Hello to All of My Readers

Hello to All of My Readers,

I haven’t been actively writing posts for my blog for quite some time.  My last post was in February 2017.  My research has not revealed a great deal more about my West ancestors, and I haven’t had much to share.

Furthermore, I apologize for not responding to your comments. I have not been getting notifications via email that many of you have commented in my blog.  I’m amazed at all of the comments that I need to address and will respond to them as soon as possible.

I have started some Facebook Groups.  It seems that in today’s world Facebook offers a user-friendly platform that encourages conversation.  One of my groups is “West Descendants of Alexander West, b c1730.”  Not only is it open to descendants of my Alexander West but also to those who descend from his father John West who was married first to Mary Madden and second to Eleanor Massey.  It is a closed group and requires that one ask to join.

If you descend from John West and Mary Madden or Eleanor Massey and wish to join, search for “West Descendants of Alexander West, b c1730” and ask to join.

Thanks for your concerns.  I just live a busy life keeping up with four Facebook groups and serving as Registrar of my DAR chapter.  I have missed writing the blog and hope to get back soon.  First of all, I need to catch up on my correspondence with many of you.

 

Facebook Group: Descendants of Alexander West, b c1730

Hello Blog Readers,

I have created a Facebook group, Descendants of Alexander West, b c 1730, for those of us who descend from him to engage in dialogue about our common ancestor, Alexander West.  If you descend from Alexander West, we would like to have you join our group.  Also, if you descend from John West (c1691-c1780) and Mary Madden (c1704-aft 1748), who MAY have been the parents of our Alexander, or if you descend from John West and his second wife, Eleanor Massey (1738-1831), we welcome your participation.  Solomon West (1726-1830) who married Isabella Boyd (1735-1785) and Isaac West (1745-1814) who married Susanna Anderson (1747-1810) MAY have been sons of John West and Mary Madden and brothers of our Alexander.

By working together, perhaps, we can solve some of the mysteries surrounding our early ancestors and establish cyber relationships with new cousins.

If you wish to join the Facebook group, please go to the site and request an invitation.  If the site will allow you to do so, please identify your earliest known common male West ancestor when you request membership in the group.

I look forward to seeing many of you on the West Descendants Facebook page! 

Facebook Link to West Descendants of Alexander West, b c1730:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/858629907508615/

The Long, Dry Spell

Yes, it has been a long dry spell.   Since my last posting on February 6, 2013, I have often thought about you, my readers, and have felt guilty not writing.  In reality, I have had nothing new or significance to write.  Regrettably, I have not broken the brick wall regarding my 5^th great grandfather, Alexander West I and have probably resigned to the fact that I may never find him.

In the meantime, I will continue to write about my West family when I have new information and will expand my topics to include my collateral West ancestors, the Lands, McNeils, Barlows, Carltons, and others.  As you have likely noticed in previous postings, I have already done this to some extent.

 

Recently, three of us Carlton descendants have formed an e-mail group sharing information about our Carlton lineage.  Yvonne and I met on-line when I saw her query in the Wilkes Genealogical Bulletin and contacted her.  She and I are 5^th Carlton cousins as proved by the paper trail.  I was able to introduce her to Ann.

Ann, my genetic match, and I are probably 5^th or 6^th cousins through three Carlton lines.  In one of the three lines, we know that both of us descend from John Carlton.  I descend from his 2^nd wife Catharine Livingston and Ann from his 1^st wife, Mary Land.  In a second lineage, both of us descend from Thomas Carlton’s parents, John Carlton and Elizabeth Wallace.  Then I descend from their son, Thomas, and his wife, Mary Land, and she from their son, William Lewis Carlton, and his wife, Elizabeth Eve.  Of course, I am related to Mary Land through my 2^nd great grandmother, Nancy E. Land.  Therefore, in the Land lineage, both of us have the common ancestors of Thomas Land and Ann Sumter (Sumpter).  From them I descend through their son, Jonathan Land and his wife, Elizabeth Isbell, and she through their daughter, Mary Land, and husband Thomas Carlton.  Things do get complicated!

Ann and I began our communication quite some time ago after we discovered that we were genetic matches.  Thus far, because she is uncertain of the degree of the relationship she shares with one of her great grandfathers and the fact that we have not compared her Land lineage with mine, we have been unable to determine our exact cousinship in these three lines.

What else have I been doing the past five months?  I have been working on my maternal lines of Hughes, Hoilman, Honeycutt, and Canipe from the North Carolina counties of Yancey and Mitchell.  In addition, I completed some work on my paternal grandmother’s family, the McQueens and Morelands of Johnson and Washington counties in Tennessee.  And now, a burning desire is telling me to start another blog about my Yancey and Mitchell ancestors.

I am amazed at the interest that this blog has created since I started it on June 30, 2011.  As of today, the count of “hits” is over 10,368.  As in the past, I want to hear from you.  I will NOT publish any comments from readers that include an e-mail address.  If you wish to correspond with me through e-mail, please keep that in mind.  Your readership is inspiring.  Thank you.

Happy New Year, 2013

May I take this opportunity to wish all of my readers and cousins a Happy New Year!  The past year of 2012 has been a busy one for me.  In addition to researching on the computer and at our local libraries, I have engaged in the following activities:

·        been in contact with many of my DNA matches and those of my sister and  have discovered a number of new cousins

·        attended a genealogical conference in Wytheville, Virginia

·        researched for several days in Greenville and Columbia, South Carolina, looking for my 4^th great grandfather, John West

·        met for the first time my Nevada 5^th cousin and DNA match, Scherry, from the Hughes side of my family

·        celebrated my 50^th wedding anniversary

·        attended the McQueen reunion in Johnson City, Tennessee, where I met many cousins from my Grandmother Ada McQueen West’s family

·        visited Cumberland Gap on the Tennessee-Kentucky border where many early settlers seeking a better life crossed over into Kentucky through “the gap” which was blazed by Daniel Boone and his ax men

·        visited the Tipton-Haynes Historical Site in Johnson City, Tennessee, where I discovered my connection with the Tipton family

·        spent a day with Anne, a Tipton 4^th cousin 1R

·        visited Mountain City, Tennessee, where my McQueen and Moreland ancestors lived, and researched at the county library

·        researched two days with 5^th cousin Scherry in Bakersville, Mitchell County, North Carolina, where our Hughes ancestors had lived

·        attended the Christmas celebration at the Carter Mansion in Elizabethton, Tennessee, where I became acquainted with a docent, Linda, who turned out to be my 6^th cousin descending from George McNeil and Mary Coats

For the New Year, I have a “bucket list” of ancestral places I want to revisit – Wilkes, Avery, Yancey, and Mitchell counties of North Carolina, and Johnson County, Tennessee, and new destinations I want to explore in Virginia – Grayson County, Winchester, and Leesburg.  Also, I resolve to work on my computer files and those 8 boxes of paper files sitting on the floor of my study.

Other New Year’s wishes are that I may discover many more “cousins” and have more contact with my blog readers.

Many thanks to those of you who follow this blog.  May you have a happy, healthy, and blessed New Year.  And, please, let me hear from you!

Welcome Followers

I obviously have many followers whom I greatly appreciate.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of my followers and those followers who have “signed on” as followers of this blog.  Recently, a new follower, who signed on with his name, has joined us. 

Thanks Howard for becoming a follower of The Wests of Wilkes.  After I reviewed your profile and family lineage, I discovered that we are 5^th cousins with our most recent common ancestors (MRCAs) being Jonathan Land and Elizabeth Isbell.  I look forward to hearing more from you.

In addition, a few months ago, Ron Tipton, my 3^rd cousin from my mother’s family—Tipton, Honeycutt, Hughes—signed on as a follower.  Ron’s blog, Tipton Tales and Trails, depicts many of my ancestors from my maternal line.  Thanks, Ron!

Again, anytime anyone wishes to add a comment or include an e-mail address and does not want the comment or e-mail to be published (made public), please indicate that in the comment.  I will not publish those comments that a reader wishes to remain private.  

Followers, I look forward to hearing from you! 

First Anniversary of The Wests of Wilkes

Yesterday, June 30, 2012, marked the first anniversary of this blog, The Wests of Wilkes.  One year ago on that date, I embarked on this literary (?) journey in order to share my findings about my West family and preserve that information for posterity.  Albeit, some of the information may change over time as new data and facts are discovered.

Thanks to you, my readers, who take the time to share this journey and thanks for the comments that some of you have contributed.  As of today, the statistics indicate that I have four followers (those who have registered as followers) and have had 3,056 “hits” over this past year.  This figure indicates that many more people than just my four followers are accessing and/or reading the blog.   By countries, the breakdown of those “hits” is as follows:  United States, 2,390; Russia, 105; United Kingdom, 72; Netherlands, 69; Germany, 57; Ukraine, 41; France, 28; Japan, 27; Latvia, 21; and India, 15.

Again, thank you, for your interest and your readership.  I continue to solicit your comments, additional information, corrections, and specific areas of interest.

Follow by E-Mail

I do understand how intimidating it is to reply publicly in a blog.  Therefore, I have taken advantage of a newly incorporated “gadget” which provides my readers with the option of contacting me through e-mail.  If you would like to comment privately, please use the link, “Follow by Email,” just under “Followers” at the bottom of the right column.  Click on “Submit” and send me an e-mail. If you do not already have a free Google account, you will need to establish one in order to e-mail me.  When I receive your e-mail, I will reply to you in a private e-mail.  Neither of these e-mails will appear in the blog.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Happy New Year!

I wish each of my readers a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!  Also, I wish to thank you for your support.   Today my “hits” reached 1205 with my readership spanning the United States, the Netherlands, Russia, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, Latvia, France, Israel, and Hungary. 

By far, the most popular post has been “The Mingo and Tuscarora Indians” with “The Confusion” taking second place.  After these two, other popular ones have been “The Tuscarora Ranch: A New Beginning for the Ancestral Land,” “The Cemetery,” and “Migration Routes and Their Effects on Settlements.”  

Apparently, the posts about the Mingo and Tuscarora Indians, the Tuscarora Ranch, and migration routes have had an appeal to non-family members who are specifically interested in these topics.   “The Confusion”  that describes the reasons for my position that my West family did not descend from Governor John West of Jamestown, Colonel John West of Accomack, or John, the Indian, West, may have attracted researchers who are interested in those genealogies.  “The Cemetery” has appealed to my West, McNeil, Barlow, Land, and Carlton cousins.   I hope that these posts have been interesting and informative for all readers.  Hopefully, “cousins” and other followers will find something of interest in The Wests of Wilkes during the coming year.

My New Year’s wish is to hear from you!  I don’t know who most of you are!  Thanks to those of you who have sent e-mails.  I would appreciate any comments, corrections, and additional information that you may have.

Readers, I Need Your Help!

Hello Readers, I know that you are “out” there and appreciate your interest!  Since I began this blog on June 30, I have posted 30 previous entries and, as of this date, have had 698 “hits.”  I am amazed at and thankful for the number of readers.  I also understand that some “hits” may have been accidental or from some who realized the blog did not address their interests and did not return as readers. 

I have had only two comments thus far, one of which was received yesterday, October 30.  Please let me hear from you.  You may wish to make a correction, add additional information, or suggest a topic for a post.  In addition, any reflective or personal thoughts will be greatly appreciated.  You may even want to tell me that I am too wordy and long-winded!

I understand that you may not feel comfortable commenting in a public forum.  However, comments are not posted publicly until I read and publish them.  If you prefer that I not publish your comment you may indicate that in the comment box.  Also, your name will not be provided in your comment unless you are a registered follower or include your name with your comment.

Many of you have my personal e-mail address, and may comment using that medium if you prefer.

Again, I DO look forward to hearing from you and thank you so much for your interest in and support of my endeavor to share the information that I am learning about my West ancestors.  Most likely, my ancestors are many of your ancestors, too!

New Information Added to Sept. 1, 2011, Post

As frequently occurs in research, new information is discovered which lends new “light” to the story.  This past weekend I attended a genealogy workshop.  As I was examining some Wilkes County land abstract books that were for sale at the event, I discovered evidence of another land grant which John Balus West had received in 1835.  The grant was for 100 acres on the Yadkin River.  During my next visit to the court house in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, I plan to locate and copy this land grant.  I have added this additional information to the 4^th paragraph of the post, “The West Patriarch:  3^rd in a Series, John Balus West.” 

Revisions, Additions, Etc., to My Posts

I am constantly discovering new information that I would like to add to previous posts or changes or corrections that I need to make in them.  Therefore, in order to keep you, my readers/followers, up-to-date and informed of these changes, I will post a note such as this to let you know of any changes I have made in previous posts.

This week I added another “Alexander” to the lists of those charted in my August 16, 2011, post, “Using Naming Patterns as a Discovery Tool.”

Also, with the upgrades being made to blogger.com, the comment box was temporarily omitted.  I noticed today that the box has been reinstated.  Please use it to add your comments concerning my posts.  If you would rather not “go public” with your comments, please e-mail them to me.  Most of you who are following this blog have my personal e-mail address.  I look forward to hearing from you. 

Let's Communicate

Thanks to those of you who have checked out this blog.  As of today, I have about 100 hits, but, of course, I don’t know by whom.  I really would like to hear from you either by your posting a comment on the blog or e-mailing me directly.  Most of you probably have my personal e-mail address since I have corresponded with many of you.  I want the blog to be a venue for conversation and communication among the many of us who are descendants of Alexander West I or among those who are just interested.

Your comment may be positive or negative; I am open-minded and receptive to either.  You may have additional information, corrections, or an interesting story.  You may have questions about some of the content and would like further clarification. You may suggest another avenue for exploration through research.  Let me hear from you!   Thanks.

Why did I want to start blogging about my West family?

I have been intensely researching my West family for about two years.  I have public family trees with Ancestry.com and participate in many message boards.  In addition, I have made many helpful contacts through e-mail and correspond periodically with these on-line friends.  Not surprisingly, most of them are “cousins.”

I have reached such a “brick wall” that I cannot proceed any further back into the West family history without much assistance.  Many people use social networks to make ancestral/genealogical contacts, but I, preferring a more formal, less newsy medium, am not a social network person.  A blog just seems right for my purposes; I can still write informally about my highs and lows as I research with the benefit of having others offer suggestions, comments, and corrections.  I will NOT be relating what I am doing at a given time or my plans for the weekend!   Of course, I hope to make many new blogging acquaintances, friends, and relatives with similar interests.  Perhaps, together, we can solve the mysteries surrounding Alexander West I and his son, John West.

How did I become interested in genealogy and, in particular, the West family?

I have always been interested in genealogy but never had time for it until I retired.  However, my retirement in 2005 brought added responsibilities as I became the care-giver for both of my parents who were suffering with Alzheimer’s disease.  When both of my parents died of that dreaded disease, within four days of each other in June 2007, I suddenly felt the need to recapture my family even if it were through genealogy.

Initially, I planned to research all eight lineages—the Wests, the McNeils, the McQueens, the Morelands, the Hugheses, the Honeycutts, the Hoilmans, and the Canipes.  What a task!  Gradually, because I knew so little about the West family, I became drawn to them with a desire to learn all I could about them.  So, here I am, totally engrossed in the study and research of the West ancestors of Thomas Harvey West.  Once I "capture" this family, I’m sure that I will move on to the next one.