Something caught my eye while researching my tree for this prompt. I believe I found the perfect thing for “Challenging.” Some days trying to focus on one ancestor just veers off into another direction, or as I say, chasing that bunny rabbit. I actually have no idea how I started with my third great-grandfather, Anderson Barnard, and went down the path of the Webbs and the Brays.
Somehow I started relooking at the 1840 Hawkins County, Tennessee census and am truly amazed at how many family connections there are on page 115 and wanted to share this.
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| Census of 1840 Hawkins Co., TN from Ancestry.com |
The first household is Walter Allen and his wife is Mary “Polly” Bray (source for her maiden name: death certificate of daughter Malissa Allen Shaver). It is my opinion that Mary Bray was the daughter of Henry Bray and Margaret McDaniel.
The second household is Peter Wolf(e) who marries Margaret McDaniel Bray soon after Henry Bray’s death. His pension application for service in the War of 1812 states that he married Margaret McDaniel in 1841 but I believe he was off by several years given he didn’t apply for the pension until shortly before his death so his memory may have been failing. Peter Wolfe was Malissa Wolfe Sutton’s stepfather as his will makes it clear that she is not a lawful child. I have found a document stating that her mother’s name was Margaret McDaniel; however, it also states that her father’s name was Peter Wolfe. I have no idea why her biological father's name was not even mentioned in some of the family notes. It is so frustrating!
Household number three is James McDaniel who is the son of John McDaniel and Margaret Watkins. He is also aforementioned Margaret McDaniel’s brother.
Hezekiah Mills is household number six. He married Rosa Wolfe. Rosa is the daughter of my 3x’s step-grandfather, Peter Wolfe and his first wife who is unknown.
The seventh household is Benjamin B. Bray who married Avarilla Hutchinson. He is most likely the son of Henry Bray and Margaret McDaniel. Benjamin and his family moved to Ozark Co., Missouri by 1860 and he died in January 1862 while serving in Missouri for the Confederate Cavalry, Company A.
James Jackson is enumerated as the eighth household. His wife was Nancy McDaniel. She is the daughter of John McDaniel and Margaret Watkins and sister to aforementioned James McDaniel. After Nancy died James married Nancy Webb.
The ninth household is George Barnett or possibly Barnard. This could be the son of John Barnard and Mary “Polly” Grissom a grandson of Jonathan Barnard and Biddy Barnett who are my 4thgreat-grandparents.
Another Benjamin Bray appears as the 10thentry. He is most likely the son of Benjamin Bray Sr. who lived in Claiborne Co., Tennessee. I can document Benjamin Sr. from 1815 until 1833 in Claiborne County. The last entry I found for him is a Deed of Gift (land) to Benjamin Bray, Jr., D/Love 1833. Benjamin Jr. married a Catherine Wolfe.
Then we have Peter Ogan in the 11thhousehold. He was the brother of my 3x’s great-grandmother Pharma/Phanny Ogan, wife of John Epperson. Peter’s wife was Hannah Wolfe and she is probably the sister of the aforementioned Catherine Wolfe. I don’t know how these two women are related to Peter Wolfe.
Entry #12 belongs to a surname of interest – Webb. The head of household is Larkin Webb and he may be the son of James Webb and Rachel Certain or Sartain. Rachel was widowed in 1815 and living on or near property in Claiborne County that was purchased by Benjamin Bray, Sr.. Her daughter, Mary “Polly” Webb married Abijah Bray. He was probably a son of Stogner Bray (b: 1785, NC and d: 1881, Sullivan Co., MO). I believe Stogner may have been a son or nephew of Benjamin Sr..
Marshall Webb is head of the 16thhousehold on this list and many believe he is the brother of Larkin Webb. His wife is speculated to be Nancy Mills.
No. 23 is Shadrack Epperson (spelled Eppison on the census) whose line is most likely related through a collateral line to my Epperson family.
I tried to illustrate the family ties and that was very complicated to do but if you are related and have been following some of my stories then it will be easier for you to follow than it was for my husband. I am truly in awe of finding all these family connections so it just drills home the advice to research other families found on these early census pages. The brickwall just might come tumbling down if a researcher is up for the challenge. My hope is to study this chart and continue to chase those bunny rabbits because I am going to snag one!!
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| Looking down the Rabbit Hole - Illustrated by Millicent Sowerby |
Hancock County wasn't formed until 1844 from parts of Hawkins and Claiborne. Was this neighborhood in the modern day Hancock Co. Area?
ReplyDeleteYes you are right Pam. So many of these people will be found in Hancock County on the 1850 census.
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