William West 1746 VA

WEST Family DNA Project William West 1746 VA WEST Family Group 5

Descendents of William WEST and Mary Rutherford.
This is the family represented by DNA samples W23 and W24.

Each male with the surname WEST in this chart has a Y chromosome that is a copy of the Y chromosome of William WEST b 1746.   This passing of genetic code from father to son is the key to using Y-DNA for genealogy research.  Any living male with the surname WEST, who is descended from one of the WESTs in this chart, will have Y-DNA that matches samples W23 and W24.

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1.   WEST

   2. William WEST, b 1746, d 1829 Greene Co. TN

        + Mary RUTHERFORD, m. abt 1770

         3. John WEST, b 1771 VA

         3. James WEST, b 1772 VA,  d 1834 Hawkins Co. TN

             + Nancy GRIGSBY

              4. Samuel WEST, b 1805 Hawkins Co TN, d 1861/62 Osage Co MO

                  + Nancy POINTER, m.  1829 Franklin Co. MO

                     5. Samuel WEST, b 1838 Gasconade Co MO, d 1922 Cole Co MO

                        + Nancy Jane KILMER, m. 1862 Osage Co MO

                       6. Mary Elizabeth WEST, b 1863 Osage Co MO, d 1960 Cole Co MO

                           + Joseph FINN, m. abt 1891 Gasconade Co MO

                       6. Martha R. WEST, b 1869 Osage Co MO, d bef 1900

                           + John SERZY (Surzey, Sercy)

                            7. Charles Lenzy SERZY, b 1894 MO,  d 1972

                       6. John Simeon WEST, b 1872 Osage Co MO, d 1943 Cole Co MO

                            + Nora Arminda FINN, m.  1901 Gasconade Co. MO

                       6. James Jasper WEST, b 1874 Osage Co MO, d 1936 Tulsa Co OK

                           + Eliza Catherine WHEAT, m. 1898 Gasconade Co MO

                              7. Arley Taylor WEST,b 1906 Gasconade Co MO, d 1972 Tulsa Co OK

                       6. Alice Malinda WEST, b 1877, d 1928 Tulsa Co OK

                           + Joseph W. Carroll, m. 1896 Gasconade Co MO

                       6. Minnie WEST, b 1880, died in infancy

                       6. unknown WEST

                       6. unknown WEST    

      2. James WEST, d. abt 1782 Rockingham Co. VA

          + Catherine BYRD, m. 1771

             3. William WEST, b 1781 VA, d 1843 VA .

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Halcomb Heckart Branch of the West Family

Submitted by Cindy Halcomb Wyant.

A side note per Ben West’s early comments on the West/Milliken family. I discovered this just recently: Isabella West was the first wife of Hiram Halcomb, after she died he married a Frances Rice. Frances also died, and Hiram married for a third time a Mrs. Mahala Wade Vaughn. Mahala had an existing daughter, Senora T. Vaughn, who would marry George Harbison Milliken. George was the son of James Milliken and Elsie West Milliken. Just one of the many Halcomb/West/Milliken connections! I speak “Milliken” entanglement fairly well … if anyone has questions I am glad to share what I have learned. Those connections are also documented on my Ancestry site “Halcomb Heckart Family Tree,” owner cindywyant68.

There is another related topic I would like to address on the parentage of Isabella West Halcomb. There is a large amount of data out there showing that she is the daughter of “William West”. With the Will of Amos West (previously posted on the blog by Ben West) and the document (my last post) EC 5-60 - Scott vs Herndon, Filed 17 Nov 1815  - I think we can safely say that her father was Amos West. I believe that “William” was Amos’s oldest brother and that he may, or may not, have had a daughter named Isabella that is being confused with her first cousin - the wife of Hiram Halcomb. Would be interested in any comments on this.

I quit too soon on the paragraph on the West/Milliken family > Elsie/Elcie West Milliken was the daughter of William and Angeline Clendennen West – oldest brother of Amos – both sons of Richard West and Susannah “Isabel” Fike West.


Note: I have three Richard Wests related to Amos West. His father - Richard West (Sr.) 1739-1820; his brother – Richard West (Jr.) 1764-1820; and his son – Richard West (III) 1806-1841.

Thought you might be interested in these pictures of two of Amos West's
grandsons.  The second one is my great-great grandfather.  It's not often
that we are able to photographically document ancestors that are removed by that many generations.

Capt Amos West (1834-1913) taken about 1912.  Son of Richard West, and grandson of Amos West.  Enlisted in Company D, Kentucky 2nd Infantry Regiment, CSA on 13 Jul 1861.  Photo courtesy of Ben West for Find A Grave Memorial #67490937.

Amos Halcomb (1816-1896) taken about 1893.  Son of Isabella West Halcomb, grandson of Amos West.  Private, Co., A, Capt Alexander Robinson's Cass Co., Bn, District of the Border USA - Cass Co., Missouri 1864.  Photo courtesy of Cindy Halcomb Wyant

My great-great grandfather, Amos Halcomb, was the brother of Joseph Sively Halcomb – Isabel Stebbins descended from Joseph.  This picture of Amos Halcomb comes from a group sitting of four generations of Halcombs – Amos; his oldest son Joseph Sively;  grandson Lysander Berdette; and his great granddaughter Hazel Verne Boone Halcomb Hunsaker.  The baby looks to be about 6 months old – she was born 10 Jul 1892.  So I date the picture early 1893.  Lysander had two daughters – the second one was Theodora H. Halcomb Stebbins, the mother of Isabel Stebbins Giulvezan.  Isabel Stebbins Giulvezan was born in 1918 and died in 2000, she was the wife of George Steven Giulvezan Sr.  We owe her a great debt for all that she did in preserving our family history!  She was also the founding regent of the John Sappington Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution - Affton, Missouri.   – Cindy Halcomb Wyant

NOTE: My great grandfather, James William Halcomb’s, oldest brother, Joseph Sivley Halcomb, married Amanda Boone Scholl.  Amanda could trace her Boone lineage through her mother Harriett Rite Boone who was the daughter of Thomas Boone, son of Squire Boone, son of Samuel Boone who was the older brother of “Daniel Boone”.  Samuel and Daniel  were the sons of Squire Boone.  Many years later I would visit the Historic Boone home near Defiance, Missouri and find Isabel Stebbins Giulvezan listed on the wall as a member of their early preservation efforts.  Somehow I was not surprised at all to find her name there! :o)

 

Rest in Peace Isabel - your work continues!  Your words have not only stepped into the “computer age”, they now serve as testimony for an amazing phenomena called DNA which proves who we think we are.

I try to add as much “minutia” to my Ancestry sites as I can. I feel that is the most public way that I can share what I have learned.  My Halcomb Heckart Family Tree lists 14,760 people with 4,460 stories and pictures.

In my case I didn’t have the surroundings of family when I was growing up.  My father was a Government surveyor and we moved 27 times before I was 10 years old.  My mother’s family lived in North Dakota and we spent several assignments near them … so I knew who they were.  But the Halcomb side in Missouri was more of a mystery which was compounded by the fact that my grandfather Halcomb died before I was born.  I knew two of his sisters, and his mother was still living until I was age 4 – but I have only one vague memory of her.

Back in the 70’s I was on a search in Kentucky to find “who I really was” spurred mostly by whether I was a Halcomb or a Holcomb.  I came on the manuscript “Notes on Hiram Halcomb …” by Isabel Stebbins Giulvezan in the Kentucky State Historical Society Library.  I photocopied it in its entirety!  Her wonderful research got me started on the complexities of our family.  Returning home after my trip, I corresponded with Isabel and she graciously allowed me to use her research.  It was just recently that I discovered she had also written another manuscript “Notes on Amos West …” which I am sure you are aware of.  If not, it is in ebook form on Ancestry.  She did an amazing job of itemizing legal documents for the last 30 years of his life.

West Family Connections to Herndon, Halcomb and Milligan

Thought you might be interested in this 1815 (1801) legal document on the Herndon family. Amos West’s wife was Frances Herndon West. She was the daughter of James Herndon. I descend from her daughter “Isabell West Halkum”. The correct spelling should be Isabella West Halcomb, wife of Hiram Halcomb. Let me know if I can answer any questions regarding my West/Halcomb line.  – Cindy Halcomb Wyant

 

"Logan County, Kentucky Abstract of Equity Cases, Vol 1" by Montgomery Vanderpool, PO Box 151, Russellville, KY 42276, 1986, pp. 39 & 40.

EC 5-60 - Scott vs Herndon, Filed 17 Nov 1815. Thomas B. Scott complains that on 17 Aug 1801 for a valuable consideration he paid James Herndon they entered into an agreement. James Herndon to convey to Scott "one tract of land holden by headright and obtained by him this day as per certificate containing 200 acres, when he may make a conveyance thereof, that Scott is to pay the necessary and legal fee to the government its officers authorized to collect against the time required by law." Scott states he paid the state price for the land and all charges and fees, etc. and caused the land to be granted to Herndon by Patent from the Commonwealth of Kentucky, bearing date 23 Jan 1813. That since Scott caused the land to be patented to James Herndon he has departed this life intestate at least as to the land and that George Herndon, Cornelus Herndon, Elisha Herndon, James Herndon, John Herndon, Joseph Herndon, Polly Wilkins, Leonard West, Isabell West now Isabell Halkum wife of Hiram Halkum, Agnes West, James West, Richard West, Polly West now Polly Milligan wife of William Milligan are the legal heirs and representatives of James Herndon. The heirs are inhabitants of Logan Co. except for Cornelius who is an inhabitant of Tennessee. That Leonard, Agnes, James and Richard are infants under the age of 21. The West children were children of Frances West, late Frances Herndon (West), Deceased wife of Amos West. Includes agreement between Scott and Herndon dated 17 Aug 1801. The agreement says Thomas B. Scott is of Jessamine Co., KY.




My family data is posted to my Ancestry site “Halcomb Heckart Family Tree”, owner cindywyant68. Amos & Frances Herndon West were my 4th great grandparents. Hiram and Isabella West Halcomb were my 3rd great grandparents. These were followed by Amos Halcomb(Isabella Catherine Sivley) / James William Halcomb(Margaret May Plain) / Everett Thurman Halcomb Sr.(Lelia Helen Heckart) / Everett Thurman Halcomb Jr.(Fern Natalie Hanson) / and myself. – Cindy Halcomb Wyant

Persistence - Don't Ever Give Up!

This article was written 28 May 2014 for the West, Fike and Allied Families in MyFamily.com.   I am posting this today to point to the importance of not just deciding the facts will never be found.  Joy Ikelman and Ben West have told me that they are preparing articles for this blog... I am so excited to see their articles, I decided to find something to help the time pass!  My article will show that I am stubborn about finding what I want to learn.  I hope it will encourage all that read this to decide to knock down brick walls in their family tree research or in anything else in their lives that is of importance to them.   - John G. West

Don't ever give up! I have been studying my family history since I was a kid of about 10 years of age. At times life got in the way a little for me to stay at my life-long hobby, but I would pick up again and continue the course. College and dating girls took me away from genealogy. Then being in the Air Force for four years was a serious obstacle to researching... but I would still do a little research and Mom would send me little notes about the family. She knew that the service was not where I wanted to be, but I had to serve like everyone else and it was my duty. She also knew that family history kept me going and made the not so great times more bearable!

Mom's father died when I was about 12 in 1959, he was an old man that had a rough life and 8 kids. He worked very hard - my Dad had worked with him in a factory for a few years... stating that no man worked as hard as he did! He was known to drink a lot over the years, but never missed work, though. He drank only on the weekends!  He was almost 79 when he died and had very little money or possessions. His small life insurance policy paid some of his final expenses, family paid the rest. He had enough to pay for the funeral and a grave spot near his father's grave and a number of family members in a large cemetery in Owensboro, KY where he lived. The $255 from Social Security was supposed to help and should have paid for a grave marker. One son got the check and was the one that was supposed to get the marker made and installed at his grave. It apparently never happened!

Dad's father did not get a marker either. Not long before my father died, he & Mom decided that their father's should have markers. Dad got the one for his Dad (Warner West) in Christian County, KY. It had been over 10 years since Mom's father had died and the cemetery could not figure out from the records where his grave was actually located which made placing a marker impossible. After my Dad died I took Mom to the cemetery to help her find the grave, but we spent a lot of time in vain. I have gone back and walked the whole area trying to figure it out many times. Two years ago, I insisted on the cemetery director to actually go out with me and find the grave. He was determined to help me find it - the cemetery should know where he was buried, the burial was in recent times (1959). We spent several hours even after it began raining. I really did not want to give up.

This Memorial Day weekend (2014), I was determined that I was going to find grandpa's grave. It was an outrage that the cemetery did not know the exact location. They had records, why was this so difficult? I had been in charge of Evansville's city cemeteries with Oak Hill Cemetery being older and larger than the Rosehill-Elmwood Cemetery in Owensboro. After trying again, going from information in the office files and back to the cemetery section and back again three times, I finally asked if I could actually examine the records to see what the problem might be. I finally figured it out. Section G had 3 divisions. The burial list that was recorded in alphabetical order had him buried in Section G, Division 2, Lot 44. While the burial plot maps had him in Division 3. These two records were never cross-checked before. Division 3 is where all of my grandfather's family was buried, Division 2 is next to # 3 not all that far. However the two divisions had over 800 burials. Once I looked in Division 2 after consulting the records in the alphabetical listing of who should be buried around him, it was easy to find the lot. His was the only plot that did not have a marker in the rolls and graves near lot 44.

It would have been easy to just forget it and accept the fact he was buried somewhere in Division 3 near his father and let it go. Persistence (ok and stubbornness) paid off in finally finding his grave after all of these years. The records have been corrected. Now, if only I had the money to get a marker for his grave.

The moral of this story is to "never give up." The answer is there somewhere, keep looking. Many in this group have found records that everyone said was forever lost. New information seems to pop up from other sources. New technology changes what we currently know. Just look at what DNA has done to help us discover our family connections, what new tools will the near future give us? Keep searching, be persistent and discover the facts!

Robert West (b. 1834), a Slave Freed During the Time of the U.S. Civil War

[NOTE: This article was submitted to me a few years ago and it apparently got lost in my email archives.  My apologies to George L. Holder (who compiled this information) for my neglect of posting this.  Thanks George for your work on this!  Robert West is the ancestor of Vy Higginsen.  John G. West]

Robert West was a slave until freed under unknown circumstances about the time of the American Civil War.  He and Aggy Minor had a daughter Mary:

Mary West, age 6; born and resides in Caroline County, VA.; last owner,  M. Young, of Caroline Co.; residence of father, Caroline Co.; age (of father?) 32; father’s last owner Henry Young of Caroline Co.; mother Aggy Minor; no age, dead; her own last owner, Henry Young, Caroline Co.; signature of father, Robert West.   [source: Records of the Assistant Commissioner for the State of Virginia, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands], Register of Children of Colored Persons in Caroline County, State of Virginia, whose Parents had ceased to cohabit on 27th February 1866, which the Father recognizes to be his (Fredericksburg, VA.: University of Mary Washington, date unknown,  Web Site title: Caroline County African-American Children list 1866: downloaded 26 Feb 2010 from: http://resources.umwhisp.org/freedmen/CarolineAf-AmChild2.htm, page 18, line 14.  Note: searching this document reveals six mentions of West” and none for “Clayton.”  There no mentions for 29 mentions for “Minor” including one for “Aggy” indicating possibilities for further inquiry.]

1860 census: Robert West, age 30, Male, Mulatto, (occupation not perfectly clear, appears to be a Twister, Tobacco, i.e. twisted tobacco leaves to make tobacco plugs in a manufacturing facility), born Virginia; Mary, age 28, Female, Mulatto, (appears to be a Stemmer, Tobacco i.e. removed stems from tobacco leaf in a manufacturing facility), born in Virginia; Robert, age 4/12, Male, Mulatto, born Virginia. [source: Robert West household, 1870 U. S. census, Hanover County, Virginia, population schedule, Lower Revenue District, Beaver Dam Depot post office,  enumerated 9 July 1870, page 31, lines 33-37, household 468, family 465, National Archives micro publication M593, roll 1651. Downloaded image 16 February from  Heritage Quest.] 

Summarized from a chart as of 27 Feb. 1866: Robert West, age 32, born in Caroline County, Virginia, currently residing in Caroline County, Virginia, a farm laborer by occupation.  His last owner was Henry Young, whose last place of residence was Caroline County, Virginia.  Robert’s wife is Mary Clayton, age 20, who was born in Caroline County, Virginia, currently residing in Caroline County, Virginia.  Mary’s last owner was Anne Toliver, whose last place of residence was Caroline County, Virginia.  Robert and Mary have two children, whose names are Maria, age 2 and Alex, age 1.  The date during which Robert West and Mary Clayton started cohabitating was about 1863.  [source: Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands in the Sub-District of Caroline County, Virginia, Register  of Colored Persons of Caroline County, State of Virginia, cohabiting together and [sic] husband and wife on 27th February, 1866, posted on a web site of the University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, Virginia, accessed 16 Feb 2010 from: http://departments.umw.edu/hipr/www/freedmen/CarolineAf-Ammarried1.htm, page 31.  [As of 10 Aug 13 this web link no longer works.]  Identical information except for the date they began cohabiting together, which is absent, can be found at: https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Virginia_Cohabitation_Records, click on “Caroline County, Freedmen’s Cohabitation Register “ at the Library of Virginia.  Of possible interest is that immediately above the entry for Robert West is “Robert Clayton, born King William County, Virginia, residing Caroline County, Va., employed as a farm laborer, last owner was Samuel Tolliver of Caroline County, Va., wife’s name and age, Julia Thomas, 43, born King William County, Va., living Caroline County, Va., last owner Ann Tolliver, of Caroline County, Va., children Mary 20, Catherine 9.”]

1870 census: Robert West, age 45, Male, Mulatto, Farmer, apparently able to read but not write (image not perfectly clear); Mary, 24 years old, Female, Mulatto, keeping house, cannot read or write; Maria, age 7, Female, Mulatto,; Aleck, age 5, Male, Mulatto,; Nancy, age 2, Female, Mulatto. All born Virginia. [source: 1870 census: Robert West, age 45, Male, Mulatto, Farmer, born in Virginia, apparently able to read but not write (image not perfectly clear); Mary, 24 years old, Female, Mulatto, keeping house, born in Virginia, cannot read or write; Maria, age 7, Female, Mulatto, born Virginia; Aleck, age 5, Male, Mulatto, born Virginia; Nancy, age 2, Female, Mulatto, born Virginia.]

1880 census: Lewis, Lemuel, [head of household], BM, 22, laborer; Catherine, BF, 22, wife; John BM 8/12 [eight months old],Son; Mattie, BF 2, Daughter; Clayton, Julia, BF 60, Mother in Law, Keeping House; Robert West, BM 65, Bro in Law, Laborer; Maria [?], BF 16, Niece; Alexander, BM 15, Nephew; George, BM 12, Nephew; Mary, BF 9, Niece; Ella BF 7, Niece; Emma, BF 6, Niece, Clayton, Robert, BM, 65, Father in Law, Laborer.  Each person and their parents are shown as being born in Virginia. [source: Lemuel Lewis household, 1880 census, Hanover County, Virginia, population schedule, Ashland District, enumeration district [ED] 62, supervisor’s district [SD] 3, sheet 28A-b, dwelling 279, family 282, line 49, National Archives micro publication T9, Roll 1370, page 28A, line 49, [continues on page 28B, lines 1-11].

Are You a Settler and Give Up on Finding All of the Facts?

When I was just a kid, we would watch the TV show "Dragnet" with the police detective, Joe Friday, saying to a lady witness: "Just the facts, Ma'am!"  This is what we as family historians should insist upon - Just the Facts!

I have been researching, questioning, investigating, doubting undocumented (& some documented) “facts” since I was in the fifth grade (age 10, now age 69 about 59 years).  You might think I am a little bit stubborn and generally do not accept circumstantial evidence as “fact!”   One thing that I have discovered over all of these years: if there is any "fact" that does not totally add up or seems suspicious, that "fact" needs further research!  Another important item, is any normal information that is missing like birth, marriage, death, lost periods of time... these missing facts can change all that you knew about that person and much more.  Finding proof (documentation) for “facts” is often elusive and even to seem to be totally non-existent; however, do not give up… keep searching for it, the proof is usually available, we just do not know where to look.  I once found a document in Texas for an estate in Kentucky that was “lost” in Kentucky, but recorded in Texas by an heir to that estate!

Let me provide some background of two important facts believed to be lost forever.  My father was an avid book reader who devoured books of all kinds including my high school and college textbooks and whole sets of encyclopedias.  He loved to read western paperback novels, but his favorite was history.  Dad dropped out of high school after his sophomore year to support his mother and younger sister, but through his readings of math, science, grammar, literature and the arts – he easily acquired more education than what most get from high school.  From his readings (studies), he “knew” he was descended from someone who participated in the Revolutionary War.  He researched in the public libraries in the 1950’s when he was not working.  He learned some about our family in county history books, but also realized that much of that information was generally glorified stories of the family.  He was told that the Christian County, Kentucky courthouse was completely burnt down during the Civil War and the records were all destroyed.  The Health department was burned down several times by fires that included Dad’s birth certificate (which meant that he did not have a certificate to prove his birth, etc.).  If only Dad could have gotten access to U.S. Census records, the latest released was the 1860 census.  Cemetery inscription books began being published in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.  Dad died young in 1973.  I had done some research and asked family about our history; so, I knew most of what Dad had learned, though it was limited and undocumented.

Shortly after Dad had died, I learned that the courthouse in Hopkinsville was burned to the ground, but before the Confederate soldiers arrived the citizens removed all of the records with all being saved from 1797 when Christian County was formed.  That same day I found the court records to prove our line back to Thomas West, Jr. and that he provided material aide to the U.S. militia.  I also learned that his son Charles H. West was married to Aquilla Buckner, the daughter of Jesse Buckner a Private who fought in the Revolutionary War.  Dad was right about the family involvement in the development of our country’s independence from England… he just could not find the proof!

Another “fact” that proved to not be absolute was about Dad’s birth certificate.  By state law all births and deaths were required to be “returned” to the State Office of Vital Statistics within 5 days of the event.  Sure enough I was able to get Dad’s birth certificate from the state office!

Another example is Dad’s Woodis family of Christian County, KY.  Littleberry Woodis was in NC in 1810.  I found in Kentucky that his wife was Luvana, but what was her maiden name?  I could not find a marriage record for them.  They had a son, William Woodis, who appears in the 1860 census with his wife, children and mother, Luvana age 90.  In the 1870 census, William is nowhere to be found, but his wife and children are in the census.  Where was William?  Were they divorced, did he run away, was he dead???  He would have been about 53, so I decided he died between 1860 and1870.  Many of his family and other relatives went to Illinois between 1860 and 1870.  I was checking records in Illinois and accidently found William in the 1870 census.  So, he went into hiding again from 1870 thru 1880 Census… lost again.  I assumed he had died this time or ran off to California or whatever!  I gave up on him.  A member from my genealogical society informed me that Henderson, KY (just across the Ohio River from Evansville where I live) had a complete set of the volumes of the State Vital Statistics in their courthouse.  Wow! I could check for many of my family members and send off for birth/death certificates!!!  I was there the next morning looking through the long lists of records.  The state records begin in Kentucky in 1912 with death records being the most important to me.  I checked for Mom’s family and all of Dad’s lines (West, Flatt, Phipps, Martin, Williams, Woodis, Buckner, Rogers, Rager, etc.).  I found a death record of a William Woodis  died in 1913 (lived just long enough).  The record lists name, date of death, county and certificate number.  This couldn’t be Littleberry’s son since he would be very old, it would be about right for William’s son who was named William.  I sent off for the certificate to see who was listed as this William’s mother.  When I got the record, it listed the mother as Luvana Blalock and father Littleberry Woodis – what???  Age 95 years old!  This elusive William Woodis did not die just after 1870, he was alive in 1913!!! I checked the 1910 census and found him, and then I checked the 1900 census and found him again.  I checked all of the surrounding counties and did not find him in the 1880 census.

I gave up on this William Woodis and assumed he had died sometime after 1870… a span of 43 years before he actually died!  I did learn of him for part of that time, but still have 30 years lost (1870-1900).  I only sent off for this death certificate to ensure that Amanda Black was his mother.  My direct line from Littleberry was William (1818-1913) and Luvana then Margaret G. Woodis.  I would have never found this information, if I just assumed it was the wrong William!

We tend to give up and search another line or person.  However, no matter how discouraged we may become or how hopeless the possibility of success, something happens to pull us back into looking some more.  I will say that for myself, I have been to the point of thinking I will never know the answer to our quest and just put away my files and notes in total surrender!  And then, you find some documents out of nowhere that sheds new light on your research.  Or perhaps... Ben, Joy, Ronnie or someone else will ask a simple question that leads us all scrambling to find the answer.  This has happened to me many times and keeps happening over and over.  So many facts were said to be impossible to find from that courthouse to lost deeds, wills, death dates and burials, maiden names, etc., etc., and so on!  [smiling].  Too many people have not been stubborn enough like George, Ben, Ronny, Kevin, Joy, Vy or me.  The less stubborn gave up and said that there existed enough evidence to say that it is likely or highly assumed to be true... only to learn many years later that the “lack of evidence” was because we were on a false trail!  Please do not be like the family on the TV commercial - we are settlers.   Remember, "just the facts, Ma'am!"

Understanding Quaker Records

Compiled by Joy Ikelman, January 2016. All disclaimers apply. Information for this article came
from scholarly works and my personal experiences.

Understanding Quaker Records

Researching a Quaker ancestor is a challenge! Quaker traditions and customs affect
how you should interpret data—even Federal Census records.

The following information applies to Quaker research from the 1600s to about 1828. In
1828, the Society of Friends split along doctrinal lines. If you are doing research beyond
1828, some of the same information will apply, depending on the location or doctrinal
leaning of the Meeting.

This is an example of minutes written on 30 of 1 m 1833 at the Norwich (Canada) Monthly Meeting.
Benjamin West is mentioned. Following this is a note about the visit of Joseph Hoag, a respected
minister. West and Hoag were probably fourth cousins.

(1) A Friend didn’t usually live down the street from his Meeting place.
If you discover your ancestor is associated with a particular Quaker Meeting location, it doesn’t
necessarily mean that he lived in that town. He might not be in the same county, State, or
country! For example, during the 1790s, the Nine Partners Meeting in Dutchess County, New
York, held jurisdiction over Meetings in Canada.

As membership increased in the late 1700s and early 1800s, Meetings were divided into
associated units—from gatherings in homes, to Preparative Meetings, Monthly Meetings,
Quarterly Meetings, and the Yearly Meeting. Beginning in the 1820s, the Meeting units divided
again, this time into Orthodox versus Hicksite (or other Quaker movements). Always follow the
non-Quaker paper trail using Federal Census records or court documents to find your ancestor’s
actual location.

(2) Quaker data are found in Meeting minutes.
Every Meeting was managed much like a business. Detailed Meeting minutes were written in
record books. In these handwritten books there might be birth records, inventories, membership
transfers, disciplinary actions, etc. There were Men’s Meeting Minutes and Women’s Meeting
Minutes, as the genders were considered to be equal. Dates of Meetings were listed with the
day of the month, month designator, and year, i.e. “20 of 12 m 1822.” Pay close attention to
these:

     Quaker Census. A Meeting’s membership list (also called a Quaker census) might include
all members’ birthdates and birthplaces. Usually the list will only include names for a
particular year. But some lists span several years—adding new members but not
subtracting those who have died or moved to another location.

     Birth Records. By writing the baby’s name in the official book, the Meeting (as a
congregation) promised to take care of the child should anything happen to the parents.
There are no Quaker baptisms. In general, a firstborn boy was named after his mother’s
father. A firstborn girl was named after her father’s mother. Names did not have to be
Biblical.

     Marriage Records. When you find a marriage record, it is actually an acknowledgement
that two people declared their marriage to each other. No minister or legal official was
required. No elaborate ceremony was held. A certificate (document) would be drawn up. It
would be signed by witnesses at the Meeting, and copied into the minutes.

     Death Records. A mention of a Friend’s death in a record is highly unusual. Burials were
simple, without ceremony. Usually there was no marker (tombstone). This tradition
changed over the years. After the 1820s, there were often markers but these were not
ornate. These customs reflected the belief that all people were equal in life and death.

     Quaker Discipline. Disciplinary actions were designed to keep Friends on the proper
path. Discipline might be required for disorderly conduct, immodesty, inappropriate
language, and not attending the Meeting. In all cases, there were chances to be in good
favor again—with a change in behavior, writing an apology, and/or doing work in the
service of the Meeting.

     Dismissals. Dismissals from the Meeting happened occasionally. The family historian
might think, “That’s the end of it—my ancestor was no longer a Quaker after that.” Not
true! A Friend could offer an apology, usually written, expressing his understanding of the
dismissal. After consideration by committee, the individual was allowed to return to the
Meeting. The most common reason for dismissal was “marriage out of unity.” Another
common reason was not adhering to Quaker beliefs. This reason was used often in the
years up to the major schism of 1828.

(3) The United States Census records can be tough to interpret.
If you attempt to correlate 10-year census records with what you know about your Quaker
ancestors, you may feel like giving up. There are too many or too few children! Some are in the
wrong age group! These issues show up in 1790 to 1840 census records, because children’s
names are not listed.

We know the usual explanations: high infant mortality and census-taker errors, for example. But
there may be other reasons, and these have to do with Quaker customs.

     Apprenticeships. In general, the progression of a child’s life was set. Beginning at about
age 8, a boy and girl would go to school until they were 14 years old. From 14 to about
age 21, boys would be apprenticed. This was almost mandatory. Their field of study was
determined by discussion of Friends in their Meeting. Girls might also become
apprentices. The children were placed with fellow Friends. The apprenticed children lived
with their new family, who were usually acquaintances or relatives. They were counted
with the other children in the house during a Federal Census.

     Taking in additional children. The Friends believed that all Quaker children should be
given care until they could manage for themselves. This included orphans and children
from poor families. The phrase was “put out to Friends.” If there are extra children in your
ancestor’s census record, there may be children who have been welcomed into the family
from these circumstances.

(4) There are some excellent, free resources on the Web for your research.
Many minute books have been lost over time. If a Meeting place was laid down (discontinued),
the record books would often be taken home by a Friend, rather than passed along to the next
closest meeting. These books are still being discovered.

Most Quaker records that still exist have not been scanned for online use. You must go to a
depository library to view these, or request film or microfiche through the LDS or universities.
However, if you are persistent, you can find things for free. A large number of Quaker-related publications and data may be found at:  https://archive.org/details/texts.  Put keywords in the search feature on the far right (try "Quakers").  Transcribed Quaker data and other publications by Josephine Frost, a genealogist and historian of the early 1900s, are found here.

The best university source for American Quaker records is the Friends Historical Library
Collection at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. The on-line site has an index feature that is
very useful. Visit the site at: http://www.swarthmore.edu/friends-historical-library.

Canadian records are also available. Name searches, indexes, and some transcribed minutes
are found at the Canadian Quaker Archives site, http://quaker.ca/archives/. The Canadian
Friends Historical Association site includes the archive of their journal, and transcriptions of
Nine Partners Monthly Meeting. This is at http://www.cfha.info/.