Biography: Nancy Branch Pankey (1797-1865)

Posted on January 28, 2017 by Don Taylor

Howell-Darling-2017 Research

By Don Taylor

It is expedient to research direct line ancestors, so we often neglect siblings of our ancestors, particularly our distant ancestors’ siblings.  Often, to gain insight into some of our ancestors, it is helpful to research the friends, associates, and neighbors (FAN) of our ancestors. However, before we spend time with the FANs, we should research the other family members of our ancestors to uncover any potential clues there.  Also, such research can uncover FAN relationships we can use elsewhere in our research.

I had reached something of an impasse in my research of Martha (Cannon) Pankey. I knew that Martha had at least seven children, including 2nd great-grandmother Caroline M. A. Pankey, but very little about her life otherwise. To try to understand her life I decided to research one of her daughters, Nancy Branch Pankey. 

List of Grandparents

  • Grandfather: James Dallas Howell
  • 1st Great-grandfather: Peter Fletcher Howell
  • 2nd Great grandmother: Caroline M. A. Pankey
  •             Sister of Caroline M. A. Pankey: Nancy Birch Pankey

Nancy Branch Pankey (1796-1865)

Birth

Birth records are notoriously difficult to find that prove the birth date of an individual and Nancy is no different.  The 1860 Census indicates that she (Nana) is 63 years old, suggesting a birthdate between 2 June 1796 and 1 June 1797.[i] However, the 1850 Census indicates she (Nancy B) is 56 years old, suggesting a birthdate between 2 June 1793 and 1 June 1794.[ii] The Virginia Deaths and Burial Index indicates a birth year of 1796. FHL film 31989 should show the basis of the index entry and I should order it to confirm the date suggested. I prefer 1796 as her birthdate both because of the deaths index and because there are more days between June 2nd and December 31st than from January 1st to June 1st.  She was the second known daughter of Thomas Armstrong Pankey and Martha Cannon.

Childhood

We know nothing of Nancy’s childhood. She was the second child of seven children. She grew up during the challenging period between the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.

Marriage

She married Edward Pankey on 13 Jan 1818 in Cumberland County, Virginia.[iii] That would have made her 22 years-old when she married the 31 years-old Edward. Whenever I see a marriage wherein two people have the same surname I always wonder about other possible relationships, particularly when the name is uncommon and the population pool is small  — Could Edward and Nancy have been cousins?  With a surname middle name (Branch), could she have married a Pankey previously and be on a second marriage? Maybe other records will shed light onto this family.

Adulthood

Edward and Nancy Branch Pankey had ten children. They were:

  1. Martha Ann (c. 1819 – 1896)
  2. Keziah Quinley (1822 – 1861)
  3. John Thomas (c. 1823 – 1851)
  4. James Edward (1826 – 1897)
  5. Elizabeth (c. 1829 – ?)
  6. Nancy Jane (c. 1831 – 1898)
  7. Sarah Francis (c. 1834 – 1861)
  8. Peter Perino (c. 1836 – 1915)
  9. Stephen Lafayette (1836 – 1886)
  10. William Calhoun (c. 1839 – c. 1892)

The 1850 Census finds the family in Henry County, Virginia. Although the 1850 census does not show relationships between individuals in a household, it does show who was living in the household. It shows seven of Edward and Nancy’s children, John, Elizabeth, Nancy, Sarah, Stephen, Peter, and William, living with them in 1850.

The 1860 Census finds the Pankey family remarkably intact. Still in Henry County, Virginia, with Edward and Nana (Nancy) are five of the children; Elizabeth, Jane, Stephen, Peter, and William. I think that Sarah is also with them. There is a Sarah Griffith in the household with two children.  That Sarah is the right age to be Edward and Nancy’s daughter, but I’d like to confirm the relationship.

Death

Nancy Branch (Pankey) Pankey died between 19 Nov 1865 and 6 December 1865 in Irisburg, Henry County, Virginia.[iv]  She is buried in the Pankey Cemetery in Irisburg, VA.[v]

As I continue to investigate the Pankey family of the late 1700s to the mid-1800s Virginia, surely other interesting items will arise.

Further Actions / Follow-up

  • Continue investigating the Pankey family of the late-1700s thru the mid-1800s in Virginia.
  • Order FHL film #31989. Review/confirm data regarding Nancy Branch Pankey Pankey’s death.

————- Disclaimer ————-

Endnotes

[i] 1860 Census (A), Ancestry.Com, Edward Pankey – Henry County, Virginia – Page 3, Line 40.

[ii] 1850 Census (NARA), Ancestry.Com, Edward Pankey – Henry County, Virginia. Page 77 – Line 42 & Page 78 – Lines 1-8.

[iii] Dodd, Jordan, Virginia, Compiled Marriages, 1660-1800, Ancestry.Com, Edward Pankey – Nancy B. Pankey. Cumberland, Virginia – 13 Jan 1818 – accessed 18 Jan 2017.

[iv] Virginia, Deaths and Burials Index, 1853-1917, Ancestry.Com, Nancy Pankey. https://search.ancestry.com/search/collections/FSVirginiaDeath/47321/printer-friendly?new=1.

[v] Find a Grave, Nancy Branch Pankey Pankey – Memorial 92073621. https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=92073621.

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Schools I’ve Attended

Posted on January 26, 2017 by Don Taylor

Those Places Thursday
My History

By Don Taylor

I often see articles and blogs that remind readers to write about their own life. Something that several suggest is to write about schools that you have attended. Most people have a few schools, but I have 15 schools that I have attended.  It is more of a book rather than an article or two. Looking back, I have attended seven elementary schools, one junior high school, three high schools, and four colleges. So, I thought I’d examine the school’s history and see what I can remember of my attending.

  • 1955 – Scheffer Elementary[1], St. Paul, MN– Kindergarten.
  • 1956 – Emerson Elementary, Minneapolis, MN – 1st grade.
  • 1957 – Cambridge Elementary, Cambridge, MN – 2nd grade.
  • 1957 – Franklin Elementary, Anoka, MN – 2nd grade.
  • 1958 – Parkview Elementary, Fridley, MN – 3rd, 4th, & 5th grades.
  • 1960 – Spring Lake Park Elementary, Spring Lake Park, MN – 5th & 6th grades.
  • 1961 – Elizabeth Hall Elementary, Minneapolis, MN 6th grade.
  • 1962 – Jordan Junior High School, Minneapolis, MN 7th, 8th, & 9th grades.
  • 1965 – Osse0 High, Osseo, MN – 10th, 11th, & 12th grades.
  1. 1966 – Billings Senior High, Billings, MT – part of 10th grade.[2]
  2. 1967 – Mumford High, Detroit, MI – part of 11th grade?
  • 1968 – Graduated from Osseo High School

————-

  • 1974 – Chapman University, Orange, California (Navy PACE)
  • 1976 – Chaminade University, Honolulu, Hawaii (Navy PACE)
  • 1981 – Anoka Ramsey Community College, Coon Rapids, MN
  • 1984 – Metropolitan State University, St. Paul, MN

————-

For each of the schools I attended, I plan to look at the school’s history and see what memories I can jog loose about me and my attending that school.  My guess is that most of the elementary schools that I attended are now gone.

————- Disclaimer ————-

 

ENDNOTES

[1] If you had asked me before, I would have said I attended Schaeffer Elementary. Researching for this article I learned it was Scheffer Elementary. I double checked my DD Form 398 – Statement of Personal History. I indicated Schaeffer on mine when I completed it in 1968. Also, the form only included spaces for five schools; I had to continue on another page.

[2] I will need to look closer at this school.  For some reason. I think I went to Central High in Billings but a quick Internet search indicated that would be a Catholic school.  I am sure I attended a public school when living in Billings.

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Ancestor Biography – Martha Cannon (1764-?)

Posted on January 24, 2017 by Don Taylor

Howell-Darling Research
Howell-Pankey-Cannon Line
By Don Taylor

Photo of Don Taylor with cat Nasi.

Updated 15 June 2022. Updates in Purple.

Getting to know female ancestors who lived before 1840 is always a challenge. Researching Martha Cannon, the wife of Thomas Armstrong Pankey, is no exception.

Certainly, her family relationships are somewhat confusing. In Pollock vs Pollock[1], it states several times that Martha is the ½ sister of Sarah Pollock. That clearly indicates that Martha’s family is complex. On page 36 of the suit, Adam Calhoon says he married “Henrietta Pankey, Daughter of Thomas Pankey and Martha Cannon sister of William Liggon.”  There is also a reference in the Enquirer regarding Roderick Payne and Thomas Ligon who appear to also have a familial relationship with Martha.

Clearly, I need to research Sarah Pollock and her ancestry.  Likewise, I need to learn the relationship with William Liggon, is he a full brother or a half-brother.  If he is a full brother, how did Martha acquire the surname of Cannon? Was there a first marriage for Martha or was Cannon a name adopted because of the surname of a stepfather?  There are many possibilities and I need to zero in on a likely scenario.

Howell/Darling – Ancestor #35

List of Grandparents

  • Grandfather: James Dallas Howell
  • 1st Great-grandfather: Peter Fletcher Howell
  • 2nd Great-grandmother: Caroline M. A. Pankey
  • 3rd Great-grandmother: Martha Cannon

Martha Cannon (1764-1818)

Birth

Martha was probably born in Virginia about 1764.[2]  Some researchers indicate that her mother was Caroline Rolfe, although I have not been able to confirm that.

Childhood

Certainly, Martha grew up during interesting times. The Declaration of Independence was signed when she was 12-years-old. The Revolutionary war ended in 1783, when she was 19 years old. Certainly, she would have known many young men who served in the war.

Marriage

Martha Cannon married Thomas Armstrong Pankey in Goochland County Virginia on 1 November 1785.

Martha Cannon married Thomas Armstrong Pankey in Goochland County Virginia on 1 November 1785.[3], [4] Both Thomas and Martha were probably about 21 years old. James Johnson provided Surety.

Adulthood

Book Cover - Marriages of Goochland County Virginia 1733-1815

1792 – It is very odd, but it appears that Thomas and Martha may have gone seven years before the birth of their first child, Mary Pankey, who was born between 1792 and 1796. This seems to be just way too long, so I’m sure I need to further research the family.

1796 – Their second child Nancy Branch Pankey was born.

1799 – Their first son, Thomas Armstrong Pankey [Junior] was born.

1805 – Daughter Elizabeth K. Pankey was born.

1807 – Son Francis Pankey was born.

1810 – Census – She is presumed to be the white female in the household of Thomas Pankey that is 45 and over – (See: Thomas Pankey & the Early Censuses.). [5]

1811 – Daughter Caroline M. A. Pankey was born.

Thomas and Martha had another child, Henrietta, whose birthdate I do not know.

1818 – Martha died in 1818 in Cumberland County, Virginia.[6]

We know that Thomas Pankey died in January 1829, however, we do not know if Martha preceded or succeeded him in death nor do we know where either is buried.

There is so much more research that needs to be done with this family line.

Further Actions / Follow-up

  • Research Sarah Pollock and her ancestry.
  • Research William Liggon and his relationship with Martha Cannon.
  • Research Martha’s potential mother, Caroline Rolfe.
  • Research Martha’s life period between marriage (1785) and 1st child (1792).
  • Further research Thomas Pankey’s death and burial.
  • Further research Martha Cannon’s death and burial.

Endnotes

[1] Virginia, Powhatan, Chancery Causes, 1782-1938. No. 1831-015; Page 02 of 109.

[2] My Heritage Names, My Heritage, Nancy Branch Pankey, 1797-1865. https://www.myheritage.com/names/nancy_pankey.

[3] Bentley, Elizabeth Petty, indexer., Virginia, Marriage Records, 1700-1850 (Baltimore, Tyler’s Quarterly, MD), Ancestry.Com, Page 202 – Thomas Pankey – Martha Cannon -. Accessed 14 Dec 2015.

[4] Dodd, Jordan, Virginia, Compiled Marriages, 1660-1800, Ancestry.Com, Thomas Pankey – Martha Cannon. Goochland County, Virginia – 1 Nov 1785. Accessed 14 December 2016.

[5] 1810 Census – Thomas  Pankey/. Year: 1810; Census Place: Cumberland, Cumberland, Virginia; Roll: 68; Page: 143; Image: 00282; Family History Library Film: 0181428. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH25-R4C.

[6] 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 100 – 22. Thomas Pankey..  Personal Library.

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Ancestor Biography – Allen William Adair (1881-1963)

Posted on January 22, 2017 by Don Taylor

Adair Project 2017 – Ancestor #8

By Don Taylor

Allen William Adair was a sharecropper in Paulding County Georgia. The oldest son of a sharecropper he lived a simple life, farming other people’s land, raising children, and being ever close to the church and finally being buried in the church cemetery.

Allen William Adair (1881-1963)

Birth

Allen William Adair was born 22 July 1881[1] in Paulding County, Georgia, the first of eight children of Robert Hutcheson and Mary Jane (Parsons) Adair. Again, birth records are confusing and conflicting so a table will help explain why I settled on 22 July 1881 as his birth date.

Source Statement Comment
1900 Census July 1881 Accurate
1910 Census Age 28 (1881-82) Accurate
1918 WWI Draft Registration Age 40 22 July 1878 3 years added reduced his likelihood of being drafted.[2]
1930 Census Age 50 (1879-80) 1 year closer to actual.
1961 SS Claim Index 22 July 1881 Accurate
1963 Marker 1879 Same as 1930

The record that I have that is closest to his birth is the 1900 census. His Social Security Claim is consistent with that date.  I believe that his marker and other records are incorrect.

His name changed over the years. Early census records indicate his name was William Allen Adair. Later, he used Allen William Adair. In later he may have used Alan William Adair as Alan is the name used on his grave marker. He may have possibly used Bill Adair, also.” I have settled on Allen William Adair as my preferred name to use for him.

Document Name used
1900 Census William A Adair
1910 Census Allen Adair
1918 WWI Draft Regis Allen William Adair
1930 Census Allen Adair
1961 Social Security Claim Allen W. Adair
1963 Georgia Death Index Allen W. Adair
1963 Cemetery Marker Alan Adair
Internet Photo[3] Bill Adair

Childhood

The 1880s were extremely difficult times in Paulding County.

In June of 1883, his brother Joseph C. was born and the local news reported a jump in deaths due to consumption (TB) and typhoid fever in Paulding County.[4]

Family Tree DNA - Family Finder & Population FinderIn 1883-4 there was an outbreak of measles. In 1884, there was one of the most destructive storms to hit Paulding County as well as flooding, which took out mills and bridges in the county.

In 1885, his sister Minnie was born.

In 1887, Measles were again reported in Dallas and meningitis was raging in some parts of Paulding County.[5]  I believe another sibling was born during 1887 who died the same year.[6] With so many tragedies occurring the family moved from Paulding County, Georgia to Alabama.

In Alabama, four more children were born, Foster in May 1889, Maggie in Apr 1892, Celie in May 1894, and Pearl in April 1897.

By the 1900 Census[7], the family had moved back to Georgia and settled in the Weddington District 941, Humphrey, Paulding County, Georgia.  His is listed as William A. Adair in the 1900 Census. He was living with his parents and six siblings. He is identified as being able to read but not write; He is working as a farm laborer.

Marriage

On 18 April 1904, Allen married Elle E. Mitchell in a ceremony performed by B. H. Owen, a Justice of the Peace in Paulding County.[8]

Adulthood

The 1910 Census finds the young family consisting of Allen, Ella, and son Floyd Adair living in Humphrey, Paulding County. Allen is a share-cropper. Ella had had a second child that had died by then.[9]

In 1918, Allen registered for the draft; he was married and had three living children (one had died)[10].

Search as I might, I have not found Allen in the 1920 Census.

The 1930 Census finds the couple living along Villa Ricca Road in Dallas, Paulding County, Georgia. Allen is still a farmer, renting his farm, and cannot read nor write.  Their seventeen-year-old son, Elmer, is living with them as is their son, Paul E, and their daughter, Mary L.[11]

Allen’s wife, Ella E. (Mitchell) Adair died in 1936.

I have not found Allen in the 1940 Census.

Allen’s son Floyd M Adair died in 1943.

In 1961 Alan filed for a Life Claim with the Social Security Administration.[12]

Death

Marker - Allen William Adair

Marker – Allen William Adair

Allen William Adair died in Fulton County, Georgia on 26 August 1963.[13] He was 82 years old.  He was buried as “Alan W. Adair” in Bethany Christian Church Cemetery, in Paulding County, Georgia.[14]

His son, Paul E. Adair succeeded him.  Two of his other children may have succeeded him as well. Mary Lee, and Lola Adair may have been alive at the time of his death.  I have not been able to find their status yet.

List of Grandparents

  • Grand Parent: Elmer Dewey Adair
  • 1st Great: Allen William Adair
  • 2nd Great: Robert Hutcheson Adair
  • 3rd Great: William Adair

————- Disclaimer ————-

Family Tree DNA - Family Finder & Population Finder

[1] U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, Ancestry.Com, Allen W Adair.

[2] Several other researchers accept the 1878 birth years from his Draft Registration; however, I prefer the 1881 birth year.

[3] On Ancestry.Com another researcher is indicating they have a photo of “Bill Adair” who is identified as being Allen William Adair.  I have contact the source person of the photo and have inquired about the photo, receiving a higher quality image of the image and receiving the source for identification of the image.

[4] USGenWeb – Paulding County – History of Paulding County, Georgia – A timeline from select newspapers of events in Paulding County.  https://hiddenancestors.com/pauldingga/hist/history.htm

[5] Ibid.

[6] The 1900 Census indicates that Mary Jane Parsons had eight children, seven of whom were living.  1881, 1883, 1885, 1889, 1892, 1894, and 1897. The only four-year gap between children is in between 1885 and 1889.

[7] 1900 Census (NARA), Family Search, Robert H Adair – Weddington District 942, Humphrey, Paulding, Georgia – ED 75, Sheet 17B, Line 51. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3JT-TFH.

[8] Georgia, County Marriages, 1785-1950, Family Search, Allen Adair – Ella Mitchell. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KXVF-7XP.

[9] 1910 Census (NARA), Family Search, Allen Adair – Humphrey, Paulding, Georgia ED 121, Page 10B, Line 75. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLLS-FJM.

[10] United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 (NARA), Family Search, Allen William Adair – Georgia Paulding County; A-Z. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZZJ-FMK.

[11] 1930 Census, Family Search, Allen Adair – Dallas, Paulding, Georgia, ED 8, Sheet 3A, Line 3. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:3HF1-WZM.

[12] U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, Ancestry.Com, Allen W Adair.

[13] Georgia Death Index, 1933-1998 (Atlanta, Georgia Health Dept.), Family Search, Allen W. Adair – Fulton, Georgia, certificate number 24152. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V494-X69.

[14] Find a Grave, Find a Grave, Alan W. Adair – Memorial # 45685516. https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=45685516.

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We’re Related – My Possible Relatives – Stephen King, Walt Disney, Britney Spears

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Don Taylor

Review by Don Taylor
Famous Friday

Certainly, one of the fun, new apps from Ancestry is their app, “We’re Related.”  I’ve seen several genealogy friends talk about the app and thought I’d see who I’m related to. Randy Seaver, in his blog Genea-Musings, speaks about his connections in the sense of likely, possible, and unlikely. I thought it might be fun to see who I’m related to that I don’t know about.  I also thought it might, just might provide some areas of new research. Setup was easy. Download the app from the app store, connect the app to your Ancestry.Com account.  Select a tree to use and select yourself from within that tree. Easy-peasy. Next, just look at the possible relationships. Select one and see a tree indicating the relationship. Here I go with some of my results.

Stephen King

The first match I looked at was with Stephen King.

Oh well.  Not a likely match at all. We’re Related’s  path to 7th cousin, once removed Stephen King went through my mother, her mother Madonna Montran, and her father, Max Fisher.  Oops.  Max Fisher was her step-father, not her biological father.  Not even worth further research.  I understand that Ancestry wants to provide all the famous matches that it can, but a fourth cousin of my grandmother’s step-father isn’t a relationship I have an interest spending any research time investigating or confirming. It might be that someone else has a tree that doesn’t define Max as a step-father. So, I’ve hidden this unlikely relationship.

Walt Disney

Next came Walt Disney, a 10th cousin 2x removed.

Walt Disney - 8th CousinA quick look at the ancestral path matched my Roberts Line.

  • Hugh Eugene Roberts
  • Essie Pansy Barnes
  • Joel Clinton Barns
  • Mercy Eliza Taft

Then Joel Cruff Taft and six other ancestors I am not familiar with. Ancestry’s adding seven ancestors to my tree to get to a common ancestor with Walt Disney is disconcerting, but entertaining.  It does provide areas for further research and will pursue it as a part of my standard ancestor research. I’d call my relationship with Walt Disney as a possible Relationship.

Britney Spears

The third famous individual I matched was 8th cousin, 1x removed, Britney Spears.

This line followed my mother, her father, Richard Earl Brown, his mother, Mary Elizabeth Mannin[i], and her mother “Sarah J. Garvin.”  Who?  My research indicates that Mary Elizabeth Manning’s mother was Eliza Jane Fannin.  I never heard of Sarah J. Gavin. So, I’m probably not related to Britney Spears. But the suggestion by “We’re Related” does give me pause to double check my sources for Mary Manning’s mother, but I’m pretty confident this is an unlikely relationship.

Randy Seavers

Based on my Facebook friends, “We’re Related” suggests that I’m related to several friends.  Most interesting is possible 9th cousin Randy Seaver. Yes, the same Randy Seaver whose blog, Genea-Musings, I follow and recommend. Following my tree up towards our shared ancestor, I see, my mother, her father, Richard Earl Brown, his father Arthur Durwood Brown, and his father, Henry Mack Brown.  Oops.  I’ve run into this relationship in several other trees and have investigated it.  I am confident that William Henry Brown was Arthur Durwood Brown’s father and not Henry Mack Brown. I wrote about that relationship in, “W. Henry Brown (1843-c.1895). So, I believe this is an unlikely relationship, and certainly not through Henry Mack Brown.

Conclusion

Famous Person Relationship Comments
Walt Disney Possible Research Ancestors of Mercy Eliza Taft
Stephen King Unlikely Not through Max Fisher
Randy Seaver Unlikely Not through Henry Mack Brown
Britney Spears Unlikely Not through Sarah J. Gavin

“We’re Related” is fun to look at the possibilities. It makes me think about key relationships in my tree and has the potential of providing clues into further research.  It will be interesting to see what it shows when I look at my wife’s family tree using this app.  I know of her relation with a couple of famous Swayze individuals. Will the app show those relationships? We will see….

Endnotes:

[i] Mannin and Manning are used interchangeably.  I tend to use whichever one that is used in the source that the information comes from.

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