousin?. (There are plenty of adventures to share.)
Saturday, June 2, 2012
A Mom, A Teen and A Blog
I came across Mission Impossible - Making Genealogy Fun For My Teen recently. As the mother of teens the title most definitely caught my attention.
Michelle of Mission Impossible is documenting her year long journey of finding ways to make her son's family history project more interesting to him. From the National Polka Festival to learn about cultural heritage to planning upcoming oral interviews of family, this mom has her work cut out for her. I'm looking forward to reading more about Michelle's (and her son's) journey.
Michelle of Mission Impossible is documenting her year long journey of finding ways to make her son's family history project more interesting to him. From the National Polka Festival to learn about cultural heritage to planning upcoming oral interviews of family, this mom has her work cut out for her. I'm looking forward to reading more about Michelle's (and her son's) journey.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Friends Are Important
I love this letter dated 31 Oct 1913 and written by Nannie Lee Farson to my great grandmother Esther Lee Richardson. The young women were best friends and corresponded regularly. I learned from the traditional records that Esther's father Daniel T Richardson died in Nov 1912. Shortly after his death, Esther's mother Hattie moved the family from Pittsylvania County, VA closer to her Elliott family in Halifax County, VA. Nannnie and Esther continued their friendship through letters such as the one above. Esther appears to have saved all of them!
Through their letters I have been able to learn things about my great grandmother and her friends that no official records would ever record. First I have learned who Esther's friends were. Knowing who an ancestor's friends and associates were is crucial when researching.
From this letter I learned that Esther enjoyed embroidering - and Nannie did NOT. I have a feeling Nannie would not be happy if she knew people were reading about her "under ware". Nannie referred to Lucie who was actually her sister and friend of Esther's, too. Howard M who is referenced is another friend of theirs. Later letters tell of the girls' sadness at his early death from the measles.
I think what I love about these letters between Esther and her friend is their chattiness. Nannie and Esther were not trying to solve big problems. They were simply young women growing up and recording their daily lives and their thoughts. They were staying in touch. They were staying connected.
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| Esther, Hattie Richardson, Nannie L Farson |
Friday, May 25, 2012
Ancestors or Friends?
This is another unidentified photograph from my collection. This photograph was among my great grandmother Esther Lee (Richardson) Talbott's things and likely was taken in the early 1900's in the Pittsylvania County or Halifax County, Va area. (Don't you just love the women's dresses!) The woman on the left has been identified in other photographs as "Nannie". The only problem is that I have another Nannie in my database.
Is this Nannie Lee Farson, best friend of Esther Lee's or Nannie Womack who becomes the sister-in-law of Esther Lee? Who are the other two people? The eyes of the young man look so familiar. Could he be one of my Richardson family members?
As you can see, I need your help in identifying these individuals.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Wordless Wednesday - Cute Baby
This is one of my unknown photographs that I believe the cousins can help me identify. I think I know who the child is, but I am not quite sure. I also do not want to say quite yet, so I do not bias anyone with the answer. The writing on the back of the photograph says: This was made at the age of one year and 18 days. Nov 19, 1909 Further down written in pen (yikes!) and in a different handwriting: Not any of Silas and Winnie children. That tells me this is a Haley child and not one of my grandmother's siblings.
Any one know the identity of this child?
Oops! Again, I cannot seem to be "wordless" on Wordless Wednesdays.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
I Am So Excited!
I just listened to the newest episode of Genealogy Gems podcast by Lisa Louise Cooke. I posted here about meeting Lisa recently at the NGS conference in Cincinnati. Listening to the Genealogy Gems podcast really inspired me to start my blog.
When I met Lisa, she interviewed me about my blogging experience. Guess what! That interview is on the latest episode of the podcast. How exciting is that?! Just in case you are wondering, that is my Haley family line that I was referring to in the interview.
So, click on over to Genealogy Gems and listen to Lisa's podcast. There is a great interview with Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Also, pick up a few gems on using apps for the ipad.
When I met Lisa, she interviewed me about my blogging experience. Guess what! That interview is on the latest episode of the podcast. How exciting is that?! Just in case you are wondering, that is my Haley family line that I was referring to in the interview.
So, click on over to Genealogy Gems and listen to Lisa's podcast. There is a great interview with Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Also, pick up a few gems on using apps for the ipad.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Searching For One Thing Turned Up Another
When I first started researching genealogy, I was the fortunate recipient of boxes of family history material. The bulk of the items were from my Talbott and Richardson family lines and in these boxes I found photographs, postcards, deeds, WWII ration cards, dried flowers, etc. These boxes held the genealogical version of a jackpot. I'm still finding things I didn't know I had.
I pulled the boxes out again last week. I was looking for one thing and found Reuben Richardson's math assignment for correspondence school. The 7 page assignment is dated Sep 1916.
Reuben Richardson was the brother of Esther Lee Richardson Talbott and the oldest son of Daniel and Harriet (Elliott) Richardson of Pittsylvania and Halifax Counties, VA. He was born in 27 Dec 1827 and died in WWI 19 Apr 1918 at the age of 20 - about a year and a half after he completed this assignment.
Not much is know about Reuben and his short life. From the address on the envelope, Reuben was living at 1401 N. Charles in Baltimore, Maryland in 1916. He appears to have been a good student of math. No answer is marked wrong and on the last page, "very good" is written in red. Apparently his spelling wasn't so good. Notice the red correction in his spelling of "Arithmetic"? A bonus find is Reuben's signature at the top of each page. I learned another thin about Reuben. He had great handwriting! That is certainly not a trait that got passed down to me.
Enjoy a glimpse into the life of Reuben!
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| Reuben Richardson's Math Assignment |
Reuben Richardson was the brother of Esther Lee Richardson Talbott and the oldest son of Daniel and Harriet (Elliott) Richardson of Pittsylvania and Halifax Counties, VA. He was born in 27 Dec 1827 and died in WWI 19 Apr 1918 at the age of 20 - about a year and a half after he completed this assignment.
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| Reuben Richardson |
Enjoy a glimpse into the life of Reuben!
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Why I Am Researching William Cardwell
I am very fortunate to have been able to attend three NGS conferences in the past few years. These have been great opportunities to improve my research skills. As I have listened to the experts lecture, one theme that repeatedly comes to mind. When you hit a brick wall, research your ancestor's associates. ALL the associates - neighbors, collateral ancestors, anyone who appears as a witness in a record, etc. Our ancestors did not live in a vacuum. They worked and lived in a community. They interacted with people other than just their immediate family.
William Cardwell was just such an associate of Jesse Haley (1803-1869). Remember Jesse - my GGGG grandfather? His parentage is one of my "brick walls". I have exhausted the search of the records for Jesse Haley. (Sometimes I think space aliens just dropped him off.)
William Cardwell is listed as a witness on the marriage registration of Jesse Haley and Temperance Owen in 1826 in Halifax County, VA. Three other men are listed: Brackett Owen (father of Temperance), Staple Owen (uncle of Temperance), and Armistead Owen (brother of Temperance). What was William's relationship to the couple. Was William a relative or just a friend of the bride and/or groom?
The initial phase of my research did not turn up the nature of the relationship of William Cardwell to Jesse and/or Temperance. I do believe this William may be the William Cardwell born about 1800 and lived in Charlotte County, VA for much, if not all, of his life. There is also evidence that Cardwells lived in Halifax County along Terrible Creek and Difficult Creek. This is not that far from where the Sterling Haley family lived on Buckskin Creek. This area is also not far from the Halifax/Charlotte County line where both Haley and Cardwell families lived.
So, it turns out I am researching a community. I'm learning who interacted with whom and where they lived. Already I know more about the family names and the geography of the area than I knew when I was researching the single name of Haley.
Breaking through Jesse Haley's brick wall will be a long search. The search into William Cardwell may not provide the answers I want. But that's okay. Jesse had other associates. If William doesn't provide the answers, I will move to the next associate on the list.
William Cardwell was just such an associate of Jesse Haley (1803-1869). Remember Jesse - my GGGG grandfather? His parentage is one of my "brick walls". I have exhausted the search of the records for Jesse Haley. (Sometimes I think space aliens just dropped him off.)
William Cardwell is listed as a witness on the marriage registration of Jesse Haley and Temperance Owen in 1826 in Halifax County, VA. Three other men are listed: Brackett Owen (father of Temperance), Staple Owen (uncle of Temperance), and Armistead Owen (brother of Temperance). What was William's relationship to the couple. Was William a relative or just a friend of the bride and/or groom?
The initial phase of my research did not turn up the nature of the relationship of William Cardwell to Jesse and/or Temperance. I do believe this William may be the William Cardwell born about 1800 and lived in Charlotte County, VA for much, if not all, of his life. There is also evidence that Cardwells lived in Halifax County along Terrible Creek and Difficult Creek. This is not that far from where the Sterling Haley family lived on Buckskin Creek. This area is also not far from the Halifax/Charlotte County line where both Haley and Cardwell families lived.
So, it turns out I am researching a community. I'm learning who interacted with whom and where they lived. Already I know more about the family names and the geography of the area than I knew when I was researching the single name of Haley.
Breaking through Jesse Haley's brick wall will be a long search. The search into William Cardwell may not provide the answers I want. But that's okay. Jesse had other associates. If William doesn't provide the answers, I will move to the next associate on the list.
Monday, May 14, 2012
NGS Wrap Up
Today I thought I would share some of the things I learned this week at the NGS conference. I confess the list is a bit random, but after four days of intensive genealogy.... I think you get the picture.
- Pack light.
- Come with a plan and objectives.
- Attend sessions about geographic areas that are new to you. I attended a session on Kentucky research. Many families from VA and NC migrated to Kentucky. I never know when I might end up tracing a line to Kentucky. (This was one of my favorite sessions.)
- Kentucky had a star on both the confederate flag and the union flag.
- Wear comfortable shoes.
- Talk to the people sitting next to you. I met great people and made new genealogy friends this week.
- Practice what you learn while the information is fresh on your mind.
- Don't be afraid to ask questions. Genealogists are very approachable and love to share their knowledge.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
NGS - Day Four
The final day.
I started the day with an early session on using creative non-fiction to enhance genealogic writing. I picked up techniques and tips to make my genealogy write-ups more interesting to the reader. In other words, I picked up tips on writing so my family actually reads about our ancestors.
Another session on evaluating genealogy sources and their value rounded out my morning. I took time for some research and then prepared to head home. I confess sleeping in my own bed sounded very good. Fortunately no fire works (after the Reds' baseball game) to wake me up.
I started the day with an early session on using creative non-fiction to enhance genealogic writing. I picked up techniques and tips to make my genealogy write-ups more interesting to the reader. In other words, I picked up tips on writing so my family actually reads about our ancestors.
Another session on evaluating genealogy sources and their value rounded out my morning. I took time for some research and then prepared to head home. I confess sleeping in my own bed sounded very good. Fortunately no fire works (after the Reds' baseball game) to wake me up.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
NGS - Day Three
I started off my morning attending Angela McGhie's session on newspaper research. Angela did a fantastic job of presenting how to use newspapers in your research and how to find those newspapers. I confess I do not use the newspapers as a resource nearly as much as I should. I have a recent subscription to GenealogyBank.com and plan to spend some focused research time there in the near future.
Next up, I attended Barbara Vines Little's session on chancery records. As with her lecture on Tuesday, I came away with renewed confidence in being able to search out my ancestors in the chancery records of Virginia and understand what the documents are telling me. (Actually, I skipped an afternoon session in order to be able to do a little research in this area while things were still fresh on my mind.)
A session on proving/disproving family myths, lunch with a new genealogy friend and research kept me busy during the early afternoon. Then back to the conference for another session and browsing time in the exhibit hall. While I was there, I did some indexing of the 1940 census. I then enjoyed catching up with my ProGen mentor Claire Bettag. At last it was back to my room for more research time.
Another great day at NGS!
Next up, I attended Barbara Vines Little's session on chancery records. As with her lecture on Tuesday, I came away with renewed confidence in being able to search out my ancestors in the chancery records of Virginia and understand what the documents are telling me. (Actually, I skipped an afternoon session in order to be able to do a little research in this area while things were still fresh on my mind.)
A session on proving/disproving family myths, lunch with a new genealogy friend and research kept me busy during the early afternoon. Then back to the conference for another session and browsing time in the exhibit hall. While I was there, I did some indexing of the 1940 census. I then enjoyed catching up with my ProGen mentor Claire Bettag. At last it was back to my room for more research time.
Another great day at NGS!
Friday, May 11, 2012
NGS - Day Two
I started off my Thursday morning attending a excellent session on Kentucky research presented by Don Richmyer of the Kentucky Historical Society. I know what you are thinking. I do not do Kentucky research. No, I do not have have direct ancestor lines in Kentucky, but I (we) do have collateral Talbott and Owen lines who migrated there. There are also many surnames that are found in the border counties of southwestern Kentucky and northwestern Tennesee that are in Halifax County, Virginia as well.
Oral history in the Talbott family refers to Kentucky cousins. One tradition reports that John B Talbott (my GGG grandfather) visited family there prior to the Civil War. Supposedly John brought back the pistol that he would later use in the Civil War.
My great grandfather Bossy Talbott has some type of connection to Kentucky. Among his papers I have discovered correspondence with a legal firm in Kentucky.
After attending Don's session, I am interested in re-visiting the family's oral history and Bossy's connection to Kentucky.
I attended lectures in the afternoon by Tom Jones on Inferential Genealogy and Barbara Vines Little on finding the law that pertained to your ancestor in a particular time. Both were excellent lectures that gave me a lot to think about. I need to re-visit a couple of those brick walls in my family tree. I might just have a couple of fresh ideas.
I went to dinner with three new genealogy friends. (Yes, we did talk genealogy the whole time and no one's eyes glazed over!) After that we were off to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. The NURFC deserves a post all its own. This is a fabulous museum and one that is a must-see if you visit the Cincinnati area. I'd love to go back and spend more time.
That's day two in a nutshell. I'm looking forward to what day three brings.
Oral history in the Talbott family refers to Kentucky cousins. One tradition reports that John B Talbott (my GGG grandfather) visited family there prior to the Civil War. Supposedly John brought back the pistol that he would later use in the Civil War.
My great grandfather Bossy Talbott has some type of connection to Kentucky. Among his papers I have discovered correspondence with a legal firm in Kentucky.
After attending Don's session, I am interested in re-visiting the family's oral history and Bossy's connection to Kentucky.
I attended lectures in the afternoon by Tom Jones on Inferential Genealogy and Barbara Vines Little on finding the law that pertained to your ancestor in a particular time. Both were excellent lectures that gave me a lot to think about. I need to re-visit a couple of those brick walls in my family tree. I might just have a couple of fresh ideas.
I went to dinner with three new genealogy friends. (Yes, we did talk genealogy the whole time and no one's eyes glazed over!) After that we were off to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. The NURFC deserves a post all its own. This is a fabulous museum and one that is a must-see if you visit the Cincinnati area. I'd love to go back and spend more time.
That's day two in a nutshell. I'm looking forward to what day three brings.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
NGS - Day One
My first day actually started Tuesday night with a blogger dinner hosted by FamilySearch.org. I met new blogger friends, and I encourage you to stop by their blogs:
- Karen's Chatt by Karen Bennett
- GeneaJulia by Julia Langel
- Karen's Genealogy Oasis by Karen Blackmore
- The Passionate Genealogist by Ruth Blair
Here are a few things I learned about Family Search:
- Family Search has 530 million + images online.
- They have 1.7 billion indexed records.
- 30% of the image indexing for the 1940 census has been completed in 37 days.
- The 1940 census indexing project is just a small piece of the indexing projects that Family Search has ongoing. VOLUNTEERS are needed.
On Wednesday morning, I attended the opening ceremony which included a presentation on the 1848 Cincinnati daguerreotype panorama by Patricia Moseley Van Skaik of the Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. The discoveries in the details of the photograph are absolutely amazing. This topic deserves a post of its own, so look for one in the future.
The exhibit hall opened and look who I met!
That's me with Lisa Louise Cooke of the Genealogy Gems Podcast. I started blogging after listening to her podcasts series. Lisa gave great advice and Are You My Cousin is now three years old. Thanks, Lisa!
I'm off to a new session, but I'll report on more later.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Leaving on a Jet Plane......
I will be attending the National Genealogy Conference in Cincinnati this week. I am so excited! I will be posting this week about my experiences and the people I meet.
Monday, May 7, 2012
New Items in the Shop!
Two new items have been added to Esther's Place! You can now order heritage inspired necklaces and key chains made with one inch glass tiles. They make great gifts (even for yourself!). Be sure and check out the other items in Esther's Place.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Cousins To The Rescue!
Anita Talbott, Betty Compton, Kathleen Owen, Nancy Talbott, Edna Adams, Daisy Nichols, Dorothy Haley,Eunice Owen, Winnie Carr, Mattie Mason and Carrie Owen
My Haley cousins have come to the rescue to help identify all the women in this photograph taken at a Haley family reunion. The date is estimated to be about 1946. This date is based on other photographs that were take the same day and also, the age of the little girl in the picture.
Researchers and cousins, here is a list of how each woman fits into the William and Clara Haley family of Charlotte County, VA.
- Anita Talbott - daughter of Winnie Haley Carr; granddaughter of Will and Clara Haley
- Betty Compton - daughter of Mattie Mason; granddaughter of Will and Clara Haley
- Kathleen Owen - Burton Owen's wife; daughter-in-law to Carrie Haley Owen
- Edna Adams - mother of Dorothy Adams Haley
- Nancy Talbott - daughter of Anita Talbott
- Daisy Nichols - daughter of Will and Clara Haley
- Dorothy Haley - wife of Clyde Haley
- Eunice Owen - wife of Tollie Owen
- Winnie Carr - daughter of Will and Clara Haley
- Carrie Owen - daughter of Will and Clara Haley
It is great to have everyone identified!
Monday, April 30, 2012
A Prom Dress, Sewing Machines and Family History
I found myself last week needing to alter a prom dress. I do know how to sew, but it is not something I do very often. When I do sew, I tend to stick to simple projects with straight seams. I actually feel more comfortable with hand sewing, but this project required taking in the bodice of dress. For that I needed the sewing machine.
This was my mother's sewing machine acquired in the early 1960's. No programmable stitching features here. It usually sits in a very nice cabinet. I needed more space and better lighting for this project, so I took it out of the cabinet for this project. Fixing the bodice of the dress was a breeze (much to my relief!) To fix the hem of the dress I went looking for the instruction book since I needed to use a special foot.
Look what I found in the drawer:
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It was published in 1958-that's before I was born!
Below is my grandmother's (Cecile White Howard) sewing machine. It is a White rotary sewing machine and still works, though it definitely needs servicing. It sits in a beautiful cabinet.
Sewing was definitely a large part of my female ancestors' lives. Mostly out of necessity, I am sure. Sewing skills were also a source of pride. Though my great grandmothers Esther Richardson Talbott and Mattie Maddox Howard both as young mothers in the 1920's, oral history tells me they were very talented seamstresses.
While I may not sew with the skills of my great grandmothers, the prom dress alterations turned out great.
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