George Farmer

Well, I am feeling pretty good this morning. Perhaps it is true that things start to get better when you get close to the second trimester. I am going to try to get this new post up before I do start feeling bad.

George Farmer was born sometime around 1760 in Virginia, probably Chesterfield County. I do not have any proof as to George's father, but have seen references that his father's name was Elam Farmer. There were many Elam Farmers in Virginia who could be George's father, and so far I have not been able to pin point exactly which, or even if his father's name actually was Elam.
My records show that George married Nancy Hardin on May 15, 1794 in Lunenburg County, Virginia. There have been disputes as to the maiden name of George's wife, or if he in fact married two different Nancys, but according to he research I have done, I am most positive that Nancy Hardin was the wife, and only wife of George. Some researches believe that George Farmer married Nancy Bolling in Oglethorpe County, Georgia on April 17, 1798. If you look at the original records and not the transcripts, you will see that the George who married Nancy Bolling was a Farrar, not a Farmer. One can see how the names can be easily confused. Our George Farmer did move to Oglethorpe County, hence the confusion in his wife's name and the assumption that some researches make in stating that Nancy Hardin died and he then married Nancy Bolling.
George and his family were in Oglethorpe County, Georgia by 1800 where George is recorded in the Tax records and on the census with his wife, one son and two daughters in the household. George probably died in 1810, since he is recorded in the Tax lists but not recorded on the census.
George and Nancy had, according to the 1800 census, 3 children, and since Nancy is listed as 45+, it would seem unlikely that they would have many children after that census. In my records, I have children born up to 1809. Perhaps their was a mistake on the census or some of the children are actually grandchildren and their father is not known. I do not know for sure without looking for more records on the family. I have the following list of children of George and Nancy: Henry, Thomas, Elizabeth, Martha, William, Theodosia, George W., and Robert Hardin. Elizabeth and Martha were the daughters recorded in 1800 and Henry was most likely the son. In 1820, Henry is recorded in the Oglethorpe County census with a male and female between the ages of 10 and 15. They are most likely siblings of his, since they are too old to be his children. That would be there would be at least 5 children. Theodosia is probably the girl and either Robert or George the boy.
I would love to see more records on this family, as William would be my ancestor. I have proven my line up to William, but have not been able to find that record or link that truly connects William to his father, George. I feel very strongly that William is connected to this family. He has named a son Robert Hardin, and another son, my gg-grandfather, has the middle name of George. When I have more time, I will try to write a post on William, but for now, I must stop typing and get ready for work.

I have not added George to my ancestry tree since he is not proven yet to be my William's father, and he is not located on Find-A-Grave.com.

Sources:
Census Records: 1800, 1820 Oglethorpe County, Georgia
Tax Records: 1800, 1805, 1810 Oglethorpe County, Georgia
Marriage Records: George Farrar and Nancy Bolling

A New Generation

Well, I have not felt like typing any new posts lately. I had been typing a few and scheduling them to post on certain days. I found out about 3 weeks ago that I am pregnant with my first child and really haven't felt like sitting up at the computer. I've been very tired and nauseous. Hopefully, when the first trimester is over, I will be able to get more posts up. Supposedly you get more energy during the second trimester, which I hope is true! So, hopefully in the next two or three weeks I'll get some more posts out as I feel better. Thank you to all who have read my blog so far!

Moses Stamps Sr.

Moses Stamps was born in Virginia in 1772 to Thomas Stamps and Ms. Witt. Researcher Will Stamps believes that Moses's mother was Rhoda Witt, daughter of Charles Witt and Lavina Harbour, but offers no convincing evidence of this. There is also some dispute over Moses's name. Many researches have him listed as Moses Witt Stamps Sr., Witt being his mother's maiden name. One research, whose name I cannot remember or locate at this time, says that there is no record or evidence that Witt was his middle name. It is true that no record says his middle name is Witt, but there is some evidence that may suggest it. Moses had a son who he named Moses Witt Jr. Most of the time, a Junior has the same exact name as the father, so it is reasonable to assume that Moses's middle name may have been Witt as well. Since we do not know for sure, I have left out the Witt middle name from this article about Moses.
Moses married Sarah Ann Eason, a daughter of Moses Eason and Sarah Ann Rice some time before 1793, most likely in North Carolina. According to researcher, Muriel T. Cooter, "For her wedding gown, Sarah Ann carded and spun and wove her own material. It is said to have been so sheer that she could draw a width of it through her wedding ring." Sarah Ann Eason was born around 1770. By 1795, Moses and his wife and young child moved from North Carolina to Jackson County, Georgia. In 1803, he purchased 150 acres on Sandy Creek from William Stamps, son of Timothy Stamps and in 1804, he won a land lottery in Oglethorpe County, but he never lived there. Moses purchased a great deal of land in Jackson County, where he lived up until around 1820, when he moved his family to Gwinnett County, Georgia and then by 1825 his moved his family to Coweta County, Georgia.
Moses served in the War of 1812. He was appointed Captain after enlisting the 243rd District of Jackson County, Georgia on April 9, 1812. Besides a soldier, Moses was also a farmer, locksmith and blacksmith. Ann, as his wife was known, also held an occupation, quite unusual for a women in her days. "She was a doctor of note, receiving calls all over the countryside, traveling on horseback to her patients." (From: The Annals of Our Kin, by Mary Pearl Brown Price)
Moses and Sarah had at least ten children together. There oldest, Eason, was also a War of 1812 soldier and also fought in the Indian Wars of 1836. Other children are James Thomas, John Robert, Moses Witt, George Washington (who went to Texas), Mary A. F., Sarah, Louisa, Ann and Elizabeth.

Sarah died in 1847 at the wedding of one of her granddaughters. I do not know at which granddaughter's wedding she passed, but I can narrow down the possibilities. One is Sarah Ann Stamps, daughter of John Robert and Calla Castleberry Stamps. She was married prior to 1850 to Whorton Fletcher Ballard. A second possibility is Nancy Elizabeth Jane Stamps, daughter of Moses Witt and Sarah Freeman Stamps. She married on December 12, 1847 in Coweta County, Georgia to Joseph Baker Moseley. I do not know the husbands or marriage dates for all the granddaughters of Moses and Ann Stamps, so the list above may be incomplete. After his wife's death, Moses sold his land in Coweta County to Jacobus Gibson. Moses died in February 1850 in Carroll County, Georgia of "old age." He was buried at Indian Creek Baptist Church in Bowdon, Carroll County, Georgia.

Ancestry Page
Find A Grave Page

Sources:
1850 Mortality Schedule - Carroll County, Georgia
Census Records - 1820 Gwinnett County, Georgia
Census Records - 1830-1840 Coweta County, Georgia
Grave Photo - Thank you hmoore!
Land Deeds - Coweta and Jackson County, Georgia
The Annals of Our Kin, by Mary Pearl Brown Price
Research of Will Stamps, Muriel T. Cooter

The Stamps Quartet

History of the Quartet
Virgil Oliver Stamps founded the Stamps Music School in 1924 in Dallas, Texas. After his military service, his brother, Frank joined him and formed the Franks Stamps Quartet, which later was known as the Stamps All Stars and finally the Stamps Quartet. According to an article on the history of the Quartet, “The quartet underwent numerous personnel changes from its beginning in 1924 to the present, and, in fact, some other gospel groups would use the Stamps name whether or not they actually had any direct affiliation with the original Stamps brothers.” In 1926, Virgil went into business with J. R. Baxter and formed the Stamps-Baxter Music and Printing Company, which later became the most successful publisher of shape note hymn books in the United States.
The Stamps Quartet was the first southern gospel quartet to sign onto a major record company, and there first great success was “Give the World a Smile.” In 1937, the quartet began singing on a radio show based out of Dallas. They had one show each day, Monday through Friday and two shows on Sunday. When Virgil died in 1940, Frank took over his half of the Stamps-Baxter Music and Printing Company as well as continuing to travel and sing with the quartet. At some point, Frank pulled out from the Stamps-Baxter Music and Publishing Company and formed the Stamps Quartet Music Company. In the 50s, Frank decided to focus his efforts on publishing songbooks. In 1965, after Frank's death, the Stamps Quartet Music Company was sold to the Blackwood Brothers. The quartet continued to live on, and even performed as back up singers for Elvis in 1971, who idolized the singing and songs the group performed. Through the success of the quartet, they were able to open eleven singing schools. There attendance ranged from 500 to more than 1100 students at its height.
Virgil and Frank were inducted into the GMA Hall of Fame in 1973 and South Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1997. Both Virgil and Frank were songwriters, producers and music teachers outside of singing in their quartets.

Virgil Oliver Stamps
Virgil Oliver Stamps was born on September 18, 1892 in Texas to William Oscar Stamps and Florence Corine Rosser. He spend his younger days working in his father's sawmill and used his wages to buy song books. He attended Richard Morgan's music school and after graduating, he taught singing in part of his father's store.
On March 2, 1909, he married Addie Belle Culpepper in Upshur County, Texas. They became the parents of three children, Louise Elizabeth, Oliver Ware, and J. Weldon, who died as a young child. The young family initially lived in Virgil's hometown in Upshur County, Texas, they had moved to Shelby County, Texas by 1920 and later, by the 30s were in Dallas.
In 1914, he went to work with the James D. Vaughan Music Company based out of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. While employed at Vaughan, he also worked for the Tennessee Music Company and sang in a quartet owned by the Vaughan Company. "The Man Behind the Plow" became the first song that Virgil wrote. After Virgil formed the Stamps Music School, he published his first song book titled, “Harbor Bells.”
Virgil died on August 19, 1940 in Dallas, Texas of a heart attack. He was buried at Laurel Land Memorial Park in Dallas.

Songs Written by Virgil
"Love Is the Key,"
"Singing on My Way,"
"I Am Going."
”My Prayer”
“At Sunset I'm Going Home”
“Don't Forget to Pray”
“He Bore it All”

Music Written by Virgil
“When the Saints Go Marching In”

Ancestry Page
Find a Grave Memorial
Wiki Article

Frank Howard Stamps
Frank Howard Stamps was born on October 7, 1896 in Texas to William Oscar Stamps and Florence Corine Rosser. He was a younger brother to Virgil. Frank married first to Rhoda Mae Sanders on August 19, 1922 in Italy, Ellis County, Texas. A daughter, Dorothy Jane, was born to this union. This marriage did not last long. Frank would met his second wife in Fort Worth, Texas. Her name was Mary Naomi Marks, a daughter of a minister. Mary was only in Texas for a short while before she moved back to Florida. She and Frank corresponded by letter. Frank married Mary on March 8, 1931, at the campgrounds in Wimauna, Florida. To this union, one son, Robert Howard, was born. Frank changed his wife's name is Sally and until her death everyone who knew her, even her parents would call her Sally. Sally, like her husband was an avid music lover, and became known as the “First Lady of Gospel Music.” Frank and Sally worked in the singing schools established by the Stamps Publishing Company. Frank died on April 12, 1964 in Dallas, Texas and was buried in Laurel Land Cemetery.

Ancestry Page
Find a Grave Memorial

Sources:
Death Certificate of Virgil Oliver Stamps and Frank Howard Stamps
1910-1930 Census Records
Newspaper Article: The Gilmer Mirror; Gilmer, Texas Nov. 28, 1971
Marriage Record: Stamps-Sanders
Interview with Sally Stamps Dearman, Frank's second wife – 1987.

I'm My Own Grandpa

So, I never thought I actually find a family where a man became his own grandfather. It is a very interesting set of circumstances and I will endeavor to do the story justice.

John I. Burgess was born in December 24, 1829 in Gwinnett County, Georgia to John P. Burgess, a Methodist Episcopal Minister and his wife Clara. John I. lost his mother at a young age and then with his father moved from Gwinnett County, Georgia to Benton County, Alabama, where his father continued his ministerial work. On July 17, 1851, John married Nancy Ann Kemp, a daughter of James Kemp and Winnie Lott, who were early pioneers to Benton County, Alabama.
John I. Burgess was a very prominent man in the community where he lived. He was a Mason and held extensive amounts of land. He was know to buy and sell land when ever he knew a profit could be made. Though he owned so much land, he and his family resided in a log cabin on a farm near his father's home. John I. donated some of his vast holdings for a school and church and in 1904 the Oak Grove Baptist Church and School was built on that land.
John I. Burgess and Nancy Ann Kemp became the parents of three children: Ophelia Jane, Willis Anthony and Eliza Belzora Margaret. John I. and Nancy's only son died as an infant. John was very grieved at loosing his only son. He desperately wanted a male heir, so when his oldest daughter, Ophelia, was grown and married, he made a deal with the young couple to let him adopt their first born son. Ophelia's first child was a son, who was named John William Lafayette Pounds. John I. went and quickly had the adoption papers drew up so he could legally become the father of his first grandson. Just a few days after his birth, on July 6, 1873, John I. took his new son to his home to raise.

On June 6, 1894, Nancy Burgess passed away, as a result of the typhoid epidemic in the area. On May 8, 1895, John I. married Bettie L. Stamps, a daughter of George William Stamps and Jerusha S. Brown. John I. had made made an arrangement with Bettie to care for him in his old age and in return, she would receive a dowry of 300 acres of land. John I. liked to boast about his possessions and good fortune. He often bragged about his money and his beautiful young bride, who was almost 50 years younger than her husband. Bettie was not fond of these boastings and for a time left John I. She soon returned and fulfilled the arrangements of their marriage. John I. died on June 12, 1909 after suffering from deafness and lameness among other illnesses. John I. was buried next to his first wife and oldest daughter at Harmony Primitive Baptist Church in Cleburne County, Alabama.
John William Lafayette Pounds, the adopted son of his grandfather, John I. continued to live with his step-mother after the death of his father (grandfather). Now, John William was older than his step-mother, so to me, it would seem awkward for them to still be living together. However, less than 1 year after John I's death, his adopted son married his widowed wife. John William and Bettie L. were married on May 1, 1910. So, thus John effectively became his own step-grandfather, but since he was an adopted son of his grandfather, would be only be his own step-father?

John William and Bettie became the parents of one daughter, Lenora Aline, in 1912. Bettie died on October 8, 1935 in Edwardsville, Cleburne, Alabama. Bettie was buried at Oak Grove Church Cemetery in Helfin, Cleburne, Alabama, the same Oak Grove church whose land her first husband donated. John would go on to live until May 11, 1968. He was buried next to Bettie.

Above is a photo of Bettie L. Stamps with her parents, George William Stamps and Jerusha S. Brown and her little sister, Marion.

Ancestry Page of John I. Burgess
Ancestry Page of Bettie L. Stamps
Find A Grave Page of John I. Burgess
Find A Grave Page of Bettie L. Stamps Burgess Pounds

Sources
Census Records - 1880 Carroll County, Georgia
Census Records - 1880-1910,1930 Cleburne County, Alabama
Death Records - Bettie Pounds
Grave Stone Photos - Thanks to A Benefield and Stacey Bland!
Marriage Records - John I. Burgess and Bettie Stamps; John Pounds to Bettie Burgess May 3, 2012 - Update on this post Today I found the obituary of Bettie L. Pounds and learned that her middle name was Lenora. It was published in The Cleburne News on October 31, 1935. I also corrected her date of death from October 9, 1945 to October 8, 1935.

The Twilight Zone

Who ever thought my family history would lead me to The Twilight Zone!

O. C. Ritch was born in 1922 in California to Horace S. Ritch and Onan Alwilda Stamps. Not much is know about his early life. Before he turned 8 years old, his family had moved back to his mothers home state of Oklahoma.
O. C. Ritch was a writer, actor and screenwriter. He was very knowledgeable about motorcycle and mustang repairs and how the various systems in them worked. He wrote many books on the topic between 1960 and 1974. A list of his books will be listed at the end of this post. In 1961, he wrote an episode of The Twilight Zone titled 'Static' and in 1962, he was a ghost writer of The Twilight Zone episode 'Dead Man's Shoes.' Also in 1962, O. C. started as Jack Allardyce in the movie 'The Intruder.'
O. C. died in 1988 from lung disease. It is unknown whether or not he married and had children. It is also unknown where he is buried.

List of Books (This may not be all of them)
1960 - Care and Repair of Your Sports Car
June 1963 - Technical Editor of Clymer's Automobile Topics
1967 - Chilton's Yamaha repair and tune-up guide
1969 - Chilton's Honda repair and tune-up guide
1969 - Chilton's motorcycle electrical systems.
1970 - Motorcycle Electrical Systems
1970 - Triumph Motor Cycle Repair and Tune-up Guide
1970 - Suzuki Repair and Tune-up Guide
1971 - Harley-Davidson Repair and Tune-up Guide
1972 - Chilton's Harley-Davidson repair and tune-up guide
1972 - Yamaha Repair and Tune-up Guide
1973 - Mustang Repair and Tune-up Guide
1974 - The Lincoln Continental
Chilton's BSA motorcycle repair and tune-up guide.
Chilton's Japanese motorcycle repair & tune-up guide.
Chilton's motorcycle carburetion systems.
Chilton's motorcycle troubleshooting guide.
Chilton's Mustang repair and tune-up guide
Chilton's Suzuki repair and tune-up guide.
Honda Repair and Tune-up Guide
Motorcycle Troubleshooting Guide

Sources
Census Records - 1930 McCurtain County, Oklahoma
Amazon.com - book list
Various movie/TV sites show his Twilight Zone work and Movie appearance.
The Intruder Information

To China With Love

I have been working pretty exclusively with my Stamps family for the past couple of weeks and I have come across a really interesting couple, they are Drure Fletcher Stamps and Elizabeth Camilla Belk.

Drure Fletcher Stamps was born on November 11, 1885 in Georgia (most likely Carroll County) to Fletcher Moreland Stamps and Lani Mentori Hill. On September 26, 1913, Drure married Agnes Herron. Agnes died just 4 years after she was married. This couple also lost an infant son a few months before Agnes's death. On July 29, 1920 in Montreat, Bruncombe, North Carolina, Drure married Elizabeth Camilla Belk. Elizabeth was born on September 27, 1891 to George Washington Belk and Mary Thornton Blanton.
Both Drure and Elizabeth had a love for Christ, instilled in them by their parents. Drure's father donated the land that Salem Baptist Church was built on in Carroll County, Georgia. Elizabeth's father was a Presbyterian minister. Both Drure and Elizabeth went on to college to pursue higher education. In 1911, Drure attended Mercer College, and in 1914 he went on to receive his ThM. Elizabeth received a B.A. at Peace College in Raleigh, North Carolina. When World War I broke out, Drure served as a chaplain with the U.S. Army in France. When the war was over, Drure and his wife were sent by the South Baptist Convention to serve in China, particularly in Jiangsu Province. Sometime during their service in China, Drure returned to the States to receive a ThD from the Seminary in Louisville, known today as Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Elizabeth taught school while serving as a missionary. Drure and Elizabeth would continue to serve in China until 1949. During their time in China, they had three children: Margaret Drury, George Moreland and Winston Fletcher. Margaret and Fletcher would died before the family returned to the United States. In 1972, Elizabeth wrote a book about her life as a missionary in China titled "To China with Love." I would really like to read her book to know more details about what they did and the experience they had. If anyone knows where I can obtain a copy to read, please let me know!

After their service in China, Drure and Elizabeth were then called as missionaries to the territory of Hawaii until 1954. The couple settled in Waycross, Ware, Georgia after their service to missions. Drure died on December 11, 1982 and Elizabeth died a few years later in April 1986. The couple is buried in Greenlawn Cemetery in Waycross, Georgia.

Ancestry Page
Find A Grave Page


Sources
Census Records: 1900 Carroll County, Georgia
Grave Stone Photos
Marriage Record of Drure Fletcher Stamps and Elizabeth Camilla Belk
Stamps Research by Will Stamps

The Hale Family - Amos Pinkney Hale

Amos Pinkney Hale, my ggg-grandfather, was born on May 31, 1857 in Coweta County, Georgia to Rachel Lurania Melvina Hale. There are a lot of conflicting information on the birth date of Amos. His obituary states he was born on May 31, 1867 and his grave stone also gives this date. This date can not be correct. The obituary itself has a conflict in its information: Amos died in 1945 and the obituary states he was 87 years old, which would put his birth year as 1857(8), and not the 1867 as stated. The census records also indicate a birth date before 1860. I am assuming the '6' should have been a '5' and when the obituary was typed the error crept in. I believe that whoever placed the stone at Hillview Annex used the dates from the obituary and did not look up the information. The grave marker seems too new to be 65 years old. (Picture to the left is Amos and his brother Stephen.)

In late 1879 or early 1880, Amos married Mary Caroline Smith. Caroline, as she was known, was born in April 1864 in Georgia or Alabama. There is conflicting information on the parents of Caroline. One researcher claims that his family Bible indicates her parents are Henry Smith and Sarah, and that Henry helped to drive the Indians out of Georgia. He also claims that Caroline's parents are more specifically Henry Parks Smith and Sarah Sterling. Henry and Sarah do have a daughter named Caroline, but upon further research you will see her first name is Virginia, not Mary and that she was born in 1873, not 1864 which makes her nearly 10 years too young to be Amos's wife. I have recently found a Harry and Sarah Smith in Heard County, Georgia who have a daughter named Caroline born in 1864. Since Harry can be a nickname for Henry, this family seems to be a strong match to what we are looking for. Further research is needed into the family of Harry and Sarah to know for sure.

Nine children were born to Amos and Caroline. They are Lucius Joshua, William Stephen, James Grady, Elizabeth Pearl, Lucy M., Sarah, Birdie B., Susie and Leila. As the story goes, Caroline became ill sometime around 1900 and the couple hired Kate Walden, a 19 year old girl, to come care for Caroline and the children. As Caroline was dying, she asked Kate to marry Amos and care for him and the children. It is unknown what illness Caroline had, or how debilitating it was. After Kate lived with the family, Caroline still had children. It is unknown exactly when Caroline died, but her youngest child was born in 1905 and Amos married Kate on June 6, 1909 in Carroll County, Georgia. Kate was the mother of one daughter, Frasia.
Amos died on January 15. 1945 in Lagrange, Georgia. He was buried in Hillview Annex. Kate lived on to be almost 100 years old dying less than 1 month from her birthday on March 19, 1981.

Ancestry Page
Find A Grave Page

Sources:
Census Records - 1860-1910 Randolph County, Alabama
Census Records - 1920 Coweta County, Georgia
Census Records - 1930 Carroll County, Georgia
Grave Photos
Obituary - Amos Pinkney Hale, Lagrange Daily News
Social Security Application - Kate Walden

The Hale Family - Stephen T. Hale

Stephen T. Hale was born on August 14, 1861 in Randolph County, Alabama. He is the son of Rachel Lurania Melvina Hale. Stephen moved with his family from Randolph County, Alabama to Carroll County, Georgia sometime between 1870 and 1880 where he married Priscilla Jane Levens on March 3, 1889. Priscilla was born on March 18, 1853. After marrying, the couple moved back to Randolph County, Alabama, and by 1910 had moved to Heard County, Georgia. Later, they moved back to Randolph County, where Priscilla died on November 15, 1937. Stephen died on March 1, 1955 in Randolph County. Stephen and Priscilla had at least five children: Claudia, Stephen Ruge, Sarah, Isaac and an infant son.
Their oldest child, Claudia, was born in February 1890 in Alabama. In 1920, she was still unmarried and living with her parents. It is unknown whether she married after 1920 or when she died.
Stephen Ruge Hale was the oldest son and second child of Stephen and Priscilla Hale. He was born on October 31, 1893 in Alabama. He married Minnie Elizabeth Huddleston some time before 1923. Minnie was born on September 9, 1898. They became the parents of the following children: Lorell, Sally Mae, Lowell, Alears R. and Raye. Stephen died on May 14, 1934. Minnie died on September 11, 1984. They were both buried in the Shadowlawn Cemetery in LaGrange, Georgia.
On September 22, 1895, the couple lost an infant son, their 3rd child.
Sarah Hale was the 4th child of Stephen and Priscilla. She was born in March 1897 in Alabama. She married first to a Mr. Johnson and had a son named Ernest in 1916. She married second to L. J. Hale. I do not know when she died.
Isaac Hale is the youngest son of Stephen and Priscilla. He was born on May 16, 1900 in Alabama. He married a woman named Nancy. Ike, as he was known, died on December 1, 1992 and is buried in Shadowlawn Cemetery in LaGrange, Georgia.

Ancestry Page

Sources
Census Records - 1870, 1900, 1920-1930 Randolph County, Alabama
Census Records - 1880 Carroll County, Georgia
Census Records - 1910 Heard County, Georgia
Death Records - Cellia Hale, Infant Son Hale
Grave Photos (Shadowlawn Cemetery)
Obituary of Sally Mae Hale Hall (Lagrange Daily News)
Obituary of Raye Hale Sherrer (Lagrange Daily News)