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| Digital image; original photograph held by Deanna Golden, [ADDRESS WITHHELD FOR PRIVACY], Portland, Oregon, 2012. |
Arnold Lee Sherrell,
Beaulah Belle (Yawman) Sherrell, and
Archie Anthony Neal Sherrell
circa 1955
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Wordless Wednesday - A Happy Reunion
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Wordless Wednesday - Mom, Deanna and Tony
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| Digital image; original photograph held by Deanna Golden, [ADDRESS WITHHELD FOR PRIVACY], Portland, Oregon, 2012. |
Beaulah Belle (Yawman) Sherrell, with
daughter Deanna Dale Sherrell, and
son Archie Anthony Neal Sherrell
circa 1949
© 2012 Denise Spurlock
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Wordless Wednesday - Three Generations
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| Digital image; original photograph held by Deanna Golden, [ADDRESS WITHHELD FOR PRIVACY], Portland, Oregon, 2012. |
From left to right:
Beaulah Belle (Yawman) Sherrell,
Archie Anthony Neal Sherrell,
Myrtle Arminta (Snider) Yawman,
William Lee Yawman
circa 1946
© 2012 Denise Spurlock
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Surname Saturday - Ancestor #32 - FNU Spurlock
One of my goals for
2012 is to use the Surname Saturday blogging prompt as a way to assure that I
spend some time researching each of my family lines and that I have appropriate
source citations for the genealogical facts related to my ancestors. I’ve decided
to use my ahnentafel report and work back through the generations starting with
my grandparents, writing a summary of each ancestor. If you discovered this
post through a search engine and find one of your ancestors listed here, please
leave a comment to let me know.
Ancestor #32 is the individual who is the father of ancestor
#16, my paternal 2nd great-grandfather Ransom Spurlock. There are no
documents giving us the identity of Ransom’s parents. I am only beginning to
research this question, but I can provide some information on what others have
claimed.
Ransom’s daughters, Frances Elizabeth (Spurlock) Miller and
Sarah Jane (Spurlock) Duncan, lived well into the 20th century. In
1926, a newspaper columnist interviewed them and the following “history” was
published:
“Mrs. Duncan’s and Mrs. Miller’s family have an unusual
record for longevity, also, their grandfather, John Spurlock, a native of
Illinois, was 119 when he died in Alabama where the family had moved from
Illinois, they stated. Their father, Ransom Spurlock, was 104 when he died at
Arcadia where the family had moved 85 years ago. Their mother, who before her
marriage, was Miss Ellender Vickers, only lacked a few months reaching the
century mark, and they now live with their ‘baby’ brother, J. F. Spurlock, 78
years old, five miles east of Jonesboro in Jackson parish where he farms. He is
also a Presbyterian minister.”
The two sisters were WAY off base with the ages! It is
believed that the John Spurlock who died in Alabama (possibly Ransom’s father)
was born about 1756 (probably in North Carolina, not Illinois!) and died about
1860 at about 104 years. Ransom died in 1896; if the year of birth on his
tombstone is correct, he was 89 when he died. Ellender (Vickers) Spurlock was
probably closer to 90 years of age than to 100; the years on her grave marker
are seriously incorrect!
When trying to determine parents of an ancestors, it is
recommended that research begin where one first finds the known ancestor.
Ransom is first found in records in Barbour County, Alabama,
enlisting in the Alabama militia in 1836 to serve in the Indian wars. He
reported being married in Barbour County, Alabama, in 1836, but there is no
record of his marriage in the county.
Barbour County was formed in 1832 from Pike County. In 1830, there is
a John Spurlock enumerated in Pike County who has a male in his household of
about the right age to be Ransom and who is about the right age to be the John
Spurlock who died in Barbour County in about 1860. There is also a William
Spurlock enumerated in Barbour County in 1830 who appears to be too young to be
Ransom’s father but could be an older brother.
In 1840, John Spurlock and William Spurlock are both
enumerated again in Barbour County. John has only himself and a woman of age to
be his wife in his household. In addition, another younger John Spurlock and
his family are enumerated in Barbour County. Ransom Spurlock is enumerated in Hinds County, Mississippi.
In 1850, William Spurlock (age 58) is enumerated in Barbour,
but John Spurlock is not. There is however a John Spurlock (age 91) enumerated
in Butler County, Alabama, with a younger John Spurlock, perhaps a son. By this
time, Solomon Spurlock and his family appear in Barbour County.
In 1860, John Spurlock (age 104) is enumerated as a “Rev_y
Soldier” in the household of Solomon Spurlock.
According to Civil War military records, one of Ransom
Spurlock’s sons, Marcus D.L. Spurlock, was “sick in Barbour County.” Is it
possible he was staying with family there?
Several Spurlock researchers have concluded that John
Spurlock was the father of Ransom. At this point, I do not believe I have
enough evidence to write a convincing proof argument. There is more research to
be done.
© 2012 Denise Spurlock
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Wordless Wednesday - Mom and Tony
Monday, November 5, 2012
Saturday NIght Genealogy Fun - Ancestor Name Roulette!
I was on a mini-vacation on Saturday when Randy Seaver of GeneaMusings posted another Ancestor
Name Roulette challenge for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun! These challenges are
the ones I really like, so I’m doing it today.
Here is the challenge as Randy presented it:
1)
What year was one of your great-grandmothers born? Divide this number by 90 and round the number
off to a whole number. This is your "roulette number."
2)
Use your pedigree charts or your family tree genealogy software program to find
the person with that number in your ancestral name list (some people call it an
"ahnentafel" - your software will create this - use the "Ahnentafel
List" option, or similar). Who is that person, and what are his/her vital
information?
3)
Tell us three facts about that person in your ancestral name list with the
"roulette number."
4)
Write about it in a blog post on your own blog, in a Facebook status or a
Google Stream post, or as a comment on this blog post.
5)
If you do not have a person's name for your "roulette number" then
spin the wheel again - pick a great-grandmother, a grandfather, a parent, a
favorite aunt or cousin, yourself, or even your children!
My great-grandmother Dialtha Jane (Owens) Spurlock was born
in 1847; dividing by 90 results in 20.52222. (It didn’t matter which
great-grandmother I used, the result was the same!) Round up for my roulette
number of 21!
Ancestor #21 is Mary Elizabeth Eaton, one of my paternal 2nd
great-grandmothers. The daughter of Absolem and Sarah (Reeves) Eaton, Mary was born
in Missouri about 1817.[1]
She married H. B. Martindale on 9 August 1838 in Bismarck, St. Francois County,
Missouri.[2]
She died on 11 January 1873 and is buried in Bismarck, St. Francois County,
Missouri.[3]
Other than the vital statistics information, I don’t have any
other information about Mary, except for the names of her nine children:
Lucinda J. Martindale (1841[6]-bef
1880)
Randolph B. Martindale (1859[19]-?)
[1] 1850 U.S. census, population schedule, Concord
Township, Washington County, Missouri, p. 126 (stamped), dwelling 525, family
525, H. B. Martindale; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com :
accessed 28 Feb 2012); citing National Archives and Records Administration
microfilm M432, roll 421.
[2] "Missouri Marriage Records, 1805-2002,"
database and online images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com :
accessed 7 Aug 2011), entry for Martindale and Eaton, 8 August 1838; citing
Marriage Book A: 162.
[3] Queen, Nedra, email dated 7/26/2002.
[4] 1850 U.S. census, population schedule, Concord
Township, Washington County, Missouri, p. 126 (stamped), dwelling 525, family
525, H. B. Martindale; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com :
accessed 28 Feb 2012); citing National Archives and Records Administration
microfilm M432, roll 421.
[5] Compiled service record, William C. Martindale, Co. G,
2 Mounted Rifles; Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served
in Organizations from the State of Arkansas, Civil War; 109; digital images,
"Civil War Service Records," Fold3 (www.fold3.com :
accessed 28 Jan 2011).
[6] 1850 U.S. census, pop. sch., Concord Township,
Washington County, Missouri, p. 126 (stamped), dwell. 525, fam. 525, H. B.
Martindale.
[7] 1850 U.S. census, pop. sch., Concord Township,
Washington County, Missouri, p. 126 (stamped), dwell. 525, fam. 525, H. B.
Martindale.
[8] Texas State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital
Statistics, death certificate 41191 (1918), A. B. Martindale; digital image,
Fold3.com, Texas Death Certificates (http://www.fold3.com/documents/19419207/texas_death_certificates/
: accessed 20 Apr 2010).
[9] 1850 U.S. census, pop. sch., Concord Township,
Washington County, Missouri, p. 126 (stamped), dwell. 525, fam. 525, H. B.
Martindale.
[10] "Washington County, MO Cemetery Burials,"
online transcription, Hopewell Cemetery, Washington Co., Missouri (http://www.mogenweb.org/washington/cemetery/wccem.html).
[11] 1850 U.S. census, pop. sch., Concord Township, Washington
County, Missouri, p. 126 (stamped), dwell. 525, fam. 525, H. B. Martindale.
[12] "Washington County, MO Cemetery Burials".
[13] 1860 U.S. census, pop. sch., Clear Creek Township,
Sevier County, Arkansas, p. 122 (penned), dwell. 850, fam. 854, Howell B.
Martindale.
[14] "Washington County, MO Cemetery Burials".
[15] 1860 U.S. census, pop. sch., Clear Creek Township,
Sevier County, Arkansas, p. 122 (penned), dwell. 850, fam. 854, Howell B.
Martindale.
[16] St. Francois, Missouri, death certificate no. 35818
(1943), Missouri Elizabeth Jones; digital image, Missouri State Archives, Missouri
Death Certificates (http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/deathcertificates/
: accessed 14 Jul 2010).
[17] 1860 U.S. census, pop. sch., Clear Creek Township,
Sevier County, Arkansas, p. 122 (penned), dwell. 850, fam. 854, Howell B.
Martindale.
[18] Wayne County, Missouri Cemeteries (St. Louis,
Missouri: St. Louis Genealogical Society, n.d.), 26.
[19] 1860 U.S. census, pop. sch., Clear Creek Township,
Sevier County, Arkansas, p. 122 (penned), dwell. 850, fam. 854, Howell B.
Martindale.
© 2012 Denise Spurlock
Amanuensis Monday - M. D. L. Spurlock Deeds Recorded 1877
On his TransylvanianDutch blog, John Newmark defines an amanuensis as “a person employed to write out what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.” For more information about this daily blogging prompt, see John’s post Amanuensis – Why?.
I have amassed quite a collection of scans of handwritten documents related to my ancestors—primarily marriage records, deeds, and wills. As I have been transcribing these documents, it occurred to me that most of these documents were not actually written by my ancestors, but rather dictated to someone else, and then transcribed by a clerk into official records.
This morning I decided that I would transcribe some Spurlock deeds; the first image I pulled up contained two deeds to which M.D.L. Spurlock was a party. M.D.L. was my great-granduncle, second son of Ransom Spurlock, my 2nd great-grandfather. In fact all three of the deeds recorded on that one page were for the same piece of property which was described as "The North East Quarter of the North West Quarter of Section Eighteen 18, in Township Nineteen 19 Range 5 Five West, containing Forty Acres more or less." Here is the image of Book L, Page 319, Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, Conveyance Records:
 |
Source: Claiborne Parish,
Louisiana, Conveyance Records, L: 319; FHL microfilm
265,982.
|
The first full transaction on the page is the deed by which 40 acres of land is conveyed by M.D.L. Spurlock to George Haburn in August 1875:
"M. D.
Spurlock
Deed
George
Haburn
Filed
Nov. 10th, 1877
State
of Louisiana )
Parish
of Claiborne)
Know
all men by these presents, that I, M. D. L. Spurlock of the first part for
& in consideration of the sum of Forty Dollars, $ 40.00 Cash in hand do
bargain, sell, and convey unto George Haburn, for his use and his heirs and
assigns the following described land lying and being situated in the Parish and
State aforesaid to wit:
The North East Quarter of the North West Quarter of
Section Eighteen 18, in Township Nineteen 19 Range 5 Five West, containing
Forty Acres more or less.
To
have and to hold the same, and convey at will to him his heirs and assigns free
of all costs taxes and other incumbrances, and I, do bind myself heirs &
assigns &C to Guarantee to him his heirs and assigns the above described
tract of land, with all improvements thereon untill all time, signed in
the presence of the following witnesses at August the 6th, on the AD 1875 day
of AD 1875.
Witness:
(Signed) J. M. Stewart (Signed)
M. D. L. Surlock
Eli E. Bell
A
true Record, Decr. 6th, 1877. J.
R. Ramsey, Recorder"
The second deed, dated 1 January 1877, executed by F. R. Chandler, appears to be a title guarantee to M.D.L. Spurlock for the same property that M.D.L. sold to George Haburn in 1875:
"F. R.
Chandler
Deed
M. D.
L. Spurlock
Filed
Nov. 10th, 1877.
State
of Louisiana )
Parish
of Claiborne)
Know
all men by these presents, that for & in consideration of the sum of Forty
Dollars $ 40.00 paid in hand that F. R. Chandler, his heirs and assigns do this
day bargain, assigns and convey, a guarantee title against all incumbrances
whatever to M. D. L. Spurlock, his heirs heirs & assigns the
following described lot of land to wit:
The North East Quarter of the North West Quarter of
Section 18 Eighteen Township 19 Nineteen Range 5 Five West Containing Forty
acres more or less, lying in the State & Parish aforesaid.
To
hold the above described land, and convey at will thereon these heirs and
assigns, signed in the presents of the witnesses on this the first day of Jany.
1877.
Attest:
(Signed) T. A. Watson (Signed) F. R. Chandler His Mark
J. J. Bukham M. D. L.
Spurlock
A
True Record, Decr. 6th, 1877. J.
R. Ramsey, Recorder"
© 2012 Denise Spurlock
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Gram's Scrapbook - Voter Registration Certificate
With Election Day coming up on Tuesday, it seems appropriate to share my grandmother's 1967 voter registration certificate. The state of Texas required annual voter registration from 1966 to 1971, but this is the only certificate that Gram saved. The one bit of information I wish I knew - her party affiliation - is not listed. If she were living, would she cast her ballot for Obama or for Romney?
[Source: Spurlock, Mamie Olive (Martindale), Scrapbook, ca 1950-1970; privately held by Cheryl Anne (Chaney) Beaver, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Lone Grove, Oklahoma. 2010. Photocopy in possession of Denise Spurlock.]
© 2012 Denise Spurlock
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