Source Mystery

Do you like to dig into old deeds and court records to figure out family ties? If so, has the closure of libraries and Family History Centers impacted your ability to access those records? My answer to both questions is YES. Of course, I could be using Ancestry databases to research other branches of my tree, but the pull to research my Crawford line is very strong -- and that means accessing Virginia records.

Even if the Family History Centers were open, I'm under a county 'Stay at Home' order. Thus, I'm digging thru my files from previous Virginia research to see if I can make pull any new information from that research.

Out of curiosity, I searched my Crawford files to see if I had any records mentioning Overton, Tennessee. (One of my brother's BigY matches is to a Crawford family from Overton County, Tennessee.) Since I've never done any Tennessee research, I didn't expect to find much. Thus, I was surprised when I found a document titled: Crawford Families of Virginia and Overton County Tennessee.

What I have is a scanned image of a photocopy.

Chasing Edward

When doing your genealogy research do you sometimes feel like you are going down a rabbit hole or chasing your tail? That's what I sometimes feel like when I research descendants of a Crawford who is not my ancestor.

So yesterday, I was chasing my tail by researching the children of Edward Crawford (1762-1826) of Overton, Tennessee. Even though I don't have any paper research connecting my Crawford line to Edward or even to Overton County, Tennessee, there is a DNA connection. Descendants of Edward Crawford have also done a Big Y DNA test and we have been assigned the same branch of the Big Y Haplotree: R-Y88686.

When I first received these DNA results, I couldn't find a connection between my Crawford family in Garrard County, Kentucky and Edward Crawford of Overton County, Tennessee. However, I remembered that I had found an Edward Crawford in the 1795 and 1796 tax lists for Madison County, Kentucky. Wondering whether the Edward Crawford in the tax lists of Madison County, KY is the same Edward Crawford who died in Overton County, TN.

Thus, I've been researching the children and grandchildren of Edward Crawford of Overton County, Tennessee -- hoping to find some clue that would lead back to Kentucky. As I was finding records for Edward's children and their family, I was comparing my findings to the Edward Crawford [LD9R-8KW] family on the FamilySearch tree. During this comparison, I discovered that other researchers believe that David Crawford [9KMN-WNK], son of Edward and Abigail (Trowbridge) Crawford was born in Clark County, Kentucky.

DNA Haplogroup

Thanks to some updates to the yDNA test I manage, my Crawford line (James Crawford - born 1772, died 1854) has been assigned a new Haplogroup: R-A13336. Previously, we had been grouped in the larger R-M269 Haplogroup. According to a Crawford project administrator, I also share the Y30725 terminal SNP with another match. It is my understanding that work is still being done to determine which is older: the A13336 or the Y30725.

Edward Crawford Deed

Is Edward Crawford of Overton, Tennessee a brother to James Crawford of Preble County, Ohio? Is he the same Edward Crawford shown in the 1896 tax list for Garrard County, KY. To answer either of these questions, I need to learn more about Edward Crawford of Overton County, Tennessee. Since I'm looking for a source tying two locations together, I'm starting with deeds.

Edward Crawford of Overton County, Tennessee purchased land in 1807 from Thomas Dillen.

Overton County, Tennessee
Deeds

Deeds, V. A-C 1801-1813
FamilySearch Film 981131 DGS 7903546


Crawford Edward (grantee) from Thomas Dillon Book B page 13

In Column: Original Book B page 14 &c

Thomas Dillen
To Deed 300 acres on
waters of Obed’s river
Edward Crawford

Left Turn

Have you ever come across a new piece of information that sends your genealogy research in a totally different direction? I'm sure you have as most of us encounter this from time to time.

Yesterday, I received such a piece of information. This wasn't a document but a DNA result - a yDNA result. Apparently, my Crawford line is its own branch with my closest Crawford match being a descendant of Edward Crawford of Overton, Tennessee.

So, one of my new goals is to try and determine how this Edward Crawford might fit in with all of my James Crawford research. With only five Edwards in my database it is a relatively unusual name. Unfortunately, Alexander and Mary (McPheeters) Crawford had a son named Edward. Thus, there will be confusion in online trees as to the parents of Edward.

In looking back thru my Kentucky research notes, I do have some data placing an Edward Crawford in Madison County, Kentucky during the time period of my James Crawford research.

In 1795, Edward Crawford was listed on the tax records for Madison County, Kentucky as a male over 21 with 2 horses and 3 cattle.