Heading North, The Ancestors, The Brick Wall:: Keep Them Wheels a Rolling - Winter 2015-2016

Copyright 2016, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

I know, my blogging subjects have been jumping all around, this, that, here, there.  Ya just never know if it is current or 3 years old stuff.  I don't know what to tell ya.  Cept, grin, laugh and try to have fun!

We have left the Tampa area and are hop, skipping up the east coast.  Mid April we will be in Rockingham County Virginia for genie fun and a spot of business.  Until then, we drive, we stop, we dodge storms, and do it again.

I find so far, the route has taken us close to ancestral grounds and a couple of cemeteries I have visited before.  But, when in the area, I like to visit the cemeteries again.  Pay my respects.

First stop heading north was near Brunswick Georgia which was just a shy 20 miles from Darien where my great grandparents, Joseph E. Bowen and his bride, Minnie Maude Remley Bowen reportedly are buried in the St. Andrews Cemetery.  I believe in my heart they are, but, there are no headstones, the church records were a bit vague.  They are shown as interred here in the work by Jeannette Austin, "30,638 Burials in Georgia".  I have asked her about this, her reading was from years ago, she stated she would not have recorded the burials without some evidence of same at the time she did the recording.  Sadly, the evidence has since disappeared. The thing is, Minnie's sister, Susan is buried there. Susan Remley Blanton and Marion Blanton, her husband and her daughter, also Marion.  It is my feeling that Joseph E. and Minnie Maud are buried there in the same plot. We know from the church that there is one grave site outlined in stone coping, but otherwise unmarked.

I have written many times here on Reflections about this clan.  You can search the blog from the search box available in the top left corner.

When we arrived at the cemetery the biting flies were active, storm troopers, dive bombing.  I snapped off a few photos and ran for Jolly.  Love the wisteria off to the side.

Our next stop heading north ended up being Walterboro, Colleton County, South Carolina.

Minnie Maud Remley Bowen was born in Walterboro.  In previous research here, I paid a visit to the Sandy Dam United Methodist Church and Cemetery.  I found Remleys buried there and Grants.  Minnie Maud Remley Bowen's mother was Mariah "Maria" Malvirna Grant.  Mariah's parents were Jefferson Grant and his wife Rachel (and other spellings, of course) Hargraves, or Hargroves or ??

The Remley and the Grant clan are what I call my true brick walls. Records in the courthouse prior to 1865 just do not exist.  Yes, that little issue of the War Between the States.  And, yes, the courthouse was burned.  And, believe me, there is NOTHING like walking into the courthouse and seeing the earliest records dated 1865, embellished in gold numbers on the outside of the record books. And, yes, it literally took my breath away.

Anyway - - It has been some years since I reviewed and researched the Grants and the Remley clans here in Colleton.  What with new record sets showing up on line, I might give it another shot.  I would not be surprised to find little, perhaps, nothing more.

As you can see the azaleas are stunning this week.

The Grant and Remley plots I found are buried along the "left" side of the church (if you are facing the church).

The markers are old, worn, small and some are quite hard to read.  I feel they are kin, someday, I hope to figure it all out.

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Mariah, Where Art Thou Buried?

Copyright 2014, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

During March 2014, in my participation in the 52 Ancestor Weeks meme, I wrote three pieces on the Grants and the Remleys.

Sunday's Stories, 52 Ancestor Weeks, Week # 9, The Remleys and Grants, Part 1

Sunday's Stories, 52 Ancestor Weeks, Week # 10, The Remleys and Grants, Part 2, this post specifically addressed William H. Remley and his wife Mariah "Maria" Malvirna Grant Remley.

Sunday's Stories, 52 Ancestor Weeks, Week # 11, The Remleys and Grants, Part 3

This week I find myself nearby in Statesboro Georgia.  I am doing a bit of research, surrounded by taxes and reality.  Today, Man and I drove over to Effingham County.  We got a late start (nothing real new there) and I thought it was Tuesday (this "no calendar being retired" stuff tends to get me in a fix because I can never remember what day it is).  It actually is Wednesday (who knew), and the library closed early, but, I did get a chance to review their collection.  No surprises, nothing really new.

The librarians suggested I could try the Historical Society, so, I called and they were sweet enough to let me stop by even though, they were technically closed too.  I walked away with two great family group sheets on a line I have sorta stalled on, the bride married a Remley.

So I did exactly what I have always warned my students about, arriving at a research facility at the wrong time.  I sure got lucky!

Next we went off to find two cemeteries. Below is the Corinth Baptist Church, the cemetery is behind it.  Note, it is Baptist.

I knew that there were 4 Remley graves here, I manage their memorials, Henry J. Pringle Remley,  Howard Ernest Remley, James Winslow Remley, and Eva Caroline Hinely Remley.  Henry and James are brothers, sons of William and Mariah Grant Remley.  Eva was the wife of James.  Howard was the son of James and Eva.  There are photos on the memorials, taken by a kind Find A Grave volunteer.  This visit was more about paying respects, and of course, wondering if I could see anything that gave me a hint about William and Mariah.  See, we still have no idea where William and Mariah are buried, not really.

Below, the entire family area.  James and Eva to the far left, then, Howard in the middle, then a space with no marking and then, Henry to the far right.

I had my able and willing assistant stand between Howard and Henry's stones.  Hmmm, wonder if there would be two grave sites there.  I'm thinking, maybe??

Referring to my notes on Mariah and this map found in the work, "Family and Church Cemeteries, Volume 1", by Lawrence M. Edwards, published in 1969, showing the Corinth Baptist Church, with name circled, lower left section of the map.  If you look above that, almost to the top of the map you will see the Mizpah Church.  The Mizpah church is Methodist.  Mariah's obituary states she was a Methodist and was buried at the Mizpah cemetery.  Hmmm?  So, I decide I really need to see this Mizpah Church, AKA the Mizpah United Methodist Church, and the cemetery in person.

Now, here is one of those sorta strange things that happen to many that research.  A friend had asked for photos of the azaleas which are at their peak of beauty here.  I felt I would find some at one of these cemeteries.  I have no idea why, I just knew I would, and here they were, glorious, at the Mizpah United Methodist Church.  Well, now - -

There is no record of Mariah or William being buried here.  This is what appears to be one of the oldest sections of the cemetery, you can see, there is plenty of room for burials.  Wooden cross marked burials, where the wooden cross rotted away, leaving no trace?  Or many financially poor souls whose families could not afford headstones?

So, I still have no idea where Mariah and William are buried, but, I have my suspicions.  Trouble is, Egypt, is much further from Mizpah than it is from Cornith.   But, Cornith is Baptist and Mizpah is Methodist.  Which leads me to wonder, is Mariah's obituary correct when it states she was Methodist and was buried in the Mizpah cemetery?

Oh, Mariah, Where Art Thou Buried??




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Sunday's Stories, 52 Ancestor Weeks, Week # 11, The Remleys and Grants, Part 3

Copyright 2014, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

This is week 11 of my participation Amy Johnson Crow's, once a week challenge to blog about one ancestor a week, tell their story, biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on that one ancestor. More about the challenge can be found at her Blog, No Story Too Small.

Today I am going to talk about my Minnie Maude Remley's (my great-grandmother) grandparents. Her grandfather was Jefferson Grant and her grandmother was Rachel Hargraves\Hargroves.  So, this is a twofer week, two ancestors, one post.

Very little is known about Jefferson and Rachel, they are named as Mariah Malvirna Grant Remley's parents on Mariah's death certificate.

This is a summary of what I do know, or think I know.  Research in Colleton County South Carolina is hindered by the fact that it is truly a burnt county.  Stepping into the courthouse and seeing record books with a start date of 1865 will take your breath away and seriously hinders research prior to the Civil War.

Jefferson is found on the following census reports:

1850 US Census of Colleton County, South Carolina: L.T. Grant, age 42, Overseer, listed below the Larisey family; Rachel J., age 41; Maria, age 16; Roeamond, female, age 12; Francis, female, age 12; and Thomas G., age 7.

1860 US Census, St. Barthelomews Parish, Colleton District, South Carolina, Jefferson is enumerated two times:
     Jefferson Grant, age 52, Overseer, value of personal property is $4,000., born South Carolina; Rachel J., age 50, born South Carolina; Thomas G., age 15, born South Carolina.  The family is enumerated on the same page as Joel Larisey and John Nettles and Fred Fraser.  Joel Larisey is listed as a Planter, with real estate valued at $12,700, which further research will show that he owned the Fish Pond Plantation.  Fred Fraser is also shown with considerable real estate, which is valued at $12,000.  No research on the Fraser land has been done.

1860 US Census, St. Barthelomews Parish, Colleton District, South Carolina: Jefferson age 50, overseer, value of personal property is $300.00, born South Carolina; Rachel age 50, born South Carolina; Givens, age 18, born South Carolina.  Here Jefferson is listed on the same page as L. Ann Sauders, whose real estate is valued at $9,000, but whose personal property is valued at $23,400.  No further research on the Sauders family has been done.

There is a J. W. Grant listed among the dead in the work "Roll of the Dead, South Carolina Troups, Confederate States Service", by South Carolina Department of Archives and History.  He is listed as a Private, Company G, 19th South Carolina V (for Volunteers?), died at Richmond.  There is another J. W. Grant listed in the same work, Pickens district, Segt, Company B, 2nd South Carolina R (?), no death place or date listed. Jefferson Grant would have been a bit old for service in the Civil War, about 55 years of age.  This is not unheard of, but rather on the unlikely side of probability.

And, there is not a lot more known about Rachel, as notes from her bio on my data base show:

Consider the possibility that her maiden name is GRAVES, not Hargraves. There are Graves families in Colleton County in the correct time frame.

There is a Rachel Grant living with Henry J. Grant in the 1870 US Census of Walterboro Town, Colleton County, South Carolina, she is listed, simply as Rachel, age 55, born South Carolina.  Also in the household are Henry J, age 23, clerk in store; Rosanna, age 31, and Maria West, age 5.

There is a Rachel Grant living with Henry Grant in the 1880 US Census, Verdier Township, Colleton County, South Carolina.  She is listed as his "mother", age 75.  Henry is listed as age 33; also in the house hold are Rosamond or Rosanna, age 42, wife; Jefferson, son age 8; Rachel, daughter, age 7; Isiah, son, age 5; Frank, son, age 3; Rufus, age 1, son, Robert West, age 19, step-son and Maria West, age 15, step-daughter.  It is interesting to note that 2 families later is enumerated John Remley and Mahala his wife.

That is about all that I feel comfortable with.  I have visited Colleton County, did some research there.  Was it all encompassing, probably not. I did visit the public library, did newspaper research, visited the local cemeteries, visited the courthouse.  I have not researched the family in the past few years, online or otherwise, as in my heart I feel I have done about all I can.  That said, a re-visit to the facts, the available resources and such, never a bad idea.

Wish list, other than wishing to have a do-over of history and have all those burnt records restored, I suppose my wish list would include death and burial information, photos, and a family bible.  I am a big dreamer!

* Additional source data can be obtained by contacting me, see the right hand column for a yahoo email address.

** 52 Ancestors Weeks Button courtesy of Amy Johnson Crow.

*** I use many resources to research, FamilySearch.org is a free site.  Ancestry.com is a pay site for which I pay, no discounts, etc.  None of these sites have asked me to review them, or use them.  See my Disclaimers page for further details.

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Saturday Night Genealogy Fun, Genealogy Scavenger Hunt!

Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings comes up with some interesting challenges. Tonight it is a scavenger hunt.

Randy's challenge is in 2 parts:

1) Is there someone on your list of 16-great-great-grandparents that you don't have a census record for, and for which one should be available?

2) Tell us about it in your blog........While you're at it, give us a source citation for your census finding too

Ok Randy, this sounded good, as I have not done any significant research in well over a month. I did not participate in the 16 great greats, but, the assignment gave me a great excuse to stop everything else I was doing and RESEARCH!!!

So, I start looking at the list of the great greats, and what research chore I might have indicated on their individual to do list. Maybe I can delete some to do items from the data base, hmmm, that is always a very good thing!

Hezekiah Bowen, 1834-1908, to do list shows I am curious about some Emanuel County Georgia Land records. Hmmmm, lets skip that for the moment.

Martha Sikes, no to do items.

William H. Remley, to do list says, find maps for enumeration areas of Colleton County South Carolina. I want to see if I can figure out where in the county he lived. I love maps. But, lets skip that for the moment too.

Mariah Grant, no to do items.

Edward Dews, 1830 census and some more land records from Princess Anne County Virginia this time. I decide I am not ready to tackle the 1830 with all those tick marks, gonna skip the land records.

Martha Dews (his wife, maiden name unknown), no to do items. Ditto for Solomon Benjamin Eley, Sarah Anne Darden, Zachariah Z. Trumbo or Catherine (Kate) Dove.

Peter Preston Holsinger, Rockingham County Virginia. Oh, yea, here is some census work that needs doing. 1860, oooohhh, realize he is still enumerated in his father’s household, so get to take that off the to do list. Also need the 1900 census. This is when the bottom fell out, so to speak. Had NO trouble locating Peter, but, did have a bucket load of trouble trying to print from Ancestry. I still don’t know if it is my computer or Ancestry. My frustration level jumped through the roof and I decided that the dogs needed grooming more than I needed to deal with Ancestry, my computer and my printer or this challenge. So, I went and groomed. One dog looks a lot better, but I can guarantee, he was not happy with Ancestry, the computer or printer either!

Hour or so later, I returned to the torture chamber of Ancestry and census. Next on my list of 16 great greats was Mary A. Kessler, nothing indicated, ditto for Daniel Halterman and his bride Barbara Delawder, so I skipped on to Sellestine Whitmer.

I needed just about all census reports for Sellestine. In 1860 he is still enumerated with his father. I discovered I did not have the 1860, so, mucked around, figured out a substandard method of printing and filled in the blanks and eliminated another to do item. (The bonus of looking for Sellestine in 1860 is that I got his father’s report, but, I also found on the same page data for Philip Delawder, including 2 additional children not on the data base, correction of birth year on another of his children, birth year and place for his wife.) I hunted down the 1870 census for Sellestine, no surprises there, and again made a substandard printout of the report for my files.

At this point, it is late, I am tired, I am short of temper with printer, computer and Ancestry and the rest of this challenge will have to wait. I still need to locate for Sellestine the 1880, 1900 and 1910 census reports.

That leaves great great number 16, Sarah Bayse, but she has no to do items attached to her.

Yes, Randy, I source. But, I am going to skip this portion of the challenge for now. My views on sourcing may make the purists cringe. I have talked about sourcing* a few times already on my blog, and I know I will again in the future, so stay tuned.

Evening was not quite “Fun”, but it was interesting, and I did find 3 census reports, deleted several to do items from the data base and added some goodies to Philip Delawder’s family, even tho he is not a great great.

Now, I have to find a way to ask Man to have a lookie see at the computer set up and see if the difficulties are on my end.

* See Sourcing? anyone really sourcing?
Sourcing? anyone really sourcing? Post Script
Exact Science - - You’re Kidding, Right??