Showing posts with label cluster genealogy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cluster genealogy. Show all posts

Sunday, January 21, 2018

Estate Sale of William Ogilvie May 10, 1813

Account of the Sale of Items that were part of the estate of William Ogilvie deceased.
Only includes items not bequeathed to those named in his will.
May 10th, 1813



Ancestry.com. Tennessee, Divorce and Other Records, 1800-1965 [accessed on 19 Jan. 2018]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007.

Original data: Tennessee. County records. Nashville, Tennessee: Tennessee State Library and Archives. Microfilm roll numbers 99 to 108, 115, 336 to 337, 428 to 431, 519, A-4098, A-5278, B-1 to B-9, B-44 to B-127, B-314, B-441 to B-445, B-471 to B-473, B-1607 to B-1613, and B-1781 to B-1789.

Roll Title: Divorce, Probate and Other Records 1800-1899, Og-Ow Roll: B-100

Know the contents of the Database
This record is from the Williamson County TN records According to the blurb on the database, Williamson TN Records include: (Divorce Files, 1900-1950; Divorce, Probate, and Other Records, 1800-1899; School Censuses, 1838-1918; Miscellaneous Records (ex. Apprentice, Land Sales, Liquor Licenses, Slave Records); Birth and Death Records, 1920-1939)

At one point if you added a record from this database it would show as a DIVORCE(something I'd blogged about) but it appears this is no longer the case.  I was able to create a Probate FACT and link the image from that FACT within my Ancestry Tree.

Note the persons purchasing from estate sales as they are generally family, friends, associates or neighbors of the deceased.   Cluster research or the FAN club principle(a term coined by Elizabeth Shown Mills) refers studying an ancestors friends, associates, and neighbors in order to learn more about your ancestor's life.  There is an excellent lesson showing the use of this methodology located on her Evidence Explained website.  


William Ogilvie FAN Club
James Allison (Son-in-law)
John Adkinson
John Ogilvie (Son)
George H Allen
Anthoney Walk
John Menery(This may be 
Richard Ogilvie (Son)
James Shomate
William Hooker
John Manere(Son-in-law & my 4th Gr Grandfather--John Manire)
Henry Baley
Charles Calhoun
William Tucker
George  Jubin or Julin
William Webb

Now to add these people to the notes section of the FAN Club portion of William Ogilvie's entry.  When I find the relationships for each of these persons to the deceased I'll add that in my notes and hopefully remember to post an update.

Saturday, June 17, 2017

Lemuel's FAN club

As a researcher you should be familiar with Cluster Genealogy as a method for finding out more about your ancestors.  You may also be familiar with the term Fan Club or Fan Club principle which was coined by Elizabeth Shown Mills to describe the group of individuals who were Family, Associates, and Neighbors of  an ancestor.  By examining the relationship of these persons to your ancestor,  you will gain a better insight into their lives and find more of their paper trail.  If you aren't familiar with this term please check out Mill's Historic Pathways site for more information on her excellent articles, books,  and presentations.

FAN club from Lemuel Manier's Probate Packet
  1. Susan E A. Manier (widow)
  2. John W. Manier(son)
  3. Stephen J. Manier(son)
  4. Eliza J. Manier King(daughter)
  5. Wm. B King(son-in-law)
  6. Minerva O. or A Hays(daughter--Widow of Robert Ralston)
  7. Ann Manier Floyd(daughter)
  8. John H. Floyd(son-in-law)
  9. Lemuel Manier(son)
  10. Leanne Manier Hill(daughter)
  11. William T. Hill(son-in-law)
  12. David C Manier(son)
  13. Anna W Manier(daughter)
  14. Amasa Manier(son)
  15. Drury Bennet(neighboring land owner married to Elizabeth Manier)
  16. James Carson(neighboring land owner)
  17. John Loney?(neighboring land owner)
  18. Wm. R. Nunn(neighboring land owner)
  19. Wm McKay(sold Lemuel land in R'ford Co Tn 16 Jan 1835)
  20. Solomon(negro)
  21. Mary(negro)
  22. Harriet(negro --child of Mary)
  23. Edmond(negro)
  24. Hardy(negro)
  25. Balam(negro)
  26. Chelsey William(executor)
  27. James D. Gillespie(witness)
  28. Christopher M Brooks(witness)
  29. Noah Scales(witness)
  30. Thomas Bullock(Deputy Court Clk)
  31. R. D. Morrison(witness)
  32. J P Calhoun(witness)
  33. John Bittle(witness)
  34. Robert Taylor(witness)
  35. R.C. Owen(witness)
  36. Stephen Bennett(witness)
  37. W.W. Floyd(witness)
  38. James T. Shurman(witness)
  39. Jacob(negro)
  40. Andy(negro)
  41. George(negro)
  42. James A. Hayes(son-in-law---2nd husband & eventually ex  husband of Minerva)
  43. Permelia Russell(widow of Daniel Russell)
  44. Daniel Russell(deceased trustee for Minerva)
  45. James S. Hamlett(Sheriff)
  46. William Ralston(son of Minerva who is her trustee)
  47. Wm S Fleming(Chancellor of Court 1874)
From the information in the Probate Pkt of 
David Lemuel Manier(Manire) 1792-1837  Williamson Co. TN

Image 2867-2984 of 2992

Source Citation
Probate, Divorce and Original Wills Records, 1800-1899; Author: Tennessee County Court (Williamson County); Probate Place: Williamson, Tennessee

Source Information
Ancestry.com. Tennessee, Wills and Probate Records, 1779-2008 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.
Original data: Tennessee County, District and Probate Courts.

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Who are you and how do you know my Grandmother? --Part 1

The Holidays
As the holidays approached  I found myself as I do every year looking through my wrapping paper, gift bags & cards and trying to determine what I need to buy more of in order to get thru the current season.  Inevitably, I also find the box which contains cards I have received over the years as well as some older cards that people sent to my paternal Grandmother.  One from her sister, Kitty Jakes Bell, another from Cora Jakes Gibson(another of her sisters)...one from her niece Olive Bell Shriver and her husband Sam.  One of the cards was from someone I couldn't place in her family and I thought it might be a neighbor or someone she has rented a house from as they lived in East Nashville rentals a bunch after moving from Old Hickory and before she moved to Dickson.  I looked inside to get the name which I believe I had done before and just  figured that the card was from family.  In addition to the name I also noticed faded ink across the entire card.  At first it looked like a letter had been in the card and faded, but on further examination I can see that the sender, a lady I'll call Flora had written a letter on the folded inside of the card.  The letter told of some hardships she and her family were going thru and made me further curious about how they knew each other.  My curiosity was peaked even further when she asked about my Uncle Morris and sent her regards.

Clues from the Letter
Flora and her husband live in Akron Ohio on Austin Avenue.  She gave vague details of the health problems she and her husband had been facing.  Flora's son was in the hospital in Chillicothe (OH?) and apparently it isn't a minor hospital stay as she mentioned not having written to him in awhile.  This leads me to believe that it may have been a Veteran's hospital so I want to check the census records for this family and see what I can find. Flora's daughter is also having a hard time. Her husband has left her and her children(Flora's Grandchildren) at the holidays.  What little information I do know is pulling at my heartstrings and I want to know how it turned out for these people....and yes...how they know my grandmother.  I note all of the clues to her identity in the letter so that I can use it in my research.

1940 Akron Ohio but not at the address on the card.

  • Flora was born about 1902 which puts her at about 11 years younger than my grandmother.
  • Her husband works at a Rubber Plant( Goodyear or Firestone?)
  • Living at home is a daughter age 17 and a son age 15
  • Living at the same house in 1935 (Stanford Ave, Akron, Ohio)

A check of the 1930 reveals a bit more
  • Flora and her husband have a son age 11 who isn't in their household in 1940
  • Flora's husband was working at the Rubber Shop(maybe the plant hadn't expanded at that time)
  • All are Born in Ohio and there parents were also according to this census.
  • Flora was 15 when she married and her husband 21.

Checking some of the suggested records that pop up when I view the census records at Ancestry.com lead me to find Flora's marriage record as well as marriage records for her daughter.  The older son was in the Navy as I find his death noted with U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File as well as a FindAGrave listing which shows his Navy marker..  I wonder if this is how the family would know my Uncle Morris.  He was in the Navy briefly in 1945.  Was the older son the one who was in the hospital

More clues....and more questions.
I want to look for a divorce record for the daughter.  That will give me an idea of what time period the letter was written which will tell me how far back their friendship goes.  I wonder if Ohio has the divorce court records and rulings at Ancestry like Michigan does.  

Lots to think about.  





Sunday, October 02, 2016

New Ancestor Discovery--most promising one so far

I had some New Ancestor Discoveries that showed up this past week on my AncestryDNA test.  The New Ancestor Discovery feature is still in Beta and I haven't really found it to be useful. These were a Shipman and McFadin couple and the father of the Shipman.  I have marked the New Ancestry Discoveries with an M if they are ones which also appear on my Mom's AncestryDNA test. They others and the new ones I have marked with a P(for Paternal) to note they are not ones I share with my Mother.




On first glance this doesn't really give much hope as this couple was born in the mid 1800s.  My Grandparents were born in the 1880s & 1890s.  and I have most of the direct lines back to my 4th great grandparents with the exception of my Cook(e) line which I only have proven to the 2nd Great Grandfather who was said to be born in NC in 1811.  Upon further examination of the couple I could see that they had people in early Bedford Co TN which is where my Dad's ancestors were early on in Tennessee's history.  It looks like the Shipmans were all listed as Chisums in the 1830 of Bedford Co TN.  Do not know why but see them in tax listings as Shipmans all other yrs.  Near them are Landers, Walker, and Turner families.  I should also mention that there are Shofners also on the same page.  I mention this because I have noticed matches with descendants of Martin Shofner.  There are also some Prince families on the next page(My Prince line married into the Putman line and was from Union Co SC).  I looked at the wife(Sarah Samantha McFadin) and worked her lines back to her grandparents. Bingo.....Her Paternal Grandmother is a Sally Brandon and a sister to my Nancy Brandon who married John King(they are my 4th Great Grandparents).  This may or may not be the connection but it possible.  The parents of Sally and Nancy are Charles Brandon.......and possibly Sarah Cook which further complicates this as she could be from my Cook line. This is a great argument for friends associates and neighbors research as well as cluster genealogy.  Families traveled together.  In colonial times and even up to the turn of the 20th century ...many people traveled in groups.   Families that had intermarried ...usually of the same faith as well.  Another cool thing about this New Ancestor Discovery is that in the grouping of what can best be described as the precursor to the Ancestry Circle(which groups together matches who have common ancestors with you in their tree) was that there was a group with which I share a rather large segment.  What's next...I will be looking more for more available records in Bedford Co. TN and the other areas in which the Brandon, Shofner, Landers  and Shipman families lived.  Hope to have more information to blog about from that.