Last week I got an email from someone who matched my grandfather's DNA on Ancestry.com. Her husband's surname is Boykin and my grandfather's surname is Godwin. My grandfather's DNA matches at least 8 other Godwin test participants, so I'm fairly certain he's really a Godwin. However, we are not so sure that his match is, genetically speaking, really a Boykin. His great-great grandmother, Barbara Boykin, appears to have been a true Boykin, however, as we know, the y-chromosome DNA test only applies to the direct male lines.
Barbara Boykin was found on the 1850 census in Johnston Co., NC as an 18 year old girl living in the household of Jesse and Elizabeth Boykin. There is nothing unusual about this census report, therefore I would assign a preliminary relationship of Jesse being Barbara Boykin's father. Also, I would assume that Boykin was Barbara's maiden name.
So what of her son, Perry Boykin, born about 1856 in North Carolina? There is no mention of a father. Barbara and her young son were living with the Barry Johnson family on the 1860 in the Neuse River, Johnston Co., NC census report. In 1870, Perry Boykin was living with another Johnson Family, this time in Old Fields, Wilson Co., NC. His mother Barbara was not living with them. By 1880, Perry Boykin had married and was enumerated with his wife, Wealthy Jane and daughter Sarah in Old Fields, Wilson Co., NC. His mother Barbara Boykin, a single woman, was also living in the house.
The Johnston County Court minutes should be reviewed for any "bastard bonds" that might have been issued to Barbara Boykin for the maintenance of her son (who did not have a father). Wynette Parks Haun has written several abstract books for the court minutes of Johnston County, but I'm not sure if any of them go up to the year 1856 when Barbara Boykin's son Robert Perry was born. If not, then the microfilm will have to be reviewed. I hope it has an index!
With regards to the DNA....
My grandfather tested with ftDNA's 37 marker test. This Boykin match tested through Ancestry.com with their 46 marker test. Of those 46, 32 markers intersected, however we were not a perfect match. We were a 31/32 marker match. Ancestry.com gave us a 95% probability that our common ancestor was about 600 years back, not really genealogically significant. However, there is a 50% probability that our common ancestor was only 200 years back.
So did his Boykin great great grandmother have a child with one of my Godwin ancestors? My cousin Lori did find one record between Thomas Godwin and Thomas Boykin in 1828 in Johnston County, NC, however it is unclear if this Thomas Boykin had any ties to Barbara Boykin or her supposed father, Jesse Boykin. She also found another older record dating back to Isle of Wight County, VA, where both of our families are from: A Frances Godwin married General Frances Marshall Boykin in 1805. This Godwin family is not believed to be related to my own however.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The Genetic Distances between Markers and the Affect it has on MRCA
Family Tree DNA has a great article published on its website about deciding how many markers to test in order to determine the time to the most recent common ancestor.
I was trying to determine by how much the number of generations to the common ancestor increased as the number of genetic distances (differences between markers) increased. Based on the number posted above, I predicted the following:
This is a screenshot of the MRCA statistics table on their website below:
I was trying to determine by how much the number of generations to the common ancestor increased as the number of genetic distances (differences between markers) increased. Based on the number posted above, I predicted the following:
It looks as if you have only 1 marker difference, the number of generations to your most common ancestor increases by 1/2 of the number of generations you started with.
For example, if you have a 37 marker test, and you are a 100% match, then there is a 95% probability that you shared a common ancestor within the last 7 generations. If you match 36/37 (1 marker difference), then the number of generations increases by 1/2 of the original number: so you started with 7 generations, take 1/2 of that which is 3.5 and add it to the original number = 10.5. So the number of generations to your common ancestor just increased from 7 to 10.5! If there is a 2 marker difference you would add another 3.5 to the 10.5 = 14!! These numbers are reflected in the table above and the calculations seem to apply to all tests.
I believe the standard for number of years per generation is about 45 years. So 14 generations would be about 630 years. Surnames only started about 600 years ago (~ 1400's), so anything beyond 600 years probably has little genealogical value.
For example, if you have a 37 marker test, and you are a 100% match, then there is a 95% probability that you shared a common ancestor within the last 7 generations. If you match 36/37 (1 marker difference), then the number of generations increases by 1/2 of the original number: so you started with 7 generations, take 1/2 of that which is 3.5 and add it to the original number = 10.5. So the number of generations to your common ancestor just increased from 7 to 10.5! If there is a 2 marker difference you would add another 3.5 to the 10.5 = 14!! These numbers are reflected in the table above and the calculations seem to apply to all tests.
I believe the standard for number of years per generation is about 45 years. So 14 generations would be about 630 years. Surnames only started about 600 years ago (~ 1400's), so anything beyond 600 years probably has little genealogical value.
I referenced Genealem's Genetic Genealogy Blog post article, "Why test 67 markers?" to come up with the standard of about 46 years / generation.
Genealem wrote: "25 marker match gives you a 95% probability of having a common ancestor within the last 600 yrs"Combining the probability for a 25 marker match of 600 years and that of 13 generations as listed in the table above, the calcuated value is about 46 years / generation.
I originally wrote this article for family members who were trying to understand the genealogical value of DNA results. I am in no way an expert on DNA testing, but have developed a few tips and tricks along the way to better understand the results myself. This article reflects my findings.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
My Great-Grandparents
I have 4 sets of great-grandparents with 8 total individuals.
Set # 1 were my mom's mom's parents: Thelma Louise Lasiter (1912-1996) and James Putman Lasiter (1908-1974)
Set # 2 were my mom's dad's parents: Nova Lee Peters (1908-2000) and Orville Godwin (1905-1956)
Set # 3 were my dad's mom's parents: Kathryne Blanche Hill (1912-1992) and John Brooks Binns (1910-1989)
Set # 4 were my dad's dad's parents: Reba Fox (1920-2003) and Claude Rual Smith, Jr (1919-1996)
I knew and interacted with 6 of my 8 great-grandparents throughout most of my childhood - Louise "Mamaw" Lasiter, Novi Martin, Blanche Binns, Johnnie Binns, Reba Smith and "Big Daddy" Smith. James Lasiter and Orville Godwin both died before I was born. Orville Godwin and Novi Peters were my only set of divorced great-grandparents. Orville Godwin was murdered in his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma at the young age of 51.
The 6 great-grandparents I knew all lived in Fort Smith, Arkansas, with the exception of the Smiths who lived out in the country in Kibler, Arkansas (near Clear Creek State Park).
Obituaries and Death Certificates
I have the obituaries of 7 of the 8 of my great-grandparents that I obtained either from family members or from the Fort Smith Library's microfilm collection of newspapers, including the Southwest Times Record, and associated online archives. I do not have a copy of the obituary of my Mother's Father's Father, Orville Godwin, who died in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I do, however, have a copy of the news article that was published about his murder.
I have two death certificates - one for Blanche Hill Binns and one for Nova Martin.
I created a checklist to see if I had obtained copies of all of the obituaries of my great-grandparents, and also to see if I had scanned and transcribed them, and saved them to the notes section of my Family Tree Maker software and created source entries for them. Here are my results:
Results:
I have copies of 7 of the 8 great grandparents' obituaries. I have transcribed them and pasted into the notes section of my Family Tree Maker software. I will need to go back and look if I have them entered as sources in my database. If not, then I will make new source entries for them and attach them to the basic facts (birth, death, marriage) and any relatives' names that are mentioned. Two obituaries - Louise and James P Lasiter - were obtained from microfilm at the library. They need to be scanned and saved to my harddrive.
I only have copies of 2 death certificates - one of them is the original copy of my great-grandmother, Nova Martin's death that my grandfather gave to me. I scanned the copy and saved to my harddrive. I then transcribed it and added it to the notes in my FTF and as a source. I obtained a copy of my great grandmother Blanche Binns' death certificate from my grandmother who had a copy of it in her scrapbook. I scanned it right from the scrapbook and saved it to my harddrive. I transcribed it, added it to the notes section of my FTM software and added it as a new source.
I ordered two death certificates today - those of my great grandparents on my Mother's side - Louise Lasiter and her husband James P Lasiter. I had put them off because I already have all of the vital information that will be provided on the death certificate from the obituary and from my grandparents' tales. However, these certificates are available and should be included in my great-grandparents' files. They cost $10.00 each and will take 4-6 weeks to arrive. I ordered them from the Arkansas Department of Health via an online form that I printed and will mail in to them, along with my check for $20. Update 7/27/09: Copies of these two death certificates were received and they will be scanned, transcribed, added to the notes section and source section of my family tree file.
Goal: To obtain copies of all 8 of my great-grandparents' death certificates
Set # 1 were my mom's mom's parents: Thelma Louise Lasiter (1912-1996) and James Putman Lasiter (1908-1974)
Set # 2 were my mom's dad's parents: Nova Lee Peters (1908-2000) and Orville Godwin (1905-1956)
Set # 3 were my dad's mom's parents: Kathryne Blanche Hill (1912-1992) and John Brooks Binns (1910-1989)
Set # 4 were my dad's dad's parents: Reba Fox (1920-2003) and Claude Rual Smith, Jr (1919-1996)
I knew and interacted with 6 of my 8 great-grandparents throughout most of my childhood - Louise "Mamaw" Lasiter, Novi Martin, Blanche Binns, Johnnie Binns, Reba Smith and "Big Daddy" Smith. James Lasiter and Orville Godwin both died before I was born. Orville Godwin and Novi Peters were my only set of divorced great-grandparents. Orville Godwin was murdered in his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma at the young age of 51.
The 6 great-grandparents I knew all lived in Fort Smith, Arkansas, with the exception of the Smiths who lived out in the country in Kibler, Arkansas (near Clear Creek State Park).
Obituaries and Death Certificates
I have the obituaries of 7 of the 8 of my great-grandparents that I obtained either from family members or from the Fort Smith Library's microfilm collection of newspapers, including the Southwest Times Record, and associated online archives. I do not have a copy of the obituary of my Mother's Father's Father, Orville Godwin, who died in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I do, however, have a copy of the news article that was published about his murder.
I have two death certificates - one for Blanche Hill Binns and one for Nova Martin.
I created a checklist to see if I had obtained copies of all of the obituaries of my great-grandparents, and also to see if I had scanned and transcribed them, and saved them to the notes section of my Family Tree Maker software and created source entries for them. Here are my results:
| Name | FTF Notes? | FTF Source? | Scanned? | Transcribed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nova Peters | yes | yes | no | yes |
| Orville Godwin | no | no | no | no |
| James Lasiter | yes | yes | see copies | yes |
| Louise Benson | yes | yes | see copies | yes |
| John Binns | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Blanche Hill | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Reba Fox | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Claude Smith Jr | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Name | FTF Notes? | FTF Source? | Scanned? | Transcribed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nova Peters | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Orville Godwin | no | no | no | no |
| James Lasiter | yes | yes | no | yes |
| Louise Benson | no | no | no | no |
| John Binns | no | no | no | no |
| Blanche Hill | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Reba Fox | no | no | no | no |
| Claude Smith Jr | no | no | no | no |
Results:
I have copies of 7 of the 8 great grandparents' obituaries. I have transcribed them and pasted into the notes section of my Family Tree Maker software. I will need to go back and look if I have them entered as sources in my database. If not, then I will make new source entries for them and attach them to the basic facts (birth, death, marriage) and any relatives' names that are mentioned. Two obituaries - Louise and James P Lasiter - were obtained from microfilm at the library. They need to be scanned and saved to my harddrive.
I only have copies of 2 death certificates - one of them is the original copy of my great-grandmother, Nova Martin's death that my grandfather gave to me. I scanned the copy and saved to my harddrive. I then transcribed it and added it to the notes in my FTF and as a source. I obtained a copy of my great grandmother Blanche Binns' death certificate from my grandmother who had a copy of it in her scrapbook. I scanned it right from the scrapbook and saved it to my harddrive. I transcribed it, added it to the notes section of my FTM software and added it as a new source.
I ordered two death certificates today - those of my great grandparents on my Mother's side - Louise Lasiter and her husband James P Lasiter. I had put them off because I already have all of the vital information that will be provided on the death certificate from the obituary and from my grandparents' tales. However, these certificates are available and should be included in my great-grandparents' files. They cost $10.00 each and will take 4-6 weeks to arrive. I ordered them from the Arkansas Department of Health via an online form that I printed and will mail in to them, along with my check for $20. Update 7/27/09: Copies of these two death certificates were received and they will be scanned, transcribed, added to the notes section and source section of my family tree file.
Goal: To obtain copies of all 8 of my great-grandparents' death certificates
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Finding the Heirs of Etheldred Godwin - Part 5
In Post 4 of this series, we were able to identify 4 of the 7 "heirs" of Dred Godwin by following the transfers of two tracts of land he originally patented in Putnam County, Indiana in 1839. In 1852, Sion, Jonathan, Nathan, and Joshua sold off 1/7th shares of land originally patented to Netheldred "Dred" Godwin in 1839. Joshua and Sion Godwin had been enumerated with Dred Godwin on the 1850 Putnam County, Indiana census report right before Dred Godwin died. A third person was also enumerated with them - Margaret Godwin. Could she have been one of the 3 remaining heirs to sell off Dred's land?
In order to trace the legacies of the female heirs of deceased persons, the deeds of the females' husbands must be analyzed. Almost all court documents are recorded and indexed by the male's name, even if his wife was included in the deed instrument.
From the 1850 census report, we know of at least one daughter - Margaret Godwin who married George Sabin in January of 1853 in Putnam County, Indiana. Two other possible daughters of Dred Godwin have been identified through descendants - Cassie and Elizabeth Godwin. Cassie Godwin married John H McAlister and Elizabeth Godwin married William Thomas. Elizabeth Godwin was mentioned in an article entitled "The History of Adair and Guthrie Counties, Iowa" which was published in 1884. It is unclear how Cassie Godwin McAlister was originally tied to Dred Godwin's family, as correspondence with her descendants has been minimal.
Margaret, Cassie, and Elizabeth had only been suggested as possible children of Dred Godwin for several years now. A review of all the deeds executed by their husbands might provide additional evidence supporting this hypothesis that these 3 women were in fact "heirs" of Dred Godwin.
In order to trace the legacies of the female heirs of deceased persons, the deeds of the females' husbands must be analyzed. Almost all court documents are recorded and indexed by the male's name, even if his wife was included in the deed instrument.
From the 1850 census report, we know of at least one daughter - Margaret Godwin who married George Sabin in January of 1853 in Putnam County, Indiana. Two other possible daughters of Dred Godwin have been identified through descendants - Cassie and Elizabeth Godwin. Cassie Godwin married John H McAlister and Elizabeth Godwin married William Thomas. Elizabeth Godwin was mentioned in an article entitled "The History of Adair and Guthrie Counties, Iowa" which was published in 1884. It is unclear how Cassie Godwin McAlister was originally tied to Dred Godwin's family, as correspondence with her descendants has been minimal.
Margaret, Cassie, and Elizabeth had only been suggested as possible children of Dred Godwin for several years now. A review of all the deeds executed by their husbands might provide additional evidence supporting this hypothesis that these 3 women were in fact "heirs" of Dred Godwin.
The Putnam County Deed book Grantor's Index microfilms were ordered from my local Family History Library. The first film no. 1315537 covered surnames beginning with A-S (1824-1863). The Godwin, Sabin, and McAlister deeds would be listed in this index. The second film no. 1315538 covered surnames beginning with T-Z (1824-1863). The Thomas surname would be found on this index. The index entries are summarized below:
Land Description: "1/7th part of the NE 1/4 of NW 1/4 of Section 17, Township 12, Range 5, for 40 acres and 1/7th part of the SW 1/4 of NW 1/4 of Section 8, Township 12, Range 5, for 40 acres."
- John H McAlister to James Roberts, 12 Apr 1852, Deed book Q, p. 606-607
- George W Saber to L M Knight, 16 Sept 1853, Deed book S, p. 224
- William Thomas to Lenox M Knight, 1 Mar 1853, Deed book U, p. 526
The Putnam County, Indiana Deed Record books microfilms were then ordered from my Family History Library - Film nos. 1315562 and 1315560 contained the deed books referenced above. When the films arrived, I reviewed them on the scanning microfilm reader. I have included the scanned images of the actual deeds below.
Here are a couple of snippet texts from the deeds:
...which said undivided one seventh part descended to the said Margaret Sabin as one of the seven heirs and legal representatives of Etheldred Godwin, late of Putnam County, Indiana, deceased...
...which said undivided seventh part descended to said Elizabeth Thomas (late Elizabeth Goodwin) wife of Said William Thomas as of the seven heirs and legal representatives of Natheldred Goodwin...
...which Seventh undivided part, descended to said Cassey Goodwin, As one of the seven heirs and legal representatives of Nathaniel GoodwinDeceased...
Here are the scanned copies of the actual deeds:
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This 5-part series illustrated how deeds can be of significant genealogical value to the average researcher. The 7 deeds presented in this series not only painted a picture of the family of Netheldred Godwin of North Carolina and Indiana, but also served to support the hypothesis of several Godwin researchers who believed their ancestors were descended from this Godwin patriarch. With these deeds, Elizabeth Godwin Thomas, Cassie Godwin McAlister, and Margaret Godwin Sabin were placed with high confidence into this familial unit under Netheldred Godwin, along with Nathan, Sion, Joshua and Sarah Godwin*
*It is still unclear what relation Sarah Godwin was to Netheldred Godwin, deceased, and the other 6 "heirs" of his that received land as a legacy.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Saturday Night Fun - google yourself
Following Randy Seaver's Saturday night fun posted here. Randy tasked his readers with the following:
1) Google yourself at www.google.com. Put your first name, middle initial and last name, plus the name of your city or town in the Search box to see what other persons may have mentioned you online, or to see which blog aggregators are "collecting" you.
I put ["Ginger R Smith" "Raleigh"] into the Search box and received:
* Web: 71 matches (but only 18 when I scroll through them)
With ["Ginger Smith" "Raleigh"]:
* Web: 455 matches (but only 205 when you scroll through them)
2) Then go to the "Images," "Videos" and "News" links and see what they show.
I put ["Ginger R Smith" "Raleigh"] into the Search box and received:
Images: Only one image of the profile picture I have posted to my twitter account
Videos: 0 matches
News: 0 matches
With ["Ginger Smith" "Raleigh"]:
Images: 70 results (mostly from my profile picture found in other people's facebook friends page)
Videos: 0 matches
News: 0 matches
3) Tell us about any surprises you found, either in your blog or in Comments to this post.
Most of the entries in google were for messages I posted to rootsweb message boards, mailing lists or USGenWeb pages.
One reference linked to a paper I co-authored that was presented at a tradeshow.
No references were made to either of my two blogs because evidently I do not use my middle initial on my blog profiles. Hmm...I might consider changing that.
Thanks Randy!
1) Google yourself at www.google.com. Put your first name, middle initial and last name, plus the name of your city or town in the Search box to see what other persons may have mentioned you online, or to see which blog aggregators are "collecting" you.
I put ["Ginger R Smith" "Raleigh"] into the Search box and received:
* Web: 71 matches (but only 18 when I scroll through them)
With ["Ginger Smith" "Raleigh"]:
* Web: 455 matches (but only 205 when you scroll through them)
2) Then go to the "Images," "Videos" and "News" links and see what they show.
I put ["Ginger R Smith" "Raleigh"] into the Search box and received:
Images: Only one image of the profile picture I have posted to my twitter account
Videos: 0 matches
News: 0 matches
With ["Ginger Smith" "Raleigh"]:
Images: 70 results (mostly from my profile picture found in other people's facebook friends page)
Videos: 0 matches
News: 0 matches
3) Tell us about any surprises you found, either in your blog or in Comments to this post.
Most of the entries in google were for messages I posted to rootsweb message boards, mailing lists or USGenWeb pages.
One reference linked to a paper I co-authored that was presented at a tradeshow.
No references were made to either of my two blogs because evidently I do not use my middle initial on my blog profiles. Hmm...I might consider changing that.
Thanks Randy!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Finding the Heirs of Etheldred Godwin - Part 4
In post #3, we learned of 4 Goodwin men listed in the Putnam Co., IN Deed Grantor's Index who were selling off their 1/7th shares of land in Putnam Co., IN. The descriptions of the land provided in the index matched the lands that were patented by Dred Godwin in 1838. Could they have been selling off land they received as legacies from the estate of Dred Godwin? To find out, the actual deeds were ordered from my local family history library and reviewed.
Deeds can provide valuable genealogical information like familial relationships, including names of the wives of deed holders, current or prior residence information, and transfer of land between deed holders. They oftentimes also contain information about who the holder of the original land patent was as all land parcels were originally distributed via patent (or grant).
According to the Putnam Co., IN Grantors Deed index, the deeds of Joshua, Scion, Nathan, and Jonathan were recorded in Putnam County IN deed book R on pages 116, 120, and 310. I ordered the film from my local Family History Library. Deed books Q and R are contained on Film no. 1315560 (covers the years 1852-1853). The film arrived within a couple of weeks.
Our local Family History Library has a new digital microfilm reader that lets you scan images from the microfilm. I scanned copies of these 4 deeds. I have included snippets of them below.
Here are some interesting facts about these original deeds:
Joshua Godwin Deed
2) The land being sold is listed as the "undivided 1/7th part descended to said _____ Godwin as one of the seven heirs and legal representatives of Natheldred Godwin deceased..."
Sion Godwin Deed
3) Sarah Godwin, and not Jonathan, is listed as the actual "heir" of Natheldred Godwin: "eighty acres which said seventh undivided part descended to said Sarah Godwin as one of the seven heirs and legal representatives of Natheldread Godwin, deceased, ..." Although Jonathan Godwin was the actual grantor selling the land, with his wife, Sarah Godwin, agreeing to the sale. The deed also mentioned that Jonathan and Sarah Godwin were living in Vigo County, IN at the time the deed was executed.
Jonathan and Sarah Godwin Deed
4) Nathan Godwin and his wife, Elizabeth Godwin sold his 1/7th share off in 1852. This mention of his wife separates him from the many other Nathan Godwins in the area at this time. This Nathan Godwin married to Elizabeth was born about 1807 in NC. He was the Nathan Godwin who had purchased a land grant that I mentioned in post no. 3 - Nathan and his wife Elizabeth sold this land off to George Lucas in 1839. They were last seen in Parke Co., Indiana in the 1860 census report with son Natheldred Godwin.
Nathan and Elizabeth Godwin Deed
Through the review of these deed records 4 of the 7 "heirs" of Natheldred "Dred" Godwin were identified. These deed records provided valuable information about the grantors, including their wives' names, where they lived, and where they obtained the land from, ie, it was land descended to them from Natheldred Godwin, deceased. They also were very clear about exactly which grantor inherited the land which was important in the case of Jonathan and Sarah Godwin/Godden who were 1st cousins!
But what about the other 3/7th shares?
The 1850 census report mentioned in post 2 listed one of Dred Godwin's daughters - Margaret Godwin. Is it possible she received a 1/7th share as well? Find out in the upcoming Part 5 of the "Finding the Heirs of Etheldred Godwin" blog series.
Related Posts:
Finding the Heirs of Etheldred Godwin - Part 1
Finding the Heirs of Etheldred Godwin - Part 2
Finding the Heirs of Etheldred Godwin - Part 3
Finding the Heirs of Etheldred Godwin - Part 5
Deeds can provide valuable genealogical information like familial relationships, including names of the wives of deed holders, current or prior residence information, and transfer of land between deed holders. They oftentimes also contain information about who the holder of the original land patent was as all land parcels were originally distributed via patent (or grant).
According to the Putnam Co., IN Grantors Deed index, the deeds of Joshua, Scion, Nathan, and Jonathan were recorded in Putnam County IN deed book R on pages 116, 120, and 310. I ordered the film from my local Family History Library. Deed books Q and R are contained on Film no. 1315560 (covers the years 1852-1853). The film arrived within a couple of weeks.
Our local Family History Library has a new digital microfilm reader that lets you scan images from the microfilm. I scanned copies of these 4 deeds. I have included snippets of them below.
Here are some interesting facts about these original deeds:
1) In the index, these men were listed as "Goodwins" however in the actual deeds, their names were listed as "Godwin."
Joshua Godwin Deed
2) The land being sold is listed as the "undivided 1/7th part descended to said _____ Godwin as one of the seven heirs and legal representatives of Natheldred Godwin deceased..."
Sion Godwin Deed
3) Sarah Godwin, and not Jonathan, is listed as the actual "heir" of Natheldred Godwin: "eighty acres which said seventh undivided part descended to said Sarah Godwin as one of the seven heirs and legal representatives of Natheldread Godwin, deceased, ..." Although Jonathan Godwin was the actual grantor selling the land, with his wife, Sarah Godwin, agreeing to the sale. The deed also mentioned that Jonathan and Sarah Godwin were living in Vigo County, IN at the time the deed was executed.
Jonathan and Sarah Godwin Deed
4) Nathan Godwin and his wife, Elizabeth Godwin sold his 1/7th share off in 1852. This mention of his wife separates him from the many other Nathan Godwins in the area at this time. This Nathan Godwin married to Elizabeth was born about 1807 in NC. He was the Nathan Godwin who had purchased a land grant that I mentioned in post no. 3 - Nathan and his wife Elizabeth sold this land off to George Lucas in 1839. They were last seen in Parke Co., Indiana in the 1860 census report with son Natheldred Godwin.
Nathan and Elizabeth Godwin Deed
Through the review of these deed records 4 of the 7 "heirs" of Natheldred "Dred" Godwin were identified. These deed records provided valuable information about the grantors, including their wives' names, where they lived, and where they obtained the land from, ie, it was land descended to them from Natheldred Godwin, deceased. They also were very clear about exactly which grantor inherited the land which was important in the case of Jonathan and Sarah Godwin/Godden who were 1st cousins!
But what about the other 3/7th shares?
The 1850 census report mentioned in post 2 listed one of Dred Godwin's daughters - Margaret Godwin. Is it possible she received a 1/7th share as well? Find out in the upcoming Part 5 of the "Finding the Heirs of Etheldred Godwin" blog series.
Related Posts:
Finding the Heirs of Etheldred Godwin - Part 1
Finding the Heirs of Etheldred Godwin - Part 2
Finding the Heirs of Etheldred Godwin - Part 3
Finding the Heirs of Etheldred Godwin - Part 5
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Finding the heirs of Ethedred Godwin - Part 3
In the first post of this series we were introduced to Etheldred Godwin, one of two or three brothers who moved from Randolph Co., NC to Clay and Putnam Counties, IN between 1828 and 1830. They might have wanted to move to Indiana for a couple of reasons: (1) the land was better for farming (2) they were Quakers and there was a movement of Quakers into this area of Indiana.
At least two Godwin brothers made the journey together - Nathan and Etheldred Godwin - both of whom were born in the late 1770s. Etheldred Godwin and his family remained in Putnam Co., IN until his death in 1852. Nathan Godwin removed to Perry Co., IL, where he died in 1833. In the second post of this series, we were introduced to a possible third brother - Enoch Godwin - who was connected to the family of Jonathan and Sarah Godden. We met Jonathan and Sarah Godden, who were married in Putnam Co., Indiana in 1844, while evaluating the sources used in tracking the life of Sion Godwin, who has been identified as a possible son of Etheldred Godwin.
Sion Godwin was listed on the 1880 Larimer Co., CO census report as "brother" to Margaret Sabin. Margaret Godwin had married George Sabin in Putnam Co., IN in January of 1853. Both Margaret and Sion Godwin had been enumerated previously in the household of Etheldred Godwin in 1850, along with Joshua Godwin.
So far, 3 possible children of Etheldred Godwin have been identified - Margaret, Joshua, and Cyon/Sion/Scion Godwin. However, Godwin cousins were popping up all over the map in IN, IL, and IA census reports! After all, it was possible there were 3 brothers who came to Indiana and with them came several children each - many of whom were given the same names. Sorting through which Godwin children belonged to which Godwin brother became a more and more daunting task.
In order to piece together the Godwins of Putnam Co., IN, the first thing I did was collect all of the land grant records for each Godwin. I went to the Bureau of Land Management's website and did a search for "Godwin" in Putnam Co., IN. Three records came up - two for "Netheldre(a)d" Godwin and one for "Nathan" Godwin. The latter Nathan Godwin was not the same Nathan who was Dred's brother, as he had died in 1833 in Perry Co., IL. Dred Godwin had applied for two separate patents of 40 acres each for land in Putnam Co., IN. The first was issued on Sept 1st, 1838, the second was issued 4 days later on Sept 5th, 1838.
(1) The north east quarter of the north west quarter of section 17, township 12 north, range 5 west
Dred Godwin purchased a total of 80 acres from the State of Indiana. My next step is to then see if this land was sold to anyone. The subsequent transfer of land was recorded in "deeds." I ordered the Putnam Co., IN Deed Index for Grantors (sellers) from my local Family History Library (Film no. 1315537) to see if and when Dred Godwin sold this land. I looked through all the Godwin deed entries. Although I did not find an entry for Dred Godwin selling off these two parcels of land, I did find several "Goodwin" entries all lumped together. Each Goodwin entry had two tracts of land being sold in 1852 and a couple of them mentioned a "1/7th part" which caught my attention.
Goodwins mentioned in Putnam Co., IN Deed Index (Grantors) in 1852:
Sion Goodwin
Jonathan Goodwin
Nathan Goodwin
Joshua Goodwin
Each entry in the index for these 4 men was for a 1/7th share (each) of the same two tracts of land:
(1) The north east quarter of the north west quarter of section 17, township 12 north, range 5 west
(2) The south west quarter of the north west quarter of section 8, township 12 north, range 5 west
Sound familiar? They should! These two tracts of land were the exact tracts of land that Etheldred Godwin originally patented from the Viciennes, Indiana Land Office in 1838!
And what about the grantor names? At least two of those names are somewhat familiar - two males by the name of Joshua and Sion Godwin had been enumerated with Dred Godwin on the 1850 Putnam Co., IN census report.
Being "1/7th shares" of these two tracts of land indicates that this land was heired to "7" descendants of Dred Godwin. An indepth review of the actual deeds might indicate a relationship between Dred Godwin and these heirs. This will be discussed in the next post of this series.
Related Posts:
Finding the Heirs of Etheldred Godwin - Part 1
Finding the Heirs of Etheldred Godwin - Part 2
Finding the Heirs of Etheldred Godwin - Part 4
Finding the Heirs of Etheldred Godwin - Part 5
At least two Godwin brothers made the journey together - Nathan and Etheldred Godwin - both of whom were born in the late 1770s. Etheldred Godwin and his family remained in Putnam Co., IN until his death in 1852. Nathan Godwin removed to Perry Co., IL, where he died in 1833. In the second post of this series, we were introduced to a possible third brother - Enoch Godwin - who was connected to the family of Jonathan and Sarah Godden. We met Jonathan and Sarah Godden, who were married in Putnam Co., Indiana in 1844, while evaluating the sources used in tracking the life of Sion Godwin, who has been identified as a possible son of Etheldred Godwin.
Sion Godwin was listed on the 1880 Larimer Co., CO census report as "brother" to Margaret Sabin. Margaret Godwin had married George Sabin in Putnam Co., IN in January of 1853. Both Margaret and Sion Godwin had been enumerated previously in the household of Etheldred Godwin in 1850, along with Joshua Godwin.
So far, 3 possible children of Etheldred Godwin have been identified - Margaret, Joshua, and Cyon/Sion/Scion Godwin. However, Godwin cousins were popping up all over the map in IN, IL, and IA census reports! After all, it was possible there were 3 brothers who came to Indiana and with them came several children each - many of whom were given the same names. Sorting through which Godwin children belonged to which Godwin brother became a more and more daunting task.
In order to piece together the Godwins of Putnam Co., IN, the first thing I did was collect all of the land grant records for each Godwin. I went to the Bureau of Land Management's website and did a search for "Godwin" in Putnam Co., IN. Three records came up - two for "Netheldre(a)d" Godwin and one for "Nathan" Godwin. The latter Nathan Godwin was not the same Nathan who was Dred's brother, as he had died in 1833 in Perry Co., IL. Dred Godwin had applied for two separate patents of 40 acres each for land in Putnam Co., IN. The first was issued on Sept 1st, 1838, the second was issued 4 days later on Sept 5th, 1838.
Here are the land descriptions for the two tracts of land Dred Godwin patented:
(1) The north east quarter of the north west quarter of section 17, township 12 north, range 5 west
(2) The south west quarter of the north west quarter of section 8, township 12 north, range 5 west
Land in Indiana was divided according to the Public Land Survey System, sometimes known as the "Rectangular Survey System." According to a basic Section Township map, sections 8 and 17 are in close proximity to each other. Below is a schematic of how a Section township map should look like:
Dred Godwin purchased a total of 80 acres from the State of Indiana. My next step is to then see if this land was sold to anyone. The subsequent transfer of land was recorded in "deeds." I ordered the Putnam Co., IN Deed Index for Grantors (sellers) from my local Family History Library (Film no. 1315537) to see if and when Dred Godwin sold this land. I looked through all the Godwin deed entries. Although I did not find an entry for Dred Godwin selling off these two parcels of land, I did find several "Goodwin" entries all lumped together. Each Goodwin entry had two tracts of land being sold in 1852 and a couple of them mentioned a "1/7th part" which caught my attention.
Goodwins mentioned in Putnam Co., IN Deed Index (Grantors) in 1852:
Sion Goodwin
Jonathan Goodwin
Nathan Goodwin
Joshua Goodwin
Each entry in the index for these 4 men was for a 1/7th share (each) of the same two tracts of land:
(1) The north east quarter of the north west quarter of section 17, township 12 north, range 5 west
(2) The south west quarter of the north west quarter of section 8, township 12 north, range 5 west
Sound familiar? They should! These two tracts of land were the exact tracts of land that Etheldred Godwin originally patented from the Viciennes, Indiana Land Office in 1838!
And what about the grantor names? At least two of those names are somewhat familiar - two males by the name of Joshua and Sion Godwin had been enumerated with Dred Godwin on the 1850 Putnam Co., IN census report.
Being "1/7th shares" of these two tracts of land indicates that this land was heired to "7" descendants of Dred Godwin. An indepth review of the actual deeds might indicate a relationship between Dred Godwin and these heirs. This will be discussed in the next post of this series.
Related Posts:
Finding the Heirs of Etheldred Godwin - Part 1
Finding the Heirs of Etheldred Godwin - Part 2
Finding the Heirs of Etheldred Godwin - Part 4
Finding the Heirs of Etheldred Godwin - Part 5
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