Treasure Chest Thursday- Help Needed! Can You Date My Ancestor's Furniture?

   

  When my Great Grandfather John M. Hudson died in 1961 my Aunt and Uncle found two pieces of furniture in a barn on the family property in Manning,Clarendon, SC. They took it home and refinished it changing it from its original dark color to the light color shown in the pictures.

 John M. Hudson (1880-1961) married Louvinia Blanche Thames (1886-1918) in Clarendon County, SC in 1917. Blanche died a week after giving birth to my Grandfather Benjamin Allen Hudson (1918-1976). In about 1826 John married Blanche's older sister Margaret Ann  "Annie" Thames (1875-1960).

Louvinia Blanche Thames (1886-1918) on left with sister Margaret Ann "Annie" Thames (1875-1960)

 I do not know if the furniture belonged to either of the Thames girls before they were married or if it was something that belonged to the John Hudson family before or after his marriages. There are no identification stamps or marks from the maker. No one in the family knows anything more than it was found in the barn after John and Annie died. Finding out the time period these two pieces may have been made is the reason for this post. Hopefully someone out there may have some knowledge about dating furniture to share with me..  No one in the family knows anything more than it was found in the barn after John and Annie died.

   What was the furniture used for in the past? I would love to find out. Today it is being used to display pictures of the Hudson and Thames families. The drawers and cabinets store genealogy books and supplies as well as some memorabilia from my family lines.

Help needed-Can you date my ancestor's furniture?

Who Me? Wonderful Team Member Readership Award!?!

 To say that  I surprised when I received a message from Mariann Regan today telling me that she had nominated my blog for the Wonderful Team Member Readership Award  is an understatement. I still am in shock that she would add my name to the list of all the others who have been nominated in the last few days.
  Mariann's blog Into the Briar Patch deals with the research of her southern roots and her families connection to slavery. When I discovered Mariann's blog I was delighted to discover that she has been researching in Sumter County, SC, a place near and dear to my heart! I have many lines and generations in this county. So far we have not found any cousin connections, but perhaps in time we will.
I will continue to read Mariann's blog not only in hopes of calling her family, but because of her well written thoughts, stories and research .  She has been very supportive of my efforts in blogging and as a newbie in the blogging world, I am very grateful.

With this nomination comes responsibilities. They are:
(i) Don't forget to thank the nominator and link back to their site as well
(ii) Display the award log on your blog
(iii) Nominate no more than fourteen readers of your blog you appreciate and leave a 
comment on their blogs to let them know about the award
(iv) Finish this sentence "A great reader is..."
    someone who takes the time to not only read, but to make comments about what is written and how it has helped, touched or changed them in some way.  

 My blog is less than a year old and I am still learning and growing. Comments are few and far between although traffic numbers go up everyday. I am reading and learning from others in order to improve not only my research skills but my blogging/story telling skills as well.

 There have been a few people who have been been brave enough to visit my blog  leave a comment and give me positive feedback. I would like to thank and nominate them so that I can pay it forward.

My Nominees Are:

Liv Taylor-Harris   Claiming Kin

Debra Newton-Carter  In Black and White: Cross-Cultural Genealogy

Yvonne Demoskoff  Yvonne's Genealogy Blog

Yvette Porter Moore  Root Digger Genealogy Blog


Thank you all for the time you have spent in reading and commenting on my blog.  You will never know how much it helps to see even a simple "Touching story" comment.  I do a happy dance every time a comment is left!
   Mariann , again I am grateful for your friendship and support! I am honored that my blog was one of the ones you chose to give this award to.

A Snapshot of New Years Eve 1966 and Goals for 2013

     


   While looking through and old photo album of my Grandmother's today I discovered this picture labeled "New Year's Eve 1966".

Azile Daughrity Roberts Sullivan (in middle) - New Year's Eve 1966
with friends Bud and Ann Plexico.

                  This picture was taken in my Grandmother's den in her home in Camden,SC. She loved to play Bridge and it looks as though that was what she and her friends were doing on this New Year's Eve in 1966.
                 
       This has been a fun year for me genealogy wise. I have discovered the world of blogging, twitter and other social media sites that have helped me so much.  I am hoping that 2013 is filled with a lot more discoveries and learning.
  I have been thinking about the genealogy goals I would like to achieve for the new year and have come up with just a few. Hopefully I will do better on these than I do with my personal goals every year!
  First I would like to take more "field trips" and do some more on site researching. I have cousins and cemeteries and archives to visit.
   Second, I would like to become better at this blogging thing! I need to post more and get the word out about my research.  I appreciate the comments from readers that have helped me look at my research in a different way and helped me come up with new solutions. Of course there is the "cousin bait" hanging out there on the web. Thank you cousins who have taken a bite and helped me out!
 Third, I need to get more organized. Isn't that the one goal we all want? I am beginning to do better at making a research plan and trying to stick with it. It helps when you have lots of ancestors in one county and keep running across other names when you only wanted to find one name on one document. I tend to get sidetracked by other lines if I don't have a plan.
 Furthering my education is the fourth thing on my list. I have signed up for the NGS Homestudy Course and will begin next week when the kids go back to school.  I am excited to get started. I know the things I learn will help me with my research. I also will continue to attend webinars, listen to podcasts, blogradio and attend meetings in SL.  I love being able to take advantage of all the many topics available and learning from the best in the genealogy community!
 Then of course is the seemingly never ending scanning! That would be goal number five. There are so many pictures and documents that I need to scan. I got a Flip-Pal for Christmas and have been scanning away ever since. This may be one goal I can actually reach!
  There are many more things I would like to do in the next year as far as discovering who my people were and how they lived.  If I can manage these goals maybe I can complete others along the way!