Category: General Thoughts

Whether you have or are interested in joining a lineage society or not, it is often quite exciting to learn that one or more of your ancestors either served in the military or supported the cause.  To join either Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), or Sons of the American Revolution you must prove your lineage to someone who meets the above definition.

Supporting the cause could be as simple as taking an Oath of Allegiance which every state had a version but not every copy still exists.  One way to prove allegiance even without the oath or proof of military service is through the state financial records where our ancestors may have sold beef or other items from a farm to support the troops.  They may have loaned money, given refuge, or supported through many other means and many of these records do exist if done at the state level.

I know that some of you, like my girlfriend, where it looks like ALL branches immigrated after the Revolution and that is great.  Their ancestor knew that things would be better in America than in their homeland.

This process will take time and cause us to use all of our skills to locate.  However, for some, it may mean only proving back to a specific descendant of the patriot.  For example, my 3^rd great-grandfather was Lewis Thomas (1789 – 1860) [i] who married Elizabeth Mixon (1794 – 1863) [ii]in 1810. [iii]  We know her father was Redden Mixon because her sister, Mary Mixon, married Lewis’ brother, Banner Thomas.  Both Banner and Redden co-signed the marriage bond with Banner on the 4^th of July 1808. [iv]

Redden Mixon is already an accepted descendant of Redden’s father, Jesse Mixon (circa 1744 – 1832) within the DAR list of accepted patriots. [v] If you click the link, you will see a red note saying that problems have been found with at least one previous paper.  After checking with a DAR registrar, there is a question of lineage but not concerning Redden.  So all I, or any of my Thomas cousins who descend from either the Lewis and Banner listed above, need to prove is our lineage to Redden.

Do you see how easy that is?  However, if you are dealing with a person with a common name or where there were multiple people in the same area or state with the same name, that could require a bit more work.  Additionally, some names in the DAR and SAR databases are red-lined for future applicants and may require more genealogical research to prove the lineage.

For me, I find it exciting that I have numerous ancestors who either we know, or are still trying to prove, served on the side of Liberty for all Americans.  While that freedom did not come for many people for another 80+ years, the pathway was laid out by our ancestors.  You might want to research to see if you can trace any of your lineages to Patriots.

[i] 1860 U. S. Census, Pierce County, Georgia, Mortality Schedule, p. 1, line 16, Lewis Thomas, image, Ancestry.com, (www.Ancestry.com: accessed 3 July 2022), citing NARA Publication T 655, roll 8.

[ii] Find a grave, database and images (www.Findagrave.com: accessed 3 July 2022), memorial # 14914364, Elizabeth (Mixon) Thomas, birth 1795, death 1860.

[iii] Liberty County, Georgia, Marriage Bond, Lewis Thomas and Elizabeth Mixon (18 July 1808), Libery County Probate Court, Hinesville, Liberty County, Georgia, image, FamilySearch.org, (www.FamilySearch.org: accessed 3 July 2022).

[iv] Liberty County, Georgia, Marriage Bond, Banner Thomas and Mary Mixon (4 June 1809), Libery County Probate Court, Hinesville, Liberty County, Georgia, image, FamilySearch.org, (www.FamilySearch.org: accessed 3 July 2022).

[v] https://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search_adb/default.cfm

Is your father still living? You are blessed. Have you ever recorded some of his stories that sheds light on who he is and about who his father was? Are you writing down stories about yourself and when you grew up for your posterity?

Unfortunately, I was not as attuned to wanting to know these things when my father died in December of 1981 and his father, about 30 days later in January 1982. I have since, written several very short stories which I do recall my grandfather telling me. But I never asked him about his parents to get some insights into just who, General Jackson Thomas (1862 – 1926) and Amanda “Maggie” Carter (1869 – 1909) were.

I have relied on what little I could learn from a daughter of GJ’s eldest son, James Miles Thomas, who had vague memories of her grandfather.

I am not talking about writing down novels, just very short stories consisting of a couple of paragraphs to a couple of pages.

You should also either write down or make a video recording talking about your life growing up and the dynamics of your own family. I remember telling my uncle recently that the only time football was on in our house was around Thanksgiving or Christmas when he and his family were at the house for the holiday because none of us cared for football. Matter of fact, I asked my kid brother how he got interested in all sports since we were raised a Chicago Cubs and baseball only family. He told it was more his kids got into them from their friends. Your children or grandchildren might be interested in knowing things like this.

I have taken to doing just this. Short stories like the above and about my 4-year-old, father, being tied to a mule with a note pinned to his shirt for his uncle Jesse whose farm was next to my grandfather’s, and the mule being told to go to Jessee’s. My grandfather was heading to town to get the doctor for his youngest son who did not survive the day.

As I have said, the more we understand our parents and ancestors, the more we understand why we were raised the way we were.

If you are a regular researcher then there are probably times you need something but are unable to travel somewhere to get something or it is just not financially feasible.  What do I mean?

You want a picture of a grave marker that is not on Find-a-grave or a court record from a local courthouse.  Maybe you need someone to look for some index books on court or church records from a county on the other side of the United States because those records are not indexed online.

Find-a-grave has an option where you can request a photo of a grave that is not already photographed or has a bad photo.  If you are a registered member (it is free), then you can log in and if you going to a cemetery or at the cemetery, you can see if anyone has made such a request and you can help them by finding the grave and taking a picture of it.  You can also drop a GPS grid pin while standing by the grave to make it easier for others to find it.  If you do make the request, please enter all the information possible so the other person knows they have the right one.  I remember seeing a request for “Infant Thomas” in a cemetery with over two dozen such graves.  If you know or have an approximation of, the dates the individual lived, put it in the request.

Do you regularly go to a local genealogical library?  If you are also a part of a local genealogical society, then ask if they get requests for someone to do a simple look-up at the library or courthouse.  The society often gets such requests but too many societies ignore them because they do not have any members willing to help people.

Such requests do not take much time and do not require you to be an expert in the field of genealogy.  Just a simple Act of Kindness to fellow researchers.  It is what we call a ‘Record Pull’ and the more we are willing to help other researchers the more they might be able to help you.

Many of you have a full-time jobs and may not have a lot of time to help others but what I am suggesting is that when you are already planning a trip to a genealogical library, cemetery, or courthouse, see if someone has a need that you can do while you are already there.  It is built in for Find-a-grave but you will need to check with the local genealogical \ historical society to see if they have any requests.

If you are a user of Facebook and other social media that has genealogy groups, join them to follow what is being asked, learned, and requested.

It is always great to be kind to someone else.

Last night I went with my favorite female and several others to a place here in the Atlanta, Georgia area called, “Bury the Hatchett.”  It is a hatchet and tomahawk throwing venue and it was really a lot of fun.  I found throwing the tomahawk a lot easier and more accurate than the hatchet.

What does any of this have to do with genealogy?  Great question.  We often discuss learning the stories of our ancestors and here is one that pertains to one of mine.

The time is April 1776 in Screven County, Georgia.  Governor Reynolds, who served from 1754 – 1757, was not a favorite governor but he did set up a court system that started at the Court of Conscience.  Using today’s analogy, it would be a cross between the small-claims court and the misdemeanor court.  When colonists had a dispute with each other, they took it before the Court of Conscience which was presided over by a Justice of the Peace.  When a case could not be settled to satisfaction here, it went before the Governor’s Council.  Very few records exist today for those courts.

Fortunately for me (and others with ancestors in Screven County around that time), we have what appears to be a former Judge’s personal ledger of cases.  The case I am referring to in April of 1776 concerns my ancestor, Gilshot Thomas, Sr.  This is how the story goes.

Gilshot Thomas vs Isaac Cartwright (Gilshot is the plaintiff [his name is first] and Isaac is the defendant)

The Plaintiff complained that the defendant took a Bell of his mare and produced Arthur Sharber as a witness who being duly sworn made oath that he was in Company with Isaac Cartwright in the swamp and heard him say that he would take the Bell off a Mare belonging to Gilshot Thomas.  And the said Sharber heard a Bell throwd in the River which he took to be the Bell of a mare that was on Thomas’s mare and that the mare returned after him without any Bell.  The Deponent further saith he did further hear said Cartwright say “When he was done with his crop of corn That he would take his gun and tomahawk with a wallet full of salt and go into the Swamp and live upon Gilshot Thomas’s Hogs and also upon Nat’l Miller’s Hogs.  The committee taking the above into consideration Judged it Expedient and There fore ordered The He Pay Twenty Shillings ti said Thomas for S^d Offense & Give Security for his good behavior for the Future. Signed by Order of the Committee.

N.B. Joseph Humpries became the Defendants Security for hi good Behaviour to Gilshot Thomas for six months before Signing.

Gilshot and Arthur Sharber are accusing Isaac Cartwright of maliciously throwing a bell belonging to one of Gilshot’s mares in the Savannah River and threatening to live as a squatter on both Gilshot and a neighbor, Nathaniel Miller’s land and hogs.  Gilshot owned about 250 acres of land, most of which was swampland and he raised wild hogs.

If we but look, we can often find interesting and fun stories concerning our ancestors.  Always look in places when the opportunity presents itself.  One thing you might ask at such locations is, “Is there anything else you have from this time period concerning the people of that area?”

This is just one of several stories in the ledger which is located at the Georgia State Archives.  Have you found any such stories about your ancestors?  Have you shared with family members in such a way that makes it interesting to read?  I have begun writing them down as short stories of not more than three pages.  Where I have been able to prove the stories accurate, I state how I can prove or truly believe them accurate.  For example.

I have heard this story from my grandfather, Joseph H. Thomas, my Uncle Charles Forrester, and one other person.  Therefore, I believe the story to be accurate.

Sometime shortly after WWII, my father’s older sister, Thelma, brought home a USAF Veteran of the War, Charles Forrester.  My grandfather was a farmer in Surrency, Appling County, Georgia and they lived in what wasn’t much more than a log house. 

I can only assume that my aunt Thelma was getting ready and Charles was waiting on the front porch.  Charles stood close to 6 feet tall and my grandfather was short, maybe 5 ½ feet tall.  Charles lit up a cigarette while waiting.  My grandfather thought it was a most vile and disgusting habit and began waiving his finger in Charles’ face, demanding to know why he smoked.  At some point, my grandfather must have paused to get a breath and Charles cut him off and pointed to granddad’s front yard and said, “Why do you grow it?  If people do not buy it and smoke it, you do not get money.”

I reckon no one ever stood up to my grandfather like that and made him stop and think.  After a few moments, my grandfather looked at Charles and said, “If I stop growing it, will you stop smoking it.”  That was the last year my grandfather grew tobacco, he switched to peanuts.  As for Uncle Charles, he also quit smoking.

My advice.  Look for, learn, and write down the stories you find about ancestors and their collateral families and write them down in a fun and interesting way for your grandchildren to learn them

Keep hunting those elusive ancestors and their stories!

How tenacious are you as a researcher in ensuring your research is accurate?  So often, bad information just gets perpetuate again and again and again.

Take for instance, the Ancestry.com trees show a Jonathan Pearman Weldon.  Only one problem, Jonathan had a brother named Pearman A.K.A. Perman, but no middle name of Pearman.  It seems that several of the “researchers” crossed records of his brother with him and thus determining his middle name.  So let’s break it down for you.

In 1850, 29-year-old John Weldon is residing in Franklin County, Georgia just down from his brother Welburn Weldon. [i] This family consisted of John age 29, Amy age 30, Jemima age 7, William age 5, George w. age 2, and James age 1.

In 1870, the family is one county over in Hart County, Georgia, once again where his brother Welborn lives.  So where is he in 1860? [ii]

In 1860, their brother, Pearman (A.K.A. Perman, Pierman) is living in Sumter County and far too many people have attributed this census to John or Jonathan and thus adding a middle name that does not belong to him. [iii]

How do we know?  Simple.  While John’s family appears to have eluded the 1860 census, we find Perman’s family enumerated time and time again once the family left the Hart County area and moved south overlapping the same time frames as John’s.

These are two different people and John does not and did not have the middle name of Perman.  As a matter of fact, we find him listed in the 1900 U. S. Census as Jonathan H. Weldon [iv]

I’ve already written about some people changing my 4^th great grandfather’s name from James Thomas to James R. Thomas simply because the 1830 U. S. Census lists James R. Thomas as the head of household.  That is correct, his son James R. was the head and not the 70 year old father.

Please, be tenacious that you a) are accurate in your reporting and b) not perpetuating bad information.

[i] 1850 U. S. Census, Franklin County, Georgia, population schedule, district 30, dwelling and family 555, household of John Weldon, Ancestry.com (www.Ancestry.com : accessed XXX), citing NARA publication M432, roll 70.

[ii] 1870 U. S. Census, Hart County, Georgia, population schedule, Reed Creek District, p. 120, dwelling 911, family 891, household of Johnathan Weldon, Ancestry.com (www.Ancestry.com : accessed XXX), citing NARA publication M593, roll 157.

[iii] 1860 U. S. Census, Sumter County, Georgial, population schedule, Americus Post Office, Districts 16 and 26, dwelling 186, family 189, hld Pearman Weldon, Ancestry.com, (www.Ancestry.com: accessed xxx), citing NARA publication M653, roll 136.

[iv] 1900 U. S. Census, Hart County, Georgia, population schedule, Bowersville, District 1116 Hall, supervisor’s district 38, enumeration district 50, dwelling 165, family 166, household of Jonathan Weldon, , Ancestry.com (www.Ancestry.com : accessed XXX), citing NARA publication M623, roll 204.

Have you ever wondered whether someone else’s research is truly accurate?  Were they being thorough or just trying to tie in one or two lines?  Might there have been an ulterior motive resulting in slanted research?  For example, did a couple only have grandchildren from one of their nine children who lived to adulthood?

While this is possible it is not common and may require deeper research.  I know I have discussed this before but I see more and more online trees simply copying bad research into their own trees and this is not a good practice.

I am now working on my third case of determining legal ownership of land which lacks a clear title.  In order to do this, I must track down every living descendant of a daughter who died around 1899.  The land has been passed down from generation to generation without a will or legal transfer.  However, the only trees I can find relate to the line which stayed on or near the land.  They might have little interest in finding other legal heirs to share whatever money they will get for selling the land.

Some other reasons why people may deliberately exclude a branch could be some family split such as a change in their religious denomination, criminal record, opposing side of hot issues like military draft, slave ownership, etc.  The list could go on.

My point goes back to a disclaimer I have stated many times, “History IS what History WAS.”  Whatever our ancestors did in the past should not be a reason to exclude them from our trees.  If we are truly interested in researching our family history then we should be all-inclusive for the best accuracy and understanding.