Stony Fork Report

For a birthday present, I opted for a trip to Wilkes County, North Carolina. We started out at 7:30 the morning of June 10 for the 2 ½ hour drive to Wilkesboro, North Carolina.  My focus for this research trip was on the Tripletts and Fergusons.  I was, also, happy to find some West information along the way. After spending about 4 hours searching through deeds and wills in the Wilkes County Court House, we made our way to Stony Fork.

Mt. Zion Adventist
Church Cemetery

Needless to say, the beauty and serenity of the area remains the same. Our first stop was at the cemetery often called the Triplett Cemetery but was apparently known as the Mt. Zion Adventist Church Cemetery where Franklin West and his wife Cynthia Holder are buried.  Franklin was the brother of my 2nd great grandfather, Alexander Balus West.  I hoped to find the graves of my 3rd great grandparents, John Balus West and Mary Ann Swanson in this cemetery.  Since his son and daughter-in-law, Franklin and Cynthia Holder West, are buried there, it seemed logical that I would.   However, I could not find a marker with their names among the many small, unmarked fieldstones.  I still believe that John Balus and Mary Ann are buried near Franklin and Cynthia beneath one of those unmarked fieldstones.  Thus far, the location of their burial is unknown.

While we were meandering among the tombstones and fieldstones, a lovely, sweet lady, Marie, came from her home, which is behind the cemetery, and talked with us.  I gained significant information from Marie. 

Marie and her husband, who died in the 1970s, purchased the property and built their home on it at some earlier time.  Since the cemetery is on the front part of her property, she later purchased it from a man named Jordan who told her the land where they both lived had been Carlton property.

Possibly the Old Carlton Home

The Carltons were my ancestors.  Charlotte “Lottie” Carlton (b 1814) and Braxton Barlow (1812-1880) were my 3^rd great grandparents. Charlotte’s parents, Thomas Carlton (1756-1844) and Catherine Livingston (1778-1837), were my 4^th great grandparents.   At this point in time, I don’t know which Carlton family would have been the last owner of the property and the family from whom the man named Jordan purchased it.  However, this information confirms the fact that the Carltons lived “down the road” east of the Land and West families.

Marie said that the church, the Mt. Zion Adventist Church, had burned years ago, and the congregation moved “down the road.”  The building had stood in front of where her home is located.  When my cousin, Joanne, and I were there a few years ago, we speculated that it may have been in the clearing to the left of Marie’s house.  Marie indicated that baptisms occurred, as Joanne and I surmised, in the creek which is on the property.   Marie said that Mt. Zion Baptist Church on Mt. Zion Road, currently maintains the cemetery.

According to Marie, at one time a now-deceased resident of the community knew who was buried beneath every tombstone, including those unmarked fieldstones.  Unfortunately, he never made a record of these graves before he died.  How sad.

Marie told the story of the death of a Charlie Albert West who is buried in the cemetery.  This event happened in 1920 before she moved to the property.  Charlie, who was about 15 at the time, was going hunting with one of the Carlton sons.  As Charlie was coming across the field on the Carlton property to meet him, the Carlton boy mistook him for an animal and accidently shot and killed Charlie.  The tombstone indicates that Charlie was the son of M. L. West and V. A. West.

We greatly enjoyed meeting and talking with Marie.  She said that many people come from “all over” to visit the well-kept cemetery.  I asked if I could take her picture, but she declined indicating that she was not presentable.  She had a bucket of pea shells that she was taking across the road to give to the cattle, who, she said, really enjoyed them.

Mt. Zion Baptist Church
and Cemetery

After our pleasant visit with Marie, we drove west “on down the road” to the Mt. Zion Baptist Church Cemetery where we spent some time revisiting those graves.  Not many of my ancestors or relatives are buried there. 

While at this cemetery, we had the opportunity to talk with Chris who was spraying weeds in the church parking lot.  Chris recalled that the George Wellborn family had lived in the house that we believe to be the old West home.  He said that the house burned sometime in the 1960s.  Again, his memories reinforce the idea that the location of this home across from the old Mt. Zion Post Office was where my great grandparents, Thomas Harvey West and America Ann McNeil, lived for many years prior to their removal to Banner Elk about 1902 or 1903.  Also, I think that the home may have been that of Alexander Balus West and Nancy Land, my 2^nd great grandparents.  Alexander Balus West was killed in the Third Battle of Winchester of the Civil War, in 1864.  Nancy Land West lived with Thomas Harvey and America McNeil West and moved with them to Banner Elk were she died in 1903.

When we came to the Thomas Land Family plot, which is on the property owned by the Mingo Tribal

Thomas Land Family Plot

Preservation Trust, we found the cemetery to be in no better condition and possibly worse condition than it had been in 2011.  The weeds are so high and thick that it would be impossible for anyone to enter it and find tombstones.  The split-rail fence continues to deteriorate and fall.  Likewise, the Tuscarora Ranch does not appear to be operational.  I was amused that the few cattle that were in the barn came out to inspect “their intruders” and lined up in a row in their corral staring at us as we got into our car to leave.  Even though the grounds and fields were well-maintained, the ranch appears to be mostly abandoned and in disrepair with much of the fencing deteriorating and in need of paint. 

View of Tuscarora Ranch

I continue to have concerns about the future of this small plot of graves.  I certainly hope that it will not be bull-dozed and obliterated.  In order to try to guarantee its preservation, in September 2012, I registered it with the North Carolina Cemetery Survey Project which is part of the North Carolina Division of Archives and History.  In March 2012, I received acknowledgement from an archivist at the North Carolina State Archives indicating that my information about the Thomas Land Family Cemetery has become part of the permanent records of the North Carolina Cemetery Survey Project.  In addition, George and Joyce McNeil recorded this grave in 1989 when the heirs of G. W. Wellborn owned the land.  The McNeils, who rendered an outstanding service with their cemetery transcriptions, later published them. Copies are located in the Wilkes Community College Library and in other genealogical libraries.

Even though it was the day before my actual birthday, I did something that I love to do—visit courthouses, libraries, and cemeteries!  What a great day!

(You may double click on the photos to enlarge them. Also, a preview pane of all of them will appear at the bottom of the screen. You may select from the preview pane the one/s you wish to enlarge.)

Gettysburg—A Sobering Experience



Battle of Gettysburg
Courtesy of Jen Goellnitz
http://www.drawthesword.goellnitz.org

In the fall of 2013 my sister Sandy, brother-in-law Pat, husband Doug, and I spent two days touring the museum and the battlefield at the Gettysburg National Military Park in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  My husband and I first visited the museum and battlefield in 2008, but that visit was quite short and inadequate.  I, particularly, wanted to revisit the site since my 2nd great grandfather, Alexander Balus West, was wounded on July 3, 1863, during the battle of the third day. 



Eternal Light of Peace

We found our experience to be profoundly sad, sobering, and humbling.   Even though it has been almost a year since our visit, I want to share with my readers some information about the battle and some photographs regarding this experience.  I think that I, being perplexed and intimidated by the enormity and complexity of such a narrative, have postponed writing about the visit until now.

Our first day at Gettysburg was spent touring the museum with all of its photos, artifacts, exhibits, and video—so much to absorb and comprehend.  On the second day of our visit we toured the battlefield using a self-guided, auto tour.  The information that I am sharing in this blog is taken from our tour book, park museum brochures, and additional information from the Internet. In addition, I have included some of the beautiful photographs from Jen Goellnitz’s website, Draw the Sword, and have complied with her protocol for their use as described in her website.

THE ARMIES

 Virginia Memorial
Gen. Robert E. Lee
Representatives of Typical Soldiers

Gen. George G. Meade
Courtesy of Jen Goellnitz
http://www.drawthesword.goellnitz.org

The Union army was formerly known as the Army of the Potomac with George Gordon Meade as the Commanding General. It was later referred to as the United States Army (USA).  He had 95,000 troops and 356 cannons.  The Confederate army was first known as the Army of Northern Virginia and later called the Confederate States Army (CSA).  Robert Edward Lee was the Commanding General with 75,000 troops and 275 cannons.

THE BATTLE, DAY 1:  July 1, 1863

McPherson Farm
Courtesy of Jen Goellnitz
http://www.drawthesword.goellnitz.org

The Battle at Gettysburg, the largest battle of the Civil War, began when the first shot was fired by the Confederates at 7:30 a.m. on July 1 at McPherson Ridge near the McPherson barn with Union cavalry confronting Confederate infantry.  As more forces from both sides arrived, heavy fighting ensued along this ridge.  About 1 p.m., Confederate forces under Major General Robert E. Rhodes attacked threatening Union forces that were on McPherson Ridge and Oak Ridge.  Union forces were able to hold Oak Ridge until about 4:00 p.m. when they retreated through the town of Gettysburg to Cemetery Hill.  At the end of this first day of battle, the Confederate Army appeared to have the upper hand.  General Lee decided to continue the offensive the next day with his 70,000 men against General Meade’s 93,000 men. 

 

By evening the Union troops were entrenched on Culp’s Hill and Cemetery Hill on the south side of the town of Gettysburg. Union General George Greene, known as “Pop” Greene and the oldest general fighting at Gettysburg, ordered his men to build entrenchments on Culp’s Hill.  These entrenchments, made of earth, wood, and rock, contributed to the successful defense of the Union’s right flank on Culp’s Hill.  General George “Pop” Greene survived the war returning to work as an engineer and helped build the Central Park Reservoir in New York City.  A boulder from Culp’s Hill marks his grave in Rhode Island.

THE BATTLE, DAY 2:  July 2, 1863

Cemetery Ridge

Seminary Ridge (Wooded Area)

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the morning of July 2, battle lines were drawn about one mile apart on parallel ridges, Cemetery Ridge and Seminary Ridge.  Most of the Confederate troops were on Seminary Ridge with most of the Union troops on Cemetery Ridge. The Confederate troops were also stationed through the town of Gettysburg and north of Cemetery Hill and Culp’s Hill.  At that time, Union forces also occupied Culp’s Hill and south along Cemetery Ridge to the Round Tops. 

The Confederate soldiers were repulsed at Little Round Top by the Union forces.  Fighting continued throughout the day.  It was on Cemetery Hill that Colonel Isaac Avery of North Carolina, as he lay dying, penned a message to his father, “Major, Tell my father I died with my face to the enemy.”

Gen. James Longstreet

The Wheatfield
Courtesy of Jen Goellnitz
http://www.drawthesword.goellnitz.org

About 4:30 in the afternoon, Confederate General James Longstreet, placing his First Corps of Confederate soldiers along Warfield Ridge, began his assault directing his forces against Union soldiers who were ensconced in areas known as Devils Den, the Wheatfield, and the Peach Orchard and against Meade’s undefended flank at the Round Tops.  By 6:30 p.m. Confederate forces occupied the Wheatfield with deaths in the Wheatfield numbering over 4,000 dead and wounded from both sides.  Battles raged at  the Peach Orchard and Plum Run.  Confederate forces secured the Peach Orchard as Union forces retreated to Cemetery Ridge.  Meade’s troops were alerted about the threat to Little Round Top and brought in reinforcements to shore up the forces there. 
 

Between 7:30 and 10:30 p.m., Confederate General Richard S. Ewell’s Second Corps attacked the Union troops at Culp’s Hill and East Cemetery Hill.   They were able to occupy the lower slopes of Culp’s Hill. 

Another interesting story is one about Wesley Culp who moved from his family farm at Gettysburg

Henry Culp Farm
Courtesy of Jen Goellnitz
http://www.drawthesword.goellnitz.org

 to Virginia.  However, when the war broke out he joined the Confederate Army in the Stonewall Brigade and returned to Gettysburg in July 1863.  He was killed on Culp’s Hill near his family’s farm.

The fighting at Devil’s Den, the Wheatfield, and the Peach Orchard was among the fiercest and bloodiest battles at Gettysburg.  During the humid, moonlight night after the the battle in the Wheatfield, it is said that the wounded who lay on the field were moaning, praying, and singing.  Confederate survivor, George Hillyer, wrote, “One of our soldiers began to sing.  Hundreds of wounded lay within easy hearing of the singer, whose fine voice echoed down the valley.”  Later, officer George Hillyer became a politician in Georgia and the mayor of Atlanta.

 

Devil's Den



The Peach Orchard
Courtesy of Jen Goellnitz
http://www.drawthesword.goellnitz.org

At dusk, the Union forces repelled a Confederate assault that reached the top of East Cemetery Hill.

 THE BATTLE, DAY 3:  July 3, 1863

The Confederate soldiers controlled the lower portion of Culp’s Hill but were repelled at its summit on the evening of July 2.  However, between 4:30 and 11:30 a.m. on July 3, they again tried to gain control of the summit.  After seven hours of fighting, much of which was fierce hand-to-hand, the Union forces drove the Confederates back and held the position.

Daniel's Brigade
Courtesy of Jen Goellnitz
http://www.drawthesword.goellnitz.org
 

It was at Culp’s Hill on July 3 that my 2nd great grandfather, Alexander Balus West, was wounded.  He didn’t die at Gettysburg but was killed a year later at the Third Battle of Winchester.  During July and August of 1863, he was a patient in the Wayside Hospital (General Hospital No. 9) in Richmond, Virginia. He, also, may have spent part of those two months on sick leave recuperating at home from the injuries he received at Gettysburg. According to the information that I have obtained about him and the marker that is on the battlefield, he was in the Army of Northern Virginia, Ewell’s Corps, Rodes’ Division, Daniel’s Brigade, the 53^rd North Carolina Infantry Regiment, and Company K.  Company K was from Wilkes, North Carolina.  A 3rd great uncle, Thomas C. Land, and the brother-in-law of Alexander Balus West, was a lieutenant in Company K.  Cousin Glenn Land says that the brigade of which the 53^rd regiment was attached “actually fought on the opposite end of the line from where Pickett's Charge took place. They were some of the first Confederates that arrived on the field July 1st. They spent the entire first two days trying to secure the high ground known as Culp's Hill. By the 3rd day they were fought to a “frazzle.”

A couple of other events occurred on Day 3:  an artillery bombardment between 1 and 3 p.m. and a cavalry battle on East Cavalry Field between 1 and 4 p.m.

The Copse of Trees
Cemetery Ridge

However, the culminating battle occurred about 3 p.m. on July 3, 1863, when General Robert E. Lee ordered 13,000 Rebel soldiers to charge from their location on Seminary Ridge across a mile-wide open field and attack the Union center on Cemetery Ridge.  After a two-hour “cannonade,” 7,000 Union soldiers, who were situated near a clump of trees, known today as “the Copse of Trees,” repulsed a 12,000 to 13,000-man Confederate charge known as Pickett’s Charge.  Even though it has been given the name “Pickett’s Charge,” the divisions of Pickett, Pettigrew, and Trimble composed the group.  This event, called the High Water Mark, was the climactic moment of the battle.  It marked the beginning-of-the-end of the Battle of Gettysburg with General Lee and his army in retreat.  

Field of Pickett's Charge
Courtesy of Jen Goellnitz
http://www.drawthesword.goellnitz.org

I assume that Confederate General James Longstreet was addressing General Robert E. Lee prior to the defeat of the Confederate troops at Cemetery Ridge on July 3 when General Longstreet made this statement, “General, I have been a soldier all my life…It is my opinion that no 15,000 men ever arrayed for battle can take that position.

North Carolina Memorial
Seminary Ridge

 

Robert E. Lee offered to resign his post as commander of the Army of Northern Virginia after Gettysburg, but Jefferson Davis refused to accept it.  George Meade was eventually relieved of his position by President Lincoln who appointed Ulysses Grant as commander.  However, Meade remained in the Union army.  The day after the surrender at Appomattox, Meade rode through the Confederate lines to meet Lee.  He saluted his former adversary, and Lee asked, “What are you doing with all that gray in your beard?”  Meade responded, “That you have a great deal to do with!"



North Carolina Soldiers
Seminary Ridge

 

Sources               

·      “Battle of Gettysburg,” http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-gettysburg

·        Boritt, Gabor, Stephen Lang, and Jake Boritt.  The Gettysburg Story, Battlefield Auto Tour. Right to Rise, Boritt Films, LLC, 2010.

·       “Gettysburg and Touring the Battlefield,” National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, Gettysburg National Military Park, Pennsylvania, 2013.

·       Goellnitz, Jen.  http://www.drawthesword.goellnitz.org

 

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.

Charlotte’s Paternal Pedigrees—Barlow, Carlton, Ferguson, Land, McNeil, Triplett

As I have researched my ancestors and tried to create a record of their being and of my link to them, I have come to realize that I should publicize these various pedigrees, the direct lines from which I descend, for the benefit of others.  Indeed, much research remains to be done, and current information may change as new information becomes available or is discovered.    Therefore, the listing below of some of the pedigrees in my paternal family reflects information that I have at this time but should not be considered as “set in stone.”  Since my West pedigree appears in the left margin of each of these posts, it is not included in the list below. 

Barlow Pedigree

Thomas Barlow and Elizabeth Carlton

John Barlow, Sr. and Elizabeth or Ann

John Barlow, Jr. and Merritt Elizabeth Kendall

Braxton Barlow and Charlotte “Lottie” Carlton

Martha Adeline Barlow and Milton “Milt” McNeil

America Ann McNeil and Thomas Harvey West

William Charles West, Sr. and Ada Beatrice McQueen

William Charles West, Jr. and Ruth Stella Hughes

Charlotte Ruth West

Carlton Pedigree

Thomas Carlton and Mary Land

Nancy Jane Carlton and William Thomas Land

Nancy E. Land and Alexander Balus West

Thomas Harvey West and America Ann McNeil

William Charles West, Sr. and Ada Beatrice McQueen

William Charles West, Jr. and Ruth Stella Hughes

Charlotte Ruth West

Ferguson Pedigree

Thomas Ferguson, Sr.

Richard  Ferguson and Verlinda “Linnie” Triplett

Elender “Nellie” Ferguson and Larkin “Lark” McNeil

Milton “Milt” McNeil and Martha Adeline Barlow

America Ann McNeil and Thomas Harvey West

William Charles West, Sr. and Ada Beatrice McQueen

William Charles West, Jr. and Ruth Stella Hughes

Charlotte Ruth West

Land Pedigree

Curtis Land I and Mary Hodge

Curtis Land II and Mary Williamson

John Land

Thomas Land and Eleanor McClanahan

Thomas Land and Anne Sumter

Jonathan Land and Elizabeth Isbell

William Thomas Land and Nancy Jane Carlton

Nancy E. Land and Alexander Balus West

Thomas Harvey West and America Ann McNeil

William Charles West, Sr. and Ada Beatrice McQueen

William Charles West, Jr. and Ruth Stella Hughes

Charlotte Ruth West

McNeil Pedigree

Thomas McNeill and Mary Hannah Parsons

George McNiel and Mary Sarah Coats
Joseph McNiel and Hannah Wilson

Larkin “Lark” McNeil and Elender “Nellie” Ferguson

Milton “Milt” McNeil and Martha Adeline Barlow

America Ann McNeil and Thomas Harvey West

William Charles West, Sr. and Ada Beatrice McQueen

William Charles West, Jr. and Ruth Stella Hughes

Charlotte Ruth West

Triplett Pedigree

Francis Marion Triplett III and Elizabeth Browne

William Triplett and Eleanor Harbin

Verlinda “Linnie” Triplett and Richard Ferguson

Elender “Nellie” Ferguson and Larkin “Lark” McNeil

Milton “Milt” McNeil and Martha Adeline Barlow

America Ann McNeil and Thomas Harvey West

William Charles West, Sr. and Ada Beatrice McQueen

William Charles West, Jr. and Ruth Stella Hughes

Charlotte Ruth West

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! 

My Hiatus

I’m still here but have been on an unplanned, unwanted hiatus since my last post on July 7.   For the last 7 weeks, my list of topics has been empty. My research trip to South Carolina was unproductive as far as uncovering information about my 4^th and 5^th great grandfathers, John West and Alexander West I.  Therefore, I am currently at a stand-still or using the statement of genealogists, “I have reached a brick wall.”

What have I been doing?   I have expanded my research into my other families: the McQueen and Moreland families of my paternal grandmother, Ada Beatrice McQueen West; the Hughes and Honeycutt families of my maternal grandfather, Robert Avery Hughes, Sr.; and the Hoilman and Canipe families of my maternal grandmother, Lillie Mae Hoilman.  Also, I have begun “serious” research of my husband’s Dade and Jones families.  I would love to start blogs about each of these families but am concerned that I would not have time to devote to additional blogging.   In addition, keeping up with my DNA matches and digging for common ancestors that I share with them require much time and effort.

My West readers may be interested to learn than I am gradually uncovering a few West-related cousins among these DNA matches.  Some of these include matches to the McNeils, Fergusons, Tripletts, Carltons, and Lands. Still, I remain optimistic even though no information about my John or Alexander has surfaced.  Eventually, I want to expand my West blog, The Wests of Wilkes, to include more about these families.  I have already written about them in many of my previous posts.  If you haven’t already done so, click on the links to them.

I have had a few comments, all of which have been enlightening and appreciated.  I always respond to my readers’ comments.  I will, indeed, honor your requests not to publish comments that you wish to remain private but will respond to you through e-mail if you provide one.

Soon I will conclude the series on my West Patriarchs with a blog about my father, William Charles West, Jr.  Because he is a patriarch only to me, my sister, my daughter, my nephew, and my great niece and nephew, I must still honor him in such a tribute.

Thank you for your patience with my hiatus, and please let me know if you have a particular interest for a topic.

A Newly Discovered Cousin from the Land Family

Using DNA in genealogical research is a valuable tool which enables one to locate and communicate with distant cousins.  These contacts may provide the link to break down that “brick wall” that plagues so many of us in our quest for those elusive ancestors.   Recently, I communicated with one of my Family Finder DNA matches who lives in Texas. 

With relative ease, we discovered that we are 5^th cousins with our most common ancestors being our 4^th great grandparents, Jonathan Land and Elizabeth Isbell.  Their children, William L. Land (my 3^rd great grandfather) and Francis Elizabeth Land (his 3^rd great grandmother) were siblings. 

My genealogy from Jonathan Land and Elizabeth Isbell is as follows:

·         Jonathan Land (1758-aft1820)/Elizabeth Isbell (1762-aft 1820)

·         William Thomas Land (1788-1871)/Nancy Jane Carlton (1793-1865)

·         Nancy E. Land (1830-1903)/Alexander Balus West (1828-1864)

·         Thomas Harvey West (1858-1949)/America Ann McNeil (1863-1949)

·         William Charles West, Sr. (1892-1967)/Ada Beatrice McQueen (1895-1965)

·         William Charles West, Jr. (1916-2007)/Ruth Stella Hughes (1918-2007)

·         Charlotte Ruth West

In addition to our discovery of common Land ancestors, this cousin indicates that we also have West connections.  At this time, he is uncertain as to how his Virginia Wests connect with my North Carolina Wests.  In his direct line, he has an Isaac West (1741, PA-1821, VA) who married Roseanna Lewis (1752, Rowan, NC-1821, Rowan, NC).

In land records, I have found an Isaac West connected with my Alexander West I.  In fact, in 1787, an Isaac West, along with Bray Crisp, was a chain carrier for the survey of a land grant for Alexander West on Glady Fork of Wilkes County.  Was this Isaac West a brother or a son?  I have never found any documentation to prove a relationship.  In my tree I have listed an Isaac West as the brother of Alexander West I, and I have listed one as the son of Alexander West I.  However, these entries are undocumented and are included only as reminders for me that they are possibilities which need further research. 

Could the Isaac West who was born in 1741 in Pennsylvania have been the son of my Alexander West I?  The time frame is logical, and since I don’t know from where Alexander West I migrated when he immigrated into North Carolina, the location of Isaac’s birth is plausible.  Could the Isaac in my 5^th cousin’s tree be “the hammer that breaks my brick wall.”?

At this time I have DNA matches with individuals descended from Barlow, Carlton, Ferguson, and Land ancestors.  Hopefully, these are the same Barlows, Carltons, Fergusons, and Lands that I have in my tree.  Some of these matches have been confirmed by determining our common ancestors in our family trees as I have described above.  Others, particularly those descending from females, are not so easily identified.  These that lie hidden in our trees but who are genetic matches will eventually be uncovered.  

      

Entwined Roots

Do you remember the country or folk song, “I’m My Own Grandpa”?[i]    Sometimes, that’s the way I feel, except, I would be “my own grandma!”

It’s amazing how family roots intermingle and entwine.  The more I delve into family histories, the more aware I become of the interrelatedness of family members.  In this post, I would like to share some of the experiences I have had with entwined roots.

My dear 4^th cousin, Joanne, whom I met on-line a couple of years ago and met in person a few months ago, and I have recently discovered how entangled our relationship is.  We are 4^th cousins in the West family sharing our closest common grandparents, John Balus West and Mary Ann Swanson, our 3^rd great grandparents.  Their son Franklin West was Joanne’s 2^nd great grandfather, and their son Alexander Balus West was my 2^nd great grandfather. 

Not only are we 4^th cousins in this family, but we are also 4^th cousins 1X removed in the Ferguson family.  Richard Ferguson and Verlinda Triplett were my 4^th great grandparents and Joanne’s 3^rd great grandparents.  In this Ferguson-Triplett family, I descend from their daughter, Eleanor “Nellie” Ferguson, and her husband, Larkin McNeil.  Joanne descends from their son, Jeremiah Ferguson, and his wife Polly Louisa McGee.  Since we do not share a set of grandparents in the same generation, we are 4^th cousins 1X removed in this family.

Joanne also has a connection to my Barlow family.  Henry Harrison Barlow, my 2^nd great uncle from my Barlow ancestors, married Joanne’s great aunt, Amanda Ferguson, sister of Joanne’s great grandmother, Eliza Ferguson.  Eliza and Amanda were my 1^st cousins 4X removed!    According to Joanne, Henry Harrison Barlow and Nancy Amanda Ferguson had one child, Thomas Leroy Barlow.  Thomas Leroy Barlow was my 1^st cousin 3X removed and Joanne’s 1^st cousin 2X removed.  And there’s more!  After Henry Harrison Barlow died from wounds he received in the Civil War, Nancy Amanda Ferguson Barlow married Smith Ferguson Walker, the brother of Joanne’s great grandfather, George Washington Walker.   Furthermore, George Hayes Walker, the son of George Washington Walker and Eliza Ferguson, were the grandparents of my 4^th cousin Joanne.  Joanne’s grandmother, Dicia Albertha “Bertha” West, who married George Hayes Walker, was my 2^nd cousin 2X removed.  Quite a maze of entangled roots!

Are Joanne and I double cousins of some sort?  I’m sure there are more entanglements in this web, but, right now, my mind just cannot wrap around them and neither can my computer program!  My overworked Family Tree Maker program is thoroughly stressed! 

Joanne is exploring the possibility that she may be related to the Land family, the family of my 2^nd great grandmother, Nancy Land.  I wonder where this next step will take us as we explore our interrelatedness.  Joanne so aptly described this interrelatedness when she wrote, “We are just like kudzu there in Beaver Creek--intertwined in all directions.”

Are you confused?  So am I!

How did this interrelatedness occur?  My only explanation at this time is that these families lived in a close, tight-knit community, relatively isolated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Therefore, they grew up together, attended the same school and the same churches, courted each other, and subsequently married each other.  Marriages between 2^nd and 3^rd cousins were not uncommon.  As I research my other families, the Hugheses, Honeycutts, Hoilmans, and Canipes of Yancey and Mitchell counties in North Carolina, I see some of the same “entanglements.” 

Joanne, do you think we can write our own song!

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[i] Read more about “I’m My Own Grandpa” at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I'm_My_Own_Grandpa

More about a Spinster: A Spinner of Cloth or an Unmarried Woman?

Thanks to one of my readers who inquired about the term spinster.  Anonymous asked, “Could a widow woman from the 1800 be described in a legal document as a spinster?  She would be unmarried at the time so is it possible that the clerk could label her as such?”  The question was posted on my September 30, 2011, post, “A Spinster—Not What You Think!”  The question motivated me to do more research on the term, spinster, as it was found in early documents.

In my post on September 30, I related how astounded I was when I found that my 2^nd great grandmother, Nancy Land, who was married and whose husband was still living in 1860, was listed in the 1860 census as being a spinster.  The genealogy librarian at the State Library of North Carolina in Raleigh told me that ladies who spun cloth were often recorded as spinster in the census data.  She did not address its double usage—for occupation and for marital status.

Therefore, in this post, I am sharing some of the information that I have learned on the subject from my Internet research.

Public records, dating from 1800 to 1804 in the New Bern-Craven County Public Library provide examples of the term, spinster, when it is used as an occupation.[i]  I am listing a few examples below to show how various occupations, including that of spinster, were recorded.

10 Mar 1800—Samuel Willis, a free Negro aged 19 years, son of Dorcas Moore, bound to Francis Lowthrop, Esq., as a mariner.

8 September 1800—David Moore, a free Negro boy aged 11 years, bound to Ebenezer Slade as a cooper.

9 September 1800—Sally Pittman, daughter of Jourdan Pittman who is deserted by her father, bound to Nathan Tisdale as a spinster.

10 December 1800—William Jones, orphan aged 16 years next March, bound to Elijah Clark, of New Bern, as a chair maker and wheelwright.

14 December 1801—Nancy Carter, a free person of color aged 8 years, bound to Benjamin Mitchell as a spinster.

According to the 1856 edition of Bouvier’s Law Dictionary,[ii]  in wills and other legal documents, the term, widow, is used to identify a woman whose husband is dead and who has never remarried.  The term, spinster, is given to a woman who was never married.

The Oxford Dictionaries[iii]  traced the origin of the word, spinster, from the late Middle English period in history and determined that the term is taken from the verb, spin + ster, meaning one who spins.  This term was attached to the names of women to denote that their occupation was spinning.  Albeit, this occupation may not have been for remuneration but was work they performed for the family in the home.

Deborah J. Mustard,[iv]  in her on-line publication, provided an excellent explanation of how the word, spinster, likely evolved to describe “the old maid” in the family.  Mustard explained that “the word spinster came into common use during the early 19^th century when the thankless task of spinning cloth had been pushed off to unmarried women as a way to earn their keep in the home.”  Over time, when the masculine form, spinner, began to be used for women as well as for men, the problem was solved to some degree.  However, Mustard indicated that because so many women were engaged in spinning during the 17^th and 18^th centuries, many of these spinners are probably not accurately identified by researchers today because they assume that those ladies identified as spinsters were the older, unmarried women, a common assumption of contemporary society.

According to Jacob Field and Amy Erickson,[v]  the enumerator in the first national census in England in 1801 distinguished occupations for different family members in 96 households.  In this census the term, spinster, was used both as an occupation and a marital designation.  The use of the word for occupation and for marital status was employed for approximately 300 years.  As field and Erickson stated, “Only where the enumerator identifies married women as spinsters is it possible to be certain that he was using the word in its occupational sense.”

From what I have been able to determine, no specific solution to the ambiguity exists.  Therefore, if a woman is identified as a spinster, the researcher will need to dig deeper to find out if she were married and assume that, if she were married, she was a spinner of cloth.  On the other hand, if she were not married, the researcher will assume that she was a spinster as we commonly use the word in today’s society.  However, one must, also, keep in mind that the lady may have been both, an unmarried woman and a spinner of cloth!

I wish I could provide a more definitive answer to my anonymous reader’s query.

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[i] New Bern-Craven County Public Library, Records from 1800 to 1804. (http://newbern.cpclib.org/research/apprentice/apprent1800.htm)

[ii]Oxford Dictionaries, Oxford University Press, 2012 (http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/spinster)

[iii] Bouvier’s Law Dictionary, 1856 Edition, (http://www.constitution.org/bouv/bouvierw.txt)

[iv]Mustard, Deborah J. “Spinster: An Evolving Stereotype Revealed through Film,” Journal of Media Psychology, on-line publication, January 20, 2000. (www.calstatela.edu/faculty/sfischo/spinster.html)

[v] Field, Jacob and Amy Erickson, “Prospects and Preliminary Work on Female Occupational Structure in England from 1500 to the National Census,” (http://www.geog.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/occupations/abstracts/paper18.pdf)