Oral History Is So Much Fun!

Me (Lisa), Grandmom, and Aunt Nancy

Oral history is so much fun to collect. Stories about people and clues to your ancestors can be gleaned that are cannot be found in the "official" records.

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.

Travel Tuesday - Vintage Grandfather Mountain Postcard

Mile High Swinging Bridge on
Grandfather Mountain-
Western North Carolina

This vintage postcard from the 1950's depicts the mile high swinging bridge on Grandfather Mountain in western North Carolina.  It is till a popular tourist attraction today.

Ahh... the cool of the mountains would be refreshing on these 100 degree summer days!

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.

Happy 4th Of July!

Happy 4th Of July!!!!!

Travel Tuesday - The Great Smoky Mountains

Swinging Bridge, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Summer is here.  The 100+ degree temperatures leave no doubt about the season of year.  Besides warmer temperatures, summer also ushers in the season of vacations.  Just where did my ancestors and family members vacation?  Turns out they went a lot of places and collected a lot of postcards. (Lucky me!)

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.

Fairy Cave - Tuckaleechee Caverns - "In The Smokies"

These postcards are from the 1950's.  I love the colors from the older postcards.

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!  

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.

Boss Henry "Bossy" Talbott
Birth Name: Johnnie Hodias Talbott

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).

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.

More Elliotts Arrive By E-mail

The Genealogy Happy Dance continues!

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.

Cynthia Elliott (seated) and Harriet Elliott

The resemblance between the two women is striking.  I wonder what their mother looked like.