Confirmation & Pictures

Besides using the internet for research, I've talked to my Great Aunt Kathryn twice about information on the O'Rourke side of the family. I'm a littler further than where I was when I started, but I'm still lacking in the resource department. I finally learned the names of Grandma Geve's siblings and learned that all of my Great Uncles and even Great Aunt Kathryn were all in the military of some form. I had no idea!

Kathryn also confirmed that Mattie Nichols was indeed Lucy's mother, and her name was Martha Jane before either marriage. Nichols was her last name after she remarried. Unfortunately, because she was called Mattie and her last name sounds like a first/middle name, she is listed many different ways on forms and its been difficult looking for her. She's either Martha, Mattie, Mary, or even Jane. Bah! I found them listed on the 1880 Census, but I currently don't have access to that one yet. I'm also having a little trouble with her husband {Lucy's father}, because there are a couple different John Craddock's listed in that specific county of Alabama. If only I had his middle name, it would be much easier. I think it begins with a 'D', but 'D' is easily mistranslated as 'A' and there is a John A Craddock in the exact same county with a very close birth year and he owned slaves. I can't find him on a census, which means I don't know if its the same guy or not. So, I really don't know what to make of it until I get more information on that family. It might even be easier if I had Lucy's birth certificate.

I've also been in contact by emails with my Aunt Mary Ellen, which has been great. She sent me these pictures of Grandma Geve I had never seen before. Let me just say that there is QUITE a family resemblance to her. When looking at most of my family, you can see that we are indeed all related. :)


Grandma Genevieve


James {Bubber}, Frances Anne, Mary Ellen {the young girl}, Grandma Genevieve


Elizabeth {Tootsie}, Kathryn, Ellen, Grandma Genevieve

But what has been the most awesome find I've come across? A box that my Aunt Susan had given my dad with a few of Grandma Thelma's papers in it. Included in the box were her ORIGINAL adoption papers, her original birth and death certificates, and my Grandfather's original birth and death certificates. There's even a little guest book that people signed at my Grandfather's memorial, and it contained articles about his heart attack which I had never seen before.

I skimmed through her adoption papers - its about 10 pages long - and something caught my eye: "his foster mother Ida"! It may not seem like much considering I found the census showing that Walter Ferguson Jr. was apparently adopted, but the census records CAN be wrong {human error and all that}. What made me happy {in a way} was that I had confirmation on the fact that it did seem that Walter Jr. was adopted by Walter and Ida. Though, I'm not really looking forward to trying to sort through adoption papers from the 1880's, at least I've got TWO sources saying the same thing.

I'm just curious though, his birth and death certificates didn't have a whole lot of information. Yes, his death certificate had his name, the date of death, what he died from, and that he was married and how old he was, but it didn't give me anything other than that. It was very short and small, and I was kinda disappointed. I guess in the 1960s there wasn't a lot to share? Or maybe I've just got a little form that has just the basics filled out and its not the original? I have no idea. My Grandma Thelma's, however, had a WHOLE lot of stuff, but then again, she passed in 2007, so its recent. All of the papers are official, so I don't doubt their accuracy, but I'm just confused as to what I've got. Here's a look at it {his SS# is blurred out}.



What do you think?

Birth Certificates

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?

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.

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!

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}