As a descendant of people who spent generations in South Carolina and Alabama, I grew up knowing that many of my ancestors fought for or sympathized with the South during the American Civil War. While I think I would have made different choices if I had lived then, I enjoy finding ancestors who fought for … Continue reading A German in the Civil War
Mary Lyon made up a husband. Mary was the mother of three children: Damsel (b. 1843), John Thomas (b. 1852), and George (b. 1858). Mary told people the father of her children was Thomas Lyon. Her tombstone says that she was the wife of Thomas Lyon. Even decades later, church records were corrected to reflect … Continue reading The Pretend Husband
Building on last week's post, The Edgefield Advertiser records many moments in the life of my Medlock-Carmichael ancestors. My search has, so far, been limited to Martha Carmichael and Henry Townes Medlock and mostly just for the span of Martha's life, 1889-1915. According to the articles over the years, Martha, known to many as Heart, was well-loved … Continue reading After Heart
Newspapers can be fascinating sources when looking for information about ancestors. Some of my ancestors lived in Edgefield, South Carolina and at the beginning of the 20th century the local newspaper, The Edgefield Advertiser, reported on the social activity of the town's citizens, as well as local news and politics. I've been able to take a … Continue reading 1912
As I research the descendants of my ancestors, I sometimes come across uncles who never married. The reasons they didn't marry are sometimes clear and sometimes not, but one thing I have noticed, especially for those who lived in the 19th century, there is very little to be found about them. As I thought about … Continue reading Where Have All the Bachelors Gone?
I was recently examining my great-grandparent's marriage licence. South Carolina started requiring marriage licences in 1911. It's been fun noticing the little things in this document. First, you can see that both Henry and Martha signed the certificate on the first page. We have letters and other notes that Martha wrote, so I recognize her … Continue reading A Marriage Record
Henry has always been a special name for me. I think it's because I heard it so much growing up -- it's the name of my uncle (Henry Townes), my grandpa (Henry Hammond), and my great-grandpa (Henry Townes). I recently found this 3-generation photo that features the three Henrys. It pictures my dad and his … Continue reading Three Henrys
Heart Genealogy 