Three NEWMAN Sisters And A Mystery.

Today is Wednesday, December 16, 2020. It's currently 32° and I'm looking out my dinning room window at a blanket of snow that fell three days ago! It's been six years since we've had a significant snowfall and I'm loving it.

But enough about that.

The reason for this post goes back to the fabulous dresser I wrote about last.

I've continued corresponding with my new cousin, Mr. SHUPE. I've had a few questions to ask regarding lineage and documentation.

I had traced his line back to our common ancestor, Jonathan NEWMAN. As I pointed out in my last post, he descends from Jonathan's daughter Delilah Jane, and I from Jonathan's daughter, Arminta. But while emailing back and forth with Mr. SHUPE he kept refrencing his father's maternal line, while my research showed that it was his father's paternal line that connected to Jonathan Newman.

I had asked him who had written the letter he sent with the dresser and who exactly it was written to. He said it was written to his father. He remembered two aunts but he felt it had to have been from his Aunt Susie Dunlap; his father's mother's sister. His exact repsonse was:

The Aunts I remember are Pete Dowsett and Susan (Susie) Dunlap. Guessing I would say Susie, since she relocated to a smaller house at some point and was very fond of my Dad. He was her first nephew. The letter was written to my Dad.

I began to research a little more. I was just about to give up when I finally looked at his great Aunt Susie's husband, Mr. Dunlap. As it turns out Mr. Dunlap was the son of Francis DUNLAP and Bessie Fair LYDA. Bessie Fair LYDA was the daughter of William Washington LYDA and Elizabeth NEWMAN. You guessed it. Elizabeth was also a daughter of Jonathan NEWMAN. If the dresser was made for Delilah Jane, we may never know why a descendant of her sister, Elizabeth, had it, but it's nice to know I can at least connect the dots. Below is a picture of four of the NEMAN sisters. My Arminta is not one of them. The order is not known but the sisters are Amanda, Elizabeth, Jane and Susan.

BUT...

There is still one more mystery as far as this dresser is concerned. It arrived at my house late at night, about half an hour past my bedtime. The next morning, I woke up eager to take it all in. I began washing it with Murphy's Oil Soap,

and then polished it with Pledge Furniture Oil.

I glued in the few pieces of trim that had fallen off

and while doing all of this, I noticed on the inside back panel of the bottome drawer in old style cursive was the name Ellen Shepherd, Henderson-ville, North Carolina

I've researched this woman and have only discovered that she at some point lived in the same community (Mud Creek) as our ancestor Jonathan NEWMAN. Ellen SHEPHERD was born 25 July 1847, the daughter of Abner SHEPHERD and Susannah BARNETT. She died 25 April 1917. Her estate records state that she was an "incompetent person" and was under the guardianship of a Mr. J. D. DAVIS. But why is her name written on the inside of one of the drawers? Also written in pencil are numbers on the side panels of each of the drawers. I assume they're measurements but I'm not certain. I'm putting this mystery out there in hopes that someone may have a clue to offer. Until then, I'll keep researching a little here and a little there. I may never get answers but the thrill is in the chase.



I am distantly related to Ellen SHEPHERD. Her father's mother was Penelope MERRILL. Penelope was the daughter of Benjamin MERRILL who was the brother of my 5th great grandfather, Jonathan MERRILL. Until next time, Becky

Oh! And Merry Christmas

Over 1500 Miles and Six Generations.

The most amazing thing has happened to me. Through a blog post I wrote about my 4th great grandfather, Jonathan NEWMAN, a distant cousin contacted me to share that he had in his possession a dresser made for his great great grandmother, Delilah Jane NEWMAN ALLEN. The dresser was made from solid walnut, around 1875 by her father, our shared ancestor, Jonathan NEWMAN.  

He wrote to ask if I wanted it. And of course I did! Though I do write a blog, I am not a great writer. And I will never have enough words to express my extreme gratitude for such a tremendous gift. Mr. Shupe, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

This beautiful heirloom has traveled a few miles in it's lifetime. It originated in Hendersonville, NC and is being shipped to me here in Arkansas, from the great state of Massachusetts. 

In his initial correspondence, Mr. Shupe shared a picture of the dresser as well as a picture of a short note explaining the genealogical connection to the dresser. 

Later he told me his knowledge of the dresser.

"My father’s mother was Clara Siegel. My mom and Dad were at some type of family get together and my Dad was offered the chest from someone ( I was like 14 I’m 56 now and don’t remember the details) Dad accepted and mentioned it to Mom. One dark winter night there was a knock on the door and 2 guys with a truck showed up to deliver the chest. Mom had frankly forgotten about it told them to just put it in the dining room. They said “lady have you seen this chest” our dining room was pretty ornate so it ended up in the second floor laundry room for linens. We moved to a new house and there was no place for the chest so it ended up in the attic where it sat for 30 years. Today the chest is in my warehouse looking for a home. We could spruce it up with new knobs and sell it. However I would prefer it to stay with a member of the family if possible. In researching it I found your blog and thought you might be able to help me find a family member who would like it and appreciate its heritage. The intent is not to get compensation it is just to see if there’s an ancestor of Jonathans who wants it."

This prompted me to plot out his family line connecting him to Jonathan and then to dig once again a little deeper into this branch of my family. Specifically estate records. I had hoped there might be some mention of a dresser. Considering  the dresser was made for Jane around 1875 and Jonathan died in 1901 the dresser would've most likely already been in her possession and not necessarily mentioned in his estate papers. Regardless, I thought you might like to learn a bit more about our miser's estate; what he possessed and who purchased those items.

If you would like to see these records yourself,  all you need to do is create a free account on Family Search and then click below to "flip" trough the images:

Jonathan NEWMAN Estate Records

As previously mentioned in my last blog post about Jonathan, he had several children/heirs. His son, Andrew Johnson NEWMAN was made the administrator of his father's estate.  As administrator, he petitioned the court to allow him to auction/sell off his father's property for cash in order to settle debts as well as split among heirs. He also signed an affidavit stating that his father left no Will and Testament and that at the time of the filing the value of his father's estate was about $3,220.00 He then goes on to list the entitled heirs as ( I will do my best as the handwriting is very hard to make out):

• Arminta STEPP (my ancestor)
• Amanda CASE
• Delilah J ALLEN (Mr. Shupe's ancestor)
• Thomas NEWMAN
• A J NEWMAN
• G W NEWMAN
• Elizabeth LYDA
• Susan BAGWELL
• The heirs of Wm NEWMAN deceased to wit John NEWMAN, Coats NEWMAN, Fisher NEWMAN, Dock NEWMAN, Fred NEWMAN and Brithia (sic) NEWMAN, and Carrie NEWMAN the only living heirs of Jacob NEWMAN deceased.

This affidavit goes on to state where each of the heirs of living: 

....all reside in Henderson County except Arminta STEPP who resides at Fallsville Arkansas. Thomas NEWMAN who resides at Fallsville Arkansas. George W NEWMAN who resides at McDemol (sic) Georgia and Carrie NEWMAN whose residence after due inquiry cannot be ascertained and are all of full age except Dock NEWMAN, Fisher NEWMAN, Fred NEWMAN and Bertha NEWMAN who are under twenty one years of age are without -illegible-. 

The above was signed and dated the 12th day of Sept 1901.  

If you're wondering what happened to siblings Wm and Jacob Newman. 

                                        The Goldsboro headlight. January 09, 1896

The Charlotte Observer Thur Nov 17 1887

Several receipts for taxes and various things as well as scraps of paper are included in this file. One is a ledger/receipt from J. L. EGERTON, M.D. from Aug of 1897 where it's listed that he visited Mrs. NEWMAN. The cost was $2.50 per visit. Susan LANKFORD NEWMAN died Sept of that same year.  On the same record was a visit to Mr. NEWMAN on May 18th 1901. Jonathan NEWMAN died in August of that year. The total bill was $15.00 and it was paid in full July 27th.

In preparation for dividing up the estate, several chores and repairs needed to be made. There's a leger dated Sept 1901 - Jan 1902 listing these and how much each person was paid. My ancestor Will STEPP is listed as having pulled fodder. He also dug potatoes.

“Pulling fodder” was a harvesting technique that provided the farmer with a source of feedstuff in an area that was often unfit for growing hay. “Depending on the season and the time of planting, the farmer went into his field around mid-August to “pull fodder,” which meant stripping the blades, while the ear, now fully grown and out of the milk, was left on the stalk. The blades were tied into bundles and saved for fodder, the only winter forage from his fields that the farmer had. Cured, the bundles of blades were usually stacked into piles, and covered with the corn tops that were cut next, while the ears were left on the now bare stalks until November or even later when “corn-gathering” began. ~ Bark Covered House

I find that interesting seeing that the STEPPs had already migrated to NW ARKANSAS. Did they go back to North Carolina? Did only Arminta, her grown children, and her brother Thomas go before hand? William is listed in the 1900 census with his family in Newton County, Arkansas. That's a long journey to travel back and forth at the turn of the century when horse and wagon was the main form of transportation. Did he take a train?

There's a pharmacy receipt to W. H. Justus; Pharmacist from 1897.




There's a typed receipt for $35.00 from W.W. LYDA, Jonathan's son-in-law, for rent he was to pay on a parcel of land he cultivated for the year 1902. The land was his brother-in-law, William Monroe NEWMAN'S (deceased) homestead but it belonged to Jonathan NEWMAN. Later, W.W. LYDA is paid $5.00 for waiting on Jonathan during his last sickness for 6 days and nights. 

There is a receipt for $25.00 to W. W. BAGWELL, another one of Jonathan's sons-in-law. It's on an piece of paper with The Continental Insurance Co. letterhead, for "services rendered to the deceased Jonathan NEWMAN in his last sickness" I think it says "as nurse" after that. You can click here to read for yourself. 

There's a receipt for $4.00 to Jonathan's grandson, Jonathan CASE to work as clerk on the sale of his personal property.

There's a written receipt to Jonathan's daughter Bessie LYDA for "8 months work at $8 per month $64.00" on the back it is witnessed by Carrie NEWMAN. Later, Bessie is also paid $12 for 10 weeks work caring for the house and household goods.

Another record states:

                                                NOTICE:

As administrator of Jonathan NEWMAN deceased and pursuant to an order of the clerk of the Superior Court of Henderson County -- I will sell for cash at the Jonathan NEWMAN house place on the Howard Gap road in Hendersonville Township on the 15th day of November 1901 all the following personal property to wit:

About 150 bushels of corn -- About 1800 bundles of fodder -- a small quantity of oats and hay -- one mule -- one cow -- two yearlings and two hogs -- one threshing machine and wind mill -- one one-horse wagon --  two two-horse wagons and some harnesses -- seven stands of bees -- some farming tools and a lot of household goods -- beds (illegible) , bed stands, cupboards, bureaus, chairs (?) and ~ 

This Oct 12th 1901

AJ NEWMAN
Admin

Following this order is a ledger of who purchased items, the items sold and the price. Here are a few names I recognized:

WW BAGWELL            2 Plow Stocks             $0.30

AJ NEWMAN                old plows & wagons   $0.10

Joseph NEWMAN         1 pitchfork                   $0.25

Wm LYDA                     1 bee hive                    $1.05

AJ NEWMAN                100 boards                  $2.00

CT ALLEN                     1 wagon                      $2.00

Dock ALLEN                400 bundles fodder      $5.40

AJ NEWMAN                 hay in barn                 $0.55

Mrs. Wm LYDA             1 bull                           $5.75

Bessie LYDA                  1 calf                           $1.75

Coats NEWMAN           1 wash pot                   $1.30

Mrs. Wm LYDA            4 cups & saucers         $0.10

Wm CASE                     sugar bowl                   $0.20

Mrs. S. BAGWELL       1 bureau                      $1.55

Wm. CASE                    1 salt box                    $0.10

Mrs. Jane ALLEN         1 counterpane*           $1.25

Mrs. Wm LYDA           1 sheep skin                $0.40

Mrs. Wm CASE           1 bed complete            $7.00

Mrs. Jane ALLEN        1 pair scissors             $0.25

* A counterpane is another word for bedcover. 

Again, the above are just highlights. There were many more items mentioned/sold. To view the entire list you can click here. (images 74-80). 

After sales and fees were figured, the distribution of inheritance began. It would appear that my ancestor Arminta STEPP and her brother Thomas NEWMAN hired an attorney to do their business since they were no longer living in the area. I believe the attorney was AL HOLWES. Carrie NEWMAN also  had an attorney, SMITH & VALENTINE. It was also stated that the distribution was not made to each distributee equally  --- they being paid in different ways at different times. 

It goes on to list each heir and how much they were paid "more than" and "less than" their share. It then says while it is agreed it can be made equal in the distribution of proceeds of the sale of real estate. Followed by several receipts/checks from the heirs. If you are a descendant of Jonathan Newman these are great places to see the signature of your ancestor. Unfortunately, my ancestor's signature wasn't there as her attorney signed on her behalf. But below, I will share one from Mr. Shupe's ancestor, Delilah Jane ALLEN 

Going through estate records can take some time and patience and you may even need a little help making out what is written. I always feel like its worth it, to learn all the little over looked details about a persons life. Who was their doctor? Their pharmacist? What kind of personal property did they own? Who were their neighbors and friends? Some ancestors have better records than others. I really enjoyed going through Jonathan NEWMAN's. And I hope you enjoyed it too. 

For Mr. Shupe and any of Delilah Jane NEWMAN ALLEN ancestors, below you can find her estate papers:

Mrs. D J ALLEN Estate Records

*There were 3 dressers listed in the inventory of personal property belonging to Mrs. D J ALLEN in her estate records. No further description was given. 

Until next time, 
Becky

P.S.

A few more tidbits on our ancestor:

Jonathan donated land for Columbus to be the county seat of Polk County, North Carolina. During that time he, and several others, were hired to remove timber and clear away rubbish for  the building of this town. He was paid $39.00 [ Polk County News and the Tryon Bee; May 30, 1919] Jonathan was pretty wealthy compared to his neighbors if you look at the value of his real estate and personal property values in the 1860 census; being $3,000.00 and $2,852.00 respectively. Most of his neighbors barely had values of $100. And in 1871 Jonathan NEWMAN was one of 12 trustees named in an ACT that incorporated the existing Blue Ridge Academy in the village of Blue Ridge in Henderson County. I wonder if that's where his children went to school?

Further correspondence states Mr. Shupe believes the letter was written to his father by his father's Aunt Susan Dunlap, daughter of Thomas Duffy Seagle and Fannie Susan Elliot.

Revolutionary Pay Vouchers of My Ancestors

Today while taking it easy (all I seem to do anymore) I came across another record collection on Family Search; North Carolina Revolutionary Pay Vouchers 1779-1782  (Remember these records are free. All you have to do is create an account- for free).

I thought I would do a quick post sharing what I found on my North Carolina Revolutionary War Ancestors -- I have a ton.

*Remeber to click on links for more information where I have blogged about them before.

I'll start with my Irish ancestor General Griffith Rutherford and also his son James Rutherford who died in the Battle of Eutaw Springs. This is a paternal ancestor that I get to from my Mammy's side. Her mother was Lurie Myrtle Rutherford. From there you can trace a straight paternal line back to James and then his father Griffith. (James Walter, Thomas Franklin, Thomas, David, James, Griffith).





Bradbury Teal is another ancestor stemming from my Mammy's side. Her father was John Arthur Jones. His Father was John Calvin Jones. His mother was Mattie Teel and from here you go two more generations to get to her grandfather Bradberry Teel who ended up getting into severe legal troubles over counterfeit money.



Robert Lemond/Lemmond/Lemmon also on my Mammy's side. Thomas Rutherford (from above) married Margaret Adaline Lemmond. She was the daughter of James McCullough Lemond who was the son of Robert Lemmon.

I couldn't find a single record for my maternal line ancestor George Upton in these records but he was a Revolutionary War Veteran from Alabama (not North Carolina). 


George Horner is on my maternal side. My great grandfather Obie Zearl Melson, his mother Julia Bohannon, her mother Oma Boen, her mother Zilpha Horner, her father Spencer and his father George.



James Stepp is a maternal ancestor going four generations back from my great grandfather Newell Stepp. His father was James Jonathan, his father William and his father James and his father was James (this line has several James Stepps going even further back).



Thomas McKie/Mackey/ is another Irish ancestor, on my mother's side. My great great grandmother, Rebeccca Merrill Stepp, her mother Martha Young, her father William Young, his mother Rosanna Hemphill, her mother Mary McKey, her father Thomas Mckie/Mackie/Mackey.



Thomas Hemphill was the above Thomas Mackie's son-in-law, married to his daughter Mary. He was also a Captain in the Revolutionary War.




Robert Patton is my 6th great grandfather on my maternal side. My great great grandmother Rebecca Matilda Merrill's mother, Martha Young, her mother, Rebecca Edmondson, her mother Sarah Patton and her father Robert.



And last but not least, another Irishman, George Cathey, the father-in-law of the above Robert Patton.



** Interesting Tidbitt on my PATTON line** I can trace my maternal and paternal lines back to Robert's grandfather William. And I have copies of records where my paternal ancestor Griffith Rutherford gave testimony on a land survey belonging to my maternal ancestor George Cathey.

Small world.

Until next time,
Becky

My 10 Favorite Resources

This post is just as much for me as it is for you! There are a handful or resources that I am always using and then there are a few that have been very handy, but I don't need to use them very often. I end up forgetting what they were and have to scour social media for clues. I decided today that I would write a blog post about all the different sources I use. They are almost all free, though some will require you to have an account.

1. Family Search: This site is very similar to Ancestry, only its free. There are often times I have been able to find actual images, not just transcribed records, on Family Search, while the transcribed information from an index is all that's available on Ancestry. I like that I can narrow my search down to individual states. There are also indexes on Family Search that I use often (like probate records) that aren't searchable per-se, but that can be clicked through, image by image, until you can find your record. Family Search will also let you know if there is record loss in a particular county which would explain why you know something is a fact but can't back it up with records. This most often occurs in counties that saw a lot of first hand battle during the Civil war when homes, buildings and whole towns were sometimes burned to the ground. 
2. Bureau of Land Management: I love to look through the Land Patents listed on the BLM site and even using the map to get a better idea of where my ancestor lived.
3. Buncombe County, NC Register of Deeds : I realize this resource is very specific, but if you trace your family back far enough, North Carolina, is a pretty big hub for Colonial History. This site not only has land records, but it contains a few marriage and death records as well
4. Texas Land Grants: Again another State specific site but I have a HUGE amount of family from Texas. I have found land records on this site from at least 3 ancestors and if I ever felt like filling out the paperwork these would grant me access into the Daughters of the Texas Republic. 
5. Newspapers.com : This is a paid for site and has been my favorite for newspaper archives. There are others out there and I have found some information in GenealogyBank's newspaper archives that weren't available on Newspapers.com. But I don't find their database to be very user friendly. 
6. Chronicling America: This is a free site. I have rarely used it and can't really remember a time that I found anything but you may have better luck. 
7. The Gateway to Oklahoma History: This is also a free site for Oklahoma newspapers, books, and various other collections. For free newspaper searches in the Oklahoma and surrounding counties from other states, I really like this site. It is exactly like the next resource on the list.
8. The Portal to Texas History: Like I stated before. I have a vast amount of family from the great state of Texas. I have found many articles on this website that weren't found on the paid for Newspapers site.
9. Missouri Digital Heritage: This website can sometimes be difficult to maneuver from the home screen. There are a few places I regularly search on this site. Missouri Birth and Death Records Database, Pre -1910  ; Missouri Death Certificates, 1910-1966 ; Missouri Provost Marshal Database, 1861-1966
10. Fold3 : I love this site. It isn't just for your veterans. It contains Native American records, and Pension applications. These can sometimes contain a wealth of detailed information in the form of affidavits from neighbors, and family friends. They contain first hand accounts from people during that time period. In one such record an acquaintance of my 5th great grandfather spoke of going to the blacksmith  near the close of the Revolutionary War, and speaking with other men of the community about the turbulent times.
    

    

    ... I have a distinct recollection of one pertickular conversation that took place at Robert Grays blackmsith shop between said Upton and my self and Robert Gray. Under whom said Upton learned the trade of Gunn Smith. we were all speaking of the many trials and hardships that we went through during the revolutionary war all of us having served in said war .....

    And a non-direct line ancestor of my husband had letters from members of her community writing to complain that her pension was acquired by fraudulent testimonies and that her son(s) were using her pension to drink and lay around rather than support their mother. These are stories. Not just records. They paint the bigger picture and provide insight into the mindset of the people of a certain community and era. Or in the case of my 5th great grandfather let you know that he was a gun smith and that he learned the trade from a Mr. Robert Gray.

 With all these resources, the one thing I want you to understand is that genealogy isn't a quick click here and there. There is So. Much. Time. invested in researching. It isn't a quick hobby. And sometimes, it costs money. In having hard copies and viable records, more often than not, you have to pay for those records. And some genealogy sites are worth the subscription fee. It also takes creativity. Many records are filed under phonetic spelling using dialects. When you have an ancestor with the surname Lassater you have to think of all the various ways this name could be spelled -- Lasater, Lasatar, Lassiter, Lasiter, Lassator, Lasator.... you get the point) So when you think of people you know who research and share their information with you, keep in mind, like so many other labors of love, it does require investment of time and money. We do it for ourselves and all those we love. We hope you appreciate our efforts.


If you have a website you use often in your genealogy research and its not on my list, would you mind sharing it with me?


Until next time:
Becky Drake

What I Now Know

A little more than 10 years ago, my mother gave me three books that she had been given when genealogy was a hobby of hers: "House of Boyer" by Edith Boyer Suggs 1963, A hand typed and bound book simply titled "Melson Book" compiled by Andrew Melson 1973 and "The Patricks And Spadra Creek The Census And Statehood" by Heartsill Patrick King 1976.

I always understood how I was connected to the Boyers and Melsons but I could never find a connection to the Patricks. I knew from research that several of my ancestors lived in and around Spadra Township but that was the best I could come up with -- until this week.

If you've ever done genealogy research, especially if its ever become a hobby, or addiction, you understand how easy it is to jump from one line to the next and before you know it you easily have hundreds of surnames to try to keep up with. The family lines with the most records are usually the ones you spend the most time on so those without much information tend to get shuffled to the back and forgotten. That's how it was with my Lassiter/Lassater/Laster line. I knew from the "House of Boyer" and later from a marriage record that my 5th great grandmother was Nancy R Miysa Lassater and that she married Leander P. Martin on February 18th 1836 in Lawrence County Arkansas. And that was as far as I could get, so I moved on to more fruitful family lines.

On page 18 of "House of Boyer" it says that my 4th great grandmother, Parmelia Boyer married John Leander Martin who was the son of L. A (that's an error, his middle initial was P) and Nancy Laster Martin of Tenn.

The first record I have for John Leander Martin is the 1850 Spadra, Johnson County, AR census. He is 10 years old and in the household of a James H. and Sarah Lasiter, several young children with the name Lasiter and one other young boy with the last name Martin, an Abram who is 12.

This is because John and Abram's parents had already died. His father in 1840 and his mother, Nancy, in 1847.

James H. Lasiter was Nancy's brother. His wife was Sarah PATRICK - hence the mystery third book, "The Patricks And Spadra Creek The Census And Statehood" This book is written about the author's great grandmother Hannah Caroline Patrick King. On page 19 it mentions that in 1841 her older sister Sarah married James H. Laster. While this book is not necessarily about anyone in my blood-line it is a well written and very enjoyable read. This book let me know what life was like in the area where my ancestors lived, the hardships they endured and the mindset of that era. I highly recommend it, if you have ancestors from the Johnson County area during the years of 1830-1870.

I believe that the parents of Nancy and James H. Lassiter were Frederick Lassiter and Nancy Smith who were married in Gates County, North Carolina in 1802.




At this point in time I don't have any actual records proving that Frederick Lassiter and Nancy Smith were the parents of Nancy and James, as all of my genealogy research takes place from my computer and there are no records online for Frederick Lassiter in Johnson County available on Family Search or Ancestry other than the 1850 census where there is a Frederick Lasiter, living alone, 70 years old from NC in Horeshead Township, Johnson County, AR, and a Tax list for the year 1838. There is however in 1840 what could be a Frederick but its transcribed as Francis (looks like a cross between the two) living in Johnson County. The oldest male is 60-69 which fits my Frederick.

This line has intrigued me enough that I'm actually planning my first genealogy road trip. It is Spring Break for us and my husband took off work for the week - the timing is perfect.

I would love to find a Will or Probate Records for Frederick Lassiter, and Leander P Martin.

From what others have posted online, it is said that Frederick Lassiter and Nancy Smith were the parents of:

1. Abraham Laster - b. 1804     d. 1861    m. Nancy Puckett
2. Samuel Harrison Laster - b. 1806    d. 1883    m. Sarah "Sally" Barker
3. Penelope Laster - b. 1810    d. 1863    m. Dotson Belt
4. Nancy R. Laster - b. 1815    d. 1847    m. Leander P. Martin
5. James Hance Laster - b 1820    d. 1865     m. Sarah Ann Patrick
6. John H. Laster - b. 1822    d. 1865    m. Emily S. James
7. Sarah Miranda Laster - b. 1825    d. 1909    m. James Thomas Gillam
8. Elizabeth Jane Laster b. 1827   d. 1904    m.(1) James Calhoun Baskins   m.(2) Thomas M Baskins

It is also said that Frederick, his wife Nancy,  their son Abraham and his wife, and my ancestors Leander Martin and Nancy Lassiter are buried in an old cemetery known as "Old Harmony"  not to be confused with Harmony Cemetery also in Johnson County. (There is also a young Harrison Martin buried there who is believed to be a third child of Leander and Nancy.)

When trying to find out how to locate this cemetery so I could add it to my road trip I found the following:

"It was an adventure in itself finding the small overgrown and hidden cemetery. It is called Old Harmony Cemetery and is on the Harl Coffee farm. The headstones were either too old to read or too hard to get to because of the overgrowth"

That was posted in 2006 - so I'm hoping that is no longer the case.

In the meantime I can glean more information about this family by researching the "children".

Samuel Harrison Laster's Civil War records state that he was 45 in 1864 and that he was born in Gates County, North Carolina. That adds up to the above marriage record for Frederick Lassiter and Nancy Smith. All census records indicate that Samuel was actually born around 1806/7 - I wonder if he wanted to appear younger so that he would be accepted into the US Army.






In 1810 Gates County, NC listed under the household for Frederick Lassiter are the following individuals:

2 males under 10 (Abraham and Samuel)
1 male 26-44  (Frederick Lassiter)
1 female 10-15 (unknown)
1 female 26-44 (Nancy Smith)
1 female over 45 (unknown)

More information that groups these "children" with Frederick Lassiter is the census and marriage records of Wilson County, TN

In 1820 Lebanon, Wilson, TN under the household for Frederick Lasater are the following individuals:

1 male under 10 (James Hance Laster)
1 male 10-15 (Samuel Harrison Laster)
1 male 16-18 (Abraham Laster)
1 male 26-44 (Frederick Lassiter)
1 female under 10 (Nancy R. Lassater)
2 females 10-15 (Penelope and unknown - possibly Elizabeth who married Alexander Smith)
1 female 26-44 (Nancy Smith)

In 1824 there is a marriage record for Abram Lasseter to Nancy Puckett




In 1828 there is a marriage record for Samuel H. Lasater to Sally Barker



Other marriages taking place between 1820-1830 for individuals with the last name Lassiter are:

Rebecca m. William Crook in 1824
Mary m. Alfred Hite/Hill in 1825
William m. Polly Hill in 1828
Stanford m. Leah Fonch in 1830 (Stays in Wilson County. Born 1812 NC)
Elizabeth m. Alexander Smith in 1830 (This family ends up in Lawrence County, AR) making her a possible child of Frederick as well. She was born about 1808 in NC. But it is doubtful as I have just discovered an 8th child of Frederick and Nancy Smith Lassiter named Elizabeth Jane who married Baskins brothers, James Coulhoun and then Thomas Middleton (my 6th great grandfather).



In the 1830 Wilson, TN census under the household of Frederick Lasiter are the following individuals:

2 males 5-9 (John H and unknown)
1 male 10-14 (James Hance Lassiter)
1 male 50-59 (Frederick Lassiter)
1 female under 5 (unknown)
1 female 5-9 (Sarah Miranda Lassiter)
1 female 15-19 (Nancy R. Lassiter)
1 female 20-29 (Penelope Lassiter)
1 female 40-49 (Nancy Smith)

There is a separate household in Wilson, TN for both Abraham and Samuel that same census year.

At this point in time the strongest piece of evidence I have for Frederick being the father of my Nancy R. Lassiter is a Tax List for the years 1833, 1835 and 1836 that places him in Strawberry Township, Lawrence County, AR, where Nancy and Leander Martin were married in 1836.




He is the only Lassiter that shows in Lawrence County during that time period.

As I mentioned before in 1840, Johnson County, AR there is a possible record for Frederick Lassiter.

The ages for the individuals are:

2 males 15-19 (James Hance and John H)
1 male 60-69 (Frederick)
1 female 5-9 (unknown)
1 female 10-14 (unknown)
1 female 15-19 (Sarah Miranda)
1 female 50-59 (Nancy Smith)

Below is a screenshot - so you can decide for yourself.

The one I believe to be Frederick is right above Dotson Belt - who is his son-in-law. You can also see Abraham Laseter.

By 1850 Frederick is living alone, his wife Nancy having died two years earlier. He would live for two more years before joining her. As said before, the two are supposed to be buried in Old Harmony Cemetery.

One more piece of information before I bring this post to a close is the speculation** that this Frederick Lassiter fought in the War of 1812.

**It is no longer speculation. In the Bureau of Land Managment Land Grant files you can find the PDF image of Frederick's Military Warrant that states he fought he was a private in Captain Martin's Company Tennessee Volunteer Militia (Brice Martin)

A widowed Frederick also married the widow Delilah (Payne) Basham and there's a land record for her and his land as well that mentions his military service.

 FamilySearch provides the service cards for a Frederick Lassiter (spelled a variety of ways) that served in the War of 1812 in both Bradley's Reg't of Ten Vols and Hall's Reg't of Ten Vols. They are BOTH him.

The Tennessee Secretary of State has a website that explains the Regimental Histories of Tennessee Units During the War of 1812. The one that pertains to Frederick is as follows:

COLONEL EDWARD BRADLEY

DESIGNATION: 1st Regiment of Tennessee Volunteer Infantry

DATES: September 1813 - December 1813
MEN MOSTLY FROM: Sumner, Giles, Lincoln, Montgomery, Overton, Rutherford, Smith, and Wilson Counties

CAPTAINS: Abraham Bledsoe, Harry Douglass, James Hambleton, John Kennedy, William Lauderdale, Brice Martin, John Moore, Travis Nash, Thomas Haynie, John Wallace

BRIEF HISTORY:
This unit was originally under the command of Colonel William Hall during Jackson's excursion to Natchez. Bradley took over the regiment when Hall was promoted to brigadier general. Bradley's regiment then became part of Hall's brigade, along with Colonel William Pillow's Second Regiment of Tennessee Volunteer Infantry. This brigade participated in Jackson's first campaign into the Creek Nation. Bradley's regiment fought at the Battle of Talladega (9 November 1813) and muster rolls show many casualties from that battle, especially in the companies of Captains Abraham Bledsoe and Brice Smith.
The line of march for this first campaign followed the route from Fayetteville to Huntsville, then to Fort Deposit and Fort Strother. The troops were dismissed in December 1813. The number of men in each captain's company varied from twenty-nine to seventy-two soldiers.

If I make it to Johnson County this week -- I'll be sure to post what I find.

Until next time,
Becky

A Warrant Was Issued

This week's 52 Ancestors theme is 'Black Sheep'. And I have chosen to write about my 6th great grandmother Ann Brandon, whose first child, my ancestor, was born out of wedlock. That's a pretty big deal today in some circles. And it was big enough to land you in court and subject to a hefty fine in the 1700's.

Ann Brandon is said to have been from a pretty respectable and prominent family in Colonial America. She was born in Anson County, North Carolina sometime around 1752 to John Brandon and Elizabeth (Patton) Brandon. Several online trees say that she is the daughter of John Brandon and Mary Cathey, but in my research I have found an Elizabeth Brandon's Will, dated September 1797, (Will Book G, p. 154, Rowan Co, NC) that mentions her son, William Brandon,  daughters, Jane Nichols, Sarah Smith and Ann Todd. (We'll get to the "Todd" in a little bit.) And going one generation further I found the will of a *William Patton, dated 5 September 1742, that mentions his daughter Elizabeth Brandon... without any further sources at this time, it my assumption that the line is Ann Brandon, daughter of Elizabeth (Patton) Brandon, who was the daughter of William Patton.

From some pretty exhaustive research I have discovered what I believe to be the source of the error in the other online trees. As often times happened during the 1700 - 1800's names were repeated generation after generation. Siblings would often times name their children the same names as their sibling's children, making it VERY difficult to keep up with generation changes and/or family groups. My Ann's father was John Brandon who married Elizabeth Patton. He was the son of John Brandon who married Mary Cathey. John Sr. and Mary Cathey had a daughter named Anne Brandon, b. 1722 who married Francis Locke. NOT my Ann Brandon but her aunt. Are you confused yet? (To add to this confusion: There were 2 Francis Locke's - Francis Locke (1722-1796) m. Anne Brandon and Francis Locke (1754-1808) married Blanche Rutherford.) Still keeping up? Because John Brandon Sr. married the eldest Francis Locke's widowed mother Elizabeth (the widow of John Locke d. 1744). after the death of his first wife Mary Cathey. The younger Francis Locke was the nephew of the eldest via his brother Matthew Locke.

So, now that I have that all sorted out, hopefully, I'll begin her colorful story:

Ann grew up during the height of the Revolutionary War and her family was neighbors and friends with the Rutherford's, as in Gen. Griffith Rutherford, who is quite well known in parts of North Carolina and Tennessee for his military career during the Revolutionary War and for his part in the removal of the Cherokee Indians. Both North Carolina and Tennessee have counties named after Gen. Rutherford.

John Brandon Jr. and Griffith Rutherford were members of the Assembly and Provincial Congress from Rowan County, along with Matthew Locke, the brother-in-law of John's sister Anne Brandon and the father-in-law of Gen. Rutherford's daughter, Blanche.

Sometime prior to 1776 my Ann began a relationship with Griffith Rutherford's son James Rutherford. There is a book that claims James to have been married to a Mary Gilleson, but from everything I've read online, none of the current Rutherford researches have been able to document this union, nor have I.

By March of 1777 Ann Brandon, unmarried, gave birth to a son, whom she named David Rutherford, my 5th great grand father.

As I write this blog ( a wee bit early ) I'm waiting for copies of a court record where a warrant was issued for Ann and she was brought before the court in 1777 on charges of having a bastard son. Documents pertaining to this court case are said to be in Court book 4, pages 106, 126, and 132 in Rowan County, North Carolina.

After mailing in a request to Rowan Public Library with a check for $10, the documented court case arrived in the mail today! A lot of it was difficult to make out, but below is the information I was looking for!

Transcription of above image: James Rutherford charged on oath of Anne Brandon with having begot a Bastard male child on her body appeared in court agreeable to a warrant issued by Christopher Beekman and Matthew Troy, two of the Justices of this County according to law, and paid 25 shillings. The fine required by law and was bound with Adlai Osborn and Francis Lock Jr. in the sum of £200  to keep the county indemnified from said child, and Anne Brandon also paid 25 shillings as by law required -- The money by order of the court was given to Solomon Davis, a poor man of the county.

James Rutherford, the said father of her bastard child, died 8 Sep 1781, at the battle of Eutaw Springs. I don't know if James and Ann had plans of getting married or not. I like to imagine that they had a short romance whenever they could find the opportunity to be together and that any conventional courtship and marriage would've been hindered by the confusion and business of the war at hand. The reality of what actually took place will never be known.

After the death of James Rutherford,  Ann Brandon married a John Todd Jr. in 1782.

John Todd Jr. drew up his Last Will and Testament April 13, 1796, where he mentions the following children: Nancy, John, Elizabeth, Mary, Thomas, "and the child with which she (Ann) is now pregnant". In the Estate records of John Todd Jr. the name of the unborn child is revealed to be James. His brother John is appointed guardian. In the third portion of his will he mentions his step-son David Rutherford... (I have yet to find a copy of the original will, only a transcription.)

Thirdly my will and desire is, that my stepson, David Rutherford, live with my wife, and have the free use, and occupation of all my smith tools and shop, for the space of four years, but that one half of the profits of the labor done in the shop, shall annually be paid my wife Ann, by the said David and the remainder of the profits he the said David to have and to hold the same forever.

 I have found a copy of the original will of **Thomas Todd, the son of John Todd Jr. and Ann Brandon, dated 16 January 1858, where he mentions his half-brother, David Rutherford, already deceased and his heirs:

 

Sometime after the death of John Todd Jr., Ann married again to a Joseph Thomson/Thompson. The only record I have of this is a transcribed ledger index of marriages in Rowan County that lists a Joseph Thomson and an Agnes Todd married 6 Aug 1805 and the fact that Ann's previously mentioned son, Thomas Todd, erected a stone in memory of his mother at Thyatira Presbyterian Church Cemetery where he and his maternal grandparents are also buried. The name on her stone is Ann Thompson. She died 17 Dec 1821 at the age of 61.

To the memory of Ann Thompson who died Dec 17th A.D. 1821 in the 61st year of her age. This Marble was erected by "Ths.Todd, alone, son of sd. decd. as a token of gratitude from a child to a parent"

 

*The Last Will and Testament of William Patton can be found in Will Book B, pg 122, West Marlborough Township, Chester County, PA. In addition to mentioning his daughter Elizabeth Brandon, he also mentions his eldest son James Patton, his second eldest son Robert Patton, his daughter Jane Graham, his son William Patton Jr., his grandson John Patton (son of James) and his grandchildren William Graham, Elizabeth Graham, and John Graham. Find-A-Grave says that he has a son, John Logan Patton, but if this is true - he was obviously left out of the will.

**The Last Will and Testament of Thomas Todd can be found in Vol. 1, Wills 1868-1881, pgs 29-31, Rowan County, NC. He also mentions his brother John B. Todd, and sisters, Nancy S. Thomason, Elizabeth P. Trott, and Mary Kerr.

Until next week,

Becky  

Where There's A Will, There's A Source.

I have to once again give kudos to No Story Too Small for this amazing idea of blogging about a different ancestor each week and to my sister-in-law at Days of Our Lives for letting me in on it. I have learned so much about my heritage and have made a lot of new contacts with various relatives. I love it! Alongside subscriptions to Ancestry, Fold3 and Newspapers.com I also have found great success in using FamilySearch and believe it or not, Facebook. You would be surprised at how many genealogy groups you can find. Some are better than others.

 

We're now on week #18 and the theme is 'Where There's A Will'... This will prompt me to write about my 5th great grandfather John Young because it was through his will that I was able to find a source to document my 3rd great grandmother, Martha Elizabeth Young's parentage.

According to the 1850 census John Young was born in Ireland in 1773, but after joining the Buncombe Co. NC Genealogy Research Facebook group, a descendant of John's shared with me a few images she had of John's Bible!! According to the Bible entry, John was more specifically born May 11, 1773.

This Bible was found by Bruce Whitaker in an 1820's era house, last occupied by Mary Edmundson Pinkerton, who was a direct descendant of John Young's.

 

Sometime around the year 1800, John married Roseanna, the daughter of Thomas and Mary (Mckey - Mackey) Hemphill. (Roseanna's father, Thomas Hemphill, mentions his son-in-law, John Young in his will.) By December 1800, their first child, Jane, was born. The next child born to this union is little Thomas Young, born December 12, 1902 and he died the following May. My ancestor William was born January 15, 1904 and the next child born, as was a common naming tradition of the Irish, was named after their deceased son, Thomas, who had been named after Rosanna's father. Thomas Lawrence Young was born March 6, 1806 followed by Mary M. , Nancy, Samuel and last but not least, Martha.

 

An article shared to me by a new found distant cousin, Shirley Summey, says that John lived in Burke County prior to moving to Buncombe County, NC. In the year of 1799 he was appointed election clerk, in the January term he served on the Grand Jury, and in the October term he served on a road jury from Morganton to Buncombe. And in 1800 John Young was appointed constable. This article was written by Linda Murdock. In gearing up for this post I have searched through the court files on Family Search and at this point in time I have only found records for John being a constable, but the year is 1799 - July Term. (I'm still searching - I've made it to image 523/998) *Other Young's mention in these files are a Joseph, Thomas, Wesley or Westley and a Rachel*








The Greensboro Patriot - 3 April 1833

In doing research on John, I discovered the tragic death of his youngest, Martha. It would seem in March of 1833, at the age of 17, when she and a friend were on their way to school, they had to cross the Swannano River. Both girls slipped and fell in and poor Martha drowned.

Notice that John's name is followed by Esq... I was curious what that signified. And I found the following:
"In the United States, the title is given to public officers of all degrees, from governors down to justices and attorneys. Indeed, the title, in addressing letters, is bestowed on any person at pleasure, and contains no definite description. It is merely an expression of respect. Webster's Dictionary, by Noah Webster, LL.D., Hurst & Company 1897"




Rockingham Post-Dispatch 1924

The previously mentioned article written by Mrs. Murdock also states that John Young was the Justice of the Peace in Buncombe County in 1813 and 28 Dec 1838 he was named as one of the commissioners to select the county seat for Henderson County. While I have yet to find any official records of being named a commissioner, I did find another article that backs her research up. (Disclaimer: I am not doubting her research. I'm just using it as a lead to do my own research and, unsurprisingly, I'm finding the same information). 



I'm not certain of the exact date of John's death but his will was signed 11 March 1850 and was proven in open court during the December term of that same year.

Below is my best attempt at the transcription of his will. I will highlight the portion that relates to my line - which was very beneficial in going one step further up the tree.


The last Will and Testament of John Young. In the name of God Amen. I, John Young of the County of Buncombe and State of North Carolina, being in my usual health but advanced age. And calling to mind the mortality of my body, do make ordain and establish this my last Will and Testament, inn manner and form following to wit by items

Item 1st - I will and desire that all my just debts be paid.

Item 2nd - I will and devise to my beloved wife Rosanna Young three hundred dollars in money, two beds, bed stands and furniture to be disposed of as she chooses.

Item 3rd - I will devise and bequeath to my daughter Jane Porter her heirs and assigns forever the tract of land on the North fork of Swannanoa River supposed to be one hundred and eighty acres being in three tracts, purchased by me from Francis Greer by referenced to which deed the boundaries there of will more fully appear. One copper mill now in possession of her husband Alexander Porter, and after the death of my wife Rosanna, one negro girl named Angeline and her increase should she have any.

Item 4th - I will devise and bequeath to my daughter in law Rebecca Young, widow of my son William, her heirs and assigns during her life or widowhood the tract of land on which she now lives, containing about two hundred and seven acres purchased by me from Levi Merrill and on her death or marriage, I will devise and bequeath that the said land be equally divided between Rosanna, Sarah, Jane, Thomas, Martha, Alla Melinda, Samuel and Mary Young, children of my said son William Young, their heirs and assigns forever.


Item 5th - I will and bequeath to my grandson Samuel P. Young his heirs and assigns one negro boy named George and a small rifle gun.

Item 6th - I will devise and bequeath to my son Thomas L. Young his heirs and assigns forever the tract of land on Swannanoa where he now lives which was purchased by me of John Patton, the boundaries of which will more fully appear by referenced to the deed of conveyance from said Patton to me. And one copper still now in his possession and a negro girl named Julia together with her increase and all my carpenter tools. I also will and bequeath to my said son T. L. Young during the natural life of my wife Rosanna five negros to wit Lucy, Spencer, Lowry, Angeline, Charlotte. All the stock of horses cattle, hogs and sheep. Wagon and geers (?) and farming tools of every kind. Household and kitchen furniture.

Item 7th - I will and bequeath to my grandson Samuel M. Young his heirs and assigns, a negro boy named Dick, and my large rifle gun.

Item 8th - I will and devise and bequeath to my daughter Mary M. Edmonston her heirs and assigns forever, the one half of the McCrary tract of land to be divided by commencing with the branch on which McCrary had a mill, crosses the North or North East line and sum wit the meander of the branch to the creek. And then to continue the same direction as the general course of the branch to the South line the part lying next to Tweeds to belong to the said Mary. And after the death of my wife Rosanna one negro boy named Sammy.(or maybe Lanny).

Item 9th - I will devise and bequeath to my grandchildren Willington Pattillo, John Pattillo, Samuel P. Pattillo their heirs and assigns forever the other or upper part of the McCrary tract of land joining the part given to Mary Edmonston in Item 8th and being the part of the McCrary tract of land not given to the said M Edmonson.

Item 10th - I will and bequeath to my two granddaughters Rosanna and Martha Pattillo their heirs and assigns, a negro girl named Louiza and her increase should she have any, to come into their possession after the death of my wife.

Item 11th - I will and bequeath to my granddaughter Martha Ann Edmondson her heirs and assigns, one negro girl named Caroline and her increase if any, to come to possession of the said Martha Ann after the death of my wife.

Item 12th - I will and bequeath to my daughter Mary M. Edmonson her heirs and assigns after the death of my wife, a negro woman named Lucy.

Item 13th - I will and bequeath after the death of my wife to my daughter in law Rebecca Young during her life or widowhood a negro girl named Charlotte and after her death or marriage the said girl and the increase after she comes to the possession of the said Mary (I think he meant to say Rebecca) to be divided among the same persons and in the same manner as the land mentioned in item 4th of this will directed to be divided.

Item 14th - I will and desire that all the rest of my property both real and personal be sold by executor at public sale on a credit of twelve months and the proceeds of such sales together with money and land debts ? me at my death. After paying my just debts and three hundred dollars bequeathed unto my wife be divided into five equal parts, and one part to be given to my daughter Jane Porter, one part to the children of my son William, one part to my son Thomas L., one part to Mary M. Edmonson. One part to the children of my daughter Nancy Pattillo deceased. I here by appoint Joshua Roberts my sole executor of this my last Will and Testament.

In witness whereof I here unto set my hand and seal the 11th day of March 1850

(Signed) John Young





If you're curious about these land deeds, a very beneficial resource was shared with me on the Ancestry Facebook group for anyone with ancestors in Buncombe County.

Going off the information in his will, we know the following about John's children: Jane married Alexander Porter, his son (my ancestor) William has already died but left a widow named Rebecca and the named children, Mary M. has married an Edmondson, Nancy married a Pattillo but she has already died, from the article I found I know that Martha died in '33 so that leaves a son named Samuel that isn't mentioned in the will at all. He must have died young as well, leaving no widow or children to inherit his portion.

Just an FYI:  Mary M. Young married James Edmondson. William (deceased) Young married James Edmondson's sister Rebecca Edmondson (my ancestor).

James and Rebecca's parent's were William and Sarah (Patton) Edmundson. John Young's was a witness to a deed between Thomas Hemphill and William Edmundson, dated Oct 1817. I cannot tell you if the Thomas Hemphill was John's FIL or BIL.

In an article found in the 1851 Fayetteville Weekly Observer there is a published court case between Miles Goforth vs John Young and Littleton Pattillo of Buncombe County, in Equity. The case was dismissed with costs. Was this Nancy's husband?

I think I have included all the information I have on our John. I hope if you're reading this and you have more to share, I would love it if you would leave a comment. I love hearing from and connecting with relatives of all distance.

Until next week,
Becky