Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Grandpa Gage's School Picture
It is hard to believe that Granddad Gage was ever a little boy. Several years back, I was delighted to find a school picture that had been taken about 1899 probably in Esperance, NY since that is where he is in the 1900 census. It would have made him about seven years old. What I really find remarkable about this picture is that all of the names are written on the back. I don't think I did that well on my school pictures. I'm sure there are a few cousins among these names but I've never quite pinned them all down. Granddad Gage is the one on the bottom row on the far right with the arrows pointing at him. I thought it would be fun to post the oldest school picture that I have!
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
From Pennsylvania to Kansas - Kelley trails
I've been interested in history for most of my life. Some of my earliest memories involve sitting and listening to stories by my great grandmothers. So a degree in History and later an obsession with genealogical research seemed to be a natural progression for me. The older that I get and the more I learn about history, the more I am frustrated at the knowledge of History exhibited by many of the younger generations and many in my own. My family stories are not necessarily unique, but I am certainly glad that I have taken the time to learn about them.
One of the topics that I remember studying a bit in high school was about the Cumberland Gap. Essentially, I knew it was a pathway where immigrants coming in from the north would travel to the south and that Daniel Boone was one of those responsible for establishing the trail and that it was part of the Wilderness Road. I didn't realize how much that passage way would impact my own family history. I have family members that came through Philadelphia and stopped in West Virginia (Shawvers & Amicks) and I have families that continued clear down to the Clinch Mountain's in TN such as the Kelly's and Hammer families.
Kinchen W. Kelley was the son of Johnathan H. Kelley and Margaret E. Matherly who were most likely Irish immigrants who came in through Philadelphia like many other immigrants from the Pre-Revolutionary War period. Kinchen was born on 19 Jun 1759 in Pennsylvania and probably traveled down to Tennessee as a young man. He married Elizabeth "Betsy" Hammer in abt 1787. I believe from what I have read that the Hammers were already in Tennessee by the time that Betsy married Kinchen. Like Kinchen, Betsy was born in Pennsylvania on 14 Dec 1764. She was the daughter of John Melchior Hammer II and Maria Margaretha Kaupp who were both from Oberjesingen, Wurttemberg, Germany. According to some sources, the Hammers traveled down about 1780 and settled near Knob Creek, Washington Co., TN. The family got two land grants of 200 acres and had a home that was built at the first spring above Jonesborough. John Hammer was an important man in the area - serving as a Missionary, Farm, Census Take, Property Assessor, Counter of Taxables and served on several juries. In addition, he was appointed by John Sevier as a Magistrate after the State Constitution was formed. He died in 1817 and his wife, Margaretha died 10 years later in 1827.
When I first started studying the Kelley family, I talked to the granddaughter of William Kelley and Ailey Allen. She was the youngest child of one of the youngest children of William Kelley and Ailey Allen and actually spent her young years on their farm. Family legend said that William Kelly as a boy came to Clay Co., KY with his family probably in the 1840's. They had a wagon that carried their goods...but the older children walked along side the wagon. They came from the Clinch Mountains in Tennessee. Researchers before me had pieced together that William's father John Kelley was the son of Kinchen Kelley. This information seemed to be confirmed by a copy of Kinchen Kelley's will. Even though it seems strange to have a John and Johnathan mentioned in the same will. That seems to me to be practically the same name. The connection also seemed to confirmed to me by the prominent use of the name Kinchen within the Kelley family.
So, in just a few generations the Kelley family traveled from Pennsylvania (Kinchen b. 1759) to Tennessee (m. Elizabeth "Betsy" Hammer abt 1787) and then moved to Clay Co., KY around 1840 (John Kelley & Elizabeth Hunter). My Great Great Grandfather was the son of William Kelley and Ailey Allen and the grandson of John Kelley and Elizabeth Hunter. John Ward Kelley moved his own family out of Kentucky and to Kansas and Oklahoma in 1885. Sarah Rachel Kelley, John Ward's daughter, married John Lyons Tannahill and their son, Oliver Richard Tannahill was my grandfather. My grandfather's family didn't stay that long in Kansas and Oklahoma and left in the 1920's although I don't think it was for better opportunity but rather running from the law...but that is a story for another time.
I wonder how many Americans who had ancestors who traveled the same pathway from Pennsylvania to Tennessee and how many have tried to trace that pathway back. I'm not sure I would have ever known where the Kelleys and Hammers had lived if it wasn't for some genealogists and historians who spent time and effort to locate the Killey Cemetery in Knob Creek, Washington Co., TN (See Killey "Kinchen" Cemetery for more info) Here is a link to Kinchen Kelley (Killey)'s gravestone on Find A Grave and that of his wife Elizabeth "Betsy" Hammer. Here is my Kelley Line:
Kinchen Kelley m. Elizabeth "Betsy" Hammer
John Kelley m. Elizabeth Hunter
William Kelley m. Ailey Allen
John Ward Kelley m. Melvina Robertson
Sarah Rachel Kelley m. John Lyons Tannahill
Oliver Richard Tannahill m. Capitola Esther Friddle
My Parents...then Me
One of the topics that I remember studying a bit in high school was about the Cumberland Gap. Essentially, I knew it was a pathway where immigrants coming in from the north would travel to the south and that Daniel Boone was one of those responsible for establishing the trail and that it was part of the Wilderness Road. I didn't realize how much that passage way would impact my own family history. I have family members that came through Philadelphia and stopped in West Virginia (Shawvers & Amicks) and I have families that continued clear down to the Clinch Mountain's in TN such as the Kelly's and Hammer families.
Kinchen W. Kelley was the son of Johnathan H. Kelley and Margaret E. Matherly who were most likely Irish immigrants who came in through Philadelphia like many other immigrants from the Pre-Revolutionary War period. Kinchen was born on 19 Jun 1759 in Pennsylvania and probably traveled down to Tennessee as a young man. He married Elizabeth "Betsy" Hammer in abt 1787. I believe from what I have read that the Hammers were already in Tennessee by the time that Betsy married Kinchen. Like Kinchen, Betsy was born in Pennsylvania on 14 Dec 1764. She was the daughter of John Melchior Hammer II and Maria Margaretha Kaupp who were both from Oberjesingen, Wurttemberg, Germany. According to some sources, the Hammers traveled down about 1780 and settled near Knob Creek, Washington Co., TN. The family got two land grants of 200 acres and had a home that was built at the first spring above Jonesborough. John Hammer was an important man in the area - serving as a Missionary, Farm, Census Take, Property Assessor, Counter of Taxables and served on several juries. In addition, he was appointed by John Sevier as a Magistrate after the State Constitution was formed. He died in 1817 and his wife, Margaretha died 10 years later in 1827.
When I first started studying the Kelley family, I talked to the granddaughter of William Kelley and Ailey Allen. She was the youngest child of one of the youngest children of William Kelley and Ailey Allen and actually spent her young years on their farm. Family legend said that William Kelly as a boy came to Clay Co., KY with his family probably in the 1840's. They had a wagon that carried their goods...but the older children walked along side the wagon. They came from the Clinch Mountains in Tennessee. Researchers before me had pieced together that William's father John Kelley was the son of Kinchen Kelley. This information seemed to be confirmed by a copy of Kinchen Kelley's will. Even though it seems strange to have a John and Johnathan mentioned in the same will. That seems to me to be practically the same name. The connection also seemed to confirmed to me by the prominent use of the name Kinchen within the Kelley family.
So, in just a few generations the Kelley family traveled from Pennsylvania (Kinchen b. 1759) to Tennessee (m. Elizabeth "Betsy" Hammer abt 1787) and then moved to Clay Co., KY around 1840 (John Kelley & Elizabeth Hunter). My Great Great Grandfather was the son of William Kelley and Ailey Allen and the grandson of John Kelley and Elizabeth Hunter. John Ward Kelley moved his own family out of Kentucky and to Kansas and Oklahoma in 1885. Sarah Rachel Kelley, John Ward's daughter, married John Lyons Tannahill and their son, Oliver Richard Tannahill was my grandfather. My grandfather's family didn't stay that long in Kansas and Oklahoma and left in the 1920's although I don't think it was for better opportunity but rather running from the law...but that is a story for another time.
I wonder how many Americans who had ancestors who traveled the same pathway from Pennsylvania to Tennessee and how many have tried to trace that pathway back. I'm not sure I would have ever known where the Kelleys and Hammers had lived if it wasn't for some genealogists and historians who spent time and effort to locate the Killey Cemetery in Knob Creek, Washington Co., TN (See Killey "Kinchen" Cemetery for more info) Here is a link to Kinchen Kelley (Killey)'s gravestone on Find A Grave and that of his wife Elizabeth "Betsy" Hammer. Here is my Kelley Line:
Kinchen Kelley m. Elizabeth "Betsy" Hammer
John Kelley m. Elizabeth Hunter
William Kelley m. Ailey Allen
John Ward Kelley m. Melvina Robertson
Sarah Rachel Kelley m. John Lyons Tannahill
Oliver Richard Tannahill m. Capitola Esther Friddle
My Parents...then Me
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
The Winslow Connection
I still remember the first time I saw my great great
grandfather’s name – Winslow Lonsdale Pope – and thought…if anything is a New
England name…then that is. Very quickly
I found out I was correct. Winslow was
born in Weston, Drummond, Quebec but his family came out of Vermont and New
Hampshire. He wasn't even the first
Winslow Lonsdale Pope in his family…he had an older brother with the same name
who was born in 1839 but died in 1842.
My Winslow was born five years after his brother’s death on 1 Nov
1847. I am always curious where names
come from - and I knew the name of Winslow was pretty prevalent in New
England. After a bit of help from others
and research on my own, I found out where that name came from.
 |
| Picture of Great Great Grandpa Winslow taken a week before he died in 1928. |
Winslow Lonsdale Pope was the son of Francis Pope and
Belinda Willey and Francis Pope was the son of Winslow Pope and Mary
Wheelock. This Winslow Pope was born 10
Aug 1770 in Rochester, Plymouth Co., MA to Seth Pope and Sarah Winslow. So, as it was common to name a son from the
mother’s surname, the Winslow name had a source and a New England source. Now it was time to find out a bit more about
Sarah Winslow.
Sarah Winslow was born on 19 Mar 1733 in Rochester, Plymouth
Co., MA and married Seth Pope on 15 Mar 1752 when she was 18 years old. She was the mother of seven children before
she died on 20 Aug 1775. She was the
daughter of Edward Winslow and Hannah Winslow – 2nd cousins who married
on 14 Dec 1728 in Harwich Barnstable Co., MA.
Both are the great grandchildren of Kenelm Winslow and Mercy
Worden. I must admit that I am always a
little dismayed to find ancestors who married cousins, but I've found a few who
are much more closely related. It seems
that it illustrates the cruel fate that befell a lot of women – Sarah was only
42 when she died and her mother was only 34 years of age. At least her grandmother, Bethia Hall (wife
of Kenelm Winslow) lived to be 73 years old which was a grand age in 1745. Unfortunately, Bethia’s daughter preceded her
in death by just a few weeks. When I
look at the young ages of these women, it is hard to tell if their deaths were
caused by childbirth, over work , or sickness – perhaps it was a combination of
all three.
So, now it is obvious that my great great grandfather’s name
comes from a well established and known family of New England. While he was not descended from the Edward
Winslow who was on the Mayflower, he was descended from his brother, Kenelm who
arrived a few ships later. So, here is my Winslow line:
- Kenelm Winslow b. 1599 d. 1672 m. Eleanor Newton b. 1598 d. 1681
- Kenelm Winslow b. 1635 d. 1715 m. Mercy Worden b. 1640 d. 1688
- Kenelm Winslow b. 1668 d. 1729 m. Berthia Hall b. 1672 d.
1745 (Father of Hannah)
& Edward Winslow b. 1681 d. 1760 m. Sarah Clark b. 1682 d. 1767 (Father of Edward) - Edward Winslow b. 1703 d. 1780 m. Hannah Winslow b. 1711 d. 1745
- Sarah Winslow b. 1733 d. 1775 m. Seth Pope b. 1729 d. 1821
- Winslow Pope b. 1770 d. 1847 m. Mary Wheelock b. 1778 d. 1854
- Francis Pope b. 1812 d. 1888 m. Belinda Willey b. 1817 d. 1880
- Winslow Lonsdale Pope b. 1847 d. 1928 m. Nancy Ann Marie Lyons b. 1855 d. 1906
- Shirlie Louisa Pope b. 1881 d. 1927 m. Ulpian Grey Johnson b. 1881 d. 1927
- Frank Stewart Johnson b. 1914 d. 1975 m. Helen Marian Gage b. 1920 d. 2011 (My grandparents)
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Harvey's Long Life
There are a lot of children to look at when you are researching the Levi Pennington and Elizabeth Henson family. Depending on whose research that you look at there can be up to 16 children. I personally have a list of 13 children...but it is a list that can change at any time. You might say there is wiggle room for a few more children and it wasn't that long ago when I added a new child because of new research. I've always been interested in Harvey Pennington - number seven on my list of Levi Pennington children.
Harvey was born on 29 Feb 1828 in Laurel, Ashe Co., NC - I suppose one would call him a leap baby? Remarkably he lived to 21 Apr 1922 and was 94 years old when he died at Piney Creek, Ashe Co., NC. As almost the middle child in such a large family, I imagine that sometimes it would have been easy to get lost in the mix. He had three older brothers and three older sisters as well as four younger brothers and two younger sisters. His siblings were born between 1815 and 1843. In about 1850, Harvey married Easter Little, the daughter of Isaac Little and Elizabeth Poe. (Easter's younger sister, Mary married Harvey's brother Andrew and she was left a widow when Andrew died in 1863 when he also served during the Civil War. It is unknown if Andrew actually died during battle or just after he was mustered out of the North Carolina 34th Infantry, which is the last time he was known to be alive) Like most young men of his age, Harvey joined up and served with the Confederacy during the Civil War with the North Carolina 66th Infantry. I am curious as to why certain young men served with certain units. His brother in law (my 3rd great grandfather) was in the 58th NC and they were quite notorious for deserters and my 3rd great grandfather was one of them. Nevertheless, Harvey survives his Civil War service and after the war rejoins his family in Ashe Co., NC.
Unlike his father and siblings, Harvey lives in a different area than they...in 1860 he is found at Horse Creek in the Helton District which is northeast of his family and later lives a bit further south at Staggs Creek. Like his parents, Harvey also has a large family of 10 children. In the 1870 census, his nephew (Andrew and Mary Little's son) is also living with them. Of his 10 children, only one dies young under the age of 10:
Harvey & Easter's Family:
Harvey's wife Easter died on 26 Aug 1894 and a few years later in Oct 1896, Harvey married a widow named Martha Ann Brooks and within a year had an 11th child:
I think there are actually some living grandchildren of Harvey Pennington who are still alive today.
Looking at the scope of Harvey's life is really astounding. He probably lived through more change during his long life than most have ever seen. His childhood was one of an agrarian childhood in small isolated group of communities in North Carolina. That lifestyle was blown apart with the Civil War and the devastating impact it had on the entire American society. Following the Civil War was probably the most turbulent and quick change this country has seen. We went from a horse and buggy way of life to one of trains and later automobiles. What was once an isolated area was now opening up to the outside world and influences. Sadly for him, he lived to see another war that was broadcast across the radio and news could arrive almost instantaneously as long as you could get a radio signal. Harvey's father was born in the 18th century with twenty years of the founding of this country and Harvey lived to see it almost reach 150 years old. Harvey was the longest lived of his family and only his youngest sister lived past 1922 when she died at 1926 at the age of 83.
Harvey's second wife only outlived him by a month despite being 26 years younger than him. Wouldn't be wonderful if Harvey had left behind the story of his life - I'm sure it must have been an interesting one!
Harvey was born on 29 Feb 1828 in Laurel, Ashe Co., NC - I suppose one would call him a leap baby? Remarkably he lived to 21 Apr 1922 and was 94 years old when he died at Piney Creek, Ashe Co., NC. As almost the middle child in such a large family, I imagine that sometimes it would have been easy to get lost in the mix. He had three older brothers and three older sisters as well as four younger brothers and two younger sisters. His siblings were born between 1815 and 1843. In about 1850, Harvey married Easter Little, the daughter of Isaac Little and Elizabeth Poe. (Easter's younger sister, Mary married Harvey's brother Andrew and she was left a widow when Andrew died in 1863 when he also served during the Civil War. It is unknown if Andrew actually died during battle or just after he was mustered out of the North Carolina 34th Infantry, which is the last time he was known to be alive) Like most young men of his age, Harvey joined up and served with the Confederacy during the Civil War with the North Carolina 66th Infantry. I am curious as to why certain young men served with certain units. His brother in law (my 3rd great grandfather) was in the 58th NC and they were quite notorious for deserters and my 3rd great grandfather was one of them. Nevertheless, Harvey survives his Civil War service and after the war rejoins his family in Ashe Co., NC.
Unlike his father and siblings, Harvey lives in a different area than they...in 1860 he is found at Horse Creek in the Helton District which is northeast of his family and later lives a bit further south at Staggs Creek. Like his parents, Harvey also has a large family of 10 children. In the 1870 census, his nephew (Andrew and Mary Little's son) is also living with them. Of his 10 children, only one dies young under the age of 10:
Harvey & Easter's Family:
- Sarah Pennington b. 8 Jul 1855 d. 27 Oct 1925 m. Adam Miller
- Elizabeth b. Dec 1856 d. 25 Mar 1922 m. Joseph Roten
- Mary Pennington b. 27 Jun 1857 d. 15 Jul 1934 m. Rueben K. Elliott
- James Aaron Pennington b. 16 Feb 1859 d. 11 Mar 1904 m. Genelia Ann Campbell
- Martha W. Pennington b. abt 1861 d. bef 1870
- Lucinda Pennington b. 14 Jun 1864 d. 15 Oct 1945 m1 Joel Tedder m2. Filmore Brown
- Levi Pennington b. Nov 1867 d. 19 Jun 1914 m. Amanda Turner
- Cora Ellen Pennington b. 14 Jun 1868 d. 9 Jun 1960 m. John Williams
- Isaac C. Pennington b. 14 May 1873 d. 20 May 1950 m. Mary Miller
- Caroline Pennington b. Aug 1875 d. ? m. David Jones
Harvey's wife Easter died on 26 Aug 1894 and a few years later in Oct 1896, Harvey married a widow named Martha Ann Brooks and within a year had an 11th child:
- Roy Everett Pennington b. 7 Sept 1897 d. 13 Aug 1972 m. Martha Ann Greer
I think there are actually some living grandchildren of Harvey Pennington who are still alive today.
Looking at the scope of Harvey's life is really astounding. He probably lived through more change during his long life than most have ever seen. His childhood was one of an agrarian childhood in small isolated group of communities in North Carolina. That lifestyle was blown apart with the Civil War and the devastating impact it had on the entire American society. Following the Civil War was probably the most turbulent and quick change this country has seen. We went from a horse and buggy way of life to one of trains and later automobiles. What was once an isolated area was now opening up to the outside world and influences. Sadly for him, he lived to see another war that was broadcast across the radio and news could arrive almost instantaneously as long as you could get a radio signal. Harvey's father was born in the 18th century with twenty years of the founding of this country and Harvey lived to see it almost reach 150 years old. Harvey was the longest lived of his family and only his youngest sister lived past 1922 when she died at 1926 at the age of 83.
Harvey's second wife only outlived him by a month despite being 26 years younger than him. Wouldn't be wonderful if Harvey had left behind the story of his life - I'm sure it must have been an interesting one!
Friday, August 2, 2013
A Crack in the Wall
 |
| Moses Friddles - My Great Great Grandfather |
DNA is not a silver bullet...it will not solve all of your genealogical mysteries, but it can give you some guidance in the right direction. I've always known that Moses Friddles was born about 1826 in South Carolina and spent some time in North Carolina before moving to Johnson Co., TN. I've known that he was married four times. The first time to someone with the surname of Munday, then Amanda McKee, Mary Ann Crosswhite (Clark) and lastly to Martha "Mattie" Brown. I can trace him very easily from 1859 on fairly easily, but before that has always been a problem. When you have an ancestor who probably doesn't have much in the way of money, there are few ways to track him because he doesn't leave that much of a paper trail.
Moses likely had four children in his first marriage with only two of them surviving to adulthood. His daughter, Julia, married Sidney Prestwood and had three children and left her husband and ended up out west living near her brother, Albert. Albert moved west in the 1880's and lived for the most part up at Grouse Flats near Troy, OR. Not too long before he died, he moved down to Pomeroy, WA. Since that first wife has always been a mystery, I obtained the death records for both Julia and Albert. I can't remember which death record it was, but it provided me with the name of Munday for the mother. Every once in a while, I would check Caldwell Co., North Carolina for possibilities and did find some interesting connections.
So, now the DNA has pushed me into a different direction. I know from the two cousins that I have discovered through the DNA tests some definite possibilities of family links. This is leading me into the direction of looking at the Friddle family as I would a one - name study. Meaning that if they live in a specific area, I am checking them out and adding them to my database. I'm also adding Friddles who I know are connected but have moved elsewhere. I'm not very far into this process but I have already discovered two very interesting coincidences.
Julia Friddles, Moses' daughter, was married to a Sidney Prestwood. It is interesting to note that one of Sidney Prestwood's brothers, William Thomas Prestwood, married an Elizabeth Adeline Friddle. She was the daughter of John W. Friddle and Caroline Harris. John W. Friddle died during the Civil War but is of an age that he could definitely be a sibling of Moses. When I first started researching genealogy, I was surprised at how many families intermarried multiple times. Now it no longer surprises me but does make me look at the family differently. What are the geographic similarities with the two families and what are the family connections? Families intermarrying can definitely be a clue to something a whole lot more!
John W. Friddle had another daughter, Mary Ann Friddle whose marriage is also an interesting family connection. She married a John C. Munday. Now this John C. Munday was born in 1844 so he could be a brother or nephew of the woman that Moses was married to...but he could also be a cousin. From what I have discovered about his family, there isn't a daughter who is of the appropriate age to have married Moses, but it looks like there still might be a family connection. Munday is not that common of a name.
So now it looks like I am going to build a database that includes the Friddles as whole and not just those who are directly connected to me. I will probably spend more time adding Munday's as well in hopes of finding that elusive first wife of Moses Friddles. My efforts will most likely be concentrated in York Co., SC, Caldwell Co., NC, and Burke Co., NC. With a little luck and some concentrated research, perhaps the crack in the wall will disappear and the brick wall will no longer exist.
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