How do you figure out family relationships when there aren't marriage records, family bibles, or a full set of probate or census records? The answer is land records. In my case, I was trying to find the parents of Mary Woollen who married William Webster in 1834, Washington, DC. I found their 1840 and 1850 … Continue reading Tracing the lineage of Thomas Woollen Sr and Elizabeth Pagan Woollen of Dorchester County, MD
The 1834 Will of Lydia Shores McClenen
I love solving a 200-year-old mystery! In the 1907 Descendants of Benjamin Chamberlain book, the author writes that Gabriel Chamberlain married Mary Ann McClenen, and Susan Chamberlain married John McClenen. These marriages would have taken place in the 1830s somewhere around Jefferson Township, Morris County, NJ, but no one seems to know who this McClenen … Continue reading The 1834 Will of Lydia Shores McClenen
The Different Williams Families of Sussex County, NJ
It can be very difficult to research your family when it includes a common surname like Williams. In my case, it's the Samuel H. Williams family who lives in Walpack and Frankford townships in Sussex County, New Jersey from about 1840 to 1890. Samuel's daughter, Hannah, marries Robert H. Snook. It's a mistake to assume … Continue reading The Different Williams Families of Sussex County, NJ
Noah Hendrix – Research Part 2 DNA Results
As you know from me previous post, Who Is The Father of Noah Hendrix?, I made a supposition that Noah had at least 3 siblings. I'm happy to confirm that I've tested this out through several different descendants' DNA kits, and they all match these people: Martha Jane Hendricks, born about 1832 in Tennessee. She … Continue reading Noah Hendrix – Research Part 2 DNA Results
1755/1756 Indian Raids in Monroe, Pike and Northampton Counties in PA
During the French-Indian war, the countryside was often attacked by Indians working in alliance with the French Canadian colonial government against the British-owned colonies. These excerpts primarily from The Pennsylvania Gazette and The Maryland Gazette, but these stories are run in many of the major newspapers, including some in England. While it mentions "Northampton County," … Continue reading 1755/1756 Indian Raids in Monroe, Pike and Northampton Counties in PA
Finding the Parents of Elizabeth Walker Allen
My Walker and Allen families in Baltimore, Maryland have been a mystery to everyone. Isaac Allen and Elizabeth Walker marry on December 31, 1834 in the First Methodist Church in Baltimore (aka "Lovely Lane Church.") They are my third great-grandparents. I did find the parents of Isaac Allen eventually, and I'll write more about him … Continue reading Finding the Parents of Elizabeth Walker Allen
Nicholas Devore – Was He Born in France?
Who is Nicholas Devore and how is he related to the Devore and Deveaux families from colonial New York and New Jersey? Nicholas Devore is supposedly born in 1732 France, and marries Sarah Decker in Sussex County, NJ before heading out to Washington County, PA before the Revolutionary War. DNA matches show he's part of … Continue reading Nicholas Devore – Was He Born in France?
Sussex County, NJ Devore Timeline
One of the best tools I know for figuring out an entire family tree is to do a timeline. That way, you can see migration patterns, and cross-match records that might otherwise not be obvious if you work only in one person's set of records. In order to find Phebe Devore Henion and Uzal Devore's … Continue reading Sussex County, NJ Devore Timeline
Who is John D. Adams/John D. Henion?
John D. Adams married Mary Willis in 1857, in Sussex County, NJ. He lists his father as Samuel Adams. But before that (and for about 10 years after that), he uses the name Henion. Why? Betty Mann's Devore genealogy book says that John's father is William Adams and that William and Phebe Devore were married … Continue reading Who is John D. Adams/John D. Henion?
Who Are the Parents of Mary Johnson of Vermillion County, Indiana?
I started on a journey to map every Hendricks, Hendrix, Hendrickson and Hendrixson in Kentucky from 1780-1840 to make sure I knew who everyone was, and which families they belonged to. Along the path, I stumbled across a Polly Hendrixon who married Isaac Johnston in Hardin County, Kentucky in 1816. This immediately captured my attention: … Continue reading Who Are the Parents of Mary Johnson of Vermillion County, Indiana?
Kinfolk Journal 