Several weeks ago, I came across another person’s tree that excited me. They indicated the parents of my second great-grandmother, Eliza Jane Fannin, were David Fannin and Cynthia Ann Bare. They even provided a sibling for Eliza, Andrew Jackson Fannin. I have long been searching for Eliza’s people. Could this be the break I was looking for? I don’t use other people’s trees for much other than hints and sources, but it was great to have a new area for research.
Sadly, the suggestion was not, in my opinion, correct. I found Cintha married to Thomas Ellia in the 1880 Census. Thomas’ two stepchildren were living with him, Jane Fannin and Andrew Jackson Fannin.
The Thomas Ellia [Ellis?] family in the 1880 Census – Precinct 8, Carter County, Kentucky.[i]
Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
Thomas Ellia Self M 55 England – Works in Coal mine –
Cintha Ellia Wife F 60 Kentucky – Father born VA, Mother born Tenn.
Jane Fannin Stepdaughter F 27 Kentucky – Keeping House – Father born in VA,
Jackson Fannin Stepson M 17 Kentucky – Works in Coal mine – [Father VA, mother KY]
1880 Census Records
Thomas Ellis with stepdaughter Jane
John Mannin with wife Jane
I had already found my Eliza Jane in an 1880 census living with her husband, John William Mannin and daughter, Elizabeth. My Eliza Jane’s father was born in Kentucky, not Virginia. This Jane was quite a bit older than my Eliza Jane, so, this can’t be my long sought after Fannin family .
I annotated my records, “Do not confuse with Jane Fannin, daughter of Cintha (UnkMN) Fannin Ellis,” and moved on.
My fourth look at possible relatives using the “We’re Related” app showed fewer new cousins than ever before. The famous people I had determined could not be related have fallen off the possible list. The three I’m looking at this time are Dick Clark, Meghan Trainor, and Marilyn Monroe.
Dick Clark (1929-2012)
Dick Clark – 1961 – Photo by ABC Television via Wikimedia Commons
Richard Wagstaff Clark was a radio and television personality. He is best known for hosting “American Bandstand” from 1957 until 1987. I remember Dick Clark and his show very well and watched it throughout the 1960s. I also remember him bringing in the new century in a 2000 New Year’s program.
According to “We’re Related,” our relationship follows up the Montran, Barber line through Frank Barber to his mother Orissa A. Champlain. From there it goes back five more generations to Noah Wells being a common ancestor. I have not determined Frank Barbers parents so I was excited to pursue this potential line.
Then I noticed the first discrepancy, “We’re Related” was indicating that Ida Mae Barber’s father was Frank W. Barber and my records indicate Ida’ father was Frank (short for Franklin) A. Barber.
Then I searched Ancestry.Com’s family trees for Orissa A. Champlain and found her. According to a family tree posted on Ancestry, her son, Frank Barber was born in 1841 in New York. My 2nd great-grandfather, Franklin E. Barber, was born in 1836 in Ohio. I’m confident that I am not related to Dick Clark through that path.
Meghan Trainor (1993-)
Meghan Trainor – 2014 – Photo by Ronald Woan CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Meghan Elizabeth Trainor is a Grammy Awarding winning singer and songwriter.
This relationship is said to follow my Brown/Sanford/Parsons/Mabon/Rowley line back to Weeks Rowley. It then suggests that his mother Hannah Phelps, and his grandfather was Nathaniel Phelps, our common ancestor.
I searched Ancestry and found several trees that indicated that Hannah Phelps married Nathaniel Rowley and although I didn’t have Weeks Rowley’s mother, I did have Nathaniel Rowley as Weeks’ father. Assuming the downward tree from Nathaniel Phelps to Meghan Trainor is correct, I think it is very likely that she and I are related as 8th cousins, once removed.
Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962)
Norma Jeane Mortenson (aka Marilyn Monroe) was an actress and model famous for being a popular sex symbol of the 1950s and known for her movies which included “Gentlemen Prefer Blonds,” and “Some Like It Hot.”
Marilyn Monroe – 1952 – Photo by New York Sunday News
“We’re Related” suggests Marilyn and I are related through the Roberts line back through John Calvin Roberts and his mother. My records indicate that John Calvin Roberts’ mother was Rebecca Brashears but “We’re Related” is indicating John Calvin Roberts’ mother is “Private.” Likewise, “We’re Related” shows John Calvin Roberts’ mother’s father is “Private,” also. My research found that John Calvin Roberts’ mother’s father was Robert Cager Brashears. If I am right and they are right then Robert Brashear’s mother is Charity Dowell.
I find that Marilyn Monroe might by my 9th cousin, but additional research is needed. So, I need to research Robert Brashear’s ancestors and determine if Charity Dowell is his mother.
I definitely need to listen to some of Meghan Trainor’s music. Although the music gene seems to have passed me by, my sister Glennis and my brother Mark appear to have inherited it.
“We’re Related” is fun to look at and see the possibilities. It makes me think about key relationships in my tree and provides clues into further research. Ancestry algorithms may have slipped back as one of the matches is unlikely through the suggested line. However, two of the famous people are possible and require additional research.
Research
Research the mother of Weeks Rowley. She might be Hannah Phelps.
Research Robert Brashear’s ancestors and determine if Charity Dowell is his mother.
My wife and I recently visited her mother. During the visit, our conversations revealed that there was an old Bible that my wife’s great-great-grandmother, Margaret Mary (Lambe) McAllister, was gifted with. The Bible was printed in M.DCCC.LXXIV (1876) and contains both the Old and New Testaments.
The bible is inscribed to:
Inscription gifting Bible to Margaret Lamb.
Margaret Lamb,
With the best wishes of
The Rev. Wm Cassidi.
April 30th 1877
– – – – – – –
??Grindon??
I have some difficulty making out some of the words and have tried my best. I’m not confident of Mr. McCassidi’s first name nor of the word below the line.
Margaret Lamb was born on 28 April 1860, so, in 1877 she would have just turned 17 and was being let loose into the world. Margaret married Peter McAllister over a year later, on 22 August 1878, so it appears to have been a “coming out” type of gift. I don’t know who Mr. McCassidi is but I would expect him to be a relative or a close family friend.
On a second inscription page, it shows the book went to
Inscription gifting Bible to Elizabeth Darling Kemon. (page cropped)
Elizabeth Darling Kemon
Born March 22, 1906
granddaughter of
Margaret Lamb
Elizabeth had no children, so she passed it on to her oldest niece, my mother-in-law. A third inscription records that transfer and provides name, birthdate, and relationship to Elizabeth Kemon.
Conclusion
Holy Bible Cover Page
Besides being a valuable family heirloom, old bibles often provide important genealogical information. Even though this small, pocket-sized bible didn’t have a set of center pages for family history details, the inscriptions provided important information. In this case, a clue to a possible relative or family friend and the birthdate for Elizabeth (Darling) Kemon and their relationships.
My half-sister Glennis is a DNA match on Ancestry.Com with several individuals who have common ancestors with Francis and Fannie (McGregor) Morgan. In the search to determine Glennis’ biological father, I am continuing to develop a tree of the descendants of Francis and Fannie (McGregor) Morgan of Pleasants County, West Virginia. This time I look at Rosa Virginia Morgan who married Floyd Marvin May on 9 May 1896 in Pleasants County, West Virginia. She is the fourth of twelve children to be examined.
Francis and Fannie (McGregor) Morgan’s 12 children
Robert Harold May born 1929. Possible but unlikely.
Doria M May born 1932 – Not considered.
Francis Carol May born 1940 – Not considered.
Criteria:
“Candidates” are males born between 1925 and 1935.
“Not considered” are females who are unlikely to have had a male child between 1925 and 1935.
“Possible but unlikely” are males born between 1925 and 1935, but are not named Paul or Phil, which is the likely name of Glennis’ biological father, or otherwise don’t appear to fit the likely candidate who would have been in Minnesota or Michigan in 1953. I will revisit these possibilities later of this project fails to find a potential candidate.
In the search to find the biological father of my sister Glennis, I am continuing to develop a tree of the descendants of Francis and Fannie (McGregor) Morgan of Pleasants County, West Virginia.
Lewis V. P. Morgan was born 30 December 1871 in Lafayette, West Virginia. He was the third child of Francis Marion and Fannie R. (McGregor) Morgan.
He married Maude L. Lamp in 1899 in Tyler County, West Virginia. They had two children.
Lula Edna Morgan, was born in 1900 & died in 1902 at the age of 2 due to a fire.
Opal Jean Morgan, was born in 1902 in Pleasants County, West Virginia. Opal married William Henry Davis in 1920. They had two girls and appear to have had no sons.
Lewis’s wife died in 1908 and he never remarried.
During the 1910 Census Lewis was living with his sister Rosa and her husband, F. M. May.
During the 1920 Census, Lewis was living with his mother-in-law, Sarah L Lany.
During the 1930 Census, Lewis was living with his uncle, Elie H. Morgan.
It does not appear that the descendants of Lewis V.P. Morgan could be potential candidates for Glennis’ biological father.
