Find-a-Grave Virtual Cemeteries

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Herbert Victor Disney & Effie Bollinger Cruise Papers


I recently found in an auction lot box - a hand written reference to Mr & Mrs Disney, being on board the SS Minnekahda ship, September 1929. By doing research on the Ancestry immigration records, we found the parallel information of Herbert Victor Disney and his wife Effie Bollinger being on board this ship, and the corresponding dates.
Mr & Mrs Disney's name was hand written on the a ship brochure/stateroom layout. They had cruised to London, and were on their way back to America.
If you are a descendant of Herbert and Effie Disney, please email me at teakpub at brmemc.net. I will be glad to send it to you.
Gayle Van Horn

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Franklin County, NC Destroys 100 Year Old Records

This has to be one of the worst stories I've heard in a very long time. Those involved MUST be held accountable - Very horrible and disgusting !!

A newly-appointed Clerk of Court in Franklin County, North Carolina, discovered stacks and stacks of books, boxes, loose papers, ledgers, and more in the basement of the county courthouse. The records were from approximately 1840's to the 1960's. The records included Chattel Mortgages from the 1890's, court dockets from post civil war to prohibition, delayed birth certificate applications with original supporting documents (letters from Grandma, bible records, birth certificates, etc), county receipts on original letterhead from businesses long extinct, poll record books, original school, road and bridge bonds denoting the building of the county, law books still in their original paper wrappings, and much, much more.

The records were strewn everywhere. There was obvious mold in the back section and evidence of water damage. Some records had been ruined by the mold, but most were completely viable.

After extensive political wrangling, the county destroyed all the records on December 6, 2013.


You can read all the details in an article by Diane Taylor Torrent of The Heritage Society of Franklin County, NC at http://goo.gl/vnak1s.

My thanks to newsletter reader Sloan Mason for telling me of the sad news.

Comment: I am not an attorney and not qualified to give legal advice. However, I do find it interesting that the North Carolina General Assembly web site shows the following from its "enacted legislation" section at http://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_121/GS_121-5.html:

§ 121-5.  Public records and archives.

(a)        State Archival Agency Designated. - The Department of Cultural Resources shall be the official archival agency of the State of North Carolina with authority as provided throughout this Chapter and Chapter 132 of the General Statutes of North Carolina in relation to the public records of the State, counties, municipalities, and other subdivisions of government.

(b)        Destruction of Records Regulated. - No person may destroy, sell, loan, or otherwise dispose of any public record without the consent of the Department of Cultural Resources, except as provided in G.S. 130A-99. Whoever unlawfully removes a public record from the office where it is usually kept, or alters, mutilates, or destroys it shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor and upon conviction only fined at the discretion of the court.

When the custodian of any official State records certifies to the Department of Cultural Resources that such records have no further use or value for official and administrative purposes and when the Department certifies that such records appear to have no further use or value for research or reference, then such records may be destroyed or otherwise disposed of by the agency having custody of them.

When the custodian of any official records of any county, city, municipality, or other subdivision of government certifies to the Department that such records have no further use or value for official business and when the Department certifies that such records appear to have no further use or value for research or reference, then such records may be authorized by the governing body of said county, city, municipality, or other subdivision of government to be destroyed or otherwise disposed of by the agency having custody of them. A record of such certification and authorization shall be entered in the minutes of the governing body granting the authority.

The North Carolina Historical Commission is hereby authorized and empowered to make such orders, rules, and regulations as may be necessary and proper to carry into effect the provisions of this section. When any State, county, municipal, or other governmental records shall have been destroyed or otherwise disposed of in accordance with the procedure authorized in this subsection, any liability that the custodian of such records might incur for such destruction or other disposal shall cease and determine.
(Dick Eastman/Online Genealogy Newsletter)

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Fannin County Folks and Facts

James DeLay
About 1850 two families came to Texas by covered wagon and became my great-grandparents. James and Harriet DeLay came with their family from Arkansas and settled in Gober.
Robert Henderson and his family came from Alabama and settled in Bonham. Uncle Bobbie, as was affectionately called, was a Church of Christ minister. 
When the Civil War broke out James DeLay fought for the Confederacy and was killed in the battle of Chickamaga, September 30, 1863. His son Jerome, my grandfather, enlisted and served in the commissary department. Jerome was only 16 years old. 
When the war ended my grandfather kept some Confederate money, some printed in Richmond and one bill in the state of Louisiana. I still have these bills.
On November 3, 1869 Jerome DeLay and Margaret Henderson were married and settled in Gober. My grandfather was a farmer. Their family included five boys; Bob, Leo,Sam, Wallace and Warren. There were three girls; Florence, Laura, Zora and Elsie Henderson, a niece who lived with them.
About 1890 the DeLay family moved to Hunt County and stayed several years. In 1899 they came back to Fannin County and settled in the south part of town.
By this time all the boys had gone to employment, one a school teacher, one a real estate dealer and one working for the electric company in Oklahoma. 
The three older girls all attended Carlton College. Elsie went to school at the old high school, later Duncan Elementary. Florence and Laura worked in a millinery shop and Zora worked as a telephone operator. Laura was the first to marry. Bacon S. Titsworth and Laura DeLay were married June 10, 1903. Florence and Zora had a double wedding. Florence married David Shaver and Zora wed Sam Arledge. Elsie married Paul Coleman. Florence and David had three children; twins Mary and Louise and Minnie Lee. Of these Louise, now Mrs Jack LeCroy lives with her husband at Ivanhoe. Laura and Bacon Titsworth were my parents. Elsie and Paul Coleman had a son Paul Henderson.
I started to school at Duncan school; all grades went there. In 1914-1915 a new high school building Was erected. It included a nice auditorium, used during school as the study hall. The manual training shop and the home economics rooms were in the basement.
When I was a child, we enjoyed the streetcar very much. My Uncle Leo was a motorman. He would ring the bell and I’d run out to tje corner and watch the car. Often he would throw off a small bag of candy for me.
In the summer there was an open car that was very comfortable. Often in the summer mother and I would ride to the end of the line and back-just for fun. There were very few cars in town and the hansom cabs met the trains: of course they were horse-drawn. They were replaced by jitneys that cost five cents to ride. 
The fire trucks were also horse drawn. When a fire alarm was turned in, a bell would ring long and loud. When the bell rang, the horses were ready to go. Their harnesses were dropped over them. It was quite a sight to watch the fire truck race by.
The basement barber shop had four big bathtubs and furnished big thick towels. On Saturdays the men could come in and have a bath and a shave and haircut if they wanted it. The barber shops stayed open until midnight on Saturday nights.
I saw my first picture show in the old opera house. Later to opened on the square. They had serials, one episode a week very similar to the soap opera as we have now.
After the show, most everyone went to the ice cream parlor. They had small tables usually glass topped and four wrought iron chairs. Some called they candy kitchens and the proprietor always had homemade candy for sale.
The townspeople enjoyed the band concerts, too. The bandsmen were local talent. Sometimes it would be on the courthouse lawn and often it would be in Simpson Park. 
The first Fannin County Fair was held on fair grounds where the junior high football is now.
My father showed a registered Jersey cow once. The undertakers were a part of the furniture stores then. Halsell and Caldwell and Wise kept undertakers employed who also helped in the stores.
(Jerome) DeLay lived to be one of Fannin County’s oldest citizens. He died in 1936 in the 90th year. One of (Jerome) DeLay’s great grandsons Warren B. Wisdom was killed in the Korean conflict. he was officially declared dead December 1953. Jerome’s youngest daughter Mrs. Zora Arledge celebrated her 90th birthday this year. Mrs. Elsie Coleman reared as a sister, lives in Bonham.
By Zora Wisdom.
(date of article unknown) pgs 165-166
www.rootsweb.com/~txfannin/f78.html 

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Hennington Family History Has Dramatically Changed Based on Genetic DNA Testing

By Gayle Hennington-Van Horn, NCSDAR/VRG  GC and Larry Van Horn, ISOGG

Nothing is ever certain in this world except death, taxes and now we can include genetic genealogy DNA testing to that list.

Genetic genealogy is the latest high tech genealogy research tool that is changing the way we look at and conduct genealogy research in the 21st Century. The price of genetic testing has plummeted in the last four years and this has resulted in more people testing. Consequently, this has resulted in helping hundreds of thousands prove various lines in their lineages or aided them in finding their roots, where nothing but a brick wall stood before.

Genetic genealogy is the application of genetics to traditional genealogy. Genetic genealogy involves the use of genealogical DNA testing to determine the level and type of the genetic relationship between individuals.

This application of genetics has become popular with family historians in this first decade of the 21st century, as DNA testing has become very affordable. The tests have been promoted by amateur groups, such as surname study groups, or regional genealogical groups, as well as research projects, such as the National Geographic Genographic Project.

From a family historians point of view there are two DNA test that are the most useful to the genealogy researcher: Y-DNA and autosomal DNA test. Here is a bit of information on these two test to put them into prospective for the family historian.

Y chromosome (Y-DNA) testing

A man's patrilineal ancestry, or male-line ancestry, can be traced using the DNA on his Y chromosome (Y-DNA) through Y-STR testing. This is useful because the Y chromosome passes down almost unchanged from father to son.

A man's test results are compared to another man's results to determine the time frame in which the two individuals shared a most recent common ancestor, or MRCA, in their direct patrilineal lines. If their test results are a perfect, or nearly perfect match, they are related within genealogy's time frame (during the period of genealogy record keeping).

So the bottom line is in order to Y-DNA test for the Hennington family, you need a male Hennington surname descendant.

Autosomal DNA (aTDNA)

Contained in the nucleus of each cell are 23 pairs of chromosomes. Of these 23 there are 22 of these matched pairs of chromosomes that are called "autosomes," while the 23rd pair determines your sex (Y or X = male or female respectively).

Autosomal DNA is inherited from both parents, and includes random contributions from their parents, grandparents, and so on. Therefore, your autosomes essentially contain a complete genetic record, with all branches of your ancestry at some point contributing a piece of your autosomal DNA.

Autosomal DNA tests can be used to search for relative connections along any branch of your family tree. Unless the connection is so far back that the shared DNA has essentially been eliminated through too many generations of recombination, any autosomal match between two individuals indicates a "possible" genetic connection.

The caveat here is that there is nothing in this test that will tell you which branch of your family the match is on. Therefore it is a real good idea to have your parents, grandparents, cousins, and other family members tested and that will help you to narrow down potential matches.

While semi affordable autosomal testing has been around for some time from 23andMe (2007) and Family Tree DNA (2010), it wasn’t until Ancestry.com in May 2012 offered a $99 test that the flood gates open up for this testing regime. Now any Hennington family descendant can determine if their paper trail does in fact lead to the early South Carolina Hennington families.

First Came the Y-DNA Test

In late December 2011, the first Hennington male descendant stepped forward to take the first Hennington surname Y-DNA test – Mr. William Bryan Hennington, son of Roy and Lillie Mae Hennington, the family who write the Hennington family histories (Red Books).

Bryan took his test through Family Tree DNA, a Houston based company, and he did so in conjunction with the Harrington Family Surname DNA project. Bryan took a 37 marker test, the minimum level we recommend for useful genetic genealogy results.

When his test results came back on March 16, 2012, all of us who viewed his results were shocked – no Hennington matches. That in itself would not have been a bad thing (no other Hennington had tested that we knew of), but Bryan got results that indicated a totally different line of descendant than any of us saw coming (more on that shortly).

Bryan expressed concern that maybe the lab might have messed up his test so on May 7, 2012, he asked his brother’s son David Paul Hennington to take a Y-DNA 37 marker test. On July 20, 2012, those results came back and indicated not only that Paul and Bryan were a match, but the result we saw with Bryan were duplicated with Paul’s test.

Next Came the Autosomal DNA (aTDNA) Testing

Until Ancestry.com entered the aTDNA testing marketplace, autosomal DNA testing was a bit expensive (well over $300 per test). Ancestry launched their AncestryDNA autosomal test in May 2012 and by the end of June 2012, Gayle Hennington-Van Horn’s husband Larry, had taken the test and was using it to not only verify his paper trail on various family lines, but even used the test to knock down several brick walls. This was a DNA test with a lot of promise in researching the Hennington family line.

It took some time, but by late November 2012, Gayle Hennington-Van Horn had her test results in hand and the results were in fact very promising. Many of Gayle’s family lines were matches with other testers at Ancestry and she was well on the way to verifying the genealogy paper trail on many of her family lines.

Unknown to Gayle when she tested, some of her Hennington family cousins had also taken an autosomal test at Ancestry and they helped confirm her Hennington record paper trail all the way back to her great-great grandfather Rev. John Hennington.

She had a 99% match with one of her first cousins that confirmed her grandfather Fletcher Woolsey Hennington and a 99% match with a second cousin Billy Stanford that confirmed her

great grandfather William Garrison Hennington via his son Thomas Clement Hennington. Thanks to Hennington researcher Karen Galindo’s father, Jerry Huffman, and his autosomal DNA test, we now have confirmation of that line back to their second great grandfather Rev John Hennington. This autosomal DNA match also verifies the lineage to Rev. John via his first wife Molly Berry and lineage to Rev. John via his second wife Anna Clement.

Another Ancestry autosomal DNA has confirmed that paper trail that Rev John Hennington and Rev Henry Hennington were in fact brothers and thus the sons of Ann Howell. Gayle had a 96% match with Daniel Spivey who has traced his family from the son of Green William Hennington, who was a son of Rev Henry Hennington. We still do not know at this point the father of these two minister Henningtons.

Autosomal DNA testing has also confirmed that the often quoted Thomas Ephraim Henington was not the third minister Hennington brother. A descendant of that family Rebecca Yeates tested and did not match with either Karen or Gayle. But this part of the story is not over as we shall see shortly.

Finally in order to bring the Y-DNA test of Bryan Hennington full circle with the rest of the family who tested via autosomal, we asked him to also take an autosomal DNA test. As we suspected, he was a 99% match with Gayle and again this confirms their most recent common ancestor (MRCA) William Garrison Hennington via his son William Truman Hennington.

So What Did We Find?

This will be the hardest part of this report to explain to anyone who is a descendant of the South Carolina Henningtons.

You are not a descendant from any immigrant Henningtons from England or anywhere else in the world!

I mentioned above that the results from Bryan’s DNA test shocked us all. No Hennington matches. But we did have numerous DNA matches with testers who had traced their lineage to various Mitchell and Westbrook families. This was confirmed through the Y-DNA of Bryan nephew – Paul Hennington.

Needless to say both Gayle and Bryan were shocked. Once the initial shock was over it was our job to interpret the test of both our Hennington Y-DNA testers. Why would there be such a high concentration of Mitchell and Westbrook Y-DNA matches?

As anyone who has a working knowledge of genetic DNA testing knows Y-DNA is passed down father to son. That is why we needed a Hennington surnamed male to take this test. Only they could tell us were the South Carolina Hennington genetic gene pool came from.

So what is left is very simple. Since the closest DNA matches appear to come from the Mitchell/Westbrook family we are dealing with one of several scenarios: A son born out of wedlock where the mother named her son with her maiden name (Hennington). This was a more common occurrence during the colonial period than you may think. We could also be dealing with a male child from a Mitchell or Westbrook family that was adopted by a Hennington family. The third possibility could be a Mitchell or Westbrook male changed his name to Hennington for whatever reason.

A Y-DNA can tell us that there was a name change, but we can’t divine the reasons for that name change.

In addition to the Y-DNA, the autosomal test of Gayle, Bryan and Rebecca Yeates (remember her from above) all have confirmed matches with several Mitchell families. Both Gayle and Bryan have well over 300 AncestryDNA matches each (305 and 329 respectfully) with ancestral Mitchell’s in those matched trees.

Rebecca Yeates has confirmed at least four Mitchell surname matches. That would correlate well that she is a distant Hennington cousin and/or during DNA recombination over the generations that her line did not receive as much autosomal DNA as others testers have gotten from their Hennington / Mitchell ancestors. But there is no doubt that Rebecca’s line at this point is definitely related to the rest of the SC Henningtons thanks to her Mitchell DNA matches.

What makes Rebecca’s lineage even more interesting is in a record that was recently found in South Carolina. Thomas Goggin, a Mitchell/Westbrook researcher, shared this interesting record:

"I found a doc of John Hennington of Charleston showing Ephraim Mitchell as a signatory, assume surveyor. Probably has no legs but interesting. From my work in SC, I learned that there was a family of Mitchell surveyors, whose ancestry nobody seems to know: Ephraim, John and James. John intersected a bit with Edward Mitchell, Flood Mitchell et al in Edgefield, who were from Brunswick. Ed had a son named Hinchey and a brother or first cousin named Flood."


Captain John Hennington May 1786 Charleston District Property Valuation 1200 pounds sterling and witnessed by Ephraim Mitchell.
The John Hennington he refers to is Captain John Hennington and I have found records that show Ephraim Mitchell bought land very near Capt John Hennington (who we still believe is ancestral) in the Orangeburg District. Given that Ephraim is also listed on this Capt John mortgage, their relationship may be more than that of a surveyor. And then there is Thomas Ephraim Henington that Rebecca Yeates descends from. We don’t not believe in coincidences when researching a family history.

Finally when we look at the Westbrook side of these DNA matches, things get padded down a bit. Bryan has 37 AncestryDNA and Gayle has 26 matches with ancestral Westbrooks in those matched trees.

So where is this headed? Again our friend Thomas Goggin shared the information below from his group’s research when he introduced himself in an email to Paul Hennington:

*Through FamilyTreeDNA, your y-DNA matches the y-DNA of several Westbrook descendants of Charles Westbrook of Prince George and Amelia Co VA. Strangely, this DNA marker is also shared by a unique line of the Virginia Mitchell family as well.

*In most cases like these, an adoption has taken place, but in the case of Charles Westbrook nee Mitchell, an out of wedlock birth took place, and the child was given the surname of the mother. A small group of Westbrook-Mitchell researchers have for years attempted to piece together the genealogy of this Westbrook-Mitchell family and have made much headway. Your name arose as you matched for this specific marker on your y-DNA test. We have been able to identify the parents of Charles Westbrook, grandson of the immigrant James Westbrook and the beginning of the "Mitchell line" in the Westbrook family , as Edward Mitchell and Margaret Westbrook of Prince George County VA. He was born ca 1715 and was born out of wedlock.

"Again, you carry this specific Mitchell marker on your y-DNA, as you matched several descendants of Charles Westbrook.

"We need any help you might lend our small group by any knowledge you might have regarding your family tree and how it came to be that you carry Mitchell DNA (that matches a marker of the descendants of Charles Westbrook of VA). It is likely that an adoption has taken place in your family EITHER from a Mitchell or a descendant of Charles Westbrook into the Hennington family."
So Hennington cousins we finally have a clear way into the past for research. Thanks to DNA we could have looked for a million years at just the Hennington line and never figured out what really happened. To each of our testers, especially Bryan and Paul, our deepest thanks for your help.

So where do we go from here?
We still have a handful of Hennington family issues to clear up before we can move on to the Mitchell/Westbrook family lines.

Who is Ann Howell’s Hennington husband and was Howell her maiden name or a second marriage surname?

How is Ann Howell’s Hennington husband related to Captain John Hennington and his wife Elizabeth?

Are the Alabama Hennington (Rev William, Benjamin and Abraham) truly related to the Copiah County MS Henningtons? Do we have anyone that descends off this line willing to take a $99 autosomal test at Ancestry to confirm their relationship to the Mississippi Henningtons?

When/where did our Mitchell/Westbrook ancestor become a Hennington and how/why?

We still have more analysis to do on Gayle, Bryan and Rebecca’s Mitchell/Westbrook DNA lines. This will take some time, but that will help us sort through the stack and maybe clear up the picture a bit. Thomas Goggin has provided us with one possible scenario below that is very intriguing:

"The Mitchell-Westbrook story is exceedingly complex, and I intend soon to package the evidence by a formal paper. It will always be a circumstantial case, no smoking gun, but I promise the evidence is strong.

"Here's the basics: James Westbrooke was born in 1650 at St Olave Parish, Bermondsey England. He emigrated ca 1670, the headright of James Hall in Charles City county, VA (grant approved 1674). He married once, and then again in Jan 1697/8, the latter to Elizabeth Puckett. he had 9 kids, including 6 sons. he made will July 1711 and died in October 1711.

"One of his daughters, Margaret, appears to have been the mother of a bastard child. Bastard children took the surname of their mother if not recognized by the birth father. This child, born ca 1715, became Charles Westbrook.

"By 1719/20 and definitely by 1723, Margaret married Edward Mitchell. Ed Mitchell's land was immediately adjacent to that of Margaret's brother, William Westbrook, along White Swamp in Prince George.

"Of James Westbrook's 6 sons, four have descendants (Samuel, William, James and John)..the other 2 sons died young.

"Of those 4 sons, we have tested, I believe, a descendant from each son...all link perfectly with eacj other. We have even tested an Australian Westbrook family who has a perfect paper trail back to Rotherhithe, England, which borders Bermondsey-perfect match.

"Except Charles. Three or Four Westbrooks with an immaculate paper trail back to Charles all match with the Mitchell Family. They match perfectly with two Mitchells who trace their line back to a Hinchey and Henry Mitchell (likely brothers) in GA dying 1860/63.

"Edward Mitchell was a headright of John Butler 1701. On the same day, three Mitchells brothers/cousins were headrights of Charles City County/Surry landowners. Ed Mitchell was married, had Ame and Ed Junr, wife died, lived along bayley's Creek in Prince George.

"Ed Mitchell and William Westbrook later shared a property line . . . I have the survey.

"So . . . here's the theory. A common Mitchell in England had children/grandchildren that emigrated to the colonies, and had progeny that carried the "Charles Westbrook" mutation. One of those was Ed Mitchell, who was Charles' father. One of the others theorized, headright also in 1701 was Thomas Mitchell m. Anne and Barbary, had 6 sons. Perhaps a James Mitchell (headright 1701), Peter Mitchell (property deals with Ed Mitchell)...these guys carried this mutation, and now, the Henningtons have it!

 "A Hennington/Harrington family adopted a Mitchell male or had an extramarital affair with one. A Westbrook adoption in a Mitchell carrier is unlikely but not impossible to have occurred because we can prove the Westbrook "staining" with Mitchell DNA occurred/began with Charles and not before (other Westbrook sons of the immigrant did not carry the mutation).

"So its likely that either a Hennington adopted a Mitchell or a Hennington girl had an affair with a Mitchell carrier and gave birth to a male raised as a Hennington but carried the "Charles" mutation."
How can you help?
The more DNA data that we have that we can match to the paper trail, the clearer this will all be in the end. Anyone who has not tested, we can use your DNA test to narrow down the scope of our family research.

If you are a Hennington male descendant please consider taking a Y-DNA test at FTDNA. If you are a descendant of any Hennington line (male or female) then please consider taking an autosomal DNA test from either Ancestry or FTDNA. Your DNA may hold the clues to unlocking the final mysteries of the South Carolina Hennington and Mitchell/Westbrook families.

If you want to test and need some help, feel free to contact the authors of this report. Gayle is the Y-DNA Project Administrator at FTDNA and we can help you test at either Ancestry or FTDNA. Either one sells their autosomal test for $99 and your DNA raw test results will remain private and no medical data is revealed in any of this testing. If you want some more in-depth information check out Richard Hill’s page at http://www.dna-testing-adviser.com/DNAgenealogy.html

Again we would like to thank all the family members who have contributed so far and we feel that have come a long way in uncovering our family roots and branches in a very short period of time.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Josa Hood Family

Josa Hood, son of Wiley Hood and Mary (Polly) Baker, served in Joshua Hightower's Company as a Private in the Confederacy. The company served as part of the County Reserves for Randolph County, Alabama. Josa's father served in the War of 1812, his grandfather, William Hood, served in the NC Continental Line in the American Revolution.

Josa Hood is present as Head of Household, on the 1830 and 1840 Federal Census for Newton County, Georgia; 1850 and 1860 in Randolph County, Alabama. Shortly after his son-law Benjamin Apling Burdette returned home from the Civil War in June 1865, Josa and his family moved to Texas with the Burdette's. He is present as Head of Household in 1870, Centerville, Leon County, Texas.

He died in 15 Feb 1870, and is buried in the Friendship Cemetery in the same county. His grave is the oldest grave in the cemetery. In September 2001, a plaque and a medallion were placed at the cemetery, as part of the Texas Historic Cemetery. His name is included on the marker.

Friendship Cemetery Marker
Civil War
Alabama ADAH: Civil War Database; Josa Hood; (Date of birth blank); Occupation: Mechanic; Branch Home Guard, Co. Unit Name: Capt. J. Falkner's Co.; Authority: Muster-in-Roll 1864/09/13; Remarks: Eyes blue, hair dark, height 5ft 10 in., complexion dark, age 56, Rank: Private.

Family Group Record for Josa Hood


Husband: Josa Hood
Born: 15 Feb 1808 - Jasper County, Georgia
Died: 23 Nov 1870 - Jewett, Leon County, Texas
Buried:  - Friendship Cemetery, Jewett, Leon County, Texas
Father: Wiley Hood (1773-1813)
Mother: Mary (Polly) Baker (1780-1849)
Marriage: 3 Jun 1832  Place: Jasper County, Georgia

Wife: Harriet S. Robertson
Born: 15 Dec 1815 - Jasper County, Georgia
Died: 3 Mar 1887 - Meridian, Bosque County, Texas
Buried:  - Hanna Family Cemetery, Meridian, Bosque County, Texas
Father: William Brown Robertson
Mother: Polly Williams




Children
1  M  William Henry Hood
 Born: 6 Feb 1834 - Jasper County, Georgia
 Died: Bef 1850 - Georgia (or) Randolph County, Alabama
     
2  F  Millie Elizabeth (Amelia) Hood
 Born: 1 Oct 1838 - Newton County, Georgia
 Died: 23 Apr 1926 - Meridian, Bosque County, Texas
 Buried:  - Meridian  Cemetery, Meridian, Bosque County, Texas
 Spouse: Benjamin Apling Burdette (1835-1921)
  Marr. Date: 4 Jan 1855 - Wedowee, Randolph County, Alabama
   
3  F  Sarah Ann Hood
Born: 28 Feb 1841 - Newton County, Georgia
Died: Jun 1923
     
4  M  John Alexander Hood
 Born: 10 Feb 1842 - Newton County, Georgia

5  M  Benjamin Franklin Hood
Born: 10 Feb 1845 - Newton County, Georgia
Died: 26 Feb 1930 - Dublin, Erath County, Texas
Buried:  - Old Dublin Memorial Park, Dublin, Erath County, Texas
Spouse: Susan Abigail (Abbie) Moore (1844-1939)
Marr. Date: 4 Mar 1866 - Randolph County, Alabama
 
6  F  Susan America Hood
 Born: Dec 1847 - Randolph County, Alabama

7  F  Mary Jane Hood
Born: 1849 - Randolph County, Alabama
 
8  M  Joseph Wiley Hood
 Born: 14 Sep 1852 - Randolph County, Alabama
 
9  M  Isaac Parker Hood
Born: 22 Feb 1854 - Randolph County, Alabama
Died: 8 Jan 1936 - Oklahoma
Buried:  - Plainview Cemetery, Mangum, Greer County, Oklahoma
Spouse: Martha Josephine Story (1855-1916)
Spouse: Elenor Eliza (Ellen) Spencer (1869-1948)
Spouse: Mattie King Baines
 Marr. Date: Texas
   
(any additional information on this family is welcome)

Friday, June 7, 2013

Rev. Henry Hennington DNA Match



This morning I was able to confirm through DNA testing (autosomal) via Dan Spivey, that Henry Hennington is the brother of Rev. John Hennington. Both of them are the son's of Ann Howell.

Although we always knew this is, it was circumstantial at best. Thanks to Dan,this test confirms it. Dan's line is through Lillie Etta Hennington>James William Hennington>Green William Hennington>Rev. Henry Hennington.

Thomas Hennington from the original Hennington Red Book (Hennington and Related Families), is another story. No one has ever confirmed he is a son of Ann Howell. He was not listed as an heir to her estate - which would have been required by state law. He never lived around the family, and his name was spelled differently. There has never any evidence to indicate he was related to Rev. John and Henry.

It is possible, Thomas is related to the Ephraim Hennington out of South Carolina or perhaps from North Carolina.

If there are any descendants of Thomas reading this message, we would certainly appreciate you taking an AncestryDNA test. It will be the best $ 99.00 you will ever spend. That also applies to any of our other Hennington cousins who would like to prove their lines biologically / scientifically by taking the Ancestry DNA test. These results can then be prepared with existing testers to check paper trails. Remember, you no longer have to be a male Hennington to test you're Hennington line. Male or female can test.

If you do decide to test, please contact me at gayleh@brmemc.net so I can watch for your results. You do not have to be a subscriber to Ancestry to take their DNA test.

Thanks very much
Gayle Hennington Van Horn
Hennington DNA Project Manager

Friday, March 22, 2013

Duff Samuel Clement and family



A first cousin three times removed to me. His family research continues, and as you can see, there are blank spaces to fill in for his children. Special thanks to Anita, for her email on this line and photo of Duff. Have any extra information ? Any scanned photos you'd like to share ? Find an error that needs to be updated ? Please email me at the above email address.
Gayle


Family Group Record for Duff Samuel Clement

Husband: Duff Samuel Clement




 Born: 3 Feb 1859 - Crystal Springs, Copiah County, Mississippi
 Died: Jul 1914 - Spokane, Spokane County, Washington
 Buried:  - Woodlawn Cemetery, Spokane, Spokane County, Washington (Plot: L10 G1)
 Father: Garrison Samuel Clement (1805-1868)
 Mother: Elizabeth Mahala Hennington (1824-1899)
 Marriage: 1879 Place: Copiah County, Mississippi

Other Spouse: Annie Eugenia Whittington (1872-1930)
 Married Date: 6 May 1899 - Rapides Parish, Louisiana

Events
1. He appeared on the census on 23 Aug 1860 in Hinds Conty, Mississippi. w/ parents & siblings; Dry Grove in Hinds County

2. He appeared on the census on 24 Jun 1870 in Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. w/widowed mother in sister Mary L. (Clement) Moss household;3rd Ward, Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish, LA

3. He appeared on the census on 25 Jun 1880 in Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. Living near brother Stephen H. Clement; Head of Household; 3rd Ward, Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish, LA

4. He was employed on 25 Jun 1880. Census/Clerk in Store

5. He appeared on the Washington State & Territorial Census census on 21 May 1885 in Spokane, Spokane County, Territory of Washington.
Roll V228_15 - Image 21 of 25
# 37 D.S. Clement - age 26, M Occupation: Carpenter b. MS
# 38 Dora Clement - age 24 F b. MS
 
6. City Directory: 1892, Spokane, Spokane County, Washington.
Duff S Clement
Clement & Babcock
Sprague Avenue & Bisbees addition

7. He appeared on the U.S. Fedral Census census in 1900 in Mansfield, Desoto Parish, Louisiana. Pg 6 of 39
Head of Household:
Duff Clements, Head/MW age 41 b. Feb 1859, Married 11 yrs b. MS NC MS; Occupation: Machine Agriculture
Ann Clements, wife/FW  age 28 b. Apr 1872 Married 11 yrs/3children-3  living; b. LA LA VA
Arthur D Clements, son/MW age 13 b. Aug 1886 WA MS LA attends school
Clarance Clements, son/MW age 6 b. June 1893 WA MS LA
 Joe H Clements, son/MW age 3 b. May 1897 WA MS LA
 Robt H WHittington brother-in-law/MW age 26 b. Aug 1872 LA LA VA Machine Agriculture
 Thomas McMichael boarder/MW age 35 b. Feb 1865 SC SC SC Attorney

 8. Cenus: U.S. Federal Census, 15 Apr 1910, Jewella, Caddo Parish, Louisiana. Dwelling # 17  Family # 17
 Clement, David S Head/Married Male/age 51 b. MS MS MS Agent/Machinery
 "   Annie Wife/Married Female/36 b. LA LA VA
 "  Clarence/son 16 b. WA MS LA Laborer/Automobile Shop
 "  Joe H/ son  12 b. WA MS LA
 "  Dora/dau 6 b. LA MS LA
 "  Minnie D/dau 3 LA MS LA
 "  Annie E /dau  8/12 (?) LA MS LA

 9. Notes - Facts Pg: Fact on place of death and burial, Jul 1914, Washington. Originally, I had listed as died Jul 1914, possibly in Lake Charles, Louisiana.



Wife: Dora Flowers
Born: 1861 - Crystal Springs, Copiah County, Mississippi
Died: 19 Sep 1897 - Spokane, Spokane County, Washington
Buried:  - Woodlawn Cemetery, Spokane, Spokane County, Washington
Father: Hiram G. Flowers (1827-1897)
Mother: (Levelice (Levitia) Ann Hennington (1834-1915)

Events
1. She has conflicting birth information of Alt. Birth and 1861.

2. She appeared on the census on 25 Jun 1880. w/husband & child Dura; 3rd Ward, Calcasieu Parish, LA

3. She appeared on the census on 2 Jul 1870. w/parents & siblings; Township 1 & 2, East of RR; Hazelhurst P.O.; Copiah Co, MS

4. She appeared on the Washington State & Territorial Census census on 21 May 1885 in Spokane, Spokane County, Territory of Washington.
Roll V228_15 - Image 21 of 25
# 37 D.S. Clement - age 26, M Occupation: Carpenter b. MS
# 38 Dora Clement - age 24 F b. MS
 
Children
1  F  Dora Clement
Born: Mar 1880 - Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana
Died:  - Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana
Buried:  - Corporation Cemetery/City of Lake Charles Cemetery, Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish. Louisiana
(died as a young infant or child)    

2  M  Kenton Clement
Born: 1881 - Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana
Died: 17 Dec 1883 - Poss. Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana
Buried:  - Corporation Cemetery/City of Lake Charles Cemetery, Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish. Louisiana
     
3  F  Baby Girl Clement
 Born: 11 May 1883 - Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana
 Died: 19 May 1883 - Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana
 Buried:  - Corporation Cemetery/City of Lake Charles Cemetery, Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish. Louisiana
     
4  M  Arthur Flowers Clement
 Born: 7 Aug 1886 - Spokane, Spokane County, Washington
 Died:
 Buried:
 Spouse:
  Marr. Date:

5  F  Florence Clement
 Born: Abt 1889 - Spokane, Spokane County, Washington
 Died: 24 Mar 1894 - Spokane County, Washington
Buried:    

6  F  Ruth Estine Clement
Born: Abt 1890 - Spokane, Spokane County, Washington
Died: 15 Oct 1897 - Black Mohawk, Spokane County, Washington
Buried:
     
7  M  Clarance Huel Clement
Born: 9 Jun 1893 - Spokane, Spokane County, Washington
Died: Jun 1983 - Louisiana
Buried:
Spouse:
  Marr. Date:

8  M  Joe Hiram Clement
Born: 13 May 1897 - Spokane, Spokane County, Washington
Died: 13 May 1964 - Oklahoma
Buried:
Spouse:
Marr. Date:

Revisions 22 Mar 2013/GVH

Thursday, February 14, 2013

A closer look at the Conner's

For those that may be researching the family of Champ D Conner, I have recently organized a Family Group Record. This begins with Henry M. Conner, his wife Rebecca (surname unknown) and their children on the 1910 Wheeler County, Texas census. This includes their son Champ.

At this time, I do not have alot of information on this Conner family, and would welcome any additional data from researchers working this line. I hope what I have gathered so far will assist you in your research.
Gayle


Family Group Record for Henry and Rebecca M. Conner

Husband: Henry M. Conner
Born: 1850 - Mississippi
Died: Between 1910 and 1920 - Texas or Oklahoma
Buried: (unknown)
Marriage/Place: (unknown)

Wife: Rebecca surname unknown
Born: 1874 - Missour
Died/Burial: (unknown)

Other Spouse: Claude A. Miller (1883- ) Marriage Date: Unknown)

Children (with Henry M Conner)

1 M John W. Conner
Born: 1898 - Texas

2 M Thomas H. Conner
Born: 1903 - Texas

3 M Clinton M. Conner
Born: 1905 - Oklahoma

4 F Ada B. Conner
Born: Oct 1909 - Wheeler County, Texas

5 M Champ D. Conner
Born: 11 Mar 1911 - Texas
Died: 15 Aug 1973 - Pacoima, Los Angeles County, California
Buried: Unknown
Spouse: Florence Lorena Delay (1911-1951)
Marr. Date: Erick, Beckham County, Oklahoma
Children with Florence L Delay
Norma Lee Conner 03 May 1931 California
James Edward Conner 1937 Los Angeles County, California

 Last Modified: 14 Feb 2013 by Gayle Hennington Van Horn

 

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Calvin and Arizona Delay

Family Group Record for Calvin Delay and Arizona Delay

Calvin and Arizona Delay were first cousins. Their fathers James H. Delay and Gideon Wilson Delay were brothers.

Husband: Calvin Delay
Born: 8 Jun 1877 - Fannin County, Texas
Died: 19 Feb 1948 - Hext, Beckham County, Oklahoma
Buried: - Pioneer Cemetery, Hext, Beckam County, Oklahoma
Father: James H. Delay (1853-After 1900)
Mother: Mary A. Townsend (1861-Abt 1895)
Marriage: 11 Sep 1901 Place: Gainsville, Cooke County, Texas

Marriage
Arizona Delay was married Sept 11, 1901, to Calvin Delay. Verified by Marriage License, Gainesville, Cooke Co, TX. Clerk of the County, Cooke Co. A.J. Thompson, E.M. Thompson, Deputy. I, J.F. Pierce, hereby certify that on the 11 day of Sept 1901, I united in marriage C. Delay and Miss Arizona Delay the parties above named. Witness My Hand this 11 day of Sept A.D. 1901. J.F. Pierce, Minister, M.E. Church, South.




Obituary
Funeral Services For Calvin Delay Set Wednesday

Funeral services for Calvin Delay, Beckam County pioneer, will be held at 2:30 P.M. Wednesday at the Hext school auditorium. He died of a heart attack Saturday. Mr. DeLay was born June 8, 1877 at Fannin County, Texas and was married September 11, 1901 to Arizona DeLay at Gainesville, Texas. They came to Beckam County in 1914 and settled nine miles west of Sayre where they have resided since that time. He was a member of the Church of Christ and has been a farmer in the Hext community. Survivors include his wife Mrs. Arizona DeLay, of the home address; five daughters, Mrs. Viola Stovall and Mrs. Leland Reynolds, both of Amarillo; Mrs. Bonnie Clancy, Orange, Calif., Mrs. Florence Conner of Corona, Calif., and Mrs. Ruby Parsley of Clearwater, Calif.; one son, Jim DeLay of Kansas City, MO; three sisters, Mrs. Pearl Frantz of Chowchilla, Calif., Mrs. Rena Goode and Mrs. Ola Priest both of Sulphur, Okla; four brothers, W.J. DeLay of Cordell, Bert, Alford and Melvin DeLay all of Sulphur; 12 grandchildren and three great grand children. R.L. Copening will officiate at the rites. Burial will be in the Pioneer cemetery with Moore Funeral home in charge of arrangements.

In Memory of Calvin Delay
Born June 8th, 1877
Passed Away February 19th, 1949 Erick, Oklahoma
Services - Hext School Auditorium
Wednesday, February 23rd, 1949 2:30 P.M.
Clergyman - Bro. R.L. Copening
Last Resting Place Pioneer Cemetery; Moore Funeral Home In Charge of Arrangements.

Wife: Arizona Delay
Born: 16 Jul 1883 - Fannin County, Texas
Died: 21 Nov 1963 - Amarillo, Potter County, Texas
Buried: 25 Nov 1963 - Pioneer Cemetery, Hext, Beckam County, Oklahoma
Father: Gideon (Gid) Wilson Delay (1863-1930)
Mother: Mary B. Bankston (1867-1890)

Children
1 F Viola Delay
Born: 10 Feb 1904 - Sulphur, Chicksaw Lands, Indian Territory
Died: 23 Jan 1990 - Amarillo, Potter County, Texas
Buried: 27 Jan 1990 - Memorial Park Cemetery, Amarillo, Potter County, Texas
Spouse: Arthur Seely (1900-1950)
Marr. Date: 27 Jul 1922 - Erick, Beckham County, Oklahoma
Spouse: Charles Haines Lightner (1892-1934)
Marr. Date: 20 Dec 1929 - Beckham County, Oklahoma
Spouse: Harry Ernest Stovall (1897-1957)
Marr. Date: 1936 - Amarillo, Potter County, Texas

2 F Lela Fonnie (Lee) Delay
Born: 3 Jul 1906 - Anadarko, Indian Territory
Died: 31 Dec 1985 - Amarillo, Potter County, Texas
Buried: - Llano Cemetery, Amarillo, Potter County, Texas
Spouse: Lewis Wilmeth Reynolds (1897-1971)
Marr. Date: Erick, Beckhkam County, Oklahoma

 3 F Bonnie May Delay
Born: 22 May 1908 - Oklahoma
Died: 26 Nov 1997 - Irvine, Orange County, California
Buried: - Fairhaven Cemetery, Santa Anna, Orange County, California
Spouse: Hubert Mc Coy Clancy (1899-1978)
Marr. Date: 16 Oct 1935 - Amarillo, Potter County, Texas

4 F Florence Lorena Delay
Born: 2 Apr 1911 - Garvin County, Oklahoma
Died: 28 Apr 1951 - Corona, Riverside County, California
Buried: - Corona Sunnyslope Cemetery, Corona, Riverside County, California
Spouse: Champ D. Conner (1911-1973)
Marr. Date: Erick, Beckham County, Oklahoma

5 M Calvin (Jim) James Delay
Born: 16 Jan 1913 - Caddo County, Oklahoma
Died: 5 Dec 1989 - Amarillo, Potter County, Texas
Buried: - Llano Cemetery, Amarillo, Potter County, Texas
Spouse: Mildred Unknown (married only a few months)

6 F Ruby Pauline Delay
Born: 17 Oct 1915 - Erick, Beckhkam County, Oklahoma
Died: 7 Feb 1962 - Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California
Buried:
Spouse: Jack Vannoy Parsley (1914- )
Marr. Date: May 1933 - Erick, Beckham County, Oklahoma
Spouse: Unknown Axtell

7 F Janette Delay (triplet sisters, lived only a few hours)
Born: 13 Dec 1917 - Hext, Beckham County, Oklahoma
Died: 13 Dec 1917 - Hext, Beckham County, Oklahoma
Buried: - Pioneer Cemetery, Hext, Beckam County, Oklahoma

8 F Jewel Delay
Born: 13 Dec 1917 - Hext, Beckham County, Oklahoma
Died: 13 Dec 1917 - Hext, Beckham County, Oklahoma
Buried: - Pioneer Cemetery, Hext, Beckam County, Oklahoma

9 F Josephine Delay
Born: 13 Dec 1917 - Hext, Beckham County, Oklahoma
Died: 13 Dec 1917 - Hext, Beckham County, Oklahoma
Buried: - Pioneer Cemetery, Hext, Beckam County, Oklahoma

Last Modified by Gayle Hennington Van Horn: 13 Feb 2013

 

Monday, February 11, 2013

Family Group Record - William Robert Seely & Sarah Jane Perry

This a repost of the following Family Group Sheet

William Robert Seely, son of John Frederick Seely and Sarah A. (Sadie) and husband of Sarah Jane (Janie) Perry, are my great grandparents.

Family Group Record for William Robert (Bill) Seely

Husband: William Robert (Bill) Seely
Born: 25 Aug 1876 Bentonville, Benton County, Arkansas
Died: 17 Jul 1946 Winslow, Washington County, Arkansas
Buried: 19 Jul 1946 Sunset Cemetery, Winslow, Washington County, Arkansas
Father: John Frederick Seely (1852-1921)
Mother: Sarah A. (Sadie) Spivey (1845-1927)
Marriage: Abt 1893 Place: Poss. Benton County, Arkansas
Other Spouse: Pearl Leake (1886-Bef 1946)
Other Spouse: Sarah Moore (1908- )

Events
1. He appeared on the census on 23 Jun 1900 in Osage Township, Benton County, Arkansas as Head of Household with family

*wife Jane is pregnant with son Arthur on Census day. Son was born in 27 Dec 1900, in Bentonville, Benton County, Arkansas.

2. He appeared on the census on 16 Jan 1920 in Erick, Beckham County, Oklahoma as Head of Household with family

3. He was a Farmer.

4. He appeared on the census on 10 Apr 1930 in Winslow, Washington County, Arkansas as Head of Household with family.

5. Arkansas Death Certificate: 29 Jul 1946, Fayetteville, Washington County,Arkansas. Signature by Preston D. Hathbeck, MD

Wife: Sarah Jane (Janie) PerryBorn: 28 Jul 1869 Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana
Died: 9 May 1924 Sayre, Beckham County, Oklahoma
Cause of Death: Thrown from moving automobile
Buried: 10 May 1924 - Erick Cemetery, Erick, Beckham County, Oklahoma
Father: James Monroe Perry (1828-after 05 Oct 1895)
Mother: Mary E. Corn (1843-After 1880)

Children
1 M Frederick Seely
Born: 7 Mar 1895 Benton County, Arkansas
Died: 29 Sep 1973 Hobart, Kiowa County, Oklahoma
Buried: Hobart, Kiowa County, Oklahoma
Spouse: Hytheon Lee Soles (1906-1998)
Marr. Date: 26 Feb 1924, Centerton, Benton County, Arkansas

2 M Audie SeelyBorn: Dec 1897 Benton County, Arkansas
Died: 1901 Benton County, Arkansas

3 M Norvell Seely
Born: 25 Feb 1898 Benton County, Arkansas
Died: 21 May 1971 Bakersfield, Kern County, California
Buried: 25 May 1971 Greennlawn Memorial Park, Bakersfield, Kern
County, California
Spouse: Annie Butler (1907-1957)
Marr. Date: 1924, Erick, Beckam County, Oklahoma


4 M Arthur Seely (my grandfather)
Born: 27 Dec 1900 Bentonville, Benton County, Arkansas
Died: 28 Aug 1950 Bentonwillow, Kern County, California
Buried: 30 Aug 1950 Greennlawn Memorial Park, Bakersfield, Kern
County, California
Spouse: (1) Fay Thompson (marriage date unk)
Spouse: (2) Viola Delay (1904-1990)
Marr. Date: 27 Jul 1922, Erick, Beckam County, Oklahoma
Spouse: (3) Clara B. Unknown (1901-1968)
Marr. Date: 1950, Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada
5 F Lora Seely
Born: 1905 Bentonville, Benton County, Arkansas
Died: Erick, Beckham County, Oklahoma
Buried: Erick, Beckham County, Oklahoma
Spouse: William (Bill) Holford

6 F Esther Seely
Born: 9 Mar 1908 Bentonville, Benton County, Arkansas
Spouse: (1) Raymond O'Neal
Marr. Place: Erick, Beckam County, Oklahoma
Spouse: (2) Castra Unknown
Spouse:(3) Unknown Childress

7 F Edna Seely
Born: 22 Mar 1911 - Bentonville, Benton County, Arkansas
Spouse: Wren Terry

8 F Velma Mae Seely
Born: 27 Apr 1914 Bentonville, Benton County, Arkansas
Died: Doniphan, Ripley County, Missouri
Buried: Wynne, Cross County, Arkansas
Spouse: Melvin T. Abla (1916- )
Marr. Place: Erick, Beckam County, Oklahoma
Spouse: Edwin Standell

Monday, February 4, 2013

The Future of Hennington Research

To: All of the Hennington Family"
Whatever your last name is.

My parents Roy and Lily Hennington researched and compiled "The History of Hennington and Related Families" then published it in 1973. It has been my pleasure to be able to print and sell copies since their death. For many years I researched, collected and filed additional information about the family. In 2001 I pulled that information along with chapters contributed by others and published "Sequel To The History of Hennington and Related Families". Until just recently, I continued to collect information and update the Hennington database as well as sell additional copied of both "The History of Hennington ...""and "Sequel...". Health issues indicate that I should retire and pass the baton to someone else.

Gayle Van Horn is my 2nd cousin. To explain our relationship, we both have the same great-grandfather, William Garrison Hennington, son of Rev John. Gayle contributed several chapters of the Sequel. She and her husband Larry are both hard working, active genealogy researchers. When I approached Gayle about taking over the Hennington books and database, she indicated she would be honored.

Response from Gayle Hennington Van Horn - February 4, 2012
The Future of Hennington Research

My sincere thanks to my cousin Bryan Hennington, for entrusting me with the legacy of the Hennington family research. Bryan and his parents gathered a remarkable amount of family information, and I am indeed honored to be entrusted to continue this quest.

At this time, I continue to peruse the photos, documents, files and database from decades of research from these three dedicated researchers. In the future I will make a decision what the next step will be, in terms of publishing.

Larry and I continue to uncover new and surprising facts on the early Hennington's, as well as related families. We are presently in the planning stages for a new research trip to the South Carolina archives.

On a related subject I hope that a few of you will consider taking an autosomal DNA test at Ancestry.com.  This DNA looks at your entire chart not just the top or bottom as Y-DNA or mitochondral DNA test do.  This is probably the single most important genealogical record you can leave behind for your family and  future generations.

The test is simple, painless, secure and as DNA test go very inexpensive. If you are  an Ancestry,com member, they have been running $99. No longer do you need a male Hennington family member  to prove your Hennington or any other ancestral line through DNA. Ladies we can now test for all our lines. I would hope that a few of you will take the DNA test so we can continue to verify not only our lines via the paper trail but through science as well. We also have at FTDNA a Hennington Y-DNA project and if you are a Hennington surnamed male, please consider  taking that test also. Brian and his nephew have, so we have descendants of Rev. John. We certainly could use  other Hennington male lines to test, especially off of Rev Henry.

If you should take one of these test, please contact me via email so that I can help you understand the test  results in the context of what has already been done. I can say that my AncestryDNA autosomal DNA test has been very eye opening and well worth the $99 and has now verified many of my ancestor paper trail lines through DNA. It is remarkable how far this has come.

Family and DNA test information is always welcome and may be sent to gayleh@brmemc.net.

From time to time I post Hennington and related families on this blog, so please recheck often.

Keep digging folks !
Gayle Hennington Van Horn
FTDNA Hennington Administrator

Friday, January 11, 2013

Benjamin David Hennington featured in new book


Images of America-Remembering Mississippi's Confederates
 
Jeff T. Giambrone has recently released a new book featuring the photos and stories of Mississippi Confederate soldiers. One of the featured soldiers is my cousin, Benjamin David Hennington. He served in the 16th Mississippi, Company C.

The book description at Amazon includes;
The Confederate States of America engaged in a battle for national survival that lasted four long and incredibly bloody years. The conflict went on for so long because thousands of rebels were willing to lay down their lives and defend their homes to the last man and last cartridge. Many of these soldiers were Mississippians. Approximately 78,000 citizens of the Magnolia State can be documented as having served in the Civil War. Of this number, over 27,500 died either of disease or in combat. Remembering Mississippi's Confederates is a photographic tribute to the men who fought so gallantly for their state. Many of the  images in this volume have never been published and come from the proud descendants of the soldiers themselves;  others were acquired from collections spread across the United States.
B.D. Hennington is featured in the Mississippians in the Army of Northern Virginia chapter. Blogs readers may  recall my former post of August 4, 2008, The Life and Times of Dr. Benjamin David Hennington and his Family Group Sheet. You may find both by entering Benjamin Hennington in the above Search tab.

Researching my cousin and his family, has been one of the more interesting individuals I have worked on. He served gallantly with many cousins and neighbors under Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson during many campaigns and battles.



Benjamin David Hennington enlisted as a private in the "Crystal Springs Southern Rights," Company C, 16th Mississippi Infantry, in the spring of 1861. In April 1863, he was promoted to lieutenant, and while fighting  at the battle of the Wilderness the next year, he lost his sword.Hennington survived the war and became a doctor in Lawrence County, Mississippi. In 1913, James R. Wood, who served in the 6th US Calvary during the Battle of the Wilderness, put an advertisement in the Times-Picayune of New Orleans seeking to return to its rightful owner a sword he had picked up during the fighting. He was able to identify the Confederate soldier by the name and unit engraved on the scabbard: "B.D. Hennington, 16th Mississippi." Apparently, Woods was successful in his efforts, for Hennington proudly posed for this portrait holding his long-lost sword.

Larry and I would like to thank Jeff Giambrone for his kind assistance in publishing an excellent book and including a favorite cousin.
Gayle Hennington Van Horn

For ordering information consult www.amazon.com

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Mom's Classic Lemon Pie


Thanks to those that responded to my post of Granny's Black Walnut pie. It was even a hit in England! This afternoon I've delved into my mother's old recipe box again, to find another favorite from our family. It was always popular at many church socials, birthdays, and Sunday dinners. This one also calls for cooking over hot water in a double boiler. I hope you enjoy this ... I am proud to pass it along ! Any excuse is a good excuse to bake a pie !!!!


                                                             Mom's Classic Lemon Pie

2 TBsp. corn startch or flour
3/4 Cup sugar (a bit more if you like it sweeter)
1 Cup boiling water
1/4 Cup lemon juice
1 TBsp. butter
3 eggs yolks (save the egg whites for the meringue)
pinch of salt
grated rind of half of a lemon

Combine the flour and 3/4 cup of sugar. Add water slowly, stirring constantly. Cook over hot water in a double boiler, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth. Add the slightly beaten egg yolks, butter, lemon rind and juice, plus a few grains of salt (just a pinch). Cook for two minutes.

Pour into a prebaked pastry shell. Cover with meringue made from the three egg whites and three tablespoons of sugar. If you like an extra high or thick meringue, I like to use an extra two egg whites and an extra tablespoon of sugar for each egg white.

Bake in a slow oven at 325 F for 20 minutes.

Enjoy !!!