Ancestry, IDrive and Legacy

Saving Data

On FaceBook I am a member of several genealogy pages. One of the topics of discussion on most of them has been changes to Ancestry and the need to save our data. I will admit that I hate to enter the data into my genealogy software. It feels like it is so time consuming, and it is. BUT it needs to be done.

It has been reported on FaceBook that people have "lost" their tree or their data. When I started seeing this I was ready to panic. I have over 5,000 people in my tree and I don't have them all in my software program. 

Translated; I will be doing this everyday - for an hour or two, until I get caught up. 

I started using Legacy Family Tree software a few years ago. I read reviews and decided this program was for me. I do not have any regrets. I like the software. They recently updated the program to a new  version and this morning I purchased the upgrade. The new version actually searches the key websites for information about your ancestors and you can go directly to the sites to see what they have found. There are new reports that include DNA and BINGO cards for reunions or family gathering. But a new feature is their CLOUD. Now you can back up your data to their cloud and it makes transferring data easier.  There are more features and I don't want to sound like a commercial so I will stop and say, if you are interested in learning more go to the Legacy Family Tree website.

I also have the IDrive which is another data storing site and an external hard drive. Every night any new data I have downloaded or created is backed up automatically. I do not print all the documents that I have found, I store them in folders within my genealogy folder. It is safe on IDrive so I don't need to print it. I do not print census records and other things that are standard on most genealogy sites. I do print documents that are not readily available and either put them in a binder or a folder after saving it to my computer.

What this means is I have to divide my time now between researching and recording the data. I hope to continue to add to the blog at the same time. So glad to be retired!

I will be back soon!

Pattie

Three Women Named Ann Isham

Who was Ann Isham?

This past weekend I was searching for information about the Brewer family. I am a descendant of the Brewers on both my mother and my father's side. I have acknowledged the connection but have not spent a great deal of time researching the family. For some reason this weekend I was drawn to the Brewers. 

William Brewer, my 5 times great grandfather, was born in Brunswick County, Virginia in 1752. This man did not stay in Virginia. He went to North Carolina where he married his wife Phanah Risdin. (Although this weekend I found some indications that her last name was actually Roysdon) 

Right now I believe that Phanah was the daughter of William John Roysdon of Pittsylvania County, Virginia. When I discovered she was probably born not far from where I live today, I was like a dog with a bone. I wanted more. 

Phanah's mother was Ann Goad. Phannah's grandmother was Ann Isham. 

Sometimes I look at the family trees on Ancestry that include one of my ancestors, looking for research. So, I started there. Almost all the trees that included Ann Isham as Phanah's grandmother had information that her father was Henry Isham. Henry had two daughters; Ann and Mary. Mary married into the Randolph family. The descendants of Mary Randolph include Thomas Jefferson and John Kennedy. This would mean that Henry was the grandfather of some important men. Everywhere I looked I was lead to this man as the father of Ann Isham, until I came across a narrative that stated Henry's daughter Ann married an Epes.... 

Turns out Henry Isham was not the father of Ann Isham that was the grandmother of Phanah. I was disappointed but continued to search. 

Then I came across a webpage that had Ann Isham, daughter of Henry Isham, married to William Arthur Smith. William was Cuthbert's father. Cuthbert's daughter married John Neal, my 5 times great grandfather. Sure enough, I have Ann Isham as Cuthbert's mother on my family tree. I was happy to see that I do not have parents of this Ann Isham on my tree.

I looked again at other family trees on Ancestry. Sure enough, numerous people have this Ann Isham as Henry Isham's daughter. Nope, not possible. 

When the locations of these women is looked at, they lived in very different parts of the state of Virginia.

What did I learn from this experience? Don't make the leap until you have proof! Sadly, I know this very well but this weekend I allowed myself to be lead a stray. It happens to all family historians at some point. 

With this reminder fresh in my mind, I am researching again. I think I want to know more about Phanah's family...

Thanks for stopping by!

Pattie 

Charles Bartholomew

Charles Bartholomew

Another Story of Two Sisters

Virginia

Charles Bartholomew was born in Charles City Virginia about 1641. Charles City would, during his lifetime, become Prince George County, Virginia. He first married Frances Tye who was the daughter of Joyce Boyce Tye the widow of Richard Tye. Joyce married Dr. John Coggin in 1659. Dr. John Coggin was an early settler and physician in Charles City and a bit of a rowdy fellow. Dr. Coggin was in court at least once for fighting. Joyce’s parents were Thomas Boyce and Emelia Craven. John Coggin and Joyce had a daughter, Rebecca. Joyce brought her daughters, Elizabeth and Frances to the new family. Elizabeth, Rebecca and Frances were half siblings. Rebecca married Major Francis Poythress of Westover Parish. 

When Francis Poythress died, Rebecca married the now widower, Charles Bartholomew.  This marriage caused a stir in the community because at the time it was considered incestuous to marry your deceased wife’s sister.

They were in court 14 Jun 1694 charged with incestuous marriage under the 12^th Act of Assembly that stated than none shall marry within certain degrees of consanguinity, especially that none shall marry his wife’s sister. On June 3^rd John Jane swore that he knew Frances, the first wife of Charles Bartholomew and that he knows Rebecca, the relict of Francis Poythress, and that he married one of the sisters of Rebecca and that he had been told, and also believed, that Rebecca and Frances were sisters and that they were daughters of one mother but of diverse fathers.  On 3 Aug 1694 William Randolph, the Attorney General, repeated the charges against Charles and Rebecca. Charles and Rebecca were married in Westover Parish February 2, 1693 by George Robinson, clerk of Bristol Parrish. Charles pleaded not guilty and a jury was impaneled. Charles quoted two statutes regarding marriage and said that his marriage was cognizable only by ecclesiastical jurisdiction. The court overruled his plea. He said that he had not violated the law. George Robinson swore in court that he married the couple on the date stated. William Epes stated that he saw the couple married on the date stated. John Jane swore that Frances and Rebecca were sisters, daughters of the same mother but different fathers. John Bishop swore the same. Joshua Wynne swore that he knew both women from childhood and that they were always taken to be sisters and daughters of one mother. And there were more that testified in court. William Harrison the foreman of the jury brought in the verdict of not guilty. The Attorney General appealed the decision to the next General Court. The sheriff took Bartholomew’s sureties that he and Rebecca would live apart until the suit was settled.  That appears to be the end of that case, it was not brought up again at the next General Court.

On December 4, 1694 at Westover court, Henry Reed exhibited a bill in Chancery against Charles Bartholomew and Rebecca, his wife, the executrix of Major Francis Poythress. Francis had inventoried Ann Young’s estate and had appraised it at a value of 5,664 pounds of tobacco. He and Peter Read, Ann Young’s father, had been granted administration of the estate. Francis held 1,882 pounds of tobacco from the administration of this estate when he had shortly afterwards gone to England, and subsequently died prior to John Young, Ann Young’s son coming to legal age. John Young requested the recovery of the 1,882 pounds of tobacco, his inheritance, and prayed that Charles Bartholomew and Rebecca, his wife, be subpoenaed to answer the suit. It was ordered that Bartholomew answer the suit next court. Neither appeared at the next court so the suit was dropped.

In 1702 Prince George County was formed from the part of Charles City County that lay on the south side of the James River.

In the Quit Rent Rolls for Prince George County in 1704 Charles Bartholomew, husband of Rebecca Poythress Bartholomew, paid quit rents on 600 acres.

At Francis Poythress’ death, he had received grants totaling 3,059 acres. On April 29, 1692 1,000 acres were granted to Rebecca. On February 3. 1693 a deed of land was conveyed from Rebecca to Joshua Wynne with Charles Bartholomew, William Epes and Elizabeth Smith as witnesses. Rebecca had given Charles power of attorney to convey this land. (Joshua was Francis’ half-brother)

On September 10, 1711, in Prince George County, Charles and Rebecca, “for love and affection to their daughter, Anne Bartholomew, after their decease, was to receive 200 acres on both sides of Easterly Run in Westover Parish, being the remainder of 1,000 acres granted to Rebecca Poythress Bartholomew, in her widowhood, by an ascheated patent dated April 29, 1692,” 500 acres of the land belonging to Colonel Littlebury Epes, and the other 300 acres was to be given by them to Rebecca Poythress by deed of gift. One of the witness was John Denton, another familiar name that came to Franklin County, North Carolina.

The quit rents were paid for two years by Charles and Rebecca.

Although there are no records to directly connect to this Charles, and most of the records just mention his daughters, it is very likely that they had a son, Charles and/or a son John. The dates would support this. I also know that John Bartholomew, Revolutionary War soldier, married in Isle of Wight and would put the family in this area.John Bartholomew died in Franklin County, North Carolina. His pension records include the fact that he was married in Isle of Wight and then moved to Warren County, North Carolina to be with his father. 

Since I put this couple in my tree on Ancestry, I have gotten the DNA matches to this couple. Looks like they are the ancestors I was searching for.

Thanks for stopping by!

Pattie

A Month Without Blogging

During the last month genealogy was not put aside. Instead it was very much front and center in my life. 

Because of DNA I have made personal connections to other descendants of Thomas West and Mildred Currin as well as James H. Radford and Martha Cary Denton. This blog led me to a descendant of  the Guptons. Wonderful opportunities. 

I also got to make my first trip (driving) since my accident, visited family and hung out with my favorite genealogist! I scanned documents again that were not clear when we tried to scan them last year during a family reunion. This time the letters turned out pretty clear and include letters written by Confederate soldiers to family and friends. In the collection of letters there are letters that tell the tale of a broken marriage, he grabbed his children and went to Arkansas. He was a cousin of my great great grandmother. 

While I was in North Carolina I called my aunt and asked her for two favors. I knew she wanted to do a DNA test and I had one in my bag. When she came up to my mother's house, I asked her to bring family pictures...She grabbed some albums and came by the house. Her DNA test is at Ancestry now, just waiting for results. In one of the older albums was a large manila envelope with stuff inside. What a gold mine that envelope became! In the envelope was a love letter written by my grandfather to my grandmother before they married, priceless!! Another album held pictures of grandma's sisters and brothers when they were young. Not all of her siblings were in the album, she was one of 14 children and I imagine it would have been hard to get pictures of them all - or that they would have not gotten lost over time. Finding pictures of my daddy when he was a baby, awesome!

William Earl

Before making the trip, I had to have my vehicle serviced. So instead of waiting at the shop I went to the Roanoke City library's genealogy room. I had no idea that it was so large and would borrow microfilm from the Virginia Library in Richmond. There are a few chancery records I would love to get my hands on! So this is something I will check into some time this summer. While at the library, I found the book, The Neale's of Beaver Pond. I was hoping that it would clear up that line for me a bit. But no such luck.  I did however find some mentions of the Leonard family in Prince George County. I am hoping that this discovery will turn into another generation back for me with that line.

This past weekend I finally figured out my relationship to my cousin George. It felt like an Ancestry commercial! It is through the Neal line, John Neal married Susanna Smith in 1769. Turns out her mama was Elizabeth Washington....So George and I are second cousins seven times removed! And DNA seems to support it!

Cousin George

Not quite so famous people have been found and extended several family lines back further into the early 1700s and some further. You will be hearing about all these discoveries over the next few weeks! I just don't know where to start! 

Thanks for stopping by!!

Pattie