June 2008 Archives

I have to say that one thing for me that has been a hallmark of doing genealogical research is the feeling at times of being in-between both worlds today and back then. Many who do this kind of research will tell you that it is key to being able to find some of the people and places. Having an understanding not only of the history of the places that you search in but of the times and the people living there as opposed to looking at things with modern views is crucial.

Having said that, there are still when looking back some things that tug at your heartstrings and transcend all time and space.

Such is the case where this story begins, with Fred and Mary Fenner. the 1880 census for Halifax, NC lists Fred Fenner as being born about 1839, which means he would have been born into slavery. In his household at that time was his wife Mary who in later census records is known as Mary Precilla and Mary Brown.

Out of all the research I have done so far their story is the most haunting to me. Not because of the details of it which there are very few. More so because of what is known so far. In the household at that time was his mother Nellie Randolph, his wife Mary and his two sons: Major F age 11 and Eddie age 2. Ages are close approximations with regards to census information as these are notoriously inaccurate for myriad reasons.  However with regards to Fred's sons they are pretty accurate in this instance as later documents will attest to.

Since we cannot ask them because they are long gone, we will probably never know about the gap in ages with Fred's two oldest sons. The family shows up again on the 1900 census but Fred is not shown in the household. There are more children as by that time the family size had increased to include: James, Eartie, Eliza, Frank and Mary. Frank being the baby  has a date of birth listed as Sept 1, 1893. it is the last time known that his father would be alive. 

A marriage certificate for his oldest son Major, shows that in 1907 (when it was applied for) that his father Fred, was deceased. How to understand or know what that family went through at that time. We may never fully understand what indeed  their lives were like at that time. One thing is clear however, Mary - Fred's wife - never remarried although she lived out a long life. She never married again and she raised all her children on her own.She is last seen in the household in the 1920 census as  head of household with her son James W. and his wife Maggie (nee' Shields) and their children: Catherine, Horace and little Maggie.

 In case one needs  some perspective being unfamiliar with the history of those times and circumstances, there were no jobs as there are now - there was no such thing as welfare, or head-start,  or any of the things that many nowadays take for granted  while complaining loudly about their "plight".





























I am reminded yet again why the stories of these people, our ancestors need to be told...

Lots going on this weekend. I have to stop a moment and thank Allen McClain from afrigeneas.com who has managed to find some documents that we thought were lost. I got the email from him Saturday and was in tears for a while afterwards.  I will be blogging about all this and definitely will be updating all this week.

To  Major, Frederick, Edwin and James, but most especially to Mary and Fred - we haven't forgotten you and your stories WILL be told.

Blessings....

The following bio is excerpted from the Ulmer Family History and was graciously given to me by a "cousin" who also has been and is doing family research.

 

Lucy "Rita" or "Reeder" (Slave name) was sold in slavery to the Ulmer's. Since she was on the Ulmer Plantation or farm, she took on the last name of the owner, Ulmer. At that time, Lucy was considered a "breeder" as she had a few children for her white master before she married Jim(James Ulmer) who was also on the Ulmer Plantation.

Grandma Lucy and Grandpa Jum had 14 children together. some of their children either died very early in life or before they reached adulthood. Of those that lived were: Caroline the oldest, christian, Mary and Martha(Twins) Jake James (Ulmer) who after he had a son  named James became James Sr. (also known to many of the familly as "Dudd" or "Uncle Dudd"., Robert, George, Lavinia(my mother's paternal Grandmother) also called "Ninny" and Edward the youngest in the bunch.

Grandma Lucy came from the Lone Star area of South Carolina, which was an Indian Reservation (Cherokee Indian) in those days. I was told that she was half Cherokee Indian(oral history - not confirmed).

There is more to this history however I am waiting for the additional pages to be sent to me so i can post them here.

 

someone sent me a link to a collection of the wills for Halifax County, NC from about 1758 to 1854 and so I printed this out so I could go through them to see if any of my names are in there.
When I tell you this is hard reading that is an understatement.

I think you really have to have a serious committment to research in order to read through this stuff and not go insane. Slaves  were divied up amongst family  members like furniture and or livestock.
Here is an excerpt that actually made me go take a break:

p.55, I David Clark...appoint my brother William M. Clark my friends James C. Johnston & Gavin Hogg and my nephew Colin Clark executors and guardians of my children...not to sell the rest of my real Estate and Slaves unless some important change in the affairs or trade of the Country or the Laws of the state...my daughters...each of them five slaves, said slaves to be selected...by my executors to be of an average value with the slaves undivided at the time of the selections...my executors to see that my slaves be treated with Kindness and indulgence that they may have an ample allowance of provisions, clothing and bedding that they may have comfortable Houses to live in and when sick all needfull Medicine and nurseing: that each labouring slave may have ground laid off to him or her to Cultivate for his or her use and that half of every Saturday be allowed such slave for Cultivation. I also request my executors to restrain those in immediate authority over my slaves from all wanton unnecessary or severe punishments, and I direct that all disorderly slaves who will not do without punishment be sold. I direct that old Ned for his Honesty and fidelity be discharged from all Labour but what he may choose to do and that his comfortable support be provided for out of my Estate by a yearly allowance of Provisions, clothing, &c...10 May 1828...(signed). November Court 1829.

so far I have found only one reference to the "Fenner" family:

pp.74-5, I Mary Fenner of the Town & County of Halifax...to my grandson Robert Fenner my negroe Slave Joe...Grandson John H. Fenner my negro Slave Henry...to my sons John & Dixie C. Fenner...one third part of my negroes not heretofore bequeathed in trust for my son Robert Fenner of the state of Tennessee...the remaining two thirds of my negroes to be divided among them...20 February 1830. (signed). May 1831 Court.

AS a result of a post I made over at Afrigeneas, I had someone email me regarding a possible marriage certificate for two individuals on the tree I am currently researching for the Fenner Family. Robert Rofe b. 1851 in Virginia married a Lina<sp> Smith. There is a DC issued for Lina that mentions the full names of her father and mother - George Smith and Annie Gaery<sp>. I will post the information  regarding the marriage certificate below - keep in mind I have heard on several occaisions that there is a "Tillery" branch in this family :

 

Hello Alinda,

I was able to obtain the marriage certificate previously mention of Robert Rofe and Lina Johnson. Unfortunately, this information lends itself to more questions verses helping to give you additional
information on the family that you are researching.

It states:

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, Office Register of Deeds, Halifax county. Oct. 24th, 1889
To any Ordained Minister of any Religious Donomination, or any Justice of the Peace of said County;
W. S. Tillery having applied to me for a Lincense for the Marriage of Robert Rofe of Halifax County, age 40 years, colored, the son of unknown and unknown, the father now dead, the mother living, resident of ----
and Lina Johnson of Halifax, age 35 years, colored, daughter of ---- and ---- the father----, the mother ----, resident of Halifax Co.

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, Halifax County
I, Rev. D. F. Newby of A.M.E. Church, united in matrimony Robert Rofe and Lina Johnson the parties
licensed above on the 24th day of Oct 1888 at Halifax in Halifax Township, in said County according to law.

According to the above information, this Robert Rofe was born around 1848 and Lina Johnson around 1853. I did noticed that other documents such as death certificates listed a Tina Smith.

I wanted to get this post up and actually it will most  likely be a multi part entry in that there's so much to say about this that I don't think I will do it all in one setting.

When I first started researching one of the places I ran into was AFRIGENEAS.  I was at the time looking for resources for those searching in particularly for african american ancestors and found a storehouse of information as well as a community that is a must stop for anyone doing research that involves people of color especially.

 

There are forums on the site that cover a myriad of topics - Slave Research, Surnames, Indian Rolls, - and I could fill a whole paragraph with the topics they  cover. It's best to just stop by and take a look. Then once there you will realize that it is more than just a forum its a thriving community where one can go for help during the search process as well as support when you run into the proverbial brick wall - which anyone who has done this kind of research will tell you you most certainly will. It helps tremendously to have a place to vent and the people are so friendly that you might even wind up finding your way past the brick wall due to the helpful hands that frequent the site.

There is chat on the site as well - you can find a listing of scheduled chats on the site and there are databases of information pertaining to african american genealogy. In short this site is a major center of information for anyone doing any kind of searching.

 

 

There are with the advent of the internet numerous sources for information regarding the histories of various cities and townships. I have included here those that I found were most informative. I should note that the sciway.net website is a portal with a wealth of information on south Carolina and is a good place to start when looking for information.

 

History of the community

 

Orangeburg, SC - sciway.net

 

Orangeburg SC Genealogy resources

 

this is a more detailed history  - Bryansite - History of Orangeburg County, SC

 

You can additionally find more information on rootsweb.ancestry.com and of course you can if you are especially researching african american ancestors stop over at Afrigeneas.com

Historic Halifax, North Carolina


This article does  a fairly good job of discussing the origins of Halifax, North Carolina. It is interesting to note it also refers to current archaeological excavations going on "Lot 52" and the significance of the work being done there.

What started as a remedy to random curiosity with regards to members of his family wound up as a genealogy project that has taken on a life of its own.

Five generations deep and information still turning up fairly regularly, are the ingredients that go into the research I have been doing with regards to the Fenner family which according to the information that I have come across thus far, primarily came from the Halifax, North Carolina area.  Present day family members notwithstanding, as it is with most families in the country, many members, especially the younger ones, move away for various and sundry reasons.

I should start by saying that most of the information that I have uncovered has been via census records, birth and death certificates, and actually there is still in existence a family bible which has helped me past many a  brick wall.  While the information is not all encompassing, it does show the proof of  the existence of the family members and in some instances solves long held mysteries.

What begins here is a telling of their lives and connections as best can be told with the limited information available. It is the beginnings of a community project as it were, as  this blog is published and updated there may be out there some who have information and or additional clues to some of the names and people mentioned. They are welcomed to post and contribute to this blog, In fact mean for this to be a gathering place not only for the family but for those also involved in the research process those trying to figure out this madness called Genealogy .
But before i start  weaving those ends together,  a n explanation of sorts is needed. for those of you who are not familiar with Swahili, Vyanzo  is translated to mean  Beginnings, Origins, Source,  or root causes - for a blog about familiy history research in two specific families I couldn't think of a better or more meaningful name.

and so  indeed this is Vyanzo by way of the Wazee (elders)

"If you understand the beginning well, the end will not trouble you." - Ashanti Proverb

The idea for this blog came to me over the course of a much needed vacation. I have not prior to this year been on vacation in over ten years - life's been funny that way around here. It was on  a trip with my boyfriend, significant other or whatever they are calling it nowadays, that  the idea occurred to me to create a blog that would outline the process that I have been engaged in with regards to the genealogical research that I have been doing  for his family - the Fenners of Halifax North Carolina, as well as my family, the Brunson/Darbys of Orangeburg, SC.

I actually started the research at the request of my mother who was interested in trying to find out about her father's father. At the time we had not even so much as a name for him and were at a loss to find any information on her father even as his name was one that was common and we had little identifying information to go on.

The one thing we had going for us in this search was, that her mother, my grandmother is still alive and has a very good memory with names and places  and even some dates. Between my grandmother's information as well as my pouring over census records, birth and death records we were able to trace my mother's family back to around the civil war on her mother's side and we have been slowly building the tree on her father's side reconstructing the information on slow but steady basis.

It was during  this time that I met Stanley Fenner and through many conversations found that he was very interested in the research that I had been doing with my family tree and was interested in trying to look into some of his own family's history. So far, on his father's side there are some of his father's siblings still alive that have given oral history and confirmation of the searches I have been doing. There is also a family bible that im told has all the family birthdays - not sure about weddings.

In any case it might seem crazy to embark on two major searches like this almost simultaneously, however,  it is one of those things that just fit.  I have in the time I have been researching increased my knowledge of genealogy exponentially and have become a member of the National Genealogy Society. It is my hope that someday I might be able to present at one of their functions

I was reminded this week why this kind of research is so vitally important and why I myself am involved with it. Spending time with the Fenners, and Richardsons was a blessed opportunity to experience "family" in the truest sense of the word. For someone like me, who is an adopted only child, it was a very heartwarming experience and reminded me of the little girl I used to be who longed to go on family trips and vacations.