Life is simple, yes?

Life is...birth....growing up.....growing out......growing old.......death. Life is simple, yes?

A Picture in Profile

Family pictures have a way of telling our family's stories. The picture to the right shows Granny Ewen, with her second child May Millicent born December 7, 1920. The picture was taken March 26, 1921, which would make Millicent around four months of age. The lady she is sitting with is not identified, but I would guess it is Granny's mother, Malaha Morton, nee Howell. The most striking thing about this picture is that Granny is sitting in profile. Almost every other family picture that I have show the folks sitting forward and facing the camera. Here Granny is gazing at Millicent who seems a bit shaken at this picture taking experience. Malaha is looking to the camera with a gaze that seems to say, don't you hurt my girls, or your life will be forfeited. The date of this picture gives the context. Granny had just lost their first child, Minnie Thelma Clay Ewen. In Granny's hand writing, she records "Minnie Thelma Clay Ewen - born March 24 1919 - Died March 11, 1920. age 11 mo. 16 days." Therefore, this picture would be taken around the anniversary of the death of her first child, and holding the hope of her second. No wounder Granny's gaze is to her daughter, and not to us. Her contented look seems to say, life goes on, and she is sitting in my lap...a picture in profile.

In The Freshes

To understand terms used in land patents, it is often necessary to get a grip on certain words that often have a different meaning than we would think. In early Virginia settlement, the rivers and streams played an important part in the establishment of boundaries and patent landmarks. A term used frequently was "the freshes". The drawing to the right tries to show this concept using the map already presented in a previous post. The orange color outlines the "ridge path" that separated the watershed that formed two patterns of water flow. Now if you were a rain drop that fell along this path, you have to go down on either side. The flow toward the major rivers[the blue lines]; in this case ,the Rappahannock River, would then flow into the Potomac River. This water would then flow into the Atlantic. The water drainage would be "the freshes". Thus, in early land patents there would be the statement "Coll. Nicholas Spence, 500 acs. in Potomack freshes, 6 Nov. 1666,...N.E. upon a cr. above Coll. Speaks land..." In effect, this would mean that Spence's 500 acres would be within the bounds of the ridge that formed the water runoff to the river that was the road to his patent. Of course you would then need to find out where "Coll. Speaks" land was located. You also know that 640 acres would be a square mile, thus this 500 acres would roughly one square mile [.78 mile square] from the river's edge to the ridge that drained the water. The blue lines in the figure about place you in the freshes.

The Passing of Time

Time passes and life goes on with us or without us. Pictures catch the days of our lives at different times and in different places. Edward Turner Jones as a young man is shown. He was born 10 August 1873, at a small rural settlement called Science Hill, Madison Co., KY. Posture straight, hair carefully combed, suit and tie are in place, and shoes are clearly shinned. A hat is carefully placed to show how much a man of the day is represented. I would guess this picture would have been taken around 1890. Manhood has arrived, and life awaits. The picture below shows Edward Turner (called E.T.) some years later. I would guess about 30 years. The same confident look is present. The coat has been removed, the hat remains on the head titled upward, and a bow tie is in place. A pipe is held showing what many "older" adults of the day took up as a fine art. Posture has shifted, looking much more relaxed, with legs crossed. The passing of time can not be stopped, but it can be captured by a picture. I am certain that E.T. would have something to say. He died 5 May, 1938 at his home in Clark Co., KY...the passing of time continues.

Making Maps

It often becomes necessary to expand your genealogical skills into areas that you may not have utilized. When genealogy becomes geography it is frequently necessary to make maps of the geographical area that you wish to explore. I am not speaking of just looking at maps, but actually drawing maps to fit the history and time peroid you are seeking. Such was the case for my Griffin Jones, Sr. and the next generations.

Pewmansend Creek [spelled a variety of ways] was the general location of my Jones family beginning around the 1720s. This was a creek which emptied into Rappahannock River way up stream from its mouth, which emptied into the Chesapeake Bay. Present day maps have all sorts of names, towns, and listing which may or may not be the names, towns, or listings dating back to 1720. Also, there were multiple land grants and patents that used landmarks no longer in existence on present day maps. Drawing your own maps with all the present day names, towns, and listings removed, allows a way to utilize historical records from "ground zero" sort of speaking. Here is how one can do this.

Start with a present day map of the geographical area your have an interest. [Where your family tree ends or the brick wall begins.] For me it was the state of Virginia, present day Caroline Co., which had been a number of different counties before. A map I have utilized over the years is called "Virginia: Atlas & Gazetteer, Topographic maps of the entire state, Back roads and outdoor recreation", by Delorme, Mapping Co., Freeport, Maine, 1989. This company publishes multiple state maps and I am sure that they have published more up to date editions. It does not really matter the editions however, since you are going to create a map which only shows the highways of the time, the rivers and streams.

The next step is to take a piece of tracing paper and outline the water and streams that make the foundation of your new map. An example I have done is shown to the right. Trace all the streams as shown on the map, identify which direction is north, and establish the scale of the map as traced. My drawn is done on a piece of graph paper. This allows a way to estimate total acres involved since all early patents are given in total acres. My is scaled to two small squares to a mile, thus making 640 acres within one block of four squares. You may want to start with just a plan piece of copy paper.

Pumensend Creek is identified and its branches shown. All other creeks which surround it are also drawn. [A shadow box is often helpful when paper is thick and more light can be place on the tracing.] Thus you have a working map which contains the highways of the time, and the landmarks used for land patents. More to come.

Keep Smiling Until Then

School pictures were a part of growing up. You were always given a few days warning...parents wanted you to look just right, hair combed and all. For the most part, teachers seemed to enjoy it, having us line up in the hallway, all smiles showing, and march us to the picture place. A big production it was at Hickman Street School.

The picture to the right shows that of my first grade, school year 1957-1958. Curly black hair was pretty well combed. White shirt was buttoned right to the top. A smile from ear to ear which is saying a lot since my ears stuck out a ways from the face that showed such excitement. My first grade school picture and my first permanent tooth!

Teeth eruption seemed to show up at the unluckiest times. The first molars appear on the average around 6-7 years of age. The central incisors appear on average around 7 -8 years of age. The lateral incisors show up around 8-9 years of age...the cuspids 11-12...the first bicuspids 10-11... second bicuspid 10-12 years. The second molars arrive 12-13 years of age. Finally, the third molars (called Wisdom Teeth!) arrive 17-21 years of age. Often these third molars arrive by special delivery in a dentist office.

Yes indeed, baby teeth to permanent teeth were often caught on school pictures, starting right from the first grade until that final grade in the sky I guess. As Roy Rogers would say, "Keep smiling until then".

A Rainbow Gene

As part of my most recent birthday celebrations, my oldest, five year old grandson gave me a picture that he had drawn. It is shown at the right. A rainbow, glowing sun, and a tree make the picture a happy picture. He had wanted to give me a present that he had made himself. How precious it is, full of his love and imagination.

I was impressed that many years ago his Mom also drew a picture of our family. It shows us under a rainbow with a glowing sun. [See post titled "Daughter's Drawings", Friday, January 28, 2011.] When questioned about Sam's drawing, she reported no direction or guidance to Sam's creativity. It was all on his own. Ah...I thought...we must have a rainbow gene in our family.