In Part One I explored the life of Richard Green of Shelby County to see if it were possible to be Britta Ann Green's father. So far he fits two out of three criteria. Time to delve further!
It looks as though Richard died around or after 1842. So let's look where his family might have ended up.
Doing a search of the 1850 US Census, we find Leacy Green (remember, Leacy was named as Richard's wife in several Shelby County deeds) in Union Parish, LA. In the 1850 U.S. Census for LA, Mrs. Leacy Green is living in Union Parish. She is 50, born SC, no occupation, no money. Also in the household are Caroline, 18, born AL, John, 16, a farmer, born AL; Samuel, 14, born AL; and Lemuel, 10, born AL. Next door is Jonathan Merril, 27, farmer, born TN, $200; Lucinda, 24, born AL, and Mary, 2, born LA. Other neighbors are Fellow, Eckles, Black, Free, Nail, Palmer, Newsom, Funderburk, Carter, Gibson, Bird, Burren, Brasher.
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/8054/4198714_00257/2930628?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3d1850usfedcenancestry%26gsfn%3dleacy%26gsln%3dgreen%26gsfn_x%3dNN%26gsln_x%3d1%26hc%3d50%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26uidh%3dwy5%26redir%3dfalse&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults
Is it the same Leacy Green? Let's see:
Well, on July 27, 1845, Lucinda Green married Jonathon Merril in Shelby County, AL. Marriage performed by M.L. Horton, J.P. Those two names match Leacy's next-door neighbors in 1850.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99HV-WZ2J?i=178&cc=1743384
And then there's the fact that Hanson (logged as "Hanson," reads as "Harison") Green married Cynthia Merrell on February 4, 1845, in Shelby County, AL. Guess who turns up living with Harrison and Cynthia in 1860?
Leacy.
In the 1860 US Census for TX, Harrison Green is living in Jasper County, Newton Post Office. In the household are Harrison, 32, a farmer, $1,500, $200, born TN. Also in the household are Cynthia, 32, born TN, Mary, 4, born LA, William 1, born TX; John Green, domestic, $125, born AL; Leasey, 60, born SC. Caroline, 26, born AL. Neighbors: Hamilton, Ralph, Leavis, Dubose, Dabbs, Primrose, Good, Camison, Musick, Breed.
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/7667/4297440_00264?pid=35092657&backurl=https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db%3D1860usfedcenancestry%26h%3D35092657%26indiv%3Dtry%26o_cvc%3DImage:OtherRecord&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true
Just FYI:
In the 1850 US Census for LA, Harrison Green is in Union Parish, LA. He is 21 (born about 1829), a farmer, $200, born AL. Also in the household are Sarah, 23, born AL (mistake??); Amanda, 2, born LA; and A. Music, 24, laborer, born AL. Neighbors: B. Merril, Briggs, Wright, Hughes, Miller, Dyer.
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/8054/4198714_00236?pid=2929786&backurl=https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db%3D1850usfedcenancestry%26indiv%3Dtry%26h%3D2929786&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true
Did you notice the surname of the next door neighbor? Merrill. Like Jonathon and Cynthia.
So many close associations: children married in Shelby County, where we know Richard lived; Richard's wife named as "Leacy" in several Shelby County court documents; neighbors' names; Leacy living with Harrison in 1860. In my experiences one association is coincidence; two is interesting; three reveal a likely family connection.
But still—do the birth years suggest anything?
Comparing the 1830 and 1840 AL Censuses, we can see that Richard was born between 1780 and 1790. OK. His wife in 1830 was born 1800 - 1810; in 1840 same. There were two males born 1820 - 1825 in both censuses. In 1830 there was one male born 1825 - 1830; in 1840, two males born 1835 - 1840. In 1830 one female born 1825 - 1830 and one female born 1815 - 1830. In 1840, one female born 1825 - 1830 and one born 1830 - 1835.
In 1840 Richard's family consisted of:
• Himself, born 1790 - 1800
• His wife, born 1800 - 1810
• Male, born 1825 - 1830
• Male, born 1825 - 1830
• Female, born 1825 - 1830
• Male, born 1835 - 1840
• Male, born 1835 - 1840
• Female, born 1830 - 1835.
In 1850 Leacy's family was made of:
• The ghost of Richard, dead, dead, dead
• Leacy, born 1800
• Lucinda, 24, born 1826
• Harrison, 21, born 1829
• Caroline, 18, born 1832
• John, 16, born 1834 (age 24 in 1840; alternate birth year 1836)
• Samuel, 14, born 1836
• Lemuel, 10, born 1840
Putting the two together, we see:
• Richard himself, born 1790 - 1800, and still dead
• His wife, born 1800 - 1810 (Leacy, born 1800, SC)
• Male, born 1825 - 1830 (Harrison, born 1829, AL)
• Male, born 1825 - 1830 (Unknown; wait!)
• Female, born 1825 - 1830 (Lucinda, born 1826, AL)
• Male, born 1835 - 1840 (John, born 1834 - 1836, AL)
• Male, born 1835 - 1840 (Samuel, born 1836, AL)
• Female, born 1830 - 1835 (Caroline, born 1832, AL)
• And of course, Lemuel, born 1840, AL, after the Census was taken but before Richard died (if he were born later, that would be a different story altogether!)
The families match up so well that I am willing to conclude that the Leacy and Harrison and Lucinda of 1850 - 1870 are the same family as Richard's of the 1830 & 1840 Shelby, AL, Censuses.
Phew!
Where are we?
We've established two things: 1) Richard Green was in the right place at the right time to be Britta's dad; 2) he disappeared at the right time to be Britta's dad. What about the third—being born in NC or SC?
For a short and sweet answer to that question, we can look at Harrison Green's entry in the 1880 Census: it states that Harrison's father was born in VA—Virginia. Not SC—South Carolina. BUZZZZZ!!!!
Two facts now convince me that Richard Green is NOT Britta Ann's father.
1. There is no room in Richard's family in either the 1830 or 1840 Census for Mary Ann McKinney (born NC 1822), Nancy (born GA 1832), or Britta (born AL 1834). All family members are accounted for in 1850 in LA.
2. Richard was born in VA, not SC. Britta's father is consistently born in either NC or SC.
A loud, resounding "NO!" is the best conclusion I can make in this matter. But there are some very interesting mysteries still to be investigated:
• Who and where was the missing Green son born 1825 - 1830?
• Who is the mysterious Samuel Green who witnessed Richard's and Leacy's deed transaction in Shelby in 1837?? Was he Britta's father?
Stay tuned!
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Monday, March 25, 2019
Richard Green—Britta's dad? Part 1
The purpose of this post is to explore whether Richard Green of Shelby County, AL, could be Britta Ann Green's father. By the end both parts, I hope to come to a definitive answer.
I am just back from Shelby County, AL, where we spent time at both the Shelby County Museum and Archives and the SC Courthouse. Not much in the Archives (except lovely, helpful aides) but gold at the Courthouse.
Let's begin with what we know for sure about the father of Britta Ann Green:
• He was born in either NC or SC (various censuses)
• He was in AL in 1834 (Britta's birth)
• He does not show up any time in any way in Britta's life after 1850, when Britta is living with the family of Mary Ann Green/e McKinney in Shelby County, AL during the 1850 Census.
That's it.
Here's what may be true about the father of Britta Ann Green:
• He may have been known in Davidson McGuires's neighborhood (Jefferson, Shelby, Bibb Counties). Davidson's letter to Judge Bagley giving permission for son John L. to marry Britta gives basic information about Britta and says that "all is willing to it."
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99HV-W49K?i=607&cc=1743384
• He may have been married to Nancy Greene, born 1794 in NC, living with John & Mary Ann Green McKinney (McKinnie) in Shelby County during the 1850 Census.
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/8054/4191539-00660/16778612?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3d1850usfedcenancestry%26gsfn%3dJohn%26gsln%3dmckinnie%26gsfn_x%3dNN%26gsln_x%3dNS%26msrdy_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp%3dshelby%252c%2balabama%252c%2busa%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msrpn%3d2683%26msrpn_x%3d1%26hc%3d50%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26redir%3dfalse%26uidh%3dwy5&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults
• He may also be the father of Mary Ann Green McKinney and/or Graphen Holt Green and/or Nancy Elizabeth Ellen Green Garrett Adams.
Or not.
Now let's look at what we can prove about Richard Green of Shelby County.
I am just back from Shelby County, AL, where we spent time at both the Shelby County Museum and Archives and the SC Courthouse. Not much in the Archives (except lovely, helpful aides) but gold at the Courthouse.
Let's begin with what we know for sure about the father of Britta Ann Green:
• He was born in either NC or SC (various censuses)
• He was in AL in 1834 (Britta's birth)
• He does not show up any time in any way in Britta's life after 1850, when Britta is living with the family of Mary Ann Green/e McKinney in Shelby County, AL during the 1850 Census.
That's it.
Here's what may be true about the father of Britta Ann Green:
• He may have been known in Davidson McGuires's neighborhood (Jefferson, Shelby, Bibb Counties). Davidson's letter to Judge Bagley giving permission for son John L. to marry Britta gives basic information about Britta and says that "all is willing to it."
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99HV-W49K?i=607&cc=1743384
• He may have been married to Nancy Greene, born 1794 in NC, living with John & Mary Ann Green McKinney (McKinnie) in Shelby County during the 1850 Census.
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/8054/4191539-00660/16778612?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3d1850usfedcenancestry%26gsfn%3dJohn%26gsln%3dmckinnie%26gsfn_x%3dNN%26gsln_x%3dNS%26msrdy_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp%3dshelby%252c%2balabama%252c%2busa%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msrpn%3d2683%26msrpn_x%3d1%26hc%3d50%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26redir%3dfalse%26uidh%3dwy5&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults
• He may also be the father of Mary Ann Green McKinney and/or Graphen Holt Green and/or Nancy Elizabeth Ellen Green Garrett Adams.
Or not.
Now let's look at what we can prove about Richard Green of Shelby County.
1. Richard Green is not listed in the 1820 US Census for Shelby County, AL.
http://www.trackingyourroots.com/pdf/1820Shelby.pdf
Richard Green likely arrived in Shelby County between 1820 and 1830 because of the next item.
2. An Index to Early Deed Book, 1827
"Early Deed Book" with dates of recording beginning January 1827 with a few recorded in the years 1833 and 1834 was found away from the courthouse depository, reportedly in a trash can. A member of the Shelby County Historical Society rescued this book. The front cover of the original deed book is missing and the book begins with page 148. However, it appears to be complete from that page to the end of the book, which has the original back cover.
In 1980 Tom O. Caldwell, M.D. transcribed this early deed book listing many names as witnesses, state and county officials, and other valuable genealogical data. As noted by Dr. Caldwell, the page listing the alphabetical Direct and Reverse INDEX was present and only one deed was not found.
Lists on Pages 159 - 160 from Richard Green to Meredith Seal and West Allen Seal. Gift Deed. Legatee of estate of Elijah Seal, dec.
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~alshelby/deedbookIndex1.html
The original is found in the Shelby County Deed Book A - E, pp. 116 -117. Richard Green "for love and affection" grants the two males his part of the land that "may belong" to him as a legatee of Eliza (Elijah) Seal. The land is in Township 22, Section 13, Range One West. The land becomes theirs at age 21, but till then it is to be used to sustain "Nancy Seal, their natural mother." The indenture is dated November 5, 1825. Recorded February 2, 1827.
So Richard Green was in Shelby County at least by Fall 1825.
The original is found in the Shelby County Deed Book A - E, pp. 116 -117. Richard Green "for love and affection" grants the two males his part of the land that "may belong" to him as a legatee of Eliza (Elijah) Seal. The land is in Township 22, Section 13, Range One West. The land becomes theirs at age 21, but till then it is to be used to sustain "Nancy Seal, their natural mother." The indenture is dated November 5, 1825. Recorded February 2, 1827.
So Richard Green was in Shelby County at least by Fall 1825.
3. In the 1830 US Census for AL, Richard Green is in Shelby County. In the household are one male 0 - 5 (Unknown, born 1825 - 1830), two males 5 - 10 (born 1820 - 1825), and one male 30 - 40 (Richard, born 1790 - 1800). There are also one female 0 - 5 (born 1825 - 1830), one female 10 - 15 (born 1815 - 1820), and one female 20 - 30 (his wife, born 1800 - 1810). Neighbors: Lee, Harper, King, Mardis, McClanahan, Seals, Owens, Williams, Hobs, Elijah Green, Blankenship, Josiah Quinn, Post, Mabry, Maxwell, Carden, Akins, Michael Ragsdale, Elliott, William Armstrong, McAdams, Nall, Mundine, Brasher, McGehee, Shelton, White, Thweatt.
http://content.ancestry.com/Browse/View.aspx?dbid=8058&path=Alabama.Shelby.Not+Stated.7
4. The next time we see Richard Green is in the Shelby County Deed Book F & G in August 1837. On Page 193 "Richard and Lecy Green, wife of Richard Green" sell land in Section 15 Township 22 Range One West to C.H. Rowe for $600. The deed is dated August 3, 1837, and recorded September 14, 1837. Witnesses were J. M. McClanahan and Samuel Green. Richard Green signed and Lecy Green made her mark. Recorded by O. B, Hovis.
Richard Green's wife was Lecy. There was a Samuel Green in town. It's likely that Samuel was not one of the boys in Richard's 1830 household because those males were 5 - 10—too young to be legal witnesses.
5. On the same trip into town, Richard Green bought land from David and Martha Nelson for $1,200. The land was Section 24 Township 22 Range One West. The deed is dated September 12, 1837. Witnessed by John M. McClanahan and John Strain, recorded September 15, 1837, by O B, Hovis.
Richard Green was well enough off to buy land.
6. On October 14, 1837, "Jeacy Green wife of the said Richard Green" and Richard sell a piece of land to Charles Mundine. The land is described in Shelby County Deed Book H on Pages 57 and 58 as located in Section 3 Township 22 Range One West. The sales price is $335. Justice of the Peace A. A. Stirit (Sterritt) witnessed the sale. It was filed and recorded on December 11, 1837.
And more land.
7. On September 20, 1839, Richard Green was issued a patent on land in Shelby County. Two 22 S, Range 1 West, Section 15, Aliquot E1/2NE. On the current map this is near Routes 42 and 37, near Hillsdale and Columbiana. His abutters were Greenberry Seal, Jackson Porter, Edmund King, Welden Coker, Howell Sammons, Zerrell (Pil)Green, John Lowry.
Richard Green's wife was Lecy. There was a Samuel Green in town. It's likely that Samuel was not one of the boys in Richard's 1830 household because those males were 5 - 10—too young to be legal witnesses.
5. On the same trip into town, Richard Green bought land from David and Martha Nelson for $1,200. The land was Section 24 Township 22 Range One West. The deed is dated September 12, 1837. Witnessed by John M. McClanahan and John Strain, recorded September 15, 1837, by O B, Hovis.
Richard Green was well enough off to buy land.
6. On October 14, 1837, "Jeacy Green wife of the said Richard Green" and Richard sell a piece of land to Charles Mundine. The land is described in Shelby County Deed Book H on Pages 57 and 58 as located in Section 3 Township 22 Range One West. The sales price is $335. Justice of the Peace A. A. Stirit (Sterritt) witnessed the sale. It was filed and recorded on December 11, 1837.
And more land.
7. On September 20, 1839, Richard Green was issued a patent on land in Shelby County. Two 22 S, Range 1 West, Section 15, Aliquot E1/2NE. On the current map this is near Routes 42 and 37, near Hillsdale and Columbiana. His abutters were Greenberry Seal, Jackson Porter, Edmund King, Welden Coker, Howell Sammons, Zerrell (Pil)Green, John Lowry.
https://glorecords.blm.gov/details/patent/default.aspx?accession=AL2630__.129&docClass=STA#patentDetailsTabIndex=1
More land.
8. Let's assume that Richard Green is the R. Grun in Shelby County in 1840. (More on that in Part 2) In the household there are two males 0 - 5 (born 1835 - 1840), two males 15 - 20 (born 1820 - 1825), one male 40 - 50 (Richard, born 1790 - 1800, consistent with the 1830 Census), one female 5 - 10 (born 1830 - 1835), one female 10 - 15 (born 1825 - 1830), and one female 30 - 40 (born 1800 - 1810, consistent with wife from 1830 Census). Neighbors: Thomas, Cooper, Slane (Sloane?), Hortons, G T or Y. Mason, Lawrence, Williams, Graff, Salster, Ham, Baker, Adams, James Merrell, Dickerson, Gilbert, E. Green, Henley, Glasscock, Mabry, Prim, I or J. Green, Steel, S. McLanahan, Nickles, Kelly, Quin, Brasher, Ellison.
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/8057/4411216_00725/1354118?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3d1840usfedcenancestry%26gsln%3dgreen%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln_x%3d1%26msrdy_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp%3dshelby%252c%2balabama%252c%2busa%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msrpn%3d2683%26msrpn_x%3d1%26hc%3d20%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26redir%3dfalse%26uidh%3dwy5&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults
9. On December 8, 1841, Richard Green used a piece of land as collateral for a $125 loan from Bryant Rushing. The land was in Section 23 Township 22 Range One West. The note was due December 25, 1842. If Richard failed to pay back the loan, Bryant could advertise and sell the land in order to recover payment. Witnessed by Noel Mason. Filed and recorded on December 13, 1841, by Noel Mason in Shelby County Deed Book H on pages 241 & 242.
10. Shelby County Deed Book H shows an 1841 entry on Pages 243 & 244. In it "Richard Green and his wife Leacy of the County of Shelby" sold land in Section 15 Township 22 Range One West for $300 to John M. McClanahan. The indenture is dated November 27, 1841, witnessed by Samuel McClanahan, Henry Harless, Noel Mason, and recorded on December 31, 1841, by Samuel McClanahan.
11. In Shelby County Deed Book I on Pages 19 & 20 Anderson Chapman and his wife Sophronia sell to Richard Green Section 23 Township 22 Range One West for $250. The sale is dated October 1, 1841. The witness was Henry Harless. Filed and recorded on January 1843 by Noel Mason.
12. This next transaction, located on Page 20 of the Shelby County Deed Book I, is hard to read. As best I can make out, it says that on the 30th of December 1842 "Richard Green and Leesa Green his wife" sold a piece of land to Howell Sammons for $160. The description of the land looks like Section 23 Township 22 Range One West. Abraham Smith witnessed the sale on December 30, 1842. It was recorded January 28, 1843. Can't read the recorders name, but it was probably Noel Mason.
1842 is the last year that Richard Green shows up on documents anywhere.
So how well does Richard Green match the known criteria to be Britta Green's dad? Let's see: he was in AL in 1834, and he doesn't show up after 1850. We don't know where he was born (yet).
Thus far he matches two out of three criteria. Could he be Britta's dad???
Read on for Part 2.
9. On December 8, 1841, Richard Green used a piece of land as collateral for a $125 loan from Bryant Rushing. The land was in Section 23 Township 22 Range One West. The note was due December 25, 1842. If Richard failed to pay back the loan, Bryant could advertise and sell the land in order to recover payment. Witnessed by Noel Mason. Filed and recorded on December 13, 1841, by Noel Mason in Shelby County Deed Book H on pages 241 & 242.
10. Shelby County Deed Book H shows an 1841 entry on Pages 243 & 244. In it "Richard Green and his wife Leacy of the County of Shelby" sold land in Section 15 Township 22 Range One West for $300 to John M. McClanahan. The indenture is dated November 27, 1841, witnessed by Samuel McClanahan, Henry Harless, Noel Mason, and recorded on December 31, 1841, by Samuel McClanahan.
11. In Shelby County Deed Book I on Pages 19 & 20 Anderson Chapman and his wife Sophronia sell to Richard Green Section 23 Township 22 Range One West for $250. The sale is dated October 1, 1841. The witness was Henry Harless. Filed and recorded on January 1843 by Noel Mason.
12. This next transaction, located on Page 20 of the Shelby County Deed Book I, is hard to read. As best I can make out, it says that on the 30th of December 1842 "Richard Green and Leesa Green his wife" sold a piece of land to Howell Sammons for $160. The description of the land looks like Section 23 Township 22 Range One West. Abraham Smith witnessed the sale on December 30, 1842. It was recorded January 28, 1843. Can't read the recorders name, but it was probably Noel Mason.
1842 is the last year that Richard Green shows up on documents anywhere.
So how well does Richard Green match the known criteria to be Britta Green's dad? Let's see: he was in AL in 1834, and he doesn't show up after 1850. We don't know where he was born (yet).
Thus far he matches two out of three criteria. Could he be Britta's dad???
Read on for Part 2.
Saturday, February 9, 2019
Update: Greens & Pilgreens
My brick wall is my third great-grandmother Britta Ann Green/Greene. Who were her parents? Unknown. Who were her siblings? Unidentified. Who were her relatives? My latest research has brought answers to the last question a little closer.
Based on dozens of shared matches from Ancestry.com kits, it's now possible to name Graphen Holt Green/e and Nancy Elizabeth Ellen Green/e as definite relatives to Britta. These names are in addition to Mary Ann Green, who married John P. McKinney. And probably Mahala Green, who married John B. Davis.
Furthermore almost all of the kits that match the people named above also trace back to Booker Warren and Rebecca Baird Pilgreen of North Carolina. The Pilgreens went by several names: Green, Greene, Pilgreen, Pilgrim and P. Green.
What are the relationships among all these people? Unknown, but I'm working on it.
My current theory—as yet unproven—is that Mary Ann, Graphen, Mahala, Nancy, and Britta are siblings. Going by their birth years and places, one can trace the family's movement:
• Mary Ann, born 1822 in NC, lived in AL, died after 1870, probably in AL
• Graphen Holt, born 1824 in Pitt County, NC, lived in AL, moved to AR and OK
• Mahala, born 1826 in NC, lived in AL, probably stayed in AL
• Nancy, born 1832 in GA, lived in AL, died in AL
• Britta, born 1834 in AL, lived in AL, died in AL
Who were their parents? My best guess is that their father was a son or brother of Booker Warren Pilgreen. Most likely son is Jesse Pilgreen. Another candidate is Richard Green.
I haven't included all the proofs here, but they exist and I will post them. Still lots of work to do, but now you know what I know.
Based on dozens of shared matches from Ancestry.com kits, it's now possible to name Graphen Holt Green/e and Nancy Elizabeth Ellen Green/e as definite relatives to Britta. These names are in addition to Mary Ann Green, who married John P. McKinney. And probably Mahala Green, who married John B. Davis.
Furthermore almost all of the kits that match the people named above also trace back to Booker Warren and Rebecca Baird Pilgreen of North Carolina. The Pilgreens went by several names: Green, Greene, Pilgreen, Pilgrim and P. Green.
What are the relationships among all these people? Unknown, but I'm working on it.
My current theory—as yet unproven—is that Mary Ann, Graphen, Mahala, Nancy, and Britta are siblings. Going by their birth years and places, one can trace the family's movement:
• Mary Ann, born 1822 in NC, lived in AL, died after 1870, probably in AL
• Graphen Holt, born 1824 in Pitt County, NC, lived in AL, moved to AR and OK
• Mahala, born 1826 in NC, lived in AL, probably stayed in AL
• Nancy, born 1832 in GA, lived in AL, died in AL
• Britta, born 1834 in AL, lived in AL, died in AL
Who were their parents? My best guess is that their father was a son or brother of Booker Warren Pilgreen. Most likely son is Jesse Pilgreen. Another candidate is Richard Green.
I haven't included all the proofs here, but they exist and I will post them. Still lots of work to do, but now you know what I know.
Friday, December 21, 2018
The Love Connection
Samuel Love and Elizabeth Nation had multiple children, including Sarah Elizabeth Love who married William Ragsdale and Kiziah Love who married John Lawley/Lolly.
William and Sarah Love Ragsdale have several connections to Britta Green and the McGuires. First, William and Sarah's son James Marion Ragsdale and wife Drucilla lived next door to Britta and John McGuire in Jefferson County in 1860. While there's no smoking gun, I believe that Britta named her second daughter Mary Drucilla after her sister and Drucilla Ragsdale.
Also William and Sarah Love Ragsdale's children married McGuires: Sidney Jackson Ragsdale married Sarah Ann McGuire, and Louisa Caroline (Carrie) Ragsdale married Robert McGuire. The website below doesn't list all its sources, but everything I have checked has checked out, so I am inclined to accept its data:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mytexasroots/wmragsdale.htm
In another Love line...
Kiziah Love married John Lawley and had umpteen children, among whom was Lurana Lawley who married William Henry Davis.
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/20465111/person/951564645
And Carolyn E. Davis married Elisha Lawley.
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/20465111/person/951564754
Is William H. Davis brother to James B. Davis who married Mahala Green?? How about Caroline Davis?
And what's Love got to do with it, anyway????
William and Sarah Love Ragsdale have several connections to Britta Green and the McGuires. First, William and Sarah's son James Marion Ragsdale and wife Drucilla lived next door to Britta and John McGuire in Jefferson County in 1860. While there's no smoking gun, I believe that Britta named her second daughter Mary Drucilla after her sister and Drucilla Ragsdale.
Also William and Sarah Love Ragsdale's children married McGuires: Sidney Jackson Ragsdale married Sarah Ann McGuire, and Louisa Caroline (Carrie) Ragsdale married Robert McGuire. The website below doesn't list all its sources, but everything I have checked has checked out, so I am inclined to accept its data:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mytexasroots/wmragsdale.htm
In another Love line...
Kiziah Love married John Lawley and had umpteen children, among whom was Lurana Lawley who married William Henry Davis.
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/20465111/person/951564645
And Carolyn E. Davis married Elisha Lawley.
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/20465111/person/951564754
Is William H. Davis brother to James B. Davis who married Mahala Green?? How about Caroline Davis?
And what's Love got to do with it, anyway????
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Nancy E.E. Green—Just the facts, ma'am
For a long time I have suspected that Nancy Elizabeth Greene, aka Nancy Ellen Green, was related to Britta Ann and Mary Ann Green. While there's still no smoking gun (direct DNA comparison via Gedmatch.com), there are enough matches on Ancestry to convince me that it's true. Here then are facts I can prove about her with documentary evidence.
Nancy E. Green/e was born in either AL or more likely Georgia about 1832. Hmmmmm....We know this from the 1860, 1870 and 1880 U.S. Censuses.
1860:
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/7667/4211196_00246/12616698?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3d1860usfedcenancestry%26gsln%3dGarrett%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln_x%3d1%26msrdy_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp%3dshelby%252c%2balabama%252c%2busa%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msrpn%3d2683%26msrpn_x%3d1%26hc%3d20%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26redir%3dfalse%26uidh%3d000&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults
1870:
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/7163/4257737_00249/13047121?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3d1870usfedcen%26gsln%3dadams%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln_x%3dNS%26msbdy%3d1833%26msbdy_x%3d1%26msbdp%3d2%26msrdy_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp%3dshelby%252c%2balabama%252c%2busa%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msrpn%3d2683%26msrpn_x%3d1%26hc%3d50%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26redir%3dfalse%26uidh%3dwy5&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults
1880:
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/6742/4239792-00406/6402469?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3d1880usfedcen%26gsfn%3dNancy%26gsln%3dadams%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln_x%3dNS%26msbdy%3d1833%26msbdy_x%3d1%26msbdp%3d2%26msrdy_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp%3dshelby%252c%2balabama%252c%2busa%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msrpn%3d2683%26msrpn_x%3d1%26hc%3d50%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26redir%3dfalse%26uidh%3dwy5&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults
The 1880 Census tells us that her father was born in SC and her mother was born in GA. Maybe...
On Sunday, February 24, 1856, she married Sanford V. Garrett in Shelby County as Ellen Green. Minister of the Gospel L.B McDonald officiated with a license signed by J. M. McClanahan, Judge of Probate.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9HV-W62P?i=433&cc=1743384
Nancy Ellen had several children with Sanford, including James B., born 1857; Thomas G., born and died about 1860; and Mary Elizabeth, born 1863. Hmmmm...More on that tidbit anon. There may have been a boy named Josh; several Ancestry trees list him but I have never seen any documentary proof of his existence. Maybe he existed—I would love to see the evidence.
Nancy Ellen and Sanford were married for about five years. I really hope they were happy years because it was all over when Sanford left to fight for the Confederacy during the Civil War. He enlisted and served in Company K, AL Third Infantry and then moved to the White Plains Rangers, Company C, Fifth Alabama. Various family trees and online sources say he died anywhere from 1861 - 1864. The best source, his Confederate death record, says he died on October 11, 1861, at the Clay St. Hospital, Richmond, Henrico County, VA.
https://www.fold3.com/image/11497496
Sanford is buried in Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, VA. In an odd discrepancy, his death is listed at Findagrave.com as December 16, 1862.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/93141573/sanford-v-garrett
Hmmmm....
The 1866 State Census for Alabama shows Mrs. Ellen Garrett living in Township 24, Range 12 East, Shelby County. The location is near/in Montevallo. The census entry agrees completely with the the household that should be showing: one male under 10 (James Garrett, about 10), one female under 10 (Mary E., about three), and one female over 30 (Nancy Ellen, about 34). Thomas Garrett died young and Josh (if he existed) probably died young as well.
Significantly, Mrs. Brittan McGuire (Britta Ann), James Adams (NEG's future husband), and Henry Backus (father of JG's future wife) live in the same area. It makes total sense for Nancy and Britta to have moved closer to each other after losing husbands to the War, doesn't it?
According to this site, Ellen Garrett married James Adams in Shelby County on January 21, 1868. James Adams was about 66 and she was about 36; ages extrapolated from the 1870 Census.
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/7163/4257737_00249/13047121?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3d1870usfedcen%26gsln%3dadams%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln_x%3dNS%26msbdy%3d1833%26msbdy_x%3d1%26msbdp%3d2%26msrdy_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp%3dshelby%252c%2balabama%252c%2busa%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msrpn%3d2683%26msrpn_x%3d1%26hc%3d50%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26redir%3dfalse%26uidh%3dwy5&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults
By the 1870 US Census for AL, James and Nancy E. had a five-month-old son named James R. While the child's age doesn't jive with the dates on his tombstone (December 1869), it is clear that young James—later to be known as Robert Lee—was born in wedlock. Hmmmmm....
Note the difference in the name our gal is using between 1866/68 and 1870: Mrs. Ellen Garrett to Nancy E. Adams. We know it's the same person because of the other children listed in the household.
Nancy E. Green/e was born in either AL or more likely Georgia about 1832. Hmmmmm....We know this from the 1860, 1870 and 1880 U.S. Censuses.
1860:
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/7667/4211196_00246/12616698?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3d1860usfedcenancestry%26gsln%3dGarrett%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln_x%3d1%26msrdy_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp%3dshelby%252c%2balabama%252c%2busa%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msrpn%3d2683%26msrpn_x%3d1%26hc%3d20%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26redir%3dfalse%26uidh%3d000&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults
1870:
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/7163/4257737_00249/13047121?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3d1870usfedcen%26gsln%3dadams%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln_x%3dNS%26msbdy%3d1833%26msbdy_x%3d1%26msbdp%3d2%26msrdy_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp%3dshelby%252c%2balabama%252c%2busa%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msrpn%3d2683%26msrpn_x%3d1%26hc%3d50%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26redir%3dfalse%26uidh%3dwy5&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults
1880:
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/6742/4239792-00406/6402469?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3d1880usfedcen%26gsfn%3dNancy%26gsln%3dadams%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln_x%3dNS%26msbdy%3d1833%26msbdy_x%3d1%26msbdp%3d2%26msrdy_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp%3dshelby%252c%2balabama%252c%2busa%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msrpn%3d2683%26msrpn_x%3d1%26hc%3d50%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26redir%3dfalse%26uidh%3dwy5&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults
The 1880 Census tells us that her father was born in SC and her mother was born in GA. Maybe...
On Sunday, February 24, 1856, she married Sanford V. Garrett in Shelby County as Ellen Green. Minister of the Gospel L.B McDonald officiated with a license signed by J. M. McClanahan, Judge of Probate.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9HV-W62P?i=433&cc=1743384
Nancy Ellen had several children with Sanford, including James B., born 1857; Thomas G., born and died about 1860; and Mary Elizabeth, born 1863. Hmmmm...More on that tidbit anon. There may have been a boy named Josh; several Ancestry trees list him but I have never seen any documentary proof of his existence. Maybe he existed—I would love to see the evidence.
Nancy Ellen and Sanford were married for about five years. I really hope they were happy years because it was all over when Sanford left to fight for the Confederacy during the Civil War. He enlisted and served in Company K, AL Third Infantry and then moved to the White Plains Rangers, Company C, Fifth Alabama. Various family trees and online sources say he died anywhere from 1861 - 1864. The best source, his Confederate death record, says he died on October 11, 1861, at the Clay St. Hospital, Richmond, Henrico County, VA.
https://www.fold3.com/image/11497496
Sanford is buried in Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, VA. In an odd discrepancy, his death is listed at Findagrave.com as December 16, 1862.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/93141573/sanford-v-garrett
Hmmmm....
The 1866 State Census for Alabama shows Mrs. Ellen Garrett living in Township 24, Range 12 East, Shelby County. The location is near/in Montevallo. The census entry agrees completely with the the household that should be showing: one male under 10 (James Garrett, about 10), one female under 10 (Mary E., about three), and one female over 30 (Nancy Ellen, about 34). Thomas Garrett died young and Josh (if he existed) probably died young as well.
Significantly, Mrs. Brittan McGuire (Britta Ann), James Adams (NEG's future husband), and Henry Backus (father of JG's future wife) live in the same area. It makes total sense for Nancy and Britta to have moved closer to each other after losing husbands to the War, doesn't it?
According to this site, Ellen Garrett married James Adams in Shelby County on January 21, 1868. James Adams was about 66 and she was about 36; ages extrapolated from the 1870 Census.
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/7163/4257737_00249/13047121?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3d1870usfedcen%26gsln%3dadams%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln_x%3dNS%26msbdy%3d1833%26msbdy_x%3d1%26msbdp%3d2%26msrdy_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp%3dshelby%252c%2balabama%252c%2busa%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msrpn%3d2683%26msrpn_x%3d1%26hc%3d50%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26redir%3dfalse%26uidh%3dwy5&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults
By the 1870 US Census for AL, James and Nancy E. had a five-month-old son named James R. While the child's age doesn't jive with the dates on his tombstone (December 1869), it is clear that young James—later to be known as Robert Lee—was born in wedlock. Hmmmmm....
Note the difference in the name our gal is using between 1866/68 and 1870: Mrs. Ellen Garrett to Nancy E. Adams. We know it's the same person because of the other children listed in the household.
In the 1880 US Census for AL, Nancy Adams is living on Beat 4, Village of Montevallo. She is widowed, at home, born GA, father born SC, mother born GA. Also in the household is son Robert Lee, 10. Neighbors: Elbert Nelson (husband of daughter Mary E.), Mary Large, John Bradford, Shortridge, Stephen Dill, Acker, West, Wilson, Bradford, E. M. Carleton (one of Britta and her neighbors in 1866). So James Adams left or most likely died between 1870 and 1880. Children James Garrett, Mary Garrett Nelson, and Robert Lee are still living.
From a letter shared by Robert Lee's granddaughter, we know that Nancy also included "Elizabeth" among her given names. Robert Lee wrote:
“I was a six year old boy on the train with my mother (Nancy Elizabeth Greene) enroute from our hometown Montevallo, Ala. to Selma, to visit my brother...”
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/19413000/person/818356771/media/1?pgnum=1&pg=0&pgpl=pid%7cpgNum
Nancy Adams disappears after the 1880 Census. She died in Montevallo, Shelby County, AL, probably after 1890, according to another letter Robert Lee wrote about his life:
{I was married} "...June 4, 1890, about 8 pm by Rev Rice. Left on our honeymoon the next evening for Rome Ga where I was a train dispatcher for ETValley Ry. We stopped at my sister's home, Mrs Ed Nelson, in Rome GA. The RR transferred me to Selma Alabama. From Selma we moved to Paduca Ky with C&O Ry. My mother died at Montevallo Ala."
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/19413000/person/818356771/media/2?pgnum=1&pg=0&pgpl=pid%7cpgNum
These letters contain lots of useful nuggets about the lives of Nancy's descendants, but as this blog post is specifically about the documented facts of Nancy Elizabeth Ellen Green's life, that's all I can prove. Other guesses and theories will just have to wait for the next post.
Hmmmm.....
Friday, October 5, 2018
Refinement on "BREAKTHROUGH!"
I should mention that my cousin who is much more educated about the science of DNA pointed out that we can't be 100% percent sure that Graphen Holt Greene is the brother/cousin/uncle of our Britta Ann Green, born 1834 in AL, until we compare DNA segments, and they match.
In addition, "triangulation" really means comparing at least two segments from known descendants against suspected descendants to conclude that they match. Here's a description:
I'm on it.
In the meantime, let me bolster my claim that GHG is Britta's relative by adding these facts:
• I currently manage or have access to seven DNA kits at Ancestry of people that we can prove are descended from Britta Ann Green, born 1834 in AL. They include one great-great grandchild and six great-great-great grandchildren.
• I can identify the DNA kits of dozens of other people who are known/proven to descend from Britta Ann Green.
• BAG was married twice, once to John L. McGuire and once to Mike Flynn. I have access to the kits of descendants from both of those marriages.
• BAG is my third great-grandmother. If the descendants of GHG were related to me, they'd probably be in the vicinity of fourth to sixth cousins. Same with most of the Ancestry kits I manage or have access to.
It is possible that for people to match IBC (identical by chance) rather than IBD (identical by descent). Not every Ancestry member who lists GHG as an ancestor will match me or the kits I manage/access. And not every family tree at Ancestry has the correct ancestors in the correct line.
However, in 12 examples of Ancestry members who list GHG as an ancestor, there are multiple matches between those kit owners and the kits I manage/access. In addition some of those kits simultaneously match the kits of Britta's descendants from both marriages.
So I'm convinced. And when I have this many matches, I'm usually right.
In addition, "triangulation" really means comparing at least two segments from known descendants against suspected descendants to conclude that they match. Here's a description:
The definition of triangulation in this context means:
- To find a common segment
- Of reasonable size (generally 7cM or over)
- That is confirmed to a common ancestor with at least two other individuals
- Who are not close family
Close family generally means parents, siblings, sometimes grandparents, although parents and grandparents can certainly be used to verify that the match is valid. The best triangulation situation is when you match those two other people through a second child, meaning siblings of your ancestor.
https://dna-explained.com/category/triangulation/
Since Ancestry doesn't have a chromosome browser, it won't be possible to scientifically triangulate to a high degree of certainty until some of GHG's descendants can be persuaded to send their raw DNA data to Gedmatch. I'm on it.
In the meantime, let me bolster my claim that GHG is Britta's relative by adding these facts:
• I currently manage or have access to seven DNA kits at Ancestry of people that we can prove are descended from Britta Ann Green, born 1834 in AL. They include one great-great grandchild and six great-great-great grandchildren.
• I can identify the DNA kits of dozens of other people who are known/proven to descend from Britta Ann Green.
• BAG was married twice, once to John L. McGuire and once to Mike Flynn. I have access to the kits of descendants from both of those marriages.
• BAG is my third great-grandmother. If the descendants of GHG were related to me, they'd probably be in the vicinity of fourth to sixth cousins. Same with most of the Ancestry kits I manage or have access to.
It is possible that for people to match IBC (identical by chance) rather than IBD (identical by descent). Not every Ancestry member who lists GHG as an ancestor will match me or the kits I manage/access. And not every family tree at Ancestry has the correct ancestors in the correct line.
However, in 12 examples of Ancestry members who list GHG as an ancestor, there are multiple matches between those kit owners and the kits I manage/access. In addition some of those kits simultaneously match the kits of Britta's descendants from both marriages.
So I'm convinced. And when I have this many matches, I'm usually right.
Mike Flinn was a puddler
Mike Flinn/Flynn/Flin was the second husband of Britta Ann Green. He was a puddler, a highly skilled metal worker in the rolling mills around Shelby, Bibb, and Jefferson Counties in Alabama. Born in Ireland, he was in the States by 1868, when he married Britta in Bibb County. Here's the marriage license:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939Z-YCS3-BF?i=415&cc=1743384
Puddlers had to be strong because they had to handle hot, heavy equipment and materials. They had to be observant because they had to watch the pig iron processing. They had to be intuitive because they had to know when the time was just right to complete the handling process. They were rough, tough men.
Here are links to the Wikipedia entries about puddlers and puddling:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_puddler
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puddling_(metallurgy)
Britta appears as "Mrs. Brittan McGuire" in the 1866 State Census for AL. Though she was living in Shelby County near Montevallo, she was also in close proximity to Brierfield Ironworks, where Mike Flinn was likely working. A widow with three or four living children, she would have needed a husband for the income. A hard worker with a highly strenuous job, Mike would have needed a pleasant place to come home to at the end of the day. It may have been a marriage of love or convenience, but it likely held advantages for both of them.
Though I can't prove it, I have often suspected that Britta married two alcoholics. John L. McGuire's father Davidson was kicked out of his church for being drunk. John L. often got into trouble and was kicked out of the same church. After Britta married Mike Flinn, both older daughters married very young, possibly to get out of the house. Often people tend to marry mates with behavior patterns similar to their parents'. One marries the familiar. Britta's second daughter, Mary Drucilla McGuire married Sim Eddins, a notorious drunk. It is well within the realm of possibility that John L. and Mike both liked to knock a few back.
I recently found this diary entry from Thomas M. Fancher, a nineteenth century Bibb County farmer. The source is AlabamaPioneers.com, a genealogical treasure trove for those of us with Alabama roots. The site has several free features and some features that are available only through the paid service called Patreon. Here's the link for this particular entry, but you have to pay to see it:
http://www.alabamapioneers.com/transcription-of-a-excerpts-from-diary-by-thomas-m-fancher-bibb-county-alabama-from-1871-1889/
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939Z-YCS3-BF?i=415&cc=1743384
Puddlers had to be strong because they had to handle hot, heavy equipment and materials. They had to be observant because they had to watch the pig iron processing. They had to be intuitive because they had to know when the time was just right to complete the handling process. They were rough, tough men.
Here are links to the Wikipedia entries about puddlers and puddling:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_puddler
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puddling_(metallurgy)
Britta appears as "Mrs. Brittan McGuire" in the 1866 State Census for AL. Though she was living in Shelby County near Montevallo, she was also in close proximity to Brierfield Ironworks, where Mike Flinn was likely working. A widow with three or four living children, she would have needed a husband for the income. A hard worker with a highly strenuous job, Mike would have needed a pleasant place to come home to at the end of the day. It may have been a marriage of love or convenience, but it likely held advantages for both of them.
Though I can't prove it, I have often suspected that Britta married two alcoholics. John L. McGuire's father Davidson was kicked out of his church for being drunk. John L. often got into trouble and was kicked out of the same church. After Britta married Mike Flinn, both older daughters married very young, possibly to get out of the house. Often people tend to marry mates with behavior patterns similar to their parents'. One marries the familiar. Britta's second daughter, Mary Drucilla McGuire married Sim Eddins, a notorious drunk. It is well within the realm of possibility that John L. and Mike both liked to knock a few back.
I recently found this diary entry from Thomas M. Fancher, a nineteenth century Bibb County farmer. The source is AlabamaPioneers.com, a genealogical treasure trove for those of us with Alabama roots. The site has several free features and some features that are available only through the paid service called Patreon. Here's the link for this particular entry, but you have to pay to see it:
http://www.alabamapioneers.com/transcription-of-a-excerpts-from-diary-by-thomas-m-fancher-bibb-county-alabama-from-1871-1889/
From the diary of Thomas Fancher
"December 24, 1883
"By the number of jugs and kegs in the express office one would believe they will certainly have a lively time around about Brierfield {Iron Works}. I would guess there was not less than two hundred jugs and kegs from one to five gallons. Prohibition is not doing much gook in that portion. If it was just so because of Christmas it would not be so much matter, but it is constantly so there and cant be prevented. Rolling mill men and nailry men are composed of a low class of men especially pudlers; being from every quarter of the globe."
Seems to fit the image I have of Mike Flinn, doesn't it?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)