So who do you think you are?

DNA land has a new algorithm for ancestry composition. When I looked at my mom's I was a bit shocked. It said she was 4.4 percent Italian and I was 3 percent. Hmm, even with the few unknowns I have in my tree, I am pretty confident that no one was Italian for the last 200 years. Had I seen something like that on the admixtures at gedmatch, I may give it a bit more credence, but to be honest, sometimes I don't know which groups those admixtures are referencing.

.Mom's maternal grandmother comes from immigrant English stock. Even with the difficulties of researching overseas I have managed to get her tree back to the 18th century, and she comes from common English workers. Lucky for me most were nonconformist, which does make them a bit easier to track.

On her maternal grandfather's side we do end with both 2nd great grandparents. One was an immigrant from England born in 1823 and the other was born in England or Canada about the same time. Either way, Italian doesn't seem to fit. The other side is pure early colonial with roots in Massachusetts and Connecticut just a few years after the pilgrims arrived at Plymouth. The latest immigrant there is a 3rd great grandfather from Ireland. And I am not even lucky enough to have a non British surname in the bunch.

I think that the later English immigrant lines are one of the reasons mom's maternal line segment map on her DNA is so poorly identified. I don't know if they just don't test, but we just don't have that many matches I can identify in England. The colonial tends to show up in greater percentages and we have identified some of those segments.

Mom's paternal grandfather came from a mixture of British Isles and German descent. I think if anything this is what is picking up as Italian.  The Mangum, Collins, Adams, Hager, Whitley, and Stokes family on this side all came through Tennessee from North Carolina. We do seem to probably connect somehow to the Estes/Estep family from North Carolina. The Barnett and Bagwell family came from North Carolina to South Carolina and Georgia. All of these families though were present prior to the American Revolution, most having qualifying patriots for the DAR.

Mom's paternal grandmother is again a mixture, this time though it's British Isle and Choctaw. The Adams, Rogers, Wallen, Blevin and (not proven) Anderson family all came from Virginia to Tennessee. All of these lines also were present prior to the American Revolution. The Wallen and Blevin line has a bit of  tendency to remain strong in my mom's dna. She shares a 1 percent DNA segment with multiple descendants of Elisha Wallen and Mary Blevins in common with Doswell Rogers Descendants.

The Choctaw side while a mixture is a mixture of pre American revolution immigrants to Spanish Territory (those identified origins have been from Virginia) and of course the Choctaw.

So 4.4 percent Italian, hmm.. I don't think so. Even if I didn't have the genealogy, the DNA matches have identified most of these family lines at this point as accurate. The only non British Isles family I know of are the Hagers, and I suspect highly that the colony in Lincoln may have been an offshoot of those from Pennsylvania (the German surnames in both places mirror each other).

I still think everyone should do their DNA. It's interesting what all you can learn.

Speaking of  segment maps. Here is the latest on what I have identified on Mom's DNA.

Latest on the Hardy family and Nancy Williams

It took a while to find that Robert Hardy was the father of my ancestor Gardner Hardy. I found when looking through some files though in the probate records that the "probate" record for Isaac Hardy is actually 20 years after his death. It was actually finding a few other documents that I found out that Robert Hardy and his brother Thomas W. Hardy sued for the same slaves in 1813 that are referenced in the testimony of 1809.

The wife of Isaac Hardy was Nancy Williams, the daughter of Major Thomas Williams and Penelope Sheppard. After the death of Isaac Hardy she married John Franks. For years the Hardy family tried to get slaves that were owed them from the heirs of John Franks.

The estate records for John Frank in Jones county include a dower portion for Nancy Frank dated January 15, 1795. The minor heirs of John Frank had the guardian of Joseph T. Rhodes (who was the common law husband of Mary Williams, Nancy's sister.). The Jones county book has an entry that the heirs of John Frank were Edward Starkey Frank, Susanna  Frank who married Haskell Hatch and Penelope Frank. I believe she mistook the estate as she states James C. Bryan married Nancy the widow, but records show his wife was Penelope.

Records of Jones County, a book written by Zae Gwynn  is on Ancestry.com has some of the missing information.

Deed Bk 14 (1813-1819)
107 - 23 Nov 1813.Robert Hardy of Bullock Co., GA, but now of Jones Co., NC, appointed William McDANIEL attorney to attend court at Raleigh and represent him in case of Robert HARDY and Thomas W. HARDY, plaintiffs versus Haskel F. HATCH, James C. BRYAN and Edward FRANCK.
Wit:H. Bryan
 These are the sons in law and son of John Franck.

Deed Book 14 (1813-1819)
120 October 20, 1813 Edward Starkey Franks - James C. Bryan and Penelope Bryan his wife to Edward Franks for $2700 227 acres, excepting the graveyard on south Tuckahoe Creek at edge of Sycamore Spring Branch at Martin Franks old patent line, runs to mouth of Rattlesnake Branch. Witnesses Ancram Averett and Sarah Whitledge.

128 November 10, 1814 Edward Starkey Franks paid $ 200.00 to Isaac Ramsey for a negro boy Hardy, upon the condition that no suit will be brought against Ramsey by heirs of Thomas Williams or by a paper given by Stephen and Sheppard (Williams) to Robert Hardy and Thomas W. Hardy against Isaac Ramsey for their share of the estate of Thomas Williams.  If a suit is brought, Franks to pay the same or return the negro.

Note Isaac Ramsey was the administrator of the estate of Thomas Williams in 1804. Only found a record to that effect, no heirs listed. I can find no estate in North Carolina as of yet for this Isaac Ramsey who was the step father of Edward Starkey Franks and Robert and Thomas Hardy.

Deed Bk 15 (1819-1822)
27 November 18, 1819 Thomas Hardy and Haskell F Hatch to Starkey Franks, $400 for a negro slave.
27 February 3, 1816 ES Franks to Penelope Bryan Hatch, daughter of Haskell F Hatch and Nancy (Franks?) his wife, a negro girl in possession of Haskell Hatch.

Edward S Franks died in 1826. His will leaves land to his sister Deborah, the wife of Abraham Mitchell and to his brother Isaac Ramsey. It also leaves land to his wife and son, and to his nephew Edward Hardy. This would seem to indicate since Deborah wasn't an heir to John Franks that Edward's mother had been married after John Franks.

Abraham Mitchell died in 1841 in Onslow county, North Carolina. His widow Deborah was his administrator. In 1850 Deborah is living with the son of Edward S. Franks, she is listed as age 50. Both Isaac Ramsey and W. W. Franks purchased goods from the estate. Deborah was too young to be a child of John Franks, which makes Deborah a daughter of Nancy Williams by the Isaac Ramsey who acted as her father's administrator. She also is the mother of the younger Isaac Ramsey mentioned in Edward Starkey Franks will.

Thomas W. Hardy just may be the same Thomas Hardy who was in  Jones county in 1820 with two sons under 10. I did find that an Edward Hardy born in 1818 lived in Craven. I doubt Edward Hardy is the Thomas Edward Hardy who is a son of Robert Hardy. In 1825 a Fanny Hardy signs over her rights in the land of her brother, Frederick Collins in Jones County. In 1839 an Edward Hardy does sign as a witness. There is no Hardy's in the census for Jones or Onslow in 1830-1850 and the Craven county Edward dies there in 1855.

Thus we have the following new information.

Nancy Williams the daughter of Major Thomas Williams and Penelope Sheppard had a sister named Mary who was married to General Joseph Thomas Rhodes.  Nancy was married three times. With her first husband Isaac Hardy she had two sons, Robert Hardy and Thomas W. Hardy. With her second husband she had three children, Edward Starkey Franks (one son), Susanna Franks Hatch (died without issue), and Penelope Franks Bryan (who had children with James C. Bryan, found in Twiggs, unable to find further information, she was his second wife, he had children prior to their marriage.) By her third husband, she had two children, Isaac Ramsey (who died after 1847, may have lived in Cataret county, North Carolina), and Deborah Ramsey Mitchell (who died after 1850 in Onslow County, North Carolina).

Thomas W. Hardy has no estate that I have found yet. The estate of Robert Hardy isn't found in Bulloch or Jones county either, though the guardianship for his children is. I did find a newspaper article where a Robert Hardy states he is no longer responsible for his wife's debts. Both Robert and Thomas Hardy appear to have predeceased Edward Starkey Franks.

Going home

I was born in Pensacola. My dad wanted his first born "son" to be born where  he had been. Surprise, not only was I not a son, but his son was born in California. When I look at the history Dad's family has in the panhandle, I am not surprised at the feeling I have had every time I head east past Mobile into Pensacola. The irony, I doubt I have spent more than 2 years there since 1975. Yet, in my heart, and my soul, heck, even in my blood, I know I am coming home.

The memories of my childhood time there are so vivid and dear. From "helping" my Aunt Becky and Sarah at their little store and gas station out 9 mile road near Beulah to late night trips to go swim at the beach. There was Sunday brunches with the family at Andre's or at a buffet, or if we were lucky, a trip to Hopkins boarding house. Summer vacations camping out at Munson, picking blackberry's, feeding the calves at my Uncle's in the morning. Trying to escape the sun at the inaccurately named Shady Grove Cemetery where most of Dad's family is buried.

I regret that I have spent so much of my life away from my cousins on both sides, decades have gone by before I see them. We aren't as close as I wish we were, but until 1975, they were so much of my life. We often moved from Pensacola to Buena Park, but I don't remember most of those times we were in Pensacola, I was too young. In California my Aunt Patt and my Aunt Sue and their children were part of our life always. My cousins Phyllis and Phil were so good to us. I remember wanting to be just like Phyllis when I grew up, a decade older, she seemed to be everything I wanted to aspire to. Phil like Phyllis always showed a lot of patience with what must have been annoying little kids.

Suzie, I remember as a baby. Her mom would step out and she would cry and to make her stop I would jump up and down. I don't know that it helped but at my age then, well, it was the best that I could think of. As she got older we played dress up, she always had the best toys. And of course there was always her Dad. Uncle Pete and Dad always got along. We all went together to San Diego to the zoo and Sea World. Or to Tijuana. There wasn't much time that my Aunts or my cousins weren't part of our life.

In Florida there was Uncle Ray and Aunt Sarah, Uncle David and Aunt Becky and Aunt Mandy and Uncle Mike. Uncle Ray's kids were someone we didn't see that much of, they were just so much older. Kandi was always off playing softball, but we did spend time with April and with Michael. April always told me I had to do what she said because she was my elder, and well Michael and Johnny always had more fun together than I did. There was 10 years between me and Little Ray and Phyllis, and about four between Suzie and I. As cousins do, we always managed to work it out somehow, but I know the older ones probably didn't appreciate being stuck with us younger ones.

It was my cousins that took me to my first R rated movie, the Lifeguard. I think it was in 1976. I remember Phyllis or  maybe Renee told me to close my eyes when the naked backside of Sam Gould was on the screen. In 1974 Dad and Uncle David decided to buy some calves. That fall it seemed like we got up at the crack of dawn every day to go bottle feed the calves. We avoided the shed though. Dad had chased down a wild hog and it would attack the shed wall if anyone walked by. I had to admit though I was afraid of Aunt Becky's rooster, going to get eggs wasn't really something I liked to do.

Back then Aunt Becky and Uncle David's house was tiny. But everyone was welcome. And the meals Aunt Becky would prepare. I think I don't think of a southern lady without thinking of Aunt Becky. Uncle Ray and Aunt Sarah had a pool, and boy we always wanted to go there to swim. Of course if we did you could count on Dad egging on Uncle Mike. In hindsight I don't think he was always that nice to him. The summer of 1976 we went to what I have been told was a reunion on the blackwater river. All I recall was tubing with my cousins and being told to hold on and not go in spots because there were snakes. If I got to meet any of Dad's relatives that day, I don't remember.

I remember seeing my great grandmother Mama Hardy the Christmas of 1975. I don't remember much about her, she was thin. She had white hair. She was old. Mom didn't like her much and she and Dad had a fight that day about going. I don't remember Aunt Dot's face either, or Aunt Eulene. I know we went to see them both more than once. But what I remember of Aunt Dot was she did ceramics and lived by a viaduct where there was an alligator in the water. And Aunt Eulene, I remember she had pretty hair, and I liked her laugh.

Uncle David has lived in the same place for as long as I can remember out on Klondike road. And Uncle Ray's place was out on 9 mile road. Even today I could get from either place to the other or to my stepmother's house in Myrtle Grove. As many times as I was there though, I couldn't tell you how in the heck we got to Aunt Mandy's or where in Pensacola she lived. The airfield by the house we lived in in 1975 is now some kind of business park or strip mall. I don't remember, but it was different I recall the last time  I was home 11 years ago.

When I got out of the Marines I lived in Pensacola for a year. I did get to meet Uncle Odell and Jinx, which actually was the first time I had ever heard I looked like my grandmother. By then Uncle Grady had died, but as many times as I remember going to the Barnes feed store, I don't ever remember meeting him. I do remember Aunt Becky's parents and visiting them though. Funny, I think I can picture their faces more than Dad's family.

I don't have the same memories of the family as Phyllis. It makes me sad sometimes that she has such bad memories of the family. For me, everyone is frozen in time in my heart. What I know and remember is those times from about 40 years ago. And as many decades as it has been, my Uncles are still Pete and Mike, even though they have been divorced most of that time, just as on my mom's side my Aunt's are my Aunt Anna and Aunt Barbara.

What I remember about growing up is feeling cherished and protected. After Mom and Dad divorced, pitied maybe. There was a security for me in my family. I wish my daughter could experience some of that. She doesn't have the extended family that I did. Whether it was my father's rather opinionated and loud Barnes clan, or my mom's stern and stiff Hinds one, I was lucky to have the experiences I did.

I wish that I had gotten to meet some of Dad's cousins. That I knew more of the family than Bobbie and Dan and Jill, like I do on my Mom's side. I wish I could have asked more questions of Dad's Aunt's and Uncle's. I wish my life and the lives of my cousins hadn't taken us all in different directions. And most of all, I wish my daughter knew what she was missing.

The Letters of John Wesley Hardin and me

John Wesley Hardin's correspondence was compiled and published by Roy and Jo Ann Stamps by Eakin Press in 2001. The book is titled The Letters of John Wesley Hardin. A relative had shared two of the letters, and because I was interested to see if there were more letters with family mentioned, I bought the book. Why did I want the correspondence of John Wesley Hardin? Well, his wife Jane. For years researchers have thought that Nancy her grandmother was a McCurdy. I had thought maybe not after I did DNA testing on CP because she matched none of the McCurdy's, and then her third cousin matched. He doesn't have another connection in common with the matches either. So here we go again.

John Wesley Hardin in 1877 became the business partner of my father's great great grandfather. Shep was in one of the first letters he wrote.

June 6, 1877 JWH to Jane mentions Liza and her pa Bob and Jim McCroney (McCraney). Mentions Shep (Hardy) Liza and Sallie, children Alis Ada and Lila (Lela). Mentions Wash Campbell. Mentions Uncle N. (Neill Campbell), Josh, Caroline, Neal and Mary (Campbell, children of Neill Campbell).

Bob would be Robert Hardy, brother of Shep who had married and was living in Baldwin County, where the Styx River logging camp where they were working. Jim McCraney was the husband of Shep's sister Harriet. Sallie is Shep's wife, Alis Ada and Lela his two youngest daughters. Wash Campbell is not only Jane's first cousin, he is the son in law of Shep (William Shepard Hardy Sr.).
What I have no idea is is who in the heck Liza is.

Uncle Neil Campbell is the husband of Jane's Aunt, Sarah Bowen. Josh, Caroline, Neal and Mary are his children.

Before I go into the other letters, I would like to give some background on Jane Bowen Hardin. Her father was Neil Bowen. Her mother was Mary Western. Her paternal grandparents were Joshua Bowen and Nancy (McCurdy, presumed). After her mother died, her father Neil married Purity Jane Sunday. Purity's mother, Anna McCurdy was a first cousin to Neil Bowen. Her mother Martha "Mattie" Bowen was a sister of Joshua Bowen, Neil's father. Anna's father is Elijah McCurdy who is we believe the brother, or possibly Uncle of Nancy.

Jane Bowen had full siblings, Joshua Robert (Brown), Nancy (wife of William Phillips), Mary Elizabeth "Lizzie" (wife of Duncan McGee), Martha "Mattie" (wife of Oliver Odom), and Julia Ann (wife of Benjamin Jernigan). She also had several half siblings.

Jane's father Neil Bowen had a brother named Joshua (he is always Josh or Joshua and her brother is always Brown), and sister Sarah who was married to Neil Campbell, and Margaret who was married to Benjamin Cobb.

 Below are letters referencing family members of Jane's. The letters to Jane in 1877 were in Florida. From the context it seems as if she's staying with the family of her Uncle Neil. After 1877 the letters are to her in Texas. She stayed with various family members until her death.

Sept 5, 1877 Mattie (Bowen, not Hardin) to Jane Mentions Ann and Frank, Nancy and William, dtr of Nancy named Jennie, Dunk and Lizzie, Ma (Purity) and her two latest children Beulah and Beasly, Aunt Margaret (Cobb) Cousin Charlie Cammel (Campbell), Uncle Joshes place, Nannie Cobb married Tommy Tennille.

Frank and Nannie are children of Margaret Cobb. 

I do not know who Ann and William are.

 

Oct 26, 1877 William and Mattie Bowen to Jane, mention Lizzie, Nancy and Nancy’s daughter Purity Jane.

Dec 6, 1877 JWH to Jane. Mentions to give love to the Campbells (abbreviated Uncle N, C, M N and J) mentions Jim, Jane and F (Family?), Talks about Brown Bowen.

Dec 20 1877 Mattie Bowen to Jane Mentions William, Duncan McGee, Pa. Sends Love to Uncle Neill and Family.

I have no idea who William is.

 

March 9, 1878 Mary Campbell to Jane  Mentions Caroline

April 19, 1878 Mattie Bowen to Jane, mentions seeing Browns body when they returned home.

Aug 8, 1878 JWH to Jane, wants her to make up with his mother. Says that she knows Purity her husband (who was Jane’s father) said he would kick her out of his yard, and that a friend of his told him and Joe Sunday they better stop talking about her and not mistreat her or they would slit their throat from ear to ear and feed them their words. 

Joe Sunday is Purity's brother. It isn't clear what he means by Purity's husband and why he is not speaking about her father by name.

 

June 15, 1879 Mattie Odom (Bowen) to Jane. Mentions Uncle Ben and Aunt Margaret, cousins Caroline and Mary Cammall (Campbell)

July 2, 1879 M. J. Cobb to Jane, mentions Daisy and Mollie, Jane’s father, Uncle Josh has moved to Florida, Edward and Benny living with her. (sons of brother Joshua).

July 15, 1880 Joshua Bowen to Edward B Bowen (his son) Mentions respects to Uncle Ben Passmore and family.

It is not clear if Benjamin A. Passmore (b 1822 Stewart county, GA) is actually an Uncle to Edward or to Joshua. We don't know the maiden  name of Joshua's wife Elizabeth.  

 

March 5, 1881 Mattie Odom (Bowen) to Jane. Mentions her son Franky, mentions not knowing where Lizzie and Pa are.

May 1, 1881 P A Bowen (Purity Sunday) to Jane Mentions Uncle Willis Jones, Lizzie Jones, Stevie Jones, cousin Mary McMillan, Mary Cobb, Pa (Jane’s) and Uncle Josh, Mentions Frank and Lizzie.

Willis Jones was the husband of a half sister to both Martha and Joshua Bowen (Cleopatra Palestine Brewster). Lizzie and Steve Jones were his children. Mary Cobb is a neighbor. I am not sure who Lizzie is, but Frank is a son of Margaret Cobb. Mary McMillan, maiden name McCaskill, is a cousin of both Purity and Jane. But it is not known yet which side of the family, the Bowen or the McCurdy side. She is a daughter of Allen McCaskill who was born 1814 in South Carolina. 

 

 

Black Country Roots

My great grandmother's family were poor workers in the black country of England. They worked in the mines and in the factories that produced glass. They went to the same churches as their ancestors. To see how little they moved.

The Old Carroll Trace and Choctaw Missions

Here is another map I made. First I took locations from an article found in Carroll County genweb. Then I tried to place the Choctaw Missionary schools and some other points of interest that I knew for my Choctaw families.

Panhandle roots

I often joke I am related to half of the county when I speak of Escambia or Santa Rosa. It really isn't that far off though it seems at times. Right now I am working on figuring out a few connections that I hope to blog about later this week. I am a visual person. So I made myself a map. It has landmarks for cemeteries, land locations, and places where my father's family has lived. Thought I would share it.