Devine Anderson married Elizabeth Brown in 1847 and is listed in the 1850 US Census with his new wife and infant daughter — and not in his parents’ household. As the 1850 US Census was the first census to list the names of household members beyond the head of household, this has made it difficultContinue reading “Devine Anderson | Sister”
Author Archives: JEM
T. C. Anderson | Given Name
T. C. Anderson, the middle son, of Devine and Elizabeth (Brown) Anderson had a tricky given name. More often than not, he went by his middle name, Clinton, or his initials: When his given name is used, more often than not, it is mis-spelled as the writer attempt a phonetic spelling of his unusual givenContinue reading “T. C. Anderson | Given Name”
James Brown | Pearce Family Connection, Confirmed
In a previous post, the potential connections between Josiah Pearce and Rachel Pearce, wife of James Brown were explored based on similar migration patterns and the presence of T. J. Brown in both households. Since the publication of that post, a deed has been located in Belmont Count Records (Book X, page 316–317) that confirmContinue reading “James Brown | Pearce Family Connection, Confirmed”
James Brown | 🪚 Woodworking
Miller James Brown (ca. 1802-1867) is said to to have built the first saw-mill in Astoria, Fulton County, Illinois. The History of Fulton County details that “The first saw and grist-mill was built by James Brown. Mr. Brown and others ran it for about twelve years, when it fell into the hands of H. L.Continue reading “James Brown | 🪚 Woodworking”
Hamilton Brown | Murdered
Hamilton Brown was the oldest son of James Brown (ca. 1802-1867) and older brother of Elizabeth (Brown) Anderson. In the 1850 census, Hamilton is listed with his wife Rebecca Ramsey, in the household of James Brown. Hamilton and Rebecca were relative newlyweds, having married in 1849 and Hamilton and his half-brother, Thomas J, were workingContinue reading “Hamilton Brown | Murdered”
James Brown | Pearse Family Connections
Very little is known about the family of James Brown (ca. 1802-1867) outside of his children and his second wife, Rachel Pearse. (Note on spelling: earlier records typically used a Pearse/Pearce spelling; later records typically used a Pierce spelling) A rough outline of Brown’s life can be reconstructed through census records and his daughter’s obituary.Continue reading “James Brown | Pearse Family Connections”
Thomas Hardy | Will & Land Distribution
Thomas Hardy wrote his last will and testament in the summer of August 1811 and by the next spring (May 1812), it was probated in court: To his wife, Mary, he lent “four feather beds and furniture, and all my household and kitchen furniture, plantation utensils, &c.” He also lent “one bay mare called Lady,Continue reading “Thomas Hardy | Will & Land Distribution”
Michael and Peter Fulp | 1776 Cherokee Expedition
Both pension applications for Michael and Peter Fulp describe their participation in the 1776 Cherokee Expedition. The Cherokee Expedition was the combined efforts of militias from multiple colonies to exterminate the Cherokee and open up land for Euro-American settlers. At the end of the Seven Years’ War (commonly known as the French and Indian WarContinue reading “Michael and Peter Fulp | 1776 Cherokee Expedition”
Peter Fulp | “Scotch Tories”
Georg Volpp had emigrated from the Rhinelands in the 1750s to escape perpetual war as the dynastic powers around him continued to march across the countryside. A generation later, the British Crown and its colonists were about to engage in war again. The backcountry of North Carolina, where Volpp settled, was also home to theContinue reading “Peter Fulp | “Scotch Tories””
Georg Volpp | Immigrant
Georg Volpp arrived in Philadelphia in 1751 as part of a wave of German migration to the British Colonies. His ship, the Phoenix, sailed from Rotterdam via Portsmouth, to Philadelphia. Flight Religious wars had decimated the central Europe, with Catholic and Protestant forces battling for control. The aftereffects of the Thirty Years War was stillContinue reading “Georg Volpp | Immigrant”
Finding the Yellow Bricks 