Alpha May Bloomer

Today, May 22, 2019, marks the 139^th birthday of my 2^nd great grandmother Alpha May Bloomer.

I don’t know any anecdotes about my 2^nd great grandmother, she passed May 5, 1955, just a few weeks shy of her 75^th birthday and 25 years preceding my birth.  Her daughter, my great-grandmother, Iva Mabel Wallace, née Kershaw, passed when I was 7. Living 1,800 miles apart, I only knew who Iva was through a photo that hung on the wall of my family home.  I didn’t hear the name Alpha until I began researching my family tree.  Humans are forward thinking, anticipating what’s in front of us, and the past is the past.  How sad is it that what made us whole, what was important to us, what we were like… can all be lost within a few generations?  I will make my best attempt to preserve what I know and share her story here.

Alpha Mae Bloomer was born to Joseph Watson Bloomer and Nancy Jemima “Annie” Sloan on May 22, 1880 in New Point, Holt County, Missouri, USA.  Like most Midwest families she was a farmer’s daughter.  Her father bred and sold Poland China Pigs.

Alpha was the eldest of six children born to Joseph & Annie.  Her siblings were Bessie who died at 4 days old (2 Sep 1884 – 6 Sep 1884), Iva Belle (twin to Bessie, 2 Sep 1884-21 Jul 1950), Maude Elizabeth (2 Nov 1886- 17 Apr 1968), Grace (6 Oct 1889-10 Jan 1962) and Clifton Allen (1 Nov 1897-21 Apr 1975.)

She lived in Holt County, Missouri most of her childhood, except for a short time when the family homesteaded to Chadron, Nebraska.

At the age of 15 she met and married Frederick Kershaw.  Fred was 28 years old and had been married once before, his first wife had died in childbirth about 5 years prior.  I am not sure how he came into Alpha’s world, but on 22 Dec 1895 they were married in Holt County, Missouri.

(Photo: Frederick Kershaw & Alpha May Bloomer)

The outcome of most wedding nights, their daughter Bernice Marie Kershaw was born 9 months later, on 14 Sep 1896.  Alpha went on to expand in motherhood by giving birth to Inez Glee on 5 Apr 1899, Dale on 4 Apr 1900, Iva Mabel on 27 Mar 1901, Don W. F. on 5 May 1904, Robert in April 1908 and Bessie Winifred on 10 Apr 1911.

The gift of motherhood was also met with unimaginable heartbreak; I can’t imagine losing a child and Alpha lost 4.   A plot of tears, these babes are all laid to rest in Cowan Cemetery in Holt County, Missouri.  Inez Glee lived to a little over a year old, she passed in March 1900.  Dale lived 7 days and passed on 11 Apr 1900 entering and parting this life only a month after his sister. Don W. F. born and died 5 May 1904, and Robert Walter lived about a year passing on 15 Mar 1909.

As a newlywed couple they lived on her grandfather’s farm, Allan Trimble Bloomer, where their daughter Bernice was born.  Later they moved onto Barnard, Missouri and then Guilford, Missouri where her children attended school.

All was not wedded bliss.  While the War raged on in Europe, another war was brewing at home. Alpha separated from Fred and made her temporary home in Grain Valley, Missouri where her sister Iva Kershaw (née Bloomer) lived. Alpha filed for divorce from Fred and it was finalized on October 10, 1918 in Jackson County, Missouri.  Alpha was awarded primary custody of her only minor child Bessie and visitation arrangement for Fred was outlined in the court papers. Fred was ordered to pay $5.00 support each week.

While she lived at Grain Valley she was employed as a teletype operator at the railroad depot.  She also was housekeeper for a family by the name of Wells.  Mrs. Wells was a bedfast invalid. (source: Vivienne Jones née Richards. The following excerpts are from a bio written in Vivienne’s words and have been italicized and notated as VRJ through the remaining post)

Alpha lost her father Joseph on November 12, 1919.  He passed away while staying in a hotel in St. Joseph, Missouri.  Found in his room, he was victim to accidental gas asphyxiation.  He was laid to rest in Cowan Cemetery, the same final resting place of her children.  Following her father’s passing, in 1920 Alpha relocated back in Guilford, Missouri with her 8-year-old daughter Bessie, now residing in the home of Mrs. Mary Whitiford employed as a maid.

Shortly thereafter, Alpha May moved to Des Moines, Iowa where her eldest daughter lived.  She worked as a housekeeper for Mr. Petty.  Mr. Petty lived in the second-floor apartment next door to her daughters’ home.  She and Mr. Petty made plans to get married but for some reason didn’t.  Perhaps it was because he was a lot older than she.  Next, she worked at a large store called Harris Emery’s in downtown Des Moines.  She bought a home on Bluff Street.  Here her second daughter, Iva moved to Des Moines and bought a home a block away from her mother on Bluff Street. (source: VRJ)

Bernice and Leland sold their first home in Des Moines and moved to Bluff Street next door to Iva.  They lived there about a year and then sold and moved to Conception Jct., Missouri.  While Alpha May lived on Bluff Street, she took in roomers to help make payments on the house.  She became engaged to and married a Mr. John Quigley.  (source: VRJ)

At the age of 43, Alpha May Kershaw married John Edwin Quigley, age 41 on 27 Aug 1923 in Des Moines, Iowa.

They had a short marriage and she divorced him.  She never remarried again although she was still young.  She always said she couldn’t trust herself to make a good choice. (source: VRJ)

In 1939 loss struck Alpha again with the passing of her mother Annie on September 15^th.  Her mother was laid to rest beside her father Joseph in Cowan Cemetery.

Alpha May made her home with her youngest daughter Bessie most of her life.  Bessie Winifred married Lloyd Hersal Jones of Winfield, Kansas on January 18, 1936.  He was a soldier at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas.  Lloyd was also the brother of Lyle Jones who married Bessie Winifred’s niece, Vivienne.  Lloyd had several jobs in Des Moines, Iowa and they continued to live there until he got a job in the Immigration Service and they moved to a home in Maryland which was close to Washington D.C.  Later he went to work for Brown’s Shipyard during the war and they moved to a small town near Houston, Texas.

Alpha May worked for a Mrs. Ballou in or near Houston and she stayed with her daughter Bessie on her off days.  Lloyd finally moved to Sacramento, California working for a dairy and later for McClellan A.F.B.  Alpha May worked for other people in the Sacramento area but mostly she stayed with her daughter Bessie. (source: VRJ)

(Photo: Vivienne Jones (back), Bernice Richards, Nancy Jones and Alpha May Kershaw)

She died May 5, 1955 of a stroke and jaundice of the liver.  She was preceded in death by the father of her children.  Fred Kershaw died September 20, 1933 in Kansas City, Missouri. (source: VRJ)

Alpha’s final resting place is Sunset Lawn Chapel of the Chimes Memorial Park in Sacramento, California.

Her obituary, published in The Sacramento Bee, on Saturday May 7, 1955 reads:

Alpha M. Kershaw

Funeral services will be held Monday at 10:30 AM in the North Sacramento Funeral Home for Mrs. Alpha May Kershaw, 74, a resident of Del Paso Heights eight years.  Burial will be in the Grant Memorial Lawn Cemetery.

Mrs. Kershaw, a native of Missouri, died Thursday in a hospital.  She resided at 4137 Rio Linda Boulevard and was active in the work of the North Sacramento First Baptist Church.

She was also a member of the Royal Neighbors of America, Camp No. 232S of Sacramento.

Surviving are he daughters, Bessie Winifred Jones of Del Paso Heights and Bernice Marie Richards and Iva Mabel Wallace, both of Iowa; nine grandchildren, 13 great grand children and one great great grandchild.

She was the sister of Maude Shumaker and Clifton Bloomer, both of Missouri, and Grace Bateman of Kansas.

My dear 2^nd Great Grandmother Alpha, reflecting on your life today makes me sad that I do not know more about what brought you joy, what made you smile and delight in the day to day of life.  I wish I had more of your story to tell.  Today is a day of celebration, where this day 139 years ago a little girl was born to a farmer and his wife.  Where love brought about the beginning of another generation, and the path continues for this family today.  I celebrate the beautiful life you lived and despite the storms you faced, how you shaped wonderful children who would carry on in love and dedication to family.  I wish you an eternity of peace and love in heaven.  Happy Birthday! Love always, your 2^nd great granddaughter, Erin

Cholera deaths in Missouri 1851

CHOLERA- We are exceedingly painted to hear of Cholera in different parts of the country.  A negro belonging to the late Mr. Julius Withers, whose death we announced last week, has since died.

Mr. Downing, mentioned in our last, as laboring under a severe case of cholera, we are pleased to learn has recovered.

Mrs. Talbot, sister-in-law of Mr. James McLoney, died last Tuesday morning.  Two members of Mr. McLoney’s family are laboring under Cholera.

Mr. John S. Wallace, of Chariton county, died last Thursday morning; and since then, a negro woman belonging to him, also died.  There was one or two other cases in his family, but they have recovered.

A child of Mr. Jesse Hall, of Saline county, died at last Saturday morning.

We learn that a number of cases, and several deaths have occurred in the neighborhood of Boonsborough.

Published in The St. Joseph Gazette (St. Joseph, Missouri), August 27, 1851

Looking for the Letters from John Darnes in possession of the Kitchen family

I came across the article below while researching the Darnes family in Coshocton County, Ohio.  I am related to John Darnes the author of the letters and if anyone knows the present day location of these letters please contact me, as I would love to have copies and read them in their entirety.  I find it eerily strange that I should come across this article on July 29, 2017, 171 years to the day after the first letter in the article referenced was written.

OLD LETTERS RECALL MEXICAN WAR DAYS

George H. Kitchen of South Eighth street, a veteran of the Civil war, is in possession of some very old letters.  The oldest one in his possession if from Brazos, Texas, and is dated July 29, 1846.  This letter is over 66 years old and was written by John Darnes, who used to live in Coshocton and was an uncle of George H. Kitchen, to Mr. Darnes brother in this city.  At the time this letter was written Mr. Darnes was on his was with a company of soldiers from here to the scene of trouble of the Mexican war and was notifying his brother in this city of the death of a third brother who died while on his way to Mexico with the fever.  

It also said in the letter that the section of the country that they were in was suffering from an awful drought, as no rain had fallen in any form since August 13.

Mr. Kitchen’s next oldest letter is from Mattamoris, Mexico and is dated October 13, 1846.  this letter describes the burial of the brother of Mr. Darnes and also tells much about the country they were then in.

He also has a number of letters written by him and his brother J.M. Kitchen to their home here while in the Civil war.  These he prizes very much, as they recall the days spent in the army.  His brother serves under Capt. James, who lived here till the time of his death, while Mr. Kitchens served under Capt. Gibson, who is still living and is now in Washington D. C.  Capt Gibson recently gave him a present of a book describing the war.

Most of Mr. Kitchen’s relatives have served in some war.  On uncle was drowned, while another, Armsted Kitchen, was killed in the battle of Murfreesboro, Tennessee by the same ball that wounded John Miller of this city, who is still living on East Main street in this city.

Mr. Kitchen served almost through the whole Civil war, four year and can tell some interesting adventures of those time.

Published in the Coshocton Daily Times (Coshocton, Ohio) January 31, 1913, page 1

 

 

 

 

Baker & Darnes Hardware Company

On May 1, 1909 Evans Hardware Company opened its doors in Des Moines, Iowa on 7th Street, between Walnut & Locust.  They boasted in their advertisement posted in the Des Moines Register on April 29, 1909 to “carry the most complete line of hardware, cutlery and sporting goods in Iowa.” It is this stepping stone of employment in a neighborhood store that launched Add Baker and Robert G. Darnes into the hardware business.

In 1913 Add Baker began working as a salesman for the Evans Hardware company and continued in this line of work the next 3 years, his brother in law Robert G. Darnes worked as a barber.  In 1916 the Evans Hardware Company went out of business and liquidated its entire inventory.  It is in this same year I found the first reference to the establishment of the Baker & Darnes Hardware Company.

Early advertisements found referencing the Baker & Darnes Hardware Company in the Des Moines Register were for land sales or lease in the same neighborhood.  Its hard to say when exactly the new store location was open for business, as no advertisement for a grand opening has been located.  The first newspaper advertisement found was posted 4 years later in the Des Moines Register on August 1, 1920, page 15.

The partnership and business carried on for 31 years until the passing of Robert G. Darnes in 1947.  It is in this same year that Claude Sellers took over the business and renamed it to Sellers Hardware.  Sellers Hardware remained a fixture in the community at 3205 SW 9th, Des Moines, Iowa, until their move from the historic location in October 2016.  (Side note certain historical facts in the linked news article are inaccurate.)

I had the opportunity to visit the hardware store on my last trip to Des Moines in September 2015.  My dad, uncle, brother and I flew back for my grandmothers funeral, she was the daughter of Robert G. Darnes.  During this visit my dad took my brother and I on a tour of his old neighborhood, which included a trip to his grandfathers former hardware store.

The inside wasn’t much to look at over any other hardware store, just shelves full of tools and bins of nails, but the original scale used to weigh the nails in my great grandfathers store still exists today. This antique scale is still in operation but now only used to weigh grass seed.

The owner must have thought us a little bit crazy to tour the store and take pictures of the scale, but its a piece of family history.  We’d love to have this back in the possession of the family some day. According to the news article regarding the move, the scale has left its home of a hundred years and relocated to the new location of the business.

Life moves forward and its sad to realize the building now sits empty, but its amazing that I had the opportunity to stand in the same place 99 years later and look back in time.

Finding Foster & Francis Gordon

This summer my sister Emily and I had the rare timing of being available at the exact same time.  We had been wanting to make the drive from Oregon to Salt Lake City, Utah for years.  The opportunity presented itself, and a decision was made. The next morning my car was pulling out of the driveway and a sisters genealogy road trip commenced.  This trip will always warm my heart and bring a smile to my face as we dealt with some of the most disastrous, yet hilarious chain of events during this trip.

Part of the plan in this trip was not only to spend as much time as we could gathering hoards of genealogical information from the family history library, but to find the grave site of our 4th great grandparents Foster Gordon and Frances Hogg, who were murdered in Skull Valley in 1865.

I’d studied the information on the web from Erma (Gordon) Anderson’s research and spent countless hours studying google earth, the roads, terrain and likely spot that might match up to the photos and descriptions.

We arrived in Skull Valley on a Sunday morning and easily found the location of the Hatch Ranch.  No one was home.  So we drove down the road and every access point was fenced.  What looked like roads on google earth, now looked like dusty truck trails into the hills. Great.  So we decided to come back later in hopes someone would be home by the afternoon.  As we were leaving, we noticed a truck bumping down the fields coming towards Hatch Ranch, so we turned back in hopes this was the property owner.

These 2 young men were not the property owner, but had come in from the back roads and had been out exploring back trails.  I explained what we were looking for and showed them my research packet of papers and their interest peaked.  Once I mentioned the apple orchard, they knew exactly where I was talking about as they had just come from there and found it odd to find an apple orchard in the middle of nowhere like that.  It became clear pretty quickly though that my car would not make it up into the area as the roads are only passable with a truck.  They were out looking for adventure that day, found interest in our hunt and offered to take us up to the orchard.

So we piled into this tiny truck and bounded across bumpy roads through the ranch.  We quickly found the orchard.

Together we analyzed the clues in Emma’s story, the photos and scoured a wide radius of the area trying to find the location of the grave.  No sign of it.  We lined up photos to the landscape, hill lines and tried to create perspective.  No luck.  We drove around, we walked looking for clues.  It was 104 degrees out that day and we quickly went through the limited water we had on hand.  We never imaged when we headed out there it would take that long!  But the guys with us didn’t want to give up either, they were really into figuring this out just as much as we were.  We finally had to call it a day out of H2O necessity and headed back to where I parked the car.  We parted ways and exchanged cell phone numbers.

As we were pulling away disappointed, I noticed a new car was parked at the ranch, so I went back to the house and knocked on the door.  The owner was stunned, but polite as I explained who I was and what I was looking for.  He kindly pointed to the location of the grave and homestead, a full half mile from where we had been searching!  He gave us directions on how to get out there.  So I called back our new friends and they came back to give it one last look.

We bumped our way out there and quickly found the burial location of Foster Gordon & Frances Hogg.  We discovered that someone had been out there recently and had placed a plastic sealed container out there with the same printouts of research and a print out of their Find A Grave memorials: Foster, Frances.  My sister and I added our own note to the box and took photos.

We spent some time out there looking around and did discover the likely location of the old small home, about 50 yards north of the grave site.  This area was different from the rest of the land in that it  had some piled rocks, creating a wall of some sort.  There were no other obvious signs of a home’s foundation or existence.

Foster & Frances may have met an untimely end, but as I looked over the virtually untouched land, I realized I was looking at the same view that they looked out over every morning and it was stunning.

Several accounts have been made piecing together what happened. This account appeared online two years ago providing more insight into the mysterious events, “Who Killed the Gordon’s in Skull Valley”.  Only God knows what happened that day, as all have passed on.  As I surveyed the area I wondered about what life may have been like, what circumstances led them to this place in 1863 and to this area.  Foster was a stone mason, so why here in this remote land and not closer to Salt Lake and the temple under construction?

If you are related please let me know.  How I am related to them is through their daughter Frances Jane Gordon Parks (1833-1909), who married Alexander Parks (1830-1907.)  Their daughter Mary Jane Parks (1861-1936) married John Calvert (1856-1921.)  Their youngest daughter Ruth Elizabeth Calvert (1898-1968) married Robert Glen Darnes (1891-1947.)  Their eldest daughter Claire Jean Darnes (1920-2015), was my grandmother.

If you find yourself wanting to visit the grave of Foster and Frances, I am providing the directions here so you don’t end up dusty and dehydrated searching hours on end for the burial location.

GPS its location is GPS 40°18’36.9″N 112°36’43.4″W (40.310250, -112.612056)

From Tooele, Utah take Hwy 36 south about 15 miles.  Turn right (West) onto Hwy 199 and follow for about 14 miles.  This road will take you up into the hills and drop you down onto the other side into Terra, Utah, a very small community.  Just past the town about 1 mile there is a road to your left called Hatch Ranch Rd/Old Lincoln Hwy.  Turn left and follow the road about 1 miles until you encounter the ranch on your left.  Just past the house there is a turn out to an old access road that is gated on the left, according to google maps this is called Park Spring Rd.  This is more like a farm road.  It crosses through the field and you go through another gate, keep following the road and you go through a 2nd gate.  About a mile in from hatch ranch and not to far past the second gate there is a road that cuts back at an angle to your left.  Follow this road (North) about 1/4 of a mile.  You will entered into a clearing and there is a truck path to the right, the follows up into the clearing.  There is a little hill and some small tree’s and the grave site it right there covered in rocks.  About 50 yards north of the grave site is the location of the old home.

The location of the old Apple orchard and cool spring that Emma Gordon Anderson talks about is about half a mile away.  If you continued on Park Spring Rd another half mile instead of turning off towards the grave, you will encounter the old apple orchard just off the road on your right. When we were there in July there were small green apples growing on the trees.

We followed our ancestors through the dust and dirt of Utah, took photos, brought home memories (and a few green apples.)  If you ever have the opportunity to locate where your ancestor lived or is buried, it is well worth the trek to catch a glimpse of history and lay footprints across the same land.

Erin

Bible of Edward Smyth & Hannah Crabtree Smyth

The following was extracted exactly as it appears in Kentucky Ancestors, Volume 18, No. 3.  January 1983.  Pg. 167

Bible of Edward Smyth and Hannah Crabtree Smyth

Copied by Geneva Smith Pettit (*note, home address published not included here)

This Bible in possession of Wayne Smyth of Waco, Kentucky (born 19 Feb 1901)

Note: This Bible has no publishers names, all pages are very brittle with age.  The family records are still attached, the book is carefully wrapped.  The writing is so faint it had to be read in part with a magnifying glass.  Wayne Smyth is descended from James Smith, his father being John Burke Smyth.  Copied August 25th 1979.  All of the records were beautifully written.

Page 1.

William Smyth son of Edward and Hannah Crabtree Smyth, born 20 July 1799, died at Norfolk, Va.; a soldier in the service of his county, age 26 years, and three month, 24 days.

• George Smyth was born November 25, 1790
• Mary Smyth was born January 9th 1793
• John Smyth was born April 23rd 1795
• James Smyth was born 13 March 1796
• Sarah Smyth was born January 23, 1797
• Jonas Smyth was born January 16, 1801
• Tobias Smyth was born June 18th 1803
• Crabtree Smyth was born 2nd October 1805
• David Smyth was born 2nd March 1812

Edward Smyth was born May 10, 1762, State of Pennsylvania.  Hannah Crabtree was born Dec. 17th 1767, Washington County, Va.  These above, Edward Smyth and Hannah Crabtree were the parents of the foregoing children, all of which were born in Washington and Lee Counties, Virginia.

Page 2.

• Abraham Smyth was born July 31st 1825
• John G. Smyth was born Dec 14th 1834
• Polly P. Smyth was born Dec 23, 1837
• Sally Smyth was born Dec. 27th 1839
• Rebecca A. Smyth was Jan. 3rd 1842
• Elizabeth Tipton, now Smyth was born August 28th 1831
• John B. Smyth was born August 10, 1858
• Jesse H. Smyth was born 22 Feb 1863, middle name Harry.

Deaths

• George Smyth was killed on Wednesday at too O’clock the 8th day of August in the year 1849.
• Elizabeth Smyth dyed January 22, 1865.

These names were written on loose scrap of paper and enclosed in the Bible.

• James Smyth was born Nov. 14, 1820
• Polly Smyth was born Sept. 2nd 1824
• George Smyth was born May 27th 1826
• Addison Smyth was born Feb 28th 1828

Mr. Smyth stated that there were many educators in this family.  Since copying Mr. Smyth’s Bible I’ve come across additional information on his ancestor Edward Smyth.  he was a private under Ensign Kincannon, Captain Dysart, Martin and Colville, and under Colonels Arthur and Wm. Campbell.  He was at the Battle of King’s Mountain.  (Draper’s Kings Mountain and It’s heros)

William Priest is NOT William Powell Priest

I’d like to make my first nugget a set the record straight kind of post.

My sister Emily and I collaborate a lot in our genealogical research.  We often work in different parts of the tree, but recently its been a mission to break down others people’s brick walls, so we can break down our own.

It used to be only merely annoying that we’d come across erroneous data in someone’s tree that was then copied over and over in blind faith.  I know, I know, everyone thinks their work is correct.  But if you are copying tree’s you are part of the problem.  I am not saying good information cant be found in tree’s, they can be an excellent resource BUT you have to consider the ability, capacity and education of the author.

When I see a tree that’s sourced from another tree, that’s sourced from another tree, that’s sourced from another tree, that’s sourced from another tree, etc….  and its all mashed together and your ancestor now has 56 children and 25 of them born before their parents were born…. its a problem.  I see these tree’s and look for actual record sources and I often don’t find one single source.  Well I know the information had to have come from somewhere originally, but where?  and how was that interpreted?

And here why copying tree’s in present day is a problem. DNA

So you go out and spend $100 (or more in some cases) to have your DNA tested and possibly the DNA of all your living relatives because its addicting.  Some people just want to know their ethnicity, but for many others the point for doing this in genealogical research is to further your research.  But what if you cant do that?  Because your research is wrong from copying or your clue for an ancestor is claimed by another and you think “we’ll that cant be my ancestor, they have different kids” so it prevents you from moving forward.  You look at all these DNA cousins and cant figure out how in the heck you are related to them.

My point being, do the research. Evaluate real records.  Piece together your tree based on real sources, even if its a slower process.  Get to know their community, their children, their grandchildren.  You might find more connections than you think.  Evaluate your DNA connections for common patterns, regions, etc.  Get your DNA test on Gedmatch and learn how to analyze your test based on shared segments of chromosomes.

So all this to share my most recent problem.  William Priest and Anne Wallis (also known as Amy Wallis)

William Priest the son of Samuel Priest and Jane Padgett lived in Cumberland County, Kentucky and was married to “Amy Wallis” on 27 Sep 1800.  The courthouse in Cumberland county burned  on 3 Jan 1865 and 3 Dec 1933 with a loss of records.  Before this second fire a genealogist copied the marriage records, so a transcription is the only remaining source of these early marriage records.  The record of transcription can only be based on the ability of the transcriber to evaluate historic script.  We do know that William’s wife’s name was Anne based on later documents.

Anne is presumably the daughter of Robert Wallace and Jane McHenry.  Though she is not mentioned in her father’s will, Robert Wallace and family relocated to Green County, Kentucky at the time it became Cumberland, County.  His land 200 acres on Beaver Creek was recorded in Green County on 19 Jun 1799.  In the same year Cumberland county was officially formed from Green County.  In 1799 Robert Wallis can be found in the Cumberland County tax records located at the Otter and Beaver Creek watercourse.

In 1801 Wayne County, Kentucky was formed from Cumberland and Pulaski County.  The property of Robert Wallace (Wallis) and William Priest (Preese) can be found on the tax rolls in Wayne County, Kentucky, both share land adjacent to each other at the headwaters of Beaver creek.

Also part of the Cumberland County, KY transcription of marriage records we find in the same year that Susanna Wallis  married Wm. Owen on 24 Jul 1800.  Susanna died, but her daughter Betsy Owens is mentioned in the will of Robert Wallace that was presented in Wayne county court in 1813.

Sometime between 1807-1819 the Priest family relocated to Franklin County, Alabama  (1820 census) and then to Lawrence County, Alabama in 1824 (land patent).  As did others from Wayne County,  Kentucky and including many of the children of Robert Wallace and Jane McHenry.

In early land ownership maps and census records we can see the following settled near each other.

• William Priest (husband of Anne Wallace)
• Hugh Weir (husband of Elizabeth Wallace)
• James Crabtree (husband of Mary Wallace)
• Benjamin Jones (husband of Viney Wallace)
• Jane (Wallace) Fry, formerly Jane (Wallace) Isbell (mother of county clerk Barnabus W. Isbell)
• John Wallace
• William Brenaugh Wallace
• Barnabas Wallace

Evaluating the names of the children and grandchildren of Robert Wallace and Jane McHenry is important.  As they named their own children after family names, so did some of their daughters pass along the same practice.  Naming patterns has been a clue in furthering research on this line.

Evaluating the children of William and Anne Priest led to a conflict of information.  I have found tree’s that list William Priest as William Powell Priest and a whole mess of kids from Rush County, Indiana.  So tracing down I asked “when were they in Rush County, Indiana?”  and I found the misread record that has led a researcher astray and many others.

David F. Priest was born in Anderson Township, Rush County, Ind., November 30, 1844.  He is the son of David and Martha A. (Fletcher) Priest.  The father was born in Montgomery County, Ky., June 30, 1808.  He was the son of Powell Priest, a native of Virginia, and of Welsh descent, who settled in Kentucky while quite young.  The grandfather of our subject, Powell Priest, removed from Kentucky to Wayne County, Ind., in the year 1820, and two years afterward was among the first to seek a home in Rush county.

Source: History of Rush County, Indiana, published 1888, pg. 740.  you can find it on google books.

Seems they took William Priest of Wayne County Kentucky and Powell Priest of Wayne County Indiana and smooshed them together.

So now we have erroneous data in trees and true descendants of William Priest and Powell Priest misled.

Here is the record of heirs to the Estate for William Priest of Lawrence County, Alabama who was the husband of Anne Wallace.  Anne is mentioned in other records, but I am going to post this nugget that lists all the heirs of William Priest.

Minutes Orphans Court May Term 1850

Menan Priest Administrator to vs. Petition to sell land ,The Heirs of William Priest deceased

Came the plaintiff as admr to and for his petition for the sale of the following described land belonging to the estate of said Wm Priest situate in the County of Lawrence and State of Alabama, to wit, The East half of the N. E. qr. Sec. 16 T. 6. R. 7 W ;  SE qr. if the SE qr. Sec. 9. T. 6. R. 7. W; SW qr. of SE qr. Sec. 9 T. 6 R. 7. W.; and the NE qr. of Sec. 9. T. 6. R. 7. W for the purpose of more equal distribution among the following named heirs and distribution of said Estate to wit: Isaac Mullins in right of his wife Jane formerly Priest; Henry S Seward in right of his wife Mary W. formerly Priest; John J Stahl in right of his wife Meranda formerly Priest; Austin Hackworth in right of his wife Lavinia Ann formerly Priest; Margaret M Rodgers formerly Priest, who intermarried with Alexander Rodgers now deceased.  R. P. McCrary in right of his wife Sarah, formerly Priest; James Priest, William L. Priest; Samuel J Priest; Robert W. Priest and Benjamin M. Priest; all of lawful age also six children of John Rodgers, who are minors, and whose names are not known in right of their mother Elizabeth formerly Priest now dec’d, and the plaintiff, having made oath that all the said heirs except James Priest are non-residents of this State; It is ordered by the Court that William H. Salmon be appointed Guardian ad litem for said minor heirs that a citation issue to said James Priest and to said William H. Salmon, and that publication be made to said non-residents by three successive weekly insertions of a copy of this order in The Moulton Advertiser, a newspaper published in the Town of Moulton, the first of which shall be forty days,  previous to the second Monday in August next requiring all persons interested in said estate to appear before the Judge during Orphans business in said County on the said second Monday in August next and show cause if any they have or case why the prayer of said petitioner should not be granted and a sale of the aforementioned land decreed accordingly.

In closing to further support why I believe Anne Wallis is the daughter of Robert and Jane Wallace is not just based on surrounding people within a stones throw of her front door but DNA evidence.  DNA cousins have emerged that are match each other from Robert & Jane’s descendant’s by way of Andrew McHenry Wallace, William Brenaugh Wallace and now Anne Wallace Priest.  These matches have further in common matches to the descendants of Jane McHenry Wallace’s parents, John McHenry and Susannah Viney.

I’d also like to point out that Lavinia Ann Priest Hackworth also went by Viny Ann, as written on her marriage record and other documents.  Her nickname is the same of her aunt Viney (Wallace) Jones, who was named after her grandmother Susannah Viney.

My sister and I keep tracing down hoping to break other’s brick walls to find descendants of Robert and Jane’s other children.  So back to research.  If you have interest in this work please contact me.  I have a public tree on ancestry.com that is full of records and notes and I am happy to share.

Happy Hunting!

Erin

the beginning

From dusty courthouses, archives and libraries I follow my ancestors footprints.  I love searching for my ancestors and learning about their lives.  I become really excited when I find a new nugget of information that provides the next clue in my tree. Its thrilling to me to unravel mysteries and link together the puzzle of family.  So I started this blog to provide some of those nuggets since I am a collector of genealogical publications, books and records.

I have been actively conducting genealogical research since  2012 and in those last 5 years I have not only collected an amazing amount of books, records and pictures, but I’ve witnessed the amount of genealogical data on the internet explode.  When I get stuck I don’t obsess, instead I move onto another part of my tree.  I’ve come to find when I return to the problem down the road a new clue, new document, new database, new digitized book or even a new DNA cousin has emerged providing a clue or paving a new path.

The last year has undergone a lot of personal changes with more demand for my time at work and less availability to build on my tree, but its still my wish to come here from time to time and put one more nugget of genealogical gold on the world wide web.  I hope you’ve found your next ancestral clue in the coming pages of this blog.

Happy Hunting!  Erin