I am announcing the re-launching of my website after a hiatus and a move. You can visit www.familygriot.com for more information about my genealogical research and family information. I'll still be blogging here with research updates and family lineage.
Thanks,
Family Griot
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
The Rounds Family of Adams County, Mississippi
The Rounds Family of Adams County, Mississippi originated with the marriage of Charles Rounds (b. 1811 in Virginia/Africa) and Charity Rounds (b. 1822 in Mississippi). Charity Rounds was a slave of Dr. William Mercer at the Laurel Hill Plantation. It is unclear at this time where Charles Rounds was enslaved, presumably on the Laurel Hill Plantation also. After the Civil War, Charlie and Charity Rounds continued to reside in Adams County, Mississippi. They purchased the Rounds Plantation (Glen Aubin) in about 1874. The 1870 census showed the members of the Rounds household, they are as follows: children, Andrew, Lucy, Goliah, Flora and Rose, grandchildren Harrison Holmes, Minor Duncan and Joseph Rounds.
An excerpt from the book "African-American Historic Places" published by the National Register of Historic Places:
The REAL family story about the Rounds Plantation:
After Charles and Charity Rounds acquired the Glen Aubin home, it was passed to their son Goliah and his wife Dinah. They raised their 10 children in the home and surrounding property. Charles and Charity Rounds are buried on the right side of the Antebellum home. The home did not leave the Rounds Family ownership until it was sold in a shady deal in the 1970's. The land, about 400 acres in all, is still owned by the descendants of Charles and Charity Rounds. It includes a large family cemetary plot where several family members are buried.
The Rounds Plantation
Goliah Rounds (b. 1854), son of Charity and Charlie Rounds
An excerpt from the book "African-American Historic Places" published by the National Register of Historic Places:
Like China Grove, Bourbon and Oakland Plantations, Glen Aubin was one of several plantations in southwest Adams county that were purchased by former slaves or their children in the year immediately following the Civil war. Glen Aubin was constructed as the residence of John Odlin Hutchins and his wife, Aubin, from whom it derives its name, on land acquired by Hutchins' grandfather, Anthony Hutchins as an early English land grant in the early 1780's. Coming to Natchez in 1772, Anthony Hutchins was teh area's largest landholdler and planter in the late 18th century. The house appears to date from around 1835 to 1845, with the only major changes occuring around 1850, when the roof was raised to accommodate the second story bedrooms.
In 1874 Charlie and Charity Rounds, who were former slaves or free blacks, purchased Glen Aubin. The purchase was arranged by Wilmer Shields, the plantation manager at the neighboring Laurel Hill owned by William Newton Mercer. The name Charity appears in a list of slaves owned by Mercer, and it is possible that Charity Rounds had been a Laurel Hill slave who, with her husband, was assisted by Shields in acquiring the plantation. From 1874 until 1894, Glen Aubin served as the residence of the Rounds Family, who are responsible for maintaining the architectural integrity of the house, including all original hardware, oak graining and interior and exterior paint colors.
The REAL family story about the Rounds Plantation:
After Charles and Charity Rounds acquired the Glen Aubin home, it was passed to their son Goliah and his wife Dinah. They raised their 10 children in the home and surrounding property. Charles and Charity Rounds are buried on the right side of the Antebellum home. The home did not leave the Rounds Family ownership until it was sold in a shady deal in the 1970's. The land, about 400 acres in all, is still owned by the descendants of Charles and Charity Rounds. It includes a large family cemetary plot where several family members are buried.
The Rounds Plantation
Goliah Rounds (b. 1854), son of Charity and Charlie Rounds
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The Williams/Smith Family lineage
My branch of the Callins family originated with the marriage of George Callins and Lucy Stroggins on 23 December 1886 in Dallas County, Alabama. I am still researching the Callins family because I don't have much information on them at this time.
However, many details are emerging about his wife Lucy Stroggins family. Lucy Callins mother was named Celie Smith (b. abt 1850). It appears as if she had two marriages. The first to Joe Scroggins on 15 January 1870 in Dallas County, Alabama. From this union, Lucy was born. I have been unable to locate any additional records on Joe Scroggins. I then was able to locate a marriage to Pierce Williams on 4 April 1875, also in Dallas County, Alabama. By this time Celie had two daughters, Lucy Stroggins and Phillis Smith. Note that Phyllis' has Celie's maiden name of Smith.
Celie and Pierce had five (5) children: Andrew, Martha, Thomas and Alphie(Alfy). I'm unsure exactly what happened to Martha, Andrew, Thomas or Phyllis. However, I do what happened to Alfy.
According to census records, oral history and a little figuring on my part Alfy left Woodlawn, Alabama and moved to Bessemer, Alabama. While in Woodlawn, she was apparently a paramour. According to family members who knew her while she was living, she had eight (8) light skinned children, but never married. This is what leads me to believe she had a status as a paramour. Her children are the following: Phillis(Anderson) Williams, Edward Williams, Coleman Willilams, Ernestine Williams, Robert Williams, Eugene Williams, and John Williams.
Between 1920 and 1930, Alphy moved to Bessemer, Alabama with her children, her widowed mother Celie and son-in-law Junius Anderson. Also according to family oral history because of their light skin and the move to Bessemer, the Williams' children were afforded better opprotunities. From this branch of the family we have educators and college presidents.
If there are any Williamses from Dallas or Jefferson County, Alabama, I am actively seeking family members to contact. My e-mail address is familygriot@gmail.com.
In the meantime, there will be more to come on this lineage and the Callins lineage including our foreign roots.
However, many details are emerging about his wife Lucy Stroggins family. Lucy Callins mother was named Celie Smith (b. abt 1850). It appears as if she had two marriages. The first to Joe Scroggins on 15 January 1870 in Dallas County, Alabama. From this union, Lucy was born. I have been unable to locate any additional records on Joe Scroggins. I then was able to locate a marriage to Pierce Williams on 4 April 1875, also in Dallas County, Alabama. By this time Celie had two daughters, Lucy Stroggins and Phillis Smith. Note that Phyllis' has Celie's maiden name of Smith.
Celie and Pierce had five (5) children: Andrew, Martha, Thomas and Alphie(Alfy). I'm unsure exactly what happened to Martha, Andrew, Thomas or Phyllis. However, I do what happened to Alfy.
According to census records, oral history and a little figuring on my part Alfy left Woodlawn, Alabama and moved to Bessemer, Alabama. While in Woodlawn, she was apparently a paramour. According to family members who knew her while she was living, she had eight (8) light skinned children, but never married. This is what leads me to believe she had a status as a paramour. Her children are the following: Phillis(Anderson) Williams, Edward Williams, Coleman Willilams, Ernestine Williams, Robert Williams, Eugene Williams, and John Williams.
Between 1920 and 1930, Alphy moved to Bessemer, Alabama with her children, her widowed mother Celie and son-in-law Junius Anderson. Also according to family oral history because of their light skin and the move to Bessemer, the Williams' children were afforded better opprotunities. From this branch of the family we have educators and college presidents.
If there are any Williamses from Dallas or Jefferson County, Alabama, I am actively seeking family members to contact. My e-mail address is familygriot@gmail.com.
In the meantime, there will be more to come on this lineage and the Callins lineage including our foreign roots.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Who is Roxie Earl?
One key person that I have been doing research on is my great-great grandmother, Roxie Earl. I know very little about her. The information that was presented to me is that she resided in Lanehart, Mississippi a small town in Wilkinson County, MS. She died when her youngest son, Elijah, was an infant and is buried in a cemetery called Bunker Hill. She was also a widow. That was the only information that I had to go on in an attempt to find out anything about her life.
I made several attempts in earnest to locate her using different spellings of her name, first and last. I then knew that I would have to take another approach to locating her through census records since the 1890 federal census records have been destroyed. After searching for her daughters Kate and Jane, I was able to ascertain a very good lead on Roxie. Here is the information that I was able to acquire from ancestry.com. I will demonstrate the records that I used to acquire this information.
First I found Jane Lutcher, my great grandfather's sister in the 1920 census.
Jane Lutcher 37 born abt 1883 in Tennessee
Clarence Lutcher 17
Allen Parker 38
Next I found sister Kate/Katie Earls in the 1900 census records raising brother Will.
Katy Earls 23 born in Mississippi in Sept 1876
Leola Earls 1
Chester Earls 3
Willie Washington 11 (my great grandfather)
From this information I know that Katy was born in Mississippi and Jane was born in Tennessee. Information I hadn't known prior to my search. On a wing and a prayer, I searched in Tennessee for Kate. This is what I found.
1880 census record for Shelby County, Tennessee
Jacob Earl 48
Charlotte Earl 47
Steven Earl 26
Mary Earl 18
Lee Earl 4
Henry Earl 2
John Earl 24 Roxana's husband
Roxana Earl 21 born about 1859 in Mississippi
Kate Earl 3 born abt 1877 in Mississippi
Millie Earl 2
Lucy Earl 1
Mary Earl 1M
This is a very strong match for my great-great grandmother, who was called Roxie and her eldest daughter Kate/Katie. As I stated previously, Jane is listed as being born in Tennessee. If this is in fact, my great-great grandmother and her children, I wonder what happened to her husband and her three daughters Millie, Lucy and Mary.
I made several attempts in earnest to locate her using different spellings of her name, first and last. I then knew that I would have to take another approach to locating her through census records since the 1890 federal census records have been destroyed. After searching for her daughters Kate and Jane, I was able to ascertain a very good lead on Roxie. Here is the information that I was able to acquire from ancestry.com. I will demonstrate the records that I used to acquire this information.
First I found Jane Lutcher, my great grandfather's sister in the 1920 census.
Jane Lutcher 37 born abt 1883 in Tennessee
Clarence Lutcher 17
Allen Parker 38
Next I found sister Kate/Katie Earls in the 1900 census records raising brother Will.
Katy Earls 23 born in Mississippi in Sept 1876
Leola Earls 1
Chester Earls 3
Willie Washington 11 (my great grandfather)
From this information I know that Katy was born in Mississippi and Jane was born in Tennessee. Information I hadn't known prior to my search. On a wing and a prayer, I searched in Tennessee for Kate. This is what I found.
1880 census record for Shelby County, Tennessee
Jacob Earl 48
Charlotte Earl 47
Steven Earl 26
Mary Earl 18
Lee Earl 4
Henry Earl 2
John Earl 24 Roxana's husband
Roxana Earl 21 born about 1859 in Mississippi
Kate Earl 3 born abt 1877 in Mississippi
Millie Earl 2
Lucy Earl 1
Mary Earl 1M
This is a very strong match for my great-great grandmother, who was called Roxie and her eldest daughter Kate/Katie. As I stated previously, Jane is listed as being born in Tennessee. If this is in fact, my great-great grandmother and her children, I wonder what happened to her husband and her three daughters Millie, Lucy and Mary.
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