Isaac Holliman Sought Legal Relief via Freedmen’s Bureau

The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, also known as the Freedmen’s Bureau, was established in the War Department by an act of Congress on March 3, 1865. The Bureau was responsible for the supervision and management of all matters relating to the refugees and freedmen and lands abandoned or seized during the Civil War, duties previously shared by military commanders and US Treasury … Continue reading Isaac Holliman Sought Legal Relief via Freedmen’s Bureau

3rd Great Grandmother Amanda Darden and 4th Great Grandmother Georgianna Hall

Women often get lost in genealogy, especially when they get married. I don’t think oftentimes, people even realize they are ignoring the women in their ancestry. I have been determined to find my female ancestors and their family lines. Amanda Darden married Moses Allmond on October 10, 1878, in Nansemond County, Virginia. According to the Nansemond Register of Marriages, Amanda’s parents are listed as Allen … Continue reading 3rd Great Grandmother Amanda Darden and 4th Great Grandmother Georgianna Hall

4th Great Grandfather Moses King

My 3rd great-grandfather on my Allmond side was Solomon Butler, who was born free. I can see him on the 1850 census as living in the home of William Allmond, who also had an enslaved black woman named Charlotte, my 3rd great-grandmother. In 1854, William Allmond died, and somewhere between then and 1860, Charlotte was moved to the home of the son, William J. Allmond. … Continue reading 4th Great Grandfather Moses King

Rediscovering History in Western Pennsylvania

I had already visited Fallingwater, the iconic Frank Lloyd Wright house nestled in the Laurel Highlands of Western Pennsylvania, twice before. Tucked away in the lush hills of Fayette County, it had always been a peaceful escape, with modern architecture harmonizing with nature. Each visit felt like a retreat into beauty and design. But my most recent trip was different. This time, I wasn’t just … Continue reading Rediscovering History in Western Pennsylvania

Isle of Wight County Historical Society Juneteenth Program

The Isaac Holleman descendants research team presented their research for the Isle of Wight County Historical Society‘s Juneteenth program. My fourth great-grandfather Isaac Holleman was born enslaved in 1818. He was granted his freedom at the age of 18 and reenslaved at the age of 30. During the Civil War, Isaac self-emancipated, fleeing to Fortress Monroe with his 3 children (by free woman Malinda Pretlow) … Continue reading Isle of Wight County Historical Society Juneteenth Program

Civil War Map of Isle of Wight and Nansemond Counties

Here’s a Civil War map of Isle of Wight County and part of Nansemond County. In the image, I have labeled where Jones Grove Baptist Church is as well as where Tony and Moses Allmond’s lands were 30-40 years later. Many of the roads are the same and a lot of the parcels have the same boundaries. Civil War maps are available at the Library … Continue reading Civil War Map of Isle of Wight and Nansemond Counties

Finding Martha Blizzard Led Me To Blizzard Descendants

My Thrulines on Ancestry.com have been hit or miss lately. They suggest DNA relationships based on family trees and DNA matches. They can be completely wrong based on wrong trees on the site. Additionally, your Thrulines could disappear if someone deletes or makes private a large tree that the Ancestry algorithm is using to make the connection. Even when it’s wrong though, I’m normally able … Continue reading Finding Martha Blizzard Led Me To Blizzard Descendants

International African American Museum, Charleston, South Carolina

I visited the International African American Museum located on Gadsden’s Wharf in Charleston, South Carolina. Gadsden’s Wharf was the first destination for an estimated 100,000 enslaved Africans during the peak of the international slave trade. Some researchers estimate that 40% of the enslaved Africans in the United States landed at Gadsden’s Wharf. The museum covers the history of Africans in America starting with the Black … Continue reading International African American Museum, Charleston, South Carolina

5th great-grandmother Angelina Urquhart

I have recently found the maiden names of two of my female ancestors both on my maternal grandmother’s maternal lines. I can’t tell you how excited I am about this because oftentimes, women’s entire identities were wiped away when they got married. The second one is my 5th great-grandmother Angelina Gwaltney nee Urquhart. Here she is on my MyHeritage tree. I found a death certificate … Continue reading 5th great-grandmother Angelina Urquhart