Zambia, Here We Come

Jessica wrote, “We held a “surprise” party in the construction zone of our house. 😂. It was the only way we could keep the secret of my parents getting a mission call. Everyone was surprised. I’m  the only one who knew it was coming cause I saw a letter one day early in January on the kitchen table. So I planned the party😁. I made the puzzle map of the U.S. cause me and my parents thought it would definitely be a states mission. But…they are going to Zambia (in Africa)😅. I don’t know who is going to be more shell shocked- my mom or my dad. If you know my mom, she does not like big adventures away from home. This will definitely be the ride of their life!”

Just One Document - The Family

In this post I will continue to analyze the one document we have for James and Nancy Phelps and their family.

The 1860 U.S. Census does not provided the relationship of each person living in the household to the head of the household. Most of the time we assume relationships based on surnames and ages. In this blog post I will discuss what can be learned about James Phelps who was living in Huntingdon, Carroll County, Tennessee during the 1860 census.

• ·       Family number 1446 included James Phelps, a male. He was sixty-seven years old. This information can be used to determine an approximate year of birth. In this case, James would have been born about 1793. With this information James Phelps should be listed in the 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, and 1850 censuses. At this point in time we do not know when he was married and therefore became a head of household.

• ·       He was a farmer.

• ·       The value of his real estate was given as $1000 and the value of his personal property was given as $800. This seems to be quite a substantial amount of real estate for 1860. There should be some kind of land transactions before and after 1860.

• ·       He was born in Virginia.

Other members of the household:

• ·       Nancy Phelps was sixty-one. She was born in Virginia. Based on her age and that she is listed directly under James Phelps, we assume Nancy is his wife. This information is consistent with the Phelps Family Bible page which states that James and Nancy Phelps were the parents of Henry Clay Phelps.

• ·       James Phelps, age thirty-four. He was born in Tennessee. The gives his approximate year of birth as 1834. Assuming this James is the son of James and Nancy we can conclude to a couple of things: 1) He may or may not be the first son born to James and Nancy. If he is the son of James and Nancy, their ages at the time of his birth would have been about twenty-three and nineteen, respectively. Certainly a possibility that he was their first son, especially since he was given the name of his father. If he was the first son, it can be implied that James and Nancy were married approximately 1834. Since this son was born in Tennessee, we do not know if James and Nancy were married in Virginia or Tennessee or some other place.

• ·       Henry Phelps, age seventeen. He was born in Tennessee. His occupation was given as “farm labor.”  This information is consistent with all other family records which states he was born in 1844 in Obion County, Tennessee. ( little variation exists in year of birth because of not knowing the exact date of birth. The census record is estimated). There is quite a gap in ages between James (the son) and Henry, indicating that most likely there were more children born to James and Nancy.

• ·       Elizabeth Phelps, age fifteen, was also born in Tennessee. The approximate year of birth for Elizabeth would have been about 1845.

Just One Document - Identifying Places

A transcribed page from a Phelps Family Bible recorded that James Phelps, a native of Virginia, was Henry Clay Phelps’ father and his mother was Nancy Smith, also from Virginia. As of the writing of this blog post, the only document that has been found that clearly records this family is an 1860 U.S. Census.[1] Let’s identify and talk about all the pieces of information from this one record.

·       James Phelps was living in the Civil District No. 12, Huntingdon, Carroll County, Tennessee. The census was enumerated on the 11 October 1860 by J. H. Boyd.

What questions can be asked with this information?

          Where is Carroll County located?

          What is the location of Civil District No. 12?

          What was the city of Huntingdon like in 1860? Large? Small village?

         

Huntingdon is the county seat for Carroll County, Tennessee. It is located in western Tennessee, about twenty miles west of the Tennessee River. When the 1860 census was taken, James Phelps was living in Civil District No. 12. The following map indicates that Huntingdon was a hub for many roads. District No. 12 was South of the main city of Huntingdon, most likely in an agricultural area. 

---

The most common crop grown in the area was cotton, indicated that farms needed a great deal of help in order to harvest the crops. Livestock was also a vital source of income. Here lies a major indicator for the division of the county and the division of families during the Civil War. “Livestock farmers did not have slaves and were for remaining in the Union. Cotton growers, etc. had slaves and wanted to secede from the Union. In their meeting at the Huntingdon Court House those wanting to remain in the Union left by the North door and the ones wanting secession left by the South door.”[1]

If Union soldiers left for the North and the ones wanting secession left by the South door, it may be possible to identify children of James Phelps who served as Union soldiers.

Following the location of James Phelps and his family will be vital in learning his true ancestry.

To be continued...

---

[1] Goodspeed, “General History of Tennessee” Carroll County excerpt as quoted from Town of Huntingdon Tennessee (http://www.huntingdontn.com/our-town/historical-huntingdon/)

---

[1] Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. (http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=7667). Page 215. Image 3 of 11.

Gaining an interest in Family History

Sometimes Family History is ingrained in a person. I have always been intrigued by stories of real people. When I was young, I loved reading about Clara Barton, George Washington Carver, and Dolly Madison and the amazing accomplishments they achieved during their lifetime. I also love walking through cemeteries and wonder about the people who are buried there. What was their life like? What hardships did they face? What were their interests? What made them happy? I would love to know their stories. So this is the reason for this blog. I believe that by placing ancestors in the historical context in which they lived maybe some of these questions can be answered.

First however, lets generate some ideas on how to interest our families with their ancestors:

• Everyone loves birthdays. Why not celebrate a birthday of a deceased ancestor? Gather extended family members and really have a party! Display photos of their life, share a story or two and eat some of the foods they liked or may have eaten. Don't forget the birthday cake, either. Write their name on the cake and sing "Happy Birthday" to them.

• Display a map of the United States or the world and use stickers or pins to show where your ancestors lived. Talk about events in history that may have affected your ancestor when they lived there.

• Do any of your family members resemble grandparents, aunts, or uncles? Look through old photographs and see if you can identify any character traits. 

These are just a few ideas to get you started. By following this blog you will soon see how much can be learned from just one picture or one document as I share my experiences with you. A whole new adventure lies ahead as history is intertwined with your ancestors.