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.

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.

Esther, Hattie Richardson, Nannie L Farson

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'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.

Reuben Richardson

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!

Impressions

Do you ever get specific impressions of  what your ancestors were like as people?  What their personalities were like?  Were they generally happy people?  Were they honorable? Were sorrow and pain a constant companion?

I get a lot of my impressions about my ancestors from the photographs they left behind.  I think we all do.  I expect that's the reason for the saying  "a picture speaks a thousand words".

That's a picture of my great grandmother Esther Richardson (left), her mother Hattie Elliott Richardson (center) and Esther's best friend Nannie Lee Farson (right).  As in this photo, Esther is almost always smiling in her photographs.  I believe she was generally a very happy person.

This is a portrait of my great-great grandmother Joanna White, wife of Thomas Jefferson White. This is the only photograph I have seen of Joanna and I know little of her life other than the basics. (Don't worry White family cousins, Joanna is high on my list of upcoming research projects.) She looks so stern and has a worried look in her eyes.  Is this how she saw life in general?  Was worry a constant companion?  Perhaps or perhaps not.  She could have been up with a sick child the night before her portrait was taken.

This is a photograph of Martha Jane (Lett) Maddox obviously taken in her later years.  She was only in her mid-60's when this photograph was taken.  My initial impression of her in this photograph is that she was a stern, no nonsense type of woman who lived a hard life.  That may be true to a degree.  She certainly knew the sorrow of losing a spouse and children during her lifetime.  But this is a case where my impression of her just from the photograph is likely not an accurate portrayal.  From her grandson's journal I learned Martha Jane was a woman who taught a young boy how to fish.  Fishing became a life long hobby for my grandfather. From an interview an elderly cousin, I learned how much Martha Jane loved her grandchildren.  It was only her poor health that prevented her from taking in her daughter Mattie's young children when Mattie died.

Here you have a few of my thoughts for a Thursday morning.  I'm off to try to see how the facts support (or not) my impressions of other ancestors.

Boss and Esther Talbott

After their marriage in November 1915, Boss and Esther made their home in Jeffress, Mecklenburg, Virginia.  Prior to their marriage, Boss lived and worked there on the family farm.  Letters addressed to Boss and Esther after their marriage indicate they lived in Jeffress during the early years of their marriage. 

Their first child Arthur Crafton Talbott was born 27 Nov 1916 in the Bluestone District of Mecklenburg County.  In a newsy letter to Esther dated 12 Dec 1916 from her long time friend Nannie Lee Farson, Nannie referred to Esther as having taken many trips during the past summer (i.e. the summer of 1916).  No indication of Esther’s destinations was given; however, I wonder where an expecting mother traveled to in 1916?  Perhaps to visit family?*

                    

Few letters remain in Esther’s collection from 1916 to the early 1920’s.  During this time Boss and Esther added three more children to their family.  Virginia “Ruth” was born in Jeffress 21 May 1918.  Elma Lee and Garnet Rueben were born in the Black Walnut District of Halifax County (South Boston area) 15 Sep 1920 and 28 Jul 1922 respectively.  Life was busy and I expect left little time for letter writing.

By 1920 Boss and Esther were living near South Boston in the Black Walnut District of Halifax County, VA.  The 1920 census shows that the family lived with Boss’s father Joe Merritt on the South Boston and Black Walnut Road.  The census also indicates that Joe Merritt Talbott owned his farm.  Boss is listed under the same dwelling number, but is renting under a family unit number different than that of his father. (Boss’s brother Otey [Otis Major Talbott] is listed as renting under a different family unit number as well.) It appears that Otey, Boss and their families were living and farming on their parents’ farm.

In 1921 a letter from Rosa Talbott (Boss’s mother) to Esther and Boss, referred to the family’s upcoming move.  In a letter from Esther to her mother Hattie Richardson in Dec 1921, Esther reported that the family had moved and “nothing broke”.  Esther also reported that Aunt Bettie [Bettie Talbott Elliott] and Nannie [It is unclear which Nannie.] helped Esther and Boss with their move.  Later that day they took the children into town to see Santa Claus.  Given that Boss and Esther lived close to his parents as indicated by the 1920 census, I expect Boss and Esther were moving into their own home but still in the South Boston area.  Further research to determine if Boss bought his own farm is warranted.

Esther’s last letter was written Christmas 1922 to her mother.  There is some question whether this letter was ever sent. She described their day, and what the children received for Christmas.  The girls got a doll with hair to brush and Crafton got a cap pistol. Garnett was still a baby and was referenced in regards to “working on a bottle”.  Her letter gave the details of family’s life and interactions with the extended family. There was no indication that Esther was feeling unwell, but less than two weeks after this letter was written, Esther died from influenza.  She left behind Boss and four young children.  She was buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery in South Boston, VA.

Boss never re-married after Esther’s death.  The family reports that Boss always stated that Esther was the one and only love of his life.  He raised his children with the help of his parents and extended family.  His mother-in-law helped as well by having the children visit with her at times.

I hope you have enjoyed the story of Esther from her courtship through marriage and motherhood.  Esther is no longer a mystery woman in my research.  She managed to tell her own story quite well.

* This letter was written a couple of weeks after the birth of Esther’s first child, my grandfather.  Interestingly, Nannie Lee does not refer to the birth or even pending birth of this child. Likely she had not heard about the baby’s birth as of yet.  Was it even proper in the 1910’s to refer to a pregnancy in a letter?

A Charming Bride

Richardson-Talbott Wedding Announcement

With her marriage to Boss Talbott on 21 Nov 1915, Esther's courtship came to a happy end.  The marriage announcement above was printed in the Halifax Gazette.  She and Boss married in the the parlor of the The Manse of South Boston.  It is possible the Manse referred to in the announcement above was the colonial house known as Green's Folly located about 2 miles from Halifax, VA.  (Among its various ownerships and functions over many years, Green's Folly was a country club during this time period. It was sold in 1918 to again become a private residence.)

Otey Talbott and Myrtle Talbott were siblings of Boss and served as wedding attendants.  Myrtle was also a friend of Esther's as evidenced by their correspondence through letters and postcards in Esther's collection.  Edward and Annie Steube were brother and sister.  Their stepmother was Geneva Talbott Steube, Boss's aunt. Though not related by blood, they were likely considered cousins.

Did you spot the mistake in Esther's mother's name?  The marriage announcement listed Esther's mother as Addie Richardson instead of Hattie Richardson.  It appears the announcement  may have been written by someone who did not know the family well.  Another possibility for the error was simply a typographical error.

Esther and Boss began their married life on his farm in Jeffress, VA.  Throughout her marriage, Esther continued to correspond with her family and friends, though a little less frequently.  Her busy life as a young farm wife and then mother would have made it difficult to write often.

The story of Esther's courtship has ended, but I still have the letters she wrote and that she received after her marriage.  Her correspondence continues to tell her story and I look forward to learning about Esther's life in her new role.

The Courtship of Esther, Part 6

Boss (Bossy) Henry Talbott



Boss Henry "Bossy" Talbott



Today you will meet Esther's final suitor and my great grandfather, Boss Henry Talbott.  (Bossy to his family and friends.) I find his story the hardest to write, perhaps because I know it the best.  His letters and postcards seem to show a man who was different than the rest.  His words were not flowery or eloquent. He did not proclaim his love on the front of a postcard for all to see.  I suppose he was more quiet in his declarations, less "out there" in today's terminology. His letters and postcards proved to be the most difficult of all to read.  He spelled his words phonetically and his handwriting was not the best.  Bossy also tended to write in pencil (a dull pencil!), and the passage of 90+ years has not been kind to the writing.  Regardless, his feelings came through the grammatical mistakes and poor penmanship.  He wrote more letters than postcards.  Perhaps he had more to share with Esther than could fit on a postcard.  Perhaps it was the privacy of the sealed envelope he preferred.



Dear.......Yours rec just a few days ago and was very glad to heare frome you and to heare that you were enjoying your self just fine.........




Boss Talbott's signature

 Above is the first page of a six page letter Boss sent to Esther in May of 1914.  I believe this may have been one of the earliest letters of this type he sent to her.  It was not unusual in his letters for Boss to address Esther as simply "Dear".  I find that rather, well, endearing. 

Unlike many of her other suitors, Bossy was not a "city boy".  He grew up in Mecklenburg and Halifax Counties,Va.  He was the son of a farmer Joseph M. Talbott and his wife Rosa Bowen. (His real name was Johnnie Hodies Talbott.  No one is quite sure why he changed his name or when. He was using the name Boss as of 1914.) Bossy was their second child born 15 Dec 1886.  He was a farmer and worked on the family farm until he was able to have his own. Even then he lived next door to his parents.

How did Bossy and Esther meet?

I have no direct evidence of their first meeting.  I can only put together the clues taken the letters of Esther, her mother Hattie, her cousins and the federal census records to come up with possibilities.  In Nov 1912, Esther's father Daniel T Richardson died.  In the January of 1913, letters between Esther and her friend Nannie Lee Farson indicate that Esther's mother Harriet moved the family to News Ferry, Halifax, VA.  Census records for 1910 and 1920 show Harriet's brothers (and Esther's uncles) C. R. Elliott and John Elliott were in the same vacinity of Halifax County. (C. R. died in 1915.)  It appears that Harriet moved her children and herself to be closer to her family. 

If one backs up in the census records to 1900, C. R. Elliott and his family including his son William F Elliott was living next door to the family of Joseph M Talbott including his son Bossy (Johnnie).  It can also be noted that C. R.'s wife Bettie was Bossy's sister Sarah Elizabeth "Bettie" Talbott.   Obviously the Talbotts and Elliotts had close family ties from the time Boss and Esther were very small children. Possibly Esther and Boss met as children or as young teens while visiting relatives or attending a community event.  It is impossible to know for sure.

How they met is perhaps not as important as the fact they did meet and a courtship took place.  A letter to Esther from her sister Katie alluded to the fact that Esther and Boss initially kept their engagement a secret!  No reason was given and the wedding was itself not a suprise.  I do think the Esther and Boss's wedding broke a few young men's hearts!

The story of Esther's courtship is complete, but her story is not.  A new chapter is starting, and I hope you will continue to follow Esther's story in coming posts.

The Courtship of Esther, Part 5

William F. Elliott

William F. Elliott was perhaps Esther's suitor who endured the longest.  The earliest postcard from William, known as Will,  is dated 1912 and he continued to correspond with her until late1914. Will's story is a little different from the other suitors' stories.  Most of his correspondence came while he was stationed around the country serving in the military. Will generally sent Esther two types of cards.  The first type being the view card which depicted a scene or building from the location he was in.  (This is the type of card often sent today of a place visited such as the Empire State building in New York or the Grand Canyon in Arizona.)  The second type of card Will sent to Esther expressed his thoughts and intentions as a suitor.  It's hard to mistake Will's intention when he sent the cards below.



Postcard from WFE postmarked Ft. McPherson, Atlanta, GA



Postcard from WFE postmarked San Antonio, TX


Now here's where the story gets interesting.

Will Elliott was the son of C. R. Elliott and Eudore Ware.  He was the stepson of Sarah "Bettie" (Talbott). Elliott.  C. R. and Esther's mother Harriett were brother and sister.  That made Will and Esther first cousins.  That gave me pause as I considered the fact.  While this would not occur in today's society, marrying a cousin this close was still a possibility a hundred years ago. 

Will was born 1 in October 1883 and was 13 years Esther's senior. Enlistment records show he enlisted in the military in 1904.  A re-enlistment document was also found for 1910 to include a service period of 3 years. From his military enlistment documents, Will can be described as having had medium brown hair, blue eyes and a fair complexion.  He was 5'7" in height.  Esther received postcards from Fort McPherson in Atlanta, GA, Fort Slocum in New York, and Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX. His military discharge records indicated Will's service record was "very good".

Will's personality comes out in his postcards and letters to Esther. He appeared proud of his military career, often signing his postcards W.F. Elliott  Sergeant Co.A 17th Inf. Family also appeared important to him.  Will frequently asks about other cousins or Esther's father D. T. Richardson and mother Harriett. [D. T. Richardson died in Nov 1913.]  He also frequently referred to having received Esther's own letters indicating this likely was not a one sided courtship. How often Esther and Will saw each other is not known. He was obviously away from home for a number of years while serving in the military.  Perhaps their courtship was mostly by the written word.  Regardless of the nature of their courtship, Will and Esther's courtship came to an end sometime in 1914. Will went on to marry Florence Satterfield and continued to serve in the military through WWI.  He passed away in Durham, NC and is buried in the Elliott Family Cemetery in Keeling, VA.

Like the other suitors, Will proved not to be the ONE.  You'll meet him in the next post.....

The Courtship of Esther, Part 4

Going to the mailbox must have been an adventure for Esther. Did she look forward to it? Anticipate whose letter she might receive? Did she go with some trepidation? Anxious over whose card she might (or might not) receive?  Did she worry that her younger siblings would read her postcards?  Postcards put thoughts and messages out to the public.  The answers to these questions will never be known.  One can only speculate as to the real answers.

In 1913 and 1914 the postcards from Esther's suitors just kept coming.  Esther was 17-18 years old.  In all, Esther had over a dozen suitors writing to her.  The ones highlighted here sent 2-3 postcards each to Esther.  Not a lot is known about these young men.  In some cases, not even their real identity is known.

WJH sent this card to Esther in January 1913, lamenting about not being able to see her at Christmas time.  He hoped to see her soon and told her to be "good as ever".  From the picture on the card, there is no doubt in his intention to woe Esther.  I do not know the identity of WJH.  He only signed with his initials.  On none of his postcards does he sign his full name; however his postcards are postmarked South Boston, VA.

This card was sent from Willie Meadows of the Ringgold, VA area.  Willie is another suitor lamenting a missed opporutnity to see Esther.  In this case, Willie missed taking Esther to a picnic.  Perhaps he sent the card to make sure she knew he was still interested.

There was no question about the message this suitor was sending in February 1914.  NWC was yet another suitor who missed an opportunity to see Esther at a local fair.  "Let's Get Married" was a bold sentiment to send.  Was he really proposing or just making reassuring Esther of his intentions as a suitor?  Esther only saved a few cards from NWC indicating he may have been more interested in her than she in him.  I wonder what she wrote back to him.

None of these young men proved to the ONE for Esther.  He was quietly in the background.....

The Courtship of Esther, Part 3

Howard Roberts

Howard Roberts proved to be one of Esther’s most ardent admirers. He wrote her frequently, sending her postcards and letters. He felt slighted when she didn’t write back. He lost sleep when she asked him not to write anymore. It would appear he lost out on Esther’s affections to Boss Talbott…but I am getting ahead of the story.

Can you make out the writing on the bottom right hand side? It says: Gee! I wish I had a girl.

Howard’s first card in Esther’s collection is postmarked March 1912. His last letter to her is dated Feb 1914. For two years he corresponded with Esther. As Esther’s suitor Ira Satterfield did, Howard also signed his cards in code. His code was 8 12 18. Once I “cracked the code”, I discovered that Howard wrote more frequently than initially thought. How often they actually saw each other, I do not know. Mostly Howard wrote about the weather and who of their mutual friends he had seen. He seemed to let the picture on the postcard speak to his true feelings.

By the spring of 1913, Howard was writing longer letters. His letters often started with the line: I take the gratest of pleasur in writeing you a fue lines to let you here from me.

How sweet! You won’t find lines like that on Facebook and Twitter! On March 16, 1913 Howard wrote “I ben looking at your picture wishing I could see you.” and “I ben staying at home every Sunday since you ben gone.” Finally he declares in feelings, “Esther you is the only girl I ever cred [cared] any thing for.” Unfortunately, he is not sure she feels the same way.

Just who is Howard Roberts? Howard Lee Roberts was born 27 Sep 1894 and was the son of Jacob and Elizabeth Roberts of Dan River, Pittsylvania, VA. He likely lived in the Kentuck area as several of his postcards feature Kentuck, VA. Kentuck is also the area where some of Esther’s Richardson family resided. As with previous suitors, I used his WWI and WWII draft cards to learn that he had blue eyes, brown hair and a ruddy complexion. He was 5’6” tall. By the 1920 census, Howard is married to Mattie, a woman ten years his senior.

Howard's last letter to Esther is in February 1914.  He laments not being able to see her since she is now seeing that Mr. Tolbert [Talbott].  Obviously, Howard was not THE ONE either.

The Courtship of Esther, Part 2

In 1913 Ira Satterfield took a fancy to 17 year old Esther Richardson. He wrote a number of postcards to Esther and one of the interesting things that came to light is that he signed the cards in code. By comparing the handwriting on his signed card with the cards signed in his signature code, I was able to determine which of the postcards Esther saved were sent from Ira.

The code turns out to be a simple substitution pattern where each letter of the alphabet is given a number. For example: A=1, B=2, C=3…… Ira signed his cards 9 3 19. I = 9, C = 3. S= S. 9 3 19 = Ira C Satterfield. Ira even had a code for Esther: 5 12 18 (ELR).

On the front of the postcard below, Ira has written : (It is a little difficult to see in this photo.)

9.13.19          (I.C. S)

+                  +

5.12.18           (E.L.R)

Bye, Bye                    

Amore                        

It would also appear Ira may have been student of Latin. He signed one of the cards Vale which translates “farewell”. On the opposite side of the card he added Vale me amori (Farewell my love). I cannot be certain of his Latin skills, but Ira’s sentiment comes through clearly.

I turned to the records at Ancestry.com to learn more about this young man who appeared so infatuated with my great grandmother. Just who was Ira Satterfield? According to the 1900 U. S. census, Ira was the son of Ed and Mary E Satterfield of Birch Creek, Halifax, VA. He was born on 6 Oct 1893 and at the time he was writing to Esther he was about 19 years old. He lived in Vernon Hill, Halifax County, VA not far from News Ferry where Esther lived. According to his WWI draft card, Ira claimed a physical disability of “one weak eye”. His WWII draft card provided his physical description. He was 5’5” with brown eyes and hair and a dark complexion. Dark and handsome, maybe. But tall, not really.

I was unable to determine how Ira and Esther met. Perhaps they met through a mutual acquaintance or through one of Esther’s cousins. Ira’s cousin Florence Satterfield eventually became the wife of Esther’s cousin William F Elliott. (Esther and Will were first cousins and very close over the years.) Ira also knew Esther’s brother Rueben who he mentions in one of his letters. I will never know what caused Ira to drop from Esther’s favor as a suitor. Perhaps she dropped from his favor. The postcards only cover a few months time. Regardless, Ira Satterfield proved not to be THE ONE.

The Courtship of Esther

Esther L Richardson

My great grandmother had her choice of suitors. Would it be Howard, Luther, or Willie? Would it be William, or Roddie or Ira? Would it be the mysterious NWC or the ever popular “Guess Who”. The answer is “none of the above.” Though declaring their intentions and sometimes love in letters and postcards, Esther chose another. She chose Boss.

I set out recently to get to know my great grandmother Esther Lee Richardson (21 Nov 1896 – 5 Jan 1923). Her parents were Daniel T Richardson and Harriet Elliott. She grew up in Pittsylvania and Halifax Counties, Virginia. I have always known her name and vital statistics. I grew up hearing the story of her death from influenza at the age of 27. But my study of her this time was different. I wanted to know her. I wanted to know her beyond the basic vital statistics.

There is no one left that remembers Esther. My source of information about her came from the large collection of postcards and letters she received and sent. The earliest postcard is postmarked 1901 and the series continued up until her death in 1923. The collection passed through several family members before coming to me. I spent a weekend organizing and reading each postcard and letter.

Reading each postcard, I stepped further into Esther’s world. I entered the world of an early 1900’s teenager. In a time before cell phones, facebook and twitter, Esther managed to stay every bit as connected as her great-great grandchildren do with their friends today. I kept a list of every sender and of each person mentioned in the postcards and letter. As expected I found cousins, aunts, and uncles mentioned. I also discovered that Esther was very popular with the boys. She had about a dozen suitors declaring their intentions between 1911 and 1915 until her engagement. I am not sure what surprised me more: the fact that she had that many suitors or the fact that she kept all their letters after she was married! (Of course, that means that her husband kept them with her things after she died. Hmmmm……I wonder if he read them.)

Who were these suitors?

Willie W.

Willie W sent Esther several cards between 1911 and 1912. I have not been able to fully identify Willie, but I do have a few clues. Willie’s cards were postmarked from News Ferry, VA. News Ferry is located in Halifax County and the area where Esther’s Elliott relatives resided. Perhaps Willie was someone she met while on a visit. Mostly Willie asks about the weather. He does write in one card about having the “hoping cought” [whooping cough] and that he is looking forward to seeing her when he is well again. I love what he wrote to her in Oct 1911:

When you are sitting all alone and thinking of the past,

Remember that you have a friend as long as life shall last.

Willie W



1911 Postcard from Willie W

 Follow the story of Esther’s suitors in upcoming posts.

It's Not What You Think

Chatham, VA., Sept 24, 1912

D. T. Richardson,
Ringgold, VA

Dear Sir,

Please let me know when you can pay me the balance on the J H Mills execution which I paid for you last spring. The balance due amts to $15.08. Please let me hear from you by return mail and oblige.

Yours very truly
J A Heodwell Dpty Sheriff
Chatham, VA


As you can imagine, this document referring to an execution caused quite a bit of interest and speculation ( and concern) when found. This document was among papers that once belonged to my great aunt Elma Talbott Solomon, daughter of Esther Lee Richardson and Boss Henry Talbott. D. T. (Daniel Thomas) Richardson was Esther Lee’s father.

In this instance, execution is a legal term referring to “the carrying into effect of a sentence or judgment of a court” (Black’s Law Dictionary, 2nd edition, 1910). This letter would indicate there was a judgment between D T Richardson and J H Mills. Hopefully a search of Pittsylvania County court records will turn up the nature of the suit and settlement. The Richardson family lived in Pittsylvania County, VA and a search of www.ancestry.com turned up a J H Mills also living and working as a farm laborer in Pittsylvania County. No other connection between the two men has been found (yet).

Postcard of Kentuck, VA

Here is another postcard from the collection of my great grandmother Esther Lee Richardson.  Kentuck, VA is located in Pittsylvania County, VA northeast of Danville.  Kentuck is also just north of Ringgold, VA. Kentuck is a small community even today.  I find it interesting that it had its own postcard back in 1913.

Alas, this is another unsigned postcard. Esther seemed to get a lot of those. Looking at the front of the card on the bottom right, it says "Gee I wish I had a girl".  That makes me wonder if the card is from an admirer.  If so, which one?  Her future husand, Bossy Talbott?  I can't say for sure.

Advent Calendar - Christmas Cards

I thought I would share some of the Christmas cards my ancestors sent. All three postcards were sent to my great grandmother Esther Lee Richardson. The card above was sent to her from her cousin Atwood Gosney. The postmark is not readable, however, it would does date prior to Christmas 1915.


The second card was sent to Esther by J. H. The sender may have been her husband-to-be Bossy Talbott. Bossy was born Johnnie Hodias Talbott. No one in the family is quite sure when he decided to change his name to Boss Henry.

This last postcard was sent to Esther in 1914and is simply signed "Your friend".

Amanuensis Monday Reuben Richardson

This week's letter is a real gem in the correspondance collection of my great grandmother Esther Lee Richardson. It is a letter to Esther from her brother Reuben Richardson. It was written in May 1915 when Reuben (1897-1918) was about 18 years old and working in Ashville, NC. I do not know a lot about Reuben. He died in WWI, 3 years after this letter was written. His handwriting is not quite as easy to read as his sister's, but I have endeavored to transcribe his words as he wrote them.

Reuben Richardson

(1897-1918)

Ashville, NC

May 1915

Dear Sister,

I received your letter all _____ and real glad to hear from you'll, but sorry to hear that Uncle Mitt [?] is so bad off, but I hope that he is much better now. I got a letter from Atwood also today and he said that he had been sick also, but was feeling much better when he wrote. You asked me about my boarding place. I have got one of the swellest places in town with a lady name Scott her husband is here, and also and three daughters. All young too about 16, 18, and twenty I guess I can't tell and also two other young ladies and one man and two married ladies and myself that is the bunch I like just fine so far. The Dr is not going keep me in I don't guess. I have been helping Sumpter on his elevator enough to make all my expenses except board I don't work regular. I have made $3.60 since I cam and I guess I will make a right smart more I get $1.20 a day when I help and don't go to work until 8 o'clock and stop at 4.30 and 30 min for dinner. I feel a little bit better tonight than usual I feel just that I want to do something real _______ and if I was at home I guess I would. I was supprised to hear of Mr Hupp's wedding, but am glad. Tell Uncle Mitt I can sertainly sympathize with him and hope that he will soon be well, and feel better after this. Say write me what are you'll doing and all about crop affairs you know that I am anxious to know what is going on Give my love to Mamma and all of the little one and tell Katie (Howdy).

By By

Your loving Brother

Reuben


Reuben mentions several names in the his letter and all are related to him. Atwood is Atwood Gosney (b 1888), son of Thomas Gosney and Amanda Sarah "Sallie" Richardson and first cousin to Reuben and Esther Lee. Sumpter is Sumpter Adams (b 1891), son of Thomas Adams and Julia Richardson and another first cousin. Katie is Reuben and Esther's younger sister. This is the first time I have heard of an Uncle Mitt. I'm not sure who he referring to here.

Wordless Wednesday Rueben Richardson

Rueben James Richardson

Son of Daniel and Hattie Richardson

1897-1918

Nannie Lee Farson - Maybe?

This is the photo mentioned in yesterday's post. Hattie (Harriet) Elliott Richardson is standing in back. Esther Richardson is sitting on the left. Based on other photos I have, I believe that is Nannie Lee Farson on the right. There is no date on the photo, however, Nannie is wearing a wedding band on her left hand. The two women look to be participating in one of their favorite pastimes: letter writing!

Amanuensis Monday

I am participating in a new blogging theme sponsored by Geneabloggers.com. An amanuensis is a person who writes what another person dictates or copies what someone else has written. I will use the Amanuensis Monday theme to transcribe documents and letters from my family history collection. I hope you will join me on Mondays as I share more about my ancestors through their own words.

What follows is a letter dated 31 Oct 1913 sent to Miss Esther Richardson of News Ferry, VA. The envelope is postmarked from Ringgold, VA where Esther lived prior to moving to News Ferry, VA.

Oct 31, 1913
Friday Morning

Esther, I thought Lucie was going to write some, but she is very busy sewing now for Mrs. Wall's little girl.

You spoke of doing so much enbording, you must like it better than I do, for I worked my under skirt this fall. I don't want any more work on hand in a long time, so you know that finished my suit of underware. I have a brown silk waist to make. I don't know how to make it.

Howard M was down here last night. You must write and tell me about your beans. Lucie says tell you she certainly do want to see you. So come soon.

N. L. F.

I believe that N. L. F. was Esther's friend Nannie Lee Farson of Ringgold. Interestingly, I received a photo recently with three women in it: Esther Richardson, Hattie Richardson [Esther's mother], and a third woman I believe was Nannie Lee Farson.

The Howard and Lucie that are mentioned in the letter are mentioned in other letters of Esther's that I have. I am unsure if they are cousins or just good friends. Esther had plenty of both! I have a plethora of letters and photos of Esther's that I continue to sort (and re-sort) as I untangle the Pittsylvania and Halifax County family lines.

Readers, if there are any of you who research in the Pittsylvania County, VA area, I would love to hear from you.

Photo Identified

I had a wonderful visit with my paternal grandmother this weekend. She told me more family stories and helped identify the above photo. The woman in front is Harriet Elliott Richardson (1871-1932) of Pittsylvania County, VA. She was the wife of Daniel Thomas Richardson (1858-1912) and mother of Esther Lee Richardson (1896-1923).

The identity of the woman behind Harriett remains uncertain. There is a strong family resemblance and I wonder if she is Harriett's only sister Cynthia Elliott. I have not researched the Elliott family extensively, but some day soon, I need to look closer at this family.