GENERAL AFFIDAVIT State of Virginia, County of Mecklenburg, ss: In the matter of the application for pension of Mrs. Serene (sic) C. Sayles Widow of the late Ira Sayles ON THIS 30thday of July , A.D. one thousand eight hundred and ninety-four, personally appeared before me, a Notary Public in and for the aforesaid County, … Continue reading Transcript Tuesday: General Affidavit in the Widow’s Pension Application of Serena C. Sayles, 1894
Virginia
Amanuensis: A letter from Ira Sayles to James K. Sayles, 1872
Thanks to cousin, blog reader, and James K Sayles descendant, Sharon Babcock, for sharing her stash of family artifacts. Christiansville, Mecklenburg Co. Va. Wednesday P.M., April 10, 1872 My Dear Brother James, Yours of March 14, was duly received, and somewhat astonished me with its announcement of your affliction. If my sympathy could cure you, it … Continue reading Amanuensis: A letter from Ira Sayles to James K. Sayles, 1872
The Will of Thomas Rowlett: Spider Web in a Family Tree
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
The Last Will of Thomas Rowlett: 1806
Source: Mecklenburg County, Virginia Will Book 5, p 320, 1806; accessed digitally from Family Search (familysearch.org) September 13, 2018. In late December of 1805, Thomas Rowlett of Mecklenburg County wrote a new will. Less than a month later, the son of William Rowlett and step-mother Sarah Neal Archer Rowlett was dead. Thomas left an estate … Continue reading The Last Will of Thomas Rowlett: 1806
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
Shoots, Roots, and Leaves 