Remember when I said I was easily distracted? So, I began to work on the maternal paternal side as well. Makes sense, right? If you are confused, my mother's father:
Me - Mary Phyllis Williamson Norwood - John William Williamson.
I grew up around the Norwoods and the Brendles. I remember one trip to the Williamsons in my life. There may have been others, but only one I remember. And I remember a lake and tire tubes in the water. Yep, that about sums it up!
My grandfather was from Duplin County, so we switch sides of the state of NC now. Duplin County east, Yadkin/Surry (the Brendles - west). From my grandfather's death certificate (and my mother naturally), I know my great-grandparents(4) are Charlie Williamson and Allie Shaw Williamson. I found a death certificate for Charlie and Allie(5).
Charlie is Charlie Southerland Williamson and Allie is Allie Shaw Williamson.
So, going with Charlie for the moment. Charlie's parents, according to his death certificate, were John Williamson(6) and Sara Johnson(6). Also found the concurring census record for 1930 with Charlie, Sarah and their children including John. I found Sarah on the 1900 census, already widowed with Charlie as her son.
(For any one who is not familiar, the 1890 census was pretty much destroyed by fire. There are a few pieces which remain, but most of it was lost). But, I found John and Sarah on the 1880 census. No children at that point however.
Following census records, John appears to be the son of William Williamson(7) and Francis Williamson(7).
Therefore:
Me(1) - Mom(2) - John William Williamson(3) - Charlie Southerland Williamson(4) - John Williamson(5) - William Williamson(6)
Me(1) - Mom(2) - John William Williamson(3) - Allie Shaw Williamson(4) - John Elliott Shaw(5) (from death certificate)
Me(1) - Mom(2) - John William Williamson(3) - Allie Shaw Williamson(4) - Almetta Mcpheter Shaw(5) (from death certificate)
Me(1) - Mom(2) - John William Williamson(3) - Charlie Southerland Williamson(4) - Sarah Johnson(5) - Robert Johnson(6) (Death certificate)
Me(1) - Mom(2) - John William Williamson(3) - Charlie Southerland Williamson(4) - Sarah Johnson(5) - Mary Ann Andrews(6) (Death certificate)
I then did some work on my paternal side, but we will save that for tomorrow :)
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Library trip this week
Ok, so I found a very helpful site at familysearch.org - highly recommended :)
Fruitful trip to the library, I may not have hunted for the things I was setting out for though. I am easily distracted! I printed the following records on this trip - my grandfather's(3) death certificate (John William Williamson), my great-grandfather's(4) death certificate (John Emory Brendle), the Brendle family on the 1930 census, including my great-grandfather John Emory (4) and my grandmother, Emily Brendle(3) at 13 years old :) I also pulled William Pleasant Brendle(5) on the 1870 census living in the household of George D Brendle.
So, just to refresh for my own sake -
Me (Emily Elizabeth Norwood McGill) - Mary Phyllis Williamson Norwood(2) - Mary Emiline Brendle(3) - John Emory Brendle(4) - William Pleasant Brendle (5) - George Brendle(6). Now all in written proof, well, assuming my mother has her birth certificate!
But.... guess what? My great-grandfather's death certificate has his mother listed as Martha Jane Brown. *head slap*. So, was there an Eliza Brown AND a Martha Brown who married William Pleasant Brendle? Seems a tad unbelievable right? So, more work on that later. For right now, I am leaving it alone as it is frustrating me.
Realized when I left I should have found the census record for John as a child in the household of William, just for completeness. I don't think I *need* it, since it is on his death certificate, but just to round out the collection....
Fruitful trip to the library, I may not have hunted for the things I was setting out for though. I am easily distracted! I printed the following records on this trip - my grandfather's(3) death certificate (John William Williamson), my great-grandfather's(4) death certificate (John Emory Brendle), the Brendle family on the 1930 census, including my great-grandfather John Emory (4) and my grandmother, Emily Brendle(3) at 13 years old :) I also pulled William Pleasant Brendle(5) on the 1870 census living in the household of George D Brendle.
So, just to refresh for my own sake -
Me (Emily Elizabeth Norwood McGill) - Mary Phyllis Williamson Norwood(2) - Mary Emiline Brendle(3) - John Emory Brendle(4) - William Pleasant Brendle (5) - George Brendle(6). Now all in written proof, well, assuming my mother has her birth certificate!
But.... guess what? My great-grandfather's death certificate has his mother listed as Martha Jane Brown. *head slap*. So, was there an Eliza Brown AND a Martha Brown who married William Pleasant Brendle? Seems a tad unbelievable right? So, more work on that later. For right now, I am leaving it alone as it is frustrating me.
Realized when I left I should have found the census record for John as a child in the household of William, just for completeness. I don't think I *need* it, since it is on his death certificate, but just to round out the collection....
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Yadkin County Civil War Book
I went back and checked the book. The book also has her as Elizabeth Jane, so that matches the marriage record and the census record. Following is a transcription of the book entry:
BROWN, Robert w.; CO. I, 28th REG. (1842-08/13/1862).Robert W. Brown e. in Yadkin Co. at age 19, where he resided, on 8-13-1861. He was wounded in the right shoulder at Frayser's Farm, VA, 6-30-1862, and d. in a Richmond, VA, hospital 8-13-1862 of wounds received (NCT VIII, 208). He is believed to be the Robert W. Brown, b.6-8-1842, d. ca. 1865, the s. of Jacob and Elizabeth Calloway Brown, and a brother to George Washington Brown. Others in this family were Enoch J. Brown; Hanna Brown; James F. Brown, who m Sarah Ray; Christina who m. Eli Smith about 1869; Thomas T m. Caroline Davis; Elizabeth Jane Brown, who m. William Pleas Bren-dle [sic]; and John Conrad Brown, who m. Priscilla Adams, ca. 1880 (per Neish Brown).
Horribly, sad, right? Poor boy. I can also see the beginnning of George W.'s record above (who appears to have survived the war), but the entry is not fully in the free preview, so I am definitely purchasing this book come payday. If anyone else reading this is from Yadkin County, I encourage you to do so as well. It looks to be a wonderful accounting of how the war affected the county.
In the census recording, I have Robert J, George W, John, Thomas, Eliza and James. I do not have Enoch, perhaps he was born after 1860? I will pull the 1870 record if I can find it next week.
BROWN, Robert w.; CO. I, 28th REG. (1842-08/13/1862).Robert W. Brown e. in Yadkin Co. at age 19, where he resided, on 8-13-1861. He was wounded in the right shoulder at Frayser's Farm, VA, 6-30-1862, and d. in a Richmond, VA, hospital 8-13-1862 of wounds received (NCT VIII, 208). He is believed to be the Robert W. Brown, b.6-8-1842, d. ca. 1865, the s. of Jacob and Elizabeth Calloway Brown, and a brother to George Washington Brown. Others in this family were Enoch J. Brown; Hanna Brown; James F. Brown, who m Sarah Ray; Christina who m. Eli Smith about 1869; Thomas T m. Caroline Davis; Elizabeth Jane Brown, who m. William Pleas Bren-dle [sic]; and John Conrad Brown, who m. Priscilla Adams, ca. 1880 (per Neish Brown).
Horribly, sad, right? Poor boy. I can also see the beginnning of George W.'s record above (who appears to have survived the war), but the entry is not fully in the free preview, so I am definitely purchasing this book come payday. If anyone else reading this is from Yadkin County, I encourage you to do so as well. It looks to be a wonderful accounting of how the war affected the county.
In the census recording, I have Robert J, George W, John, Thomas, Eliza and James. I do not have Enoch, perhaps he was born after 1860? I will pull the 1870 record if I can find it next week.
Great-grandparents
I have decided to label names by generations. I can't really figure out the best way to do this yet, so this is my idea for the moment. 1. Me, 2. My mom/dad, 3. Grandparents, so on and so on.
My great grandparents (4) are buried in Boonville Cemetery. Due to someone else's diligence, namely Rick Kreiss, both are transcribed on findagrave.com. The entries are as follows:
John Emory Brendle
Birth:
Mar. 19, 1883 Yadkin County North Carolina, USA
Death:
Dec. 23, 1965 Elkin Surry County North Carolina, USA
Son of William Pleas and Martha Jane (Brown) Brendle. Family links: Spouse: Martha Elizabeth Walker Brendle (1883 - 1967)
Martha Elizabeth Walker Brendle
Birth:
Aug. 12, 1883 Wilkes County North Carolina, USA
Death:
Feb. 11, 1967 Elkin Surry County North Carolina, USA
Wife of John E. Brendle; daughter of William L. and Nancy Jane (Reece) Walker.
The story I have been told is that he married my great-grandmother because she was the most beautiful woman in the county.
Notice my great-grandfather's mother (5)? This is a problem. Another site which has appeared to pull information from the Yadkin County marriage records has her name as Elizabeth Jane. I believe the Elizabeth is correct. The marriage record is transcribed here:
http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~schulthe/ChrisFile/b59.htm#P164
I do not know who owns this ancestry page, but I need to find out because the line on the Brendle side now goes all the way back to Germany in this already prepared tree. Lucky break huh?
Yet another source, this book on Google, has her in the family of Robert Brown, (5) who sadly, died in the war. This book has her as Sarah who married Wm. Pleasant. This is from an oral history though, so I take the marriage record to be the most accurate. I will be in Boonville this coming Saturday, so I am going to stop at the cemetery and check the graves as well.
So, armed with Eliza's name, I actually did venture to the State Library/archives across the street yesterday. Took me all of five minutes perhaps to locate Eliza in the 1860 census for Yadkin County where she was three. He brother's are listed as George W. and Robert, which matches the Civil War book that I will be ordering a copy of on payday. She is three at the time, Robert (male) is 18, Meary A. (female) is 15, George W. (male) is 13, James F (male) is 11, Leany (sp?) (female) is 8, Thomas is 5, Eliza is 3 and John J is 1 month old. It saddens me deeply that this happy sounding family would lose their oldest son three years later to the ravages of war. This leads me to the next generation though, Eliza's (5) parents are Jacob Brown (6) and Elizabeth (6).
So, I am not sure why there is some confusion over Eliza's name. Clearly, she must have been called Eliza as that is what the census lists, and I think the marriage record would be most accurate, so I am going with Eliza Jane(5) over Sarah or Martha. I will have to go back to the state files myself and pull the marriage record and also a more official recording of Robert's (and possibly George's) war service.
The sixth level on the paternal side is George Daniel Brindle (6) born about 1820 in Surry County and Mary Pauline "Polly" Weathermon (6) born about 1825 in Surry County. Just a total side note, in 1857 Yadkin County was formed out of Surry County, so beyond this point, there is no more Yadkin County.
Another note of interest, the spelling change seems to have occurred at this point. Some sources have William Pleasant Brendle and some have William Pleasant Brindle. Some also have the reversed spellings for George Daniel (7). I am not sure why this occurred, but it is interesting and I can only assume it resulted from someone not having a great ability to read or write and using the name the way it sounded rather than how it was spelled. George's father was Daniel Brindle (8), which I have not yet run across as BrEndle, so the change occurs at this point in time. I never see BrIndle after William Pleasant.
That gives me exactly what I need to find for William Pleasant and Eliza. I have already acquired Eliza's childhood census record, so I need to fetch -
1. William Pleasant and Eliza's marriage bond (which I know exists since the "Chris site" has it recorded.)
2. Census record for William, which also lives in the 1860 census, but in Surry not Yadkin
3. See what I can find in the Civil War records for Robert(6) or George(6) Brown.
4. Visit my great-grandfather's cemetery marker in Boonville while I am there next weekend, and might as well check out my grandmother's and grandfather's while I am there, right? And depending on the people I am with, perhaps make it to Mitchell's as well where generation 8 is buried, but that is a post for another day!
My great grandparents (4) are buried in Boonville Cemetery. Due to someone else's diligence, namely Rick Kreiss, both are transcribed on findagrave.com. The entries are as follows:
John Emory Brendle
Birth:
Mar. 19, 1883 Yadkin County North Carolina, USA
Death:
Dec. 23, 1965 Elkin Surry County North Carolina, USA
Son of William Pleas and Martha Jane (Brown) Brendle. Family links: Spouse: Martha Elizabeth Walker Brendle (1883 - 1967)
Martha Elizabeth Walker Brendle
Birth:
Aug. 12, 1883 Wilkes County North Carolina, USA
Death:
Feb. 11, 1967 Elkin Surry County North Carolina, USA
Wife of John E. Brendle; daughter of William L. and Nancy Jane (Reece) Walker.
The story I have been told is that he married my great-grandmother because she was the most beautiful woman in the county.
Notice my great-grandfather's mother (5)? This is a problem. Another site which has appeared to pull information from the Yadkin County marriage records has her name as Elizabeth Jane. I believe the Elizabeth is correct. The marriage record is transcribed here:
http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~schulthe/ChrisFile/b59.htm#P164
I do not know who owns this ancestry page, but I need to find out because the line on the Brendle side now goes all the way back to Germany in this already prepared tree. Lucky break huh?
Yet another source, this book on Google, has her in the family of Robert Brown, (5) who sadly, died in the war. This book has her as Sarah who married Wm. Pleasant. This is from an oral history though, so I take the marriage record to be the most accurate. I will be in Boonville this coming Saturday, so I am going to stop at the cemetery and check the graves as well.
So, armed with Eliza's name, I actually did venture to the State Library/archives across the street yesterday. Took me all of five minutes perhaps to locate Eliza in the 1860 census for Yadkin County where she was three. He brother's are listed as George W. and Robert, which matches the Civil War book that I will be ordering a copy of on payday. She is three at the time, Robert (male) is 18, Meary A. (female) is 15, George W. (male) is 13, James F (male) is 11, Leany (sp?) (female) is 8, Thomas is 5, Eliza is 3 and John J is 1 month old. It saddens me deeply that this happy sounding family would lose their oldest son three years later to the ravages of war. This leads me to the next generation though, Eliza's (5) parents are Jacob Brown (6) and Elizabeth (6).
So, I am not sure why there is some confusion over Eliza's name. Clearly, she must have been called Eliza as that is what the census lists, and I think the marriage record would be most accurate, so I am going with Eliza Jane(5) over Sarah or Martha. I will have to go back to the state files myself and pull the marriage record and also a more official recording of Robert's (and possibly George's) war service.
The sixth level on the paternal side is George Daniel Brindle (6) born about 1820 in Surry County and Mary Pauline "Polly" Weathermon (6) born about 1825 in Surry County. Just a total side note, in 1857 Yadkin County was formed out of Surry County, so beyond this point, there is no more Yadkin County.
Another note of interest, the spelling change seems to have occurred at this point. Some sources have William Pleasant Brendle and some have William Pleasant Brindle. Some also have the reversed spellings for George Daniel (7). I am not sure why this occurred, but it is interesting and I can only assume it resulted from someone not having a great ability to read or write and using the name the way it sounded rather than how it was spelled. George's father was Daniel Brindle (8), which I have not yet run across as BrEndle, so the change occurs at this point in time. I never see BrIndle after William Pleasant.
That gives me exactly what I need to find for William Pleasant and Eliza. I have already acquired Eliza's childhood census record, so I need to fetch -
1. William Pleasant and Eliza's marriage bond (which I know exists since the "Chris site" has it recorded.)
2. Census record for William, which also lives in the 1860 census, but in Surry not Yadkin
3. See what I can find in the Civil War records for Robert(6) or George(6) Brown.
4. Visit my great-grandfather's cemetery marker in Boonville while I am there next weekend, and might as well check out my grandmother's and grandfather's while I am there, right? And depending on the people I am with, perhaps make it to Mitchell's as well where generation 8 is buried, but that is a post for another day!
Friday, September 10, 2010
My mother's side
Most of the work I have done in the past has mainly been on my father's side, so this was a journey into my mother's side to start this off.
My mother grew up in Yadkin County. Her mother was from a family of ten children who seemed very progressive. My grandmother obtained her college degree in 1939. With today's interstates, it is 211 miles (3.5 hours) from Yadkinville to Greenville, which my mother traveled by bus in 1939. I would have never been able to do this, I went to college 10 miles from home!
You can see her photo here actually - http://media.lib.ecu.edu/archives/photo_display.cfm?id=12648. She is on the top right hand side. Emily Brendle. My grandmother would go on to marry my grandfather - John William Williamson, (of Duplin County) but that is a line for another day.
The story supposedly goes like this according to family legend. My grandmother graduates from East Carolina in 1939. She is then sent to Duplin County to teach. She steps off the bus in Duplin where upon my grandfather sees her and knows that is the woman he is going to marry.
So, so far,
Emily Elizabeth Norwood McGill (me) - Mary Phyllis Williamson Norwood - Mary Emiline Brendle Williamson.
I need to find an actual document that proves my grandmother's parentage. I am sure it lives in my great-grandfather's will since I have seen that at some point. I know it is probably also on some census records, I just have to walk my fat butt back across the street to find those...
My mother grew up in Yadkin County. Her mother was from a family of ten children who seemed very progressive. My grandmother obtained her college degree in 1939. With today's interstates, it is 211 miles (3.5 hours) from Yadkinville to Greenville, which my mother traveled by bus in 1939. I would have never been able to do this, I went to college 10 miles from home!
You can see her photo here actually - http://media.lib.ecu.edu/archives/photo_display.cfm?id=12648. She is on the top right hand side. Emily Brendle. My grandmother would go on to marry my grandfather - John William Williamson, (of Duplin County) but that is a line for another day.
The story supposedly goes like this according to family legend. My grandmother graduates from East Carolina in 1939. She is then sent to Duplin County to teach. She steps off the bus in Duplin where upon my grandfather sees her and knows that is the woman he is going to marry.
So, so far,
Emily Elizabeth Norwood McGill (me) - Mary Phyllis Williamson Norwood - Mary Emiline Brendle Williamson.
I need to find an actual document that proves my grandmother's parentage. I am sure it lives in my great-grandfather's will since I have seen that at some point. I know it is probably also on some census records, I just have to walk my fat butt back across the street to find those...
Getting Started
Ok, so I have dabbled in the family history tracing for a while now. I think maybe a small part of why i took my current job was due to the fact it would put me within a block of the State Library. Which is a place I always have the best intentions of getting to!
So, a few months ago my great Aunt died. This has resparked my interest in working on this project, so here I am back at it. Of course, every time I work on this project, I lose whatever notes I had and have to start again from scratch.
I do have a computer science degree so you think that would make me very tech-hip, but it was my mother (shock) who suggested keeping it all in a blog as I go, so hence we have arrived at this blog and so have you...
Maybe I can uncover some stuff that will help someone else along the way as well...
So, a few months ago my great Aunt died. This has resparked my interest in working on this project, so here I am back at it. Of course, every time I work on this project, I lose whatever notes I had and have to start again from scratch.
I do have a computer science degree so you think that would make me very tech-hip, but it was my mother (shock) who suggested keeping it all in a blog as I go, so hence we have arrived at this blog and so have you...
Maybe I can uncover some stuff that will help someone else along the way as well...
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