My 5th great-grandfather, Jesse P. Vendrick, was probably born in Craven County circa 1760. The identities of his parents and the mother of his … [Read More...]
Recent Items
Brick Wall Update: Matilda, wife of Dewitt Sumrell
For years, I've known very little about Matilda. That changed over the weekend. I'd been giving the search for Dewitt, who remains elusive, another … [Read More...]
Genealogy + DNA Game Changers: Step up your game with these FREE resources.
In the 21st century, if you're serious about genealogy, then let's face it: You will engage in DNA testing. In fact, if you're really serious, … [Read More...]
Brick Walls: Dewitt Sumberlin/Sumrell
Dewitt Sumrell was born circa 1825 in Lenoir County. This date is a guessimate based upon the birth dates of his two known sons in the mid to late … [Read More...]
The Brother-in-Law Conundrum
The word "brother-in-law" is becoming the bane of my research. In earlier times, the term "in-law" had a broader scope than is now the case. Pretty … [Read More...]
Grandmama Morris, we’re closing in on you!
The family of John Morris and Mary Vickers of Edgecombe County seems to be connected to Laban Morris, and while they left no paper trail identifying … [Read More...]
We think we’ve found Laban’s mother’s family! And they’re Morrises!
We've not found her immediate family — at least not that we know of, yet, BUT we've found a definite and STRONG, UNDENIABLE DNA connection to the … [Read More...]
Family Tree Fact Check: Turner Nelson and Hasel Nelson (Craven County, NC to Posey County, IN)
I'm really excited about this Family Tree Fact Check! I've been curious about who the parents of Turner Nelson were ever since I realized he wrote a … [Read More...]
Duplin County Register of Deeds Land Grant Maps
A really cool feature of the Duplin County Register of Deeds site, duplinrod.com, is the land grant map. How many times have you read a grant or deed … [Read More...]
Which Gatlin married Mary Johnson, sister of Richard, Elizabeth & Esther?
On 26 Apr 1796, Richard Johnson of Craven County, wrote his will (Will Book B, pg. 13), making bequests to, among others, his three sisters. The … [Read More...]
Family Tree Fact Check: The wife of Thomas Respess Crawford
I don't descend from Thomas Respess Crawford, at least not that I'm aware of, however some of our AncestryDNA matches do and I was scratching my head … [Read More...]
Will of Garrett Nelson (Beaufort County), 1856
The following is a transcription of the will of Garrett Nelson of Beaufort County, dated 15 May 1856. I don't descend from Garrett (that I know of), … [Read More...]
A Deed of Gift from James McIntosh to his Children
I found this deed proving that Leta McIntosh Averitt, my possible 5th great-grandmother, and Lovey McIntosh Hendricks, wife of my 5th great-uncle, … [Read More...]
The John Gray Blount Mysteries, Part 2: The Legacy and the Assumed Name
For this installment, we turn to the third volume of the collection. In this book, there are several letters relating to our Henry Williamson. The … [Read More...]
Joyner Family Bible Records & related material
I'm sure many of you Joyner researchers have already sorted this out, but I'm still trying to make sense of who's who. I'm going to start posting … [Read More...]
The John Gray Blount Mysteries, Part 1: The Twist of the Wife
One day a couple of years ago, I googled the name of my elusive 4th great-grandfather, Wilson Daniels, whose parentage I still don't know. One of the … [Read More...]
Select items from the estate records of Amon Joyner of Pitt County
There were at least two Amon Joyner living contemporaneously in Craven and Pitt Counties. How they are related is a complete mystery to me. I do … [Read More...]
