Take the time to write about your research.

 I'm disappointed that I've not written as many blog posts as I'd planned to over the first half of this year.  However, it is because I've spent more time researching.  This spring I wrote an article about one set of my paternal great grandparents, James Jakes & Annie Frizzell and their descendants.  I just scratched the surface in it but ended up with about 15 pages with footnotes.  I've started to gather my research to do the same thing with the other paternal great grandparents, William Green Cook & Jane Bell King and their descendants.

Over the last 32 years of research I've accumulated information in the form of research notes, pictures, copies of documents(both certified and photo copies), family ephemera, etc.   It's a struggle to sort thru everything.  I'm trying to digitize anything that I want to share and keep the originals or a copy of the more personal papers.  Condensing and downsizing has me thinking about my research and what will become of it when I am no longer around.  

Maybe you have asked yourself the same questions: 

• Once you are gone will your people take the time to open your family research program and preserve your research?
• Do they know the passwords to even get to your files?

It's scary to think about things like that especially if you think the answer is NO. Even if you are prepared and have a plan I think far and away the best solution to preserve your research is to write about it.  I used to take the time every few years to put together a notebook on my 4 main families. I haven't done that in a good while. 

Think of it as a State of the Union for your research which could include:

• What You Know and How You Know It
• What You Would like to Know and what it will take to get that info
• Questions that you have
• Future Research Projects.  

Some of these topics overlap but you get the point.  Writing or publishing your research is the best way to make sure that it's not lost especially if you are submitting your articles to Historical or Genealogical Quarterly magazines.  Writing about your research will help you to see where there is room for further research.  Which will lead you to more things to write about.  See where I'm going?

Williamson Co. TN--Dist 25(1836-1840)--T-Z

Over the past few years I've been studying Williamson Co TN Dist. 25 in hopes that knowing how the families were interconnected will help me to find a lead and break thru my Cook brick wall.  I've been using a spreadsheet to pull together my notes and information on this community so that I had somewhere to quickly look for notes on the families if they showed up in any other parts of my research. I'm publishing this to my blog in the hopes of finding other researchers interested in the area and time period that the information here might help.  This portion contains families who were living in or taxed in District 25 of Williamson Co TN during the years 1836-1840 whose surnames begin with T-Z.  When possible I've noted connections in neighboring districts.  Simply put, there is a lot of overlap of families between Williamson Co TN Dist. 25,  the Versailles and Eagleville area of Rutherford Co TN and Bedford Co TN Dist. 10(Rover).   Also please note that anyone listed as NOT enumerated in District 25 should probably read not listed as Head of Household in Williamson Co. TN District 25.  They may be within another household OR they may not be enumerated at all within the district for a number of reasons. 

A-C           D-H            J-L          M-P           R-S           T-Z

Taylor:

Dr. William Taylor(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1837) Not enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.

Benjamin B Taylor(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1838, 1839) Not enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.
James J Taylor(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1837, 1839) Enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.
James C Taylor(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1836, 1837, 1838, 1839) Enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.
Joseph Sr. Taylor(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1836, 1837) Not enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.
Joseph Taylor(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1838, 1839) Enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.
Robert Sr. Taylor(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1836, 1837, 1838, 1839) Enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.

Robert Jr. Taylor(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1838, 1839) Not enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.
Thomas Pony Taylor(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1836, 1837, 1838, 1839) Enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.
Thomas L (young)Taylor(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1836, 1837, 1838, 1839) Enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.
Thomas S Taylor(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1836, 1837, 1838, 1839) Enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.
Valentine Taylor(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1838) Not enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.
Vincent Taylor(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1836, 1837, 1838, 1839) Enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.
William Taylor Esq.(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1836) Not enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.
William Swamp Taylor(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1836, 1837, 1838) Not enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.
William Taylor(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1838, 1839) Enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.

Tharp:

William D Tharp(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1836, 1837, 1839) Enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.

Trail:

Valentine Trail(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1836) Not enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.

William Trail(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1836, 1837, 1838, 1839) Enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.

Vanetta:

James Vanetta(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1839) Enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.

Ward:
Burrell Ward(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1836, 1839) Not enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840. Burrell Ward is also on the Bedford Co TN Dist. 10 Tax list for 1836.

Webb:
Hugh Webb(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1836) Not enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.
Joseph Webb(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1839) Enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.
Mrs. Martha Webb(Not on Tax List) Enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.

Wilks:

John C Wilks(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1838, 1839) Not enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.

Wills:

William Wills(Not on Tax List) Enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.

Winsett:

Harby/Harley/Harvy Winsett(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1836, 1837, 1838) Enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.

Silas Winsett (Not on Tax List) Enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.

Wood/Woods:

John Wood(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1837, 1838, 1839) Enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.

Edmund Woods(Not on Tax List) Enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.

Wright:

George Wright(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1839) Not enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840.

Young:

David Young(Dist. 25 Tax List: 1836, 1837, 1838, 1839) Enumerated in Dist. 25 in 1840. Also on Bedford Co TN Dist 10 Tax List for the years 1838 and 1839. W.C. Cook & wife sell land in Williamson Co TN to David on Aug 4th 1837.  At the time they are living in Bedford Co TN District 10.  David's wife is Elizabeth Reed.  They married in Williamson Co TN 22 Jan 1829 with a Wm Young signing off on the marriage bond.

 Sources: 

• Tennessee, US, Early Tax List Records, 1783-1895 https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2883/
• Williamson County(Tennessee) Tax Records 1800-1963) Tax records 1831-1845 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4V-V2HL?mode=g&cat=234786
• Tennessee State Library and Archives. Ancestry.com. North Carolina and Tennessee, U.S., Early Land Records, 1753-1931 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.
• Nance, R. Fred, and John W. Nance. 1983. The history of Versailles, tenth district, and its people. Murfreesboro, Tenn. (P.O. Box 906, Murfreesboro 37130): Rutherford County Historical Society.
• "United States Census, 1840." Database with images. FamilySearch.

Bedford Co TN.  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YTB-921F?wc=31SJ-161%3A1588669927%2C1588669780%2C1588665902&cc=1786457

Rutherford Co TN  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYB9-98FZ?wc=31SK-FMD%3A1588669927%2C1588669425%2C1588665902&cc=1786457

Williamson Co TN  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YB7-4DT?wc=31S2-443%3A1588669927%2C1588667580%2C1588665902&cc=1786457

• Rover Historical Society. History of Rover and the 10th district of Bedford County: lest we forget the people and things in our corner of the world. Vol. I(1986), Vol. II(1999). Paducah, Ky: Turner Pub. Co.

James Jakes Death Notice(1941)

 

I'd written a blog post about finding my great grandfather's death notice in the Tennessean back in 2017(see post) Today I found a death notice in the Shelbyville paper.  The Tennessean had gotten several of the daughters names wrong.  Cora Gibson was printed as Mrs. Coy Gibson and Lula Gibson was shown as Mrs. Luke Gibson.  They also spelled my grandmother's married name as Cook instead of Cooke.  The Shelbyville paper got the names correct except for my Grandmother's married name.  They put Gibson instead of Cooke.  I think it's worth noting that this happens more than we realize.  I've even seen people who have been dead for almost 20 years listed as survivors in their sibling's death notice.  I've made a note on the image of the death notice below.  You should be able to identify these errors as you are researching because you will have multiple sources and you will need to evaluate the sources and the information contained in them.

Source:  "James Jakes, 84, Retired Farmer Dies in Nashville" The Bedford Co Times, 19 Aug 1941, p. 1, col. 2; digital images, Familysearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-B3T3-QZR9?i=706&cat=483088 : accessed 8 Jun 2022).

Obituary of Mary Etta Putman Stanley(1870-1955)--my 2C2R

Obituary of my 2C2R, Mary Etta Putman Stanley.  She was a granddaughter of Hiram Putman & his wife Rebecca Harrison.  Hiram was the brother of my 2nd Great grandmother Elizabeth Putman Cook.

Mrs. Stanley, 85, Dies in Arkansas
Born near White Plains, Christian Co. KY in 3 March 1870
Died Piggott, Arkansas 28 March 1955
Widow of D. R. Stanley
Daughter of Mr. & Mrs. William Riley Putman 
Resident of St. Francis Arkansas for 40+ years
Moved to Piggott in 1939.
Active in:  1st Presbyterian Church, Piggott Woman's Civic Club, and Piggott Garden Club.

Survived by 
Daughters:

• Miss Lucille Stanley(Piggott, Arkansas)
• Mrs. H. A. Bailey(Little Rock, Arkansas)

Sister:

• Della Grace(Detroit, Michigan)

3 Grandchildren
6 Great Grandchildren
A number of nieces & nephews

"Mrs. Stanley, 85, Dies in Arkansas," The Messenger(Madisonville, Kentucky), 18 Apr 1955, p. 2, col. 5; digital images, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 29 May 2022).

Additional Notes:  

Found some additional information in Ancestry's U.S. School Yearbooks 1900-1999 Collection. Looks like Lucille attended University of Wisconsin.  She appears on page 148 of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's 1921 Yearbook. I'd love to read her thesis.  

The other surviving daughter mentioned in the obituary is Mary Madeline Stanley, wife of Howard Ashley "Ted" Bailey. 

1860 US Federal Census Entry A G Putman--Bedford Co. TN

The above image shows the 1860 US Federal Census entry for A. G. Putman.  A.G. is Anna G Putman, the widow of William Putman. We believe she is also the sister of Wm. C. Cook, who married William Putman's sister Elizabeth.   Wm C Cook and Elizabeth Putman are my paternal 2nd Great Grandparents. Information about Anna's maiden name was passed down in her family and Wm C Cook's statement in his affidavit from Williams vs. Putman  dated  5th September 1831-- "I am the brother-in-law of Mr. Putman" appears to back that up.  At the time of the statement Wm C Cook is not yet married to Elizabeth. Their marriage took place a little over 3 weeks later on the 27th of September 1831.  If the statement is true as of the date given, it would mean that Wm Putman's wife was Wm C Cook's sister.   

William & Anna had 6 children(1 son and 5 daughters). 

• David Vance Putman--He's married to his 1st wife by this point and out of the household with children of his own living in District 12 of Rutherford Co. TN.
• Mary Ann Putman--Married to Charles Norvell(in census entry)
• Sarah Jane Putman--Married to Henry Warner(in census entry along with infant daughter, Sarah Levina Warner(shown as S. L. Warner age 3/12 )
• Willie Levina Putman--not listed may have been omitted or living with family elsewhere.  I have DNA cousins thru her line so I know she didn't die young with no issue. She was not in David's household.
• Rebecca Elizabeth Putman--listed in this 1860 entry
• Sciota/Siota Putman--listed in this 1860 entry

Not sure why these families are grouped this way.  Seems a bit odd.  Additionally, an infant named Julia Warner is listed on line one of the next page that I've yet to place.  Was she a twin of Sarah and could the age be an error?  If so the age should be 3/12 instead of 1/12,

Challenging family to trace but that holds true of most of my Cook(e) line.  😊

Sources:  "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8T7-34L : 18 February 2021), Bedford Co. Tennessee, Western Division District 9 Middleton P.O, p. 105(handwritten), Dwelling 784-786. continuing over to line 1 of p. 106(handwritten).  *NOTE This entry seems odd in the way it's presented most notably the Dwelling and Household numbering.

Tennessee State Library & Archives. Tennessee Supreme Court Clerk’s Records 1810-1955, Record Group 191.TN State Supreme Court Case Middle District Range: 33 Section: A Shelf: 2 Box: 375 Robert Williams v. William Putman, et al. (41 pages). 

Family History Articles, Updates and Ideas

I've been using the Allen Co. Public Library's Periodical Source Index(PERSI) to find what has been published and is out there on my families of interest.  You can order copies of articles of interest thru them or if you can find it available in the FamilySearch catalog at the Family History Library you can use FamilySearch's form for a lookup request.  

I'd submitted 3 articles on some of my families 15+ years back for inclusion in a county book or in the county quarterly.  I'd forgotten about it and have never seen the book but was able to find that they were published in a 2011 county quarterly.  Of course, they all are in need of being updated now.  A year after they were published, the 1940 Census was released and I found my great grandfather alive and living with my paternal grandparents.  He was apparently actually missed in the 1930 census or not enumerated in a way in which I've been able to identify him. In fact I still haven't found him in 1930 which is why it seemed likely that he was the James Jakes who died in 1922.  Add to that the fact that the Jakes are just bad about updating graves with the death dates and you can see how that might happen.  I have an upcoming article in a state quarterly that should provide an extensive update for his family. I do need to publish updates on the Morrow 2nd Great Grandparents and the Jakes 2nd Great Grandparents.  It can make you cringe when you look back on older research but it provides us with opportunity to learn.  Conclusions may not always hold water when new evidence is found and that's ok. 

With the release of the 1950 census this year I'm wondering what surprises others are finding.  I've located all of my immediate family and I'm now working on my more distant cousins.  No surprises so far for me.  Have you had any unexpected surprises from the 1950 census?

Even if you don't fancy yourself a writer it is good to get your thoughts "on paper."  Before family reunions I used to type up a progress report on the family history.  For example if I was attending the Luna reunion I'd write about the Luna, Pittman, Acuff, and Hale lines and put that in a 3 ring binder so that attendees could read.  Many times it would bring up some really good discussions or information from the older generations and on occasion,  exchanging of old family pictures.

My favorite way to keep my thoughts and notes together lately is to dedicate a Composition Book to a particular research topic.  I know these days people like the majority of their files to be digital but I seem to do better when I have a physical piece of paper or notebook.