Ancestor Sketch – Betsy Kinsey Binford

Posted on January 12, 2022 by Don Taylor

Howell Research
Howell-Pankey-Binford Line
By Don Taylor

Photo of Don Taylor with cat Nasi.[Following women during colonial times is always tricky, and Betsy Kinsey (Binford) Pankey is no exception. Seldom are women mentioned except in the context of another family member. What I have learned about Betsy was found in various wills and Quaker records.]

Betsy Kinsey Binford was born in 1739 in Henrico, Virginia, the daughter of Elizabeth and Thomas. She married Samuel Pankey in 1759 in Henrico county. They had five children during their marriage. She died as a young mother in 1770 in Goochland, Virginia, at the age of 31.

Betsy is found in 399 Ancestry Public Trees and is Family Search profile LZN1-15V.

Howell/Darling Ancestor #69

List of Grandparents

    • 4th Great-Grandmother: Betsy Kinsey Binford (1739-c. 1771)
    • 5th Great-grandfather: Thomas Binford (____-1754)*
    • 6th Great-grandfather: James Binford (____-____)*
    • 7th Great-grandfather: Anthony Binford (____-____)*

(I have not researched the Ancestors marked with an asterisk “*”; thus, they are speculative/tentative.)

Betsy Kinsey Binford (1739-c. 1771)

Birth

Betsy was born about 1739 in Henrico County, Virginia Colony. She was the fifth child of Thomas and Elizabeth (Kinsey) Binford. In various records, Betsy is referred to as Betsey and Bettie. Likewise, her middle name (and her mother’s maiden name) is spelled Kinsey and Kinsie in various records.

Children of Thomas and Elizabeth Binford (Siblings)

Name Born Married Died
James 1722 Margaret Mosby – 1745 1781
Priscilla 1724 Benjamin Watkins – 1754 1793
Thomas 1726 Judith Ladd – 1753 1815
John 1728 Susanna Ellyson – 1784 1790
William 1732 Mary Peebles – 1756 Bet 1791-1815
Betsy 1739 Samuel Pankey – 1759 Bet 1770-1772
Mary 1741 Joseph Ladd – 1767 1775
Sarah 1743 Amos Ladd – 1763 1814

In 1752 she was mentioned to receive ¼ of her father’s estate upon her mother’s death, Elizabeth. Her father died before August 1754, when she would have been about 15.

Marriage

Betsey married Samuel Pankey in 1759 in Henrico County. She was 20, and he was 21. She did not receive permission from her mother to marry outside of her Quaker Faith and was disowned at a Quaker Meeting in August 1762. Her brother Thomas aided her in helping her to get to a priest for the marriage. He was found guilty but wasn’t punished by his Monthly Meeting “due to his youth.”

Children of Samuel and Betsy Kinsey Pankey

Name Born Married Died
Marion 1761 Sheldrake Broaddus – 1777 1831
Philip 1763 Ann Brown – 1788 1819
Thomas Armstrong c. 1765 Martha Cannon – 1785 1829
Judith Elizabeth c. 1767 Joseph Sallee – 1795 1818
Elizabeth c. 1770 George Walton – 1796 1616

Death/Burial, etc.

Betsey died between 1770 and 1772 in Manakin Town, Goochland County[i], Virginia Colony.

Events by Location

  • Virginia Colony, Henrico County –  Birth 1739 until 1759 (Marriage).
  • Virginia Colony, Goochland County, Manakin Town – 1759 until c. 1771 (Death).

Sources

    • Mary L. Bruner, Binford Family Genealogy ( Greenfield, Ind., Wm. Mitchell Printing Co., 1925), Archive.Org, Page 19.
    • William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy (Baltimore, MD, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Orig 1950, Reprint 1973, 1993), Ancestry, Page 159 – 1762, 8, 7. Betty Kinsey Binford
    • Edmund West, Compiler, “Family Data Collection” – Individual Records, Ancestry, Samuel Pankey – No Image. Birth year: 1738; Birth city: Manakin Town; Birth state: VA.
    • Edmund West, comp., “Family Data Collection” – Marriages (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2001), Ancestry, Samuel Pankey – Betsey Kinsey Binford – 1759.
    • George Edward Pankey, John Pankey of Manakin Town, Virginia, and His Descendants: Descendants and Connections of His Son Stephen Pankey, Sr., of Lucy’s Springs, Chesterfield County, Virginia (Lousiana: Ruston, 1969), Page 48 – 4. Samuel Pankey. Personal Library.
    • George Edward Pankey, John Pankey of Manakin Town, Virginia, and His Descendants: Descendants and Connections of His Son Stephen Pankey, Sr., of Lucy’s Springs, Chesterfield County, Virginia (Lousiana: Ruston, 1969), Page 51 – 4. Samuel Pankey (Continued). Personal Library.
    • US, Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935, Ancestry, Betty Kinsey Binford – Pages 70 & 71 – 7 Oct 1762.
    • Virginia Births and Christenings, 1584-1917, Family Search, Philip Pankie – 29 May 1763. Virginia Births and Christenings, 1584-1917″, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VRRC-2KF : 28 January 2020.

Endnotes

[i] Goochland County was founded in 1728 as the first county formed from Henrico Shire.

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The Quakers Disowned Betsey Kinsey Binford

Posted on January 10, 2022 by Don Taylor

Amanuensis[i] Monday
Howell-Pankey-Binford Line
By Don Taylor

Photo of Don Taylor with cat Nasi.Researching 18th Century women is often difficult. Learning that 4th great-grandmother, Betsey “Betty” (Binford) Pankey, was disowned by her religion because she married outside her Faith puts other events into context, such as why she was ignored in several wills of her family.

Document Image

U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935, Ancestry, Betty Kinsey Binford – Pages 70 & 71 – 7 Oct 1762.

Transcription

[Page 70 – bottom]

Whereas Betty Kinney Binford Daughter of Thomas & Elizabeth Binford of Henrico was educated in the profession of us the people called Quakers and did sometimes frequent our Religious Meetings, but for want of a faithful adherence to the dictates of that Divine Principle which was sufficient to have preserved her in a due observance of the known Rules of our Society hath been prevailed on to suffer self to be joined in marriage by a Priest to a man of a different Persuasion in matter of Faith

[page change to the top of page 71]

Without the consent of her parent & contrary to the advice of Friends.

We do therefore hereby disown the said Betty to be of our Society until she come to witness that Godly sorrow that worketh true repentance which that the Lord may mercifully grant her is our sincere desire.

Signed by order & on behalf of our monthly meeting
held in Henrico County the 7th of the 0th mo. 1762      } Robert Pleasants teth

Dolly Jordan                               Elizabeth Elmore
Mary Ellyson                               Jane Ellyson
Judith Ladd                                Mildred Kinsey
Elizabeth Crine                            Urnela Pleasants
Morning Crine

Discussion

Betsey’s brother, Thomas, married Judith Ladd, and her brother, John, married Susanna Ellyson, likely a relative of Mary and Jane Ellyson. Likewise, Betsey’s sister Sarah married Amos Ladd. So, it appears that although Betsey married outside of the Quaker community and was disowned, her siblings married within the Society.

Conclusion

I was surprised to learn that Quakers would disown a person for marrying outside of the Society.

Endnotes

[i] John Newmark started the “Amanuensis Monday” category in 2009 on his Blog,  Transylvanian Dutch  and many bloggers have followed suit using the tag. Google provides the following meaning for amanuensis: “A literary or artistic assistant, in particular one who takes dictation or copies manuscripts.”

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Whitney – Surname Saturday

Posted on January 8, 2022 by Don Taylor

Roberts-Barnes-Taft-Whitney Line
By Don Taylor

Name Origin

Herefordshire UK locator map 2010Forebears indicates Whitney is derived from a location, “of Whitey,” a parish in Herefordshire. Ancestry suggests that it probably comes from hwit, meaning “white.” However, Genealogy Bank indicates the name probably refers to the River Wye, which runs through the rea of Whitney in Herefordshire. In any event, they all agree that the surname derives from a location in Herefordshire, England. Herefordshire is in the West Midlands of England, bordering Wales.

Geographical

The surname Whitney is predominately in the United States, with 83% of the people in the world with the surname living in the US. It is most common in the Falkland Islands, where one in 224 people have the surname.

In the United States, New York, Massachusetts, and Texas have the largest number of Whitney’s, and Maine had the greatest frequency where one in 1,322 people have the surname.

Direct Whitney Ancestors

  • 4th Great-grandmother: Sarah Whitney (1773-1813)*
  • 5th Great-grandfather: John Whitney (1849-___)*
  • 6th Great-grandfather: Joshua Whitney (1712-1751)*
  • 7th Great-grandfather: Joshua Whitney (1687-1771)*
  • 8th Great-grandfather: Benjamin Whitney (___-___)*[i]

* – Individuals marked with “*” have not been independently researched and confirmed by me. The names and dates are tentative and unverified.

Historical

Sarah Whitney was born on 11 July 1773 in Dedham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts Colony. I have not yet determined who my immigrant ancestor was nor when he arrived in the Colonies. However, Dedham was settled in 1635; my Whitney ancestors could reach back then.

Direct Whitney Descendants

I have 297 known descendants of Benjamin Whitney, including 27 Barnes, 23 Taft, 21 Roberts, and 17 Ransford. Two hundred eighty-nine of them are direct descendants of Sarah Whitney. I have previously written about four of those descendants.

5. – Grandmother:Essie Pansy Barnes (1903-1982)
11. –  1st Great-grandfather:  Joel Clinton Barnes(1857-1921)
Select Newspaper Articles 1884-1921 regarding Joel Clinton Barnes
21. – 2nd Great-grandfather:  Mercy Eliza Taft(1822-1884)
42. – 3rd Great-grandfather: Joel Cruff Taft (1800-1849)
Joel Cruff Taft & the 1840 Census.
Joel Cruff Taft & the 1830 Census.
Joel Cruff Taft & the 1810 Census.

Famous Whitney’s

Probably the most famous Whitney is Eli Whitney, Jr., known for inventing the cotton gin. Daniel Lawrence Whitney, known professionally as Larry the Cable guy, is a well-known comedian. And the little-known Josiah Whitney, the state geologist of California, you may not have heard of; however, Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the 48 contiguous United States, was named for him.

Sources

Endnotes

[i] Benjamin’s wife, Jane Poore, is currently the highest Ahnentafel number in my Roberts-Barnes line. (She is my most-distant known ancestor on my paternal side.)

 

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Ethel Wight Collection – Part 62

Posted on January 7, 2022 by Don Taylor

Hogan, Holland, Houghton(2), Huston, & (Née Giberson)

Photo Friday
Ethel Wight Collection
By Don Taylor

Photo of Don Taylor with cat Nasi.This week, for Photo Friday, I identify the people in five more envelopes from the Ethel Wight Studio Collection[i]. The envelopes contain the names who paid for the photos, not necessarily of the individual portrayed in the image. As such, it is vital to analyze the pictures and information to identify the individual therein.[ii] Ultimately, my goal is to reunite the photos with family members who may have never seen the image.

Deborah Luella Holland, circa 1936

The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss Deborah Holland, 89 Read St #494.”

Deborah Luella Holland, circa 1936

Why I believe this to be the individual.

  • The 1936 Portland City Directory lists Deborah L Holland as a housekeeper at 89 Read, residing at the same address.
  • The 1938 Portland City Directory lists Deborah L Holland, a housekeeper having married Nelson F Garland and had moved to Harmon.
  • Ancestry Family Trees indicate Deborah Luella Holland, the wife of Nelson Frank Garland, was born 17 August 1912 in Woodland, Aroostook County, Maine.
  • This photo is of Deborah Holland, about 1936 before she married Nelson Garland.

Ancestry has 15 public trees that refer to Deborah Luella Holland. Family Search has a profile for Deborah Luella Holland, ID: L5KP-RM1.

I have uploaded two photos of Deborah to her Family Search Memories. 

Ruth Eleanor Hogan, circa 1935

This negative envelope says, “Miss Ruth Hogan, ME Eye & Ear Infirmary #289.”

Ruth Eleanor Hogan, circa 1935

Why I believe this to be the individual.

  • The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Ruth Hogan, a student nurse at 79 Bramhall (the location of the Maine Eye and Ear Infirmary) and residing at 804 Congress.
  • The 1936 Portland City Directory lists Ruth Hogan living at 439 Congress, apt 216.
  • The 1937 & 1938 Portland City Directories list Ruth Hogan as living at 764 Shore Road (Rear), Cape Elizabeth.
  • The Maine Marriage Index, 1892-1996 lists Ruth E. Hogan’s marriage to Howard H Milliken on 9 July 1939. Both live in Cape Elizabeth.
  • Ancestry Trees suggest Ruth Eleanor Hogan was born 27 September 1913 in Maine and married Howard Herbert Milliken on 9 July 1939 was the daughter of Thomas and Edna (Bracket) Hogan.

I believe this photo is of Ruth Hogan, about 1935, while she was a student at the Maine Eye & Ear Infirmary.

Ancestry has 11 public trees that refer to Ruth Hogan. Family Search has a profile for Ruth E. Hogan, ID: GMPC-CVZ.

I have uploaded two photos of Ruth to her Family Search Memories. 

Charles Bennett Houghton, circa 1935 (Age 2)

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. G.M. Houghton, 94 Concord St #398.”

Charles Bennett Houghton, circa 1935 (Age 2)

Why I believe this to be the individual.

  • The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Gerald M Haughton and his wife Marian, living at 94 Concord. Gerald is an Engineer at 45 Forest Ave.
  • The 1940 US Census lists Gerrald M. Houghton and his wife Marrion L, living in Bangor, Penobscot, Maine. Living with them are son, Charles B, and daughter Anna L. They are ages 6 and 5 respectively. All are reported as having lived in Portland in 1935. Gerald was born in Pennsylvania, and Marrion was born in Massachusetts. The two children were born in Maine.
  • Social Security Applications and Claims indicate that Charles Bennett Houghton was born on 40 May 1933 in Portland, Cumberland County, Maine.

This photo is of Charles when he was about 2, in 1935.

Ancestry has 16 public trees that refer to Charles Bennett Houghton. Family Search does not appear to have a profile for Charles Houghton, son of Gerald and Marion Houghton.

I have uploaded one photo of Charles to Dead Fred. 

Charles B and Anna L. Houghton, circa 1937.

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Marion Houghton, 94 Concord St #971.”

Why I believe this to be these individuals.

  • The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Gerald M Haughton and his wife Marian, living at 94 Concord. Gerald is an Engineer at 45 Forest Ave.
  • The 1940 US Census lists Gerrald M. Houghton and his wife Marrion L, living in Bangor, Penobscot, Maine. Living with them are son, Charles B, and daughter Anna L. They are ages 6 and 5 respectively. All are reported as having lived in Portland in 1935. Gerald was born in Pennsylvania, and Marrion was born in Massachusetts. The two children were born in Maine.

Charles and Anna (out of focus) Houghton, circa 1937.

Charles (out of focus) and Anna  Houghton, circa 1937.

These are photos of Charles and Anna about 1937 when he was about four, and Anna was about one.

Charles Bennett Houghton was the subject of the photo identification above. Anna L. Houghton does not appear to be in any Ancestry trees. Also, FamilySearch does not appear to have a profile for Anna. However, her father, Gerald Houghton, appears in 19 public Ancestry trees.

This is an unusual case where two photos are needed. In one image, the boy is in focus, and the younger girl is out of focus. In the other, the girl is in focus, and the older boy is out of focus. I also uploaded both photos to my Flickr photostream and present them here. 

Katie L. Huston (Née Giberson), circa 1934

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. A. J. Houston, 68 Neal St #109.”

Houston

Why I believe this to be the individual.

  • The 1935 Portland City Directory does not have an A. J. Houston listed. However, Almer J Huston is listed as living at 68 Neal Street. So it appears that Ethel Wight misspelled the surname.
  • The 1930 US Census lists Almer J Huston and his 51-year-old wife, Kate L Huston, Living at 68 Neal. Kate was born in Canada and was married when she was 18 years old (Elma was 27).
  • Ancestry Family Trees indicate Kate L. Giberson, who married Almer J Huston in 1898. Kate was born on 28 May 1878 in Canada.

This photo is of Kate L Huston (Née Giberson) about 1934 when she was 55 or 56 years old.

Ancestry has 38 public trees that refer to Kate L (Giberson) Huston. Family Search has a profile for Katie L. Giberson ID: MZ25-M6N.

I have uploaded two photos of Katie to her Family Search Memories. 

Conclusion

  • I fully identified all five individuals. Three of them have Family Search profiles, so I uploaded their images there.
  • I identified one individual that did not have a Family Search profile but did appear in Ancestry trees, so I posted his image to Dead Fred.
  • Finally, I identified a fifth individual that did not have a Family Search profile and did not appear in any Ancestry trees. I uploaded her photos here and to my Flickr Photostream.

For all of the Ethel Wight Collection analysis, please see here.

Final Note

If any of these photos are of your family member, I would love to hear your reaction. Especially if this photo is of a loved one for whom you hadn’t seen this photograph before.

Endnotes

[i] The Wight Studio was in Portland, Maine. Many thanks to Ethel Wight’s family for access to and permission to use the collection of their great aunt.

[ii] These images were converted to positives using a lightbox, a Nikon camera and computer software.

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Donna Darling Collection – Part 85

Posted on January 6, 2022 by Don Taylor

Treasure Chest Thursday
By Don Taylor

For this week’s Treasure Chest Tuesday, I’m looking at a clipping from the Donna Darling Collection with Donna in her fashion coat.

Donna Darling.

Bathing Beauties of Movies Here in Revue at the Lincoln.

Bathing girls from various California motion picture studios will make a personal appearance in a colorful Hollywood revue at the Lincoln. This revue is a clever musical and dancing number which will show patrons that these versatile girls can do other things than merely making poses before the camera. Miss Donna Darling, who comes direct from the Mack Sennet studios, is the charming star who introduces the bathing beauties dressed in bathing costumes dating from 1860 to the present day. Bettl [sic] Bryant is the “Miss America of 1925.’’ Bathing costumes of various countries and fashionable seashore centers are introduced. Chief among these number is Mildred O’Brian, who appears as the beauty from Palm Beach. Miss Darling’s life guards, Murry Earl and Al Ross, add comedy to the Egyptian dance, while Petite Clarice Allyn as the Chinese bathing girl enhances the program with clever toe dancing.

Elaborate costumes have been selected for this sparkling revue. The music is snappy and the production has brilliant scenic and lighting effects.

Key features:

  • The venue is the Lincoln; however, neither a city nor state is provided.
  • No date is provided; however, Betty Bryant is “Miss America of 1925” indicating that the show was in 1925.
  • Other cast members included
    • Betty Bryant
    • Mildred O’Brian
    • Murry Earl
    • Al Ross
    • Clarice Allyn

Analysis

Donna Darling and Girls is known to have played at the Lincoln Theatre in Belleville, Illinois, on 6 October 1925. She also played there in 1924 and 1926 with different shows, so the Lincoln Theatre in Belleville was well known to her.

The Belleville News-Democrat (Belleville, IL) paper dated 6 October 1925, Page 9[i], mentions Donna Darling and girls in their “Song and Dance Revue” were at the Lincoln.

A further review of Genealogy Bank, Newspaper Archives, Elephind, Chronicling America, and the Byron Public Library District at Advantage Preservation failed to provide any additional potential venues for Donna at “the Lincoln” during 1925.

Conclusion

Tentatively, I ascribe this clipping to her playing at the Lincoln in Belleville, IL, on 6 October 1925.

Sources

[i] The Belleville News-Democrat (Belleville, Illinois) 06 Oct 1925, Tue – Page 9 – Via Newspapers.com.

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