What Today's Quick Search Revealed

Well, I learned that my family owned slaves. I mean, I guess if your family is from the South, you can assume they owned slaves ... but I read wills today and have confirmation. They gave them to different children and even gave those slaves yet-to-be-born-or-even-conceived children to other family members. Wow. I love how the list of "valuables" includes not only humans but also livestock and copper pots and pans.

I do not have a direct descendant from that side of the family who served in the Revolutionary War, so I'll have to keep searching.

I emailed a guy who wrote a book of my great-grandmother's maiden name (emailed him to confirm my findings that none of my grandfathers served during the war). His research agrees with what I've found, and he also shared the following:

Family legend says James William Henxxx fled Alabama after killing his brother-in-law, Jackson Barxxx in an altercation while Barxxx was beating his wife (James' sister). His father, Benjamin Norris Henxxx gave him money and his best horse and told him to leave Alabama and never come back. He went to Tennessee.

So, not only am I descended from an indentured servant and a slew of slave owners, I am also the great-great-great-great granddaughter of a murderer (though, it sounds well-deserved, you know, if killing is ever well-deserved, I think beating up on women places high up there). Also, that Benjamin Norris Henxxx mentioned was apparently a rather famous Baptist preacher in Alabama during his time.

I remember my mom saying she couldn't figure out where I came from. I'm starting to agree.

A New Obsession

Now that a healthy chunk of stuff is unloaded, between garage sales and consignment and eBay sales, and now that I've had time to sit and ponder (thanks to less stuff being around), I think I have found a new obsession.

I just finished reading The Mistress' Daughter by A.M. Homes (who also wrote The Safety of Objects, which was turned into one of my favorite movies, and The End of Alice, a great book). She was adopted and in her 30s, her biological parents got in touch with her. She learned that her biological father's people were American Revolution descendants - so she could join the Daughters of the American Revolution. For many reasons, this doesn't happen for her, but it now has me obsessed with the idea of finding a link to an American Revolution patriot. Oh, how exciting!

After the boys went to bed last night, I did A LOT of searches of Google, and I've already found a wealth of information - like, my distant cousin (I think she'd be my second cousin, maybe) has NINE published books AND homeschools FIVE kids. I feel like such an underachiever. I am, however, ordering at least one of her books. She has two books on homeschooling, too, so those of you into that might want to look her up.

I also found that my great-grandma (the only great-grandma I remember well) is descended from a man "probably" born in England around 1700 and was "in bondage." For a second I thought I was black, but I believe that means he was an indentured servant, but I like to pretend he was a pirate. So, yes, I'm a 12th-generation pirate!

I have the name of a major from the Revolutionary War who shares a family name and area with my family with the same last name - so I may have found a link, but I'll need to trace it through. But it seems like a pretty solid lead.

All this in just like three hours of free searching. So amazing.

Also, so many beautiful and old-fashioned names to sort through. I just LOVE looking at the names.

I have to get walking - I am watching the three boys from House of Boys for a bit after school, and the whole gang of us doesn't fit in the car.