The Office

So this is another one of those blog posts that isn't about genealogy, except that it is. I'm not being facetious or flippant here. I actually had someone ask me how I stay inspired and how do I stay organized. The answer to the first part is imminent. The answer to the second part is, I'm not. Not really 😕. 

Those stacks of papers that the cast of the TV show, The Office, in my heading is pretty accurate. 

When I'm gone, my survivors will be aghast when they have to come fossick though what is left of my wordly possessions. There will be two acronymns uttered repeatedly by my descendants in their appellation, "OMG" and "WTH".  OMG at the enormity of their task and WTH at the oddity of what they will find when they realize they never knew me, in spite of knowing me all their lives. 

But the question is where do I get my inspiration to keep going in a genealogical search, when brickwalls abound, I must add, as that was the unspoken part. We'll start with my quiet little corner of the world. 

What I call my office is not an office. I have an office at work, but at home, I have an unremodeled bedroom,  unoccupied since my little ones flew the nest. It is still painted in my daughters favorite colors and echoes of the Charlotte Hornets in its paint job. When I sit down in the morning, before work,  to begin my quest,  for whatever is intriguing me that day, the above photo is what I am looking at. My skill is being gauche, so my fung shui is clutter. 

I have a very old computer sitting upon an even older computer table, sitting next to another, more stream-lined computer table holding the printer and a router, with a filing cabinet underneath. Not that this two drawer cabinet is all, oh no! There's two on the other wall, a three drawer and a two drawer, next to a small bookcase. They don't match, one is gray, one is black and one is wooden. Let's get this out of the way to begin with, I'm poor. Not, not knowing where my next meal is coming from poor, but not having a beautifully designed office with matching furniture, poor.

Instead of this, (above), I have that cavalcade of confusion (further up). What jumps out first? It's similar to a "Where's Waldo" page. However, all are things I use, treasure, or what inspires me. The cardinal is not only my favorite bird, but my daddy's funeral announcement. The willow tree espouses one of my favorite sayings, "Sometimes the right path is not always the easiest one". The tree, art called 'Grandmother Willow',  drawn by an artist who calls herself Pocahontas. There's water in my coffee warmer, random jewelry, fingernail clippers, and assorted desk trolls like a calculator and a pencil sharpener, under the screen. My papersorter is filled with disks from state archives. A church fan adorns the back wall stamped West 2nd Street, Oakboro, est. 1915. A couple of small books peek out over the CD's, Cider With Rosie, by Laurie Lee, about his time in Cotswold after the War, a treasure from a visit to my relatives in the UK, and 'Albemarle and Stanly County in 1891', by local historian Lewis Bramlett and his son, Andrew. The Bramletts and I share a tree branch of German ancestry through our decent from the Starnes family. My third Great Grandfather, F.F.Starnes (Frederick Fincher) and his Great Grandfather of some unknown degree of Great, F E. Starnes,  (Francis Eugene), were business partners at some point, referred to as 'cousins' in the newspaper of the time.

And as for the cluttered collection of ancestors and descendants above it, beginning with a wooden tourist trap rendition of the hilly streets of Lew, in Cornwall.....

It's twain! There's also a top row that begins with my little brother and ends with my oldest daughter. A photo of a paternal Great Grandmother sits next to a photo of my mom and her siblings at their parents 50th Anniversary party, partially blocked by a photo of the same 4 siblings with their Dad, my Pawpaw, as children. A photo of my Mom and myself connects to an old family photo of a different grandfather, with his family, as a little boy, followed by a current little boy, one of my younger grandchildren. Framed by treasures, hanging handmade ornaments, made of piory thatch by my friend, Meralda, from Pitcairn Island, an artist whose work can be found at Maimitihaven.com. 

Then, there are the maps. I love maps. I collect maps. There's much to be gleaned from maps, whether studying history, or in particular,  tracking of family trails. The one above the first photo, over my brothers' head is an 1870 Captain N. A. Ramsey  map of Chatham County, NC. Chatham is a country of beautiful terrain,  that an impressive number of my procreaters passed through,  on their way here, to my home county of Stanly.

Next to that is a map that predates the Chatham one by over 200 years, the 1640 Blaeu Map of the Eastern Seaboard,  from Virginia south, through the Carolinas to the Florida border, which was Spanish territory at the time.

To the far right is a map of Scotland with the names of some of the most populous Scottish Clans labeled in the area of their historic origins. I'm a mite sain of all things Scottish, as this land claims the largest hunk of my DNA, which comes from dozens of locations worldwide, primarily Europe, but not exclusively. The family names found upon this map that I know I descend from are Ramsey, Murray, McCoy, and McGregor. 

My map collection also consists of:

- 1904 map of Anson County, very similar to a C. B. Miller Map. 

- 1982  map of Stanly County encircled with small replications of the area, with towns and points of interest marked from 1841, 1850., 1875, 1900, 1925, 1950, and 1975.

-The C. B. Miller map of Stanly County, circa 1890-1910, that included place and people names, and marked schools and churches.

- 1982  map of Montgomery County.

- The First Lord Proprietors Map of the Carolinas dated 1672.

- An H. S. Tanner Map of North and South Carolina circa 1825.

I hope to add to this collection one day. 

Ah, the print table! To the right of my ostrich flamingo pen is the surge protector and router and printer, watched over by not one, but two pictures of Great, Great, Great Grandfather, Henry Davis. There's a calendar with a beautiful model, who happens to be my only Granddaughter and another Grandchild flipbook of my fourth Grandson on the front. It's the boxes to the right they will need to be afraid of. All of them are full of genealogy notebooks, by family and filled to the brim with research and stuff. No better word for it than stuff. Shake in terror of those, they are heavy and mighty. 

The printer table has a top tier, too. Left of the clans of Scotland is a portrait of one of my favorite founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin. I named my firstborn Benjamin. The print comes with a quote, "Any Society that will give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." 

Sadly, we've forgotten this, it seems and are doomed to suffer the consequences. There's my 'currently working on' trays, and that little munchkin with the bronzed baby shoes is me, my mother had these done and they sat atop my dresser as a child. Now they sit in front of a clever montage of my oldest four grandchildren and is guarded by one of my horse statues and my gingham bunny, treatises spawned from childhood delights. If you can't splurge on childhood desires when you are a senior citizen, which is rapidly approaching, when can you? 

Back to maps, one wall features the 1982  map of Stanly County, which I previously mentioned, adjacent to an ornamental family tree. Above them, the Charlotte Hornets design is on full display. 

The Townships of Olde Anson adorn the door. To the left is another favorite poster, George Caleb Binghams, 'Daniel Boone Escorting Settlers through the Cumberland Gap'.

The walls aren't all covered in Maps, per this photo. There's a print of Shiloh Methodist Church in Montgomery County, NC, still standing, where a beautiful historic Christmas show, complete with antique instruments and decor, is put on in early December. A portion of the Lord Proprietors map I spoke of earlier. A print of Sequoia, the Cherokee who invented a written system of the Cherokee language, and the Daniel Boone print beside him. And oh yeah, I'm big on Native American decor, too. It's everywhere including here. No need to go through all the walls, but in addition to the maps, there's a big, beautiful black and white print of a casual John and Jackie Kennedy circa 1953, a UFC poster of Connor McGregor, A King's and Queens timeline poster from Egbert, the first Saxon king recognized as King of all the English in 827, to Elizabeth II., and a theater poster of Chris Hemsworth as Thor in the Marvel Movies. yeah.

Cabinet drawers hold books, reference books, family history books, and some casual reading texts, too. Above is shown, including The Biography of Frances Slocum, by Meginess, Stanly County, by D. Douglas Buchanon and the Stanly County Museum, Gold Mines in North Carolina, by John Hairr and Joey Powell, Uwharrie Bizarres, by Fred T. Morgan, Crossing Buckhorn, by George G. Thomas, Unruly Women, by Victoria E. Bynam, Cryin's For Hungry Babies, by Dennis Hayman, The Journey, by Eugene Broadway, and Broadway Royals, by the same. There's Family Maps of Sumter County, Alabama and Family Maps of Marengo County, Alabama, both by Gregory A. Boyd, J. D., as well as some books just for reading. I literally have books everywhere. 

On top of The Boggan Family Patrick, Benjamin, James and their sister, Jane by Frances Henrietta Bingham Krechel are a couple of spare DNA tests I keep around, just in case someone might need one. These are under a couple of Brent H. Holcolm books, Marriages and Death Notices from the Southern Christian Advocate 1837 - 1860 Volume # 1 and 1861 - 1867 Volume # 2, and Southside Virgina Families Volume 1, by John Bennett Boddie. I have several of the Boddie books, and I mention this, because I don't mind doing look-ups, as long as it doesn't become overwhelming.  Several of the books I mentioned in my first paragraph concerning books, listed authors with roots here in Stanly or Anson Counties. A few of them even share ancestors with me. Loving history, especially family history, seems to run in the family. 

(Note: I better insert here that I don't give out free DNA tests. Oh no, it MUST be a party that is beneficial to my research, a relative, adoptee, etc. These things aren't cheap, $59 on sale, $100 normally.)

More books, yeah, I'm pretty boring. One on Andrew Jackson, a very old book called The Brandons,  by Angela Thirkell. No, this isn't like a male version of the 'Heathers" movie, it's a genealogy book on a very old Virginia family with the surname 'Brandon'. The Story of Scott's Hill, Tennessee by Gordon H. Turner, Sr., is about a place where relatives of some of my Turner ancestors migrated to, and yes, I am related distantly to the author. These Is My Words, by Nancy E. Turner, Biographical Genealogies of The Virginia - Kentucky Floyd Families with Notes, by Nicholas Jackson; The Tudors by Jane Bingham, The True Story of Tom Dooley, by Fletcher, The Great Wagon Road by Dietz, Uwharrie Ghost Stories, Fred T. Morgan, and too, Cold Mountain and a decoupage map of Norwood, NC, and another entire layer of books behind those.

Besides a ridiculous number of books, the extra special stuff is in a small mobile chest of drawers. Two drawers hold the CD's for Stanly and Anson County, others hold the census books for Stanly, Montgomery and Anson Counties, the Marriage books, the Cemetery Books, the Court Book, and the bottom drawers hold Journals and Bulletins from the Genealogical groups I belong to, Stanly, Anson, Mecklenburg, Counties in North Carolina, and Southside Virginia. Quarterlys from family groups, The Pace Society and Wingfield Association, and a smattering of small pamphlets like the 1810  Substitute census of Mecklenburg County, Virginia, which includes a nice little map with all the creeks. The Southern counties of Virginia are also an area many of my ancestors lived before coming here. Which reminds me, I do have a map of Mecklenburg and Brunswick Counties in Virginia, but I don't have it up.

This is what the filing cabinet drawers look like. I wonder how much $ I've spent on copies. Let's not go there. I could probably buy a nice car.

While my family files are in alphabetical order per drawer, they're not necessarily in alphabetical order all together. Some families have a file in multiple drawers and there's at least one on every family I descend from and several I don't, that may have ties to my family. Among these, but not limited to, are Aldridge, Abshier, Alexander, Allen,  Almond, Atkins, Bass, Blalock, Boggan, Brandon, Broadway, Bridges,  Burgin, Burris, Byrd, Cagle, Callaway, Carpenter, Carter Coble, Cochran, Coley, Crump,  Dancy, Davis, Dowd, Downer, Drew, Duke, Easley, Efird, Erwin, Exum, Faulkner, Fincher, Flowers, Freeman,  Gallahorn, Gould, Gordon, Green,  Gunter,  Hathcock, Hatley, Herrin, Hildreth,High,  Hill, Holmes,  Honeycutt, Hooks, Howell, Hudson, Ingram, Kendall, Kennedy, Kernachan, Lambert, Lee, Ledbetter, Lemmons, Lisenby, Lowder, Love, Lynch, Marriott, Marks, Marshall, Martin, Mauldin, McGregor, McCoy, McQueen, Means, Meggs, Melton/Milton, Moffitt/Moffatt, Morgan, Morton, Murray, Nash,  Nobles, Palmer, Parker,  Paul, Parrott, Pfifer, Pickler, Pilcher, Preslar, Query, Ragsdale, Randall, Ramsey, Reed,  Robertson, Robbins, Russell, Sibley, Siegel, Simpson, Smith , Solomon, Springer,  Starnes,  Thompson, Threadgill, Thrower, Tomlinson, Turner, Upchurch, Warren, Webster, Whitley, White, Wilson, Winfield, Works. 

So, this untidy little enclave is where I do my thing, and where I find my inspiration. For every mystery I solve I find a dozen more. Every stone unturned leads to another pile. Every question answered leads me to ask another. 

It's neverending. Sorry kids. 

Thirteen

 2024 is coming to an end and a new year is beginning. It was with a dash of wonderment that I realized that I began this journey, this blog, thirteen years ago. I haven't been active on this quest for several weeks, or even a few months now. Life is like that, it gets in the way, and that's ok. There's no timeclock, no deadlines, no agenda and no one to answer to.  This venture began as a travelogue to my adventure, my discoveries along the way, the places it took me, the interesting people and their stories. And oh what stories are yet to discover. It is indeed never-ending.

I've gotten older during this time, lost family members and gained others. Roots deepen, new branches extend, sprng leaves appear and autumn leaves fall. I follow the paths that intrigue me, finding some to be disappointing dead ends. Yet, there are enough vague footprints to follow, a few strings caught in the briars, to keep the pursuit freash and roborant. I've read that a hobbby of this sort is restorative and good for the mentation of older folks. While I am not yet retired, that time is quickly approaching. Maybe then, I will have more time. Then again, life happens.

My goal for 2025 is to return to projects I've laid down, finish posts I didn't finish, and organize my records in such a way that it would have meaning and make sense to my children should my journey end. That's enough to keep me busy another thirteen years. Hopefully, I have two or three decades left in me and the eustress will lead me like the proverbial apple before the horse, to continue this doughty path.

Another hobby I've taken up recently, as if I need another, is collecting things that made me happy as a child. If we've earned anything with our gray hairs, is it not to be allowed to be a bit puerile and wanton? To attempt to recapture a halcyon moment of our life? That's taken a moment or two of my very brief amount of free time, the time I'm not working, getting ready for work, coming home from work, or performing household or every day tasks. So I beg forgiveness for not having been here, and I hope to be more prescient, more persistent and more astute in my ventures.

One thing that has grown in this past decade or more is technology and genealogical tools. Ancestry.com has a new little trick, and has placed a star by the names of the ancestors in your family tree. You can mark up to 10 of them in red. This triggers their algorithms to concentrate on those ancestors in finding possible records or information. I marked six so far, Job Davis, whom this blog is named for, the 4th Great Grandfather who triggered my interest back in 1974, when I was 14, was the first. The others are John Lambert, John Faulkner, and John Hooks, those of that commonplace first name that put them in an obscure place they shared with many others by having an overused and ubiquitous name. Stark Ramsey was number five and lastly, one female ancestor, straight up the grandmother to grandmother line, Mary Smith, a name as mundane and ordinary as John.

Another feature I've found mildly interesting is the 'compare' key, when analyzing DNA, you can add matches to compare where your dna originated, compared to theirs. It's only most intriguing, to myself at any rate, with the closest matches. One thing I found odd was that I have 44 percent English and Northwestern European ancestry. My half-brother, who actually lives in England has only 32 percent. That's strange. It gets even odder. My oldest grandson, who is a quarter Jewish, has 54 percent English and Northwestern Europe. His paternal grandmother was thought to be Jewish, and she is, but not ethnically. She had a grandfather who died young leaving two young daughters and her grandmother remarried to a Jewish man, with the family adopting the Jewsih religion. Genetically, however, she was of Puritan origin. My youngest grandson is a whopping 79 percent from this category, which is surprising as his father has an interesting heritage. 

Another interesting comparison between the two cousins I noticed was what they got from me. I am showing on ancestry with 1 percent Icelandic. My mtndna test on Family Tree DNA shows my heritage straight down the maternal line as coming from Iceland, so my mother's mother's mother's mother ad infintum. My oldest grandson, the part Jewish one, is also 1 percent Icelandic, from me, no doubt. The youngest grandson does not have that. What he does have, however is the 2 percent Swedish that I also have. As overwhelming British as he is, he has a 2 percent heritage from the Netherlands, that the rest of us does not. My oldest grandson, besides the 24 percent Ashkenazi Jewish, is also 4 percent Norwegian, that did not come from me and his cousin does not share. These variances, of course, come in from either their fathers' side or their grandfather's side on my side of the family. Both have beautiful blue eyes. 

What are your goals for 2025? Happy New Year to All. 

The Intriguing John Brantley Simpson

John B. Simpson, to me, is one of the more interesting members of the family. Perhaps because he lived a long life and also because a bit of information can be had on him.

John B was born around September 10, 1827 and died on January 2, 1907. His tombstone had to be incorrect for date of death, as his obituary appeared in the Carolina Watchman in January of 1907 and his widow remarried in March of 1907.

He first appears in the records of Stanly County in the Mary 1847 session of  The Court of Pleas and Quarters, "Jesse Hathcock appointed Guardian of  Delila, John B. and Ruthy Simpson, gave bond of $300 with Green Palmer and Newton Howell as securities."

 Related to the above were these entries from the February Session of 1841, Nathan Simpson relinquished guardianship of Thomas Simpson's heirs and Jesse Hathcock was appointed Guardian, gave bond of $400, James Hathcock as security. 

May 1841,
Joshua Hearne and John F Stone appointed to settle with Nathan Simpson, guardian of minor heirs of Thomas Simpson, decsd. 

May, 1844
Jesse Hathcock, Sr.  appointed guardian for Delia, John and Ruth Simpson, orphans of Thomas Simpson, dec., gave bond for $500 with Jesse Hathcock as security. 


February Session, 1850, John B Simpson, Delila Simpson, Harris Rummage, Ruthy Rummage and Judith Cagle to Benjamin Ivy, proved by John F. Stone. 


By August Session 1849, John B had aged enough to serve on a jury, as he was listed among the jurors for The State vs. Thomas Burton. 

John Brantley was the only son of Thomas Simpson II, son of Nathaniel Simpson and grandson of Thomas I. Thomas I inspired a lot of grandsons and great-grandsons named for him, and keeping them separate is a little tricky.

His mother's name was Judith and after the death of Thomas Simpson, she married Benjamin Franklin Cagle. Their marriage was not a long one, either, as he passed away in 1843.

It is thought that perhaps Judith was a Hathcock prior to her marriages, daughter of Jesse Sr. It is known that he had a daughter of the right age range to have been Judith Simpson Cagle, named Judith or Judy. No marriage license exists, however, as Montgomery was a burned county and Stanly was part of Montgomery until 1841.

John B. Simpson married Ursula Lowder, daughter of George Lowder and Elizabeth Adderton Lowder around 1848. They became the parents of 6 children:

Elizabeth  1849
Sarah F   1850
Mary       1858
Francis Louise "Franky" 1863
Dockie Jane 1860
George Thomas 1862
Francis Louise "Franky" 1863

1850                           1860                                1870                     1880                   1900
John B 24                 John B 32                         John B 42               J B  54                 John  73
"Hurley"  21              Ursuly  31                         Ursula 42                Ursula 54             Ursula 72
Elizabeth 1                Betsy 11                            Elizabeth 21            Sarah  29            
Sarah  0                    Sarah 10                           Sarah   18               Francis 20    
                                 Franky 4                            Francis 15               Jane 20                                
                                 Dr. Jayne 2 mo.                 Doctor  10              Thomas 17
                                 Mary 2 years                     George 7  

It is unusual that they named a daughter "Doctor" or "Dockey", but I'm sure there was a story behind it. Docky married Frank Melton and Frankie married David Melton, when he was late in life. Both were 'second wives'. Sarah F. also became a 'later in life' wife, of Oliver Harrison Whitley. Only son, George Thomas Simpson married Henrietta Thompson, daughter of  Thomas Thompson and Mary Ann Smith.

This peculiar marriage record was found on family search.


Name:John B. Simpson  Birth Date:1863  Birthplace: Age:25  Spouse's Name:Henrietta Thompson  Spouse's Birth Date: 1870  Spouse's Birthplace  Spouse's Age:18  Event Date:26 Dec 1888  Event Place: Montgomery, North Carolina  Father's Name: G.T. Simpson  Mother's Name: Neley Jane Simpson  Spouse's Father's Name:Thomas Thompson  Spouse's Mother's Name:  Mary Thompson  Race: White
This one I have to order to see in person. It looks like several names were mixed up. I hope.  As Henrietta's death certificate lists the same parents, it must be correct.

Name:	Henrette Thompson Simpson
Gender:	Female
Burial Date:	20 Feb 1955
Burial Place:	Stanly County, N.C.
Death Date:	18 Feb 1955
Death Place:	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina
Age:	89
Birth Date:	26 May 1865
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Occupation:	Household
Race:	White
Marital Status:	Widowed
Spouse's Name:
Father's Name:	Thomas Thompson
Father's Birthplace:
Mother's Name:	Mary Ann Smith

John B. Simpson served in the Civil War along with his uncles.

Name:	John B Simpson
Residence:	North Carolina
Age at enlistment:	38
Rank at enlistment:	Private
State Served:	North Carolina
Survived the War?:	Yes
Service Record:	Promoted to Full 3rd Lieutenant on 13 May 1861.Enlisted in Company H, North Carolina 14th Infantry Regiment on 05 May 1861.Mustered out on 23 Apr 1862.
Sources:	North Carolina Troops 1861-65, A Roster

Newspaper reports would later refer to him as Colonel.

A boy, John Farmer , was bound to John B in the November, 1855 Session of Stanly County Court. By 1860, the boy, John, had been reunited with his siblings, but was living in the homestead of James F Kendall, instead, along with Lydia Adeline Murray, daughter of Mariah Murray, whose estate had been administered by John B Simpsons contemporary uncle, Green W. Simpson, being only 4 years his elder.

Name:	John Farmer
Age in 1860:	19
Birth Year:	abt 1841
Home in 1860:	Stanly, North Carolina
Gender:	Male
Post Office:	Albemarle
Value of real estate:	View image
Household Members:	Name Age James F Kendall 39 Ann Kendall 36 George Kendall 12 Mary F Kendall 11 Sarah A Kendall 9 Judy Kendall 7 Lydia A Murry 17 George Farmer 21 John Farmer 19 Margaret Farmer 17 Leon Farmer 15 Wesley Farmer 13

In the Bastardy bonds for Stanly County appears this document:

In 1881, nearly 20 years after his last child with Ursula was born, John B. Simpson had an affair with Martha J Rummage, that resulted in his becoming a father at 54 years of age. That child was Lee Allen Rummage and Martha Jane Rummage was the second cousin of J. B. Simpson, being the daughter of David Rummage, whose mother Margaret "Peggy" Simpson was the sister of John B.'s father Thomas. Martha Jane Rummage was about 30 and not a stranger to out-of-wedlock children. Lee Allen was her fourth child.

ame:	Martha Rumage
Age:	29
Birth Year:	abt 1851
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1880:	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina
Race:	White
Gender:	Female
Relation to Head of House:	Self (Head)
Marital Status:	Single
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Neighbors:	View others on page
Occupation:	Keeping House
Cannot read/write: Blind: Deaf and Dumb: Otherwise disabled: Idiotic or insane:	View image
Household Members:	Name Age Martha Rumage 29 Mary Rumage 10 Richard D. Rumage 4 Wm. R. Rumage 9m

John B. Simpson now had at least 2 sons.

He was to make the newspapers in 1884, when his home was destroyed by a storm, either a hurricane or tornado.




Daily Charlotte Observer
(Charlotte, North Carolina)24 February 1884 • Page 3

Despite John B. Simpson having had an affair with his distant cousin in 1881, his wife Ursula did not leave him, as was most often the case in the days when divorce was difficult and women had few options with which to support themselves with and older women, none.  They were living together in the 1900 census, their own children already grown, or passed away.  And then another tragedy hit the family, and made the papers.


The Enterprise
(Albemarle, North Carolina)21 March 1901 • Page 3

Ursula burned to death, and was characterized as a sweet lady.

John B Simpson, despite being on in age, wasted no time after the death of Ursula and found a new wife.

On January 27, 1902, he married Martha F. "Patty" Randle, the daughter of  Isham Randle and Carolina Carpenter Randle. John B was 53 years older than Patty, and married the 23 year old when he was 76. Amazingly, they had one child, his third and last son, Robert Lee Simpson.

Patty would waste no time in marrying George Hinson, as well, just 2 months after John B. Simpson's death in 1907.

He began getting ill in 1898, however, and actually moved in with his daughter Dockie Jane Simpson Melton, and her husband, Frank Melton, also a confederate veteran.




The Enterprise
(Albemarle, North Carolina)15 December 1898 • Page 3


The Enterprise
(Albemarle, North Carolina)21 November 1901 • Page 3

Perhaps his son-in-law and daughter helped to take care of the old vet.



Carolina Watchman
(Salisbury, North Carolina)30 January 1907 • Page 1

The Salisbury paper would post a notice of his death in 1907.



John B. Simpson's death was noted in the list of Vets, along with Job's grandson and my ancestor, H. H. Davis.

The old rebel and grandson of Nathan Simpson left a few traces of his path in life. He stayed near his homeland and fought for it. He will always be remembered.

People Are People

There is a HUGE difference between fact and theory. This is one truth I've faced when tackling a case in genealogy. Some details we might suspect, but may never be able to prove. This happens quite often when records are scarce, especially when it involves persons who passed away prior to death certificates being issued.

Census records are a great tool when it comes to genealogical research, however, no one but heads of household were listed by name until the 1850 census, ages were nonspecific, and relationships were not given until  the 1880 census.

Children listed in a home were not necessarily those of the head of household. Sometimes they were grandchildren, or nieces and nephews, or neighbors taken in, or orphans who had been bound to the family. In those instances, occasionally the child is listed under their own surname, or the surname not listed and the child wrongly identified as having the same surname as the head of household. At times, they were even hired help. Children were labor in the early years. There was no choice. By past standards, today's children are very spoiled. Not to say child labor was a good thing, but it seems a balance was a beneficial element in creating a productive and altruistic society.

That in mind, sometimes the analysis of a neighborhood over a scan of years could possibly enlighten a course of what might have happened.

Take for instance the following design of a neighborhood through the course of a decade.

House 42:                      House 43                         House 44                    House 45
 Jessee Heathcock 42    L. Green   24                   Wlm Streeter   51        Angeline Brum 28  
Mary    36                     Amy         18                    Martha       30            James    7            
Catherine 17                  Mary A    2                      Henry         21            Joseph   5    
George  15                    Lawson     0                      Amos         19            Abigail   3                
Lunda    13                                                             Rutha         17           Cordelia 1      
Jonathan 12                                                            Eliza           15                            
Maggie   11                                                            Sophia        13                    
Henry     10                                                            Hosea         10          
Mattie       9                                                            Polly             9  
Benj.         7                                                            Evans           8          
Jesse         6                                                            James           6                    
Ziphia        5                                                            Thomas         4
Kizzy         4                                                            Beadie          3                  
Jincy           3                                                           Leticia           2              
Ephraim      2                                                           Narcissy         1    
Barbary     3/12                                                       Arthur         9/12                      

From appearances, the above 4 families show an intact, large farm family in the Heathcock household, a young family in the Green household, a large family in the Streeter household, with a mother who could not have been the mother of all the children, and a young widow  in the female headed Brum household.

Ten years later, in the 1860 census, the households have became very different.

House 145          House 146          House  147          House 148         House 149          House 150    
Heathcock's        Heathcock's        Cullen                  Green                 Streeter               Collins      
Jesse     51        George  26          Robt   33             John L. 34         William A 65        Martha  40
Polly       48         Sophia  22          Sallie   25             Lina     37          Amos      28        Obedience  13  
Lunda     23         William    3          Allen     8             Jim      17          Hosea     20         Tishie    12
Jonathan 22          Lucy   8/12         Rhody   6             Abbie  12          Mary      18          Narcissa 11
Henry     20                                     Willie    5             Mary Ann 11      Even       17         Arthur    10    
Jesse      16                                      Hiram   3             Delia   10           Thomas    15              
Zilphia     14                                     Joshua  1             Lawson 10                              
Kesiah    13                                                                 Lucretia   7      
Jane       12                                                                  Magdaline 6  
Barbara  10                                                                  Johnny   3  
Lydia        8                                                                  Fred      2  
Theo        7                                                                   Faitha    1    
Edmund   5
Wilson     3
Arenna     2    

Then in  House  151, in relation to this grouping we find Henry Streeater  30, with Katie 27, Sarah 5, Jesse 4, Adam 3, Mary 2, and William 1.    

You have to be somewhat familiar with "nicknames" or alternatives to the standard, of the 19th century, to know that Jesse and Polly in 1860 are probably the same Jessee and Mary in 1850. Ages were not always exact and could sway back and forth horribly. Catherine is missing from the household, but George has stayed close by, perhaps building a home on the same property, or on an adjoining lot. He has a wife, Sophia, and two young children. Could Sophia be the same Sophia who is now missing from the household of William Streeter?  They've named their firstborn son William. This is a lead, but not proof of anything. The name is the same. The families lived in close proximity, and Sophia is 9 years older than the Sophia of 10 years prior. Censuses were not taken using the one day method that is used now, so depending on what month a child's birthday came in and what month the census was taken in, it could vary. It fact, it was more common for an age to vary than for it not to, or rather, to see someones age as 10, 21, 33, 42, through the censuses than 10, 20, 30, 40.

Montgomery County Farmhouse discovered by loggers. Photograph by Cindi Mullis Poole. 

Also missing from the Heathcock household are Maggie, who should be about 21, Mattie who would be about 19 and Benjamin, who would be about 17. Jesse is there. Ziphia has become Zilphia, Kizzy and Kesiah are likely the same, Jincy and Jane are likely the same and Barbary and Barbara are likely the same, but there no longer is an Ephraim, who would have been around 12. In addition, 5 more children have joined the household, Lydia, Theo, Edmund, Wilson and Arenna.  It is quite possible that the older girls, Maggie and Mattie, have married. But what about Benjamin and Ephraim? In fact, a search of the entire area would later reveal a Benjamin Heathcock listed as "farm labor" in the household of a Latham Smith in a neighboring township. Other researchers have noted that in the 1864 will of Latham Smith, he mentions a daughter, Mary Hathcock. Therefore, it appears that Benjamin had went to work helping his grandfather. The name of  Ephraim, however, is never seen again, so it can only be assumed he died as a child. There were many illnesses and dangers that could have been encountered by a young boy. In this case, a later interview with Wilson B Heathcock by his grandson Earnest Taylor, he declared that he was born on the day that one of his older brothers drowned in the creek. As the other older brothers are all accounted for in the 1860 census, this brother would have had to have been Ephraim.

A new family, the Cullen's, have joined the neighborhood. They appear to have had no connections to the existing neighbors. John L. Green is most likely the same L. Green in 1850. His wife is no longer "Amy", who was several years his junior, but "Lina", who is a few years older. His household is now full of children, several who would have existed 10 years prior. Ten year old Lawson is apparently the newborn Lawson of 1850, and 11 year old Mary Ann, the toddler, Mary A. All of the children younger than Lawson were obviously born during the decade, but Jim, 17, Abbie, 12, and Delia 10, seem in excess. Lina is obviously a different wife than Amy.  Could Jim, Abbie and Delia be her children?
           
The household of William Streeter has gotten noticeably smaller. Gone is Martha, Henry, Rutha, Eliza, Sophia, Beady, Latisha, Narcissy and Arthur. Looking next door, at house 150, we see a 40 year old Martha Owens, with children Obedience, Tishie, Narcissa and Arthur with ages appropriate to a ten year differential. So, apparently Martha was an Owens, not a Streeter, and not the wife of William Streeter, and the 4 children were hers, and not Streeters as well. She could have been his daughter, or younger sister, or no relation at all. The son Henry appears nearby with a family of his own. Sophia, we have assumed, could possibly have married neighbor George Heathcock. Rutha and Eliza have either passed away, or married off as well.

Also noticeably missing in the neighborhood is the family of Angelina Brum. The extra children in the household of John L. Green, with the exception of Joseph, age 5 in 1860, have similar names to 3 of Angelina Brum's children. Could Lina be Angelina, and Jim, James and Abigail, Abbie and Cordelia, Delia?

A search of marriage records could possibly prove or disprove some of these assumptions, but looking at the whole picture, instead of just one particular household, can open up the door to a bevy of leads in research. I've discovered that genealogy takes a great deal of detective work. Be open to all possibilities and following any and all possible leads, and the brickwalls that we all encounter might just come down. While for organizations that show descendancy, and for any professional work, there must be "proof". Some things will never be proven, but will remain forever possibilities and assumptions. But with a handful of clues and a knack for the hunt, you might be able to discover enough to feel comfortable that you are on the right path. Especially if gifted with an inane sense of intuition.

The main thing to remember, that I find a large percentage of people forgetting, is that our ancestors were infallible human beings as we are. They were curious. They had dreams. They fell in love. They had talents. They had weaknesses. Some were rowdy while young and saintly when old. Some were both or either for a lifetime. We want to put them all on pedestals  as if they were somehow far superior to we humans today. But they were not any different at the core. They went about the daily business of surviving, just as we do, but with possibly more difficult situations and at a slower pace. They did not have technology, but the did have ingenuity and all they've done has led to where we are now.