Crain, Ingram, Brannon, and Samples Family Histories

Melungeon Revisited

2012-01-28T16:09:00.000+03:00

Since last I thought about any of my family possibly being of Melungeon descent, much work has been done on the definition of Melungeon. Results have been reported on the Wikipedia site and are well worth reading.

In summary, Melungeons were descendants of mixed-race peoples during and after early colonization of the eastern United States. Mulattos were children of native American (Indian) and European parents, while mustees were children of native American (Indian) and African parents. Melungeons are, by extension, descendants of ancestors from all three ethnic groups.

Stressful times, like the overrunning of another country by people not born there, have surely resulted in the mixing and mingling of gene pools.

Thank goodness! Can you imagine how boring the world would be if there was only one highly limited set of genes for humanity instead of the wonderful variety and diversity of populations that we now know exist?

Progress on Samples Genealogy

2011-07-29T18:13:00.000+03:00

I have been in communication lately with my fourth cousin Steve Samples. Recently retired, Steve has taken up his passion for family history and is making great strides in pushing the envelope!

Steve and I have been talking about the earliest Samples or Semple family members. We've been working backward from Samuel Alexander Samples b. 1774, and together we are sorting out information that may take us back another 3 or 4 generations.

Most significant is the revelation that the two brothers, Samuel and John, who were with Cornwallis when he surrendered to Washington at the end of the Revolutionary War, and who spent a winter living in a hollow tree in the Dismal Swamp, then separated and never saw each other again, did not come from Ireland.

Instead, the family had a well-established presence in the new world dating from well before the Revolutionary War and tracing backward from Kentucky to Virginia all the way to Pittsburgh. We now believe that the family descended from the Scottish Semple clan, and may have been in the New World as early as the beginning of the 18th century.

How exciting! And what fun it is to be in contact with another serious researcher who has time on his hands to pursue our common interest in our shared ancestry. As for me, I'm far too busy with my quilting to be able to contribute much beyond what I had already compiled earlier, some of which was erroneous.

Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available! In the meantime, check out my somewhat outdated database at Rootsweb and watch what happens when it changes!

Genealogical history of the family Semple from 1214 to 1888

Brannon Family Update

2009-07-11T14:39:00.004+03:00

I just updated my Brannon family information on my Rootsweb WorldConnect site. At long last, we are gaining some ground on whence came William Wrighter Brannon. DNA documentation supplied by Gina K. proved that our line is not descended from Caron Branan. Until any new information appears, I'm linking the family to Thomas Branen of Maryland.

Stay tuned, though - there's some very exciting stuff in the works. A distant relative has recently contacted me with pretty substantial documentation about Native American ancestry in the family. I'll report on that as soon as I feel it is appropriate.

In the meantime, I would appreciate it if all you Brannon researchers would have a look at my family tree and let me know if you find any errors. I expect there will be some, but I do not have time at the moment to labor through the whole thing.

Happy exploring!

Brannon Update

2008-04-13T11:22:00.004+03:00

I have just updated my Brannon family information on Rootsweb's WorldConnect Project. I have taken the drastic step of eliminating all information prior to the life and times of William "Wrighter" Brannon - that is, anything that would link the descendants of William Wrighter, father of Nancy, Mary, William A. "Squire," Thomas P., Elizabeth Jean (?), Catherine, Lorenzo Dow or Lourenza K., Susannah or Susanna, Dianna and Jacob Brannon (Brannan) of West Virginia.
As Gina Kuhl has reported DNA tests from the West Virginia line of the family which show that our ancestors were not related to Caron Branan (Brannan, Brannon, Branham or whatever), I think it's time we place more emphasis on the discovery of our legitimate (or illegitimate ?) ancestors. I intend to do this by separating the family away from the group who are clearly descended from Caron. My hope is that this will provide fresh perspective and incentive to dig deeper.
The information contained in my database is not very tidy, and in most cases not terribly well documented. The older generations, from Oliver back through Thomas P. to William "Wrighter" should all be considered to be lightly documented and in need of greater factual substantiation.
If you are working on this line of inquiry, the Brannons of West Virginia, back to the Old World, I would love to hear from you - especially if you have any new information to share!

New Lead on Thomas P. Brannon

2007-08-05T09:03:00.002+03:00

Been silent for a while due to other pressing commitments. However,
I have recently found an interesting lead for my family.
The connection between my direct ancestor Thomas P. Brannon, married
to Lydia Wilson, and his 'father' William Wrighter or Wrighter
William or whatever, was never well-established. In the 1860 Calhoun
County, WV, Census, it is clearly stated that Thomas P. was born in
Westmoreland County, PA! I had never seen that fact before!
However, what it means is what I have long suspected: most probably,
my line of Brannons may well indeed NOT descend from Caron Branan.
I hope to find time to research PA records online today, so will
inform you of anything interesting I find there.

Family Genealogy

2007-06-07T00:02:00.003+03:00

Dena,

Hope everything is well with you and your family. I suppose I should introduce myself to you. My name is Richard Scott Pack, my mother is Regenia Embry.

Mom’s dad was Robert Jackson Embry, son of Henry and Zaney Embry. I found your genealogy line through some research and was wondering if you could provide me more details. I downloaded your Gedcom file but It didn’t list the names for me like Uncle Shelby Embry or any of the other living children of papaw Henry.

I also own and operate an online family genealogy website, and you are welcome to check it out. If you like I might even be able to open an area or tree for your stuff. Right now the site is brand new, and I am busy organizing data my wife’s side of the family provided to me. After that I will upload that and also begin working on my family stuff.

The website URL is: www.relativelines.com

Please feel free to visit it and signup.

Thanks for any further help.

Sincerely,

Richard (Scott) Pack

Brandenburg, Kentucky

RE: All of Us Brannon's

2007-03-20T03:36:00.004+03:00

Well hello - It's nice to know I'm not the only frustrated descendent
trying to reach back in Brannon history. I am descended of John
Samual Brannon and Hannah Helmick. I believe his father was William
(Wrighter) Brannon. I found a website http://www.io.com/~degh/lisa/

I2448.html that lists William H. Brannon m. Cathrine Bailey as
parents of William Wrighter, and James Brannon m. Betty Dudley
Wilmoth as parents of William H. No substantiation with any records.

Holly

Whoopsie! Crains on Rootsweb

2007-03-12T08:16:00.002+03:00

I recently posted that I had uploaded a Crain Family History on WorldConnect. Turns out it didn't actually upload, and I only just now found out about it. It IS uploaded now, so if you're looking for Crains, go look there:

RootsWeb's WorldConnect Project: Crains of Kentucky

Get Your Foot Off the Running Board, Parley! (A Collection of Crain Family Stories and Recipes)

Stuck in Cumberland Gap

2007-03-11T10:23:00.001+03:00

I've been poking around the Ingrams a bit, and have found that my great-grandfather Rebel Ingram's father was William M. Ingram, born 24 Oct 1848. But I have had no luck going back any further with that line.

William was supposedly born in Menifee County, Kentucky. There are also Ingrams in Bell County, Kentucky, and I discovered a "History of Bell Country, Kentucky" that lists several individuals. I have a lot of downloaded documents on my desktop and must find time to review them all, this one among them.

William's wife was Mary Ann Kash, and luckily there are some postings about her on the Family Search.org site of LDS. Her line goes back to John Kash, born 1746 in Morgan, Kentucky.

It's at times like this that I regret my ignorance of American history. I know 1746 was about 30 years prior to the American Revolution. I guess it just hadn't occurred to me that colonialists had pushed quite so far westward that early. It's fairly easy to see, however, how the colonials arrived on the Atlantic seaboard along the Virginia and North Carolina coasts, then pushed westward and south until they hit the mountains. The only way through was the Cumberland Gap. I have Samples ancestors who traveled that route as well, one group very likely with Daniel Boone - a real safari guide par excellence! ;-)

I surely would be happy to hear from some of you who can describe the state of settlement in Kentucky at that time - thanks in advance!

Frustration Over Indentured Servants

2007-03-06T17:45:00.001+03:00

Some days genealogy can be very frustrating, can't it? Now, don't laugh! I know you have ALL been there, done that!

Everything I turned up today turned out to be fruitless. Much of it was research or comments about research done 4, 5, even 6 years ago by others who have been at it longer - or perhaps more effectively - than I have! It makes me feel like I'm doing more playing around on the Internet than working it. Any suggestions?

Btw, I was looking for lists of indentured servants in Virginia, in hopes of finding something on Caron (Ciaran, Charon, Caran) Brannan (Brennan, Brannon, Brenhan, even Branhaughn!) - all with no success.

Oh, well, tomorrow's another day!

More on Maryland Archives

2007-03-04T10:44:00.001+03:00

I spent some time yesterday evening researching the Maryland Archives, looking for any of my four research surnames. There were indeed Brannons - James, John, Joseph and Timothy. Whether any of these is my ancestor remains to be seen.
Today, I take a different tack. Googling "West Virginia" and "Thomas P. Brannan" (my direct ancestor) turned up a copy of Hardesty's Calhoun County History, and it is FULL of Brannans. Interestingly, most of the surnames are spelled with 'a' rather than 'o.'
Most significant is the declaration by Hardesty that Thomas P. and William A. Brannan were among the county's earliest settlers. Sadly, Hardesty does not shed any light on where they came from or who were their parents.
Anyway, the History is delightful reading. You can find it here: http://www.rootsweb.com/~wvcalhou/hardhis.htm.
Also, I have just found an entry in LDS for William (also known as 'Wrighter') Brannon and wife Mary Paine, parents of Thomas P. among known others. I'm determined to find out who were THIS William's parents. Plugging on . . .

Maryland Online

2007-03-03T17:44:00.001+03:00

Maybe I'm dumb, but it has certainly taken me a long time to figure out how to access Maryland information online. Today, I hit the jackpot. In my seemingly endless search for the parents of William Wrighter Brannan (I use the 'an' form of the surname because that's how I saw his son Thomas P.'s headstone spelling in Arnoldsburg, WV), I discovered the Maryland Archives Online! Fabulous resource, and I cannot wait to tackle it just now. Will get back to you with my findings . . .

Re: [Crain, Ingram, Brannon, and Samples Family Histories] Research

2007-02-28T18:04:00.002+03:00

> Dena,
>
> I have just finished browsing your blog and website. It is a delight
> to learn more about you. I will take time later "in" your gallery.
> Oh, I found something interesting. I spent three years in Cincinnati,
> OH, in the mid 60's. I lived in the College Hill area. I loved the
> large hills and tall trees. The wind blows too much in OK for trees
> to grow very tall.

My college sweetheart lived most of his life in College Hill. I also belonged to one of the more popular churches there, so I spent quite a bit of time there in the '70's.

> On your blog I read what you posted about the Samples. I found no
> more information than you already have, when I went to the OK History
> Center. The only Samuel Alexander Samples I could find was the one
> born in Ireland in 1755. You do good research, keep it up.

Thanks, Cal - I'm finding it very frustrating to be able to work only
online. A few days in the right library can work wonders!

> I continue to look for William's (H?) whereabouts after his father
> died in Farnham, VA, and his will called for his wife to sell their
> land there to pay for land he secured in Nottoway Parish, VA. I will
> share whatever I find.

Thanks - I keep hoping Maryland and Kentucky will get their acts
together and put their census records on the internet for free.
Chasing Crains in Kentucky is not easy.

> Your sites look good.

Thanks again - keep watching. I'm doing all I can to update, improve
and maintain them all!

Cheers!
Dena

Research

2007-02-23T18:27:00.002+03:00

Dena,

I have just finished browsing your blog and website. It is a delight to learn more about you. I will take time later "in" your gallery. Oh, I found something interesting. I spent three years in Cincinnati, OH, in the mid 60's. I lived in the College Hill area. I loved the large hills and tall trees. The wind blows too much in OK for trees to grow very tall.

On your blog I read what you posted about the Samples. I found no more information than you already have, when I went to the OK History Center. The only Samuel Alexander Samples I could find was the one born in Ireland in 1755. You do good research, keep it up.

I continue to look for William's (H?) whereabouts after his father died in Farnham, VA, and his will called for his wife to sell their land there to pay for land he secured in Nottoway Parish, VA. I will share whatever I find.

Your sites look good.

Cal

New Crain Database on World Connect

2007-02-23T17:39:00.001+03:00

Well, it took a little longer than I expected it to do, but that's usually the way with computers, isn't it? Anyway, my Crains of Kentucky family database is now operational: http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=barnyoka2. If you are of that family, please do take a look and let me know what you think. Just bear in mind that it's very much a work in progress, and you use the information there at your own risk. Enjoy!

Melungeon Links

2007-02-20T17:08:00.001+03:00

During the past few days, I have been exploring the possibility of Melungeon ancestry in my families. There has long been a family rumor that I have genetic connections with the Cherokee Nation, but there's always a possibility the connection was to Melungeon or even African ancestors.
There's a lengthy list of Melungeon common surnames to be found at http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/GENEALOGY-DNA/2001-08/0997245962. A quick search and comparison of the surnames on my database reveals several individuals of possible Melungeon heritage. Curiously, the surname Branham has been offered in other circles as a variant of Brannon. Personally, I figure Brannon is a variant of Brennan, and the family is definitely of Irish or Scot-Irish extraction. (I know - it's usually SCOTCH-Irish, but I've been assured that's the liquor, not the countryman.)
But the one that has long held my attention is the name White. In 1867, Levina May 'Vine' White married Perry Samples. She was the daughter of Lewis Jackson White and Maribe Catherine Elswick White, he from Virginia (later West Virginia) and she from Kentucky. His parents were William White and Lavina Musney (my 'Vine' was probably named for her grandmother). William's parents were John Hunter White and Nancy Copely. Some online research I did yesterday would suggest that the Copely's have been well researched and I could go in that direction, but I'm really tracing the White line, yes? Now, I ask you - John Hunter White - does that sound like a set of names that might belong to someone of Melungeon, Native American, or African descent? I certainly think it does, but thinking so does not make it so.
However, the 1860 Census has checked "mulatto" for Hiram, Hiram Jr., and Perry. If Perry was mulatto, he would have been considered so because his father was mulatto also. Thus, if Hiram was mulatto, then we must look to Samuel Alexander Samples, or his wife Lucinda of unknown surname to have been a person of colour. I jokingly suggest she must be Lucinda, for 'loose Indian." (Please - can we just have a little humor here?) No one that I know of has ever identified Lucinda's surname; it may well be that she did not have one.
Oh, well, I suppose I shall have to carry on working with this notion, looking for proof somewhere, someday. Isn't genealogy interesting?!?

Another Link in the Chain of Crains

2007-02-11T15:55:00.001+03:00

By way of introduction, my great-grandfather was James Ferklos Crain of Menifee County, Kentucky. His father is reputed to have been Perry J. Crain, whose parents were James F. and Nancy Gelvin Crain. This James was head of the family when it migrated from Virginia to Kentucky. Or perhaps they were already in the area now known as Kentucky but it was Virginia in those days!
I had James T. Crain as the father of James F. It is questionable whether this man had one or two wives. Sources indicate a wife Nancy and a wife Mattie or possibly Massey. To date, I have actually done very little research on this family so cannot say precisely which of these two women were actually James T.'s wives, but I find it interesting that each of them had children named James and John!
Nancy had other children, as shown online at http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=SHOW&db=rlylebrown&recno=11567. I'm inclined to trust this source for the moment.
A couple of days ago, I was looking for James T. Crain on the Family Search site: http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=search_all1.asp&clear_form=true. I did not find James T., but I found James J. and his father Captain John Crain and his mother Mary Bailey.
Going back just now to the Family Search site, I'm having some difficulty finding James J. with father Captain John again. Silly of me not to save the source reference. Anyway, now I'm discovering that there was a James F. and a James Finis, both born in Virginia and within about 10 years of each other, and a slew of Nancy's. Clearly, this research needs a lot of sorting out on my part, but I'm afraid it will have to wait for another day.
Anyway, it is my intention that before this week is out, I shall post my database on Rootsweb, where I already have one for the Brannon Family of West Virginia and another for the Samples Family of West Virginia.
One of the most interesting facts that has surfaced from this preliminary review of Crain information has been the appearance of the name Ingram connected with a Crain. My grandmother was an Ingram!
Look for more details in my new Rootsweb database, which I shall probably call Crain Family of Kentucky. With luck, you can find it online later this week!

Three Sisters - Reply to Patricia

2007-02-07T10:34:00.001+03:00

Patricia,
Sorry to take so long to get back to you. I have been in Nairobi for the weekend, and amazingly, my internet connection there is far worse than it is upcountry!
Anyway, to answer your question, I have only this online resource to offer:
http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:539531&id=I255
It's a site that has not been updated since 2001, so I don't know if you will have any luck contacting the author. Please do let me know, though, if you have any success.
Thanks for visiting my blog; I hope you'll come back again soon!

Samples Family History

2007-02-03T22:33:00.002+03:00

Hello Dena,
My ancestor is John Sample who died in 1758 in East Pennsboro Twp. Pa. I read your blog info with interest regarding the different Samuel Sample(s).
Several years ago, while search info on 'my John Sample's son Samuel, I ran across the info on the Samuel who married Ann and died in 1776 you have listed with sons, Moses, Wm., Robert & Samuel. My interest went on full alert when I saw you had 3 daughters listed, Sarah, Susannah & Hannah. My cousins and I have been trying to tie Susannah & Hannah into our ancestor John's son Samuel's line without success. Could I ask you where you found this info about these sisters? Hannah married Edward Ward, the famous Indian Fighter and Susannah married Dr. John Connolly, the Tory of which much is written.
Looking forward to your reply,
Patricia Sample Ewing
Norfolk, VA

Samuel Samples - STOP!!!

2007-01-29T16:06:00.001+03:00

My head is spinning with Samuel Samples's! Too many to count, and it's impossible to see how they all fit in! Here are my notes, derived from various sources, as I try to sort out which Samuel belongs to which father. If you can shed any light on the Samuels Samples/Sample/Semple'ssssss - PLEASE DO!
John Semples b 1690, Scotland; d 1768, PA
m. unk; ch Samuel Alexander, b 1755 Ireland; John, James, David, Robert, Jannet, Joseph.
Remarks:
John does show up in the literature, a Presbyterian minister who went from his home in Scotland first to Ireland, then to PA. He may have married in Ireland and son Samuel Alexander was born there, but came with his parents to the new world. This theory does not take into consideration the Samuel Samples (Semple) b 1682; perhaps this Samuel was brother to John? It also makes John a very old man, aged 65, when son Sam'l was born. If Sam'l was really born in Ireland, it also means that John was over 65 when the family migrated - not very likely!
Samuel Samples b 1682:
M. Ann 1691-1776, sons Samuel, William, Moses b 1730
1682-1711. m. Ann, ch Moses, Hanna, Sarah, Susanna, Unknown, William, Robert, Samuel 1754, Aug Co. VA
June 13, 1776: SAMUEL SAMPLE'S will, to wife, Ann; to son, Samuel; to son Moses; to sons, division; to son, William's son, William, an equal legalee; to grandson, Thomas Randall. His executors were his sons Moses and Robert. The will was proved August 20, 1776.
Page 130-page 104, April 19, 1773: Thomas Gregg's will: to wife, Elizabeth, the land purchased from SAMUEL SAMPLES.
SAMUEL SAMPLE was a witness to a debt transaction in 1763.
Samuel Samples served on a jury in 1768, Augusta Co. VA.
1720-Alexander Miller i, Reverend b:1720 in Antrim, Ireland: Land Purchase: 17 Nov 1756 Three hundred acres in Rockingham, VA [four miles SW of Harrisonburg, VA] from Samuel Semple.
Samuel Samples b 1754
P. 14 These proceedings gave great offense to Connolly and were a stinging personal rebuke to his royalist schemings. His uncle, Croghan, and his father-in-law, Samuel Semple, were members of the committee. Two days after the meeting Connolly sat for the last time as a member of the West Augusta court at Pittsburg, but for two months he remained in the settlement, endeavoring perseveringly to influence his acquaintances to support the royalist cause and plotting with Indian chiefs to make war on the colonists in the event of an actual revolution.6
SAMUEL SAMPLE was in Capt. Evan Shelby's company of volunteers from Fincastle during Lord Dunmore's War.
Listed as a soldier of Virginia, Dunmore's War (Point Pleasant?) [1773-74]
SAMUEL SAMPLE was in Capt. Evan Shelby's company of volunteers from Fincastle during Lord Dunmore's War.
M. Hannah, sons David, Benjamin, Andrew, Samuel?; father's name possibly Samuel
SAMUEL SAMPLE was a storekeeper (military) at Fort Pitt in 1781. He is mentioned in the manuscripts of George Rogers Clark in the State Library.
SAMUEL SAMPLE was a storekeeper (military) at Fort Pitt in 1781. He is mentioned in the manuscripts of George Rogers Clark in the State Library.
After the company closed their business in the Illinois country and removed from Pittsburgh, the house was rented to Samuel Semple. In 1770 when George Washington made his tour to the Ohio, he "lodged in what is called the town, distant about 300 yards from the fort, at one Mr. Semple's, who keeps a very good house of public entertainment."
GW is referring to the tavern kept by Samuel Semple in Baynton, Wharton, & Morgan's former storehouse. The tavern stood at what is now the corner of Water and Ferry streets in Pittsburgh. Apparently GW's total expenditures for the party at Semple's were £26 is. 10d., which he paid 21 Nov. on his return to Fort Pitt from the Ohio (LEDGER A, 329).
Washington made his last visit to Pittsburgh in October, 1770, when, on his way to the Kanawha River, he stopped here for several days, and lodged with Samuel Semple, the first innkeeper, at the corner of Water and Ferry Streets. This house was later known as the Virginian Hotel. Washington's journal says there were in Pittsburgh twenty houses situated on Water Street, facing the Monongahela River. These were occupied by traders and their families. The population at that time is estimated at 126 men, women, and children, besides a garrison consisting of two companies of British troops.
BAYNTON, WHARTON AND MORGAN'S
STOREHOUSE
Located in Pittsburgh at what is now the northeast corner of Ferry and Water Streets. It was built in 1766 under the supervision of George Morgan of the Philadelphia trading house of Baynton, Wharton and Morgan and was used as a storehouse for goods enroute to the newly opened Illinois country. It was a two-story house and was said to have possessed the first shingle roof in Pittsburgh. It was later altered, and it became the tavern of Samuel Semple and still later the tavern of John Ormsby. Washington was entertained there in 1770. Years later it became a ten-cent lodging house. It was torn down in 1914.
My mother, Sarah, was the third youngest daughter of Samuel Semple. He had a large family and came and settled with them in Kishocoquillas [Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania]
B. 1755, Ireland; d. 1820, KY; father John Semples b 1690 Scotland; ch Robert A., b. 1775 in Ireland; 2 prev marriages, wives unk; m. Lucinda b 1770, KY, m. 1792 KY; ch Robert A. b 1770, VA, Sam'l Alexander, b 1794, KY, Hiram
# ID: I123534
# Name: Hannah Copeland
# Given Name: Hannah
# Surname: Copeland
# Sex: F
# Birth: Abt 1747 in Isle Of Wight County, Virginia Formed 1637 From Warrosquyouke County formed in 1634
# Death: 1 Nov 1791 in Kentucky Applied For Statehood 1792 From State Of Virginia
# Reference Number: 123534
# _UID: DEDDCAB99FE74E698F5A414018384B0585B9
# Change Date: 15 Nov 2004 at 09:42
Father: Benjamin Copeland b: Abt 1724 in Isle Of Wight County, Virginia Formed 1637 From Warrosquyouke County formed in 1634
Mother: Sarah Ann Bolling b: 1728 in Isle Of Wight County, Virginia Formed 1637 From Warrosquyouke County formed in 1634
Marriage 1 Samuel Semple b: Abt 1747 in Isle Of Wight County, Virginia Formed 1637 From Warrosquyouke County formed in 1634
* Married: 26 May 1761 in Harrisburg, Amherst County, Virginia
* Change Date: 30 Oct 2002
Children
1. Has No Children Andrew Semple b: 1784 in Virginia Statehood 1788
http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jmljr&id=I123534
Samuel Samples, yeoman, Sussex Co., Delaware 1741
part of a 218 acre tract called "Good Luck" which was granted to Anderson Parker, Esq of county aforesaid by warrant dated at Philadelphia, 14 Feb 1739. Sold by Parker to Samuel Samples of Sussex County, DE, yeoman, 4 May 1741. Samuel Samples conveyed to Thomas
Massey , yeoman of Sussex, 7 May 1745.
Samuel Semple landed in Delaware 8-11-1812, coming from Glenbush, Tyrone County, Ireland. He enlisted immediately in the US army and was captain of Du Pont's sharpshooters. Dupont was the brother associated with Dupont in business. He resided in Delawa e until 1817 and then came to Carroll County, Ohio to claim land given to him by the government in payment for war soldiers. If anyone has any other information on Dupont's sharpshooters, please contact me.
SEMPLE, JOHN, East Pennsboro Township.
February 15, 1758 3 March 1758. [Born 1690 in Scotland?]
Oldest son John, 2nd son James, 3d son David, 5th son Samuel, 4th son Robert, son Joseph. Dau. Jannet Semple.
Exs: sons John Semple and David Semple.
Wit: John McCormick, Thomas McCormick, Jonathan Hoge. A. 52.
Samuel Samples 1768-1797, m. Lucinda
Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight County Virginia: A History of the County Isle of Wight, Virginia, During the Seventeenth Century, Including Abstracts of the County Records

William Wrighter Brannon

2007-01-26T15:10:00.001+03:00

The more I look for my ancestor, William Wrighter (or Wrighter William) Brannon (with all possible spellings), the more frustrated I become. Born in Maryland, 'in Georgetown near Alexandria' in 1765, he seems to have NO parents. If anyone has any information about his parentage or siblings, please let me know. Thanks for your help.

Brannons 1915

2007-01-22T17:53:00.001+03:00

In this family portrait of Brannons we find Oliver Orlando and his wife Dorothy "Dolly" Josephine Laughlin surrounded by their children. To Dolly's right is my great-grandfather Ulysses Grant Brannon. Effie Lurene is to Grant's right. To Oliver's left are Marie and Viola. I believe the standing sons are Sylvester Riley, John Robert or Jesse Clyde "Jasper," Walter Carlos, Lewis Maxwell, Dolpheus Jackson, and Moody Emory - not necessarily in that order. Not pictured are Lettie who died as an infant and Daniel Wademan who died in 1901. Marie, actually Daniel Wademan's child, was raised by Oliver and Dolly after both her parents died in an epidemic. She was for many years a treasured member of the family. The original photo resides in it original cardboard frame, bearing the name Newlon, Spencer, West Virginia. I estimate its date at about 1915.
If you know anything about any of these folks, or if you are related to any of them, please post a comment.

Horizontal: How Far to Go?

2007-01-22T17:15:00.001+03:00

Events of the past few days have convinced me that every genealogical researcher needs to set some limitations on their database. These controls limit how far one is prepared to reach out for lateral information. By lateral information, I mean "How many cousins can a person have?" If you leave your database open to lateral information, you soon find yourself leap-frogging sideways from family to family. While this may assure you of having the largest EVER family reunion, I'm finding that particular goal is not among my highest priorities.
Yesterday, I removed a body of such information from my Rootsweb WorldConnect site, Brannon Family of West Virginia. I deleted all descendants of William and Scarberry Blackwell Brannon. Their descendants live mostly in South Carolina and other points south and west of there. Other researchers have and are studying that line of the family, and they are doing a great job! Find out more about them here.
I took this action so that I can more fully devote my time and effort to the areas of study about our family that are of greatest interest to me.
First, I am not entirely convinced that William Wrighter Brannon was the son of William H. Brannon, first wife Catherine ? and second wife Scarberry Blackwell. William Wrighter was the first known person of the West Virginia Brannon descendants to live in West Virginia. His connection to William H. is not well documented, in my opinion.
Second, if that connection can be more firmly established, and if indeed the West Virginia Brannons are descended from Caron Branan, then I would like to see the family history study move back in time and space to Caron's country of origin and his parentage.
These are the two Brannon family issues that concern me most, and I hope that if you know anything about them and can offer any assistance, you will post a comment or email me. Thanks!

Welcome to Crain, Ingram, Brannon and Samples Family History!

2007-01-20T04:58:00.002+03:00

Many years ago, certainly more than I care to admit, I expressed an interest in the history of my family. Soon forthcoming was a raft of documents, mostly copies of research by Vernon Starcher passed on to me by my great-aunt Margaret Irene Mossman Brannon, reporting the relationships between members of my maternal grandmother's family, the Brannons of West Virginia and Ohio. I never met Mr. Starcher, but I am most grateful to him for early guidance along the path of family history studies. His records proved invaluable to me, and I carry with me even now those early copies.
The years have indeed passed, and times have certainly changed. The Internet, as you already know, has become a vast 'virtual' repository for records like those of Mr. Starcher and so many others, as online genealogy enters its hey-day. Now easily accessible to anyone who cares to look, the body of information grows daily. I have added my little portion of research and information to it.
For more information about the Brannons of West Virginia, see http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=barnyoka1.
For a good look at the state of my research on the Samples of West Virginia family, see http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=barnyoka.
My current research obsession is to resolve the plethora of Samuel Sampleses (actually Samuel Semple's), dating from 1690 to the birth of Hiram, born 1797. Watch that site for imminent genealogical changes, as I sort through source material I have on hand.
Strictly an amateur genealogist, I welcome advice, new information, identity of sources, queries and comments. Share with me your experience and knowledge of the Crains, Ingrams, Brannons, and Samples's. Feel free to post here, or to email me at dena@denacrain.com. Note that all postings will be previewed, so please keep your remarks relevant.