When I get the extra money to order copies of vital records, I already know the first two I'd like to get my hands on: Walter Clinton Ferguson Jr, and Lucy Ellen Craddock.
Walter for the adoption thing {as mentioned in the last post}, and then Lucy {my great-grandmother} because I cannot locate her before she married Frank O'Rourke, and there is a reference to a Mattie Nichols on the 1930's Census record. Aunt Mary Ellen pointed it out to me in a letter she wrote, and its gotten me curious. The Census shows that Mattie's relationship to Frank was mother-in-law, but the last names are different. Lucy was most definitely a Craddock - that much is for certain. We're just not sure who Mattie is.
If only I could get up to Birmingham, AL to peruse the library up there and visit the cemeteries. Why must work get in the way?
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Adoption, yet again.
And this is where I bang my head repeatedly on my desk. I think I spoke too soon for the Ferguson's. I'm not changing my mind about the MacVeans'. I'd like to eventually go down that path, but I found something that has might take me off the Ferguson trail as well.
Walter Clinton Ferguson Sr. had two children in the 1900 Census, but note the little 'adt' next to their relation to the head of the house.
Adopted.
And now I have no idea how to precede with this. I've read a little on adoption, and there is a slight chance that there are records accessible to me about this - like a court record or a change on their birth certificates. I think I'm lucky because the late 1800's is when they started tracking adoptions, and they didn't start sealing records until the 1930's. I might be just in that window.
There is a small chance that the situation that occurred in this family is the same as what my grandmother went through. Walter Jr and Eva could be children from another family member that they took on. And if my records are true, then there were a WHOLE LOT of Fergusons working farms in upstate New York. I haven't researched all of Walter Sr.'s siblings {I've only noticed 2 other brothers} but one of them - Silas - doesn't seem to continue past the 1880 Census. Could it have been him? Or is it from a previous marriage or from a premarital relationship? There isn't much to gain from the actual Census, but I just don't have the extra money at the moment to order birth certificates.
Maybe in the next month or two dad and I can plan a trip up to upstate. I'd definitely need more than a weekend though, considering how much history my family has up there. And if I can find who Walter Jr. and Eva's real parents are, I'd most likely go head first into that side of the family.
Walter Clinton Ferguson Sr. had two children in the 1900 Census, but note the little 'adt' next to their relation to the head of the house.
Adopted.
And now I have no idea how to precede with this. I've read a little on adoption, and there is a slight chance that there are records accessible to me about this - like a court record or a change on their birth certificates. I think I'm lucky because the late 1800's is when they started tracking adoptions, and they didn't start sealing records until the 1930's. I might be just in that window.
There is a small chance that the situation that occurred in this family is the same as what my grandmother went through. Walter Jr and Eva could be children from another family member that they took on. And if my records are true, then there were a WHOLE LOT of Fergusons working farms in upstate New York. I haven't researched all of Walter Sr.'s siblings {I've only noticed 2 other brothers} but one of them - Silas - doesn't seem to continue past the 1880 Census. Could it have been him? Or is it from a previous marriage or from a premarital relationship? There isn't much to gain from the actual Census, but I just don't have the extra money at the moment to order birth certificates.
Maybe in the next month or two dad and I can plan a trip up to upstate. I'd definitely need more than a weekend though, considering how much history my family has up there. And if I can find who Walter Jr. and Eva's real parents are, I'd most likely go head first into that side of the family.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Benjamin Franklin White
Oh yes, there was an ancestor named Benjamin Franklin White, and his son that we're descended from? Benjamin Franklin White Jr. Isn't that awesome?
Even though the names are fantastic enough on their own, that's not why I'm posting about ol' B.F. White Sr. Nope.
Turns out we've got a semi-famous person in the family tree! I say famous because he is one of the pioneers of Shape Note singing and wrote what their equivalent of a musical Bible would be: The Sacred Harp. And I say 'semi-' cause I have never, ever heard of Shape Note singing before this.
Let's learn something new today!
I'd like to eventually sit down and learn what this type of musical singing involves, but I haven't really. But I'll give you guys a brief synopsis that I read on his Wiki Page. Now, don't take all that to heart, because Wiki is not really...reliable when it comes to facts.
But the fun of Shape Note Singing doesn't stop there! Oh no! Benjamin Franklin White's son James Landrom White re-released The Sacred Harp in 1911 with some newer gospel songs, and his rendition of the book is often called "The White Book".
I'm going to be looking for books on Ben and family and the history of Shape Note singing, so if anyone has any already they'd like to share, I'd love it if you would share!
If you'd like to know a little more about Benjamin Franklin White, I would suggest checking out the link in the sidebar titled "The White Family". Its a page by Mike White, who is a descendant of Benjamin's brother Elias. He's been working on this lineage for a while now - the page was started in 1997, from what he's told me. He even worked with Mary Coppage {nee White} on some aspects - and its her notes where I got most of my information as well. On the site you'll find dates and locations of births and deaths - even a few other tidbits of information. There's a little more than what's on the surface of the site, so I would suggest sending a quick word to him and he'll be happy to send you the password to access the site.
I came into contact with him while I was looking in a genealogy forum over on Genealogy.com, and saw his post about B. F. White that he made in 2000. I took a chance in sending him an e-mail and he was very quick with a response back. :) I really appreciated that.
How They're Related
me > mom > James L. White Jr. > James L White Sr. > Benjamin Franklin White Jr. > Benjamin Franklin White
me > mom > James L. White Jr. >sister> Mary Coppage {nee White}
Turns out we've got a semi-famous person in the family tree! I say famous because he is one of the pioneers of Shape Note singing and wrote what their equivalent of a musical Bible would be: The Sacred Harp. And I say 'semi-' cause I have never, ever heard of Shape Note singing before this.
Let's learn something new today!
Shape notes are a music notation designed to facilitate congregational singing. Shape notes of various kinds have been used for over two centuries in a variety of sacred music traditions practiced primarily in the Southern region of the United States.
I'd like to eventually sit down and learn what this type of musical singing involves, but I haven't really. But I'll give you guys a brief synopsis that I read on his Wiki Page. Now, don't take all that to heart, because Wiki is not really...reliable when it comes to facts.
But the fun of Shape Note Singing doesn't stop there! Oh no! Benjamin Franklin White's son James Landrom White re-released The Sacred Harp in 1911 with some newer gospel songs, and his rendition of the book is often called "The White Book".
I'm going to be looking for books on Ben and family and the history of Shape Note singing, so if anyone has any already they'd like to share, I'd love it if you would share!
If you'd like to know a little more about Benjamin Franklin White, I would suggest checking out the link in the sidebar titled "The White Family". Its a page by Mike White, who is a descendant of Benjamin's brother Elias. He's been working on this lineage for a while now - the page was started in 1997, from what he's told me. He even worked with Mary Coppage {nee White} on some aspects - and its her notes where I got most of my information as well. On the site you'll find dates and locations of births and deaths - even a few other tidbits of information. There's a little more than what's on the surface of the site, so I would suggest sending a quick word to him and he'll be happy to send you the password to access the site.
I came into contact with him while I was looking in a genealogy forum over on Genealogy.com, and saw his post about B. F. White that he made in 2000. I took a chance in sending him an e-mail and he was very quick with a response back. :) I really appreciated that.
How They're Related
me > mom > James L. White Jr. > James L White Sr. > Benjamin Franklin White Jr. > Benjamin Franklin White
me > mom > James L. White Jr. >sister> Mary Coppage {nee White}
Monday, April 19, 2010
Ferguson vs MacVean
This sounds like an Irish Pub boxing match. :)
I'm not sure why, but I feel the need to explain why I'm going back on the Ferguson line and not he MacVean. Though it should go without saying why, I feel compelled to.
My Grandma Thelma was born a Ferguson - not a MacVean. Her father was Walter Ferguson Jr, his father was Walter Ferguson Sr, and so on. Where did the MacVean come in? When she was 11, she was adopted by her aunt Perlia MacVean {nee Dopp} and raised in that family. I could go back in the family that raised her, but they are not my relatives by blood besides Perlia's descendants. Which is why I'm going back in the Ferguson line.
In regards to her adoptive family, I am curious as to see if there were any adoption papers drawn up, and if in 1928 there was a record of her taking the name MacVean. I have very little information as to what happened to her biological brother and sisters and who adopted them, and I'd love to find out more about that process. From what I understand, they were all relatively young when their parents died, and only Thelma was taken in by Perlia and Percy.
These is a few questions I would love to have answered.
I'm not sure why, but I feel the need to explain why I'm going back on the Ferguson line and not he MacVean. Though it should go without saying why, I feel compelled to.
My Grandma Thelma was born a Ferguson - not a MacVean. Her father was Walter Ferguson Jr, his father was Walter Ferguson Sr, and so on. Where did the MacVean come in? When she was 11, she was adopted by her aunt Perlia MacVean {nee Dopp} and raised in that family. I could go back in the family that raised her, but they are not my relatives by blood besides Perlia's descendants. Which is why I'm going back in the Ferguson line.
In regards to her adoptive family, I am curious as to see if there were any adoption papers drawn up, and if in 1928 there was a record of her taking the name MacVean. I have very little information as to what happened to her biological brother and sisters and who adopted them, and I'd love to find out more about that process. From what I understand, they were all relatively young when their parents died, and only Thelma was taken in by Perlia and Percy.
These is a few questions I would love to have answered.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
