Royal Spain Death Notice - The Daily state journal - 1872

I just found a short entry about my ancestor, Royal Spain, in an Alexandria, Virginia newspaper.  They apparently picked it up from another paper and passed it along.

The Daily State Journal

Alexandria, Virginia

May 1, 1872; p. 1, col. 2

"VIRGINIA NEWS...The Roanoke Valley announces the death of Royal Spain, of Mecklenburg county, in the eighty-seventh year of his age."

I would love to find the actual article from the Roanoke Valley.  The Library of Virginia has some of their remaining issues on microfilm.  I might try to slip down there this weekend and see what I can find.

What happens when you achieve your dream (and it wasn't what you expected it to be)?

I have always collected license plates, Virginia plates to be exact.  No, I do not have a physical collection of license plates in my office or anywhere in my house.  The collection is in my brain.  I like to run across low-number license plates.  In Virginia, the lower the plate number the more important the driver...or so it seemed to me for all of these years.  Most of the low-number plates I have found belong to members of the Virginia government.  Some are house or senate members, others may be a court clerk or someone else of elevated status.  In most cases the person's job title is spelled out on the plate itself.  I guess that is code for "do not tow me, I am important."

I saw Eric Cantor's car at Panera Bread one day, a few years ago.  If you are not familiar with Mr. Cantor, he is a member of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia and I think he will be the Majority leader for the House in a few days.  Cantor is a pretty good guy.  I remember when he actually went door to door and talked to people.  My mom saw him so many times, he actually remembered her name...but that was years ago.  Anyway, I was excited to see his car, but he was not in the restaurant.  One of his aides was picking up lunch I guess.

One little-known fact is that the members of the Virginia legislature park in the basement of the Library of Virginia.  They ride the elevator up to the main level and then walk across the street to their offices.  I have ridden the elevator with many prominent figures.  One of my most memorable experiences was bumping into John Hagar, who was Lieutenant Governor of Virginia from 1998-2002.  I actually ran into him on the street and spoke to him for a few minutes.  At that time, he was in office and was alone on the street...no security whatsoever.  I do not remember if it was before or after 9/11, but it struck me as odd that he would be alone.  

You have to keep in mind that Hagar is in a wheelchair.  I have no idea why he is disabled but he uses a wheelchair for whatever reason.  You also have to keep in mind that Richmond is a very hilly city.  Here I am, on West Broad Street, and here come the Lieutenant Governor wheeling himself, in a manual chair, up a hill.  I gained a huge amount of respect for the guy at that moment.  He probably could have had help from any number of people but he was out on his own, living life.  I saw Hagar a few times after that, at various functions around town, but never in the same light I saw him that day.  You may have also seen Hagar on the national news in 2008 when his son married President Bush's daughter, Jenna.

So, back to the license plates.  After all of my years of searching for low number plates, I had found a lot of good ones.  I have seen numbers 2, 3, 4, 5 and so on but I never found the illusive plate number 1.  I always assumed it belonged to someone of utmost importance, probably the governor himself.  I doubted that the governor drove himself around a lot so I understood the elusiveness of the plate.  Well, that all changed for me one day last week.

My wife is a photographer and she wanted me to deliver some photos to a client.  I agreed but was not overly excited about doing it.  I had to drive to her studio and pick them up before making the actual delivery...more than I really wanted to do.  Being a good husband, I took the ride and kept my mouth shut.  Well, on the way to drop off the photos, a truck pulled in front of me and to my surprise...it was plate number 1!  It was nondescript except for the blaring "1".  It gave no indication that I was following the governor, or anyone else for that matter.  It was absolutely killing me to pass the person and see who was driving.

We were on a one-lane road so I had no way of passing them.  Luckily the driver was going the way that I was, so I waited for the perfect moment to make some kind of move.  Luck was apparently on my side because the vehicle's driver decided to take a right up ahead.  I sped up and got as close as I could so that when the vehicle turned, i might be able to see the driver.  Now, my memory is a little fuzzy here, but the driver seemed to have been an older man or woman...but clearly not Bob McDonnell!  I was a little disappointed but I drove on and delivered the pictures.  I did manage to pull out my iPod Touch and snap a photo of the plate as a keepsake.

The more I thought about this over the next few days, the more it began to bother me.  All of these years I held license plate 1 up to this really high level of expectation.  For all intents and purposes, my dreams were crushed because, as far as I could tell, the driver of car 1 for the Commonwealth of Virginia is an average Joe.  Now, I could be wrong.  The driver could have been someone of great importance but I can at least say they were not who I expected or was looking for.

I went and saw the Disney movie "Tangled" with my daughter this past weekend.  There is a scene in the movie where Rapunzel is in a boat with Flynn and they are talking about dreams.  Rapunzel always dreamed about seeing the release of these certain lanterns into the sky.  As she waited with Flynn to see the lanterns drift into the heavens, she found herself being afraid.  What if the lanterns did not meet the expectations of her dreams, or worse yet, what if they surpassed her expectations, what would she do?  His answer was simple, you just find another dream.

Now, I find myself sitting here waiting for a new dream to come along.  I know all of this sounds silly but I really did just achieve something I had been looking for all of my life.  I cannot help but feel a little bit lost.  In genealogy, we have tons of little dreams...to find the grave of great-grandpa or locate cousin Joe on the 1880 census.  It is easy to pick a new genealogical dream because there are tons of them available.  Genealogy is a search that never ends...unlike finding the only license plate number 1.

I am sure that one day I will find a new dream, to find a new game to play.  License plates were great fun while it lasted but those days are gone.  I mean, what am I going to do, start looking for plate 10?  No, because that could never evoke the excitement of finding number 1.  But at the very least, if you think about it, I got 32 years worth of entertainment for free.  I guess I should be grateful for that much!

A Must-Read: Finding the Henry Brock family cemetery of Henrico County, Virginia

If you only read one post I write this year, let this be the one...it is going to be a good one if I do say so myself!

The other day I was out Christmas shopping when I passed by an old conquest of mine...the Henry Brock family cemetery.  I like to say that I "found" it but I am sure it was never really lost.  The information to find the cemetery was there all along, someone just had to take the time to piece it together.  Let me give you some background on the Brock family.

Henry and Mary Ann Griffin Brock were my great-great-great-grandparents.  Henry was born around 1791 and grew to be a prosperous farmer in western Henrico County, Virginia.  His two-hundred acre farm was located on Old Coal Field Turnpike, later known as Broad Street Road.  At the time Mr. Brock purchased his land, that portion of Henrico County was rich in coal - hence the road's name. There were several active mines in and around the area.

The Brock homestead was demolished at some point, perhaps at the time of the road's widening in the mid-1950s.  Situated on present-day West Broad Street, I believe that the former Brock land is occupied by the current Virginia Home for Boys (8716 West Broad Street).  From an aerial photograph, it appears the Boy's Home tract is the approximate size and shape of the Brock property.  I believe that the old homestead was situated where the Home's main entrance sign exists today.

Now, I will admit that I have never sat down and fully traced the deeds from Henry's ownership of the land to the modern day.  The main tract was divided multiple times and I am sure it passed through many hands. The fact if I was right or wrong about the homestead's exact location was not overly important in this case.

My main interest was to locate a family cemetery, noted on the following land plat.  You can click on this scan to see a larger version but it is still hard to read.  What you will see are two tracts of land, one large and one small.  The smaller tract has a note that states something along the lines of "1/2 A. Res-erved for a grave yard."  The area is boxed off as a perfect square, right along the property line.  There is also a note that states something like "52 1/2 Acres of Woodland situated about 6 3/4 miles east of the Home Tract."  Again, the exact acreage and mileage is hard to read but I know that there is a cemetery within say 10 miles of the home tract...to the east.

In this case, exact figures did not matter too much.  I knew in my brain, roughly where the different Brock families lived over the generations.  I knew that Mary Ann Griffin Brock's family owned land near the county courthouse.  With that in mind, I started looking at a modern county map for features that matched the Brock plat.  I knew that the southern boundary of the property adjoined "Old Coal field Turnpike, now Broad Street Road."  Broad Street Road stretched from the city of Richmond, all the way through Henrico County and into Goochland.  I am sure it goes further than that, but I digress.  I needed to look to the north of Broad Street (they now drop the word Road from the end in Richmond and Henrico but still use it in Goochland).

The original plat was drawn in 1857 so I was sure a lot had changed.  A few things I noticed about the plat, for one was its shape.  It was narrow at the bottom and spread out toward the top.  It was also pretty regular in shape, the sides did not vary much.  I also saw that, to the west, was a road of sorts.  The road was not drawn the entire way down so it may either have curved off or stopped.  I also noticed the branch that flowed in the middle of the tract and forked off.  When it comes to creek branches, they can be a little deceiving.  What constituted a branch was subjective.  It could have been a tiny ditch or a large stream.  I think the key was that the body of water remained somewhat constant in shape and size and the water actually flowed, it did not tend to sit stagnant.  With that in mind, I kept an eye out for creeks on my modern map but I did not fixate on their being a creek.

After following Broad Street from Richmond toward Goochland, something caught my eye.  It was a tract of land, the scale seemed about right and the shape looked pretty close.  I did not see any creeks, although they could be hidden in the tree line.  There is a pond or lake near the tract so maybe the branch was diverted into a larger body at some point.  There appear to be neighborhoods in the direction from which the branch was running so maybe they did away with the water when the houses were built?  Take a look for yourself and see if you think the plat and this aerial view match up?

I went ahead and finished looking up Broad Street and never found anything else that seemed to fit.  I thereafter zeroed in on this spot being the Brock home tract.  It was definitely in the area I knew later generations of the Brock family lived, so I felt pretty good about it.  With my newly discovered information, I went down to the Virginia Historical Society to check out their map collection.

The Virginia Historical Society has a great collection of Civil War-era maps from Virginia, known as the Gilmer Collection.  I wrote an article about the GilmerCivil War Maps of Jeremy Francis Gilmer

The Gilmer maps show, in great detail, the outline of personal property boundaries and give the name of the various landowners.  I obtained the map for Henrico County, Virginia.  I cannot remember the exact date of creation but the map was probably drawn between 1861 and 1865.  Luckily, I was able to locate "Mrs. Brock" on the map with R. Ford as her neighbor.  The shape of the land was similar so I knew I was on the right track.  In this drawing, there is a creek but it is shorter and does not fork off.  Maybe the creek started drying up between 1857 and say 1865?  Now, keep in mind that Gilmer's maps were not scientific.  He did not survey the land necessarily so his maps are more artistic than scientific.

As a side note, Gilmer maps are protected property of the Virginia Historical Society.  I am including this tiny portion of the map, so you can see Mrs. Brock's name and to let you get a general feel for how the maps look.  The Historical Society sells posters of the maps at a reasonable price.  If you are interested in the history of a specific Virginia county, you should seriously think about ordering a Gilmer map if it is available.  You can check out their website here:  Virginia Historical Society Gilmer Maps

With the Gilmer map, we can see more roads and even a set of railroad tracks.  However, if you notice, the railroad tracks are actually just a spur that goes to the Springfield Coal Pits.  Perhaps that set of tracks was allowed to decay once the coal pits closed up?  

So, once again, there was nothing to say the Brock home place was located where the Boy's Home current sits.  However, looking at the overall modern map, I knew I was in approximately the right area on the modern version.  Remember, I was looking for the cemetery, not the home tract so precision was not required at this point.  I only needed a rough starting point.

Once I decided on an approximate location for the Brock home place, I took a stickpin and placed it where the house would possibly have stood.  I took a piece of string, and using the scale of the map, cut a piece that was approximately ten miles long.  I tied a pencil to the string and drew a twenty mile circle (ten on each side) that featured the "Brock farm" at the center.  I then cut the circle out and folded it in half, bring east and west together.  I opened the circle and cut it down the fold, leaving me with the eastern half of the circle.  My cemetery should be somewhere in that half.

What happened next was almost comical now that I look back on it but I had no idea how this would unfold at the time...

I was at the archives one day,  talking to one of my buddies who works there.  I mentioned that I was looking for a family cemetery in Henrico County.  He told me that a woman, representing perhaps the Henrico County Historical Society, was compiling a book of all the county cemeteries.  It has been awhile since this happened, so my memory is a little fuzzy.  I think I gave him my name and number to pass along to the woman when she came to the archives.  A little time passed and, if I remember correctly, she called me.  We spoke on the phone for just a few minutes and she asked what family was I looking for.  The second I said Brock, she said there was a Henry Brock cemetery near the county courthouse...and my jaw dropped!

She told me that the cemetery was noted on the official tax map for Henrico County as the "Henry Brock Family Cemetery."  It was located in an apartment complex but she was never able to find it for herself.  She also told me of another cemetery in the complex but that one had been found.  Here is a photo of that cemetery and its one stone.

Getting back to my story...  After thanking the woman, I got off the phone and went straight to the apartment complex.  I walked all over the place and could not find anything.  There is a hospital next door so I went over there, asking if anyone knew of a cemetery in the area.  I was told that a cemetery was in the hospital parking lot, in a bricked section, but I knew that was probably not what I was looking for.  Later I found more on that cemetery but that is another story, for another time.

I left that day, dejected because I could not find anything.  I did not give up hope though.  It was a day during the week and I cannot remember why I was not at work!  Anyway, I went to the court house and asked for the personal property tax division.  When I got there, I explained that I was looking for a family cemetery and was told that it was on the tax map.  The woman was very helpful and, in the matter of a few minutes, she was able to produce a map that showed the "Henry Brock Family Cemetery" boxed off.  It was in the apartment complex but it was split into two pieces...that seemed strange to me.  No matter, I was thrilled with the find because now I had a treasure map with an "X" on it.

I do not exactly remember how this part happened, but I am glad that it did.  Maybe I asked her who owned the property but either way she looked it up in the computer.  It turns out that no one owned the land, that it was just tax-free land with no contact person.  I asked if she could put my name on it and, within a few seconds, I was listed as the contact person for the tract.  No paperwork, nothing.  I guess only a relative would be looking for a 150 year old cemetery with no owner on file!

I left the courthouse with all kinds of excitement.  I went back across the street, map in hand.  Surely I would find it now!  But no luck!  All I found was the building on the map and a playground.  I sat there and studied the map for awhile and started to realize that something was not right.  Now remember, I do not know what happened to the land after the 1857 deed, but it looked to me as if that building was built in the middle of the cemetery.  The 1857 tract does not show two graveyards, it shows one half-acre graveyard.  I still, to this day, do not know the answer but it seems to me that building was put up on the Henry Brock family cemetery.  One day I am going to research it and find out for sure.

Anyway, I wanted to find out if the apartment complex people knew anything about the cemetery so I went to the office.  The lady there was not helpful, defensive even.  She refused to talk to me and said I had to talk to the property manager, who was not there.  Again, I do not remember all of the story, but I do not remember the manager ever calling me back.  I finally wrote them a letter and faxed it.  I did not say anything mean or accusatory.  I wanted to make them aware that my family cemetery was basically in their playground.  I also wanted to know what was there when the apartments were built and if any tombstones or graves were moved.  I never received any response.

Time went by and I stopped by the site a few times.  One day I was walking around and I bent over to pick up some trash.  For whatever reason, something caught my eye.  I passed this thing at least ten times and never noticed.  Maybe I was too worked up on my other trips but there, in plain view, was a tombstone.  It is just a rock but it is definitely marking some one's grave.  After all of that time, I finally found the Brock cemetery!  I had no idea who it belonged to or how many people were buried there but I found it!

Years went by and, without asking, the apartment complex moved the playground.  I guess they realized that the land was not theirs so they moved their stuff off of it.  It worked out for the kids who live there because they got a nicer play area in another part of the complex.  I still want to ask about the building...who knows, maybe I will prove they do not own the land that it is built on.  That could open up a can of worms at this point so I have pretty much let it be.  I would like to maybe fence the cemetery one day but that takes money.  It would probably also invite vandalism whereas the cemetery now sits in peace.

So, after all of this writing, what is the lesson to be learned here?  This one is simple...never assume that something is lost.  The Henry Brock cemetery was on the county's main map.  I assumed that it was lost to time and that I had to rescue it in some way.  If I checked with the county first, I would not have needed Gilmer maps, pieces of string and stick pins.  It was hiding in plain sight, I was just to blind to look for it.  Even when I "found" the cemetery, I did not see it.  It took probably five trips before I actually noticed the tombstone!  Overall, it was a very humbling experience.

Genealogy Lesson 19 - What to do with all of your genealogy "stuff"

I was looking around my office one day and noticed how many files I had. I literally have hundreds of file folders, filled with copies from deed books or census records. I am extremely neat and organized, everything has its place, but I started thinking about what happens to all of this stuff when I die?

The more I thought about it, the more I realized all of these files have a 99% chance of ending up in the trash. My kids might care less about them so I am running a huge risk of wasting all of my efforts...in the long run. I made a bold decision, one that I might regret later, but I am going through with it for better or worse. I am throwing everything away myself and not waiting for them to do it!

I decided to go through each file and scan everything into my computer, either as a JPEG or PDF. I am then sending copies to anybody I know researching that family. There is no sense in being stingy with what I have if it might advance research on that line. I am also making sure that I have entered everything into my genealogy database and that all of my entries are neat and uniform. My goal for years has been to put together a book of all my research and I am finally doing it!

I also want to focus on preserving the history of my ancestors as opposed to my relatives in general. This is counter to what most genealogists try to do but I want to actually finish the book project and cannot do it while trying to fit in 2,500 people. I want to go back and look for deeds and stuff from my ancestors, that I have neglected to look for in the past. I want to fill in the blanks that I have been too preoccupied with aunts and cousins to do. I also only want to go back about six, maybe seven generations. Anything beyond that tends to get too sketchy for me. I do not operator on theory, only fact.

Now do not get me wrong, I am still looking for marriage, death and SS-5 info for aunts and uncles that may give me info on their parents, my ancestors. I just cannot focus on them any more. I am going to get out a first revision of my family history book, with my ancestors only, and then I might go back and do more detailed books on each family surname. I have enough info in my files to write ten books, easily. I just need to shrink my focus to make sure it gets done.  I need to follow the advice I have been giving you all-along!

The last big decision I have made is to keep only original documents and photographs. I am then going to donate all of those to a local library or society. I have a lot of old, original documents that would make a great public collection. I would like to work a deal with William and Mary or the Library of Virginia to one day start the "Lett Collection" - sounds cool right! I have been a collector of old Virginia documents for some time and will have a rather nice collection by the time I retire from the game. I would like to see it go somewhere safe and enduring.

This is my plan...now put yourself in my shoes.  What are you really going do to with 450 pages of census copies?  What will your legacy be?  Do you want to be remembered as a pack rat or as an author and collector of valuable documents?  Do you want your research in a library or in a trash heap?

Is taking photos of microfilm a good or bad practice, what do you think?

How do you feel about using digital cameras to copy documents at a library? I see people pulling their cameras out and snapping photos of microfilm documents at the Library of Virginia more and more frequently.  I never liked the practice and always felt that the library probably needed the money from copies to survive.  At $0.75 each, that could add up quickly.  Every photo snapped felt to me like someone was stealing from the library, three quarters at a time.

Well, I threw this topic out on Facebook and a few people responded.  Some felt that taking photos was disrespectful, both to the library and to fellow patrons, especailly if a flash was used.  Others felt that snapping photos was more efficent and produced better-quality images.  With this debate in mind, I went to the state archives this weekend and asked three reference librarians what they thought on both a personal and professional level; if the library had an official stance.  I was honestly surprised at their answers.

It turns out that the Library of Virginia has no problem with anyone taking photos of anything in the public section(s) of the facility.  You can photograph books, paintings, microfilm, etc. (as long as there is no sign posted that trumphs that policy for a particular item).  You can even photograph items from the closed stacks, if they can be called down and used in the public areas of the library.  What cannot be photographed are items in special collections, that have to be used in a secure portion of the facility.  These items generally have contractual copyright protection.

To my surprise, the librarians actually encourage the use of digital cameras.  They said that the cost of maintaining the copy machines is much higher than the $0.75 they charge per copy.  It is actually in the library's best interest for you not to make copies.  As long as you do not use a flash, you are free to take all the pictures that you want.  I still don't feel right about it but I am going to have to give it a try.  I will be curious to see how well they turn out.

Maybe you can ask around at your local library or state archives and see how they feel?  I would be intereted to know if all facilities are as open to cameras as the one in Virginia.

Working on USA Family Tree free lessons and Facebook fan page

I have been working on my free genealogy lesson site, USA Family Tree, for the past week or two.  I have spent several hours every night trying to refine the lessons and draw in more subscribers.  I am hit the 1,500 subscriber mark the other night.  I am not exactly setting the genealogy world on fire but that is not too shabby!  I am also thinking about writing a paper for the 2011 National Genealogical Society conference in North Charleston, South Carolina.  Maybe I will get selected to speak down there...we will have to wait and see.  Have any of you do that before, submit a genealogy paper for a conference?  If so, any suggestions?

For the past few weeks, with the holidays and the snow that we had, I have been unable to get down to the state archives.  I am hoping to go there this Saturday since I have not been in such a long time.  (A long time for me is more than a month or two).  I am fortuate to live pretty close to the archives, a luxury I know that many of you do not have.

I also created a Facebook fan page for my genealogy lesson site.  You can check it out here:  USA Family Tree's Facebook Fan Page.  I currently have 184 fans...not too bad for only a few days.

It bother me a little...I cannot help but feel that I am neglecting this blog!  I honestly have not had anything good to add concerning Virginia genealogy so I don't want to waste your time, just for the sake of creating blog posts.  I did also start a new blog associated with my free genealogy lessons, you can see it here.  I have written some good posts there recently, about general genealogical topics.  I really do not like having two blogs but the readers of that one are not so Virginia-oriented.

Well, maybe I will come across something good to share when I go to the archives on Saturday.  If I do, I will let you all know.

What I am genealogically thankful for this year.

I know this is a day late but I was thinking about it last night...what are the top ten things I am thankful for in genealogy this year?  It took me awhile to fill this list but here we go, in no particular order...

1. State budget cuts this year did not severely hamper the Library of Virginia.  In past years, they were forced to lay off employees or even close for extra days during the week.
2. Family Tree Maker 2010 finally seems to be getting stable.  I think I have finally made the long-term switch to that product.
3. Ancestry.com went public this year - it is now on the stock market.  This may turn out to be a terrible thing in the long run but for now it seems positive.  They have a huge rush of cash into the company so I would expect a lot of expansion in the near future.
4. Getting my new office set up.  I am sitting here typing in it right now!  I am not finished with it yet but I should be done by the end of the weekend.  I mostly have to do some trim work and painting.
5. I set out to create a free set of genealogy lessons by email, for the general public, and I actually did it.  I wrote 20 lessons, set up a website and an email delivery system.  You can check it out here:  USA Family Tree.  I have over 1,000 subscribers.
6. I was directed to the Library of Congress site Chronicling America - a free database of US newspapers from the late 1800s to the early 1900s - great site!
7. I bought an iPod Touch.  This, more than anything, changed my life this year.  For about $300, I have a very powerful computer in my pocket at all times.  I am even able to have a viewable copy of my GEDCOM with me whenever I need it.
8. My GPS unit, great for finding my way around old country roads.  It keeps me from pulling over constantly to read a map.  It also helps me to record the coordinates of places that I find, such as an old cemetery.
   
9. I finally got the picture of my great-great-great-grandmother that I knew existed but never took the time to track down.  I found a new cousin, told them how to find the photo, and they tracked it down for us...very exciting.
10. Finally found the middle name of my great-great-grandfather, Joseph Addison Vass, on his daughter's SS-5.  We always assumed his middle name was Andrew so this was a great find.

Well, that is my genealogical to-be-thankful-for list.  What is on yours this year?

Russell County, Virginia Chancery Causes to be Scanned

I spoke with an "insider" at the Library of Virginia and she said that Russell County is about to have its chancery court records scanned to go online. It will take a long time but the process is about to be started.

Descendants of Elizabeth Harwood Semple

1. ELIZABETH HARWOOD 6 SEMPLE (JAMES5, JOHN4, JAMES3, ROBERT2, ROBERT1)1,2 was born 1795 in Virginia2,3, and died September 27, 1870 in Orange County, Virginia4. She married (1) WILLIAM B. POWER5. He was born Bet. 1775 - 17946, and died Bet. 1820 - 1827 6,7. She married (2) REV. MADISON PETTIS 8 1827 9, son of JOHN PETTIS and MARTHA. He was born Abt. 1793 in Virginia 10,11.

Notes for ELIZABETH HARWOOD SEMPLE:
According to Elizabeth Hawes Ryland's manuscript, "History of the Semple Family of Scotland and America," "Eliza was reared by Judge James Semple of New Kent County, who left her a fortune."

York County, Virginia Guardian Accounts, 1780-1823, p. 237:
Eliza became the ward of James Semple on March 3, 1806. He drew funding from the estate of her father to ensure her care and education. He charged approximately $100 to $150 per year for her bed, board and washing. She was educated by Mrs. Royall at a cost of $8 in 1806. She was taught by Mrs. Pagand in 1807 for $10 which included tuition and books. In 1808 Eliza was a student of Geo: Blackburne at the cost of $40 per year. Her wardrobe included bonnets, gowns from Donaghreys and from Richmond, many sundries at Blocks, bolts of blue and white silk, flannel, gingham, linen, holland and muslin, ribbons, buttons, needles with which to sew, high heels and other shoes, $3.00 was paid for the setting of her father's hair (I would assume in a piece of jewelry which was customary at the time) and cotton stockings. Eliza also travelled while living with Mr. Semple, at least to King and Queen and King William Counties, some of this travel by stage. Also, while she was living with him Eliza's inheritance from her father's estate grew through the hiring of his slaves and the rent and sale of his properties. James wrote to the Court on on occasion, "the woman Milly is raising a fine family of children + they will begin shortly to hire." He seems to have taken an active role in protecting her inheritance and making it prosper until settling the account in 1811, I would assume when she married William Power.

Eliza inherited slaves by the name of Massey, Tom and Susan from the estate of her deceased grandfather, John Semple. Her father was also deceased with Eliza as his own child. She therefore inherited the property as his rightful heir. The problem is that her husband treated the slaves as his own and involved them in a deed of trust [see William B. Power's notes]. When he died, the slaves were considered part of his estate and not Eliza's. She should have been entitled to the money since it came from her family. However, when she got remarried her children with Mr. Power wanted the money since it was their father's legally."

On July 28, 1845 Eliza Pettis made a desperate plea to the chancery court deciding her fate in the case Pettis vs. Power [see notes for William B. Power]. Eliza claimed that she owned about $1,000 worth of property in her own right, including a slave named Nancy, that she had with William Power when she married Madison Pettis. However, Pettis "has squandered and ungenerously appropriated them to his individual purposes and has for some years forsaken and abandoned her now with five helpless children the offspring of their marriage and all of which are destitute of any aid...from the said Pettis in the means he possessed himself of in the right of his said wife..." Basically she pleaded with the court to give her some money from the slave sales of William Power's estate to support her and her helpless children because Madison ran off with all that she had. However, the court was unsympathetic because her children with Mr. Pettis were not entitled to anything. She was given one-sixteenth of the sale but that was equivalent to $52.19.

Letter dated "Williamsburg June 27 1851" and held at the Library of Virginia, part of accession no. 24193:

"My dear cousin Susan - Sallie's school is now over and she will go to Richmond on the first of July but cousin William must suit his own conveniences in sending for her as it will be no matter about her staying a week or two with her brothers - she never was so far from home before and of course will need the guidance of a friend therefore my cousin let me beg of you to act by her as you would by your own, for I know she is very thoughtless yet a word will be sufficient as she has always been ruled by affection - I almost enjoy her the pleasure she will have you know not how glad I would be if I could but go and spend one week with your beloved family - if I can I shall try and go to Richmond in September to bring Sallie home but it is always so difficult for me to leave home that I should not be surprised if I did not - I hope you have in timely recovered your health and that you are now enjoying all the happinesses that a devoted mother and wife feels in the assurance of having done her duty and that your last days may be crowned with the blessings that David speaks of in having many children - I want to see you and cousin William with them all around you, once more - and to feel as I have felt that I was with friends in deed - Eliza's health is greatly improved she writes word, when she left me thought it was likely I never should see her again but it has pleased God to raise her up and I feel truly thankful she says she is vary happy and that every thing that affection can dictate is done for her in the house of his parents who are indeed such to her - tell Mary she owe's me a letter I thought she promised to write oftener, but think she must have forgotten us remember me to Catherine tell her I should be delighted to go to see her, but she must love Sallie for my sake as she says she hopes to stay some with her during her long visit - my dear Aunts health is very feeble, she has moved so far up the county that I scarcely ever see her so that I feel like one left almost without relatives Willie sends his love to you all he wants very much to go with Sallie - but I tell him he must be a clever fellow and when he is a man he can go - he will spend his vacation in Norfolk with Judson, so that I shall be quite alone Sister Jones was to see me last week she is well and desired to be remembered to you, I like her very much indeed she appears to be an excellent lady - Henry's wife has a sweet baby they call it Lucy Frances you never saw a greater pet than it is with us all - Sallie joins me in love to all and bids me say that she is anxiously looking forward to the time when she will be with you - I cannot tell you cousin Susan how much I feel about her, now that I have gone so far in educating her for a teacher I do not know how I shall ever give her up to go from me, for her love is the greatest earthly blessing I have and I can but hope that God will open a way for her to do without - She will have to go another year to school although it will be a hard scuffle for me to keep them both at school yet I shall try although Willie is very anxious to go to some business do write to me after Sallie is with you and let me know how she behaves - but I feel she will be in good hands not only with you but I can entrust her to one who has promised to be a father to the fatherless remember me to any who may ask after me not forgetting dear sister Fox good bye my dear cousin I remain your truly E Pettis"

Religious Herald, October 27, 1870:
"Departed this life, on the 27th September, 1870, at the residence of W. F. Brooking, Esq., in Orange county, Va., MRS. ELIZA PETTIS, of Williamsburg, Va., in the 75th year of her age. She was spending a part of the summer with her daughter, Mrs. Brooking, as was her custom yearly, and had been unwell from some days before her death, but was considered much better, and expected in a short time to return to her home. The night on which she died she retired as usual, and was found dead the next morning, with her little grandson (who accompanied her on her visit) sleeping by her side. So quietly did this saint of God pass away to her rest, that others sleeping in the same room with her were not aware of it until morning. She lived a holy life - her end was peace. Sister Pettis leaves seven children to mourn the loss of a mother, such as few have been blest with. They are all settled in life, heads of families, all pious, and one of her sons a minister of the gospel. She was baptized in York river by her uncle, Rev. Robert Semple, in the summer of 1822, which makes her 48 years a member of the Baptist church. She loved the church to which she belonged, and was devoted to its interests. She was beloved by, and enjoyed the confidence of, all her brethren as well as the community generally. We feel that she is a loss to us, but her holy life assures us that our loss is her gain. May her children, her brethren and friends be prepared to meet her in heaven, is the prayer of her PASTOR."

More About ELIZABETH HARWOOD SEMPLE:
Baptism: 1822, York County, Virginia 12
Cause of Death: died in her sleep 12

Notes for WILLIAM B. POWER:
William and his family lived in York County at the time of the 1820 census. He was the owner of five female slaves.

In 1822, William Power entered into a deed of trust with John F. Bryan and Frederick B. Power involving several slaves that his wife inherited from the estate of her grandfather, John Semple. Upon Williams death, the slaves were to be sold for the support of his children. However, William died but the slaves were never sold as ordered. His oldest sons, James and John borrowed against their inheritance from their uncle, Frederick B. Power. In 1841 the slaves were finally sold and the money divided. William's wife Eliza, who had since remarried to Madison Pettis, argued that she was entitled to part of the money seeing as though they were he grandfather's slaves. She and Madison wanted her to receive the one-third due her by right of dower. I feel that Madison pressured Eliza to make the suit and that she was less interested in doing so. However, Madison left Eliza during the proceedings so the one-sixteenth that she was eventually awarded went into a trust in her name via John F. Bryan.

Notes for REV. MADISON PETTIS:
In 1830 Madison and his family were living in James City County, Virginia, at which time he owned eight slaves. He seems to have been a Baptist minister in York County during the years 1833 and 1834, conducting at least two weddings in that county.

Madison apparently abandoned his family sometime in the early 1840s. In a letter to her cousin Susan in June of 1851, Eliza Pettis wrote about her daughter Sallie spending the summer in Richmond with family. She acknowledged her thankfulness that in cousin William she could "...entrust her to one who has promised to be a father to the fatherless." Madison may have gone to Orange County, Virginia and began living with a woman named Sarah Highlander. Madison was listed as the head of her household in 1850. She had four children named Samuel age 8, Thomas age 7, Josephine age 3 and Pamelia L. Highlander who was one month old. In 1860 they were all listed as Pettuses including Madison age 56, Sarah age 45, Samuel age 18, Thomas age 16, Pamelia L. age 10 and Rebicah Pettus age 1.

There was a land purchase between a Madison Pettis and a John Dodd there in 1843. This land purchase corresponds with the time our Madison Pettis left his wife and children so I believe it is the same person. However, by 1844 this Madison had run up debts and had to use the land in a deed of trust to pay them off.

More About MADISON PETTIS and ELIZABETH SEMPLE:
Marriage: 1827 13
Separation: Bet. 1841 - 1845 13

Children of ELIZABETH SEMPLE and WILLIAM POWER are:
i. JAMES F. 7 POWER 13, b. Bet. 1810 - 1820 14; d. Aft. 1845 15.
ii. JOHN W. POWER 15, b. Bet. 1810 - 1820 16; d. Aft. 1845 17.

Notes for JOHN W. POWER:
According to a property agreement written by John on October 29, 1838, he would be attending school in Richmond. He had borrowed against the estate of his deceased father from his uncle Frederick B. Powers. This document signed over his inheritance to pay off two previous loans and "any monies he may send me this winter to aid in my education in Richmond."

iii. HENRY S. B. POWER 17, b. Abt. 1823, York County, Virginia 18; d. Aft. June 1850 18; m. SUSAN A. C. TAYLOR 19, Abt. November 30, 1848, York County, Virginia 19; b. Abt. 1826, York County, Virginia 20; d. Aft. June 1850 20.

Notes for HENRY S. B. POWER:
Samuel Sheild was Henry's legal guardian after his father's death. In 1850, Henry was working as a farmer and owned $1,200 worth of real estate. It seems that perhaps his mother-in-law and possibly his wife's brother was living with he and Susan at that time.

More About HENRY POWER and SUSAN TAYLOR:
Bondsman: John H. Morrison 21
Marriage: Abt. November 30, 1848, York County, Virginia 21
Marriage bond: November 30, 1848, York County, Virginia 21

iv. ROBERT B. S. POWER 22, b. Bef. 1827 22; d. Bef. 1841 22.

Notes for ROBERT B. S. POWER:
His name was likely Robert Baylor Semple Power - this is only a guess but it would make sense. Robert Baylor Semple was the child's great uncle, a prominent Baptist minister. This child died in infancy.

Children of ELIZABETH SEMPLE and MADISON PETTIS are:
v. ROBERT BAYLOR 7 PETTIS 23, b. July 1829, York County, Virginia 24,25,26; d. July 06, 1908, Richmond, Virginia 27; m. (1) MARY JANE HANKINS 28, Abt. December 05, 1850, Richmond, Virginia 28; b. Bet. 1830 - 1831, King William County, Virginia 29,30; d. August 02, 1864, Richmond, Virginia 31; m. (2) MARIA LOUISA BRANCH 32,33, October 16, 1867, Richmond, Virginia 34; b. November 1836, Chesterfield County, Virginia 35,36; d. September 17, 1915, Richmond, Virginia 37.

Notes for ROBERT BAYLOR PETTIS:
Robert was well-educated and entered the carpentry trade as a young man. He moved from Williamsburg to Richmond, Virginia around 1850 and started his family. Robert served as an officer for the local defense troops during the Civil War, rising to the rank of first lieutenant. After the war, he served Richmond in various capacities, having been for nine years deputy inspector of customs, serving under Presidents Cleveland, McKinley and Roosevelt. He owned a lovely home at 623 Holly Street, now demolished, and has a large tombstone and family plot in Riverview Cemetery.

More About ROBERT BAYLOR PETTIS:
Burial: July 07, 1908, Riverview Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia 38
Cause of Death: complication of diseases 39

Notes for MARY JANE HANKINS:
Mary may have been the daughter or sister of Oliver P. Hankins. She is buried in an unmarked grave in Shockoe Cemetery.

More About MARY JANE HANKINS:
Burial: August 03, 1864, Shockoe Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia 40,41
Cause of Death: typhoid fever 41

More About ROBERT PETTIS and MARY HANKINS:
Marriage: Abt. December 05, 1850, Richmond, Virginia 42

Notes for MARIA LOUISA BRANCH:
Maria was a Drake widow.

Maria was able to read and write. She was married to a Drake before Robert Pettis. According to the 1900 census, Maria was the mother of four children, two of which were deceased at that time. I believe that Maria suffered with nephritis for some time before her death.

Richmond Times-Dispatch, September 19, 1915:
"MRS. LOUISA B. PETTIS - Mrs. Louisa Branch Pettis, widow of Captain Robert B. Pettis, died at her home, 623 Holby [sic.] Street, Friday morning at 8 o'clock, aged seventy-eight years. She is survived by the following children: J. P. and G. W. Pettis, of Richmond; W. B. Pettis, of Cairo, Ill.; Mrs. N. W. Glasgow, and Mrs. M. A. Clark, of Richmond; and Mrs. L. T. Royall, of Washington, D. C."

"PETTIS - The funeral of MRS. LOUISA BRANCH PETTIS, widow of Captain Robert B. Pettis, will take place SUNDAY AFTERNOON at 4 o'clock from her residence, 623 Holly Street. Interment in Riverview."

More About MARIA LOUISA BRANCH:
Burial: September 19, 1916, Riverview Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia 43
Cause of Death: chronic interstitial nephritis 43
Medical Information: acute dilation of the throat 43

More About ROBERT PETTIS and MARIA BRANCH:
Marriage: October 16, 1867, Richmond, Virginia 44

vi. JUDSON R. PETTIS45, b. Bet. 1828 - 1832, Williamsburg, Virginia 45,46; d. Aft. June 1870 47; m. (1) JANE 48, Bef. June 1850 48; b. Abt. 1830, Virginia; d. Bef. June 1860 49; m. (2) ANNA DECORDY 50, April 26, 1861, Norfolk, Virginia 50; b. Bet. 1839 - 1842, New York, New York 50,51; d. Aft. June 1870 51.

Notes for JUDSON R. PETTIS:
Judson worked as a house carpenter, more specifically a sash and blind maker. He was also a soldier in 1861.

More About JUDSON PETTIS and JANE:
Marriage: Bef. June 1850 52

More About JUDSON PETTIS and ANNA DECORDY:
Exact location: a residence 53
Marriage: April 26, 1861, Norfolk, Virginia 53
Marriage license: April 26, 1861, Norfolk, Virginia 53
Married By: A. J. Coffman 53

vii. ELIZA S. PETTIS 54,55, b. Abt. 1830, York County, Virginia 56; d. Aft. September 1870 57; m. WILLIAM FLEMING BROOKING 58, January 22, 1851, Liberty Mills, Orange County, Virginia 59; b. November 03, 1823 60; d. Abt. November 1892 60.

Notes for ELIZA S. PETTIS:
Eliza apparently became very ill shortly after her marriage. Her mother wrote to cousin Susan of Richmond in June of 1851 to say that "Eliza's health is greatly improved she writes word, when she left me thought it was likely I never should see her again but it has pleased God to raise her up and I feel truly thankful she says she is vary happy and that every thing that affection can dictate is done for her in the house of his parents who are indeed such to her."

Marriage Notes for ELIZA PETTIS and WILLIAM BROOKING:
Richmond Whig and Public Advertiser, January 31, 1851:
"Married - At Liberty Mills, Orange County on Jan. 22, by Rev. Joseph Earnest, William F. Brooking, to Miss Eliza S. Pettis, formerly of Williamsburg."

More About WILLIAM BROOKING and ELIZA PETTIS:
Marriage: January 22, 1851, Liberty Mills, Orange County, Virginia 61
Married By: Rev. Joseph Earnest 61

viii. SARAH PETTIS 62, b. Abt. 1834, York County, Virginia 62; d. Aft. June 1851 63.

Notes for SARAH PETTIS:
Sallie spent the summer of 1851 in Richmond, staying with various family members. Her mother was putting her through school to be a teacher but worried that Sallie might not make it through her final year. In a letter to her cousin Susan, Eliza Pettis wrote "...now that I have gone so far in educating her for a teacher I do not know how I shall ever give her up to go from me, for her love is the greatest earthly blessing I have and I can but hope that God will open a way for her to do without." I would take this to mean that Eliza did not want Sallie to get married before finishing her schooling. From the same letter we also see that Sallie was a young woman with a wild streak in her. Her mother told cousin Susan that Sallie "...will need the guidance of a friend therefore my cousin let me beg of you to act by her as you would by your own, for I know she is very thoughtless yet a word will be sufficient as she has always been ruled by affection." Eliza closed the letter by requesting that cousin Susan "...let me know how she behaves."

ix. WILLIE PETTIS 63, b. Abt. 1837, York County, Virginia 64; d. Aft. June 1851 65.

Notes for WILLIE PETTIS:
Willie attended school as a child but was restless. His mother wrote to a cousin Susan of Richmond in 1851 stating that "...it will be a hard scuffle for me to keep them both at school yet I shall try although Willie is very anxious to go to some business..." He spent that summer with his brother Judson in Norfolk.

Endnotes

1. Pettis vs. Powers, etal, Chancery causes, York County, Virginia, index no. 1846-001.
2. Frederick A. Virkus, The Abridged Compendium of American Genealog, Volume III, (Baltimore, 1968), 161.
3. Robert B. Pettis household, 1900 census, Richmond, Virginia, ED 65, p. 19, ln. 51.
4. Mrs. Eliza Pettis obituary, Religious Herald, October 27, 1870.
5. Pettis vs. Powers, etal, Chancery causes, York County, Virginia, index no. 1846-001.
6. Wm. Power household, 1830 census, York County, Virginia, p. 156.
7. Pettis vs. Powers, etal, Chancery causes, York County, Virginia, index no. 1846-001.
8. Pettis-Drake marriage register entry, Richmond, Virginia, 1867, p. 92, ln. 17.
9. Pettis vs. Powers, etal, Chancery causes, York County, Virginia, index no. 1846-001.
10. Frederick A. Virkus, The Abridged Compendium of American Genealog, Volume III, (Baltimore, 1968).
11. Robt. B. Pettis household, 1880 census, Richmond, Virginia, ED 79, p. 31A, ln. 5.
12. Mrs. Eliza Pettis obituary, Religious Herald, October 27, 1870.
13. Pettis vs. Powers, etal, Chancery causes, York County, Virginia, index no. 1846-001.
14. Wm. Power household, 1830 census, York County, Virginia, p. 156.
15. Pettis vs. Powers, etal, Chancery causes, York County, Virginia, index no. 1846-001.
16. Wm. Power household, 1830 census, York County, Virginia, p. 156.
17. Pettis vs. Powers, etal, Chancery causes, York County, Virginia, index no. 1846-001.
18. Henry Power household, 1850 census, York County, Virginia, p. 359.
19. Michael Pollock, York County Virginia Marriages Volume 1 Bonds & Ministers' Returns 1769-1853, (Athens, Georgia, 1994).
20. Henry Power household, 1850 census, York County, Virginia, p. 359.
21. Michael Pollock, York County Virginia Marriages Volume 1 Bonds & Ministers' Returns 1769-1853, (Athens, Georgia, 1994).
22. Pettis vs. Powers, etal, Chancery causes, York County, Virginia, index no. 1846-001.
23. Robert Baylor Pettis obituary, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond, Virginia, July 7, 1908.
24. Robert B. Pettis household, 1900 census, Richmond, Virginia, ED 65, p. 19, ln. 51.
25. Robert Baylor and Louisa Branch Pettis tombstone, Riverview Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia, c. 1998.
26. Pettis-Drake marriage register entry, Richmond, Virginia, 1867, p. 92, ln. 17.
27. Robert Baylor Pettis obituary, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond, Virginia, July 7, 1908.
28. Pettis-Hankins marriage consent, Richmond, Virginia, 1850.
29. Ro. Pettis household, 1860 census, Henrico County, Virginia, p. 618, ln. 34.
30. George Warren Pettis death certificate no. 1520-17470, Commonwealth of Virginia, 1936.
31. Mrs. Mary J. Pettis obituary, Richmond Dispatch, Richmond, Virginia, August 3, 1864.
32. Mrs. Maria L. Pettis death certificate no. 205-21161, Commonwealth of Virginia, 1915.
33. Mrs. Louisa Branch Pettis obituary, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond, Virginia, September 19, 1915.
34. Pettis-Drake marriage register entry, Richmond, Virginia, 1867, p. 92, ln. 17.
35. Robert B. Pettis household, 1900 census, Richmond, Virginia, ED 65, p. 19, ln. 51.
36. Pettis-Drake marriage register entry, Richmond, Virginia, 1867, p. 92, ln. 17.
37. Mrs. Maria L. Pettis death certificate no. 205-21161, Commonwealth of Virginia, 1915.
38. Robert Baylor Pettis obituary, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond, Virginia, July 7, 1908.
39. Robert B. Pettis obituary, The News Leader, Richmond, Virginia, July 7, 1908, p. 6.
40. Mrs. Mary J. Pettis obituary, Richmond Dispatch, Richmond, Virginia, August 3, 1864.
41. Miss Mary J. Pettis interment card, Shockoe Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia, 1864.
42. Pettis-Hankins marriage consent, Richmond, Virginia, 1850.
43. Mrs. Maria L. Pettis death certificate no. 205-21161, Commonwealth of Virginia, 1915.
44. Pettis-Drake marriage register entry, Richmond, Virginia, 1867, p. 92, ln. 17.
45. Pettis-DeCordy marriage license, Norfolk, Virginia, 1861.
46. Judson R. Pettis household, 1850 census, Norfolk, Virginia, p. 89.
47. Judson Pettis household, 1870 census, Norfolk, Virginia, p. 156.
48. Judson R. Pettis household, 1850 census, Norfolk, Virginia, p. 89.
49. S. Higginbotham household, 1860 census, Norfolk, Virginia, p. 474.
50. Pettis-DeCordy marriage license, Norfolk, Virginia, 1861.
51. Judson Pettis household, 1870 census, Norfolk, Virginia, p. 156.
52. Judson R. Pettis household, 1850 census, Norfolk, Virginia, p. 89.
53. Pettis-DeCordy marriage license, Norfolk, Virginia, 1861.
54. Eliza Pettis household, 1850 census, York County, Virginia, p. 368.
55. Brooking family Bible record, Library of Virginia, Richmond.
56. Eliza Pettis household, 1850 census, York County, Virginia, p. 368.
57. Mrs. Eliza Pettis obituary, Religious Herald, October 27, 1870.
58. Brooking family Bible record, Library of Virginia, Richmond.
59. Brooking-Pettis marriage announcement, Richmond Whig & Public Advertiser, January 31, 1851.
60. Brooking family Bible record, Library of Virginia, Richmond.
61. Brooking-Pettis marriage announcement, Richmond Whig & Public Advertiser, January 31, 1851.
62. Eliza Pettis household, 1850 census, York County, Virginia, p. 368.
63. Letter from E. Pettus to cousin Susan, June 27, 1851, Library of Virginia accession no. 24193.
64. Eliza Pettis household, 1850 census, York County, Virginia, p. 368.
65. Letter from E. Pettus to cousin Susan, June 27, 1851, Library of Virginia accession no. 24193.

Follow-up to "Lost Records Localities: Counties and Cities with Missing Records"

So I went to the Library of Virginia this past Saturday and looked up one item from the "Lost Records Localities Database." It turned out to be a valuable document for my family research. It is solid proof that John Philip Brock was married to Elizabeth King, daughter of Alexander and Mary King of Hanover County, Virginia. I had seen that relationship mentioned before but it was never accompanied by any proof. Now I have a deed that shows the entire family, laid out in black and white.

This particular deed was part of a larger collection of Brock documents. Before Saturday, I was not aware that collection existed either! Apparently someone noticed there was a Hanover County deed in the Brock papers and submitted a copy to the "Lost Records Localities Database." If it were not for that database, I may never have found the proof that I needed to get back to the King family.

I made some basic notes from the deed:

Lost Records Localities Database; Library of Virginia. Hanover County, King, Mary, etc. to John P. Brock, Deed, 1799.

Dated June 13, 1799. Mary King, Jacob King, Alexr. King, Robert King, William King, Barnett Ravens (Mary his wife), Richard Davis (Margaret "Peggy" his wife) and Sarah King of Virginia to John P. Brock of Hanover. Alexander King, late of Hanover County, lent to his wife Mary the land where they lived and his personal estate. To be divided at her death of marriage by his children; Jacob, Alexander, Robert, William, Mary, Margaret, Elizabeth (wife of John P. Brock) and Sarah King. Mary, for sundry reasons and valuable consideration, gave up the land and estate and it was sold and otherwise divided. John P. Brock and Jacob King bought the home place of 188 acres. For consideration of 117 pounds Virginia currency, John Brock to receive the 1/2 which equals to 94 acres. The land is bound by Nathl. Lipscombe, Jno. Hicks and estate of Henry Priddy. Named is Licking Hole Swamp. Recorded November 20, 1799. Copied May 30, 1822.

If you have no idea what I am talking about, you can check out the original post here:

Lost Records Localities: Counties and Cities with Missing Records

What's going on lately with me.

I have been thinking about the blog a lot lately but I have been too busy with work to do much with it. In case you did not know, I am the production manager for a local robotics company. We build autonomous floor cleaners, not like the I-Robot Roomba, think more industrial. You can get an idea of what I make at the company site, just click this link if you are interested. - Intellibot Robotics. We have a new project underway so I am really tied up right now.

I finally caved in and decided to upgrade my personal DNA test at Family Tree DNA from 12 to 67 markers. It is going to cost me $189.00 but it was time to splurge a little. It looks like the Lett family is from Scandinavia but I hope this test will help clarify which part of the region. I think we were probably from Iceland but I am not certain. Anyway you look at it, I am a Viking!

Keeping with the DNA theme, a few days ago I joined Charlie Brock's DNA test up with the Brozgol surname group. There seems to be a possible connection there. The project coordinator was so excited that she paid to upgrade his test to the 67-marker variety... out of her own pocket! I will let you know how long it takes for both upgrades to come back. Mine will take longer since she paid by credit card and I asked to be invoiced. They sent me a PDF invoice but I have not stroked a check yet - dragging my feet a bit.

I did notice the other day that the Library of Virginia has updated the look of their website. It is in beta testing right now but you can check it out here. I do not know if there are any major changes yet or if it is just a face lift. Check it out and let me know what you find.

Using old maps, Google Earth, deeds and census records to find your ancestral home place

One of the neatest things in genealogy is finding the actual homes or land where your ancestors used to live. You never know if the old ancestral home is still standing or if perhaps there is a family cemetery on the property. The problem is that most old deeds were written in such cryptic language that the average person cannot figure out what they were saying. All of those metes and bounds get rather confusing. However, there are some was to cut through the confusing terminology and find the old home place. I have done it many times and here is an example that you can use as a road map to finding your own.

When I look at an old deed, the only things I really focus on are the date, county, name of neighbors and any creeks, rivers, roads or other named boundaries. These are all you need to get started. Forget about how many poles and rods there were along one boundary line. Unless you are trying to redraw the entire property, all you need are the aforementioned items.

I am going to show you an example of how this works, using my ancestor Royall Spain of Mecklenburg County, Virginia as an example. I started by finding all of the deeds that showed him buying or selling any land in the county. His case is kinda simple because he bought only three tracts of land and basically sold only one.

In Royall's case, he bought part of the estate of his mother and father-in-law, Ann and William Harris. He then proceeded to buy land adjoining his property, to make one large tract that totalled roughly 155 acres. Royall later sold the entire tract to his son-in-law, Joshua Spain.

Here is a rough summary of each deed, providing the year, parties involved, the number of acres and the body of water upon which they were located. I did not include the names of neighbors in this example but you should jot those down as well.

1. 1821, Harris to Spain, 57 acres on Butcher's Creek
2. 1826, Norment to Spain, adjoining Spain, 66 acres on Middle Bluestone Creek
3. 1827, Harris to Spain, adjoining Spain, 31 acres on Middle Bluestone Creek
4. 1866, Spain to Spain, half of 155 acre tract where he now lives
5. 1870, Spain to Spain, remainder of 155 acre tract where he now lives

The main things that sticks out are the names of the creeks, Butcher's and Middle Bluestone. Looking at a topographic map of Mecklenburg, it does not take too long to find the named creeks. Sometimes you have to look at contemporary maps because names change, creeks get diverted or what have you. I know that the land I am looking for has to pretty much touch both creeks, or at least be between or around them. Zeroing in on that area is a good start.

Seeing that Royall lived on the land between 1821 and 1870, I can look at census records and get the names of his neighbors in at least 1850, 1860 and 1870. Those might come in handy later...

The next step is a bit tougher but you need to find a good map of the county in question, made near the time of the deed transactions. In this case, I know that Gilmer maps exist for Mecklenburg during the Civil War period. The Virginia Historical Society and the Library of Virginia both have copies to review. You cannot copy the ones at the Library of Virginia but the Virginia Historical Society offers copies for sale at their facility. (You should read an earlier article I wrote on the Gilmer maps....here!)

Using the creek names and the names of neighbors I picked off of the 1860 census, 1870 census and the actual deeds, I find that there is a Spain farm named right on the map. There are lots of Spain farms throughout the county but I can pretty much rest assured that the one in question is the Royall Spain farm. There are other family names as neighbors, including Lawson and Harris. If you recall, the Spain farm was part of the larger Harris farm. Royall's daughter also intermarried with the Lawson family. Add to that the proximity to Butcher's and Middle Bluestone Creeks and I have a preponderance of evidence here to prove that this is the farm I am looking for!

It is great to find the farm on an 1860s map but that does not help me much today. A lot of the roads and landmarks have changed so I need to turn the old map into a new one. I do this using Google Earth or Microsoft Virtual Earth. I used Google Earth to find a modern satellite photo of the area with the roads and churches called out. I saved it to my computer and went to work.

I opened the satellite photo, along with a scan of the 1860s map, in Photoshop and shrunk the Google map until it was roughly the same scale as the 1860s map. I then changed the transparency of 1860s map and laid it on top of the modern image. It took a little adjusting but I had New Hope Baptist Church and two roads as fixed points on both maps. After about five minutes of fine-tuning the scale and transparency, I came up with one image that merged the old and new maps into what I would call...perfection.

Just look at the way the old farms fit perfectly within the modern tree lines. Look at the Harris, Spain and Lawson farms. You can tell that they fit within the boundaries of the woods like a glove! I was impressed myself over how well this turned out.

I now know that the Royall Spain farm was located near the intersection of modern-day New Hope and Skipwith Roads , specifically 36°43'58.74"N, 78°29'31.68"W. I have not gone down to the site to check for an old home or cemetery but I will eventually, powered by the knowledge of knowing where to look.

I realize that a lot of pieces fell into place in my example but it took more effort than I make it sound like. I had to go find the deeds and the maps. I had to do census research and a good bit of photo-editing. I make it sound easy but I admit that this type of research can be quite challenging. It might seem a daunting task to find the home of an ancestor that lived over 100 years ago but it is possible. When you do find it, with all of this work behind you, the reward is all the more sweet as opposed to someone just telling you where it was!

Library of Virginia Facing Budget Cuts

The Commonwealth of Virginia is facing a budget shortfall of around $1.5 Billion going into the year 2010. Governor Tim Kaine has made the first of three rounds of budget cuts. The last time this happened (2001), the Library of Virginia was forced to close one extra day per week and to reduce spending on certain projects. The first round of cuts this time does not include any closure or layoffs. It does however reduce overall funding by $600,000.

Here is a summary taken from the governor's plan.

"The Library of Virginia - Reduce discretionary spending ($600,000). Reduces spending through attrition, limiting the purchase of equipment, supplies and library materials; significantly scales back preservation contracts; and reduces travel."

This does not sound too bad at this point but keep in mind that 2/3 of the shortfall have yet to be resolved. No one wants to raise taxes so look for the Library to get hit hard in the next two rounds.

Library of Virginia Chancery Records Update

Here is an update to an earlier post, Library of Virginia Chancery Records Scanned, More Coming. The following are changes since the earlier post was made in early July. I do not know exactly what "reformatting" means but hopefully that is code for "soon to be scanned."

As of 8/12/2008, records for Campbell County are "...closed for reformatting. The index remains available for research purposes."

As of 7/23/2008, records for Dinwiddie County are "...closed for digital reformatting. The index remains available for research purposes. Additional cases have been added for 1844-1940."

As of 9/6/2008, records for Mecklenburg County are "...closed to researchers while reprocessing is performed."

As of 7/17/2008, records for Nottoway County are "...closed for reformatting. The index remains available for research purposes."

James F. and Mary E. Blackburn vs. William R. Patman, etc.

I was going through some old files and found this set of notes. It was a chancery cause that I sort of transcribed at the Library of Virginia. This will give you an idea of the type of information you can get from a chancery cause. The notes may not be complete, I do not really remember doing this but I guess I did.

Henrico County Circuit Court Chancery Papers
James F. and Mary E. Blackburn vs. William R. Patman and cb’y
1924-001/CC (1)
Library of Virginia, Richmond
March 1, 2003

Bill filled March 30, 1886. Subpoenas issued in April 1886.

To the Hon. B. R. Wellford Jr. Judge of the Circuit Court of Henrico County, Virginia…. your orators James F. Blackburn and Mary E. Blackburn his wife that the said Mary E. Blackburn as one of the children of Ro. H. Brock decd lately of Henrico Co is interested in a small piece of land in said County on the old Deep Run Turnpike about Eight miles from the City of Richmond containing fifty acres with some improvements…which was allotted as dower to Mary Ann Brock ^now deceased the mother of said Robert H. Brock in the division of the real estate of Henry Brock decd…a plat showing the subdivision of the real estate of Henry Brock decd which was made in the year 1857 is of record in the Clerk’s office of the County Court and a copy of it will be filed herewith as part of this bill. The said Henry Brock left seven children, but some of them sold their interests in this Dower lot to the others and now only three of the children or the descendants of them are intrusted and as follow Martha A. Waldrop wife of P. A. Waldrop and daughter of Henry Brock decd owns her original one seventh, the children of Mary F. Patman decd wife of W. R. Patman owns three sevenths subject to the curtesy of their said father; their children Charles Patman and Sarah F. Lawrence wife of B. F. Lawrence and the children of Robt. H. Brock decd own three sevenths, the said R. H. Brock in addition to his own original one seventh interest having bought the one seventh of Richard Brock and the one seventh of his sister Elizabeth Philips who is now deceased…not having obtained a conveyance of this last named interest in his life time. Your orator James F. Blackburn has recently procured a deed from Oscar Philips the only child and heir of said Elizabeth Philips, decd which he will file in the papers of the Court…and he asks that the court to refund to your orator the charges incurred by him in getting this conveyance amounting to about ten dollars. The children of R. H. Brock are entitled to his interest…his will recorded in the county court…to be equally divided between…Mary E. Blackburn, William H. Brock, Robert J. Brock, Martha A. Marshall wife of John Marshall, Marcellus J. Brock, Emma J. Brock and George W. Brock (the last two are under twenty one years of age). The said land is not susceptible of being divided in Kind in any of the modes prescribed by the statutes without great injury to the rights of some of the parties interested and a sale thereof is both necessary and best for all. In tender consideration whereof your orators pray that Wm. R. Patman, Charles Patman, Benj. F. Lawrence and Sarah F. Lawrence his wife, P. H. Waldrop and Martha A. Waldrop his wife, Wm .H. Brock, Robert J. Brock, John F. Marshall and Martha A. Marshall his wife, Marcellus J. Brock, Emma J. Brock and George W. Brock be made factor dependant to this bill and required to answer (the said Emma J. and George W. Brock infants by a guardian…)…[to distribute] the proceeds of sale according to the rights of parties after paying the costs of this suit and all proper charges against said land and a reasonable fee to your orators counsel…

Answer of Geo. W. Carter, guardian for Emma and George Brock
July 10, 1886

…Reserving all benefit of exception &c., for answer to said bill this respondent says that he is unacquainted with the merits of the case as set out by complainants…

Answer of Marcellus J. Brock by counsel Minor and David
July 10, 1886

…he believes the allegations of said bill to be true, and does not object to the prayer of same that the case may go before a commissioner for all proper enquiries in the premises… [signed Marcellus J. Brock]

Commissioner Sand’s Office
July 31, 1886

Court order that the commissioners enquire as to the following:
1 - Who are the persons entitled to the lands in the bill you mentioned and the interest of each therein
2 - Whether the said land can be conveniently partitioned in kind among the parties entitled thereto in any of the modes prescribed by the statutes in such cases.
3- Whether it would be to the interest of all parties to sell the whole subject and divide the proceeds according to their respect in right therein.
4 - Report any other significant matters to the court

Wm. H. Brock deposition
November 18, 1886

Q - Name, age, occupation
A - W. H. Brock, age 34, Henrico County, Fa Carpenter
Q - Are you William H. Brock from the suit
A - Yes, Sir
Q - Who were the heirs of Henry Brock, decd entitled to 50 acres assigned to widow Mary Ann Brock, decd as her dower interest
A - Robert H. Brock, W. R. Brock, John J. Brock, Mary F. H. Brock who was the wife of W. R. Patmon, Martha A. Brock who married P. H. Waldrop, Sarah Brock who married A. M. Lawrence and Oscar Philips, son of Elizabeth Phillips, daughter of Henry Brock
Q -State the interest of Robert H. Brock’s heirs in the land
A - First, his right as an heir of Henry Brock, 1/7th. Portion purchased of Oscar E. Phillips and wife by deed dated October 8, 1878. The interest of W. R. Brock was purchased by my father Robert H. Brock, this I know both because I heard my father say so, and because…this deed was left among my father’s papers which was turned over to J. W. Southward? Sheriff and administrator of said Robert H. Brock.
Q- What other interests do you know about?
A - Mrs. Patmon died entitled to her own interest and that of J. J. Brock from when my father bought it as trustee for her, I know this from having seen a receipt …my father for the interest of said John J. Brock. Mrs. Waldrop still has her interest. As for the remaining interest that of Mrs. Lawrence, I know nothing other than heresay.
Q - Can it be partitioned?
A - Do not know.
Q- Do you think it better to sell the land?
A - Ok with that
Q - How do you know your father had 1/7th to begin with?
A - By him telling me so several times; I remember particularly about the time he bought these (three) interests
Q - Did he ever tell you that he sold his own interest and the which he bought of W. R. Brock, to Mr. W. R. Patmon?
A - No
Q - You said your father got a deed from W. R. Brock, when and what interest
A - I forgot the date, the dower interest

Sands asks that William produce the deed if he can. [Signed Wm. H. Brock]

W. R. Patman and children deposition
December 11, 1886

There is some question as to the competencey of both William Brock and William Patman as witnesses but since William Brock is the only representative of Robert H. Brock, deceased and William Patman is the representative of Mary F. H. Patman, deceased, it irons out.

Q- Age, residence, occupation
A - will be 55 next February, reside at 712 W. Marshall St., Richmond, works as a teamster
Q - Are you the same W. R. Patmon in the suit?
A - yes, I married the daughter of the late Henry Brock. Her name before marriage was Mary F. H. Brock.
Q- Is Mary F. H. living?
A - No
Q - Did she leave children?
A - Three, but one died in infancy. Two living are Ch. W. Patman and Sarah F. Patman, now Mrs. Sarah F. Lawrence.
Q - Are you and your children entitled to any of the dower, and if so, what?
A - 5/7. 1/7 from wife’s inheritance. Bought 2/7 from R. H. Brock who had bought 1/7 from W. R. Brock, bought 1/7 interest of J. J. Brock and that 1/7 of Mrs. Sarah F. Lawrence who was Sarah F. Brock.
Q - Did you ever get any papers to that effect.
A - Yes
Q - Look at the paper marked A.M.L, what is it?
A - deed for interest of Sarah F. Lawrence, wife of A. M. Lawrence.
Q - Now look at the paper labeled J. G. B., found in the papers of the late R. H. Brock, in possession of J. W. Southward, Sheriff of Henrico Co. and state what it is.
A - receipt dated August 1859 signed by J. J. Brock for his interest in the widow’s dower.
Q - Was Robert H. Brock trustee for your wife?
A - yes
Q - was W. H. Brock correct when he said that his father owned 3/7 of the dower at the time of his death?
A - no
Cross
Q - You claim 5/7th but only show evidence for 3/7th. Prove the other 2/7th.
A - Papers do exists, I do not have them, I guess they were in posession of Robert H. Brock as trustee from my wife and children.
Q - How was R. H. Brock constituted as trustee and what were his powers?
A - think he was appointed by the court with general powers
Q - When did you buy the R. H. and W. R. Brock interests and for how much?
A - 1859 or 1860. The papers are destroyed. Paid $100 per share.
Q - What was the nature of the papers and why were they not admitted to record?
A - I supplied a receipt marked J. J. B.
Q - Was the interest bought in your own account of that of your wife?
A - bought on my wife’s account and paid for with her money
Q - When did you buy the Lawrence part?
A - After I bought the R. H. and W. R. but before the war.
Q - Why is it that you bought the R. H. and W. R. with your wife’s account and the Lawrence with your own?
A - Mr. Lawrence lost his horse and came to my house and offered me his wife interest for a mule that I owned.
Re-Examination
Q - When was the deed from Lawrence to you made?
A - 13 September 1886
Q- Why was this deed made?
A - Because I bought and paid for the property
Q - Look at the J. J. B. receipt and tell who signed it and who wrote it.
A - I think the signature is that of J. J. Brock and the receipt was written by R. H. Brock.
Q - Did R. H. Brock manage and control the dower land?
A - Yes
Q - Can the land be fairly divided?
A - no it must be sold
[his mark]

W. R. Brock deposition
No date

Q- age, name, occupation, residence
A - I am 54 the sixth of this month, live in Richmond and am a carpenter
Q- Are you related to the late Henry Brock
A - I am his son
Q - Who are the owners of the interest in the late Mary Ann Brock’s dower?
A - Property was bought by my brother Robert H. Brock for my sister Mary F. Patmon, the part belonging to myself which I had previously sold to my brother Robert H. Brock and also his, Robert H. Brock’s portion. My brother RHB purchased the interest of my brother J. J. Brock also for my sister Mary F. Patman. He purchased also the interest in my sister Sarah M. Lawrence for the said Mary F. Patman, and my sister Mary F. Patman owned an interest in this property. 5/7ths owned by Mary F. Patman’s heirs.
Q - What about the other 2/7th?
A - Robert H. Brock owned 1/7th that he purchased of Oscar Philips, whose mother was Elizabeth Brock, one of the distributes and the other 1/7 is owned by my brother-in-law, Patrick H. Waldrop.
Q - When did you sell to RHB?
A - do not think it was later than 1859.
Q - Was RHB trustee for MFP?
A - I understood it so
Q - Did any paper pass in the interets you described?
A - RHB told me that he had them a few days before he dide
Q - Did RHB ever claim any of the interest he bought for MFP as his own?
A - No
Q - Were you intimate with RHB and would he have told you had he claimed such interests?
OBJECTION - Speculation
A - “I believe he would sir. Because I looked up to him as my best counsellor.”
Cross
Q - Did you mean to include the Lawrence interest in the 5/7 RHB got for MFP?
A - Yes, he held it as trustee
Q - How do you know he was acting as trustee and not buying them on his own account?
A - he tended to my sister’s affairs and settled off some debts by selling a negro boy and a portion of the same money was paid for this said land that was purchased by my brother for my sister Mrs. Patman.
Q - What was the amount of the debt, what did the negro boy sell for and what did the land sell for?
A - debt was about $160. Don’t remember what the boy sold for. Paid $100 a share for 3 (mine, JJBs and his own)
Q - Did Patman ever lay claim to the land during RHBs lifetime?
A - Yes
Q - You said that RHB had papers showing MFP ownership - what kind?
A - “From what he said, they must have been receipts. He said to me, when he was very sick, a few days before he died, that he was uneasy and bothered, that if he should die, that Patman’s children might have trouble in getting possession of this property. I then asked him if he had any papers to show that it had been purchased. He said that he did have some, but no deeds. That was about all that passed, except that I told him that I hoped that he would not die.”
Q - How many interest did the papers account for?
A - did not say
Re-Examination
Q - Mr. Patman says he gave a mule for the Lawrence property. Are you mistaken when you say that RHB bought it for MHP?
A - I do not know what was paid but RHB bargained for it.
Q - Do you have any interest in the land in dispute?
A - no
Re-Cross
Q - Look at AML deed that proports to be between AML and wife to WRP in his own right. Do you stick to your first statement?
A - RHB bargained for it as trustee but how it was paid for was unknown.
[signed Wm. R. Brock]

Petition of B. F. Lawrence
November 9, 1897

B. F. Lawrence…show unto the Court that on the 26th day of November, 1888, having before purchased at public sale the property hereinafter described…Special Commissioners…deeded to him all that certain tract of land lying in the County of Henrico about eight miles from the City of Richmond, on the Broad-Street road, containing about fifty acres of land, being the same property which was left as the dower property of Mary Ann Brock, deceased;…that since said purchase he has received an offer for said property, and is now desirous of selling the same, but that objection has been urged by the Examiner of title, that no deed ever actually passed from J. J. Brock, one of the children of the said Mary Ann Brock, conveying to R. H. Brock, Trustee, for Mrs. Mary F. H. Patman, his interest in said dower property; that whilst the Court decided that Mrs. Patman’s children were equitably entitled to said property, that there was no actual deed, and that the legal title was still outstanding. Your petitioner whilst not admitiing the claim of said Examiner to be sound in any particular, still desires to satisfy the proposed purchaser by obtaining such deed, and now, inasmuch as the said J. J. Brock departer this life long prior ro the institution of this suit, and left surviving his certain children, it is necessary that they should be made parties to this suit (the widow of the said J. J. Brock having made a quit claim to your petitioner for her dower right in the interest of the said J. J. Brock). Your petitioner is informed that the said J. J. Brock left surviving his two daughters, Aramentha and Johnanna Brock, but that both of these daughters subsequently intermarried one with Dr. W. F. Davison and the other with R. H. Ford, but that both of them died leaving surviving them a husband and certain children, the said Aramentha Davison dying on [blank], leaving one child, Ferdinand Davison, who is a boy now thirteen years of age; that Johanna died on [blank], leaving four children, Eddie W. fourteen years old, Leon O. twelve years old, Oscar L. ten years old and Virgie G. six years old. [Petitioner asks that all of these infant children, with guardians, be made party to the suit for him to gain proper title]. [Signed B. F. Lawrence].

Petition of George H. Alvis by Jas. W. Anderson, Atty.
May 23, 1923

George H. Alvis…present owner of a tract of land on the Broad street road, in Henrico County, containing 77 ¼ acres, more or less; that 50 acres, thereof, was formerly the dower tract of Mary a. Brock, widow of Henry Brock, deceased; that at her death the remainder under the will of said Henry Brock passed to his seven children; that the suit of Blackburn v. Patmon…was instituted to settle the estate…the dower tract was sold to B. F. Lawrence…later on it was ascertained that John J. Brock, one of the seven devisees of Henry Brock, had sold his one-seventh interest in the dower tract to Robert H. Brock, trustee for Mary F. H. Patmon, evidenced by the receipt for the purchase money therefore dated August 16th 1859...but said John J. Brock never conveyed his interest by proper deed…B. F. Lawrence, then owner of said property, filed his petition in said cause on November 9th, 1897, praying that the heirs-at law of said John J. Brock be made parties to said suit and that the court direct a deed by commissioners to said B. F. Lawrence for the purpose of vesting in him the outstanding legal title in the one-seventh interest…this decree of June 15th 1898, O. B. 15 p. 410...the court adjudged that B. F. Lawrence was entitled to the legal title in said one-seventh interest, and directed deed to him and his assigns by decree of June 15, 1898.…D. B. 161 A p. 397...upon a recent examination of the title to said property it was ascertained that John J. Brock died intestate, leaving as heirs-at-law: Araminta Brock (who married W. F. Davidson) and died leaving Ferdinand Davidson, sole heir-at-law; Jonanna Brock, who married R. H. Ford, and died intestate leaving Eddie W., Leon O., Oscar L. and Virgie G. Ford, heirs-at-law, all infants at that time, but now adults; that summons issued to said infants which were served on their respective fathers, who accepted service, but no guardian ad litem was appointed to protect their interests; that objection, therefore, has been made that the legal title to said one seventh interest has not properly been divested form said heirs of John J. Brock; that Ferdinand Davidson, we are informed, resides in Washington, D.C., Eddie W. Ford resides at 243 Vine Street, Leon O. Ford at 2410 or 2414 W. Cary Street, Oscar L. Ford at 2014 Gilbert Street and Virginie G. Blankenship, nee Ford at 230 Vine or Temple Street. Your petitioner prays that a proper deed vesting the legal title of the one-seventh interest formerly owned by John J. Brock may be decreed to him; that Ferdinand Davison, Eddie W. Ford, Leon O. Ford, Oscar L. Ford and Virgie G. Blankenship may be made perties defendant to this cause…

I do not know if this was the actual end of the file. I may have just quit at this point.