What I read on Wednesday - Follow Friday

I've never done a "Best of the Blogs" post and truly had no intention of doing one Wednesday night when I sat down to do some catch up reading while listening to the Cardinals actually win a baseball game. But I have never read so many extraordinary posts at once. There was some inspired writing this week. I even missed several key plays, though not the unlikely grand slam by pitcher Jake Westbrook. A wonderful evening.

So, with no promises for future "Best ofs", here are the blogs that I found informing, entertaining, moving or all of the above on Wednesday night.

There were two wonderful posts sparked by researchers revisiting information.

Stephanie Goldberg at acquamarinesteph took a different tack in researching her great great-grandparents and found new material in Conliffe update, part 1: AKA Start With What You Know. 

Lessons Learned by Taco Goulooze at ...it all makes census shows what can happen when you examine everyone in a census listing. And isn't that the greatest blog title?

I'm about to dive back into genetic genealogy after taking the summer off and loved Daniel Hubbard's clear writing on the subject in Holes in my Genes at Personal Past Meditations.

I've definitely noticed the occupations listed on Ancestry.com's World War II enlistment records database and added a few to my data. Might need to check again according to John Newmark at TransylvanianDutch. Read his post Civil Occupation Codes: What's Going On Here? for more information.

Heather Rojo has written about her Hawaiian kin many times at Nutfield Genealogy. But she was surprised by the amount of new information and connections made when a Facebook group started for Hawaii's Holt Family.

There were two posts that made me grin, then laugh out loud.

Mindie Burgoyne's The Vacation of Many Cars with Teenagers from Hell at Who Cares What I Think? brought back memories of some tortured trips of my own - both as intrepid chauffeur (but never as intrepid as she) and as Satan's spawn. 

Dee Burris of Shakin' The Family Tree has found one of the all-time great criminal pardons and shared it in What a hoot.... Now if only she can figure out if there's a connection to her Burris kin. I do hope so!

The Civil War Sesquicentennial has sparked some great reads.

If you haven't already found and been reading the New York Times' Opinionator/Disunion series it's time to do some back reading yourself. Wednesday's Baltimore's Unlikely Confederates was just the latest of their superb offerings.

The last paragraph of John Hennessey's The final journey of Capt. Edward P. Lawton (part 2) makes a strong point about Civil War history and commentary today. The blog, Mysteries and Conundrums, is written (unofficially) by the staff at the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial.

Finally, Mel Wolfgang celebrated his first blogoversary at Mnemosyne's Magic Mirror with another perceptive and beautifully written post - And Still I Write. Each time I read one of his posts I see an eloquently developed thought - a sculpture rather than the block of marble that often rests upon my shoulders. I wish I thought and wrote as he does. That will never be, but I am ever grateful he shares both.

Quite an evening. No surprise that I'm finishing this in the wee hours of the morning full of admiration for those bloggers who manage this each week. I've no idea how they do it!

At Road's End, Catholics in the Northern Neck

Palmer Hall today.

Catholics living in remote parts of the United States in the early decades of the 19th century often went to great lengths to practice their faith. For my husband's Meredith and Palmer ancestors living in Lancaster and Northumberland Counties, maintaining their Catholic faith involved traveling to Maryland by steamer or arranging for a priest to come to them, as Thomas Meredith did in 1830. 

I am anxious to go to Baltimore this spring to make my Easter but if I go when Brother Thomas goes I shall not be able to stay so long and must give up the pleasure of his company and protection. Please be so kind as to tell me when would be the best time for me to come and make my Easter. (M. M. Palmer at Clifton to Thomas Meredith, Baltimore, 9 March 1949.)

Since it was far easier to travel by water to Baltimore or Norfolk than by road to Richmond they journeyed to Baltimore to celebrate religious holidays, marriages and christenings when they could. But from at least 1830 the family celebrated Mass at home whenever a priest was able to visit.

The Confession chair at Clifton

After the Civil War John A. Palmer took over the family home at Clifton and raised a large family. According to his family, priests would come from Baltimore or Fredericksburg and celebrate Mass in one of the large parlors. Confession would be heard with the priest sitting in one of the wing chairs. Though there were only a few Catholic families in the area, Palmer began lobbying for a church to be built in Kilmarnock. On August 1, 1885 Palmer and his wife deeded land near the town to Bishop Keane of Richmond for five dollars (Lancaster County (VA) Deed Book 45:473). A small frame church was built and the mission parish of Saint Francis de Sales was opened. Priests continued to travel by steamer, staying at Clifton, but celebrating Mass in the new church. No resident priest lived there until after 1915.

Copy of 1885 Deed

In 1956 a new church was constructed next door and the first building became a parish hall. Palmer Hall, as it is known today, was restored several years ago. St. Francis de Sales remains a small parish in numbers, but covering much of the land of the Northern Neck. It has established its own mission church, St. Pauls Catholic Church 35 miles away in Hague, VA.

My husband's family is enormously proud of their efforts to maintain and promote their faith at Clifton since 1840 despite the distances involved. His great-grandmother, John Palmer's sister, kept her copy of the deed with her most treasured family papers.


View Catholic Churchs c. 1840 in a larger map


Written for the 109th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy.


For further information see
St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church
The Catholic Church in Virginia (New River Notes)
The Museum of Virginia Catholic History and Diocesan Archives

McAdams Graves - Tombstone Tuesday

In July I spent several days in Washington County researching and visiting some cemeteries. I especially wanted to find the McAdams graves at Fairview where my McAdams 3rd great-grandparents and Isabella Bryson McAdams Hale, my 4th great-grandmother, are buried.

Our family's McAdams Family Record includes a note at the end indicating ten members of the family are there.

Memorandum made by Thomas McAdams in 1913:

Graves:
Hugh Morrison McAdams, William P. McA, Isabella Hale, Hugh McA, (S. B. Sr son), Ann S. McA, Chalmer S. McA, Cynthia S McA, Thomas C. McA, Ralph E. H. McA, Charlie's baby (Martha).

The above are the McAdams' graves as they come in the cemtery at Fairview, Washington County.

I assumed it would be relatively (pun intended) simple to find the row of McAdams graves. Indeed, it wasn't all that difficult. Fairview is a small cemetery about four miles northwest of Jonesborough. But most of the gravestones have vanished. Only the markers for my McAdams grandparents and that of their infant granddaughter remain. Without their grandson Thomas McAdams' 1913 note I would have had no idea who else was buried there.

Detail of Cynthia S. McAdams Marker
In Loving Memory 
of Cynthia s. McAdams
Born
April 30, 1817
Died
Oct. 20, 1874

Thomas C. McAdams marker
In Loving Memory
of
Thomas C. McAdams
Born Dec. 5, 1806
Died
Jan. 1, 1881

The markers were almost impossible to read, but I was able to make out the names and dates for Thomas and Cynthia. The baby's marker at the end of the row was more difficult, and I did not get a good picture of it, but the first letter of the name is "M" and the last name is McAdams. 

The other McAdams family members, with information from the family record,  buried here are (from right to left in the above photo or south to north at the cemetery) 

• Martha McAdams, infant daughter of Charles A.H. McAdams and Alice Nave McAdams and granddaughter of Thomas C. McAdams. Marker standing.
• Ralph Emerson H. McAdams, 16 Jun 1881- 15 Jan 1882, infant son of Robert Newton McAdams and Maggie Good McAdams and grandson of Thomas C. McAdams.
• Thomas C. McAdams. Marker standing. 
• Cynthia S. McAdams. Marker standing.
• Chalmers Stephenson McAdams, 16 Feb 1853 - 14 Dec 1873, son of Thomas C. McAdams.
• Ann Shaw (Duncan) McAdams, 6 Feb 1813 - 7 Jul 1861, sister-in-law of Thomas C. McAdams.
• Hugh S. McAdams, dates unknown, son of Ann Shaw McAdams and nephew of Thomas C. McAdams.
• Isabella Bryson McAdams Hale, 14 Sept 1776 - 1 Jun 1855, mother of Thomas C. McAdams.
• William Plummer McAdams, 14 Mar 1843 - 18 Apr 1844, son of Thomas C. McAdams.
• Hugh Morrison McAdams, 30 Nov. 1838 - 14 Jul 1840, son of Thomas C. McAdams.

Robert Hampton Deed, 1807 - Amanuensis Monday

Thanks to John at Transylvanian Dutch who originated the Amanuensis Monday meme, providing a framework (and nudge) for transcribing family records, news clippings and other treasures.

This deed, copied from the Washington County (TN) Registrar of Deeds Office, involves Robert Hampton, a son of another Robert Hampton. The elder Hampton purchased 200 acres of land in 1786. His will, dated 29 March 1796, named five sons and his wife Mary. The younger Robert sold what appears to be his share of the land in this deed. That he was selling 1/4 of the original land suggests one of the brothers may have died before marrying, his share reverting to the surviving brothers. The deed also helps to narrow the younger Robert's birth date. His father appeared on the 1790 tax list with 200 acres and one white poll tax indicating all the sons were under 16 in 1790 and that Robert was of age on 20 Sept 1807 when he executed this deed. Robert was the third named son in the will so his birth most likely occurred between 1778 and 1786. 

The younger Robert's family was closely associated with my 4th great-grandmother Rachel Hampton Mulkey's family.

Deed
Robert Hampton
To
Jesse Witt
This Indenture made The Twentyeth day of September Eight Teen hundred and Seven Between Robert Hamton of the one part and Jesse Witt of the other part bouth of the County of Washington and State of Tennessee Witness that the said Robart Hamton is aforesaid for and on consideration of the sum of three Hundred Dollars to ____ in hand paid the receipt of Which is hereby acknowledged hath bargained and sold and by these present doth Bargain and sell unto the said Jess Witt his heirs and assigns a certain parcel of land situate and Lying In the Hars Shew and County afforesaid taken out of the original Deed of Robart Hamton deciesed as followeth begining on the bank of the River at a Lynn thence south forty degrees west forty poles to a hicory and Sourwood on a ridge thence South forty poles to a stake In the River thence Down __d River to the Begining corner for complement fifty acres more or less to have and to hold said Jesse Witt his heirs and assigns for Ever all and singular the profits and Every thing apertaining to the said primises hereby granted in fee simple and __ the sd Robart Hamton as aforesaid hath full power & lawful and absolute athority to grant and convey the same to said Jesse Witt and that the said primises Now and are forever hereafter Shall be free and clear of all Incumbrances whatever and to bind ___ myself my heirs executors administrators to warent and defend for Ever all Claims arising against the afforesaid primises to Jesse Witt his heirs and assigns forever In Witness Whereof I the sd Robart Hamton have here unto set my hand and seal
the day and year above written
In the Present of Witness                        his
__terlined and Sined                   Robert X Hampton  {Seal}
Nathan Shipley                                        mark
John Parkison X
Wm X  Nelson X

Spelling and punctuation, or the lack thereof, have been maintained though line breaks have been changed. The deed refers to the land being in the Hars Shew or Horseshoe. The Nolichucky River makes almost a full circle north of Erwin at what is today known as Bumpas Cove, but was once known as the Horseshoe.

The Horseshoe

Sources

• Loraine Rae, Washington County, Tennessee Deeds 1775-1800 (Greenville, SC: Southern  Historical Press, Inc. 1991), p. 70, citing Washington County Deed Book 3:37-38. 
• Goldene Fillers Burgner, Washington County, Tennessee Wills 1777-1872 (Southern Historical Press, 1983, Easley, SC), p. 6. 
• Javan Micheal DeLoach, "Washington County 1790 List of Taxables Washington County, TN," database, USGenWeb Archives (http://files.usgwarchives.org : accessed 29 Aug 2011), entry for Robert Hampton.
• Washington, TN, Deed Books, 10: 66, Robert Hampton to Jesse Witt, 20 Sept 1807; Registrar of Deeds, Jonesborough.  

The Results Are In

Last Saturday, after seeing multiple posts of the same information on my blog reader, Facebook, Google+, and Twitter, I asked readers to vote on how they preferred to access blog posts.

The results clearly show that my readers (at least those who voted) are not relying on Twitter or Facebook to follow my posts. Most prefer the RSS feed to read the blogs they follow. None voted for Twitter and only 2.5% voted for Facebook.

Poll results from Vizu.com

The newest entry in the platform wars fared well. Twenty percent of readers would like to see Nolichucky Roots posts shared on Google+. Almost as many (17.5%) expressed no preference.

As a result of this information I will begin to share more posts on Google+ and move away from Networked Blogs (just as soon as I figure out how to extricate myself from the service). I may share some posts on Facebook, but they will no longer be automated.  Since it appears neither I, nor my readers, are heavy Twitter users who would be frustrated by repetitive posts I may continue announcing posts there. I have had personal requests from two readers I treasure to use Twitter to share posts. Frankly, if some of you wanted the posts delivered by paper airplane or carrier pigeon, I'd try to oblige.

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and preferences. I've no desire to make it more difficult for anyone to find material they want to read, but nor do I see the benefit of broadcasting every post via every platform. I would surely feel differently were I marketing my services, using these platforms for professional networking or had monetized this blog. But since none of those situations apply, I need please only myself - and you.

Photograph by Gianluca [Miche].