Job Lucas

Job Lucas was born 259 years ago today, on 2 November 1757 in Virginia. He was the son of my 7th-great-grandparents Edward Lucas and Elizabeth Corn.

From May 1776 to October 1777, he served as a private in the 8th Virginia Regiment. He was a waggoner.

Compiled Service Records of Soldiers who Served in the American Army during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783. NARA microfilm publication M881, roll 1047. Virginia, Eighth Regiment. The National Archives at Washington, D.C. Available from Fold3.

In 1778, he served as a private in the 4th Virginia Regiment. He died at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania on 15 May 1778.

Compiled Service Records of Soldiers who Served in the American Army during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783. NARA microfilm publication M881, roll 975. Virginia, Fourth Regiment. The National Archives at Washington, D.C. Available from Fold3.

According to family Bible records, the cause of death was smallpox.

Those Places Thursday: Clover Bottom

Clover Bottom consists of 309 1/4 acres of land in Davidson County, Tennessee, including three acres on the north side of Stone's River.

Nashville Whig, 31 August 1813, page 3

Stone's River

The area was named "Clover Bottom" because of the amount of growth of white clover in the area. John Donelson was one of the settlers who came to the area in 1780.

"Col. John Donelson Was Leader Among Men." Nashville Tennesseean and Nashville American, 15 July 1917, page 25.

James Robertson and my Gower and Lucas ancestors were among the other settlers in the area. My 7th-great-grandfather Abel Gower, Sr., my 6th-great-grandfather Abel Gower, Jr., and James Robertson's brother John Robertson were killed at Clover Bottom in 1780, after they were attacked by Chickamaugas.

Haywood, John. The Civil and Political History of the State of Tennessee from its Earliest Settlement up to the Year 1796, Including the Boundaries of the State. Nashville,TN: Publishing House of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, 1891. Originally published in 1823 by W. H. Haywood. Page 128. Available from Internet Archive.

In 1858, Dr. James Hoggatt built a mansion at Clover Bottom. The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

150 Years Ago Today: Obedience Lucas

My 5th-great-grandmother Obedience Lucas died 150 years ago today.

Obedience was born on 16 December 1787 in Davidson County, Tennessee. She was the daughter of Andrew Lucas and Nancy Gower.

Obedience married Nathan Gatlin on 16 February 1803 in Davidson County, Tennessee.

Davidson County, Tennessee. Marriage Record, 1803-1804, p. 71, Nathan Gatlin and Obedience Lucas. Ancestry.com. Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008

Obedience and Nathan's first child, my 4th-great-grandfather John McNairy Gatlin, was born ten months later. The family lived in Davidson County, Tennessee. By 1830, they had moved to Giles County, Tennessee. By 1850, Obedience, Nathan, and some of their children were living in Tippah County, Mississippi. Obedience was blind.

1850 United States census, 3rd Division, Tippah County, Mississippi, population schedule, p. 517B, family 370. Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009.

Nathan died on 8 March 1855. By 1860, Obedience had moved in with her daughter Nancy and son-in-law Lorenzo Dow Gower. They lived in Davidson County, Tennessee.

1860 United States census, 12th District, Davidson County, Tennessee, population schedule, p. 38, family 248. Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009.

Obedience died on 18 June 1866. She was buried in Gower Cemetery.

The Cumberland Compact

Cumberland Compact, original signers, page 1. Available from http://www.cumberlandpioneers.com/cc1.html. 

The Cumberland Compact established a constitutional government for the settlement at Fort Nashborough in the Cumberland region. It was signed by 256 men on May 1, 1780, and some additional provisions were added on May 13, 1780. Until Davidson County, North Carolina was created in 1783, the Cumberland Compact was used to govern the settlement. The area eventually became Nashville, Tennessee.

Under the Cumberland Compact, twelve men would be elected to a "Tribunal of Notables."They would serve as a governing council, and could be removed from office.

My 6th-great-grandfather Andrew Lucas was one of the signers of the Cumberland Compact. His signature is the sixth one in the third column. His half-brother Robert Lucas was also one of the signers. His signature was in the second column, three rows lower than Andrew's.

References
Cumberland Compact | Entries | Tennessee Encyclopedia
Cumberland Compact - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pennsylvania Charter

Pennsylvania Charter to William Penn, 4 March 1681. PHMC Our Documentary Heritage.

On 24 June 1680, William Penn, a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers), asked King Charles II for a charter of land. He wanted to found a colony where Quakers would be free to practice their religion. A large tract of land was available west of New Jersey and north of Maryland. King Charles II signed the charter on 4 March 1681, and Pennsylvania was founded.

My Lucas and Scott ancestors were Quakers. My 8th-great-grandfather Edward Lucas came to North America with his family in 1679. They settled in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. In 1700, Edward married Bridget Scott, who lived in Burlington County, West Jersey. After their marriage, the couple lived in Falls Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

References
History of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Charter to William Penn, March 4, 1681
William Penn

Statehood Day - Mississippi

State flag of Mississippi on Public Domain Images

On December 10, 1817, Mississippi became the 20th state to be admitted to the union.

My 5th-great-grandparents Nathan Gatlin and Obedience Lucas spent some time living in Tippah County, Mississippi. Some of their children lived there as well.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities poster, 2015. Available from http://www.un.org/disabilities/documents/idpd_poster_2015.jpg

December 3 is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The day has been observed by the United Nations since 1992. The theme for 2015 is "Inclusion matters."

People with disabilities are part of our family history, and we should be sure to include them. My 2nd-great-grandfather's brother Petter Troedsson (31 January 1855 - 27 October 1908) was listed as idiot krympling in Swedish household examination records. His mother was 38 years old when he was born; he may have had Down syndrome. According to the 1850 and 1860 United States Censuses, my 5th-great-grandmother Obedience (Lucas) Gatlin was blind. She was in her 60s and 70s at the time of the censuses; I am not sure when her blindness began. My 4th-great-grandfather Hugh Winters was listed as blind in the 1880 United States Census and was also enumerated in the Defective, Dependent and Delinquent schedule. William A. Paley, the husband of my maternal grandfather's sister Geraldine Boe, lost the use of his legs as a result of a circulation ailment. The "Flag of the Day" news item in the 30 August 1966 issue of the Chicago Tribune noted that for the last ten years, he had seen that the flag was displayed at his home every morning, and that he worked as an assistant to the music director at Columbia Broadcasting System. He seems to have focused on his abilities, not his disabilities.

References
International Day of Persons with Disabilities
UN Enable - International Day of Persons with Disabilities, 3 December 2015

Mystery Monday: What Happened to Nathan Gatlin in 1822?

I recently found the following notice in the 27 November 1822 issue of the Nashville Whig:

Nashville Whig, 27 November 1822, page 3

I had not known that my 5th-great-grandfather Nathan Gatlin was a constable. Clearly something had happened to him in 1822. Why couldn't he give security? What acts of his might injure others?

The Andrew Lucas who had been Nathan Gatlin's security was probably my 6th-great-grandfather Andrew Lucas, who was Nathan's father-in-law. He had a son who was also named Andrew Lucas, but that Andrew was only about 22 years old and had recently married. I do not know who Arnold Russell was.

This was a fascinating find! I will definitely need to do more research.

52 Ancestors: Week 18 "Where There's a Will": Edward Lucas Disinherits His Son Edward Lucas

My 8th-great-grandparents Edward Lucas and Bridget Scott were Quakers. Their son Edward, my 7th-great-grandfather. married out of unity and was eventually disowned by the Falls Monthly Meeting, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He left Falls Township, Pennsylvania and settled in Frederick County, Virginia (now West Virginia.)

When my 8th-great-grandfather Edward Lucas wrote his will, he originally intended to provide for my 7th-great-grandfather Edward.

Will of Edward Lucas
I Edward Lucas of the Falls Township in the County of Bucks and province of Pennsylvania being of health in body & sound mind and good memory but calling to my rememberance of the uncertainty of this Life do make this my last Will & Testament touching the disposal of what temporal estate  I have herebt revoking & annulling all other & former Will or Wills Whatsoever heretofore by me made and this only to be taken for my Last Will & Testament and none other. First I do Will that my body be decently buryed according to the Discretion of my Executors heretoafter named. Secondly I do Will that my just Debts & funeral Charges be duly paid. Thirdly I Give Devise & bequeath unto my well beloved wife Bridget Lucas my best bed & all the furniture thereunto belonging. Fourthly I Give and Bequeath unto my two Daughters Ann & Elizabeth each of them a Bed & furniture and that Ann have the next best to my Wifes & Elizabeth the next best. Fifthly all & Singular the Tract of Land where I now live with the Appurtenences I give & Bequeath unto my son John Lucas & his Heirs for ever excepting & reserving unto my Wife the Room in the new House where we Lodge & free egress & regress to & from the same from time to time as her occasion shall or may require so long as she may remain unmarried. And  _ _ also that he do keep for her [?] Cows and a Horse both Winter & Somer every year as afs. and also do reserve her what Celler room and Wood for firewood she shall need so long as she shall remain unmarried as afores.  Also I do reserve the old House where my son John now lives for a home for any of my Children ti retire unto while they are unmarried or if any of my Daughters Husbands should dye and thereby they stand in need of a home then the said House to be for them also. Sixthly my Land that lyes between William Paresons and the Widow Darks Land that was formerly my Brother Johns with all & singular the Improvements with the stock & corn on the ground I give & bequeath unto my son Robert Lucas his Heirs and Assigns hr paying unto my sister Rebecca Lucas and I do will that my said son Robert do take care of my brother Giles & provide for him sufficient of Meat Drink Washing & Lodging and Apparel of all sorts during his natural Life. Also I give and bequeath unto my said son Robert Lucas and his Heirs and Assigns all of the Right Title and Interest which I now have or which my Heirs Executors or Adms. shall or ought to have hereafter of in & unto the Tract of Land Joyning on the Tract last mentioned being the Tract which my Brother Giles afores. made some improvement on. And also I do give to my said son Robert all accounts all accounts which I have against my said Brother Giles for keeping and maintaining him heretofore I do also give & to my said son Robert all my house hold goods & Husbandry utensils that is on the plantation herein bequeathed to him. Seventhly I do give my Daughters Mercy Mary & Margaret each of them twenty shillings. Eighthly I do Will that my son John afores, his Heirs Exs or Adms do pay unti my son Edward the sum of five pounds yearly for the space of six years after my decease. Ninthly all the remaining part of my personal Estate whatsoever I give and bequeath unto my Wife my Daughter Ann and my Daughter Elizabeth to be equally divided amongst them into three equal parts or shares. Lastly I do make nominate and appoint my Dear and welbeloved wife aforesaid and my son John Lucas aforesaid to be my Executors to see this my last Will and Testament performed. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal Dated the twenty third Day of the Eleventh Month Anno Dom. one thousand seven hundred and thirty seven.
                                                                                          Edward Lucas     1737
Sealed Pronounced & Declared by the Said Edward Lucas to be his Last Will and Testament
in the presence of
Saml Harker
Joseph Atkinson
Wm Atkinson

Bucks [?] June of  2d 1740 Then personally appeared Samuel Harker and on the Sixth of the same June personally appeared William Atkinson two of the Witnesses to the within written will and on their solemn affermation did declare that they were personally present and saw the Testator Edward Lucas Sign Seal publish & Declare the within writing as his last Will and Testament and that at the doing thereof he was of Sound mind memory and understanding to the best of their knowledge -
                                                                                       Coram W Hall Dep Regr


After he wrote his will, my 8th-great-grandfather Edward changed his mind about providing for his son Edward.

Codicil
Be it known unto all Men by these presents that of Edward Lucas of the Falls Township in the County of Bucks & Province of Pennsylvania Yeoman have made and declared my Last Will & Testament in Writing bearing Date the twenty third Day of the eleventh month Anno Dom. one thousand seven hundred & thirty seven and the said Edward Lucas do by the presents Codicil confirm and ratifie my said Last Will only excepting that I do make the alteration therein as followeth That is to say First I do will and by these presents order that my son John and my son Robert do pay what I owe to my sister Rebecca equally between them. Secondly I do will that my son John don't pay my son Edward any thing. Thirdly I do give Devise and Bequeath unto my son in law Thomas Bayley his Heirs and Assigns a certain piece of Land for a Conveniency of water to be taken off at the back part of my Tract of Land where I now live viz. to begin at my back Corner next the great Road leading to Philadelphia & to run Six Rod (?) Wide to the Water. And my Will & meaning is that this Codicil or Shedule be adjudged to be as part of my Said Will & testament & that all things herein contained be faithfully performed as in full & ample manner as if the same were set down and declared in my Said Will. In Witness whereof the Said Edward Lucas have hereunto Set my Hand & Seal this Sixth Day of the Twelfth Month Anno Dom. one thousand seven hundred and thirty nine - 1739/40
                                                                                                  Edward Lucas
Sealed Pronounced & Declared by
the Said Edward Lucas in the presence of
MWatson
Jos. White
Wm Atkinson

Bucks [?] June of 2nd 1740 Then personally appeared Mark Watson and Joseph White and on the Sixth of the Same June personally appeased William Atkinson the three Witnesses to the above Writing and on their solemn affermation did declare that they were personally present and saw the Testator Edward Lucas Sign Seal Publish and Declare the above writing as a Codicil to his Last Will & Testament and that at the doing thereof he was of sound mind memory & understanding to the best of their knowledge-
                                                                                        Coram W Hall Dep. Regr.

My 7th-great-grandfather Edward was disinherited! Perhaps my 8th-great-grandfather Edward was still angry about his son's disownment by the Falls Monthly Meeting.

Will of Edward Lucas. Bucks County, Pennsylvania Wills 1713-1759 vol. 1-2. Image 187. Pennsylvania, Probate Records, 1683-1994. FamilySearch. County courthouses, Pennsylvania.

Will of Edward Lucas. Bucks County, Pennsylvania Wills 1713-1759 vol. 1-2. Image 187. Pennsylvania, Probate Records, 1683-1994. FamilySearch. County courthouses, Pennsylvania.

52 Ancestors: Week 9 "Close to Home": Bridget Scott

I was born and raised in New Jersey, but most of my ancestors were from elsewhere. My parents and grandparents moved to New Jersey in the 1950s. I do have an ancestor who grew up in New Jersey, though: my 8th-great-grandmother Bridget Scott.

Bridget's parents, Benjamin Scott and Margaret Woodley, were from Widdington, Essex, England. They were Quakers, and Bridget's birth on the 16th day of the 4th month (16 June) 1679 was recorded in the records of the Monthly Meeting of Thaxted.

Monthly Meeting of Thaxted, 1679. General Register Office: Society of Friends' Registers, Notes and Certificates of Births, Marriages and Burials. Records of the General Register Office, Government Social Survey Department, and Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, RG 6. The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, England. Ancestry.com. England & Wales, Quaker Birth, Marriage, and Death Registers, 1578-1837 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.

In 1681, the Scott family sailed from England to West Jersey on the Henry and Ann. Bridget's younger sister Elizabeth was born on the ship. Within a few years, Bridget lost both her parents. her mother Margaret died on the 26th of the 10th month (26 December) 1682. Her father Benjamin married Hannah (Chaffon) Kemball on the 12th of the 12th month (12 February) 1683. In April 1685, Hannah was granted letters of administration on Benjamin's estate.

Bridget's widowed aunt Bridget (Woodley) Bingham and her family had come to West Jersey with the Scotts. She married William Watson in 1687. Perhaps Bridget and William Watson raised Bridget Scott and her siblings.

Bridget married Edward Lucas at the house of Thomas Lambert in Burlington, New Jersey. Thomas was the husband of Bridget's sister Margaret. Elizabeth Lucas, Giles Lucas, Robert Lucas, John Scott, and 49 others were witnesses.

Marriage of Edward Lucas and Bridget Scott. 3rd day of 7th month 1700. Chesterfield Monthly Meeting, Burlington Co., New Jersey. Minutes, 1682-1847. Ancestry.com. U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1994 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: Swarthmore, Quaker Meeting Records. Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.

After their marriage, Bridget and Edward lived in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, which is very close to Burlington, New Jersey. Their children were Mercy, born 4th of the 1st month (4 March) 1702; John, born 21st of the 11th month (21 January) 1703; Mary, born 1st of the 1st month (1 March) 1705; Margaret, born 16th of the 4th month (16 June) 1708; Edward (my 7th-great-grandfather), born 24 December 1710; Ann, born 3rd of the 3rd month (3 May) 1713; Elizabeth, born 23rd of the 7th month (23 September) 1716; Robert, born 22nd of the 12th month (22 February) 1718; and Benjamin, born 19th of the 8th month (19 October) 1724.

Bridget's husband Edward died in 1740. He appointed Bridget and their son John executors of his will.

Bridget died in Bucks County, Pennsylvania on the 21st of the 6th month (21 August) 1748. Her son John and John's wife Isabel had died earlier that month. It would be interesting to know what the causes of death were; since all three deaths occurred within less than two weeks, they may be related.

Falls Monthly Meeting, 1748.Ancestry.com. U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.

Those Places Thursday: Elmwood

Elmwood. Library of Congress, Prints and Photograph Division HABS: WVA,19-SHENJ.V,1-1. Available from Library of Congress and Wikimedia Commons.

Elmwood is a two-story brick house in Jefferson County, West Virginia. It is located 2.4 miles south of Shepherdstown on County Road 17 (Flowing Springs Road), on 315 acres of land.

The land which Elmwood is located on was claimed by my 7th-great-grandfather Edward Lucas in 1732. The house was built in 1797 by his son Edward Lucas (from his first marriage to Mary Darke), the half-brother of my 6th-great-grandfather Andrew Lucas. The house was inherited by Robert Lucas, the son of Edward Lucas and Elizabeth Edwards. Robert, who had received medical certificates from the University of Pennsylvania, volunteered as a physician during the Civil War, and Elmwood was used as an army hospital. The Lucas family owned the home until 1948.

References
Elmwood (Shepherdstown, West Virginia)
National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Elmwood
West Virginia Cattle Farm Is Family Affair That Will Be Passed On

52 Ancestors: #51 Andrew Lucas

My 6th-great-grandfather Andrew Lucas was born on 5 October 1752 in Shepherdstown, Frederick County, Virginia (now Shepherdstown, Jefferson County, West Virginia). He was the son of Edward Lucas and Elizabeth Corn.

In 1780, he arrived in what is now Nashville, Tennessee on the Donelson flotilla. Nancy Gower was also on the Donelson flotilla; she became Andrew's wife.

Andrew was one of the signers of the Cumberland Compact, which established a constitutional government for the settlement. It was signed in May 1780.

Andrew was shot by Indians while hunting at Drake's Creek. Although he had been shot through the neck and mouth and was bleeding, he managed to crawl into some shrubbery.

On 30 July 1784, the Trustees of the Town of Nashville granted Lot 34 in the Town of Nashville to Andrew Lucas.

Andrew died in 1830. His will was recorded on 4 March 1830 in Davidson County, Tennessee. He left money to his daughters Lavina, Polly, Susan, and Sina. He left his wife Nancy the household and kitchen furniture, stock cattle, hogs, horses, and all the money that was due to him. After her death, anything remaining was to be sold, and they money was to be divided equally among his children. One of the witnesses to the will was his grandson Andrew Gatlin, the son of my 5th-great-grandparents Nathan Gatlin and Obedience Lucas.

The estate inventory of Andrew's son Andrew Lucas Jr. was recorded one day later.

Cumberland Compact, original signers, page 1. Available from http://www.cumberlandpioneers.com/cc1.html. Andrew Lucas' signature is the sixth one in the third column. One of the other signers was his half-brother Robert Lucas.

Haywood, John. The Civil and Political History of the State of Tennessee from its Earliest Settlement up to the Year 1796, Including the Boundaries of the State. Nashville, TN: Publishing House of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, 1891. Page 223. Reprint of 1823 edition published by W. H. Haywood. Available from Internet Archive.

Andrew Lucas will, recorded 4 March 1830. Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927. Davidson County. Wills, 1826-1832, Vol. 09. Image 211. Available from FamilySearch.

Follow Friday: Nashville History

Debie Oeser Cox has a great blog, Nashville History (http://nashvillehistory.blogspot.com/). She worked at the Metropolitan Government Archives in Nashville, Tennessee, but is now retired.  It is a great resource for learning about the history of Nashville. In July she posted an excerpt from History of Nashville Tennessee by H. W. Crew (1890): Turnpikes and bridges in Davidson County, Tennessee. She also shares her memories of life in Nashville.

She also sometimes posts records that are useful to genealogists. I found my 3rd-great-grandmother Mary (maiden name unknown) on a transcribed list of Nashville building permits, 1892. She was listed as Mrs. Cox (her second husband was John Cox). I was able to identify her because her address was given. On 19 May 1892, she was granted a building permit for a fence. Another post that was helpful to me is Original Lots, Nashville, 1784. A map of the plan of Nashville, showing the lots, is included, and there is a link to a table (also created by Debie Oeser Cox), which provides information about each lot, including the grantor and grantee. My 6th-great-grandfather Andrew Lucas was the grantee for Lot 34; he received it on 30 July 1784.

Those Places Thursday: Fort Nashborough

In 1780, James Robertson, John Donelson, and their party of settlers (including my ancestors Abel Gower Sr., Obedience Blakely Gower, Abel Gower Jr., Nancy Gower, and Andrew Lucas) built a settlement at the French Lick along the Cumberland River. They named it Fort Nashborough after General Francis Nash. It was the first settlement in what became Nashville, Tennessee.

Fort Nashborough was reconstructed in 1930 and rebuilt in 1962.The reconstruction was funded by the local Daughters of the American Revolution. In July 2011, the fort was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Fort Nashborough is currently closed for renovations. It is scheduled to reopen in 2015, and will be an open plaza rather than an enclosed structure.

I visited Fort Nashborough in 2007. The photos were taken on that trip.

 

References
Fort Nashborough
Fort Nashborough
Fort Nashborough History
Revamped Fort Nashborough set to open in 2015

Church Record Sunday: Marriage of Edward Lucas and Bridget Scott

My 8th-great-grandparents Edward Lucas and Bridget Scott married in 1700. They were Quakers, so they first had to declare their intentions. Bridget belonged to the Chesterfield Monthly Meeting in Burlington Co., New Jersey, where Edward declared his intentions on the 4th day of the 5th month 1700 (4 July 1700).

Chesterfield Monthly Meeting, Burlington Co., New Jersey. Minutes, 1688-1809. 4th day of 5th month 1700. Ancestry.com. U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1994 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: Haverford, Quaker Meeting Records. Haverford College, Haverford, Pennsylvania.

Edward and Bridget declared their intentions again at the Chesterfield Monthly Meeting on the 1st day of the 6th month 1700 (1 August 1700). Edward brought a certificate from the meeting he belonged to, the Falls Monthly Meeting in Bucks Co, Pennsylvania.

Chesterfield Monthly Meeting, Burlington Co., New Jersey. Minutes, 1688-1809. 1st day of 6th month 1700. Ancestry.com. U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1994 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: Haverford, Quaker Meeting Records. Haverford College, Haverford, Pennsylvania.

 

Chesterfield Monthly Meeting, Burlington Co., New Jersey. Book of Records, 1684-1756. 1st day of 6th month 1700. Ancestry.com. U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1994 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: Haverford, Quaker Meeting Records. Haverford College, Haverford, Pennsylvania.

Edward and Bridget married on the 3rd day of the 7th month 1700 (3 September 1700) at the house of Thomas Lambert (the husband of Bridget's sister Margaret) in New Jersey.

  

Marriage of Edward Lucas and Bridget Scott. 3rd day of 7th month 1700. Chesterfield Monthly Meeting, Burlington Co., New Jersey. Minutes, 1682-1847. Ancestry.com. U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1994 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: Swarthmore, Quaker Meeting Records. Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.

Statehood Day, Kentucky and Tennessee

State flag of Kentucky on Public Domain Images

  State flag of Tennessee on Public Domain Images

On June 1, 1792, Kentucky became the 15th state. On June 1, 1796, Tennessee became the 16th state.

My Hardgrave and Russell ancestors spent some time living in Kentucky after it became a state, and then moved on to Tennessee. I have many Tennessee ancestors. The earliest were my Gower and Lucas ancestors, who were in Tennessee before it became a state and were among the earliest settlers.

A Constitution or Form of Government for the State of Kentucky, April 19, 1792
Tennessee Constitution, 1796

Church Record Sunday: Disownment of Edward Lucas

Ancestry.com recently added Quaker records from the late 1600s-late 1900s to their collection. I have some Quaker ancestors, so this was exciting news to me. Among the records, I found these items referring to my 7th-great-grandfather Edward Lucas:

Falls Monthly Meeting, Bucks Co,, Pennsylvania, 4th of 11 mo. 1737. Ancestry.com. U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1994 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: Swarthmore College; Swarthmore, Pennsylvania; Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Minutes; Call Number: MR-Ph 177.

Falls Monthly Meeting, Bucks Co,, Pennsylvania, 7th of 5 mo. 1760. Ancestry.com. U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1994 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: Swarthmore College; Swarthmore, Pennsylvania; Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Minutes; Call Number: MR-Ph 177.

Falls Monthly Meeting, Bucks Co., Pennsylvania, 4th of 6 mo. 1760. Ancestry.com. U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1994 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: Swarthmore College; Swarthmore, Pennsylvania; Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Minutes; Call Number: MR-Ph 177.

Edward Lucas married out of unity, and long before 1760, he left Bucks County, Pennsylvania and settled in Virginia (now West Virginia). But in 1760, he was disowned. It can be worthwhile to look at records in an ancestor's former place of residence, even if the person left the area long ago; you still might find something!

NGS 2014: Day 1

Today was the first day of the National Genealogical Society's 2014 Family History Conference. And what a busy day it was for me! In the opening session, Sandra Gioia Treadway, Librarian of Virginia and State Archivist, talked about the Library of Virginia and its modernization. I then went to the Exhibit Hall and found many books that I needed to add to my collection. At 11:00, I heard Eric Grundset speak about the challenges of researching early Virginia ancestors and possible ways to break through those brick walls. I then attended the Virginia Genealogical Society luncheon. Conley L. Edwards shared some of the experiences he had had working with genealogists over the years. At 2:30 PM, I heard Kathy Huber speak about the records of the Southern Historical Society. She mentioned some of the articles that were published in the Southern Historical Society's papers. One was on Rock Island Prison. My 3rd-great-grandfather's brother John G. Gatlin was imprisoned there. I will have to track down that article. At 4:00, I heard Nathan W. Murphy speak about colonial ancestors who arrived as transported convicts. With all the black sheep in my family, I would not be at all surprised to find out that one or more of my ancestors arrived as a transported convict. I then visited the tables of some Virginia genealogical and historical societies. Some of them, such as the Augusta County Genealogical Society and the Goochland County Historical Society, focus on areas where my ancestors lived. Finally, I headed to the Library of Virginia. The library had special late hours and was open until 9:00 PM. I found an indenture for an apprenticeship for a Chapman Gordon who may be my ancestor. I found an estate appraisal for Andrew Corn; I wonder if he was the father of my ancestor Elizabeth Corn. I also found my ancestor William Isbell's estate inventory, an account of guardianship for my Mayo ancestors (my 5th-great-grandfather was guardian of his children with my 5th-great-grandmother Ann Isbell, because they had received bequests from William Isbell, their maternal grandfather). I found my ancestor Edward Lucas' will and estate appraisal. I found deeds for land transactions involving my ancestors Russell Blakely and Abel Gower. It was a long but very productive day!

Library of Virginia

Today I visited the Library of Virginia in Richmond. I came prepared with information about documents that I wanted to find, and I was able to locate most of the items that I was looking for. The biggest find for me was the 1855 Louisa County, Virginia will of Chapman Gordon. It mentioned the heirs of his deceased daughter Eliza Mayo (my 4th-great-grandmother). Now I have actual evidence of her father's identity! I also found Goochland County, Virginia marriage register entries for Jacob D. Mayo and Eliza Gordon (Chapman Gordon was listed in the Security and Witnesses column), Stephen Mayo and Ann Isbell (my 5th-great grandparents, and Jacob D. Mayo's parents), and other members of the Gordon and Mayo families. I found the Frederick County, Virginia will of Rebecca Lucas (my 7th-great-grandfather's sister), the Fluvanna County, Virginia estate administration of my 6th-great-grandfather James Mayo (Stephen Mayo's father), and Augusta County, Virginia wills and deeds for members of the Hardgrave family.

52 Ancestors: #6 Nancy Gower

My 6th-great-grandmother Nancy Gower was part of the Donelson Flotilla. She was the daughter of Abel Gower Sr. (Yes, I am descended from two of the children of Abel Gower Sr.!) John Haywood wrote about Nancy in The Civil and Political History of the State of Tennessee from Its Earliest Settlement Up to the Year 1796: Including the Boundaries of the State (Nashville, Tennessee, W. H. Haywood, 1891; reprint of 1823 edition). On March 8, 1780, the group traveled down the Tennessee River, and when they reached the Suck, a group of Native Americans that had been pursuing them appeared and attacked. Nancy was in her father's boat, and she took the helm and steered the boat as the Native Americans fired at them. Nancy was wounded, but no one realized until her mother noticed blood on her clothes.

Nancy married Andrew Lucas, and their daughter Obedience married Nathan Gatlin. Nathan's son John McNairy Gatlin married Margaret "Peggy" Gower, who was the daughter of William Gower, the granddaughter of Abel Gower Jr., and the great-granddaughter of Abel Gower Sr. Here my Gower lines come together.

Images of the Suck:
http://digitalcollections.baylor.edu/cdm/ref/collection/tx-wotr/id/1699
http://research.archives.gov/description/524998