Activity For a Hot Summer Day

I have six rolls of microfilm to review and it is 100 degrees (literally) outside and humid as only the south can be. Mmmmm......wonder what I'll be doing today.

Wordless Wednesday

Katie Richardson holding nephew

1901-1993

Pittsylvania County, VA

More Hats

These are two more of my grandmother's hats found when cleaning out her house. I've had fun looking back at the old styles when women still wore hats. I wonder if the women who wore this type of hat were glad they went out of style or wish they would come back into fashion.

A Howard (Or is it Harward?) Update

I had recently taken a little time off from researching my Howard/Harward line. It was not an intentional break, but rather one born of simply not knowing where to look next. Fortunately the break was not for long. As usual, those Howard/Harward ancestors again are trying to point the way.

Over the 4th of July weekend Footnote.com opened up their Revolutionary War records up for free viewing. Like many I am sure, I took advantage of this opportunity. I already had a copy of the pension application for my ancestor James Harward. However, Footnote seemed to have additional pages from his pension file. I downloaded the pages and begin to read again James' file. That's when a found it. I am sure I have read it before. Others have I know. But this time it stood out. James' stated in his testimony that he was born in 1761 in King and Queen County, VA and moved to NC when he was about 6 or 7 years old. He also stated that he lived in the same neighborhood for about 70 years. [That neighborhood was on Panther Creek near the Wake/Chatham County lines.]

I put this new information together with what I know from the family Bible and a land record of William Howard (father of James) buying land in Orange County, NC (now Wake County) in 1767. I am now a few years further back in time and beginning research in the "burned" King and Queen County, VA. I look forward to the challenges that await.

Wordless Wednesday

Another unidentified individual from Halifax/Pittsylvania County, VA. He is probably a Richardson or Elliott relation.

Tombstone Tuesday Field Stone Markers

These are two field stone markers located in the Pleasant Grove Christian Church cemetery in Halifax County, VA. They are located close to the graves of Sarah Elizabeth Talbott and her son-in-law C R Elliott. According to the cemetery directory, it is not known who graves these stones mark. I found these particularly interesting. They were the first field stone markers I had actually come across.

A Little Haley Update

For all those Haley cousins out there, I thought I would update my research status on this family. Using census records (both population and agricultural) and a transcription of his father-in-law's (Brackett Owen's) will I have traced my Haley line back to Jesse R Haley of Halifax County, VA in 1826. Jesse Haley married Temperance Owen in Halifax County, VA in 1826. I believe they may have been living with family in the 1830 and 1840 censuses as Jesse does not show up as the Head of Household in either of these census records.

I found Jesse and Temperance Haley listed in the deed index records for Halifax County, VA. I am waiting for the microfilm order to arrive from the FHL. I also am waiting for the tax records for Halifax County to arrive through ILL from the Library of VA. I am hopeful these records will shed light on Jesse Haley and our line.

One of the things I have wondered about is Jesse's name. Records frequently use a middle initial: Jesse R Haley. I have noticed in this Haley family line that often the middle name is the name by which a person was called, but the given name was used in the records. For example, his son Stephen C went by Case ("Kas"), his son Alexander R went by Robert, and his grandson George William went by William/Will. I've wondered if I am having trouble finding Jesse because he used a middle name at times. What could that R have stood for: Robert, Richard.........?

I will update more on the Haleys once I receive the land and tax records.

Wordless Wednesday Fur Hat

Grandmom's Hat

Tombstone Tuesday Geneva Talbott Steube

Geneva T. Steube

Sept. 18, 1872

Aug. 5, 1956

Geneva Talbott was the youngest daughter of John B and Sarah (Owen) Talbott of Halifax Co, VA. Geneva was the second wife of George Ernest Steube. She is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery in South Boston, VA.

Happy Fourth of July!

I hope this post finds everyone enjoying a lovely 4th of July. I celebrated by visiting the 4th of July activities at the Joel Lane house in Wake County, NC. Tours of the house with knowledgeable docents and activities outside for the children made for a fun time. While I have ancestors who were living in Wake County during the same time period as the Lane family, I have no ancestral connections to the Lane family. However, because I research Wake County genealogy, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about life in the county during the late 1700's.

The Joel Lane Museum House dates back to about 1770. The original house now sits about a block from its original location. Land provided by Joel Lane became the new capital city of NC when the capital was moved from New Bern, NC. It is for this reason that Joel Lane is often referred to as "the father of Raleigh". You can find more on Joel Lane at the museum's website.