Oh, Lordy! The "facts" about Book are so confusing. Some of them make no logical sense. People have copied them without thinking critically. Yet there seem to be some wheat amongst the chaff.
Let's start with his real name.
Some family trees list him as Booker Warren Pilgreen, and that may actually be his birth name. Or it may just be the name of his grandson, and people assume that it was his name. In all official documents I've seen his first name is always listed as "Book."
His surname offers issues, too.
Book's surname is recorded everywhere officially as "Pilgreen." My ancestors' surnames are recorded everywhere as "Green" or "Greene." If you actually check the Shelby, AL, records—and I did in March 2019—you will find occasions where several of Book's known children (John, Jesse, Zerrell, Elias, William H., Silas, and Ransom) are referred to as Pilgreen, Green, Pilgrim, Pillgrine, or even P. Green. All these surnames are interchangeable.
Of course they are...
From here on I'm going to refer to him as "Book Pilgreen."
Fact #1: Book Pilgreen.
Where did he come from?
Definitely Carolina. Whether North or South is hard to say.
Some family trees say Book was born in Kershaw County, SC, on December 17, 1777. I have never seen documentary evidence for this. Other trees say he was born in Pitt County, NC. The only US Census in which his data is recorded says he was born in NC in 1775.
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/8054/4198714_00234?pid=2929698&backurl=https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db%3D1850usfedcenancestry%26h%3D2929698%26indiv%3Dtry%26o_cvc%3DImage:OtherRecord&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true
Fact #2: Book was born in either NC or SC between 1775 and 1777.
What about his parents?
In Ancestry family trees Book's parents are usually listed as William Pilgreen and Nancy Priscilla Crenshaw. I have seen listings but no proof of this. No marriage bond, no license, no will.
There IS a William Pilgreen in Pitt County, NC, in 1790. Book would have been about 13 - 15. Could this William be Book's father? Let's look.
In the 1790 US Census for NC, William Pilgreen is listed in Pitt County. In the household are three "other" free whites. Since there are no females listed, they must all be men. Since there are no males of 26 and upwards, and no males of under 16, they must be three free white males 16 - 26 (born 1764 to 1774), with William being the oldest.
How can a man (William) born 1764 sire a son in 1775? Maybe there were two William Pilgreens?
Weird.
There is another listing in Ancestry's American Genealogical Biographical Index. It says that William Pilgreen of NC was born in 1750.
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=3599&h=1073786&ssrc=pt&tid=106751356&pid=362064900594&usePUB=true
This person is a much more logical candidate to be Book's father. A man born in 1750 could easily sire a child in 1775 - 1777. But there are no other records I can find anywhere about him.
I'm not even going to list this as fact but as a possibility: Book's father may have been William Pilgreen born between 1750 and 1764, maybe in Pitt County, NC.
And Book's mother?
Most trees list Nancy Priscilla Baird as the wife of William. It may be true, but can't find proof yada yada yada.
Here is the next documentary evidence about Priscilla:
In the 1810 US Census for NC, Presiden (transcribed as "President," reads as “Presilla”) Pilgreen is living in Pitt County, NC. In the household are two males under 10 (born 1800 - 1810), two males 16 - 25 (born 1785 - 1796), one female 16 - 25 (born 1785 - 1796), 1 female 26 - 44 (born 1766 - 1784; has to be Priscilla); two people under 16, one over 25, six people in the household. Neighbors: Chana (O’hara??), Jolly or Lolly, Legat, Cagleton, Moore, Garganus, Taylor, Borough, Knox, Briton, Handcok, Richard, Smith, Jones, Ward, Andrews, Crawford, Davenport, Rollin.
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/7613/4433311_00500/395687?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return
Assuming Book belongs to this family, he must be out of the house, because there is no male born around 1775 - 1777.
Even more curious: the oldest female has to be Priscilla, but the oldest she could have been was 44, born in 1766. Book was born 1775 - 1777. How could she then give birth to Book at age nine to 11?
So let's mark William and Priscilla as Book's parents as a "maybe."
What about Book's wife?
Assuming Book belongs to this family, he must be out of the house, because there is no male born around 1775 - 1777.
Even more curious: the oldest female has to be Priscilla, but the oldest she could have been was 44, born in 1766. Book was born 1775 - 1777. How could she then give birth to Book at age nine to 11?
So let's mark William and Priscilla as Book's parents as a "maybe."
What about Book's wife?
Most trees list Rebecca Baird as the wife of Book Pilgreen. From the 1850 Census we know that Book moved to Louisiana by 1850 with Rachel/Rebecca. Findagrave.com shows a dual headstone in Wesson, Copiah County, MS, for Rebecca Pilgreen and Rizpha Purtle.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29102405/rebecca-pilgreen#view-photo=12334397
This Rebecca Pilgreen died in 1868 at 85, making her birth year 1783. If so, and if she was the mother of John Pilgreen, who was born about 1801, then she would have been 17 - 18 when she married Book.
As it happens, a number of the Ancestry DNA kits that match kits I manage/collaborate on show a connection to Rizpha Purtle. So I accept that Rizpha was a daughter of Book, and if that's the case, then the Rebecca Pilgreen that Rizpha is buried with is the wife of Book Pilgreen.
As it happens, a number of the Ancestry DNA kits that match kits I manage/collaborate on show a connection to Rizpha Purtle. So I accept that Rizpha was a daughter of Book, and if that's the case, then the Rebecca Pilgreen that Rizpha is buried with is the wife of Book Pilgreen.
Next bit of documentary evidence we can find about Mr. Book is the 1820 Census:
In the 1820 US Census of August 20, Book Pilgreen is living in Kershaw County, SC. In the household are three males under 10 (born 1810 - 1820); one male 10 - 15 (born 1805 - 1810); one male 16 - 18 (born 1802 - 1804); two males 16 - 25 (born 1795 - 1804, John, born 1801; one of them the previously identified male 16 - 18); one male 45 and over (Book, born 1775 or before); one female under 10 (born 1810 - 1820; Rebecca/Rizpha, born 1813); one female 10 - 15 (born 1805 - 1810); one female 26 - 44 (born 1776 - 1794; Rebecca, born 1783); four people engaged in agriculture; six people under 16; 10 people total.
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/7734/4433160_00314/175477?backurl=https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/36619432/person/19113533464/facts/citation/67831230699/edit/record
Book shows up next in the 1830 Census:
In the 1830 US Census for AL, Book Pilgreen is in Shelby County. In the household are one male under five (born 1825-1830, Ransom?), one male 5 - 9 (Silas, born 1821, born 1820 - 1825), two males 10 - 14 (William H, born 1818, Silas, born 1816 - 1820), one male 15 - 19 (Elias, 1814, born 1811 - 1815), 1 male 50 - 59 (born 1771- 1780, Booker, born 1775). Also in the household are one female 5 - 9 (Louisa, born 1820 - 1825), one female 10 - 14 (Unidentified, born 1816 - 1820), one female 20 - 29 (born 1801 - 1810, Rebecca, born 1808 or 1813), and one female 40 - 49 (born 1781 - 1790, Rebecca, born 1783). Seven people under 20, two 20 - 49 (elder and younger Rebeccas?). Neighbors: Charles Seals, Elisha Green, Abraham Crim, Fereby Runnals, John Armstrong, Prentice, Juilus Roberts, Thomas Davis, George Lucas, John Veasy.
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/8058/4410702_00528/1825154?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return
Documentary evidence I found on my trip to the Shelby County Courthouse in March 2019:
In 1832 (son) Jesse Pilgreen entered in to an agreement with Book Pilgreen about a "certain gray pony" for $52. If I read the transaction correctly, then Jesse bought the pony with Book acting as his security for the $52, with the pony as the asset and collateral. For my purposes, the transaction itself doesn't matter so much—just that "Book Pilgreen" was in Shelby County in 1832.
Shelby County Deed Book A - E, Page 503.
In 1839 Book bought 40 acres in Shelby County: Township 24, Range 13 East. The name on the document reads "Book Pilgreen."
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/1246/RHUSA2007B_AL2600-00170/2138064?backurl=https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/114426166/person/260143460639/facts/citation/820356767547/edit/record
Next:
Documentary evidence I found on my trip to the Shelby County Courthouse in March 2019:
In 1832 (son) Jesse Pilgreen entered in to an agreement with Book Pilgreen about a "certain gray pony" for $52. If I read the transaction correctly, then Jesse bought the pony with Book acting as his security for the $52, with the pony as the asset and collateral. For my purposes, the transaction itself doesn't matter so much—just that "Book Pilgreen" was in Shelby County in 1832.
Shelby County Deed Book A - E, Page 503.
In 1839 Book bought 40 acres in Shelby County: Township 24, Range 13 East. The name on the document reads "Book Pilgreen."
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/1246/RHUSA2007B_AL2600-00170/2138064?backurl=https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/114426166/person/260143460639/facts/citation/820356767547/edit/record
Next:
In the 1840 US Census for AL, B. P. Green is in Shelby County. In the household are one male 10 - 14 (born 1826 - 1830), two males 15 - 19 (born 1821 - 1825; Silas and Ransom), one male 50 - 59 (Book), one female 10 - 14 (born 1826 - 1830; Louisa, born 1827), one female 50 - 59 (born 1771 - 1780; Rebecca, born 1777/1783). Neighbors include Samuel Green, Crim, Seals, Harris, Lawry, Martin, McCashin, Cashhatt, Hutton, Elias P. Green, John P. Green, Armstrong.
John, Zerrell, Jesse & Elias Pilgreen are out of the house but living close by.
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/8057/4411216_00701/1353781?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3d1840usfedcenancestry%26gsln%3dgreen*%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln_x%3dNS%26msrdy_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp%3dalabama%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26hc%3d50%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26redir%3dfalse%26uidh%3dwy5&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults#?imageId=4411216_00701
And finally:
And finally:
In the 1850 US Census for LA, Book Pilgreen is in Union Parish. He is 75, a farmer, born NC, $600. Also in household are Rachael, 66, born SC, Louisa, 23, born AL, Rebecca Milton, 7, born AL, William Pilgreen, 14, born AL.
Book, 75, would have been born 1775.
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/8054/4198714_00234?pid=2929698&backurl=https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db%3D1850usfedcenancestry%26h%3D2929698%26indiv%3Dtry%26o_cvc%3DImage:OtherRecord&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true
There is some debate as to whether the wife's name should be Rachel or Rebecca. I don't have any trouble believing this is Rebecca Baird Pilgreen for two reasons: the very close birth year (1783 - 1784) and personal experience with a Rebecca often being called Rachel.
In conclusion, what can we prove about Book Pilgreen?
• Three facts:
• Two documents that refer to him
• Four censuses that list him
So, is he likely to be the father of Britta Ann Green? Stay tuned for the next blog entry.
