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
Category: Court-Legal Records
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
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
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?
Philip Levin Webster of Prince George’s County, Maryland and his descendants
In 1882, some of the Webster descendants filed a case against the owners of the White Tavern and land in Prince George's County, Maryland. They alleged that one Webster descendant of Philip Levin Webster wrongly sold the property, when the other descendants should have benefited from that transaction. The case names the descendants of Philip … Continue reading Philip Levin Webster of Prince George’s County, Maryland and his descendants
Two William Neales: Nancy Bryan and Anne “Nancy” Davis
There's been a big mystery and some mistakes about the two William Neale's who marry in Bourbon County, Kentucky in 1799 and 1800. Originally, people combined these two men into one man, assuming his first wife died early in their marriage and then he remarried. But looking at the tax and probate records in Bourbon … Continue reading Two William Neales: Nancy Bryan and Anne “Nancy” Davis
Eleven Hendrickson-Hardin Marriages
Over the years, the Hendrickson and Hardins have intermarried. This can make using DNA results tricky when doing genealogy work: a living person today, having DNA from both sides, may appear to have a closer relationship to you (and your most recent common ancestor) than they really have. Here are some Hendrickson-Hardin marriages, to provide … Continue reading Eleven Hendrickson-Hardin Marriages
Eve Hendrixson m. Andrew Corn
Eve had a tough life. She had an illegitimate child in 1808 (John Hendrixson) and then she married Andrew Corn in 1818. By 1819, Andrew had left her and his children from a previous marriage. When was Eve born? We don't know how old Eve was when she had John in 1808, but at minimum … Continue reading Eve Hendrixson m. Andrew Corn
The Rape of Mary Hendrickson, 1770, Loudoun County, Virginia
We know Mary Hendrickson is the daughter of John Hendrickson and Eve, because Simeon Hendrickson names her in his LDS/Mormon 1843 Baptisms for the Dead as his aunt, Mary Walker, along with his cousin "Neoma" (Naomi) and her husband James "McBrier" (McBrayers). Naomi is listed as "aunt" on this transcribed card. I don't have the … Continue reading The Rape of Mary Hendrickson, 1770, Loudoun County, Virginia
John Tayloe of Loudoun County, Virginia: Lease for Lives
During the time when John Hendrickson leased land from John Tayloe, Tayloe was leasing much of his land to the east of Short Hills in Loudoun County. These would be John Hendrickson's neighbors and possible families that intermarried with the Hendricksons. Even though I believe John Hendrickson was out of Loudoun County by 1770, we … Continue reading John Tayloe of Loudoun County, Virginia: Lease for Lives
Kinfolk Journal 