My 2024 Research Year In Review

Image Created using ChatGPT

January
I'd found a cancelled land transaction for land in Lawrence Co Arkansas of a Wm C Cook in December. My order from the document retrieval service arrived. I transcribed the Homestead Application and started my timeline research on the Wm. C Cook family 1858-1888. I also found that Elisha Luna's widow had filed for his bounty land on his War of 1812 service. This was great because it helped to add to the evidence of proof of her maiden name. I subbed to Ancestry's ProTools and reviewed them.

February
This month's focus was on Jefferson Gideon Cook. I identified his wives and which one was the mother of each of his children. Obtained a copy of the deed for the house which George Solifelt left Tennie Hill. Found that Tennie's husband, Henry F Hill had been previously married and identified his wife. Still looking for that divorce. Worked on my daughter's paternal lines--her recent English immigrant(1880s) and her Germans who settled in Franklin County Indiana. Had hoped AncestryDNA would show them in communities since many have tested but that hasn't happened. RootsTech 2024 started.

March
Reviewed RootsTech 2024 Highlights. The research focus of this month was deeds. Found a lot about the area where Wm C Cook would have been at the time of the Williams vs Putman state supreme court case. (TN) This included mentioning William Harrison and Elizabeth Cook and identifying neighbors to add to the FAN. Found a Pope Family Probate file which identified by name and age those enslaved by the Pope family of Bedford & Williamson Co TN and Granville NC.

April
Another month of Deed research. I found so much more information about Wm C Cook and his children by reading those deeds. FamilySearch's Full Text Search is such a great help. Narrowed down the possible time frame of Anna Putman's death and also found Adkin Upshaw's Estate return in the Elbert Co GA records. Celebrated 20 years of blogging about my genealogy research this month.

May

This month was filled with Tax List research. I discovered that a page had been missed during the microfilming of the Bedford Co TN tax lists and was able to get a copy of the missing page from the clerk's office. Found that there was an outbreak of Cholera in Shelbyville in the year 1833. Posted a Quicklinks of the Bedford Co TN Newspapers available to view on FamilySearch.

June

Published the Wm Clifford Cook Family Timeline 1858-1888. Corrected an error I found in an obituary where the paper had confused the father and the son of a Cannon family. Located documents from Wm G Hight's estate in Franklin Co Arkansas.

July

Ordered a Kindle and published an article on how I use it to help with my genealogy research. Blogged about a DNA Cluster which links to a Jones & Williams family. Found Wm C Cook and son J.P Cook as witnesses on a Pope deed.

August

More William Harrison deeds. Bounty land records of Nancy Harrison Hight Culverhouse. Found the Cook brothers listed among those who owed money to J P Taylor. Really enjoyed reading through the listing of items that my great-uncle Will B Jakes put as security for a loan.

September

More on the Hight, Putman, and Harrison Deeds. Sorted through the records of my maternal great-aunt, Ovena Acuff

October

This month's focus was finding more records using the FamilySearch Full Text Search. They had started adding a lot more and I was finding items in the Court Minutes--Road Work Orders, Poll Tax Exemptions, and Jury Duty. Also wrote about our Cook(e) Y DNA project.

November

Found a Brandon & Williams Deed in Bedford Co TN records involving the Kings. Blogged about another error that was made during the microfilming which could cause confusion about the content of this particular film.

December

I wrote about another of my Granny's Charlotte Street neighbors and found a court minute entry registering the stock mark of the Ogilvies. Found several more Bedford Co TN deeds of the Cook family.  

While I still have many research questions, I've answered some and made progress toward answering others. I look forward to making many more discoveries in 2025.  I can't end this year in review without acknowledging The Best of Elizabeth Shown Mills series hosted by Legacy Family Tree Webinars.  The webinars are a members-only exclusive and so worth it.  I review them often.  They are very helpful when I am stuck in a rut and need motivation or a change of perspective on how to approach my research opportunity.  I am forever grateful to Elizabeth and Legacy Family Tree Webinars for making this educational opportunity available.

Bedford Co TN Deeds Burned Volume Index: W.C. Cook from Rowland Landers (1 Nov 1853)

I found another of WC Cook's deeds mentioned in the Bedford Co TN Deeds Burned Volumes Index. The entry doesn't describe the property, but if I can find out what lands Rowland Landers had before that date, I could possibly narrow it down.

1853 Nov 1 5pm Cook W.C.(Bargainee) Rowland Landers(Bargainor) Deed

Source
Bedford County Tennessee Deeds, Index to Burned Volumes 1851-1861, W C Cook from Rowland Landers, Deed 1 Nov 1853; image, FamilySearch(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKX-93LT-C?i=24&cat=298281: accessed 24 December 2024), Bedford County Tennessee Index to Burned Deed Volumes, IGN 8150806, Item 1, Image 25 of 481.

J P Taylor to Minerva Boyce(1873, recorded 1877)

Beginning on page 266

J. P. Taylor Deed to Minerva Boyce

for a valuable consideration, I have this day bargained and sold and do hereby convey to Minerva Boyce all my right title claim and interest in and to a tract of Land in District No 10 Bedford County Tennessee, bounded on the North by the lands of J. A. Boyce, East by John King and South and west by William Jackson being the tract of land conveyed to me by James Russ to have and to hold the same to the said Minerva Boyce wife of W. M. Boyce her heirs and assigns forever. I covenant with the said Minerva Boyce that I am lawfully seized of said land and have a good right to convey the same and convey and warrant to her such title as I have acquired by the Deed above recited, and will defend only such title. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this Nov 27th, 1873
J. P. Taylor

Test
W. C. Cook
Joseph K Cook

State of Tennessee 

Bedford County

Personally appeared before me R. L. Singleton Singleton Clerk of the County Court of said County W.C. Cook and J K Cook subscribing to the attached Deed who being first duly sworn deposed and says that they are personally acquainted with the above named J. P. Taylor, the bargainor and that he acknowledged the same in their presence to be his act and deed for the purposes therein contained Witness my hand at Office this 5th day of April 1877 

R L Singleton Clerk
by A.A. Cooper DC

Source
Bedford County, Tennessee, Deeds, Vol. NNN, pp. 266–7, J. P. Taylor to Minerva Boyce; Register of Deeds, Bedford County Courthouse, Shelbyville, Tennessee; digital image, Bedford County, Tennessee, Deeds, vol. NNN–OOO, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QY-K9NN-K : accessed 24 December 2024), IGN 8567899, image 161 of 638.

Ogilvie: A crop in the left ear and an under keel in the right

Williamson Co TN Court Minutes Vol. 1 page 45
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKX-K94P-Q
IGN 008150670 Image 20 of 475

William Ogilvie & Richard Ogilvie recorded their stock marks:  
A crop in the left ear and an under keel in the right

The date was not given on this entry but given those in surrounding records, likely May 1802.

Is this Richard and his father, or his brother? The elder William Ogilvie did leave his stock to his son, Richard in his will(written in 1811 and proved in 1813) which mentions that his cattle are in the care of Henry Arthur in Rutherford Co TN.

The Ogilvies are thought to have been part of the Degraffenried immigration and settlement at New Bern, NC. But I have not yet dug into that research.  

The 1710 Von Graffenried Settlement Of New Bern, North Carolina
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/sahs_review/vol39/iss2/3/

History of the Presbyterian Church in New Bern, N.C
https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/16864

Granny's Charlotte Street Neighbor: Miss Bessie

During the early 1970s, my grandmother lived at 203 North Charlotte Street in Dickson. The home, which was originally a duplex, was owned by the Shelton family. One of my grandmother's neighbors was Miss Bessie. I'd written about several other of the Charlotte Street neighbors' families, and I'd intended to write about her at some point, but I had to wait until I could find out her surname.  

The Tax Books for Dickson County(TN) are online at FamilySearch and cover the years 1831-1965. My plan was to use the tax book and the 1950 Census together to see if I could locate anyone on Cullum. 

In the 1950 Census, the entry for 100 Cullum(Dickson TN) was that of Ben F Mason, a 74-year-old widower.  The only other person enumerated with him was his niece, Bessie Holt, a 37-year-old divorcee. That entry and the 1965 tax entry for Bessie Holt showing that Charlotte Street bordered her property on the north gives me enough confidence to conclude that she is the same lady who was my grandmother's neighbor.

I found several other records in the Dickson Co TN records at FamilySearch that contained information about Bessie's life.  In December 1962, she took out a loan and used her household furniture for collateral.  The loans from the finance company were recorded in the county books which give a detailed list of the furniture.

• 1-4 pc. Living Room Suite
• 1-17" Philco Television Set
• 1-5 pc. Dinette Suite
• 1-G.E. Refrigerator
• 1-Gas Kenmore Stove
• 1-Speed Queen Washing Machine
• 1-Mahogany Hollywood Bed
• 1-Lt. Mahogany Chest of Drawers
• 1-Lt. Mahogany Dresser

While researching Bessie's life, I found that she had folks from her Holt and Mason sides who went to Indiana(Marion and Vigo Counties) between 1920 and 1930. Bessie must have visited her family there, as I found a marriage record for her there to Harley Hardiman, an older widower, in December 1930.  There is also some question about whether or not she married a Davis man in the 1960s as her Social Security Information records indicated a name change during that period.  By Bessie's passing, Granny had been gone from the Charlotte Street area for over 15 years and I had moved out of state.  I was heartbroken to learn that she had died as a result of a housefire at her residence. How very sad.  She was laid to rest in the East Dickson Cemetery.

Sources:

Dickson County Tax Records, 1962-1965, Tax year 1965, p 38, entry of Bessie Holt; browsable image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C39N-C4YQ?cat=93578&i=782 : accessed 20 November 2024), IGN 8474065, 783 of 906.

1950 US Federal Census, Dickson Co. TN, Enumeration District 22-7, Household #269, sheet 23, Lines 5-6(Ben F Mason & Bessie Holt) 100 Cullum St; FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6FSQ-ZTCN : accessed 20 November 2024), Entry for Ben F Mason and Bessie Holt, 1 May 1950.

Dickson Co. Tennessee, Trust Deeds Vols 86-88(1961-1963), Vol 88, p 343, Chattel Mortgage of Bessie Holt to Hickory Finance of Dickson; images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C39N-8BPR : accessed Nov 21, 2024) IGN 8475046, image 818 of 958.

"Home fires in Montgomery, Dickson fatal to father and son, elderly woman," The Tennessean, Fri 6 Jan 1989, p B-1, col 1; digital images, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-home-fires-in-montgomery/159449321/ : accessed 20 Nov 2024).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/215756933/bessie-holt: accessed November 21, 2024), memorial for Bessie Holt (12 Feb 1904–5 Jan 1989), Memorial ID 215756933, citing East Dickson Cemetery, Dickson, Dickson County, Tennessee, USA.

Charles Brandon To Daniel Williams --Bedford Co TN(1817)

Charles Brandon to Daniel Williams for $150

When:  13 Sept 1817
What:  tract or parcel of land lying in the county of Bedford on the waters of the Clems Creek bounded as follows  Beginning at a Cedar marked CB in William Hills East boundary line of his 320 acre tract on said creek about thirty-one chains south of the North East corner of the same running thence south eighty poles to an Elm thence east one hundred poles to a stake by a walnut tree thence North Eighty poles to a post  oak thence west one hundred poles to the beginning fifty acres

Witnessed by Elias Brandon and John King

Bedford County, Tennessee, Deed Books, Volume Q, p. 362, Charles Brandon to Daniel Williams; digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKX-S3W5-M : accessed 13 November 2024), IGN 8150799. image 651 of 931.

Understanding Errors Made During Microfilming

 Bedford County Tennessee deed books O-R were microfilmed by the Tennessee State Library and  Archives and are digitally available via FamilySearch in Image Group Number 008150799.  I'm so thankful to have these records and others like them available to access from home.  

The IGN 8150799 images might be confusing to some because of errors in the target images.  Target images are documents added that give additional information about the item being microfilmed. Some examples are: End of roll, End of item, Tight Binding, Smeared Ink, etc.  Volume O contains deeds for 1821-1822 and has an index for those deeds at the front of the book.  While the dates covered are correct the book is more than an index.

Volumes P, Q, and R are also listed incorrectly as Index Books on the target images but now we have an additional error.  The person who created the handwritten target pages wrote 19 instead of 18 for the first two numbers of the year. 

 

Volume P

Volume Q

Volume R

Thankfully, FamilySearch has it listed correctly on their site. It is essential that you know what records you are using. A citation is more than just a road map back to the source, it requires understanding the why and when of the record creation as well as recognizing any errors made in the transferring of that record to a different format. This is just one example of errors you might encounter while researching.

Notes:  

Bedford Co TN Deed Books(w/ front index) IGN 008150799

Volume O   Images 6-227
Volume P    Images 229-457
Volume Q   Images 459-659
Volume R   Images 661-931

Falling Back an Hour and Buttons

Some of my favorite buttons

It's the time of year when we set our clocks back one hour.  What to do with that "extra" hour?  I decided to sew on a few buttons that needed replacing. I'd put that off as long as I could. Procrastination--a word for another day.  This was an easy task except when it came to my blazer.  There were no extra buttons on it. That prompted me to look through my button jar to find one that might match.  Do you have a button jar or a button tin?  I have one full of the buttons that my family saved over the years.  It contains buttons saved by my Mom's family and those saved by my Dad's family.  My Grandparents raised their families during the Depression so buttons, like many other items, were saved and repurposed.

In looking for a replacement button, I found buttons that sparked childhood memories.  A few buttons leftover from a jacket that had been made for me when I was about 5 or 6.  Buttons from the dresses that Mom and Aunt Bobbie wore to a wedding.  At one time, I had a button from Daddy's old brown corduroy coat. I didn't see it this time.  Hopefully, it's not lost. and I've just overlooked it. 

It is interesting how different things spark a memory--songs, flowers, scents, textures, fabrics, and buttons.  

W L Acuff Released from 1882 Poll Tax--Van Buren Co. TN

W L Acuff mentioned in the above image is my 2nd Great-grandfather, William Leon Acuff. He was a Christian Church minister. According to family stories passed down, he met my 2nd Great-grandmother, Sarah McElroy when he came to the McElroy community in Van Buren County to preach.

orderdered(sic) by the Court that W L Acuff 
be Released of his poll tax for 1882 he being 
a minister of the gospel and the trustee and 
tax collector have a Credit the same

Source:  Van Buren County, Tennessee, Court Minutes 1872–1886, p 532, April 1883 Term, W L Acuff released from poll tax 1882; images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C39N-BTYH : accessed Oct 18, 2024), image 482 of 612; IGN 8478553.

Wm T Hale--Road Hand Van Buren Co. TN March 1845

Wm T Hale my 3rd great-grandfather was among the hands appointed to take care of the road under the direction of Dixon Hillis at the March Term of Court in 1845 Van Buren County Tennessee.  I have very few records for him which makes this find all the more exciting.  

Van Buren Co TN Court Records 1840–1866

IGN 8151146  Image 82 of 635

FamilySearch https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKX-3QZ4-C
County Clerk's Minute Book April 1840- May 1855 p 144

March Term 1845

Ordered by the Court that Dixon Hillis be appointed 
Overseer of the road from the forks of the road at Squire 
Yorks new field to the foot of the mountain and keep the same 
in repair as the law directs it being a road of the second class 
And have the following bounds of hands Wm McDaniel Archibald 
Hillis Jackson McCarver Dixon N Hillis Wm T Hale Francis 
A Hale Thos Russell & John Boyd 

William C Cook Jury Duty Bedford Co. TN- Aug 1854

It appears that more records are being added to the Full-Text Search Lab at FamilySearch.  On a whim, I searched on my William C Cook and found him listed in court records.  Apparently, he had jury duty in August of 1854.  This is a great reminder to revisit and search again if it's been a while since your last search. 

The ability to switch between regular Preview and Fact View is also helpful

Our Cook(e) YDNA Path : Comparing Y700 results with FTDNA's Estimate from an Uploaded Autosomal of the Y Tester's Brother

Below is the path of my youngest brother's results. He tested as a direct male descendant of Wm Clifford Cook(1811-1882) our 2nd Great Grandfather -- a brick wall of our Cook research.

YDNA Haplogroup Path: Descendant of Wm C Cook(1811-1882) Bedford Co., TN, USA

R-M269    --Descendants of Wm Tryon Patterson, Wm Cook(e), and Shem Cooke(1722-1796 Granville NC)

R-L23 
R-L51
R-P310
R-L151 --Wm Cooke b 1740 Surry Co Descendant
R-P312
R-Z46516
R-ZZ11
R-U152
R-L2
R-Z258
R-Z367   --(Carroll Co TN Roland Cooke Descend(Thru Shem's son James)
R-Z34  --Hunt Surname NPE;  My brother, David's estimated Haplogroup
R-Z33
R-BY164497
R-BY3604
R-Z256
R-Z275 -- (Shem Cooke--Carroll Co GA Descend thru Roland B Cooke;  Cook with unk path
R-CTS7352 My Brother at the Y500 Level
R-BY72556 --My Brother Y700 (Wm Clifford Cook descendant thru Wm Green Cook; Patterson who descends from Wm Tryon Patterson w/ Carroll Co GA connected Y Line.

We started out with the R-M269 and it stayed there with upgrades until I could purchase a BigY test.  I have placed several others I have identified in his match list to visualize where they are within the path.  I also included my other brother's estimated Haplogroup which FamilyTreeDNA notified me about this past week.  It is one of the haplogroups that FTDNA has estimated from an uploaded autosomal DNA test. I had expected that he estimated Haplogroup would be R-M269 but it was more precise.  I'm not complaining.

If you have a connection to Cook(e)s from  Granville, Wake or Warren Co NC or the Carroll Co GA or Carroll Co TN Cook(e) please consider testing now or when they have their next YDNA sale at FamilyTreeDNA  If you have tested or have a family member who has tested you both should consider joining the Cook(e)-Koch DNA Project. 

Y-DNA Badge for Haplogroup Estimate from
uploaded autosomal DNA

Which William Cook registered land in Bedford Co TN(1826)

Several weeks back I contacted the Tennessee State Library and Archives with a question about a land warrant(#3793) recorded for William C Cook for land in Bedford Co TN. My specific question was abt the act listed on the warrant in hopes that it would tell how he received the land. In the meantime, I started looking for land transactions or deeds for the people and properties listed in the land description. Specifically Dempsey P Temple and William Chapman. I received a response which included several documents

• An 1823 Act Book page
• Plat Certificate for the William C Cook land

Transcription of Plat Certificate :

By virtue of Entry number 584 dated May 13th 1825
(Entered by certificate No. 15 for 160 acres)
I have surveyed for William C Cook (assignee of Robert P Harrison) 50 acres of land situate in Bedford County on the Waters of Rich Creek a North Branch of Duck River. Beginning on William Chapman's line on Dempsey P Temples northwest corner of an entry of 100 acres No. 229 thence East with Temples line 126 and one-half poles to a cedar thence North 63 and 1/4 poles to two black ash trees thence West 126 and a half poles to an elm and Ash on said Chapman's line thence Southwest on said line to the beginning

Surveyed February 4th 1826           Wm D Orr  DR(note: Deed Recorder?)

William Chapman
Asa Hale
2CC(note: chain carriers?)

Land Records for  William Chapman

Transaction 29th Dec 1827

Regd  23 Jan 1828

Kimbrough T. Ogilvie to William Chapman  203 acres ($ 1000)

Bedford Co. TN Deed Book v. W  p. 396

FamilySearch  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKX-3Q6Q-X

accessed 12 Sep 2024

IGN 8150800  Image  822  of  902

[Named in Record:  David Dryden, Samuel Winstead Alexander Eakin

The land was part of a larger grant Mark R Cockrell(No 9392) 196 acres]

Transaction 21st Dec 1827

Regd 28th  May 1829

William Chapman to Samuel Winstead  6 acres & 30 poles ($31)

Bedford Co. TN Deed Book v. AA p. 181

FamilySearch 

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKX-QS83-3 : accessed 11 Sep 2024

IGN 8150802  Image 105 of 591

[Named in Record:  Thomas Allison, Spencer Eakin,  P H Shockey]

Transaction 8th Feb 1828

Regd 28th May 1829

William Chapman to Samuel Winstead  75 acres ($128)

Bedford Co. TN Deed Book v. AA p. 179

FamilySearch https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKX-QS84-Q

accessed 11 Sep 2024

IGN 8150802  Image 104 of 591

[Named in record:  Mark R Cockrill?,  George Calhoon, Peter Goodwin, Ephraim Hunter, Benjamin Harkness, John Williamson]

Transaction 5 Dec 1832

Regd  13th March 1833

William Chapman to  Ephraim Hunter  79 acres &  120 poles ($184 42 1/2 Cents )

Bedford Co. TN Deed Book v. DD  p.  1

FamilySearch https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS54-S7MV-6

accessed 11 Sep 2024

IGN 8265309   Image 292 of 585

[Named in Record:  Thomas Allison, John Ramsey, James Eakin]

Checking the names from within just these documents using the tax list of Bedford Co TN for 1836-1839 as well as the 1830 US Federal Census which was close to the same time as the deeds shows that most of those people owned property or lived in Dist 17 of Bedford Co TN.  I could hypothesize if this trend continues that he is the William Cook of District 17 but that doesn't explain why he is listed as William C Cook on the Land document.  At all other times, I have found Dist 17 William he was simply William Cook--no middle initial.

Robert P Harrison--William C Cook certificate for land mentions that he is assignee of Harrison

Wm. D Orr-Recorded the Deed

Asa Hale--One of the Chain Carriers

Mark R. Cockrell--The land Kimbrough T Ogilvie sold Wm Chapman was from an early land grant of his.

District 7

Alexander Eakin

Spencer Eakin

Shockley--Did not find P H Shockley but there was a Shockley in this district.

District 11

Thomas Allison

District 17

Ephraim Hunter 

Benjamin Harkness 

John Williamson

John Ramsey

James Eakin

Samuel Winstead

Kimbrough T. Ogilvie

District 18

William Cook

Dempsey P Temple

William Chapman

George Calhoun

Peter Goodwin 

David Dryden

Districts 12-17 were taken from Bedford Co TN in 1836 to form Marshall County.

1830 US Federal Census, Bedford County Tennessee , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH5S-V8B : accessed 29 Sep 2024), image 13 of 712.[This snippet of the census appears to be some of the District 17 Families whose head of household is among those mentioned in the deeds involving William Chapman].

Another point, even with this William C Cook being listed as the assignee of Robert P Harrison and with my Wm C Cook's Harrison maternal grandparents he would not be of age to be able to own or purchase land without a guardian as far as I can tell.

Samuel Winstead purchaser of the land from William Chapman, is likely the same man named Samuel Winstead who served in the 1st Regiment(Metcalfe's) West Tennessee Militia during the War of 1812.  William P Cook, the probable husband of Elizabeth Harrison Cook, also served in 1st Regiment(Metcalfe's) West Tennessee Militia   

Knowing the district in which the William Cook who received the land lived and his neighbors makes me believe that he was William Cook b. abt 1798 who married Nancy Lentz.  No idea why he was referred to as William C Cook on the land documents.  His Widow's Pension File is listed on Fold3. She had filed for War of 1812 survivor's pension but had been rejected because he was in the Seminole War of 1818 which weren't eligible for pension.

I can safely say that my 2nd Great Grandfather William C Cook b 1811 was not the same William C Cook who received that land. As far as I know, none of the direct male descendants of Wm Cook husband of Nancy Lentz have YDNA tested.  Need to look at the late Jerry Wayne Cook's research.  I think he published it.

Wm G Hight Deed to Wm Putman in Bedford Co. TN(1844)

I found a deed using the Full-Text Search Lab at FamilySearch today and thought it might be fun to see if ChatGPT could plat the land description.  I first had to transcribe the deed which I did using the Full Text transcription and making the corrections.  

https://www.familysearch.org/search/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CST3-19PP-Y

William G Hight to William Putman Deed 92 acres 

This Indenture made and entered into this day one thousand eight hundred and forty four October the twenty third Between Wm G. Hight of the County of Bedford & State of Tennessee of the one part & Wm Putman of the County and State aforesaid of the other part. Witnesseth that the said Wm G. Hight for & in consideration of the sum of four hundred dollars two hundred paid and the balance unpaid for which the land Stands bound, to him in hand by Wm Putman the receipt is whereof hereby acknowledged, hath given, granted, Bargained, and sold, Aliened, conveyed and confirmed unto said Putman his heirs and assigns forever a certain Tract or parcel of land situated & lying & being in Bedford County & State of Tennessee on the Alexander Creek & bounded as follows, to wit, Beginning on Caswells North boundary line at Elm & ash, thence with Johnsons line North Sixty poles to a red Oak and elm in South boundary line Thomas Black. Thence West with one hundred and twenty four and two thirds of a pole to ash, thence South with Hight's line on hundred and thirty four poles to the Middleton road, thence East with said road forty four and two thirds of a pole. One rod East of a post Oak to a Stake then South Lile's line fifty six poles to a stake and hickory in Isham Lains North boundary line thence East with Lains line twenty nine poles to a hickory, Thence North with the Lains line one hundred & thirty poles to a hickory, Lains North West Corner, thence West fifty one poles to the Beginning. Containing in all Ninety two acre of land. Be it the Same more or less. To have and to hold the aforesaid land with all and singular the rights and profits Emoluments, hereditaments and appurtenances of in and to the same belonging or in any wise appertaining to the only proper use & behoof of him Wm Putman his heirs and assigns forever and he the said Wm G. Hight for himself his heirs, executors & administrators do covenant & agree with said Wm Putman his heirs and that the before recited land & bargained premises he will warrant and forever defend against the right, title interest & claim of all and every person or persons whatever lawfully claiming the same. Witness whereof the said Wm G. Hight hath hereunto set his hand & affixed his seal this day & date above written. 

Signed & sealed in presence of Wm G. Hight 

State of Tennessee Personally appeared before me Robert Hurst Clerk of the County Court of said Bedford County County William G. Hight the within named bargainor with whom I am personally acquainted and who acknowledged that he executed the within deed for the purposes therein contained. Witness my hand at Office this 24th October 1844 Rob Hurst Clerk Recd & Noted October 24th 1844 at 1 O clock PM Registered October 24th 1844 Andrew Vannoy Register 

Not a perfect transcription but I think the original has some omitted words.

I then copied and pasted the land description immediately after my prompt asking it to plat the land and label it.  It did as I asked.  Looking at its plat, I questioned its placement of Johnson's land(it had it North and I thought it should be East.)  After my questioning, it agreed with me and mentioned the same reasoning or logic I had used(in my head) to come up with the location of Johnson's land.  Is the plat correct?  Nope-- but that should improve with updates.  I am at my limit today so that won't happen for this article.  

ChatGPT tries to plat using the deed description

I am more excited about finding the deed with Wm Hight and Wm Putman than I am about trying to get ai to plat. The date on this is 23 of Oct. 1844. Elvira Cooper Harrison was still alive at that time.  If Wm Putman's wife Anna was a Cook and the sister of Wm Clifford Cook then Wm G Hight and Wm Putman's connection would be by marriage thru the Harrisons. The Harrison land was on Alexander Creek.  The land owners seem to be Bedford Co. Dist 9 folks. The neighborhood where Elizabeth Cook is enumerated as HOH in 1830 is District 9(conclusion reached comparing the tax list to those in surrounding households.)  This is also the neighborhood that Wm Cook would have been in 1830 around the time of the Williams vs Wm Putman, Zephaniah Anglin, and others. Just some things to think about.

The Name's Wrong, The Identity's Right: Overcoming Record Errors

Yesterday, I received a notice from FamilySearch that they might have found my great-grandmother in a record.

The record on which my Great-grandmother Fannie Hale Acuff was listed was the 2nd marriage of her daughter Ovena Acuff to Owen Sharp.  I'd had the date of her marriage but never entered it. She didn't have children with Owen so that was not a priority for me.  Her name on their marriage record is wrong on two counts. She is listed as Lovena Hammonds.  She should have been listed as Ovena Damrel.  She had been married to Ben Damrel who had died about four years prior. At Ancestry, the record was buried in the hints for Ovena where it was indexed as it was written on the record and probably was only picked up as a hint because of the mention of her parents.

I'm used to names being indexed wrong but this was a case of it being wrong(on two counts) on the record.  I submitted a correction on Ancestry and the record is attached correctly to Ovena at FamilySearch.  I knew she was likely born in either White or Van Buren Co TN because her family lived there until just before the 1920 census when they moved to Madison Co AL for work in the cotton mills.  If I can believe this record gives her place of birth as Doyle TN which is just over the Van Buren County line in White County. 

Source:  
"Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939V-Z7LC-P : accessed 16 September 2024), Marriage Record Entry for Owen Sharp and Ovena Damrel(listed incorrectly as Lovena Dammonds), 24 Aug 1936.

More Records of the Johnson Co IL Hights

Robert Doak Hight--Johnson Co IL Deeds at FamilySearch

Wm R Whiteside & wife Rachel To Robert D Hight 8 Oct 1845

Robert D Hight Quit Claims to Pleasant Grissom 4th Oct 1849

John J Jones to R D Hight 27 May 1859

Joseph and Mary McCorkle to Robert Doak Hight 13 Aug 1859

Isaac Worley and Wife Nancy to R D Hight 28 Oct 1859

Landowners Map of the Hights in Johnson Co. Illinois 
Generated via HistoryGeo

These Hights were from Maury & Bedford Counties of Tennessee.

Robert D Hight was the son of Sion H Hight

Sion H Hight to Rachel Rieter
18 acres 76 poles x 38 poles
Christmas Creek in Rutherford Co TN
15 Dec 1819 [This is the same land description of the 15 acres in Rutherford Co TN(76p x 38p) that was on record to Sion on 9 Oct 1818 and Recorded 24 May 1819 which was a part of a larger grant from NC based on the military service of Robert Whitlock.]

Sion Hight purchased 8 Geese at the Estate Sale of Archibald Hight Maury Co TN 1822

Cook & Putman descendants share atDNA with Sion Hight's descendants.  The largest amounts seem to be with the descendants of his grandson James Franklin Hight's descendants.

Smith, George Washington. 1912. A History of Southern Illinois Vol. 2, Chicago, IL: Lewis Publishing Company, p 758, James Franklin Hight Biography; digital image  HathiTrust (https://hdl.handle.net/2027/umn.31951001959853m?urlappend=%3Bseq=234%3Bownerid=114607231-268 : accessed 18 August 2024)

Two Land Records--Wm Harrison--Alexander Creek Bedford Co. TN

These two plats of Wm Harrison's land may be the ones where he and family are living in the 1830 Census of Bedford County Tennessee.  It mentions a neighboring entry for Elijah West.  There was a Jefferson West living near Wm Harrison and family in that census(1830)

Wm Harrison 5 acres No 5126
Scale 20 poles per inch
State of Tennessee Second district by virtue of Entry No 6989
dated October 21st 1814 founded on Certificate No 1051 for
93 acres issued to Mark Mitchell by the register of West
Tennessee on the 10th June 1812 I have surveyed for William
Harrison a tract of land containing five acres situate
in Bedford County on the waters of Alexander Creek of
Duck River Beginning at a dogwood the southeast corner of a fifteen acre
Entry in the name of James Smith Running from thence north thirty poles
to the south west corner of one hundred acre entry in the name of Elijah West
to an Elm and post oak running from thence east tweeny six poles and
seven tenths of a pole to a locust and hackberry thence south thirty
poles to an Elm and hickory thence west twenty six poles and seven 

tenths to the beginning surveyed the ninth day of December 1814 by

William Harrison
John Harrison S.C.C.                            Joseph Neal D. L.
Transmited?   Augt 24th 1818 by Wm Harrison

Wm Harrison 15 acres No. 5127
Scale 40 Poles per Inch
State of Tennessee Second district by virtue of Entry No 6988
dated October 21st 1814 founded on Certificate No 1051 for 93
acres issued to Mark Mitchell by the Register of West Tennessee
on the 10th June 1812 I have surveyed for William Harrison
assignee of John B Hogg fifteen acres of land situate in Bedford
County on the waters of Alexanders Creek of Duck River Beginning at Hickory
the North West Coverner of a thirty acres entry made in the name of John
Cockrell running from thence thirty four and one half poles to two elms
and a cedar thence south sixty nine poles to two cedars and an Elm
Thence east thirty four and one half poles to two Elms and a dogwood in the
west boundary line of P. Cockrill thence North Sixty nine poles to the
Beginning surveyed the ninth day of December 1814 by
William Harrison
John Harrison S.C.C.                          Joseph Neal D. L.
Transmited? Augt 24th 1818 by Wm Harrison

Source 

Ancestry, Tennessee, U.S., Early Land Registers, 1778-1927

 (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/4323:3658 : accessed 12 September 2024)

That collection contains the images which are the TN Land Books digitized by TN State Library and Archives.  Those records are part of Record Group 50

Series 3, Book 30, Plats And Surveys 
2nd Surveyor's District 1814-1815
No. 4374 To 5533

p. 346 & 347

Plat No 5125 & No 5126 of William Harrison lands On Alexander Creek, Bedford Co. TN,  

W B Jakes To E.P. Leach--Feb 1925 Bedford Co. TN

Bedford Co TN Trust Deed Book 32 p 527
FamilySearch, Digital image IGN 008568252 Image 621 of 655
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QY-X9CT-7

Accessed 26 August 2024

W B Jakes To E.P. Leach

Property used to secure the note: 
1 bay horse 8 yrs old 15 1/2 hands high and worth $200
1 light bay horse 7 yrs old 15 hands high worth $200
1 McMurray Rubber Tire Sulky worth $100
1 Joy Cart and harness worth $30

Said Property is located at my place of residence on the old Sherrin farm in the 7th district of Bedford County Tenn. 

Stipulation: 

The transfer or removal of said property from this county makes this mortgage immediately due.

This trust is made to secure said E.P. Leach for one note of this date for $125 and due Dec. 15--1925. and signed by W B Jakes, James Jakes, and John L Jakes.  Now if I pay said sum or sums as they mature, then this deed is to be null and void, but if I fail to pay said sum or sums above mentioned at maturity, then the said E. P. Leach may take immediate possession of said above described property, and is hereby empowered to sell the same either privately or publicly and pay the expenses of the deed first; second, to pay said note above described, and a reasonable attorney's fee if placed in the hands of attorney for collection, the balance to me or my order.

This 4 day of Feb 1925

My thoughts:  

I discovered this Trust Deed using the Full-Text Search at FamilySearch.org.  The summary and the transcription offered up in the side panel were riddled with errors so I didn't include it in this post. I am glad to have found this.  I plan to look at that period in Will's life and determine what was happening. 

I love seeing what my Great Uncle Will(W.B. Jakes) owned and it's an added bonus that in the process of giving the location of the property used to secure the note, it tells where he lived.

John L Jakes who signs is Will's brother, and James Jakes is their father

E P Leach was a merchant and carriagemaker who lived in Rutherford Co TN.  I believe this is why the heading says Rutherford Co TN immediately before this deed in the book.  To me, that would mean the deal was made in Rutherford but the property that secured the note was in Bedford Co TN(Will's county of residence.  Could this also be recorded in the Rutherford Co TN Deed books...I'll have to check that out.

McMurray Sulky Co.--From the Detroit Public Library Digital Collection

Don't Neglect Researching the More Recent Past

I obtained a digital copy of my Dad's 1st cousin's will by calling the county clerk's office two years ago. At the time I didn't have a working printer so I had not printed a copy out to put in my Cooke Jakes Archives Binder. I took care of that today. Cousin Hazel had no children of her own so the will was pretty straightforward. She was the only child of my paternal grandmother's brother John Jakes.  Great Uncle John had been a barber in Murfreesboro, TN. He passed away in 1937 when my Dad was really young thus Dad didn't have many memories to pass on concerning his Uncle John or his cousin Hazel who was 10 years his senior. People fall out of touch when there are deaths in the family and such was the case with my grandmother Pearl Jakes Cooke and her deceased brother's daughter Hazel.

I knew that she had married into the Jetton family but pretty much nothing else. When I was writing the article about my great-grandparents James Jakes and Annie Frizzell and their descendants, I found out more about her life. I wish I'd had the Full-text search that is offered in the FamilySearch Labs on FamilySearch.org at the time I was writing that piece.  It's probably just as well though as I am uncovering oodles of info and that would have been too much for the paper article which had already pushed the limit for inclusion in the quarterly.

The important point I want to make is that we shouldn't overlook researching our more recent relatives, such as parents, grandparents, their 1st cousins, and 1st cousins once removed. This is particularly important if you are using DNA research and want to identify matches on your DNA list. While there are privacy laws, there are still many public records that can be accessed through requests or by searching newspapers and directories. Be sure to explore the Full-text Search for those more recent ancestors and cousins.  It may give you ideas for additional places to search for information.

Bounty Land Warrant # 37922--Nancy Culverhouse

The Land Entry Case File 
Warrant # 37922 by Act of Sept 1850  to Nancy Culverhouse widow on service
of John Height Pvt in Capt Paces Co 2nd Reg Tenn Vols
War of 1812 

Nancy Culverhouse Assigned to Wm G Hight

Wm G Hight Assigned to Jacob Idleman

Jacob Idleman entered the claim at the 

Vandalia Ills office on 80 acres in Fayette Co. Illinois

Record Group 49

Records of Bureau of Land Management

National Archives, Washington, DC.

Document Retrieval by Gopher Records

37922
Act of Sept 1850

Nancy Culverhouse widow
of John Height Pvt Capt Paris Co 2nd Reg Tenn Vols
War of 1812

Jacob Idleman Asg
Vandalia Ills 80 acres

5th May 1853
Reg 7 Aug /55

11 April 1852

For value received I Nancy Culverhouse to whom the within
warrant No 45.922 was issued do hereby sell and assignee unto William
G Hight of Bedford County Tennessee and to his heirs and
assigns forever the said warrant and authorizes him to locate the same
and receive a patent therefor. Witness my hand and seal this 4th
day of June 1852
Nancy Culverhouse(her mark and seal)
Attest
C S Dudley
R B Rucker

4th June 1852 Justice of Peace James Foster
7th June 1852 John H Oneal Clerk of Bedford Co TN
verifies the return by the JP and applies the seal

17th June 1852 Wm G Hight sells & assigns to Jacob Idleman
of Fayette Co IL

Attest
Ro G Smiley
D F Wilkin

17th June 1852 in Davidson Co TN by Justice of Peace Robert W Greene
F R Cheatham certifies and seals the assignment also on 17th June 1852

William Harrison Deeds--Bedford Co. TN

Located two deeds of William Harrison who deeded property in the Alexander Creek area of Bedford Co TN.  

Deed #1

William Harrison to John A McClain
23 Acres and 120 poles   

bargained on 25 November 1825
Registered 15 December 1826

"Controversy has arisen between the said parties concerning a certain tract or parcel of land"

Land in Bedford Co TN on Alexander Creek 

William Harrison signs away all his right title and interest in said land and while the deed does mention bargaining, selling, and delivering it does not mention any monetary exchange. 

Witnesses

Josiah T McLain

Jodiah A McLain

John Harrison

Source:
Bedford County, Tennessee, Deed Book W: 335, William Harrison to John A. McLain, both of Bedford County, Tennessee; digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKX-3Q64-7 : accessed 11 August 2024), Bedford County, Tennessee, Deed Books S-W, November 1824-February 1828, image 791 of 902, IGN 8150800.

Deed #2

William Harrison to Rencher Spence
85 acres for $300 

bargained 25 June 1827
Situate lying and being in the county above up on the
water of Alexander Creek and bounded as follows(viz)
Beginning on a Elm running west one hundred &
46 poles to a stake thence south Ninty four poles to a
Dogwood thence East one hundred & forty-six pole to a
dogwood thence North Ninty four poles to the beginning
containing eighty-five acres of Land

Witnesses
Benj G Allen
Allen Harris
Registered 18 Aug 1827

In the first part of the recorded deed it looks like it says William Harrison Sen.  The S appears consistent with the other words starting with S.  It doesn't appear to be J for Junior.  I believe this is the William Harrison Rev War Pensioner and husband of Elvira Cooper Harrison. He is in the 1830 Census of Bedford Co TN surrounded by the McClains(the spelling of their name varies), his sons, and Elizabeth Cook(most likely his daughter, Elizabeth Harrison Cook.)  Benjamin Allen is a neighbor on that 1830 Census and is likely the witness with that same name.  The Allen family gave statements for the Rev War Pension drawn on William's service. 

Source: 

Bedford County, Tennessee, Deed Book W: 321, William Harrison of BedfordCo TN to Rencher Spence of Rutherford Co TN; digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKX-3Q68-5 : accessed 11 August 2024), Bedford County, Tennessee, Deed Books S-W, November 1824-February 1828,  image 784 of 902, IGN 8150800. 

Unsure if these two deeds are the same William but it seems likely that they are given he was a known resident of that area.  His son, also named William Harrison would have been a teenager at the time the deeds were executed.

Other Posts I've Made Relevant to this Topic:

Callen and Hight Land-Bedford Co TN Deed Book LL pg 8-9

https://mariegen.blogspot.com/2024/03/callen-and-height-land-bedford-co-tn.html

Bedford Co. TN Deed Found Using FamilySearch Full Text Search

https://mariegen.blogspot.com/2024/03/bedford-co-tn-deed-found-using.html

Neighbors near Zepheniah Anglin--1830 Bedford Co. TN Census

https://mariegen.blogspot.com/2019/01/neighbors-near-zephaniah-anglin-1830.html

Progress with Cook research

https://mariegen.blogspot.com/2023/01/progress-with-cook-research.html

J P Taylor's Estate Inventory Includes Notes Held on Cook Brothers(1880)

The estate of J P Taylor(admin C N Taylor) held notes on both  James P Cook and his brother, Joseph Knox Cook.  These notes are listed in the inventory listing of the estate recorded in Bedford Co. TN on 18th June 1880

(Note on) J P Cook difference in Settlement         15 cents
(Note on) J K Cook March 8 1880                  $18

Many others from the neighborhood are listed.

Surnames included:  Bullock, Gentry, Jones, Wright, Chambers, Ransom, Alexander, Lamb, Manire, Louvan, Cole, Height, Cousey, Allison, Floyd, Newsom, Wade, Osborne, Prince, Wortham, Jackson, Lytle, Pressgroves, Stem, Vicry, Cooper, Batt, Poplin, Hester, Primrose, Garrett, Landrum, Gowen, Daniel, Harris.

Bedford County, Tennessee, Probate Court, Estate Inventory of J.P. Taylor, Probate Volume C, page 320; image FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-2P77-W9 : accessed 4 August 2024) Probate Volumes C-D, January 1878–August 1889, item 4776096, image 189 of 690.

4 Ways to Make Genealogy Part of Your Kindle Library

I recently purchased an Amazon Kindle e-reader.  I've used the Kindle app on my phone and computer but I'm new to the Kindle e-reader and wondered how I might incorporate my genealogy research into my Kindle Library. These are the four ways I have found to do that so far. 

1. Public libraries may offer ebooks for checkout through an app such as Hoopla or Libby  Sometimes there are genealogical or historical ebooks available to borrow which allow reading via Kindle. Take advantage of this if your local library offers one of these services.
2. The ability to take notes and highlight as you read a book is a great feature.  The notes are saved to your device even if you remove the book.  You may also email these notes to the email address associated with your Kindle.
3. The most obvious way is by purchasing ebooks on the topic of genealogy.
4. Files or documents can be sent to the Kindle. This can be accomplished in several ways:  

• Using a USB Cable and file explorer on your computer to drag and drop files
• Emailing the files to your Kindle's email address(found on the device under all settings  or at your Amazon account under device management--Preferences and Personal Documents) There are size and document type restrictions   
• Using Send To Kindle from your account or the app 
  From the Send To Kindle page, the current size limit is 200 MB
  Supported File Types: PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, RTF, HTM/HTML, EPUB, and most image file types.  

Type of documents I send to my Kindle

• Genealogical Course Syllabi
• Family Tree Reports
• Ongoing Research Reports
• Genealogy Quarterlies
• Articles I've Written About My Research
• Timelines

F. F. Arnold Death Notice(1829-1899)

Death of F. F. Arnold
Frank Arnold is dead! He
died at Tullahoma Saturday
night last from paralysis aged
about 73 years. He was born
and raised in Bedford County
and was widely known as one of
worthiest and best of citizens. He
removed but a short while ago
from the 23rd district in which
he had resided from his youth
up. In the civil war he was a
gallant Confederate soldier and
his old companions in arms will
regret to hear of his death. In
all the relations of life whether
as husband, parent, neighbor or
friend he was as true as the
truest and news of his death will
be heard with sorrow. We join in
this regret and tender our sym-
pathies to his bereaved wife and
relatives. Mr. Arnold was a mem-
ber of the Masonic Order and
was buried with Masonic honors
at New Hope Church Sunday
last in the presence of a large
concourse of friends. Peace to
his ashes.

"Death of F. F. Arnold", Shelbyville Gazette(Tennessee), 30 November 1899, Vol 26 No 48, p 3 col 5; digital image, Familysearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-13T3-DDMX?i=176&cat=479415 : accessed 28 July 2024) IGN 8992019, image 177 of 655.

The widow of Francis Fieldon Arnold applied for a Widow's Confederate Pension.  She was residing in Hamilton Co TN at the time of her application(TN Confederate Pension Application W6421).

Find a Grave, database, and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19079966/francis_fieldon-arnold: accessed July 28, 2024), memorial for Francis Fieldon “Frank” Arnold (7 Feb 1829–25 Nov 1899), Memorial ID 19079966, citing New Hope Cemetery, Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee, USA.

Jones & Williams DNA cluster--PGF

A cluster of autosomal DNA matches shared with descendants of Wm C Cook & Elizabeth Putman is all descendants of John William Jones & his wife Lydia Williams.  As shown in the above image the DNA matches are from 4 children of this Jones & Williams couple.  The connection is at least a generation before John W or Lydia given their ages and from what I know with my research in the ancestry of my paternal great-grandfather, Wm Green Cook, where it most likely connects.  There are also descendants of Jabel Putman & wife Nancy in that cluster who have connections.  Putman and Tylers were from SC which is also the place of birth given for John W Jones in the 1850 Census  I've yet to figure out the connection between the two groups but do have a WATO tree ready at DNAPainter when I get the opportunity to explore things further.  In addition to writing notes on this cluster within the match list group, I have also charted some shared amounts between cluster members in my Google Sheets account. Ancestry recently added the ability to see shared matches of matches and their shared amounts as part of their ProTools Addon subscription.  This feature helped verify that my placement of those matches was correct within the Jones and William tree.

The amount of shared centiMorgans that my 2 siblings and I share with 20 of the Jones & Willems descendants ranges from 0-52 cMs.  A Cook/Putman cousin who is one generation further back shares in the range of 21-77 with the same 20 Jones and William descendants.

See the chart below made by inputting the range at DNA Painter.  It shows the relationship possibilities.

The 20 Jones and William descendants are through 4 children of John William Jones and Lydia Williams.  Oliver John Jones and his sister Leone Jones married Gafford siblings which would make their descendants double cousins to each other but shouldn't inflate the amount for the Cook & Putman connections. 

I would love to hear from any of the descendants of John & Lydia.