I always wondered about Elizabeth Green of Shelby County in the 1850 Census. There are many reasons for thinking that Elizabeth Green might have been Britta's mom, and thus her husband Britta's dad.
Why?
First, every census with this information lists Britta's parents as from NC or SC. Elizabeth Green was born in SC.
Secondly, Elizabeth was 36, within a reasonable range for Britta's mom, as Britta was 16 in 1850. Her kids, ranging in age from 14 to 3, could have been Britta's siblings: Jackson, Benjamin, Matilda, Martha, Richard, Thomas, Robert, and Kisiah.
Why?
First, every census with this information lists Britta's parents as from NC or SC. Elizabeth Green was born in SC.
Secondly, Elizabeth was 36, within a reasonable range for Britta's mom, as Britta was 16 in 1850. Her kids, ranging in age from 14 to 3, could have been Britta's siblings: Jackson, Benjamin, Matilda, Martha, Richard, Thomas, Robert, and Kisiah.
Next, according to the Birmingham News obit, Britta was born in the vicinity of Birmingham, and spent most of her life there. Most likely she was born in Jefferson, Shelby, Bibb, St. Clair, or an adjacent county. Britta's in Shelby County in 1850, and so is Elizabeth.
In addition, there are several indications that Britta's dad had died before 1850: her living with the McKinneys in 1850 rather than in her parents' household; and Davidson McGuire's note to Judge Whosiwhatsis spelling out Britta's eligibility to wed. Otherwise, why wouldn't Britta's mom or dad have written that note? It seems obvious—to me at least—that Elizabeth is a widow with family.
So, many indicators that Elizabeth might be Britta's mother.
Now, switching gears, here's how I came across the next piece of evidence.
I became interested in this particular family after finding new-to-me information at Findagrave.com on Thomas J. Green, who is buried in Jefferson County's Genery's Gap cemetery. Maybe Britta's brother? There were lots of Greens in Genery's Gap, but I've never been able to connect them to Britta. Thomas's entry is here:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=green&GSiman=1&GScid=2302971&GRid=94662102&
Born 1843, died 1927. Wife Mary E. born 1847, died 1931. Entering Thomas's information at Ancestry.com, you are prompted to censuses, Alabama's Census of Confederate Soldiers 1907, 1921; and Alabama's Deaths and Burial Index. In the latter you see that Thomas's father was Samuel Green and his mother was Elizabeth Busby. So there's the evidence for the name of Thomas's father.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=green&GSiman=1&GScid=2302971&GRid=94662102&
Born 1843, died 1927. Wife Mary E. born 1847, died 1931. Entering Thomas's information at Ancestry.com, you are prompted to censuses, Alabama's Census of Confederate Soldiers 1907, 1921; and Alabama's Deaths and Burial Index. In the latter you see that Thomas's father was Samuel Green and his mother was Elizabeth Busby. So there's the evidence for the name of Thomas's father.
http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&MS_AdvCB=1&db=FSAlabamaDeath&rank=1&new=1&MSAV=2&msT=1&gss=angs-d&gsfn=thomas&gsfn_x=1&gsln=green&gsln_x=1&msbdy=1844&msbdy_x=1&dbOnly=_83004005%7c_83004005_x&uidh=wy5&pcat=34&fh=0&h=154227&recoff=7+9+42
Guess what?
There's a Samuel Green family living in Shelby County in 1840. Right place, right name. Let's look at him. :-))))
Samuel Green is living in Shelby County. In the household are two males 0 - 5 (born 1835 - 1840), one male 30 - 40 (born 1800 - 1810; Samuel); two females 0 - 5 (born 1835 - 1840; possibly Britta); and one female 20 - 30 (born 1810 - 1820; Elizabeth, born 1814). Neighbors include Wiggins, Cashott, Crim, Perry, Seals, Steward, Watson, Martin, McCashen, B. P. Green, Hyrum Holsomback, Mulliner, Pitts, Lolly, Lucas, James, Mitchell, Elias Pilgreen, Prentice, Clowers, Busby. If you look at the 1850 Census, the children's ages line up pretty well; Jackson (about 1836) and Benjamin (about 1837) being the two boys and Matilda (about 1839) and Martha (about 1840/41) being the two girls. So it's probably the right family. No one else corresponds as well.
Samuel is not listed in the 1850 U.S. Census, though Elizabeth is. MOre importantly, she's surrounded by Busby relatives. Samuel probably died between 1847 (birth of Kisiah) and May 1849 (not listed in the Shelby County 1860 Mortality Schedule). So he fits the criteria of dying before 1850. Once again, another reason to think this is the same family.
But the 1840 Census doesn't list any details about heads of households, and Samuel died before 1850. How inconvenient for us!
Not to worry.
We can learn a little more about Samuel from son Thomas's census entries.
1910:
1920:
In those entries we find that both times his mother Elizabeth was noted as being born in SC. More importantly, his father was both times noted as being born in TN.
I have found that data takers make mistakes from census to census. But when the data are consistent, the information is usually correct.
Therefore:
If both of Britta's parents were born in either NC or SC....
...And if Thomas Jefferson's father was born in TN and his mother in SC...
...Then Samuel and Elizabeth Green of Shelby County, AL, cannot be Britta's parents.
As mentioned in the beginning, I'm only 99% sure this is correct. Lacking a will naming Samuel and Elizabeth's children, I can't be 100% positive.
But you know what?
99% is pretty darn close to 100%, and so I'm gonna consider this couple eliminated as candidates for Britta's parents.
Samuel is not listed in the 1850 U.S. Census, though Elizabeth is. MOre importantly, she's surrounded by Busby relatives. Samuel probably died between 1847 (birth of Kisiah) and May 1849 (not listed in the Shelby County 1860 Mortality Schedule). So he fits the criteria of dying before 1850. Once again, another reason to think this is the same family.
But the 1840 Census doesn't list any details about heads of households, and Samuel died before 1850. How inconvenient for us!
Not to worry.
We can learn a little more about Samuel from son Thomas's census entries.
1910:
http://interactive.ancestry.com/7884/31111_4327199-01472/9563840?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fMS_AdvCB%3d1%26db%3d1910USCenIndex%26rank%3d1%26new%3d1%26so%3d3%26MSAV%3d2%26msT%3d1%26gss%3dms_db%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dgreen*%26gsln_x%3d1%26msbdy%3d1844%26msbdy_x%3d1%26msbpn__ftp%3dalabama%26msbpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp%3dJefferson%252c%2bAlabama%252c%2bUSA%26msrpn%3d1498%26msrpn_PInfo%3d7-%257c0%257c1652393%257c0%257c2%257c3246%257c3%257c0%257c1498%257c0%257c0%257c%26msrpn_x%3dXO%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26dbOnly%3d_83004006%257c_83004006_x%26dbOnly%3d_83004005%257c_83004005_x%26_83004002%3dwhite%26_83004002_x%3d1%26uidh%3dwy5%26msbdp%3d5%26_83004003-n_xcl%3df&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults
1920:
http://interactive.ancestry.com/6061/4294317-00511/106034389?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fMS_AdvCB%3d1%26db%3d1920usfedcen%26rank%3d1%26new%3d1%26so%3d3%26MSAV%3d2%26msT%3d1%26gss%3dms_db%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dgreen*%26gsln_x%3d1%26msbdy%3d1844%26msbdy_x%3d1%26msbpn__ftp%3dAlabama%252c%2bUSA%26msbpn%3d3%26msbpn_PInfo%3d5-%257c0%257c1652393%257c0%257c2%257c3246%257c3%257c0%257c0%257c0%257c0%257c%26msbpn_x%3dXO%26msbpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp%3dJefferson%252c%2bAlabama%252c%2bUSA%26msrpn%3d1498%26msrpn_PInfo%3d7-%257c0%257c1652393%257c0%257c2%257c3246%257c3%257c0%257c1498%257c0%257c0%257c%26msrpn_x%3dXO%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26dbOnly%3d_83004006%257c_83004006_x%26dbOnly%3d_83004005%257c_83004005_x%26_83004002%3dwhite%26_83004002_x%3d1%26uidh%3dwy5%26msbdp%3d5%26_83004003-n_xcl%3df&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults
In those entries we find that both times his mother Elizabeth was noted as being born in SC. More importantly, his father was both times noted as being born in TN.
I have found that data takers make mistakes from census to census. But when the data are consistent, the information is usually correct.
Therefore:
If both of Britta's parents were born in either NC or SC....
...And if Thomas Jefferson's father was born in TN and his mother in SC...
...Then Samuel and Elizabeth Green of Shelby County, AL, cannot be Britta's parents.
As mentioned in the beginning, I'm only 99% sure this is correct. Lacking a will naming Samuel and Elizabeth's children, I can't be 100% positive.
But you know what?
99% is pretty darn close to 100%, and so I'm gonna consider this couple eliminated as candidates for Britta's parents.
