Observations: June 2008 Archives

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.

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.