I first came to know the Rowlett family through my 2nd great-grandmother, Sarah Jane, who married James Dodson in antebellum Mecklenburg County, Virginia. When Sarah was a young girl, Congress addressed the needs of its elderly war heroes by passing the Revolutionary War Pension Act of 1832. This legislation provided full pay for any man, … Continue reading The Will of Thomas Rowlett: Spider Web in a Family Tree
Green
Sunday morning musing
I have been getting acquainted with my 19th century grandmothers during the last few weeks, creating more questions than stories at the end of each day, which is frustrating at many levels. I catch myself re-centering the family account around the men, specifically the white men, who populate the records. It is a habit. A … Continue reading Sunday morning musing
Mystery Among the Roots
The Northeastern Pennsylvania Genealogical Society in Hanover, Pennsylvania may seem an odd place to find this Virginia root hunter. But one of the perks of belonging to my local library is accessing their subscription to Family Search files which includes ALL the digital files within the vast Salt Lake City-based repository. Every Thursday you can … Continue reading Mystery Among the Roots
Leaf Litter from the Family Tree
The leaves from our deciduous forests are turning yellow, or brown, and dropping with alacrity to the ground. They carpet every surface--grass, water, rocks, moss, driveways. For years I have used the family tree metaphor to structure my genealogical research. Only today did it strike me that leaf litter can also be an inspirational metaphor, … Continue reading Leaf Litter from the Family Tree
Shoots, Roots, and Leaves 