Matriarchs in Ancestry

This week I'm focusing on the Ada Swasey Rogers family tree.

Repost from 3.11.15

In honor of March being Women's History Month, I am going to find the first women ancestors in each of my lines that I have any knowledge of...though one only goes back as far as great-grandparents. The other grandparents have given me a lot of ancestors to consider.

But who were the eldest grandmothers?

The Swasey line came down to my father's mother, Ada Swasey Rogers, from New England, and here I will share some of the Fore-mothers who immigrated to the American colonies.

In order to keep track of generations, I'll just review that I consider myself generation 3 (with children and grandchildren being the 2nd and 1st generations)
So my parents are 4), my grandmother Ada Swasey Rogers is 5), her parent 6 etc.  Let's go back to the first settlers.

12) Mary Jiggles (or Jeggles) married 12) Joseph (Immigrant) Swasey (the eldest of the family who came to the American colonies)

12) Mary Jiggles Swasey was born in 1631 in Suffolk, England and died in 1709  in Salem, Essex County, Massacusetts.

Is she the Swasey family matriarch?

12) Mary Jiggles and 12) Joseph Swasey's son, (11) Joseph II, married a woman named 11) Elizabeth Lambert.  Her mother was 12) Preserved Gaskoyne, who was born in 1638-9, in Salem MA, and married in Salem, MA to 12) John Lambert.

12) Preserved Gaskoyne Lambert had a mother named 13) Sarah Parker Gaskoyne (Gaskill) who lived from 1605-1691.  However I highly doubt that she was born in Salem, MA, because it wasn't setttled until 1626 by English. 

Sarah Parker 1605-1691

So now the earliest fore-mother is 13) Sarah Parker Gaskoyne (Gaskill)...who did live until 1691 in Salem, MA.

So still on my Swasey tree branches, go down a few generations, to the son of  11) Joseph II Swasey and 11) Elizabeth Lambert.  This would be 10) Samuel Swasey who married 10) Ammi Ayers, 1687-1783.  Her line goes back now, with her mother 11) Amy Cowell Sherburn Faber Ayers (1655-1736) who married 3 times before giving birth to 10) Ammi Ayers.  And they lived in Portsmouth, Rockingham County, New Hampshire.  Of course it was before these were official counties or states.

11) Amy Cowell's mother was 12) Agnes Harvey Cowell,  born in 1620 in New Hampton, England, and died in Dec, 1681 in Cambridge, Suffolk, Massachusetts, according to several Ancestry Family trees.  But her will is available, written also in the year of her death in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where her children were born.  


So today I've explored some of the elder women of the Swasey family who first came to America.  

13) Sarah Parker Gaskoyne (Gaskill) 1605-1691, or 13 generations before my grandchildren.

12) Agnes Harvey Cowell, 1620-1681, 12 generations ago.

I'm pretty certain that both these women came to America from England.

This post is part of my father's mother, 

Ada Swasey Rogers Family Tree. 

The photo shows her mother, 

my great grandmother,

Zulieka Granger Swasey as a young woman.

  

On the frontier of Texas

Molly (Marry Elizabeth) Brooks Dennis, aka Mrs. J. F. Dennis, wrote this enjoyable autobiography much later in her life. But it does give a glimpse of what those people faced.

For time-line information, the Brooks parents, Mary Cobb Brooks and James B. Brooks had married in 1858 in Chatahoochee County GA. Their first son, William, was born in 1859 in Atlanta, Fulton County GA, and Molly (Mary Eizabeth) our author, was born a year later in 1862, in Brooklin, Covington County AL.

In 1863 the Brooks next son, James Nathaniel (Nat) Brooks, was born in OK, and the next child in 1864, Ela Ladusky Brooks, was born back in Covington County AL. As that was during the Civil War, it's possible that mother Mary Lou Cobb Brooks had gone to be with family members for the 1863 and 1864 births. But I honestly don't see her traveling all the way to OK with her children from southern AL. Maybe Nat was adopted...or someone has his birthplace changed.

Father James B. Brooks was in the Confederate army, the 2nd Battalion of the Alabama Light Artillery. Company C. He was a Corporal when he joined, and Sergeant when discharged. More about him is part of the story below.

The last son, Bert (Berton), wasn't born for another 11 years...in 1875 in Desdamona, Eastland, TX.

Here're photos of Molly Brooks Dennis and her family (more were displayed in yesterday's post.)

Not sure which one is Molly, and who the other woman might be...

Jim Dennis, and Molly Brooks Dennis and children, Jim Jr, Maggie and Isaac the baby.

Old Jim and Mollie Dennis.

Molly Brooks Dennis' death certificate when she was 80. I include it here because she died on Aug. 2, 1942, just 21 days before I was born.

James died in 1944.

Sharing this with Sepia Saturday. I'm pretty sure these two British boys didn't think once about the people in Texas, no more than these Texans would have thought of two Brit boys!

Hope you have a great weekend! Spring is just around the corner!

Some more Brooks family photos

We've seen Mary Cobb Brooks Witty's grown children in the last two posts. Here are more of the children's family photos.

Willliam Terrell Brooks (1859-1951) was the oldest child of James and Mary Cobb Brooks. 

William Brooks, 1945

William Brooks

Will Brooks family reunion 1951 - can you count how many people there are in this picture? 

Ella Ladusky Brooks Ellis (1854-1890) married and had 5 sons and maybe two daughters. We find a photo of her probably before the children came along, and then one with Oscar her son...though that date is hard to believe. 

Ella Ellis and Oscar, 1886

Step-children of James J. Witty (1845-1904)

The Brooks family as part of the Witty family

Mary Lou Cobb Brooks Witty (1844-1927) married first to James B. Brooks (1834-1879) in 1858, when she was 14 years old. 

Mary Cobb Brooks and James J. Brooks, about 1879, the year he died.

She married James J. Witty i 1884, and he died in 1904. (James Witty was my great great uncle)

"Riding Lady-like" Mary Cobb Brooks

Grandma Mary Witty, Nat, Bert, and Molly Brooks Dennis (who had 12 children)

Nat is James Nathaniel, who didn't marry. The other 4 Brooks children did marry, and had many grandchildren for Grandma Mary.

Bert, Nat, William and Grandma Mary Brooks Witty. Bert was 4 when his father died, and his next oldest sibling was 11 years older than him. He was 9 when his mother married James J. Witty.

Only the youngest of the Brooks children, Bert, was still at home with his mother when she married James Witty. 

Grandma Mary Brooks Witty

Grandma Witty and Molly Brooks Dennis

Both her oldest, William Brooks, and the next of her children, Molly Brooks Dennis, married spouses with the sur-name Dennis. But I can't find any relationship between them through the Ancestry records. At this point it looks like they had different parents.

Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of James J. Witty, or any of his family. It's pure chance that the Brooks family was interested enough in photography that this collection was made and shared. I've really enjoyed seeing these people and the way they dressed at the time.

But wait a minute. How about a story? Soon I'll share what Molly (Marry Elizabeth) Brooks Dennis, aka Mrs. J. F. Dennis wrote about her life on the frontier.

Another generation of my list...the great X4 grands!

parents of c1 Micajah Clack Rogers,

c1/e1 Rev. Elijah Rogers, b.May 1774, Fauquier Co. VA, d. 11 May 1841, Sevierville, Sevier Co. TN

c1/f2 Catharine (Aunt Katy) Clack Rogers, 23 June 1778, Henry Co, VA, d. 30 Oct. 1850 Sevierville, Sevier Co. TN

c1 Micajah Clack Rogers (1795-1873)

parents of d2 Cyntha O. Cannon Rogers,

d2/e3 William Henry Cannon, b. 28 Nov 1771, Cumberland Co, VA, d. 11 June 1868, Sevier Co. TN

d2/f4 Catharine Henderson Cannon, b. 1777/78, Virginia, d. 15 Nov. 1827, Athens, McMinn Co. TN

parents of c3 Hiram Gibbs, 

c3/e5 Col. James Gibbs, b. 1740, Orange Co. VA,  d. 7 Aug. 1794, Union Dist. SC, (Vet. Am. Rev.)

c3/f6 Ann Barnett Johnson Gibbs, b. 30 Nov. 1740, Orange Co, VA, d. 23 May 1831, Union, Union Dist. SC

parents of d4 Sabra Ann Wilbourne Gibbs,

d4/e7 Maj. Elijah Lige Wilbourne, b. 1 June 1763,  d. Feb. 1819, Union, Union Dist. SC, (Vet Am. Rev. NSDAR 105874)

d4/f8 Mary "Molly" Rountree Welbourn, b. 1 June 1772, Goochland, Goochland Co. VA, d. 16 Oct. 1851, Panola Co. MS

parents of c5 John Bass,

c5/e9 Edward Bass, b. 1754, Johnston Co, NC, d. 1802, Wayne Co. NC

c5/f10 Sarah Farmer (or Stevens) Bass, b. @ 1758, Wayne Co. NC, d. Jan. 1826, Wayne Co. NC

parents of d6 Juliann (Jullia A.) Holloman Bass Green,

d6/e11 Holloman not clear - could be Thomas or Ezekiel Holloman

d6/f12 not clear...depending upon which is father of Juliann 

parents of c7 James Moore Powell,

c7/e13 Willis Richard Powell, b. 1760 or 1775, Chowan or Edgecomb, NC, d. 1807, Bertie Co. NC

c7/f14 Sealey Celia (Sally) Everet/Averitt Powell, b. 1761, NC, d. Oct. 1818, Bertie Co. NC

parents of d8 Nancy Jones Traylor Powell

d8/e15 Champion Travis Traylor, Sr., b. 6 Feb 1770 Dinwiddie, Dinwiddie Co. VA, d. 4 April 1832, Perry Co. AL

d8/f16 Sarah Sketon Jones Traylor, 1 Feb. 1780, Sussex, Sussex Co. VA, d. 4 April 1847, Union Parish, LA

Belle d'Arbonne, Union Parish Louisiana

parents of c9 Alexander G. Swasey, Sr. Capt., b. 

c9/e17 Lt. Jerathmel Bowers Swasey, b.10 May 1752, Somerset, Bristol Co. MA, d. 4 Feb. 1826, Somerset, Bristol Co. MA (Vet. Am. Rev.)

c9/f18 Sarah Hellon Swasey, b. 23 Geb 1757, d. 25 Dec. 1836, Somerset, Bristol Co. MA

parents of d10 Ruth Woodward, d10/e19 unknown and d10/f20 unknown

parents of c11 John P. Zylstra, c11/e21, unknown and c11/f22, unknown

parents of d12 Charlotta (Charlotte) Zylstra, d12/e23 unknown and d12/f24 unknown

parents of c13 William Phillips, Sr c13/e25 unknown and c13/f26 unknown

parents of d14 Mary C. Phillips Gainer

d14/e27 unknown and d14/f28 unknown

parents of c15 George Tyler Granger, (Lumber merchant and surveyor)

c15/e29 Joseph Granger, (blacksmith) b. 17 Dec. 1765 Andover, Essex Co. MA, d. 21 March 1847, Newburyport, Essex Co. MA

c15/f30 Sarah Tyler Granger, b. Oct. 1768, Chelmsford, Middesex Co. MA, d. 6 Oct. 1831, Newburyport, Essex Co. MA

parents of d16 Lucy Elizabeth Parsons Pulsifer Granger, 

d16/e31 Capt. Ebenezer Pulsifer, Jr. b. bef. 26 Dec. 1773, Ipswich, Essex Co. MA, d. 7 Nov. 1827, Newburyport, Essex Co. MA

Old Hill Burying Ground, Newburyport, MA

d16/f32 Elizabeth (Betsy) Dwelle (Dwellbee) Pulsifer, b. 18 Sept. 1762, Scituate Co. MA, d. abt. 1824, Essex Co. MA

parents of Samuel Webb c17 and d18 unknown, and perhaps there are grandparents, Francis Webb, but he had a son Samuel who wasn't my ancestor...so I'm not sure there's any link there - so there are 4 missing ggg's

parents of c19 William B. Delamater, c19/e33 and c19/f34 - unknown

parents of d20 Sarah J. Lester Delamater, d20/e35 and d20/f36 = unknown

parents of c21 Richard Frederick Williams, 

c21/e37 Frederick Andrew Williams, b. 13 Feb. 1864, Orangeburg, Orangeburg Co. SC, d. 18 Nov. 1831, Linsdale, Polk Co. TN

c21/f38 Cassandra Elizabeth "Cassiah" Tate Williams, b. 1765, Shoal Creek, Cherokee Co. NC, d. 1851 Bradley, TN, buried in Benton TN.

parents of d22 Nancy Hansford Williams,

d22/e39 Rev. Thomas J. Hansford, b. 10 April 1758, Orange, Orange Co. VA, d. 1841, Crab Orchard, Lincoln Co., KY

d22/f40 Margaret Beattie Hansford, b.13 Sept. 1872, VA, d. Aug 1861, Lincoln Co. KY

parents of c23 Fielding White

c23/e41 William White, b. 1760 VA, d. Nov. 1832, Lincoln Co. KY

c23/f42 Levisa Singleton White, b. 1770, VA, d. 3 Mar 1802, Lincoln Co. KY

parents of d24 Levisa (Louisa) Hocker White

d24/e43 Philip Samuel "Long?" Hocker, b. 16 May 1778, Ellicott Mills, Montgomery Co. MD, d.12 Jan 1856 or aft. Sept 1857, McKinley Station, Lincoln Co. KY. or he could be Phillip "Short" Hocker.

d24/f44 Several possiblities: Sarah Dorcas (Sally) Dunkin Hocker, b.26 Jan 1784, Montgomery Co. MD, d.1833, Lincoln Co. KY...or Dorcas Barrett, or Amanda Lee Hocker

no parents of 2 parents of Charles Miller.

c25, d26, c27, or d28, now another 8 parents are missing to d28/f52

parents of c29 William Lewis Booth, 

c29/e53 Isaac Booth (shoe maker) b. 16 May 1795, Stratford, Fairfield Co, CT, d. 17 Aug. 1836, Canandaiga, Ontario Co. NY.

c29/f54 Jane McElhaney Booth, b. 30 Oct. 1794, Dauphin Co. PA, d. 3 Oct 1833, Green Creek, Sandusky Co. OH

parents of d30 Hannah Conn Booth,

d30/e55 James Alexander Conn, b. bet. 1780-1794, NC, d. 1828, Henry Co. KY

d30/f56 Nancy Erwin Conn, b. 1785, Berkeley Co. WV, d. aft. 1840, IN

parents of c31 Carroll Witty, 

c31/e57 James Witty, b. 14 Feb 1763, Greensboro, Guildford Co, NC, d. bet. 1830-1840, Limestone Co. AL

c31/f58 Lucretia Wells Witty Barnett, b. 1775, Surry, NC, d. aft. 1849, IN

parents of d 32 Susan Elizabeth Hoke Witty,

d32/e59 Joseph Hoke, b.17 Jan 1793, SC, d. 17 Sept. 1852, Limestone Co. AL

d32f60 Elizabeth Hunt Hoke, abt. 1793, SC or Madison Co. AL, d. 20 May 1846, Limestone Co, AL

So I'm pretty surprised how many of my ancestors' trees can be researched back to the mid eighteenth century. That's a lot for those times. And there are many of them who moved from their place of birth to a new local...either west or south. I don't think anyone went north.

It won't be easy to find the generations of my great times five grandparents. But there are several which go back to dear old England, Scotland and Ireland. The ones who went back to France, Germany and the Netherlands haven't been attached very well. Perhaps those records will become available someday.

To continue the list...back in history with the Great times three grandparents

 The great great great grandparents, aka great X3 grandparents

parents of George Washington Rogers:

c1 Micajah Clack Rogers, b. 7 May 1795, Sevier County TN, d. 15 Feb 1873 Huntsville TX

d2 Cyntha O. Cannon Rogers, b. 24 Aug 1800, Sevier County TN, d. 24 Nov. 1855, Huntsville TX

parents of Lucinda Gibbs Rogers:

c3 Hiram Gibbs, b. 30 Aug 1785, Union District SC, d. 9 Sept. 1844, Panola County MS

d4 Sabra Ann Wilbourn Gibbs, b. 1792 Union District SC, d. 26 June 1864, Walker County TX

parents of Col. Richard (Dick) Bass

c5 John Bass, b. 24 April 1780, Wayne County NC, d. 1822 Perry AL

d6 Juliann (Jullia A.) Holloman Bass Green, b. 24 April 1785, Wayne County NC, d. 11 March 1861, Moorehouse Parish LA

parents of Mary Ann (Mae) Powell Bass

c7 James Moore Powell, b. 27 Feb 1791, Bertie NC, d. 27 Feb. 18, Walker County TX

d8 Nancy Jones Traylor Powell, b. 16 May 1804, Oglethorpe County, GA, d. 27 June 1881 Old Waverly TX

parents of Alexander G. Swasey, Jr.

c9 Alexander G. Swasey, Sr. Capt., b.10 Sept 1784, Swansea, MA, d. 28 Oct 1861, Newport RI

d10 Ruth Woodward, b.6 Sept. 1788, d. 4 March 1842, Rhode Island

parents of Fanny Zylstra Swasey

c11 John P. Zylstra, b. 1790, unknown, d. after 1820 before 1840, South Carolina

d12 Charlotta (Charlotte) Zylstra b. 1788, England, d. after 1850, US

parents of William Phillips, Jr.

c13 William Phillips, Sr., b. between 1794-1800, South Carolina, d. abt. 1836, Early County GA 

d14 Mary C. Phillips Gainer, b.27 Feb 1803, Georgia, d. 2 Oct 1866, Spurger, TX

parents of Mary Granger Phillips:

c15 George Tyler Granger, b. 10 Aug 1804, Newburyport MA, d. after 1870, Galveston TX

d16 Lucy Elizabeth Parsons Pulsifer Granger, b. 1 Feb. 1807, Newburyport MA, d. 23 May 1826, Galveston, TX

parents of Samuel Webb c17 and d18 unknown...probably from Dorchester County MD

parents of Ellen Delameter Webb

c19 William B. Delamater, b. 1 Jan 1816 New York NY, d. 5 Jan 1881, New Jersey

d20 Sarah J. Lester Delamater, b. 23 July 1822, New York NY, d. 30 Aperil 1898, Newark NJ

parents of William T. Williams

c21 Richard Frederick Williams, b. 1792 Crab Orchard KY, d. 1860 Montgomery City MO

d22 Nancy Hansford Williams, b. 3 Dec 1792, KY, d. 26 April 1860, Montgomery City MO

parents of Dorcas White Williams

c 23 Fielding White, b. 1800, Lincoln KY, d. 1848 Montgomery MO

d24 Levisa (Louisa) Hocker White, b. 1808, Lincoln KY,  d. 1866, Montgomery MO

no parents of 2 parents of Charles Miller.

c25, d26, c27, or d28

parents of Richard Booth

c29 William Lewis Booth, b. 17 Feb. 1818, Farmington NY, d. 24 Feb 1894, Hillsboro TX

d30 Hannah Conn Booth, b. 13 April 1819, Henry Co, KY. d. 26 Jan 1884, Hillsboro TX

parents of Eugenia Witty Booth

c31 Carroll Witty, b. 6 Nov. 1818, Limestone AL, d. 19 Sept 1898, Woodbury TX

d 32 Susan Elizabeth Hoke Witty, b. 12 June 1817, Madison AL, d. 18 Dec 1895, Hill County TX

As I completed the above list, I found many "hints" on Ancestry. And one set or maybe two, took me in a new direction, finding two grandfathers of the same name, but 2 generations apart, and one has been designated the "Short" and one the "Long"...and apparently they also had another of the same name who married within 5 years of the "Long" and had many children...so they are often combined in various ancestry trees. I stuck with the wife I had had before, and the dates I had had as well...though there are enticing wills dated later than my gg grandfather's death. I may or may not go back and see if there is anyone who's divided these families apart. For now, I can see why I haven't gone any further back on that line yet!

The many greats and me - a list

 It's a new month...so I'm thinking of a bit of a different approach to recording about my various ancestors. We'll see how long I can tell my story...starting with my parents, then grandparents, etc. But I want to look across all my family, thus by the time I do great great grandparents, there will be how many?

It would be 16, but I don't know one set, since my immigrant great grandfather from Germany hadn't connected to any parents.

So I'll limp along, as many families do, with the sets that that part of the family might have had. It won't handicap me very much actually. Many people can't go back very far in their genealogy, so I'm quite grateful that I can.

My Parents:

a. George Elmore Rogers, Jr., born 9 Nov. 1914, Galveston TX, died 5 Jan. 1985, Houston, TX

b. Mataley Mozelle Webb Munhall Rogers, born 26 March 1917, San Antonio, TX, died 13 June 2003, Houston, TX

My grandparents:

a1.George Elmore Rogers, Sr., born 28 Aug 1877, Willis TX, died 4 Feb. 1960, Houston TX

a2.Ada Phillips Swasey Rogers, born 23 Feb. 1886, died 2 Dec 1964, Houston TX

b1.Albert J. "Bud" Webb, b. 30 July 1891, Weesatche TX, d. 15 Sept. 1919, San Antonio TX

b2.Mozelle Booth Miller Webb Munhall, b. 9 Sept. 1897, d. 2 Sept. 1960

My great grandparents:

a1.1.William Sandford (W. Sam) Rogers, b. 9 Feb. 1850, Huntsville TX, d. 29 May 1879 Huntsville TX

a1.2.Elizabeth "Bettie" Bass Rogers, b. 12 Feb 1860, Old Waverly TX, d. 17 July 1924, Gaveston TX

a2.1Alexander John Swasey, b. 20 May 1853, Charleston SC, d. 13 Oct 1913, Galveston TX

a2.2Zulieka Granger Phillips Swasey, b. 30 July 1858, Fort Gaines GA, d. 21 April 1935 Rosenberg TX

b1.1Leary Francis (L. F.) Webb, b. 14 Jan 1857, Clinton TX, d. 27 Mar 1921, San Antonio TX

b1.2Annie Elizabeth Williams Webb, b. 20 June 1862, Columbus, MO, d. 8 July 1942, San Antonio TX

b2.1Charles Herman Mueller (Miller), b. 18 July 1868, Mecklenberg, Germany, d. 7 Nov 1946, San Antonio TX (his roots are unknown)

b2.2Eugenia Almeda Booth Miller, b. 30 Jan 1873, Hillsboro TX, d. 1 Jan. 1936, San Antonio TX 

My 14 great great grandparents:

a1.1.1George Washington Rogers, b. 7 Feb. 1820, Sevierville TN, d. 26 Jan 1864, Freestone TX

a1.1.2Lucinda (Luci) Benson Gibbs Rogers, b. 28 Mar 1818, Union SC, d. 22 Sept 1884, Huntsville TX

a1.2.1Col. Richard (Dick) Bass, b. 3 Jan 1819, Perry County AL, d. 5 May 1818, Waverly TX

a1.2.2Mary Ann Elizabeth (Mae) Powell Bass, b. 21 Feb 1825, Perry AL, d. 12 Oct 1871, Old Waverly TX

a2.1.1Capt. Alexander G. Swasey Jr., b. 14 April 1812, Newport County RI, d. 26 March 1866 Charlston SC

a2.1.1Anna J. (Fanny Tylstra) Zylstra Swasey, b. 1815 Marlborough SC, d. aft. 1853, unknown place

a2.2.1William Phillips Jr., b. 1832 Georgia, d. 1863, Tyler County, TX

a2.2.2Mary Hull Granger Phillips, b. 6 May 1829, Newburyport, MA, d. 5 Nov 1861, Town Bluff TX

b1.1.1 Samuel James Webb, b.28 Jan 1827, Vienna MD, d. 15 Aug 1877, Clinton TX

b1.1.2.Ellen Ann Delamater Webb, b. 25 Jan 1842 New York NY, d. 15 July 1876, Clinton T2.1.1

b1.2.1 Wiliam T. Williams, b, 16 Dec 1824, Pulaski County KY, d. 22 April 1898, Weesatche TX

b2.2.2 Dorcas White Williams, b. 13 Dec 1825, Kentucky, d. 21 Nov 1900 Weesatche TX

b2.1.1 and b2.1.2Miller - no known ancestors

b2.2.1Richard R. Booth, b. 23 Sept 1846 Jackson County IN, d. 30 May 1879, Hempstead TX

b2.2.2 Eugenia AlmedaWitty Booth, 24 Feb 1852, Marshall TX, d. 13 July 1875 Hempstead TX

 Tomorrow I'll look at the Great X3 grandparents:...

What I got out of this was actually copying their birth and death dates from the three family trees. I guess I'd never realized the times they were born and died...somehow this made their lives very concrete for me.

And for some reason my little laptop really had trouble while I typed the list! Poor thing told me that this blog was using too much energy for it to function well. It was really slow too!

So how about a couple of photos, you may ask...