My grandparents' met sometime between 1938 and 1939. Grandpa was a sales rep with Swift & Company which sold meat to grocery stores. His routes took him to various places, including Abbeville, South Carolina, where my grandmother lived. By 1940, they were dating and grandpa sent grandma this note (hopefully with some flowers or chocolates): … Continue reading The Real McCoy
Isabella and William Campbell made the trip across the Atlantic ocean just weeks after they were married in August of 1838. According to Isabella's letters home, they sailed from Belfast to Liverpool and then on to Canada and down to Georgia, probably making stops along the way. By November they were in Augusta, Georgia, staying … Continue reading Unchilled by the Cold
My 4th great-grandmother, Mary Elizabeth (Eve) Carmichael, kept a diary from 1837 to 1850 that was passed down and is now kept at the library at University of North Carolina. As a teenager, on one of our semiannual drives from Washington, DC to Clemson, South Carolina, to visit my grandmother, we stopped at UNC so … Continue reading Peculiar Gratitude
I found him! My 5th great-grandfather, the presumed John Holden, has been an enigma for many years. I've had lots of questions and doubts, but very little information, and a lot of dead ends*. But one simple detail in one short paragraph of a letter was the key to solving the mystery. In a previous … Continue reading Glad to Get Him Away From Chester
My Pritchard and Wright lines have a history in County Cork that may have started in the late 17th century. Several of my ancestors appear to have benefited from Williamite Wars, obtaining land confiscated from Irish landowners that was sold or given to mostly English Protestants. The Pritchards and Wrights thrived as farmers and tradesmen, … Continue reading County Cork
I've been exploring the archives of the Augusta Chronicle lately looking for things related to my ancestors and their families in that place. In this election season, I'm inspired by the activity of my 6th great-uncle, John Bones, who participated in local organizations, committees, and ran for city counsel throughout much of his life. He … Continue reading Many Voters
John Holden is a brick wall and a stubborn one at that. There are no birth or death dates for him, no place of birth or death, no known grave, no census records. I'm not even sure his name was John. His wife and daughter were the only proof of his existence until recently. Last … Continue reading A Brick Wall Named Holden
