Sunday, June 28, 2015

This Week On My Family History Calendar

June 28-July 4~
    


June 28~
  My paternal 3rd Great Grandfather, Alpheus J. Baker (1824-1917) would be celebrating his 191st birthday on this day.  Alpheus was born in the Sumter District area of South Carolina to Jessie Hinton Baker (1795-1866) and Mary Ellen (Jones) Baker (1795-1839).

My maternal Great Great Grandparents, William Treadford Roberts (1894-1959) and Beulah Mae (Price) Roberts (1897-1980) were married 101 years ago most likely in the Columbia, Richland, South Carolina area.  William was 20 and Beulah 17 when, as the family story goes, they eloped due to Beulah's family being against the marriage. They became the parents of 12 children.

 Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people.
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Tuesday, June 23, 2015

52 Ancestors Week 25-Springbank Plantation

   This week's blog post prompt for 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2015 Edition by Amy Johnson Crow is Homestead.
   
In 1807, my maternal 4th Great Grandfather, William Smith (1775-1830) bought Spring Bank Plantation in Williamsburg County, South Carolina. The land passed to his son, my 3rd Great Grandfather, Henry John Smith (1807-1849) upon his death.        The land stayed in family hands until after the civil war. It lay abandoned and in disrepair until it was bought and restructured by the Hadden family in 1930. A fire destroyed the home in 1947 and was rebuilt, it is said, using the original plans. 
  


 Entrance to Springbank


 Additions and changes have been made throughout the years.
Springbank as it is today.




 Part of the original log home built on the property. It has been expanded and is currently lived in.

The original logs can still be seen inside.


The old stables have been turned into guest rooms.

An outbuilding still stands on the property. It is thought that it may have served as a kitchen at some point.


Several large oaks continue to grow around the property. Many most likely were there when my ancestors walked the land.

This brick wall is behind the main house. The handmade bricks were most likely produced by the slaves who once lived on Springbank plantation.


Behind the brick wall and several yards down a small path is a cemetery. This is the burial place for many of the enslaved people of Springbank Plantation.  Efforts have been made to find and mark the graves. Names and dates are unknown.


 Walking the property was a special experience knowing that I was where my people once lived, loved and died. 
Many changes have been made to Springbank since my ancestors lived there. It is now a retreat for those looking for peace and rest away from the world. 
 

Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people.
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Sunday, June 21, 2015

This Week On My Family History Calendar

June 21-27


One of those empty calendar weeks.  Time for more research!

Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we find our people.



Tuesday, June 16, 2015

52 Ancestors Week 24-Heirlooms~Treasures to Me

   Heirlooms is the topic for this week's blog post for 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2015 Edition from Amy Johnson Crow. 
   I have been able to collect items from my family lines and feel fortunate to be able to have something that once belonged to them.
 Here are just a few.

  The telegram announcing the death of my maternal Grandfather, Gilbert Ernest Roberts, (1920-1944) during WWII.


    
  One of the several letters written by my maternal Great Great Grandfather, William A. McManus (1854-1914)  to his daughter, my Great Grandmother, Loretta (McManus) Daughrity (1894-1936), in 1914.


   A Bible that belonged to my paternal Great Aunt, Kathryn "Kate" (Baker) Ryan (1898-1987). Inside were many newspaper clippings of births, deaths and weddings for friends and family. Written in the margins and on blank pages are notes and thoughts about events occurring in her life.

 This doll belonged to my Grandmother, Azile Juanita (Daughrity) Roberts Sullivan (1921-2009). It was given to her by her father, Manning David Daughrity, Jr. (1889-1931)


 My paternal Great Grandfather, John McSwain Hudson (1880-1961) owned this piece of furniture. 

   One of the yearbooks from my collection. This 1941 Gold and Black Annual from Camden High School, Camden, Kershaw, South Carolina belonged to my maternal Step Grandfather, Francis "Frank" Emerson Sullivan, Jr



   This ring was given to my paternal Grandmother, Mary (Baker) Hudson  (1920-2010)by her son, my father, John Allen Hudson.  In my memories, it was always on her finger. 



  Another Bible from my collection. This one with a metal protective cover belonged to my paternal Grandfather, Benjamin Allen Hudson (1918-1976). It was given to him by his wife's grandmother when he left for sevice in WWII. 

   These are just some of the items that I have been able to collect over the years. These treasures help me to understand more about my ancestors.
 What heirlooms do you have? 

Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people.
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Monday, June 15, 2015

This Week On My Family History Calendar

June 14-June 20




June 16~
  My paternal Great Great Grandmother, Sarah Rebecca (Smith) Fleming Hudson was born 180 years ago in Sumter District, South Carolina. Her parents were Henry John Smith (1807-1849) and Martha Julia (Epps) Smith (1808-1854).

June 18~
  Manning David Daughrity, Jr. ( 18889-1931), my maternal Great Grandfather was born in Rembert, Sumter, South Carolina 126 years ago. He was the son of Manning David Dority, Sr. (1844-1918) and Mary Elizabeth (Stafford) Dority 1843-1930). The name Dority is spelled many ways depending on the time period.

Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people.
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Thursday, June 11, 2015

52 Ancestors Week 23- June Wedding.

The June Wedding highlighted for this week's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks   blog prompt by Amy Johnson Crow is the one for my maternal Step Grandfather's parents.
  Francis "Frank" Emerson Sullivan (1923-2004) was orphaned as a small boy. He was raised by his maternal Grandparents who both passed away by the time he was 14.  Due to the early loss of family, Frank only knew a few details about his parents.
 On a research trip to The South Carolina Archives and History for the specific purpose of researching marriage records, I was able to find many documents related to several branches of my tree.
 Knowing that Frank was born in 1923, his parents names and the locations they had been living in before their marriage, I began a search of the years previous to his birth and the probable counties.
 I almost yelled out loud as I discovered Frank E. Sullivan and Mary C. Williams on the Kershaw County, South Carolina Marriage Register for 11 June, 1921. 


Marriage Register
Kershaw County, SC  June 1921
South Carolina Department of Archives and History


Wanting to know more, I headed to one of my favorite resources, The newspaper.
Frank Sullivan and Christine (Williams) Sullivan
Marriage Announcement
The State, Columbia, SC, 14 June 1921, pg. 

 This article announcing that Sgt. Frank E. Sullivan had brought home a bride was such a fun find. Not only does it confirm the marriage  but it tells where and by whom they were married.  It gives me one more piece of evidence for Christine's  father's name. It even tells me where they were making their home as newlyweds and what Frank's job was.

Concentrating on one record group at a time and newspaper research helped me locate the marriage information for Francis "Frank" Emerson Sullivan (1880-1925) and  Mary Christine (Williams) Sullivan (1896-1930). The clues provided nay lead me to even more.

 Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people. 
Thanks so much for stopping by.



Sunday, June 7, 2015

This Week On My Family History Calendar

June 7-June 13


June 9~
 My maternal Great Grandfather. Manning David Daughrity , Jr. ( 1889-1931) died 84 years ago in Sumter, Sumter, South Carolina. He is buried in the Sumter City Cemetery. 

June 11~
 Jubal Ransom Early (1888-1964) and Emma Ruth (Baker) Early (1901-1993), my paternal Great Grandparents were married on 11 June 1922.  He was 34 and she was 20.They would be celebrating their 93rd anniversary on this day.

 My paternal Great Great Grandmother, Martha "Mattie" Victoria (Bradford) Baker (1862-1947) was born 153 years ago in Privateer Township, Sumter, South Carolina. She was the daughter of Samuel J. Bradford (1815-1875) and Mary Alice (Dargan) Bradford (1825-1875).

June 12~
 William Treadford Roberts (1894-1959), my maternal Great Grandfather died 56 years ago from a heart attack. He is buried in Quaker Cemetery, Camden, Kershaw, South Carolina.
  
June 13~
 Martha (Mathis) Dority (1820-1905), my maternal 3rd Great Grandmother, would be celebrating her 195 birthday on this day. She was born in South Carolina, most likely in the Sumter District. 

My maternal Grandmother, Azile Juanita Daughrity Roberts Sullivan (1921-2009), died 6 years ago on this day from complications due to Alzheimer's Disease. She is buried in Quaker Cemetery, Camden, Kershaw, South Carolina. Miss you Grandmom. 

Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people.



Tuesday, June 2, 2015

52 Ancestors Week 22- Commencement ~Etta at St. Joseph's


Loretta "Etta" (McManus) Daughrity (1894-1936) my maternal Great Grandmother was educated at St. Joseph's Academy in Sumter, South Carolina.  She is mentioned in the 1910 and 1911 newspaper reports of the Commencement Ceremonies. Both reports have Etta listed with the underclassmen or Junior class. The newspaper account of the 1912 graduation for St. Joseph's does not mention Etta McManus. It is not clear when the picture below was taken or if or when she actually graduated from St. Joseph's Academy or another school. Etta was married by October, 1912.
 Commencement is the blog prompt for Week 22 of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks -2015 Edition by Amy Johnson Crow.
  

Loretta "Etta" (McManus) Daughrity (1894-1936)

Etta received an award for her study in Household Industry and took part in an instrumental duet in the 1910 Commencement program for St. Joseph's and during the ceremony for 1911 she received a average of 79 for her year, an award for Composition and Letter Writing and performed in an instrumental trio.

Watchman and Southron, Sumter, South Carolina
24 June 1911, pg. 2


St. Joseph's Academy
Early 1900's
Image from http://www.sumterpostcards.com/schools.html

From the newspaper reports of the Commencement Exercises that Etta McManus participated in her interest in music, writing and homemaking are apparent.  Records from St. Joseph's would provide more information about Etta's experience there. These records have not yet been located. Connecting with others who have ancestors who attended St. Joseph's Academy may provide more information as well. I would love to hear from anyone who may have that connection.


Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people.
Thanks so much for stopping by.