Family Friday: Groves

The young man in this photograph is my maternal third great uncle Levi Groves (1856-1891), who appears to have lived his entire life in Jones County, Iowa. His parents were my third great grandparents Frederick Groves* (1812-1882) and Leah Bixler (1813-1900) who were originally from Maryland but met and married in Ohio, finally moving to Iowa in about 1846. There is no evidence that Levi ever married and he's buried in Forest Hill Cemetery.

[The Anamosa Eureka, Thursday, July 2, 1891.

Source: Digital Archives of Jones County Genealogical Society. ]

[Both images above courtesy of Olive Slater-Kennedy]

*Some records list his name as Grove. His ancestors first appeared in mid-18th century Pennsylvania with an German-speaking immigrant who came from Raffz, Zurich, Switzerland.surnamed Grof or Graf.



© 2016 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Fantastic Video Find: "BlackProGen: North and South Carolina Genealogy Research"

Do you have black ancestors from North or South Carolina?  Check out this Google video discussion "BlackProGen: North and South Carolina Genealogy Research" led by Nicka Sewell-Smith of BlackProGen.

A lot of great sources in this one!

Renate mentions the Wilson Library at UNC, the Rubenstein Library at Duke University, and the North Carolina Digital Collections.

Toni mentions the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, as well as Low Country Africana, which is chock full of resources for South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.






© 2016 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Working on Wednesday: Jeremiah Warren Part 3, The Said Will - Bequests to Relatives

After a fairly typical opening paragraph, Great Uncle JeremiahWarren's first nine items deal with bequests to his sisters and brothers (or their children), beginning with sister Sarah, the wife of Lott Harton:

["Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990," images, FamilySearch, Hancock > Wills and administration records 1831-1840 vol N > image 78 of 376; county probate courthouses, Georgia.]

In the name of God Amen I Jeremiah Warren of the County
of Hancock and State of Georgia weak of body but of sound
mind and memory calling to mind that all men have to die 
I do make and publish this my last will and testament

Item the 1st.     I loan Sarah Harton During her lifetime a negro woman
named Hanah and her increase and at the death of the said
Sarah the negroes to be divided between her three sons also
I give until the said Sarah twenty five dollars which is in full of
her part of my estate.

Sarah died in 1839. Her sons were named Jesse Warren Harton (1800-1847), Wilkins J. Harton (1818-1859) and Alfred P. Harton (about 1825-1864).


In the second section Jeremiah made provision for his sister Mary Warren

Item 2nd.  I loan Mary Warren my sister all my lands whereon my
Mother now lives and the negroes that are living with my
Mother during her lifetime and at her death the negroes
Buck, Judy and her children [&] Lands sold and divided between
Robert Warrens children accept* Epps Warren and James
Warren they have no part in the division.

Mary Warren died in 1843; brother Robert's sons were Green Warren (1805-?), Allen Love Warren (1806-1836), Epps W. Warren (1807-1871), Jesse Mason Warren (1811-1878), and James Warren (1813-?). Robert's two daughters were Sarah Warren (1814-?) and Delilah Warren Breedlove (1815-1860).

What caused Jeremiah to single out two of his nephews Epps and James to be excluded from any part of his estate?


Next it's Robert's (1783-1851) turn for a bequest.

Item 3rd.   I loan Robert Warren the plantation I bought of Joseph
Johnson also the negroes Eliza and her children Sophia
and Mima and Stephen her husband and my Jim Horse one
bead** and furnature for him to use during his life but not
to be subject to be sold for any debt of his contracting, nor is
he hereby empoward to hire or work any parts of said property
after his death the same property Land and negroes to belong
to his (Robert Warrens) daughter Sarah and the heirs of 
her body.

Clearly Jeremiah had no confidence in this brother's business acumen.


Then there was his brother William (1785-1859):

Item 4th.  I give my brother William Warren plantation whereon I now
live and all the money that he now owes me and a negro man named
Pomp and a negro girl named Rilar that now is with my Mother.

Note that this is the first bequest that is a gift of land and not a loan.


Then his sister Elizabeth (1800-1838), the wife of William Smith, had her turn:

Item 5th.   I give Elizabeth Smith twenty five dollars and the money due
me by William Smith her husband for rent.


The next bequest names his niece and nephew Martha (1817-1888) and William Warren (1816-1863), the children on his dead brother James Warren (1790-1820).

Item 6th.  I give to Martha Warren one Negroe boy named William
and to William Warren son of James Warren dec'd one negroe
boy named Robbin.


The seventh item is a bequest to his nephew Jesse Warren (1825-1894), son of Jesse Warren Jr. who was then seven years old.

Item 7th.  I give to Jesse Warren son of Jesse Warren dec'd. one negro

 boy named Matt which negro is not to go into his posseson

untill he arives at full age twenty one.

The bequest to sister Susan Warren Johnson (and her husband Joseph) who filed the caveat trying to prevent this will being accepted for probate follows next:

Item 8th.   I give to Susan Johnson twenty five dollars and the money
now due me by Joseph Johnson her husband.


The ninth bequest is a gift to another nephew, one of sister Sarah's children.

Item 9th.  Give to my Nephew Jesse W Harton one negro boy named
Dennis to go into his possession at my death.


To sum up the first nine items of Jeremiah's will, he obviously had his favorite relatives and others he's not so fond of. It's also clear that he had lent money to several of them and forgave their debts after his demise. Except for his animus towards two of his nephews, it's all pretty standard for a slave-owning person in the South.

But next time I will be delving into his 10th Item the terms of which must have caused a lot of talk there in the slave state of Georgia in 1834 and could well have been the real reason behind the Johnsons' caveat which stated as its final grounds:

Sixth Said Will is void because it was not Known at
the time of the signature of the said Will by said
testator what were its contents, and because said
bequests in said pretended Will is totally unlawful
and no bequests at all. Thomas & Gonder[?], Attys for Caveator

And then there's the Codicil...


*From the context it's clear that the intended word here is "except".
**And this should be "bed".



© 2016 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

My Great Grandparents George Hartley and Minnie Nosler Got Their Marriage License in Los Angeles

George and Minnie (highlighted by yellow stars) and their witnesses, George's sister Mary Catherine Hartley (1872-1957) and Minnie's brother Israel Rittgers Nosler (1876-1954).  Image from "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8DQ-YGB : 28 November 2014), George Hartley and Minnie Nosler, 10 May 1906; citing Los Angeles, California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 2,074,002.

I believe Minnie was a pupil of George Hartley's sister, Delia Hartley (1873-1938), who was a teacher out in Dehesa, San Diego in the 1890s.  I was surprised that they obtained a marriage license in Los Angeles instead of San Diego, but apparently George and Minnie were living there in 1906.

I need to check out the Los Angeles city directory over at Fold3 to see if I can find George or Minnie.

George had been widowed almost exactly 3 years (his first wife, Jane "Jennie" Denby had died May 7, 1903 in San Diego--this license is dated May 9, 1906).  I don't know exactly what Minnie was doing between the 1900 Census and this marriage license, but until now I had only looked at sources in San Diego.

And there she is, working as a milliner and living at 1947 E 2d in the 1906 Los Angeles city directory.  I'm glad I wrote this post, it helped me think more analytically about where she was when she married George.  From Fold3.

And here is George.  Same address as Minnie.  Since they got married in the middle of the year I'm not sure what to make of her going by her maiden name, unless it was a carry-over from the previous city directory?  They did marry in the middle of the year (May).  I don't find her in the 1905 LA city directory, however.  Hmmm.  From Fold3.  

© 2016 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Monday Is for Mothers: Timney P. Watts (1805 - 1863) - Probate Records, Part 2, Some Bills

A number of documents in Timney P. Watts Warren Phillips'* file are several petitions filed in the probate court by creditors requesting payment of outstanding bills like the one below from a neighboring farmer W. H.C. Perkins.

[Estate Papers, Phillips, Nancy (Minor) to Piques, Sarah.  Source Information: Ancestry.com. Alabama, Wills and Probate Records, 1753-1999 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Alabama County, District and Probate Courts.]

Here's a transcription:

W.H.C. Perkins to Timney P Phillips D[?]

1859
Mar ?       shoeing Horse Before old shoes                                   25
Mar 8         '   '   '     '   '        '   '                                                      50
June 1       1 Tire Iron                                                                  1 00
      25        upseting[?] 2 Bolts           12 1/2 cts                            25
July 12      Shoeing Horse Before                                                  50
Aug 5        Shoeing Horse Behind                                                 50
Sept 21      100 nails                         2 cts                                   2 00
Oct 4          3 1/2 lbs of Iron             7 cts                                      24
Dec 8         Reseting Horse shoes                                                  25
                                                                                                    5 99
                          Interest for one year                                            47
                                                                                                   6 46 

(Obviously "before" and "behind" refer to the front and back hooves of a horse.)

Here's Mr. Perkins' entry in the 1860 U.S. Census

["United States Census, 1860," database with images, FamilySearch, image 43 of 107; from "1860 U.S. Federal Census - Population," database, Fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com : n.d.); citing NARA microfilm publication M653

(Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).]

Here's another bill for work done by her neighbor J.W. Webb in 1861 that J.D. Phillips finally paid (plus interest) in 1864.

[Estate Papers, Phillips, Nancy (Minor) to Piques, Sarah.  Source Information: Ancestry.com. Alabama, Wills and Probate Records, 1753-1999 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Alabama County, District and Probate Courts.]

My transcription:

Mrs Timney P Phillips
1861                  To J W. Webb & Co [undecipherable]

Sept 1     To Turning Waggen Hubb                               1 25
   "    10    "   Making Coffin                                           6.00**
Nov  25    "   1 days Hauling                                          5.00
Dec   1     "    Repairing Gin                                           7.75
                                                                                    $20.00
       2 Years Interest                                                        3.20
                                                                                      23.20
Recd of J.D. Phillips administrator
of the Estate of T.P.Phillips Deceased the
above bill in full 21 Jany 1864.

                                 J. W. Webb & Co

I found myself wondering who J.W. Webb was and found him in the 1860 U.S. Census*** where his occupation is listed as "Mechanic".****

["United States Census, 1860," database with images, FamilySearch, image 43 of 107; from "1860 U.S. Federal Census - Population," database, Fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com : n.d.); citing NARA microfilm publication M653

(Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).]

[United State Census Bureau: 1860 Instructions p.15]

And we have the bill and receipt for Timney's own coffin paid to R[obert] A. Johnston, a local merchant.

[Estate Papers, Phillips, Nancy (Minor) to Piques, Sarah.  Source Information: Ancestry.com. Alabama, Wills and Probate Records, 1753-1999 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Alabama County, District and Probate Courts.]

My transcription:

Est Mrs T P Phillips
   1 sh[?] 3                             To R A Johnston
Sept 2  To 1 Fine Coffin No 11                             }
             "      Box for Same                                    }   $200.00
             "      H[e]arse Hire                                    }

Rec'd Payment in full
September 2nd 1863                                      R A Johnston                                

And here's Mr. Johnston's listing in the 1860 U.S. Census:

["United States Census, 1860," database with images, FamilySearch from "1860 U.S. Federal Census - Population," database, Fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com : n.d.); citing NARA microfilm publication M653 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).]

I'm saving the doctor's bills for next time as there's a lot of them--so many that the court questioned Timney's neighbors in an effort to decide if they were legitimate and should be paid.


*You can read more about this 3X great grandmother here.
**I haven't figured out who this coffin was for although compared to the cost of Timney's coffin (see below) it was probably for one of her enslaved people.
***Note that he was a neighbor of A[linson] Lockwood whose first wife was Timney's daughter Elizabeth Ann Phillips (1828-1852) and second wife Nancy Ann Phillips (1832-1883) was her niece.
****This is a blanket term for a skilled craftsman--you can read more about the sort of jobs that covered here.




© 2016 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Sunday Drive: St. Hubert on the Move, 2012

During my 2012 visit to France, Bonnie decided that a St. Hubert-style cupboard would look great in her entryway, so the hunt was on. Shortly thereafter we located one at her then-favorite antique shop, La Trocante in Beziers, at a reasonable price--probably because quite a bit of its former (and probably deceased) owner's (very undesirable) stuff was still inside. Fortunately these cupboards can be divided into two pieces so after we dumped the worst of the junk into a nearby poubelle, Bonnie and I managed to cram it into her Opel 4-door hatchback* (and if the cupboard had been any larger we wouldn't have been able to do it). 

We made it to Roquebrun safely, if a bit slowly as Bonnie tried to avoid hitting any obvious bumps.

[Bonnie and St. Hubert on the Rue du Château in Roquebrun]

[Another view of the St. Hubert, just before it was unloaded]

[Kevin assisting Bonnie hauling the St. Hubert downstairs to her house]

Quite possibly the St. Hubert hadn't been cleaned in decades and it was filthy so Bonnie carefully cleaned it before painting the entire thing, inside and out, in her chosen colors.

[Top half of the St. Hubert, original state]

[Top half of the St. Hubert, first coat of new colors]

[[St. Hubert in place in entry]

[All photos from my personal collection]

And she was right--it looks charming there. (But I'll have to see if I have a later view of the piece after Bonnie re-did the floor with a light colored tile that looks like stone and added a crystal chandelier to the ceiling.)


*I'm counting on Bonnie adding the model year.


© 2016 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

My Ancestor Solomon Hartley (1775-1815) Was A Rigger: What Did That Mean?

I've gleaned from Philadelphia city directories in the early 1800s that Solomon Hartley, my 4th great grandfather, was a rigger (and once referred to as a mariner).

So I am assuming his primary work involved working the rigging (rope, pulleys, and sails) on a ship. I'm not sure what kind of ship, although I suspect commercial (there is a family story that he had gone to China once on a several-year trip and brought back dishes).

I've included his 3-part video shows plenty of rigging action on a traditionally rigged ship The Sørlandet to get an idea of what that looked like (warning, very technical):

Some more footage (vastly less technical) is from "World of Discovery - Tall Ships: High Sea Adventure", aboard The Danmark:

© 2016 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.