Yes, there were, indeed, two Rocksolanah CARRUTHERS. I used to think there were two Rocksolanahs, but then because of some dates that were discussed in the old W’ton List (probably close to 15 years ago!), I began to think that there was only one. It was generally accepted that it was the same woman who […]
Buyer Beware: Make sure you know THIS about AncestryDNA before you buy a kit!
I have been recommending AncestryDNA here on this site for the past several months now because I’ll be the first to admit it’s much easier to use than FamilyTreeDNA in terms of seeing possible shared ancestor hints and locations of the ancestors of your matches. That said, because of the terrible technical issues that Ancestry has been […]
Estate of Joseph Morris (1791) – Craven County
The following is a transcription of the estate papers for Joseph MORRIS (1791) of Craven County. It is believed by many researchers that Joseph MORRIS was the father of Katie Anna MORRIS (or Katie Ann MORRIS) who married Benjamin LANCASTER of Craven County. State of North-Carolina } County. } Know all men by these presents, […]
Possible breakthrough on the parents of Eli J. Cox (of Craven and Lenoir Counties)
I’ve written before on this site (here, here, and here) about the family of my 3rd-great-grandfather Eli J. Cox. The details of his life make it appear (to me, at least) that he may have had a challenging upbringing. Additionally, in spite of searching through every record I could find for every Cox male in […]
Using AncestryDNA? For goodness’ sake! Please post a tree!
Some amazing things are happening right now in our family thanks to several of us taking the AncestryDNA test. We’re on the verge of solving the puzzle of our Whitford family origins (In other words, did we come from Scotland, as was long suggested, or perhaps somewhere else?) — a subject that has mystified many […]
Will of Mary Holmes (Craven County) – 1824 and Apprentice Bond for Richard Holmes
Below is a transcription of the last will and testament of Mary HOLMES of Craven County. Although I descend from the HOLMES family of Beaufort County, I had not seen this before. I suspect there is some connection between Mary and my ancestor, John HOLMES, as there are many occasions where John is conducting business […]
David K. Roach sends a letter to his mother in Swift Creek from Fort Hawkins, Jones County, Georgia
The following is a transcription of a letter from David K. ROACH to his mother, Mary “Polly” (Sommers) ROACH. His father was Charles ROACH. It was written in July 1822 and it refers to other Swift Creek friends: Charles KINION (married Elizabeth DUBBERLY or Elizabeth PRITCHETT) Hannah & Pearce (probably David’s sister, Hannah ROACH, and […]
If your people come from the Craven/Pitt/Beaufort County area, please read this!
Surnames mentioned: KING, FORNES, BOYD, HODGES, WILLIAMS, MORRIS, WITHERINGTON, RIGGS, LEE, KEMP, MCCAFFERTY, SMITH, DRAKE, BARTLETT, SUMMERELL, ROBERTSON, HOLLAND & MORE Have you tested yet at either AncestryDNA or FamilyTreeDNA? If so, please comment below with your name (or the name associated with your kit), or if you prefer, you can send a private message […]
Mark Your Calendars: The Official Blackbeard 300 Tricentennial is in October.
This autumn marks the 300th anniversary of the final battle of the man who was arguably the most famous pirate who ever lived. The Blackbeard 300 will take place in Bath, North Carolina — his home town — the weekend of Oct. 19-20, 2018. And Blackbeard wasn’t the only one from Bath. Some of his […]
Craven County Bastardy Bonds & related items in County Court Minutes (1764-1791)
I have the complete set of Craven County Court Minutes books by the late Weynette Parks Haun, and while I LOVE them— and I recognize them as an amazing resource — there are some index items that I wish she would have included, for instance, bastardy items. There are plenty of them in the court […]